Trading Murphy might be Warriors' best option <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Quick hits while we wonder what's next for the Warriors and whether the Tour de France is going to change its name to the Tour de BALCO. ? It's no secret the Warriors need to at least tweak and probably retool their roster if they hope to end their playoff drought, now 12 years and counting. Even Isiah Thomas could tell you that. Adding 7-foot center Patrick O'Bryant and 7-2 center Kosta Perovic in Wednesday's NBA draft was a start. What should executive vice president Chris Mullin's next move be? Here's one idea that appears to be gaining steam: Trade power forward Troy Murphy. This is not an indictment of Murphy. It's the realization that he is A) the wrong fit for this team and one of the Warriors' most marketable players. Murphy averaged a double-double in rebounds and points the past two years, a rare accomplishment. He's 6-11 and can shoot from 3-point range. Murphy has a long-term, big-money contract. But he also has trade value based on his performance. You can't say the same for Mike Dunleavy, which is one reason he'd be tougher to trade. Murphy could be a better fit for some other team that already has an inside offensive threat. But the Warriors need a more athletic power forward with a back-to-the-basket inside game, which Murphy lacks. They need Ike Diogu, last year's first-round pick, to be their starting power forward, not a backup. Who knows what the Warriors could get in return for Murphy? An experienced, athletic, defensive-minded player at almost any position would help. So would a sharp-shooter. Or a wing player who can run the floor, play defense and shoot the 3. All right, I'm dreaming. Murphy has been the subject of trade rumors for months. Last season he was so sure he was going to be traded that he didn't renew his health club membership. That uncertainty can't be good for his game. The Warriors need to change the makeup of their roster and the chemistry of their team. Murphy deserves a fresh start with a team that covets him. Continued... source </div>
No don't trade Murphy! Trade Foyle and Dunleavy, instead I crack myself up. If only other GMs were as clueless as Mullin was in '04.
I still remain unconvinced Murphy is in any way a liability. my sense is that his talents were so misused-wasted even-we spoiled his trade value. were he coming off the type season he SHOULD have had,we'd get far more for him and so trading him may have made sense. Instead,we underachieved in large part due to an inept coach tending to cast good players in the wrong role,persisting in playing guys who earned a seat (or a ticket elsewhere) and in general,mucking up what seemed a surefire .500 season.....at least. J Rich was the one guy who Montyball failed to tarnish,and his ability to do a one-on three score when plan A failed was pretty impressive. Aside from the obvious big 3 salary dumps,Trading J Rich is where we can get full market value. If there's a master plan to deal Murphy-Pietrus-Baron,we'd really want to wait till the next deadline and meanwhile we play a style that lets them produce at their max. The big RISK is that used efficiently..those guys play better than expected-we do win a lot-and we no longer want to trade them cause things are going good. I can live with that.
Question REREM, what could Murphy really do besides the catch and shoot role in which his game is taylor-made for? He's basically a taller version of Derek Fisher that rebounds and won't steal the ball, won't block many shots, won't pass, won't really create or set up other players... The guy is horrible in transition to boot. Murphy ball is basically Fisher ball. Murphy also doesn't particularly handle the ball well although he can drive some (almost always going over to the left since he is left hand dependent). He can post up some against guys weaker than him (which isn't any of the big power forwards in the West). He's got a nice step back, turn around jump shot which is almost certainly a shot attempt since he hardly ever passes. The guy's offensive game doesn't outweight his poor production on the defensive end. He's got the ability to get defensive boards, but at the same time I've seen the guy not do the dirty work like boxing out on another team's missed free throw. Also, I think offensive boards are more important to this team with the way we keep shooting long distance shots in lieu of a respectable inside game. How can we have a top defensive rebounder in the league being so selfish on offense and unhelpful on team defense? He's got to make others better because his defense is not great and his offfensive game is more like Fisher's. He holds onto the ball, jab steps, jab steps, pump fakes, shoots. And that's at a sub 40% rate. Good thing the guy makes his free throws. Troy Murphy is liability on defense, except for rebounds and he's no setup guys. Just a catch and shoot role player. He's not even dynamic as Zarko or Dunleavy. He can be replaced if we get a frontline that can defend, rebound, (especially offensive rebound), and finish at close range with power. The guy is too soft and too predictable when he has the ball. Off the ball, I don't see him work that hard on screens or willing to go inside in the classic way of establishing deep position in the paint. That's where big offensive rebounds come from. Not by standing out on the arc.
