Robinsons game will translate, its just what areas of focus that's important. One thing I liked in McHales post trade interview was his bit about rookies being too focused on being an elite scorer, when really its the hardest thing to learn and theres only a few of them in the league. T Rob really just needs to be very good at something. He can be an elite rebounder, elite at running the floor, and eventually an elite defender. As he gets more time for doing those things well, his offensive game will develop.
Based on the post-trade interview with Morey, this is what it looks like will be happening for the rest of this season: Starting lineup PG Jeremy Lin SG James Harden SF Carlos Delfino PF Chandler Parsons C Omer Asik Key reserves: Francisco Garcia (SG/SF), Greg Smith, Patrick Beverly, Thomas Robinson End of the bench (little or no P.T.): Jerald Honeycutt, James Anderson, Mystery Free Agent Pickup (probably somebody who gets bought out or waived over the next several days, maybe Daniel Gibson from Cleveland or Reggie Williams from Charlotte?) Developmental League: Donatas Motiejunas, Terrence Jones, Royce White Although the obvious long term plan is for Robinson to be the starting PF, and I'm sure the team hopes that he can begin the 2013-14 season as the starting PF, which moves Carlos Delfino (whose team option surely gets picked up this summer) back into the backup SG/SF (sixth man, really) role. Francisco Garcia obviously will not be back in 2013-14; neither will Honeycutt, for that matter. Either Donatas Motiejunas or Terrence Jones would inherit the backup PF role.
No coach will just push a player in to the starting lineup after a trade (unless star), especially a rookie.
Not sure I agree. I think DMO has shown enough to warrant more playing time and possibly start. I think we should expect to seem him get 15-20 minutes in the next few games to give him a shot. Robinson will be on the bench until Mchale feels comfortable with him in practice. I think Jones might get some more minutes 5-10 coming up. DMO is def. the most ready out of thoese 3 IMO. I think the fact that people critize his game when he's only had 1-5 meaningful minutes at a time is unfair. He needs 5 games + to get consistent minutes to show what he can do. If he is messing up to bad, then take him out and try jones or easy him in slower.
I think we'll see Delfino start for a few games, unfortunately. We can't get away with that for very long - neither he nor Parsons is big enough to guard most PFs. I'm totally stumped about who is going to start and give us the best shot at the playoffs...Greg Smith maybe? I don't think Dmo or Jones are there and TRob has just joined us. Royce?
Well, I have to say that I'm not sure who inherits Marcus Morris' backup PF role (about 15 minutes or so per game). I think it'll be Thomas Robinson, but it might be Donatas Motiejunas, or it might be Terrence Jones. We may even see some shuffling to and from the developmental league between these three guys. In other words, the organization may let each of these three dudes basically take turns as the backup PF. I will say that the organization seems to have a preference for its young non-rotation guys to be playing (in the developmental league) rather than rotting at the end of the bench. So it makes sense for the deep bench fodder types to NOT be in the developmental league and to instead be on the active roster. And, again, it seems obvious to me that the organization intends to promote either Robinson, Motiejunas, or Jones (probably Robinson, but we'll see) to the starting PF job to begin the 2013-14 season, and to return Delfino to his sixth man role (the one that I believe will now be filled by Francisco Garcia). And either Robinson, Motiejunas, or Jones (hell, maybe even Royce White, we'll see how it plays out) will be the team's backup PF in 2013-14. There will be an odd man out here. Whoever the odd man out turns out to be will likely be traded at some point between June 2013 and February 2014. It makes no sense for a guy to be wasting away in the developmental league and clogging up cap space and a roster spot. Makes more sense to trade the odd man out for a draft pick, or to package him somehow in a quantity-for-quality trade. I love Houston's moves at the deadline (as I'm sure we all do) and I think they'll make a strong run at the #6 seed this season. It is pretty remarkable, the difference between the team's expertly managed teams (e.g, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Denver, maybe a few others) and everybody else. Which explains why the expertly managed teams did what they needed to do, and everybody else does nothing. Atlanta's inability to move Josh Smith is flat out unacceptable, and embarrassing. The inaction by the vast majority of teams is just completely embarrassing... although incompetence by your peers sure does make it a lot easier to be one of the league's best teams! By default!
Honeycutt??? He has much more natural talent than Garcia, much better size than Beverley, and much better quickness than Smith, with just as good a shooting touch as Anderson. I know he is raw, but I think he can be valuable in the years to come, given that he came out easily 2 years before he was ready to face NBA competition and he is on a dirt cheap contract that Morey seems to covet.
Who is this Jerald Honeycutt you speak of??? Mystery draft pick from the never draft that didnt happen?
