01-16-2025, 07:23 PM
(01-16-2025, 11:53 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: So, Marshall isn't really a "perimeter defender" if I understand your intended meaning clearly. He's a good defender, but not that type.
Basically, he's the polar opposite of DJJ. DJJ is an (very) undersized 4 on offense and can guard 1-3 with the best of them. Marshal is clearly a 3 on offense and a slightly undersized 4 on defense. It's why I keep suggesting he's likely to end up playing those 10 minutes behind PJW in a shortened rotation. Imo, not only is he able to guard forwards, it's his best defensive role. On ball, fighting through screens - that's not him. That's supposed to be Grimes.
For whatever reason, Grimes isn't really being asked to play that role as much as I think many of us anticipated. This is only speculative theory on my part, but this might give us a glimpse into why he has bounced around and was available more cheaply than we expected this past summer. Many of us remember the tenacious, high-minute defensive role he played in NY for Thibs that one year, but...what if that's not what he wants to do? What if Grimes fancies himself an offensive player and Thibs got sick of trying to convince him what his role should be and traded him? I mean, isn't all the excitement about him around here lately mostly due to his timely makes off the dribble and as a movement shooter? If we're pointing at guys who've made less of a DEFENSIVE impact than expected, I'd start with him, personally, though I'm nowhere near ready to move on from him. There's something there, I'm just not sure it's quite what we thought (yet).
Marshall is fine guarding small forwards, and guards that rely on strength and length rather than quickness. The ones that he finds difficult to guard are the water bugs.
Grimes didn't bounce around. He isn't CWood who hopped from team to team because he has issues. Grimes got injured and his performance dipped thus the trade. Same reason the Mavs had him, and not some "I-want-to-score" type of shenanigans.
And.. even if it's true Grimes is making it known he prefers a bigger role in offense, what's wrong with that? The guy is delivering. If Kidd is pigeon-holing Grimes to be a stopper with spot up shooting only, then that just confirms Kidd is an !diot. I have no problems with Kidd riding with Spencer as the main ball handler and facilitator, but clearly Spencer has the green light to score. So... Kidd wants shot creation on the hands of a streaky, most times awful inefficient PG and then wants Grimes to have the role of the stopper and "you-can-shoot-when-you're-open-no-need-to-dribble" kind of role. That's just not an optimal use for player capabilities.
And about the less-than-expected defensive impact, that may be true and Grimes might be capable of so much more on that end. BUT.. it's not like Grimes' B game in defense is anything less than Spencer's best defensive outings. Kidd has the right to be disappointed with a players performance knowing the player can do better, but limiting the player's minutes in favor of an inferior guy can cost the team games.