Jaylen Traded to PHI for PG, 2 First Round Picks & 2 Second Round Picks

[Who]

I'm curious. When you guys say "alpha", what is the specific definition in your heads? It's a word that gets thrown around in sports, or in organizations, all the time, but what does it mean? Is the alpha the guy that leads the team? Talks the most? Scores the most points? Takes the last shot? Highest usage? Runs the offense? The one who has the most plays run for them, or who features as the apex for most plays? Or "owns" the team (whatever that means).

In your minds, what is the alpha?

#1 player. Best player. Nearly always the first option. The guy who defines your team. How they play.

[Roy H.]

I'm curious. When you guys say "alpha", what is the specific definition in your heads? It's a word that gets thrown around in sports, or in organizations, all the time, but what does it mean? Is the alpha the guy that leads the team? Talks the most? Scores the most points? Takes the last shot? Highest usage? Runs the offense? The one who has the most plays run for them, or who features as the apex for most plays? Or "owns" the team (whatever that means).

In your minds, what is the alpha?

#1 player. Best player. Nearly always the first option. The guy who defines your team. How they play.

I see it also as the guy who "takes charge", and who is capable of doing so.

For instance, I think when LeBron went to Miami, there was some role confusion, as LeBron didn't want to step on toes.  In Year Two, he clearly ascended to the lead alpha.

[No Nickname]

I'm curious. When you guys say "alpha", what is the specific definition in your heads? It's a word that gets thrown around in sports, or in organizations, all the time, but what does it mean? Is the alpha the guy that leads the team? Talks the most? Scores the most points? Takes the last shot? Highest usage? Runs the offense? The one who has the most plays run for them, or who features as the apex for most plays? Or "owns" the team (whatever that means).

In your minds, what is the alpha?

#1 player. Best player. Nearly always the first option. The guy who defines your team. How they play.

I see it also as the guy who "takes charge", and who is capable of doing so.

For instance, I think when LeBron went to Miami, there was some role confusion, as LeBron didn't want to step on toes.  In Year Two, he clearly ascended to the lead alpha.

I'm curious, right now, who here would be willing to trade Tatum straight up for Cade Cunningham? 

And how hard of a decision would that be for you?

[Csfan1984]

The 08 C's big three were all Alphas. Heat's Lebron era big three were all Alphas. So you can have more than one Alpha on a team.

An Alpha is a guy you can go to and have a lot of confidence in. At this point Tatum and JB were probably never that for me. You always feared TOs with JB and clunked step backs with Tatum were coming too often. You really want to feel like your Alpha is a closer. You can also have non-scorers be Alphas, like a TD who was pretty much just a 20 point guy or Kidd who commanded the offense and could hit Fts.

An Alpha should make things happen and make positive plays. They should set a tone and dominate most their match ups. You shouldn't be able to play against one, one on one and feel comfortable you can stop them at the end of the game.

[slamtheking]

The 08 C's big three were all Alphas. Heat's Lebron era big three were all Alphas. So you can have more than one Alpha on a team.

An Alpha is a guy you can go to and have a lot of confidence in. At this point Tatum and JB were probably never that for me. You always feared TOs with JB and clunked step backs with Tatum were coming too often. You really want to feel like your Alpha is a closer. You can also have non-scorers be Alphas, like a TD who was pretty much just a 20 point guy or Kidd who commanded the offense and could hit Fts.

An Alpha should make things happen and make positive plays. They should set a tone and dominate most their match ups. You shouldn't be able to play against one, one on one and feel comfortable you can stop them at the end of the game.

pretty well sums it up.  with JB, I found the will to be there but sometimes the skill was not.  with Tatum, I find the skill should be there but the will is not.

[Csfan1984]

The 08 C's big three were all Alphas. Heat's Lebron era big three were all Alphas. So you can have more than one Alpha on a team.

An Alpha is a guy you can go to and have a lot of confidence in. At this point Tatum and JB were probably never that for me. You always feared TOs with JB and clunked step backs with Tatum were coming too often. You really want to feel like your Alpha is a closer. You can also have non-scorers be Alphas, like a TD who was pretty much just a 20 point guy or Kidd who commanded the offense and could hit Fts.

An Alpha should make things happen and make positive plays. They should set a tone and dominate most their match ups. You shouldn't be able to play against one, one on one and feel comfortable you can stop them at the end of the game.

pretty well sums it up.  with JB, I found the will to be there but sometimes the skill was not.  with Tatum, I find the skill should be there but the will is not.

That's an even better summary. TP

[Donoghus]

The 08 C's big three were all Alphas. Heat's Lebron era big three were all Alphas. So you can have more than one Alpha on a team.

An Alpha is a guy you can go to and have a lot of confidence in. At this point Tatum and JB were probably never that for me. You always feared TOs with JB and clunked step backs with Tatum were coming too often. You really want to feel like your Alpha is a closer. You can also have non-scorers be Alphas, like a TD who was pretty much just a 20 point guy or Kidd who commanded the offense and could hit Fts.

An Alpha should make things happen and make positive plays. They should set a tone and dominate most their match ups. You shouldn't be able to play against one, one on one and feel comfortable you can stop them at the end of the game.

pretty well sums it up.  with JB, I found the will to be there but sometimes the skill was not.  with Tatum, I find the skill should be there but the will is not.

I'd agree with this.

[Neurotic Guy]

The 08 C's big three were all Alphas. Heat's Lebron era big three were all Alphas. So you can have more than one Alpha on a team.

An Alpha is a guy you can go to and have a lot of confidence in. At this point Tatum and JB were probably never that for me. You always feared TOs with JB and clunked step backs with Tatum were coming too often. You really want to feel like your Alpha is a closer. You can also have non-scorers be Alphas, like a TD who was pretty much just a 20 point guy or Kidd who commanded the offense and could hit Fts.

An Alpha should make things happen and make positive plays. They should set a tone and dominate most their match ups. You shouldn't be able to play against one, one on one and feel comfortable you can stop them at the end of the game.

pretty well sums it up.  with JB, I found the will to be there but sometimes the skill was not.  with Tatum, I find the skill should be there but the will is not.

I'd agree with this.

Yeah - that's probably on target unfortunately.  But there is growth potential even though JT has been around a while.  Not a good start though yesterday.  The ten-footer that he missed near the end was tough to watch - would have brought the deficit to 4 and given the C"s a legit chance.  It was actually a pretty easy, open shot and he clanked it.  It's a shot you should be able to count on him to make.

I love JT and he's enormously talented and he WILL come through in the clutch at times, but Game 1 was not good.

[Indocelts]

An alpha leads by example, earning his teammates? trust through his actions. Players rally around him because they believe he can carry them when it matters most. But when he keeps bricking step-back jumpers, whining for calls on every drive, and disappearing in crunch time, that respect starts to fade. And one more thing, an alpha plays to his strengths, not to his weaknesses.