Is Jrue playing up to his max contract? (jrue appreciation thread ?)

You may e expecting a long essay filled with analytics and all that jazz, and i wish i had the time or the know-how to produce such a thing, but i dont. However, my eye test says that Jrue was worth all that money. The guy seems to be balling after a disappointing start to the season.

I wonder if he's in line to hit any of his contract incentives. Seemed like there was no chance at the start of the season, but he's been balling since about half way through November. Could make the salary cap situation even muddier

Short of actually being an allstar we were always going to be over-paying. But he has been playing a lot closer to his contract than anyone I think anticipated after the first few weeks of the season.

I think the more pertinent question is, is Jrue playing well enough that his contract is no longer unmovable in a theoretical blockbuster trade or potential free agent signing? I think we are on the verge of yes, and that is what really matters in the NBA and for the Pelicans.

You could see a world, where completely hypothetically, the Trailblazers fall off a cliff and maybe think to themselves they need to make a change in the backcourt. The offensive duo with no defense is too unbalanced to co-exist, like a Curry/Ellis situation. The Pelicans, with a defensive guard that has thrived off the ball, affords the Blazers the chance to make that change. Pelicans bring in McCollum(maybe also Napier to make the salaries work), maybe use McCollim in a Harden type role, while the Blazers get more balance on their team and specifically in the back court.

Not even saying that is necessarily a good move for the Pels, or the Blazers, but it's just to illustrate that I think Jrue has moved away from being a toxic contract, to the type of contract you can actually move laterally for better fit, or find takers willing to take that contract without a king's ransom for, if you piqued the interest of some major free agent or trade targets.

Plus he hasn't even had a hint of injury re-occurrence this season, despite playing huge minutes. Buy Ochsner!

Some of those threes he hits when he just pulls up out of no-where, are just ice cold and beautiful to watch.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Plus he hasn't even had a hint of injury re-occurrence this season, despite playing huge minutes. Buy Ochsner!

Some of those threes he hits when he just pulls up out of no-where, are just ice cold and beautiful to watch.

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Honestly, the only thing I could ask of him in the offseason after his successful transition to the two, is to practice endlessly on catch and shoot threes and start studying the school of Harden driving theatrics that Gordon seems to have taken since going to Houston. The team needs to buy him a "Gun 10K" and put together a loop of Harden flops for every home and court he plays at. Then demand that every day he spend like 3 hours just taking threes. And paying our shooting coaches and some random acting coach to sleep in their cars outside his location to be ready at beckon call.

Add those two things and Jrue would take that leap into the next tier of player immediately.

The only downside I have with Jrue is that while he has been good, he's still a bit of square peg as guard. As is, he really needs both a above average facilitator like Rondo, and with Davis and Cousins, shooters on either side of him. I do worry how Hill is going to fit in with a Rondo, Jrue back court. If Jrue had those two weapons in his arsenal, it would be a lot easier to build around.

what I have found (per hoopsrumors)
potential likely and unlikely incentives for 2017/18 on his new contract with the Pelicans total $4.7MM. Playing in 66 games and totaling at least 2,075 minutes this season would result in an extra $510K bonus for Holiday, for instance.

Jrue didn't get a max contract. Nowhere even close to his max. That said, yes, if he keeps playing like he has been then he will be living up to his deal.

Heck, if he keeps up his play I'm not sure I'd even do Jrue for McCollum straight up. Jrue's defense is way better than CJ's and the way Jrue has been scoring this season offensively the difference between them doesn't make up for the loss of Jrue's defense. Age isn't really an issue either. Jrue is only a year older and he's locked into a longer deal for basically the same money per year.

Now if Portland wanted to move on from Lillard... Then maybe we can work some deal out.

I agree with everything you said, Mythrol

I think a little over paid but he is playing very well. A good point guard next to him will keep him playing well. I think if he goes back to point is when we’ll have problems. His handles aren’t the greatest. Personally I like him and Davis and would build around them 2. Either a star SF or PG would set this team up nice. The 2 bigs are ok but you need a great point guard to go with them

How bout Elfrid Payton, is he good enough to start on this team?

I voted worth it, but I wish that there was an option of "too soon to tell". He has done his best to prove guys like me wrong, but he needs to keep it over the length of his contract, we aren't even halfway through the season yet so there is plenty of room for him to go back to being constantly injured/being an albatross. I just hope that he can play up to his max potential, and be a reliable 3rd option.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

How bout Elfrid Payton, is he good enough to start on this team?

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Maybe if he cuts that hair flap that affects his shooting and vision. But he's a RFA and not sure the Magic are trading him, and if Pels did trade for him, it could be hard to re-sign him unless they cleared salary. Ideally he would be a taller version of Rondo who can play defense, so the fit next to Holiday could be there.

Is Justin Holiday worth his contract of 4.5 mil?

I really wanted him pre season but back lot of people here shot me down

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Originally Posted by Rheem654

Maybe if he cuts that hair flap that affects his shooting and vision. But he's a RFA and not sure the Magic are trading him, and if Pels did trade for him, it could be hard to re-sign him unless they cleared salary. Ideally he would be a taller version of Rondo who can play defense, so the fit next to Holiday could be there.

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I just seen on Facebook, Orlando is making all 3 of their guards available for trade

Edit: found the link
http://ble.ac/2ree1RN

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Is Justin Holiday worth his contract of 4.5 mil?

I really wanted him pre season but back lot of people here shot me down

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Definitely worth it. I'd be pretty happy with a trade that brings him here in exchange for Asik and/Ajinca plus first.

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Originally Posted by soggymoss

I just seen on Facebook, Orlando is making all 3 of their guards available for trade

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Yea all would be a nice upgrade. Sure would be amazing to add Fournier to this core, but that would leave little salary room in the future to add nearly any back-up depth players.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

Jrue didn't get a max contract. Nowhere even close to his max. That said, yes, if he keeps playing like he has been then he will be living up to his deal.

Heck, if he keeps up his play I'm not sure I'd even do Jrue for McCollum straight up. Jrue's defense is way better than CJ's and the way Jrue has been scoring this season offensively the difference between them doesn't make up for the loss of Jrue's defense. Age isn't really an issue either. Jrue is only a year older and he's locked into a longer deal for basically the same money per year.

Now if Portland wanted to move on from Lillard... Then maybe we can work some deal out.

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I would trade Jrue for CJ in a heartbeat. CJ is the sort of player that can elevate an offense single handedly. You need that level of perimeter talent to succeed in this league.

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Originally Posted by PelsFan2313

I would trade Jrue for CJ in a heartbeat. CJ is the sort of player that can elevate an offense single handedly. You need that level of perimeter talent to succeed in this league.

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If you look at offense only maybe. But defensively CJ is a big liability while Jrue is a net positive defender that some might argue is great. Still with the way Jrue has been playing offensively CJ doesn't even hold a huge edge on him there. Consistency is key with Jrue though. Let's see if he can string together an entire season of this play. So far so good.

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Originally Posted by PelsFan2313

I would trade Jrue for CJ in a heartbeat. CJ is the sort of player that can elevate an offense single handedly. You need that level of perimeter talent to succeed in this league.

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Do you realize how bad the perimeter defense would be without Jrue and Solo? We'd be ranked 30th. I take Jrue's 2 way game over CJ every time

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Do you realize how bad the perimeter defense would be without Jrue and Solo? We'd be ranked 30th. I take Jrue's 2 way game over CJ every time

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This. CJ is an elite scorer, but that's all he is. And so far this season, Jrue isn't even that far behind in that category.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Do you realize how bad the perimeter defense would be without Jrue and Solo? We'd be ranked 30th. I take Jrue's 2 way game over CJ every time

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Yet we're horrifically bad on that end anyways? Give me the elite scorer. It's a lot easier to obtain elite defensive players than offensive ones. The former is a lot less valued from a market standpoint.

You think our offense is good now? CJ would take it to another level.

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Originally Posted by PelsFan2313

Yet we're horrifically bad on that end anyways? Give me the elite scorer. It's a lot easier to obtain elite defensive players than offensive ones. The former is a lot less valued from a market standpoint.

You think our offense is good now? CJ would take it to another level.

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His shot would make us lethal plus with his shooting ability inserting hill wouldn't scare me as much with spacing

But im also content with jrue... wish he was more consisten but hey can't have it all... All we are is a good 3 away from being dangerous:crytear: ..... and if rondo plays defense

As much as I like Moore, I’d trade him in a heartbeat to upgrade our pg or SF. We have plenty of backup SG on this team. I’d even do Justin holiday and grant for Moore. It would help our depth at pg and SG/sf.

Why we need a bench?