How do we D’Angelo Randle?

[AussieWolf3]

Jaden was great this year no question. But who faces the toughest defender and most doubles in the league? Ant does. Even Ju collapses the defense and creates open space. Jaden simply is not defended like these other guys. Just watch the games and see. He is also still too inconsistent night to night and gets in foul trouble still too much. We can't have these off nights where he doesn't show up.

Still I think he's a great player, but you're asking too much for him to now become an All Star / borderline All Star and win a championship being that "number 2" behind Ant. I think if defenses keyed on him and he's asked to do too much, then things go the other way too often.

I'm not asking him to do that. I'm asking the team to reprioritize the roles on this team and make him a big part of the offensive game plan and to have an entirely different role on defense.
The upside there is that you unlock his full potential and he can be a championship number two. More likely you find that he's extremely adept at this but you still need a shot creator, and perhaps by the trade deadline that opportunity opens up.

I'm sure in the end we just disagree with my assessment of Jaden, that's fine, but you seem to be consistently missing my entire point.

And it's funny you bring up his "inconsistency" and foul trouble.... Well what do you think being asked to be the primary point of attack defender sets him up to do? And again... The inconsistency, the dude has almost never been given opportunities on offense and yet has consistently forced the issue year after year and gotten better. Even this year, was he really the team's 3rd option on offense? I'd say no yet he still averaged, what 15 ppg?

I'm aware of the fact that Ant sees the hardest defense, that won't change. Jaden will still draw lesser defenders in the scenario I've described, and I've also given evidence for the fact that he should still handle that perfectly fine. What evidence have you put forth to support your claim?

Want more? Jaden's rim FG differential --- so the percentage that he alters the expected FG% on defense for shots at the rim--- was -10.7%. Wemby's was less than 9 this year; Rudy was less than 8 and Chet who was league best on volume was -15. This suggest that Jaden is capable of altering shots at the rim at the same level as some of the best in the league. He had a better block rate than every player on this list save for Chet. The only reason he isn't a low man defender more often is because he is also the team's best wing defender and Jaden is a selfless player. Imagine having a defensive weapon who is completely switchable, an extremely capable shot blocker, and has GREAT instincts and all his time and energy is wasted running through screen ---which he's really good at by the way.

On offense he has developed a legit bankable mid range shot that pretty much feels automatic at this point and it's basically unguardable at this point cause of his height, he finished at the rim with a 71.5% FG rate, and he one of the teams best interior playmakers.

I would bet real money right now that if given this opportunity he would at least make an all-star as soon as next year.

I don't think fans of this team realize how toxic the Rudy/Randle combination is for this team's offense. You can have one of them, but both of them is lethal

Let's say hypothetically we trade Ju for wing defender and Jaden pops into this 22-24 PPG scorer Robin to Ants Batman. I still think we're missing a punch to beat OKC and SA. I don't see it translating enough. Now if you fire Finch and get a coach in here that gets these guys to play up to their potential then maybe we got a shot Or I still see a bigger trade needed.

A small retool around the mostly same lot does almost nothing for me.

If nothing else changes then yes, you will still behind the top competition, I haven't said otherwise.

But I things we've talked this out enough. This will be an extremely important off-season for this team

[Wolvesfan21]

I'm not asking him to do that. I'm asking the team to reprioritize the roles on this team and make him a big part of the offensive game plan and to have an entirely different role on defense.
The upside there is that you unlock his full potential and he can be a championship number two. More likely you find that he's extremely adept at this but you still need a shot creator, and perhaps by the trade deadline that opportunity opens up.

I'm sure in the end we just disagree with my assessment of Jaden, that's fine, but you seem to be consistently missing my entire point.

And it's funny you bring up his "inconsistency" and foul trouble.... Well what do you think being asked to be the primary point of attack defender sets him up to do? And again... The inconsistency, the dude has almost never been given opportunities on offense and yet has consistently forced the issue year after year and gotten better. Even this year, was he really the team's 3rd option on offense? I'd say no yet he still averaged, what 15 ppg?

I'm aware of the fact that Ant sees the hardest defense, that won't change. Jaden will still draw lesser defenders in the scenario I've described, and I've also given evidence for the fact that he should still handle that perfectly fine. What evidence have you put forth to support your claim?

Want more? Jaden's rim FG differential --- so the percentage that he alters the expected FG% on defense for shots at the rim--- was -10.7%. Wemby's was less than 9 this year; Rudy was less than 8 and Chet who was league best on volume was -15. This suggest that Jaden is capable of altering shots at the rim at the same level as some of the best in the league. He had a better block rate than every player on this list save for Chet. The only reason he isn't a low man defender more often is because he is also the team's best wing defender and Jaden is a selfless player. Imagine having a defensive weapon who is completely switchable, an extremely capable shot blocker, and has GREAT instincts and all his time and energy is wasted running through screen ---which he's really good at by the way.

On offense he has developed a legit bankable mid range shot that pretty much feels automatic at this point and it's basically unguardable at this point cause of his height, he finished at the rim with a 71.5% FG rate, and he one of the teams best interior playmakers.

I would bet real money right now that if given this opportunity he would at least make an all-star as soon as next year.

I don't think fans of this team realize how toxic the Rudy/Randle combination is for this team's offense. You can have one of them, but both of them is lethal

Let's say hypothetically we trade Ju for wing defender and Jaden pops into this 22-24 PPG scorer Robin to Ants Batman. I still think we're missing a punch to beat OKC and SA. I don't see it translating enough. Now if you fire Finch and get a coach in here that gets these guys to play up to their potential then maybe we got a shot Or I still see a bigger trade needed.

A small retool around the mostly same lot does almost nothing for me.

If nothing else changes then yes, you will still behind the top competition, I haven't said otherwise.

But I things we've talked this out enough. This will be an extremely important off-season for this team

"Jaden simply is not defended like these other guys. Just watch the games and see. He is also still too inconsistent night to night and gets in foul trouble still too much. We can't have these off nights where he doesn't show up."

I wrote this this morning. A couple garbage time buckets doesn't cut it.

[AussieWolf3]

Let's say hypothetically we trade Ju for wing defender and Jaden pops into this 22-24 PPG scorer Robin to Ants Batman. I still think we're missing a punch to beat OKC and SA. I don't see it translating enough. Now if you fire Finch and get a coach in here that gets these guys to play up to their potential then maybe we got a shot Or I still see a bigger trade needed.

A small retool around the mostly same lot does almost nothing for me.

If nothing else changes then yes, you will still behind the top competition, I haven't said otherwise.

But I things we've talked this out enough. This will be an extremely important off-season for this team

"Jaden simply is not defended like these other guys. Just watch the games and see. He is also still too inconsistent night to night and gets in foul trouble still too much. We can't have these off nights where he doesn't show up."

I wrote this this morning. A couple garbage time buckets doesn't cut it.

Completely predictable to come in for a gotcha after this game, while still missing my entire point

[Wolvesfan21]

If nothing else changes then yes, you will still behind the top competition, I haven't said otherwise.

But I things we've talked this out enough. This will be an extremely important off-season for this team

"Jaden simply is not defended like these other guys. Just watch the games and see. He is also still too inconsistent night to night and gets in foul trouble still too much. We can't have these off nights where he doesn't show up."

I wrote this this morning. A couple garbage time buckets doesn't cut it.

Completely predictable to come in for a gotcha after this game, while still missing my entire point

Because he's not a offensive superstar. Nothing wrong with it, it's just not his game.

The good thing with him is he has continued to get better on offense while providing valuable defense most nights. I think we can expand his role a bit more next year, but not to what you're asking. Thats way too much imo.