Rock and a Hard Place

[DanSchwartzgan]

I'm not sure Dorian can't play that role to replace Maxi.  The Wood/Dorian/Luka/Green combination has a 98 defensive rating and a net rating over +25 (on a fairly small sample).  I think the Wood/Luka/Green combo (99 defensive rating and net +26) will work well with any two of Maxi/Dorian/Timmy.  The Powell/Bullock/SD combination has worked well from the bench.  This team is not as bad as some folks are making it out to be.  If we can just get healthy and swap SD and Green in the lineups, we would be a dangerous team.  

Honestly I'm not sure we need to go for the big trade with a bunch of firsts.  I think we might be better off with smaller moves targeting youth and two way play.

I think Wood/Dorian/Luka/Green needs THJ’s spacing.  Likewise, I’m not sure it is ‘any two’ of Maxi/Dorian/Timmy who will make Wood/Luka Green work.  It is one of DFS/Maxi plus a shooter.  At least, that is my read of the numbers and observation from watching games.  I’ve said this before, but I’d probably make Maxi and DFS situational starters based on the matchup.

To your other point about being better than given credit for, there was a podcast that Karalla and Skin did a while back where they were talking about the defense in the early part of the season and how dominant we were.  So dominant, that we got big leads on good teams and got bored.  Since then it has been one injury issue after another.  The bad news is we’ve never come close to trying this theory out.  The good news is injuries have forced some of these guys…especially Wood and Josh…to grow their games from where they were to start the season. 

If you are right about the team being better than given credit for, then I probably disagree about making a trade.  Maybe we don’t need that star that requires 3 firsts, but if we are close and can add the right guy for two picks and Bertans, I’d want to do it.  I still like adding a 4/3 or 3/4 so that we aren’t so dependent on Maxi.  It isn’t the same list as I provided earlier.  But, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a top 25 guy either.