I thought we would be getting a side-grade to Dion at the cost of a slightly more expensive contract but getting shipment as well. JR has exceeded anything I thought we would realistically be getting, he's a bit of a chucker but he demands a cover, and he's just crazy enough. Dion said all the right things but just never seemed happy, JR knows his role and does it well. Some nights he's on and he puts up 8 treys and plays 35 minutes and other nights he's playing close to 20 and getting a shot or 2. He doesn't need "his" shots and seems content with that. His defense has been a surprise, and he comes up with a heads up steal or 2, which probably translates to 2-3 points on the differential each time. Also, I was surprised that he can still dunk. The 360 almost oop and the 2 alley oops against the Knicks were some of the most athletic plays I've seen this year. The guys totally just playing the right way, essentially what we were wanting out of Dion, but just not getting.
Actually, it's also the way Love has been playing, he's really asked to sit on the outside the majority of the time and play the spacing game, he's never whined about that, goes in and tries to grab the rebound from a less desirable position, and just keeps playing. He's not going to score as much this way or get as many inside opportunities, but what it opens up for the offense is even more valuable. He's not a great defender but he's putting in the effort, and sure he gets burned occasionally but overall, the results are showing themselves
