Oct 8, 2018
Five thoughts on Powell, McDonough and more
Jack Armstrong returns with his observations on the firing of Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, Blake Griffin's playmaking ability and Norman Powell's play of late.
Jack Armstrong returns with his observations on the firing of Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, Blake Griffin's playmaking ability, Norman Powell's play of late and more.
1. RYAN MCDONOUGH (Suns): McDonough was fired as general manager a week before the start of the NBA season. It’s another bizarre decision made by owner Robert Sarver. I understand they haven’t had a lot of success but the weird timing of this just reeks of an organization operating on the seat of its pants and the emotional ups and downs of an owner who clearly hasn’t distinguished himself in a positive fashion with their supportive fan base. A once proud franchise is clearly adrift.
2. DEJOUNTE MURRAY (Spurs): Quite a blow losing him with a torn ACL. With the departure of Tony Parker, a lot more was expected from Murray and now it will be on backup point guard Patty Mills to pick up the slack. I’m sure they’ll be kicking the tires on the trade market trying to come up with another point guard, but what a tough setback.
3. JIMMY BUTLER (Timberwolves): The drama drags on and it appears that Minnesota isn't going to be rushed into just any deal. This puts general manager Scott Layden and head coach Tom Thibodeau in a difficult spot. They gave up assets to get Butler and can’t just can’t let him walk out the door for pennies on the dollar. I’m sure some progress will be made in the next week. The season is right around the corner. Someone blink please.
4. BLAKE GRIFFIN (Pistons): I saw that Pistons head coach Dwane Casey would like Griffin to lead their team in assists. After he was acquired by Detroit, he averaged 6.2 assists per game which is impressive for a post guy. Reggie Jackson is a scoring-minded point guard who could blossom playing with the super heady Griffin. Any time you have multiple playmakers on the floor you become that much more difficult to match up with and defend. If this team stays healthy, they can improve and be the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
5. NORMAN POWELL (Raptors): I was super impressed with his performance on Friday against Melbourne. Powell was under control, poised and purposeful in his approach. He played a very smart and efficient game in every phase, looking relaxed and confident. If he plays like that consistently, he’ll earn some minutes. He’s got the tools. So much of it is playing the game within the five-on-five concept and picking his spots appropriately. High percentage decisions lead to good offensive developments.