stacksonstacks wrote:It's difficult to reconcile the offseason with the two sides of this past season (the regular season mediocrity vs. the playoff success). If you think we're closer to the regular season team, then it seems unlikely we can make enough moves given the cap situation to become a "true" contender in the next year or so. If you think we're closer to the playoff team, then it seems like we're one piece away (be it a bucket-getter or getting "bigger" next to bam, opinions may vary). I tend to lean toward the latter, but realistically don't think we have the assets to acquire someone in the Dame tier. Picking JJJ would seem to concede we're likely out of the Dame sweepstakes (Portland would presumably want someone younger, with more upside).
I expect our only major pre-regular season move will be to get off of Duncan's contract and attach a pick to it. Sending something like Duncan + 1-2 FRPs and getting back a bench contributor (maybe someone like Kyle Anderson or Taurean Prince from the Grizz)
I think its actually more like the middle, while we had an atrocious regular season our players did seem to somehow completely forget to shoot the basketball. With the amount of 4th close games in hand made you believe that we were to a degree always in the game because we were poised and did the right plays, so from a half court defense/offense we were doing the right things and executing just not hitting at a respectable clip. We just lacked the offensive firepower to overcome the other teams, this prove as being like #27 in offensive efficiency.
Now you flip this in the playoffs and our guys suddenly started to hit their three pointers, but to be honest at an unsustainable clip which is what was making the ESPN talking heads and Vegas odds not match their score vs what were actually producing on the court. We were completely dominating those games, like we were almost unbeaten when we were shooting over 42% from the three as team. I don't think this should expected or sustainable to be repeated. However once we came back down to earth, and shot respectively not crazy we were close in our games but lost them because we just couldn't score on the other team in paint anymore. Some of this had a lot to do with Jimmy looking injured, but that completely collapsed our paint scoring which then forced our 3pt shooters to take more of a burden. Also outside of Bam or Jimmy nobody else had the know how or where tall to play in the paint and score successfully. Bam's increase in attempts made him far less efficient than what were used to from him, and turn over prone from having to force the issue.
For me I think were kind of what Spo said, a 4th seed in truth, which makes all the sense in the world. If their are multiple areas of improvement I would say there are probably like 4 major ones.
If I was to try and catalog them in order from greatest importance to least I would do it like this.
1. A scorer/scorers: that provide rim pressure, ability to break down defenders, get easy buckets when legs are tired in the 4th quarter and you aren't going to out shoot the competition. This person could be helpful if he were an elite ball handler or shooter off the bounce that could make the defense collapse the moment they cross the three point line on any one dribble, which is why were hoping to get Damian Lillard archetype here.
2. Point of attack defender/defenders: that provide adequate above average or elite perimeter defense, with size/length/athletism either on switches not to be come a mismatch on wings. We saw how both Lowry/Vincent and god forbid when they both played together. They are both small, and slow in comparison the leagues average PG with young legs. I don't expect either one of our guards to be a successful defender on a switch against a center or PF, but the fact is most of the time it the damage was done more so against a SG/SF so your wings on other teams that tower at 6'-5" - 6'-8" just obliterate them on switches. If Miami will move forward with this core, and you cannot get a Damian Lillard then youll need to supplement our starting PG with a taller, defensive minded combo guard archetype since we already have enough ball handling that can at least at a minimum hit open threes on the offensive side.
3. Sizeable scorer at the PF spot: The power forward spot doesn't need and out of the world defender, Just have league average defense, we play defense on the power rotation as a team anyways, and love to collapse regardless to crowed and force turnovers, however what we do need is size that can rebound, is athletic, and also can score by hitting the open three from the corner at a minimum, if they can hit from everywhere and also possesses a good inside game or post game that's a plus. Listen is Kevin Love was younger this would be a match made in heaven, he showed flashes in the playoffs of him were in spurts help by being this guy were missing. I have this third on the list because we have Jovic waiting who could turn into this guy perhaps not this year but maybe still one more year away. I do believe he will get there, if he is used as trade, then this becomes another hole we need to plug. Also why most trades Miami will do they will try to keep him off of them.
4. 6th Man that microwave scorer: Most of the top elite teams to ever win championships did it with bench players who hustled and put in work, but mostly with 1 guy that pushed the scorer when the starters rested. Sometimes these guys are also great defenders in a way and turn games around but their usually mostly scorers. Which is how Miami was so successful when Tyler Herro came off the bench. Were talking the Manu Ginobili's, JR Smiths, Porter, Andrew Wiggins, Andrew Iguodala, etc. guys to helped team win championships. I think we may have something there in Caleb Martin which is why have this one on 4th in the list. I don't believe he is there offensively just yet, although improving.
