OK, I have some feelings about this game. Actually, I have feelings about the recent stretch of 3-4 games. What we're seeing now really started to rear its ugly head in the Pacers game, after which Hardy said this:
View: https://x.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1747116351091552293?s=20
I remember watching that very game and thinking, "I hope Hardy notices this **** and stops it before it's too late". Well, he noticed, as Tony pointed out. But he couldn't/wouldn't stop it. We've pretty much played bad basketball ever since, living and dying on dribble-heavy guard ISO's and forgetting about ball movement again. Going away from what was working.
As the Sexton lovefest gathered steam recently, I thought that there were two ways that thing was going to go. Either Collin proves once and for all that he's actually matured as a player, changes his game and finds a consistent ability to play within himself. That player would have a future on this team, and an important role at that.
The alternative was that he starts reading his own headlines and dusts off the blinders.
As much as I would have liked to see the first option come to fruition... we're going in the wrong direction. Sexton taking 27 shots is absolutely absurd in any contect.
Absurd. This is him as he was back in Cleveland, thinking he's the first option just because he has some space, going 1 on 3 all the time. This is him reading his own headlines.
This is also Sexton killing his own trade market. The player we saw when we were stretching the win streak one game at a time was someone that really made the league sit up and take notice. This version, though... this version is a known quantity. Old news.
I have a hard time seeing Hardy pull back the reins on Collin. I kinda have the feeling he decided to let Sexton run wild and
show us if his change/improvement as an NBA player was genuine or not. Right now it's not looking good, but Collin still has a chance to realize what he's doing. His future success both on this team and around the NBA could be hanging in the balance.
Random thoughts:
- Lauri's shoulder is not right. I didn't like his body language when he got bumped hard on the right side of his body. He was in pain. Overall, he looked a lot like a guy who's having to play while constantly paying attention what his arm/shoulder is doing and where the next hard contact is going to come from. I guess Lauri has been dealing with this for a while now so I don't expect him to miss time... but then again, I wouldn't be shocked if he did. We all know what that would probably mean for this season.
- Kessler's FT shooting bit us in the ***. Again. We all know teams are trying to foul him when he gets the ball under the rim. Kessler needs to anticipate it, hold on to the ball like his life depends on it and go up MAD. His soft attempts to kinda hop up and flick the ball at the basket in those fouling situations are infuriating.
- Nobody had a good game. I don't have to say anything about Clarkson and Sexton combining for an eye-watering 52 FGA's, the Sexton discussion above kinda covered it. And it looks like Clarkson's departure is imminent anyway.
- Sengun's ability to throw his body around while still retaining the ability to score with soft floaters and hooks is very, very Jokic-like. Can't teach that stuff. Dude is one of the most naturally gifted basketball players in the league IMO. Not a perfect body for what he's doing, but he's making it work. Unlike Kessler, who's wasting a legit, reasonably athletic 7 foot frame on offense.
