Def Swami wrote:Thoughts from last night's game:
- Overall, much improved play.
- Aaron Gordon had a much better night. 15 points and 6 rebounds on 4/9 and, more importantly, 7 free throw attempts! He just looked far more resolute in his movement and decision-making in the 2nd half last night. That's all I want to see; just have some confidence, play with aggression, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. His activity level will produce more good than mistakes.
- Payton still can't shoot.He looked more assertive throughout the night and played good defense. But the jumpshot just isn't a thing yet. 4/13 from the floor with a 1:4 assist to TO ratio is pretty horrid from your starting point guard. I really want to believe in Elfrid, but he's makes it really hard right now.
- All aboard the CJ Wilcox bandwagon! I really like this kid. He'll likely be nothing more than a guy off the bench to space the floor for us, but I've really liked his defense and activity so far. He's making the most of his time and shooting the well in preseason. He just has a good vibe about him; I also have an irrational like for any guy from Washington.
- That money we invested in our bench this off-season may really pay off for us. Biyombo was very productive and active for us again tonight with 9/9/2. I really liked the look with both CJ's; Watson's size and defense was a nice change up from Augustin.
Jeff Green continues to be a pleasant surprise with his shooting and shot-making. He's a vet and you can tell how much slower the game is going for him compared to young guys like Hezonja and Gordon. Also 5 more free throw attempts from Green! There was also a nice moment where Gordon and Green were able to cause some havoc on the floor together with their switching on defense. Having good scoring from our bench is going to be key this year. I'm excited for them to continuously dig our starters out of holes this season.
- Teams still killing us in pick n' roll with Vucevic. The wrap on Vucevic's weakness to defend it is well-known and we should expect teams to continue to exploit it. Ibaka's presence as a shot-blocker is really mitigated in these situations when you have him standing in the far corners defending stretch 4's like Thad Young. Monta Ellis and Jeff Teague had their way with this last night. This is such a tough balance for Vogel to strike. You could sub Biyombo in for Vucevic, but you then miss the passing and playmaking from Vucevic, and like it or not, Vucevic is still the only guy on the team who you can throw the ball to and get you a bucket. In crunch time, they went to Vucevic on the block a few times knowing he had the upper hand and he produced.
- So glad to see Vogel sub in players for offense and defense. Skiles NEVER did this all last year and it infuriated me. It almost felt like he wanted to throw the game smh. But Vogel recognizes the conundrum I mentioned above and is being wise with his possessions. It could really help us close some of those close games we lost all last year.
- When we acquired Serge Ibaka, there was a thread about what to expect. I recall believing he could average around 16-17 ppg, 9 rpg, and 2 bpg. At 26 with the dearth of scoring on our team, I'm standing by that prediction. He's the 2nd best/most reliable shooter in our starting lineup so he will be relied upon to score the ball a lot. Great game by Ibaka. Like others mentioned, you can tell that Jeff Green and Serge Ibaka have become the more vocal leaders on this team.
- Hezonja had 6 points, 3 TO's, and was -18 in 30 minutes. He's just not taking advantage of his minutes. My expectations for him are pretty low at this point. Like Elfrid, I'm rooting for him, but I'm still waiting to see the appeal.
Not sure if you're forgetting about Fournier because he didn't play last night but I anticipate he will be option number 1 in crunch time. He's also a guy you can give it to in crunch time and expect he'll either score or create.
