Rumor Bleacher Report (lol): OKC looking to trade Westbrook before season starts?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by PtldPlatypus, Jul 13, 2016.

  1. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    90,157
    Likes Received:
    52,173
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Depends on how you define assets.

    We got Harkless for basically nothing. We got Rolo for basically nothing. He signed Aminu and Davis for very affordable deals. There are other ways of acquiring assets. The fact is, Presti blew it on the Harden trade, big time. Looking back, I really don't think Harden/Westbrook could co-exist long term. They both need the ball. I probably would have kept Harden because I think he would have been more likely to stay. Westbrook was always gonna leave. Now they don't have Harden. They don't have Durant. And they're probably losing Westbrook.

    Would Durant have left if they had traded Westbrook instead of Harden?

    I just think they mishandled a lot of key decisions that ultimately led to Durant leaving and Westbrook (most likely) getting traded.
     
  2. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    26,226
    Likes Received:
    14,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    User Interface Designer
    Location:
    Hello darkness, my old friend
    I don't have any issue with Presti trying to get a bundle of lottery picks in a Westbrook trade. I agree that draft picks are a great currency, especially for teams that aren't in free agent destinations. I just disagree that he's hit so often on draft picks that we should believe that he has a particular skill for picking winners. He did a great job in three drafts running. He's regressed to the mean in the seven drafts since then. To me, that points more to a lucky run than a consistent skill. I still think Presti is a very good GM, by and large.
     
  3. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2013
    Messages:
    8,446
    Likes Received:
    8,728
    Trophy Points:
    113

    Ahead of the game on these things huh.
    Hilarious.
     
  4. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    37,387
    Likes Received:
    21,979
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    Disagree on "regressed to the mean". Given how many draft picks are complete busts, Presti has done well. He took Bledsoe at 18, two picks after Luke Babbitt! He took Reggie Jackson at #24 (and we'd taken NOLAN SMITH at #21). Adams was a very good pick. Roberson was a very good pick. Find me a ballsup and I'll find a worse one in the same time frame for every other team (except maybe the Spurs).
     
  5. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    37,387
    Likes Received:
    21,979
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    Okay, apart from that one time...
     
  6. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    90,157
    Likes Received:
    52,173
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Comparing him to the shitshow that was running our front office before Neil got here is pretty weak. Talk about a soft target.
     
  7. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    37,387
    Likes Received:
    21,979
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    This is exactly what you said about Batum. I wish I had your amazing ESP about these things. Kind of amazing that Westbrook is still in OKC given that he's not on his rookie contract. Maybe you mean "eventually he'll retire and go live in LA".

    Don't forget Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka. But of course Ibaka kind of proves my point: he was a mid-round pick and they netted Oladipo for him. Something for nothing!

    Would Durant have left if he hadn't've choked in the fourth quarter of game 7?

    And yet they still have a solid team after all that. Tells you what an amazing job Presti did building it.
     
  8. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,762
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Not sure I get the snipe at Neil.

    Sure, Presti drafted Durant, Westbrook and Harden. He also had the benefit of having the No. 2, No. 4 and No. 3 picks in consecutive drafts.

    Neil hasn't had the benefit of such high picks, but he did draft 3 of our top 4 scorers with the No. 6, No. 10 and No. 31 picks. And, unlike Presti, Neil still has all three of those guys on his team. Presti has lost two of the three (and got almost nothing of value in return) and is about to lose the third.

    BNM
     
    dviss1 and Tunchi like this.
  9. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    42,642
    Likes Received:
    24,138
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I took it as him trading them away for people like Afflalo
     
  10. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    90,157
    Likes Received:
    52,173
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I guess we'll never know because Batum was traded. Darn.

    Westbrook is a free agent next summer so I guess we get to find out if I'm right sooner rather than later.
     
  11. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,762
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Which, in hindsight, wasn't a great trade, but not NEARLY as bad as Presti's Harden trade.

    BNM
     
    dviss1 likes this.
  12. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2008
    Messages:
    31,952
    Likes Received:
    40,230
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Only way for Westbrook to have left prior to this point was to have taken the QO. OKC was never going to offer him anything less than a 5-year contract off of his rookie deal, and there was no way he was going to take 1-year at $6M when he was offered $79M/5.
     
  13. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    42,642
    Likes Received:
    24,138
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Presti may be the most overrated GM in the league
     
    dviss1, Natebishop3 and BlazerCaravan like this.
  14. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    26,226
    Likes Received:
    14,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    User Interface Designer
    Location:
    Hello darkness, my old friend
    Regressed to the mean doesn't mean he became terrible, it just means he returned to about the level you'd expect from an above average GM. I wouldn't classify Roberson as a "very good pick"--getting a defensive specialist near the end of the first round is decent value, but nothing worth remarking on. The other three were good to very good picks, but I'd say three good picks in 7 years is, at best, expected value for a good GM picking at the back half of the first round.

    Once he begins picking in the top five of the draft again, I'd expect average to above average results, which isn't a top-five player per selection or even a top-five player per several selections.
     
  15. Tunchi

    Tunchi Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2015
    Messages:
    2,878
    Likes Received:
    1,003
    Trophy Points:
    113
    He's definitely not overrated. He's a great GM. He didn't have to pick Westbrook, he didn't have to pick Harden either. Tyreke Evans won rookie of the year that season but Harden was still the better pick. He picked up Ibaka with the 24th pick.

    What he get Reggie Jackson at? Mid 1st rounder? He has nice picks all over the place. Eric Maynor was on his way as well and balling with them but then he blew his knee up. I won't even count Durant that was a gimme we made that choice for him. He got Adams too with like the 12th pick.

    So again I definitely don't think he's overrated
     
  16. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    42,642
    Likes Received:
    24,138
    Trophy Points:
    113
    His great GM status is overrated.
     
    Natebishop3 likes this.
  17. Tunchi

    Tunchi Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2015
    Messages:
    2,878
    Likes Received:
    1,003
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Ok that's fair but he's definitely above average. I'll say a top 10 gm for sure
     
  18. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    37,387
    Likes Received:
    21,979
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    I think you're doing a lot of 'suming. Seriously compare with ANY OTHER GM (apart from the Spurs, but that always goes without saying) and you'll find Presti outperformed him (because they are all "he").

    Yeah, and I'd EXPECT Brexit to fail and a non-insane, not obviously completely unqualified blowhard to be the Republican nominee.
     
  19. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    37,387
    Likes Received:
    21,979
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    Other players have forced trades. And he could've taken the QO. And would've if he seriously wanted to leave.
     
  20. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    42,642
    Likes Received:
    24,138
    Trophy Points:
    113
    We'll have to just disagree
     
    dviss1 likes this.

Share This Page