Sam Amico: Blazers have talked to Sixers about Noel

Thing is, Barton can create his own shot, while Crabbe can't. That plays a role in how many shots they take, respectively.

 

I've heard that Crabbe can't create his own shot, but I don't agree with it. Hes not a ball handler, but he's added a pretty effective dribble pull-up to his game. He works well off screens with the ball.

And that's assuming he's hit his ceiling, which I don't think he has. He's never going to be a CJ but there's no reason he can't continue to add to his arsenal.

 

I think Philly would take Crabbe plus the Cle 1st for Noel. (Not sure how tradeable Crabbe is, as explained above though). Philly pressed hard for Barnes during free agency, and even had his agent in his ear to sign with Philly. I think Crabbe has the same potential to break out with an offense where he is more of the focus/has more opportunity. So Philly is definitely looking to add a player who can come in, not just rely on Embiid, Simmons, and Okafor.

 

Philly was evidently interested in Crabbe but didn't make an offer sheet because they assumed Portland would match. If true, a Noel/Crabbe swap is too obvious.

Another thing on Crabbe; Brooklyn didn't sign him to that sheet because they wanted to fuck with the Blazers. They genuinely wanted him, and thought enough of him to make him a focal point of their team. I think it's kind of foolish to think that they're the only team out there that thinks that highly of Crabbe or that he now has no trade value.

 

Barnes brought good defense and defensive versatility as part of the package. Crabbe is a very weak defender. The problem with Crabbe is that he's a pure scorer who isn't very good at scoring. He's not a play-maker, he's not a good rebounder for his size, he can't defend. He can't even score off the dribble. All he can do, when he's playing well, is shoot. And last season he shot at a career-high level. If that was a good season rather than his new average season, he essentially has no value.

Portland essentially made a bet on Crabbe, that he was on the verge of a breakout. Right now, it looks like they lost that bet and, at least at this time, it's unlikely any other team will choose to take that same bet after his initial terrible 20 games. If Crabbe turns things around and has a great 60 games/playoffs, he might have value again.

 

Hwy Philly,

Fabio is a process, he'll fit in perfectly

 

"Crabbe can't defend"

K.

 

OMY I damn near did a spit take when I read this. Hilarious!

 

IMO he can't. Not sure why anyone in here is ranking his defense as even average. He loses his man regularly and his OTB D is suspect.

 

Haha. Love this song. Ralph Tresvant sounds like a chipmunk!

 

He's inconsistent but we won numerous games last year because of defensive stops he made late in games. At least he's aggressive though, unlike some of the other matadors we have. But that's another area of his game that should improve with more experience. Defense usually takes the longest to master anyway. Thats why most elite defensive squads are teams with a bunch of veterans.

 

Let's think about this. Philly's key players going forward are:
Embiid (so long as he stays healthy)
Simmons (don't forget about him)

That's about it, really. They have a bunch of pieces to move around, but those are their building blocks. The main question is what does Simmons play? Obviously you play him at F, but do you play him at SF or PF? I'm guessing he actually makes most sense at PF. He's basically a more athletic Draymond Green with even better passing skills but probably nothing near the defense and at the moment can't shoot. Like, AT ALL.

If they keep either Okafor and/or Saric, then they probably have to play Simmons at SF, but I don't think it's ideal. But what they need more than anything is shooters. That's why they're playing Stauskas, who is otherwise kind of a scrub. Ideally they want shooters who can defend multiple wing/guard positions. They can afford to get players who wouldn't work elsewhere because of lacking PG skills, because Simmons is going to be their PG on offense. Doesn't that sound like Crabbe? Well, not what Crabbe IS, but what he was SUPPOSED to be.

I actually think Boston has a better shot, if they want him. They've got a bunch of players like that. The oddity is that Philly wants to trade Noel. He must be a real headcase, because if he isn't, he's much more valuable to them than Saric (a slow white Simmons) or Okafor (a black Enes Kanter).

 

Meh. That was like 2-3 games. The majority of the time he looks deficient.

 

Oh, god, that would be great.

 

Yahoo: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nerlen...nearing-his-return-so-now-what-150920737.html

That's it? A late first rounder?

Done.

And they have about 22 mil of space before even reaching the salary floor, so they can just absorb any contracts we send out outright.

 

He is a very good defender when he's locked in. He's got great length and active hands. Unfortunately he tends to get grabby which leads to a lot of stupid fouls. I don't however see an inability to move laterally, so it's just a matter of finding that consistency with his feet.

 

This was my guess as well. A draft pick as the highlight of any package. Why would a team give up anything else when they could just sign him in the summer? Everyone knows Philly won't pay him. But yah, I hope Olshey is all over this.

 

The difference is Barton can, and does, create his own shot. Barton takes more than twice as many 2-pointers as 3-pointers and is only assisted on 38.7% of his made 2-point FGs (and 79.5% of his made 3-pointers). He gets more shots because he is capable of creating more shots.

Allen Crabbe takes almost as many 3-pointers as he does 2-pointers. He's assisted on 86.1% of his made 2-pointers and 96.2% of his made 3-pointers. Honestly, I don't think there is a single player in the entire league less capable of creating a shot for himself. So, who in BRK will be creating all these quality looks for Crabbe that he can't create for himself?

Until Crabbe can put the ball on the floor, attack the paint and finish at the rim like Will Barton (or at all), he'll never be anything more than a ridiculously overpaid, one-dimensional, mediocre spot up 3-point shooter, regardless of who he plays for.

BNM

 

I agree.

IMO, for Crabbe to blossom, he needs to go to a team where he can start. Philly would be a good landing spot for him. I hope their scouts agree.