Our Long Term Problem is Our Stars are Limited

[Handlogten's Heros]

So yeah, our problem is that we only have 2 stars, and we need a 3rd to start contending.

Keep in mind Russell Westbrook/Paul George couldn't get past the 1st round.
Chris Paul/Blake Griffin couldn't get past the 2nd round.
Dame Lillard/CJ McCollum are probably going to miss the playoffs this year.

The league is that tough right now.

You need two way stars without major limitations. I don't think DM has major limitations... but he doesn't have the impact that Rudy can have... yet. I think Rudy has some limitations that will prevent us from getting to the highest levels, unless we get an elite setup man like CP.

I think we have some of the good role players too... just not enough two way role players.

The league is tough right now... and it will be tough in the future.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I remember you citing someone (Andy Larsen?) at the beginning of the season who said that we can win against anyone if Rudy, Donovan, Conley and Boyan all play well. Something of that sort. And that's a problem I guess because it's not so easy to achieve. Firstly, you need to get them all involved and secondly they need all 4 to be consistently at a good level. A lot of factors to come in place. Meanwhile Lakers have two superstars which makes them more efficient than our two All Stars plus two fringe All Stars combination.

I don't know if that has happened yet this year... I certainly don't think it happens 4 times in 7 games. I don't think we need all of them playing well but 3/4 and Rudy has to be effective covering everyone's asses on defense.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

No, he jumps away from the defender. Which I get, he has to so he can actually get the shot off, but that style of play is not going to get you many foul calls. Where he does get fouled is when he initiates the drive, out at the 3 point line, and yes he is strong enough to power through those reaches, but when he gets into the paint hes going to opposite direction of the defender.

I think he goes towards the basket and through contact... don't think he avoids it.

 

[Beer]

I think he goes towards the basket and through contact... don't think he avoids it.

Well you're wrong. Westbrook goes into people. He creates contact. Don does not. He's not picked on by the refs. The reason he shoots so few free throws is he doesn't draw contact.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

^
Jesus, seriously? Don’t be that ****ing guy. Please don’t. Mitchell doesn’t get to the line enough because he sucks at driving to the rim and is the only moron in the league who can’t jump off of one foot.

I wouldn't say it's because he sucks at driving, he's great at driving. He just settles for bad shots too often where he actively avoids contact. A bit too much "Mamba Mentality" at points.

 

[Miggs]

I wouldn't say it's because he sucks at driving, he's great at driving. He just settles for bad shots too often where he actively avoids contact. A bit too much "Mamba Mentality" at points.

I didn’t say driving. I said driving to the rim. His mind-boggling inability to jump off of one foot really prohibits him from doing so.

 

[LoPo]

Donovan is a complete player. So many around here take him for granted. Yes, he's still raw in some areas, but he is trying to do it all right now on a roster that seems to lack an identity.

Physically, he's a much bigger, better athlete than almost every 6'1" star type player we've seen. Donovan is 30+ pounds heavier than Chris Paul, 40+ pounds more than AI, 20 pounds heavier than Kyrie, Kemba, etc. Once he learns to balance out strength versus drawing the foul, I think he could be extremely special. That balance is/was key for guys like LeBron, Duncan, Kobe, Wade. Those guys learned to apply the strength some and "draw" the foul some.

If Mitchell could model his game in some ways after Harden, he could be one of the best players in the game. Harden shot up from 6FTA per game his 3rd year to 10+. If Donovan could go from 5FTA per game to around 10, we probably have 5 more wins this year. Harden learned how to get calls. Donovan could do the same. They are almost the same weight although of course Harden is taller. Donovan is a much better defender.

There is so much more growth possible for Donovan. As for Gobert, he is what he is. If he doesn't take over some in the playoffs, he's not our 2nd option for the future.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Well you're wrong. Westbrook goes into people. He creates contact. Don does not. He's not picked on by the refs. The reason he shoots so few free throws is he doesn't draw contact.

Maybe. I think he moves toward space instead of jumping sideways into dudes chests like Harden and other dudes do. I think he gets a lot of body contact before getting to the rim that goes uncalled... the type of **** Lou will gets because he's tiny and he will feel the guy on him and just shoot it.

He does try to euro step into space so I get it... I think most of the time his purpose isn't to avoid contact but to find open lanes. Like I don't think he is scared by it. He can do a lot to improve at the rim... even some of the stuff JC does where he stops and kinda pivots around...

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I didn’t say driving. I said driving to the rim. His mind-boggling inability to jump off of one foot really prohibits him from doing so.

Its not mind boggling... there are a lot of guys that aren't explosive off of one foot.

 

[Miggs]

Its not mind boggling... there are a lot of guys that aren't explosive off of one foot.

Yeah and they don’t play in the NBA.

 

[Miggs]

Name me three 1’s or 2’s who don’t know how to jump off one foot.

 

[Shad]

I've been thinking about this for a long time and have been meaning to make a thread about it. We can bitch about Conley, Bogey, Ingles, O'Neale, Niang and Bradley all we want, and they've definitely all had their fair share of ups and downs and deserve some criticism, but honestly, a team can only go as far as it's stars take it. Right now our stars just aren't as good as the stars on most of the top NBA teams and they may never be. I'm beginning to think it might not matter who we put around them, the ceiling of Rudy and Donovan might be a 4 or 5 seed and the second round of the playoffs. It kind of reminds me of the D-Will/Boozer teams, as good as those two guy's were, they were never quite good enough to make us true title contenders.

There could be an argument that Boozer/DWill is CURRENTLY a better squad than Gobert/Donovan