7footMONSTER wrote:vincecarter4pres wrote:7footMONSTER wrote:I think Marks learned from the Spurs about the concept of “switchability” and how valuable that is especially in the playoffs. Players that have the size, length, and ability to guard multiple positions.
Other than Kyrie (which he didn’t have a choice),
Marks has avoided committing long term money to undersized players. D Lo, Dinwiddie, LeVert, Harris, Prince, Rodi, Musa, Nwaba, TLC are all players with length and at least the potential to be switchable defenders.
I’m not sure if this obvious, but the NBA is extremely pick and roll heavy. The purpose of setting picks and screens is to create mismatches which the offense can then exploit to generate high quality looks.
Overwhelming theme among championship teams. At least 3-4 SWITCHABLE VERSATILE DEFENDERS:
Raps - Kawhi, Siakam, Danny Green, Ibaka
Warriors - Klay, Igoudala. Draymond, Barnes/KD
Cavs - Bron, JR, Shumpert, Tristan
Spurs - Kawhi, Danny Green, Diaw, Ginobli, Duncan
Heat - Bron, Wade, Bosh, Battier, Ray Allen
Mavs - Kidd, Matrix, DeShaun, Tyson
Lakers - Kobe, Ariza/Artest, Odom, Pau
Celtics - KG, Pierce, Tony Allen, Ray
Pistons - RIP, Prince, Sheed, Ben
This season’s contenders:
Clips - Kawhi, PG, Morris, Montrez, Harrell
Lakers - Lebron, AD, KCP, Danny Green
Heat - Butler, Bam, Iguodala, Crowder
Raps - OG, Siakam, Ibaka
Celtics - Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Smart, Theis
Notice the pattern? With mostly all SWITCHABLE VERSATILE defenders, the smart teams can neutralize the advantage gained by running PnR or off ball screens, forcing the opponent to take lower percentage shots. Do you see any championship teams with a bunch of Kyrie and Beal’s running around?
Anytime someone mentions we should trade for Beal, Holiday, McCollumn and all the other undersized guards you’re wasting your time and showing how poor your understanding of the game is. Since we already have Kyrie, Marks will never commit big money to an undersized guard who even at his best can’t guard multiple positions.
You forgot to mention Denver, Utah and Milwaukee in your contenders list for this year, but I agree with your point for the most part.
Still think Marks would trade for Beal if given the chance and Jrue will definitely be a target as well.
Jrue is an All-NBA defender, no question about that and he can legitimately guard 1-3 with no problem and even switch onto some 4's.
He's over 6'3 barefoot, meaning he would have been listed as 6'5 by a lot of standard NBA fibbing teams just last year and has good length and great foot speed and lateral quicks.
Most of the players you listed for us may have that size and even length, but are all poor to average defenders. We do not have many switchable and versatile defenders. Defense isn't
JUST size and length.
See, I agree with your concept, this isn't rocket science, I'm with you on that. But most of our current guys aren't what you clamor for, including LeVert. That's what makes what Allen does even more impressive. If you did see a trade that brought in Jrue and maybe another one for a guy like Gary Harris(yes Gary Harris, he's coming off an injury filled year, but he's a very good defender, a legit 6'5 with length and is at home off-ball and can probably be had for a song and they don't have minutes for him) and we kept Allen, he'd look that much better when the guys on the perimeter could contain, switch, handle screens and funnel better.
And all that said, I still find it very hard to see Marks turning down most trades for Beal, or a trade for McCollum if he came at a reasonable cost, which isn't likely either.
So in the playoffs next season, we are going to have to face Coach Bud, Coach Spo, Nick Nurse, and Brad Stevens just to get to the Finals. These are some of the most creative offensive geniuses in the league that are experts at bending the defense in their favor.
At any time, if Stevens wanted he could run a play to get Tatum switched onto Beal or Holiday. A simple floppy action or horn flare creates so much separation. Beal is just too small to even close out and contest the shot. For Tatum, it would be literally be shooting practice knowing the defender can’t contest the shot. This is what we’re trying to avoid. Not to mention, at any time, Coach Bud could spread the floor, and have Beal guard Giannis at the top of the key, where Giannis can just bully his way to the basket.
The only players we should be targeting are guys that have the length and size to at least contest shots and make the offense work to get buckets.
Holiday at $26 million is not worth it. Yes he’s good at guarding players his size, but he’s too small to guard the Tatum, Siakam, Giannis, Kawhi, Luka, AD types that we will have to play to win the championship. For $26 million I need a knockdown shooter who is big enough to guard 1-4.
I just watched Covington get torched most of the game by a 57 year old Chris Paul. Sometimes it doesn't matter. It's about trying to make them as uncomfortable as possible without getting put on skates or committing an awful foul.
So I'd be fine with Jrue on Tatum specifically. Probably even Giannis with the types of plays you're alluding to, to free them up, up top or on the wings foul line extended, he has the handle of Shaq when he's pressured. Jrue would be bothersome on Kawhi as well and Luka.
AD is a different story altogether. There aren't many guys with the height, length and mobility to guard him. There's going to be no difference unless you have about 1 of 12 guys in the league on him and he doesn't get switched onto someone other then them, if you have one of those 12 guys to begin with, one of which is KD. And AD has a propensity to jack up weird midrangers anyway at any given time, including crunch.
Again, it's not that I disagree with your overall point, but there's only so many of these players in the league, there is no create a player and there's no question if you ask me who I want out there in that situation, I'm taking Jrue over LeVert or Dinwiddie 14 times out of 10.
The player you're asking for is Klay Thompson, AD himself, KD pre-injury and hopefully post, Kawhi, LeBron, Siakim, Jaylen Brown, Covington, Jerami Grant, Paul George, J3 in a year or two when he has more discipline and respect from the refs, Giannis, and maybe Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder.
That's 14 guys and almost none attainable whatsoever. You have to get creative.
I'd say Royce O'Neale, but he's been getting his lunch ate by Denver and Murray.
I'd say Josh Richardson or Terrence Ross, but they're both such low BBIQ chuckers they will literally shoot you out of the game on a bad night.
I'd say Marcus Smart, but he's so inefficient on offense with bad shot selection and he's 6'3 at best. He's basically a poor man's Jrue. Jrue does everything he does but better, with equal defense and size and higher BBIQ.
Iggy is over the hill.
Hell no to Dray.
Khris Middelton will not be on the block and he becomes so mediocre on offense every playoffs, it's hard to take him seriously for a guy who isn't an actual elite or even very good defender.
So that's my thing, you have to get creative. Or maybe I'm wrong and you have to, "overpay", for a guy such as one you hate in Jrue, or a guy like Smart or Covington, if you can even get their teams to deal him. And that's why when you start paying that type of value, if you can get him, that's probably why you just deal for Beal and grin and bare it.
Or you see if you can get Charlotte to part with PJ Washington and rely on a young guy just learning the speed and nuances of the game and hope he really catches on fast.
Or go for the underrated forgotten guy like Gary Harris, or take the chance on the enigma coming off injury known as Oladipo.
