The Problem with last year's team

[KG Living Legend]

 In the Playoffs the bigs couldn't score hardly at all. So here was the problem last year. Rob Williams,  Marcus Smart and AL Horford. 

 Three starters that frankly you couldn't count in for a basket.  We know the defense would dare Smart to shoot and he usually does.  Playing into the other teams strategy. 

 How often are both Jaylen and Jayson on fire the same game.  Almost never. The other night against Philly both Jay's say and we still started Porzingis,  Holiday,  White,  Hauser and Horford.

 I was shocked that we still have a good team without the Jay's. These two All star level additions are going to make an incredible difference.  Brad you are the man. Now get it done fellas.

[Vermont Green]

You are not wrong on the facts but I don't agree with the conclusion.  One of the best stretches of basketball in recent history was when the core line up was:

Smart
Brown
Tatum
Horford
RWilliams

All the same players.  Look at W-L, NRTG, +/-, whatever you want, this team/unit was great.  It made it to the finals and lost to a very experienced GSW team.  RWill was not the same last season, not sure he ever fully recovered from his knee surgery, and Horford was a season older and kind of faded at the end, but these guys were not all that different than the year before, maybe down a little.  Marcus Smart was the same Marcus Smart.  I think what happened is the team got in a funk when it was announced that Udoka had accepted a job in Houston.  All the tension with the players around that seemed to kind of flare up.  We went on to lose 3 straight to MIA.  Of course them having scrubs that shot like Hall of Famers didn't help.

I agree that all these things were weaknesses and they all have been fixed or improved upon.  We have Holiday for Smart, Porzingis for RWill, and Horford in a role where he won't need to provide as much offense.  I completely agree that these additions are going to make a big difference and now the whole Udoka thing is 100% in the rear view mirror.   Now if everyone can stay healthy and keep focused on the task at hand, the sky is the limit.

[KG Living Legend]

 You just can't have both bigs being non factors on offense.  I personally think that Zinger will make the biggest difference on offense. 

 Dude shoots 25 to 30 footers like its a free throw,  Inside and outside. Pick and pop. You name it he can do it. I think Porzingis will have a Kevin Garrett like effect on this team. Not as good on defense but better on offense. 

 And marcus it was time for a change.  We hit gold with Holiday.  7.4 apg is basically elite. Throw in 19ppg. Massive upgrade from Smart.

 Tp Vermont Green for the convo.

[Vermont Green]

You are right about the bigs. The ideal is one big who can score and one that is more defense and rebounds. Horford is unique in that up to now, he has had the versatility to be either. Now with Porzingis, he doesn’t need to score as much. He can be the defensive big when on the court with Porzingis but can still score some when needed.

[Roy H.]

I think last year was a combination of personnel mixed with a poor offensive philosophy that ignored easy buckets.  It sounds crazy, but almost any three was seen as a better option than any two.

With the addition of Brogdon to a Finals roster, along with a much better D. White, we should have done better than we did.

That said, the personnel seems better suited to avoiding offensive droughts.  We just need the bench to show up and perform above expectations.

[SparzWizard]

PBS should get another insurance big, to bubblewrap Porzingis for the playoffs.

I don't trust Kornet being our big off the bench (when Horford and Porzinigis are starting). Wenyen is young and Neemas Queta needs more NBA experience...a few solid preseason games, but we need more.

Otherwise, I'm excited for this squad. Def an upgrade from last year.

[Yuckabuck33]

In the Playoffs the bigs couldn't score hardly at all. So here was the problem last year. Rob Williams,  Marcus Smart and AL Horford. 

 Three starters that frankly you couldn't count in for a basket.  We know the defense would dare Smart to shoot and he usually does.  Playing into the other teams strategy. 

 How often are both Jaylen and Jayson on fire the same game.  Almost never. The other night against Philly both Jay's say and we still started Porzingis,  Holiday,  White,  Hauser and Horford.

 I was shocked that we still have a good team without the Jay's. These two All star level additions are going to make an incredible difference.  Brad you are the man. Now get it done fellas.

So Al couldn't score points in the playoffs I'm told.
Ok, but how many points did he keep off the scoreboard when he (again) sonned Embiid?

[Moranis]

I think last year was a combination of personnel mixed with a poor offensive philosophy that ignored easy buckets.  It sounds crazy, but almost any three was seen as a better option than any two.

With the addition of Brogdon to a Finals roster, along with a much better D. White, we should have done better than we did.

That said, the personnel seems better suited to avoiding offensive droughts.  We just need the bench to show up and perform above expectations.

Except the team was worse on the interior.  Significantly worse.  Al got older and significantly worse (I mean he was playing over 35 mpg in the playoffs shooting 48% from 3). Rob couldn't stay healthy and while he was mostly healthy in the playoffs last year, he just wasn't the same level of player.  We didn't replace Theis at all.  The lack of size also pushed Grant into more of a big role and while he shot well his overall play was much worse.

The problem with last year's team was its size, which frankly is a real concern with this year's team.  There just isn't enough size on the roster. 

[KG Living Legend]

In the Playoffs the bigs couldn't score hardly at all. So here was the problem last year. Rob Williams,  Marcus Smart and AL Horford. 

 Three starters that frankly you couldn't count in for a basket.  We know the defense would dare Smart to shoot and he usually does.  Playing into the other teams strategy. 

 How often are both Jaylen and Jayson on fire the same game.  Almost never. The other night against Philly both Jay's say and we still started Porzingis,  Holiday,  White,  Hauser and Horford.

 I was shocked that we still have a good team without the Jay's. These two All star level additions are going to make an incredible difference.  Brad you are the man. Now get it done fellas.

So Al couldn't score points in the playoffs I'm told.
Ok, but how many points did he keep off the scoreboard when he (again) sonned Embiid?

 Your missing the point Yuck Buck. I love Al's defense. Problem is the offense when we need it most in the Big games.

 Bigs couldn't score. That puts all the pressure on Brown and Tatum.  Then you have the third best and maybe fourth best scorers in Brogdon's and White off the bench. Makes it hard to fit the pieces.

 Now we have 4 studs that are all Starters Porzingis,  Tatum,  Brown,  Holiday they should and will be on the court together in pressure moments.

 Really White and Horford are both perfect fits with those four. Just need some Data as to who will be the best fit.

[cman88]

I think last year was a combination of personnel mixed with a poor offensive philosophy that ignored easy buckets.  It sounds crazy, but almost any three was seen as a better option than any two.

With the addition of Brogdon to a Finals roster, along with a much better D. White, we should have done better than we did.

That said, the personnel seems better suited to avoiding offensive droughts.  We just need the bench to show up and perform above expectations.

bench is the biggest question IMO. we traded alot of depth for talent.

are guys like Pritchard/hauser/Brissett/kornet ready to contribute?

[Kernewek]

I think last year was a combination of personnel mixed with a poor offensive philosophy that ignored easy buckets.  It sounds crazy, but almost any three was seen as a better option than any two.

With the addition of Brogdon to a Finals roster, along with a much better D. White, we should have done better than we did.

That said, the personnel seems better suited to avoiding offensive droughts.  We just need the bench to show up and perform above expectations.

Except the team was worse on the interior.  Significantly worse.  Al got older and significantly worse (I mean he was playing over 35 mpg in the playoffs shooting 48% from 3). Rob couldn't stay healthy and while he was mostly healthy in the playoffs last year, he just wasn't the same level of player.  We didn't replace Theis at all.  The lack of size also pushed Grant into more of a big role and while he shot well his overall play was much worse.

The problem with last year's team was its size, which frankly is a real concern with this year's team.  There just isn't enough size on the roster.

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, with a sprinkling of the unfortunate reality that Mazz was clearly pushing for a free-flowing offence that relied on the J's gravity - like we saw in the first half of the season - but couldn't enforce those principles on the team when the shots weren't falling.

It's not particularly controversial to say that Tatum, Brown, and Smart aren't wired to play like that by default.

[cman88]

There was something mentally wrong with last year's team too. And the year before despite us making the finals.

They certainly had talent to win. But how many times did they play down to teams or just come out flat and extend series they shouldn't have. We shouldn't have needed 6 games to beat Atlanta, need Tatum heroics to get to game 7 in Philly or go down 0-3 against miami

Even the finals year. That Miami series was trading blowouts until game 7. Milwaukee series the same.

So Brad blew everything up. Traded depth for more high end talent. At least 2 of holiday/KP/brown/Tatum should be going off on a given night.

Also loaded up on coaching staff. Van Gundy/Lee/Cassell behind Mazzulla is crazy.

And being "new" guys. I think all are more apt to play their role. Easier to come into another team and sacrifice than be a longer tenured guy and sacrifice.

[Who]

There was something mentally wrong with last year's team too. And the year before despite us making the finals.

They certainly had talent to win. But how many times did they play down to teams or just come out flat and extend series they shouldn't have. We shouldn't have needed 6 games to beat Atlanta, need Tatum heroics to get to game 7 in Philly or go down 0-3 against miami

Even the finals year. That Miami series was trading blowouts until game 7. Milwaukee series the same.

So Brad blew everything up. Traded depth for more high end talent. At least 2 of holiday/KP/brown/Tatum should be going off on a given night.

Also loaded up on coaching staff. Van Gundy/Lee/Cassell behind Mazzulla is crazy.

And being "new" guys. I think all are more apt to play their role. Easier to come into another team and sacrifice than be a longer tenured guy and sacrifice.

Agreed. The problem with last year's team was leadership. Not talent. Not skilled bigs. Leadership.

The same guys who failed to lead the team last year (Tatum, Jaylen) are back. In has come Porzingis who has never been a leader. And Jrue Holiday who gives us some leadership (secondary leadership rather than primary = that is Tatum) but Jrue has also been an abysmal underperformer in the playoffs for the last 3 seasons.

[ozgod]

There was something mentally wrong with last year's team too. And the year before despite us making the finals.

They certainly had talent to win. But how many times did they play down to teams or just come out flat and extend series they shouldn't have. We shouldn't have needed 6 games to beat Atlanta, need Tatum heroics to get to game 7 in Philly or go down 0-3 against miami

Even the finals year. That Miami series was trading blowouts until game 7. Milwaukee series the same.

So Brad blew everything up. Traded depth for more high end talent. At least 2 of holiday/KP/brown/Tatum should be going off on a given night.

Also loaded up on coaching staff. Van Gundy/Lee/Cassell behind Mazzulla is crazy.

And being "new" guys. I think all are more apt to play their role. Easier to come into another team and sacrifice than be a longer tenured guy and sacrifice.

Agreed. The problem with last year's team was leadership. Not talent. Not skilled bigs. Leadership.

The same guys who failed to lead the team last year (Tatum, Jaylen) are back. In has come Porzingis who has never been a leader. And Jrue Holiday who gives us some leadership (secondary leadership rather than primary = that is Tatum) but Jrue has also been an abysmal underperformer in the playoffs for the last 3 seasons.

How telling this is will depend on whether we believe leaders are made and developed, not born. If they are born and not made then we've got a problem 

I do think they are made though and I think each experience makes a person better in terms of developing as a leader. But we'll have all this season to find out.

[Roy H.]

I think last year was a combination of personnel mixed with a poor offensive philosophy that ignored easy buckets.  It sounds crazy, but almost any three was seen as a better option than any two.

With the addition of Brogdon to a Finals roster, along with a much better D. White, we should have done better than we did.

That said, the personnel seems better suited to avoiding offensive droughts.  We just need the bench to show up and perform above expectations.

bench is the biggest question IMO. we traded alot of depth for talent.

are guys like Pritchard/hauser/Brissett/kornet ready to contribute?

Individually I'm fine with any of those guys as a depth piece.  In combination, I worry.  I don't really love any of them as injury fill-ins, either.