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Artest Trade: Proof that Moneyball has arrived in the NBA

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by intergalactic, Jul 30, 2008.

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  1. intergalactic

    intergalactic Contributing Member

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    Agree. I don't think we ripped off Sacramento -- we simply understood what they wanted (and could provide it) better than the other teams. I would say that the team we took advantage of the most in this was New Orleans. Imagine if they had kept Bobby Jackson and then made the same trade for Artest themselves? They'd even still have the mid-level exception left, which they could use to try to steal Landry (assuming they decided not to go after Posey).
     
    #21 intergalactic, Jul 30, 2008
  2. durvasa

    durvasa Contributing Member

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    Actually, I read that the Kings insisted on Odom being part of the deal, but the Lakers didn't want to give him up.
     
    #22 durvasa, Jul 30, 2008
  3. Nice Rollin

    Nice Rollin Contributing Member

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    this is different...think about what we got excited about....slow swift and mike james?
     
    #23 Nice Rollin, Jul 30, 2008
  4. Mango

    Mango Contributing Member

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    By being locked into too many higher end contracts like the Pistons, Knicks, Nuggets and Mavericks are/were, the opportunity for flexibility in putting together a trade package is limited. Whether is is called

    * Tranches
    * Slices
    * Layers
    * Blends

    having the flexibility to configure a deal as needed seems to be the way to go in the NBA. Portland will have that flexibility until their young players start coming off of Rookie Contracts, then it will become somewhat tougher. The Rockets lost some of that flexibility by trading Jackson (expiring) and picks, so at least sustaining the current level of flexibility and hopefully increasing it somewhat should be a goal for Morey. With 2010 approaching, flexibility and being able to take advantage of an inefficient market are going to be important.
     
    #24 Mango, Jul 30, 2008
  5. intergalactic

    intergalactic Contributing Member

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    Not to beat a dead horse regarding Gay-Swift/Battier, but I think the basic problem for a GM is that evaluation of young players is very hard. Anytime you make a trade based on guessing how good a young player is going to be, there is a lot of risk involved. If he kept Gay and he turned out to stink, Morey might very well have been fired already.

    On the other hand, what Morey's done well is recognize that if he made smart contract-oriented trades, there was simply no way he was going to fail. That's because he knew he understood the arbitrage opportunities better than other GMs.

    I guess the bigger question is, can you build a championship team by consistently making good financial moves, or do you need to hit a home run in the draft? Maybe both?
     
    #25 intergalactic, Jul 30, 2008
  6. eMat

    eMat Contributing Member

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    I will have to disagree completely. Not the post as much as the wording. Because from a 'moneyball' perspective, I would imagine Artest looking like an excellent value for the price. It is the 'non-moneyball' stuff that makes him way less valuable than his on-court production would indicate.

    As for the post itself, it's good analysis. I just don't think moneyball played much of a part in this specific Artest trade. It is just a deal, that's too good to pass up.
     
    #26 eMat, Jul 30, 2008
  7. topfive

    topfive CF OG

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    So you're saying that you would've been happy if Morey had not made those other deals, because then we could suffer through thoroughly mediocre '08/'09 and '09/'10 seasons and *possibly* add a free agent who might help us get farther along in the '09/'10 season -- as opposed to having (at least on paper) one of the more intimidating lineups in the entire league RIGHT NOW?

    [​IMG]

    I am both amazed and amused by the people here who STILL refuse to give Morey his due. This Artest deals cements it for me, because it shows that not only is he one of the sharpest GMs in the league, he also wants to win so badly that he's willing to risk bringing in a sometime-headcase to put us over the top. And even then, it's a LOW-RISK move for one that bold, because he gave up next to NOTHING to get Artest, and even if it fails miserably, he's got a bigger expiring contract to dangle at mid-season than the one he just traded away.

    But no, let's condemn him for dumping Juwan Howard's ugly contract. That's the spirit!
     
    #27 topfive, Jul 30, 2008
  8. BZ-B

    BZ-B Member

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    Moneyball? Its the Moreyball!
     
    #28 BZ-B, Jul 30, 2008
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