Great point regarding the Luka factor. I can easily see us being as good on offense as that Dallas team, especially once Luka and Ayton start clicking. It’s the defense that worries me. In order for us to be top 10 here, we need Smart to play the majority of the games and be 85% of what he used to be, Ayton to be focused for every single game as our anchor, Rui to get better, Gabe to hit enough shots to be our second best small defender, LaRavia to take a step forward, and Vando to remain healthy all season long. Maybe not all need to happen, but most do in order for us to stay in the top six by season’s end. That’s the seed I’m hoping for with this squad. Now, if Rob pulls off a masterful trade at the deadline, my expectations will increase.
with lebron out, we don't really have a vocal defensive quarterback, which concerns me. gabe and vando lead by example but aren't the kind to get everybody else organized. atyon's never been that, either. so jj will have to do a lot of this work from the sideline, which is harder. maybe luka picks up somewhat here. he has the hoop iq to do it, but he's never been super vocal in that way. though his slovenian teammates said he was talking more this year than ever, so maybe he's ready to step up in this way, too.
I can actually see Ayton taking on this role. Actually think it’ll keep him stay locked in defensively.
The only way this joke gets funnier is if Kleber actually plays 50+ games, contributes to wins and becomes an important part of our rotation. At that point I spoke it into existence haha
