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Dude... My point was that in the initial trade, Demps got better players and assets than he ended up getting in the Clippers trade that was forced upon him. Dragic alone would've been huge for the Pels, and a perfect fit next to AD. Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, and a 2012 first is so much more valuable than what the Hornets ended up getting from the Clippers. Martin got moved with two firsts for Harden. Odom was traded to Dallas for a 1st. Dragic became one of the better point guards in the league, and would have been incredible next to Jrue and AD. Scola averaged 15 and 6 that year as well.
Demps did not make the right moves, but I can't say that the original Lakers deal was the wrong one.
Realized while doing this research that Gordon has basically become Kevin Martin.
Last edited by pelafanatic; 06-12-2020 at 11:26 AM.
That literally means no AD with a bunch of mediocre talent where the Pelicans sits at 8-10 seed year in and year out with no cap space. Think about it. It didn’t sound good then and it definitely doesn’t sound good in hindsight. I wouldn’t change a thing knowing that everything led to what we are today with a legitimate front office and the assets and resources that we’re extremely fortunate to have. It’s a great position to be in.
Im liking vassell/patrick williams/tyler bey with our pick
I just can't get behind picking a toolsy guy this year over an offensive upside guy. Hollinger came out with an article today outlining the guys who are underpaid compared to the value the add, and nearly every one of them is a defensively-inclined wing with some shooting ability. Point being, these are the guys that are usually left after the first wave of FA, so they get signed on a value deal. You can infer from their value on the open market that they probably don't possess much trade value either.
If you miss on a toolsy guy, it hurts you much worse than if you miss on a high upside scorer. The scorers will nearly always hold trade value for longer because of the perception and how difficult it is to find scoring. If you're picking in the 20s, then sure go find a guy who can fill a need with high character. Not in the lottery, however.
If you look back at the past 4 years, drafting these types of players in the lottery has almost never worked out, especially in their first 2-3 years. The lone exception might be Jaylen Brown depending on how you feel about his game, but he has elite level athleticism and a incredible bball IQ defensively.
Best guess as of today we have four picks in this draft. Number 13,39,41 and 60. I don't care how we can use our draft capital but at the end of the day I'd like just two players.
https://www.thestepien.com/2020/02/2...outing-report/
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2020/...ig-role-player
Of the 3 i listed i actually like patrick williams the most.. i like his upside and fit with this team... i honestly don't like this draft class, it's not that good of a draft but i see tons of good roleplayers that still has the potential to be better. I don't mind getting the og anunoby type players to go along with our future core players.
Just don't lose sight of the fact that players more often than not will never develop a jumper if they didn't have one in college, especially not on their first contract/team. It took Anunoby 3 years to get up to 38% on over 3 attempts per game, and that's sort of an aberration. If we were picking solely for need, out of the 3 you mentioned, I'd go Vassell as long as their confident he can add a little extra bulk. Give me the guy who can already shoot.
Of the players expected to be available when the Pelicans will probably be picking, I keep coming back to one guy -- Aaron Nesmith. He can already play a little defense and he has shown he can shoot. I want someone that can help with defense and spacing and it doesn't hurt that he could slide in as backup to Ingram.
Nesmith and Patrick Williams are my top two of the guys likely to be available around our pick. I think Vassell eventually had a good career for his 2nd or 3rd team but I think Nesmith and Williams have a chance at being great for their first team.
Guys who are solid to good across the board often turn out to have fine careers, but it's almost never for their first team
@mcnamara247
I was in on Nesmith until I watched the Okoro matchup, and now I'm so-so on his long term potential as a two way player. Okoro absolutely destroyed him consistently both in the post and off the dribble (I'm not super high on Okoro either). It was clear when matched up against NBA level athleticism and strength, he was a tier below. That was the only game all season that he played against decent competition, considering he went on to miss the rest of the season.
Then offensively his handle just wasn't tight enough to get around Okoro consistently to really make anything happen. He's a prolific shooter, undoubtedly, but I'm worried about his ability to find anything else offensively. I get the Klay Thompson comparisons (without the defense), though, if he goes to the right team. He's a walking microwave; but hes not going to create for others, as can be seen by his .52 AST on 26% usage. That guy has to already be on the team, and based on what I've seen after reviewing some film, I think he'd be a pretty good fit offensively next to BI and Jrue. Plus, he'd demand some of the most gravity on the team almost immediately, which would help free up Zion.
I think he'd be best suited for the Etwaun Moore/Frank Jackson role year one. Basically not asked to do anything on ball, just knock down the open shots and cut from time to time.
It should be noted that he was a part of quite possibly the worst team in SEC history last season, but its fair to say that losing Garland played a key role in that. Those two would've been a lot of fun to watch.
Do you think most NBA teams look at college players in that light. That rarely happens in the NFL but in the NBA, all of the time. It drives me crazy when a former Pelican/Hornet magically becomes great with his third team. Or maybe I am just too sensitive. Just another dynamic to think about I guess.
No -- I think most teams think of the draft completely wrong and its why teams have about a 15% success rate with picks 3-20. They think of current need and think of what the player will be. But dont realize that it likely wont be for the team who drafted them.
Go look around the league at every guy you consider a good role player. Then, tell me how many are on the team that drafted them. Almost none. And that is for a variety of different reasons, but the point of the story is that if you are saying to yourself "I like this guy. He fits a need for this roster and I can see him being a solid role player for us.... DONT TAKE HIM. History says he might become that, but for some other team and you just spent time and resources developing a guy to help your opponent
I also think a huge problem in the NBA is job security of high management. Most GMs picking in the lottery don't have the luxury to miss on a prospect, and ownership wants a guy they can sell to fans in year 1. This is one of the reasons you see guys with lower ceilings but higher floors get picked over the super high ceiling guys. You know that the guy who is good at everything but a master of none will not bust out.
This is why you see the same teams consistently miss in the draft year after yeas. The GMs change but the pressure from ownership stays the same, and then Willie Cauley-Stein and Frank Kaminsky get taken over Myles Turner and Devin Booker.
This could be a really, really rough year for rookie production. Not only is the class down on talent, but almost no preparation or adjustment period. https://t.co/yAp93IlY2n
— Ross Homan (@Ross_homan1) June 20, 2020
Worth noting this when next season eventually happens.
Rookies next year may look dreadful, and it won't entirely be due to the low talent level. Obviously that may play into it, but the circumstances are not in their favour.
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