So... was the problem that Harkless wasn't starting at PF? Because he's looked pretty damn good since Vonleh went down.
MyLo really is turning into Bargnani - only worse. Bargs could at least put the ball on the floor. He's a perfect example that the draft is such a crapshoot after the top five picks. Leonard was a borderline top-10 pick. Yikes.
Don't count your chickens before they hatched. He looked like shit in the first game., Great in the second. that's a 50% great play ratio currently. I will say, Im sure of it was rust and being surprised he got the call. Long term, I don't think we can play Harkless at the 4 with real consistency. I think he'd be much better at the 3, being bigger than most, he should be able to smother them and take them to the hole. I think the log jam is still at SF. We have too solid rotational bench players in Aminu and Harkless if given consistent minutes and roles. I think we need to move one of them along with Leonard and I hate to say it, but either Crabbe or Henderson ( and that may not be enough) for Paul George. If we could do that, then I think we could be really solid as a contender next year with a legit big 3 and a bunch of quality role playing big's. If and this is a BIG if, Indy is willing to make a trade like this, I would think they would be going into full on rebuild, so they would want our younger players and would want Crabbe and Harkless. Now if we could make this trade happen, even if it included our next available pick (2017-18?), I would do it. Because then I think we can convince Al Horford to sign here as a free agent. Now, our lineup would look something like this... Dame/Frazier CJ/ Hendo George/Aminu Horford/Vonleh Plumlee/Davis This leaves Montero/Alexander and Conaughton as projects that can possibly still develop and contribute or be used for future trades to make the right tweaks that might be needed in a couple years to keep us going strong. Trade machine says it doesn't help either team, but I don't think it would factor in Indiana long term thoughts. I also cant figure out how to include a pick into the trade, which I think would help their win ratio on this trade. I think that might be enough to get them to do the trade, and If we could do the trad,e I think its enough to get Horford to sign. If Horford signs, we are contenders next year.
As much as I love CJ, I think you'd have to do it. We'd be OK at shooting guard with Crabbe and Hendo. We could solve the resulting backup PG problem this off season.
BOOOOOOOOOO....... Montero? Okay, fine. I could see that. I thought Nate me and adding CJ along with... but in place of Crabbe, Id be okay with that. I think Dame and Crabbe could develop just as CJ and Dame have, but Crabbe brings better Defense. So you get a lineup like this... Dame/Frazier/Montero Crabbe/Hendo(this might be swapped?)/Montero George/Aminu Horford/Vonleh PLumlee/Davis I think thats still a contender.
I would. If the deal was CJ/Leonard/Plumlee, I would do it, and then try to fill some of those spots this summer. Dame Crabbe George Vonleh Davis Keep Hendo/Aminu/Harkless and then maybe go after Horford this summer, which would push Davis back to the bench. We'd have a solid bench rotation of Hendo/Aminu/Harkless/Davis and we could go after a backup point guard.
I don't spend a ton of time on this forum these days, but there are people here who think we could trade for Paul George with a pu pu platter of expiring deals? Paul George is a top 15 player in the league on a long-term reasonable contract. He might be a top 10 asset in the league. We're not getting him for fucking Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless. If he's even being shopped - and I'd doubt that he would be - Indiana is getting a big return back that would include either elite young players (Russell, etc.) or high picks (Brooklyn's 1sts, etc.).
I think the one thing people seem to overlook the most, when thinking about for whom another team might, through some miracle of desperation, trade us a star player, is that there are other teams in the league, and that some of those other teams would surely offer more.
Sometimes it's not just a team move..players request trades. Nobody thought Memphis would swap its superstar Pau Gasol to the Lakers for his then chubby, rookie brother Marc...making the Lakers a dynasty at the time. Nobody thought the Clippers would land Chris Paul..these things happen. Miami got a big 3 by Riley sweet talkin' them into joining forces. We have youth, assets and money...and a pretty good pitch guy in the front office. If we're going to discuss needle moving players, why discount the possibility of actually acquiring the best in the game? It's all guess work here anyway.
Paul George is 25 years old, Myles Turner looks like a stud, and Larry Bird has built himself a bunch of really good Pacers teams. You could argue that the Pacers are everything we consider ourselves to be - except they have more of a proven track record (their ECF teams), they have more assets (George is better than Lillard, Turner is more promising as a foundational piece than CJ), and an easier path (they play in the East). Do you think this is a fair trade? http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=jlvsnwr That's the Pacers fans' equivalent of the George trade posted above.
Well... he's more promising/important vs. CJ because Turner may be THE reason why PG doesn't leave Indy; the failed experiment putting PG @ pf is over & PG returns to his regular position/comfort level because of Turner; he's ALREADY got a good handle on pf (he's only going to get better on offense AND defense ); Turner is a big reason why Indy's winning again/clicking. So does CJ mean enough to the Blazers (in any way) to where a decision made on him is THE cause for Dame to stay or leave? No. There u have it, that's the biggest reason why Turner is way more promising/important vs. CJ. However, even more obvious/superficial would b Turner's already a million Miles (pun intended ) ahead of CJ on defense & always will b.
"People" implies that there are more than one... one dude suggested that trade. I have said since the beginning that it would take, at the very least, a combination of CJ/Plumlee and maybe even Vonleh.
May be the reason PG stays in Indy? PG is signed through 2019!! He can't leave... He's the reason that Paul George can play SF?? It's a coaches decision. They have other bigs. Miles ahead defensively? How so? Show me the stats that back that up You're stretching.
YEAH... BECAUSE PG was pissed & wasn't liking pf; he IS signed for a long time for a good contract then/today, THAT's just ONE reason why he'd b so awesome to have; of course, there r a lot of reasons why Indy wouldn't trade him (I never implied he was a FA, THAT should've been a given to u & any1 else). Miles ahead defensively: http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-col...er-best-defensive-freshmen-college-basketball http://www.nbadraft.net/players/myles-turner http://www.nbadraft.net/players/cj-mccollum ^ these r of course from before the draft BUT notice the "potential" for both these guys is the same? Today, CJ's good but there's not much more he can improve upon; the things that he can work on/those extras will make a big difference, BUT the ceiling on actual change isn't as high vs. Turner currently. Think of it like a runner trying to shave seconds off his time; CJ is trying is @ the point where he's trying to now shave a few seconds off his time, Turner on the other hand, is a fast runner who's trying to shave a minute + seconds off his time. http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3133628/myles-turner from the last ^: "Turner has been a revelation since joining the starting lineup at power forward, and his emergence has allowed Paul George to transfer back to his more natural spot at small forward. In his six starts to date, the rookie is averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 assists across 31.2 minutes. He's been a huge upgrade over the likes of Lavoy Allen and C.J. Miles [Miles isn't a big BTW], who had been previously been splitting the starting role, so look for Turner to continue to occupy a prominent spot on coach Frank Vogel's top unit." It's obvious you're talking out ur ass & u don't actually watch Indy games, "stretching..." my ass. Show me/us where CJ is better than Turner defensively (any stats show CJ currently @ best an average defender, Turner ALREADY is better vs. average); u realize the 2 play different positions? Here, I'll sorta give u 1: ^ @ best (stretching things), u could say that CJ is a better defender vs. Turner based on opponent's fg% while respective player is @ the rim (because they play different positions & the #'s for them r basically the same? Yeah, I said it was a stretch didn't I; I'm not going to buy that) HOWEVER... look @ how MANY more times Turner is around the basket (Turner around the rim while opponents r there 4X'S as much); put CJ @ the rim 4x's more AND then we'll c how much better CJ is vs. Turner.
