Pelicans aren't doing jack this season. They are a top cantidate for most disappointing team. They shouldn't have fired Monty Williams, a move made worse by hiring Alvin Gentry to be his replacement. I also read that they are looking to move Gordon and Reke. Reke basically has B-Royitis - tons of talent, no knees.
I root for the Blazers to win every game and I want them to try to win as many as possible. What i wouldn't want to see is management making any moves or failing to make certain moves in the interest of getting us into the playoffs but which would not be good longer term moves. I would not want to add veterans this season that would help us make the playoffs, even if their acquisition cost us nothing or close to nothing. This would take playing time away from guys who need to improve their skills and learn to play with each other. I would not want us to retain a guy like Henderson past the trade deadline if we are fairly certain that we do not want to re-sign him or that he won't be interested.
I just thought of another situation that might come up. Talking about Kaman; which playoff contender might need a center the worst and have a system where he would fit? Isn't it Memphis? If I could get a good asset for Kaman at the deadline from Memphis, I would do it even if it made us less likely to make the playoffs (because it strengthened a competing team), because it would not help Memphis after this season and would not hurt us after this season.
I'd quibble with you here. Sure, when it comes to age it gives the appearance that there's a lot of room for growth. However, I don't think Dame/CJ can get much better. Sure, they'll improve but there isn't any room for dramatic improvement from either of them - it'll be incremental improvement. Plumlee and Aminu certainly could see a ton of improvement because they aren't all that great currently - but I'd argue each is already close to, or at, their ceiling. I particularly don't see Aminu improving much - at best he'll improve defensively, but he's never going to be someone you want with the ball in his hands on offense. Plumlee I have a bit more hope for, but as with Dame/CJ I expect only incremental improvement from him. Vonleh is the only guy who has any realistic shot at massive improvement. My concern with him is that he doesn't appear to have any sort of killer instinct or competitive fire. Given his age it could be a shyness he grows out of, but I can't think of any shy players that developed a competitive fire - it seems to be something you either have or don't have. We're seeing Crabbe's leap right now. I don't think he has another leap in him - incremental improvement only, albeit with more headroom than Dame/Plumlee/Aminu. As much as I'd like Ed to develop a respectable 10-15' jumper, I think Ed is who Ed is. Meyers. Here's the rub. Everyone has given up on this guy - and I can't say I blame them - but aside from Noah he's the only guy who has the potential for massive improvement. Unlike Noah he does have competitive fire. And despite his overthinking, he's a smart guy. If we're counting on internal development Meyers is the guy we need to develop.
Dame and CJ can improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and defense. No they won't improve their total PPG but they can improve their impact to a team winning. Maybe you consider those only to be incremental improvements. But when Dame is already a deservedly all-star quality player having incremental improvements starts to get him towards the bubble of MVP consideration on the right team. Those improvements are so beneficial because they come without a cost. If Harkless improves he may warrant more minutes but he still has flaws compared to many other players. So Harkless benefits have the cost of what we lose from alternative options at his position. But any improvements by Dame are pure gravy and 100% realized on the court. Meyers just doesn't have the athletic ability to guard an NBA player with average footspeed. That will always be the case. I do expect he could improve his offensive game and keep impressive percentages with a higher usage rate. That will make him a more effective player. But he will never gain those raw physical attributes and reaction time. He's an epic fail as a PF because of his defense. I could see him having a role as a stretch 5 center but you're talking about a Matt Bonner limited minute role player; not a guy that can be on the court at most times with multiple styles of lineups. Even if he becomes effective in that role other teams will often play with quicker 5's or small ball and Meyers will have to sit on the bench. I'm fine with keeping him at the right price because I value role players. But I believe its more likely Luis Montero or some D League player becomes a quality everyday starter than Meyers Leonard.
I completely forgot about Harkless! But that should say something about his ability to propel us to new heights...and I like Harkless. As for Meyers at the PF - yup. Absolute failure that MANY in here saw before the season even began. Another reason why Stotts must go. It's painfully obvious that Meyers is a C, and only a C. I agree that he won't ever have the lateral quickness to guard semi-quick bigs. And I understand that many people think that traditional Cs are dead and done. That may be true NOW, but the moment players like Drummond/Cousins/MIN's C get on a good team traditional Cs will be en vogue again. Who knows how the landscape will change over the next 5 years? Just a few years ago Hibbert was a major landmark on the NBA landscape. Jordan, Howard, and Whiteside arguably are. And Gasol was until the other night.
