Ferry Avenue wrote:76ciology wrote:We must make do with what will be available in the offseason. If there aren't any big names, then we'll continue running without a real "big 3," which I'm fine with.
Personally, if we're going to trade for a big-name player to play with Embiid and Maxey, it has to be someone who's a first-tier star. Paul George is the top candidate for now.
If a big name is not available, then we'll run this collective five-type team where we have enough talent, offensive firepower, and depth to keep the boat afloat while Embiid rests and gets himself fresh for the playoffs.
The need isn't necessarily for a "big three" but for one of the top players to be a three-level scorer who can spearhead the team in the clutch and be a dependable scoring option at those times. Embiid cannot perform in that capacity and it's questionable whether Maxey can as well.
So what creates the apparent need for a "big three" is not that the precise quantity of
three players per se is necessarily needed, but that the top
two players on
this particular team cannot be depended on to function in a critical way in the NBA.
To use an NFL analogy it'd be like having far and away the best running back in the game (Embiid) coupled with one of the top echelon wide receivers (Maxey), absent an adequate quarterback. Obviously such a team will stall in the playoffs, and likewise this team always does as well.
I understand your point. Currently, we lack a second option who can step into an alpha role when Biid is absent physically or spiritually.
We are addressing this issue with a group of versatile offensive scorers. We aim to challenge the defense in multiple ways. For example, if they decide to blitz Maxey and run a zone, we can have Embiid or Tobias positioned at the free-throw line to take mid-range shots and then drop the ball to a cutter if help defense arrives. Alternatively, we can run actions to empower our players to attack effectively, such as Buddy Hield setting ghost screens for Maxey or any ball handler. Tobias can also run some PnRs or run some screen sets for him to attack smaller guards. We can also execute multiple dribble drives to create scoring opportunities for our team.
Take the Celtics, for instance. If Tatum isn’t playing or is in a slump, they have Jaylen Brown, Porzingis, Jrue, and Derrick White stepping up. Similarly, in our case, when Embiid isn't available or isn't performing well, we rely on players like Maxey, Hield, Tobias, and either Oubre, Melton, or Lowry to step up. It will be a collective effort rather than placing the majority of the burden on the backup second option on the team.
There’s never been a time in history when we look back and say that the people who were censoring free speech were the good guys.
