ArlingtonDeac
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- Mar 20, 2011
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Batum shot 42% from 3 after Matthews left the lineup, with a bigger role in the offense. Big Al probably draws more double teams on the block than LMA, to be honest, and Kemba is actually a very similar offensive player to to Lillard (Lilliard only shot 34% from three last year, he's much more spotty an outside shooter than people realize). I think Batum is going to flourish, to be honest. It's important that both Zeller and MKG are now solid mid-range shooters, because, while not 3-point floor spacers, guys who can hit from the elbow still open up room for post-ups and drives. To me, that starting lineup looks like it fits very well together on paper, and the wings are going to choke people to death. Flipping Frank for Cody would add more stretch, but I don't think it's necessary also long as Cody hits elbow jumpers. I expect to see improvement in Cody's range coming out of this offseason. He's always had a nice looking stroke.
I doubt Clifford is ever going to run that second unit out together as a five-man team for any serious length of time. I imagine, since they decided not to sign a true back-up 3, that the plan is to never have both MKG and Batum off the floor at the same time. I see MKG going to the bench first and Batum sliding to the 3 to play with the second unit for long stretches. But it's a fact that the bench is a group of terrible defenders. Clifford's entire career is based upon building a system that makes bad defenders serviceable, but this will be something to see. Fortunately, you're only talking about ~12 minutes a game, against other bench units. If they can score effectively, which they should be able to, it won't matter as much. But this is why I hated the Hawes acquisition and letting Biyombo go. Swap those two guys and these lineups are very solid. I just don't understand what they were thinking. The way free agency played out, they could've just stretched Lance rather than take back Hawes in a trade. Unless Hawes rediscovers his Philly/Cleveland form, that was a huge mistake.
I doubt Clifford is ever going to run that second unit out together as a five-man team for any serious length of time. I imagine, since they decided not to sign a true back-up 3, that the plan is to never have both MKG and Batum off the floor at the same time. I see MKG going to the bench first and Batum sliding to the 3 to play with the second unit for long stretches. But it's a fact that the bench is a group of terrible defenders. Clifford's entire career is based upon building a system that makes bad defenders serviceable, but this will be something to see. Fortunately, you're only talking about ~12 minutes a game, against other bench units. If they can score effectively, which they should be able to, it won't matter as much. But this is why I hated the Hawes acquisition and letting Biyombo go. Swap those two guys and these lineups are very solid. I just don't understand what they were thinking. The way free agency played out, they could've just stretched Lance rather than take back Hawes in a trade. Unless Hawes rediscovers his Philly/Cleveland form, that was a huge mistake.
