Jake Paynting

@NVizion28 I think he'd help there defensively, but right now I just don't think the offense even outside of the shooting issues is gonna be enough. Still room to grow there for sure but I think he needs a leap in his ball-handling/playmaking and then obviously the shooting too.

@JakePaynting I agree with that. NAW would have been useful here. Do you think Clark could scale up given the opportunity? (Barring he’s not involved any trades and can be more consistent offensively)

Jaden McDaniels has played 29 games without either Anthony Edwards or Julius Randle in the past two regular seasons, games where I’d say he was the unequivocal 2nd option. In those games: 19.1 PPG 6.5 RPG 3.4 APG 57.9% EFG

@NVizion28 Yeah I think if they can find a good point of attack guy, Ayo can maybe take a step forward there, or both, then they can use him off ball more and that would maximize him defensively, allow him to do less work, and cover some of the Rudy hole maybe?

@JakePaynting Definitely. That paired with a Rudy trade could be a massive stepback for the defensive side of the ball. Although maybe that would put Jaden off ball/rim protector more often.

@NVizion28 Yeah I think if they’re asking him to do way more offensively they’re gonna have to ask him to do at least a little less defensively

@JakePaynting The other intriguing part is if he can scale up and continue to be an All-NBA caliber defender. Most of these other 2nd options don’t carry the same defensive burden as Jaden.

Other notable western conference 2nd options: Murray: 24-4-7-57.3% (All-NBA) Sengun: 20.4-8.9-6.2-53.7% (All-Star) Fox: 18.6-3.6-6.2-54.9% (All-Star) Reaves: 23.3-4.7-5.5-56.7% 24/25 JDub: 21.6-5.3-5.1-53.7% (All-NBA)

Wolves gotta decide whether this scattered sample size is real, whether it can be juiced even further with more consistent work into it, and whether that actually moves the needle. Fair arguments for both sides I think.

Trade ideas poll thread: This is purely a thought exercise. Do not freak out over any of these trade ideas. I’m looking at what works cap-wise, and what might work basketball wise. Purely a thought exercise.

@skiyouMeeko That’s fine man I put the feelers out and people wanted a breakdown on it. No time wasted here I love watching hoops lol.

@JakePaynting Love you and all your breakdowns but I think we’re wasting time He’s not coming here

Feel like there's lots of talk about Giannis, the Wolves, the trade package feasibility, and whether Minnesota should even do it. So I kinda wanted to dig in to what would it would actually be like on the court if Ant and Giannis teamed up. Breakdown: youtu.be/HB75dgZn7kE

@elb612 I’d say they’re both around the same level of shooter and the gap defensively is astronomical but yeah they’re both flawed and janky fits with Ant

@JakePaynting Suggs is just Murray but a worse shooter and better defensively. Right?

I’d have to be convinced pretty thoroughly on Dejounte Murray to the Wolves. Bad shooter and off-ball player, never been a great finisher at the rim, been horrific defensively for 3+ years. Is that worth having a traditional PG — which feels a very generous title — next to Ant?

@DietBeginsMon I don’t think trading bad players who don’t fit for other bad players who don’t fit should even be on the whiteboard of considerations

@JakePaynting Yep he’s not nearly as good as people want him to be but I would rather have him than Randle

@gattz11 I’m kinda shocked that this isn’t the prevailing the thought in an non-Giannis fake trades lol

@JakePaynting We gotta stop surrounding Ant with non-shooters IMO. No matter their other strengths our pg has to shoot well

@DogsFishy9 Trae at that stage was a very very elite offensive engine and he regressed massively in all areas next to him. The Hawks were a bad team in large part because of him not in spite of him imo.

@JakePaynting Might not be a bad shooter, just played for some bad teams that had no one to draw attention. He’d probably get more open looks here. Defense the last few years, injuries/bad teams/fit. For his cost and age, I’d swing on the potential. Would cost far less than some other options.

@_read_and_react He might be it’s not Murray lol

@JakePaynting Ant needs his Ron Harper

@InternetNome Defensively yeah absolutely. The offense/pg play with him is gonna be an issue as well but he’d take way less usage than DJ which I guess would allow more Naz and Jaden usage bump.

@JakePaynting Is Jalen Suggs rugged enough to play against the OKC and Spurs guards?

@Riscado_jv Thanks man, I appreciate it. I think of all 3 I’m more just like push the Giannis nuke button but I completely understand the scepticism on that as well.

@JakePaynting I would love Kawhi, even more than Giannis (based on the price) or Kyrie, but I didn't see a single thing related to interest from the Wolves on him. I really like your content here and on youtube man, keep going!

Choosing to live my offseason through this 52 minute sample size

@Riscado_jv That’s a pretty good deal for the Wolves, I think. Don’t love giving up picks at this point but you gotta pay the toll for a Kyrie. Not sure the Mavs do that like you said but it’d be hard to complain about that lol

@JakePaynting Randle and 28 is a no for you? I would do it easily, I don't think that it would be the best offer to Dallas tho

@Riscado_jv Like anything it depends on the price, which I think would have to be pretty good for an old point guard coming off an ACL. I wouldn’t hate it by any means but yeah I’m not going a whole lot more than Randle or Rudy and that feels like it might not be enough for Dallas?

@JakePaynting What do you think about the Kyrie idea?