I think it is a combination of Nurk and Olshey. Both deserve credit and should get it. I was thinking Nurk could have very easily taken his QO and bet on himself for next year going for much bigger money. But i'm glad he didn't do that. Things seem a little more stable at this point. Dame rumors have been quashed and Nurk is signed. Now they need to use the TPE and get a solid player that can contribute. Who knows another years growth and adding a solid piece could get them playing well this year.
I think Love would be perfect in our system while Collins develops. Dame CJ Aminu Love Nurk I'm not sure if that's a championship team, but I think it's still top 4 in the west.
I’ll give it a shot, in no particular order..... Boogie, KAT,Gasol,Deandre Jordan, Horford, Drummond, Gobert, whiteside, Dwight Howard, Jokic, Embid, Anthony Davis, Vucevic, Valacunas, Brook Lopez? Not sure the rankings, but Nurk is in there somewhere.
I just note that in every game all season, Nurkic seems about the same as the opposing center. He doesn't stand out. Eyeball test. I'm sure you have stats amplified by the Stotts system, but that's what I see. When we had Plumlee, nobody thought anything of him, and after each game I would notice he was usually 2nd best in our boxscore stats after Lillard. Everyone else (using their eyes) thought that McCollum was 2nd-best, but despite his shooting, it was Plumlee in the stats. So I expect that you have found something similar with Nurkic's stats which make him appear better than his talent level. I'm happy to have a true heavy intimidating center, not a skinny PF trying to be a center. Wish we had a true SF, not a nondribbling PF trying to be.
With Ed gone and the large number of guards/wings we picked up in the draft and free agency, I wonder if we'll use the TPE on a veteran back up center for Nurk, possibly as a 1-year rental. Vucevic at $12,750 with 1-year remaining works. Prior to July 1, Tyson Chandler would have worked, but not any more. Dewayne Dedmon at $6.3 million for 1-year easily works. I wouldn't want to rely on the guy as a starter, but he'd be a decent back up. I just don't see any real advantage for Dedmon at $6.3 million over Ed at $4.4 million. Not much else out there. BNM
Thing is if the team is actually top 4 then they are in the mix. With the way seasons can change due to injuries and other issues you need to be in the running at the end. I honestly do not feel GS wins their first chip without injuries and if Paul stays healthy last year what happens?
Vucevic for the TPE and 1st rounder would a great deal (doubt the Magic have any interest). I'd start Vucevic at PF since he like to shoot the elbow jumper alongside Nurk. While all the teams try to play small ball, we should zig instead if zag and have two competent legit bigs with Collins off the bench.
Olshey is dropping everyone on the team older than 23 with a PER lower than 16. Harkless, Turner, and Aminu are probably on the block hard right now.
They let Davis go for a reason. He can’t shoot. I don’t see why they’d want Dedmon. I like the idea of Jonathon Simmons. We need some toughness.
I think Nerlens Noel has become a cautionary tale for these guys. Can't leave $50 million on the table. That's actually crazy money in any universe.
Olshey finally didn't outbid himself when no one else was bidding. I guess kudos are in order if the bar is set that low. Still, a good deal.
Like I said, I can't see why we'd want Dedmon at $6.3 million when we could have kept Ed for less. Vucevic can shoot. He's still a decent rebounder and a underrated passer, but would be a very expensive backup (by the time you figure in the luxury tax). He only has one year left at his current salary. We'd hold his Bird rights. So, we could let him walk for nothing after a year, or resign him for less - a lot less. BNM