Luke_FfS

In his best season so far, but 33% in his career. Not sure we can define him a shooter, and that's what we need. It's also 30 already, not old by any means but older than other options mentioned in this topic, that I like more.

That's an easy prediction, happen almost every year! :P If somehow we're going to really get Murray and give up our expiring that are always injured, please take back Bogdanovic too as another player that never plays 80 games a season... already wrote a few weeks ago, I believe would be a great fit for us.

1) We as members of the forum weren't even sure about that when he was playing great, now probably less, even if the opinion could swing from week to week, even from game to game as happened yesterday. 2) We don't know if the FO consider him part of the core. The short contract they offered last time seems to suggest they were not sure at all. As previously stated, they also have info about his health we couldn't obviously have. 3) In that time they had the time to evaluate the (doubtful) fit with Paolo and Franz. Considering his injuries and the other doubts about TOS, was a clear candidate to try to sell high and go in another direction. I'm not at all against him. Actually, I really like him. But sometimes you've to make difficult decisions to try to get better. This FO is clearly risk-adverse, so now we've more doubts about him and less value in a trade.

If you look at the future, sure. :) He wasn't a perfect fit with the rest of the core, and that should have made think the FO in the past. They also have more medical info that us. Except missing the first month or so, last season was pretty solid for Markelle, at the point that a lot of us was still considering him as core. Last offseason was probably the best momento to sell high with him, right now it's just an expiring as mentioned. That's the pro-active thing I always point out about the FO, but yes, it's surely easier to judge later. I would not be surprised if they don't trade him and than resign in the summer either!

To be seen how real are those rumours about Markelle and Wendell, but would be a terrible timing to sell them, especially Fultz, value would be a lot lower than, for example, last offseason.

http://forum.truebluenation.com/index.php?/topic/20119-magic-going-in-for-chris-paul/

Actually, a short period of rest could be a good news for Franz, as the world championship + full NBA season was going to eventually take a toll later. If only the other rotation guys would be available...

Would be great, but doubt will never happen.

Considering our situtation and opponent, a game like that was kind of due. I was actually surprised by the resistence we showed in the last few games with the rotation we have. Recovering some rotation guys is urgently needed, plus Fultz being back to his recent self, and not the one that... Btw, what was Ingles injury? I don't remember any report about it.

Maybe you're right and I'm just paranoid about those few millions. And about things you can't control, as the FA market it's not a sure thing, you'll have to convince that player to sign before "overpay" him. And if you miss your target, there's a tendency to spend that cap space in something bad. In a trade, you can choose the player already knowing his contract. You've to give up assets, but those could also be salaries that gave the team more flexibility in the future, and I also value that. And an overpay for a short contract like Ingles when you've cap space it's a thing. Another thing it's a big overpay for multiple years when you'll have to sign your stars to long deals. Anyway, it's all just on paper, I believe we agree that FO will wait and evaluate another time! :P

I agree on the personnel thing, but Chuma is shooting only 33% in the last 10 games.

If the FO acts like in the past, I'm pretty sure we aren't going to make a big move, or a trade at all. With all the improvement we're having this season, that aspect still worry me, together ,ayne with the lack of quality of the staff (shooting coach? offensive top assistant?) even if I logically don't have any info about that, only sensations. As I repeated multiple times, I hate to have to overpay for FA, even if we don't lose assets that way, I absolutely prefer a trade in which we gave up a little depth or picks. Making a decision about the future of the PG position should be on top of the list of the FO, IMO I also fully understand the point about Murray, but generally speaking, are we sure that we're going to win and being contenders with only "good guys"? I mean, at some point and in certain situations "bad guys" are a need to, together with veteran leaders, as long they're not lockeroom cancer obviously.

Has to be the first time you get one prediction right! :P We still have flaws and problems, but that group of players is really tight, until last season, we would have lost those last games by a lot, while now we just refuse to let it go, every single game, no matter who plays and who's out.

The buyout was because he decided to end his NBA career, as he wrote today in a message. He had a few personal problems recently. I saw him playing live when he was just 14/16, and he was an absolute genius, already playing like a grown men. But even when he was at his best, shooting wasn't his best attribute, and that's what we should search in a PG.

Regarding the names recently made here and in the other topic: - Schroder, I don't dislike him, would fullfill a role that is sorely needed, but it's basically another subpar shooter, and I'm not sure it's the right fit at PG. - Hayward, always liked him, smart guys are always a plus, but seem to be in a decreasing spyral, that bad injury really ruined his career. - Don't know enough Kispert to judge, but like Hayward, does we really need more wings now that Suggs is starting to find his way? - If so, my option was Bogdanović (even before Orlandoholic post :P) if the Hawks are going to retool the roster. I believe he would be a great, great fit for us, but the problem here is again availability. How many games he missed every season? Too much for me.

I agree. Same could be said for turnovers that are hunting us sometimes. With better team spacing, and individual grow of the youngsters, it's a stat/problem that will be solved. Most important thing is that we have an identity right now, defense and hustle. Last season with similar injuries we were abysmal in the first months of the season. Now we have to mantain our identity, and put together all the other pieces little by little. Will be long and hard, but at least we're in the right path right now.

I was worried about the second unit without Ingles and Isaac but we actually managed those minutes well.

Ingles, like Isaac, not playing a lot of minutes, but was key for our wins and streak. His absence is always felt. The other problem is Harris, before the injury was shooting a stellar % on 3's, up to 40%, and now is 33% for the season. That big slump makes the absence of Suggs even harder to overcome.

Then why we should trade for him? :P

We were not even in playins last season, becoming directly contenders it's not simple, but I understand the emotional part of the winning streak. We obviously have a lot to improve and some pieces will be to be moved/added, but at least now we've a fundation that is defense. We can win regular season games only with that and effort. Playoffs are another story tough, our weakness would be even more exposed, and players like Goga and AB would be hard to even use in the rotation. Weird schedule, seem like we're not playing at all recently!

Then out! :P

FA is usually a bad idea, we've seen some crazy overpay in the last few offseason. I believe that the right route will be using our assets in the right trade, when that will happen or will be necessary. We're deep right now and that's really useful when you've to face injuries, but coming playoffs, rotations are usually a lot shorter, and some of our players that are performing in regular season, could be in trouble in a 7-game series.

Please share links of those stats. But if are only based on this season, will obvious show such a picture, cause we had the streak with Fultz injured. What about last season? We were terrible until Fultz was out, and then quite good after. Maybe the same stats applied to last season will show another history ;)

There're a lot of different stats nowadays, advanced and not, and all of them could tell a different story. Even if true, AB is clearly not ready to be a starter yet, as showed in a lot of games in which he played limited minutes. That's normal, he's a rookie. We could agree that Fultz is not a great fit with the rest of the core, we discussed that a lot of time in the past, but we definitely need more at PG in the future of what we had in that streak. FO at some point will have to decide on Markelle future, but until that point, having him back could be a minus in some situations, but should be a plus overall.

Has been a great streak and every streak has an end. Not worried overall by losing yesterday game in a back to back, but a little slip on defensive standard was noted in previous games too, so that's the priority in those days off. Both Markelle and Wendell are better players right now of the ones that we had on the starting lineup, and even if I understand the chemestry point of view, as soon as they're ready we'll need them.