There have been multiple threads posted about Hickson and think this is the question the Blazers will be asking at the trade deadline and/or this offseason. Comparing the two: Age Surprisingly, Freeland is about a year and a half older. Production No question Hickson is playing better. I have some concern with giving a hustle player a long term contract, but JJ will be around thirty in year five of a deal. We need Leonard to produce for this team to be a contender. Hickson could definitely fit as our first big off the bench. Freeland has shown nothing. Contract After this year, Freeland will be owed 6M over two years. Hickson will have a cap hold of 7.6M. My hope is that there is someone that loves Freeland and would take him off our hands in exchange for 3M and expiring contracts. Use the extra cap space to resign Hickson to an affordable deal after we have tried landing someone that "moves the needle".
Hickson isn't getting a 5 year deal. We are the only team that is allowed to give him one that long and it won't even happen here. 4 years? Sure. He most likely gets that. And I think we are giving up much too soon on Freeland as far as what he can or can't do on the court. With that said I have no problem throwing him into a trade as his contract might be one of the few that we can or should move.
He shows mental toughness. He's 2 years ahead of Leonard in his toughness stage. Both need time to acclimate. We need a thread called "Who should we keep? Freeland or Leonard?" Leonard has shown nothing but raw dexterity.
Did you read Charcoals's post? "My hope is that there is someone that loves Freeland and would take him off our hands in exchange for 3M and expiring contracts. Use the extra cap space to resign Hickson to an affordable deal after we have tried landing someone that "moves the needle"."
Freeland should never even have been in the NBA. Gone before the trade deadline as filler, or back to Britain in the spring..
Leonard is five years younger, counts for .5m less next year against the cap, and could be seen as our center of the future. I agree that Leonard has alot of growing up to do mentally.
Not a joke since this will be a decision the Blazers have to make. I have seen alot of articles saying JJ is gone, but not one saying that we keep him and cut ties with Freeland. I hope Freeland starts showing something to make this a better debate.
Why would you want to resign Hickson for 4 years at likely pretty big money, when he does nothing to improve this team from its mediocrity?
That could be said about any of our players outside of LMA and Dame (yes including Batum who got a big deal and this would have included Hibbert had he came). Hickson actually has the highest PER on our team this year. And if you don't think Hickson helps us improve then who does that we can get? Easy to say get a lot better and much harder to show how we can.
As KeepOnRollin said, we will win because of other matchups. If we played Freeland for the same minutes, our record would definitely not be near what it is. If Hickson is worth big money on a four year contract, why is he not worth slightly less on a five year? Taj Gibson just signed for 33M and is three years older. Also note that while there are alot of teams with cap space in 2013, there are lots of options at C/PF. Hickson might be had for 5 yr/25M.
That's a pretty good point. Part of the reason I think the Blazers would be wise to shop him at the trade deadline or seek some kind of sign and trade in June/July
We're mediocre with Aldridge, Lillard, and Batum, so you could ask the same question about them. The answer is, one piece can't put us over the top, but you have to accumulate pieces to get there. If Hickson disappeared today from the roster, the Blazers would plummet in win-loss record, more than from losing anyone except Lillard.
Anyone know how many points Hickson gives up a game on avg.? Just curious being that he's not really a rim protector.
Since Aldridge and Batum don't do much to help, he is probably forced to give up a lot. If he disappeared tomorrow, we'd give up a lot more than we do now.
