Playing GM: From where we are today, if you HAD TO build around Sengun - how would you do it?

This thread is fascinating to see who is playing chess and who is playing checkers. Taking notes so I’m not wasting time arguing with the checkers crowd in the future.

 

We haven’t built around anyone - we took “best player available” with every draft pick since Harden left. That’s why we had 4 PGs last year.

 

Adams is a good start... add another bruiser... have Sengun play a point forward role... and get some shooters to put out at the perimeter... so u get the floor spaced so your only congestion is when u get the 2 towers collapsing at the rim...

 

I would look for a starting 5 that can defend the paint, rotate on defense and offensively roll and finish and set picks.

I tell Sengun he is playing mostly PF and to work on his outside shot.

 

Trade Jalen Green for Anthony Edwards. I'm sure Minny will do it. There were plenty of CFers who said, as recently as a few months ago, that they'd take Jalen over Ant. So just send a link to that thread to Minny and we'll be set.

Also we have to really hope that Jabari has a massive jump in year 3. The best version of Jabari would be a good pairing with Sengun, but the current version makes Sengun's shortcomings more of an issue.

 

It's actually hilarious that there are people who think Alpi should play at PF after watching him play basketball for nearly 3 years.

So you don't want him to play center because he lacks lateral quickness, and you want him to play PF, where he needs lateral quickness even more? Cool stuff.

Good or bad, Alperen is a center. Even if he hits 40% of his 3s, he can't play PF.

The Rockets are Top 6 defense in the league with him playing Center anyway. The problem with this team is very obviously not on defensive end.

 

There were also posters who claimed KPJ and Brunson are similar and should get a similar contract.

The second paragraph is so true. Jabari and sengun are both limited rebounders and Jabari is too skinny to defend the paint. If jabari is not a good fit, that will be harder to figure out, than Green for example. The other pieces are relatively flexible and easier to fill.

 

Do think Jabari can play small forward?

 

First thing that jumps to mind--a lot of the ideas I'm seeing floated here are too old. Alpi is 21. Even if he does follow in the footsteps of all-time greats like Jokic, LeBron, and MJ--which he may or may not--those guys didn't win their first championships until the latter halves of their 20s. That means anyone age 27 now is going to be age 32 when Alpi is 26, anyone age 28 will be 33, and so on.

The second thing is--I don't think we need to lock in on minor roleplayers right now. We already got Fred, Dillon, and Adams for next season and they're pretty good fits, as far as things go. Amen, Tari, Jabari, and Cam are also looking like promising fits who could potentially start with Alpi in the long-term. In terms of adding other bench players, that is something you just take on a case-by-case basis. Maybe we could seek to add one good catch-and-shoot guy this offseason to come off the bench, but I'm not going to sweat it right now.

The biggest thing I think we actually need right now is just a #2 option, who ideally should be an elite off-ball shotmaker. If we had to pick somebody who might be available this offseason, the only one who jumps out at me is Lauri Markkanen, who leads the league in catch-and-shoot points off of high efficiency. The defensive fit is more questionable--he is tall, but not the most athletic or high-motor guy on the defensive end. At age 26, he is borderline too old, and of course we'd be trading with Danny Ainge.

Other than that possibility, I think we just need to be patient opportunistic and see who comes available. It is hard to really predict which all-star perimeter scorers might become available before it happens. And I don't think we need to rush to add a guy who is already in his late 20s, as I said.

 

If they get Cooper Flagg then Jabari moves to the bench.

 

You really made a depth chart with 3 quality starting-level players as 3rd stringers

Thats not how that works at all, from a cap or locker room perspective. Players would be losing their minds over a lack of minutes, Stone would have a team full of role players clogging up our cap space and providing mediocre value in future trades.


Here's an attempt at a semi-realistic off-season plan

Trade Jalen Green, and Jae'Sean Tate for Malcolm Brogdon, may need a 3rd team involved to change Green into a pick or a different player for Portland.

Try to trade the BKN pick for a future high upside pick, if we can't find that, just take BPA. Trade our 2nd for a future 2nd or take a stash pick.

Sign Jalen Smith with NT-MLE to play backup 4 and as injury insurance for the 5.

Re-sign Holiday, Jeenathan Williams.

Sign Boban to the training staff. Hire a significant offensive-minded assistant coach.

Rotational Roster

Van-Vleet / Thompson
Brogdon / Whitmore
Brooks / Eason
Smith / Smith
Sengun / Adams

3rd string Bench: Holiday / Williams / Green / Landale / potential BKN pick (g-league)

This gives the coaching staff what they need with the additions of Brogdon/Adams/Smith providing shooting/playmaking/defense/rebounding, and what the FO needs with flexibility for potential future trades and free agency options.

 

To build around Sengun?
You ask the same team we have to improve on shooting and defending... you know, like earlier in the season where we hit open shots and defended hard.

 

We need to play Go.

 

This seems very simple. All the perimeter players need to be great defenders and shoot threes. One needs to be a primary ball handler/playmaker.

Jalen is the worst fit currently, but unless someone like SGA, Ant or Booker demands a trade, you risk using all of the Nets picks on a team that peaks at conference finals.

 

You want one of the most deadly players in the pocket and on post-ups spotting up at the 3PT line?

Silas, is that you?

And Alpi has his limitations defending the rim, but he’s even worse guarding the perimeter. He’s not a 4.

 

How would we play offense with adams and alpi? Where would they even go? You can’t have 2 pure centers who can’t shoot, our offense is bad enough as it is