I understand a bit why Favors and Kanter don't play more; they have two really good starters at those positions. The Burks thing slays me though; Raja Bell is a helpful defender but he'd need to be Bruce Bowen to justify his total lack of production in any other category. I can't believe I live in a world in which both he and Rasual Butler are starting in the NBA.
From John Hollinger ESPN
- Thread starter delpotro
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Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
Who does Butler play for? I liked him when he played for NO.
Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
do you have a link
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
I guess Hollinger doesn't realize how important it is that Raja "sets the tone" on defense. Or as Locke loves to point out, how he "keeps the ball moving" on offense. Or as Ty says, that people "don't understand the value of him."
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
This is not the first time Hollinger has weighed in on this. In his previous chat, he responded to a question about why Raja starts similarly:
To be fair, though, Hollinger doesn't watch the games, and Burks not only doesn't get the offense, he chucks unmercilessly. He either has to start making his shots or learn that he needs to find a way to contribute without the ball in his hands. His D has been unexpectedly good, though.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
On our team, as with almost every other team in the NBA, Bell should be the 5th wing. Nothing he does defensively justifies regular minutes. If Ty used him as a matchup or a fill in guy I could live with Raja. I can't live with Raja averaging 20 minutes a night.
Yeah, probably. That doesn't change that Burks doesn't get it. If he didn't and he still made his shots then I might have a different take, but he doesn't and that's mostly because he takes bad shots. Which is what a team offense is for.
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Brown Notes
Well-Known Member
Nailed. Unfortunately for us, Bell is better than CJ and Burks in that he is the only SG on the team that does what he's told (Hayward is a forward now). If Burks is rewarded for his cowboy game with more responsibility he will never learn any better. As I watch more games it becomes a lot more clear why Bell starts.
gomretat
Well-Known Member
Bingo. Evaluating Bell versus what he might be on another team is irrelevant as it gets. I would love to see Burks get to the point where he takes Bell's minutes but as of now, no one is bringing what Raja brings on defense. And he does keep the ball moving. I have defended Bell but not because I am glad that is our best option. Burks is erratic on both ends of the floor but that is to be expected. It would be great if we get to the point where Burks or CJ get consistent enough that they take the time but I don't see if happening anytime soon.