Regardless of Booker, or Canaan, or others, Ayton needs to intimidate people. We should look for a stretch 4 that can help faster and bother drivers enough for Ayton to loom over. Bender's mobility is worth a last shot. Just pay attention, cover ground and make a three.Indy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 24, 2018 7:28 amCould be all of that, or that Booker lets his guy get by him on nearly every possession. When it isn't for an open jumper, that means Ayton has to rotate, which leaves the opposing center wide open to grab the changed shot and dunk on Ayton. And it doesn't help that Anderson and Ariza are awful defenders, too.ShelC wrote: ↑Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:50 amI've thought the same thing watching him. It's the right way to play instead of jumping around chasing blocks and leaving your man open or getting caught with fouls. Stay solid, arms up and change the shot. What's lacking now is the awareness to adjust and re-direct on the next pass after he changes or discourages the shot. He stays flatfooted and is slow to react opening back up. Could be the speed of the game right now, his overall awareness and learning to stay on his toes to be quicker.Indy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:24 amIt feels like he is being told not to leave his feet on defense.UglyTruth wrote: ↑Wed Oct 24, 2018 1:22 amI really wish Ayton would get motivated by Bagley's block #s more than his pts or rebounds or anything else. Ayton has ONE block through three games this season.
That's just unacceptable of a player 7'0 tall with a 7'6 wingspan and the mobility that he has.
On the Booker front, we need a PG whos is a defender and can either pass or shoot. George Hill could be a good target and supposedly not expensive.
In the meantime, Canaan is doing his best but that's too little to be playing 30mpg. Use Okobo and Melton already, let's see what we have.
We are logging 65+mpg from Anderson (93 Ortng), Chandler (80 Ortng), Canaan (103 Ortng). plus Jackson (75 Ortng) over 24mpg. This means over 37% of the time, we have the court one player that's an offensive issue.
And get this, Anderson and Jackson are our two worst defenders (defensive ratings of 120 and 117, then Canaan is tied with Booker and Ariza's 116. Nobody under 105.