I wanted to get to the second round as bad as anybody. Granted, we all know what likely would have happened there BUT there is always a chance. The circumstances around being down 0-3 are fitting. I generally feel like the decisions we have made that were bad have now been defined. Udoka and Stone served a purpose but any value from their existence is in the past. I doubt we will move on from them this year but the sheer incompetence and pressure should force some changes to their tactics this off-season. I'd love to ask Udoka how many times Pop put him in a spot to carry the ball up the court in the playoffs in crunch time. The data on how many crunch time games have played and our splits inside of those fall on coaching and system. Udoka will last no more than one more season here. And hopefully someone is brought in to help with offense and development. I was on-board with the Durant trade and still am. I want to trade him this off-season but I feel like he actually has more value than Brooks (on an expiring), Green (a bad contract) and whomever we would have taken at #10 and failed to develop. Would I hop in the time machine and go back and just pick Ego Demin at #10 and ride out the bad Green deal? Yes. Would I go back to the trade deadline and add a young guard? Sure if they were part of the plans for a few years. Overall, I think we will deal Durant (both parties will want to move on) and we will probably get a bit better value back than we sent out. At the end of the year, we were down FVV, Adams and the DFS signing was a failure. Too much money on the bench to hope for a lot. Capela was fine but hasn't been great. This was a disappointing year but I don't view it as a wasted year. The pressure will continue to mount and eventually force changes to the FO and coaching. The development from Jabari, Reed and Amen give me a lot to be hopeful about. I am also optimistic about Adams and VanVleet and their ability to be positive veterans for us over the next few years. I'd think that FVV may give us a bit of a break on his next contract and settle into a backup role. Even if we had the Nets pick, we would be potentially pivoting away from an Amen led franchise and that is where I don't want to go. Thompson has shown me enough to warrant building the system around him. I think the shot will come around. Divesting those assets into the future allows us to continue to build. This year is an absolute failure but we do have a core. Sengun should have a solid trade value. Good offensive player and great contract. I don't think the shot from Thompson or Sengun will come around enough to have them both be on the court together. Nor should we wait the 1.5 years it may take to possibly find the offensive guru. Not enough has been seen from Smith to make us think he should be a 4/3. I'd advocate bulking him up over the next couple years to be more of a shooting 5. Won't block a lot of shots, but will rebound well and stretch the defense. Let the shot blocking come from his front court partner (who will also need to be a shooter) or even small forward. So there is a lot of building to be done still. But I fully believe in Amen and I think that Smith and Sheppard are players that compliment him nicely as we move forward. I especially think Sheppard will come in much improved next year after an increase in minutes and the playoff failures. We have a lot of tradeable assets and draft picks. Believe in Amen. Next year Shooting 5/Adams/Smith as we bulk him up a bit and move him to more of a stretch 5 Smith Need a quality 2 way player Amen FVV/Reed All of our veterans are relatively tradeable. Even Capela and DFS have contracts that are probably either positive in the sense that we can move them relatively easily. Durant should net us something nice. Sengun as well. Unfortunate about FVV and the ACL but we probably died as soon as that happened and we certainly died when Adams went out and Durant became Dickerson. I still think we are on a good path with a few of these players. Hopefully the organization will come to the obvious on Udoka and Stone. Believe in the Amen Thompson era of Rocket ball. Love Sengun but they aren't on the same level as far as team building.
I like the idea of Bari at the 5; been saying that for a while now. But I do question whether being a center is in him. He doesn’t have that aggressive streak, that toughness, that killer instinct to bang down low with bigs. He doesn’t need to be Clingan defensively, but he gets bullied down low and that’s not a good sign. Hopefully he keeps adding strength and some sort of life changing thing happens that turns him into an angry, physical player
Why would anyone ever guard Jabari with a center.. any average small forward can guard him, just stand next to him and don’t leave him Then you can put your center on Amen and pack the paint even more.
I think if Smith were to take the next two years focusing on adding functional strength, maybe a little mass and obviously just some weight I think it could go well. obviously the power forward and the small forward would have to take on some of the interior defensive duties. But Sengun isnt that guy. Amen is also pretty helpful in those areas as well. it would take a couple seasons, but I would like to see us move forward Smith/TBD/Adams TBD TBD Reed/Okogie on a reasonable deal Amen/FVV obviously the to be determined people in the starting lineup need to be shooters with at least one of them being able to create a bit. I guess I also would probably take Eason on a reasonable contract. Who knows what his market will look like but I’m not really paying anything more than about 20 million.
