Terrible trade for Jrue! Ingram red flag medical is very concerning.
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The knicks deal could easily get it done but i don’t like the knicks deal that much.
that's not even an exaggeration either like even the talking heads before they knew ad wanted out they were talking so much crap about Ingram and ball and now all of a sudden they're amazing players? it's like some of these fans all they see is that they were drafted in the lottery so they must be amazing.
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It's funny, the Lakers have had 3 #2 picks in the last 5 years, so you'd think they'd have a bunch of great young talent to trade.
In reality,#2 is statistically less likely to produce stars than #1, or #3.
For comparison, looking back over the last 19 years (since 2000), look at these names.
#1 overall has produced: Yao Ming, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, D. Rose, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, KAT, Ben Simmons
#3 has produced: Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Al Horford, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic.
#2 has produced: Tyson Chandler, Lamarcus Aldridge, KD, Victor Oladipo, and D'angelo Russell.
No offense to the #2 pick, but it generally punches well below it's weight. It's also produced Darko Milicic, Stromile Swift, Marvin Williams, Michael Beasley, Hasheem Thabeet, Evan Turner, Derrick Williams, MKG, and now Ingram and Ball. If you're going to get a bust in the top 3, it's probably with the #2 pick. It's like a curse or something.
"In Griff we Trust"
The more I look at it, the Knicks trade looks good. DSJ is solid, Mitchell Robinson next to Zion could be great on defense, and Knox/Trier would be solid on the bench. Not to mention the prospect of getting his best friend and college teammate with him would be great. Then the option to have some extra draft picks for the next few years is the icing on the cake.
The key to the Knicks deal will be if Knox reaches his potential. If he can become a top notch two way player the deal will be wonderful. If he never reaches his potential the whole deal might be regrettable
I have zero doubt that RJ Barrett will be a stud. I think his floor is Andrew Wiggins and his ceiling is an all star. Dennis Smith Jr isn’t the greatest point guard, but he has a chance to be above average maybe top 15. Mitchell Robinson looks to be a damn good young 7 footer now that I’ve did my research. Trier would be a nice backup 2 guard if he we get him too.
It would be so sick if we could move Jrue and a 1st or 2 from the Knicks deal to get Ja Morant as well. That would be unreal that a team got the first 3 picks of a draft that most say has 3 potential stars.
It’s still not ideal to give up a top 5 franchise changing type player for those 5 players and some 1st round picks. I still think the Lakers deal is better overall cause Ingram, Kuzma, Ball, & Hunter will be really good players in this league for a long time. I think Ingram is gonna be fine, but his body makeup will always be at risk for injury. Kuzma has shown that he can play in this league at a high level. I think Ball needs to get out of LA and distance himself from LaVar. I think once that happens and he can have fun playing ball again he will be a top 10 point guard in this league. De’Andre Hunter has a chance to be an elite two way player that will be up for defensive player of the year awards. If his shot and dribble drive game improve he can be a poor mans Kawhi.
But RJ Barrett may have the best shot at stardom over all of them. I think he will be up their with DeRozan for sure and hopefully even better if we get him. Like I started this post, Knox is the key. If he could get his game to where Andrew Wiggins is than that would be outstanding. I just want him to be an elite defender that get transition baskets by the boat load. If he develops a good jumper than that’s just the cherry on top. I think Smith & Robinson will just be average starters, but that’s not bad at all.
Hopefully we get like 4-5 first round picks as well and we make the best of them. Turn some into players in the league and others into rookies to develop
There isn’t a chance of Knox becoming a good two way player. He is one of the worst defenders in basketball (which, okay, many rookies are!) by any metric. He combines bad physical tools on that end, bad instincts/cluelessness, and really poor effort into being the worst defensive forward in basketball. Unlike Wiggins, who you mentioned, he doesn’t have either the lateral quickness to stay in front of wings (gets blown by a lot) and he is functionally weak even at the 3. He does not move his feet quickly and shows no interest or ability to get up to or contest shots off ball. Like Wiggins, he gives up backdoor cuts, doesn’t make effort plays, is lackadaisical about being in a stance, closes out badly, and is lost playing in a defensive concept. He was also routinely criticized for these issues at lower levels of basketball as well. If he could become a guy who doesn’t kill you defensively and is merely bad, maybe he can figure it out enough on offense to stay on the floor and give you some offense to overall be a neutral or slightly positive overall player. Despite being historically inefficient on offense last year, he does have some offensive skills relative to his size that are intriguing.
But I’m out on this guy. He is a long-two chucker who has shown no ability or inclination to pass or create for others and who does not have the physical makeup or ever shown any interest in being a plus defender. If I’m David Griffin, I refuse to take this guy in any trade for AD. I think making Zion play with this type of player would be harmful for his development and think there is a better chance he is out of the league in two years than a rotation player.
More on the Kevin Knox experience from a blogger who had to watch him all year. Reading the comments is instructive. These people hate watching this guy play.
https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2...ts-to-prove-it
While there are other potential trade scenarios that could have merit, I believe a trade with the Knicks has the most upside benefit. Depending on the actual pieces involved in the trade, there isn't much doubt that pairing Barrett with Zion has benefits. I don't care whether they keep Knox, DSJ or other players in the deal or immediately flip them, but I would hang onto Robinson. The key for me are the two unprotected 2021 picks, which combined with the Pelicans own pick, will allow for a lot of flexibility. Ideally, the Pelicans would flip the players in the deal not named Robinson for a veteran point guard, but another forward that can shoot works too.
A trade with Boston could be a fallback option, but I don't see a trade with the Lakers benefitting the Pelicans unless LA trades Ingram and Ball first and the Pelicans like what they get for them.
If I’m Griffin I tell every team intrested in AD go secure the number two overall pick and you can have AD for the number two and other assets and we go forward with Zion and JA . I think the Lakers could send some assets and the number four pick to Memphis for the 2nd pick easily .
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This was posted this morning, talking about Pelicans trading for Ja Morant:
https://www.thebirdwrites.com/2019/5...-knicks-lakers
I can see us going with the Lakers if we know for a fact we can grab Garland/White and Culver/Reddish with the four and 7th pick (if the Lakers acquire it). In this regard, we get two players that can fill the holes in our roster while having a full year to evaluate Ingram’s health. It would be interesting.
I see Boston as the top option with the Knicks second and the Lakers a distant 3rd.
Boston would have to give up a package involving at least Tatum, the Memphis pick, and Smart.
The Knicks have the 3rd pick but not much else outside of Mitchell Robinson and the Mavs picks. The rest of their prospects are trash.
The Lakers don’t have anything outside of the 4th pick. Ingram coming off a blood clot as well as being so-so up to this point, and being a RFA after the season. Ball is injury prone and has a loud mouth father, and Kuzma is solid at best.
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The reason I like the Knicks deal is getting Barrett with Zion at the same time. If they are as close as one would think, that would be the best way to keep both those guys here for their whole careers. They will likely only get closer and closer. I wish they would of won the title together this year. If I would of known we had a shot at both I wouldn’t of been pulling for UCF(lol, what a game). Try to sign Kemba and make a run at it. Or trade Jrue for a couple more young players and build through the draft the next couple years.
C: Robinson, Okafor
PF: Zion,
SF: Barrett, Knox
SG: Jrue, Moore
PG: Kemba, Smith
Or
C:Robinson
PF: Zion
SF: Knox
SG: Barrett
PG: Smith
Hope AD stays hurt all year and we have a really rough year with Zion & RJ averaging 30 a game lol. Maybe we get lucky again in the lottery or we trade our two 1sts to get up in the draft for the best point guard, shooting guard, or small forward to hopefully be our 3rd piece of a big 3.
Or we trade with Boston if AD will want to sign there long term cause that will be the only way we get a great deal from them. Supposedly he will sign with the Lakers or Knicks, but not sure about Boston.