Sonics in strong position to remain solid at the core

Nick Collison is exactly the reason why Evans is not important enough to be called part of the team core.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I thought it was funny, and quite frankly, even though they are hard to see, I made my points. 1) A basket ball team has 5 players on the floor. No single player can win a game, including Radmanovic. 2) A game has four quarters, and a team needs players on the floor for each one.</div>

What does this have to do with anything I've said??? A basketball team has 5 players on the floor? No single player can win a game, including Vladi??? When did I ever even say anything about Vladi? My whole argument has been prefaced upon assuming Vlad will be resigned, Nick Collison will improve to take away RE's minutes, thereby reducing the role Reggie will play on this team, thereby greatly reducing the amount and # of years I would be willing to pay to keep him around. This 5 players on the floor, no one player can win a game, and 4 quarters stuff is circular logic...for the same reasons you preach the importance of Reggie, I could insert Vlad's name and make the same argument.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Radmanovic is redundant. He is a subpar defender with nice offensive skills. Gee, that sounds like Ray...and Rashard...and Ridnour...and Murray. We can put all five on the floor and play no defense and have no toughness at all. Sounds fun, I will pass.</div>

Vladi is a mediocre defender, he's a poor rebounder. We do have alot of good shooters on this team, but we don't have alot of good shooters/scorers coming off of the bench. Having him on the floor with all those guys isn't something I would reccomend either. Thats why I want RE still around on this team, and not once said I didn't, just not at a long/lucrative deal. I've agreed with every point you've made on what Reggie brings to the table as far as his stregnths, the problem is your refusing to ackowledge his weaknesses - and they are severe. We virtually play 4 on 5 on offense for every second he's on the floor. Vladi may be subpar in some areas of his game right now, but Reggie's offensive game is non-existent. He can't finish games because he can't score or shoot free throws. How can a player be a "core" piece if his deficiencies are so great he will never play in the closing minutes of a close game??? Paying Reggie Evans like a "core" piece is the best way to hamstring this team and put a ceiling on the future. Rodman/B. Wallace are core pieces, Reggie has some similiar skills to both theses guys, but is a stone's throw and two plane rides from affecting the outcome of the game half as much as either of these two.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">-Then there is the Collison arguement. We may or may not stunt the growth of a guy who may or may not become as good as Evans. Bad point, I will leave that one alone.</div>

May or may not become as good as Evans??? The guy is already a better defender, has a solid offensive game, can hit free throws, actually forces the other team to guard him, and while he isn't the rebounder that RE is - its far from a weakness. I think Collison is the superior player today - we don't have to wait for it to happen. I'd have alot easier time accepting that Reggie should be brought back at all costs if he was the one who got the call to guard Tim Duncan in the 4th qtr/game 6/second round of the playofffs. But it wasn't him, he was on the bench where he belonged, and a rookie Nick Collison was given the duty. This is the biggest reason why I wouldn't be willing to pay Reggie like a core piece - his understudy won't be playing behind him at the end of next season, it will be the other way around.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Then there is the reason we are even disscussing this. Some half wit prints that a back-up sf-pf with a nice stroke and poor defense, that has shown NO improvement in three years (NONE!) is a "core" player, while a young starting PF that showed huge (HUGE!) strides last year towards being one of the best rebounders in the last 40 years, plays awesome D, and has all the intangables needed to win games is balast. I don't buy it. I won't buy it. You want match up problems for the other team on defense, sick Reggie on them. you want to bring the bigs out of the paint, play Shard at the four. Vlade is redundant, we have shooters. What this team needs is defense, rebounding, and hustle. What this team needs is Reggie Evans. He is "core".</div>


Rad hasn't improved? He's improved his dribbling, his one-on-one post defense, his ability to take it to the rack (though he doesn't do this nearly enough for our needs), but hasn't improved his rebounding. Reggie is a pretty good defender, who does a great job of getting under opposing players skins, but as far as improvement - he's become an even better rebounder, but he's failed to improve substantially the one area of his game that is holding him back from ever playing more than 25 minutes a game in this league. Even calling him a starter is nothing more than a glorified title promotion because he gives up too much to ever finish games. Reggie simply is just a better fit with the starting lineup than Rad because like you said, his skills are redundant with the other pieces of the starting 5. But you can't argue that its great to have a scoring threat like Rad coming off the bench. Rad may never start for this team - in fact it works out better if he doesn't I think - but by the end of next season when Collison has taken Reggie's starting role, Rad is still the firepower 6th man, where does RE fit in? He will still do all of the things he does great, just in a smaller role. If it doesn't quite play out like this next season than definately 2 years from now.

If we lost Reggie it would hurt us next year, but we aren't going to contend for a championship next season anyways. By the time we conceivably are ready to contend, Reggie could easily be down to playing 7-10 minutes a night - for the same reasons that I wouldn't have been willing to lock AD up longterm (and I love him as a player), I'm simply not willing to lose the flexibility to add a veteran piece that might help put us over the top because we have Reggie sitting on the end of the bench collecting a fat check. We might just have to agree to disagree, because while I also want him back, I just can't see the logic in doing it at a substantial cost long term.