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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 29, 2017 18:42:15 GMT -5
This is all contingent upon all our veteran players stepping up their games and really jelling well together (Kyrie, Hayward, Horford ,Smart, Morris, Baynes), but I wouldn't count us out of beating CLE and meeting the Warriors in the Finals THIS year. For that to happen, 5 major things need to take place:
- Jaylen Brown becomes a legit starting caliber player who can start on any championship caliber team. This means, he's able to defend at an elite level, and contribute as an efficient complementary scorer (fastbreaks, backdoor cuts, kickout 3's).
- Semi Ojeleye is a defensive stopper off the bench. Takes on the role vacated by Jae Crowder. We need a versatile defender who can hold his own against bigs, as well as stay in front of smaller players.
- Jayson Tatum doesn't play like a rookie, but provides solid offensive contribution and rebounding off the bench.
- Terry Rozier becomes a rock solid, reliable sparkplug scorer and a pesky defender.
- Yabusele takes Kelly Olynyk's role as perimeter shooting big man -- but unlike KO, plays physical and crashes the boards.
If these 5 young ones can do what we need them to do, we're serious contenders.
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Post by afceltic on Aug 30, 2017 2:57:40 GMT -5
I can't wait to eliminate LeFlop and his Cavs team this year and force him to leave that joke of an organization for the second time.
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Post by jhvos7979 on Aug 30, 2017 8:39:04 GMT -5
Tatum/Brown will be the keys that drive this roster to the next level. Yes, Hayward/Irving will be the stars putting up the points but, those 2 young bucks will need to be solid starters in order for this team to compete at the same level as the other elite teams.
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Post by Roadrunner on Aug 30, 2017 22:36:39 GMT -5
Quick math...28+15+15+10 = 68. That is the scoring lost from last year. 25+20 = 45. That is the scoring gained this year. Who steps up?
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Post by freshnthehouse on Aug 31, 2017 0:29:49 GMT -5
Quick math...28+15+15+10 = 68. That is the scoring lost from last year. 25+20 = 45. That is the scoring gained this year. Who steps up? I'd be shocked if Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum didn't combine for somewhere around 15-20 points. I also think Smart and Brown will see upticks. We may also see Irving approach 28 ppg. |
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Post by jmost on Aug 31, 2017 11:14:36 GMT -5
Tatum, right now, is a better offensive player than Crowder. Brown, right now, is a better player than he averaged last year. Rozier will chip in too. And watch out for Semi. If he's as good defensively as Brad has indicated, he'll see court time, and he can hit threes. I don't worry about the offense at all. For me it's a distant third behind defensive rebounding and defense in general.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 31, 2017 11:51:07 GMT -5
Quick math...28+15+15+10 = 68. That is the scoring lost from last year. 25+20 = 45. That is the scoring gained this year. Who steps up? I think what we're going to see, as Avery and Jae are on different teams, that their offensive production was more a product of Brad's excellent X's and O's, than it was their scoring ability. Meaning, they won't look as good offensively now, as they have under Brad. I'm sort of expecting Bradley and Crowder to see a dip in their scoring stats. With that said, Brad will find ways to play to the strengths of the players now on the roster. Guys we weren't necessarily counting on to get 15 ppg, may wind up getting that, and possibly exceeding that. Scoring contributions will be spread out more this year. |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 31, 2017 12:24:39 GMT -5
Let me go back to my original post, and clarify what I said. We can beat CLE, and then meet GS in the Finals, and even win the Finals, if certain things take place.
1) Our veteran players need to play really well together, and operate as a well oiled machine. And I mean, perform with as little chinks in the armor as possible.
The veteran unit of Horford, Hayward, Kyrie, Morris, Smart and Baynes will need to carry this team on their shoulders, and lead the way. This unit has to look and play like a championship unit. None of them can be a weak link. We can't have them performing like Olynyk or Zeller or Amir used to -- some nights they would produce, most nights they didn't. Nope, we need our vets producing and contributing every game.
2) As the vets shoulder most of the load, in order to be champs, we'll need our young guys filling in the gaps. They need to chip in with scoring, rebounding, and steals here and there. Guys like Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown are primed to take that step and be consistent contributors. Will be nice if Theis can be a factor when Brad puts him in, even for a few minutes. But if Semi can defend and be a 3pt threat, if Yabu can rebound and hit 3's consistently, and if Tatum can give us some scoring and rebounds, our bench will not be a weaknesses.
But that's a lot to put on the shoulders of young and inexperienced players. So here's what I wanted to add. As much as I want to feel warm and fuzzy about our chances, I'd be a lot more confident if we added another solid veteran, or two. Stable veterans who bring consistent contributions. That's why I'm interested in Bogut, cause he's a vet and we know what he'll bring every game (when he's healthy).
Give me 2 more solid vets, Danny, and I'll feel real good about us taking down the Warriors.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 31, 2017 13:38:08 GMT -5
I would go after either Bogut or Boris Diaw.
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Post by Roadrunner on Aug 31, 2017 17:57:41 GMT -5
Let me go back to my original post, and clarify what I said. We can beat CLE, and then meet GS in the Finals, and even win the Finals, if certain things take place. 1) Our veteran players need to play really well together, and operate as a well oiled machine. And I mean, perform with as little chinks in the armor as possible. The veteran unit of Horford, Hayward, Kyrie, Morris, Smart and Baynes will need to carry this team on their shoulders, and lead the way. This unit has to look and play like a championship unit. None of them can be a weak link. We can't have them performing like Olynyk or Zeller or Amir used to -- some nights they would produce, most nights they didn't. Nope, we need our vets producing and contributing every game. 2) As the vets shoulder most of the load, in order to be champs, we'll need our young guys filling in the gaps. They need to chip in with scoring, rebounding, and steals here and there. Guys like Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown are primed to take that step and be consistent contributors. Will be nice if Theis can be a factor when Brad puts him in, even for a few minutes. But if Semi can defend and be a 3pt threat, if Yabu can rebound and hit 3's consistently, and if Tatum can give us some scoring and rebounds, our bench will not be a weaknesses. But that's a lot to put on the shoulders of young and inexperienced players. So here's what I wanted to add. As much as I want to feel warm and fuzzy about our chances, I'd be a lot more confident if we added another solid veteran, or two. Stable veterans who bring consistent contributions. That's why I'm interested in Bogut, cause he's a vet and we know what he'll bring every game (when he's healthy). Give me 2 more solid vets, Danny, and I'll feel real good about us taking down the Warriors. Efficiency is a priority. Example - I do not want Smart taking more shots, and only shooting 33%; same for Rozier. |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 31, 2017 18:02:58 GMT -5
Let me go back to my original post, and clarify what I said. We can beat CLE, and then meet GS in the Finals, and even win the Finals, if certain things take place. 1) Our veteran players need to play really well together, and operate as a well oiled machine. And I mean, perform with as little chinks in the armor as possible. The veteran unit of Horford, Hayward, Kyrie, Morris, Smart and Baynes will need to carry this team on their shoulders, and lead the way. This unit has to look and play like a championship unit. None of them can be a weak link. We can't have them performing like Olynyk or Zeller or Amir used to -- some nights they would produce, most nights they didn't. Nope, we need our vets producing and contributing every game. 2) As the vets shoulder most of the load, in order to be champs, we'll need our young guys filling in the gaps. They need to chip in with scoring, rebounding, and steals here and there. Guys like Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown are primed to take that step and be consistent contributors. Will be nice if Theis can be a factor when Brad puts him in, even for a few minutes. But if Semi can defend and be a 3pt threat, if Yabu can rebound and hit 3's consistently, and if Tatum can give us some scoring and rebounds, our bench will not be a weaknesses. But that's a lot to put on the shoulders of young and inexperienced players. So here's what I wanted to add. As much as I want to feel warm and fuzzy about our chances, I'd be a lot more confident if we added another solid veteran, or two. Stable veterans who bring consistent contributions. That's why I'm interested in Bogut, cause he's a vet and we know what he'll bring every game (when he's healthy). Give me 2 more solid vets, Danny, and I'll feel real good about us taking down the Warriors. Efficiency is a priority. Example - I do not want Smart taking more shots, and only shooting 33%; same for Rozier. Most definitely. That needs to become one of the hallmarks of this team -- efficiency. High assists, constant passing, good looks, good cuts, etc., just a really efficient offensive team. |
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Post by jmost on Aug 31, 2017 19:06:18 GMT -5
IMO, the only way we win this year, barring a big injury to our chief competition, is if Brown and Tatum make HUGE jumps. I'm looking forward to a fun year, but I don't think we're ready yet to contend. Jaylen is still very raw, and Tatum has a lot to learn too. To me a successful year would be making the ECF again and this time giving the Cavs a battle. That and bringing Brown, Tatum, Rozier, and the other young guys along.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Aug 31, 2017 19:32:58 GMT -5
IMO, the only way we win this year, barring a big injury to our chief competition, is if Brown and Tatum make HUGE jumps. I'm looking forward to a fun year, but I don't think we're ready yet to contend. Jaylen is still very raw, and Tatum has a lot to learn too. To me a successful year would be making the ECF again and this time giving the Cavs a battle. That and bringing Brown, Tatum, Rozier, and the other young guys along. Brad Stevens is a process driven guy. If we are improving day by day, he doesn't care what our win/loss record is early in the season. As long as we put it altogether and play well at the end of the season, that's what he's aiming at. So, to you, what would constitute as huge jumps for Jaylen and Tatum? |
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Post by jmost on Aug 31, 2017 20:19:04 GMT -5
For Jaylen, I want him to develop an understanding of what his strengths are and how to use them to get (and convert) good shots. Jaylen is strong (and will get stronger), quick and fast. I find myself thinking that I want him to play like James Worthy - getting out on the break, finishing strong. Then developing moves with no more than one or two dribbles that yield him a short shot, layup or dunk. I don't want him trying to dribble his way from the arc to the hoop. Very few guys (and I'm not sure there have been any) come into the league with poor dribbling skills and become good at it. He seems to have come a long way shooting the 3. The only time I want to see him dribbling from the arc to the hoop is if he can pump-fake his way around his own man and then head to the rim. I think he can develop a post-game, but he has to be quick and decisive, a la Bernard King. In a nutshell, working with Brad, I want him to develop a few pet moves this year. When McHale came into the league he had a baseline turnaround and that was about it. Year by year he added post moves. But he didn't try to learn everything at once. If Jaylen can be a consistent 3 pt shooter, become a better finisher on the break and when he gets by his man, and maybe add a bit of a post game, as well as being a smarter, more poised defender, then that will be a huge jump for him.
Jayson first and foremost has to adapt to the speed of the NBA. Hard to say based on summer league how long that will take. Maybe not long at all. I think he's far more advanced offensively than Jaylen, but I think he's going to find that his moves all need to be quicker if he's going to create space for himself. I haven't seen enough of Tatum to be very specific though. One thing he's probably never done is played with guys better than him, so that will be new. Figuring out when to defer and when to assert himself is going to take time. If he's developed enough confidence by April to take and make big shots at the end of game, I'll consider that a success. They're going to need more than Hayward and Irving scoring to beat the Cavs, and Tatum probably is going to have to be the guy.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Sept 1, 2017 14:07:23 GMT -5
For Jaylen, I want him to develop an understanding of what his strengths are and how to use them to get (and convert) good shots. Jaylen is strong (and will get stronger), quick and fast. I find myself thinking that I want him to play like James Worthy - getting out on the break, finishing strong. Then developing moves with no more than one or two dribbles that yield him a short shot, layup or dunk. I don't want him trying to dribble his way from the arc to the hoop. Very few guys (and I'm not sure there have been any) come into the league with poor dribbling skills and become good at it. He seems to have come a long way shooting the 3. The only time I want to see him dribbling from the arc to the hoop is if he can pump-fake his way around his own man and then head to the rim. I think he can develop a post-game, but he has to be quick and decisive, a la Bernard King. In a nutshell, working with Brad, I want him to develop a few pet moves this year. When McHale came into the league he had a baseline turnaround and that was about it. Year by year he added post moves. But he didn't try to learn everything at once. If Jaylen can be a consistent 3 pt shooter, become a better finisher on the break and when he gets by his man, and maybe add a bit of a post game, as well as being a smarter, more poised defender, then that will be a huge jump for him. Jayson first and foremost has to adapt to the speed of the NBA. Hard to say based on summer league how long that will take. Maybe not long at all. I think he's far more advanced offensively than Jaylen, but I think he's going to find that his moves all need to be quicker if he's going to create space for himself. I haven't seen enough of Tatum to be very specific though. One thing he's probably never done is played with guys better than him, so that will be new. Figuring out when to defer and when to assert himself is going to take time. If he's developed enough confidence by April to take and make big shots at the end of game, I'll consider that a success. They're going to need more than Hayward and Irving scoring to beat the Cavs, and Tatum probably is going to have to be the guy. Couldn't have said it any better than that. Those are pretty much my thoughts on Jaylen as well. I actually think he can be an exceptional post up player, as he seems very comfortable with his fadeaway jumper -- this might be his pet move you were referring to.. Yeah, right now, pretending he is Kyrie Irving with the flashy dribbling and crossing over doesn't suit him. He ought to concentrate on direct line drives to the basket, and master the art of the pull up jumper off of a couple of power dribbles. What I'd really be excited to see from Jaylen, is him learning to use pump fakes and then finish with counter moves, ala McHale, Olajuwon, Jordan, Kobe, etc. |
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