mpharris36 wrote:3toheadmelo wrote:mpharris36 wrote:
Your not entirely wrong but its beyond tough to be on that tier. That doesn't mean because you aren't on that tier you cant win a series against them (based on health, performance ect if things fall right). I think having a floor of a 50 win team with upside certainly isn't a bad place to be in.
We will always have some gap towards the top 2 teams because our 2 best players aren't great defenders. That doesn't mean they aren't good. They are two of the better players in the NBA. Its just BOS and OKC really don't have much weak links in terms of defense that you can consistently seek out. With Brunson we have an elite offensive hub and closer...but he will always get picked on defensively. KAT has picked it up in the playoffs but we know he is a high level defender either. It will always be something we have to overcome playing those teams.
If you always waiting for the move that would have clearly put us on that tier you probably waste away Brunson prime and that shouldn't be the case either.
This roster isn't a 1st round exit...or 2nd round get the doors blown off team though...that is where I put that on the margins with Thibs.
It just feels like we are betting against ourselves if we are hoping we can win with multiple bad defenders and their offense isn’t good enough to make up for it (besides Brunson).
But we’re wasting Brunson’s prime right now by being locked in a core that isn’t going to win a chip. We just wasted our assets. It’s really to me about using all of our assets and it didn’t even make us really better. I personally would’ve just stuck with what we had from last year and traded for a rim protector like Kessler. Then save the rest of your assets for someone else when they become available. Hell we actually even had the opportunity to get Donovan Mitchell a couple years ago, who would’ve been a major help for us. It’s puzzling to me that after all these years of us “waiting on that big fish” we used all of our assets on two players that didn’t do anything to make us a championship contender.
Personally for me, I think hiring a new coach is just trying to put a band aid on something that needs surgery. The roster needs to be fixed no matter who the coach is. We are probably gonna fire Thibs after we lose to Boston so I hope we make that leap that you guys think we will under a new coach.
its tough for me to reconcile you saying wasting away brunson prime of his career but also saying he is the reason we will never be in the tier because we acknowledge he isn't a good defender. The best player on a team being 6'1 just typically doesn't win historically in the NBA. So we were always going to have a uphill battle no matter what for the top of top teams.
We built this team around brunson (for better or worse). Is it at "peak form" no...do i thnk we played as well as we should have this year "no". Lets see if last night sparks some things because the team played with the most fire and desire (shout out clyde) pretty much all season. Just attacking the glass, being physical ect...
I also think people in CLE thought there roster was capped out as well and didn't think a coaching change would matter and that was huge for them. Also just meshing and building chemistry matters. I know we all think in that "video game" mindset where you make a trade(s) they all of a sudden everything clicks. Especially when you are going against fine tune teams like BOS and OKC who have been together for years.
Even Miami when they brought the big 3 in had ups and down there first year...because playing together and developing chemistry takes time. Now we are talking different levels to this because certainly our teams is not Lebron/Wade/Bosh ect...but the point remains. Chemistry takes time with players. And the coach thing is what it is...I will hold judgement until our final results in the playoffs before I make the call completely on Thibs for next year but I do think he is holding us back in some ways which you are overlooking the impact.
Where did I say we will never be in that elite tier because of Brunson? I said we will never be in that tier because we have multiple bad defenders in the lineup where their offense doesn't outweigh their negatives on defense (besides brunson). You can win with brunson, but if you're putting a bunch of awful defenders around him you're setting yourself up for failure.
You guys are forgetting that the Cavs has a bunch of young players. They were bound to get better regardless. And they also have great two good defenders in their front court which puts them at a major advantage over us. We have zero good defenders in the front court.
The Heat went to the finals in their first year. I watched a bunch of their games that season because I live in fl. We are not even close to being on their level. And they had 3 hall of famers. So I don't really get the comparison. A better comparison for us is being the Toronto Raptors when they had lowry and derozan. Good enough to beat up on bad teams in the regular season, but we get exposed against the elite contenders.
I don't really care if we fire Thibs. Honestly, I might be on that hire JVG train anyways. But even then, no matter who the coach is you aren't going to win a chip if you have a bunch of trash defenders in the starting lineup. That's where I stand on this. So we will prob never see eye to eye on this.
Heres to hoping we look better next year lol
