Duke4life831 wrote:This team is currently in a very weird spot.
1. It’s looking more and more like CJ is incapable of finding an offensive rhythm without pounding the rock. While it looks like Willie is finally understanding getting Zion the ball more and a lot more in non post up positions.
2. Herb. His shooting has been good awful this year. And it’s really starting to hurt the spacing, especially for the starting lineup.
3. Jonas. I assume he’s going to get traded by the deadline. He’s essentially being used as a part time player at the moment.
Finally. It really does seem like Nance and Jose play better with the starters than Jonas and CJ do. They bring energy and defense, while also being 2 guys that really know how to accept their roles and play off of and around star players.
Just feels like this team is very messy at the moment because it’s becoming clear that the preseason plan isn’t working and a big adjustment needs to take place.
1, 3 & 4 are intertwined. If CJ is giving u nothing offensively, not even hitting his open 3's, he's only a defensive liability reducing the starting units efficiency because of the volume he's playing with, which requires multiple stops to compensate. Something Nance can provide better than Jonas but it's not ideal. CJ is why Jonas has become unplayable. See my Clippers reference from last yr where NO's won 3 blow out wins vs Clips directly because of Jonas with Hart but post trade Jonas was unplayable against them with CJ.
What's irritating me is Jonas is currently providing more value at 15m than CJ but NO's are riding their newly minted 30m max mistake. No matter how poorly CJ plays... Jonas gets the hook because he can't get the necessary stops to cover for CJ's poor volume efficiency & defense. Like I said, I've seen this movie before. They might trade Jonas but the issue will remain. They capped themselves until Daniels can take the reigns from CJ or they decide to make him an expensive 6th man.
I'd like to think they won't scape goat Jonas for CJ but they most likely will to save face on their max extension.
That 3rd Q 30-4 run, 18pt lead flipped to an 8pt deficit, started when they subbed Jonas out for Nance. Not that Nance had a bad game either... Green's early sub of a rotation in sync iced & flpped momentum with a cold Nance. The team panicked & chocked until Alvarado's energy brought some fight back.
2, I'd put money Herbs offensive decline is in line with the fact that he has to bust his ass to cover for the 4 other starters on defense.. fatigue related, maybe a bit of a confidence issue. At one point last night though when he bricked an open 3 after missing a couple shots, like a smart player would do, he put the ball on the floor & got to the rim for a more efficient shot. U say Herb is killing the spacing ... what is CJ's 29% doing ?. Nope, pull Jonas to get stops to cover for poor efficiency.
Early in the game the starters were close to opening an early double digit lead. CJ was getting everyone involved & things were looking good. Jonas got the ball in the post & kicked to an open CJ for 3, no defender withing 10-15' of him & he bricked his shot which led to Houston putting a little run together to close an 8pt deficit instead of NO's stretching the lead if CJ could do what he was brought in to do.. hit an open shot.
Nope, CJ playing like ass on both ends is not the problem, Jonas is. Trade him. Jonas & Nance are a good centre rotation, they will be making a mistake if they do. They aren't going to get Jonas production at 15m in trade.
What they should do, is admitt their mistake & correct it.
