Kanyewest wrote:nate33 wrote:nate33 wrote:I think the next few weeks will be real interesting for Queen. He has no doubt been exceptional on offense, and the on/off numbers suggest he hasn't been killing them on defense either. But now that he has emerged as a legitimate threat to opposing teams, I expect teams to actually strategize how to counter him. Which likely means they will try and attack him on defense.
I've noticed his on/off differential is starting to decline and the last couple of games were negative. This could be merely an aberration, or it could be the start of a new trend.
Since I posted this 3 days ago, Queen has played twice.
@GSW, he posted 2 pts 3 rebs, 0 asts on 1/3 FG and 0/0 FT. He was -17 in 16 mins. His team was +9 without him on the floor
@LAL, he posted 13 pts 7 rebs, 4 asts on 3/11 FG and 7/8 FT. He was -22 in 28 mins. His team was +10 without him on the floor
It is just as I predicted. The scouting report has come out on Queen. Offenses are attacking him and New Orleans is struggling because of it. This is not hating. It's a good sign that Queen became such a threat that teams started worrying about him. Now the question is, will Queen be able to adapt?
Your point mostly stands. just pointing out he had 15 points on 4/12 shooting and 7/8 from the free throw line. 4 assists and 1 turnover is a big improvement He is a rookie though and I think he could improve on his defense like Jokic and Sengun who were also poor defenders. I also want to see him raise his 3 point percentage which right now is his biggest weakness IMO (this would open up his offensive game a lot more) but as he's a decent free throw shooter who gets to the line at a high rate is encouraging for a rookie for his chances to improve.
I maintain DQs success is largely dependent on his willingness to work on his body. If his mobility stamina and strength improve then maybe he won’t be lax on defensive positioning etc. If attackers bounce off him then he won’t mind putting himself in front of a charge. I think he’ll like being able to bully and assert himself as he gets stronger. Any player that puts up high assist ratios is a guy who sees the floor well. He can apply those smarts in defense by filling lanes forcing players out of position cutting off angles and stuffing drives before they even get in the paint. That’s the reason that centers who grew up playing soccer are so good on defense. Not just footwork balance and mobility but angles and anticipation.
DQ is smart enough to make the reads. His hands are good. Vision is great. He’s just lax on D. Lazy.
That will get him benched and demotivated. And at that point the food in New Orleans will be seductive enough to bury your sorrows in calories. What’s the point why bother.
But if DQ works conditioning stamina and strength everything else follows. He won’t conserve energy on the hard part of the court. Will turn defense into offense via stops and outlet breaks or handling on steals and rebounds. Tough to do considering he started the year injured. But all summer he should be in the pool for low impact cardio and doing yoga for flexibility and in the weight room building core strength and working on his legs.
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