SOUL wrote:Last Guardian wrote:I want Goga/Black AND for Paolo and Franz to stop playing like dog doo. Both things can be true. The fan complaints are pretty legit.
It reeks of "my guys haven't had a chance to suck in this setting, so until they do, it's the reason we lose" when in all actuality, we may suck just as much if Franz/Paolo/our top 8 rotation guys **** the bed shooting, rebounding, etc.
AB and Goga can go 0-10 or 10-10 and if those guys suck, the outcome is the same.
At the end of the day yes you are right, if Paolo and Franz can't score efficiently we are just not good enough.
Listen though I never pushed for Goga/Black during the regular season. I mostly thought the win streak was just that...a streak and not really a true representation of the quality of the team. But like everyone I enjoyed it while it lasted. I even was critical of any impact AB might have during that streak because he really didn't do all that much other than defend.
I also was a Fultz fan last season. We could all debate what his actual impact was but he had decent numbers. He made sure Paolo and Franz got the ball and added 14ppg/6apg himself. He may not have been a volume shooter, but he at least let it fly if he was wide open enough. He got to the basket regularly and finished at a high level.
As a guy who actively trades the futures market I'm used to reacting to new information. Fultz is very, very bad this season. I'm not big on excuses. Maybe its his knee or shoulder...regardless, he's bad. Doesn't want to shoot at all, stands in odd places on the court, defense fell off a cliff, no longer gets to the basket with ease, etc. Heck, he doesn't even have the ball in his hands anymore. Just bad overall. The AB talk is part developing him, but also simply a better option than Fultz. Better defender and better shooter. Its a bit of a no brainer at this point to be playing AB.
As far as Goga...I mean he makes sense against this opponent. Its hardly about just play them for the hell of it. Just reacting the matchup and what they are doing to us. He's our best option against Allen, and I don't really think its very close.
IMO, if I was trying to win I'd go Suggs/Harris/Franz/Paolo/Goga with Cole/AB/Isaac/Moe off the bench. I don't think there is any lineup that will do well offensively against their defense. Our best bet is to try to keep them off the boards and bring them down to the 80's with us.