Around the NBA (Part Three)

[winforlose]

Ideally, what kind of PG would you all think would be ideal for our team? I don't know if Morant's volume scoring would be right for us (though we defintely could use great scoring at the 1), who do you think would be a perfect fit?

The key word is gravity. Ant’s gravity makes life easier for other players. Having a back court partner with his own gravity will make life easier for Ant. Having that same player be able to run the offense and keep us competitive while Ant rests is huge. Combine that with relative alignment of the prime windows (not to mention Jaden and Naz’s prime windows,) and Morant is probably a solid fit on the court. Replace Rudy with a Myles Turner type big and now you have a 5 out juggernaut offensively. The key would be how much defense we could muster, and Ant can be elite when he wants to.

[Klomp]

The key word is gravity. Ant’s gravity makes life easier for other players. Having a back court partner with his own gravity will make life easier for Ant.

While not a backcourt player, Julius does this as well.

[winforlose]

The key word is gravity. Ant’s gravity makes life easier for other players. Having a back court partner with his own gravity will make life easier for Ant.

While not a backcourt player, Julius does this as well.

Yes and no. Julius has more limits on his game and handle. A solid defender can shut him down much more easily. Also his moves being predictable means an effective help defender can force him to turn it over a lot. Julius is not without gravity, but he is much closer to a 3rd option than a 2nd compared to traditional robins.

[Klomp]

Ideally, what kind of PG would you all think would be ideal for our team? I don't know if Morant's volume scoring would be right for us (though we defintely could use great scoring at the 1), who do you think would be a perfect fit?

The word perfect is hard because the target in an ideal world the perfect fit would be unattainable.

We say we need a defender because of the team's defensive identity
We say we need a ballhandler because of the team's turnover issues
We say we need a 3-point shooter to help space the floor for others

A player doing every one of those while being available in trade is just probably not possible. I would agree that Lonzo Ball is the closest to hitting all of those marks, but injury issues make that a less trustworthy acquisition. Next on that list are probably Tre Jones and Jose Alvarado, but do those guys affect the rotation and move the needle enough?

[Neeva]

Zion is gonna miss games I am shocked.

[minimus]

Ideally, what kind of PG would you all think would be ideal for our team? I don't know if Morant's volume scoring would be right for us (though we defintely could use great scoring at the 1), who do you think would be a perfect fit?

The word perfect is hard because the target in an ideal world the perfect fit would be unattainable.

We say we need a defender because of the team's defensive identity
We say we need a ballhandler because of the team's turnover issues
We say we need a 3-point shooter to help space the floor for others

A player doing every one of those while being available in trade is just probably not possible. I would agree that Lonzo Ball is the closest to hitting all of those marks, but injury issues make that a less trustworthy acquisition. Next on that list are probably Tre Jones and Jose Alvarado, but do those guys affect the rotation and move the needle enough?

Ideally we need a big PG, I even think that a comboguard such as Anthony Black would work as Rob teammate. I like Alvarado or Tre Jones game, but with NBA going more in direction of transition offense and full court pressing in defense, I want our PG to play physical and big

[KGdaBom]

Ideally, what kind of PG would you all think would be ideal for our team? I don't know if Morant's volume scoring would be right for us (though we defintely could use great scoring at the 1), who do you think would be a perfect fit?

The reincarnation of Steve Nash would be ideal for our team. Rudy would score 20 a game on 75%, All threes wide open shots, Ant wouldn't have to pound the ball for 10 seconds at a time looking for an opening, fast breaks would be legendary and Steve shooting 50/40/90 himself wouldn't hurt. Steve Nash might have been the best offensive impact player of all time. Tell me that kind of PG wouldn't lead us to an NBA title. Yeah that kind of PG would be ideal.
I know some will counter with Magic Johnson would be better and probably true due to his size and defense, but the question was what kind of PG.

A Google AI search came back with this on Steve Nash

Team-oriented play: Despite his defensive weaknesses, Nash was an elite playmaker who made his teammates better. His ability to create for others often led to high-powered offenses that could outscore opponents.
Elevated teammates: The "Nash Effect" saw his teammates' shooting percentages increase significantly when playing with him, a testament to his ability to generate good looks for them.
MVP recognition: His offensive dominance was so strong that it earned him two MVP awards, with his impact on that side of the ball far outweighing the negatives of his defense.
The famous did Steve Nash deserve his MVP's question.
Steve Nash deserved both of his MVPs over Kobe. You can't win the MVP missing the playoffs in 05 nor can you win it being the 7th seed in 06. Nash was responsible for the biggest turn around season with a 40 win difference than year prior. His MVPs were well deserved.Aug 9, 2025

[KGdaBom]

I asked Google AI who led teams to greater offensive efficiency Steve Nash or Magic Johnson.

Steve Nash led teams to greater offensive efficiency relative to their era compared to Magic Johnson. Nash's teams consistently achieved historically high offensive ratings, even compared to other elite offenses throughout NBA history.
Steve Nash's Offensive Impact
Historical Efficiency: Nash's teams in Dallas and Phoenix featured some of the most efficient offenses in NBA history relative to the league average at the time.
Top Rankings: Five of the top nine and six of the top fifteen all-time teams in "Relative Offensive Rating" (adjusting for league-wide offensive levels in a given season) were led by Steve Nash. This included the top two offenses ever (his final season in Dallas and first in Phoenix).
Consistency: Under Nash, the Phoenix Suns finished in the top two in the league in Offensive Rating every season from 2004 to 2010.
System Driver: Nash was the primary engine of the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense, which revolutionized offensive strategies and demonstrated a potent, high-scoring style that was incredibly efficient.
Magic Johnson's Offensive Impact
Elite Offense: Magic Johnson's "Showtime" Lakers were also an offensive powerhouse and were championship-caliber teams that finished at or near the top in offensive efficiency during his prime (1984-1990).
Sustained Success: Magic led the Lakers to five championships and his teams maintained a high level of offensive performance over many seasons.
Individual Efficiency: Magic had a career True Shooting Percentage (TS%) of .610, which is considered highly efficient, especially for his era.
Conclusion
While both players were exceptional offensive leaders who ran potent, high-paced offenses, advanced analytics focusing on relative offensive efficiency show that Steve Nash led teams that were more efficient within the context of their respective eras. Nash's offenses consistently set new benchmarks for efficiency during his prime.

I'm not saying it's an open/shut case for best offensive player of all time, but the case for Steve Nash is very strong. Nash did this without the level of teammates that Magic had.

[younggunsmn]

It's kind of amazing that even with 2 assists and 7 turnovers the Hawks are better with NAW running things than Tre Young.
The defensive difference between the 2 is just staggering.

Young is going to be the next star caliber player available in trade.

We may have done the wrong thing in keeping Naz and Dante over NAW.
Although its still a really small sample size.

[younggunsmn]

Walker Kessler out for the year with a torn labrum.
That's a real bummer for him he was really blowing up this year.

It will be interesting to see what his free agent market is like next summer with the injury.

[Klomp]

Walker Kessler out for the year with a torn labrum.
That's a real bummer for him he was really blowing up this year.

It will be interesting to see what his free agent market is like next summer with the injury.

I wonder if anyone would try to buy low at the trade deadline? I know a front office that was interested in his skill set enough to draft him 4 years ago....

[winforlose]

Walker Kessler out for the year with a torn labrum.
That's a real bummer for him he was really blowing up this year.

It will be interesting to see what his free agent market is like next summer with the injury.

I wonder if anyone would try to buy low at the trade deadline? I know a front office that was interested in his skill set enough to draft him 4 years ago....

I suspect Utah keeps him. They can leverage the injury history to get a better deal and with the new contract they can assess his true potential.

[KGdaBom]

Walker Kessler out for the year with a torn labrum.
That's a real bummer for him he was really blowing up this year.

It will be interesting to see what his free agent market is like next summer with the injury.

I got his autograph at summer league the one after his rookie season. He was really nice. I wish that young man nothing, but the very best.

[Klomp]

I was open to the consideration, but I'm now officially out on Ja Morant. I'm not even sure I would accept a straight up trade offer of Ja Morant for Leonard Miller.

I feel I should clarify this somewhat.

I will say that I probably would not pursue him (unless it came at the right price), but I absolutely think the front office is doing the right thing by doing its due diligence on the situation. I think the issue Ja has more than anything is with Tuomas Iisalo, who is finding out the hard way that coaching in Europe is different than coaching in the NBA. I know some people want Finch to coach guys here the same way, so it would make sense why it's a harder sell for some fans. Finch gives a lot of freedom to players, and I think Morant would flourish in that system. A lot of the team's offensive issues would change for the better.

The off-court situation brings its own discussion, but I don't think it has ever really affected his play on the court.

[winforlose]

If Ja becomes available for a reasonable price I see no world in which we don’t pursue him. I know TC has talked about high character players and locker room dynamics, but Ja and Ant together is the best backcourt in the NBA. With the rise of OKC, the emergence of Wemby, and the general competition level of the west being the toughest in years, (if not decades,) we cannot afford to pass on a 26 year old capable of putting up his numbers as the #1 on a multi year playoff team. Moving Rudy is the likeliest path to getting Ja, but that forces us to make a second move to get another C. Randle is the alternative player to move, but I doubt we do that this year. Randle is playing all star level offense and his defense is pretty good compared to his usual standard. Ja’s off court issues are what they are, but if we let them deter us, we may be missing a golden opportunity to secure the Ant prime window and establish a dynasty.

[Klomp]

I have thought for a few years that the Memphis basketball culture would be a great fit for many of Minnesota's players. I don't know if there's a single player who I could say "Memphis wouldn't want him". Rob might be the closest to that category, but then again they'll be targeting guards in any trade I'm sure.