If they can contribute on D they will be major assets

If our team were able to get a person with a KG or Sheed mentality who both knows defense and communicates it would be a big plus

Might Be too optimistic to expect such from Noah but I'll hold out hope

Chandler wrote:Willy and kuz both seem more than willing to put the work in to improve

If they can contribute on D they will be major assets

If our team were able to get a person with a KG or Sheed mentality who both knows defense and communicates it would be a big plus

Might Be too optimistic to expect such from Noah but I'll hold out hope

Noah is supposed to be that guy. We just hasn't seen that. Not even a little bit.

EnySpree wrote:It's that european thing. They just are missing a basketball chromosome. Kuz looks like a 20pt scorer but then he'll throw a pass into the 5th row or get caught spinning around on defense.... crazy. He's legit though. Would love for him to stick around. He's valuable to a teams routine.

Its basically 2 things...
First in Europe you grow up playing various zone defences.
The zones... 2-1-2, 2-3, 1-3-1 etc are really the basic thing you teach the kids here. This however is done to a great perfection I think. The shifting as a team on D is amazing on well coached teams even in lower leagues. Which btw kinda matches the offensive game plans teams use... with a lot less reliance on the ability to beat your guy 1-on-1 but finding the way to the basket via cuts and passes rather.
Based on this the tenacity to stay with your guy is often times not there to the same degree as in the US.

Second... I think especially on NBA level we have to talk about athletic abilities of the players. For guys like Kuz and Willy its the first time in their careers that they have to defend this kind of dynamic players on an everyday basis... I do think both have the tools to adjust and become useful one-on-one defenders though.

I do have to give Kudos to Phil & the FO for finding him and getting him.

Begrudgingly, I'm sure the triangle plays some part in getting him to come/be successful.

I don't think we can afford to throw cheap young talent away like that. Especially when we have expensive old (no talent) players taking up space.

Logic suggest that we try to get rid of old, expensive, no talent players......and keep the young, cheap, talent. I don't make millions, and don't have GM experience, but it seems logical to me (1+1=2). Hopefully phil has the same elementary school logic as well, when trying to build up a championship team, by creating a solid young foundation.

I'm not sure I want to trade KOQ.....He's basically giving us what Noah was suppose to give us, but a healthy version at a lower cost.

I understand using a young promising player plus Noah (for example), to unload an unwanted contract. But with the cap increasing, I'm not sure that strategy works anymore. Plus it's not like Noah doesn't want to be here or is a cancer, like Rose and Melo can turn out to be. These guys seems to have the hardest adjustment to the triangle. Phil needs to decide on who he's going to keep.

I say keep one selfish scorer (Melo or Rose)....And build around your potential young stars!