It’s not to say they play the same way but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say they both are poor defenders, they both can score inside the arc(albeit in different ways), they both make great passing reads, and they both are able to make plays for others. Agree they play nothing alike but their outcomes on the court are similar as players.
I would put the following resources on the table to make Jabari-Eason happen: #3 #17 2023 Milwaukee 1st Gordon Wood Tate KPJ / Nix Green / Christopher Eason / Matthews Jabari / KJM Sengun / Garuba It’s time for the great consolidation.
Yes they are both poor defenders but because they play so differently their positions do not overlap. Sengun is strictly a center, not even a PF, he can't switch enough to be a PF. Paolo, if he reaches his upside, is a big SF. Green, Paolo, sengun are all poor defenders. But we are not married to them and can adjust the team as we go. And if they are good enough then we can put defenders around them. Kat, Edwards and dlo are all poor defenders. That's why they put Beverley and Vanderbilt around them to cover the weakness.
Banchero doesn’t have a way better stroke. Also, Griffin was very good at putting the ball on the floor and scoring and at playmaking. Griffin was a vastly better athlete but Banchero isn’t a mental coward like Griffin. Banchero is nowhere near the passer the Jokic is… only maybe 5-6 post players in NBA history were as good at playmaking as Jokic.
Banchero is a power forward. He will be guarding 4’s. The Timberwolves have largely not been contenders because of their defense. Even starting Beverley and Vanderbilt; they were only average defensively. It’s very hard to overcome more than one bad defender on the floor. To win in the NBA at the highest levels you need to be a top 5-8 defensive team.
Griffin shot 10 total 3s over two years at Oklahoma and under 60% from ft. I think it is very fair to say pb has a way better stroke than Griffin.
Murray, jokic and mpj are also all poor defenders. The Rockets are literally the worst team in the NBA. Acquiring the talent to move up to become a Timberwolves or Denver would be a huge step up. Once they get there then they can worry about how to take the next step to win it all and if they have to trade one or more of their core players to get there by improving the defense. One step at a time. Worrying about not having the defense to contend for a title when you have the talent of the worst team in the NBA is putting the cart before the horse.
Worse. Banchero can’t consistently guard 3’s… he can guard 4’s straight up solidly but he just doesn’t protect the rim or alter shots and he isn’t a good team defender…. You put plus defenders around him at key spots and limit exposing him in switches and he is fine.
Nah. The goal isn’t to be locked into being a Wolves level team. The goal is to compete for titles… not be a middling team that lacks the ability to become good enough defensively to win. Jokic is an amazing player, has won two MVP’s but has never even been to the Finals because his team cannot defend well enough.
I don’t think so. He shot and made a lot of mid range shots at Oklahoma. Griffin wasn’t a bad shooter. He also wasn’t a back to the basket stiff. Banchero wasn’t a very good long range shooter for Duke. I think Banchero will end up being a solid NBA shooter - but he isn’t as good a shooter as Holmgren or Jabari.
You are never locked in. Wolves are trying to trade dlo. Denver could trade Murray or mpj before his back broke to better fit the team around jokic. We are not talking about handing out max contracts we are picking rookies. Most drafts near the top you have your Wiseman, or Culver, or josh Jackson or Suggs (TBD). You can't worry about how they fit your (terrible) team, you have to just worry about getting a good player and avoiding the minefield of busts.
The thing you can do with Banchero that you can't do with Sengun is run a pick and roll with Green where Green is the roll man. That could be league breaking if the right team and defense was assembled around them.
Chet-Eason would be my preference but Jabari-Eason is damm close 2nd. Otherwise stay at #3 and #17 and draft Paolo-MW. PG - KPJ SG - Green SF - Banchero PF - Wood C - Williams/Sengun
The great consolidation will be drafting Paolo and then trading Sengun and 2 firsts for Rudy Gobert. Clutchfans would implode and cease to exist after that.
THIS But problem still remains, Rockets perimeter defense and especially rim protection would be atrocious with core of: Green-Banchero-Sengun Only gets worse if Wood added.
