question!!!!

[Gambit99]

I know you guys believe that we must have that dead on 3pt threat, but really to beat a double team on the post all you need is someone who can hit the 15 - 18ft shot. JT, Glover, Jackson and Lee can all do that to a point of keeping teams honest.

[emeans]

I wouldn't consider Glover, Jackson nor Lee as good outside shooters. Yes they can hit the mid-range jumper but that is not their 'natural skill'. In other words they have to work hard at it.

We need a player that shooting and making the jumper is almost second nature. Someone like Person, Steve Smith, or even Hubert.

Glover is terrible behind the 3 point line. Jackson is inconsistent behind the 3 and Nailand hasn't shown me that he is a legitimate threat from long range.

[Weez]

"Nailand" hasn't shown me that he even has a contract past the end of training camp...and I sorta hoping that he doesn't.

Really, what's the point? We know that we're grooming/have invested Diaw at the SF position, we need a long distance threat, we actually have plenty of players under contract now...what real use do we have for him? I'd prefer him over Hansen (I think), but we've signed Hansen, for at least the season if not three...

[thecampster]

This is an age old question. Shooter .vs banger.

Some of you are saying, we need the outside threat to open the inside up. I say, we don't have enough inside to open the outside threat. All too often, the only inside presence we have is SAR and he needs room to work so his post up game is typically 8-10 from the basket. Rarely does he receive the ball within 6 feet. No other player on our team is a serious theat. Ratliff is good when playing against other PF's, but against Centers, he can't shoot over them with his fade or bang for more room. Glenn Robinson needed to receive the ball when moving or spotting up to be effective. Far too often, teams can double Shareef and rely on help to stop his drives.

Rarely if ever do I see our shooters get "THE OPEN LOOK". It's always off screen or with a hand in the face but you never see the good ball rotation to the open man, because there is no open man. We don't have the inside game to cause matchup problems in the paint and demand low double teams. Only SAR and his plays always start 8-10 feet away.

Given better floor spacing and better inside play and or a trade for more of a back to the basket player, more space for the outside 15-23 footer will be there.

Case in point, Stephan Jackson's experience with the spurs last year.

This is why I was screaming a week ago for another/more offensive back to the basket big man.

[Weez]

can you think of one that's available?

[thecampster]

Before last Week, Stanley Roberts was. Sean Kemp (and [censored] anyone that doesn't think he moves mountains underneath) is, Deke now is (though clumsy offensively for sure and not my first choice.).

Lorenzen Wright is for the right trade....Sabonis if you could talk him out of retirement. But there are a couple.

Personally, I wish we would've grabbed Stanley Roberts before Toronto did. But this team has some moveable talent.

Diesel be darned, it does look like a trade is the best way to make our size mismatch go away and Theo is the best tradable commodity to make that Happen.

[emeans]

Game is tied 80 - 80 with 6 seconds left. What low post player other than Shaq and Duncan would you go to in the low post to shoot the winning clutch shot? Is this typical?

The reason I ask this is because it seems that most clutch shots are set up to be taken by their best shooter unless you have a dominant low post scorer (i.e. Garnett, Webber). Both of these guys can shoot it from the outside also.

You have to have someone that can consistently be a threat from outside. That is what makes the Lakers so great. The Lakers are so much better when Kobe and Shaq play together. They aren't as good if Kobe is not playing. Actually they would be an average team without both of them playing.

We need that same kind of threat from the outside.

[Gambit99]

How many clutch shot does JT have to make for him to get props.

The man has hit plenty. Driving, Jump shooting or at the Line he has made the pressure shot.

What makes the biggest difference between us and the Lakers (other than Shaq) is Confidence, Coaching and a Bench

[Weez]

...and Reef had the fallaway over Jordan (joke). JT's stepped up plenty in games...he just needs to do it "on the court" in terms of being the leader, which means in the lockerroom as well. He doesn't have to be the best player for it to be his team