TripleThreat wrote:fwk00 wrote:The meme that CP3 makes teammates "better" should be part of the new development staff's job description. Shouldn't every player be getting drilled in how to create better chemistry, better game-time decision-making, and so on? I mean if we don't trade for CP3, will we just forget about that stuff?
One thing that every other non baseball sports analytics department looks at in MLB is how teams use their bullpen. You could be a stat head on an NHL team and that Yankees bullpen offers a lot of insight into player value and raises questions about eye test versus analytics.
Billy Beane was one of the biggest proponents of intentionally churning closers. Find someone cheap who breaks out, then trade them once you assessed the beginning of their decline phase. This defied what some small market teams were doing at the time, which was closer by committee. Why is pitching in the 9th inning so much more valuable than the 7th inning? The short answer is it's not. A solid MLB starter might give you 30-35 starts in a season if he's healthy. How often are they that healthy? A combo like Jeff Nelson/Mike Stanton might give you 60 games each. It's taking a very good pitcher and using his value across more of your games. It's also easier to hide a pitchers limitations in the bullpen.
But one that bears out over time, no matter your team budget, it's better to have a defined closer versus not. The reason? There is a psychological/mental/emotional impact that happens when people understand their defined roles. It's easier for Jeff Nelson to do his job and to understand what he needs to do when he knows he's pitching the 8th inning and then Mariano Rivera is going to come in and close the game out. If you tried to have Nelson give a spot start one week, then close a few days later, then do a mop up job in a blowout, that starts to mess with a guy's head.
CP3 on the Knicks roster defines everyone's role. He's the primary ball handler. He decides who is getting what shots during the game. He's determine the offenses pace and plan of attack. He has been successful enough to hold everyone to his standard of play/professionalism. Functional teams are not a democracy. If Dennis Smith Jr is not moving off ball with effort and the right way to get the best floor spacing, CP3 will get in his face about it. You need someone on the court who is going to tell you what to do and actually understands what you need to do and has the resume to enforce it.
How CP3 can help this team is to force players to understand that they have a responsibility to have agency over their own careers and development. If you need to be a better long range shooter and you aren't getting all the help you need from your coaches, then go out and talk to retired players. Find and hire specialists in the offseason. Learn every possible training methodology for better shooting and see if one works for you. Look under every stone, use every resource, be a problem solver, be relentless. What you can't do is sit there and say "Well this excuse and that excuse is the reason why I can't get better"
Shared attrition bonds people. Tim Duncan might respect Popovich. He might even love him. But he's not going to trust him like he would Manu Ginobili. You are going to trust the guys who are out there fighting side by side with you. It's that trust that can compel a younger and less experienced player to step outside his comfort zone to fall in line towards a larger overall vision for a team.
I like your thinking and the rationale makes some sense. I think the difference is that CP3 minutes represent 1/5 of the minutes available at the PG spot. CP3 would not be relieving anyone based on this theory. And because the Knicks are rebuilding its hard to imagine that he'd both want to be here and could thrive here.
If I were imagining how it might play out, the next logical goal for *this* Knicks team will be to make the playoffs. Miracles can and do happen but that's very very unlikely. So let's say CP3 gets them to the playoffs and they predictably fall short. For the Knicks its progress. For CP3, its torture.
9/21/2020 5:23 PM