Around the league thread

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I don't know Abe, but if I'm a Knicks fan I take what I can get and enjoy the moment. It's the position I took when the Wolves made the playoffs a few years ago with Thibs at the helm. It was good to see winning basketball. It was good to break that ugly streak of not making the playoffs.

The real work that needs to be done with the Knicks is in the front office. They just don't have the top-end talent to get very far. But at least they have a group of guys willing to compete and play hard every night.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I don't know Abe, but if I'm a Knicks fan I take what I can get and enjoy the moment. It's the position I took when the Wolves made the playoffs a few years ago with Thibs at the helm. It was good to see winning basketball. It was good to break that ugly streak of not making the playoffs.

The real work that needs to be done with the Knicks is in the front office. They just don't have the top-end talent to get very far. But at least they have a group of guys willing to compete and play hard every night.

Agreed.

Quickley has been a decent, although inconsistent, surprise. And Barrett is showing legit signs. But...

Toppin.
Knox.
Nkitilina.

All top 9 picks since 2017... and all effectively out of the rotation. And then there's Mitchell Robinson, a 2nd rd guy who seemed super promising... and he's been out with a fractured foot during this run.

Julius Randle
RJ Barrett
Reggie Bullock
Nerlens Noel
Elfrid Payton
Derrick Rose
Taj Gibson
Immanuel Quickly

Winners of 7 straight... and 32 - 27... with that collection of cast-offs leading the way. That's crazy.

[kekgeek]

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1385063401114804226?s=19

Another win for the legend!

[kekgeek]

Wiggins experience

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1385024016621125634?s=19

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1385045076330614794?s=19

[AbeVigodaLive]

Washington Wizards... winners of 6 straight... and 8 out of 9.

Beal.
Westbrook.
Raul Neto.
Deni Avdija.
Alex Len.
Davis Bertans.
Daniel Gafford.
Ish Smith.
Isaac Bonga.
Robin Lopez.
Garrison Mathews.

Look at that lineup. Yuck! And yet... the Wolves haven't won two games in a row in months...

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Washington Wizards... winners of 6 straight... and 8 out of 9.

Beal.
Westbrook.
Raul Neto.
Deni Avdija.
Alex Len.
Davis Bertans.
Daniel Gafford.
Ish Smith.
Isaac Bonga.
Robin Lopez.
Garrison Mathews.

Look at that lineup. Yuck! And yet... the Wolves haven't won two games in a row in months...

Very humbling for those of us that get enamored with aspects of our roster. The Knicks roster doesn't look very sexy either and they have reeled off 8 straight.

I will say that Davis Bertans might be your classic moneyball type role player. The guy is almost ALWAYS a positive in terms of both net rating and net on/off rating. He'd arguably be our 3rd best player if he were on the Wolves, which may sound crazy. But it's amazing how simply knowing your role and performing it to perfection can be such a difference maker. He averages something like .6 turnovers per game and absolutely cannot be given any space from outside the arc. That helps in so many ways in terms of spacing, floor balance, and limiting fast break points going the other way.

[FNG]

Q, great call on Bertans...yes he is the consummate role player. He doesn't rebound well for his size and he's not a great defender, but he is one of those guys who just makes his team better in the regular 20-25 minutes he gives them off the bench. He does two things exceptionally well...protect the ball, and score efficiently. You covered the first, and his eFG% is consistently around 60%. Very effective basketball player.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Bertans can shoot. He doesn't screw up much because he literally does nothing else on the court. He's a liability defensively. And he relies 100% on his teammates.

That being said... there's value in guys who know their roles. And do at least one thing well.

He's being paid $80M over 5 years for that. Is a specialized role player worth that? Might depend on the parts around him. Until recently, when Westbrook got closer to normal and helped garner more wins, most Wizards fans would have said no.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Washington Wizards... winners of 6 straight... and 8 out of 9.

Beal.
Westbrook.
Raul Neto.
Deni Avdija.
Alex Len.
Davis Bertans.
Daniel Gafford.
Ish Smith.
Isaac Bonga.
Robin Lopez.
Garrison Mathews.

Look at that lineup. Yuck! And yet... the Wolves haven't won two games in a row in months...

Very humbling for those of us that get enamored with aspects of our roster. The Knicks roster doesn't look very sexy either and they have reeled off 8 straight.

Think of it this way... would most Wolves fans want Towns + Russell or Beal + Westbrook?

Then... would most Wolves fans want Edwards, Beasley, Rubio, McDaniels, Reid, Okogie, Vanderbilt and Hernangomez or that poop platter of complementary players from the Wizards?

Many would opt for the Wolves in both cases, right? And yet... the Wolves stink only .5 game ahead of the worst team in the league that is trying to lose.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Bertans can shoot. He doesn't screw up much because he literally does nothing else on the court. He's a liability defensively. And he relies 100% on his teammates.

That being said... there's value in guys who know their roles. And do at least one thing well.

He's being paid $80M over 5 years for that. Is a specialized role player worth that? Might depend on the parts around him. Until recently, when Westbrook got closer to normal and helped garner more wins, most Wizards fans would have said no.

Bertrans definitely needs a couple of high usage ball handlers around him to thrive, but I'd consider him a massive upgrade over any of our existing PFs.