blkexec wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

TPercy wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:C Lopez/O'Quinn/Serafin
PF KP/Serafin/DW/Amundson
SF MELO/DW/Thomas/Early
SG Affalo/LG/Sasha
PG Grant/Calderon/LG

This is pretty much what I would do. O Quinn is better as a center and should come off the bench for Lopezsince he is a reliable rim protector.

Agree with this.

O'Quinn is not that good at PF and above average at C.

I like the rim protection with Lopez / Oquinn and KP / Serafin.

But I don't like the offense...Think it could be too slow. No easy fast buckets. Harder to dig ourselves out of a hole, if we are down by a lot.....Fish is the key!

Serafin is also adept at blocking shots. I like him and O'Quinn in the 2nd unit. Initially I had KP coming off the bench to start but after watching him in summer league I feel he will win the starting job. Takes pressure off Melo and puts him in better position to be a team player. They can make plays for themselves and each other to counter the defense. Phil always had at least 2 playmaking scorers on the floor

gunsnewing wrote:O'Quinn, Serafin & DW are not making plays for Melo and vice versa. It would be much of the same one man show offense we've seen the last few years. KP changes everything if he pans out

I agree....But when you put KP in the starting lineup, it hurts our bench post scoring as well. Thats always a little tricky. But Seraphin is an underrated scorer....O'quinn can also score in half court. But KP and Melo are the only reliable bigs that can stretch the floor. That means the other bigs may crowd the paint, if you play them together.

nixluva wrote:KP6 looked more NBA ready than some of our guys who were coming back from last year. He would find some protection being in that SL with RoLo and Melo. His ability to move and catch and shoot would be a perfect fit in that group. He sets good screens and can score out of PnR/P situations. Of course he can also shoot the 3 which makes him uniquely qualified to be in the starting line up. KP6 makes the unit stronger on both ends.

I wouldn't be that worried about KP6 vs. Griffin. You can't hide the kid. He would turn Griffin into a jump shooter. KP6 could just back off of him and use his length and quickness. KP6 showed that he's a capable defender and with pro instruction he should get even better.

Griffin first step and explosiveness is too much for KP to handle right now. He can handle the OK4 or Zacks of the world. But the Kevin Durrants or Griffin types of bigs, with guard like first steps, would cause problems. I'm sure KP would figure it out, but initially it's a nightmare matchup.

blkexec wrote:

nixluva wrote:KP6 looked more NBA ready than some of our guys who were coming back from last year. He would find some protection being in that SL with RoLo and Melo. His ability to move and catch and shoot would be a perfect fit in that group. He sets good screens and can score out of PnR/P situations. Of course he can also shoot the 3 which makes him uniquely qualified to be in the starting line up. KP6 makes the unit stronger on both ends.

I wouldn't be that worried about KP6 vs. Griffin. You can't hide the kid. He would turn Griffin into a jump shooter. KP6 could just back off of him and use his length and quickness. KP6 showed that he's a capable defender and with pro instruction he should get even better.

Griffin first step and explosiveness is too much for KP to handle right now. He can handle the OK4 or Zacks of the world. But the Kevin Durrants or Griffin types of bigs, with guard like first steps, would cause problems. I'm sure KP would figure it out, but initially it's a nightmare matchup.

I agree but also.keep in mind that Porzingis is also a pretty quick athlete himself. If it comes to the worst, we insert him know the second unit.

blkexec wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I am hoping that

PG - Calderon
SG - Afflalo
SF - Derrick Williams
PF - Melo
C - Lopez

is the way it shakes out... Melo was so much better as a PF than a SF last year

He may not deserve it but I think DWill as a SF gives us size and speed. Melo as a PF gives us plenty of mis matches. Then you can bring in KP for DWill. And Grant for Calderon.

And I agree....Melo at PF doesn't have to use so much energy moving laterally, chaising SF around. DWill is younger and should have more youth energy for that. Melo is entering the end of his NBA career. He wants everything to be easy, which makes him injury free. At PF, the game is easy for him on offense. But as a SF or PF, his problems will be on defense.

TPercy wrote:

blkexec wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I am hoping that

PG - Calderon
SG - Afflalo
SF - Derrick Williams
PF - Melo
C - Lopez

is the way it shakes out... Melo was so much better as a PF than a SF last year

He may not deserve it but I think DWill as a SF gives us size and speed. Melo as a PF gives us plenty of mis matches. Then you can bring in KP for DWill. And Grant for Calderon.

And I agree....Melo at PF doesn't have to use so much energy moving laterally, chaising SF around. DWill is younger and should have more youth energy for that. Melo is entering the end of his NBA career. He wants everything to be easy, which makes him injury free. At PF, the game is easy for him on offense. But as a SF or PF, his problems will be on defense.

Williams is pretty slow..
Plus williams and Melo is too terrible of a defensive combo for me to watch.

Williams is a 3-4. Williams is more athletic than Oquinn but I think the way he plays the game his *pace* will help out more on unit 2. I think we can play with a faster tempo with Grant Williams KP and galloway on unit 2. This will give us spurts of being able to speed our game up which will help.

I see unit "1" as more deliberate. They will play a controlled game almost like the old C's Two bigger slower guards who have the veteran savvy to control pace(although it will have to be seen if this can last or even be effective with teams going smaller and faster)but it's my interpretation of our personnel. We would have an offensive post--Oquinn with Carmelo and Affalo with Calderon as the three ball guy and Lopez cleaning up and finding opportunistic baskets. You're going to need and promote scoring from Oquinn--he has ability and he can score 12-15 points--I think consistently if given 30 minutes and opportunity. If we get good scoring from Oquinn Affalo and Carmelo--play tighter D and have useful high energy contributions from unit 2 and then have some mix and match--thats the best that I can see.

All talk and grades are irrelevant we need to see the players on the court. There is going to be speed and pace deficiencies in unit 1 and potential scoring deficiencies on unit 2--we'll have to see some blended groups in game.

The east is going to be harder 1-15 we have more size and I think some more discipline which will help win us some games--its a step in the right direction. How much of a step is up for grabs.

TPercy wrote:

blkexec wrote:

nixluva wrote:KP6 looked more NBA ready than some of our guys who were coming back from last year. He would find some protection being in that SL with RoLo and Melo. His ability to move and catch and shoot would be a perfect fit in that group. He sets good screens and can score out of PnR/P situations. Of course he can also shoot the 3 which makes him uniquely qualified to be in the starting line up. KP6 makes the unit stronger on both ends.

I wouldn't be that worried about KP6 vs. Griffin. You can't hide the kid. He would turn Griffin into a jump shooter. KP6 could just back off of him and use his length and quickness. KP6 showed that he's a capable defender and with pro instruction he should get even better.

Griffin first step and explosiveness is too much for KP to handle right now. He can handle the OK4 or Zacks of the world. But the Kevin Durrants or Griffin types of bigs, with guard like first steps, would cause problems. I'm sure KP would figure it out, but initially it's a nightmare matchup.

I agree but also.keep in mind that Porzingis is also a pretty quick athlete himself. If it comes to the worst, we insert him know the second unit.

Besides we don't intend on defending on an island. It's gonna be about team defense. With KP and RoLo teams are gonna have a much harder time scoring around the basket. Phil said he wants to see the team use more pressure against opposing guards. More traps and to hedge them to the sidelines.

Phil - I'd like us to exert more pressure in the backcourt. Press, trap, push sideline. Make opposing guards work to get the ball across the timeline, something that will tire them out late in the game -- this is extremely important. And after being pressured hard for eight feet or so, it will also be difficult for guards to continue their dribble deep into the attack zone. Pressure defenses also require opposing bigs to come help their guards and subsequently make quick decisions far away from their comfort zones.

Cartman718 wrote:who are the people left to right and is that seraphin next to melo....looks short?

The return of Lin & Raymond James Felton