08-03-2020, 09:37 PM
https://theathletic.com/1971074/2020/08/...hy-its-ok/
[b]6.[/b] I’ve barely written about the players thus far because their sample sizes are even smaller than the 101 minutes the team overall has played. We know who most of them are. Here are snap judgments for each one.
[b]Luka Doncic:[/b] A freakin’ superstar who should probably take fewer 3s.
[b]Kristaps Porzingis:[/b] A freakin’ star who should probably take more 3s. Also, this is the most athletic he’s ever looked.
[b]Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry:[/b] So much of the team’s success since 2020 started came from Hardaway and Curry turning into reliable, consistent third options. That the two have combined to average just 18 points on 13-of-39 shooting is a huge reason for the two losses thus far. But you just continue riding with them and expect it to turn around. I’m sure it will.
[b]Dorian Finney-Smith:[/b] It’s important that Finney-Smith attacks closeouts. He’s been unlucky – and maybe trying to do a little too much at times, too.
[b]Maxi Kleber:[/b] Even though his pick-and-roll numbers are statistically great, you can very clearly see he doesn’t have the same effect as a Dwight Powell or even Willie Cauley-Stein.
[b]Trey Burke:[/b] He’s going to play some in the postseason.
[b]J.J. Barea:[/b] Is he going to play in the postseason?
[b]Delon Wright:[/b] I tried being optimistic. He makes some good basketball plays. Those plays still feel disconnected from the offense at large.
[b]Boban Marjanovic:[/b] He makes an oversized impact every time he’s in the game, but I’m hesitant to assume he would do that for 20 minutes every night no matter how good he looks when on the court for five minutes or so.
I have nothing of note to say for [b]Justin Jackson[/b] or [b]Antonius Cleveland[/b], really. I’m hardly surprised we haven’t seen [b]Michael Kidd-Gilchrist[/b].
[b]7.[/b] No matter how mad you are at the team’s late-game offense, it’s nice to have basketball back, isn’t it? As I said earlier, this team’s only going to make progress by continuing to move forwards. These types of games aren’t fun – but they are inevitable, and they will get better.
[b]6.[/b] I’ve barely written about the players thus far because their sample sizes are even smaller than the 101 minutes the team overall has played. We know who most of them are. Here are snap judgments for each one.
[b]Luka Doncic:[/b] A freakin’ superstar who should probably take fewer 3s.
[b]Kristaps Porzingis:[/b] A freakin’ star who should probably take more 3s. Also, this is the most athletic he’s ever looked.
[b]Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry:[/b] So much of the team’s success since 2020 started came from Hardaway and Curry turning into reliable, consistent third options. That the two have combined to average just 18 points on 13-of-39 shooting is a huge reason for the two losses thus far. But you just continue riding with them and expect it to turn around. I’m sure it will.
[b]Dorian Finney-Smith:[/b] It’s important that Finney-Smith attacks closeouts. He’s been unlucky – and maybe trying to do a little too much at times, too.
[b]Maxi Kleber:[/b] Even though his pick-and-roll numbers are statistically great, you can very clearly see he doesn’t have the same effect as a Dwight Powell or even Willie Cauley-Stein.
[b]Trey Burke:[/b] He’s going to play some in the postseason.
[b]J.J. Barea:[/b] Is he going to play in the postseason?
[b]Delon Wright:[/b] I tried being optimistic. He makes some good basketball plays. Those plays still feel disconnected from the offense at large.
[b]Boban Marjanovic:[/b] He makes an oversized impact every time he’s in the game, but I’m hesitant to assume he would do that for 20 minutes every night no matter how good he looks when on the court for five minutes or so.
I have nothing of note to say for [b]Justin Jackson[/b] or [b]Antonius Cleveland[/b], really. I’m hardly surprised we haven’t seen [b]Michael Kidd-Gilchrist[/b].
[b]7.[/b] No matter how mad you are at the team’s late-game offense, it’s nice to have basketball back, isn’t it? As I said earlier, this team’s only going to make progress by continuing to move forwards. These types of games aren’t fun – but they are inevitable, and they will get better.