Zach Lavine is pretty good - GDT

[60WinTim]

What channel is the game on?








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[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Fairly competitive game against a very good team that has hit its stride recently. We shouldn't feel too bad about this one.

- I'm really liking how LaVine is playing lately on defense. He's really starting to compete on that side much more than I can ever remember seeing in the past. The missed shots and turnovers were there tonight, but I'm not really worried about those things with him, as I'm pretty sure he'll keep getting better offensively. Playing good defense is far more important for him over the long run.

- With the continued trajectory of KAT and LaVine on offense, Wiggins is starting to take a less prominent role. The good news is he's become more efficient, presumably because he's not constantly the guy having to manufacture a difficult shot. His 3-point shot also seems to be coming around a bit, which is a very good sign, but we'll see if it's sustainable.

- Our bench....Ugh. What a train wreck. It's the same thing we've seen year after year. We manage to cobble together enough talent to put out a decent starting unit (well, not last year with all the injuries, but in most years), but our bench just gets demolished.

- Did Kemba Walker play the entire game? Boy, it sure felt like it.

Good take. The hornets are a fun team to watch. They share the ball and play modern nba basketball. Zeller may not do much stat wise, but he is a quality big to have. Fast, athletic and good team defender.

Yup, Zeller has quietly gotten better and better. Nothing sexy, but very solid.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

What channel is the game on?








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Channel (L)eight.

[Coolbreeze44]

The next time anyone wants to say Wig is a below average defender, you might want to check out this tape. He was matched up on Batum virtually all game long and it was no contest on either end of the floor. I realize he's not always this engaged, but his D was outstanding and Batum couldn't check him. And this is a guy a lot of you are willing to shell out big bucks for in free agency.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

The next time anyone wants to say Wig is a below average defender, you might want to check out this tape. He was matched up on Batum virtually all game long and it was no contest on either end of the floor. I realize he's not always this engaged, but his D was outstanding and Batum couldn't check him. And this is a guy a lot of you are willing to shell out big bucks for in free agency.

You realize just about everyone has said his man defense isn't the issue, right?

[Coolbreeze44]

The next time anyone wants to say Wig is a below average defender, you might want to check out this tape. He was matched up on Batum virtually all game long and it was no contest on either end of the floor. I realize he's not always this engaged, but his D was outstanding and Batum couldn't check him. And this is a guy a lot of you are willing to shell out big bucks for in free agency.

You realize just about everyone has said his man defense isn't the issue, right?

Yes, smart guy.

[Monster]

It's fun to see some vintage big Al. He sure brought it tonight.

Yes Q Lavine had some really good moments on D and he is overall just playing like a real basketball player overall. He isn't just confident he is relaxed and looks like he knows more what he should do. He still makes some mistakes but he really has seemed to turn the corner.

Wiggins was in there on a lot of plays. He may not have come down with some rebounds but I didn't see a lack of effort from him.

It's sad how much Inwould rather see Rudez out there than Payne. It sucks that Smith has an ingrown toenail. It would be nice to have kept the same guy around for a bit.

Good effort from a team playing so many young guys. I'm not gonna say the defense was good but I would say the offense and the bench let them down in this game. It felt like Bazz had non of his usual openings to score at one point and when he did the shots weren't there.

[bleedspeed]

Anyone else think Sam made to big of a deal about GSmith not being able to play and the training staff only letting him know an hour before tipoff? I think there might have been a much better way to handle that.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

It's fun to see some vintage big Al. He sure brought it tonight.

Yes Q Lavine had some really good moments on D and he is overall just playing like a real basketball player overall. He isn't just confident he is relaxed and looks like he knows more what he should do. He still makes some mistakes but he really has seemed to turn the corner.

Wiggins was in there on a lot of plays. He may not have come down with some rebounds but I didn't see a lack of effort from him.

It's sad how much Inwould rather see Rudez out there than Payne. It sucks that Smith has an ingrown toenail. It would be nice to have kept the same guy around for a bit.

Good effort from a team playing so many young guys. I'm not gonna say the defense was good but I would say the offense and the bench let them down in this game. It felt like Bazz had non of his usual openings to score at one point and when he did the shots weren't there.

It also goes to show that you can never have too many competent big men. Can anyone here remember the last time all of our bigs stayed healthy for the majority of the year?

I'm starting to re-think the idea of trading Gorgui, simply because the dude stays so damn healthy. While I'm not sure he's the long-term answer starting next to KAT, I feel like overpaying him on his second contract might be worth it, simply to make sure we have a halfway decent big man that is healthy most of the time. Even if he ends up 3rd on our big man depth chart, it's almost guaranteed that he will need to start some games for us at PF or C.

[60WinTim]

I have never thought the idea of trading G was a good one, but I have been on the fence about what his role should be. I have been impressed with how he has come on strong here at the end of the season with regular starting minutes alongside KAT.

But against smaller lineups, KAT and Dieng does not always work. We need a solid 3/4 guy that can be used to matchup with other team's smaller lineups at times. Bjelica could be that guy. Another guy that could have filled that role was Dante Cunningham. It's nice to see him doing well in New Orleans.