Monty plays with what he has, and does a good job at it.
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Monty plays with what he has, and does a good job at it.
To an extent yes. Remember what happened to the players that didn't fit his offense? Demps shipped them off. Do you think Williams would magically go to an uptempo offense if we drafted 2 players whose strength is run and gun? While Williams allows freedom, his philosophy and offense won't shift that dramatically.
Sure, but my whole point is that if Beal is 6'5-6'6, he should be able to play SF in our system. One poster above said that Beal said he grew 2 inches since he went to Florida, which would put him in that range since he was 6'3-6'4 when he started at Florida.
In terms of definition, for this conversation, it only matter what Monty defines it as because he is the one who said we are eyeing a "wing" at the top of the draft. And, as a life time basketball player/gym rat, I have never heard the term "wing" used in any capacity other than as a guy who can play both SG and SF positions. Otherwise, you would just say, "Yeah, that guy is a SG." The term "wing" is supposed to imply versatility.
Finally, as I (and others) have said above, EJ and Beal are polar opposites in terms of style. EJ is a penetrator, whereas Beal is a shooter. They both rebound well, and they both pass well. Perfect compliments. There would be no "skill set overlap," and EJ and Beal are both very good defensively.
Beal isn't playing SF for any length of time. He'll play 1 or 2 most of the time. Although positions are somewhat dead in the NBA, they aren't THAT dead.
Come playoff time you typically face a 6'5 SG and a 6'7+ SF. Beli busted his *** but just couldn't handle Ron Artest last year when Ariza was needed to guard Kobe. So if you have Gordon and Beal as your SG/SF combo then someone is getting their *** handed to them in the playoffs on defense.
The thought of Beal playing SF is laughable. He is a strict guard, and would fully get abused at the 3. If we drafted Beal, I would assume one of two things would happen:
1.) We play Gordon at 1, Beal at 2. Don't like this because neither really fills the PG position really well, and both are better suited for a 2 guard spot. I think it would be a mess, but it could happen.
2.) We trade Gordon/Beal.
Beal won't play anymore 3 than Marco does, and that is a fact.
The only players he'll have trouble with are the very same players every team in the league has trouble with. He has the strength and weight to hold his own and the IQ to make up for what he lacks. He's also a very good spot up shooter which only adds value to him being in the lineup. While I agree that he won't be a SF full-time, I can see him getting plenty of burn there. I can see him as the SG at the end of games with Gordon playing the Rose role as the primary ball handler.
He's smart enough to come in and learn the 1,2,and 3 position. While he don't be starter, I think he'd make a great 6th man off the bench playing as much as a starter. His role will depend on the match-up and he has the ability to play where ever the team needs him.
Some people reject this notion. Some people are more comfortable inside their 6' by 6' box, and that is fine.
I am of the opinion that you put ball players on the court, and Beal is a ball player. If he is the BPA when we're up, he will be the pick, and Monty will find a way to use him. Some people don't like the idea, but they will have to deal with it if it plays out like that.
My thing with selecting and trading Beal is, what is that value?
Until the draft order is announced, and the player workouts determines who's draft stock will rise and fall, all we can do is speculate. Though I still have faith in my boy T-Rob putting in that necessary work to improve his game and prove all the doubters and couch gm's wrong:cool: