Not sure we are done yet. But Detroit appears to be suitably grateful for Duren. Not that Noel and Burks cannot help them.
Robinson, Sims, Gibson
Randle, Toppin, Hunt
Barrett, Reddish
Fournier, Grimes, Keels
Brunson, Quickley, Rose, McBride
Going to be SERIOUS PRESSURE on Brunson to get the prospective startng five of Fournier, Barrett, Randle and Robinson to cohere and compete at a high level, get us playing with motion and pace and pressure on the paint.
Are we on the same level as Milwaukee, Boston, Philly, Miami, Chicago and Toronto. Oh, and Brooklyn?
Ummmmm...no. Can we compete? Potentially, yes.
There is a second tier of Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland that would seem to make up the Eastern Top Ten.
Then there are teams on the cusp, which would seem to be the Knicks and Wizards.
Did the Magic, Pacers and Piston get better?
If healthy, they are all going to be much tougher.
What then is our path forward?
As of the July 1 opening of the FA season, having excised Walker, Burks and Noel, and presumably slotting in [Knick On Wood] Brunson and Robinson, our roster, from the oldest players to youngest [and we are clearly, as per Leon Rose,
ALL IN ON YOUTH] is now:
Taj Gibson[37]
Derrick Rose [33]
Evan Fournier [29]
Julius Randle [27]
Jalen Brunson [25]
Mitchell Robinson [24]
Obi Toppin [24]
Jerico Sims [23]
Immanuel Quickley [23]
Cam Reddish [22]
RJ Barrett [22]
Quentin Grimes [22]
Feron Hunt [22]
Miles McBride [21]
Trevor Keels [18]
Feron and Jericho are presently on two-ways, Keels is a rookie, and Reddish is on the trading block cusp.
Jalen is not a top tier PG? Be that as it may...HE IS A GENUINE, ActualFactual POINT GUARD He has gotten better in each and every season.
And we surely saw his competitive edge in the playoffs, as the Mavs made it all the way to going nose to nose with the eventual NBA champs in the Western Finals.
2021-2022 [Brunson]
31.9 MPG [79 games]
16.3 ppg
2 pt FG% [.545]
3 pt FG% [.373]
FT% [.840]
REB 3.9
ASS 4.8
Worth noting that those stats often came playing next To Luka Doncic, a magnet for opposing defenses.
As per the notion that we are overpaying [we are] or that Brunson is not top tier [he isn't], for perspective, when we went to playoffs in 2020-21, with a winning record, our PGs were Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose
2020-2021 [Payton]
23.6 MPG [63 games]
10.1 ppg
2 pt FG% [.383]
3 pt FG% [.375]
FT% [.682]
REB 3.4
ASS 3.2
2020-2021 [Rose]
23.6 MPG [26 games]
12.0 ppg
2 pt FG% [.445]
3 pt FG% [.402]
FT% [.968]
REB 3.0
ASS 4.0
As for the starting PG Brunson is most often compared to, another 6'1" baby bull...
2021-2022
FRED VAN VLEET
37.9 MPG [65 games]
20.3 ppg
2 pt FG% [.403]
3 pt FG% [.377]
FT% [.874]
REB 4.4
ASS 6.7
Poll
