I seriously, seriously doubt LeBron will be nothing more than a role player when he's 35.
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I seriously, seriously doubt LeBron will be nothing more than a role player when he's 35.
You don't think a clause of signing Shaq was that the GM would trade for Kobe?
To say you don't want Lebron in New Orleans is just foolish, but to think that we could actually get him to sign here is just as foolish. Unlike many on this board I love Aminu and what he brings to this team. He is a long athletic body who provides defense and rebounding against the durant, Lebron, and George's of the league. The notion that he is a black hole on offense used to be true but his jump shot is becoming evidently better. He also can handle the ball, I don't see how he isn't worth any contract around 3 years 12-15 mil. Call me delusional if you must, but I love what chief brings to our team
Just like most any one else would get lit up! Lol He is only 22 and I'm not saying he is any where near the type of player as Lebron or durant, obviously, but he will only get better. What better body type or player would you want guarding them? Wilson chandler? I tend to think Aminu can do a better job than most and is well worth the contract he is currently signed to and will be looking for. I'm not saying he's a long term starter but I'd like to keep him here as long at least 3 more years for a resonable contract and see how he progresses.
A Wilson chandler type provides SO MUCH MORE shooting wise, but as far as defensively and rebounding I like Aminu and his contract.
Please refer to my previous post where I stated that he is NO WHERE NEAR the type of player as KD or Lebron.
I am however supporting the idea that he is worth every penny of his contract. To think that he would ever shut down Lebron or KD on a regular basis like he does Rudy Gay is probably not realistic but he is very beneficial to this team as a rotation type player. I love the idea of having an Aminu to match up with the long athletic 3's of the league. He could develop into a defensive x-factor for us.
I would just like to see what he could develop into for us. Any offensive game he adds is just lagniappe
It doesn't matter if Aminu can hit jumpers if he never takes them then teams can still play off of him. I sat there maybe 30 meet away from him at the Wolves game and watched him drain 3 after 3 in pre game and then not take a jump shot in the game. If he could be consistent on jump shots then he'd be what we need. Sadly he's not, and actually is a black hole on offense and allows e other team to hide their worst defender on him,
It's the same reason I don't think Miller is our long term answer at SF. Miller is super efficient on offense but never shoots.
If we want to hold onto Miller or Aminu that's fine but only on a minimum and only as a backup.
I haven't watched much of the last month of games but I don't understand how anyone can be on the "resign Aminu" bus. I don't care if he goes somewhere else and into a system that utilizes him better, he doesn't fit with what we're trying to do. He has a ton of talent and is super young but I can't imagine him ever being elite at anything besides rebounding and I doubt he becomes average at anything else. I think that there are a myriad of 3&D players that would play the three who would help the other players on the floor more than Aminu does.
Lebron isn't coming to the Pels. Ever. Let's stop talking about it because it's ridiculous and not even worth discussing. I can't decide which thread hurts reading more, this one or the "Pierre Jackson is the savior of the franchise" one.
I was also in the 4th row at the t-wolves game and saw Aminu draining J's. Of course, to your point, if you don't shoot the ball the defense will not respect you. However, I wouldn't place the blame on the players. Miller is, like you said, very efficient and can produce at a role players level. I think Aminu can do the same. The problem is I don't believe either have the green light on offense. If they got the green light, I'm certain Aminu and definitely miller would give us MUCH more than we are getting now.
But to be clear, I'm saying neither are main components in our offense, but both could play roles on our team going foreword.
Maybe you're right. It just hurts watching people lie to themselves or not grasp logic.
If you think LBJ is coming here or Jackson is a better player for us than someone like Sefelosha then I think you're either misinformed, ignoring logic in order to paint a prettier hypothetical future for yourself, .....or maybe you're just having fun and I'm a huge jerk.
Babbitt has sure come in and had a green light. I don't think the team is telling them not to shoot. I think just the opposite, especially Miller,
The team wants them to shoot and help out the offense but neither can pull the trigger. If the person is too gun shy then it doesn't really help us.
Talent is fine and the reason why Aminu was drafted was because he had so much talent. But I don't think the team can afford to wait anymore for him to develop. If he finally develops a shot he'll still be a guy that is no different than dozens of other SFs in the league. His peak is above average rebounder, below average shooter. He's by no means a player you fight to keep on the team.
Think about last year, he was. FA in the summer and got zero interest and ended up signing back here.
I do think LBJ has a high opinion of New Orleans as a city, he's buddies with CP3 that always, always spoke highly of us. And everyone good in the league knows that Anthony Davis has next in this league.
Whether that counts for anything in terms of him coming here? Only LeBron can answer that for certain.
Drop LeBron onto our team as it's currently constructed and I don't see how we aren't ring caliber instantly. We have several players that could handle the rock besides him and when healthy, Ryno, Morrow, Jrue, Gordon, and sometimes Rivers can rain 3s with the best of them. But neither here nor there.
For vet minimum sure. Sadly however, he has more value as an expiring trade piece than as a high upside / low risk player. The longer he plays in the league the lower his upside; he's actually shooting 75% fewer 3s this season than his rookie year. It's like he lost a shot instead of gaining one.
Now that this is a possibility since he's a FA.
Jrue
Evans
LBJ
AD
Cardboard cutout of Aaron Gray
CHAMPIONSHIP:dance2::dance2::dance2::dance2::dance 2::dance2::dance2:
Only scenario where he ever becomes a Pelican:
Dell is able to move Gordon, Evans, and Anderson over this next year and in one of those deals gets another star (say Love). Meanwhile, Lebron re-ups with the Heat for one year or a multi year contract with an option every year.
Then, we head into next summer with Love, Jrue, and AD and 25+ mil in cap room. If AD becomes the MVP candidate we think he can be, then how does Lebron say no to that?
Would need a lot of things to fall in place, so it is extremely unlikely - but that is the one possibility. Zero possibility it happens this summer.
If James WANTED to sign here, Demps could clear salary. You'd throw 3 1sts in with Gordon to some SG hungry team and dump him if it meant you had LeBron wrapped up. '
That said, this would be a possibility were we still in the East. If he's gonna dump the cake conference, he'd sign somewhere in the West that already has built a contender.
A deal to get LeBron here would likely require moving Evans too. Reke would be superfluous anyway, really.
I think I said it once, but I think we're more likely to get LeBron than Cleveland. If that wasn't who he initially left, they wouldn't even be in the conversation.
I don't think that there's any way Wade takes a pay cut, so there's no way that Lebron sticks around for another season unless both he and Bosh are willing to take MASSIVE pay cuts.
Homerism aside, I think the Pels are one of the best fits for James. I don't think he fits well with a lane clogging center. A Jrue/Reke/James/Ryno/AD finishing lineup has 3 guys that can catch and shoot well off of Lebron drives, with Jrue and Reke being able to handle the ball when he doesn't have it. If you think that Gordon can play ~73 games per season, he may actually be a better fit than Reke. Plus Rivers has shown to be a capable catch and shooter from 3, so he'd be able to start with Gordon being the primary bench scorer (and probable game finisher).
In terms of fit with teams that could realistically free up space this season, I'd have us in the top 3 with Houston #1, Portland #2 (we'd be a better fit, but Portland could easily deal Batum for a quality cheap player) and us 3rd. Unfortunately, only Houston has a legit chance as signing him. Not a Portland fan, but would much rather see them be an elite team than Houston.
I dont see us being a candidate yet because AD hasnt taken that final step and if you are Lebron, I can see being hesitant of teaming up with a guy who hasn't broken all the way through just yet on a team that hasnt even sniffed the playoffs.
If and when AD breaks through and the team makes the playoffs, I believe they will become a team that stars will consider strongly, but not until then.
I just hope AD doesn't go somewhere else with LeBron.
I think Davis could work with Lebron. Davis doesn't have to have the offense run through him to get his and still be great.
I just don't see how it is that far fetched. If you compare a pelicans roster next year with James to the Heat this year, I think we are a clear winner. Trade Eric Gordon for a bag of donuts and we are all set. I also think that reke and LBJ would fit a lot better than people think. Lebron has actually become a very good shooter, and NOONE is going to double off of him, therefore he will create plenty of spacing even with tyreke being a poor jump shooter. Wade has never been a good jump shooter and obviously those two did not hinder each other, tyreke would be no different.
Jrue vs Chalmers - Landslide victory
Reke vs Wade - rested all year and still didnt have it in the playoffs? trying not to be a homer but let's call this a draw.
Lebron vs Lebron -
AD vs Bosh - another landslide.
center vs center - a draw due to both being terrible.
So you have 2 clear upgrades and 2 draws. You could certainly even go as far as 2 clear upgrades, a minor upgrade at the 2, and 1 glaring need at center still. As far as fit, I think all the parts fit perfectly. If we could get a big body that wouldn't foul out instantly for the MLE we shouldn't be too far off salary cap wise either. We would have an amazing offense and defense. Plus, we would still have a very solid bench with anderson, and improving rivers, and aminu.
Lastly, LBJ gets to win a championship "without buying a big 3" which I think matters to him. He also gets to train AD and then pass the torch and ride ADs coat-tails to the end of his career, ala david Robinson.
Why is this such a longshot?
The negativity towards him joining us won't help
Because none of our guys have ever won...anything (at NBA level)
Players don't see guys like we do. They don't see our potential. If they want to win a title next year, they look for other guys who have succeeded in the true NBA season - the post season. Lebron wouldn't be intrigued by a roster full of potential that has never had any level of success in the NBA.
Now, if they can make some noise next year and AD is in the MVP discussion at the age of 21, people will take notice. Not now though
BUMP
Hm...where are we on this now? Funny that the last post was Mac who has gone totally radio silent.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...21_-_Imgur.gif
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LeBron told us indirectly what he’s looking for: Basketball IQ...
He said you need that to beat Golden State. I think CP3 and Houston are in the catbird seat in that regard.
How crazy would it be if our very own whipping boy of a coach is the catalyst to get a meeting with LeBron. Everyone says that Gentry is a respected offensive mind. We will see if that reputation can work to our advantage. Erman and Finch have good reps, too.
End the end, will LeBron see the Brow as a player he can win next to in the gauntlet that is the West?
I think he’d be crazy to not at least kick the tires down here.
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LeBron has to at least give us a look. We would likely have to move Niko, Moore, and Hill to sign him though and have a minimum bench.
There would be pretty much no way to sign him as a FA without moving Jrue or AD... We could go the same route Houston did with CP3 though, and have him opt in to his 36 million, and tell Cleveland he only wants to be traded to us...
We could then send Cleveland Hill,Moore,Ajinca and a couple picks for him... Re-sign Boogie and Rondo, and fill the rest with min contracts, and we would only have roughly 135 million in contracts (including Niko), which would only throw us approximately 10 million into LT territory..
That would instantly make us the favorites (at least IMO), and Cleveland could use Moore and our picks to be able to shed some of their bad contracts while they rebuild