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  1. #201
    Believe.
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    The only way Vassell starts this season besides spot starts due to players sitting out due to rest or injury, would be if LMA and/or DDR gets traded at the trade deadline. Vassell has great potential but he will need time to adjust to the regular season NBA games. He will need more time to learn and adapt on the defensive end more than the offensive end. Not saying that he's not a great defender but there's not many players that come into the league their 1st year and be beast on defense right away, it's not that easy going up against savvy NBA players. He will eventually start fulltime but we may have to wait until next season which he will be better prepared after a season under his belt. With that being said the rotations on most nights will probably look something like this:

    DJM, Mills, T. Jones, QW
    White, LW4, Vassell
    DDR, KJ, Vassell
    Gay, Lyles, Luka, KBD
    LMA, Jakob, Eubanks

    Vassell will also see more playing time if the Spurs trade away LMA earlier in the season and go small ball. In that scenario:

    DJM, Mills, TJ, QW
    White, LW4,
    KJ, Vassell
    DDR, Gay, Luka, KBD
    Jakob, Lyles, Eubanks
    Lyles is fodder. Dump him from the bench and play Keldon at the 4 so we can make room for Vassell. He's already better than most of the players on the team. Makes no sense to give him the "earn your stripes" vet bull .

  2. #202
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    White/Vassell/Keldon/DeRozan/LA will inevitably be the closing lineup when we aren't facing teams with 2 large bigs.

    We won't be able to not play Keldon. We will realize that we can't not play Vassell.

    Murray is going to have to take that L.
    ?

  3. #203
    Emperor Duncan>>>>>King James tim_duncan_fan's Avatar
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    You're saying we already realize that?

  4. #204
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    You're saying we already realize that?
    it's more about Pop realizing things and there's a good chance it won't happen that fast (although I still don't agree that Vassell is absolutely necessary in the s5, but that's another question)

  5. #205
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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  6. #206
    Don't stop believin' Dex's Avatar
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    No options That's the important thing.

  7. #207
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    Weren't you complaining about my "ad-hominem ridden" writeup the other day? You sure don't mind being a hypocrite...

    I don't disagree that executives' careers can be built on luck. I have a harder time agreeing in terms of coaching, because it takes way more than luck (and way more than lucking into a team with good or superstar-level players) to make a coaches' career. And I don't know why you'd say they don't for players, when some of them clearly have their careers made on luck - for example, lucking into a team that already has a superstar and carries you to success and big paydays (cough, Kuzma, cough). A lot of luck involved.

    The Warriors had a lot more than luck going their way, though, which I guess is always going to be something you're not going to acknowledge. Kerr, despite copying a lot of Pop's sets and philosophies (of course, I'm waiting for you to call Kerr a trash coach as well ), is a good coach; they've made some great signings and got value on those contracts, not to mention getting KD to sign there, a feat in itself even if it ed parity (a "lucky recruitment", amirite? ). They built their dynasty the same way the Spurs built theirs, through the draft, sans KD who they signed after winning their first chip. Not a lot of luck in drafting well and developing your draftees well, tbh.

    As far as Anunoby, yeah, he could've gotten more in RFA... Which is why it's a great signing to get him at a discount, and a feat of the front office (the same way our FO should be lauded to have gotten White at a bargain price instead of letting him hit FA like some posters here were already predicting); it's not Anunoby being a fool, why would he be? Is there no other narrative in your head other than discrediting good executive jobs? Kinda one-trick-pony for a shtick, tbh.
    There's no ad-homenim's here.

    I clearly wasn't talking about players lucking into situations like the one you described.

    Please. The Warriors have blown almost every draft pick and made poor signing for years. They lucked into business minded Iguodala wanting to join their then young core because of proximity to Silicon Valley, then Durant because of the cap e/insecurity about "legacy". Same core, same everything, but put them in a non glamour market, neither is giving them the time of day.

    They're not a dynasty. They played at a dynastic level, but otherwise won 3 tainted/contrived championships and had a mere 5 year run of excellence before crashing back down to earth.

  8. #208
    Veteran Sugus's Avatar
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    There's no ad-homenim's here.

    I clearly wasn't talking about players lucking into situations like the one you described.

    Please. The Warriors have blown almost every draft pick and made poor signing for years. They lucked into business minded Iguodala wanting to join their then young core because of proximity to Silicon Valley, then Durant because of the cap e/insecurity about "legacy". Same core, same everything, but put them in a non glamour market, neither is giving them the time of day.

    They're not a dynasty. They played at a dynastic level, but otherwise won 3 tainted/contrived championships and had a mere 5 year run of excellence before crashing back down to earth.
    Damn, so you call your mama "naive, gullible novice"? Lol.

    You don't really talk precisely about things, though, just a nebulous of "luck" that's somehow enough to justify championship teams being made, players playing at that level, yet somehow doesn't put any credit in the FOs and coaches that bring those teams up from the ground in the first place. It's hard to know precisely what you define by "luck", tbh, and you're not helping it (maybe you yourself don't know?).

    The Warriors have blown every pick... Except for the ones that matter? Lmao. Literally drafted Steph. Drafted Klay. Drafted Draymond (in the second round, no less). You saying the Warriors have blown "almost every draft pick" is hilariously stupid and actively reductive of the good draftees that they have hit on. Like saying "The Spurs have blown almost every pick!! Except for Timmy, DRob, Tony, Manu....." which sadly is an argument that I've read on here. Stupid all around.

    The KD move was lucky. For sure. The Iguodala, I don't agree with, but maaaybe. You still ignore that they drafted and built the entire rest of the team, AND were already champions before KD. So a role-player like Iggy signing there, to you a lucky thing, is enough to discredit the rest of the work required to put that team together and coach them into a championship calibre team? Please.

    at the last point. The Warriors are a dynasty. They just are... Not really a debate (you could try and give me your warped definition of a dynasty, but I have a feeling I won't agree with it). Their championships being "tainted" is just a perception, their les are worth exactly as much as anyone else's, tbh, exactly one ring. And a 5 year run of excellence is dynasty-worthy... You think every team has the ability to carry their championship windows through several decades like the Spurs have?

    ....Wait, thinking back on our previous exchanges, you actually might think that. It really is that easy, isn't it? Lol.

  9. #209
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    Damn, so you call your mama "naive, gullible novice"? Lol.

    You don't really talk precisely about things, though, just a nebulous of "luck" that's somehow enough to justify championship teams being made, players playing at that level, yet somehow doesn't put any credit in the FOs and coaches that bring those teams up from the ground in the first place. It's hard to know precisely what you define by "luck", tbh, and you're not helping it (maybe you yourself don't know?).

    The Warriors have blown every pick... Except for the ones that matter? Lmao. Literally drafted Steph. Drafted Klay. Drafted Draymond (in the second round, no less). You saying the Warriors have blown "almost every draft pick" is hilariously stupid and actively reductive of the good draftees that they have hit on. Like saying "The Spurs have blown almost every pick!! Except for Timmy, DRob, Tony, Manu....." which sadly is an argument that I've read on here. Stupid all around.

    The KD move was lucky. For sure. The Iguodala, I don't agree with, but maaaybe. You still ignore that they drafted and built the entire rest of the team, AND were already champions before KD. So a role-player like Iggy signing there, to you a lucky thing, is enough to discredit the rest of the work required to put that team together and coach them into a championship calibre team? Please.

    at the last point. The Warriors are a dynasty. They just are... Not really a debate (you could try and give me your warped definition of a dynasty, but I have a feeling I won't agree with it). Their championships being "tainted" is just a perception, their les are worth exactly as much as anyone else's, tbh, exactly one ring. And a 5 year run of excellence is dynasty-worthy... You think every team has the ability to carry their championship windows through several decades like the Spurs have?

    ....Wait, thinking back on our previous exchanges, you actually might think that. It really is that easy, isn't it? Lol.
    Luck is the Myers regime of the Warriors and Ujiri regime of the Raptors. I gave you the backstory on both, but you didn't want to hear it because it flew in the face of your vanilla RINGZ argument.

    More obtuse commentary. I obviously meant post assembling their big 3, which again were luck. Curry's representation/him bluffed and dissuaded the Timberwolves from drafting him and Green, obivously no one knew he'd become the player he did.

    They didn't face a single elite team in route to their first championship and every opponent they did face had at least multiple significant injuries.

    Nah, dynasties don't win contrived/tainted championships and last a mere 5 years.

  10. #210
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    Long, in-depth read on Derrick White

  11. #211
    Veteran John B's Avatar
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    Long, in-depth read on Derrick White
    Thank you for posting. Whose minutes would he be taking? I hate to say Vassell’s because I want him developing more, but between Lonnie, Mills and Vassell, I think the rookie will lose some minutes. I’m hoping it’s Mills, but he’s been playing great.

    Lonnie has been great playing as a starting SG, hitting his shots, especially 3’s and being active defender, and even facilitates some. But White is the better player overall, with better overall understanding of the game. Aldridge for instance needs to get involved earlier, which Murray hasn’t done a good job. White has better tempo and dictate throughout the game. Not just the salary, and we’ve seen it with Manu. But Murray isn’t Tony, nor we have a Timmy inside to steady the game. White has that. And that’s why I think he should start.

  12. #212
    Veteran Sugus's Avatar
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    Thank you for posting. Whose minutes would he be taking? I hate to say Vassell’s because I want him developing more, but between Lonnie, Mills and Vassell, I think the rookie will lose some minutes. I’m hoping it’s Mills, but he’s been playing great.

    Lonnie has been great playing as a starting SG, hitting his shots, especially 3’s and being active defender, and even facilitates some. But White is the better player overall, with better overall understanding of the game. Aldridge for instance needs to get involved earlier, which Murray hasn’t done a good job. White has better tempo and dictate throughout the game. Not just the salary, and we’ve seen it with Manu. But Murray isn’t Tony, nor we have a Timmy inside to steady the game. White has that. And that’s why I think he should start.
    I think White will come off the bench at least the first 5-10 games after coming back, likely on a minutes restriction, so our guys' minutes shouldn't be too affected short-term. On the longer term; I don't want Mills' minutes to go down, and neither should the team, as he's the most likely of our 4 vets to net a positive return at the trade deadline. Lonnie has been pretty good as you say, and I fear another benching could mess with his confidence (even further), so I wouldn't want that either. Vassell... He's been playing good, though not as impactfully as in preseason, and he's also just a rookie, so he's the most likely one to be moved to the deep bench or get spot minutes when White comes back. He's got a full career ahead of him to develop, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

    The real question for me regarding rotations: when are we going to see Luka? He hasn't even played garbage time, as far as I saw. Hope the Lakers' size means we see some of him tomorrow or Friday. I don't expect him to come out of the gates blazing, of course, but he needs to get real experience at some point if he's ever going to get better.

  13. #213
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    I think White will come off the bench at least the first 5-10 games after coming back, likely on a minutes restriction, so our guys' minutes shouldn't be too affected short-term. On the longer term; I don't want Mills' minutes to go down, and neither should the team, as he's the most likely of our 4 vets to net a positive return at the trade deadline. Lonnie has been pretty good as you say, and I fear another benching could mess with his confidence (even further), so I wouldn't want that either. Vassell... He's been playing good, though not as impactfully as in preseason, and he's also just a rookie, so he's the most likely one to be moved to the deep bench or get spot minutes when White comes back. He's got a full career ahead of him to develop, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

    The real question for me regarding rotations: when are we going to see Luka? He hasn't even played garbage time, as far as I saw. Hope the Lakers' size means we see some of him tomorrow or Friday. I don't expect him to come out of the gates blazing, of course, but he needs to get real experience at some point if he's ever going to get better.
    Which game had garbage time? All three went right down to the wire.

  14. #214
    Veteran Sugus's Avatar
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    Which game had garbage time? All three went right down to the wire.
    You're right, I should've said didn't play at all. I actually wasn't expecting him to even be relegated to garbage time, considering all of the youngings are being put in greater roles and even a rookie in Vassell (who furthermore plays a "stacked" position) is getting consistent rotational minutes outside of not-yet-materialized garbage time. It makes the complete absence of Luka in lineups that much more puzzling, especially since he plays our position of biggest need. Just weird.

  15. #215
    Veteran John B's Avatar
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    You're right, I should've said didn't play at all. I actually wasn't expecting him to even be relegated to garbage time, considering all of the youngings are being put in greater roles and even a rookie in Vassell (who furthermore plays a "stacked" position) is getting consistent rotational minutes outside of not-yet-materialized garbage time. It makes the complete absence of Luka in lineups that much more puzzling, especially since he plays our position of biggest need. Just weird.
    I think all players, with the exception of Aldridge, are playing great defense, including Vassell even as a rookie. I wish I could say the same for Luka who's not known for his defense, otherwise we would've seen him against Zion, and maybe Keldon on Ingram to help Lonnie. I think that's the ticket to getting minutes, and I like that Pop is going back to that mind set, pulling Aldridge when he's not pulling his haul.

  16. #216
    Veteran Sugus's Avatar
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    I think all players, with the exception of Aldridge, are playing great defense, including Vassell even as a rookie. I wish I could say the same for Luka who's not known for his defense, otherwise we would've seen him against Zion, and maybe Keldon on Ingram to help Lonnie. I think that's the ticket to getting minutes, and I like that Pop is going back to that mind set, pulling Aldridge when he's not pulling his haul.
    I really hope you're right, tbh - though after watching an entire season of Pop not only not punishing bad defense and effort from vets, but rewarding it with even more minutes, I'm still skeptical of Pop "turning a new page" and suddenly committing to D-first lineups/rotations. I see change now, but wonder how much of it is Pop, and how much the young players just asserting themselves and bringing defense back into the spotlight. Either way, it's clearly working, and I want more of it.

    On the other hand though - I'm also of the opinion that after a certain point, watching from the bench just isn't all that useful. I'm sure Luka still sucks a fair bit on defense, and probably does so in practice, but IMO he still needs game time, reps, and getting dunked on/scored on/outmuscled and outmatched in order to really learn what it takes to be an NBA caliber defender (and player). The same way folks here were complaining about Lonnie fumbling the last play on the game against NO - how do you expect him to get better at it, without failing first? So, I'm hoping this double stint against the Lakers at least prompts some gametime for Luka (not in garbage time while we're being blown out tho... Fingers crossed).

  17. #217
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    I think all players, with the exception of Aldridge, are playing great defense, including Vassell even as a rookie. I wish I could say the same for Luka who's not known for his defense, otherwise we would've seen him against Zion, and maybe Keldon on Ingram to help Lonnie. I think that's the ticket to getting minutes, and I like that Pop is going back to that mind set, pulling Aldridge when he's not pulling his haul.
    Zion would have pushed Luka’s . Luka would have fared better against Ingram, where he could use his length, and not be physically bullied.

  18. #218
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    73/4 is a run of the mill contract for a rotation player in today's NBA.

  19. #219
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    73/4 is a run of the mill contract for a rotation player in today's NBA.

  20. #220
    Every game is game 1 Seventyniner's Avatar
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    73/4 is a run of the mill contract for a rotation player in today's NBA.
    And that's looking like White's floor right now.

  21. #221
    NostraSpurMus phxspurfan's Avatar
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    -_-

  22. #222
    Wolf Ruvinskis tonight...you's Avatar
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    Lol.
    Like he should step on the court and dominate in an instant.


    Dude stepped up and made great plays.

  23. #223
    Veteran Atl Spur's Avatar
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    D white will be super solid!

  24. #224
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    He played good D on James.

  25. #225
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    I felt he improved the whole team D when he first subbed in.

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