[Game] 27/82: Kings vs. Nuggets 16 DEC 2024 7pm PT/10pm ET

[SacTownKid]

Most GM's exaggerate about the wide range potential of their draft picks. Even Vlade got involved, telling everyone that Marvin Bagley would play some 3.

Kevin Huerter can bring the ball up the court and switch onto a point guard, but is he really playing the 1?

Yeah, and any GM should base that on what they saw in college. We saw a 6'10" 260 pound player try to bulldoze Carter and not only not knock him down, but get his shot packed in this face post contact. Is that going to happen every play? No, but it shows that this dude ain't your typical SG. Vlade saw Giannis in Bagely which was wrong. Had he seen a poor mans Amare, Bagley might have been averaging 20 and 10 albeit with low impact. I mean, I guess Amare could fit that narrative too so...

 

[The_Jamal]

I’m not sure that is even true. But not sure how to measure it.

Think Jrue Holiday/Marcus smart. Those guys never go guard KD from the jump, but what's made them special defenders is they survive when they get switched onto a forward like that. Or a big. They're primary guard defenders, but they're disruptors in terms of creating turnovers, they put tremendous ball pressure on lead guards and you can't take advantage of them on a switch. That's what makes an elite defender, not the very basic "Well, can he guard this position for 30 MPG?"

Hell. We've seen Keon do that plenty too. I distinctly remember several possessions where he got switched on Lauri and totally clamped him. And man on man defense. Does that mean I want Keon guarding Lauri every play? Well, maybe, but it's far more important that you have switchable defenders that can play passing lanes/have active hands to create turnovers, etc.

Carter to me has all those tools to be a special defender at the NBA level. And for a team that's pretty much been a bottom feeder defensively for it's entire existence, that to me is a bigger need than pretty much anything.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Think Jrue Holiday/Marcus smart. Those guys never go guard KD from the jump, but what's made them special defenders is they survive when they get switched onto a forward like that. Or a big. They're primary guard defenders, but they're disruptors in terms of creating turnovers, they put tremendous ball pressure on lead guards and you can't take advantage of them on a switch. That's what makes an elite defender, not the very basic "Well, can he guard this position for 30 MPG?"

Hell. We've seen Keon do that plenty too. I distinctly remember several possessions where he got switched on Lauri and totally clamped him. And man on man defense. Does that mean I want Keon guarding Lauri every play? Well, maybe, but it's far more important that you have switchable defenders that can play passing lanes/have active hands to create turnovers, etc.

Carter to me has all those tools to be a special defender at the NBA level. And for a team that's pretty much been a bottom feeder defensively for it's entire existence, that to me is a bigger need than pretty much anything.

Watch these two videos and you can see the difference between the defense the two guys play. Notice the size of players they are guarding and how one guys highlights are all iso situations/ charges and the other is about half help defense. I think this really highlights the difference between the two and their strengths

 

[Tetsujin]

Watch these two videos and you can see the difference between the defense the two guys play. Notice the size of players they are guarding and how one guys highlights are all iso situations/ charges and the other is about half help defense. I think this really highlights the difference between the two and their strengths

The play where he manages to block a three OVER a screen is still one of the most ridiculous defensive highlights I’ve ever seen.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Yeah, and any GM should base that on what they saw in college. We saw a 6'10" 260 pound player try to bulldoze Carter and not only not knock him down, but get his shot packed in this face post contact. Is that going to happen every play? No, but it shows that this dude ain't your typical SG. Vlade saw Giannis in Bagely which was wrong. Had he seen a poor mans Amare, Bagley might have been averaging 20 and 10 albeit with low impact. I mean, I guess Amare could fit that narrative too so...

We've been burned with projections way too many times, so i'm just going to wait and see how he looks in NBA games. If he's a really good defender against NBA guards, I'll be satisfied with that

 

[The_Jamal]

Watch these two videos and you can see the difference between the defense the two guys play. Notice the size of players they are guarding and how one guys highlights are all iso situations/ charges and the other is about half help defense. I think this really highlights the difference between the two and their strengths

Yeah, if we're playing 1on1 and I need someone to go shut down a guard, Davion is probably the guy I'm going to call to take that assignment. But we saw time and time again that he struggled on switches and was just not the same team defender that he was man-man/iso.

Carter is the guy that makes plays all over the floor. He gives you some rim protection as a 6'3 guard for goodness sake. Him blocking that shot at the 3pt line BEHIND another defender is just insane, I can't even comprehend how that's possible.

 

[NewArena]

DeRozan was gassed having to guard Aaron Gordon. We so win this game with Keegan Murray

 

[SacTownKid]

We've been burned with projections way too many times, so i'm just going to wait and see how he looks in NBA games. If he's a really good defender against NBA guards, I'll be satisfied with that

Burned mainly because they saw only the tip top of the projections. Defense is defense. Talent is talent.

 

[hrdboild]

Yeah, if we're playing 1on1 and I need someone to go shut down a guard, Davion is probably the guy I'm going to call to take that assignment. But we saw time and time again that he struggled on switches and was just not the same team defender that he was man-man/iso.

Carter is the guy that makes plays all over the floor. He gives you some rim protection as a 6'3 guard for goodness sake. Him blocking that shot at the 3pt line BEHIND another defender is just insane, I can't even comprehend how that's possible.

If the NBA was officiated straight up like a normal basketball game, Davion's defense would be infallible. He's really incredible in his research and execution. Unfortunately with all the push offs, illegal screens, and superstar calls that characterize NBA basketball, he's merely situationally effective. And that situation is "when guarding another role-player".

 

[sactowndog]

Considering how switch heavy the Kings are, how would you even quantify “guarding” small forwards at this point? I feel like De’Aaron can “guard” most small forwards in the context of our scheme. Devin has a similar if not stronger build and has shown the ability to thrive guarding up in college.

Good question. I was thinking more having primary responsibility but yeah hard to measure.

 

[sactowndog]

The play where he manages to block a three OVER a screen is still one of the most ridiculous defensive highlights I’ve ever seen.

Yeah it’s great and he has lots of highlight blocks where he jumps with or slightly before the shooter. Somebody like DeRozen will use that tendancy against him. I watch a lot of Big East basketball. I am just not clear how well his game translates. We will all find out soon enough.

Let’s just not have people say, like some did with Davion, oh you hated the pic with hindsight. If Carter is great, which I hope he is, I will eat my crow. But lots a pro Davion guys are still not owning it. (Davion is better not with us)

 

[serbiangoat]

DeRozan was gassed having to guard Aaron Gordon. We so win this game with Keegan Murray

Not sure that argument works when Braun is out who is basically Keegan on the Nuggets but better on the break/3 this season {Murray was much better than Braun past two seasons).

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Not sure that argument works when Braun is out who is basically Keegan on the Nuggets but better on the break/3 this season {Murray was much better than Braun past two seasons).

Denver also has a terrible bench like us

 

[coolhandluke]

Denver also has a terrible bench like us

I like Braun, Strawther and Watson. They may not have much experience but it is a young and fearless group.

 

[iowamcnabb]

I like Braun, Strawther and Watson. They may not have much experience but it is a young and fearless group.

Everyone ripped Denver for letting KCP go but it’s possible they made the right decision given that Braun has had a better year than him. I do think they need more experience on their bench but it might be difficult to trade for it. They apparently are in serious talks to acquire Lavine and that would take Nnaji and MPJ to get it done. My guess is they will try to get someone off that Chicago bench thrown in the deal

 

[NewArena]

The worst thing about injuries this year, is that they always seem to happen to players that were finding a rhythm. This for sure happened to DeRozan and now Keegan

 

[NewArena]

Not sure that argument works when Braun is out who is basically Keegan on the Nuggets but better on the break/3 this season {Murray was much better than Braun past two seasons).

Keegan is much more important on both ends and from a matchup standpoint. Strawther is the kind of player that would worry me before a Braun would