How close do you think we are?

http://www.sportstwo.com/threads/plan-b.216978/page-3#post-2822355

 

This is sort of a tricky poll. A lot depends on health but as the off season progresses, I still think we're really close if healthy bringing almost everyone back

 

People talk about Batum and LA a lot but my biggest question mark this off season is more and more becoming Wes...not because I don't want him but just that he may get overpaid elsewhere and go for it.

 

I personally wouldn't sign Wes for anything other than sentimental value, even if Aldridge returns. He's gonna command too much and it won't be worth locking in a bad contract for feelings.

I think we need an all star caliber player, like I always do. A Demar DeRozan type player.

 

I definitely think we're close....

Unfortunately, I also see Houston, SA, Memphis, LAC, and GS as close, or actually there.

 

A team with LMA as the #1 option will never compete for a championship.
A team coached by Stotts will never compete for a championship.
So, we're a long way away from contending.

 

I agree with that much more than I disagree. LA is just not a #1. He can't dribble, doesn't really attack the basket, most of his shots are the most inefficient in basketball and passes very poorly out of the double-team. He is a nice, high volume shooter how accumulates a lot of stats but is not a superstar type player. Stotts is the 'nice-guy' coach but I see little in terms of an attitude of toughness or defense which matters a lot in the playoffs.

"Despite playing at the league's fastest pace, the Warriors ranked second in the NBA in points scored per possession — just a hair behind the Los Angeles Clippers for top honors — while also locking down opponents to the tune of the league's No. 1 defensive efficiency mark"....

If players like Curry, Lee, an undersized Green, Thompson, Barnes etc can be ranked that high, then it can be taught/schemed and Portland isn't anywhere near close to that level. So I guess my vote would be in the 'not that close' area. Injuries certainly slowed the Blazers down at the end but that is part of the game. OKC was only a few games behind Portland and without Durant for basically the entire season and Ibaka for large parts of it. Portland would have easily been the #7 record if OKC is remotely healthy. That is not contender status to me.

There are some nice pieces in Lillard, CJ and Leonard but I think signing LA to a Max deal from age 30-35 sounds like something the Yankees would do. Lopez was a very solid stop gap at center but not a 'contender' center given the 40% show rate at SF, only 1 shot creator and numerous holes on the bench.

 

So sign him and make him the #2 or #3 option. Still not a bad piece to the puzzle. I do agree with El Presidente in that we need a DeRosan type player on the wing who can attack the rim. Add that and we are close....if we keep LMA.

 

That'll never happen. And if we could somehow keep him and add two better scoring options he'd still need to GREATLY improve at setting screens, moving on help-defense, rebounding, and passing in order to be an effective PF.

 

I don't think we need two better scoring options than LA, we just need one different scoring quality option.
If he, Dame, and one other scored around 20 PPG, we would be fine. We just need one wing player who can consistently create his own offense, and who also can play defense. Wes and Nic are too similar on offense IMO

 

Kind of Close.

Need to change starting Centers. I am Not sure where we are with SG. I don't see the Forceful team leader on the roster that can will the team to perform. Batum in particular would benefit from
such a leader on the floor. Then I don't say this to piss anyone off, but we were is sad shape at the PG position during this last series and much of the last half of the season. This must be corrected before the team can progress. However, a strong team leader or a strong coach could correct Lillard and Batum. So we have a part missing. And then again it could be worse
than I think when I think of Curry smoking Lillard in a head to head.

 

Sadly, I agree. I think both can (and do) play their role well. Each of them provides something that championship teams need. Unfortunately, what they provide is too similar. We could make it work with both of them if we had someone like Cousins at C and Ibaka at PF, and model the team in the style of the most recent championship Pistons. But if we're going to hitch our wagon to LMA (ugh) we need one wing who can create his own high-percentage offense. Given Wes' injury I think I might lean towards keeping Nic. Unfortunately there aren't many great SGs these days - we're certainly not going to find a better SG than pre-injury Wes. And that's why we're not at all close to winning a championship.

 

DeRozan type would mean low-IQ slasher with a tendency to shoot bad shots, right? Well, Gerald Green probably can be had this summer for under 8 mil a year.

 

Yeah, I don't see DeRozan making us a better team. At best it's a lateral move (exchange offense for defense+), but more likely to be a step backwards.

 

I think a better move would be to sign a guy like Danny Green (may be out of our price range) or Iman Shumpert (Might be able to give enough for the Cavs to let him walk).

 

As 6th man?

 

Starting two, but starting two in the sense that Thabo was when he was good in OKC, we have our 6th man in CJ (Jason Terry type minutes from the Dallas years, so like 30-32 minutes).

 

Meh. Neither is as good as pre-injury Wes. And I'd place my bet on post-injury Wes being better than Shump, and probably Green too.

 

I'd actually be very open to that

 

I disagree, I think Green is already better than Wes. Green is every bit the hound dog that Wes is on D, and he is a WAY better shooter.