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
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.
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)
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)
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 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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
And Malone should start to yell at him every time he passes on a decent look. Just shoot it - results will come.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).