A Thought on the Evolution of the Offense and Potential Free Agents.

[Smartacus]

Much of the time when considering adding potential free agents and draft targets to this team my first question is typically would they be able to fit the culture and system that CBS and DA have installed? Picking high character, high BBIQ players, who can pass, handle and play in space has created a read and react culture that has vaulted us to the 4th fastest pace in the league, behind only Golden State, Sac, and Phoenix.

Clearly we've become become the gold standard for using the GS model to improve our situation but when it comes to looking at potential players to add I hope we also consider the success of a team that has been one of the league leaders in Pace and currently ranks 27th in the league today: San Antonio.

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/paceFactor/year/2011

Over the past few years much has been said about the Spurs pivoting their gameplan to accommodate their roster, putting more of an emphasis on 3 point shooting and open transition basketball behind Tony Parker and Manu than the previous 2 towers model that they were once so effective with.

Well now they've evolved once again and it's entirely due to personnel. Adding a half court machine like Lamarcus Aldridge and asking more of the fundamentally sound Kawhi Leonard has once again shifted the depth chart and the system in favor of slower half court based games.

This pace not only favors David West and Tim Duncan but the Serbian monster that they added in the off season Boban Marjanovic who granted plays limited minutes and only starts when TD sits but actually lead the month of December in PER at 32.8. This team sits at 27 and 6 and is doing it playing a style of basketball that many pundits and talking heads have deemed to be obsolete.

The point is this... The Spurs have been able to fit their system to their roster all while keeping their core identity. When the Roster called for up and down three point shooting the system adapted. Now that the roster calls for more half court execution the system adapted. Yet watching them, regardless of how fast they play it still feels like "Spurs Basketball". I hope Boston is able to do the same.

Should we not bring in the best talent simply because they aren't optimized for a Pace and Space system? Or should we bring in the best players who fit the culture and adjust the system accordingly? Pop has proven that he can do it... can Brad Stevens?

Edit: In the past five years the spurs have topped out at the 12th fastest pace so "among the fastest teams in the league" might have been a bit of a stretch.

[BitterJim]

You build a team around stars, not around role players.  If a star is available, you get them regardless of fit.  The system can always be changed later

[Smartacus]

You build a team around stars, not around role players.  If a star is available, you get them regardless of fit.  The system can always be changed later

That's my line of reasoning too but then your never going to have one of the leagues top paces with a Lamarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, or even someone like Al Horford, they just are more effective in the half court. If one of these players went up to Golden State and said I want to live in the bay area and play for you, would GS risk messing with their established formula and pace to add somebody who would slow down what they do? 

GS is probably a bad example because Draymond is arguably better than all three of those guys, but then is he better in a vacuum, or is it his perfect fit for what their trying to accomplish that puts him over the top?

[__ramonezy__]

You build a team around stars, not around role players.  If a star is available, you get them regardless of fit.  The system can always be changed later

That's my line of reasoning too but then your never going to have one of the leagues top paces with a Lamarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, or even someone like Al Horford, they just are more effective in the half court. If one of these players went up to Golden State and said I want to live in the bay area and play for you, would GS risk messing with their established formula and pace to add somebody who would slow down what they do? 

GS is probably a bad example because Draymond is arguably better than all three of those guys, but then is he better in a vacuum, or is it his perfect fit for what their trying to accomplish that puts him over the top?

I actually partially disagree with your notions. I agree that this is a star-driven league,  but true success for a franchise comes when you have stars that fit the system you're running. The system actually trumps the individual and Pop preaches about this all the time.

The examples you stated being GS, ATL and SA, just so happen to have stars that fit their system and they go out of their way to find such stars, they don't force square pegs in round holes...

[MJohnnyboy]

You build a team around stars, not around role players.  If a star is available, you get them regardless of fit.  The system can always be changed later

That's my line of reasoning too but then your never going to have one of the leagues top paces with a Lamarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, or even someone like Al Horford, they just are more effective in the half court. If one of these players went up to Golden State and said I want to live in the bay area and play for you, would GS risk messing with their established formula and pace to add somebody who would slow down what they do? 

GS is probably a bad example because Draymond is arguably better than all three of those guys, but then is he better in a vacuum, or is it his perfect fit for what their trying to accomplish that puts him over the top?

I actually partially disagree with your notions. I agree that this is a star-driven league,  but true success for a franchise comes when you have stars that fit the system you're running. The system actually trumps the individual and Pop preaches about this all the time.

The examples you stated being GS, ATL and SA, just so happen to have stars that fit their system and they go out of their way to find such stars, they don't force square pegs in round holes...

Exactly. Case and point is Goran Dragic. Two seasons ago Dragic was a top-5 point guard in the league on the Suns averaging 20 points, 6 assists on 50% shooting and 40% 3 pt shooting. Now he's averaging 11 points, 5 assists on 45% shooting and 28% 3 pt shooting on the Heat. Pretty notable drop-off. What happened?

It's not like Dragic all the sudden lost his touch, and he's only 29. The problem is he's on a team that doesn't play his style (Miami is 29th in the league in pace) with a shooting guard that he doesn't mesh with (Wade is ball dominant and can't shoot). The Suns system benefited Dragic and he excelled with Jeff Hornacek as the coach. Certain players benefit from the systems they are in.

[moiso]

Well then it seems like Miami needs to adjust their system because they look a lot more talented than their record shows.  I totally agree with Smartacus.  The system shouldn't be in stone, it should be flexible.  It seems pretty one dimentional if someone has a rigid system that's set in stone and isn't adjustable. 

[Smartacus]

Lamacus Aldridge to the Spurs was a complete no brainier from a talent acquisition perspective. He's a Texas native, who is still in his prime and would not be rushed to immediately take over the team. There was a clear path of succession once Duncan leaves and in the mean time Aldridge gets to compete for a championship.

But it was by no means a 100% match from a fit perspective. Aldridge is a volume iso scorer going to a team predicated on spacing and ball movement. He's never been known as being the greatest passer or defender and his best performances have all come from individually dominating his matchups.

What saved the whole situation (aside from Aldridge not being obscenely far off from what they want out of their 4 spot to begin with) was the incredible adaptability of the coaching staff, and the continued emergence of Kawhi Leonard. These Spurs are not the same as their most recent championship team, and scarily enough they just might be better. They got bigger, slower and gave the keys to Kawhi Leonard just when the rest of the league is trying to go small.

To __ramonezy__'s point I'd argue that they may not have forced a square peg in a round hole, instead they just made square holes.

[CelticSince83]

You build a team around stars, not around role players.  If a star is available, you get them regardless of fit.  The system can always be changed later

That's my line of reasoning too but then your never going to have one of the leagues top paces with a Lamarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, or even someone like Al Horford, they just are more effective in the half court. If one of these players went up to Golden State and said I want to live in the bay area and play for you, would GS risk messing with their established formula and pace to add somebody who would slow down what they do? 

GS is probably a bad example because Draymond is arguably better than all three of those guys, but then is he better in a vacuum, or is it his perfect fit for what their trying to accomplish that puts him over the top?

I actually partially disagree with your notions. I agree that this is a star-driven league,  but true success for a franchise comes when you have stars that fit the system you're running. The system actually trumps the individual and Pop preaches about this all the time.

The examples you stated being GS, ATL and SA, just so happen to have stars that fit their system and they go out of their way to find such stars, they don't force square pegs in round holes...

Exactly. Case and point is Goran Dragic. Two seasons ago Dragic was a top-5 point guard in the league on the Suns averaging 20 points, 6 assists on 50% shooting and 40% 3 pt shooting. Now he's averaging 11 points, 5 assists on 45% shooting and 28% 3 pt shooting on the Heat. Pretty notable drop-off. What happened?

It's not like Dragic all the sudden lost his touch, and he's only 29. The problem is he's on a team that doesn't play his style (Miami is 29th in the league in pace) with a shooting guard that he doesn't mesh with (Wade is ball dominant and can't shoot). The Suns system benefited Dragic and he excelled with Jeff Hornacek as the coach. Certain players benefit from the systems they are in.

I don't know if Dragic is the best case study to prove this point.  The season he is having this year is actually a lot more indicative of the player he really is.  He really just had 1 great year in a situation that was conducive to him excelling.  I always felt his 2013-14 season was fools gold. 

Not saying I disagree with your overall point, I actually have mixed feelings towards it.  Just wanted to point this out because I always hear Dragic is playing bad.  Is he really playing bad or is he just not playing up to one elite season he had at age 27?

[CelticSince83]

To go a step further on this, Dragic's numbers in 2014-15 are almost identical, the game he played with the Suns vs. the games he played with the Heat.