Minnesota Sports Forum

khans2k5 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:

BloopOracle wrote:With reports that the 76ers love Monk and that they were bummed they didn't get 2 picks so they could take him because 3 is too high, what if we make a deal and take Monk at 7 with them taking Jackson or Isaac for us.,,,do we have anything worthwhile to add to make it work?

If Ball drops for whatever reason I would give them Ricky and Monk for Ball and Covington. They get their backcourt to pair with Simmons and Embiid and we get a replacement PG who likes to move the balll and can score and get a role playing wing we need off the bench.

Covington is a solid player who is on a dirt cheap contract for the next year. I don't see why the Sixers do that deal to get Rubio when they are planning to play Simmons at PG and they have McConnel who is basically a lot like Rubio.

I don't believe Simmons can be immediately slotted in as good full-time PG and McConnell is not an NBA starting PG (he's also useless off the ball as a 20% 3pt shooter on less than 1 attempt per game). Simmons will be a rookie next year and everyone is already handing him the keys to everything before he does anything. What happens if he gets hurt again? What happens if his shooting is so bad teams just play way off him and the offense can't run efficiently? Ricky has shown more shooting chops than him at this point. Ricky meanwhile would be able to share the ball around between Monk, Embiid and Simmons and give that team a veteran they desperately need running the show. The best teams have multiple guys who can handle the ball. They don't just leave it in the hands of one guy (and a rookie at that) and say do everything.

McConnell is a backup PG just like Covington is a backup wing on a good team as a defender and rebounder. Covington has had no season with more than 10 games played and higher than 40% FG percentage and he's a below average 3pt shooter. He's a role player which is what we need off the bench. I don't get where all the Covington love comes from. He's an average player who is meant to come off the bench. The only great thing about him is he is on a steal of a contract, but that doesn't make you a good player. That just makes you a good value. I don't know how anyone can rationally say they're better off with a rookie PF running the point and a guy who shoots from behind the arc significantly worse than Ricky than having an experienced PG like Ricky running the point while still having Simmons adjust to the NBA game. Would you be comfortable if our offense was Ben Simmons create everything?

Q12543 wrote:Abe, If Andre Roberson can start on a playoff team, I'm pretty sure Covington can.

I really like RobCo. I don't know enough about the intricacies of NBA contracts to know whether we can obtain him and keep him around for a while, but I'd love to have him on our squad. He is a really good defender (much more than solid as you put it), really good rebounder, gets a ton of deflections, and decent 3-point shooter. He had a miserable start to shooting the 3-ball last season, but eventually came around. He's no Kyle Korver, but he's good enough that you can't use the "put Bogut on him like Tony Allen" strategy.

We need a legit SF that can defend the opposing team's #1 wing, rebound, and make the open 3 to start next to Wiggins. Add RobCo to the list of possibilities along with Tucker and Thabo.

Q12543 wrote:Abe, understood..... I didn't really go through the prior back and forth. Yes, once Khansy takes a position, he drives that stake deep into the ground, then pours cement around it.

How many teams have 5 starters that are all plus players for their position and considered above average starters?

Cleveland - JR Smith. Role player.
Golden State - Zaza. Role player.
Boston - Amir Johnson. Role player.
OKC - Andre Roberson. Role player. Damontis Sabonis. Rookie role player (!)
Milwaukee - Tony Snell. Role player.
Toronto - DeMarre Carroll. Role player.
Clippers - Luc Mbah a Moute. Role player.

I'd put Covington at or above Smith, Roberson, Snell, Carroll, and Mbah Moute as an all-around player.

Now if your stars aren't actually playing like stars (KAT and Wiggins), then of course Covington (or any of these other guys listed above) isn't going to be good enough to make up for their weakness.

Q12543 wrote:Abe, First of all, it's Philly. That's what people do here.

Second, Covington really was super duper cold to start last season. He legitimately had an extended stretch of being ice cold before eventually working his way back to respectability. None of that prevented him from doing the other things he does well defensively.

Third, Covington was often one of their top two or three scoring options. He was their 3rd leading scorer on the season in terms of PPG. There was pressure on him to score in an offense that sorely lacked shot creators and natural scorers.That's just not his strength.

He's not perfect by any stretch. If he was a 40% 3-point shooter, he'd command a massive salary given all the other things he does well.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:I don't see that Philly deal.

Covington is an average three point shooter ('17 was his first season below average). He has great length and is solid to good on defense. Is he a starter on a playoff team? Dunno. Maybe not. But he's making only $1.5M... on one of the league's very best deals.

Monk is almost the opposite. He looks better than Covington. But many believe his defense is going to be an issue in the NBA. As for Rubio and Ball... I think every team is taking Ball even with the uncertainty of a rookie and his annoying dad.

AND... then you have the Simmons thing. Is he a full-time PG? Maybe not. But passing is one of his best skills. Shooting is not. So with Rubio... the 76ers two primary ballhandlers would struggle to shoot.

I know Hinkie is gone. But Ball seems like the basketball analytics wet dream prospect.