Remember this, we are trying to add two primary stars.

Now that I've had a few days to digest the Westbrook trade and talk myself back in off the ledge I have to believe with the addition of Westbrook and subtraction of Chris Paul that we are pushing for 2 primary guys even more.

That is.... if we're serious about winning a championship and not just solely interested in having "lots of fun" as our mercurial star player put it.

To set the stage for you a little better, I'm going to repeat what I've said for over a year.

PICK AND ROLL BASKETBALL IS NOT GOING TO WIN US A CHAMPIONSHIP!

That was verified to us, not once, but twice!!!

Now with the semi breakup of the Warriors many of the members here have once again deluded themselves into believing that we can run PnR and win a title. What they are not realizing is that the other super teams now forming in the West are going to be just as nasty defending the PnR as the Warriors have been.

Lebron and AD? That's a great PnR defensive combo. Really AD and anybody is a great defensive combo against PnR. And the Lakers have several options. Kawhi and George... same thing.

1. If we go PnR against those teams they are going to counter with their superstars defending it.

2. To go along with #1, we have another problem. And that is that with Westbrook our PnR just became easier for everybody to defend.

Realize this folks. Westbrook is a worse shooter than ....... wait for it ...... Wicky Wubio. The ONLY place on the court that Westbrook is a more efficient shooter than Rubio is at the rim.

So..... when we're in crunch time with Harden running PnR against those super teams.... not only are the opponents going to counter with great defenders but the defender assigned to Westbrook is going to be able to shade away from him. Because the opponent will want Westbrook shooting the ball.

Flip the script and put Westbrook on the ball in PnR and the defender goes under the pick all day long daring Westbrook to shoot it.

We couldn't get PnR to work with 2 great playmakers and 3 good to great shooters against the Warriors. It's illogical to think that we're going to be able to make PnR work now with a terrible shooter on the court against PnR defenses that will be just as good as the Warriors PnR defense has been the last few seasons.

So the replacement of Paul with Westbrook only further accentuates our need to move to 5-out pick-n-pop basketball with a big man that can shoot a ton of 3's in crunch time.

Additionally Westbrook is at his only best (in other words the only way he excels) when he's breaking down a single defender in iso and going to the rack either in half court sets or in transition.

So that means we have to dominate the defensive boards. Im not talking about just winning the rebounding war. Im talking about being the best or second best defensive rebounding team in the Association.

It also means we need to attack the offensive glass because Westbrook is gonna chuck up some bricks.

And it also means that creating defensive turnovers (steals and taking charges) has to be a priority to get Westbrook out on the break.

Because Westbrook is also a poor individual defender and Bzdelik is gone we are likely going to go away from switch everything to what i call zone switching. We put Harden and Westbrook in the corners defensively and our shooting big man in the middle and PJ and our other defender at the top generally with changes depending on matchups.

This all leads up to we are STILL after two primary stars. Even after the trade for Westbrook and even more necessary after the trade of Westbrook.

It's even more clear that our path to a title means 5 out play, spreading defenders out and letting Harden/ Westbrook create 1 on 1.

So im going to add a few names to the list of guys that we need to acquire 2 of.

Smart
Winslow
Otto
Love
Batum
Zeller
Bogdanovic
Robert Covington
Myles Turner
Adams (possible flip or keep)

In order of priority
Big men that can shoot
1. Adams
2. Love
3. CZeller
4. Turner

Wing men who can defend and shoot
1. Winslow
2. Covington
3. Otto
4. Smart
5. Batum
6. Bogdanovic

We need one player from each list.

Im wondering about an Adams/Covington combination. I can see us going all in for that type of combination with picks, Ego, and Capela.

Its obvious that in the Westbrook trade piece that had been announced that we overpaid. I can see 4 picks for a Westbrook/ Adams/Roco or Love /Roco or Winslow combination.

We need 2 guys that will spread the court by being able to shoot the 3 with one guy being a dominant rebounder and the other guy being a great defender. And i think Morey is trying to make it happen as we go all in this summer.

 

Actually we weren't beating them with PnR at all. We were losing and had to abandon it. We were only able to beat them with small ball. We simply ran out of bodies and had to play non- shooters.

Westbrook can't do that. He can neither shoot nor defend similar to Paul.

Yeah. A championship team isn't built on big IFs like that. For his career Westbrook has proven to have the same basketball iq as a sack of hammers. It would be foolish to build a team thinking that if he develops good bball iq we can win it all. The eady to build out a team is to put your main guys in the greatest position to succeed while covering up their flaws as much as possible

Westbrook's strengths are his speed, quickness, and athleticism. That's how he became an MVP and max salary player. To build around his strengths and cover his flaws we have to go 5-out, minimize his jump shots, and maximize his finishing opportunities. And if in the process he exhibits a more bball iq than he has previously.... that's great. But we'r don't depend on that happening.

Very simply. Capela has trade value. And he's owed 4 more years. And he can't help us by being on the court in crunch time against teams like you mentioned.

Im itching to trade Capela for the above reasons for a guy or guys that we can have on the floor at crunch time helping us beat the Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, and whomever comes out of the East. That's how Capela helps us win a championship.

 

Not hardly. That's 150 guys.

 

Yes he can shoot the 3. As can Zeller.

 

There's short video of it. Ive seen more in person. I think we'd take him... if we'r can get him.... maybe even to move him to the Cavs for Love.