pe_it72 wrote:coolhandluke121 wrote:I've always been extremely optimistic with regard to Giannis's scoring potential, even by this board's standards. I know nearly everyone loved him, but a lot of people felt he would be more of a Kirilenko or Kukoc level scorer. However, he has such remarkable physical gifts for a guy his size that I think it's going to be very difficult to stop him even if he doesn't develop a good jumper. If he does, we could be talking a Pippen/KG hybrid. He has shown glimpses of being able to greatly improve his body control, and at his age and with his recent growth spurts that's all I need to see. I really hope they surround him with shooters though.
On a related note, that's still one of the reasons I've always wanted to trade Parker. Besides the size, conditioning, and injury, I just don't think the Bucks need him. His scoring is a nice luxury, but when you've got two likely 20+ ppg scorers with above average efficiency who also play very good defense, you can easily trade Parker to fill some other, more urgent needs. I think part of the reason people have been resistant to that idea is because they think Parker needs to be the alpha scorer, but I think people are coming around to the idea that Giannis and Middleton are very valuable offensive players in their own right.
I think that all three of our scorers are more than willing passers. I don't think Jabari is trying to be an alpha at all. That's why "experts" are down on him. He defers to teammates when he could get 6 more shots a game for himself. Just be patient. Those three are the key to the future. Do everything you can to build around them.
They play fine together. I never said they didn't, and never have. That aspect of my argument has been misconstrued. It's not that they're mismatched or that they don't play well together, it's just that Jabari
needs Giannis and Middleton to help hide him on defense, but Giannis and Middleton don't
need Jabari.
In order to be a contender, they need a better center and lead guard than most people here are suggesting, not to mention better depth at nearly every position. I don't see why they should brain-lock themselves into building around Parker when they can get plenty of offense from playing Giannis and Middleton with the Ersans and Dudleys of the world. Those guys are generally easier to acquire, play much better defense, and find ways to contribute without having the ball in their hands as much, not to mention the flexibility they give your payroll.
Bottom line, I just don't see them having the draft picks, trade assets, and free agent desirability to build a contender around Giannis/Middleton/Parker. There's a point of diminishing returns to having 3 likely 20+ ppg scorers when you could get by with just two and trade the other one for better glue guys and role players. This team reminds me too much of the Mavs with Dirk/Finley/Nash, the Wizards with Arenas/Hughes/Jamison, or even the Bucks with Robinson/Allen/Cassell (they were almost exactly .500 in their years together, look it up before throwing that 2001 paper tiger back at me).
Wut we've got here is... faaailure... to communakate.
