Everything (2016-2017) Regular Season Game Threads

[The Great One]

JV is so fucking shit.

[Lupe]

JV is so fucking shit.

He's not shit, he's just below average defensively. On offense he's fine, very good even, but underused and thus unnecessary (yes his offensive contribution is not necessary to the success of our team on that end of the floor). The problem is you can't get away with having a below average defensive center in this league. The best teams run spread offenses and spam pick and roll. GL defending that with a lumbering center with poor defensive and positional awareness. Guys like M. Gasol and Timmy D last year are able to defend it effectively because they have the IQ to make up for any shortcomings in lateral quickness, they know where guys will be and beat them to spots. JV doesn't have the IQ or the athleticism. Just really, really a big problem.

Some people will say I'm just going off because we're losing but I made that defense thread ages ago primarily because of this. We've just been so potent offensively that it hasn't mattered that our defense has been dire. It will matter when we get gameplanned for, slow down a bit offensively and have to try to outscore top offenses (mainly Cleveland) in the playoffs, that aren't even playing at their best level right now.

[tonious35]

I can't see our future down the next 3 years, but it might not involve JV for long. Please I hope I am wrong for the right reasons

[A.I]

I can't see our future down the next 3 years, but it might not involve JV for long. Please I hope I am wrong for the right reasons

I don't see him being a part of it either. He is under used and just not good enough defensively to carry a team's defense (which is already bad).

[The Great One]

JV doesn't have the IQ AND the athleticism. That's the difference between him and Gasol defensively.

[A.I]

JV doesn't have the IQ AND the athleticism. That's the difference between him and Gasol defensively.

Gasol has zero athleticism. He has the IQ though.

[tonious35]

going to go Uncharted 4 Multiplayer and forgetting this....will check the scores though every 5 mins

[A.I]

Patterson starting the 3rd again. Can he just start permanently already.

[Lupe]

JV doesn't have the IQ AND the athleticism. That's the difference between him and Gasol defensively.

Bingo. You can make up for the lack of athleticism with elite IQ and simply just being one step ahead of the offense at all times (ie. being highly proactive instead of reactive) very few players are that smart defensively. Without that you're going to struggle when you're athletically challenged.

[tDotted]

We should've tanked

[tonious35]

Patterson starting the 3rd again. Can he just start permanently already.

this will be his slow integration for Patterson and another harsh lesson on Pascal...

[The Great One]

Bingo. You can make up for the lack of athleticism with elite IQ and simply just being one step ahead of the offense at all times (ie. being highly proactive instead of reactive) very few players are that smart defensively. Without that you're going to struggle when you're athletically challenged.

Gasol has JV athleticism BUT his basketball IQ is off the charts. That's the diff between him and JV. JV has ZERO awareness wjatsoever.

[Lupe]

That's the difference with DeMar now. Knows his shot is off today, so goes right to the paint three times in a row for high percentage looks. Back in the day he would've just kept shooting from mid-range until he was 5-20 without properly trying to get himself back in rhythm like he's doing now.

[Ebonhawke]

this will be his slow integration for Patterson and another harsh lesson on Pascal...

Tonight's first half lack of defence wasn't Pascal fault

[Jangles]

What was Marc Gasols IQ like when he was 24?

Loving all the piling on on a guy who's having the toughest stretch of his career after an injury a few weeks ago. Let's keep at it!