OT: Omer Asik asks Rockets to trade him......Let the rumors begin...

No player in the history of the NBA has had a TRB% over 30%. Joel's career best was 22.1% in 2008-09. He led the league in TRB% that season, and had two other seasons of TRB > 20% in his career. TRB% > 20 is indeed elite, and his career TRB% of 18.6 is definitely above average.

Lopez does have unimpressive individual rebounding stats, but his teammates rebound better when he is on the floor. Aldridge got off to a slow start, but has had 4 straight double doubles, is averaging 12.5 reb over the last 4 games and has now matched his career best of 9.1 rpg. Batum (6.4 rpg, previous career high 5.6 rpg), Matthews (5.0 rpg, previous career high 3.4 rpg) and Lillard (4.8 rpg, previous career high 2.9 rpg) are all averaging career highs in rpg, by a significant margin playing with Lopez. So, all 4 other starters are at, or significantly above their career best rpg, and the Blazers are out rebounding their opponents by 4.4 rpg (44.9 vs. 40.5). They are also 7-2.

So, would Asik really help the team rebounding that much, or would he just be getting rebounds at the expense of his teammates? In spite of Asik's superior individual rebounding stats, I'd be inclined to stay with what is working for the team. Why fix what isn't broken - and risk screwing up the team chemistry in the process?

BNM

 

And that's why I don't see us making any trades unless things go horribly wrong.

 

Nice post. This is a big reason why i'm fine with sticking with Lopez. He has clicked with the team and you can see that in both the statistics and the play on the court.

 

Lopez' size alone has made a big impact on the court.

There's no way he's only 7'0" -- fro factored in, he looks every bit of 7'2".

 

I couldn't of said it better myself! Nice work again bnm

 

In all seriousness, he does look like he's much bigger than every other player out there. It's pretty impressive!

 

Rebounding isn't an issue. Defense is.

So far this season, look at our opponent's production when Lopez has guarded him: Plumlee, Cousins 2x, Drummond, Dwight, Duncan, and even Sullinger had ridiculous numbers and dominated the paint. Rolo is decent, but he's nowhere near Asik in terms of defensive ability. He'd make us elite.

 

Ya but size is overrated.

 

No it isn't BGD, that's just what girls have been telling you to make you feel better.

 

Having Asik and Lopez would be great if it only required Leonard, Claver, Barton, Crabbe or Watson...Houston gave us TRob for nothing and they can't absorb much salary...as for trading Lopez, Mathews or Batum for Omer, no freakin way. Wes and Nic give us balance. I think it's interesting that Leonard is glued to the bench and not on this road trip...sickness? maybe but you don't want to damage a trade piece. I wouldn't be surprised to see Olshey involved in this. We made a run at him when Hibbert was matched by Indiana so we know he's on Olshey's radar

 

Also from what I've seen, Leonard does not want to be a center, pairing him with Howard as a PF would be a move McHale would love and they have Olajuwan as a big man coach.

 

I can't fault the discussion. Asik was a center available for the taking, having whiffed on Hibbert, and yet he he slipped away. But, lets get... serious? He can rebound individually, but does that increase team rebounding? Uhm, sure. Does he increase team rebounding more than Robin? Uhm, sort of. And then, he won't increase Portland's post effectiveness/offense or the side pick and role, his free throw shooting is worse than TRebs, he's even more cumbersome, and he's clearly drama when he's not getting what he feels he deserves. Locker room chemistry is so painfully ignored when these topics first poop out, and yet often fans remain incredulous if not unawair of the locker room cancer written all over the Turkish time-bomb. He's not your chubby bunny from the Miami Dolphins variety, but more of a prima donna. Opportunity cost guys. Why do some fans insist on (I'm gonna do it lol) f-ing up a good thing?

Why even get into what Houston would expect in return, it's TOO GD much and they aren't gonna go for 3rd string scraps Portland would let part with when they are in championship or bust mode. If y'all want this dope, it's coo, I just don't want to hear any open tears of a broken dreams for the play-offs when it actually makes Portland worse... and may God have mercy on your soul.

 

Holy sample size Batman! lol

 

Elite? How "elite" was Houston last season? A team with no bench, and no center, with a rookie PG went 2-2 in games with them last season (see: the Blazers), and Houston was 1 and done with a 4-2 loss to a non-western conference finals team.

Defensive rating:
Asik: 99 points per 100 possessions
Lopez: 101 PP100P

The con's out-weight the pro's, and Portland is a terrible trade partner anyway you cut it. Both teams lose. Portland's problems stem from guard penetration. I wish it were more complicated than that, but it's really not at this juncture.

 

It's true. I said it. lol

 

Actually, Lopez was the only Blazer with a positive +/- against the Rockets and he played Dwight pretty well. Dwight was feasting on LA and Meyers that night. And outside of Plumlee's fluke Opening Night performance, the players you mentioned are going to EAT regardless of who is defending them. Robin's job is to make them take difficult shots, and force them to play defense (which he did against Cousins both times).

 

I was jokin'. I think we're making the same point, that Asik isn't going to come into Portland and make the Blazers any more elite than with Lopez.