- Joined
- Sep 9, 2008
- Messages
- 26,096
- Likes
- 9,073
- Points
- 113
The draft certainly brings up some interesting debates on our roster going into FA.
Personally, (whether or not LMA is still here next year) I was looking for some of the uber-D guys at SG/backup SF/C. I would've liked (would STILL like) to see Oladipo here somehow, and then would've taken Franklin at 40 instead of Jarrett, along with a D center higher up (like Dieng or Adams) than Withey. Then flesh it out with a stretch 4 (Muscala is definitely one of my favorites) and shooters/scorers in the 2nd (like Wolters).
Instead, with McCollum and Crabbe (2 of the very best bombers in the draft) slipping to where we could get them (I thought McCollum would definitely go before KCP, and Crabbe seemed like a late-teens/early 20's pick), the team went with long-range shooting as their first priority. Which I can totally get behind. But the D question wasn't really addressed, other than with Withey, who seems like a poor man's 2004-era Joel Przybilla to me--useful, but not your Opening Night 35mpg starting C. It reminds me a bit of the Magic teams pre-Dwightmare (moreso than the Blazer teams around this time); surround a stud rebounder or two with bombers and live-by-the-3, die-by-the-3. But they didn't have anyone with Roy's ability to break down a D or iso up, just like I don't think we do right now (as the roster currently stands):
Lillard/Wes/Batum/LMA/(Leonard or Withey or Cap Space Center) with Leonard and CJ the first two off the bench.
So who's the stud rebounder? If we keep LMA, then he definitely has the ability/skill/body to be able to play a C in that system if he can harness LaMonster and forget about shooting 800 inefficient jumpers a year. I don't see him doing that, though. And if we blow the cap space on someone like Gortat/Asik/Jefferson/Millsap/McGee, can they work together? As much as I'm scared of tossing money Bynum's way, I'm intrigued at a possible lineup of:
Lillard/Wes/Batum/LMA (in the Gasol, High-Post role)/Bynum (in his L*ker role) with shooters off the bench in McCollum and Crabbe (and a high-post backup in Leonard and 15mpg defensive presence in Withey). If everything goes right, that could work. Not super-confident in that, though.
Reggie Evans might be useful to have.
Personally, (whether or not LMA is still here next year) I was looking for some of the uber-D guys at SG/backup SF/C. I would've liked (would STILL like) to see Oladipo here somehow, and then would've taken Franklin at 40 instead of Jarrett, along with a D center higher up (like Dieng or Adams) than Withey. Then flesh it out with a stretch 4 (Muscala is definitely one of my favorites) and shooters/scorers in the 2nd (like Wolters).
Instead, with McCollum and Crabbe (2 of the very best bombers in the draft) slipping to where we could get them (I thought McCollum would definitely go before KCP, and Crabbe seemed like a late-teens/early 20's pick), the team went with long-range shooting as their first priority. Which I can totally get behind. But the D question wasn't really addressed, other than with Withey, who seems like a poor man's 2004-era Joel Przybilla to me--useful, but not your Opening Night 35mpg starting C. It reminds me a bit of the Magic teams pre-Dwightmare (moreso than the Blazer teams around this time); surround a stud rebounder or two with bombers and live-by-the-3, die-by-the-3. But they didn't have anyone with Roy's ability to break down a D or iso up, just like I don't think we do right now (as the roster currently stands):
Lillard/Wes/Batum/LMA/(Leonard or Withey or Cap Space Center) with Leonard and CJ the first two off the bench.
So who's the stud rebounder? If we keep LMA, then he definitely has the ability/skill/body to be able to play a C in that system if he can harness LaMonster and forget about shooting 800 inefficient jumpers a year. I don't see him doing that, though. And if we blow the cap space on someone like Gortat/Asik/Jefferson/Millsap/McGee, can they work together? As much as I'm scared of tossing money Bynum's way, I'm intrigued at a possible lineup of:
Lillard/Wes/Batum/LMA (in the Gasol, High-Post role)/Bynum (in his L*ker role) with shooters off the bench in McCollum and Crabbe (and a high-post backup in Leonard and 15mpg defensive presence in Withey). If everything goes right, that could work. Not super-confident in that, though.
Reggie Evans might be useful to have.
