When it comes to our big 3 acquisitions this offseason, I think I rank them the following in terms of importance: 1). Robin Lopez 2). Rajon Rondo 3). Dwyane Wade The attention they've gotten from the media has gone in the reverse order. My impression of Robin Lopez so far is that he's a lot like Luol Deng: statistically modest, but good enough at everything that it's easy to play him a lot of minutes because he keeps the show running. On offense he moves the ball, sets great picks, and is just capable enough that he can play in most schemes. On defense he has a good motor and technique. He seems like a great guy, even though I'm not too familiar with his personal habits. I think his play is balanced enough that you can acquire talent in any way you want and not have to worry about his fit. Rondo to me looks like he'll do good things for the team as long as he doesn't lose his cool. He crowds Jimmy's space a little bit, but he doesn't seem to have a hard time developing driving lanes to the basket and this team has a lot of guys who are capable offensive players if they can get the ball in the right spots. I think his presence will be a huge boon for Niko and Doug, since they're capable of getting their own offense, but greatly benefit from having someone who can give them just a little bit of help getting the ball in their spots. Derrick was terrible at that. The only one I'm concerned with for now is Dwyane Wade. He's still a good player, but I think there's a decent chance he might not be good enough to really make a difference, but his presence will nonetheless be an anchor on the rest of the team either way. And I think it's his game and not Rondo's that really clashes with Jimmy. I could imagine the two of them being the new version of Noah and Pau: two good players that don't fit together but refuse to change their spot in the pecking order if things don't work out. There's still a good chance he'll be a positive, but I find his presence the most likely to cause interference with the team's agenda.
Lopez is better than I thought he was. He will help this team. Wade will cruise in the regular season. He is still a very good SG. Rondo is a very good floor general.
Lopez is solid. A great Noah replacement. I think time will show that he's an upgrade if for no other reason than he'll be healthier. My problem with Rondo is all about how he quit on the Mavs at the worst possible time (playoffs). I've yet to hear a mitigating explanation. I won't trust him until...I don't know when. I agree with TBF that Wade's value can't be assessed until the playoffs. Of course, first they have to make the playoffs. I think Wade still has one more good season.
