SameOldNudityDrew wrote:If Moore pans out as a two-way guy, he'll be great for us.
But I worry that with Beverley gone and Okogie too, we've not only lost two of our on-ball defensive specialists, but we've lost two of the guys with the most intense defensive motors, which have a cascading effect on the rest of the squad. I think it'll be really helpful to have another guy like that this coming year. I was kind of thinking Donte DiVincenzo, but he's gone. I don't know if Avery Bradley has anything left in the tank. I just don't know who's out there.
Frankly, losing Josh Okogie doesn't hurt this team because he just didn't play last year. Whatever defensive prowess he possesses wasn't utilized so we shouldn't feel like we're missing it now that he's gone.
Patrick Beverley's impact, however, needs to be replaced. The argument there is whether or not Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels can routinely take on the responsibility of being point-of-attack defenders given the nightly matchup. I think they both can, but we need to see it over an entire season. Edwards needs to stay engaged and consistently provide effort, and not just when his defensive assignment is a star player. McDaniels needs to stay out of foul trouble.
I'd also point out that having Rudy Gobert as your last line of defense protecting the rim will lead to better results than a pesky perimeter defender like Beverley ever could have produced. We still need to add a depth piece of two, but Minnesota is undoubtedly a net positive after these moves.
