At times KO felt like the MVP of the team with his playmaking. The Collins experience is going to be weird. Hopefully Lauri can really step forward and adopt some KO-isms so he can improve in that area.This is kind of the issue and why I can't quite get comfortable with the team as is. Collins, Lauri, Walker are all play finishers... JC is a bucket getter... so what guy provides what we MIGHT need as far as being a ball mover, floor spacer, perimeter defender. Its kind of why I'm not a huge fan of the Collins deal. On its surface its fine... if we had Mike and JC as the backcourt I can see it being pretty good because Mike can playmake, setup, and space off ball.
I think KO also helped with some of that. He is a turnover machine but a ball mover and much better passer than Collins. Our egalitarian offense could go sideways if the ball isn't moving in the direction of the best play finishers (Lauri/Kessler are the most efficient by a lot). Its why I'd love to get a guy like TJ McConnell to start until Key is ready... just feels like we need someone on the court who's primary motivation is to make sure the most important people are eating.
I'm trying to be patient though because the roster still likely has one more move at some point and maybe a couple by season's end. Sexton, JC, Collins, KO, THT are all guys I could see getting moved.
His year was super underrated. His defense sucks but its not Kanter bad... he fills in so many gaps (insert @Hearsky mom joke here) depending on what we need.At times KO felt like the MVP of the team with his playmaking. The Collins experience is going to be weird. Hopefully Lauri can really step forward and adopt some KO-isms so he can improve in that area.
The roster being non-sensical is evidence that another feel-it-out-then-maybe-tank-down-the-stretch strategy might be in play.This is kind of the issue and why I can't quite get comfortable with the team as is. Collins, Lauri, Walker are all play finishers... JC is a bucket getter... so what guy provides what we MIGHT need as far as being a ball mover, floor spacer, perimeter defender. Its kind of why I'm not a huge fan of the Collins deal. On its surface its fine... if we had Mike and JC as the backcourt I can see it being pretty good because Mike can playmake, setup, and space off ball.
I think KO also helped with some of that. He is a turnover machine but a ball mover and much better passer than Collins. Our egalitarian offense could go sideways if the ball isn't moving in the direction of the best play finishers (Lauri/Kessler are the most efficient by a lot). Its why I'd love to get a guy like TJ McConnell to start until Key is ready... just feels like we need someone on the court who's primary motivation is to make sure the most important people are eating.
I'm trying to be patient though because the roster still likely has one more move at some point and maybe a couple by season's end. Sexton, JC, Collins, KO, THT are all guys I could see getting moved.
Draft Whitmore and Key. Use #28 on basically anything else (a different player [Leonard Miller - who I was unsure of at 16 but would’ve been thrilled to have at 28] or a trade). Throw the sink at Reaves, if it doesn’t work then just rent Wood or Oubre on a 1+1 (team option).Man... using complete hindsight to redo the 2023 offseason for us... I'd much rather have given Bruce Brown the money Indy did than trade for John Collins... would just waive Rudy Gay. I think Collins is talented just not a great fit for us as currently constituted.
This feels right but I kind of hate the approach. For the opportunities he has taken to yield something they will need to be maximized. I can't see how Collins role is WAY better here (as of right now) and the weird logjam of combo guards (which could be complicated with a Herro acquisition) isn't ideal for increasing their trade value or maybe stumbling on something that becomes awesome.The roster being non-sensical is evidence that another feel-it-out-then-maybe-tank-down-the-stretch strategy might be in play.
It looks to me like Ainge was just opportunistic and is being patient until opportunism actually yields a roster-construction that makes sense.
I am bracing myself for getting flamed after some big games and crazy dunks from Collins but I still basically hate the move, at least in the broader context of the draft and Paul Reed nonsense.This feels right but I kind of hate the approach. For the opportunities he has taken to yield something they will need to be maximized. I can't see how Collins role is WAY better here (as of right now) and the weird logjam of combo guards (which could be complicated with a Herro acquisition) isn't ideal for increasing their trade value or maybe stumbling on something that becomes awesome.
Complete hindsight... but I would rather have gotten Brown and had a roster that made more sense and assets you aren't as tied into if they don't work out.
Really good post. Dont disagree with any of the pro/con stuff.Sexton
- Pros
- Most efficient scorer
- Decent wide open C&S option
- Tries on D, good against other small guard options in 1-on-1 situations
- Best in open court situations
- Excellent floater
- Great FTR
- Cons
- Bad team defender
- Lacks size
- Good shooter, but slow release means he has to be wide open
- Tunnel Vision
- Poor passing accuracy
- Poor rebounder
THT
Dunn
- Pros
- Defensive playmaking
- Most talented passer, especially on lobs
- Best at getting to rim
- High switchability on defense
- Exciting/Momentum shifting plays
- 22 years old
- Fun
- Cons
- Erratic
- Poor Finisher
- Poor shooter
- Not as good defending PG's with heavy screening actions
- Despite being most talented passer, he does get tunnel vision
Clarkson
- Pros
- Safe offensively, doesnt do too much outside his comfort areas
- Excellent floater
- Best overall defender
- Short term deal makes him easy to replace w/ Keyonte moving forward
- Cons
- Older
- Reluctant shooter
- Poor FTR
- Least future potential
Keyonte
- Pros
- Most experienced player
- Highest ceiling of current potential
- Not the most efficient shooter, but provides the best spacing because of his quick trigger and respect level
- Showed improved playmaking last season, could be in for another leap if given opportunity
- Vibes
- Allows Ochai to start at the 2 (assuming if you start anyone else, Clarkson has to start at the other guard spot)
- Cons
- Tunnel Vision
- Erratic shots
- Inconsistent shooter
- Poor defender
- Pros
- Seemingly has most future potential and will likely be the future starting PG
- Most talented shooter
- Cons
- Is a rookie
- Thin frame will make it tough on him defensively starting out
More and more I'm thinking Clarkson will just start because none of the other options are clearly superior and the emphasis will be on getting Ochai minutes as the starter.
I'm still very much in on Tay Henny so draft wise I wouldn't change much. Whitmore showed he was good in summer league but I'm not sure he proved any of the things he needed to prove to be a good functional winning player. I have bad feeling about how that all works out for Houston and him... I won't blame them because there is clearly stuff between medicals and personality stuff.Draft Whitmore and Key. Use #28 on basically anything else (a different player [Leonard Miller - who I was unsure of at 16 but would’ve been thrilled to have at 28] or a trade). Throw the sink at Reaves, if it doesn’t work then just rent Wood or Oubre on a 1+1 (team option).
Offseason has kinda sucked tbh.
Basically this... I think I would be opportunistic in a way that helped the roster take some shape rather than "just acquire talent" type of way. I don't think it will be catastrophic and I think there are ways out of it... and a chance it works out quite well. I just think a little more weight needs to be put on basketball fit than talent. Talent doesn't smooth over everything and if the fit is wonky it could hurt several "assets". It just seems we need consolidation and are more into collection and retention.Your assessment that there actually is no plan and Ainge is just opportunistic is looking very prescient right now.
You think this is hindsight?Man... using complete hindsight to redo the 2023 offseason for us... I'd much rather have given Bruce Brown the money Indy did than trade for John Collins... would just waive Rudy Gay. I think Collins is talented just not a great fit for us as currently constituted.
I recognize that I don’t have any power over what happens and over the past few years, especially with the draft, I’ve tried to be more blasé, so I guess I’m just kinda hoping we get some positive with Collins or he can be used as a chip for something somewhere, but if we could still choose not doing that move, I wouldn’t do that move.I am bracing myself for getting flamed after some big games and crazy dunks from Collins but I still basically hate the move, at least in the broader context of the draft and Paul Reed nonsense.
Doesn’t feel like the org is serious about winning, just that the market was all big forwards so they just approached it with a BPA (most talented) mentality.
Your assessment that there actually is no plan and Ainge is just opportunistic is looking very prescient right now.