I think as the age of the “big three” matures and ends, FO are finally starting to realize that a big three that actually wins titles involves at least 1 player who doesn’t need the ball 1 on 1 off the dribble to be an all star. Hayward has a ton of value the biggest question mark is his injury history.
Hayward on the nets would be ridiculous.
I really, really hope so.
I’m hoping we just go with basic man defense going forward. A part of me thinks this staff may be trying too hard, over-coaching schemes to a group that can’t execute and winds up confused and abused.
Just stick to basic man-up D with basic switching. Don’t double or good grief triple guys except in occasional trap mode. Never cheat to the paint (like we constantly do) leaving a shooter open for a three.
Teach focus and grit. Preparedness against your specific competition on individual case-by-case, instead of everybody’s got to rebound, crash the paint.
I just think they over-scheme for failure.
And my goodness this staff needs to show some passion. Work harder. Work your ass off. Show your team that you’re a winner.
The currently unanswerable question that intrigues me the most … could JB coach a roster with average defensive abilities to an average, or above average level?
There’s no doubt we lack defensive ability on the court and there’s no doubt JB hasn’t been able to scheme around it. BUT what would the results be if we had a good defensive centre and a good defensive wing playing 30+ mins with JB coaching? I hope we get to find out next season.
Well, they’ve got a $30 million vet who supposedly wouldn’t mind playing elsewhere, a little over $20 million in expiring deals attached to two playable vets, two mid-firsts, and two young guys who are varying levels of expendable. All the tools are there to put better fitting players around Ball, Bridges, and Terry. If they aren’t one of the most active teams this summer a couple people aren’t doing their jobs.
We have thought they had what was needed to do things in the past and they haven’t or settled for deals around the edges so it wouldn’t be totally out of the realm that this went that way as well.
(wow, holy complex sentence structure 
- I mean to say “we have expected good things in the past and have been disappointed”)
Completely agree! We really do have some serious ammunition for the off season.
To my mind there are two, diametrically opposed scenarios I would follow. In both we sign Miles & Cody.
The preferred, acquire the centre we desperately need option. Then build from there with the priority being a good defensive wing.
The, we fail to get the centre option … I’d reload, which would involve moving Terry (unless that would destabilise Ball & Miles too much) and hoovering up picks/assets. I’d then play: Ball, Cody, Miles, PJ, Richards; Bouknight, Lewis, McDaniels, Thor, Kai (sub in draft picks) and find out what we have so we can be ultra aggressive the next offseason.
I see this as a pivotal off-season.
That’s one reason for my two scenario take. If we can’t get the right #5, I do not want us throwing assets at an inferior player who lacks the skill set and quality we need. I’d then reload and go for it again next off-season. I would prioritise minutes Richards and Kai to try and find out what if one of them, or both, might be the answer.
Do we have a good idea of who that is from those made available in trade? I am thinking of a list of Nurkic, Robinson, Turner, Holmes, Wood, Lopez, and Looney, and maybe Claxton.
I am curious of what you guys think as far as gettable centers that are either going to be FAs or are in situations where they may get moved (which is why I omitted Ayton, JV, Allen, and Bamba and others that seem unlikely to pry out of current situations)
Weren’t there trade deadline rumors that the Hornets were interested in Poeltl?
I think we have both the quality and variety of ammunition to ‘make’ someone available who might not be considered as such.
You need picks? We have them, starting with two firsts this year.
You need to match a high salary in the trade? Welcome to GH.
Want to dump some salary? Welcome to the partiality guaranteed, expiring contracts of Ubre & Mason.
Need a young player? Here’s PJ.
For the right Centre we can offer a really compelling package without gutting our future.
PS: If Turner didn’t have the injury history he has, I’d throw two firsts at him. His skill set is what we need. For Bamba, I’d make it really, really hard, hopefully impossible for Orlando to say no. Offer begins with two firsts and either Ubre or Mason’s contract.
Hayward for Ruby Gobert, who says no?
Rozier probably has the highest trade value he’ll ever have and is already 28… Time to trade him for a younger player
That’s my question, who are we targeting? Because the list of usual suspects doesn’t intrigue me and I’d just as soon keep our two picks and roll with young guys. Turner has always been injury prone, just as much as Gordon. If we could get him cheap fine but hell no to giving 2 firsts for him. Holmes doesn’t seem to be living up to the contract he signed, he’s somewhat undersized and he’s embroiled in off court issues. wood is intriguing to me but he doesn’t solve the defensive problems. I agree we have more ammunition to use than ever but I don’t wanna waste it. I’d rather be patient and let the youth movement play out a while longer than do that. And let the youth actually play. (Probably costs JB his job but it’d be better long term for the franchise than squandering assets for someone washed or injury prone)… if we can get a real difference maker, then I’m for it but nothing on that list is worth throwing a lot of assets at to me.
I do like the idea of Bamba and would welcome him on the roster and I could see giving up reasonable assets for him but even with him, it’s not like he’s proven and he’s been a bit injury prone as well so I don’t think the price tag should be too too high. I’d like to know what other ideas are for gettable C’s. I want Ayton level returns if we’re giving up large assets.
Claxton is intriguing as well. Maybe the best fit of that list as you mention. But he’s not someone I’d give up a whole lot for either.
My best hope for Claxton is that BKN is so up against it (cap-wise) that they cannot keep him. I don’t know that he’s set anything on fire enough to warrant anyone offering him a big payday.
Gobert would be so perfect for us. Can’t think of a better fit. Hopefully the Jazz lose and they put him back on the block.
