MAVS 120, HORNETS 96

[burekemde]

I hate to side track a topic in this thread that I have not been able to fully catch up on yet(Sabonis talk)...

I apologize if my main point in this comment has already been discussed...

It seems like a lot of posters are suggesting Sabonis is exactly what we need.  That might be the case.   What I am concerned about is the amount of assets needed to get him.   Seems like I have read the last few days of it costing a pretty penny.  I fear Sabonis isnt Modern NBA athletically/switchability.  He looked bad in the Bubble or last year in the Play In...one of those he looked really bad....not even close to All-Star material.   This isnt even taking into account his supposed questionable defense.  I dont care about a bunch of reg season stats being thrown at me.  Is he really the perfect fit for our offensive scheme to the point we flush a bunch of assets for him?   Is he Playoff Playable?

Again...sorry if this has already been discussed.

This is my take on the Luka style offense.

When he gets in the paint (being that number 1 guy to touch the ball), we all know he can get to the rim (if no double team) or he can kick it out to the shooters (in case of double team). Finally, if not double teamed, he has the option to pass to the roll player (Powell) attacking the rim for a dunk. All this tends to stall the offense, albeit effective to large extent. Not to Lukas fault, but because number 2 player receiving the ball usually doesn't know how to drive+pass. It always ends either with a shot (DFS, Maxi, THJ etc.), or a dunk attempt (Powell) or Luka finishing at the rim. Rarely, it ends at number 3 player, and almost never at number 4, 5 or back to some that already touched the ball.

For offensive ball movement, the two main skills are driving/penetration and passing, and you need both in my view, as some level of shooting as well. You need to keep the defense honest, thus you need to know how to drive and finish at the rim, as well as shoot. if not, you will not be able to move the ball, just stand outside and wait and be stationary and the defenses will not double you further. Then passing skills are also key, because if you drive and the defense collapses on you, you need to be able to find and pass to the next guy (number 3).

No other player on this team (DP, KP, WCS, Maxi included) has the ability to, after setting the screen, to make proper positioning around the paint and receive the pass from Luka (as the number 2 player), and then further from this position either attack the rim and penetrate, or drive and pass to the open player. Luka does miss this option. And he has the bbIQ to exploit it, in case a player as Sabonis would be around him.

Sabonis has all those skills. If he would set the screen to Luka, he would always be an easy outlet (2nd player). From there Sabonis can shoot, drive, penetrate, and if necessary and space enough either finish at the rim, or if defenses collapse, pass it out, to number 3 guy.

Thus, in my view, this would seriously increase the offensive flow. And this would increase the number of times the third player touches the ball, and would also make us a lot more versatile as offense.

Now also imagine JB in the same lineups being that third one to touch the ball (receiving the passes from Sabonis). He can also either shoot if open, or penetrate, and pass it out to number 4 (which could be Luka or Sabonis etc.). This offense would be hard to deal with and on completely different complexity level for defenses than the current one. 

Lukas and Sabonis game just match well on paper in my view. If it would work, in practice, I have no clue. But I think, based on their skillset, that they would make each other better. Which is NOT the case for Luka and KP.  Luka would thrive from those great screens he sets, and his assist numbers would increase a lot, because he would find Sabonis often around the paint, from where he would score better than he did in Indy with the space Luka could create from him. To me they appear to play the same style of offense, which could make them a real fit. Luka and KP, they play a very different style of offense. You need to create special schemes to make them both be effective.