Incredible athleticism and size advantage

[TheMostInterestingMan]

We have the pieces in place after drafting Mark Williams to have an unreal combination of size and athleticism on this roster. 
 

PG Ball 6’7

SG Rozier 6’1

SF Bridges 6’7

PF Kai Jones 6’10

C Mark Williams 7’1

Obviously Rozier is a smaller SG but the rest of this team is massive. Not only that but the young bigs can absolutely fly down the court for their size making our fast break game deadly. Kai Jones has been working on his outside game a lot this offseason. He’s been working on shoot threes and his catch and release since the season ended. With his size and defensive tenacity, combined with Mark Williams, I think we see a much improved defense this year. And I think we see ball feast on assisting this crazy athletic bigs in transition. 
 

I’ll be honest, I felt like we could have gotten more from the Duren trade last night and that has me a bit upset. I still feel the trade was underwhelming. But I love the construction of this team. If Kai Jones can take a step forward and get decent playtime this year, which I anticipate he will, then this team is going to be exciting. We’ve been undersized. That no longer looks like it will be the case. Williams and Jones are two really big and lengthy players that can both defend really well. That’s their biggest strength. Jones has more offensive potential than Williams but both are great around the rim and both are amazing defending the paint and running the floor.

Bridges has great size and athleticism and Ball is another freakishly big player for his position. Point being, we should have a roster that can create a ton of mismatches going forward. The team is very young and it could take another year or two before it really catches fire for this team but the vision is pretty clear. We have the foundation to be a mismatch no matter what teams throw our way. If you play small ball against us then we will hurt you with our size. And if you try to neutralize our size then we will kill you in transition with our athleticism.

For all the frustration I felt last night regarding the trade, I am VERY optimistic about this roster moving forward. Once we shed Hayward we can use that cap to keep this core moving forward and I really feel positive about where it will lead us. This team is going to be really tough to handle once it gets a little more experience under its belt. Don’t sleep on Kai Jones either. If he can start knocking down threes, oh boy. Watch out. 
 

We are in good shape. I understand the frustration after last night. I was frustrated too. But I do feel this is the best position this team has been in probably ever. A young core with elite size and athleticism is a good thing to have. We are going to be a headache moving forward in the very near future.

[pantherdad]

How dare you show such optimism in the huddle! Seriously, I’m with you…we just got a lot bigger and stronger with better defense around the rim, which hopefully translates into better perimeter defense, which has killed us forever. I’m excited 

[Shocker]

LOL…seriously thinking Kia Jones or Mark Williams see mins under Clifford.   
 

A team like Miami or GS shoots this team out of the game in like 5 mins

Edited June 24, 2022 by Shocker

[frankw]

2 hours ago, pantherdad said:

How dare you show such optimism in the huddle! Seriously, I’m with you…we just got a lot bigger and stronger with better defense around the rim, which hopefully translates into better perimeter defense, which has killed us forever. I’m excited 

Oh you like seeing young talented players get minutes? Steve Clifford says hello

[TheMostInterestingMan]

2 hours ago, Shocker said:

LOL…seriously thinking Kia Jones or Mark Williams see mins under Clifford.   
 

A team like Miami or GS shoots this team out of the game in like 5 mins

Well I posted this before the Clifford hire and yeah I’m pretty bummed about him. However the point you make about Golden State is irrelevant. We weren’t going to be seriously competing with them this year no matter what we did this off-season. This team is young and still developing. If you thought we could compete with the Warriors this season at any point then you were fooling yourself.

Williams has to get minutes because we else do we even have? Kai could be a question mark for PT but I think he’ll see the court a lot more this year as well.

I understand that it’s pretty easy to feel negatively about this team right now. But the point I was making was this team is young and insanely tall and athletic and as they continue to develop we should have a solid squad. 

[rippadonn]

 6'11" 220lb Kai Jones really showed that he deserves a roster spot this season. He earned it.

I don't think Clifford changes things much as far as the potential here with this group. Clifford MUST get Williams on the floor.

We can't afford to have a 7'2" 245lb Dpoy playing with the Swarm. That defense needs to be plugged in immediately.

Kai is a natural scorer. I think he has Shawn Kemp potential. If Cliff can plug those two bigs into the current roster with Melo and crew we'll be on to something finally.

[rippadonn]

Kai is a good blocker too. The length on this squad is intriguing and the defensive potential here is pretty outstanding if these two guys can become your permanent 4,5 combo.

Mitch is the man. I can see it coming together. Cliff never had a better roster and this is a huge opportunity for him to lift himself as an already experienced HC.

Clifford will serve the squad better in the playoffs this season as a coach. I truly think he would have done a better job of having them prepared for the playoffs.

Edited June 25, 2022 by rippadonn

[WOW!!]

I love the pick.. Every thing else SMH!!

[Proudiddy]

Lol.  That's what should happen, but we just hired Steve back...  so, expect a Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyimbo re-signing to start in the front court and eat up 32 minutes per game each.  But hey!  All you guys that wanted defense will get your wish as we slow the game down to limit possessions!

[TheMostInterestingMan]

55 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Lol.  That's what should happen, but we just hired Steve back...  so, expect a Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyimbo re-signing to start in the front court and eat up 32 minutes per game each.  But hey!  All you guys that wanted defense will get your wish as we slow the game down to limit possessions!

Well don’t include me in that. And I also made this post hours before the Clifford signing happened. Felt sure D’Antoni would be named our next HC. Vegas odds did as well. Very frustrating 

[Proudiddy]

1 hour ago, TheMostInterestingMan said:

Well don’t include me in that. And I also made this post hours before the Clifford signing happened. Felt sure D’Antoni would be named our next HC. Vegas odds did as well. Very frustrating 

Yeah, sorry...  wasn't intending that towards you, just as a general statement to the people who yammered on about why would we hire D'Antoni when our issue was defense...  so we passed on a likely HOF coach with a proven system who has come closer to an NBA finals multiple times than we ever have...  and not passed on him once, BUT TWICE!  Only to hire a retread we already fired who is stuck in his ways, and his ways, at their best, has a ceiling of getting blown out and/or swept from the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed.  

Fantastic management, I tell ya!

[TheMostInterestingMan]

6 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Yeah, sorry...  wasn't intending that towards you, just as a general statement to the people who yammered on about why would we hire D'Antoni when our issue was defense...  so we passed on a likely HOF coach with a proven system who has come closer to an NBA finals multiple times than we ever have...  and not passed on him once, BUT TWICE!  Only to hire a retread we already fired who is stuck in his ways, and his ways, at their best, has a ceiling of getting blown out and/or swept from the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed.  

Fantastic management, I tell ya!

I was in the D’Antoni camp before it was even reported we had any interest in him. Sadly it didn’t work out but I do wonder if he turned us down the second time after we dissed him for Atkinson. Are we sure we hired Cliff over D’Antoni or did D’Antoni say “nah, you guys didn’t want me the first time so I don’t want you now” because I’ve sorta assumed that’s what happened and we basically cornered ourselves into having to get Cliff 

[Proudiddy]

8 minutes ago, TheMostInterestingMan said:

I was in the D’Antoni camp before it was even reported we had any interest in him. Sadly it didn’t work out but I do wonder if he turned us down the second time after we dissed him for Atkinson. Are we sure we hired Cliff over D’Antoni or did D’Antoni say “nah, you guys didn’t want me the first time so I don’t want you now” because I’ve sorta assumed that’s what happened and we basically cornered ourselves into having to get Cliff 

I also was pushing for him even before it was rumored...  it's tough to say what happened without being privy to the behind the scenes stuff, but what I assumed, was it was our decision, not his.  Reason being, I doubt he comes back and does a second interview in-person ( which was widely reported) after Atkinson fell through if he had no intention of accepting the position.  Even if he felt jilted that we hired Atkinson over him the first round, I doubt he comes back to interview with us if he knew he didn't want the job.  

So that has led me to my theory, that between the draft night trade where we basically punted a lottery pick for nothing, and then hiring a retread coach we previously fired who has shown no signs of improvement, progress, or evolving and got fired again after he left here...  that there's no way that reunion comes together without a) Clifford knowing he has no other chance at being a HC again, so he makes some concessions (i.e. lower salary demands, swallows his pride to come back and interview with a previous employer that fired him), and b) Charlotte knowing they can pay him less because of the position he found himself in with no other chance HC prospects and his previous history with the org.  Simply put, I think the lottery pick trade and hiring Clifford were both about MJ saving money and maybe a slight hint of comfortability with familiarity.

There's no way you look at those two candidates and decide Clifford was the better option that offers us a better chance at success on the court...  it had to be money.

[jayboogieman]

5 hours ago, Proudiddy said:

I also was pushing for him even before it was rumored...  it's tough to say what happened without being privy to the behind the scenes stuff, but what I assumed, was it was our decision, not his.  Reason being, I doubt he comes back and does a second interview in-person ( which was widely reported) after Atkinson fell through if he had no intention of accepting the position.  Even if he felt jilted that we hired Atkinson over him the first round, I doubt he comes back to interview with us if he knew he didn't want the job.  

So that has led me to my theory, that between the draft night trade where we basically punted a lottery pick for nothing, and then hiring a retread coach we previously fired who has shown no signs of improvement, progress, or evolving and got fired again after he left here...  that there's no way that reunion comes together without a) Clifford knowing he has no other chance at being a HC again, so he makes some concessions (i.e. lower salary demands, swallows his pride to come back and interview with a previous employer that fired him), and b) Charlotte knowing they can pay him less because of the position he found himself in with no other chance HC prospects and his previous history with the org.  Simply put, I think the lottery pick trade and hiring Clifford were both about MJ saving money and maybe a slight hint of comfortability with familiarity.

There's no way you look at those two candidates and decide Clifford was the better option that offers us a better chance at success on the court...  it had to be money.

This is where I'm at. I'll add it could also have something to do with the assist coaches. Cliff may have been willing to keep them while Mike wasn't. So, MJ being cheap went with the Big Red Dog.