Post#1920 » by BLACKFEET 2010 » Tue May 8, 2018 8:08 pm
TRADE:
Noah and Dot to Memphis
For Chandler Parsons and a heavily protected future second round pick
Trade Courtney Lee to NOLA
For Chieck Diallo and Alexi Ajinca
Move Ajinca to a third team Ike the Spurs that need big man depth. Or waive him as he’s an expiring.
DRAFT:
#9 Miles Bridges
Positionless.
I like Mikal here too but I doubt he’s there for us.
Things are too static from afar 7-21 in this draft to not think there could be a few trades either in or out of around where we’re picking. He (Mikal) and Carter are guys I could see a contender trading for as they could probably help a contender from day one. I think Miles (who’s front row at all these Lebron playoff games) is a really good get for a Fiz team that emphasizes what he preaches in versatility and adapting to modern basketball concepts regarding guards, wings and post players.
I know FOE doesn’t buy in to it and his arguments about Miles lack of length are valid but there are guys with these great wingspans and length for their positions that are as wretched defenders as you can find so I don’t see it all in a vacuum regarding Miles at the four. Heck, we could always acquire vet length to spell him or push him down to the three at spurts but I think he can be an effective power forward on this team. Most fours today are threes in terms of game anyway. Kevin Durant? Nobody’s length bothers him regardless of postition.
Best defender I seen on KP is a 6’4” Marcus Smart so....
Melo, for instance, is a guy that has great length for a three man. He’s always been most effective and efficient as a four but has never distinguished himself on the defensive side of the basketball at either. I’m not picking on him, he’s a future HOF’er. But there are a lot of them. Our own Mudiay, Tim and Beas aren’t exactly what you’d call stumpy for their respective positions and they’re all pretty mediocre defenders, being kind. Lee may be our second best defender and while I ain’t got numbers to back it up, he seems awfully smallish for his position. It’s never really hurt him because he’s quick laterally, he’s been well coached and he’s willing.
Half of individual defensive effectiveness, from my vantage is just the ability (and willingness) to move your feet and use your physicality whatever it may be as an NBA caliber athlete which they all are. He’s a strong kid. Not exactly a tap dancer but he’s quick enough to sick on stretch fours if we’re solid everywhere else and have a game plan on defense. That extra two inches (pause) don’t mean a thing if you ain’t willing to give effort with confidence you can stop the other guy with the appropriate pride/help ratio.
If we traded for a guy like Chandler Parsons and he’s healthy (I know, big if) and he starts is he a three or a four? When healthy he’s a pretty good and versatile 6’10” defender (another example of a guy who lacks ideal wingspan but is unhindered by it). He and Miles in theory would compliment each other on both sides if the perimeter (Frank) point of attack defense is solid and we have rim protection (KP, Kornet, KO, Diallo?).
Miles is so a Pat Riley type: physical specimen, real work ethic, versatility, willingness to compete. I spoke before also about the excitability factor and I think it matters. I’m not talking about Nate Robinson hulking and posing after a meaningless breakaway dunk with when we’re down 23 in the fourth quarter type excitability. Nothing empty or disrespectful to the game. But when that dude gets the ball on the elbow for the first time on the Garden floor, it’ll mean a whole lot to see his mentality, nerves and all. Is he gonna attack? He turns the ball over on a drive to the rim, I’m encouraged. But say he gets it and hot potato passes in to Tim who’s near the sidelines, Tim drives on the baseline and gets fouled, we score two? I’ll be low key disappointed lol.
What we DON’T need is passivity. I don’t want a guy who’s staying out of the way of a Tim Hardaway Jr. on a likely lotto bound team. Not where we stand in the rebuild. Not with the growing KP concerns. We need people to notice us for some on the court basketball stuff. It’s still bread and opera at the end of the day.
The team is veeerrry station to station as we don’t have that AGGRESSIVE electric athlete without KP (who’s not exactly consistently frothing at the mouth intense himself) that can go get it on his own to inspire his teammates on offense and defense with his individual talent; again it matters for us. We had one in Melo for sure. We had one in Stat. Flawed. Yeah. And this guy likely won’t be as prolific offensively as either but we can do him the favor of instilling some sound habits to go with the highlight film/mixtape worthiness. He’s shown a real willingness to work and get better. Accountability is supposed to be a thing here going forward so I don’t expect foolishness. Izzo guys professionallly scrap. He had two years there. This kid is Flint tough. The Garden will love him and this team NEEDS the Garden’s love.
He’s young enough that we can work on his flaws and make him effective anywhere from 2-5 in THIS NBA.
I was a Frank guy last year.
I’m a big, big believer in him. This year?
We NEED the “Dennis Smith type” pick. Don’t kill me.
We can’t go all abstract with it. Creative yes but the fans need to believe. We don’t need the purist’s pick this go round. As much as we need substance, we need....a little jazz. A hook. I hesitate saying the “Donovan Mitchell type...” because nobody REALLY saw THAT coming. But shoot, yeah. THAT guy. the eye test guy. Our rook NEEDS to be in the ROY convo.
He NEEDS to average double digits.
For Scott, Mills and Fiz. For KP too.
#37 options I’d consider:
Isaac Bonga: 6’10” pgs don’t grow on trees
Rawle Alkins: might be Lance might be Dom Jones
Kostas Ante: genes, he’s as long as and a better shooter than his brother...but yeah, genes. The long play recruitment tool as well.
Grayson Allen: no way he falls this far but if he does...
Jared Vanderbilt: see Grayson
DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
KP: get right. Oh, and you’re gonna play center. Mmkay? Later gator.
Frank: get stronger and play a lotta ball, channel your inner Kobe. Be selfish cuz I know selfless comes easy. Work on your English too. Continue getting used to making NYC home.
Tim: I trust you in the summer. Keep working with Wade and Harden and all the elite guys you have access to. Lead. Bring guys together off the court.
Mudiay: get in touch with Dipo’s or Julius Randle’s conditioning guy. Ask him to push you past their and your limit. Take a zillion jump shots and ten zillion lay ups a day.
Burke: study comparably sized floor generals that have succeeded running the show. Work on expanding that range. I trust you know what you have to do. Keep doing what you’ve been doing this year. I expect you to come back an even better leader this year. Body language and all that.
Twilliams: shoot all summer and keep working on your handle. Also keep getting in shape. You’re gonna play more minutes than you ever have.
Enes: not part of the long term vision without a massive pay cut which it isn’t fair we press you to take. Find a team that wants you and we’ll trade you a la CP3 to Houston. If you are back with us, work on your mobility on defense and your range. You’ll likely be a bench player going forward so align your decisions concerning the opt out clause appropriately. But if you stay, I need threes, defense and you continuing the great work you put into your body, post work and footwork. But I’d look at a team like Atlanta and see if we could get a Deandre Bembry or a similar tiered (lesser) return just to get the roster spot and cap relief. Maybe even Toronto as they need a guy not scared of Lebron in the worst way. Don’t know how but I’m gonna find a deal that doesn’t hurt our flexibility.
Beas and Kyle: go play your primes somewhere you can win.
Kornet: get stronger and get work on shooting like every game is against the Raptors.
Baker: get right. If you don’t kill (if healthy) in summer league or training camp I’m not sure there’s a place here. Jeff ain’t here to save you lol. If you opt to show up and play in SL I’ll be impressed on the low. You’ve gotta earn it this year....early.
Lance: lose some weight. Work on your game. That ugly basketball ish ain’t gonna fly here. We love the hustle and effort but we need that effort in the summer to become a better ballplayer. Tangibles do mean something too. We’ll likely look to move you to a better situation as your minutes will be severely cut this year.
I’m not impressed with Dot. Sorry.
I wanted to be but I don’t see it. I’d move him.
For a mature prospect he looked scared of the stage.
I’d look to move him with Noah’s money because as the Knicks Knick it couldn’t ever be just a bad contract for bad contract type swap. Nobody helps us. Let them (Memphis) think they fleeced us cuz this kid (Dot) had a few good games to end the season.
Cheap signings:
Terrence Jones: is an NBA rotation guy
Christian Wood: intriguing big upside
Mario Chalmers: get coach a guy he knows well who he’ll predictably play too much for out liking. New Jarrett of sorts.
We will be (mostly) young and we will lose.
We will stick to our principles and adapt as we collectively can. We will work. And we will lose.
Diallo/Kornet/KP (see you in March)
Bridges/Jones/Wood
Williams/Bonga/Lance
Tim/Mudiay/Baker (Bembry?)
Burke/Frank/Chalmers
22 wins.
