Agree, but let's not forget about Zizic and possibly Yabusele. Plus Smart and the Clippers and Grizzlies pickd. Our future is bright.
LOL. i don't think Smart is in our core at all. He has not progressed the way we thought, even physically he still has yet to improve his first step and quickness while having a great chance at doing so by cutting down to 210lbs or less. Smart was in better shape at the 2014 combine than he is now and he still had the highest bf% out of any pg ever drafted in the lotto since they began testing in 2000. Smarts athletic testing was exceptional but he has yet to reduce his weight, even gaining weight, in the face of struggling with quickness and his first step. So Marcus Smart as he currently is physically gives me little hope that he can be the player many of us saw for him back in 2014-now.
This is a subject that is debated endlessly here. He's a disappointing offensive player, but he makes so many plays that don't show up in a box score while bringing such a tough attitude and heart. You don't like him, that's fine, to each his own. I think he could be a valuable sixth man for a long time.
Your wrong. I do like Smart and it KILLS ME that he has not progressed. I agree with you on what he does but he could be doing so much more. I wrote an article after his rookie season because I still had such high hopes for him. Do you know his athletic testing and physical measurements? He's probably the most powerful PG drafted since 2000. I'll try to find the thread I wrote but basically it stated how well he did given that he has the highest BF% out of any pg drafted in the lotto since 2000 ( he also holds the record in bench press) which meant his speed, overall quickness, and first step should be improved if he cut down to 210. He already has the strength, strongest pg taken since 2000...literally, and a no step vertical of 33 and max of 36...which is unheard of with his bf%. His quickness tests were fine too(I'll have to look them all up again). My thinking is that even if he cut down to 210lbs or 205lbs he would still maintain almost all of that strength, which would still make him the strongest and most powerful pg in the league. But after 3 years of waiting he not only hasn't lost the baby fat but he actually has gained weight( I think he is 10-15lbs overweight right now from when he was a rookie). The worst is I know he is a competitor and works hard and has fire for intensity and is great for the culture and is a hard nosed player.....but he has yet to do the one logical thing(lose the weight) that would almost definitly improve his biggest knocks/weaknesses: slow first step, overall quickness.
With his contract coming up as a RFA next year I'd rather trade him now while he has value...he has value over Okafor( a guy I dream about this team getting). With the eventual addition of Fultz and the steady progression of Brown and the good contract of Rozier, I don't see Smart getting any more than 20 minutes a game next year. Fultz, Brown, and Rozier can hold down the 1,2, and 3 with IT/AB/Crowder or FA...and I still think Fultz will beat out AB for starting minutes.
Would you rather let Smart walk in a year? BC IMO we won't extend a guy as a backups backup at the 1/2/3( and Smart should not be playing 3 for most of the time, it's not ideal.
Okafor had a very sucky year. IMO it is part mental and partly that his current skillset and physical qualities do not match up well in PHI. Guys at Okafor's elite size usually take some time. He was 270lbs , and is naturally gifted with strength when he entered the league after 1 year at college . I'm not going to get in to every reason why I like him but the basics are that IMO he is grossly undervalued bc of his crap play and crap defense( especially his soph year). But IMO he has the ability to integrate a legit 15ft jumper/turn around/fade/ stepback into his game. His shot is fluid and quick and is not broken, yet he pauses almost everytime he has an open look for a shot 8ft and out. Teams know this and they pack it in because Okafor almost always dribble drives or dribbles into a post up. I believe he hesitates shooting and then neglects shooting bc something mentally, maybe he feels the best way to score is to post up bc that is what he is extremely good at...but teams know this. OKafor has a 7'6.5'' wingspan and 9'3'' standing reach and he was not measured within a year of the draft. Given our situation and my views on Okafor I would def def def trade Marcus Smart for him.
Topic: Fultz is untradeable. Our future big 3: Brown, Fultz, 2018 nets pick (Read 12057 times)