nykshaknbake wrote:nixluva wrote:nykshaknbake wrote:I thought it was all Woodson's fault 
. The main problem with the Pacers was at C. Having better PG play will defeintly help us. But you can't toss away the youth we acquire if they don't turn into superstars in a year. You'll constantly be turning over the rotation if you do that. Shump and JR are going to be much better offensively and defensively than nay one we get with picks in the late 1st or 2nd round. It may or may not be enough but it's more wise to focus on the 1 and 5.
nixluva wrote:The only team that presented a huge problem at PF was the Pacers. Even then that wasn't really what killed us. The lack of ability to score from SG and PG were big issues with the exception of some good early playoff games from Felton we got almost NOTHING from out guard spots. You can't win in the playoffs if all you've got is ISO JR and Melo. You can pick up a body to bang and board, but how many mobile SG's have we been able to bring in that can be effective? We got by with KMart and if KT wasn't hurt he could bang. I can think of a lot of PF's that shake loose every year but 2 way SG's that can catch and shoot and defend well... that's not something teams let go of. We don't have to draft a PF to get a body in there. However, we won't be able to afford a quality SG or PG, so drafting is the way to go IMO.
My problem with Woodson is mainly in the Playoffs. That's an entirely separate issue from building the team back up this summer.
Regarding the PG spot, I have a thread that I started before this one which already focuses on the PG spot as I mentioned both guard spots could use an upgrade to our depth. Speedy breakdown PG that can drive and kick and hit from 3pt and in. There are several PG's like that in this draft.
I also feel we got killed at SG in the Playoffs. A SG that can move, catch and shoot and defend. Shump is still developing his game and isn't yet consistent. JR is streaky and isn't yet dependable in big situations like the playoffs. JR may never get better than he was this year. He's not a kid anymore.
As for the 5 spot it's hard to know who will be available when we pick and whether that kid will be "man enough" to really help us. I'm not totally averse to getting a 5 or 4, but I don't wanna waste a pick just to get someone TALL. There are loads of guards in this draft. Usually a scoring PG or SG can have an impact early if they're already proven shooters. We already would expect that they'd be quicker than the old guys we had to deal with this year. I'm not saying that we should limit our options just to the 2 SG's I posted. I just wanted to point out what KIND of SG we should be looking for. Who exactly that ends up being I could care less, as long as they're 6'6" or taller, can catch and shoot, run around screens and defend. I don't want to be left at the mercy of iffy shooters like JR and Shump. Love Shump but he's just not there yet. Won't hurt to have insurance at SG either.
My point is that a SG you pick late in the 1st round in a weak draft has an ooportunity cost of not drafting a PG or bigman prospect which are greater needs at this point. If we had infinte draft picks you could start a thread for all 15 roster spots. But we don't. This SG you are proposing we use our pick on probably won't beat out both or either JR or SHump. So you'll end up jettisoning them anyway. If you wanna get rid of JR and SHump and replace them with college kids then you'll end up playing musical chairs with the position for a decade getting rid of players and drafting new ones for the position because they aren't as good as Stephen Curry in a year. You don't want to depend on JR or SHump? Then dump them for someone you like. But this idea that a late pick is going to net you a stud shooter who moves well, is tall(6'6"!), a good defender is just stupid.
1st of all, This is not a WEAK draft. It's actually a deep draft. It's just not a top heavy draft. When there are no Superstars in a draft it always looks weak to some people. What you're looking for is players that can contribute and fill a role. You're not expecting a franchise player late in the draft.
As for me wanting to "jettison" JR or Shump, this pick isn't about that. WE'VE GOT SPOTS TO FILL. It's about adding quality depth in order to have better options. This year we could've used another option when we lost playoff games due to a lack of scoring from the guard spots. My hope is that Gruny adds at least one pick and then we should be able to pick up 2 NBA ready players. Many of these players come from good programs and have played more than 2 years of ball. Those guys usually come in and contribute.
As for my thinking that you can get a mobile pure SG with good size. I think there are in fact several players that fit that ideal in this draft. It's not stupid to think one of those guys could come in and contribute, because we're not talking about raw project players. You seem to think that only high draft picks can come in and contribute, which is not true. There are draft picks who are ready to go and those that will need years to develop.
I'm not talking about development projects. If a kid can defend in college. He'll likely still be able to do so in the NBA. If a kid is a high % shooter in college. He'll likely be a good shooter in the NBA. If a kid has a high BB IQ. He's not going to get dumber in the NBA. If he's 6'6" or taller and athletic. He's not gonna shrink and get slower.
No I think we really only have a few spots that are glaring for a specific role. Our PG's are too slow and limited and we really don't have a SG off the bench that can move and catch and shoot but also defend. I'm really thinking about depth more so than anything. We could've used a pure SG that could knock down a shot in the playoffs.