That seems dumb to me. He's a serviceable player that we could probably get something for in a trade. Makes the Webster deal worse if Babbitt doesn't turn out... and we all know the track record for white players from the U.S.
Webster was unproductive enough that it's worth the gamble. Even if Babbitt doesn't pan out, it wasn't a huge loss. He was a serviceable reserve, but not much more. I agree, though, that Gomes shouldn't just be tossed aside. But if Allen needs to save money where he can, in preparation for possible large paydays for Oden and Batum (and maybe even Bayless, though that's less likely), then it makes sense. Of course, that eliminates the chances of a "Portland takes on massive salaries to acquire another team's star" types of deal. That's just prejudice, though. White American players may not have generally done a lot in recent NBA history, but that's not a good argument against any one individual. There isn't some racial disqualification. It's more of a sample size issue...there are so few white Americans who even enter the NBA (for cultural reasons, IMO). That may lead to valid conclusions about how many white Americans one might expect to reach the elite, NBA level, but doesn't necessarily provide good conclusions for what will happen to those who do make it.
So basically it's Martell (who had finally learned how to play defense, and did a creditable job on Kobe Bryant) for Babbitt (who will probably always be a poor defender) and a couple million saved? Bleh. I was REALLY hoping we picked Babbitt for somebody else. Is this a departing KP's final shot to Nate: "really? You want shooting? Well okay, you'll GET shooting." A list of players that Gomes could be traded for: (I'm going to say that Ramon Sessions is, um, unlikely, considering where we just got Gomes from. And in fact, isn't there even a rule that the previous team CAN'T reaquire their player until a certain time has elapsed?)
KP has supposedly coveted Babbitt for months. In addition, that pick seems to have garnered quite favourable reviews, so I don't think the widespread perception is that the pick was a stinker, requiring some revenge theory to explain.
It may be prejudice, but look at where these players are drafted in relation to how many of them perform in the NBA. For whatever reason, their skills don't often translate as well to the NBA game even though they tear it up in college. I have hope that Babbitt can contribute to this team, I'm just not convinced that he will.
Is this backed by data, though? White Americans simply aren't drafted very high very often... and while some definitely don't pan out (Adam Morrison, Luke Jackson), some do (Troy Murphy), which is the same that can be said of internationals or African Americans. Ed O.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/6/25/1537154/kps-last-act-viva-nevada Might be worth reading. I was kinda surprised by the first part. At least makes my hopes a bit higher for him.
We already know that Webster is more young and agile than Gomes. He has a higher physical ceiling but has small hands and can't dribble, so he has to play forward. Skipping down to the section "Basic Statistics Per 40 Pace Adjusted" http://tiny.cc/dhtuw Webster attempts twice as many 3s as Gomes, yet they shoot identical 3FG percentages. Gomes attempts 44% more 2s and thus has a somewhat higher 2FG% than Webster. They shoot the same high FT%, but unbelievably, Webster attempts 45% more than Gomes despite all those 3s. They match in rebounds and steals. Gomes gets 62% more assists. Webster gets over double the blocks of Gomes but also slightly more fouls, both because McMillan has him focused on defense, which Nate would have Gomes do too. With his 3 point emphasis and avoidance of dribbling, Webster gets only slightly fewer turnovers, so that's a plus for Gomes. Section called "Efficiency Statistics" Webster generates 41% more FTA/FGA despite taking double the 3PA/FGA. Gomes has 70% more Asst/FGA and somewhat better A/TO, 1.29 to 1.03. But we already know that Webster sucks at assists. My conclusion is that the two players are equally deficient. With the July 1 deadline looming, should we cut Gomes? We put up with Webster for years not because he was good enough to hold a roster spot, but because we hoped he would improve. Gomes is 6 years older and has reached his ceiling. Would we keep Webster if we knew that he would never improve? No, so why add the same thing in Gomes? To get to 15 players we have to cut or trade 3--Rudy, Gomes, and Diener.
