Now we take some time to appreciate everything this team has done. They were young and gained some valuable experience. We build on that, and see what we can do. We keep our eyes and ears open for any upgrades, but we don't have to make a move right away. Only make a move if we happen to find an absolute steal.
It boggles my mind that people actually think that an offseason priority is to get rid of Lin. Not "trade him as part of a package for a PF", but point-blank just get rid of him, as in find some team to take his salary and give him away. Even if Beverley was just as good or better than Lin, do you really think he's so much better and Lin is so overpaid that the team would be better without him? Don't you think it's smarter to keep both of them on payroll so that if one of them goes down, then the other one can pick up the slack? Or have Lin play his minutes in a 6th man/backup combo guard role? FYI, Beverley didn't play all that well today, so you may want to at least update your assessment to "find another PG besides Lin". There's a good chance that over a full NBA season, Patrick Beverley is not a starting-caliber PG. It should be pretty clear to anyone who is actually trying to be objective that the biggest hole on this team is Power Forward. After that, this team really needs more depth at all the non-guard positions. A lot of the other issues that people complain about are far more related to the fact that this team didn't actually have an offseason to work together or learn plays. Basketball isn't like the old days where you could just throw random people on the floor and expect them to play well together. Everything is much faster and requires a lot more practice and planning to execute. What we're seeing now is almost like the "West Coast Offense" revolution in football, where timing and precision are more important than actually seeing where your man ends up. Turnovers, for example, are being caused because the players don't have a good feel for where everyone is going to end up, so they are having to "look" before the pass. This throws off everything, because not only does the team with the ball hesitate, but the team without the ball has time to react to the offensive movements. These guys were able to get incredibly far without any real preparation. I wouldn't be so keen on blowing everything up unless an extremely high-level player became available, and even then, you probably can't trade more than one of Parsons/Asik/Lin or, as we've seen on the depth chart, the drop-off may be too dramatic to compensate. Realistically, what we will probably see is Morey will outright sign a power forward and see if we can trade/sign the other players to build up on depth.
The rest of what you said I completely agree with, but I don't see Morey signing any of the available PFs outright. Maybe I'm wrong, but none of the guys available seem like his kind of guy.
Actually, I would update my prediction to say that, given the forwards on the free agent market, there's a pretty good chance we don't sign any of the "top tier" guys and instead go for the better values, such as Jared Jeffries and Carl Landry (assuming he's available). These guys would add a lot more depth at SF/PF/C and still provide a significant upgrade to the PF position. They would also give a little more flexibility and time to see how our younger players such as T-Rob and T-Jones develop. It would make more sense at that point for Morey to outright trade Parsons/Asik/Lin as part of a package deal to get a significant upgrade at one of the traded players' positions (like Asik & Lin for CP3).
Yeah, I noticed that right after I posted. I agree - the PF free agents aren't really all that overwhelming. None of them are superstar-level, and that's the only tier that really justifies a max-type salary. Otherwise, you might end up overpaying or not having the cap room to actually pay for a real superstar.
I'd say go after Millsap as the #1 priority. If we have to go after a superstar this season, Chris Paul. Paul has a bigger effect on wins than Dwight, even in playoff time. Then trade Lin for or acquire a backup center.
I think you are right, but only because CP is already a star. Harden does not defer to Lin because his is not proven, not because Lin can't play that role. With CP in HOU, I think Harden will be more willing to pass and defer. The team would get a lot more ball movement.
need a super star end of discussion. its pretty much determined to win in the league you need at least 2 stars, and a legit supporting class, including coaching. 1. get Howard. max deal. Start Howard and Asik 2. Decline team option for Garcia/Delfino (sad because i like them both) resign if you can get them cheaper! 3. Sign JJ hickson 3 year (15 mill) play as pf 4. Sign Corey Brewer 3 year (15mill)
NO Howard and Asik at the same time! Both don't have post moves. Both clog the paint for Harden, Lin, and Parsons. Both aren't very good with FT's Centres take up almost half of the capspace with the disadvantages above. Back up centre is Rocket's weakness. Sign or maybe draft a centre or make that German lad the back up next year if he's up for it.
who needs post moves when you dunk the ball, and Howard has an inside scoring game. Im not saying play them the same min, like start howard and asik 7 min mark, bring in JJ Hickson. When Howard needs rest Asik comes in. Having asik and howard will ENSURE best front court in the NBA. Lock down defenders, legit rebounders. With High pick and rolls, Harden will get to the lane, dish off to Howard, or Rolling Asik his choice. Rather have that then Harden's desperation shots hoping for the foul
Just because you can dunk a ball doesn't mean you don't need post game. If basketball was that simple, centres should be averaging the most points. Defenses are tailored to prevent that from happening. Dwight's inside game is very meh. If the game was on the line, he's not getting touches. Playing the both of Howard and Asik is also going to hurt our backcourt since Lin Harden and Parsons like to drive to the hole. Defenses are going just going to collapse backwards to ensure Harden won't dish to whoever is in the basket. The team is much better off with a stretch 4 or a guy with a midrange game and length. Hickson is going to command more than $5m in the open market. 12 and 10 on 30 minutes a game? Doubt he's going for anything less than $8m. That's a good shout BTW since Morey seems to give money to players with promising stat line and has something to prove as a potential starter.
I'd go after Dwight and JSmith. I think Smith is asked todo to much in ATL, which results in some bonehead decisions. If Smith is basically a co-4th option on offense, his decision making is drastically decreased and he can just feed off of everyone else's decisions. I think we go after Smith regardless of if we get Dwight. Id like to get both Delfino and Garcia back too. Both are great shooters off the bench and good locket room guys! Then trade Trob for a pick Lineup: PG: Lin/Bev/Brooks SG: Harden/Delfino SF: Parsons/Garcia PF: JSmith/Jones/Motirjunas C: Howard/Asik/Gsmith or Asik/Gsmith With Howard I think we can win the west. Without him I think we can win 50+ games and make a playoff run. Can't wait for July!
Barring all the pie in the sky suggestions about trades and signings we can't control: 1. Get Motiejunas in the weight room and training table and get 20 lbs. of muscle on him. Work his but off teaching him how to be an athletic center. We need a back-up for Asik, and a C that can move out and shoot would be a very useful change of pace option. 2. Teach T Jone and T Robinson how to play PF in the NBA. We have huge investments in theses guys and they have athletic ability. If they battle each other all Summer for playing time, one of them should (and we need one of them to) become a credible NBA PF. 3. Resign Francisco Garcia at a reasonable rate. Not all under out control but he's worth more to us as the back-up wing than to most teams. 4. Drill on defense defense defense. Learn from whoever teaches it at OKC, 5. Emphasize limiting turn-overs. Maybe with a taser or cattle prod at practice. Make a dumb pass and zzzzt.
