Game Day: Suns (15-24) @ Nuggets (19-17), Wed 1/3/18

[Split T]

James and Canaan are pretty similar as scorers, but Canaan is a much better facilitator. It's nice to have someone that can hit the roll man in the pick n roll. Bledsoe and James never did that. Canaan hits Len on that pass 2-3 times a game.

[bajanguy008]

I know Jokic passing is topps and Plumlee is underrated as he did a great job in Portland but my goodness the number of backdoors from the high post. some is good defense and most centers not gonna deliver those bounce passes to punish the guards for overplaying but it sure did happen too often last night.
As for high post playing centers, Monroe does so much for our offense with his skillset and being able to make moves based on how the D covers the cuts off the ball while Tyson/Alex just stand there pivoting if the defender sags tsk tsk

[carey]

I'm telling you guys. Almost any D-league starter can come in and shoot 40% a game and dish out a handful of assists.

[O_Gardino]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

[Superbone]

I'm telling you guys. Almost any D-league starter can come in and shoot 40% a game and dish out a handful of assists.

Heh.

[Split T]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

[O_Gardino]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I have to admit that Donovan is way better than I expected him to be. So far, he's top 3 in this draft with Tatum and Kuzma.

But I still think Frank would do more for us than Don, because we need a natural decisive and aggressive passer more than we need a small scoring guard who can also pass. Ntilikina is going to lead the NBA in assists once he gets going, and he's already a good defender and 3pt shooter to go along with it.

[1tinsoldier]

I'm telling you guys. Almost any D-league starter can come in and shoot 40% a game and dish out a handful of assists.

even if true, stats are just a part of the picture, especially with a point guard
Canaan has more control and makes better decisions than James

[Superbone]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I have to admit that Donovan is way better than I expected him to be. So far, he's top 3 in this draft with Tatum and Kuzma.

But I still think Frank would do more for us than Don, because we need a natural decisive and aggressive passer more than we need a small scoring guard who can also pass. Ntilikina is going to lead the NBA in assists once he gets going, and he's already a good defender and 3pt shooter to go along with it.

That Ntilikina assist comment seems shocking to me. We shall see. 2020 should be long enough for him to "get going".

[O_Gardino]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I have to admit that Donovan is way better than I expected him to be. So far, he's top 3 in this draft with Tatum and Kuzma.

But I still think Frank would do more for us than Don, because we need a natural decisive and aggressive passer more than we need a small scoring guard who can also pass. Ntilikina is going to lead the NBA in assists once he gets going, and he's already a good defender and 3pt shooter to go along with it.

That Ntilikina assist comment seems shocking to me. We shall see. 2020 should be long enough for him to "get going".

I don't think he's going to lead the nba in assists year after next. He'll be like 20.

Stockton, Kidd all first lead the nba in assists per game around age 25. For Magic and Chris Paul it was as young as 22. I certainly don't think he's going to take over the NBA younger than those guys.

But his career arc may look something like Rondo - during years when he has very good teammates, he can dominate the assists column while playing good defense. Add to that, he's going to be a reliable 3pt shooter.

[TOO]

I really don't get the Ntlikina assist thing either, he's never shown to be a transcendent passer, or even elite. I don't think he'll ever lead the league in assists.

[djy2j]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

Mitchell and Jordan Bell with our respective picks. We didn't have a late first to take Kuzma so I can't blame them for not taking him. But Jordan Bell over Davon Reed all day. Not giving up on Jackson by any means.

Also Alec Peters is averaging 18 ppg 8.5 reb in the GLeague

And not sure why Derrick Jones Jr couldn't get any burn this season. He's averaging 15 ppg 7 reb 2 blocks and a steal while shooting 48%

[Cap]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I have to admit that Donovan is way better than I expected him to be. So far, he's top 3 in this draft with Tatum and Kuzma.

But I still think Frank would do more for us than Don, because we need a natural decisive and aggressive passer more than we need a small scoring guard who can also pass. Ntilikina is going to lead the NBA in assists once he gets going, and he's already a good defender and 3pt shooter to go along with it.

That Ntilikina assist comment seems shocking to me. We shall see. 2020 should be long enough for him to "get going".

I don't think he's going to lead the nba in assists year after next. He'll be like 20.

Stockton, Kidd all first lead the nba in assists per game around age 25.

And Nash was 30 his first time.

[Superbone]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I have to admit that Donovan is way better than I expected him to be. So far, he's top 3 in this draft with Tatum and Kuzma.

But I still think Frank would do more for us than Don, because we need a natural decisive and aggressive passer more than we need a small scoring guard who can also pass. Ntilikina is going to lead the NBA in assists once he gets going, and he's already a good defender and 3pt shooter to go along with it.

That Ntilikina assist comment seems shocking to me. We shall see. 2020 should be long enough for him to "get going".

I don't think he's going to lead the nba in assists year after next. He'll be like 20.

Stockton, Kidd all first lead the nba in assists per game around age 25. For Magic and Chris Paul it was as young as 22. I certainly don't think he's going to take over the NBA younger than those guys.

But his career arc may look something like Rondo - during years when he has very good teammates, he can dominate the assists column while playing good defense. Add to that, he's going to be a reliable 3pt shooter.

OK, you've got a weird definition of "gets going" but I gave him until 2025. However, I'm with TOO that he will never lead the Association in assists.

[Mori Chu]

Every draft there will be guys who are great who are drafted after our pick. I'm not mad that we missed on Donovan Mitchell. I'm more mad that we drafted such a deeply flawed player as Josh Jackson, who is basically a poor man's Josh Childress. His lack of shooting will forever doom him to NBA mediocrity. His game is broken and cannot be great in 2018's NBA.

[Split T]

Every draft there will be guys who are great who are drafted after our pick. I'm not mad that we missed on Donovan Mitchell. I'm more mad that we drafted such a deeply flawed player as Josh Jackson, who is basically a poor man's J**h C*******s. His lack of shooting will forever doom him to NBA mediocrity. His game is broken and cannot be great in 2018's NBA.

So he can't improve? I think it's a little ridiculous how many people are writing off Jackson based on 1/3rd of his rookie year. Who would you rather have drafted? Fox and Smith are having their struggles too. Isaac has been hurt and as you said, Mitchell was never going 4th so hard to get upset there. We could have drafted Markkanen, but everyone would have been pissed with that selection too.

I was slightly leaning Isaac over Jackson at draft time, but Isaac hasn't done a lot. Without Bledsoe we could have used a PG, but fox hasn't impressed and Smith isn't the type of PG I want. Ntilikina would be intriguing and looking back I'd take him over Jackson, but it's just him, Mitchell, and maybe Isaac.

[In2ition]

Do we know that Jackson feels like his shot needs to be changed and worked on? He also needs to work on his shot selection, but have we heard that he feels like this is a place that needs to improve too?

That's my worry with Josh. I don't think Josh feels like his game and shot is broken, and that ego is going to keep him from being the player we were hoping for.

[bajanguy008]

I'm not a Jackson hater, but every game strengthens my regret at missing Ntilikina.

Mitchell is the guy we really missed on

I've mentioned before that I have followed the Cardinals for quite some time and I know you were very busy in the draft threads with players you were hoping for. I remember because I thought it was kool somebody else on the board liked Donovan lol but in what scenario would he had been a possible pick that you're calling it a miss.
Donovan himself wasn't even sure if to enter the draft or if he would be a 1st rd guy. Love the kid but nobody was taking him top 5, he wasn't gonna last til the late 20's either as his draft stock kept rising in predraft workouts

[O_Gardino]

Do we know that Jackson feels like his shot needs to be changed and worked on? He also needs to work on his shot selection, but have we heard that he feels like this is a place that needs to improve too?

That's my worry with Josh. I don't think Josh feels like his game and shot is broken, and that ego is going to keep him from being the player we were hoping for.

1. His whole game isn't broken. He's not a good jump shooter, but the rest of his game is fine. He's a rookie. Jeesh.
2. Do you have any evidence that he doesn't know his shot needs work?

[In2ition]

Do we know that Jackson feels like his shot needs to be changed and worked on? He also needs to work on his shot selection, but have we heard that he feels like this is a place that needs to improve too?

That's my worry with Josh. I don't think Josh feels like his game and shot is broken, and that ego is going to keep him from being the player we were hoping for.

1. His whole game isn't broken. He's not a good jump shooter, but the rest of his game is fine. He's a rookie. Jeesh.
2. Do you have any evidence that he doesn't know his shot needs work?

His whole game isn't broken, but shot selection and shooting form lack much to be desired.

I don't have any links, but I thought I heard him say that he didn't think he was jacked at all. I'm not sure though.

I'm hoping that he figures it out and works his tail off in the off-season this year to come back better than ever.