If they were so easily interchangeable then it would happen more often than it does. The Lakers barely eeked by in their two championships this past decade. The Heat barely eeked by in their second one, then lost a year later. Golden State won in large part because of the players I mentioned as well as David Lee off the bench. When the game was on the line, those guys made the plays that saved it for their teams. Go back and watch it if you don't believe me. Barbosa was huge, and Livingston's height gave the Cavs' offense major problems. The way the league is now, it's about the entire team. There's very little margin for error.I couldn't disagree more. All those role players you mentioned are easily interchangeable with other role players. We both agree they play a vital role but it's the first two stars that are harder to find and are indispensable. And I strongly disagree about your league assessment. To me barring a major injury this is the most inevitable NBA finals matchup probably since the mid 1980's Celtics-Lakers matchups. Cleveland Golden State according the Vegas is almost a sure thing. Cavs 1-3 odds to make it and Warriors 1-5. I can't remember anything even remotely like that.
For example the Bulls of the 1990's.
Jordan and Pippen were the indispensables, while the role players changed. Horace Grant for the first 3 titles was replaced by Rodman.
Outside spot up shooters Paxson, Hodges for Steve Kerr in the later championships. Again I am not minimizing their importance. Every championship team needs them to succeed but you can find them and they are interchangeable.
That's all well and good except most of those one and done players are some of the worst players I've ever seen in my life. What's so special about Brandon Ingram exactly? He can barely even handle the rock. You can't possibly say anybody in the top five of this past year's draft is better than Hield let alone did more at any level. The things he showed in college don't just go away, and they aren't a fluke. He will drop forty sooner rather than later. No other young US backcourt player has his drive. Period.@ Coach Z. I agree about the 4 year college player. It used be that a player like that was valued due to maturity and all around a more polished prospect. But those days have been over for a long time. Now I agree with the ridiculous money that's out there a legitimate prospect gets in early in order to be able to cash in a lot sooner.
Go ahead and do that. I've yet to be wrong, and everybody who has insulted me has turned out to be.I keep a word file of similar claims. I will be glad to write it down and bring it up in some years.
Also nobody spoke about one and done, I specifically said 4-year players and there is a reason for that. Buddy Hield had the numbers as a soph and junior as well. Why didn't he enter the draft then? And please don't even go the way of wanting to win a Championship at Oklahoma. He would've been a second-rounder at best, and might've even not been drafted in those years. He is a guy who cannot pass. He is a guy who was just awful this year in a team where he could get the shots. He has very limited upside on both O and D. He can be a specialist or a role player. That';s it. Also using a comparison of Kahwi and Butler. They are raw players who teams took because of UPSIDE. Hield is the opposite, he is a finished product with limited upside. Also Kahwi was a 2-year player in NCAA.
Again, I don't think there is anything wrong or bad at being a role player or a specialist but then I am not the one calling him the next best player.
Not even remotely similar players. At absolute WORST he's Nick Young. That's his floor. His middle is Barbosa but with more of a killer instinct. He's already becoming one of the hardest to guard at his position.You should change your nick to R.C. Buford.
I am not looking for a fight or a dick measuring contest. He is a rich man's version of Jimmer...
I have written it down. Will come back at the end of the season with a post about it. Then next year. And next. If he is still playing significant minutes by then.
Of course, then it will be the fault of Kings organization or something... Right?
The battle of the overloaded wing situations. How they don't even play Beasley is beyond me.We play the Nuggets. Ah, another trip down memory lane courtesy of D'Alessandro and Michael Malone.
He's already becoming one of the hardest to guard at his position.
The battle of the overloaded wing situations. How they don't even play Beasley is beyond me.
Lol you crack me up. There's no such thing as the "eye test" in basketball. Either you have game or you don't. He's got it. In reality, you're the one making ridiculous and honestly disrespectful claims based on literally nothing. If you want to know why he's becoming one of the hardest in the league to guard at his position then pull up his game tape. He's got moves upon moves. And the idea that he can't finish inside or won't shoot over 40% from three is hilariously laughable.Based on what you make such a ridiculous statement? Eye-test (obviously subjective)?
He can't finish inside, he doesn't pass worth a shit. He has a decent jumper. He is not breaking 40% in either 2pt or 3pt shooting though. He is also a volume shooter for 20 minutes on the floor, so that is not an anomaly or a small sample issue. Please provide the reasons he is "becoming one of the hardest to guard at his position". And yeah, saying something like "He dropped 20 on Jimmy Butler is not a valid argument" or such...
I'd personally put him at the two since it's his natural position but his defense could be huge at the one. And lol yeah I mean you have to play them somewhere. Tyreke probably can't play the four haha but he can post up, as you know. It can't hurt to have his veteran presence either.Joerger even jested that he may play Evans and McLemore some minutes at the 4 during situational matchups. Galloway for us, is a third string PG. Nuggets have the overwhelming frontcourt advantage against us tonight.
I've been saying that about him and Jamal Murray ever since both players were drafted. They're placeholder players who think they're superstars. Malik Monk makes Murray look like Brian Scalabrine, and real standouts like Lucas were better than Harris imo. Both need to dominate the ball in order to score. It makes the Nuggets a mess, and it's a shame because Denver has a really good roster. Mudiay's physical gifts alone make him a guy with huge upside yet he gets so much disrespect and has been basically put into the worst position possible. Then they draft a physically gifted, talented guard like Beasley, and what do they do? Keep him in the D-League while Murray gets the keys to the kingdom for literally no reason whatsoever.
My one question now is can/will Joerger pair Skal or Papagiannis with WCS? Also, have you noticed how much more right Hield looks in a Kings uniform? It's like it was meant to be. Tyreke too imo but well you know that.
Wow that could be quite the stacked SL team! The only one I think compares is maybe Boston with their two big Euro prospects last year. I wonder if Milwaukee will include Thon to get him more experience? I mean he flat out destroyed expectations with his offensive development last season but I don't know.
And what are Sacramento's plans with all that free cap space they have? Is that franchise even having a plan for the future?