It's not fair to judge guys when they're playing out of their normal roles, but reading the game thread there's a general consensus that:
* all of our bigs sucked;
* Banton was solid;
* Pritchard was the best player on the floor
Does that sound right? I didn't see the game.
I was surprised to see Banton jack up 17 shots. That sounds like a guy trying to put up numbers to secure his roster spot. Were his shots forced, or within the flow of the offense? How was his defense? Passing?
Svi and Stevens looked okay?
Other than his poor effort from outside, how was Brissett? Hauser?
This is all accurate imo.
Banton did okay as one of our primary scoring options. I don't have an issue with the number of shots that he took, because he and Pritchard were the only guys in the starting lineup who had much success creating a shot. He was getting to the rim quite a bit. But I don't think he would handle a small supporting role as well. Not for lack of effort mind you; he's a willing cutter off ball. He just doesn't appear to have the hands or the finishing ability (he fumbles passes and can chuck up some pretty wild layups if he's not under control) to make the most of that, and he's a poor outside shooter. He needs the ball in his hands to make an impact on the game, and as a third-string guard it's hard for me to imagine when that ever happens. Willing defender. Passing... eh, he's definitely looking to score. I can see why Brad took an interest in him, but at same time, I can also see why he never broke through with Toronto.
Svi's offense was better than advertised and his defense was worse than advertised to me. Well-rounded offensive game, not just a spot-up shooter, can attack a closeout and make a pass off of the bounce. Cone on defense though. I think Hauser will shake out as the better option for us since he can carry his own water defensively. But Svi can play.
I think Brissett and Stevens are cut from the same cloth. Physical forwards who hustle and defend, poor outside shooters. Stevens had the better game last night. I do think they're a bit redundant but versatile defenders with motors aren't a bad thing to have multiples of.
Hauser can't find his stroke right now but still looks like an adequate defender and quietly tied for the team lead with eight boards. His shooting is the part of his game I'm NOT worried about. He'll figure it out.
Walsh kind of strikes me as a Robert Covington type of player. Great length (seriously, dude's arms just keep going), and enough quickness to defend smaller players on the outside. Navigates screens well. Not sure he'll ever be a good offensive player but man, the tools are there on the other end.
Topic: Celtics (1-0) at Knicks (0-0) Preseason Game #2 10/9/23 (Read 21679 times)