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Post by jmei on Jun 7, 2023 10:25:11 GMT -5
I'm not sure that walk rate is the right metric to be monitoring with Rafaela. Given his scouting report (not enough pitch recognition and aggressive approach) and the fact that he's in the high minors with his defense likely pushing him to the majors sooner rather than later, I just don't ever think he's ever going to be a guy who walks a lot, and I don't think asking him to take pitches just for the sake of taking pitches is going to help his development (it's just going to put him behind in the count more). Instead, I think the emphasis should be on selective aggression and swinging at the right pitches (pitches he can drive rather than pitches he's going to put into play weakly). Unfortunately, a lot of those stats (z-swing rate, o-swing rate, etc.) aren't readily available for minor leaguers, but looking at his strikeout rate (as a proxy for swinging at the right pitches) and isolated power (as a proxy for his ability to consistently drive pitches) is more important to me than how frequently he walks.
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Post by jmei on Jun 5, 2023 15:41:00 GMT -5
Please move on. Thanks.
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Post by jmei on Jun 5, 2023 13:00:22 GMT -5
Tapia was good for them this year, but 97 PAs of good production shouldn't distract you from the fact that he's a 29-year-old minor league free agent with a career 0.5 WAR/600 PA. With Arroyo coming back today (shifting Kiké to CF more often) and Duvall coming back later in the week, there just wasn't playing time available for him.
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Post by jmei on Jun 5, 2023 10:35:54 GMT -5
They presumably chose Cassell over Paul Silas (who announced that he's joining the Pistons staff today). I think it's a reasonable conclusion that they need an effective communicator (someone that the players respect and will listen to) more than a brilliant strategist. They've had great Xs-and-Os guys before (Stevens himself, for example), but the issue has been that the players (and particularly the star players) don't always buy in.
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Post by jmei on May 31, 2023 9:36:18 GMT -5
Even if he doesn't improve at all from where he was this season, Brown will still have trade value on the supermax. The NBA is a star-driven league and Brown is good enough that teams will want to acquire him even with an enormous contract. Look at Bradley Beal or Rudy Gobert, for instance. I actually think Brown has more trade value on the supermax than he does as an expiring contract. I'd sign him to that supermax first and then worry abut trades later.
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Post by jmei on May 31, 2023 9:32:10 GMT -5
I'm not sure Casas' long-term development would be helped at all by going to AAA. He doesn't need to work on his approach or fix a hole in his swing that might be better accomplished in the minors. He needs to more confidently hit MLB-caliber pitching, which he can only do at the MLB level.
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Post by jmei on May 30, 2023 10:43:32 GMT -5
I will manifest Lillard demanding a trade specifically to Boston Lillard's not that kind of guy (or he would have gotten out of Portland much sooner). I do think Brown to the Blazers is in play, but the return would be a package centered around Simons and the third pick. If Scoot slips to #3, I'd have to think long and hard about that one if I'm the Celtics.
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Post by jmei on May 30, 2023 8:55:07 GMT -5
I wonder how willing ownership is to spend deep into the luxury tax again. I think Grant Williams is a really good player who you might be able to re-sign at a relatively cheap price (~$10M per year?). I'm confident they'll be able to move guys like Brown, Smart, Brogdon, White and both Williamses if and when needed, so would rather lock in the asset than let it go for nothing, but reasonable minds might disagree (and some other team might offer him a bigger contract than he deserves, especially given how weak the FA class is).
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Post by jmei on May 30, 2023 8:51:36 GMT -5
The thing about their inconsistency is that, while it's frustrating that they don't play at their highest level in key moments, it does mean they're capable of being that elite championship-level team.
They do need to add a defensive-focused assistant coach. So much of defense is just effort and focus and that's where good coaching can really manifest itself.
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Post by jmei on May 30, 2023 5:51:36 GMT -5
They didn’t play hard on defense tonight. Go back and look. A lot of Heat threes without any hand in the face I think Tatum and Brown are really problematic. Their effort level is inconsistent and you can’t have that from your leaders. Disagree. They started off the game really well defensively. It fell off over the course of the game, but Tatum’s injury played a roll in that.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:37:06 GMT -5
Mike Muscala is the real white flag.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:34:35 GMT -5
I do really dislike this Heat team, particularly how the media fawns over them.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:32:51 GMT -5
I don’t blame them too much for this game. Their best player gets injured the first play of the game, they miss a bunch of threes while their opponent gets hot, that happens sometimes. The problem is they left themselves no margin for error with games one through three.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:30:19 GMT -5
Derrick White is apparently injured, which is why Hauser is in the game. Not that the announcers would mention it.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:24:10 GMT -5
Eight turnovers and the boo birds come out.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:23:46 GMT -5
I don’t think they trade Brown no matter what. But it very much needs to be something they look at.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:20:45 GMT -5
Is there anyone who still wouldn’t give up Brown for Simons and #3? He’s so overrated. Go get some efficient scoring That’s the thing, Jaylen is usually pretty efficient from the field. But he’s been awful this series.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:16:30 GMT -5
Seventh turnover from Jaylen Brown, along with 6-18 shooting.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:15:44 GMT -5
Well that’s the game.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:09:27 GMT -5
Brown has been terrible, 6 of 18. Also five turnovers.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:08:28 GMT -5
I’m pretty sick of Caleb Martin.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 21:06:33 GMT -5
Brown has been atrocious in a game where they needed him to step up.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 20:45:56 GMT -5
Horford needs to help off of Adebayo some. The Heat are attacking his unwillingness to help off that screen.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 20:35:00 GMT -5
Here’s the thing about having no margin for error—an untimely sprained ankle is all is takes to end your season.
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Post by jmei on May 29, 2023 20:26:30 GMT -5
That last play is exactly what I’m talking about. Just dribble away the shot clock and then a deep contested pullup three. That’s bad offense.
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