05-21-2024, 01:33 PM
(05-21-2024, 01:04 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: But THIS YEAR, the Washington addition for the Mavs worked basically from the jump, raising the team’s ceiling IMMEDIATELY, and the Siakim addition for Indiana might have been an even easier/better fit. Both of those teams are in the final four because they made those deals.
Is this just coincidence that both players fit like gloves so easily? Should we glean something about how similarly all teams play these days, as in there’s just less of a learning curve when going to a new team? Is the top level of the league just easier to break into these days than it used to be because of the increased roster turnover?
That's a great observation!
I think the key to PJ's success was that there was such a glaring need for improved defense that he only had to focus on one thing initially. For the most part, any scoring was a bonus and mostly valuable to keep defenses hones. But he prides himself as a complete player and he's upped his offense as the stakes have gotten higher.
Gaff came into a similar situation, but once Luke realized he had a reliable lob-buddy, that aspect really took off. But that was more about Luka/Kyrie setting him up than integrating a shooting skill. The dunkathon is a real threat for both 5's and helps freeze the defense whenever a Mav drives into the paint.