Fully agree. Signed, Rockets after trading for Drexler, Boston after getting KG/Allen, Detroit after getting Sheed, Miami overhauling their entire roster outside Wade...
Sometimes it works, but by and large those are the exceptions that prove the rule...... And, all of those teams had superstar players ALREADY....do the Rockets? Nope, at least not yet. DD
Exceptions? Please list the non-exceptions where a contender become non-contenders because of a huge move? Detroit and Boston had superstars on their teams?
Don't forget me! Sincerely, Lakers trading garbage for Pau Gasol which took us from fringe playoff team to champions.
Besides the Spurs, most teams that have won the championship this decade made big changes to their lineup. Yeah, they kept their superstars, but you've all but admitted that AB isn't a superstar. Anybody is trade bait if the price is right.
This post is essentially my point of view. If you can get comparable value for Brooks at this point you do it, because his value may never get higher. You roll with Llull backing up Lowry because he's a good shooter but also a long defender at the point, something Brooks will never become. And do I see Lowry as a championship-caliber starting PG in this league? Why, yes. Yes I do. I'm sure Morey's superstats will corroborate it, but we flat out win more when Lowry plays, and we lose a lot more when he doesn't play. Brooks will dazzle you with runs of huge threes or lightning-fast lay-ups, but his runs even out with cold spells and the proof is in the scoreboard. He's an above average offensive point guard as evidenced by the 16 PER, but his defense is bullfighteresque. Reminds me of Nate Robinson, and you've seen how Boston has utilized Nate in these playoffs. You don't win championships with offense-only point guards like that. You win with PG's that can defend and know how to fulfill a role within the offense but not dominate it. In the last decade: Derek Fisher, Rajon Rondo (in 2008 remember, he's not a champion this year yet), Chauncey Billups, Gary Payton on the Heat, Ron Harper/Lindsey Hunter/Fisher of the early decade Lakers. In fact, the only champions of the last decade with a poor defensive PG were the Spurs with Tony Parker, and they largely offset it by having Bowen guard the other team's best offensive player from SF on down, including PG if that was necessary. Oh, and having Defensive Player of the Decade Tim Duncan guarding the paint also helped.
That's alot of dang exceptions. That's the majority of the last 5-6 teams to win a championship. Lakers tore it up by trading Divac for Kobe. I wouldn't consider Divac, a superstar. Spurs were a good team with Robinson, but they didn't become championships until they drafted Duncan and sent ex-Rocket Carl Herrera to the bench.
I don't see Llull as starter in his first season. He's playing right now the 3rd game of the Caja Laboral - Real Madrid series. link
Yep, it was a win or go home game for Madrid and he was their MVP. Great 2nd half. Playing as PG next to Bullock he did it very well, made good decisions, increased the tempo when they most needed it (without turnovers), and gave some easy baskets to his team running the fastbreak. In the clutch he played as SG with Prigioni and was the man again scoring. I think he made 10-12 points in the last 4-5 minutes, starting with a tie on the scoreboard. All in all, great performance. Next game is Friday at this same time.
