Preseason Game #1 : Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

[Mulhollanddrive]

Some can and some can't improve their 3, but we have a few seasons more than other teams for Warren, Jackson, Chriss, Bender to get to mid 30s for when it matters.

[Saberestar]

Didn't get to watch the game. Does anyone know where to watch it online?

http://nbahd.net

[sunwillrise0304]

our season opener opponent will be the same, blazers

interesting to see what will be the improvement that time.
at least ,we should do a much better job on nurkic

[Revived]

I don't think Warren's gonna ever become a good 3pt shooter, he's already been in the league 4-5 years now and hasn't done yet so doubt he ever will.

Hope at least his defense comes around.

[Bogyo]

I feel we are/were missusing a couple of guys, and some of it is coaching/managament problem.
Len - he could be our defensive anchor/rebounder/screen setter-roll man by now, if he was developed and used like that.
Bender and Chriss - neither are 5's, but likely strech 4's (or maybe even a bit of a 3 in Benders case). They are simply not developed enough to handle the "paintjob" like a 5 at this point of their careers, at their age, etc...
I think this game demonstrates my point, even though it was only a preseason opener.
By not using them properly we are hurting their development, and confidence by putting them into situations where they are very likely to fail. I hope we realize that and do a better job of using the strenght of our players, and only AFTER this we give them a bit different, more difficult tasks.

[TeamTragic]

Loved seeing James run the floor. Len still doesn't play defense.

[TheFire]

Loved seeing James run the floor. Len still doesn't play defense.

Other than not closing hard enough on pick and pops, he's easily our best interior defender. Bender/Chriss were getting mauled by Nurkic and Swanigan until Len came in.

[Stark]

We have to make things simple i guess, our team is trying new fancy things that they are not going to able to do. Do you remember the last time this team was successful , We had Miles freakin Plumlee as center, Bledsoe and Dragic were the top 2 options and when they sat Kieff-Gerald Green were running the show. Talentwise this roster is much better. Warren-Booker-Chriss-Bender, better Bledsoe, even though Len sucks he is better than Plumlee, Ulis is a good back up etc. but in the end our current team is so much worse than 13-14 team.

Whenever i watch Blazers they remind me 13-14 suns team. Two dynamic duo carrying the team and the others hustles on D , focus on rebounding and shoot open 3s. They are not playing space basketball. They create enough room for the Lillard and Mccollum with screens and simple plays. When i watch our current team, everything is so hard for us. For example, Bender's passing and ballhandling for a big is a plus but he is not Jokic. He doesn't have to force a quick drive then throw an amazingly hard pass to the corner. If he wants to stay in court he should make open threes, hustles on d and use his passing skills without forcing things. If he can do these things consistently then maybe he can try some new fancy things that expand his game.

I don't blame Bender btw i thing Watson is the problem. Players doesn't have strict roles in our team. We have three potential 20 point scorer in our team (Warren/Bledsoe/Booker) and we are still playing lottery ball. Coach should be someone who can punish players when they slack off or should be someone with a system. Watson doesn't have one, he just flatters players and tells them that they are the next big thing so players love him and his attitude. Who doesn't want a boss that just go easy on you but if you want to be efficient you need somebody who can push your limits, especially in sports.

Getting new top 5 picks and tanking is not going to solve our problem. I mean we are playing in a fast paced style but we don't have a big that we can trust when he is shooting 3's ffs. Just one true stretch four would make things so much easier for us. We don't need new Bookers or Warrens who will create rotation problems for us. I just want players who knows and plays their role efficiently.

[NavLDO]

Starters

Warren: Man, TJ was incredible today. I am buying into the hype! I think he can thrive anywhere and I didn't see many weaknesses today.

Bench
JJ: Yoooo JJ looked pretty damn good. Out of control at times, but still impressive. Love the stroke, love the activity, wish he would pass to wide open players a little more. I have no doubt he'll figure it out, though.

Bender: I saw a lot of Bender hate throughout-- honestly I was a little confused by it? Seemed to me that, while he did commit some TOs while handling the ball up court, he also made some GREAT lead passes and the team seems to trust him to run it up after a rebound which seems like a really valuable skill to me? I'm not super worried about his stroke either; I imagine always having to adjust between NBA and Euro three point lines while simultaneously having to constantly work on bulking up to handle the C workload is a hell of a task. I've seen him stroke it, I think he'll be fine. I also thought he held his own on defense against everyone but Nurkic (who is a rarity in the league today) and his rebounding was really good today! I still see center in his future-- hopefully sooner rather than later.

Len: COMPLETELY unsure whether or not his great showing today was due to playing against scrubs or not, but damn--I'd love if he was our backup center!

Anyways though, I think we're going to be really fun this year! I do have one belief that I think this game only provided more evidence for: TJ has to come off the bench. It's not even so that we can start JJ for his "better defense" (I do think JJ is/will prove to be a better defender, but TJ was no slouch today)-- I think it makes both players better and the whole team better as a result. JJ's main mistakes today were when he tried to do too much; putting him into the starting lineup fixes that. TJ deserves a primary role on offense, but he's not going to get it with Devin/Bled out there and I think that seems fair. ALSO, I think the bench unit without TJ will be forcing almost all of its offense, while the starting lineup will have 3 primary level players.

Bled - Book - JJ - Chriss - Tyson

Great, well-rounded lineup. JJ is great at reacting to plays around him to make shots easy for him, and this way he doesn't have to iso nearly as much. Also, if his shooting ends up being for real, the spacing will be more than good enough.

Ulis - Daniels - DJJ - Warren - Bender (Or Ulis - Daniels - Warren - Bender - Len)

Also a very well-rounded lineup. Ulis should be told to essentially feed Warren the ball in good spots, and TJ will feast. This is the lineup (more or less) that had Warren going HAM at the end (even if it was against semi-scrubs).

Sorry, but there are so many things I disagree with in this post, I'm not sure where to start, but I guess I'll start with the obvious.

Why, exactly, is Warren on the Bench? Our likely 2nd best all-around player, and he gets relegated to the bench because JJ is 'supposed' to have better defense? You do realize that the coach doesn't sub out 5 starters for 5 subs, right?

Think of it this way; you are Warren. Your career TS% is .544, eFG% of .522, and PER 15.4...your VORP last year was .9, you slashed 14.4/5.1...all numbers better than the guy who was just offered a Max extension, and you are being relegated to the Bench in favor of a Rookie, after having to sit behind PJ Tucker the first almost 3 years? You finally get your shot, just to lose it to a rookie because he was drafted 4th? I'd be livid.

Then, Len has already proven to be woeful as a backup; he needs to start...and no, it has nothing to do with last night. I've been on this bandwagon for years. He's been developed horribly. Let him start. 4 of 5 games he'll manage to stay out of foul trouble long enough to get 28-30 minutes, 15 pts, 12 TRBs, and 2 BLKs a night. Yeah, the other 20% of the games he'll 'goon-up', but it's so much worth it over 'yester-year-Tyson'.

And lastly, kind of back to Warren, but if you are so quick to sit Warren due to his defense for a lesser-offensively gifted talent in JJ (2 x 3-pointers in the 1st preseason game doesn't make him better) then we should sit Booker for Daniels. I mean, Daniels shoots 3s better than Booker, and plays better D. And you are right, it isn't the same thing; but sitting Warren in favor of JJ is not the right or fair answer.

I know, many here think I am anti-JJ, but I'm not. I'm just not in favor of sitting Warren, someone who has finally earned his starting slot, in favor of our new shiny toy, because Warren isn't as 'shiny' anymore. If we are hell-bent on starting JJ, then start Bledsoe-Booker-JJ-Warren-Len. We should be putting our best 5 on the floor in this new 'position-less' NBA, then we can bring in Chriss, Bender, Ulis, DJJ, Daniels, etc.

[carey]

Looking over the box score. Do we think Warren will lead the team in minutes this year or will it be Booker? We shot twice as many FTs as Portland. Booker 9. Len 8, and Warren 7. Len could have had damn near 20 points if he'd make his FTs.

Daniels is a guy that basically only makes 3's. I wonder what his shot chart from last year looks like. I heard the announcer say he was 3rd in bench 3 pointers behind Lou Williams and Eric Gordon.

Not thrilled with Ulis box score. If he wants to be an effective PG at his size he has to make his shots.

[MrMiyagi]

Starters

Warren: Man, TJ was incredible today. I am buying into the hype! I think he can thrive anywhere and I didn't see many weaknesses today.

Bench
JJ: Yoooo JJ looked pretty damn good. Out of control at times, but still impressive. Love the stroke, love the activity, wish he would pass to wide open players a little more. I have no doubt he'll figure it out, though.

Bender: I saw a lot of Bender hate throughout-- honestly I was a little confused by it? Seemed to me that, while he did commit some TOs while handling the ball up court, he also made some GREAT lead passes and the team seems to trust him to run it up after a rebound which seems like a really valuable skill to me? I'm not super worried about his stroke either; I imagine always having to adjust between NBA and Euro three point lines while simultaneously having to constantly work on bulking up to handle the C workload is a hell of a task. I've seen him stroke it, I think he'll be fine. I also thought he held his own on defense against everyone but Nurkic (who is a rarity in the league today) and his rebounding was really good today! I still see center in his future-- hopefully sooner rather than later.

Len: COMPLETELY unsure whether or not his great showing today was due to playing against scrubs or not, but damn--I'd love if he was our backup center!

Anyways though, I think we're going to be really fun this year! I do have one belief that I think this game only provided more evidence for: TJ has to come off the bench. It's not even so that we can start JJ for his "better defense" (I do think JJ is/will prove to be a better defender, but TJ was no slouch today)-- I think it makes both players better and the whole team better as a result. JJ's main mistakes today were when he tried to do too much; putting him into the starting lineup fixes that. TJ deserves a primary role on offense, but he's not going to get it with Devin/Bled out there and I think that seems fair. ALSO, I think the bench unit without TJ will be forcing almost all of its offense, while the starting lineup will have 3 primary level players.

Bled - Book - JJ - Chriss - Tyson

Great, well-rounded lineup. JJ is great at reacting to plays around him to make shots easy for him, and this way he doesn't have to iso nearly as much. Also, if his shooting ends up being for real, the spacing will be more than good enough.

Ulis - Daniels - DJJ - Warren - Bender (Or Ulis - Daniels - Warren - Bender - Len)

Also a very well-rounded lineup. Ulis should be told to essentially feed Warren the ball in good spots, and TJ will feast. This is the lineup (more or less) that had Warren going HAM at the end (even if it was against semi-scrubs).

Sorry, but there are so many things I disagree with in this post, I'm not sure where to start, but I guess I'll start with the obvious.

Why, exactly, is Warren on the Bench? Our likely 2nd best all-around player, and he gets relegated to the bench because JJ is 'supposed' to have better defense? You do realize that the coach doesn't sub out 5 starters for 5 subs, right?

Think of it this way; you are Warren. Your career TS% is .544, eFG% of .522, and PER 15.4...your VORP last year was .9, you slashed 14.4/5.1...all numbers better than the guy who was just offered a Max extension, and you are being relegated to the Bench in favor of a Rookie, after having to sit behind PJ Tucker the first almost 3 years? You finally get your shot, just to lose it to a rookie because he was drafted 4th? I'd be livid.

Then, Len has already proven to be woeful as a backup; he needs to start...and no, it has nothing to do with last night. I've been on this bandwagon for years. He's been developed horribly. Let him start. 4 of 5 games he'll manage to stay out of foul trouble long enough to get 28-30 minutes, 15 pts, 12 TRBs, and 2 BLKs a night. Yeah, the other 20% of the games he'll 'goon-up', but it's so much worth it over 'yester-year-Tyson'.

And lastly, kind of back to Warren, but if you are so quick to sit Warren due to his defense for a lesser-offensively gifted talent in JJ (2 x 3-pointers in the 1st preseason game doesn't make him better) then we should sit Booker for Daniels. I mean, Daniels shoots 3s better than Booker, and plays better D. And you are right, it isn't the same thing; but sitting Warren in favor of JJ is not the right or fair answer.

I know, many here think I am anti-JJ, but I'm not. I'm just not in favor of sitting Warren, someone who has finally earned his starting slot, in favor of our new shiny toy, because Warren isn't as 'shiny' anymore. If we are hell-bent on starting JJ, then start Bledsoe-Booker-JJ-Warren-Len. We should be putting our best 5 on the floor in this new 'position-less' NBA, then we can bring in Chriss, Bender, Ulis, DJJ, Daniels, etc.

Because if we don't have TJ in our second unit, our second unit is not going to score. People think too highly of starting. It's not about when you get on the floor, it's about being most effective while on the floor. If these guys want to start winning, I think the best way for that to happen is for TJ to come off the bench.

Also, think of how much better Josh Jackson is going to be if he's not wildly driving into the paint trying to be a #1 option for the second unit? I loved what I saw from him tonight, but he needs to slow it down a little. Having Booker and Bledsoe on the floor should allow him to do just that.

I mean, unless you want to tank this season, having an ineffective second unit is going to hold you back. I believe that Ulis and Warren orchestrating the bench while Bledsoe and Booker orchestrate the starters is our smartest line-up moving forward.

[MrMiyagi]

Yeah...never mind he finished last season shooting 5 of 7 from 3 in his last 6 games of the regular season...or that he shot 40% through the entire season of his 2nd season in the league. But let's judge him on an 0-2 night in the first preseason game...

You're right. We should use the 7 shots he took in three games at the end of last season and the season he had 70 attempts total. He had 90 attempts last season and shot 26% from deep.

It doesn't look like Warrens mechanics have improved. Jackson doesn't look like he has refined his shooting stroke either. He went 2/3 last night from three but I am dubious of both players long term success from behind the arch if they can't improve their mechanics.

Sent from my SM-N920V using RealGM mobile app

You'e making my point for me. You are using ONE game...a preseason one at that...the first one at that...and you can determine based on two attempts that he "still can't shoot from range"?

70 attempts two years ago isn't worthy, but an interrupted season by injury, followed by two preseason attempts, and you've got it figured out that Warren can't shoot from 3? The 70 attempts from 2 years ago don't count, somehow? Did he get 'lucky' for an entire season? Is that what you are saying? It couldn't possibly have anything to do with coaching changes/injuries, etc? You're so quick to dismiss 70 attempts, but willing to take 90 as gospel? Or two in the preseason? OK, suit yourself...

I feel like TJ didn't have the best looks tonight from 3. Also he doesn't really need to chuck a ton of 3s, just be able to knock down an open one, and I'm not quite sure he really had an open look. At least his shots seemed to be rushed. Considering he hasn't been the most prolific 3-point shooter, it's not unreasonable to expect some time to get an in-game rhythm from 3. We definitely should wait for a larger sample size.

For contrast, Bender had some wide open looks that didn't fall, and I think the biggest reason is the flat trajectory. He needs to get that ball up more, because he was pretty on-target, it's just the ball isn't taking a good angle into the hoop.

[lilfishi22]

That was a pretty fun game to watch. Parts of it was messy but that could just be their inexperience playing with each other or just inexperience playing at the highest levels for some of the younger guys.

TJ looked great out there. I liked his defensive effort, I liked his midrange game, I liked his rebounding and I loved his efficiency. The guy just has a knack of getting buckets. The FTA's, blocks, assists and steals sprinkled in is the cherry on top of the sundae. Would've liked to see him hit 1 of 2 three's but it's only game 1 of the preseason.

Len had a pretty good game by his standard. He came in and changed the flow of the game with his defense and rebounding and defense. If he can keep his rebounding game up, his offense efficient and keep defending at this level, I'd love to have him back.

Booker missed a few tough shots but he made up for it with the 3's and the 9 of 9 FTA's. Those 5 assists are very encouraging. Defensively, I liked his effort but will need more time to see if he can sustain it.

Bledsoe had a quiet game but I liked his leadership out there. He was efficient and I felt comfort when he was at the helm.

JJ looked outta control a few times out there and that's probably just nerves so I'm not too worried. The game should slow down for him over time. I loved what I saw from him though. His shooting looked good, his ball-handling is sweet and he made good passing decisions out there. Defensively, he was quick and looks solid.

Bender had a poor game offensively with some odd TO's and missing all of his FG's. But his rebounding helped his otherwise crappy game. Likewise with Chriss, he still looks a bit lost just jumping everywhere but he did have some highlight dunks and more importantly, blocks.

Daniels is a helluva pick up. Adds a ton of depth and desperately needed 3PT shooting

[bigfoot]

My thoughts

1) Alex Len was the difference maker last night. Rebounding and his defensive presence in the paint were his biggest contributions. The points are a bonus and the fact he got most of them off the roll and free throws is what he has needed to do for over three years. I think his confidence is going to sky rocket and he will take the lion share of C minutes this season.

2) Chriss was constantly lost on defense. He would sag off his man to try to help and then his man would get the ball and hit the open jumper. He just looked slower, confused, and sometimes disinterested. I'm predicting a sophomore slump.

3) Ulis and DJJ were MIA. Surprising after Ulis was such a stud last year and the fact that everyone was touting DJJ.

4) Really liked the Bender and Len pairing. Bender did well snagging rebounds, okay running the break, and shot poorly. Still want to see Bender taking threes but I am looking forward to more Len/Bender.

5) TJ will come into his own this year. I'm guessing he leads the team in scoring or at least challenges Booker. Hoping he can push a .600 True Shooting Percentage because he will be an elite player if he does.

6) Kinda like James. The guy just exudes confidence and attitude ... mini PJ. I like it and feel good about him as 2nd or 3rd string PG

7) Jackson had some nice moments that had me shaking my head saying this kid is going to be special. He also had some bonehead plays forcing his dribble that resulted in all those turnovers. He should challenge for ROY.

8) Still worried that Booker is going to be inefficient offensively (4-12) but was happy with the number of free throws and the assists.

9) Daniels is a really nice pickup. If we are out of the hunt as we near the trade deadline I would expect to see him moved for assets.

[ATTL]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

I'm not sold on our bigs moving forward at all. Chriss and bender need to improve a great deal if we ever want to compete. Or we need to pray we strike gold next summer, but it's a bit early for that.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Daniels took 505 shots last season, only 59 of them within 16 feet.

I think he could be similar to other 3 point specialists in Dudley and Teletovic with around 10ppg on 40% from 3.

[NavLDO]

Looks like not offering Len a new contract has lit a fire under him. Now the question is, if we do eventually offer him a new deal, which Len would we get?

We get the same Len we always had; just need to show confidence in him, let him start the year, and we'll see a dbl-dbl machine, on average. He's been so woefully mismanaged and developed it's ridiculous.

I'm not sure if he was mismanaged. He has been inconsistent throughout his time here. Some games he looks awesome, and other games he looks completely clueless. Last night, other than that last foul, he did great. He rolled correctly, had his hands ready, and finished when needed. He didn't force shots. He boxed out well, and was aggressive on the boards.

Now I'd love it if this is the Len we consistently will see all season, but let's not pretend his problems were really coaching problems.

All those items you mentioned are a product of talent, and coaching that talent. If he's not doing it most games, then he's not being coached properly, because the coach is not holding him accountable for his errors, and not reinforcing his strengths.

And yes, he was mismanaged. He's been 'coached' to shoot from outside of 10ft, or given free reign to do so, throughout his career; either way it reflects poorly on his coaching and has definitely stunted his development. It was at it's worst the '15-'16 season, when 33% of his shots were from outside of 10ft...what the hell is a 7'2" 260lb NON-stretch Center doing that far away from the rim 33% of the time?

So, you can say it's Alex's fault all you want, but there is a reason teams have coaches, and either they purposefully ran plays with the expectation of Len being that far from the rim, or they didn't care enough to correct it in 4 years. Len is coachable; he's not a superstar Diva that can do what he wants.

I'm not saying Len is blameless, but I am saying that between Hornacek/Watson, they own a large share of Len's failure to date. We see what Len can do when focused and on top of his game. If that is developed properly, he's the Center everyone thought he could be when he came out.

[RunDogGun]

We get the same Len we always had; just need to show confidence in him, let him start the year, and we'll see a dbl-dbl machine, on average. He's been so woefully mismanaged and developed it's ridiculous.

I'm not sure if he was mismanaged. He has been inconsistent throughout his time here. Some games he looks awesome, and other games he looks completely clueless. Last night, other than that last foul, he did great. He rolled correctly, had his hands ready, and finished when needed. He didn't force shots. He boxed out well, and was aggressive on the boards.

Now I'd love it if this is the Len we consistently will see all season, but let's not pretend his problems were really coaching problems.

All those items you mentioned are a product of talent, and coaching that talent. If he's not doing it most games, then he's not being coached properly, because the coach is not holding him accountable for his errors, and not reinforcing his strengths.

And yes, he was mismanaged. He's been 'coached' to shoot from outside of 10ft, or given free reign to do so, throughout his career; either way it reflects poorly on his coaching and has definitely stunted his development. It was at it's worst the '15-'16 season, when 33% of his shots were from outside of 10ft...what the hell is a 7'2" 260lb NON-stretch Center doing that far away from the rim 33% of the time?

So, you can say it's Alex's fault all you want, but there is a reason teams have coaches, and either they purposefully ran plays with the expectation of Len being that far from the rim, or they didn't care enough to correct it in 4 years. Len is coachable; he's not a superstar Diva that can do what he wants.

I'm not saying Len is blameless, but I am saying that between Hornacek/Watson, they own a large share of Len's failure to date. We see what Len can do when focused and on top of his game. If that is developed properly, he's the Center everyone thought he could be when he came out.

Ugh, coaches can only do so much, at some point an adult player is responsible for their own actions on the court. Players can lose focus, and even if a coach is all over that player, they will play how they want to play. I don't buy the inconsistency Len has had, on the coaches. When he first came into the league, he himself said the league was much faster than what he expected. Many bigs take time to develop. He received no interest around the league during his RFA period. It's even easier to say that Len is now playing hard to get a better contract, which could mean that he's motivated by money, not a coach. His shot selections are his choice often. His injuries and sometimes foul trouble also has play in his development, neither of which can be blamed on coaches.

Oh well, I'm sure you will disagree with my opinion, but time will tell on Len, and my hope is he is consistent this year, unlike every season he has been in the league.

[NavLDO]

I'm not sure if he was mismanaged. He has been inconsistent throughout his time here. Some games he looks awesome, and other games he looks completely clueless. Last night, other than that last foul, he did great. He rolled correctly, had his hands ready, and finished when needed. He didn't force shots. He boxed out well, and was aggressive on the boards.

Now I'd love it if this is the Len we consistently will see all season, but let's not pretend his problems were really coaching problems.

All those items you mentioned are a product of talent, and coaching that talent. If he's not doing it most games, then he's not being coached properly, because the coach is not holding him accountable for his errors, and not reinforcing his strengths.

And yes, he was mismanaged. He's been 'coached' to shoot from outside of 10ft, or given free reign to do so, throughout his career; either way it reflects poorly on his coaching and has definitely stunted his development. It was at it's worst the '15-'16 season, when 33% of his shots were from outside of 10ft...what the hell is a 7'2" 260lb NON-stretch Center doing that far away from the rim 33% of the time?

So, you can say it's Alex's fault all you want, but there is a reason teams have coaches, and either they purposefully ran plays with the expectation of Len being that far from the rim, or they didn't care enough to correct it in 4 years. Len is coachable; he's not a superstar Diva that can do what he wants.

I'm not saying Len is blameless, but I am saying that between Hornacek/Watson, they own a large share of Len's failure to date. We see what Len can do when focused and on top of his game. If that is developed properly, he's the Center everyone thought he could be when he came out.

Ugh, coaches can only do so much, at some point an adult player is responsible for their own actions on the court. Players can lose focus, and even if a coach is all over that player, they will play how they want to play. I don't buy the inconsistency Len has had, on the coaches. When he first came into the league, he himself said the league was much faster than what he expected. Many bigs take time to develop. He received no interest around the league during his RFA period. It's even easier to say that Len is now playing hard to get a better contract, which could mean that he's motivated by money, not a coach. His shot selections are his choice often. His injuries and sometimes foul trouble also has play in his development, neither of which can be blamed on coaches.

Oh well, I'm sure you will disagree with my opinion, but time will tell on Len, and my hope is he is consistent this year, unlike every season he has been in the league.

"But he's still learning, and there's a plan in place for him to expand his offensive range so that Phoenix has more room to operate. As Suns.com's Matt Petersen writes:

Len shows a remarkably feathery touch on his jump shot, but his accuracy was far more inconsistent than his form indicates. Per NBA.com, Len shot just 31.9 percent from mid-range this season.

That number could skyrocket with some confidence, which Hornacek is trying to instill in his young big man. He wants him to shoot the open jumper, especially if Markieff Morris is drawing a lot of low-post attention."

This is what I am alluding to. He took Len out of his element during the '15-'16 season.

[LukasBMW]

It would be typical Suns luck if Chriss and Bender play awful, yet Len becomes our starting center putting up 15/12/3/3 playing solid defense, defending the rim, and cleaning up on the offensive glass...only to leave us at the end of the year (for the Spurs or Lakers) because we lost his bird rights.

Of course, Len's play would also be just good enough to win us a few meaningless games down the stretch so we lose out on a top 5 pick in the 2018 draft.