If Josh Hart costs too much to be a Blazer, then why was it perfectly OK to give a 5yr max contract to stat padding tank specialist Jerami Grant ?? .... oh wait, I think I just answered my own question.
One is a SG who lacks shooting on a team with a bunch of guards. The other is a forward on a team with almost no forwards/centers.
A few months later and I'm underwhelmed by the thought of having Hart at $20m a year and equally as underwhelmed by the future of Kris Murray.
It's only 13m for Hart this year Don't worry about Murray looking flat footed and timid during Summer League. He hasn't pushed his "not normal rookie, played against men" button yet.
If we had Hart on a 1 year, $13m deal, I'd want him traded by the deadline before we had to give him $20m for 4 years. Of course, he took the 1 year, $13m deal with the promise of an added 4 years and $81m.
That give me this picture: Mother wakes up early morning, walks the dogs, makes breakfast for five, take kids to school, going to her own work. After work she's coming back makes a dinner for five, clean after. Mows the grass, cleans the windows and then goes to garage to repair bikes. Then she prepare a party for his husband's birthday in the evening, but she's a liability on it, because she doesn't dance enough. Maybe if her family wasn't liability on everything else than partying, she would dance more. I don't know.
I guess someone needs to tell Grant he is not a guard and should stop play like one. And same thing other way around with Hart.
I'd rather have a 6'9" guard than a 6'3" forward. I know we're conidition to want to be extra small at every position and that can be a tough habit to break. Regardless, pigeon holing and limiting skillsets based off height/position seems like a mistake in the first place.
This is what made Stotts a very underrated coach. He didn't ever seem to limit skillsets. He seemed to always get more out of his players.
Josh Hart's personality is as New York east coast as it gets...he's in his element with the Knicks...I'm glad to see it...in Portland he had a serious deer in the headlights issue shooting wide open 3s....he's way more comfortable in the Big Apple and it shows. The guy will be a fan favorite wherever he goes and I respect that he praised Portland on his way out as a stand up organization. Apparently his wife hated being so far from her family in the east. First time mother is now able to be around her family without traveling 3000 miles.
Happy for Josh. He and his family are in a spot they obviously preferred to be in. Happy wife, happy life and all that. I'm fairly confident he would not have stayed with us, barring a HUGE overpayment. And I'd say 20 million a year for Josh is him being overpaid currently. Of course, we only see the bumps on his good games. For the season, he's shooting a career low for 3p%, an ORTG below his career average, a DRTG higher than his career average. His lowest PER since his 2nd season. His lowest TS% season. He's a great rebounder, especially for his size. He plays hard. He seems like a great guy. Funny n interviews I've seen. I liked him as a Blazer. He's a Knick. so be it.
Hart has played 2 games (both KO wins) against the Blazers since the trade. Josh has accumulated: 23pts 24reb 10ast 6stl divide that by analytical ppm using the Tmac sliding guage-o-meter, the conclusion is simple... dial 1-800-CRONIN when your team needs to tank and lose games immediately.