01-01-2021, 10:24 AM
(01-01-2021, 09:53 AM)Jason Terry Wrote: Way too early conclusions outside of the obvious Luka out of shape and KP out
1. How will DFS and THj fit with Luka and JRich? Time should reveal what needs to happen. Richardson does a bit of what both players bring, so it seems they just need time. Maybe one needs to be moved to the bench
It appears THJ and JRich are competing for opportunities (and that is without KP). What happens once KP returns? I posted that in the LAC game the difference between THJ in the game with JRich and THJ in the game w/o JRich was night and day.
2. Rebounding is a major issue. Why is Powell such a terrible rebounder?
This has always been an issue, but not this bad. (Powell's TR% is 35% below his career average through 4 games). In a lineup with KP and Luka the deficiency is hidden by Luka's superior rebounding. Luka's TR% is down 23% through 4 games, so Powell isn't alone in his poor rebounding relative to his history.
3. Can Maxi be anything more than a large 3 & D wing? He looks closer to a 3 than a 5 at this point. It doesn’t look like Maxi will be versatile enough to be a rim protector
I've been keeping a close eye on Powell and Maxi since it is a topic that gets so much ink around here. It is interesting to watch good post players stay out in space against Powell and then just abuse Maxi in the post. Maybe the scouting report says Maxi is REALLY good on the perimeter and you should stay away from him in PnR situations. Or, maybe the scouting report says he's not good in the post and you should send your big at him. I'm not saying Powell is any savant in the post, but I've noticed teams really going at Maxi down low much more than they do against Powell.
4. Can WCS be consistent? He has a golden opportunity to get minutes at the 5 if he could protect the paint. He has stretches where he looks great, then he turns around and looks slow footed on D and has questionable basketball IQ.
To me, this is the logical solution to our current (hopefully very temporary) center deficiency. His screens are a bit sloppy compared to Powell. I agree about the slow footed part. His effort is either electric or he drifts. He's either a 10 or a 4 on a 10 point scale and needs to find a motor setting closer to a consistent 8 if he's going to play starter minutes.
5. What can Johnson bring to the table? His ball handling skills look great and has helped with ball movement. What can he do defensively? Can we count on his 3pt shot? Is his contract better used as the foundation of a trade?
Probably the latter. Once KP returns either Johnson or WCS is going to be completely marginalized. It is pretty clear that he's here instead of Ariza. The swap, which cost us some minor draft capital was either to clear roster space for another prospect by sending out Jackson or to get a $16mm deal instead of a $12.8mm deal for matching purposes (or both)