Its much worse than i thought........

[VanWest82]

Legit concerns imo:

1. defense
2. Jak's health
3. Scottie's immaturity

Some of these other things feel cherry-picked. We've played four games and while having to introduce two significant new pieces, one of whom is a rookie. We need at least 15-20 games to know what we have. I suspect we'll be a lot closer to that 6-8 seed many of us were predicting before the start of the season than a .250 team.

[lolekszmolek]

I've always been a Yak fan but his performance is indefensible if judged without possible mitigating factors such as injury. In the 4th quarter of the last game Poetl caught a pass at the base line at the San Antonio end. He had a clear path to the basket and could have gone up strong at the hoop. Instead he dribbled the ball awkwardly to just below the 3 point line and made a terrible pass and the ball was turned over. If his injury is compromising his performance to this extent, he should not be playing at all. If his poor performance is not related to compromises due to injury, this team is in serious trouble.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

It was always going to be a team around .500, maybe slightly under. The people pushing them as a 50 plus win team, never had realistic expectations.

[PushDaRock]

Legit concerns imo:

1. defense
2. Jak's health
3. Scottie's immaturity

Some of these other things feel cherry-picked. We've played four games and while having to introduce two significant new pieces, one of whom is a rookie. We need at least 15-20 games to know what we have. I suspect we'll be a lot closer to that 6-8 seed many of us were predicting before the start of the season than a .250 team.

Jak's health is very concerning. He's never had a 3 game stretch this bad since coming back here.

The D will take some time for things to normalize especially with the insane amount of foul calls league wide. That disproportionally affects us because we fouled more than anyone last year and we are attempting to establish an identity as an extremely physical defensive team. Hard to do that when you are being whistled for everything.

Scottie is who he is. Maybe he will mature at some point but he would likely need a change of scenery on another team for that to happen IMO.

[PushDaRock]

I've always been a Yak fan but his performance is indefensible if judged without possible mitigating factors such as injury. In the 4th quarter of the last game Poetl caught a pass at the base line at the San Antonio end. He had a clear path to the basket and could have gone up strong at the hoop. Instead he dribbled the ball awkwardly to just below the 3 point line and made a terrible pass and the ball was turned over. If his injury is compromising his performance to this extent, he should not be playing at all. If his poor performance is not related to compromises due to injury, this team is in serious trouble.

He's not playing tonight and he got pulled from the last game.

It would seem pretty obvious his poor performance so far has been related to his back injury.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

Yak's not to blame, but the team's changed quite a bit since last year. He's not the advantage he was in years prior. Now, his lack of shooting hurts...and he plays in the same zone as Scottie and BI. He shrinks the floor.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

How he was held out of preseason games despite needing to mesh, was telling.

He probably aggravated his back in Euro’s. Bobby is probably very sensitive to it after not taking a C as expected and signing Poeltl to a big extension earlier than they had to, after he was already 30.

[VanWest82]

Legit concerns imo:

1. defense
2. Jak's health
3. Scottie's immaturity

Some of these other things feel cherry-picked. We've played four games and while having to introduce two significant new pieces, one of whom is a rookie. We need at least 15-20 games to know what we have. I suspect we'll be a lot closer to that 6-8 seed many of us were predicting before the start of the season than a .250 team.

Jak's health is very concerning. He's never had a 3 game stretch this bad since coming back here.

The D will take some time for things to normalize especially with the insane amount of foul calls league wide. That disproportionally affects us because we fouled more than anyone last year and we are attempting to establish an identity as an extremely physical defensive team. Hard to do that when you are being whistled for everything.

Scottie is who he is. Maybe he will mature at some point but he would likely need a change of scenery on another team for that to happen IMO.

Darko is going to have to dial back the aggressiveness imo. It's a marathon not a sprint, and we don't have the horses to press and recover like that anyway. CMB is going to help a lot, but it might take him time to figure out how to stay on the floor.

Scottie probably needs a change of scenery just to shock his system (a la Luka who was way more of a professional), but no way we do that yet. This feels like a pretty good group to get the most out of him at this stage of his career - a good mix of vets to check him, and young players for him to (very slowly) grow into leadership.

Anyway, I remain optimistic about the trajectory of the team and think the general tenor of this thread is a little too pessimistic.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

Yak's not to blame, but the team's changed quite a bit since last year. He's not the advantage he was in years prior. Now, his lack of shooting hurts...and he plays in the same zone as Scottie and BI. He shrinks the floor.

Poeltl was a frequent ball handler and play maker in Darko ball, but with him parked at the ft line area, which is where BI and Scottie are also trying to go, it’s just doing a whole lot of nothing.
We need at least two shooters to maximize a team starting BI and Scottie.

And we can’t be a full court pressing defense with a SL including IQ RJ and BI - especially without front court depth.

[MEDIC]

Legit concerns imo:

1. defense
2. Jak's health
3. Scottie's immaturity

Some of these other things feel cherry-picked. We've played four games and while having to introduce two significant new pieces, one of whom is a rookie. We need at least 15-20 games to know what we have. I suspect we'll be a lot closer to that 6-8 seed many of us were predicting before the start of the season than a .250 team.

Totally agree with this. I.do have my concerns with Darko, but who knows. Maybe he rights the ship.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

Yak's not to blame, but the team's changed quite a bit since last year. He's not the advantage he was in years prior. Now, his lack of shooting hurts...and he plays in the same zone as Scottie and BI. He shrinks the floor.

Poeltl was a frequent ball handler and play maker in Darko ball, but with him parked at the ft line area, which is where BI and Scottie are also trying to go, it’s just doing a whole lot of nothing.
We need at least two shooters to maximize a team starting BI and Scottie.

And we can’t be a full court pressing defense with a SL including IQ RJ and BI - especially without front court depth.

It's just too clogged in the post now with everybody back, and adding BI. It's clunky.

[VanWest82]

Legit concerns imo:

1. defense
2. Jak's health
3. Scottie's immaturity

Some of these other things feel cherry-picked. We've played four games and while having to introduce two significant new pieces, one of whom is a rookie. We need at least 15-20 games to know what we have. I suspect we'll be a lot closer to that 6-8 seed many of us were predicting before the start of the season than a .250 team.

Totally agree with this. I.do have my concerns with Darko, but who knows. Maybe he rights the ship.

Darko's main utility imo is getting guys to play together unselfishly. I think he's doing his job there. At some point, we'll need a real coach who can help us win in the playoffs, but we have to get there first.

[pharring]

I know 7-footers do not grow on trees, but Bobby should have had an "oh ****" moment at some point seeing how this team plays defensively with Jak on the shelf. Sandro was an excellent addition as a bench big that can extend to the 3pt line, but he's not a last-line-of-defence guy. There needed to be a third big with some defensive chops that could slot in with the starters if Jak goes down. There is enough firepower in the starting five that any slot-in 7-footer would only need to rebound and intimidate. If the offence stalls, Sandro is right there.

I wonder if you give CMB a chance. Yeah, he can't keep an Embiid out of the paint, but Embiid can't even keep himself on the floor. I did like what I saw from CMB in terms of straight-up pushing back. CMB was more physical with Wemby and I think that registered with Wemby himself (tended to try to run around screens and around CMB instead of pushing him back). Scottie and CMB could do that to a few C's out there.

But man... it would be nice to look down the bench and see just one dude that could swat if called upon - if only to change the psychology out there. That was supposed to be Koloko or Chomche, dang it. I think we need to move some existing deck chairs (there is no world where we need ALL of Dick, Ochai, Mogbo, Battle and Walter) to get a new project centre. Preferably someone with a year or two in the L and a clean bill of health!!

[Prestige]

No concerns. No need to stress. What will happen will happen.

Let them play out this season. This team has stunk the last few years. This year they’ll either make the playoffs/play-In or fail and we get a lottery pick. We own our pick, we may jump into the top 3 and get a real franchise player. Bobby will likely make some trades. Darko is prob gone after this season if they miss the playoffs.

[Kingsway_fan]

Yeah, it's much worse .. game in a few hours, and no Game Thread as yet, lol

[links135]

Jesus lol it's been 4 games. I still remember Scotties rookie year where the 2nd game in, he had like 32 points and absolutely embarrassed the Celtics. Those Celtics started the season 2-5.

They ended up making the NBA finals.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I know 7-footers do not grow on trees, but Bobby should have had an "oh ****" moment at some point seeing how this team plays defensively with Jak on the shelf. Sandro was an excellent addition as a bench big that can extend to the 3pt line, but he's not a last-line-of-defence guy. There needed to be a third big with some defensive chops that could slot in with the starters if Jak goes down. There is enough firepower in the starting five that any slot-in 7-footer would only need to rebound and intimidate. If the offence stalls, Sandro is right there.

I wonder if you give CMB a chance. Yeah, he can't keep an Embiid out of the paint, but Embiid can't even keep himself on the floor. I did like what I saw from CMB in terms of straight-up pushing back. CMB was more physical with Wemby and I think that registered with Wemby himself (tended to try to run around screens and around CMB instead of pushing him back). Scottie and CMB could do that to a few C's out there.

But man... it would be nice to look down the bench and see just one dude that could swat if called upon - if only to change the psychology out there. That was supposed to be Koloko or Chomche, dang it. I think we need to move some existing deck chairs (there is no world where we need ALL of Dick, Ochai, Mogbo, Battle and Walter) to get a new project centre. Preferably someone with a year or two in the L and a clean bill of health!!

Defense has been good with Sandro out there. It's been awful with Poeltl.

This isn't rocket science, the team is trying to play at a breakneck pace with an already slow C that's nursing a wonky back. Poeltl needs to just come out for a long time to get it right. Bobby should be looking into roster moves to get some size in here. In the interim start Scottie at C and get some more shooting in the SL.

[witnessraps]

Does this team have even 1 starter thats significantly above average? Questionable. Barnes Ingram poeltl quickly barrett are all pretty good not great which doesn't cut it in the league

[HiJiNX]

Helping 1 pass a way is a concept you learn in elementary school. Not sure what first team defense Barnes is trying to do.

Funny you say this because coaches now teach not to help from one pass away, especially if the shooter is in the corner.

To be on topic, I think this thread has much too much sky is falling energy. The things described in the first post are correctable. Some more lasting concerns for me is Darko’s commitment to philosophies that don’t fit the roster and Scottie’s intermittent immaturity. Someone needs to have a hard talk with Scottie. Stop complaining for calls and run back on D.

[TheGeneral99]

It is much worse than I thought as well..

Poeltl has been the worst player in the league

This is so annoying considering Poeltl was arguably are most productive starter the last couple years.