Too Many Question Marks

[Handlogten's Heros]

Have been thinking through this a little and I think we have too many question marks going into this offseason. I think it leads us to a very safe "comfort zone" type of offseason. It eventually leads us to acquiring Favors as a safety blanket and pretty much running it back. I think we can find a way to dump Ed and TB's money pretty easily, so we can avoid tax implications.

Last offseason we went full project mode... and I support that type of thing but the coach actually has to try the guys to see what we have. The only projects he really tried were TB and Mudiay... so we really don't know what we have in Oni, Brantley, Morgan (maybe we know a little there)... so we likely keep them all around and maybe try them this year, but that means we aren't bringing in any other projects. So guys like Shaq Harrison who are less proven but might present a bigger value might be too risky to pursue and we don't have the cap assets to pay a more proven player... and we end up with veteran minimum guys that are likely washed up.

I wish Quin would have committed to giving us a look at one or two of these guys. Loved that Billy Donovan gave guys like Dort and Bazley run during the season and they actually helped in the playoffs a bit. Giving Mudiay any time in the bubble was just dumb... give all that time to Oni and see if there is anything there. If they suck bad enough you move on.

This is half on the coach half on the front office. We gave Quin too many projects and he was unwilling to try them. Now we go into this offseason with very little certainty other than knowing about our top 7 guys and that TB isn't really a reliable backup at this point (I mean they should have known that and kind of did based on their actions).

Good luck DL and Zanik... you got a tough job ahead of you.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Like we probably go after Courtney Lee with a minimum deal rather than going for a guy like Shaq or someone that might be a bit of a diamond in the rough.

 

[416Klawzz]

DL and JZ will find a way to screw the team up even more.

 

[l Abach l]

DL and JZ will find a way to screw the team up even more.

Pretty insane how many assets / expiring deals they had a few years ago just to lock themselves up for 2-3 years of aging over the 30 hump above average nba players.

You have a few chances like this where you had Rudy on a non-max deal and Donny on his rookie deal and they managed to f it up. I think it's up there with how the Sixers screwed the pooch. DL: "I have an idea... why don't we go OLD, SHORT, and UNATHLETIC!!!" What a moron.

 

[jom2003]

I mean to qualify as a project the guy needs at least to be either a first round talent or early second rounder in a deep draft. It's either that or this player needs to have some tools and raw talents which provides the foundation/starting point for our development team to work on. (Niang, for example, is a player without tools so doesn't matter if he is 27 or 17 he is not a "project") The fact of a player being young doesn't automatically make him a "project".

 

[LoPo]

I mean to qualify as a project the guy needs at least to be either a first round talent or early second rounder in a deep draft. And that player needs to have the tools and raw talents which the development team could work on. (Niang, for example, is a player without tools so doesn't matter if he is 27 or 17 he is not a "project") The fact of a player being young doesn't automatically make him a "project".

All depends on the circumstances. Brandon Ingram was a talent hidden by the dumpster fire that was the Lakers. Julius Randle excelled in NOLA when there was some sort of system. Jordan Clarkson shined for us after wasting away in LA and Cle. Jerami Grant is shining in Denver.

Sometimes, there are young players who desperately need a change of scenery.

 

[infection]

I get the sneaking suspicion that we’ll get less “u think u know better than GMs lol” posts this year.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I get the sneaking suspicion that we’ll get less “u think u know better than GMs lol” posts this year.

Maybe... hopefully less of the "he must suck in practice" and "the coach always plays teh best guis lolz" too.

Niang and TB were guys that were going to be tough to play in the playoffs (especially together). Brantley and Oni might have sucked but we don't know... Morgan wasn't a world beater but his playoff on/off splits were incredible.

The good news is we still don't know what we have... so management can use that as our "additions" for the year if they strike out. NWG era about to begin!

 

[jom2003]

I get the sneaking suspicion that we’ll get less “u think u know better than GMs lol” posts this year.

Well after seeing how the Conley trade unfold, what do you really expect?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I mean to qualify as a project the guy needs at least to be either a first round talent or early second rounder in a deep draft. It's either that or this player needs to have some tools and raw talents which provides the foundation/starting point for our development team to work on. (Niang, for example, is a player without tools so doesn't matter if he is 27 or 17 he is not a "project") The fact of a player being young doesn't automatically make him a "project".

You have a weirdly specific definition of a project. There are different types obviously. Niang is a fine roster filler break in case of emergency guy. He does some good things. I do get your point with some of our projects like the 5-6 year pathway to developing Bradley into a average backup center or keeping NWG on the roster because... I don't know... we should have waived him midseason. the other projects make sense... but only if you give them some PT.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Well after seeing how the Conley trade unfold, what do you really expect?

I think he expects less of those "gms always know best" comments.

 

[jom2003]

Maybe... hopefully less of the "he must suck in practice" and "the coach always plays teh best guis lolz" too.

Niang and TB were guys that were going to be tough to play in the playoffs (especially together). Brantley and Oni might have sucked but we don't know... Morgan wasn't a world beater but his playoff on/off splits were incredible.

The good news is we still don't know what we have... so management can use that as our "additions" for the year if they strike out. NWG era about to begin!

We need more actual projects, the ones like Denver's OPJ and Bol Bol whom their development team will be ecstatic about. Not guys who everyone know that won't be anything more than your end of bench scrubs.