Dalek wrote:Kevin Willis wrote:Dalek wrote:
Even if I didn't disagree with your point, after watching Raptor's 'struggleball' for the past year, what would be wrong with adding shooting and shot creation skill? Do we really want to keep this whole 6'9 vision of switchable defenders who can barely play offense?
Masai would have to be blind to keep with this vision. The lotto will be a way to finally get some true three level scoring talent.
I think his vision is fine. I think it's the way to go actually. I think the way he's doing it needs to change because of overlap. We need shooters. Get shooters but make them 6"7'-6"9'. Get scorers but make them 6"7'-6"9'. Get playmakers but make them 6"7'-6"9'. Make sure they can guard multiple positions. Then get really good specialists of any height and make them come off the bench. ie. Koloko.
TH is a really good shooter and he can defend multiple positions so he should be considered. Same with Jett / Dick (except not as good defenders). Masai should consider them. Maybe for a playmaker that can shoot he looks at Sidy Cissoko. This draft allows him to continue his experiment with a player different from what's on the roster (Sidy doesn't play like anybody on this roster with his playmaking and shooting. He's a better playmaker / shooter than Banton and Malachi and he's only 18.).
I don't think the vision is working out, hence why they brought in Poeltl and Barton to shore up some deficiencies in size and shooting. Overall, I think others have highlighted it well, you draft TH and he immediately gets stuck behind Barnes, OG, Siakam, and maybe even Boucher and Achuiwa.
How does TH offer something different that could improve the team? If they worry that OG will want out, or if they plan to move on from Siakam then maybe I could see another small forward drafted, but to me it doesn't really put the player or team in a favorable position.
Sidy is interesting and given his age he could improve. If they love the upside I could see it, but he doesn't have a huge track record aside from the G-League games. No one really defends well in the G-League, so how will he do under NBA pressure? Banton averaged 26 PPG in his first G-League stint and it meant nothing about his NBA game.
For the modern NBA which is so offensively focused, I think the expectation is for teams to get up around 45-50 threes per game. Toronto can't keeping ebbing and expect their player development department to create Siakam-like miracles. At some point you have to score the ball and not focus solely on trying to shutdown opposing teams. Even the Knicks are playing well because they tilted away from strictly Thib grinding defense to a more offensive focus.
Poeltl and Barton technically fit because he's looking for long and lanky athletic players that can guard multiple positions. I see them more as 'specialist' types I was talking about before. There is no way he can have an entire roster between that rotation. Plus Masai said as long as the exceptions have an impact of a 6"9' player it's the same.(Barton has a 6"10' wingspan and can shoot and he's right outside the range at 6"6'. He's perfect)
TH would be our SG off the bench. Barnes / Siakam / OG / PG / C if we keep OG. If we don't keep OG then he's still probably coming off the bench his first year. I agree it works better if OG goes.
Sidy is a better player than Banton. He's more athletic, shoots much better and has better vision. Sidy is not even someone I want to pick but I have to admit he has the things we need and could replace GT Jr. Don't worry about the league because you would have to question VW, Overtime Elite and even Australian league.
All I'm saying is if Masai wants to keep his experiment going there are players in this draft that let him do so. JHD can fit also. Black can fit (except he's not a scorer). I agree with you, this team needs offense but there are options in this draft to do that and keep the experiment. Masai is a strong personality, he wants this to work. I want to see it work also, I think it would be amazing to see a bunch of prototypical basketball players swarming on D but different enough to play offense. That's why there are players that I really like as players but doubt Masai would ever draft them.
