Please no Thaddeus Young. He put up numbers on a crappy team in possibly the weakest division ever. There are better players to be had.
That House of Houston site isn't legit. It's part of SI's Fansided network, ie like old Bleacher Report before Ted Turner bought it and hired pros to write articles.
Young has played well for a few years now. He's not the ideal fit, but he's a really talented player. One that can play defense and give Harden some help on offense. He's also among the most talented players that can be had without giving up much talent in return. Adding him alone may not move the needle, but if we can also get a solid PG upgrade, then we can truly go deep in the playoffs.
"Tj, Covington and Contract for Dragic" "Dmo,Cannan,TPE for Thaddeus Young" Is Hinkie and McDonough going on a Coke Binge?
I am all for the dragic trade. That's something that'll take us to the next level. Thaddeus young still has yet to convince me he is worth losing a 7' player in dmo. Thaddeus is 6'8 to 6'9 and is not exactly the guy we want guarding 6'11 players like aldridge, dirk, or duncan. Height does matter unless you're just that gifted like Charles Barkley, Rodman, or even Elton Brand. If don't have to give up Dmo, then I'd be more inclined.
Thad Young cannot shoot a basketball. His shot chart bleeds out red everywhere but at the rim. Oh, he's athletic, can scramble well on D, and can run. But he's smaller than Terrence. If he plays PF, the defensive response is to slough off him and give him the outside shot. Don't even challenge him. Just help away from him and let him catch it, dribble around, whatever he wants to do out there. Because he only hurts his own team when he has the basketball on the perimeter. Defensively he's good. But not great. Just good. He uses his athleticism well to scramble around and cover guys. He gets a good amount of steals. But once again he's undersized. He can't handle big power 4's down low and if you put him at the 3 he's just average. He has to deal with a number of quicker guys at the 3 that can take him off the dribble. At some point we have to realize what a detriment it is to team success to have a guy or guys on the floor that can't shoot. For a non-shooter to make a positive difference on this team he has to be Tony Allen good defensively. And Thad Young is not that good defensively. I'm sorry. He does not offset his lack of jump shot with enough D to wind up a net positive for a team constructed as we are. I seriously doubt Morey is interested in him except to possibly extract value from him by flipping him at the deadline. In other words, his contact fits if he opts out. But his game is kryptonite here.
Charlie Villanueva can shoot a basketball. And he's 6'11"and 245 lbs. If we sign Villanueva it will be for a minimum salary for one season. That's a lot different than owing Thad Young over $17 million this season and next AND giving up an asset to acquire him. Thad Young as a free agent costing us nothing in trade, on Charlie Villanueva's contract would be good value as well. I don't want to trade for any player that might cost us a first round pick or other asset to unload. And Thad Young fits that category.
I don't disagree with much of this. But how can you keep talking about the importance of shooting (other than at center) and then push for Rubio, who was in the bottom five of all players in shooting a year and a half ago and shot 29% in the fourth quarter last year and has already been in the league for 3+ years? Rubio is elite or near elite defensively and in assists, but his shooting is so poor that it is impossible to ignore. We not talking below average or poor shooting. We're talking historically, almost all-time lows here. He makes rondo look like Ray Allen, honestly.
Good question. Reasons for Rubio: 1. He's an improving 3-point shooter. You can see it coming. He'll be pushing 40% from 3 in another season or two. And as you well know, we eschew the long 2-point jumpers. We take less of those shots than any team in the league. Our offense is all about getting to the rim, the free throw line, and getting wide open looks from 3. And those are the things that Rubio excels at...getting his teammates wide-open 3-balls, and getting them layups and on the free throw line. 2. Rubio IS a difference-maker on the defensive end. He has more steals/passes deflected/batted balls than any perimeter defender in the league...besides possibly Tony Allen. Rubio's defensive impact is very Tony Allensque. In my opinion, he's even better defensively than Allen. 3. Rubio is a superior playmaker. A better playmaker than Harden. And a much needed playmaker that will give Harden needed rest and the ability to play off the ball a lot more. This will increase Harden's shooting efficiency from deep as well as cut down on our drastically high turnover rate. ....... When you put 2 and 3 together what you get is a flip in our turnovers and steals. Instead of being one of the league worst in steals and turnovers we become one of the league best in both of those departments. Yes, the dynamics of the offense would change. But if you put a dead eye shooter at the 4 along with Harden and Ariza out there...you've got the makings of a great half-court offense as well as a transition offense that will cut the opponent's heart out. Contrast that with Thad Young. Thad plays off-the-ball. He's not a creator. He's a good defender but not a great defender. And it all adds up to more mediocrity. Legit question. I understand where you are coming from on this with Rubio's shooting woes early. But you have to understand what kind of player he is and how he would effect those around him. This team simply has to have a shooter at the 4-spot if we are going to go anywhere. It's too easy for big time championship-contending teams to defend us in a playoff series if we have an obvious shooting hole at the 4. It makes it too difficult on Howard and Harden and waters down their efficiency just enough for teams like Portland to get by us.
Let's not sweat Thad Young too much. He might just be going to Minnesota for Anthony Bennett (according to these people; we'll see if they're right). http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20140808_Source__Sixers_in_Cavs-Wolves_trade.html WHILE NEWS CAME out yesterday that Minnesota and Cleveland had agreed in principle to a trade that will send All-Star Kevin Love to the Cavaliers for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round draft pick, the Daily News has learned that the Sixers will, indeed, be involved in the deal. A source informed the Daily News that the Sixers will be sending veteran forward Thaddeus Young to Minnesota for a package that will include Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. The deal, which two sources have confirmed to the Associated Press, will not be official until Aug. 23, when Wiggins, this year's No. 1 draft pick, becomes eligible to be traded. It has been reported that Minnesota sees Young as the right guy to fill Love's shoes. The Timberwolves, it has been reported, could use the first-round pick they get from the Cavaliers to help entice the Sixers to part with the 26-year-old Young, but that has not been confirmed.
You and this idea that we have a 4 that can shoot the ball. You don't always have to have a 4 who can shoot the ball. Yes knock down a jumper or two, but he has to be a player who can rebound the ball, a tough hard nose defender and a player that don't mind getting on the floor for loose balls. The Spurs just won the Championship without such player (a jump shooting PF). The Rockets not having a stretch 4 didn't cost us that series against Portland. It was an array of things that caused us to lose that series. Bad execution, terrible game adjustments, not boxing out, terrible rotation on defense, missed point blank layups, horrific perimeter defense, no true team chemistry, and your Superstar deciding not to show up until game 3. Those are the things that watered down their efficiency just enough for Portland to beat us in the playoff's.
Tim Duncan can shoot jumpers pretty darn well and uses the glass to do so. Granted he is also in the discussion as one of the best PFs of all time - but he can shoot jumpers (not necessarily 3's, but jumpers nonetheless)
Didn't notice Pop playing Diaw at PF and Duncan at C to space the floor when the lack of shooting became a liability?
