Most people in here are certain that we are at least 2 seasons from contending. So the argument that Beal is a better pick than MKG because he’ll compliment the roster better in the short term doesn’t make sense all by itself. You don’t have to recruit an all-star to find a 2 that will give you solid perimiter shooting. The “horrors” of having MKG +TT on the same squad developing their offense next year is really no big deal. In fact, it conforms to the “one more tank strategy” that so many endorse.
I think that most trends are overated in sports. But there’s one trend I will buy into after watching both teams that made the finals this year. For the next 5-10 years, a 1st team NBA shutdown defender (granted he has some offense) on the wing will be a higher commodity that an elite perimeter shooter. In large part because perimeter shooting is an easier problem to solve, and the former barely exists.
Kyrie is anything but Rondo when it comes to perimeter shooting, so he’s already stretching the defense with and without the ball. We have at least the rest of this draft, plus 2013, 2014 drafts and 3 free agencies to find a solid perimeter shooting 2 guard over the next 2 years ( if that’s a significant time frame to you).
Beal may be NBA ready (we’re not contending for a while) he may even be a perrenial all-star. But if MKG can get a C- jumper he could be the (healthy) 1990’s Grant Hill + shut down defense. In other words, a superstar. That jumper sucks so bad that it probably won’t be totally fixed in 2 years but I’ll role the dice that he’ll work it out eventually and be a total monster. Beal doesn’t have that kind of upside. And we don’t need a “perfect fit” for next year. I still think that the Cavs are probably thinking this way and if they both drop to 4 it’s about 60/40 they’ll take MKG.
Don’t let these rumors distract you from the truth. MKG is still pretty much the shit.
