Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 20, 2005 23:46:41 GMT -5
There's a possibility that we may acquire both guys, one of these guys, or none of these guys this offseason. Ukic may be our draft pick and Jasikevicius could be our veteran free agent PG Ainge wanted to acquire.
So how do we incorporate these 2 guys (in the event that we do get our hands on both of these guys) on our team? I mean, we already have Banks and Delonte--how do we distribute the playing time?
Its not so hard, actually. First of all, if this situation happens, Banks is out the door (either that or he'll be let go at the end of next season, when his contract expires--so not much playing time for him). Why get rid of Banks? Because he doesn't fit into the mold of a smart player who shoots and passes well.
With Banks out of the picture, its about splitting time between Delonte, Saras, and Ukic. But with Ukic, he's not only a rookie, but he's an 18 year old rookie, which translate into a rookie straight from high school if he played in the US. It'll be crazy for us to imagine Ukic already being a 15 minute contributor for us next season. Maybe by Year 2 he'll be up to that point, but even that can't be guaranteed. So for next year, he won't be a factor in deciding how to organize the minutes. So that leaves Delonte and Saras.
Well, just for the record, I don't view Delonte as a real PG. He's got a decent handle and the ability to hit the open man and see the floor--but that doesn't make him a real PG. What he is, is a good backcourt player who can pass and shoot the rock and handle the ball when the opportunity arises. Delonte is going to be a part time SG and a part time PG. He could either play on the court together with Saras or be the PG when Saras isn't playing.
So that leaves Saras as our starting PG next year--which is the only way he'll agree to come over to Boston, rather than choosing to play for the other teams interested in him. If we offer him a contract and tell him that he's going to be a backup, he's not coming. I'm guessing that he won't even come if Ainge promises him that he'll be guaranteed the opportunity to win the starting spot if he plays well. The only way Saras comes to Boston is if he's promised the starting job.
Ukic will be the odd man out, but if drafted, he's going to be the long term solution. While Saras will be the frontrunner for the current job, he's going to be 30 years old next year and won't be around all that long. But his guidance and teaching will benefit Delonte and Ukic.
So how do we incorporate these 2 guys (in the event that we do get our hands on both of these guys) on our team? I mean, we already have Banks and Delonte--how do we distribute the playing time?
Its not so hard, actually. First of all, if this situation happens, Banks is out the door (either that or he'll be let go at the end of next season, when his contract expires--so not much playing time for him). Why get rid of Banks? Because he doesn't fit into the mold of a smart player who shoots and passes well.
With Banks out of the picture, its about splitting time between Delonte, Saras, and Ukic. But with Ukic, he's not only a rookie, but he's an 18 year old rookie, which translate into a rookie straight from high school if he played in the US. It'll be crazy for us to imagine Ukic already being a 15 minute contributor for us next season. Maybe by Year 2 he'll be up to that point, but even that can't be guaranteed. So for next year, he won't be a factor in deciding how to organize the minutes. So that leaves Delonte and Saras.
Well, just for the record, I don't view Delonte as a real PG. He's got a decent handle and the ability to hit the open man and see the floor--but that doesn't make him a real PG. What he is, is a good backcourt player who can pass and shoot the rock and handle the ball when the opportunity arises. Delonte is going to be a part time SG and a part time PG. He could either play on the court together with Saras or be the PG when Saras isn't playing.
So that leaves Saras as our starting PG next year--which is the only way he'll agree to come over to Boston, rather than choosing to play for the other teams interested in him. If we offer him a contract and tell him that he's going to be a backup, he's not coming. I'm guessing that he won't even come if Ainge promises him that he'll be guaranteed the opportunity to win the starting spot if he plays well. The only way Saras comes to Boston is if he's promised the starting job.
Ukic will be the odd man out, but if drafted, he's going to be the long term solution. While Saras will be the frontrunner for the current job, he's going to be 30 years old next year and won't be around all that long. But his guidance and teaching will benefit Delonte and Ukic.
