South Beach Samurai
(Miami Heat)
C - Brook Lopez, K Benson
PF - JJ Hickson, H Warrick, T Thompson
SF - Carmelo Anthony, E Turner, K Thompson
SG - A Morrow, J Bayless
PG - D Harris, D Gibson, J Fredette
Pros: Scoring shouldn't be a problem for these guys. Every single player in the starting 5 is known primarily for being a scorer in one fashion or another. They've also got a little bit of everything in the starting lineup. They've got a high-post scoring big man in Lopez, they've got a tough finisher at the rim in Hickson, they've got a lights out shooter in Morrow, and a very quick penetrator in Devin Harris.
Then, to cap it all off they have a guy whom meany pundits and fans alike call the 'best pure scorer in basketball' in Carmelo Anthony. Stronger than the faster defenders, quicker than the strong ones, taller than the average swingman, and he has a VAST array of weapons to use to get the ball in the hoop. He can post, he can shoot, and he can finesse. He's also the guy who people talk about when they talk about the disappearance of the mid-range game, as in "You know what NBA players don't have anymore? A mid-range jumper. Its all dunks and 3pters. Well, except Carmelo Anthony."
On the bench they've got some real potentially potent weapons. Evan Turner could be a real game changer for the real-life 76ers, and he has the potential to be one of the biggest 'I told you so' picks of the draft considering where he was selected. Jerryd Bayless isn't really going to be a star, ever, but he's got a lot of potential in the right role. If that role is "Go out there, and score as much as you can as fast as you can," its a winner, and that'll be his role here. Klay Thompson is also a very good shooter. Tristan Thompson was an energy player who blossomed in college, and here off the bench he'll be exactly that again. 8 points, 8 rebounds, all effort, a guy after my own heart.
Cons: Defense. I don't even think its worth really getting into too much, the defense is just going to be painful to watch. Lopez is not a good defender, and even worse it looked like he regressed a bit this past season. Hickson will try hard, but he's not an NBA-quality defender yet. Morrow, also is a terrible defender. Melo and Harris both have the potential to be very-good to elite defenders (very good in Melo's case, elite in Harris's), but I don't see how that's going to be the case here. George Karl is the coach here, and he couldn't get Melo to play consistent defense before, and this team will likely be worse than Denver was. Harris could get back to his earlier form, but its all about effort with him, and I don't think its very plausible that this team will create the type of environment that'll engender Harris to really care.
Rebounding will be the other big issue here. Hickson isn't the worst rebounder in the world, but he's far from elite. Melo is a very good rebounder from the 3, but you're still only looking at 7 boards in 36 minutes. Those two things will not be close to enough to compensate for the lack of rebounding from Brook Lopez. He might very well be the 2nd worst rebounding starting center, behind only Andrea Bargnani.
The last place this team suffers is ball movement. Hickson, Melo, and Anthony Morrow are all black holes, and Lopez and Harris are not the best guys to keep the ball moving.
Recommendation: Remove Hakeem Warrick from the equation. Tristan Thompson probably won't be a star in the NBA, but he and Hickson should split the time at the PF spot through at least the All-Star break, and it should only stop then if one of them emerges as a clear winner. Evan Turner should start at the 2 position for the same reason. Anthony Morrow is useful, but Evan Turner might be a real player one day. A borderline star. Morrow doesn't lay claim to that kind of ceiling, and Turner should get every chance to fulfill that potential. Also, move Bayless to the backup PG spot, and play him next to Turner. Turner has an all-around game that will help make-up for Bayless's lack of ball-movement.
Synopsis: It's a team of the future, so really all those cons aren't a death knell of any sort. Brook Lopez is worth gambling on, flaws and all. Tristan Thompson could really be a productive starter for a very good team some day. Evan Turner could be a special player as well, and Jimmer Fredette is everyone's dark horse for rookie of the year. If I were a fan of this team, I wouldn't be discouraged. Melo might be enough to keep the team on the fringes of the playoffs, and while I don't think he's the best choice as a leader, he has gotten to the conference finals as the best player on a team, and he's a superduperstar. The youngins will want to play better just to placate him.
Topic: 2011 CB draft: How does my team look?/division rankings (Read 594464 times)