Road to a Championship start here, 2022 Draft.

[Whole Truth]

This team has versatility so usage comes with understanding of individual strengths & weaknesses. My beakdow of the team starting with the center position.

Starter - Jonas

Jonas in the regular season eats up alot of the physical post play, not something you can ask of a small ball 5 & expect a healthy PO team. He has started on several 50 win teams during his Raptors days playing with Lowry, Derozan as options 1 & 2. He averaged 12 & 10 on 8 APG (60% efficiency) in 20-25 minutes.. The reduced minutes kept his physical game fresh & efficiency higher. He doesn't need plays run for him & playing off increased talent will only increase his effectiveness at the rim. I'd expect something similar even if CJ has higher usage as the 3rd option. Derozan as the #1 option on the Raptors had tunnel vision, whereas both Zion & BI have displayed a willingness to play make. Since his Raptors days, Jonas has also expanded his offensive arsenal with an uptick in playmaking ability & range. If teams are not respecting his range & playing him is bogging down the paint. Green has alternatives. In short, a role I know he can play with a stacked roster. Added bonus that his professionalism allowed Raptors to eventually start/use him by commity/matchups, no fuss. Pro & team first player.

Backup - Hayes

Athletic rim runner. People will laughh at this comp but Hayes does have Giannis like potential but something seems to be missing mentally. At 7 ft, he's long, athletic & co-ordinated, He's a capable 3pt shooter. He runs the court with considerable speed & has a decent enough handle. He's even mobile & agile enough to guard the perimeter for 1-5 defensive potential but is lacking as a post defender, reason he was better suited at PF last yr roaming. What should be considered Jonas eventual replacement, at this point, he remains untapped potential on the verge of contract extension, with the team facing cap issues.

Quality depth - Hermangomez

Euro league MVP is also a well liked teammate. Deserving of minutess too, he's always ready & like Jonas a pro & aforemention team first player.

Small ball 5 - Nance

A team can't run a 6'7" Nance at the 5 whole season & expect health. A situational fit. Nance is athletic, qucik & mobile enough to defend perimter to post A capable rebounder, he can also stretch the floor effectively when needed outside his backup PF minutes. So with Jonas taking the grunt of the season physical gtind, it both forces team to play small & keeps Nance fresh/healthy for a PO run.

By committee this team has quality, depth & versatility at the 5 where propper usage will determine their overall effectiveness.

[Whole Truth]

Power forwar position -

Starter - Zion

Generational talent, with a unique set of gifts. Rare speed/athleticism for his size & IQ to match. A qucikness & agility you doubt his first step, second bounce & he has the playmaking, IQ to match. That's how you put up 27 points on 60% efficiency. His playmaking & willingness to pass will be key in making this teams abundance of scoring talent work. Know as a defensive liability in his few games played, he does have & a has shown in the past he can be at the very least a capable defender. IMO this improves the less he has to carry the teams offense, which with this roster, he shouldn't have to.

Backup - Nance

Despite the teams best talent being PF it's also the deeptest position for NO's. Nance minutes will be split at PF/C. Nance backing up Zion once again shows the quality of this teams depth.

Depth - BI, Herb, Murphy, Hayes

If Zion were to suffer injury the position has more than adequate quality depth/versatility to suffice. They could trade 2 players & still have quality depth/options for the position. Not considering the currently injured Liddell. Reason for me trying to convert Hayes into Poeltl who's a better defensive C but the frst Hayes preseason game has put me on hold with that thought. Hopefully Hayes breaks out & it's not just because it's a contract yr. Under an extension, he would have to be considered Jonas long term replacement to make the cap/financial situation work. As you can see, he is currently best suited playing at a position that has the teams best player & considerable quality depth also..

[Whole Truth]

Small forward -

Starter - BI

With the return of Zion, it's overshadowed how good BI was & can be. He's still elevating his game to a new level but at the same time showed he can't be guarded by the 3rd best defense in the league in a PO setting. NO's were playing 3 on 5 offensively in the Suns series & BI averaged 27 on good efficiency. Reason Pels were able to take the Suns to 6 with CJ struggling on both ends. Still only 25, BI has shown he too can be a top player in the league Pels went from a well sub 500 team with him off court to a little better than 500 with, a Durant lite game. His playmaking improvements & passing are under-rated (5 APG) & he is only going to get better. With Zion back & drawing more sttention, it'll be interesting to see how much more effective his overall game will be. Like Zion, BI is an unselfish willing playmaker the key ingredient in making the overwhelming scoring talent on this team, effective & not redundant.

Backup - Murphy

Best 3pt shooter of his draft clas,s by all reports, has taken a leap in his development.

Depth - Daniels, Naji, Temple

Once again a testiment to this teams quality depth. The 8th pick this past draft is currently11th man on this roster

[Whole Truth]

Shooting guard -

Starter - Herb

The heart of the teams d Herb has shown he can be a 3 & D threat but teams have yet to respect his offense. If Herb takes a leap offensively, specidically from 3 watchout, he unlocks this teams defense to another level. He does that, I will go on record saying this team will have the #1 offesnse in the league & not just by being a volime 3pt shooting team. They will dominate inside/out. Even if Herb doesn't take an offensive leap, he's the starting units defensive backbone better individual defender than last years DPOY . Smart plays on a very good Celtics team, Herb carried 4 non defenders to a 10th ranked defense late last season. Should have recieved more accolaids for his accomplishments than he did. Herb is the glue of this rotation on both ends. Not bad for a 2nd round pick.

Backup - Devonte Graham

Looked good in the opener & his s11m alary is reasonable for a 6th man but unfortunately I think this role is reserved best for CJ & moving off Grahams salary will help the teams cap situation. Graham last year was a streaky shooter, he's a threat but needs to be more consistent. Off the bench he will be far more effective sonsidering he was cast in a lead PG role last year he was not capable of filling with Zion out. I would not be surprised if he plays better this year but once again I think his future here will be tied to the future cap implications

Depth - Daniels

The 8th pick in the draft looks to be as advertised. Best defender in class but his shot & offense needs some considerable work, he sits just outside the current 10 man rotation. Against teams featuring strong PG play, I would put his D in combination with Herb to control the perimeter, apply ball pressure. Jonas/Zion & BI will more than be enoughh to carry the offense. Bring CJ in off the bench to change the pace & lead teh bench Unit in this scenario.

[Whole Truth]

Point guard -

Starter - CJ

An experienced vet, hs is the off court leader & a proven scorer, who's most effective on ball. Unfortunately also a poor defender on a starting unit that lacks defenders outside of Herb. They say this position is easier to hide than the centre position but I don't agree in this 3pt shooting era. I think ball pressure & close outs are key. Part of drop coverage is to encourage teams to enter the mid range vs shooting a 3. CJ may be a very effective floor spacer but I think NO's don't get the most out of his talent starting him with Zion & BI's required usage. I hope to be proven wrong. If Daniels could only shoot, I would have him as the starting PG playing a defensive role. If not, I still think the starters would be better with Murphy defemsively who can also hit from the 4 pt line & was the best shooter of his class last yr with supposed improvements to his game, which wouldn't sacrifice the teams spacing in that defensive improvement. It also increases the size of an already lengthy starting unit. Off the bench as the lead scorer, NO's would maximize CJ's skillset also allowing them to move on from Graham to aid the cap situation.

Backup - Jose, Jose, Jose

The playmaking, defensive heart of the 2nd unit. He sets the tone for their compete level with his over the top passion & effort. Good enought to potentially start, a quality backup that has pushed a former lotto pick Kira into question.

Depth - Kira, Seabron

Speaking to NO's quality depth, Seabron at a cheaper price point could make Kira available to trade. Each position as I've pointed out 4 deep in this teams versatility & build.

As I've said before. Negativity breeds negativity, positivity breeds positivity. What vibes you giving ?

Get up NOLA, this is it.

[Whole Truth]

Pelicans injury report for tonights game, everyone but Zion is out. half joking, I like where this "rest" is headed though.

Pistons with Cade & Ivey, have strong guard play. I'm itching to see how a Herb, Daniels defensive guard rotation keeps them in check. & how they will impact the overall offense of the front court.

Jonas or Nance if the Pels lack the necessary switchability, spacing.
Zion
Murphy
Herb vs Ivey
Daniels vs Cade

[Duke4life831]

I’m just here to continue the push for Jose being in the starting lineup. He’s just the perfect fit for the starting PG for this team. Defensively he brings just so much energy, again the defensive energy between him and Herb in the starting lineup would be a great way to start a game. And he’s just the ultimate glue guy on offense. Doesn’t over dribble, he can take 5 shots in a game and he won’t care. But he’s also capable of taking advantage of obvious mismatches. He should be starting and CJ should be the super 6th man.

[Whole Truth]

I’m just here to continue the push for Jose being in the starting lineup. He’s just the perfect fit for the starting PG for this team. Defensively he brings just so much energy, again the defensive energy between him and Herb in the starting lineup would be a great way to start a game. And he’s just the ultimate glue guy on offense. Doesn’t over dribble, he can take 5 shots in a game and he won’t care. But he’s also capable of taking advantage of obvious mismatches. He should be starting and CJ should be the super 6th man.

Hayes can't create for himself, Nance can't create for himself & Murphy in a bench role has limited ability to create for himself. Agree with CJ in the 6th man role but he's best creating for himself, not others. IMO the bench needs Alvardo's ability to create for others.

If you move Alvarado to the starting 5. Who's point off the bench, Kira ? Daniels ?

I still think while you' may be right about Alvarado's potential impact with the starting 5, I think you hurt the overall bench play with this decision. CJ will get his but everyone else will struggle without Alvarado creating for them. Kira is more a scoring guard & I don't think Daniels is ready to quarterback a unit that lack the ability to create & draw attention. Especially with his shot in need of work.

In short & think you're creating a hole to fix another with this move unless you have an adequate replacement for the bench. CJ bumps Graham's scoring role, who fills the hole Alvarado leaves in quarterbacking it ?

[Whole Truth]

Of Murphy's 7 made 3's last night, only 1 was somewhat contested. You'd think someone would put a body on him.. They can't, not with Murphy playing off Zion.. To me there's an apparent chemistry with these 2. This is what NO's expect of CJ's game with Zion. Except, Murphy is 6'10" with 4 pt range & better overall defense than CJ. Off the bench Murphy has little ability to create for himself. Hayes doesn't create for himself & neither does nance, so as a result Murphy would not get the kind of open space off the bench as he would playing off ZIon & BI in the starting unit.. whereas CJ's best asset is his ability to create his own shot, with his defensive weakness covered by a defensive bench unit that also needs someone that can create for themselves other than Alvarado & that is not a strength in Murphy's game at this point of his development.

Jonas man can't leave him. Not only is he an efficient scorer in the post but he would control the boards under single coverage & Zion draws multiple defenders, where teams try to wall off the hoop from his dribble drive & this with Graham playing over BI's gravity & length in the mid range... So Murphy who made 7 3's for 27 points in 27mins on 15 shots without BI's gravity, he was left uncontested in all but 1 of his attempts. He won't get that kind of open space off the bench. Him starting is both to Murphy's benefit & NO's overall roster balance.

If Spurs were willing, I'd trade (Hayes, Graham & pick) for (Poeltl (extended)). Move CJ into Grahams current 6th man role. Where the 2-1 trade allows Daniels defense to crack the 10 man rotation for development minutes. Poeltl being one of, if not best rim protector last yr, resolves another issue. Poeltl's game would offset/compliment Jonas offensive skillset.

Jonas offense or Poeltl's defense
Zion - Nance
Murphy - Daniels
Herb - CJ
BI - Alvarado

[Duke4life831]

I’m just here to continue the push for Jose being in the starting lineup. He’s just the perfect fit for the starting PG for this team. Defensively he brings just so much energy, again the defensive energy between him and Herb in the starting lineup would be a great way to start a game. And he’s just the ultimate glue guy on offense. Doesn’t over dribble, he can take 5 shots in a game and he won’t care. But he’s also capable of taking advantage of obvious mismatches. He should be starting and CJ should be the super 6th man.

Hayes can't create for himself, Nance can't create for himself & Murphy in a bench role has limited ability to create for himself. Agree with CJ in the 6th man role but he's best creating for himself, not others. IMO the bench needs Alvardo's ability to create for others.

If you move Alvarado to the starting 5. Who's point off the bench, Kira ? Daniels ?

I still think while you' may be right about Alvarado's potential impact with the starting 5, I think you hurt the overall bench play with this decision. CJ will get his but everyone else will struggle without Alvarado creating for them. Kira is more a scoring guard & I don't think Daniels is ready to quarterback a unit that lack the ability to create & draw attention. Especially with his shot in need of work.

In short & think you're creating a hole to fix another with this move unless you have an adequate replacement for the bench. CJ bumps Graham's scoring role, who fills the hole Alvarado leaves in quarterbacking it ?

The thing is there is never really going to be too many times where youre playing 5 bench players at once. We're not going to see hockey rotations. I think if Willie is smart he is going to have 2 of BI/Zion/CJ out on the court basically the entire game. That is why if CJ is the 6th man and they keep BI's rotation the same as last year (play the entire 1st and 3rd, come in halfway in the 2nd and 4th). That would make doing that super easy.

So I just dont see too many opportunities where Jose is going to be asked to play a legit high usage PG role with this team, whether he is in the starting lineup or not. And if we are being honest, when you have BI/Zion/CJ on your team, there really shouldnt be too many minutes in a game where one of those guys arent the primary guy.

[Whole Truth]

Hermangomez, Zion & CJ playing, NO's gave up 100pts to the Heat by end of the 3rd Q. Heat hunted both CJ & Hermnagomez. That's the 3rd string C but CJ is considered a starter for this team. So I want to touch more on his performance last night.

Murphy was again 4-5 from 3 in the first Q... CJ on the low block 3 times drew 2-3 defenders which with Zion on court had Murphy top of the arc wide open with no defender within 10' of him.. CJ opts to take a bad contested shot all 3 times. On most nights he might hit those shots but it's not the correct play. Murphy was scorching with none guarding him & CJ opts to take a shot in heavy traffic as he did in the Suns series. Also as in the Suns series, he absolute kills this team defensively at the point of attack, Herb can only do so much.

I know I'm alone in this but I think NO's shot themselves in the foot with that CJ trade & extension. Even if they were to play him as the 6th man, it's a big cap hit when you already gave up a first for a cheaper 6th man, Graham,

Without Jonas, Heat controlled the paint easily so I'm not too worried about that fact. NO's were missing all of Jonas, Hayes & Nance as a small ball 5 as Bam.Miami had their way in the paint. Willy, Zion & CJ defense was to big a ask for Herb against Miami or any good team for that matter,

I say it again, CJ not Jonas caps this teams potential as a starter, Jonas doesn't have to finish games & he wears on teams physically in combination with grabbing rebounds which plays into bolstering a defense. Something Pels didn't have last night. Jonas would have helped wear down Bam physically. He had too easy a night on both ends.

CJ had 3pts for the game, was 1-7 from the field. 1-4 from 3, with a -12 in 18 mins as a scorer & non defender. Like I said Heat abused both hin & Hermangomez for 100 3rd Q pts. Only problem is Hermangomez is a 3rd string C filling in. CJ is considered a starter & part of a big 3.

That's concerning to me. This is not a preseason take. This is how CJ played against the Suns & most likely any good team that would hunt him.

[Whole Truth]

I know offensively CJ was shaking off rust & coming off an injury but this game highlights how much CJ can hurt his team when he doesn't have it.

When the other weak defensive link Jonas is off offensively, he sets elite screens, grabs boards & birngs a physicality & presence to the paint.

What does CJ bring to the table when he's off offensively? he doesn't even make the right reads offensively to take advantage of his gravity as a scorer.. Same issue in the Suns series, not a one off preseason game.

All 3x CJ had Murphy wide open he was looking to score because that's what his game is. I fully think he will kill the potential of a ZIon/BI starting rotation. I can see him looking them off to score all now, not to mention his defensive contribution.

[Whole Truth]

Now for the good news. Zion the only real starter last night IMO was -3 against a full Heat squad. You replace Hermangomez with any & all of Jonas, Hayes & Nance it changes that dynamic Heat abused last night, without even considering Ingram's impact.

Me I'd replace CJ's 1-7 3pt night with BI & leave Murphy's length & spacing with the starters but that creates a guard rotation issue off the bench with Graham & Alvarado as the backup guards.. a guard rotation that currently has Daniels defense outside the 10 man rotation.

IMO to make this CJ mess work. Trade Graham/(Hayes or Jonas) for an extended Poeltl/(cap space) & run CJ as the 6th man. Daniels backup 2-3 for development minutes. If by mid season Daniels is showing something the starters can toggle between Murphy's spacing & Daniels ball pressure.

Trade - (Graham, Hayes, pick) for (Poeltl, 10m cap space)

Jonas - Poeltl
Zion - Nance
Murphy - Daniels
Herb - CJ
BI - Alvarado

Trade - (Graham, Jonas, pick) for (Poeltl, 17m cap space)

Poeltl - Hayes
Zion - Nance
Murphy - Daniels
Herb - CJ
BI - Alvarado

[Whole Truth]

I think Jonas/Poeltl is a better combo now than Poeltl/Hayes but consideration went into both players expiring & Hayes being young potential vs Jonas entering his 30's.

[Duke4life831]

Hermangomez, Zion & CJ playing, NO's gave up 100pts to the Heat by end of the 3rd Q. Heat hunted both CJ & Hermnagomez. That's the 3rd string C but CJ is considered a starter for this team. So I want to touch more on his performance last night.

Murphy was again 4-5 from 3 in the first Q... CJ on the low block 3 times drew 2-3 defenders which with Zion on court had Murphy top of the arc wide open with no defender within 10' of him.. CJ opts to take a bad contested shot all 3 times. On most nights he might hit those shots but it's not the correct play. Murphy was scorching with none guarding him & CJ opts to take a shot in heavy traffic as he did in the Suns series. Also as in the Suns series, he absolute kills this team defensively at the point of attack, Herb can only do so much.

I know I'm alone in this but I think NO's shot themselves in the foot with that CJ trade & extension. Even if they were to play him as the 6th man, it's a big cap hit when you already gave up a first for a cheaper 6th man, Graham,

Without Jonas, Heat controlled the paint easily so I'm not too worried about that fact. NO's were missing all of Jonas, Hayes & Nance as a small ball 5 as Bam.Miami had their way in the paint. Willy, Zion & CJ defense was to big a ask for Herb against Miami or any good team for that matter,

I say it again, CJ not Jonas caps this teams potential as a starter, Jonas doesn't have to finish games & he wears on teams physically in combination with grabbing rebounds which plays into bolstering a defense. Something Pels didn't have last night. Jonas would have helped wear down Bam physically. He had too easy a night on both ends.

CJ had 3pts for the game, was 1-7 from the field. 1-4 from 3, with a -12 in 18 mins as a scorer & non defender. Like I said Heat abused both hin & Hermangomez for 100 3rd Q pts. Only problem is Hermangomez is a 3rd string C filling in. CJ is considered a starter & part of a big 3.

That's concerning to me. This is not a preseason take. This is how CJ played against the Suns & most likely any good team that would hunt him.

If we are being fair, we have to throw Zion in on that group of who was getting abused. For the time Zion was out there, he was the worst defender out of the group. It was almost every possession where Zion either was out of position or just flat out lost his man.

And this brings me back to my main reason I want Jose in the starting lineup. Willy Im not worried about because he isnt the starter and Jonas isnt a great defender but most nights knows how to use his size pretty solidly. But the CJ/Zion dynamic definitely worries me. Teams are just going to spam the PnR with those two involved. And the thing is, even if they play the PnR well initially, there is a great chance one of them just gets lost in a later rotation. And this is why I prefer Jose in the starting lineup over Murphy, even though I completely understand viewpoints to have Murphy in there. But with each passing preseason game I think its pretty damn clear there needs to be another guy that can handle the ball out there with BI/Zion. Zion's handle is still way too loose. Jose fills that 3rd ball handler spot on the offensive end.

But defensively, Id much prefer Jose being the guy taking on the screen in the PnR. Id feel much more comfortable in that scenario on the defensive side. Which also will make BI's and Zion's jobs much easier as well on both ends. Allow Herb to take the best wing, while Jose takes the best guard. BI can take the next guy, then put Zion on the worst perimeter player. The on the offensive end, allow BI to be the primary ball handler, and allow him and Zion to dominate the shots in that lineup. Again I get the view of having Murphy out there instead because of his size and sharpshooting ability. But he still has no on ball ability and his defense still has a ways to go. Jose to me is just the easier and more simple fix.

But ya just not a fan of CJ in the starting lineup. Hell not even the biggest fan of him in the starting lineup even if just one of BI or Zion is available. His defense is horrific and ya his assists come more from just having the ball in his hands for a lengthy amount of time, he isnt that good of a playmaker and can go tunnel vision way too often. Everything about CJ screams 6th man (a very good one by the way), except for his name and salary. That's the only reason why many view the idea of him as a 6th man such an egregious idea.

[Duke4life831]

I think Jonas/Poeltl is a better combo now than Poeltl/Hayes but consideration went into both players expiring & Hayes being young potential vs Jonas entering his 30's.

I personally dont see the Poeltl fit with this team. Im tired of Griffin constantly getting these lumbering bigs that arent great defenders and have no ability to stretch the floor. Id much rather them go out and get like a Jalen Smith kind of backup 5, with the long term potential of maybe becoming the starter. Or if they want to give up quality assets, trade for Myles Turner. He is the ideal 5 for this team. Elite rim protection with the ability to hit the corner 3.

[Whole Truth]

But the CJ/Zion dynamic definitely worries me. Teams are just going to spam the PnR with those two involved. And the thing is, even if they play the PnR well initially, there is a great chance one of them just gets lost in a later rotation. And this is why I prefer Jose in the starting lineup over Murphy, even though I completely understand viewpoints to have Murphy in there. But with each passing preseason game I think its pretty damn clear there needs to be another guy that can handle the ball out there with BI/Zion. Zion's handle is still way too loose. Jose fills that 3rd ball handler spot on the offensive end.

But defensively, Id much prefer Jose being the guy taking on the screen in the PnR. Id feel much more comfortable in that scenario on the defensive side. Which also will make BI's and Zion's jobs much easier as well on both ends. Allow Herb to take the best wing, while Jose takes the best guard. BI can take the next guy, then put Zion on the worst perimeter player. The on the offensive end, allow BI to be the primary ball handler, and allow him and Zion to dominate the shots in that lineup. Again I get the view of having Murphy out there instead because of his size and sharpshooting ability. But he still has no on ball ability and his defense still has a ways to go. Jose to me is just the easier and more simple fix.

But ya just not a fan of CJ in the starting lineup. Hell not even the biggest fan of him in the starting lineup even if just one of BI or Zion is available. His defense is horrific and ya his assists come more from just having the ball in his hands for a lengthy amount of time, he isnt that good of a playmaker and can go tunnel vision way too often. Everything about CJ screams 6th man (a very good one by the way), except for his name and salary. That's the only reason why many view the idea of him as a 6th man such an egregious idea.

As always, agree with most of your assesment. One qualm being, BI has yet to play. Last yr It was BI & Graham before CJ with BI improving over the course of the season. I would think Zion is a better 2nd option than Graham but therein is the preseaon issue IMO.. Zion is not ready to be a primary ball handler in the traffic he has seen but BI was.. so realistically, Zion should be a better 2nd option than Graham, where I would make the concession on a 3rd to have Murphy in there for his spacing ability. Not to mention I think Zion & Murphy have some court chemistry ..

Murphy went 7-10 vs Pistons & was left open, then hit 4 3's in the first Q vs Miami & was left open but CJ's tunnel vision rared it's head going 1-7 trying to score in traffic vs hitting the open man who was scorching hot from 3`... No point starting him if CJ is not going to use his gravity effectively. He's just a defensive liability at that ppint. Especially when he's forcing & bricking like in the Suns series.

You could be right that a 3rd ball handler might be needed but the Ideal thing would have been to run both these combinations during preseason to see how it all fits but unfortunately half the team is out with injury, including BI.

My only seperation from your overall stance being Murphy over Alvarado, everything else, same page.

[Whole Truth]

I think Jonas/Poeltl is a better combo now than Poeltl/Hayes but consideration went into both players expiring & Hayes being young potential vs Jonas entering his 30's.

I personally dont see the Poeltl fit with this team. Im tired of Griffin constantly getting these lumbering bigs that arent great defenders and have no ability to stretch the floor. Id much rather them go out and get like a Jalen Smith kind of backup 5, with the long term potential of maybe becoming the starter. Or if they want to give up quality assets, trade for Myles Turner. He is the ideal 5 for this team. Elite rim protection with the ability to hit the corner 3.

Poeltl may not be the ideal 5, floor spacer but he's more mobile/agile than you're giving him credit for.

Turner is a better offensive fit, no argument.

Having said that, I'm leaning Poeltl's size/defense with Nance on roster as the stretch 5.

[Whole Truth]

Lumbering ?

Watch on YouTube

;t=1s

[Duke4life831]

Lumbering ?

Watch on YouTube

;t=1s

For today's NBA standards, ya Id consider him more lumbering than mobile. Dont get me wrong, I think he's a fine player, just like I think Steven Adams and Jonas are fine players. Im just personally over poor roster construction with this team. Griffin goes too much with the NBA 2k style of roster building over actual real life fit.

This is Zion's 4th year and he has yet to get a 5 that can space the floor.
I had issues with the Daniels pick and I still do today. Not saying Daniels was a reach at 8, but he's a horrible fit for this team. This team needs floor spacers and guys who are quick decision makers with the ball. Daniels bring size to the perimeter and defensive potential, but he is years away from being a shooter and he loves to pound the rock. Again dont get me wrong, he's good at it and I dont think value wise he was a reach, just dont see him getting minutes this year and dont see him being a long term fit with BI/Zion.
The CJ trade I really didnt mind because it was a push to get some playoff experience last year and I think that was very valuable. But to then give him an extension and it seems like no one in the organization is even thinking of the idea of him being a 6th man, not a fan of that. Plus the addition of Nance in that trade was great, fantastic energy glue big off the bench.

I had no issue with the picks last year (will admit especially Herb, was far more NBA ready than I thought). They should just replicate that draft over and over again. Defense and shooting, defense and shooting. Dont need ball dominate PGs, dont need bigs that dont stretch the floor or arent elite rim protectors. Defense and shooting, defense and shooting. I really wished they wouldve traded up a couple spots to get Mathurin, or traded down to get AJ Griffin. Both dudes have looked the part so far in preseason. Mathurin is lighting it up from all over the court, while AJ looks healthy and more mobile than he ever looked at Duke and ya the dude is looking like a longer Desmond Bane. (I know you and I had very similar views pre draft).

But ya long story short, I want Griffin to go after guys who are ideal fits to go alongside BI/Zion. Whether its a backup big like a Jalen Smith, or spending more assets to get a Myles Turner. Get bigs that can shoot, are at minimum are elite defensive players.