[Grantland] Bill Simmons/Jalen Rose Analysis of NBA Teams ('13-'14)

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Last season, New Orleans was 7.3 points per 100 possessions worse on defense with him on the floor.

 

On top of that, next offseason Omer will only have 1 year left on his deal.

Good player, still under contract one year, probably will resign with current team if all is good, but if I'm a buyer I'm not giving up as much for what becomes potentially a rental.

 

If the Raptors don't go full tank mode, who wins more games? Them or the fakers?

 

Your way of reasoning is flawed, let me point out why:

1. You say you're not a PER guy but then you use it to say that that there isn't a big difference between Robin Lopez and Omer Asik. PER doesn't take into account rim protection, sure Lopez can block shots but blocking shots is different from forcing players to take low percentage shots. If you look at the best defensive players very few of them lead the league in blocked shots, guys like Tim Duncan, KG and Yao Ming were never known for blocked shots. Basketball is a TEAM game, having a guy like Asik who is elite at rebounding (led the league in rebs) and rim protection is much better than an average dude like Lopez because you can compensate his weaknesses with other players. Trading Asik for Lopez is like going from Harden to Courtney Lee as your 6th guy in OKC.

2. Getting a defensive and rebounding big guy at 8M a year is pretty rare in the league, you may think it's a luxury but a stretch 4 is an even bigger luxury. What does Ryan Anderson do that Parsons, Casspi and Garcia can't? They're as good as he is offensively, and honestly what the difference between Parsons or Casspi guarding a PF and Anderson guarding the PF?

3. Rebounds and D are supremely valuable, in case you missed it. Whoever controls the reb controls the game, and defense wins championships. With Asik on the squad, we're the only team in the league who can field 48 mins of paint protection since Dallas, and the year they had that they won a ring. And in case DH misses time due to injury, it's better to have Asik at C with Parsons or Casspi at PF than it is with Robin Lopez and Ryan Anderson. Asik+Parsons led to the playoffs, Lopez+Anderson resulted in a high lottery pick.

 

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Iono 'bout the Charlotte pick for Love.

 

Is good to see Jalen still working after the Bayless debacle and that no good Numbers never lie. He has Grantland and the Nba weekly game at Espn.

 

That Minnesota team, even they stay healthy, is gonna be so bad on defense. So bad.

 

After watching the Wolves and Lakers vids...

To Minny: Pau and LAL's 2014 first rounder

To LAL: Kevin Love

It's simple and clean. And there are reasons for both sides to do it.

 

Ricky Rubio is the most overrated player in the NBA.

 

Still no Bucks? LOL

 

IF they feel like they have to move Love at the deadline(which means they feel like they aren't making the playoffs) I think it makes more sense to go for a package that brings them better draft picks & young players.

They can, and are probably planning on making a run at Pau Gasol in free agency next Summer either way, and have just as good a chance at signing him then for less than bringing him in for a second half of a season that doesn't mean anything.

Also I'm not sure LA can trade their 2014 first round pick or not. I know they owe MULTIPLE picks still from the Nash trade to Phoenix(unbelievable how bad a trade that was), but I'll have to check on that.

I actually think sending Love to either Houston or Chicago makes perfect sense to Minnesota. Houston can pull a three way pretty easy with Asik and send multiple first round picks, expiring contracts, and some young talent to Minny, and Chicago has Butler, Mirotic, Chicago's own draft picks (could send multiple 1st rounders) and the Charlotte pick to send Minny. You have to deal with 1 1/2 years of Boozers contract, but that's quite a haul for a player you are going to lose in a year 1/2.

Plus having Boozer on their team next year might not be the worst player in the world. He's still a decent player, just on a terrible contract that's ending next year.

I think both deals make much more sense than just getting a player you can get in free agency next year in Gasol if you play your cards right, move one contract like Barea and waive Derrick Williams.

Either way, I'm keeping an eye out for the Kevin Love situation. I think they are holding the swing vote that can turn a playoff team into a super-contender over night with a Love trade.

 

Jason Williams 2.0 IMO. Alot of flash, great open court player, and a great passer, but if you can't score as a PG in the NBA, your team is only going to be so good. He's got to learn how to score if he wants to take that team to the playoffs.

 

not only can they not trade their 2014 first, but even if they could, that trade is more lopsided than the trade for pau, there is no reason for minny to do it, none whatsoever, at least not since "KAHN" stopped being a reason

 

why can't the Lakers trade their 2014 first?


This deal would predicated on the Wolves knowing Love is leaving in 15 anyways. Like Bill described. A Deron Williams style deal. If Minny gets Pau to agree to an extension...I don't see how they could do better than a shot at a possible lottery pick plus Pau.

 

LA already sent all their picks to Phoenix to get Steve Nash. The earliest pick they could send would be 2019, and somehow I doubt Minny wants that.

 

because their 2015 first round pick belongs to phoenix

I get Minny likes the injury bug, but a 33 yo with two bad knees is just shooting yourself in the head rather than the foot.

Love is worth way more than that, they can get better value out of just about every team in the nba than him, as Bill said, Chicago's no Butler for Aldridge/Horford would probably be relinquished if it was Love, he's a tier above them.

 

They are NOT moving Love for Gasol. They could get so much better for him, like Aldridge, Cousins or a guaranteed top 5 draft pick from someone.

Fixed

 

Ahhhhhh...brain fart. Forgot about the Nash deal.

 

Why wouldn't they just chase Pau in free agency then instead of wasting the best trade asset in the league on a player they could get anyways in free agency???

The Rockets could offer THREE future first round picks + whatever they get for Asik in a separate or connecting deal, and young talent.

The Bulls have Mirotic, Butler, Luol Deng expiring, the Bobcats first rounder, & THREE future first round picks to offer

If I'm Minny's GM I would still rather have this package even if the Lakers did have a first rounder to give. The Lakers wouldn't give #3 un-protected, but even if they did, you're still taking a huge gamble that the pick lands in the top 3 where they will be competing with much more terrible teams for that pick. Plus adding Love to their roster & Kobe coming back in the second half of the season immediately makes them too good to compete for a top 3 pick.

If Love gets dealt, he's not going to the Lakers. I say its Bulls #1 right now, and Rockets #2... However, if Morey can turn Asik into some nice assets they could have a package pretty competitive with the Bulls to offer.

-FWIW- The Wolves would probably love to get Gasol ASAP though since he's such a great fit in Adelman's system. However, they'd be smart to just wait till the Summer to chase after him in free agency.