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This is it! I promise it will be the LAST time I ask for it this generation. Then it's time to start being good!Hermen wrote:It feels like I read this every yearSuperbone wrote:Not only did we know this. We need it. This next draft is going to have a handful of real difference makers. We need one of them.
No way. 2013 and 2016 were drafts almost universally assumed as terrible. Nobody was saying there was a difference maker to be had in either top10. Our problem was ending up bottom 5 those two seasons and, in the case of 2016, doubling down on that lottery, which obviously is not a bad thing per se but turns into a mistake if you a) overpay for the move, which happened in my opinion and b) draft two guys at the same position in hopes that they both turn into something else and are capable of playing together.Hermen wrote:It feels like I read this every yearSuperbone wrote:Not only did we know this. We need it. This next draft is going to have a handful of real difference makers. We need one of them.
Not done yet but it is increasely difficult to see anything different than another Skita and another Hakim Warrick.specialsauce wrote:And you aren’t fixing Chriss’s sense of entitlement.
I’m high on Booker Ulis Jackson Warren and Reed.
Done with Bender and Chriss.
Missing on 2 top 10 picks in the same draft is going to set you back a ways. You just can't squander draft capital like that.Ring_Wanted wrote: If 2018 delivers a true difference maker big man, everything would have been worth it as you are looking at a core of Booker-Jackson-Warren-2018, plus Ulis and hopefully Reed.
It's going to set us back one more year which I'm fine with since 2018 is so deep.carey wrote:Missing on 2 top 10 picks in the same draft is going to set you back a ways. You just can't squander draft capital like that.Ring_Wanted wrote: If 2018 delivers a true difference maker big man, everything would have been worth it as you are looking at a core of Booker-Jackson-Warren-2018, plus Ulis and hopefully Reed.
We know our record is going to be bad, but we would like to look competitive out there.n4th4n wrote:The degree of pessimism and negativity on this board over these preseason games is astounding. We were always going to be one of the bottom 3 teams in the west this year. We knew this. We have a team loaded with kids who, if they even make it, are probably still 2 years away from becoming effective NBA players. There are going to be tons of ups and downs this year. More downs than ups. This is going to be a long, long season. We need to be looking at growth over the course of 82 NBA games. Not panicking over preseason.
specialsauce wrote:It’s not just that Benders shot isn’t falling. It’s that he does nothing with the ball when he gets it. Once in a blue moon he shoots a three. He just passes to the next guy. He doesn’t cut, he doesn’t dribble, he has no sense of offensive aggression and he hasn’t got a clue what to do with the ball when he gets it. It ain’t age, sorry. You’re not going to suddenly start playing with purpose in 2 years. It’s one thing if he’s being aggressive and making mistakes like Jackson or inefficient like Booker. Those you can correct. You can’t teach what he’s missing.
WORD.n4th4n wrote:specialsauce wrote:It’s not just that Benders shot isn’t falling. It’s that he does nothing with the ball when he gets it. Once in a blue moon he shoots a three. He just passes to the next guy. He doesn’t cut, he doesn’t dribble, he has no sense of offensive aggression and he hasn’t got a clue what to do with the ball when he gets it. It ain’t age, sorry. You’re not going to suddenly start playing with purpose in 2 years. It’s one thing if he’s being aggressive and making mistakes like Jackson or inefficient like Booker. Those you can correct. You can’t teach what he’s missing.
Like I said before, do you have no recollection of Goran's first 2 years? He was so scared he couldn't even put the ball down more than 2-3 times in a row. And he came into the league older and more NBA ready then Bender.
Listen - I will gladly, gladly acknowledge that Bender and Chriss have a long long lonnnng way to go. And I am not super optimistic about either of them. But to give up on them before their sophomore season even begins is one of the most short-sighted and silly things I have ever heard.
I've drawn the Goran / Dragan comparison myself so I understand what you're saying. My concern is that I'm not seeing incremental improvement from Bender or Chriss. There should be a noticeable leap between year 1 and 2 and a rather large one between year 2 and 3. That's generally how it goes. Every player follows a different path but I do think there's cause for concern.n4th4n wrote: Like I said before, do you have no recollection of Goran's first 2 years? He was so scared he couldn't even put the ball down more than 2-3 times in a row. And he came into the league older and more NBA ready then Bender.
Perfect description of how feel this summer and preseason.OE32 wrote:
It's the dark side of homerism.
Well maybe we should wait until year 2 starts before claiming they've made no improvements.carey wrote:I've drawn the Goran / Dragan comparison myself so I understand what you're saying. My concern is that I'm not seeing incremental improvement from Bender or Chriss. There should be a noticeable leap between year 1 and 2 and a rather large one between year 2 and 3. That's generally how it goes. Every player follows a different path but I do think there's cause for concern.n4th4n wrote: Like I said before, do you have no recollection of Goran's first 2 years? He was so scared he couldn't even put the ball down more than 2-3 times in a row. And he came into the league older and more NBA ready then Bender.
Exactly. I think people have forgotten how extraordinarily young this roster is. The average age of our guys who are actually going to be playing is 22. Add Tyson Chandler and the average age goes up to 23.4.Split T wrote:Well maybe we should wait until year 2 starts before claiming they've made no improvements.carey wrote:I've drawn the Goran / Dragan comparison myself so I understand what you're saying. My concern is that I'm not seeing incremental improvement from Bender or Chriss. There should be a noticeable leap between year 1 and 2 and a rather large one between year 2 and 3. That's generally how it goes. Every player follows a different path but I do think there's cause for concern.n4th4n wrote: Like I said before, do you have no recollection of Goran's first 2 years? He was so scared he couldn't even put the ball down more than 2-3 times in a row. And he came into the league older and more NBA ready then Bender.
Wormwood wrote:This is going to be a really bad team this year. I agree
Tyson Chandler and Dudley are vets on a team going nowhere, being paid $10m per year to babysit. Len has shown signs of life in the preseason. He's also probably leaving after we didn't really offer him more than the QO. - We don't know for sure that Len is leaving, as he still has his Bird Rights. I'm not going to panic over his improved preseason play, and in fact won't panic if it continues all season long.
At PF, I love Williams... but he's out for most of the year. Chriss and Bender do look like Skita and Warrick, and that's not a compliment. Honestly, grabbing a random, vet min guy would be an improvement here. - How about a trade of Chandler, Chriss/Bender, and Miami 2018 1st for Cousins, if he becomes available?
At SF, we have a rookie (their +/- is never good), and Warren, who doesn't space the floor or play a lick of defense. Or pass the ball that well either. - I thought Warren has shown a some improvement his range this preseason and he is actually been improving quite well with his defense. Also, I don't give a crap if he doesn't improve his assist rate, as long as he's not turning it over at a rate much higher than his assist rates, and his shooting is quick and efficient and doesn't become a ball stopper. So your concerns hold no water with me here.
At SG, we have Booker (who has yet to show that he can score efficiently or play defense) and a vet min guy who might end up with a better +/- than our "star". Ouch. - He's been working on his defense this preseason and you can see a better effort. I think he does understand that he needs to improve his efficiency and if he's really committed to becoming a super star, he will improve it. It's good to see how well Daniels has been playing, no doubt, but hopefully instead of taking away or diminishing Booker, it helps to improve Booker's own play.
At PG, Bledsoe is an above average player, but not much more. There's a lot of really good PGs in the league, and he's just somewhere in that mix. Ullis is a good back up. - Agreed
Right now, we have nearly $40m per year invested in players who don't even really play for us (Knight, Chandler, Dudley). Until their contracts are off the books, we're going to suck. Until we have at least one genuine star who plays at least tolerable defense, we're going to be very bad. - I don't expect this to change overnight, but hopefully it improves across the board.
Based on the pre-season so far, 25 wins looks about right. - I agree with the way they've been playing. It's crazy how bad they look.
I need at least one more bi-polar cycle before I can make a regular season prediction.Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:It's about time to make a regular season predictions thread. Will get on that soon along with my own predictions once I have time to write them up. I'm famously bad at predicting anything, though I occasionally happen to get something right.
Haha, same hereO_Gardino wrote:I need at least one more bi-polar cycle before I can make a regular season prediction.Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:It's about time to make a regular season predictions thread. Will get on that soon along with my own predictions once I have time to write them up. I'm famously bad at predicting anything, though I occasionally happen to get something right.
