Haven't we been saying that Kevin would be best as a #2 option all along? And now we want to ship Kevin out as soon as we get a potential #1, just because the new guy is better?
This forum makes my head hurt.
Was until I got a feel for our presumed #1's game.
If for instance our #1 had been Amare...just to bring up a name tossed around last year, or Bosh, those pairings with Kevin made sense. Now I think we would still have lost -- pairing up two softies doesn't make one "hardie". But they would have complemented each other to a certain degree, the classic inside/outside pairing, and players with a similar "feel" -- i.e. soft big scorers most comfortable in an uptempo no defense setting. They actually would not have worked at all minus a third cirtical piece in that case -- the mythical pure point long talked about around here that would be needed to get the ball not only to two hungry scorers, but set up everyone else as well since the hungry scorers in question don't make anybody else but themselves better. But there would be a theory there -- a coherent team picture where the pieces fit. I could also have seen Kevin with a star pure PG type -- the problem tehre being many/most of those are very soft themselves and again maybe there is no defense in Sactown. But a player who spent most of his time trying to set others up, including Kevin, could have fit. In that case Kevin is probably even still the #1 scorer, just not the #1 most important player.
But now along comes Reke...and even setting the first 5 games aside, where he was clearly deferring too much to Kevin and muting his impact as we did our normal losing thing, Reke's game does not seem suited for a Kevin style wing scorer. And I mean this setting aside whether Kevin can coherently fit into a crew winning games on heart and hustle. I am referring to offense.
Think about Kevin's game, here would be elements:
1) 3pt shooting
2) leak outs on the break
3) one on ones, normally with picks etc. to get him room
4) cuts/backdoor cuts
5) popping free off of staggered screens
now 1) and 2) can work with Reke's game. But 3) takes the ball out of his hands, and unlike the current situation where it is then in Beno's hands, who is a capable PG able to get others involved wiht plays on the other side of the court, instead it goes to a player who is basically only good at setting himself up to score. Team involvement plummets. It becomes whatever Reke can produce for others, and then Kevin gets his own. #'s 4 & 5 as I have mentioend in the past, largely hijackl entire offensive sets and various teammates who's big purpose is to set up a Kevin shot. Again, while this is going on the ball is essentially out of Reke's hands. Its not an organic thing he can contribute to. Now Reke could work with a star big man -- the big man would be in front of him, he could play pick and roll with him, drop passes off to him, use his screens etc. But put him with Kevin...and its not organic. The structured scoring that Kevin does woudl largely come at the expense of Reke creating. He is reduced to spectator while the play for Kevin either works or doesn't. Nor is Reke of much help as a spot shooter should Kevin's play break down. Now Kevin's 3pt shooting and speed on the break (assuming that he gets the new teamwide dedication to staying in on defense and fighting until that ball is secured) both could fit. Those things fit naturally around Reke's game. But those two traits alone are possessed by quite a few players in the NBA, including a number of roleplayers who provide extra help in other areas of the game (defense etc.). If that is all you use Kevin for, you are wasting him (and his $11mil), and you are not really gaining all those other areas (defense) etc. you could with a more limited offensive player who did other things well.
Its not Kevin changing as a #2 option (although I have long said I think he would be a great #3 ala Ray Allen, but have less confidence in him as #2). Its about the apparent #1 we have found here. If CWebb were still here as a #1 (in his prime obviously) Kevin could have played the Peja #2 role, and well. Put Kevin out in Phoenix next to Nash and Amare in the run n gun and his scoring should be huge. But now put him there next to Tyreke Evans...and it begins to look apples and oranges. Like two guys with talent who share a backcourt and take turns rather than two guys who complement each other and make the other player, and team better.
That does not mean that I am 100% sure that if Kevin returns we'll get worse. I could see it happening, but I don't consider Kevin a cancer so much as just somebody who is by the very nature of his game going to compete for the ball with a player who makes thing happen. So mayeb the additinal talent outweighs that and we still do the same, or maybe even better. But do we do as much better as we would with a different, better fitting piece who we might be able to bring back in a Kevin trade?
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