Sure, Butler is a better player now, but he'll be 28 years old, has a balky knee, and makes $17.5M a year (with with an additional $58M owed through 2020).
A year ago someone might have said the same thing about Nikola Jokic, a player with strengths and weaknesses that are similar to Saric's.
Well, Jokic is 10 months younger and an inch taller. As for skill sets, I think they are comparable. Both are players without elite athleticism but with a very deep understanding of the game.
I'd think athleticism would be easier to hide at the C spot but I guess it depends on the teams you are playing. The C position has a lot of stiffs like Kelly Olynyk. Then again, that's why the C's need a rim protector/rebounder. I do wonder if the Nuggets should have kept Nurkic (16 games with Portland: 14.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.4 steals in 29.5 minutes) instead of trading from Plumlee but they wanted to make a push for the playoffs this year and already have a ton of 22 and under talent. Given Nurkic and Jokic's age, I'd have given them more time to see if they can play together.
Probably, but by that time he would only be a role player anyway. His drop off won't be for another 4-5 years. Of course you'd rather the role player be a better 3 point shooter but they aren't going to decide your fate. He should also continue to get to the line, but only at 75-80% of the rate he used to. Also, some players get to the line less depending on the other players around them. Paul Pierce saw a significant drop in FTs when Ray Allen and KG came to town. Jimmy Butler in Boston probably sees IT4 and Butler take less FTs. DeMarcus Cousins in Sactown averaged 10.0 FTs a game. In NO, he's at 6.4 because of Anthony Davis and partly because he's playing on the perimeter more (23.8% of his FGA were 3s in Sactown, in NO it's 28.4%). Excluding NO, only Toronto has 2 players in the top 20 in FT attempts with DeRozan at 8.6 attempts (6th) and Lowry at 6.1 (18th). For reference, IT4 leads the Celtics at 8.5 while Marcus Smart is 2nd at 3.1. If IT4 wasn't on this team, I'm guessing Marcus Smart would average close to 8 FTs a game. Once Jaylen develops more, he'll be a guy who lives at the line too.
The only people who should be surprised by Jokic's season this year are people who weren't paying attention last year. Jokic was a statistical darling as a draftee, then put up a huge season as a 20 year old rookie - it just went unnoticed since he only played 22 minutes per game.
You know what is ridiculous with Jokic? He's only playing 27.3 minutes per game this year. 5.6 minutes more per game than last year.
Saric has plantar fasciitis. No idea why he's even playing he's been on a 24 minute restriction.
I mean, pretty much every guard or wing worth talking about in the 90s and 00s made their living at the line, so I'm going to say no. Guys who were/are especially prolific at it (Iverson, Pierce, Wade) kept it up well into their thirties.
Right? Their season is over and they have a pretty good idea what Saric brings to the table. Why risk further injury when you're already bitten by them?
I came in to post that video. It's meaningless... But yet I can't stop laughing.
I have no idea what is going on with Fultz but he never had reservations in getting shots up at Washington at over 5 there's per game where he made over 41% of his attempts. Now I've never seen the elite upside or the "consensus #1 talent" but I can't imagine shooting the ball is going to be a huge issue for him. This is bizarre that he may be this messed up in the head on his psychological approach to the game. It seems like he is "thinking" on the floor in those clips. Basketball is an instinctual game.......when you begin thinking out of the floor is when you really get in trouble.
Yup. That lower release looked awful and was almost a push shot. I'm sure Brown will address this but, man, that video would scare me a bit if I were a Sixers fan.
