Trade Young has been garbage so that's not saying much. My eye-test says he doesnt have the ball skills to be an NBA PG. We dont need a lock-down guard defender while sacrificing in every other area of the game. I also think he'd foul way too much.
Well the eye-test is hard to determine when he hasn't really played much PG in a meaningful situation. He's quick and his ball handling doesn't seem that bad. I don't know how you can conclude he can't play PG. Lets not make it out to mean anyone thinks he should be starting over Dame or anything like that. Every team needs a good defender off the bench, even if it is just for a specific role. You make it seem like his offense is on Andre Roberson's level or something. Yes, fouls have been an issue due to being over aggressive but the only way to correct that is to learn in game situations.
I watched Baldwin's last 2 G-League games. His defense is no different from the other players. He gets no assists, so the coach plays him at the SG position. Stotts should take notice of his natural position. When I watch Baldwin, I see the equally-bulky Connaughton trying to play PG. Same results in shooting and playmaking. Wiz, let me introduce you to Scalma. Good guy, but for a year he has told us how great the IV is, and how Swanigan sucks. Everyone in each G-League thread then conforms to his views.
I didn’t watch this one but Baldwin looked like he had a great game. Was 13-22 shooting. He’s had at least 24 points in four out of five games. Swanigan started but only played 7 minutes, and wasn’t in foul trouble. Don’t know what happened there.
Baldwin driving to the lane and finishing like that is not going to happen in the big leagues yet..he'll get blocked..he's just way better than the defenders at this level but not quite up to NBA speed yet
I still think they are a long shot to contribute in the near future. Baldwin has played decent defense at times but he's hardly a play maker and just seems to dribble endlessly when he gets the ball. But we have need of another point guard if can iron the details. Biggie I just don't see ever making a dent in the lineup. We have him guaranteed for another year but the holes in his game are more about speed and quickness than anything.
I think the key for Baldwin is if he will be able to hit an open jumper. I don't care how good of a play maker you are if you can't hit the open shot then you will struggle in today's NBA. (See Lonzo Ball) . In summer league he had some games where he looked like he could shoot so I am holding out hope. I do agree that he often over dribbles but I bet if you had him in the game with shooters like Seth, Nik, Jake and Meyers (yes I said Meyers too) he would make the quick pass. The key is IF he can he hit the open J when the ball swings back to him and he is wide open. But if he is wide open he also has the ability to attack the basket. Got to love his wing span.
Why?? He needs to be playing and building some value, or at the very least, getting in shape. Sitting at the end of the bench is pointless. Unless there’s about to be a trade (Lmfao), or an injury we haven’t heard about, this makes no sense.
I was a little confused myself. Did not sound like he was dominating the g league. I don't know what the specifics are. Is there a limit to how many games we can send someone down? Maybe a trade? Will be interesting, but I agree he would have been better served in the g league getting some experience.
It’s interesting for a few reasons. One, if this was predetermined, why hasn’t Baldwin been called up as well? Why did he only get four games? Two, Biggie started last night, played seven minutes, got subbed out, and never saw the court again. That doesn’t seem like it was by design. It doesn’t look like an injury either. It would’ve been reported by now. Three, we don’t need Swanigan, even with Moes injury. So this doesn’t make sense unless there was an injury to another player...or something else. Then again nothing this front office does makes sense so it’s probably much ado about nothing.
What will be interesting is Swanigan went down and I think played one game before Baldwin went down. Will be interesting to see if Baldwin gets called back after one more game. I am hoping there is a trade about to happen and Swanigan is part of it. Seems weird they would pull him after 7 minutes and not put him back in, unless someone from the Blazers made a call.
They both started their g league trip in the same game, so I don’t think that’s it. It was mentioned in another thread he missed a game because of illness. Don’t know why they’d recall him and make him travel if he was sick though.
Plus defense isn’t like offense where you can “get hot” Now you can question the consistency of ones effort, but usually if a guy can defend, he can defend.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/b/baldwwa01d.html In his 5 G-League games, Boring Baldwin had a 1.25 A/TO ratio (15/12). He averaged less than 1 assist per 10 minutes (15/161). His 3-point % was .235. He has Connaughton's body and 2-point shooting, but is no better playmaker. Much ado about nothing in the G-League threads of the last year and a half. Converting Connaughton to PG would have produced the same thing, not that I'm for that. Maybe Baldwin will learn to use his big body for defense. Right now, his defense consists of fouling when he swipes his arm in a circle like a windmill, trying to steal. Bad habit.