2023 Annual JazzFanz Current Players Draft - Quarterfinals: Team D vs. Team L

[Handlogten's Heros]

I mean AD and Timelord get hurt at shoot around... then you rolling with Kuzma at the 5?

 

[KqWIN]

Also... most of the year Kawhi didn't look like Kawhi... injuries and aging have taken some of the heat off his fastball.

Eh, I don't know about that. Kawhi was very typical Kawhi last year. He was incredible when healthy, but just wasn't healthy. If "most of the year" means his 15 I would understand, but most of the year he was actually cooking.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Basically comes down to Kawhi healthy. If he is, then D is clearly superior. If not it's probably goes the other way.

How many times in the last few years have we had healthy Kawhi for a full playoff series? If that's what it comes down to then its obviously going my way.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Eh, I don't know about that. Kawhi was very typical Kawhi last year. He was incredible when healthy, but just wasn't healthy. If "most of the year" means his 15 I would understand, but most of the year he was actually cooking.

Pre AS he was 22/6/4 which is good but its off his prime... the defense was other worldly in his prime... he looked good but not other worldly. The on/off stuff seems to support this. He can still be really awesome even if he has lost a little bit... because the bar was very high.

He went to prime Kawhi in the playoffs for 2 games... but predicably broke down. I don't think he can do what he used to over a sustained period. Even in the Toronto year he was dragging his leg by the EC finals. To assume you would get anything near prime Kawhi for a 7 game series is a huge assumption imo.

I might lose this round preseason, but midyear when we run it back I'm confident building a team on 2 huge injury risks is gonna hurt Thee... theoretically it works.

 

[KqWIN]

Pre AS he was 22/6/4 which is good but its off his prime... the defense was other worldly in his prime... he looked good but not other worldly. The on/off stuff seems to support this. He can still be really awesome even if he has lost a little bit... because the bar was very high.

He went to prime Kawhi in the playoffs for 2 games... but predicably broke down. I don't think he can do what he used to over a sustained period. Even in the Toronto year he was dragging his leg by the EC finals. To assume you would get anything near prime Kawhi for a 7 game series is a huge assumption imo.

I might lose this round preseason, but midyear when we run it back I'm confident building a team on 2 huge injury risks is gonna hurt Thee... theoretically it works.

Kawhi has a pretty high standard, but he was freaking awesome last year when playing. It wasn't two playoff games, in his 52 total regular season games (including the "bad" first 15 games) he was still 24/6/4 with career high TS%. Also still incredible by adjusted +/- numbers. Number 8 in RAPM last year and tied for 4th in on/off Raptor. From the beginning of January he was 27/7/4 on 65%. Dude is still one of the best players on the planet when he's on the court. I get the injury stuff, and if you want to weigh that heavily to each their own. There's no way to perfectly do that. But I don't think saying that Kawhi did not look like Kawhi is a good argument. He had a slow start when he was in and out of the lineup while heavily load managing, but when he began to play regularly he was one of the best players in the league no question.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Kawhi has a pretty high standard, but he was freaking awesome last year when playing. It wasn't two playoff games, in his 52 total regular season games (including the "bad" first 15 games) he was still 24/6/4 with career high TS%. Also still incredible by adjusted +/- numbers. Number 8 in RAPM last year and tied for 4th in on/off Raptor. From the beginning of January he was 27/7/4 on 65%. Dude is still one of the best players on the planet when he's on the court. I get the injury stuff, and if you want to weigh that heavily to each their own. There's no way to perfectly do that. But I don't think saying that Kawhi did not look like Kawhi is a good argument. He had a slow start when he was in and out of the lineup while heavily load managing, but when he began to play regularly he was one of the best players in the league no question.

I agree… just don’t think he was all the way up to his standard for most of the year. When he can get solid injury luck for a sustained period he has some good runs… but that’s been the challenge. He’s still great… like one of the best… at his peak though it was more like “is he the best player in the league?” That’s all I’m trying to say really. I’m not sure he has as high of a peak as he has in the past. No one is arguing he isn’t great… you can be great and lose a little bit and still be great.

 

[HermanG]

Based on what I saw last year Kawhi is not the same guy he was 5 years ago, even if healthy.

If so, then team L has the two best players on the court. Ant might be the best guard in the NBA next year, if you count both offense and defense.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Based on what I saw last year Kawhi is not the same guy he was 5 years ago, even if healthy.

If so, then team D has the two best players on the court. Ant might be the best guard in the NBA next year, if you count both offense and defense.

I’m more bullish on the second round of this exercise in mid season… have several dudes who will be regarded much higher once the season starts… Ant, Jaden, Chet. People’s eyes gonna open.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I’m more bullish on the second round of this exercise in mid season… have several dudes who will be regarded much higher once the season starts… Ant, Jaden, Chet. People’s eyes gonna open.

Hold the L

 

[HermanG]

Based on what I saw last year Kawhi is not the same guy he was 5 years ago, even if healthy.

If so, then team D has the two best players on the court. Ant might be the best guard in the NBA next year, if you count both offense and defense.

Oh wow I said team D by mistake. Meant team L. Fixed.

 

[Thee Jazz Fan]

Based on what I saw last year Kawhi is not the same guy he was 5 years ago, even if healthy.

If so, then team L has the two best players on the court. Ant might be the best guard in the NBA next year, if you count both offense and defense.

Lmao he was out the year before with an ACL. They brought him back slowly but by years end he was fully back. 23pts a game due to the clips easing him back in due to the ACL recovery almost 7 reb a game nearly 4 ast shot 41% from 3 on 4 attempts and shot 51% fg on 16 attempts. And those numbers would be much better had it not been for the ACL recovery. He’s fine.

 

[Thee Jazz Fan]

The last three months of the season, he average 27.7 rebounds for assist he shot 46% from three on five attempts and 52% on 18 attempts from the from the court. He was himself by years end.