You can argue that making the team older through the Durant trade, adding an old DFS/Capela rather than younger FAs, trading away a young Cam are all moves that are better for the team. I mean results wise the team has been worse than last year but whatever, you can still argue that. But you cannot argue that the KD trade and subsequent FA moves didn't make the team a lot older. That's either being delusional, being disingenuous, or lacking intelligence.
I don't care if the team is older or not or what happens in the next 2 years to players that won't be here long-term in regards to building for the future. those people won't be here. If the whine is OMG Stone destroyed the future, one should look at the young players and draft picks. Stone looks to be a plus 4 in young players and FRPs over the guaranteed FRPs that Morey left him.
I think you have to weigh their impact as defenders VS their impact on offense and that's a totally different outcome. Teams don't bother to guard Amen away from the basket at all. This allows double teams which mean contested shots and turnovers. Sure, he might get 20 points but how many tough shots were taken or turnovers were committed are caused by his lack of gravity. Defense never outscored an opponent. There's a thread about Durant complaining about being double / triple teamed and the response is your team sucks, that was a dig directly at the guy they don't defend, both Durant and Sengun see a very high number of double teams and it's directly related to Amen. The odds of him ever shooting a high enough percentage to change how teams defend him is extremely low. 30-33% isn't going to change that at all and that's miles away from his current 21%. He's the guy I would entertain trading first.
You can indeed not care that they are a lot older. But that is different from saying the team isn't older except for KD himself. Just as if you are 70 years old but think you are actually 30 in your heart and don't believe age is real. You are still a 70yr old ass man to everyone around you and treated as such.
Major overreaction. The way teams deal with a 5 who can’t shoot and can’t create is simply to make them set picks. If you trade Sengun for Myles Turner and picks, then Amen can set the pick when teams sag and this problem goes away. Also, Turner can set the pick for Amen and then pop out for the 3 where he's respected. Bucks solved this problem and it's the same solution for Amen even if Amen is not as good as Giannis. In the more position-less era, it doesn't matter where that non-shooter plays. The only thing that matters is that there's no more than one such person on the floor. It may be harder to find a stretch 5 but I'm sure that if the Bucks found 3 (Lopez, Turner, Portis), we can find 1. This post is not an endorsement of trading Sengun, just using it as an example. I'm still open to both. I would simply stick with the better two way player based off playoff performances.
We were all excited about Jalen (who turned into a massive disappointment), the Bari draft was disappointing (even if we drafted Paolo I don't think we're much better), Amen was a hit, and the book on Sheppard is still out. Yes its unfortunate we weren't able to draft possibly the greatest to ever do it when it's all said and done (Wemby), but how is that Stone's fault? If FVV is healthy I think KD keeps his mouth shut and I don't think this thread exists. Or at least not nearly as many people would be in agreement. We were 2nd in the West last season with an offensive ranked 13th. Bringing in Durant made sense. At least he didn't trade the entire future for him.
What does Amen do so well that some are willing to change their entire offense to suit him - including trade away your allstar center and displace the incoming center parking him out at the 3 point line so Amen can contend with the other teams 7 foot center at 6'7" .... off ball in the paint. I don't see what's to gain in doing that .... There's no advantage to be gained by Amen setting picks or playing in the paint against taller dudes. Some act like this guy has shown us some incredible bag of tricks that we have to accommodate him someway somehow. I just don't see anything other than run fast jump high .... and a good motor. There's no bag of tricks here. No runner, no jumper, no floater, no step back, no euro step, the layups are questionable and the 3 ball is beyond bad. Much like the Jalen Green situation, I was probably the first one to give up on him ..... Here we go again. You'll come around but it might take you a little longer.
As I implied earlier, all they have to do is to 'promote' Stone to a better paid role where he does not have to do the GM role..... Overseer, and he is better at that, not getting his hands 'dirty', and yes, the fans have to deal with a new GM......
I was happy with the trade, still am. I wanted Jalen gone, hated to see Brooks go. KD has done about all you could ask of him given the situation. Now I did want another guard even before FVV went down .... I wanted them to go after Ty Jerome who shot better than 40% from 3 and was one of the most efficient and effective guards in the league in the pick and roll on high volume - he went to Memphis for about half what I thought he would cost. They spent all their money on DFS and Dorian f'n sucks. Ime sucks for playing a zero stat dude with a negative on off over better options. Not mad about the $6m from Capela - it was part of the KD trade and Capela has played well enough since Adams went down for the year.
That’s a different argument and it’s a subjective one. I don’t fault you for preferring Sengun but I’m just saying that there’s no logic in the argument that we can build around one non-shooter but not the other. To me, Amen’s level of shooting is no more of a concern than Sengun’s level of rim protection. Oh and if your argument is that I had a prediction off by your judgement, that’s a very weak one. I don’t see you highlighting that I called Sengun an all Star before he ever was, that Tari could improve his shooting and earn bigger dollars, that Bari will make a fine role player, that Shepard was was underrated last season, that cam is a lost cause, that Amen is the best two way player on the team (leads us in net rating) but most of all that our HC is far worse than average at coaching offense. So yeah, sure, cling on to the Jalen Green thing. Keep waiting for me and the majority of the GM’s in the league to come around to your opinion.
