Phooey. You still haven't addressed the backup PF problem. Still, I will grudgingly admit I don't *hate* the deal.
Sometimes the best trade is the one you don't make. Either you trust this management team to make the right move, or you fire them. If these guys decide that what's out there isn't sufficient and they're going to wait for the offseason to make a salary-lopsided trade with the cap space, then I'm fine with it. As for that particular columnist, I'm just glad our starting PG and PF isn't Pooh Jeter and Sean May.
That's why Bayless, Blake and LaFrentz contract are included. At least I'm including talent to get talent. Most on here think Sergio, Outlaw and Lafrentz are going to be enough to get a star. For the record, I say stand pat. I like our team and want to see it grow.
Pritchard can start by including Outlaw in any deal.... Seriously, is there a worse defender on this team? Sergio is...well....mediocre...compared to this guy.... and help\team defense doesn't count...not when you are leaving your man WIDE OPEN for a three pointer in the process... ALL TIM THOMAS CAN DO IS SHOOT THREE POINTERS TRAVIS!!!!!!!!! That is it, he can't do ANYTHING else....Seriously where is this guy's head? He may make some spectacular team defensive plays by free-lancing...but I have NEVER seen a player who loses who he is guarding, or forgets what his defensive responsibilities are MORE than Travis..... You want this team's defense to get better? Then stop relying on Travis to actually...you know...GUARD SOMEBODY..... and someone ought to remind "Mr 4th quarter"...that jacking up a turnaround fade-away over 2 defenders is NOT a "good look"....I don't care how many other jumpers you made...it still doesn't make that type of shot a good one.... and did anyone else see NAte SCREAMING at Travis to get over half court, and Travis looking like a deer in the headlights while he processed what his coach was screaming at him about? It would have been funny if it wasn't so frustrating at the same time....that cost them 4-5 seconds... Sorry, but you cannot rely on Roy to bail this team out with 4sec on the shot clock every time....I am glad he did, but POR got lucky...a better defensive team would have doubled Roy and forced another player to beat them.... Oh yeah, and Canzano needs to make up his mind.... You cannot advocate not making a trade and then turnaround and say the team needs to make a trade..... How is Pooh Jeter doing these days anyway?
As always with Crapzano, an empty article stating a non-existent problem and offering no solution. The actual facts that can be derived from it are: 1. We're young 2. We're learning rapidly through experience 3. We're finding ways to win games that more experienced teams would have lost 4. KP's plan is working to perfection, only much quicker than most expected 5. A trade seems to be the only possible way KP could stop our rapidly forming dynasty 6. Crapzano will never understand the concept of a "team" BAKE IT!
I look at the trade bait out there and I'm stuck thinking, outside of G Wallace, I don't see a player I want enough to trade for that REALLY makes this team better! Do any of you? I mean playoff better player, instantly contributing,and can be a solid aid to our big 3?
That is my assessment as well. The proposed trades either help a "little" or are unrealistic IMO. I do like Wallace though. But not sold on Jefferson. You can make the arguement "Well he is better than what we haev", but that is not the issue. It has to be really good for this year or smart for the long haul. Jefferson does not do that IMO.
The trouble is, none of us really know who is and isn't truly available, all we have is reporters' inferences, "inside" sources (ie. agents) giving out dribs and drabs of information, and GMs posturing and bluffing. But to say that is only one player out there who would improve this team at the small forward position and would help a playoff push for this year and in the future is probably not exactly true. Off-hand I can think of a handful of 3s that may or may not be available that could step in and provide an upgrade on defense and also provide a veteran presence and/or the ability to shoulder some of the load on offense: Stephen Jackson (GW, really cap constrained and likely going nowhere unless something changes) James Posey (Hornets reportedly near bankruptcy) Richard Jefferson (meh) Gerald Wallace (Charlotte's best player, but LB loves to trade and bring in his own people) Vince Carter (NJ would love to get their cap figure reduced before 2010, and I doubt VC fits into their long term plans at 32). I'm certainly missing some viable names, but I think it's pretty clear that there are ways to upgrade deficient positions on this team; it just all boils down to cost, and that's something that only KP and a trade partner know the answer to.
Andre Miller is supposed to be on the market. Worst case: he doesn't work out and becomes $10 million in expiring contract. Best case: we get a smart, veteran PG to mentor Bayless and provide stability/leadership.
Sure he did. The trade brought back LeBron James. He's not a pure power forward, but for a backup, he'll do. Think of him as a stronger version of Outlaw.
