In the interview in SL game 3, Neil specifically talked about a "looking to make trades to bolster the top 9 guys in the rotation." Here it is, started when Neil is talking: Who are the "top 9 in the rotation?" The top 8 have got to be Lillard/CJ/Harkless/Aminu/Nurk Curry/ET/Collins Who's #9? Candidates: Biggie, Leonard, Trent, Simons, Baldwin, Layman, PapaG, Stauskas I'm pretty sure he doesn't mean Biggie, Trent, Simons, Baldwin, PapaG. So, that leaves That leaves (gulp) Leonard, Layman, Nik. As far as I'm concerned, any of these 3 would be a disaster. Leonard - sucks Layman - can't dribble Nik - relying too much on Curry and ET to be ballhandlers. It SHOULD DEFINITELY be Baldwin, but I'm quite sure he's not talking about Baldwin. Baldwin was noticeably absent when he, twice, talked about ballhandling in the 2nd unit (he mentioned ET). Who do you think Neil was talking about?
I don't believe that he was thinking of a specific 9 individuals. I think he was generically thinking in a normal basketball game, how most coaches go with a 9 man rotation. So instead of looking at ways to bolster 10-15, guys that won't generally play a ton, he's saying we need to find trades to improve our actual game rotations.
I was hoping someone would just say "It's obvious that it's..." and everyone would agree, and I'd be a bit embarrassed, but would learn the answer to my question.
Don't mean to be a contrarian, but I don't agree at all. Neil has always been very careful and very intentional about what he says. I think he has 9 specific players in mind.
But if he's looking to make a trade or trades to bolster the top 9, that would imply that the trade target would be in the top 9 of the rotation, not that we'd add a guy and he'd then be 10. So in that matter, it doesn't matter who "9" is right now, it's who it(hopefully) is after a trade
I'll take the conspiracy approach and say he specifically didn't mention Baldwin because he hasn't guaranteed his contract yet and doesn't want to drive up the price in an extension negotiation. Interview mystery solved.
To me it is absolute a joke that we are even talking about ET over (?!!) Baldwin. Baldwin is already better than Turner!
I interpreted it to mean he is looking for a trade - of anyone on the team - the outcome of which would be that our top 9 rotation players - whomever they will be - will comprise a better team than our current top 9 rotation players -- whoever that is. In other words, stating the obvious