01-31-2023, 02:03 PM
(01-31-2023, 01:33 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: But one is an actual offensive creator with some "carrying a winning team for stretches" potential, depending on the beholder. I'm comfortable with the cost of that being a great role player.
I do not and will not agree that the problem is defense. The numbers don't matter, because all of the "good" offense this team has is iso ball. I want to follow a team that MOVES THE BALL. Maybe the problem here is offensive talent/skill, maybe it's that the coach is unqualified and they don't have a system, maybe it's just that Luka and Dinwiddie won't give up the ball. There are times when I feel I see evidence of all of those symptoms, so I'm not sure what the solution is. What I do know is that getting this team where it needs to be is not just a matter of improving the defense.
You know what makes players try harder on defense? Getting to touch the ball and feeling like they're important parts of a good team.
We have had the worst defense in the league since our top 3 defenders went out. It seems fairly clear that the biggest issue is lack of defensive talent. If ISO ball was causing defensive issues then why wasn't it last season? Brunson had a higher usage and lower assist rate than Dinwiddie. I don't think the guys who play defense for this team are getting any less attempts than last season (and to the degree they have its been more about sucking). I get the desire to see more ball movement on offense, but I'm not terribly excited about watching us lose 125 to 130 every night no matter how much the ball moves.
And if ball movement is your goal, I don't know why Sexton would be the target. He has a reputation for being selfish with the ball and is averaging less than 3 assets per game. For all the bitching about Dinwiddie, I'm surprised at the interest in getting guys just like him. At least D-Lo is actually better than Din.