Post#132 » by Pelly24 » Mon Nov 4, 2019 12:32 am
I disagree. This roster is a solid one for a top-heavy superteam, and if Kuzma is at least solid they're my favorite to win the title.
LeBron & AD = The best duo in the league. I don't all the way buy Paul George and besides last year, he's very streaky as a scorer from month to month. LeBron and AD are dropping an efficient 30 no matter who they play next yea in the playoffs.
Third Option = Kyle Kuzma averaged 18 ppg on borderline league-average efficiency last year. Kuzma has some talent as a shot maker and solid size to guard a few positions. His three-point shot dropped from 37% to 31%. If he can shoot greater than 34% on threes, he could do a very nice job spacing the floor with Danny Green and sometimes Avery Bradley. If he can be even an average defender and get his TS% to 55 TS%>>> while being solid shooting threes, he's a pretty big positive and there will be games AD or LeBron can take it easy.
3&D Guys: Danny Green is the third-best player on this team until proven otherwise. He's a surprisingly coveted 3&D guy. He can go gold, but he's a dependable three-point shooter and can be a key part of a defensive phalanx. Avery Bradley can't guard big players, but he's got very quick feet and is still able to man-up and has the attributes to stay with the quick/shifty guards that can light up a defense. He can also shoot the three at around 36% depending on the year. Rodno has very quietly shot around 37% from three the last few years. At times he can be solid on defense.
Backup playmakers = Say what you want about Rondo, but he's one of the best basketball minds in the game. He can facilitate the offense when LeBron is on the bench, and if Kuzma is solid and takes a half-step forward, AD and LeBron can be on the bench and he can get Kuzma some easy shots. I've seen flashes of nice playmaking from Kuzma, too. Avery Bradley isn't a great passer, but he can pass a bit.
Backup Bigs: Dwight Howard has been great so far because he's doing all the little things and not complaining about it. His defense rating obviously won't stay where it is, but it's currently at 89. He's clearly a solid defensive big still and that's very important. Javale is okay, but he can catch lobs and be a deterrent. Anthony Davis doesn't want to play the five, and because of the Lakers lineup, he doesn't really have to unless it's the rare situation that demands it.
They have something for every thing they need. Solid defensive big rotation. A proven, rock-solid 3&D guy and another decent-ish one Avery Bradley. A nice backup PG on a team that doesn't need help scoring. Two guys with legit center size who can make AD comfortable and keep him from always playing the 5. That's not really bad at all. Not everyone can be the 2015-2016 warriors.
On top of all of this, it's been reported that Iggy prefers to go to the lakers. If he goes to the lakers, they now have two very solid perimeter defenders. Iggy can also pass and shoot capably and finish plays.
But even without Iggy this is a very solid roster.