GT charlotte vs bulls 12-8 7PM EST

[catch20two]

2015-16 defensive efficiency: 101.8 (9th)
2017-18 defensive efficiency: 104.2 (12th)

Why was our defense better when we had Big Al and PJ Hairston than our defense now with Dwight and MKG? I figured this team could at least hang it's hat on defense if the offense struggled.

The NBA has changed and Clifford not so much. The thing with schemes and strategy is that after a while team’s learn to adapt to take advantage of it’s weakness but Clifford was too stubborn to believe that. In his mind he’s thinking if it worked in 2015 then it should work now. The league is just different now. Every team values optimal shooting ever since GSW came thru and crushed the buildings. Guys like Blake Griffin are shooting 3s now and the wing players that shot on occasion have morphed their game into efficiently shooting 3s at a high volume. It’s just different now.

[amcoolio]

Dwight is pulling our team's morale down bad. The other guys hate playing with him and so they don't care, even if Dwight is doing well.

Wait what? Is this just your take or you read something

My take

Go back and look when Dwight gets the ball in the post. Most of the time the other guys (Kemba and Marvin especially) look away in disgust or shake their head like "this is our offense?". Same is true when Dwight takes a dumbass jumpshot or brings the ball up. You can tell the older, established guys aren't happy at all playing with him.

The good thing is Dwight is posting good stats. It means we can possibly move him, maybe even for a good piece?

[Hornet Mania]

Dwight is pulling our team's morale down bad. The other guys hate playing with him and so they don't care, even if Dwight is doing well.

Wait what? Is this just your take or you read something

My take

Go back and look when Dwight gets the ball in the post. Most of the time the other guys (Kemba and Marvin especially) look away in disgust or shake their head like "this is our offense?". Same is true when Dwight takes a dumbass jumpshot or brings the ball up. You can tell the older, established guys aren't happy at all playing with him.

The good thing is Dwight is posting good stats. It means we can possibly move him, maybe even for a good piece?

Anecdotally, I have noticed that the only guys who seem to laugh at Dwight's jokes are Monk, Bacon, Frank and Lamb. Last night toward the very end of the game, right before we forced OT, Dwight was talking to everyone in a circle clearly trying to be humorous and after awhile Monk kinda grinned and chuckled but the others didn't seem into it.

I wonder if maybe the young guys (although Lamb is 25) go along with the goofy persona more easily than vets who are trying to focus and do their jobs.

[catch20two]

When Dwight made that buzzer beating fading jumper and was excited I was actually surprised to see Kemba not be so enthusiastic. Kemba is usually upbeat about stuff like that.

[Braggins]

When Dwight made that buzzer beating fading jumper and was excited I was actually surprised to see Kemba not be so enthusiastic. Kemba is usually upbeat about stuff like that.

That reminds me of when Lance broke up an end of game play and hit that crazy buzzer beater and Kemba just had a "wtf" look on his face while everyone was going nuts.

[Braggins]

The good thing is Dwight is posting good stats. It means we can possibly move him, maybe even for a good piece?

Before Cody got injured I was thinking of a deal centered around Dwight for Wes Matthews + Nerlens Noel. Matthews and Howard have the same contract length and the Mavs have a lot of young guards that need PT. Theyve given up Noel and he is out for a while with injury anyways. This deal would have allowed us to start Cody and move Frank to backup center with Noel as an insurance energy big and finally start to give MKG some PF minutes against 2nd units.

Kemba/Monk/MCW
Lamb/Matthews
MKG/Batum/Bacon
Marv/Graham/JOB
Cody/Frank/Noel

Might still be worth it just to get Dwight away from the team while we transition to a different play style and probably tank out the year.

[catch20two]

The good thing is Dwight is posting good stats. It means we can possibly move him, maybe even for a good piece?

Before Cody got injured I was thinking of a deal centered around Dwight for Wes Matthews + Nerlens Noel. Matthews and Howard have the same contract length and the Mavs have a lot of young guards that need PT. Theyve given up Noel and he is out for a while with injury anyways. This deal would have allowed us to start Cody and move Frank to backup center with Noel as an insurance energy big and finally start to give MKG some PF minutes against 2nd units.

Kemba/Monk/MCW
Lamb/Matthews
MKG/Batum/Bacon
Marv/Graham/JOB
Cody/Frank/Noel

Might still be worth it just to get Dwight away from the team while we transition to a different play style and probably tank out the year.

I’d do that trade without hesitation. Noel as a insurance emergency big? He might very well end up being our center of the future. He does a lot of the things that Cody do but maybe better and then add on blocks and steals. Noel is getting a raw deal of politics over in Dallas because he didn’t sign their extension offer so they’re benching him and diminishing his value to ensure that he doesn’t raise his stock on their bill just to leave to another team. Compare Noel career numbers to Cody and Frank. He’s been a much better player than them both in worst environments that didn’t cater to his growth as a player.

[Braggins]

The good thing is Dwight is posting good stats. It means we can possibly move him, maybe even for a good piece?

Before Cody got injured I was thinking of a deal centered around Dwight for Wes Matthews + Nerlens Noel. Matthews and Howard have the same contract length and the Mavs have a lot of young guards that need PT. Theyve given up Noel and he is out for a while with injury anyways. This deal would have allowed us to start Cody and move Frank to backup center with Noel as an insurance energy big and finally start to give MKG some PF minutes against 2nd units.

Kemba/Monk/MCW
Lamb/Matthews
MKG/Batum/Bacon
Marv/Graham/JOB
Cody/Frank/Noel

Might still be worth it just to get Dwight away from the team while we transition to a different play style and probably tank out the year.

I’d do that trade without hesitation. Noel as a insurance emergency big? He might very well end up being our center of the future. He does a lot of the things that Cody do but maybe better and then add on blocks and steals. Noel is getting a raw deal of politics over in Dallas because he didn’t sign their extension offer so they’re benching him and diminishing his value to ensure that he doesn’t raise his stock on their bill just to leave to another team. Compare Noel career numbers to Cody and Frank. He’s been a much better player than them both in worst environments that didn’t cater to his growth as a player.

Eh, Noel seems like damaged goods. He couldnt get PT for a rebuilding team that traded a pick for him. Im skeptical its just politics. There has to at least be character/attitude issues. I cant imagine Dallas handling the situation like this if they felt there is much chance of him being a good player and I doubt theyd trade him for nothing if that were the case.

[JDR720]

I would do that trade if we can trade Nic or MKG too. matthews will cut into the minutes of our younger wings too much.

[catch20two]

Eh, Noel seems like damaged goods. He couldnt get PT for a rebuilding team that traded a pick for him. Im skeptical its just politics. There has to at least be character/attitude issues. I cant imagine Dallas handling the situation like this if they felt there is much chance of him being a good player and I doubt theyd trade him for nothing if that were the case.

I get what you’re saying but I doubt the Mavs offer him a 4 year/$70 million extension this summer if they weren’t planning on giving him PT nevertheless even think he’s bad player undeserving of minutes. The Mavs know that they have a hard time getting free agents so they gamble on deals like they did for Noel hoping to lock him in long term.

Once he turned down that contract they looked at him as one foot out the door. There definitely may be a character/attitude issue but who wouldn’t be disgruntled in the workplace in this situation after being a part of the beginning of Hinkie’s era with the Sixers entering the league.

I’m not saying that Noel is a godsend or any kind of transcending talent anymore at this point but he’s as good as Cody and Frank, two players that don’t necessarily hold much trade value around the league. If we trade Cody for something the best we might get in return is a 6th man type of player. If we trade Frank the best we might get in return is a 8th-10th man bench rotation player.

[Braggins]

Getting pretty clear the Hornets have to clear house. Even if that means trading Kemba and blowing this thing up it's the right thing to do. We also need to trade monk before the rest of the league figures out that he can't play.

I'm curious. Are you just assuming the worst cuz we're the Horncats, or do you already feel confident that Monk can't play?

[Braggins]

I would do that trade if we can trade Nic or MKG too. matthews will cut into the minutes of our younger wings too much.

Batum for George Hill? Not sure if Sac would even do that. Hill is older and maybe a bit worse, but his contract is two years shorter and the deals combined save us 9.5 mil next offseason if we renounced Noel. I wonder if wed have to send picks to make those deals happen?

Kemba/Hill/MCW
Matthews*/Monk
MKG**/Lamb*/ Bacon
Marv/Graham/JOB
Cody/Frank/Noel

* Lamb is better than Matthews at this point, but Wes is the better spot up shooter and the lineups are more balanced witg Lamb as 6th man.

** Would also play some backup PF.