Look...I don't even know why we are going back and forth on this, we mostly agree like on 95% of things. In fact I think most of the board wants to trade Ego...some are split on Wood because he's not exactly a vet, he's just entering his prime...(I'm personally for trading him given the right package) I think though for me it feels like some people want to be too reliant on tanking. I don't think it should ever be top 5 pick or bust. I don't think that's a good strategy to have because things won't always go your way.
No, I said team building. Great GMs still need luck. The draft isn’t completely luck as you claim either, otherwise what’s the point of preparation and scouting…. Morey found Tate. Finding role players is admirable, but we still don’t have our franchise/superstars.
I'm not hellbent on it, i'm fine with losing, but i'm not fine with losing on purpose. There is a big difference.
Because you think we should compete and I think we should trade Gordon and Wood to continue to rebuild. Trading for Simmons is the opposite of what I would do this year The only reason people are “reliant on tanking ” is because we lost Harden last year and owe picks to OKC. Seem pretty contextual…
I said tanking is completely based on luck. Because you're tanking for Chet, Banchero, Jalen...and what if we draft 5th? If your plan is getting Banchero and you can't even draft him then what?
Once again, I'm also for trading Gordon and Wood. You can look at my post history on that too lol. Well, you keep wanting a superstar player...you said you're for trading for superstar players, each one you trade for will have baggage, that's often why their original team is trading them. Well then seems bad to me to be reliant on something that is completely based on luck.
Almost 100% guaranteed recipe for losing throughout nba history Playing your 19-23 year olds as many minutes as they can handle Trading out of timeline vets or trading vets who may be looking for a bigger payday than their actual value warrants for future assets Not relying on vets to play major minutes/close out games It’s losing. WITH a purpose
I mean...but it isn't though? With this logic you're saying Memphis and Dallas lost on purpose after they drafted Ja and Doncic? Nope. They were done with that once they drafted these players. The whole point of drafting top 5 is drafting a star player good enough to get your team to the playoffs. It's only losing with a purpose if your young guys suck, if they don't...then it's winning...but you play those young guys (win or lose) to see what they are about and if they are worth building around.
The same thing applies to trades or FA…. Can’t make a trade or acquire a FA if they aren’t available.
Also, I should add... EGO's trade value (should he not get hurt) is going to be the highest it can possibly be because of this. ESPECIALLY if Kyrie comes back, a lot of those eastern teams are going to be fighting for his services and western teams too. This doesn't happen if we're sitting him because he's playing too well and trying to lose games. I think Ego's value approaching this trade deadline will be the highest it's ever been, outside of his younger years I should add when he was a good prospect himself. I saw Brooklyn fans salivating for adding Ego and I laughed because I'm not sure what they have that we would want.
But there's always guys available on the trade market and on FA so it's really not the same...and you can work on getting those guys too. Like the Harden trade was something Morey built up to. Also, we've already established that good players will not want to play for bad teams so it also can limit who you can sign in the FA market and who you can get in the trade market. You simply can't have it both ways. You can't be an attractive or respectable franchise and tank at the same time.
Ok. My main purpose is asset accumulation for the rebuild.. What’s your purpose? Yup. That's why is most optimal just to draft one, but I know that's not something you can bet on. But it's not, otherwise there'd be no point in scouting or preparation. I won't deny it isn't based on luck, but "completely based on luck" is just hyperbole. Team building requires luck and preparation.
The whole point has changed then. It is not the only way. Ainge and Presti were hoarding assets. I think you know, you have been here long enough. It also became a tool to manipulate the market for yourself. Call it diplomacy, sometimes it can also mean goodwill when 2 teams are close, they interchange picks. Trading down, trading up, trading for players, trading for Euro stashes.
One year it is Harden, the other year it's someone not as good as Harden. Just like the draft, sometimes there are just great players and not franchise players. Zion is a flawed player, but how many teams are keeping an eye on that situation? There's no tanking anymore, just rebuilding. We have our picks for two seasons and a lot of cap space coming off the book in two seasons. What's to say there won't be another James Harden situation in 2023? Sometimes franchises have to rebuild, that doesn't mean they aren't respectable. Houston isn't OKC/Sacrmento/Minnesota/ etc. If we are trading for a franchise player, then they'd know we are building around them and competing.
Just because you pretend to be a hardhead doesn't mean it has to be done one or the other way. You can, you do not have to be a bad team forever or a respectable mediocre market forever. You can be both at times or even ascend to be one of the best franchises with a great owner. We lack that here. Either hire a Rob Pelinka, an elite agent turned GM or a legendary former player in West, both of whom have the best connections around the league.
Winning. It's great to be able to draft one but it shouldn't be your only option. Tanking is completely based on luck because you might not even get the spot you need to draft the player you need. Scouting only goes so far after all, some drafts simply don't have the talent in them for it to be worth it. I think most teams are keeping tabs on that situation. Minny is another situation and KAT, Indy is openly saying they will be sellers, I mean it changes all the time. There are not many franchise players in the league period. Sometimes all you can do is build the best team you can build. You can be left holding nothing looking for the next franchise player. Well, if there is another James Harden situation why would said superstar want to come to a team that would have had one of the worst records for years? But Houston can certainly become another OKC/Sacramento/Minnesota if they draft top 5 and miss the star player again. What if Mobley was the franchise guy we missed out on? What if next year we draft Banchero and the guy after him turns out to be the star player? This is exactly how those teams get to be the way they are.
I mean...I really hope we aren't aspiring to be OKC...that's a team that passed on talent to get more assets...seems like their fans getting impatient with that.
I wonder where those good players originally came from......voila......from the draft, other teams just happened to do the fostering for you!
