We are over-achieving to most. We have a damn good shot of making the playoffs. Dame is playing at an all-world pace of unreal shooting. This is the beginning of something that could be very special for years to come! Lets forget about these last 2 losses. Remember, We've won 18 out of our last 23. EIGHTEEN. We're fine. Lets ENJOY this. Remember, we weren't expected to win many... so lets play with some house money!
Also, despite him playing like a maniac, Dame isn't quite in his prime (27-32) yet. There's no waste in this year; look at the skills he's learning!
I LOVE the floater! And drawing fouls. He's finishing great. The clutch has returned to his game. Before he was just all star level good. Now, he's also playing like a savvy vet. And yes, he's MVP level.
Tired legs against the Celtics, a no quit valiant effort against a team that plays really well at home in Toronto, these two losses need to be put in context. Big picture for me is that you have two incredible playmakers that can play the point. Not many teams around the league can say that. I think seeing those guys play just shines a light on what this team needs moving forward. Probably a big guy that can get you buckets down low and a high percentage 3 shooter. That's about it though, this team should be fun to watch for years to come.
Do you think Vonleh could potentially do that? And if so, do we stunt his growth by bringing in a "vet"? There is a lot of tough decisions yet to come.
I don't see Noah as a guy that can do that next year. It just depends on how quickly you want to win big. Add a big guy in the off season and you can cement your position in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Waiting for Vonleh, who is an exciting potential prospect to be sure, means another year of being a 6 or so seed, probably losing in the 1st round. I say try to win right now and still find time for Noah to develop his game.
I'd give Pau Gasol a 1 year max if we can't find other uses for our cap space. Would be the low post scorer/defender that we need while being a mentor to Vonleh
Or he would enable them to develop without putting too much on their shoulders, while giving the team a chance to win now. Development isn't everything. Sometimes, winning matters too. Like next season. Vonleh isn't ready, and will still be experiencing growing pains next season, making him something of a liability if you are trying to win. Bring in an older vet who can get us to the next level, and continue to develop Vonleh next year. He's two seasons away.
Prime isn't that old; its 26-28. 32 is certainly past most players peak. There's always exceptions of course. Dame is having a special season and if we get the right guys around him could be a crazy 5 years. He's playing better than Rasheed or Aldridge ever did. Roy was close to this level but only for a few months at the end then his body broke down. Have to go back to Clyde to really have a similar comparison. Blows my mind he's not an Allstar. Depending how we finish he could have an argument for first team All-NBA. Doubt that has ever happened.
The big picture? This team will go as far as Dame/CJ can carry it. It still needs a major influx of talent to be relevant.
We're not the Warriors. Dame is not Curry. We should be tanking. If we make the playoffs we won't get out of the first round. :MARIS61:
You also have to have a sense of urgency in the Western Conference. Yes, the Warriors will be great for years to come, but gradually they will lose pieces and perhaps a bit of their edge if they truly break the 82 game record and win another Finals. Eventually the Spurs will be broken up a bit, yes they'll still be great but eventually Duncan, Parker and Ginobli are going to retire and there's no guarantee what'll happen after that. The Clippers go as CP3 goes and he's about to turn 31. Who knows what'll happen with Blake but they'll still be really good for a few years. If Durant leaves OKC, all bets are off for that team. Same thing with Conley in Memphis. I think there's an opportunity next year to slide into that top 4 of the Western Conference. You have Damian Lillard getting better and better, and CJ is just starting to take off. You have a really solid supporting cast and good young talent. The question has to be, why can't this team go deep in the playoffs in 2017?
They are relevant today; about 100 national articles and podcasts on them this month. They'll be in the playoffs. I don't think they need a major anything; just a player to help on offense when Dame/CJ are trapped, maybe a bit more defense.
Does the roster still need one more star? Sure. But saying the team will only go as far as Dame and CJ can carry them is true of any team in the league and their two best players. If Curry or Green go down do the Warriors still have a realistic shot at a title? Not likely.
Here's an analogy that came up while reading this: When you go see a movie, they often have two stars (male/male, male/female, etc.) and usually a list of supporting characters (some bigger named than others, maybe one other star as a supporting role, or a older film/tv star taking on a cameo). So, of course the 2 stars are going to carry it and make the movie great (or terrible). It's just how it works. Basketball is much the same way. Now, if you get too many stars and not enough roles (those movies that seem to have 10-15 stars all doing minor parts), usually those movies are a bust as in they suck, because they are most likely giving less. A bit of an abstract analogy, but it seems to fit some of the NBA landscape in terms of how they orchestrate their teams.
People think they need more. It's the materialistic, we-never-have-enough society we live in. Marketing companies thrive on making the consumer think they never have enough. It's a societal thinking.
