They have been astute with their late picks... Clarkson, Zubac, Nance...now with Kuzma. Hart could be the sleeper of the trio. On and another thing, search is on for that Victory In Vegas tee.
Both Indiana and Brooklyn could have had him. Sure it's a little more gray than that but it's fun to think about.
That's why I said an Odom/Horry combination. Kuzma has the ability to grab and push that really pushed Odom over the top talent-wise, but he also has the silky smooth outside shot that Horry possessed. I think both Odom and Horry were more athletic. Both Odom and Horry were better rebounders and generally stronger guys. Kuzma is a good passer, probably closer to Horry though than Odom who was a tremendous passer. Kuzma has a long way to go, but he takes something from both those guys. The issue with Randle is his contract. His value is muddled because nobody wants to be on the hook for the enormous offer sheet he's going to get from Brooklyn. Randle has to show All-Star talent in order for people to be willing to really give up assets for him. Nance is a great team guy on a good contract who can excite the crowd. I think Nance's ceiling is much lower, but his value is more defined.
I would because Embiid can't stay healthy. Until I see the guy play close to a full season I won't believe it.
I'm taking Ball over KAT, Simmons or Fultz. I think he's that special (#1 past 3 drafts). Pairing him with Ingram over any pair of top 2 picks in recent drafts. Kuzma isn't at the other players listed level, but with Ball and Ingram, I do it. I do think Simmons passing is special though. His problem is he can't shoot.
I hear ya Real, I'll just disagree and say that I see less of Odom and more of Horry. Other than that I am on board with everything else you said. But is that really the likely destiny for Randle? That really pisses me off... Ainge fleeces the Nets and then we just funnel two years of picks to them? I really hope Magic & Rob think of a creative way to turn Randle's departure into an asset. I like our guys. They have skills that translate to the modern game and they are gamers. Simmons and Fultz obviously have some potentially-elite skills, but look like they went to the James Harden School of Mental Toughness. Embiid is great, I just wish good health on the guy. With that said, there is a red flag in each of those Sixers players. And the red flag for our guys is... an overall lack of muscle/strength, which doesn't project to be to much of a problem in a year or two. And... Lavar Ball is a red flag? But not really? I'll take our 3 guys all day.
Kuzma's ability to push and pass in transition and his ability to attack the rim is the Odom part. Horry didn't have that in his arsenal, but yes everything else: the shooting, the board activity, even the passing style is more Horry than it is Odom. I don't think either is a great comparison, but I'm not saying he's as good as either or both of them. It's a testament to Kuzma's versatility that it's hard to come up with a comparison.
In a vacuum... no. But knowing Simmons and Embiid's health issues? Yes. Knowing the attitude and approach difference of these young Lakers vs. those young Sixers? Yes. There's something to be said for competitiveness and drive and I just don't see much of it from Philadelphia. Embiid was one of my absolute favorite college athletes and I admit I thought he was charming at first, but I've grown sick of his act. He does a lot of talking for a guy who spends most of his time in a suit. Also, for what it's worth, I think it's more like Randle/Ball/Ingram vs. Simmons/Fultz/Embiid. Kuzma showed NBA caliber strengths in the Summer League, but I'm not ready to crown him that cornerstone type role either. Randle has more talent than Kuzma, let's see if he responds to the threat of losing his minutes. So far, based off of only what we can see, Randle is preparing in a major way for a breakout year. Not to mention, Embiid is actually from Randle's draft class. If you wanted to make it just the last two classes it's more like: Kuzma/Ball/Ingram/Zubac vs. Luwawu/Fultz/Simmons/Korkmaz which I definitely take the Lakers over. Meanwhile Embiid is fighting with people on the internet and worrying about his 2K rating.
why people keep making assumption Randle is gona get some giant contract that we can't match? Hell even Noel hasn't got diddly squat and isn't he some sort of elite defensive big?
I'm basing it off guys like Otto Porter getting 107 million. I don't think Porter is better than Randle. But like @alam1108 said, if we want two max deals we need to renounce Julius. Unless we unload Deng and Clarkson, there's no way we get to two max deals while keeping Randle.
the Pacers could have had him, JC, Randle, Hart and Bryant...Instead they took Oladipo's horrible contract and Sabonis good job, Pritchard
