Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

smackeddog wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

I see Elfrid starting with Dotson to start, which is the right move. Ease RJ in slowly and revisit this at the break.

BigDaddyG wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

I see Elfrid starting with Dotson to start, which is the right move. Ease RJ in slowly and revisit this at the break.

Disagree that Elfrid starting over DSJ is the right move....I can see RJ coming off the bench, though.

knicks1248 wrote:I think DSJ is going to develop a reliable JUMPER

Looks like its getting there. If its a decision between Payton and Smith jr, it could come down to who put in more work over the summer on improving their shot, range. It would be great if they both panned out, and there was a way to bring them both back.

More than a few seasons we've gone in with a glut of PGs, and ending up needing every one of them due to injuries. They had DSJ playing SG in Dallas, at times, a little here as well. Smith might make a good backup SG, to play alongside Payton at times. Wouldn't mind seeing that experiment.

smackeddog wrote:

Uptown wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

I see Elfrid starting with Dotson to start, which is the right move. Ease RJ in slowly and revisit this at the break.

Disagree that Elfrid starting over DSJ is the right move....I can see RJ coming off the bench, though.

I think RJ would be best coming off the bench, as otherwise it's really difficult to make a starting 5 that works well together:

PG- DSj
SG- RJ
SF- Knox
PF- Randle
C- Mitch

I just don't think that works defensively or shooting wise, and has too many ball-dominant players. Replace RJ with Dotson or Ellington or Trier, and at least you have a reliable 3pt shooter in there. RJ can then come off the bench and play with Ellington, Trier, Portis- lots of 3 point spacing for him.

There's a serious log-jam at the 2....RJ, Dotson, Trier, Ellington, Frank? I get that we needed more shooting, but a shooter at the 3 (Bullock) would have been the ideal move. Ellington is a better shooter than Dot, so I wont be surprised if he gets the nod. Dot and Frank look like the odd-men out to me.

Uptown wrote:Our best bet is that DSJ is putting in work over the summer and returns next season with an improved jay. The question is, how much patients do we have for a 21 year old? In his 2 years, he is shooting 32% from 3. Can't expect him to jump to 40% in one year. But as long was we see constant improvement, as his career grows, we may have our pg of the future. At this point, he can already get into the paint at will, and he has shown in his brief stint here that he is a willing passer. If an athlete like him can add a consistent jumper, he can be dangerous.

Honestly we probably don't have a real shot at Morris and relying on Smith Jr is probably our most realistic option. But imo expecting both Barrett and Smith to both round out their games to become complete players, odds are low on that. And lack of balance will limit progress and start effecting confidence.

As Smith & Barrett will not only need to be able to knock down 3s consistently for spacing. But one of them will need to translate their game to being the *jump shooter first* especially with Randle in the mix. Of these 3 one of them will become a 3rd option and not have the ball in his hands as much meaning he will need to knock down that 3. Even the 2nd option will need to do the same if we want to reach a higher level.

smackeddog wrote:

Uptown wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

I see Elfrid starting with Dotson to start, which is the right move. Ease RJ in slowly and revisit this at the break.

Disagree that Elfrid starting over DSJ is the right move....I can see RJ coming off the bench, though.

I think RJ would be best coming off the bench, as otherwise it's really difficult to make a starting 5 that works well together:

PG- DSj
SG- RJ
SF- Knox
PF- Randle
C- Mitch

I just don't think that works defensively or shooting wise, and has too many ball-dominant players. Replace RJ with Dotson or Ellington or Trier, and at least you have a reliable 3pt shooter in there. RJ can then come off the bench and play with Ellington, Trier, Portis- lots of 3 point spacing for him:

PG- Ellington
SG- Trier
SF- RJ (really the PG)
PF- Iggy/ Portis
C- Portis/Taj

I honestly see RJ starting and Knox coming off the bench. Marcus Morris is probably the starting SF if he signs.

arkrud wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

Uptown wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Barrett is a point forward type who gets in the paint. Randle has point forward skills. Robinson occupies the paint. Backcourt needs to consist of high level shooters for balance.

Looking around the NBA the best bet in a shallow pool of options for this particular skill set who still has upside would be Monte Morris from Denver. He is a heady knock down jumper floor general type who would be absolute perfect fit. He is the perfect player for the makeup of the roster and core pieces moving forward.

The issue is, there is no real reason for Denver to outright give him up so he wouldn't be added through value meaning slight overpay. But IMO he is absolutely worth it to have him locked in. Would have to sacrifice Smith Jr to make it work though. I don't know if Denver would or would not value him due to the makeup of their team. If not he could be offered for something of value to in turn offer to Denver.

Morris shot 49%-41%-80% from the field and held a .151 WS48. His game and efficiency has translated nicely from college ball which he has put up the same level of efficiency all for 4 of college and his first 2 years of the NBA meaning his efficiency is legit. IMO he is that next Lowry and Dragic who go from backup roles to starting roles and become all star caliber guys.

Hindsight right now. Should have maybe targeted Brogdon instead of Payton and Bullock/Ellington as well. His game also fits exactly what we need at G right now. But Indy is also the better overall situation so would have been tough to beat them out.

I would of loved Brogdon or Pat Beverly, but I don't think they were realistic options. Maybe you can get away with RJ next to Ellington at PG- have RJ handling the PG duties.

I see Elfrid starting with Dotson to start, which is the right move. Ease RJ in slowly and revisit this at the break.

Disagree that Elfrid starting over DSJ is the right move....I can see RJ coming off the bench, though.

I have no problem starting DSJ if he earns it. It's just Elfrid is a known. I have no idea how DSJ is going to look coming into training camp.

That's why all roster projections before the end of the pre-season are baseless guessing.
We have a new team with a couple of exceptions.
And all this players coming back are in early development mode and so may be completely different material at new season start.
Huge amount of work for coaching stuff.
I am not sure we will get any roster consistency until All star break.
And this is fine as we need to know before the deadline what we want to keep and want we want to move.

I agree - and here is what is scary - is this year is probably going to look like last year in a lot of ways. We have to figure out who stays, and who can grow.

Do we have a playoff caliber PG?

Do Trier or Dotson belong in the league?

Does Knox get another contract?

Does Frank ever do anything, or is he released/dumped at some point.

Can Mitchell Robinson continue to do what he did last year, but sustain it over more games/minutes in the face of the opposing team gunning for him?

Can Julius Randle contribute to winning, or is he an empty stat eater on a bad team?

Is there anyone on this roster worth keeping beyond their current contracts?

And the sad thing, is these were a lot of questions we had last year.

The battle to start between Dennis Smith Jr and Elfrid Payton will be fun to watch. Why no mention of Payton, who is a triple double machine?

Jump shooting stats between Knox and The Braz will monitored carefully.

misterearl wrote:Did He Say Jump Shooting Point Guard?

The battle to start between Dennis Smith Jr and Elfrid Payton will be fun to watch. Why no mention of Payton, who is a triple double machine?

Jump shooting stats between Knox and The Braz will monitored carefully.

Its called balance.

Randle, Barrett, Robinson, Smith, Payton, Trier will need spacing to operate and have easier shots available for them. If opponents don't have to respect the threat of the 3 ball. Then Payton, Randle, Barrett, Smith, Robinson, Trier will have to operate out of a crowded paint aka more contested shots making them less effective and efficient at what they do best.

Remember when we had Marbury and decided to limit what he does best which was penetrate by acquiring players like Curry and Randolph and Lee that all operated out of the paint. Then got mad that Marbury wasn't a post entry pass catch and shoot PG.

Greek Freak just turned in an MVP season. After they acquired Brook Lopez and Mirotic and Illyasova to go with Middleton and Brogdon who all bomb 3s to surround Freak who isn't a strong shooter but elite at getting to the rim. Remember when they instead of Lopez had Monroe and Maker and Henson and lacked the spacing in the frontcourt....

Balance.