Exactly, this is not the fangirl talking. In that lineup you need the blue collar things and heady play. We were chatting about how adding an offensive player like Durant to a lineup that already has great offense in the GSW didn't help them be better necessarily, specially when the guy you took out did a lot of blue collar things and didn't need the ball or took possessions from anyone. Kyle taking shots in that group is unnecessary, unless he's wide open and is passed to for a good shot.
That lineup is all about Kawhi with LMA, their PnR and 2 man game. Then you have two other players in there who need the ball and shots to feel "important" as Manu says, and whose value is tied to the offensive production.
Kyle doesn't need shots to help them. He only needs to take a wide open 3 if he has it, that is it. I think the defense and everything else was emphasized to him and he's truly doing what Pop wants in there. Ppl should just appreciate that he can help the team without needing shots or the ball. He can do other things offensively, and we saw them in some games last season, but they are not called for, nor needed in that lineup.
When Danny gets back, he will stretch the floor better, but Danny's value to that lineup is also the floor stretching and the same blue collar things, not needing the ball or shots to help them. That is basically what Kyle is providing. They could set him up for some open 3s if they want to establish him as a shooter. I think in the 2nd Q they tried to do that, and the play was sniffed out and he was closed out in his shot, making him take a one dribble pull up, but as they get more chemistry and such I think he will end up with some open shots. Some times Kawhi drove into traffic when Kyle was open for a corner 3 and he could have passed too, but Kawhi was drawing fouls, and was ultra aggressive, etc. Again, we saw the guys execute what Pop wanted. If he wasn't doing what Pop wanted, he would not be playing. That is why I said, that lineup is entirely about Kawhi's development as a PnR ballhandler and dominant player. Kyle is just playing a small supporting role.
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Good points. For the RS, part of the entertaining part of watching it for me is precisely seeing how it all comes together, I loved watching this past season with Anderson, Simmons and Boban developing and bringing different things. Garbage time became some of the most fun garbage team to watch recently, and this season there are the continued development of Anderson and Simmons, plus a lot of new players with untapped potential. It's why I don't say like some: let's just skip to the playoffs. I like to follow everything, from their draft picks to summer league, FA, preseason, the whole thing. I also appreciate team building, this season's growth of Kawhi as the leader. There is a lot to enjoy in the RS. I agree with you, would not surprise at some point we start seeing Bertans, Forbes and others even when ppl have penciled in Lee/Dedmon. There can be schemes in the playoffs that take guys out of the equation, or guys who get exploited (I see Gasol in that possibility). You just never know what may happen, so Pop will develop the whole crew. In perspective, some of the youngest guys are here for another season after this one too and like Simmons who is seeing an increased role and possibly Anderson too, though we don't see it now, some of the rookies may be developed and hit a rook wall to be worked on for season 2 growth. We haven't seen much yet bc this is just starting.
