Success this season -- how to define it?

[payitforward]

Prime1time posted this the other day:

Here's a question that needs to be asked. When not determining a team's success by their W/L record immediately success becomes subjective. So before the season starts I'm interested to know how posters here define a successful season...

He's right -- it's a key question. So, I responded with the thought that he should create a new topic with this question, but, he hasn't gotten around to it, or maybe he just didn't see my response. So, hats off to you prime1time, & I'm initiating the topic in your name.

[payitforward]

Prime1time continued his post by giving his own answer to the question:

I know it's going to sound cliché but winning is a process. I want to see a team that comes out and plays hard. I want to see a team that doesn't make the same mistakes multiple times. I want to see gradual improvement and I want to see intermittent flashes of brilliance. I want to see Beal take another step, be better at creating for others and more aggressive at shooting 3's off the dribble. I want to see a noticeable tick up in both 3-point volume and 3-point percentage for Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant. Ideally, Rui will average 3 to 4 3 pointers attempted in a game. ANd he will have at least a couple games where he averages a double-double. I also want to see at least 2 of our young guys step up and give the impression that they can be legit role players on a good team. Last, but not least, I don't want any drama. I want the focus solely to be on basketball and getting better. Nothing else.

[Rafael122]

That Year 1 of the Thomas Bryant experience was no fluke.

That out of Wagner, Bonga, Jones, Schofield: 2 of them would be rotational players. And by rotational players, I mean "yeah I could see him being a rotational player on a playoff team."

Troy Brown takes a leap and we have another player to build around.

[nate33]

For me, it's all about Bryant, Brown and Hachimura. If they all play well and look like starting caliber NBA players by the end of the season, it'll be a good year.

For Bryant, I want the same basic per-minute numbers as last year, but over 32 minutes a game and with better defense.

For Brown, I want the same general play as the last two months of last season, but over 32 minutes a game with 35% shooting on catch and shoot 3's. I'd also like to see his FT% climb up to 74% or so. It would suggest a sustainable improvement in shooting form.

I want Hachimura to give us what Jabari Parker gave us last year - a strong scorer good enough to be the focal point of the second unit. I'm not expecting quite as much scoring as Jabari, but hopefully his D will be better.

I'm not expecting much from the rest of the bench: Schofield, Bonga, Wagner, Jones, Garrison, McRae, Anderson, et al. I'm hoping maybe one of them looks like they're good enough to be a 20 mpg rotation player on a decent team. But frankly, if they all suck, I won't care, as long as Bryant, Brown and Hachimura play well.

One last hope is that one or more of Bertans, Miles or Thomas plays well enough that we can trade them at the Trade Deadline for a decent return.

[payitforward]

Nice! If we get what nate wants and the 2d part of what Raf wants... whoa! that would be great!

[dckingsfan]

10 wins

[DCZards]

Like others, I want to see Bryant, Brown and Hachimura continue to get better and show that they are keys to the future of this team.

I’d also like to see one of the other youngins’ step up and really surprise us by how prepared they are to contribute sooner rather than later. My sleeper here is Justin Robinson. I think his four years of college ball (in one of the NCAA's top conferences) will pay dividends.

I want to see Beal have FUN playing with and leading this group of youngsters…whether the Zards win 10 games or 40 games.

I want to see Wallstar have a great steady, stress-free year of physical, mental and spiritual rehab, while learning to be a better, smarter bball player even while watching from the sidelines.

[doclinkin]

Aside from what's been mentioned:

My wish list involves the integration of Dean Oliver into the coaching staff. I'd be super curious to see how his expertise affects lineups and in-game adjustments. I want to see a team that improves in 3rd quarters and over the course of the year and the 2nd time we play any given team.

I fully expect us to try some odd combinations and struggle in the early part of the year, but as they generate more data, I'm curious to see how this alters game plans etc.

Load management-wise we can't play Beal the 40+ minutes a game we need with him on the floor. I'm curious what kind of 2nd units we can cobble together. We may have to try some innovative lines with players out of position for their size (Bertans as Klay Thompson, minus defense).

Success will be in seeing our coaching staff occasionally out-smart the opposition with unusual configurations and exploited mismatches. Offensively we may at times confuse opponents and force them to adjust to us.

Defensively, anything other than a lost cause is an upgrade. If our team rebounding improves then we have hopeful signs for the future.

On another track: If we make only smart trades with an eye for the future I will be satisfied. If we are scrappy and a tough out and hard fighting at every position on the floor then I'm happy. I'll take rooks and young players fouling out from effort. Success in this respect involves falling short of the playoffs and lucking into a good lotto pick, but we want to see a team that plays better at the end of the year.

Success also includes a prayer for excellent health from our core players: Beal, Bryant, Hachimura. And Wall taking most of the year off, but coming back strengthened and determined and playing well in a few games late-season.

Ultimately success is this: give us solid reasons to hope. Improvement and team chemistry and smart moves from the front office. That's all. You know. As if this team were actually a good franchise. And likely to stay that way and grow in wins and smarts every year.

Too much to ask?

[pancakes3]

i think we all will know it when we see it. like, the hawks only won 29 games last year but you'd much rather be the hawks at 29 wins than the wizards at 32. or the clippers at 48 wins than the celtics at 49.

and while i agree that it'd be awesome if we hit all the notes that posters have listed thus far, it's also a bit of a chicken/egg issue. if we can have our rookies show out, beal show out, coaching be disciplined yet innovative, and the front office be savvy, it will inevitably beget wins whether we're looking to or not.

i get the larger point that we shouldn't win-chase by dumping rookies, taking on vets, trading away draft picks, etc. ::shudder::

[ozthegap]

also no drama/chemistry issues this year plz.

[dangermouse]

Creative tanking - to be in the running for a high pick without destroying morale or pushing Beal out the door.

If Beal makes another jump (even a minor hop really), and if Bryant, Hachimura and Brown play to the expectations we have for them, as well as one other surprise (Admiral, Robinson, Isaiah?), how do we not make the playoffs in this eastern conference as it stands today?

[payitforward]

Here's a slightly different way to look at this subject: this season will be a success if it establishes that Tommy Sheppard is the right guy to head up this franchise in its next incarnation. Otherwise we might soon find ourselves starting over again.

Make sense?

To put it slightly differently, if at the end of the season we look back & see that most (or at least many -- or the most important) of Tommy's moves this off-season look good in retrospect -- then my criteria for a successful 2019-20 will have been met.

The key one of those moves, of course, was drafting Rui Hachimura. Tommy has said many times that we were "all in" for Rui: i.e. if he was there, we were picking him no matter what. If, at season's end, that looks like it was the optimal move -- great! If, in retrospect, it looks to have been a mistake (not suggesting it will look that way), then that will be a big problem.

Next in importance are the rest of Tommy's draft-related moves: the choice of Schofield at #42, working things to acquire Justin Robinson post-draft, & signing Garrison Mathews. Now, like Zards, I have a good feeling about Robinson. His numbers as a senior were excellent, & he got better year after year. Plus, for no particular reason, I have a sneaking suspicion that Garrison Mathews is going to turn into a good player. Schofield... I don't know.

Finally, for me at least, is the trade with the Lakers. It's already a success in the sense that all it cost us was an exception & it's netted us a R2 pick. If one of Bonga, Jones (assuming we keep him), and/or Wagner turns into a solid NBA player, then the trade was a definite win.

The moves for veterans don't count much for me in determining whether Tommy is the right guy.

Of course, like everyone I want to see Troy take a jump, Bryant keep looking great, everybody play hard, etc. You bet! I think all those things will happen. But, for me at least, being confident that Tommy is the right guy defines success this season.

[prime1time]

Here's a slightly different way to look at this subject: this season will be a success if it establishes that Tommy Sheppard is the right guy to head up this franchise in its next incarnation. Otherwise we might soon find ourselves starting over again.

Make sense?

To put it slightly differently, if at the end of the season we look back & see that most (or at least many -- or the most important) of Tommy's moves this off-season look good in retrospect -- then my criteria for a successful 2019-20 will have been met.

The key one of those moves, of course, was drafting Rui Hachimura. Tommy has said many times that we were "all in" for Rui: i.e. if he was there, we were picking him no matter what. If, at season's end, that looks like it was the optimal move -- great! If, in retrospect, it looks to have been a mistake (not suggesting it will look that way), then that will be a big problem.

Next in importance are the rest of Tommy's draft-related moves: the choice of Schofield at #42, working things to acquire Justin Robinson post-draft, & signing Garrison Mathews. Now, like Zards, I have a good feeling about Robinson. His numbers as a senior were excellent, & he got better year after year. Plus, for no particular reason, I have a sneaking suspicion that Garrison Mathews is going to turn into a good player. Schofield... I don't know.

Finally, for me at least, is the trade with the Lakers. It's already a success in the sense that all it cost us was an exception & it's netted us a R2 pick. If one of Bonga, Jones (assuming we keep him), and/or Wagner turns into a solid NBA player, then the trade was a definite win.

The moves for veterans don't count much for me in determining whether Tommy is the right guy.

Of course, like everyone I want to see Troy take a jump, Bryant keep looking great, everybody play hard, etc. You bet! I think all those things will happen. But, for me at least, being confident that Tommy is the right guy defines success this season.

I've never really made a post so I was kind of apprehensive to do it lol. Next time. I don't know if Tommy can cement himself as the right guy for the job through just one season. We need to see how he handles the big issues imo. What is the long term plan for Beal? What is the long term plan for Wall? And how can we put this team on a potential championship path? These are the questions and there are no simple solutions.

[prime1time]

It's likely impossible, but ideally, we'd see promise from our young players, a major step forward from Beal and a high lottery pick. This team needs another infusion of talent. I think with the players we have now and a top or 5 pick would make this team interesting. So what do we need? I guess some luck. Stay healthy, compete to make the playoffs but come up short. And then win the draft lottery and resign Beal.

Rui, Beal, Wall, Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, a top 5 pick and whichever of our young players can step up.

[pancakes3]

asking for all the success factors to hit is too much. i think i'm just going to set my sights on hoping that Rui isn't suck.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

More than 25 wins. Promising young performers on the roster.

I'm thinking that the year will be largely successful.

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