Feeling Better About This Team

[Handlogten's Heros]

I feel so much better about this team right now... obviously health is the big thing but here is what has me excited:

- Donovan has bought in on defense, at least for now. It requires so much energy and effort but it has improved in a huge way. We at least know that gear and ability is there.
- The team seems to have moved past their moodiness a bit. It may just be a high before another lull but I'm glad it didn't go full toxic.
- We have some critical depth we truly lacked. House is playing better than the version I thought we'd get and I was high on him. It isn't just shooting, its defense and energy. Whiteside looks to be back and we have Udoka behind him pushing. If Gay can't get healthy or continues to shoot like **** I am confident in Paschall. Forrest/JB are playable and bring some different things. Hell even Hernangomez in a pinch is a real life NBA player.
- JC seems to be shifting from flame thrower to normal NBA player who can get hot but won't shoot you out of games.

We've got an okayish chance if we get great health luck. We are still a contender with a little "c". I think we are a sprained ankle or a pulled hamstring away from a conference finals. Winning requires luck. Phoenix avoided injury last playoff after the first round had pretty decent health. Got a limping Denver team in the second round. Milwaukee was a big toe away from being ousted by the Nets. In years past I felt we were two sprained ankles away... like in the Warriors year. We don't have as good a path to the finals but maybe the trauma we have endured will provide the learning the guys need. It is likely phoenix or GS could have an injury or two in their run... its not impossible.

Quin - for hells sake manage the **** out of Mike, Bogey, Donovan, and Rudy's minutes down the stretch. Let's make the uphill climb as healthy as possible.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I’m getting increasingly worried about Mike. They gotta reinstitute the no b2bs for him and find any opportunity to really rest him. We cannot have last year’s **** happen again.

The good news is I think we’re better prepared with the emergence of Forrest and JB. I think it would be good for everybody if we leaned on them a little bit for this purpose.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I’m getting increasingly worried about Mike. They gotta reinstitute the no b2bs for him and find any opportunity to really rest him. We cannot have last year’s **** happen again.

The good news is I think we’re better prepared with the emergence of Forrest and JB. I think it would be good for everybody if we leaned on them a little bit for this purpose.

1000% I love when they are like "hey we've got this great strategy to keep Mike healthy" and then it is working... and then they are like... "hey, he's healthy lets keep him out there".

Lean on Forrest and JB. Worst case I think we end as the 5th seed against Dallas, but I think we end 4th... if we don't have homecourt I'm not sure its the end of the world and if it is we weren't winning a title anyway.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'd like to see some games like this against teams who are both 1) Good and 2) Healthy.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Fandom is a rollercoaster.

At the end of last year I said the following things needed to happen in order to be true contenders: 1.Donovan needed to defend, 2. Gobert needed to be able to score over much smaller players, and 3. we needed at least one rotation quality perimeter defender.

1. Donovan is showing he can defend. I'm not optimistic this will keep up, but hopefully he'll bring it in the playoffs.
2. Gobert has tried some more offensive moves around the basket and it hasn't worked out super well. I'm not optimistic that will develop in time/ever. I do think it's probably not as important as I originally thought. He can certainly rebound over smaller players. We also have Whiteside and Dok that can score over smaller players.
3. We now have Forrest (who I think is really good), Paschall and House (who I think are adequate), and JB (Who has been pretty good, but hasn't played enough) as perimeter defenders vs last year. I'm not sure who gets playoff rotation minutes out of this group, but at least one of them will. This isn't exactly what I was hoping for, but might do.

We have a very small sample size this year against teams that are good and healthy when we were playing well and healthy. I was really looking forward to January and it ended up being an awful month. We should have some good litmus test type games after the all star break.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I'd like to see some games like this against teams who are both 1) Good and 2) Healthy.

It's been more about the general feel the last 7-8 games or so.

 

[The Thriller]

I'd like to see more load managing Mike, especially against these dumpster fires like Houston that we can win by double digits without playing him.

 

[Nate505]

House has been a bit of a revelation. Ok, that might be some hyperbole, but boy I did not expect this sort of production from any 10 day contract signing (yeah I know he has a full contract, and I'm happy he does, but that's how he started).

I also love the arrow thing he does after a 3. Like I really enjoy it.

 

[Nate505]

I'd like to see more load managing Mike, especially against these dumpster fires like Houston that we can win by double digits without playing him.

I still have the same gripe. Why were there starters out there in the 4th quarter past the 8 minute mark or so? The game was never in doubt. Give the other guys some time.

 

[LogGrad98]

House has been a bit of a revelation. Ok, that might be some hyperbole, but boy I did not expect this sort of production from any 10 day contract signing (yeah I know he has a full contract, and I'm happy he does, but that's how he started).

I also love the arrow thing he does after a 3. Like I really enjoy it.

It reminds me of Rudy's salute. I wish he had kept doing that.

 

[416Klawzz]

Don't wear your heart on your sleeve

 

[infection]

I still have the same gripe. Why were there starters out there in the 4th quarter past the 8 minute mark or so? The game was never in doubt.

Because there wasn’t a triple double watch.

Want the starters to get rest? Have them be close to a triple double in the third.

 

[Jingled]

My biggest concern is whether Mike can stay healthy throughout the playoffs. We can load manage during the season and keep his minutes down as much as possible but when we get to the playoffs and he goes from 28 minutes a game to 33-34 minutes a game, is his body going to hold up?

 

[LogGrad98]

Don't wear your heart on your sleeve

Yep, that would get your sleeve all bloody. Oh and you all dead, I guess.

 

[416Klawzz]

Yep, that would get your sleeve all bloody. Oh and you all dead, I guess.

The walking dead

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

My biggest concern is whether Mike can stay healthy throughout the playoffs. We can load manage during the season and keep his minutes down as much as possible but when we get to the playoffs and he goes from 28 minutes a game to 33-34 minutes a game, is his body going to hold up?

With the type of injuries he gets I think the load management is key during the regular season. I'd also consider keeping him in the 30 minute range during the playoffs... jumping from 28-33/34 is fine... its when you go 38+ I get worried. You can steal a couple minutes from the rotation in the playoffs.

I'd also consider giving him a week or two of straight rest. AS break helps, but I might hold him out a week after to get an extended break. The Lebron system if you will.

We get a little too concerned about playoff positioning... Quin needs to realize we are likely locked into 4/5 and honestly dropping to 6 ain't the end of the world either. Memphis is much better than Dallas, but I think GS is worse than Phoenix.

We can survive... Forrest/JB need some time to marinate anyway. Kill two birds with one stone here.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I also think Quin has loosened the reins on guys wanting to reach in and risk fouling. Its 100% eye test but gonna watch our forced turnover stats from here on out now that Rudy is involved.

Rudy at the rim is great with the funneling and bending the shot chart, but I always thought it gave us an advantage to also gamble a bit to get in passing lanes and swipe at the ball. I thought Forrest wasn't getting steals and stuff because he wasn't good at it.... but he's been much more disruptive... Donovan too.

Has anyone noticed a few less Euro fouls as well? Maybe that is a side effect of Joe being gone?

 

[candrew]

Jazz don't really have any results against top tier teams when healthy.

The win against GSW was encouraging (although they were missing Klay and Green) - the game in Phoenix the end of this month should tell us more.

The problem is compounded by the fact that it's more blatant than ever that no one gives a damn about the regular season anymore.

 

[NUMBERICA]

My biggest concern is whether Mike can stay healthy throughout the playoffs. We can load manage during the season and keep his minutes down as much as possible but when we get to the playoffs and he goes from 28 minutes a game to 33-34 minutes a game, is his body going to hold up?

The wear on his body up to that point is going to be an important part of that question, especially if he encounters any kind of leg or back injury anytime between now and then. The risk of both go down the less he plays.

The good news is the All-Star Break is coming up and he won't be participating this year and the playoffs don't have back-to-backs. And he hasn't had any hamstring issues that we know of... yet. That can change on a dime, though, especially with his history.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I also think Quin has loosened the reins on guys wanting to reach in and risk fouling. Its 100% eye test but gonna watch our forced turnover stats from here on out now that Rudy is involved.

Rudy at the rim is great with the funneling and bending the shot chart, but I always thought it gave us an advantage to also gamble a bit to get in passing lanes and swipe at the ball. I thought Forrest wasn't getting steals and stuff because he wasn't good at it.... but he's been much more disruptive... Donovan too.

Has anyone noticed a few less Euro fouls as well? Maybe that is a side effect of Joe being gone?

I've always wondered why a team with the greatest paint protector ever wouldn't maximize that by playing passing lines really aggressively (since Rudy can clean up if players don't succeed). The other benefit of that is it is more likely to make the opposing offense more skittish about their sets, this conservative scheme with matador perimeter defense allows the opposition to be comfortable.