I never understood the immortal hype around Wiseman. With Reddish I can blur my eyes and see a role/rotation player once he experiences ego death in 3-4 years (not on the Blazers). With Wiseman, I’m not sure he has the defensive chops to be a big in the NBA. The Detroit experience will be telling. Saddiq Bey is an average player you do ‘not’ want to pay (Detroit didn’t), and I’m not sure I trust the jumper. 3?D? I’d rather have the picks, tbh.
Several of the picks likely won't convey, so even that is misleading, but it's missing my point about Wiseman. If the Blazers miss the playoffs and Wiseman sucks, they'd then have a $12 million expiring contract to attach their lotto pick and the Knicks pick to. Then they're in a situation where instead of giving up one of their core in a deal, they could potentially get a good player back while keeping the players they don't want to trade like Ant and Sharpe. That's how you build rosters.
I just said ‘picks’ not ‘5 picks’. A couple of those are vaporware. No one is being misleading (though sorry if you felt misled, I guess?). And I’m not missing the point around Wiseman. You mentioned that you think Wiseman is still an upside flier. I don’t—not in this system anyway. The bar isn’t high but there is still some modicum of pressure to win. In that context he’s not going to ‘show something’ or ‘have value’. I’d rather have the picks than RLEC/Bledsoe 2.0. Sure, salary matching is a thing. I also don’t know if 4 massive contracts (assuming Cronin’s illusory target star is the 4th) as the basis for your roster makes much sense for this team anyway if you’re keeping Ant and Dame and still interested in developing Sharpe. That’s many millions of dollars in skill overlap.
I would have liked Bey instead of Knox. With Badji not sure we needed Wiseman. Im high on Badji. I see Cronin pulling the trigger during the offseason if the right established player is available.
Oh my god, please preach me the gospel of Badji. I want to feel something. The YouTube clips weren’t enough to Show Me The Way.
Best kept secret in the assoc. He's been hurt and stashed away, just turned 20. He's a combo of TGF, Siakam & Bam........ 9'10" standing reach and still growing Decent footwork already, nice fadaway, his motor is flashed. He will be an all star by the time he's 23.... Alleluia
I think you're making some assumptions, that may or may not be accurate, and drawing some conclusions based upon those assumptions to start with, enough of the stuff about 'kicking the tires' on Wiseman. The basketball minds of the Warriors obviously thought he was a giant bust. The few times I've seen him play he was a non-factor. There was no reason to add his 12.3M salary to next season's payroll Saddiq Bey? Well, for me the question is what package had the most 2nd unit potential.... Reddish + Thybulle Reddish + Bey Wiseman while you are seeing tax reasons, I can see basketball reasons that's not to say that Cronin isn't operating under instructions from Seattle to be mindful of the tax. I think he probably is. But to see any meaning in Reddish + Thybulle vs the alternatives may be reading more into the situation then there is
Yes, please. Edey v. Badji would be a fun matchup. But would love a few games with him this season in uniform without expiring his 2-way eligibility.
They could've had Reddish, Thybulle, and Wiseman and stayed under the tax. Chauncey has cried all year about needing bigger front court players. Joe got him no one bigger than the forwards they already had.
I would put the odds of Sharpe ever being an all-star below 50%. That's not saying I want to trade him, but he's far from a lock to be in all-star in my eyes.
I think Pablo is the only player from the 22 draft that I’d say with any certainty will be an all-star. And even then, who knows with injuries what will happen. The thing with Sharpe is that he has a set of physical tools that are pretty remarkable—it’ll be all about his willingness and obsession to improve himself in the offseason and dial in his handle. The second half of the season will be fun to see if he has a jump in him if he’s given more time.
