Griff & the Pels: Alternate History

[new city champ]

Before season two of the Griffin regime kicks off, just for fun name one or two decisions you would have made differently if you had taken over the Pels at the end of the Davis era. It can be a coaching hire, trade, draft pick, free agent signing, anything realistic that Griffin had the chance to do but didn't. And make it something you thought at the time, not a decision made with benefit of 20-20 hindsight. For me it was...

1. Resign Christian Wood (didn't understand it at the time, still don't. great fit next to Zion. was even hoping Pels might take a run at him in FA);

2. Draft Brandon Clarke over NAW (may turn out to be wrong on this one, but was screaming at the TV to take Clarke when our pick came up).

[pelafanatic]

From what I've heard, Wood wasn't the best locker room fit. I think that's one Pels fans should move past. Just know there's likely a reason he's on his seventh team

[Pelicanidae]

I also believed that we should have taken Clarke at 17. He was the best player left on the board, and he would have been a really great Zion-lite substitute while Zion was out in that rookie year too.

Hindsight, tho

[new city champ]

Clarke would have been a good Zion sub and could play alongside him in a speed package. Not hindsight for purposes of this discussion if you would have done it at the time.

Hadn't heard was a Wood locker room issue. Interesting to see if that plays out...

[pelafanatic]

What do we think Brandon Clarke is? And what do we think he can realistically become? He's 24 at this point. Is Siakam without the self creation a realistic positive outcome for him or is his high end outcome more like Larry Nance with better defense

[Pelicanidae]

What do we think Brandon Clarke is? And what do we think he can realistically become? He's 24 at this point. Is Siakam without the self creation a realistic positive outcome for him or is his high end outcome more like Larry Nance with better defense

He's already better than Larry Nance, assuming you mean Jr.

[Pelicanidae]

Clarke would have been a good Zion sub and could play alongside him in a speed package. Not hindsight for purposes of this discussion if you would have done it at the time.

Hadn't heard was a Wood locker room issue. Interesting to see if that plays out...

What I mean by hindsight in this context is that during the draft we didn't know that Zion was going to miss most of the year, so drafting someone with the mindset of being ''a good substitute for Zion while he is out'' is something you can only really do if you have reason to suspect Zion is going to miss 50 games. Which nobody did, at the time of the draft.

[new city champ]

What I mean by hindsight in this context is that during the draft we didn't know that Zion was going to miss most of the year, so drafting someone with the mindset of being ''a good substitute for Zion while he is out'' is something you can only really do if you have reason to suspect Zion is going to miss 50 games. Which nobody did, at the time of the draft.

Take your point, but I don't think taking a Zion back up at 17 was a reach, nor was forecasting Zion to miss time due to injury a stretch. He had already blown out his shoe and injured his knee that spring and had to be managed in Summer League as well. Before the draft I certainly had durability concerns about big Z--and still do. But really I just thought another 6' 8" high flyer like Clarke would be great next to Zion in a speed package, kind of how he played center next to Rui at Gonzaga. Mainly just loved Clarke as a player. Very useful big to have on the team. Still hope NAW proves me wrong...

[Pelicanidae]

Take your point, but I don't think taking a Zion back up at 17 was a reach, nor was forecasting Zion to miss time due to injury a stretch. He had already blown out his shoe and injured his knee that spring and had to be managed in Summer League as well. Before the draft I certainly had durability concerns about big Z--and still do. But really I just thought another 6' 8" high flyer like Clarke would be great next to Zion in a speed package, kind of how he played center next to Rui at Gonzaga. Mainly just loved Clarke as a player. Very useful big to have on the team. Still hope NAW proves me wrong...

Oh I agree, I thought it was outrageous that Clarke fell out of the lottery. I get the age concerns but at the end of the day he was just flat out better than the majority of the competition, and had shown promising signs of improving in other key ways (like shooting 3s). It's quite funny, one of the main arguments against drafting him that I heard was basically that due to his age he probably just was that guy and had no room left to grow, then his first year in the NBA he starts shooting 3s at 36% which he had never done at college

[MichaelMcNamara]

I had the following guys atop my personal board when we picked that year -- #8 Sekou #17 Clarke

Thats who I would have taken, but the biggest mistake to me was the trade for Favors. Yes, we only gave up two seconds....but again, opportunity cost.

We could have slid Iggy into that same salary spot and received a future 1st to get him. Then, could have traded him for at least a few more good 2nds. Or a solid young player like Memphis did. Maybe even a late first.

So, in essence, you traded 3-4 seconds, a first, and maybe a rotation player for Favors by choosing him over Iggy. I would have rather taken Iggy and just got some minimum guy to be a stop gap at center. Or give up one of those 2nds for Aron Baynes - which is all Boston got for him.

[redrum]

Favors (along with JJ) was brought here to teach all the young bucks how to work hard and navigate the NBA lifestyle.
The Pels culture is better off because of giving up those 2 seconds.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Favors didn't do any of that. And again, you are assuming another guy couldn't have done that
Baynes or Noah or any number of guys who could have been had much cheaper could have helped culture as much or more

[new city champ]

Yeah I’m not sure exactly how much stock to put into this notion that you need vets around to establish the team’s “culture.” Griff certainly seems to believe it, but teams like Memphis seem to do without it and Golden State’s championship in was built on young stars.

On the opportunity costs associated with bringing in these old school bigs I think they’re real and have to be seriously considered. I like Adams and he might really be the defensive tone setter this club needed. But as Hollinger pointed out in a recent column, teams, including the Pels, seem to be paying a steep price for guys that often have to be benched at crunch time and barely play at all in a lot of post-season series. It’s legitimate to ask if you could get 90% of what you need at the position from guys who cost half as much, or less, and redeploy that cap space to other needs on the roster.

[redrum]

You may be right about other guys, but I really enjoyed the way Favors played. Selfless and hard working. I realize the team is in a much better place with Adam's, but will always appreciate what I perceive Favors brought.

[PELICANSFAN]

I had the following guys atop my personal board when we picked that year -- #8 Sekou #17 Clarke

Thats who I would have taken, but the biggest mistake to me was the trade for Favors. Yes, we only gave up two seconds....but again, opportunity cost.

We could have slid Iggy into that same salary spot and received a future 1st to get him. Then, could have traded him for at least a few more good 2nds. Or a solid young player like Memphis did. Maybe even a late first.

So, in essence, you traded 3-4 seconds, a first, and maybe a rotation player for Favors by choosing him over Iggy. I would have rather taken Iggy and just got some minimum guy to be a stop gap at center. Or give up one of those 2nds for Aron Baynes - which is all Boston got for him.

Thought you were pretty high on the Favors trade at the time.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Thought you were pretty high on the Favors trade at the time.

I was not. Fisher and those guys were, and their logic was sound. It wasnt an awful decision at the time -- didnt know his body would basically break down and his mom would die, crushing his spirit. Not saying Griff was dumb for doing it. But I prefered taking Iggy into that space at the time and really, really, really would prefer it now with even more time