1. DMo would have played the same 20 MPG he plays now with or without the Patterson trade when Morris is gone. 2. A better way to find out more about TRob, one that does not risk putting the team into 9th place yet again, is to keep Patterson while watching video recordings of Sacramento Kings games.
Yep, we could have a own Robinson thread about his potential. But I think the point is that Patterson wasn't in our future. He's a good enough player to get overpaid and when he hits the free market that is likely going to happen. I just think that you make this trade 9x outta ten with Patterson. Especially if you think Robinson has high potential then you make the trade.
How are you going to do #2? If you like Robinson you trade for him when they offer him. That's like saying the Rockets should have waited to see if Harden was more than a bench player and if he was worth the max. You can't wait for it, you have to be ahead of your competition. Even if they (Sac) doesn't like Robinson there is a good chance they are getting an entirely new FO after this season who may or may not have been more patient with him. I don't get your argument that they could have traded for him at any time. There is also a chance that the Kings trade him elsewhere. If Morey really wanted him then he'd do what he did it seems like.
Harden is good. Robinson is not. He was playing poorly in Sacramento and his value would only drop further by the end of the season. Lotto busts like Robinson are a dime a dozen. If SAC change their mind by the end of the season, there are many more other lotto busts to acquire if you wish to. Easy enough to find another Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, Jordan Hill, etc.
This is a valid argument if and only if we are truly in damage of being a 9th seed again. But I think at the time of trade, the Rockets prob think they can make the playoff because of schedule and the way we are playing. and also if I remember correctly, these 2 trades also increased our cap space, from 7m to 12m something like that, which can come in handy later.
1. The Patterson trade decreased our summer cap space by $500K because Robinson costs more than Patterson. The Rockets saved $1.5M (minus whatever is paid to that 2nd round pick) from the Morris deal. 2. If the front office didn't think 9th place was a distinct possibility, they are idiots. Rockets are only 1.5 game ahead of 9th place Utah. Their favorable schedule is meaningless with performance like tonight and the first game vs. Phoenix.
I think if we break it down on a scale of 10, the potential of A. Davids is prob 7-10 P. Patterson is prob 5-7 and T. Robinson is prob something wild like 2-9 A. Davids has a sure shoot to be an above avg NBA player, while PPat is gona be solid player nothing more nothing less. Although it will look bad on Morey is TRob turn out to be 2, but at least he (Morey) tried.
Williams, Thabeet, Hill were not the prospects that Robinson was. Thabeet...okay he was a high prospect but he had played several seasons and was a throw in into the trade. Also to call him a bust before he's even played a full season is just wrong, you know that. You'd also call Harden a lotto bust by that standard. Remember he wasn't living up to his hype and people asked "Why did they draft him over Evans!?" You can't judge these guys right now. Again, Lillard is playing better than Davis by far, but I still think if they had a redraft right now every team that doesn't need a PG is taking Davis. Silly to call him a bust now.
Those lotto busts with nice looking "talents" and "potential" are like strippers. It's OK to enjoy their company, even investing a reasonable amount in doing so, but it is generally unwise to get married to one of them.
Those first year players are like children, you don't know if they are going to turn out to be Strippers or Doctors. You just hope to put them in the best environment and hope they make the most of what they have.
Harden was already an efficient player-- especially for a 20-year-old-- as a rookie. He had an above-average .551 TS% and 109 ORtg while playing 22 mpg for a 50-win team. Thomas Robinson's rookie performance has been inefficient and underwhelming, .450 TS% in SAC and 90 ORtg (these make Trevor Ariza look efficent), turns the ball over in 20% of his touches, got 10% of his shots blocked.
So Robinson who has barely played this entire season and was playing in a cancerous environment that couldn't utilize him is already a bust? A bust in his first season with barely any playing time? Good lord do you even know what a bust is? You actually have to wait a lot longer before you can determine he is a bust.
My wife is sad when she heard you call a 1 and 1/2 year commitment with a team option on 3rd yr a "marriage". LOL
Robinson needs to learn how to play basketball when he gets a chance in the offseason. He's clueless with the ball in his hands. Watching Patterson tear up the Lakers tonight was tough.
Who the **** said we're married? Giving up low ceiling role playing no rebounding Pat Patterson means we're married now?
How can you seriously say that someone so bad right now as Robinson is, has the potential to be an all-star? He looks more of an athlete than a basketball player. Can't do anything else apart from perhaps rebounding. Did you see him fumble the ball when he was dunking it today ? He has a couple of these stupid plays every game. And for those of you saying we just traded away a role player, remember Morey similarly let another "role player" go, who we had to later resign for $25m. Furthermore, I think it is a joke that you guys are all talking about the "potential" of Robinson, and ignoring that Patterson is just two years older than Robinson. Patterson has more potential than Robinson. His only fault was rebounding. It's easier to fix his rebounding problem than to teach Robinson basketball.
Oh man Robinson missed a dunk! Wow! Dudes miss dunks, even the best do. Ah well. To say he has no skill in basketball is to prove you've not really watched him close enough and are likely freaking out over every mistake he makes. From what I can see he's pretty good when he faces up, usually gets in the paint when he drives, and has an insanely quick spin move. Also according to everyone whose ever met him he's an insanely hard worker. I've yet to find someone that questioned his work ethic. Something that separates him from Thabeet, T-Will, and Hill is according to everyone around him he works hard and wants to get better.
