blkexec wrote:(fwkoo) Development involves something along the lines of what Phil Jackson attempted to establish - bring in youth while you surround them with players who (in his words) Get after it.
That’s the problem with the development of this team, it’s the opposite. The players that get after it (deuce, grimes, IQ) are the yoots. The main vets are scorers. But when you have vets that “Get after it” and draft some young high pick players, they will improve and potentially become a 2 way player.
And sometimes during this (my pipe dream) 2 way player culture, which is aligned with thibs defensive mindset, we might strike gold and draft a young d.rose surrounded by vets that “Get after it” Verses playing around in the later 1st or 2nd rounds just to find solid roll players.
Yeah. That's a pretty fair assessment.
We do have some kids that leave it all on the floor but as an unknown KFTV commentator once opined, "When you are playing .500 ball AND your players are playing at their utmost, you have a talent issue." (I paraphrased this but...).
In other words, this particular roster (and its a big assumption) IS giving its all just to tread water. AND, as you note, there are no vets to tell these kids how to pace themselves, how to responsibly chill out between games, and so on. Living like a gym rat is not a life. Once these guys get a bag, things change.
Look at other teams that blow it up. Utah had Gobert AND Mitchell, competed hard, but at the end of the day *that* talent had peaked. Ainge didn't say, "let's see what happens in the off season". This is true of many teams.
Look at what we have. What can we possibly build around? And build with what? Picks in the teens?
My working theory and advocacy for years has been to identify teams that ARE contending for a ring, figure out what will help them win it all, and make that trade for better value than what you have. Randle, Fournier, Barrett can all add legitimate value to teams whose window of opportunity to win is closing. Listen to LeBron's cry for help. What about Embid? Phoenix? Hartenstein would look good in a Mavs uniform, no?
And Toronto could realize they're toast and have a reorg.
We have a handful of sand right now. IMO, shake it up - act decisively.
I have no idea why eternally waiting for Basketball Jones to show up is a plan.
