The 'Underdogs', Quick's Harkless & Alexander article

You forgot to add Ben Simmons who we will Draft this coming summer.

 

I'm excited about this season, I have a feeling that this will be a fun team to watch, it's a group of guys you can get behind.

 

Well this two players have something to prove this year and there off to a good start.

 

How are we going to get Ben Simmons without a lottery pick? ;-)

 

Me too. A dominant scoring wing is the only thing our team is missing. If Harkless can turn the corner and cash in on his potential we'll be one step closer to getting back to the POs. However, if this does happen, I think he still might be better suited to coming off the bench in a Ginobili role. But that's because I think Aminu would be less effective with the bench - so it's really about maximizing both of their contributions. At least until trades are made, at which point perhaps Harkless would become a starter.

 

I wonder which one is speed of lightning, and which is roar of thunder?

 

I love the potential of some of these young guys. Noah Vonleh, Moe Harkless, Montero, Alexander, etc.

Tons of youth, tons of potential to grow. We almost have too much youth and potential. It's going to be difficult to adequately develop all of these guys. I think this season is going to be an opportunity for them to battle it out, let the cream rise to the top, and then maybe deal some of the leftovers next summer.

 

I'm right there with you, drinking the Kool Aid.

 

"Most athletic player to put on a Blazers uniform." (referring to Harkless). That is quite a statement, considering we've had guys like Drexler, Kersey, Elliot Williams, Thomas Robinson....

 

Ugh, I really hate it when athleticism gets hyped. Outlaw was athletic, but too stupid to play the game.

 

Sheed, Outlaw, Brandon fucking Roy!

People sleep on Roy...

 

Think Montero is gone.

Reading Kaman's comments of Alexander is encouraging. He's not one to parse his words-- hope the guy gets a shot to play, though.

How do you guys see the minute rotation for bigs?

Only 96 mins to distribute between Leonard, Davis, Plumlee, Vonleh, Alexander, Kaman, and even Aminu as a small PF.

 

With our bevvy of bigs we should scrap the idea of Aminu playing PF - he should get the entirety of his minutes at SF.

 

It's so hard to say right now. We don't even know who the starters are going to be. Maybe Vonleh impresses Stotts during training camp and the preseason. Maybe Alexander works his way into the rotation. Right now, I think the starters are probably

Dame (36 minutes)
Henderson (if healthy) (30 minutes)
Aminu (36 minutes)
Leonard (30 minutes)
Plumlee (36 minutes)

I think the second team will most likely be

CJ (25)
Crabbe (5)
Harkless (12)
Vonleh (15)
Davis (15)

The three "development" guys will be Montero, Alexander, Pressey/Frazier. At this point, I'm not sure which pg will stay with the team. I think that will be dictated by how they play in training camp and in the preseason. With that said, I don't think we're keeping both.

The thing is, I could very easily see Leonard go through a slump and play himself out of the starting lineup, or out of the rotation completely. We have some really promising bigs like Vonleh, Davis, and possibly even Alexander. I could see Leonard regressing a bit and finding himself on the bench.

 

I don't think he was really that athletic. He had a high vertical, but he was kind of clumsy, not very agile.

 

Agreed. He could get high, but his lateral quickness was very slow to react. Not enough strength to move those long limbs.

 

I'd say Martell was a better athlete than Trav