Thomas Robinson reminds me of LaPhonso Ellis, former Denver Nuggets star. 1. Both are slightly undersized PFs at 6'8" 240 pounds. Daryl Morey has a fetish for these tweener PFs. 2. Both play with high motor. Both rely on leaping ability to make up for lack of height. 3. Both were picked #5 overall in their respective drafts. 4. Both averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds in their final season of college ball. Other notes: -LaPhonso Ellis had the skills to move to small forward when Denver drafted Antonio McDyess. In his 5th year, Ellis attempted 4.7 three-pointers per game and shot 36%. In his rookie year, he only attempted 0.2 three-pointers per game. I think with time Thomas Robinson can develop a three point shot, too. -LaPhonso Ellis' rookie year stats(15pt/9reb/50% FG) were much better than Robinson's though.
I think this is a great point. It reminds me of how some of the most successful and shrewd business people are so because they are prepared for any and all changes in the market. Change regardless if its welcomed or not presents opportunity. DM knew about the cba changes that effected NY, OKC, Bulls and the kings ownership changes and took advantage when he could.
IMO, this is the only logical rationale because T-Rob won't be as good as Pat Pat. This trade is nothing more than asset gathering. McHale was interviewed yesterday on AM790 and I was blown away by his candor (by McHale's standards) about Robinson. It's obvious he doesn't think much of the guy and doubts his usefulness on the Rockets.
funny... I'd say the centerpiece was another 1.5M in cap room, an open roster spot and a 2nd rd pick for DM to pull another Chandleresque cheap diamond....and TRob was a throw in..... lol
You always seem to catch interviews that no one else mentions, can you please share more about what McHale said?
Coaches' eye-sights are always to win the next game and this season, while GM's views are always looking at years down the road, a bigger picture. Many have been saying that TRob currently is not as good as PPat. Morey had traded for Battier with Rudy Gay too, 180 degree opposite in nature of the Trob trade. Any coach will be happy with the win-now trade like the Battier trade. And I'm not surprised at all that McHale is pissed with this "looking at the future" TRob trade, which will only make his playoffs push a little harder.
If all our podcast did was get NIKEstrad to post in this thread, then our work was not in vain. Post more often, man. You raise the collective IQ of this BBS every time you do.
So much of so many players is the team on which they land. It's system, the players (and FO) around them. For the first time since the halcyon days of TMac/Yao do we, as fans, have a reason to believe the light at the end of the tunnel isn't Wile E. Coyote's train. Hill became a player worth getting retained, and paid OK, by landing in a culture dominated by Kobe and banners. TWill claims to have grown up in China (today's Boston Globe) but if he succeeds THIS TIME perhaps having KG in his ear may contribute to it. Well, now TRob has Harden, a system working with interchangeable pieces, a team committed to the Parade. He wasn't by great black/white/Int'l hope but I believe it was a deal with greater hope and upside, more time for DMo, the end of ceilinged guys ahead of the abundance of 4s already ahead in line. Good deal. Now, DM the GM, it's time for another three run home run in July.
Appreciated. I was very much in agreement with everything said in the podcast. I was really struck by what Morey said in his post-trade interview. He said something along the lines that most great teams get there by having 2 high draft picks (which is why it's easier to rebuild by bottoming out). We got our first one with Harden, and he seemed to infer Robinson was hopefully #2. I agree with the sentiment that Robinson's trade value on face is higher than Patterson's, so it better positions us there. I could imagine a scenario where a team with a top 5-ish pick packages the pick and a salary dump to us for Robinson if we wanted that. Or, pick a disgruntled star du jour (Kevin Love?), and I think Robinson is an infinitely better starting block than Patterson/Morris. At the same time, I'm curious to see what we have in all of these rookie forwards. If Motiejunas can add some weight, I would really like how he and Robinson might complement each other up front. JJ Hickson put up a remarkably similar stat line to Robinson last year in Sacramento (actually worse...5 pts, 5 boards, sub 40% shooting in 18 mpg). He's back to averaging 13-10 on 57% shooting this year, and has been very solid next to Aldridge in Portland. Like Clutch, I'm also surprised Terrence Jones has stayed buried on the depth chart. It will be interesting to see what happens with him the rest of the season and next year. Edit: To further the "why does Sacramento destroy big man FG%?" theory, see Chuck Hayes. Nearly 52% from the field for Houston, and under 42% from the field with Sacramento in a year and a half. In fact, outside Jason Thompson, you can't really find a big man who shoots a respectable amount from the field. Landry did ok, but he was also below his career average. Part of that could be attributed to inconsistent and poor playmakers. A guy like Tyreke Evans is pretty volatile, and he's been in and out of the point guard role. Other guys like Brooks and Thomas are shoot first guys. This means the Sacramento big men probably don't get as many clean, high percentage looks as a normal team.
I'd be surprised if the Wolves took Mini Admiral in a trade for disgruntled Love. He's a similar prospect to Derrick Williams.
Nice insight on shooting percentage slump in Sacramento. I just finished watching all Trob's 'PNR as rollman' clips in synergy sports. His percentage there is awful, but by watching the clips I noticed something. Most of the time he received the ball away from the rim(high post or baseline). He supposed to finish the play as a pick and pop because he's not 'rolling' or the PG can't pass to him when he's 'rolling', but he doesn't have a reliable jumper. So instead he forced the issue by attacking the rim with opposing bigmen in position to block his shots. I fully expect his percentage to go up in our system. He's super fast as a 4, which is ideal in our fast break receiving long lobs from Lin/Harden/Parsons. Lin/Harden are two of the best pick and roll passers in the league, so he'll get many good opportunities to actually roll to the rim and finish.
