Our Bench and the part of The Trade no one talks about.

[Yogi]

Our bench is more talented than it has ever been.  The ideal bench is to have 4-5 quality players who can play multiple positions and cover all 5 spots.  Delonte, Green, Baby and Kristic covers all those criteria.  
   What we are missing is the confidence that Marquis Daniels brought, the hustle and sheer will that Luke Harangody showed on the glass, and the raw positive energy that Nate Robinson brought.  Nate, Quis and Baby had the kind of chemistry that can win a playoff game by themselves.  Nate and Baby fed off each other to create the Shrek and Donkey show, while Marquis restored control with his change of pace and always had the confidence to stop the best scorer on the other team.  West and Green are the type of players that never show their emotions and get pumped up.  This is affecting Baby who is himself an emotional player.  Remember Baby letting out a barbaric howl while drooling and barely noticing Nate Robinson jumping on his shoulders?  or Nate jumping on Pierce? or Nate jumping on KG? or Nate make those wings after making a 3? or Nate jumping 5 ft in the air to block a shot?  I want to see something like that out of Delonte and Green.  Some chest thumping like KG, or that little "you can't see me" John Cena wave that Ray Allen did after he drained his 6th or 7th 3 pointer, or that Paul Pierce stare down after a dunk or and1, or even that Rondo cockiness with the ultra difficult flashy passing and lay-ups.
   That one reason I am not opposed to playing Wafer.  He does bring some energy and swagger that our bench is so lacking.  It's not always about just talent. 

[willis33]

Just wrote a response in another thread about this.  Couldn't agree more about Nate's energy and the D.

[clover]

Nate was a disaster this season.  He really was only effective for a couple of playoff games last year and in the preseason this year, and Gody will always be undersized and slow--and wasn't ready to be on an NBA roster.

[Yogi]

Nate was a disaster this season.  He really was only effective for a couple of playoff games last year and in the preseason this year, and Gody will always be undersized and slow--and wasn't ready to be on an NBA roster.

What you say is true.  What we are missing is not their talent, but their energy and attitude. 

[mgent]

Marquis has nothing to do with it.  What has made our bench worse and worse every year is the constant loss of toughness.  First it was Posey.  Next year Powe.  This year Tony.

As constructed right now our bench's top 3 has the talent but that doesn't mean anything if they're not putting points on the board and not putting the effort into getting stops and boards.

Honestly the only part of the trade I want to talk about right now is why it was Perk and not Baby.

[aporel#18]

Honestly the only part of the trade I want to talk about right now is why it was Perk and not Baby.

The Thunder are not dumb. Perk is a low post presence. Baby is a 20 min sparkplug... between Baby and Ibaka, who would you choose?

[GreenEnvy]

Marquis has nothing to do with it.  What has made our bench worse and worse every year is the constant loss of toughness.  First it was Posey.  Next year Powe.  This year Tony.

As constructed right now our bench's top 3 has the talent but that doesn't mean anything if they're not putting points on the board and not putting the effort into getting stops and boards.

Honestly the only part of the trade I want to talk about right now is why it was Perk and not Baby.

Let's take it a step furher - why Perk and not Harangody? You are making it our like Ainge threw Perk in there. That is who OKC wanted. No Perk, No deal.

It was Perk because he is the type of player needed to get a Jeff Green-type of talent.

BBD is a nice player, but Perk is a legit starting center.

[KGDunks]

The Bench needs to perform though right now only Jeff Green is doing something off the bench.

[Cool Username]

Dwest has been non existent on the offensive end. Still gives good defensive effort but we gotta get more outta him.

[dlpin]

First, D West doesn't show his emotions? The guy who rushed the court while the game was still going on the first 2 games this playoffs?

Second, Marquis and Harangody as missing pieces? What?


The reason our bench is struggling is because BBD can't handle playing 30 minutes a night (great for 20, runs out of gas and settles for bad shots on 30). It's because Delonte West is just coming back from injuries. And, most of all, because Doc replaces almost the entire team at once.


It is not Harangody, or Nate, or Marquis Daniels.

[jdz101]

I thought the part of the trade that no one talks about is the fact that perk is playing decidedly average basketball over there. Take game 1 and today's game for an example. My bad.

[Yellow is a Girly Color]

Our bench would benefit greatly from having either JO or Shaq added to it. Once/if that happens things will get alot better with an enforcer in there.