We now have a "competent" backup PG who is good enough to not lose the game but not so good he'll bitch about minutes. That's not exciting enough for you?
I have 10 employees in Denver data mining nuggets for my posts! They just discovered that Larry Sanders is this year's Serge Ibaka! http://bkref.com/tiny/dKlsw
FACT-- This year's lousy midseason trade deadline moved ZERO starters. Redick gets starter's minutes (31) but has only started 22% of his games (11/50). Thanks to my staff in Denver!
I bet you that Freeland will benefit the most from Eric Maynor coming to Portland aside from Lillard . This may look like a small trade but Maynor can run the pick & roll really well. When Aldridge and Lillard are out of the game thats whar Freeland and Maynor will be doing.
Where is the thread thanking Ronnie Price for his contributions? In his 5th season he tutored rookies Wesley Matthews and Eric Maynor on the Jazz. In his 8th season he did the same for Damon Lillard. Price has produced 3 quality guards. Where is the appreciation?
I still like this deal but I just found out that Maynor's cap hold will be 5.1 MIL this summer. He is really going to have to show something in these last 28 games for POR to carry that hold (unless he signs the qualifying offer of 3.35 MIL real quick).
The silver lining is that, if he's good enough to justify the cap hold we're in great shape bench wise and if he isn't, can't we just waive him?
I don't see any scenario where the Blazers pick up his option. The Blazers will have more than enough cap space to sign someone of his caliber if they wish, there's no need to make him restricted and keep his bird rights.
I could see us bringing him back at the 3.35 number. That isn't bad for a qualify backup. 5.1 is going to kill us in free agency though. We won't stand around and have that cap hold for long imo.
Maynor has never been, and never will be, anything close to a starting quality point guard. Stupid OKC homers. He's better than Price and Smith, but he's still pretty bad.
Before the knee injury, there was talk that OKC was just as good with him on the floor when Westbrook got a breather. I saw it with my own eyes several times.
I remember that; I think it says more about Westbrook than Maynor, but you might have a Greg Anthony/Damon Stoudamire situation, where the more talented starter is such a hothead that the steady bench guy is just as valuable in crunch time.
Yeah, there's no way Maynor is as talented as Westbrook, but steady and reliable are great attributes in a backup PG. If Lillard keeps developing and Maynor gets back to his pre-injury level, we could have one of the better starters and one of the better backups at the same position.
