How will Shaq’s presence affect Demarcus Cousins?
Marc Harries and Dustin Tanner go one-on-one answering this week’s questions.
1. Can Miles Plumlee be a starting-caliber center?
Marc: One of the main beneficiaries of the Suns recent trade activity has been Miles Plumlee. After playing a grand total of 55 minutes last year in Indiana, he arrived in Phoenix as part of the Luis Scola trade, and given that Okafor is out for the foreseeable future, he will only benefit further now that Marcin Gortat has found a new home in the Capital. Inserted into the starting lineup against Portland on Wednesday, he put up a huge stat line of 18 points, 15 boards, and 3 blocks and followed that up Friday with 13-13-3 against the Jazz (five of which were on the offensive glass). The Suns have surprised a few people (myself included) in starting 2-0, and the play of Plumlee has been key in both victories. He makes the Suns a better team simply by being on the court; sucking in the defense, drawing the double team and then finding Dragic or Bledsoe wide open on the perimeter; versus Portland, Dragic and Bledsoe shot a combined 19-33 (58%) from the field. His defense has also been drawing league-wide attention with what appears to be his involvement in every play without getting himself into needless foul trouble. Through two games, he has only picked up two personals and appears to be ever ready to help should one of the guards get beaten on the drive. If he can maintain this level of play through the 82 game slog that is the NBA regular season, then there is absolutely no doubting that he has all the attributes to be a starting center at the top level. It is, however, all too easy to get carried away and jump on the bandwagon when a player starts to draw the sort of attention Plumlee is currently garnering (*cough cough* Linsanity), and so for now, I feel like it’s best that I sit on the fence in answering this question and return to it 30 games or so into the season.
Dustin: I think Miles Plumlee can be a very good starting center in today’s NBA. The first few games of this year, he has looked good and played some smart basketball. But like I mention later in these questions, I don’t want to say that this guy is the next big thing because we simply don’t know. However, I think with his size and his ability to play smart basketball, he can be a really good NBA center. A question I would like to see answered is what are the Suns’ long term plans? They do have some solid pieces but also have needs to fill. I will be very interested to see how Bledsoe and Plumlee mesh, because that could be a poor man’s CP3-Blake Griffin combo. In a year where this division could be a little down, I would keep my eye out on these guys.
2. What effect will Shaq have on Demarcus Cousins?
Marc: I have always looked at DeMarcus Cousins and been of the opinion that the only thing holding him back from really establishing himself as one of the league’s elite is himself. Countless times I’ve found myself getting angry reading about his involvement in bust-ups at the Kings practice facility, and I think his apparent maturation is a testament to the faith the Kings organization has shown in him. There is not a lot worse than watching a Kings team with their star talent/attraction sitting on the bench because of his latest indiscretion, and so hopefully the addition of Shaq to the Kings can lead to even greater output from the big man. As per USA Today, Vivek Ranadive, the new Kings owner, said that Cousins was absolutely delighted when he heard of Shaq becoming a minority owner and instantly asked if he could reach out to him. O’Neal was equally as enthusiastic when asked about Cousins and said that he is probably the most talented big man in the league at present. Whilst hearing those words from The Big Aristotle will no doubt provide Cousins with a confidence boost, there are areas of his game that can also benefit from time spent with Shaq, and as the season progresses, I think we will start to see a new Cousins, a mature Cousins, and a Cousins who is ready to be the face of the Sacramento franchise for years to come.
Dustin: I think Shaq can have a huge effect on DeMarcus Cousins’ game. I say this because Cousins has a lot of talent, but he hasn’t had a good role model while in Sacramento, and as we’ve seen, he’s had some attitude issues. Having Mr. O’Neal come on is huge because it will give him that role model he needs and someone who has rings, has won, and is also good with the media. In today’s day and age, you have to be able to do well in the press conferences and interviews because you can say one wrong thing, and it can totally mess up your team’s chemistry which is difficult to fix.
3. Who is the best perimeter defender on a Lottery-bound team?
Marc: Avery Bradley. Next. No, seriously. Now that the Garnett/Pierce reign in Boston is over, the general consensus is that the Celtics are heading for the lottery, and given that Bradley was arguably the best perimeter defender in the league last year, it follows that he is now the best perimeter defender on a Lottery-bound team. He is a pest on the defensive end, constantly pressuring the ball handler, forcing ill-advised passes, causing turnovers and creating fast break opportunities for his team. On a nightly basis, he single-handedly turns 24 second possessions into a contested last second shot, and he has, without a doubt, created his own brand of full-court pressure defense. Per basketballreference.com, opposing players shot just 30.8% when guarded by Bradley last season, and he allowed only 0.697 points-per-play defensively which was a league-wide low. Being tasked with running the Celtics offense with Rondo out didn’t lead to any reduction in his defensive efficiency, but of course he did have two future Hall of Famers to help him out last season. Whether he can keep his high standards up with a far weaker set of teammates is something we will find out as the season unravels. One thing that is worth noting, however, is that Bradley and the Celtics did not come to an agreement on an extension prior to the deadline, and therefore he is playing for a shot at a big contract next year. There is never a shortage of demand in the NBA for defensive-minded guards, and there will no doubt be a queue of teams lining up for his signature if he continues to play at the level he has over his first few years in the league.
Dustin: I think one if the best outside defenders for a lottery team is Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats. His defensive stats might not look like a top defender’s, but his energy can help lift a whole team up. I remember UConn’s run to the national Championship a few years back, and he just made that team better with his play. I think with Steve Clifford at the helm, we will see Kemba’s energy and overall defense take a step forward this year in the statisticial side of things.
4. Which second-round pick appears to have gained himself the most playing time and why?
Marc: I’m going to go with Nate Wolters who has seen more minutes than most expected over the first two regular season games. Rather than great preseason play, it is in fact injuries to lead Bucks guards Brandon Knight and Luke Ridnour that have led to Wolters’ court time, and whilst not producing anything close to Michael Carter-Williams level, he has been nothing but steady in going about his business. In games against the Knicks and Celtics, Wolters has led his team in assists and actually played a crucial role in leading the Bucks’ second unit back from a 22-point deficit in the latter game. With Knight and Ridnour’s returns from injury imminent, and with Gary Neal, OJ Mayo and that Greek guy (forgive me, it’s easier and you know exactly who I mean) on the roster, it’s unlikely that Wolters will maintain anywhere close to 26 minutes a night, but he has certainly put himself in a position whereby he is starting to earn Larry Drew’s trust.
Dustin: I think it’s way too early to judge which second rounder has played his way into more time, because seconds rounders can be very streaky. Even though we have had the preseason to look at some of these kids, we really can’t buy into too much stock until you see them up against the best of the best in the NBA. An example I can point to is the 76ers beating the Heat, and within the next day, some were quick to ask “Are the Heat in trouble?” The fact of the matter is that they’re not, but because one team looked really good against them, then people are quick to jump at everything. I say this question would be better answered after about 20-25 games of this young season.
By Marc Harries and Dustin Tanner
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