Someone in another thread suggested they would like Harkless at the 2 instead of CJ. I laughed it off at first because Harkless in some ways look more likely to see minutes at stretch 4. But, I thought about it some more. IF (big IF) Harkless does get his 3pt shot back (or up to 35% or greater), is this such an insane idea? Harkless seems to have as good of handles as Wes had and has very good lateral quickness. What would prevent him from minutes at the 2? Possible Lineup Dame Harkless Aminu Leonard Plumlee That lineup appears that it could be very good defensively and really help cover for Dame. It would allow CJ to play the scoring 6th man. And what of the other players on the team that can cross positions? I don't like this idea, but given his handles and outside shot, and reasonable lateral quickness, what about Vonleh seeing minutes at the three? And what about an "all-fast-break lineup" Frazier/Pressey Henderson Harkless/Aminu Alexander Davis Beat-em Black-n-Blue lineup Dame (no real good PG options here) Connaughton Leonard Alexander Kaman
Have people forgotten that we have Gerald Henderson - the only starting-level SG on the roster? I'm not against Harkless playing SG if he has the skills for it. But we really shouldn't be playing people out of position this season - there just isn't any need for it. Especially playing SFs at PF - the PF is already too crowded without adding Aminu/Harkless into the mix. We have very little talent at SF so Aminu/Harkless should get ALL of their minutes at that position...unless Harkless can also shift down to SG (but never up to PF).
Well, part of this relates to our current lack of depth at SG. For the time being, Henderson is not available. When he is available he is a good scorer, decent defender and weak 3pt shooter (unless the Stotts effect helps him). Harkless is a decent scorer, better defender and possibly better 3pt shooter. IF at some point Harkless shows better all around skills than Henderson, wouldn't it be interesting to see him there?
I feel like Crabbe can give you what you're hoping for from Harkless at the 2. Crabbe has flown under the radar in both the blazers coverage and these boards this summer. He was fantastic in summer league and has rededicated himself to increasing in 3FG%. He's shown he's much more than just a shooter/3&D guy.
I hope this is true. But, I do have concerns that it will be. Crabbe has never shown the type of aggression needed to step into the starting SG spot. He has all the tools, but seems to sit around and watch on offense. Hopefully that changes. Second, with all the buzz at training camp, I am not hearing his name mentioned very much. This concerns me a bit. It may be because he is now an "old timer" and not newsworthy, but I'm just not hearing his name like you hear about CJ and Harkless.
I think Crabbe could fill Batum's role as a SG and either Harkless or Aminu could give us what Wes used to give us from the SF position
1) It was his job to defer, and he did. This is a contract year and if he doesn't produce he'll be out of the league - he knows this. 2) He was very aggressive in summer league, and play very, very well. 3) much of the buzz in the offseason is mostly bs. Check out any of the Jaynes articles. It's like he has the article written before the interviews, then asks leading questions to make things fit. Barrett has stopped commenting on the players in the offseason because he's batting about 25% on his gushing. 4) I'm hoping for good things from Harkless like many on here are. However, we got him for a top-50 protected future 2nd rounder. They got the most insignificant pick possible and he doesn't make enough to give them a lot of cap relief. I'd love something for nothing, but I'm a bit sceptical until I at least see him play.
We will find out quickly with Crabbe. He certainly has all the tools. It will be interesting to see how he plays coming out of the gate. Many assume CJ would start of Hendo is not available. The SG spot is wide open if Crabbe and take it.
An alternate account is a keen idea. I could hold conversations with myself if I used my sons account though. Seems like a lot of work though
So how do you really feel about having two white centers (yes MyLe is one) and a St. John's guy on your team. What if that lineup produced well?
Excited to see if Meyers can carry his defensive improvements over from last year. He looked like a revelation against Gasol. If he does, he's sure to get more PT.
