So: at first I think it's stupid to target a SF when we're pretty set there (and it's still stupid to talk about Ariza, because what does he do that Batum doesn't already do, or will soon?) and he's getting old and he's not a great defender. But then I see the point in targeting Turkoglu, because he has a pretty unique skill set for a SF: * he's tall (6'10") * he's got guard skills (dribbling, shooting, passing - actually better guard skills than Steve Blake) * he's a real team player (and clutch, but that's not a big problem for us already) ..and I think, we can use this guy. He takes the pressure off Roy and (MOST IMPORTANTLY) he'll make life a lot easier for Oden, because of his height and ability to feed the post and run the pick and roll. So now I think, great! He makes Steve Blake expendable. He's like the PG we always wanted -- but 6'10"! Now, if you think of Hedo as a SF then 1. Why do we need him? and 2. Why is Rudy complaining when it's Travis, Batum and Webster who are threatened? But if you think of him as the Blake substitute, you can see Rudy's point. He is another guard. Certainly in the offensive role they used him in Orlando, and we can only hope he would be used here, because otherwise he's a below-average forward. So: is the solution simply to get rid of Blake? Well, normally I'd be all in favor of this, because Blake drove me mad in the playoffs. But the thing is, if we get Turkoglu, actually Blake becomes a lot more useful. He's a better PG defender than Rudy (which is a sad indictment of Rudy) and a very solid spot up shooter, which, as we saw in Orlando, is a great thing to have when Turkoglu is handling the ball. So a lot of the things that drove me mad about him as a PG (can't penetrate, can't/doesn't run the pick and roll with the bigs) don't matter, and we're playing to his strengths. Meanwhile, as Rudy no doubt sees, he becomes less useful. Now if Roy isn't creating, it'll be new $50 million man Turk who's doing it. What's Rudy doing? Spotting up for a 3? Okay, but not exactly using his versatility. The best thing he could be doing is moving without the ball, a la Rip Hamilton. He's good at that, and Courtney Lee did some of that too, but I think Rudy wants more. Actually, a person who is also hurt a lot by this, who has not been mentioned, is Bayless. He really is consigned to spot minutes again, especially if we play a no-PG lineup with Roy and Rudy in the backcourt. I don't know what to hope for any more!
Great sentiment. Is it odd to anyone else that we went from Day 1 of training camp last year having a loaded young team poised to make a jump and "the best expiring contract in history"; talking about "consolidation"; then hearing names like Carter, Jefferson, Butler available or not; then the Chicago saga of Hinrich and (maybe) Deng; and now we're debating whether we should sign Ariza or a "Euroscrub" (LOL) like Childress if our offer to Hedo falls through? Man, all I want is a PG that passes the ball to the big man on the P&R. I'm almost resigned to the fact that there's another year of Travis in my future, but please don't there be another of Blake.
Hedo is not the big splash we were told about, that is for sure. But he can run the pick and roll with the best of them. If he does that, and makes Oden better, then he probably would be worth 10 million a year. Pretty big if, though.
Where's the "big if?" The side pick and roll that Hedo and Dwight ran last year for Orlando was a bread and butter play. As long as this team has players on the wing who can hit an open shot and as long as we have a point guard who can play at least decent defense against the better points in the league, the Hedo/Brandon duo (as playmakers) has a decent chance of working.
