Shved

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Since the season is over at this point, I think he should be playing more as the primary ball handler on the second unit. Once thing I never understood with this second unit makeup is JJ is best when off the ball and Shved is best when on the ball and yet that dynamic didn't seem to be used very effectively this year. Last year, he and JJ averaged almost 8 assists combined a game which would have been huge to have off the bench this year. I always thought the whole benefit to Shved was that he gave us a second ball handler/distributor for the second unit while playing pretty good D at the 2. He can't shoot, but who on this team outside of Love and Martin can? I'd like to see Shved become the primary ball handler running the second team offense for the rest of the year or maybe even start and see what kind of defensive impact that has on the team. At the end of the day, he is a 25 year old, 2nd year player and it is kind of ridiculous to give up on a talent like him this early. If he could hit Euro 3's at such a good clip, he should at least be a decent mid-range 2 point shooter which can work very well in the pick and roll.

How is he supposed to get better if he hardly ever plays? I think Shved has been just as much a waste of talent development as Bazz and Dieng this year. He can't guard PG's defensively, but not many teams have a 2 that can make plays like he can. He is actually the highest ranked player on the team outside of the starting 5 according to 82games.com (highest, but still overall negative). To be honest, I would almost test him with the starters and move Martin to the bench just to see if playing with better players raises his level of play. It'd be an upgrade defensively to Martin and we could see what kind of impact Martin would have off the bench. I would shut down Bud for the rest of the year, start Shved and have Martin and Bazz be the wings coming off the bench. Love is carrying the starters offensively anyway, so why not bolster the bench scoring and give it a try? At this point, Flip needs to be in Adelman's ear to start getting him to make some minutes adjustments to see what we have going into the offseason. It makes no sense to keep running with the same rotation when you are out of the playoff hunt.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I agree with your first paragraph, khans...Shved needs big minutes at backup point guard the rest of the season so Flip can evaluate if we are set at backup point guard. I suspect that we might be, but we don't know for sure because Adelman preferred JJ to Shved at PG this year. JJ's injury forced Rick's hand, and I thought Alexey looked pretty good backing up Ricky last night, especially considering he hasn't played PG much this season. He shot too much for my taste, but the rest of his stat line was good...especially the 5 assists to just 1 turnover. Give him 15-20 minutes at PG the rest of the year to see if he is an option for us next year.

[Lipoli390]

I don't have much hope for Shved. He has been terrible all season and the last two- thirds of last season. And it's more than his horrible shooting. He over-dribbles, leaves his feet on dribble drives with no where to go and has failed to improve at all in any phase of his game. And keep in mind that Adelman gave him lots of playing time last season and at the beginning of this season.

Nevertheless, at this point in he season, I agree he should be getting major minutes consistently at PG with the second unit. We have nothing to lose playing him and we need to know once and for all what he can do.

[worldK]

Shved is a player we should look to get rid of this off season. Some think he can play backup pg and be better than barea at that and will make a difference. The truth is, he wont and he isnt a better option than jj.

We all got sick of watching jj ballhawking in the 2nd unit but shved hasnt shown that he knows how to run an nba offense. Yes, he played very well at the start of last season. He did that playing sg who shot well and was effective on his drives both scoring and dishing. Once, teams started scouting him, his game went downhill and never recovered.

He still jumps in the air without anywhere else to go, he is easy to read on what he will do on his drives, his jumpshot still looks funky and unbalanced. Yes he played pg for russia and is a star there, but keep on mind that barea plays pg for puerto rico and is a big star over there. Shved is just as much of a ball dominant shoot first player that barea is. Let him run the point and he will be a taller, a little less ball dominant but a poorer man version of jj.

Adelman gave him chances and stick with him for a long time, he has given up on him and rightfully so.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

This is the attitude that I don't get. This is only Shved's second season. If the league gave up on everyone that wasn't a good rotation player after 2 years in the league, half the role players in the league would be gone. It'd be one thing if he just didn't have the talent to play at this level, but he does so it is up to the organization to develop him. Playing overseas is essentially playing against the D league with a few guys that could make it in the NBA. I find it hard to write off a guy after 2 years. He can play decent D, makes plays with the ball and a few balance tweaks to his jump shot would make him a capable shooter. It makes no sense to give up on any player with talent on a team playing like this.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

World and Lip, I get the pessimism about Alexey...he hasn't done much the past two years to make us think he can be a good NBA player. My guarded optimism is due to two reasons:

1) His Olympic play 2 summers ago. Shved was one of the best players on a winning team. He played the role of traditional PG, unlike JJ, and got his teammates involved. His annoying habit of jumping without a plan (which I didn't notice in his extended minutes last game, BTW) was not part of his game. Shved circa 2012 has the potential to be a solid NBA point guard.

2) The Adelman factor. Alexey appears to have a sensitive nature...witness Rubio's attempt to get him to "change his face"...and I think the scowling old man on the bench isn't the type of coach he needs to thrive. Alexey has struggled in his transition to the US without very good language skills. Kirilenko tried to help him, but I think his departure didn't help. It has to be difficult to look over to the bench every time you make a typical rookie play, and see a guy who looked like he just sucked on a sour lemon. I think Alexey could dramatically pick up his play with a new, more supportive coach.

I'm far from sold on Alexey's potential, but I agree there is no real downside to giving him regular backup PG minutes the rest of the season.

[Coolbreeze44]

I have said, and still think Shved is the worst player in the league. I wouldn't give him any more minutes than necessary and he should not be a TWolve come next season. He's just terrible at just about everything. I feel for the poor team who gives him a shot next year.

[BloopOracle]

As Jim Peterson said last game there are a number of people around the NBA that still think Alexi has big time potential

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I have said, and still think Shved is the worst player in the league. I wouldn't give him any more minutes than necessary and he should not be a TWolve come next season. He's just terrible at just about everything. I feel for the poor team who gives him a shot next year.

I just got a call from Lou Amundson, cool, and he asked if you could give him a call.

[Coolbreeze44]

I have said, and still think Shved is the worst player in the league. I wouldn't give him any more minutes than necessary and he should not be a TWolve come next season. He's just terrible at just about everything. I feel for the poor team who gives him a shot next year.

I just got a call from Lou Amundson, cool, and he asked if you could give him a call.

Hahahaha