RedDawg#8

Love the division rivalry beefs. Murray has the game to back up his comments. I will say this though, Paulo Banchero looks like a really good young player. I can see why they chose him #1 over the other 2 guys. He can put the ball on the floor and attack with really good handles for his size. I think he is going to be a stud, and the combo of him + Wagner is going to be a nice duo for the Magic.

1. History favors size. Teams that have elite talents with size tend to hang around later and later in the playoffs. Not ALWAYS, but tend to. 2. Murray is a special player, no doubt, but he is not on the same level as either KAT or Gobert. I think Trae is the best player of the 4, but I can’t decide by how much. He is similar to KAT in a lot of ways but with a better playoff resume. Gobert’s defensive impact is basically the same as Trae’s offensive impact, but his playoff resume stinks too. I give the talent nod to Minny. The combined talent is slightly in their favor and it comes in a huge size package. I give the chemistry nod to us. I think that Trae and Murray have the better chance at fitting together seamlessly. And, because they are guards and have the ball a ton, their impact will be felt on every single possession whereas bigs rely on others to feed them. Antman is the actual alpha on Minny’s roster. Can he still get his and feed 2 other belly’s on offense a real the question. Minny has a legit big 3+ with Ant, KAT, Gobert, and then maybe DLo shows up to the party. We are better built for fit, and deeper. We shall see how this all goes.

KD and Bron are not the same: Bron got a ton of hate when he “took his talents to South Beach”. Now, it’s just his M.O. He brought Cleveland a championship in one of the most epic fashions and I think he gets a pass now because of that. KD is soft as tissue paper. Take the GSW thing away. He had a burner account to argue with fans on…he went at Mike Rapapport in one of the most classless ways ever. Now, he is demanding a trade with 4 years left on his contract? Never been done before. Not by Lebron, not by Harden. Nope, KD owns that legacy all to himself. He is just, kind of a lame dude honestly lol His hate is deserved

Random revelation but: AJ’s shooting is going to translate to the NBA. I don’t have any analytical proof, but I’m calling it now. His health and playing time are the big unknowns that will play a role. But, if he can hold up his end on defense, he should see the floor plenty, and will absolutely be as good (or better) than Kev from deep. Book it!

This is something Nate has explicitly said that he has Trae working on this offseason. I understand that from day one until now this hasn’t happened in Trae’s career. But this is the first time that it has been a point of emphasis for him. Previous times that Trae has had offseason homework, he came back with it completed and then some; Drawing fouls/make teams pay for being physical Add a Mid Range game Adjust to the new foul rules check, check, check. This will be a tougher challenge but I think he can pull it off knowing his work ethic.

CRITICAL!!! We need a stretch big out there

There are 23.8 Pts, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.2 Assists up for grabs with just Gallo and Kev alone. That's not including Lou + Delon, 10.7 pts, 4.5 rebs, 4.3 assists . I think there is definitely enough room for Murray to get his 20, 8, and 8 while playing next to Trae and leading the bench unit. Our team will look much different in how we produce offense next year. My only concern is Trae and Murray deferring to one another and not being aggressive. If they both are in attack mode, we will have plenty of scoring/assist opportunities for everyone.

Just thinking, last season was basically a redshirt year for Jalen. We are essentially adding another talented 1st round draft pick to our lineup this season. Jalen could surprise some people.

Not directed towards me at all but: Some people have natural instincts defensively, sure. But it’s my opinion that UNTIL FATHER TIME SLOWS YOU DOWN, most players will naturally improve on defense throughout the duration of their careers. Defense is so much about awareness and IQ, and more experience lends itself to improvement in those areas. But as is the case with anyone, once your body slows down, you can know where to be all you want, and just not be able to get there. The other variable is effort, but that wasn’t an option given. Trae has locked up guys twice his size on single possessions due to pure effort before. That’s where coaching and culture come in to play. I doubt any of guys could play for Memphis or Miami and not automatically be a better defender. There is too much accountability in those locker rooms not to.

What you said!

Goes to show you there is more to the PNR as a big than just being athletic or having size. I have said for years that we underestimate JC's talent, not realizing that he is gifted in the nuances of making that read on when, where, and what tempo to slip that screen. THEN, having both the hands and body control to catch the passes and finish on the move or in the air. It looks so easy that I think we take it all for granted.

Better defense SHOULD equal less shootouts, which means less dependance on hitting 3’s, which is what we will inevitably be worse at anyways.

Not that I have remind anyone on here, but the PNR is the most effective play in the sport of basketball. The fact we have both a PG and big men that are elite with it is amazing to me.

Boston improved their depth by a mile in my opinion. That was always my biggest gripe against them, yet somehow they still managed to make the finals. Tucker is such a culture guy to me. I really believe the 76ers will jump over the Heat because of that move alone. Embiid's Sixers haven't really ever been "tough", but that will change in '23.

It's going to take time to get used to not having Gallo or Kev as those safety valve type's who can bail you out with long range shots, but I really do believe our lineup is better just by sheer volume of defensive minded players compared to years past. Any improvement defensively will lead to more transition opportunities, which should offset any drop off in halfcourt shooting (until the playoffs maybe). I just think that our entire identity is about to change. No more 2nd unit lags, losing the lead. More defense, more fast breaks. Maybe Dre finally emerges. But JC's numbers could also get a bump with the increased tempo that suits his athletic profile better than fitting in to a halfcourt offense next to Dre and Clint. There are just so many variables to consider. Less overlap should equal more defined roles for Bogi, Dre and JC. Clint and OO already know what they're supposed to bring to the table. Everyone else only needs to play defense and hit their shots if left open.

I agree, and I hope we lean in to this. Murray can fly, probably faster than anything we have ever put next to Trae. I hope we push the tempo with DeJohnTrae and work Dre + CC more in the half court. One thought that crossed my mind. If we are staggering Trae and DJM, what if we did that with JC and Clint so that each PG has an elite PNR partner next to them at all times? Trae+CC, and then Murray+JC, platooning together like a pitcher catcher duo in baseball. I know, I know, it’s a long offseason.

True, Idk if that is Harkless or not. But I will say that Clint doesn't back down, he just isn't an instigator. But yeah, having a big guy to get in someone's face is always ideal

That's exactly what we need. DJM is the right one for the smoke too

Murray is more explosive than I thought. I guess everyone in a Spurs uniform just appears slower/non athletic. This is exactly what we needed to add to the team. Lavine and Mitchell would have been nice, but the fact Murray can play defense on top of his offensive skillset is exactly what the doctor ordered.

I just like that for once, we have a guy that wont take BS. Trae’s been too nice and getting bullied for years. The Heat series was painful to watch our guys get no protection from the refs and we didn’t even stand up for ourselves. Murray has that street cred that he won’t tolerate any disrespect. I think teams will think twice about coming for one of our players

Pretty sure, just me, that Murray would never do that in a real game. I have this sneaky suspicion that he was adding a little extra “sauce “ because it’s a just ProAm game. I do like that he has a bit of an edge to him. An “I’m not the one” type of energy.

I ran the numbers a while back somewhere, but for some reason the mix of Bogi + Hunter starting was much worse than Huerter +Hunter. I don't know why this was, other than the possibility that there was just better chemistry with them and Trae. But since Bogi's arrival, this team has performed better with Bogi+Huerter or Huerter+Dre, than it has with Bogi+Hunter. Obviously with Murray that won't be an issue anymore as Bogi will for sure be coming off of the bench.

Murray has something that we haven’t had in a long time. Trae is the flash, the flair, the closer, and the villian. Murray has the attitude and edge. His body language and posture is noticeably more aggressive than Trae. He wants to get downhill and attack. I love Kev, but Murray is going to transform our identity similar to what Clint was able to do for us. His approach to the game is more mature, less wreckless, and more aggressive than what we are used to at SG. And the fact that he can run the offense as well is a whole ‘nother animal. I truly believe we have something special.

Windy doesn’t think that we are done making moves yet ?

That last sequence was nice! Trae nutmeg at half court to the alley oop to Murray, Murray reverse underhand scoop off the glass, JC collects and slams it in. NBA Street type stuff