Bickerstaff wrote:Unless Arenas is an MVP candidate AND Blatche continues what he was doing at the end of last season AND Wall experiences fewer growing pains than a lot of us expect AND the team finds a consistent starting SF, I think .500 is a best case scenario. I think they'll be in the running for the 8th seed in the east, but it might only take 35 wins to get the 8th seed this season.
I was watching TV and they reviewed the teams with number 1 picks. It was like only use with Kwame and one other team in recent memory that had the number 1 pick that didn't make the playoffs.
History says we make the playoffs.
So while some want to focus on what if down side scenarios, what is the best case scenario. What if it works.
What if Ted, EG, Flip and Sam are the solid top management with direction and vision and leadership that it look like they are.
What if Wall brings back all the speed of penetration that many feared Gil lost. What if we really have the most talented PGs this team has ever saw.
What if Gil comes back at least as good as he left and moving him to SG allows him to return to the scoring machine he was. Even Nick is going to be better with Wall and Hinney spacing things and leading.
What if Dray picks up where he left off as one of the most talented and versatile PF in the league in the 20, 8, and 4 mold. Kid didn't get enough FTs but Wall sure does.
We have holes for sure. We don't have a starting center or a known starting SF but if all those things I mentioned above are what it is likely that are then it is easy to see that they would, then we have decent prospects to fill in some of the holes. Players who have some upside production in their tank.
McGee is going to be a better scorer since we have two and 1/2 PGs to set him up and he is bigger. Don't think for a moment that Gil won't get in on the act and set up McGee for some easy scores like Wall does.
AT while he isn't a proven great players can produce at times. Maybe we add Martin. I like that idea. Cheap kid with heart and upside. Maybe he continues to develop. That is the kind of Mason win you want. I would give the kid a chance.
And the biggest question that remains is Seraphin. Center alone could swing our win count by 10 games min. That is the hole a mile wide on this team. You add a Haywood for two years to this team and I would have a lot less questions but we don't have that..
This team is going to be fun to watch. Booker will work hard and round himself into at least a solid role player with his effort and D. But at this point, everything spins on McGee and Seraphin and what they can do on D. They should have people nervous. That is the big hole. I don't want Dray playing a lot of center.
So we can look really good but we will be held back by our center play until I see something that makes me believe that isn't the case. This is why I have been talking about center so much forever and I hated loosing Haywood.
So you either get a vet or you let if ride, loose more games than you otherwise would and either make a move at the deadline or wait till next year. It's going to take luck, some assets, or time to figure out what to do there. First we have to see what Seraphin can do. Maybe we have our center and just don't know it yet.
That is basically it in my book. It's going to be awesome to watch either way.
