M2J wrote:Negrodamus wrote:M2J wrote:
Oddly enough, what is being missed here is that it's more impressive that Ben can get 15 assists in a playoff game without a Steph, Klay or Durant. Especially with Joel and Tobias heavily being isolation players as opposed to off ball catch and shoot players like those three can be. So what he's doing in addition to them is even more valuable. He's getting the others going without the luxury those type of lethal offensive players opening things up for him and creating space or finishing from the perimeter.
Ben was their best player tonight. Philly needing another go to scorer can still be a truth, without degrading that other fact
Ben was their best player? Were we watching different games? Tobias was much better. So was Joel when he was playing.
I think criticism of Ben is being misconstrued with absolutely finding him worthless. He's still a good defender and is able to get into the lane (and promptly pass it out). He also played the most minutes. I would hope he'd generate assists because he's completely petrified of taking it up in traffic and if he does try to score, it's a lame hook shot.
He has a lot of value, but his current value is something I'd trade instantly for a competent scorer who gets his own buckets.
I'd trade Ben too. If you can trade up, like for Leonard. For Lavine? They'd have to send other assets.
But Tobias had a career night scoring the ball and Joel did his thing, and yet Ben was still more effective overall to the win perhaps both offensively and defensively. IMO
I wish the NF would put out an All Possessions video sooner, but he tosses a lot of passes out to the perimeter or lobs to Dwight in the post once he has gotten isolated into the paint on smaller guys. Yes, a lot of those passes were converted to assists today and he had some really nice assists in transition (which is his bread and butter), but he is essentially a non-threat at scoring other than putbacks or in transition. If he was a DeRozan, another essentially non-three point shooter, type scorer, then you'd never listen to me complain about him. DeRozan isn't even fair, I'd take a Dejounte Murray type scorer and be satisfied.
Instead our offense is him driving to a spot and kicking it out. That works against a dreadful team like Washington, but we're going to have some issues against teams that actually play cohesive defense.
