LA gone before or on draft day

Mags, I invite you to read posts 270 and 274. If you find anything in the stats that is not factual, then please let me know and I'll correct it. Otherwise, how do you compare the two? Specifically, how do you compare LMA's 2nd year (on his way to multiple All-Star berths) with the assertion that none of Jefferson/Oladipo/Thompson/Waiters have even the "potential" to be an All-Star someday?

I've not said "our franchise will never win with him on the team." In fact, I've specifically said that if he signed an extension today I'd be all over the plans of you status-quo'ers that just want to add the big defensive C he wants and start contending.

Which bashes of LMA do you disagree with? That he doesn't rebound well, or that he shoots a lot of jumpers at an inefficient rate?

 

...so that he can pass it to someone who is open? And goes toward the hoop? Or shoots open 3's? Or sets up in the low post? Or picks and ROLLS to the hoop?

You do realize that Damian shooting 13 3's a game at even a stupidly low 28% clip is more efficient (my opinion: "better for the offense and therefore the team") than LMA's 947 jumpers at 41%, right?

I recognize that the skillsets are different. I recognize that there is a large difference in value from someone who can theoretically pull a center out of the paint, and that JJ Hickson/Tristan Thompson would not be good in the "homeless man's Dirk" role LMA's been playing, either. But I haven't heard Thompson (or Hickson, for that matter) say that they didn't want to play down low, banging 6 times with Chuck Hayes to get into position, and would rather shoot inefficient jumpers, so we better get a big rebounder and defender so he can keep doing so. I've heard that from the guy who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2 years

 

yeah. Not good.

 

his shooting stats.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01/shooting/2013/

 

So, maybe I'm getting this wrong, but there's no potential for one of those players to be an All-Star someday because there's potential for a Larry Johnson-like injury? I don't quite get how that works.

Z-bo was not around for LMA's 2nd season, so he started every game he played. Just like Thompson did for CLE in his 2nd year. And if you're going to say that LMA was underdeveloped (which I won't argue much), then why can't TT (who's a full year younger in his 2nd year than LMA was in his 2nd year) be underdeveloped and eventually get better?

Of course there's no "guarantee". There was no guarantee in 2007 that LMA would be a two-time All-Star. But there was potential. Like there's potential (in my opinion) for one of Jefferson/Oladipo/Thompson/Waiters to be one someday.

I don't have access to synergy, so I don't know what the "contested" vs. "uncontested" would be. My opinion on it (which is by no means unassailable) is that if you're shooting .83 points per shot on anything, you should re-evaluate whether you should be shooting it. That goes for shooting 41% from the FT line, 28% from 3, 41% on mid-range jumpers, whatever.

I can go on an on if you like?[/QUOTE]

 

I'm not trying to be obtuse, but what does JJ Hickson have to do with this?

 

I'd put up a comparison, but that would somehow turn into me taking a position. I will say that I don't have any confidence in Hickson's potential to be an all-star, though.

And I don't know that I've said JJ Hickson "wasn't worth having." I don't think keeping his cap hold is smart. I don't think bringing him back at the contract he'll probably command WITH LMA here is smart.