We had a draft pick which could have provided a 3 and D and then sold it.
Personal assumption from basic observation. The fact that "<insert any player names we brought in this offseason> gets us better at defense next season" is just as likely/unlikely to happen as "drafting a #24 rookie who "could provide 3 and D" immediately". We (I'm using the Royal we here) did not personally watch any draft combine or workout to determine the chance of a rookie being drafted at that range will/can be of service immediately.
Either path could have allowed us to improve our wing defense and we did neither.
Just more baseless assumptions. What kind of information can you provide to say we didn't improve our wing defense? Could Colby Jones or Jalen Slawson be of service sooner than we expected? Can you say definitively that they won't? Or if you have any information you can provide and not assumption on your part about our current wing defense and how we chose not to address it, I'm happy to eat my words.
We basically ran back a first-round exit team to save cash while teams 3-5 games behind used injury related higher picks and free agency to get better.
A: "ran back a first-round exit team to save cash"
Assumption. If they are going to be the exact same players from last year with zero improvement or regression then you'll still be incorrect since we have brought in new players who believe to be inserted into the rotation moving forward. If I am to just look at numbers and paper and make guesses like you do, I can also make a case that Colby Jones was slept on by all these teams and
B: "Teams 3-5 games behind used "injury-related" (haha such a distinction we must keep in the discussion) higher picks and free agency to get better"
Again, zero proof other than on-paper assumption. Teams have proven season after season to have added new players and regressed.
Truth is we are nowhere close to the actual operation so our guesses can be about as accurate/inaccurate as buying the lottery. I figured when we were Awful with a capital A for over a decade that, the outlook of the team will be adjusted by the fans as the organization continues to do the right things and moves forward both culturally and players' ability on the court. But just like my last post suggested, sometimes no amount of good grace can be earned to the point where one is immune to criticism.
If you don't have any extra evidence to support any of those above statements outside of personal feelings, then you are just coming here knowing about as much as every one of us here. The only difference is that you just love to choose the absolute worst outcome in every scenario to believe, disregarding probability/possibility/odds on any of your assumptions.
Block me now if the doom and gloom is your way to find joy in basketball and I'm ruining your happy place.
Or if you want to just continue the debate in your own echo chamber without considering logic.
(Also if mods think my responses are interfering with peacekeeping, I will stop focusing on the easy target and be more general in my debates)