Gobble wrote:Get the hell out of here. Kevin Love cannot score in the halfcourt unless someone else sets him up. He doesn't have no low post game, but it's nothing impressive. All of his points come from someone getting him an open jumper, or him getting o-rebounds and scoring around the basket. That's why the team has had 2 legitimate offensive plays this season. Clear out for Beasley, let him do something. Or, throw it to Darko in the post, let him do something. Because Love can't do the same thing, plus giving him the ball takes him out of the thing he does best which is scoring those garbage points. To all these people saying Love is the better player (and I like Love a lot), name for me a single other alpha dog NBA star in history who plays no defense and can't consistently get offense in the half court? Beasley can do it in the half court, so it's gotta be him.
So far this year, this is looking to be a crock of bull. Love struggles to score around the rim off of rebounds in traffic over longer and more athletic players, but when he's gotten the chance to dictate what type of shot he gets, he's looked quite adept. His jump hook looks as if it will be a reliable post move, now he needs to develop a counter to it. He's also shown an understanding of how to create space with his face-up game from the elbow on in. He's also a deadly option in the pick-and-pop (a play in which he has a little something to do with getting that open jumper). All those are ways he can get shots in the half court. Just because plays aren't being run for him doesn't mean that plays can't be run for him. He's exceptionally good at cleaning up misses, but that shouldn't be seen as a reason that he can't get his shot in the half court. If his shot is actually as good as it looks lately, that opens up a variety of ways he could create offense based on that threat.
If you think that the Wolves have only had two legitimate offensive plays this season, and that both have basically been "give the ball to player X and let him do something," that would seem to be more of an indictment of the coaching staff than anything else.
mandurugo wrote:I wonder if defensive side of things is something that will prevent Beasley from ever truly transitioning to a 3. He's fine on the offensive side of the ball, at least he has enough of a perimeter game to make the attempt. On defense I think he has the mindset and reactions of a 4/5. That's the position he played when he had his greatest success, but he's never truly played it in the pros.
Doesn't bode well for this experiment I think.
I think it would be more accurate to say that his mental lapses on that side of the ball may play a part i preventing him from becoming a true #1 on a good team. He has the physical tools to be competent, but he loses track of his man and gets sucked towards the action too often. That's a problem irregardless of the position he's playing. The difference is that as a 3 he's giving up open treys, but as a 4/5 he'd be giving up open midrange jumpers and bunnies at the rim.
Defense is something that needs work no matter what position he plays. In theory it should eventually be easier to hide him on the perimeter, as there will be less responsibility in terms of providing help, but he's got to learn to stay with his man for that to happen.
