Post#1305 » by smittybanton » Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:38 pm
From hating the trade, to merely and mildly annoyed.
After watching the Sixers, Lakers, Kings and the 2017 draft class for ten games, I will bump my grade from a D to a C.
1) Fultz' skills are a better fit for this team than I initially acknowledged. Of course, we needed a scorer. As Kenneth Williams said before the draft, "Ben likes to pass that thing. Markelle likes to shoot it." But I give more credit now after watching Ben and Joel trying to close out games, and realizing neither is all that gifted as a one-on-one scorer--not yet, anyway.
Joel has a great shooting touch and is physically intimidating. But for all his dominance, I thought his post-up game would be just a notch more fluid than it is now. I'm a little taken aback at how easily Joel loses the ball after mild contact and confusion in the paint.
Ben is as I thought he'd be, a pure point guard. Which means he dribbles and penetrates for the purpose of setting other people up first, himself second. It's not helped by his free throw shooting. I do believe Ben would be even more aggressive going to the cup if he were more confident in his free throw shooting. It's coming, I'm sure.
But Markelle's skills are that of a natural closer. Yes, he needs to learn to play off the catch and shoot more like JJ. In the last four minutes of a game though, things change, and with a lead we need someone who punishes a weary defense relentlessly, scoring, getting to the line and setting up teammates. John Riggins, Legarrett Blount.
We shouldn't be forcing Embiid to go one-on-several. He's not there, yet. He'll get there. I loved that sweeping hook for the and-one. I even like the potential in Ben's mini-"Sky Hook".
But Ben and Joel are great pillars for our TEAM offense. As big as their stats will be, they won't get as much credit as they should for how much Covington and Redick are going to G off. Covington's higher than usual 3pt % is not a coincidence.
I'm watching the Heat v. Jazz last night, and to protect their four point lead in crunch time, the Heat cleared out and let Dion close the game. That's when the ball hogging one-on-one dude is special. You know you can run the clock down and still get at least a decent shot without a turnover.
Waiters is also the guy who turns around and plays stopper on the other team's "comeback hero". The Jazz' rookie Donovan Mitchell can pretty much get ny shot he wants. That makes him comparable to Markelle. But he doesn't hit the shots he gets. That's what's supposed to make Markelle ten draft slots better. And regardless, Mitchell was getting the same shots once Dion got up in his chest and the referees get slow on the whistle in the closing minutes.
Remember the win against the Pistons, when Markelle took the point of the defense and disrupted their offense before it even got started? Two deflections, one ending in a steal and fast break for the good guys. I have never had doubts about Ben Simmons guarding point guards, because during the course of regular games all he has to do is guard the line and the rim and let them take as many mid-range jumpers as they want. Sag, switch and swat. But during crunch time, I want Markelle to relish that assignment. Dion Waiters, Kemba Walker's, etc.
An extra plus is that if you pick and roll against Markelle, we've seen him use those arms to deny passes to the roll or dive man. He has the frame to be able to hold his own against bigger players. Something I can't say for my personal draft favorite, Dennis Smith Jr.
2) The price reflected the market. Speaking of Mitchell and DSJ, almost every pick in the lottery has done well. That reflects what a lot of people had been saying. These guys are good. But just as importantly, none, be it Tatum, Ball, Fultz or Jackson, project to a perenniel NBA All-Star, either. Ben Simmons as a generational prospect. Joel was a great pick, but he was also fortunate to grow two inches after being drafted. Nothing I've seen from Lauri Markkannen to Josh Jackson to DeAaron Fox suggests that any of them are going to ascend to Simmons and Embiid's level. In other words, I don't think any meaningful separation has occurred. Everyone drafted has simply lived up to the hype, except Markelle because of injury. '
And all of this comports with the fact that Colangelo only spent one draft pick, when Golden State paid THREE first round picks to move from PENNY HARDAWAY to Chris Webber. By only exchanging only one pick, Ainge and Colangelo connote the fact that the move is only about fit and not about talent. I don't do draft-for-fit, especially when you have other draft picks, tradable players and a ton of free agent money. i also don't think the Celtics would've taken Markelle Fultz #1 and that we still would've gotten at #3.
But the 'meager' price reflects the fact that it was entirely possible that Boston could've taken him, given that they did in fact move Avery Bradley out of the two-spot. It is also possible that Lavar Ball is not Svengali, and that Pelinka and Johnson have brain enough to consider Fultz as well as Lonzo Ball. As we see now, as we should've accepted before, Ball is going to be a very good NBA player, but the Jason Kidd comparisons were just as unfair to him as the John Wall comparisons were to Kris Dunn.
I am willing to admit I thought Ball's shooting would've translated better to the NBA, and if we would've taken Ball after Lakers go Fultz, we would not have the shooting we need to compliment Ben Simmons. I'm not saying it would be a disaster. But it is clear that Fultz' skillset matches with Simmons much better than Ball's to a degree I had not recognized prior to the draft.
3) A "meager" price is proven also by the fact that a) Sacramento would not trade the #5 and #10 for the #1 pick, because they also knew that getting DeAaron Fox at #5 was as good for their squad as getting Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson to fill their gaping hole at small forward. Shoot, forget Josh Jackson, Justin Jackson (and Kyle Kuzma) are out here doing things.
If Vlade Divac correctly surmised that this draft was top heavy, then no of us should be far behind, if at all.
And being correct, landed them two seemingly good pieces vying for starting spots already, and Harry Giles as a high upside lottery ticket. Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley Stein are showing potential. If you got a point guard and a center, things look not too bad for the future.
Give their young'ns a year under the belt, then add either Luka Doncic or Michael Porter, and the Kings are looking at being a half-decent team in 2018-2019.
4) Similarly, the Lakers had a great summer. Kyle Kuzma is as a positive surprise as Ball's shooting has been a disappointment. KCP was a great get for this year. Brook Lopez and Bogut. We're not giving up the Lakers pic this year.
Better yet, this draft has several forwards who should be available between #5-10. With Doncic, Bagley, DeAndre Ayton and Mohammed Bamba as frontrunners, it's quite likely we get to choose a guy like Miles Bridges to give us someone who plays well above the rim. Kevin Knox? It's not impossible that a talent like Michael Porter falls to #6 or #7, where the Sixers might be able to trade up to get him.
Or, the Lakers pick could get us Collin Sexton or Trevon Duval, if you don't want to pay TJ McConnell what he's asking (or sign him and trade him later).
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Right now, I believe we've given up the #10 pick in the 2019 draft to move up from 3 to 1 for the player who, like BC claimed, fits this team's current needs the best. That's less than what Orlando gave us to move up from #12 to #10--which should not be the case.
Bryan Colangelo does Bryan Colangelo things. One of them is make trades, draft fairly well, and draft internationals. He's done that.
He also gets fours who can shoot and play above the rim. I can't wait until he mkes a move for one, so we can put this trade to rest and complain about tht one.
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Anybody seen Jerami lately. That's a trade I'd still like to complain about.
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All that said, how does your jump shot form hurt you so bad that you are out for weeks, with still no return date? I'm about to go full conspiracy theorist and claim that BC and Fultz camp agreed to redshirt him for the year if they promised to make him the #1 pick--he gets more dough and the Sixers let insurance pick up the tab. Now, that's one hell of an accusation--insurance fraud. Illegal and such. But I've honestly never seen or heard of a player being out for several weeks because of a shoulder boo boo.
Come clean, Markelle. WTF happened to your shoulder, dude?
