2019 Offseason Thread

[bravor]

Monk can shoot AND dunk, so that's more than one thing. If he can ever become an adequate defender he will be a good player to have on your roster.

At this point i think he most of all has to excel at something and the best bet is still being elite at offense even as undersized sg. The mistake last couple of years were to have such liabilities together in the backcourt. Where i want to see improvement is on shot selection and turnovers. If he can really reduce those mistakes, then he can remain on the court without costing his team a momentum.
Helping him to have an impact would do this franchise wonders, as he could be the perfect trade bait to improve the team knowing there's basically just next season to do it.

Hopefully the lesson is learnt.

[Rich4114]

Last rebuild MKG was a starter. Fans wanting Monk to go to Greensboro make me laugh. Fans who think Nic or Marvin will start as well are hilarious. We didn't let Kemba go just so we could ignore our future. Marvin, Nic and MKG and Biz are not our future.

Kupchak is going to bring in a young center and Cody will ride pine as well.

Throw out the stats on Rozier. How did he look when given real consistent minutes during that playoff push? I'm pretty sure his skill level enabled Boston to play elite basketball.

He's not the tank commander. The core young players like Monk are. You should all be rooting for Monk to chuck as hard and inefficient as Kemba did when most here swore he was at best a 6th man, undersized, low IQ, and no defense.

If JB and Kupchak were blowing smoke up our asses when they raved about Monk upon arrival, how come they never dumped him?

You have to remember what has gone on here the last decade. There is no reason to expect this team to look at things the way you are (which I happen to agree with, outside of being that high on Rozier) and that they’ll be patient. MJ has made nothing but impatient moved outside of the year they blew things up to get an extra pick which they wasted on Biz. We know how the rest played out.

I hope you’re right and that the young guys get a chance to run this team. They are at least exciting to watch.

[Diop]

the biggest upside that I've heard about Kupchak so far is that MJ is willing to let him do his thing. Hence the Gasol trade falling through as he wouldn't offer more. Cho would've done as he's told and made a trade.

lets see how this works out.

[LofJ]

Even though this team has proven itself to suck at developing players, even the worst teams eventually hit on a player and we're due. One (or hopefully two) out of Bridges, Monk, Bacon, PJ, Martin, and Graham is going to be more than a role player. My money is on Bacon and PJ, I also think both Bridges and Martin will be solid starters/rotation players.

Monk is a wild card, I really like him, but he needs to show us something this year.

[Rich4114]

Even though this team has proven itself to suck at developing players, even the worst teams eventually hit on a player and we're due. One (or hopefully two) out of Bridges, Monk, Bacon, PJ, Martin, and Graham is going to be more than a role player. My money is on Bacon and PJ, I also think both Bridges and Martin will be solid starters/rotation players.

Monk is a wild card, I really like him, but he needs to show us something this year.

If Bacon can improve his finishing at the rim, he could be very good. The encouraging thing about Miles is as the year went on last season, he actually became a better passer and playmaker. Ball movement cannot be underrated. Monk can pass as well. Having that skill plus the others they posses give them all a chance.

[driveandkick]

Bridges and Bacon both took huge strides last season, which is why I think Borrego deserves the chance to oversee this rebuild.

[Hornet Mania]

Bridges and Bacon both took huge strides last season, which is why I think Borrego deserves the chance to oversee this rebuild.

Yep, by far the most encouraging thing about last year was that at the end of the season when Batum/Marv missed time and everyone assumed the team was waving the white flag by playing Bacon/Graham/Miles/Monk/Frank a lot we actually improved as a team quite a bit. Bacon looked especially excellent, but Miles and Graham had also visibly improved since the beginning of the season.

I hope the young guys take this chance and run with it, and that the last month of this season was not an aberration but a sign that our player development is finally working.

[Great]

Read on Twitter

They’ll need to add more defense and playmaking at SG/SF if Bridges will be employed most as a 4.

[Hornet Mania]

Read on Twitter

Interesting to read that the reason Monk isn't in summer league is so that he can focus on weight training to add muscle. I don't expect him to show up in September looking jacked or anything but it would do wonders for his game if he had a little more strength.

[Great]

Read on Twitter

Interesting to read that the reason Monk isn't in summer league is so that he can focus on weight training to add muscle. I don't expect him to show up in September looking jacked or anything but it would do wonders for his game if he had a little more strength.

Perhaps it will help his playmaking and defense.

[Diop]

So with miles being pencilled in for Pf, hopefully they are shopping the crap out of mkg and Marv.
Although expensive, Marv shouldn’t be too hard to trade as an expiring stretch 4. I’m sure some could use some instant defence from mkg.

*edit, just looking at rosters and salary and it definitely looks easier said than done

[Bassman]

So with miles being pencilled in for Pf, hopefully they are shopping the crap out of mkg and Marv.
Although expensive, Marv shouldn’t be too hard to trade as an expiring stretch 4. I’m sure some could use some instant defence from mkg.

*edit, just looking at rosters and salary and it definitely looks easier said than done

I am really not too thrilled with the idea of playing small ball all the time. PJ as center and Miles at the 4 doesn’t stack very well with the 76’ers or a number of teams who value size and length. I get using your people to their strengths, but this crap of constantly playing people out of position gets old (to me). Kaminsky was always a center, but we tried to convert him to a stretch 4. Same with Cody. Monk is a 2 guard who might be able to play the point but it’s not his mentality. Yes players today need to be versatile with the constant picks and switching on defense. I just value size especially in our bigs.

Having said all that, I am excited to see what Miles and PJ can eventually bring to the table playing together. I’d still love to see them paired with an athletic 7’ shot blocking center who can also score/shoot. That’s our primary missing link right now. Hopeful Mitch can work a trade of Batum so we don’t see him starting the season at the 3. UGH

[BigSlam]

I am really not too thrilled with the idea of playing small ball all the time. PJ as center and Miles at the 4..

...I am excited to see what Miles and PJ can eventually bring to the table playing together. I’d still love to see them paired with an athletic 7’ shot blocking center who can also score/shoot. That’s our primary missing link right now.

Absolutely agree. I'm excited to see Bridges and PJ together as well - but at the SF and PF positions respectively. Why shift them down a position? Only do that if the match ups dictate it (eg: the opposing team goes small and their small ball line up is beating us) but to anoint those two positionally as a PF and C just seems crazy and not in their/our best interest.

What's the bet we see a lot of:
Graham - Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ

or even:
Graham - Monk - Rozier - Miles - PJ

next season?

[Hornet Mania]

What's the bet we see a lot of:
Graham - Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ

or even:
Graham - Monk - Rozier - Miles - PJ

next season?

I certainly hope so. I love Marv and dislike Batum very much, but neither of them should be getting any minutes next year except to give the youngsters a rest. Training wheels off.

[BigSlam]

What's the bet we see a lot of:
Graham - Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ

or even:
Graham - Monk - Rozier - Miles - PJ

next season?

I certainly hope so. I love Marv and dislike Batum very much, but neither of them should be getting any minutes next year except to give the youngsters a rest. Training wheels off.

Oh, I totally agree. I'd just much rather see:

Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ - Cody
Graham - Monk - Batum - Marv - Biz/Willie

[Hornet Mania]

What's the bet we see a lot of:
Graham - Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ

or even:
Graham - Monk - Rozier - Miles - PJ

next season?

I certainly hope so. I love Marv and dislike Batum very much, but neither of them should be getting any minutes next year except to give the youngsters a rest. Training wheels off.

Oh, I totally agree. I'd just much rather see:

Rozier - Bacon - Miles - PJ - Cody
Graham - Monk - Batum - Marv - Biz/Willie

I'm sure that's more like what we'll get opening night, signing Rozier seems to signal the brain trust is still gunning to win. I expect Marv, Cody and probably even Batum to start opening night. I just hope that we see a lot of minutes for all the young guys right away then phase out the players who don't have a future on the team as the season progresses and the youth proves they can be trusted.

I'd be slowly transitioning to this lineup by mid-season. Carefully shrink-wrapping Marv/Biz/MKG in January/February to ensure we can trade them as semi-valuable expiring contracts at the deadline:

Starters:
-Rozier
-Bacon
-Miles
-PJ
-Cody

Bench:
-Monk (6th man)
-Batum
-Willy
-Graham
-Martin

But really it's all about not wasting minutes on vets on bad deals. As long as we don't spend all year doing that I'll be okay with the lineups.

[LofJ]

Tankathon has us listed as the worst team in the NBA. I think we'll be bad, but I don't think the team will finish with the worst record. We just have to hope that the lottery will be kind to us for once.

[-Ian-]

Tankathon has us listed as the worst team in the NBA. I think we'll be bad, but I don't think the team will finish with the worst record. We just have to hope that the lottery will be kind to us for once.

Silver and the NBA might punish MJ for not paying Kemba so I won't hope for this.

[Thaliontil]

Tankathon has us listed as the worst team in the NBA. I think we'll be bad, but I don't think the team will finish with the worst record. We just have to hope that the lottery will be kind to us for once.

Did three simulations. Three times choosing in the 5 . In any case, I really think we have the worst squad right now in the NBA. Only Cleveland and...Washington if they trade Beal? Come anywhere close to our lack of talent.

[Hornet Mania]

Tankathon has us listed as the worst team in the NBA. I think we'll be bad, but I don't think the team will finish with the worst record. We just have to hope that the lottery will be kind to us for once.

Did three simulations. Three times choosing in the 5 . In any case, I really think we have the worst squad right now in the NBA. Only Cleveland and...Washington if they trade Beal? Come anywhere close to our lack of talent.

In terms of future talent we may be weaker in comparison to some of these teams, but in terms of just the 2019-2020 season the Knicks, Suns, Cavs and Grizz are project to be equally as awful if not worse. Washington and Detroit are the next closest 'threats'.

Suns and Grizz have more talent but it's either young or ill-fitting, Morant/JJJ and Ayton/Booker are far more exciting to consider as future young cores but at present they're probably not any more capable of winning games than our squad. As much as I'd rather have Ayton for the future at this moment he's probably contributing less to winning basketball than Cody Zeller.

Knicks and Cavs are really no better off then us, both are train wrecks that haven't even proven they have prospects as interesting as JJJ, Booker or Ayton. Barrett may change this equation, if he can come in and be a big time player NYK could jump into the 'sucks now, but possibly nice future' group with Suns/Grizz but it won't help them all that much in 19-20.

Wiz are only held up by Beal and balsa wood so if he goes down they're toast. Detroit is similar in that their fortunes are tied to Griffin, at some point in the next 2-3 yrs that team will blow it up when he's totally finished as a difference maker.