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[SI] Anonymous Scouts Takes: Previewing All 30 NBA Teams

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by J.R., Oct 18, 2019.

  1. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    https://www.si.com/nba/2019/10/18/nba-preview-anonymous-scout-takes

    OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
    They did a good job [trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook]. They’ll win a good amount and be competitive, and they have riches [in the draft] moving forward. . . . I don’t know if that team could have won it with PG and Russell anyway. Instead of being a four or a five seed, now you strip it down, and at least you’re rebuilding. They’re not stuck in between. . . . [It will be hard to] get rid of Chris Paul’s salary [$124 million over the next three years]. Chris has an understanding of who he is, and he’s going to compete and help you win as long as he’s healthy. He just can’t do all the stuff he used to do. . . . He’ll be a mentor for their point guard of the future. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has improved [his shot] so much from high school, where you thought it was completely broken. It’s a work in progress, but I don’t know if people understood his maturity, his toughness, versatility. He’s the prototypical NBA guard if that shooting develops. . . . Steven Adams is O.K., but I don’t know if he’ll ever be worth that amount of money [$53 million for two years]. He’s elite defensively, but he limits the way you can drive and space on the offensive side, and maybe you can pay someone $20 million less to give you a lot of that. . . . Danilo Gallinari has shown he’s still a very good player, and Andre Roberson is still a good defender if he’s healthy. Justin Patton is a nice swing. You never know—he’s very talented but has to get his act together.

    GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
    It just depends on Klay Thompson. If he only misses half the season and comes back, with the championship DNA they have, anything can happen. . . . D’Angelo Russell has proved he can score; he’s just not the defender Klay is, and that’ll be noticeable. We’ll see how Russell adapts to their ball movement and cutting-based system, where you have to know how to do things off the ball. Maybe Steve Kerr will gear things in his direction and let him run more pick-and-roll. The last few years they’ve run less than anyone in the league. . . . In the playoffs Steph Curry had to do too much when the other guys were hurt. That wore him down, and the other teams could just focus on him. If they feel like they have a chance to go for it, they’ll probably load Steph up again, but if the season starts off rough, I’d guess they’ll tone down his minutes. . . . Draymond Green’s assist numbers may skyrocket this year with Klay out and Green playing off these guys who can really make shots. . . . Kevon Looney was a key signing [at three years for $15 million]. He’s shown that he can be trusted and productive under pressure, and bringing him back at that price was a boon for the team. . . . They got a value deal with Willie Cauley-Stein [two years, $4.5 million]. He’s talented, but he’ll have some issues fitting into a system where you have to know how to play. They had to just manufacture a team that could stay competitive.

    LOS ANGELES LAKERS
    For LeBron James and Anthony Davis, guys who are well-established, they have a lot to prove. I think they’ll be formidable quickly. . . . This will be a really good fit for AD and LeBron. AD likes to play off guys, and now he gets to play with one of the best facilitators in the game. In the two-man game, in pick-and-roll or dribble handoff, they’ll be able to draw so much attention that it’ll open the floor up for other guys. . . . LeBron is still really competitive and aware of his place in history, and he’ll be focused on trying to push them to another championship. Even though he’s up there in age, if anyone can overcome that, it’s probably him. . . . They have a really interesting mix of role players, guys who have been legit starters like Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Kyle Kuzma is emerging and can really score. He’s probably not a perfect fit with LeBron, but he’s so talented. If he can hit the spot-up shots better, it’ll give him a chance to have much better synergy. . . . Danny Green was a huge pickup because he’s so used to playing in pressure situations. He should be a great fit next to LeBron. . . . Signing Dwight Howard was an interesting gamble. Obviously he can still be productive when he plays, and they seem to have made it clear that if it’s not working, they’ll cut ties quickly, so it’s a low-risk proposition. . . . They’ll be in the top half of the West, but I can see them winning a championship or taking an early playoff exit.

    LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
    They pried away the guy who was the best player in the playoffs, so that obviously gives them a certain standing. Kawhi Leonard is definitely in the conversation as the best player in the league. His dominance on both ends, playing defense and creating shots at a high level—those are nice qualities. . . . It’s great having wings in a wing game, but [pairing Leonard with Paul George] doesn’t offer the same floor balance as, say, the Lakers pairing LeBron, who’s a wing, with Anthony Davis, who’s a big. If [Leonard and George] clustered together on the wing, there’s some overlap, that could take a little bit away from them. . . . The team has a lot of hard-playing, aggressive role guys who are productive. Lou Williams never seems to age [he’s 32], and he can still score at a high clip. He’s done it every year, and I wouldn’t expect it to stop. That’s a big weapon. . . . Landry Shamet is a smart guy who can make a shot and knows how to fit with other good players. Those are qualities that let you contribute sooner rather than later. On one hand his rookie year was surprising, but he has such a mature game that, on the other hand, it made sense. . . . Ivica Zubac has shown some promise but isn’t there yet, and Montrezl Harrell has been in a backup role playing starter minutes, so handling the five will be a challenge for them against some of the bigger teams. . . . Jamychal Green should fit well. He can play a more important role than people realize.

    HOUSTON ROCKETS
    This will be one of the more interesting dynamics to watch, because when Russell Westbrook and James Harden were in OKC, Westbrook was more the face of the franchise, and now that’s completely flipped. How is he going to respond to that? . . . Still, for me the surrounding cast isn’t as strong as it was two years ago. Having a guy like Trevor Ariza was so huge—it allowed players like P.J. Tucker to come off the bench. They’re relying on guys who are one step out of the G League, like Danuel House. . . . Westbrook and Paul George each had super high usage [in OKC] last season, so this could be like that dynamic. Obviously Westbrook has to be way more efficient. Having Harden as a ballhandler might actually help him late in games, which has been a weakness for Westbrook’s teams. . . . Russ is still more of a dynamic player at this point in his career than Chris Paul, and Russ is a primary assist guy too. I think he’ll get to the rim and do stuff with Clint Capela. Paul was only going to go down in terms of performance. . . . How are they going to use Eric Gordon? Is he going to be a sixth man or will he start? I’d bring him off the bench for a little more firepower. . . . To me, they’re still a tier below the Clippers, Denver and Utah because of the supporting cast. I mean Harden had to do historic things just to get them into fourth last year. When they get to the playoffs, how much are they going to have in the tank?
     
  2. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Ehh I think someone fooled Sports Illustrated..... that doesn't sound like an EMPLOYED scout.

    For one thing in the modern NBA having two wings or two guards as your stars in not a problem.

    It isn't going to be an issue for the Clippers having George and Leonard and spacing isn't going to be an issue.... this isn't the 1990's.

    Second the Rockets are behind the Nuggets and Utah..... because they were fourth last year? When they were one game behind the Nuggets and AHEAD of the Jazz?...... with Paul missing almost 40% of the season? Not a very intelligent reason.
     
    whiskeyred, slothy420, xaos and 6 others like this.
  3. DreamQuake

    DreamQuake Member

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    Everyone says we are so thin. I mean we can use another wing and forward but the way we play I don’t think depth will be a problem in the regular season
     
  4. malakas

    malakas Member

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    so SI sacked most of their staff for this? Delegating the work to scouts off the street to write articles?
     
    D-rock, Sajan and Nook like this.
  5. omgTHEpotential

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    Keep sleeping on Hartenstein.
     
  6. jogo

    jogo Member

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    I agree. Everyone seems to think we're below the Nuggets and Jazz. I don't buy that until they show me something. Denver maybe but Jazz, no way.
     
    Nook likes this.
  7. Nook

    Nook Member

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    The Rockets have a MASSIVE need for a long 3/4 that can switch and hit open 3’s. They are relying on a 37 year old to do it.
     
  8. B-Bob

    B-Bob "94-year-old self-described dreamer"

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    Agree -- this just sounds like regurgitated pablum from a thousand different articles already. I don't see a single "oh, interesting" point from a true scout's eye in there. Maybe they are deeply retired scouts who don't watch games anymore but read clutchfans.
     
    Nook, heypartner and malakas like this.
  9. ParaSolid

    ParaSolid Member

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    You know he/she didn’t do the research when he said that PJ was at his best coming off the bench for Trevor
     
    D-rock likes this.
  10. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    Hartenstein needs to wake the H up himself.
     
    snowconeman22 likes this.
  11. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    Sad that it has come to this. I remember when SI was a truly great sports magazine, and getting on its cover was a huge deal.
     
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  12. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    Obviously they gathered up some boy scouts for this article, feed them some questionable cookies and called it a night.


    But seriously... These articles haven't changed much from the early internet days. I remember slim pickings for any rockets related news and only got a weekly ranking and some box scores. The game has changed but the depth of analysis for this has stayed mostly the same for SI.
     
    #12 Invisible Fan, Oct 21, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2019
  13. lockedin34

    lockedin34 Member

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    But at least the Jazz filled their weaknesses and look like a contender. Denver still has no answer for Harden and Capela, that pick and roll will destroy the Nuggets by itself
     
    Nook likes this.
  14. JW86

    JW86 Member

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    Still with the Ariza talk? My god, he wasn’t that good. Ariza didnt allow Tucker to come off the bench since he eventually started alongside him. Tucker at the 4 isn’t ideal but Thabo and him can hopefully handle it.

    Also House a step away from the G-League? The playoff version sure, but not regular season. The WB and Harden fit is a legitimate question, but anything better than an aging CP3 that Harden couldn’t deal with.
     
  15. Nook

    Nook Member

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    The Jazz could be better that the Rockets, time will tell......... it is the basis for the "scouts" conclusion that is flawed.
     
  16. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    2020-21

    https://www.si.com/nba/2020/12/18/nba-preview-anonymous-scout-takes

    Philadelphia 76ers
    I'm still not buying Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid working. I know the narrative's going to change just because of the front office and the head coach, but I'm still not buying it. They just don’t have great chemistry. They both clog the paint. I will give the front office a lot of credit. I think if it is going to succeed, they took the necessary steps, bringing in shooting. Seth Curry can shoot. Danny Green can shoot. Tobias can shoot. To have any kind of shot with those two, you need to have three shooters around them. … they need to go back to Simmons being the point guard. I wasn’t a fan of him as a four. That was a weird bubble experiment. He’s one of the most dangerous players in the league in the open floor. You don’t do anything to take the ball out of his hands.

    Detroit Pistons
    I don’t know what Detroit was doing this offseason. Seriously—just write that. They don’t sign Christian Wood but they do pay Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant. They sign a bunch of big guys. Troy Weaver has a good reputation when it comes to drafting players, so maybe they hit on those guys. But they better because this roster sucks. You can’t count on Blake Griffin anymore. When he’s healthy he’s still a really good player. But he’s never healthy. He’s becoming one of those great what-ifs, like Grant Hill … the reinvention of Derrick Rose is incredible. You can see flashes of the former MVP. Watching him play, you can see the passion for the game is back. And he’s become a much more reliable three-point shooter.

    Atlanta Hawks
    The question with Danilo Gallinari is which guy are you getting? Are you getting the guy from Oklahoma City who was really consistent? Or are you getting the guy from the Clippers who took all this time off and basically said, “I’ll let you know when I’m ready.” … I really like Bogdanovic. He’s is an excellent all-around offensive player. The way this game is going you need playmakers, decision makers and shot makers. Bogdanovic and Rondo are playmakers and decision makers. Gallinari is a shot maker … they improved more than any team this offseason … I want to see how Trae Young approaches things this season … I thought the league did him a disservice naming him an All-Star last season. That basically told him how he was playing was how he should play. But he wasn’t a winning player. When he isn’t taking the crazy shots, he is really good. He has to play under control for them to win … I’ll be interested in how they use Kris Dunn. I would find time for him—he is a terrific defensive player.

    Miami Heat
    I didn’t think Duncan Robinson could play against good teams in the NBA. He’s not a great individual defender, but his team defense is solid. And he is 6’ 7”. He is big enough, he has length. It’s one thing if you are 6’ 3” and suck defensively. He’s more athletic than you think. You can run offense through him. He can pass it. He impacts the game in a ways I didn’t see. You can’t take him out of a game just by running him off the three-point line. ... Maurice Harkless can duplicate what Jae Crowder did. He can defend at that level and make wide open threes. Where they might miss Crowder is with Butler. When Butler would go a little sideways, Crowder was known to be the guy who went after him, reigned him in. Maybe that won’t matter as much after how successful they were last season

    Utah Jazz
    The Jazz may have plateaued. Donovan Mitchell is a great player—but can he get that much better? Maybe defensively. They don’t have great depth. With a healthy Bogdanovic, they can probably get back to where they were last year. They need second half of the season Mike Conley. They can’t afford for him to shoot like he did in the first half of last season. It puts way too much pressure on Mitchell. Jordan Clarkson is punch off the bench, Favors is the backup big they didn’t have last year. But I don’t know where the growth comes from.

    Portland Trail Blazers
    Portland got a lot deeper. And they became more athletic with Covington and Jones. Covington will guard three’s and fours. That allows them to play smaller. They can keep Zach Collins away from being a power forward. It’s more suited to way games are being played. I can see Covington being helpful in guarding an Anthony Davis. Zach is just going to get in foul trouble against a guy like that. Jones is flashy. They need someone athletic like him to create a little havoc when he comes in the game. He’s a swiss army knife kind of player. If Gary Trent can develop into a tough physical defender who can play the 2-3, who can guard physical guys, he can be really good. With Rodney Hood getting healthy, Zach healthy, that’s a pretty deep team. Kanter will help with the rebounding and he’s in a system he’s familiar with.

    Los Angeles Lakers
    The Lakers got better. They needed to add offense to that second unit. It’s a quick turnaround for them. I don’t know how ready that group is going to be. They need a second unit that can put up points. Schroder can. They gave up a guy who wasn’t very good in the playoffs for a guy who is really good. Marc Gasol looks like he is cooked. Montrezl Harrell can be good for them in certain situations. He’s best as a five on offense and a four on defense. He couldn’t do that with the Clippers. With the Lakers, Davis gives them so much versatility. ... LeBron remains a monster. He guarded better last year than previous years. He still had his f--k up and blame teammates plays, like he always has, but he competed more last year. He’s exclusively playing point guard now. He brought transition back into the teams arsenal. The Lakers were a good transition offense. That has come back into play for him. You didn’t see that much in Cleveland. The Lakers win by being non-modern. They are more traditional, old school. They play bigs that run to the rim. They are not a five out team,. They are physical. They pound you. They play a style people say you can’t play anymore. Most teams try to fill the floor with a bunch of playmakers. The Lakers, they have 1-2 playmakers and big time scorer in Davis. They are a true execution team.

    Los Angeles Clippers
    The bubble exacerbated the Clippers leadership void. They just didn’t have any. They are still a title contender, but they haven’t fixed that. Ibaka could be a really good addition. Defensively he is significantly better than Harrell. They are going to have to count on him to play good defense. Zubac is not a great defensive player. When it does come time to switch and do things different defensively, he can do that. He’s a threat on the offensive glass, picking and popping, and he can make spot up three’s. ... Luke Kennard is a good addition for them. He can dribble, pass and shoot. He’s a good secondary playmaker. Don’t forget about the four second round picks they got in that deal, either. Those are assets they can use in a trade at midseason. ... The chemistry looked average. I’m not a huge Paul George guy. He’s talented and I like his defense. But a lot of times he hijacks your offense with crazy shots. Early, multiple dribble jump shots. They kill you. His passing has improved, but I still would not call him a great passer. Probably why he is best as a No. 2 option.

    Golden State Warriors
    Klay Thompson’s injury takes Golden State from a title contender to a middle of the pack playoff team. James Wiseman could be good for them. He’s a true center. If he can be a good defender, a good rebounder, and he has the massive size and athleticism to be those things, it will open up a lot. Draymond Green can roam defensively and be a spectacular weak side defender. Big question to me is their shooting. Oubre is streaky. Wiggins is not a consistent shooter. When they don’t have two guys who can run off of screens it’s a different offense.

    Phoenix Suns
    Chris Paul is such a competitive b*stard. He does not want to lose. What he showed in OKC is that he can play with or without the ball and still have an impact on what the younger guys did. He helped the guys around him improve with his intelligence and desire to win. He’s always talking to everybody. And he is still really good at the end of games. ... That backcourt is going to be really tough. Devin Booker really wants to be good, he really wants to win and now he is going to learn how to do that with CP. CP will keep Deandre Ayton engaged. He will get him easy shots and he will hold him accountable. Ayton has never had that from a teammate.
     
  17. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    Houston Rockets
    Houston overachieved last season. Christian Wood is OK. He’s not a normal human being. He’s a weird guy. He’s going to want to get his shots. He excelled on a bad team getting shots. You always wonder if a guy is happier getting 20 points and lose than win. He’ll get some of those Covington shots. If they play five-out style, he’s a threat from the three-point line. He’ll get some easier shots that in Detroit. Will PJ Tucker have the same buy-in level? Stephen Silas is going to have someone in that locker room that is on his side. That is backing him up. I don’t know who that is going to be. That’s going to be important for a new head coach.

    Dallas Mavericks
    Dallas finally figured out how to play Porzingis. There’s always been the questions about is he a four or a five and how does he gets his shots. Rick Carlisle figured him out. When they played him more at the five, he had an advantage. He creates problems as a five. His shooting kills you. They became better when he was the five. They need him to make shots because they lost some good shooters. They got better depth-wise. Josh Richardson and James Johnson gives them some toughness. Josh needs to be a consistent three-point shooter. Better defensively, tougher. If Trey Burke is the same guy from the bubble he will help. They need to find that third guy. Luka is such a great offensive player. He doesn’t need to be great defensively. Just a neutral defender. He does that, he might be the best player in the game.

    New Orleans Pelicans
    It will be interesting to see Stan Van Gundy with a young team. That has been his kryptonite at times, trusting young guys. He has never been a creative offensive mind. Zion is unique. He’s not Blake Griffin, but there are some similarities there. They have to figure out ways to get him shots. They have to get Brandon Ingram shots. That was a challenge last year at times. You have to figure out how to generate shots for them. Losing Jrue, he was their guy. He was the leader. He was reliable. He could make plays. Who is going to step in and take those shots? Who is going to be a leader?
     
  18. dookiester

    dookiester Member

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    These scouts sound exactly like the average nba fan. No wonder nba teams have so much trouble building successful rosters if this is the kind of insight they rely on.
     
  19. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    'He is not a normal human being. He is a weird guy.'

    Gosh, now I know why he was attainable.
     
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  20. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    He'll get some shots. Enough shots? Time will tell. Coach needs players to get behind him. Scouting!
     
    Nook, B-Bob, roslolian and 1 other person like this.

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