He was pretty tough to watch his last season here. I have read that he isn't any better at this point. But i must admit i have not been watching him much over the last two years.
They would have to throw in a pick or two. And getting Dieng is not considered a positive, as he's paid $15M and is hardly played by Thibs. We can't absorb that much salary. Says who? (Other than you.) And aren't you forgetting Chandler Parsons? And Kent Bazemore? And Brandon Knight? And Bismack Biyombo? And (of course) Dieng?
I bet you Dame would be happy. What he's turned into in Charlotte is a very tall point guard. He leads that team in assists/48. Wouldn't you rather have someone who averaged 8.4 assists/48 playing PG with the bench guys than someone (Turner) who averaged 4.1 assists/48? (Comparison of TO/48 is 3.2 to 2.3.) (And though Batum seems to have been around forever, he's actually 48 days younger than Turner.) Also I'm actually a bit alarmed about Harkless's lingering injuries. Of course, if they're bad enough, that would nix the trade.
I'm a little confused by the injury also. First it was called his knee. Then his ankle. Then last night they clearly were talking about him having a sore knee that he didn't fell comfortable playing on. No way that injury in March should still be bothering him.
Parsons - 2 years left on his deal, Batum has 3 years and the last one is over $27 million. Bazemore - 2 years left on his deal, is actually a somewhat useful player. Knight - 2 years left on his contract, plus he's been hurt so insurance covers part of it. Biyombo - 2 years left on his deal. Dieng - Could still potentially be a decent rotation player at a cheaper rate than Batum. As for Batum, we've had this debate too many times. The bottom line is he is a terrible shooter, both in Charlotte and with Dame here. He's basically a slightly better ET and that is not a compliment. We need playmakers that can actually shoot the ball.
His efficiency would most likely go up? His PER, TS%, FTr, TRB% (except this last year), AST%, and TOV% (except his 1st year in Charlotte) were all worse his last year here in Portland. His usage was down to 18.3% last year so it isn't that much different than it would be here. Why do you think teams wouldn't sag off a player that shot 33.6% from 3 last year (41.5% overall) and 32.4% his last year in Portland (40.0% overall)?
To be fair. They would be less willing to sag off Batum because he can handle the ball and will take it straight to the hoop if he has the chance. He can also pass very well. He also hits his mid range shots at a pretty good rate. These are exactly the reasons why teams can sag off Aminu. He can't dribble and when he does he loses control. He doesn't pass well and because they sag off him if he does it gets picked. Aminu also cannot hit an open jumper in the lane to save his life. I put them in different categories but with the same result. They also both play decent defense. But i give the edge in overall hustle and effectiveness to Aminu. Batum does chase down some blocks but Aminu will work harder every day of the week.
Because most his troubles shooting come off the dribble. His catch and shoot percentage from outside last year was 36%. Compare that with Turner who usually fluctuates between 25-30%. And I wouldn’t put too much stock into his last season in Portland. He had injuries which affected his shot and his percentages didn’t line up with his previous years with Stotts/the Blazers
Batum is Harkless, but with more ego. Batum pushes his inconsistency down your throat. Harkless hopes you don't notice his.
36% off catch and shoot is only "good" when compared to someone like Turner. When Turner comes off the books in 2 seasons we would still owe Batum over $27 million. If the contracts were similar I'd take Batum every time over Turner but they aren't even that close. Over the next 3 years Batum is owed $76.7 million which is more than Turner's 4 year contract and we all know how bad that is. Don't give me that injury excuse either. Batum always had nagging injuries including the same wrist in previous seasons. It's just who he is.
37% 40% 35% 39% 37% 36% Batums three point percentages before his last season in Portland. So no, that’s not who he is (was) And the contract doesn’t bother me because Portland will never be a player in free agency.
So that means he was SOMETIMES good. Contrast with Turner. Also, if you hate inconsistency then you must DETEST Harkless.
