Batum all over again. How many years did we wait for Batum to play in Portland the way he did in the Euros? Some players show up every game - and some just do not.
Vucevic -- 22 mil Capela -- 18 mil Turner -- 18 mil Adams -- 17 mil Robinson -- 17 mil Nurk-- 15.6 mil Valanciunas -- 15 mil Carter Jr. -- 14 mil Br. Lopez -- 14 mil Holmes -- 11 mil Powell -- 11 mil R. Williams -- 11 mil Bamba -- 10 mil Zubac -- 10 mil There are 13 centers making more $ than Nurk this year. His salary is commensurate with production.
What to do with Nurk? Long term answer: trade him. He’s not the answer to take us to the next level. Short term answer: nothing. It’s one game. We don’t even know if this team is great defensively for sure yet. Is it worth adding assets to upgrade if we are the 9-10th seed? There are things we can do to get a backup C. You could eventually do a 3 way deal where we trade Hart and get a minimum of Vanderbilt and a 1st, then draft Lively or Ware in the draft, then have a rotation of Nurkic/Lively/Vanderbilt/Watford at C heading into next season. I’m definitely not adding assets to get rid of Nurkic though. I had no expectations of winning a championship this year.
Nurk’s salary isn’t a big problem to me. All of the C’s who are definitively better than Nurk are the ones a team just doesn’t get rid of like Jokic, Embiid, KAT. Then there are guys like Allen, Adebayo, and Gobert who are a tier below offensively. Ayton and Sabonis are in there somewhere, but they’re not even in the Allen/Adebayo/Gobert tier imo. If you want that kind of upgrade from Nurk, you got to draft those guys.
Why are you down on Sharpe? I mean I get you kind of have a general negative tint to your posts past few years, but you seem to really focus on saying Sharpe won't be good. He clearly is already good and will only get better.
Not worried. He's very talented. If he can stay healthy he's gonna be fine. Lots of new pieces and he had a couple of flashes early.
Not down on him at all. I have realistic expectations for a kid out of HS. You should be asking these people on here why their expectations are so astronomical for a kid out of HS. I did get a chance to meet him yesterday. Seems like a shy quiet good dude. Definitely rooting for him. just when he goes 5-22 over the next two games I won’t be the one freaking out.
I'm going to say it again, the kid is the truth. I don't want him starting yet but I definitely think he needs to get a few more shots when he is in. Dude holds his own on defense and the points he scored weren't accidents. His shot is pure and he's the best slasher we have on this team. He explodes to the hoop, accepts any contact and tries to finish strong every time and his finishing skills are for real. You wait to ordain the kid our sixth man or starting SF until he shows consistency but there is no doubt about it, the mystery has been solved, they young guy can play at this level and do so effectively.
I can tell you that either of these next two games or whenever he has 3 points on 1-9 shooting I will NOT be the one who is down on him. I’d expect more games like that than the one he had against the kings last night. Just not as ready to send him to the HOF guide yet like some around here.
It's more about being realistic given the circumstances. How will he adjust when the playbook on him is out? That's what I'm waiting for (and then some) before saying he's arrived.
