The Full Range of Possibilities at SF

[PELICANSFAN]

Give me Marion for 2 year contract. Hands down. I don't care how old he is. He can still play. Has pedigree and is great locker room guy. In that time we can find our long term starter.

Marion has said before (last year maybe) that he would retire before playing for a non-contender. He will go back to Dallas IMO.

This was his response last year when rumored to be on the trading block=

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/...trade-bad-team

[Kurgan]

Only marion knows how dallas can be considered a "contender"

[Spaniard]

So, give me your realistic offseason that would have been better. I see people upset that this didn't happen or that didn't happen.

You have the benefit of hindsight now. What would have been better?

I would have been tempted to trade Rivers for a pick. Maybe you can get a couple of seconds, make Asik a trade instead of cap, then keep everything else. Then I would love a Jameer Nelson type with part of MLE, keep Aminu for bench, sign and trade Smith for another second. Basically worst case trade Rivers for Nelson, Aminu, and a few seconds. Obviously that's far from knocking it out of the park, and I like keeping Austin just fine as well.

[David Fisher]

I can't imagine they don't. Maybe not actively going against each other because of having plenty of space in the market but when two different sites cover the exact same thing they are in essence competing against each other.

I feel bad though that I've had to take exception to your comments here because this thread isn't how I usually am. I'm just in a joking mood today after this long waiting period of the Asik trade, combined with the expectations of the trade dropping at 12:01 then not happening.

What would we be competing for, though? I can't speak for them, but our site makes zero money, so we don't care about clicks, ads, etc.

I see our site and theirs as different, but the same. But for us to compete, we have to be trying to get something, and at least on our side, I don't know what that would be. We want to educate, and sometimes entertain, a fan base. Has always been our lone goal.

No matter what you want to have the goal of being the best possible site. Or at least I can't imagine that your goal isn't to be the best possible site for Pelicans pieces. Just the nature of wanting to be the best is competing in my mind.

But this is horribly off topic. I'm far more interested in seeing where this SF roulette wheel lands.

It is just different. We are "amateur bloggers". It is much more like people trying to "compete" for their best round on a particular golf course than competing against other golfers. We at The Bird Writes (and I assume at Bourbon Street Shots) are always striving to be a better site. I've only been at this for a year and change. We are not competing against one another. The plugged in fan who is going to fan sites more than likely is reading both anyway. I know that I am reading BSS and have plenty of reason to believe their writers are reading our stuff at TBW.

Just think of it like a golfer against a course. Not a golfer against another golfer.

[MichaelMcNamara]

I would have been tempted to trade Rivers for a pick. Maybe you can get a couple of seconds, make Asik a trade instead of cap, then keep everything else. Then I would love a Jameer Nelson type with part of MLE, keep Aminu for bench, sign and trade Smith for another second. Basically worst case trade Rivers for Nelson, Aminu, and a few seconds. Obviously that's far from knocking it out of the park, and I like keeping Austin just fine as well.

I can tell you for a fact that Rivers for a pick is not realistic. Not even a 2nd rounder.

How can you have made Asik a trade instead of using the cap? Signing and trading Smith for a 2nd is not realistic either when teams can just sign him outright. When was the last time you say a fringe player signed and traded for a pick?

And in your scenario, you keep and start Aminu?

[dleboeuf84]

So, give me your realistic offseason that would have been better. I see people upset that this didn't happen or that didn't happen.

You have the benefit of hindsight now. What would have been better?

Look man, I'm not some fanboy who is disappointed we didn't sign LeBron or something like that. I'm just saying, given DD's track record of pulling off deals and manipulating the salary cap and being aggressive, that I was expecting a little more of an infusion of talent. A little more creativity. I think a S&T w/ Smith had to be available to someone. Maybe the deals weren't there at all, but I'm just a bit disappointed that he couldn't find something. That's what I expect of DD. This team had 4 glaring weaknesses IMO going into the offseason - Interior defense, rebounding, wing/perimeter defense, and shooting. I think we greatly improved two and got worse on the other two so far, and have very limited resources in which to improve those areas. Shooting is at a premium in the league (See Meeks, Morrow, Miles' contracts). There isn't really many knockdown shooters just walking around on the street. I think it will continue to be a weakness of ours as long as we have Tyreke (I love Reke, BTW).

I also think he probably had a Gordon deal for a salary dump on the table from someone, but still holds on to this belief that he has more trade value than that, doesn't want to admit a massive mistake, or a combination of both. Maybe the deals weren't there, but I guess I'm just a bit let down. Who knows, maybe he pulls some magic out of his hat w/ just the Room Exception w/o breaking up the core. But I'd have to say that isn't a probability, wouldn't you?

I love the Asik deal also. If you told me at the beginning of the offseason we got Asik and that's it, I would have been ok with it. As a season ticket holder, I'm just tired of paying money to watch us get our heads kicked in every year. It's time to start winning NOW.

[Spaniard]

I can tell you for a fact that Rivers for a pick is not realistic. Not even a 2nd rounder.

How can you have made Asik a trade instead of using the cap? Signing and trading Smith for a 2nd is not realistic either when teams can just sign him outright. When was the last time you say a fringe player signed and traded for a pick?

And in your scenario, you keep and start Aminu?

Well, you made some real jumps on me. First, I find it very hard to believe Austin couldn't be traded for a second. I watched Xavier Henry get traded for a second. Teams would be crazy not to do that.

By trading Austin, he could be included with non guaranteed deals as part of three way Asik deal. Wasn't that one of the most promising scenarios?

You could sign and trade Smith to good teams that have trade exceptions but no cap space and would love to save their exceptions. For instance, a Clippers or Thunder. Smith would look great with Hawes off bench in LA, with Cp again, and he actually talked with them. Late Clippers second just so they could save their exception.

And I actually said Aminu for our bench.

I'm only having fun here really, but Our desire to hold on to Austin certainly limited some options. I felt the same way last year when I thought we could have gotten Tyreke in and sent Austin out instead of Lopez.

[Ludiculous]

Look man, I'm not some fanboy who is disappointed we didn't sign LeBron or something like that. I'm just saying, given DD's track record of pulling off deals and manipulating the salary cap and being aggressive, that I was expecting a little more of an infusion of talent. A little more creativity. I think a S&T w/ Smith had to be available to someone. Maybe the deals weren't there at all, but I'm just a bit disappointed that he couldn't find something. That's what I expect of DD. This team had 4 glaring weaknesses IMO going into the offseason - Interior defense, rebounding, wing/perimeter defense, and shooting. I think we greatly improved two and got worse on the other two so far, and have very limited resources in which to improve those areas. Shooting is at a premium in the league (See Meeks, Morrow, Miles' contracts). There isn't really many knockdown shooters just walking around on the street. I think it will continue to be a weakness of ours as long as we have Tyreke (I love Reke, BTW).

I also think he probably had a Gordon deal for a salary dump on the table from someone, but still holds on to this belief that he has more trade value than that, doesn't want to admit a massive mistake, or a combination of both. Maybe the deals weren't there, but I guess I'm just a bit let down. Who knows, maybe he pulls some magic out of his hat w/ just the Room Exception w/o breaking up the core. But I'd have to say that isn't a probability, wouldn't you?

I love the Asik deal also. If you told me at the beginning of the offseason we got Asik and that's it, I would have been ok with it. As a season ticket holder, I'm just tired of paying money to watch us get our heads kicked in every year. It's time to start winning NOW.

You can't rush it though. Next year the goal is by far to compete for a playoff spot. The wing talent this off season was sub par not to mention that we had 0 room to work with.

The SF position next off season is going to be ripe with talent. By that time hopefully Gordon is off the books. And we can make another huge splash and have the team that everyone is looking for.

Patience. We will get there.

[HoustonPelicans]

It's very funny how people on here are just willing to throw Rivers away for nothing. Like I would see someone say he can be Avery Bradley with handles (I think higher of him) and would turn around and say let's trade him for Middleton or a 2nd rd pick. Would you trade Bradley for a 2nd rd pick or Middleton?

[MichaelMcNamara]

Okay, I see the issues here. It seems like some think our guys are worth more than they really were. And I gotta say, those of us at BSS were shocked when we heard how little value Rivers had around the league. And again, the S&T routes were ideal and Dell went after some, but there is a reason that they are extremely uncommon. Go ahead - let me know how many S&T's of bench players there were this season. Was there even 1? And now the Pelicans alone are going to do 2 or 3?

And again, people seem so broken up by losing the MLE, but I haven't seen any names that bowl me over if we had kept it. But that isn't the main part of the frustration, it feels like to me. It feels like people think Dell could have gotten things for fringe players that he definitely could not get.

[MichaelMcNamara]

I will say this - the report Lowe said about the Pels stretching Rivers was true. It WAS considered. About a week before Lowe said it, but it was considered.

That's how little value Rivers had around the league.

[AD23forMVP]

The fact that Rivers has that little value is idiotic.

[BP225]

That's how little value Rivers had around the league.

You mean they literally couldn't give him away?

[MichaelMcNamara]

The fact that Rivers has that little value is idiotic.

I tend to agree. I mean, Ben Gordon got 4.5 mil but nobody wants Rivers for 2.5 mil? We were shocked too.

[MichaelMcNamara]

You mean they literally couldn't give him away?

Hence, the consideration to stretch him. Yep.

[AD23forMVP]

If the value for certain guys is that much lower than it should be, I wonder if it's possible we can take on another guy who's value is lower than it should be. Maybe not this year, but maybe next year, etc.

[dleboeuf84]

I will say this - the report Lowe said about the Pels stretching Rivers was true. It WAS considered. About a week before Lowe said it, but it was considered.

That's how little value Rivers had around the league.

Again, I am just disappointed that DD didn't figure something out, like he always seems to do. Trading Gustavo Ayon for Ryan Anderson wasn't something that was expected. Trading Nerlens Noel/Elfrid Payton for Jrue Holiday wasn't something probable or expected. I expect Dell to do that. It didn't happen.

Secondly, I think Rivers is more valuable here than anywhere else. In all honestly, he is probably the best wing defender we have on the roster right now. Chew on that.

[AD23forMVP]

McNamara, do you have access to the Lagniappe Lounge?

[nolaslim213]

I will say this - the report Lowe said about the Pels stretching Rivers was true. It WAS considered. About a week before Lowe said it, but it was considered.

That's how little value Rivers had around the league.

[SaintPelican225]

The fact that Rivers has that little value is idiotic.

based on what ? be realistic, what do you see in Rivers that everyone has overlooked...Please share

[SaintPelican225]

Again, I am just disappointed that DD didn't figure something out, like he always seems to do. Trading Gustavo Ayon for Ryan Anderson wasn't something that was expected. Trading Nerlens Noel/Elfrid Payton for Jrue Holiday wasn't something probable or expected. I expect Dell to do that. It didn't happen.

Secondly, I think Rivers is more valuable here than anywhere else. In all honestly, he is probably the best wing defender we have on the roster right now. Chew on that.

And definitely the worst decision making guard on this team......Chew on that

[Spaniard]

based on what ? be realistic, what do you see in Rivers that everyone has overlooked...Please share

A very recent top ten pick, 21 year old 6'4 point guard that dominated summer league and improved his FG% from 37 to 40 and his 3pt% from 32 to 36% from season one to two. A kid that plays great defense and was more efficient than this seasons rookie of the year in many ways.

Don't turn this into BS hate on Austin for no reason thread. If a team turned down the opportunity to get Austin virtually for free, then it shows there are a lot of GMs that shouldn't and probably won't have jobs for much longer.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Again, I am just disappointed that DD didn't figure something out, like he always seems to do. Trading Gustavo Ayon for Ryan Anderson wasn't something that was expected. Trading Nerlens Noel/Elfrid Payton for Jrue Holiday wasn't something probable or expected. I expect Dell to do that. It didn't happen.

Secondly, I think Rivers is more valuable here than anywhere else. In all honestly, he is probably the best wing defender we have on the roster right now. Chew on that.

He did figure something out. He traded 6 mil in cap space for an 8.4 million dollar player. That is borderline genius.

If it came out of nowhere today, people would be pumped. But since it happened before all this craziness, I just think it is taken as a matter of fact and we wish we could have done more, got more, etc. Such is timing.

[MichaelMcNamara]

A very recent top ten pick, 21 year old 6'4 point guard that dominated summer league and improved his FG% from 37 to 40 and his 3pt% from 32 to 36% from season one to two. A kid that plays great defense and was more efficient than this seasons rookie of the year in many ways.

Don't turn this into BS hate on Austin for no reason thread. If a team turned down the opportunity to get Austin virtually for free, then it shows there are a lot of GMs that shouldn't and probably won't have jobs for much longer.

I agree. I do think GM's dropped the ball on this one. But I am happy they did. I would rather have Rivers and the Room than the MLE in this crazy market.

[AD23forMVP]

What do you think Cleveland could get for Bennett?