The 2 Spot

[Nikefutbolero]

A Stauskas/McLemore rotation is going to get us nowhere.

One shoots and can't make an open shot. One passes up open shots.

Can we get a damn player that has proven he can shoot?

 

[206Fan]

A Stauskas/McLemore rotation is going to get us nowhere.

One shoots and can't make an open shot. One passes up open shots.

Can we get a damn player that has proven he can shoot?

I'd rather just trade Nik right now. Trade Nik+pieces for Ryan Anderson.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I'd play Casspi there more for now and use his great length as an advantage against shooting guards.

I want to see much more of this lineup in second halfs....Collison, Casspi, Gay, Thompson, Cousins. Not just in at the end of the 4th quarter, but also in 3rd quarters as well. The 3rd quarter and start of the 4th has been hurting us

 

[swisshh]

McLemore had been shooting well. Suddenly, he plays like he has no confidence in his shot. Dudes were passing up open looks left and right until the lead was completely gone.

 

[Tetsujin]

I'd play Casspi there more for now and use his great length as an advantage against shooting guards.

I want to see much more of this lineup in second halfs....Collison, Casspi, Gay, Thompson, Cousins. Not just in at the end of the 4th quarter, but also in 3rd quarters as well. The 3rd quarter and start of the 4th has been hurting us

Any time we go to our bench backcourt, any and all momentum we have just vanishes in the wind.

A quick, freebee gamble solution is of course to take a flier on T-Will and stick him out there with Sessions. Helps alleviate Session's spotty ballhandling while still giving him opportunities to make plays AND can cover for a bit of Session's also spotty defense.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Any time we go to our bench backcourt, any and all momentum we have just vanishes in the wind.

A quick, freebee gamble solution is of course to take a flier on T-Will and stick him out there with Sessions. Helps alleviate Session's spotty ballhandling while still giving him opportunities to make plays AND can cover for a bit of Session's also spotty defense.

I wouldn't mind taking a chance on him, but the assumed "risk" is that even if he did work out well...it's going to take him some time to gain feel for the NBA game and working within our team systems. He hasn't played for a while, so while he's working the kinks out, it could cost us something in the "short term".

With Casspi, he's rolling with confidence and has the best feel and flow we've seen from him. Just use him more as a versatile wing player and don't be afraid to match him up against smaller players. He has advantages over them with his length (they have to guard him)

 

[KingMilz]

Keep Ben

 

[206Fan]

I wouldn't mind taking a chance on him, but the assumed "risk" is that even if he did work out well...it's going to take him some time to gain feel for the NBA game and working within our team systems. He hasn't played for a while, so while he's working the kinks out, it could cost us something in the "short term".

With Casspi, he's rolling with confidence and has the best feel and flow we've seen from him. Just use him more as a versatile wing player and don't be afraid to match him up against smaller players. He has advantages over them with his length (they have to guard him)

I like Casspi, but my biggest problem with him is that he doesn't have a jumper. He attacks the rim aggressively, but half the time he just throws up a wild shot to get a call. It's like he took 2 pages out of Harden's playbook. I don't think Casspi is the answer at 2.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

"The 2 spot" is a black hole of awfulness sans the occasional half decent game from McLemore

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I like Casspi, but my biggest problem with him is that he doesn't have a jumper. He attacks the rim aggressively, but half the time he just throws up a wild shot to get a call. It's like he took 2 pages out of Harden's playbook. I don't think Casspi is the answer at 2.

He's not the long term answer, but he very well could be our best option in the second half and down the stretch, with our current roster

 

[captain bill]

I'd rather just trade Nik right now. Trade Nik+pieces for Ryan Anderson.

Ryan Anderson would be perfect for this team right now. He showed he can hit shots tonight, and I think a rotation of him, Cuz, and JT would give us a lot of good options in terms of keeping both offense and defense on the floor.

I still have faith in Nik. He's a rookie and seems like he has to grow into an NBA game - no reason to sell low on him now, despite how bad he looked tonight.

 

[206Fan]

Ryan Anderson would be perfect for this team right now. He showed he can hit shots tonight, and I think a rotation of him, Cuz, and JT would give us a lot of good options in terms of keeping both offense and defense on the floor.

I still have faith in Nik. He's a rookie and seems like he has to grow into an NBA game - no reason to sell low on him now, despite how bad he looked tonight.

I think if we're pushing to win now, we'd have to trade for someone like Anderson. I think Nik can turn out to be a pretty good pro, but he's not going to help us right now, or any time soon. Nik hurts us when he's out there.

 

[John Galt]

lol I cannot believe people are talking about throwing in the towel on Stauskas after a dozen games. you're freaking kidding me right? You don't get instant gratification from a guy like this... can he have, you know... a season and a half?

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

lol I cannot believe people are talking about throwing in the towel on Stauskas after a dozen games. you're freaking kidding me right? You don't get instant gratification from a guy like this... can he have, you know... a season and a half?

If the quick judgement was on the horizon, there would have been no point in drafting him. They always knew his value was heavily involved in giving him time to physically mature and gain strength....while gradually gaining feel and knowledge of the NBA game and our team's systems.

He will be a valuable impact player in this league. It's only a matter of time. We have time in part, because we're not a "contender" yet

 

[sterö]

Wait, we have a 2 guard?

 

[Iced Espresso]

McLemore was terrible for an entire season and the start of this one, it took him awhile to show promise. Nik has hardly had a shot yet.

If McLemore was still the same old McLemore that would have been enough time for me.

We are better off keeping them both and just doing the best we can till next season, we are not going to win a championship so may as well take our time a bit, unless somehow real legitimate talent is available like Rudy was last year.

 

[ParniValjak]

We certainly need more consistency from that spot. Someone who can be a consistently good 3rd or 4th offensive option from that spot. Ben is probably another year or two away from being that player and Stauskas is probably 2-3 years away from it. If 2 of Cousins-Gay-Collison have an off offensive game, we seem to struggle to get anything going consistenly.

 

[KingsFanGER]

I don't understand why Stauskas was praised for his ballhandling and shotcreation ability out of the pick&roll, but we barely use him this way. Right now he is used like Mclemore without his defensive impact, while McCallum, Sessions or Casspi handle the ball for the bench mob.
And Malone should start to yell at him every time he passes on a decent look. Just shoot it - results will come.

 

[captain bill]

I don't understand why Stauskas was praised for his ballhandling and shotcreation ability out of the pick&roll, but we barely use him this way. Right now he is used like Mclemore without his defensive impact, while McCallum, Sessions or Casspi handle the ball for the bench mob.
And Malone should start to yell at him every time he passes on a decent look. Just shoot it - results will come.

I think we're trying to, but he has to be shooting effectively and with confidence for it to work. To my eye, he's doing a decent job of moving within the offense, but that means zero if he doesn't pull the trigger when he gets open

 

[Albatros]

I don't understand why Stauskas was praised for his ballhandling and shotcreation ability out of the pick&roll, but we barely use him this way. Right now he is used like Mclemore without his defensive impact, while McCallum, Sessions or Casspi handle the ball for the bench mob.
And Malone should start to yell at him every time he passes on a decent look. Just shoot it - results will come.

I agree with this, in the pre season he had some success coming off a corner screen and either shooting or hitting the roll man, have hardly seen it since.

 

[SacKings384]

I like Ben. He has made a lot of improvements to his game. He is a confidence player and I want to see how he responds to this mini-slump after playing so well. Stauskas I'm having trouble envisioning being the player we need him to be due to the fact that he's so incredibly slow. He's weak so he can get bullied by the post-up. He's slow so he can get blown by with the quick guys. You can see other players salivate when he's on them.

Guys like Korver and Riddick found their spots in the NBA by improving their D, allowing them enough time to stay on the floor to get into a rhythm. Korver added bulk and while he's not super quick he can hold his own physically. Riddick got quicker and stronger. Really surprised how much he improved coming into the league. Stauskas is a few years away of intense physical improvement from being able to stay on the floor long enough to get into a flow.

People think of a shooting slump just in the terms of making or missing shots. But when you're a rookie and you're getting carved up on D that has to do a lot to your psyche.

 

[Livinthedream]

Any time we go to our bench backcourt, any and all momentum we have just vanishes in the wind.

This is exactly what happens. No matter the ups and downs on offense for Ben, chemistry wise he works extemely well with the starting unit, so don't medd with that. But the 2nd unit.... My goodness. Things get so bad when they come in, the starters can't fix it when they come back.

 

[SacKings384]

This is exactly what happens. No matter the ups and downs on offense for Ben, chemistry wise he works extemely well with the starting unit, so don't medd with that. But the 2nd unit.... My goodness. Things get so bad when they come in, the starters can't fix it when they come back.

One thing I don't understand is the hockey lineups that Malone goes with. It's what Mark Jackson used to do and it drove fans nuts. To me it's lazy game management. "Ok it's x minute of the game, it's time for all my bench players to come in." "Ok now it's x minute of the game let's get these guys back into the game."

Instead of managing the personnel on the floor by the game it seems like he has predetermined (barring foul trouble) who and when is going in. And it's this bizzarre thing where he has to play the entire bench at the same time. If you watch the Warriors there are very few periods where both Steph and Klay are off the floor. If you watched the Heat with the big three there were very few times when all three were off (if ever). Why are DMC, Rudy, and Collison all on the bench at the same time for extended periods of time? It makes no sense.

 

[macadocious]

Guys, Nik is a deer in headlights right now. It's obvious that he's struggling grasping where to be on offense which is hurting his confidence to make plays. He just doesn't want to make mistakes.

On defense it might be worse.

I have no doubt he will learn these things and get better. Even more reason not to send him to Reno.

 

[mcsluggo]

I'd rather just trade Nik right now. Trade Nik+pieces for Ryan Anderson.

this is utterly hilarious

(and i mean that in an absolutely pathetic way, of course)

 

[Livinthedream]

One thing I don't understand is the hockey lineups that Malone goes with. It's what Mark Jackson used to do and it drove fans nuts. To me it's lazy game management. "Ok it's x minute of the game, it's time for all my bench players to come in." "Ok now it's x minute of the game let's get these guys back into the game."

Instead of managing the personnel on the floor by the game it seems like he has predetermined (barring foul trouble) who and when is going in. And it's this bizzarre thing where he has to play the entire bench at the same time. If you watch the Warriors there are very few periods where both Steph and Klay are off the floor. If you watched the Heat with the big three there were very few times when all three were off (if ever). Why are DMC, Rudy, and Collison all on the bench at the same time for extended periods of time? It makes no sense.

Yeah. Wholesale subs can only work if you have a 2nd unit that is complete and has chemistry. Our 2nd unit has serious deficiencies that need to be mitigated. Defense...size....creating off the dribble and for others, etc.

 

[Iced Espresso]

I like Ben. He has made a lot of improvements to his game. He is a confidence player and I want to see how he responds to this mini-slump after playing so well. Stauskas I'm having trouble envisioning being the player we need him to be due to the fact that he's so incredibly slow. He's weak so he can get bullied by the post-up. He's slow so he can get blown by with the quick guys. You can see other players salivate when he's on them.

Guys like Korver and Riddick found their spots in the NBA by improving their D, allowing them enough time to stay on the floor to get into a rhythm. Korver added bulk and while he's not super quick he can hold his own physically. Riddick got quicker and stronger. Really surprised how much he improved coming into the league. Stauskas is a few years away of intense physical improvement from being able to stay on the floor long enough to get into a flow.

People think of a shooting slump just in the terms of making or missing shots. But when you're a rookie and you're getting carved up on D that has to do a lot to your psyche.

Nik is tall 6'6, is quick enough to go by people with the ball on offense, he just needs time. He is big enough to be able to get a hand in the face, and quick enough to keep people in front of him. He just needs to put it all together and learn how to read people better.

Now he needs a whole lot of strength though, that will come in 2-3 seasons of being in the weight room.

Relax, this is not Jimmer who had no chance in hell to be on par athletically. Nik is a decent athlete, tall, high IQ potential too.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

lol I cannot believe people are talking about throwing in the towel on Stauskas after a dozen games. you're freaking kidding me right? You don't get instant gratification from a guy like this... can he have, you know... a season and a half?

Not throw in the towel but it might be time to stop giving him meaningful minutes until he can bulk up and prove to not be such a huge defensive liability

 

[Hallama]

This team would be so much better with just an average vet NBA 2 that can hit upper 30's% 3pt shooting.

 

[Glenn]

This team would be so much better with just an average vet NBA 2 that can hit upper 30's% 3pt shooting.

We may have that player on our team right now but he needs experience. The question is do you get rid of Ben or Nik to get that person with experience or do you give them court time to see if they develop into the player that matches your description.

 

[captain bill]

Gonna throw out some names here:

Jose Calderon
Kyle Korver

Both are good 3 point shooters on contracts that run through 2016-2017. Both could be traded straight up for DWill's contract, which is an expiring. If either New York or Atlanta decide they want flexibility, they could be decent options.

Of course, both are pretty shaky long term commits but, given the current state of our assets, that might be the type of pill we need to swallow if we want to fix our shooting this season (which I think we really have to do).

 

[Iced Espresso]

Gonna throw out some names here:

Jose Calderon
Kyle Korver

Both are good 3 point shooters on contracts that run through 2016-2017. Both could be traded straight up for DWill's contract, which is an expiring. If either New York or Atlanta decide they want flexibility, they could be decent options.

Of course, both are pretty shaky long term commits but, given the current state of our assets, that might be the type of pill we need to swallow if we want to fix our shooting this season (which I think we really have to do).

Calderon is absolutely terrible on D, no thanks.

Korver is the best shot in the business, I wouldn't mind him on the roster at all.