02-01-2021, 02:08 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2021, 02:10 PM by KillerLeft.)
(02-01-2021, 01:54 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: But KP as a rim protector/paint defender? He's in the upper echelon. KP had 29/57 games where he had 3 or more blocks. He only recorded 1 or less block 9 times last year. So 48 times he recorded 2 or more blocks.
Well, I just hope he can back to that at some point. This has definitely not been in line with my observations of him during this season. I might be letting recency bias creep in a bit though. I suppose it's possible that he's still simply in recovery mode a bit, and that he'll get better as he gets more confident.
(02-01-2021, 01:54 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: There is merit to this. I think it's as negative as a picture as you can paint of KP. But he does seem to look awkward out there. Off-balance is a good label. I don't think fluidity is inherent to being a top player at your position. I remember Yao Ming looking like he might topple over at any second but he still managed to be very effective.
See, I think Yao Ming was very fluid, when playing HIS GAME. He definitely couldn't have done some of the things KP tries to do, which is my point. KP seems to want to play like Dirk, not like Yao Ming. He ALMOST has some skills that translate to that role, but I very much believe that fluidity and balance are holding him back, and that MAYBE if he were 6'11" or 7' he'd be a little bit better. To play more like Yao Ming, he'd obviously need to get stronger.
I like @"Kammrath"'s notion that KP should lean a little harder into the physical side of his position and get into the paint more by rolling or cutting. I think his length is asset to him there, although a big part of the problem, imo, is that he's just not particularly good at setting screens. As it stands, the only useful application of his height/length is that he requires less space to get a good shot off the catch than most players. Less than ANY other catch and shoot guy, actually. This is insanely valuable, but not unless he makes defenders pay by sagging off of him. Bricking shots with 17 seconds on the clock so lets the defense off the hook.
Further, even though I believe that he's extremely valuable as a floor spacer (when playing well), I wonder whether that skillset, alone, is valuable enough to justify spending 30% of the cap on him. I would think he'd need to be more of the contributor you see on the defensive end OR be an option to INITIATE offense in some really efficient way. Both, ideally. I believe that the shooting will return, and that Carlisle will put the team in position to benefit from it. The other two...starting to worry.