Targeting PF's

[bleedspeed]

Bojan Dubljevi? = Euro Love

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

For the love of God please do not get Josh Smith. He is an absolute brick layer on offense and just doesn't understand that he is a terrible jumpshooter. With no other real #1 offensive guy on the team, that would be a disaster. He is one of if not the worst contract in the league right now and it just started last year.

I agree... and disagree.

Josh Smith is not a bad player. In fact, he's a good player... especially IF he can be reached or at least put in the best situations to succeed. Detroit screwed up.

A couple years ago, Josh Smith was one of the 3 most effective players in the NBA within 10 feet of the hoop. He was among the bottom 3 outside 10 feet. Even though it was a contract year... he started shooting more shots outside that 10 feet area for some inexplicable reason.

Even more inexplicably, Detroit rewarded him for it with a 4 yr./$54M deal. They basically told him "Keep doing the dumb thing." Then they compounded it by putting him in positions on the court that made it even easier to shoot out there (playing him at SF).

IF somebody could get to Smith and convince him to use the 3 pointer as an occasional weapon and not a staple... he's a legit player. Remember, he was good enough to routinely be the best or 2nd best player on several playoff teams in Atlanta.

He knows and every coach who has ever coached him knows his weakness of taking bad jumpshots. There's no convincing him to stop taking jumpers. He's like Dwight and Beasley. They want to play the way that is fun to them, not the way they can be truly dominant. Dwight wanted to be a post up player when he was statistically the best big in the league on the PnR and was basically unstoppable. Smith is a very good scorer at the rim, but settles into jumpshooting way too much because it is more fun for him. He has such an athletic advantage to most 4's that settling for jumpers is just a bad basketball play for him at this point in his career. I would love to have him if I thought there were any chance to limit his jumpshooting to an offsetting level versus a primary option level, but I just don't see it happening at this stage in his career. He's a 10 year vet now. That habit is not going away especially on a team with no real number 1 scorer.

[Monster]

Bojan Dubljevi? = Euro Love

I like this! Print the T-shirts now I'll buy one!

[ace [enjin:6598567]]

Iman Shumpert and Iguodala were both in the conversation for best wing defender in the league before the end of their first season. Tons of other guys have shown All-Defense level ability and production in their first year. It's definitely not unprecedented.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Defense should be interesting this season. I still think Dieng should start for this very reason. He offers both shotblocking, good PnR defense, and defensive rebounding. Believe it or not, he was our best rebounder last season on a per minute basis - even better than Love. That being said, I would still play Young the majority of PF minutes. The rotation over the course of a half would look something like this.....

Pek/Dieng - 6 minutes
Dieng/Young - 5 minutes
Turiaf/Young - 5 minutes
Pek/Dieng - 4 minutes
Pek/Young - 4 minutes

This ensures that we always have shot blocking and rebounding in the lineup, except late in the 2nd or 4th quarters where I could envision pairing Pek and Young in crunch time.

I just feel like this puts everyone in a better position to succeed. Turiaf and Dieng are both good enough to deserve minutes in the rotation, but are best playing next to someone that can score a bit. Starting Young and bringing Dieng off the bench to play PF makes less since since a lot of teams tend to go big to start the 1st and 3rd quarters, then get smaller as the half progresses. Young had his best seasons with the Sixers as a super-sub off the bench. I'd like to see the same thing if he ends up with the Wolves.

(of course, this scenario assumes that Bennett is either traded or not good enough to crack the rotation)

[Monster]

Defense should be interesting this season. I still think Dieng should start for this very reason. He offers both shotblocking, good PnR defense, and defensive rebounding. Believe it or not, he was our best rebounder last season on a per minute basis - even better than Love. That being said, I would still play Young the majority of PF minutes. The rotation over the course of a half would look something like this.....

Pek/Dieng - 6 minutes
Dieng/Young - 5 minutes
Turiaf/Young - 5 minutes
Pek/Dieng - 4 minutes
Pek/Young - 4 minutes

This ensures that we always have shot blocking and rebounding in the lineup, except late in the 2nd or 4th quarters where I could envision pairing Pek and Young in crunch time.

I just feel like this puts everyone in a better position to succeed. Turiaf and Dieng are both good enough to deserve minutes in the rotation, but are best playing next to someone that can score a bit. Starting Young and bringing Dieng off the bench to play PF makes less since since a lot of teams tend to go big to start the 1st and 3rd quarters, then get smaller as the half progresses. Young had his best seasons with the Sixers as a super-sub off the bench. I'd like to see the same thing if he ends up with the Wolves.

(of course, this scenario assumes that Bennett is either traded or not good enough to crack the rotation)

Q I'm curious what would you be willing to give up to get Young?

[hawk55404 [enjin:11092974]]

Royce White?

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Defense should be interesting this season. I still think Dieng should start for this very reason. He offers both shotblocking, good PnR defense, and defensive rebounding. Believe it or not, he was our best rebounder last season on a per minute basis - even better than Love. That being said, I would still play Young the majority of PF minutes. The rotation over the course of a half would look something like this.....

Pek/Dieng - 6 minutes
Dieng/Young - 5 minutes
Turiaf/Young - 5 minutes
Pek/Dieng - 4 minutes
Pek/Young - 4 minutes

This ensures that we always have shot blocking and rebounding in the lineup, except late in the 2nd or 4th quarters where I could envision pairing Pek and Young in crunch time.

I just feel like this puts everyone in a better position to succeed. Turiaf and Dieng are both good enough to deserve minutes in the rotation, but are best playing next to someone that can score a bit. Starting Young and bringing Dieng off the bench to play PF makes less since since a lot of teams tend to go big to start the 1st and 3rd quarters, then get smaller as the half progresses. Young had his best seasons with the Sixers as a super-sub off the bench. I'd like to see the same thing if he ends up with the Wolves.

(of course, this scenario assumes that Bennett is either traded or not good enough to crack the rotation)

Q I'm curious what would you be willing to give up to get Young?

Probably Bennett, much to LST's chagrin. I have similar sentiments to Cam on Bennett, but I'm 80% certain he'll suck vs. 100% certain.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

"Probably Bennett, much to LST's chagrin. I have similar sentiments to Cam on Bennett, but I'm 80% certain he'll suck vs. 100% certain."

Thumbs up. Was starting to feel like I was all alone in that boat after reading posts on here and on Twitter.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Why is the site saying I'm banned?