Murray shot 31% from 3 last year 5.4 assists
Smart shot 33%, 5.7 assists
Not really an upgrade.
Except Murray shot half the amount of threes Smart did, shot 5% better from the field, rebounds at double the rate, turns it over less, fouls less and played better defence last year.
Smart's true shooting %age was 54%. Murray's was 51%. TS% takes into account 3s, 2-point shoots, and free throws. (For reference, league average is around 58%.)
They were both pretty bad scoring the ball, but all things considered Murray was worse, and really really bad.
Smart's defense was off last year, and that is a legitimate concern. I do buy that last year was a very bad year for a lot of players, him included, and that he was also hurt a good part of the year. He's been a bulldog for a long time, and I think it's more likely he will be back next year.
Murray would never get 14.5 FGAs here, so I don't think it's particularly concerning. He'd be here for his passing, versatile defence (6'4" with a 6'10" wingspan), dribble penetration and rebounding. I also think that given Murray's mid-range game (47.2% between 16-24 feet) he could really improve in a lesser offensive role.
It would be great to have someone who could drive and dish. We currently have nobody on the team who is able to do so well.
Neither Smart or Pritchard offer that at PG. Fournier, Tatum and Jaylen are all currently secondary ball-handlers / creators rather than primary options.
How is Tatum our secondary shot creator? We run pretty much everything through him in the half court. Obviously, he ain't an elite facilitator, but he can definitely create shots for his teammates.
Personally speaking, I'd want us to start an oversized, pass-first PG who's happy to play off the ball on offense. Don't really care whether he can create his own shot. We already got 4 scoring options in our starting lineup in Tatum, Brown, Fournier and (to a lesser extent due to his age) Horford. In fact, I actually think we'd be better off with a PG who ain't looking to create his own shot. It would do wonders for our ball movement.
The way I see it, none of Smart / Dejounte / White is an ideal fit. They're average shooters, hence they aren't great off-ball options. In any case, Smart fits the bill in my book, cause he's happy to play off the ball and he's literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive system. He's also a reliable ball handler, an underrated passer (especially in the PnR) and a respectable shooter.
Sorry I wasn't clear.
I meant primary ball-handler / playmaker not primary option as in scorer / shot creator.
None of our team's players are geared to be a primary ball-handler / playmaker. Not Smart or Pritchard at PG. Nor Tatum, Jaylen or Fournier on the wing who are all secondary ball-handler / playmakers.
This team needs a better ball-handler. Someone with plus quickness who can drive into the paint and collapse some defenses. Help create easier shot opportunities for their teammates by pushing the ball, dribble penetration in the halfcourt and dishing.
Our team lacks that. It looks slow and stagnant. Too much happening 20-25 feet from the hoop (outside the defense). Needs someone who can get inside a defense and create from there.
Agree to disagree. Even when Kemba was playing, Tatum was still our primary ball handler in the half court. Only difference is that he wasn't dribbling the ball up the court.
Our go-to move in the half court is Tatum running the high PnR. Given that he has score-first mentality, most of the times he's either attacking the switch or he's shooting an uncontested 3. That said, he can create shots for his teammates as well out of the PnR. Attacking the switch may look like an iso, but it really isn't. It's smart/fundamental basketball: taking advantage of the mismatch. Our whole offense is built around Tatum's ability to put the ball on the floor and run the PnR as a 6'8'' ball handler. Off the top of my head, the only players at 6'8''+ who are better at running the PnR are LeBron and Cade Cunningham.
If you think Dejounte would become our primary ball handler in the half court, imo you underrate Tatum. He'd still be hands down our best shot creator / playmaker (/ name it what you will). This is the #1 reason I couldn't care less whether our future starting PG can create his own shot. I wouldn't want him to be taking the ball away from Tatum in the half court, like Kemba was doing sometimes.
This team needs a better ball-handler. Someone with plus quickness who can drive into the paint and collapse some defenses. Help create easier shot opportunities for their teammates by pushing the ball, dribble penetration in the halfcourt and dishing.
We may not have an elite drive-and-dish player, but we got an elite slasher in Brown. Fwiw, he averaged a career high 3.4 assists per game last season which is nothing to sneeze at for a guy playing mostly off the ball. Hopefully, he'll become a better facilitator going forward. In any case, the C's run a PnR-heavy offense. This is our go-to move for creating shots. It ain't just Tatum. Smart + Fournier (+ Kemba + Hayward when they were here) can run the PnR as well. If you have the right players, PnR is unstoppable. Can't say the same thing about drive and dish. I mean, it's basically a failed attempt for an iso.
Topic: Spurs’ Murray and White Available? (Read 10756 times)