re: Mikal Bridges developing into a true #1 option

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It's really an interesting question. Is it better to be the 30th best primary option, or the 10th best secondary option/role player?

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I like the question, but Bridges is not the 10th best secondary role player either, b/c he isn't a secondary player period. He's a third.

We can complain about BI being the #1 option all we want, but it doesn't matter who's on this team, some guard will always be the #1 option until Zion learns how to shoot. If Zion can't get to the goal, then he literally cannot get a shot off (he can, he just refuses to). There is nothign a defender can do to prevent BI from getting a shot off. It might not be a great shot, or even a good shot, but he'll always be able to get a shot off.

We can always look at Giannis offensively and how he played with Middleton.

This is their clutch stats from their championship team in '21
PPG
Middleton 4.8
Giannis 3.7
Jrue 1.8

FGA
Middleton 3.7 (33 total)
Giannis 2.4 (22 total)
Jrue 1.7 (15 total)

USG%
Middleton 36.7%
Giannis 29.4%
Jrue 15.6%

Percentage of Points from Mid-Range
Middleton 37.2%
Giannis 6.1%
Jrue 12.5%

Percentage of Points from 3P-Range
Middleton 20.9%
Giannis 0%
Jrue 37.5%

Percentage of Points in the Paint
Middleton 18.6%
Giannis 72.7%
Jrue 37.5%

Percentage of Points from FT
Middleton 23.3%
Giannis 21.2%
Jrue 12.5%

Percentage of FGM assisted on
Middleton 40%
Giannis 53.8%
Jrue 0% (All of Jrue's made shots in the clutch were unassisted. That was 9 games where the clutch stats were compiled, not one FGM was assisted)

Middleton shot 45.5% from the field in the clutch for those playoffs, and 30% from 3.




So you would all agree that Middleton was the #1 option for the Bucks when the won the championship, right?
Think about how this team and it's future with BI/Zion is similar with that team?
Zion can still be the leading scorer and still get the ball late in games, but until he can hit a mid range shot, or a 3, someone who can is going to have to do that in order for us to advance in the playoffs.

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I just find it amusing the guy who will defend CJ and JV on this team at great lengths is also hugely anti BI. You talk about consistency, in what world have JV and CJ been consistent this season?

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1. I made exactly zero statements about BI's consistency here, so I have no clue what you're talking about? You kinda just made up an argument here and attributed it to me incorrectly

2. You can check monthly splits, CJ and Val have been remarkably consistent this season. CJ is now going through his first little slump the last few games, but no player is immune to a 5-10 game down turn unless you'r the elite of the elite, but overall both have been very consistently.

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Neither can defend to save their lives

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This is a gross exaggeration, neither are terrible defenders as you claim.

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and are a coin flip if they are going to contribute on offense that night

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CJ is a coin flip how how he'll play offensively...what?

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BI is the problem though

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2nd time, see my previous post about BI's upcoming 30% max and my statement about it's not about how good you are, it's how good you are in relation to how much money you make. That decision comes very soon, basically this offseason, or you're risking losing BI for nothing if you don't plan to pay him the max.

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I like the question, but Bridges is not the 10th best secondary role player either, b/c he isn't a secondary player period. He's a third.

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By "secondary" I just meant essentially non-primary, ie. plays primarily off-ball. It's really too hard to rank role players because some primary options can also play an off-ball role player role at times as well.

As to the comparison with Giannis/Middleton and Zion/BI. Giannis also averaged 8.2 FGA+FTs more than Middleton that season. Zion is only averaging ~1 more FGA+FTs than BI. Middleton was very important to that team in crunch time, but during the regular flow of the game he definitely took a back seat to Giannis.

ETA: if Zion and BI are going to work together, Giannis and Middleton are a good model to look at. Realistically they worked so well together because of the team defense though, rim protecting center, help defense from Giannis, and perimeter defense from Jrue.

You’re right, I actually don’t know why I thought you said something about consistency. My bad. But my general message still stands, we need a facilitator on this offense who can spread the floor and allow BI to move more off ball at times. I think Collin Sexton would work on this team pretty well, Tyus Jones would be nice. Someone on a good contract and can play both ways. I do think CJ is our worst defender and if that 3 ball isn’t falling while he’s also getting abused in the PNR, he’s just a total net negative.

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You’re right, I actually don’t know why I thought you said something about consistency. My bad.

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All good

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we need a facilitator on this offense who can spread the floor and allow BI to move more off ball at times.

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I only think we'd need or could use that type of PG if BI was gone. If we have BI and Zion, I'm not sure there's enough ball to go around for all 3 to facilitate.

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I think Collin Sexton would work on this team pretty well

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Teddy mentioned sexton/Kessler for BI a couple of days ago and funny enough, I had the exact same duo lined up in a post but didn't end up hitting send because ultimately I don't see Ainge going for it. But I think those 2 would be perfect for what we have here

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If BI and more so the coaching staff/front office were willing to defer and let Zion be the clear #1 and high usage guy and BI clearly the #2 option and those deferments being to the high volume of midrange shots to more balance of inside/outside but in the clutch, BI steps up more and can shoot the middies when that's the only option late in games, that would be fine.

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He would be a very solid fit if this is what was occurring. I'm not sure if it's a coaching issue or a BI issue, but the way that BI is used is an issue

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Low key move of the off-season was resigning Herb a year before his contract expired.

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So D.G. did the right thing this off-season? He got railed by this board for using the only room under the luxury tax we had to re-sign Herb. I wonder what his market would be as an RFA this offseason

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If he sacrificed 3-4 middies a game for 2 more 3s and 2 more shots at the rim,

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Just a few more open looks at the rim. Gonna have to snap his fingers on that one.

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pretty sure 2nd round picks and undrafted players never become RFA's. They simply become unrestriced FA's when their contract is up, and most of them have unguaranteed 3rd years when they sign as a rookie.

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This isn’t right- Herb and Austin Reaves were both just restricted free agents after being 2nd round/undrafted players.

RFA applies to veteran free agents, which is technically what any player is when their contract ends within 3 seasons and a qualifying offer is extended

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Unless you think he's so washed up athletically and can't any more? I do not think that. He has everything he needs to be able to attack the rim much more than he does now, not sure why anyone would think otherwise.

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You think maybe it's really difficult for him and anyone else to get to the rim when JV and Zion are on the court and their man sits in the paint when they don't have the ball?




Here's some interesting stats:

Zion has teh ball in iso situations 21.6% of the time. ONly 4 other guys have a higher frequency than Zion (Luka, SGA, Harden, Tatum).
Points per possession is 1.02 and FG% is 50%, and FT rate is 21%.
BI on the other hand has a frequency of 12.2% for iso plays, and his points per possession are 1.01 with a FG% of 50.5% and FT rate of 12.6%.


BI is involved in a PnR as the ball handler just 6 times a game and has a points per possession of .94
Zion is the ball handler in a PnR just 3.8 times a game and has a ppp of 0.99.


JV has been the roll man 126 times this year.
ANyone want to guess how many times Zion has set a pick and rolled to the goal this year?




17 times. He's set a pick 17 times total this year, and we have a ppp of 1.06 when he does that.
Trey and Hawkins have each set a pick 14 times this year.
PPP for Trey is 1.64 and for Hawk it's 1.07.


Zion has the 14th most post ups in the league, but he's only converting 0.9 PPP, so not really a great play, and he shoots 47.7% from the field on post ups.


This is where i think a PG would help.
BI is at 1.2 PPP when he is coming off a screen off the ball, and shoots 57% from the field.
Hawkins is at 1.3 PPP comign off screens.
Both of those numbers are really good, and the few guys that have higher PPP aren't getting as many possessions per game as Hawk and BI are.
Evidently Zion doesn't do that enough b/c he didn't even qualify for the stat.
The Zion dribble handoff happens a little more often, and has a PPP of 0.96. BI's dribble handoff PPP is 1.17.


Zion averages 16.6 drives per game. BI is at 13.6.
Zion's FG% on drives is 51.5%, while BI's is 54.7%. BI turns the ball over less and has a higher rate of assists on drives