Again, your blind spot for IT rears its ugly head. He is currently 13th in the NBA in Ast% at 33%. His Assist Opportunties per game is currently 25th in the NBA, despite playing significantly less minutes than everyone ahead of him. He also has one of the worst conversion rates of assists on the guys in the top 25. Basically, a product of having to play with Ppat, Salmons and Thornton for a majority of his minutes. This misguided notion that he's not a good passer and ball-distributor is exactly that... a misguided notion. APG are purely a product of who you get your minutes with. Throw Danny Green, Boris Diaw, and Manu Ginobli as IT's bench mates, and his APG is probably in the 6.5-7 APG range.
However, if IT-Gay-Cousins is to work, then he will have to dial back his shooting. In an ideal world where you can exactly dictate everyone's shots/game, you want Cousins around 17-20, (#1 option) Gay around 14-16 (#2 option), and IT around 10-12 (#3 option). And everyone else fills in around that. That also begs the question of what happens with McLemore? He has a much higher ceiling than becoming a Danny Green like spot-up shooter/defensive guy. So do we leave IT on the bench and let Ben fall smoothly into the #3 role with the starters?
Needless to say, it's going to be exciting to watch. There's so many directions this team can now go and I see many of which can and should result in a positive direction
However, if IT-Gay-Cousins is to work, then he will have to dial back his shooting. In an ideal world where you can exactly dictate everyone's shots/game, you want Cousins around 17-20, (#1 option) Gay around 14-16 (#2 option), and IT around 10-12 (#3 option). And everyone else fills in around that. That also begs the question of what happens with McLemore? He has a much higher ceiling than becoming a Danny Green like spot-up shooter/defensive guy. So do we leave IT on the bench and let Ben fall smoothly into the #3 role with the starters?
Needless to say, it's going to be exciting to watch. There's so many directions this team can now go and I see many of which can and should result in a positive direction
He's not missing assists cause guys are missing dunks. He's mostly setting guys up for low percentage shots. Sure, the shooters aren't great on this team, but the great pgs get layups for guys, not late shot clock desperation heaves.
Until we get a pg and get It on the bench, I kinda wonder if this trade may make us worse. The bench becomes so awful.
It will be exciting, we agree there.