As long as Kenrich Williams is in the starting lineup this team will never be above .500. We simply can’t have our 4 man putting up stat lines with 0 points and when he goes off in games he doesn’t even reach double digits. 5ppg/5.8rpg/1.8apg shooting FG-39% 3pt-28% FT-40%. This is just absolutely terrible and would hurt the best teams in the NBA. Go take away any of the top teams 2nd or 3rd best player and plug in Kenny.. I guarantee they will suck and be very inconsistent. He is an end of the bench “energy/hustle” player and nothing more which is fine.
Missing Zion even if he is half the player we expect him to be is so huge. Zion just putting up numbers like 15ppg/9rpg/3apg while shooting FG-50%/3pt-30%/FT-65% and bringing his athleticism, defense, pace, energy, lineup versatility, and the many more attributes you can put next to his name without the numbers have this team above .500 imo no question. I think he would be much better then that but if that was just all we got this team is completely different. Zion won’t instantly make us some championship contenders but he can change a lot.
I’m excited to see this team grow after the all star break as we likely give our younger players some more run for the experience going into next season. I know I’m looking ahead but damn next season is exciting! Just knowing all of the exciting players we have going forward along with Jrue who can go back to thriving in a role as our 3rd option. Hayes will be our starter will start to have an NBA big man body and not a lanky SF similar to the growth we saw in AD. NAW will grow on the NBA level having film and experience to learn from all of his mistakes. To go along with those 2 great additions in last years 1st round we will be adding what could be another huge draft pick to be excited about that is better with more potential than both of them. On top of this you add in Ingram who has been nothing but a flat out star and putting up near MVP numbers at 22 with the potential to be a 50/40/90 player scoring 25+ppg next season. Throw all of this alongside our generational talent in Zion!?!?
The future is so bright yet some fans are being blinded by us having to grow as one of the youngest teams with arguably the worst injury luck so far this season! This team is stacking itself to be dominant for the next decade not this year while many of the top teams are for the now to then be falling and splitting apart over the next 3-4 years. They will be lucky to make it for half of this next decade while our entire core won’t have even hit their primes yet! Trust the process and enjoy it. It will be frustrating at times and I mean very but I 100% believe it will be worth every bit of it! Go Pels!