Netaman wrote:Riconet wrote:Netaman wrote:
here were the 4q lineups:
score was 83-80 nets to start.
line up started with cam, simmons, dinwiddie, cj, royce. basically maximum playmaking while resting bridges/claxton.
with 9 min left bridges came in for Cam T, score was 88-86 nets.
with 8 min left simmons committed a foul, Claxton sub'd in for him, score was 90-86 nets.
from there you closing unit was Dinwiddie, Royce, CJ, Bridges, Claxton. So starting lineup but with more playmaking having Royce in for DFS. but the 1 caveat here is that Bridges went atomic for 3 minutes straight.
at 7:21 he got an unassisted layup to put them up 92-89.
at 6:51 next time down he got an unassisted mid range +1 to go up 95-89.
at 6:22 next time down they had great ball movement to get him an open 3 98-89 (CJ assist).
at 5:46 next time down bridges got another layup from a dinwiddie assist 100-91.
at 4:56 next time down bridges hit another 3 from a dinwiddie assist 103-93.
at 4:16 next time down bridges hit an unassisted pull up 105-96.
that's 15 straight points on 0 missed shots for Bridges. So in other words, he was basically KD.
on the next possession at 3:57 remaining CJ hit a 3 assisted by Royce to put them up 108-96 and that was basically ballgame. lead was 11+ the rest of the way.
so my takeaways from all that, Oneale's extra playmaking over DFS did make an impact. I think the max playmaker lineup to start the quarter with Simmons and Cam T is an effective way to keep the offense moving forward without Bridges.
so imo DFS is the guy most at risk for losing closing minutes because of his limited offense. maybe they keep him as a starter and maybe on nights when he has it going or is doing a particularly great on defense he stays in, but the 3 others have more to offer so long as they aren't getting shredded on D. and who knows, maybe DFS ends up sliding into more of the backup C role with Simmons getting on ball more?
clearly the biggest takeaway from yesterday is the offense needs to keep the ball moving, and the inescapable reality within that is simmons is both the best playmaker on the team and a solid defender with length.
I agree with most of this but not the bolded. Simmons at this point is nowhere near a playmaker, let alone the best on the team. When he brings it up, he takes one or 2 dribbles past halfcourt, makes a short pass to someone on the arc and then goes to the corner or the dunker spot. He doesn't break the defense down and make a nice pass. He doesn't run P&R. If he gets a rebound, he doesn't take it hard to the rim -- he usually passes it back out. He creates zero offense.
he's average 9 assist per 36 and given what we've seen from dinwiddie, i just see no alternative "best". honestly i dont even care if all he does is dribble up and handoff in the circle, it's better than driving into a bad iso shot. it starts the offense. he had a few really nice dimes in the first half yesterday including a 3 in the corner (i think to cj) and the hail mary to bridges before half.
he is the 1 player on this team who has the potential to dramatically raise the ceiling quickly -- if he can get back to playing the way he has over his career.
I was taught to begin with agreement. So I'll start with your second paragraph with which I totally agree. And you are one poster with whom whenever I have a disagreement I usually stay silent, questioning my judgement. But I've been wrong so often in the past that I've come to actually expect it. So so be it.
I was disappointed that you did not see Dinwiddie as an alternative. Looking at this current team I see him as not just the best, but the only choice. I based it on what is important to me in a point guard. Even if it results in an occasional turnover, I prefer his offensive aggressiveness over the lack of which that defines Ben's current play. Based on the numbers, I think your concern is unwarranted.
With Dallas, Spencer averaged 1.7 turnovers and with us 1.8/PG, in 38,5 and 34.5 minutes per game respectively, and with a 3:1 asst to turnover ratio. Compare that to Simmons' 2,3 PG in 26.3 minutes for a 2.65:1 assist to turnover ratio. The numbers seem similar until you factor in the minutes, and Ben has a 27.2 to Spencer's 10.1 TOV% (Per BBRef.)
And on a team looking for offense, I'll take Dinwiddie's points per game, 17.7 with Dallas and thusfar 17.8 with us, over Bens 6.9 PG. Someone will inevitably bring up this nebulous concern about the more offensively minded Spencer taking points from their favorite player(s). I think this is ludicrous. We lost two players with a combined useage rate of 60.3 and average of 39.3 shots per game. Dinwiddie has averaged 13 shots per game with Dallas and thusfar with us, and has a useage rate of 22.3 with Dallas, and 22 currently.
But yes, I see this team as similarly built and I made a topic about this matter. This Nets team is already top 3 in defense since the trade.
