The "problem" with upgrading the 4 is also Dwight. Dwight, in a way, prevents an offense upgrade in the frontcourt... precisely because while he might not be a great post up player or great offensive threat anymore, he still thinks he is and the team will still cater to that, outside of trading him away. We all know that DMo can/should get even more touches/action, but it's been a struggle to get this far really. That doesn't mean I'll be shocked if the PF is upgraded. I'm not sure there is anyone out there on the block that makes sense. Had Atlanta been ho hum I would have said Milsap, but we know that isn't happening now. And had Detroit kept sliding and kept Smith, I might have said Monroe might be available. But no other PFs out there that are even remotely close to obtainable are huge improvements. Just look at the top PF scorers. DMo is 20th, though if you look at just December and January he's 16th. There are just as few obtainable small forwards.... and, frankly, you'd go back to trading offense (Parsons) for defense (Ariza) there. Us BBS'ers aren't all crazy. There's a reason we're targeting PG dreams, even if a top PG isn't necessary to win a championship on every team. The way this team has been built, and the way the NBA is today with available players, PG makes the most sense, and Dragic makes the most sense there.
There aren't many other options at other positions, who would be acquirable. Plus the PG position is so deep that there are options and their contracts are not albatrosses that either we could not afford to acquire or traded if need be. Basically:
And just to add to your post RV6, because Ariza is assigned with the nightly task of guarding the opponent's best offensive player, is another reason why Bev is the one position people would like to have upgraded.
Perhaps, but i feel like our starters need help, now that Dwight is operating well below 100%. Over a season, bench help will probably work, but I'd be worried about crunch time in the playoffs. I was assuming any upgrade at the 3 would also bring in a capable defender. Despite Harden's defensive emergence, I think he still needs defenders around him. He still has his blonde moments or gets tired.
With the ability to play along side Harden would be a plus. So he could be a SG. So if we find someone just have Harden play PG like he normally does.
Bringing back the defense is the only thing that will improve the chances of winning a title this year, and that's what we should be concerned about. Adding yet another significant player to this team this late is not going to do it and will likely cause more disruption.
PG is the position we put the least money on, and in today's league, PG is becoming more and more important. Therefore, naturally we want to improve on that position. It is rare to find bigs that are good playmakers, and at 3 spot, we already have Ariza, who is suitable to take on the defensive tasks. And PGs are known to be playmakers, so much bigger pool
Name the players at all positions other than Point Guard who are "playmakers / facilitators." Now name those from that list who are realistically available. That's why point guard is discussed so much , its the weakest position on the team overall and the most likely to result in filling the needs of the team by upgrading.
Yeah you aren't going to get a playmaking sf. Those are very rare and are generally superstars. Playmakers are generally pg's. Harden is a rare sg who is also a playmaker.
Ask yourself this OP how many non PG playmakers are available in this league? A playmaker that's not a PG is a rare commodity in this league. They're either going to be ... A) a bonafide Superstar.... Lebron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, Anthony Davis etc. B) a promising young player who's on the rise to stardom and getting paid or going to get paid. J-But, Beal, Parsons, Gordon, Klay etc. or C) key players (veterans) on contending teams who were likely either A or B at one point in their career such as Ray Allen, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Mike Miller, etc from a few years ago or presently Jamal Crawford, Wes Mathews etc. We need another playmaker and that player ABSO FREAKIN LUTELY needs to be a PG. Bev is the weakest link on our team and he can't make a play to save his life. Although there's only one true "Playmaker" on this team there are plenty of players that can "make plays". We just need a Playmaker at the 1 to help initiate. Brewer, Ariza, Smith, Howard ... all these guys should be averaging at least 4 more points per each night in and night out. Get a PG that can barely dish out 3 assists per game in over 30 minutes. One that shoots better than 40% from the field and can do something else besides hit an occasional 3 and watch the magic that ensues. It's time to quit covering for Bev. Dude's gotta go... either to another team or to the bench. The fact that he's made it as far as he has is a feat in itself and shows how hard he worked but the TALENT is just not there. He's never going to be good enough to be a starting PG for a team with Championship aspirations.
There is always Lance Stephenson. He would allow Terry to play the 2 instead of having to facilitate which goes against his strengths. And Stephenson can also play alongside Harden especially if teams try to double team the Beard.
It's not Rocket science...no pun intended. SG and C are locks. It's unfortunate that Dwight is no longer an offensive force or else we wouldn't need to get into this discussion. Which leaves PG, SF, PF as areas to insert a playmaker. SF and PF playmakers are incredibly difficult to find in the market and would command a hefty bargain. This leaves PG as really the only feasible option. It's consensus that we are in the golden age of PGs. More supply equals cheaper prices. We can find a playmaker at the PG spot more feasibly than at SF and PF. Now whether to insert him in the starting lineup or 6th man is another story.
Who? We're not talking guys who score, but guys who can score AND create opportunities for other players.
The offense has been good lately; it's the team's defense that has been below league average since Josh Smith and Brewer's arrivals. Of course, this also coincides with Dwight's play falling off a cliff. The return of Terrence Jones will make the offense that much better and the defense that much worse, so I'm not sure how wise spending a bunch of assets on this secondary playmaker is a great idea. Calderon, for instance, can be had for free. Mo Williams and Kevin Martin wouldn't cost much. Isaiah Thomas will probably cost a 2017 first, maybe more. Aside from these guys, I'm not enthralled with offense-only players at the moment.
Elite floor-spacers can have equal impact to the non-elite playmakers: see, Ryan Anderson, Klay Thompson, etc.
