knickscity wrote:If the team can hold opponents to low numbers, I can live with the low scoring. But the offense should increase some with the core playing the majority of minutes. I will admit the defense appears to be ahead of the offense, which isnt bad for right now.My only concern is whether the defense is actually good enough against opponents who are playing their normal cores as well.
The team culture will determine our defensive ability to a large extent, because that is what squeezes effort out of players formerly considered degenerates on D.
But we lack a crazy man down low like Noah or a Rodman, somebody whose hands get into the middle of every loose ball, who reads the lanes and steps in at the right time and takes charges and generally creates havoc.
We may not have someone of that caliber, but that makes an opportunity for somebody on the team to show leadership on D. Shump is good, but we need a big who is almost psycho in their defensive intensity and who fights for every board on both ends. Acy could inherit that role, but I don't see anyone else on this squad who fits that bill.
They drafted the Greek fella for that kind of stuff, so lets see how he works out in Westchester. I expect Phil to bring in a Rodman, Noah type who can play the triangle and passes well. Either that or he buys into paying Marc Gasol the big bucks, but he's not exactly a pogo stick.
