Historically, Blatche is just a backup caliber PF/C that you wouldn't mind having. However, he just had a season where his numbers were slightly above average for a starting PF (per 36). The work ethic concerns are legit, but he's made a nice effort at turning his image around this season. He played all 82 games. I don't know if his addition puts you in the finals next year, but I believe it puts you in the top 4. Andray does everything pretty well and, again, he's 6'11/260 - a nice solution at backup C as well. We have a great core of young players right now with good chemistry. Dwight's a red flag that comes with risk. Andray is not without risk, but it's not as great and for a much lesser amount. Would I be okay if we got Dwight? Absolutely. But other than starting pf, I like the current makeup of our team and the direction/future we have.
I agree. Blatche is a great player to have in your rotation. He can produce. But to settle for him, and say he can be had instead of Dwight? Omer is great. But he didn't really improve anything. He got more playing time and was a great rebounder. He didn't really do that much on defense, and his offense was hard to come by. He survived hack-a-sik in the playoffs, but still is a bad FT shooter. So now you're comparing Blatche to Aldridge.. ok
Look, I like the idea of Blatche as a rotation player. But the above comment is absurd. Even factoring in salaries, Blatche is a much greater risk as a bigger piece than Dwight. Much greater. Yes, Andray's stats were really very good this year... FOR HIS ROLE. Is it any coincidence that at 19 mpg it was his lowest mpg since his sophomore campaign 6 years ago? I think he also played/acted smarter, but the lesson is obvious with him... he's a 15-25 mpg backup, depending on the night. That's where you'll get the most efficiency out of him, by far. I'd much much much much much much much rather take the risk of a down Dwight year, where he actually averages 17 pts, 12+ boards a game, with 2 and half blocks. And we know what Dwight can do in an up year, which is 3-5 more ppg and 2 more rpg and slightly increased blocks.
I agree, it seems crazy, but on a per 36 basis, Blatche had more boards, blocks, steals, a higher FG%, a better PER, and nearly as many points (19.5 vs 20.1). Additionally, he's a better sub at center than LaMarcus. Regardless, he doesn't have to be LaMarcus to put us in the WCF. He just has to be close. The numbers definitely suggest that he is.
I've read a lot of comments from Laker fans lately. Why is it that they all seem ambivalent regarding his departure? $88 million is a much bigger risk than $12-15 mill. It's really not absurd.
Even if you assume the dubious notion that Dwight embodies greater risk, when you balance risk/reward I can't imagine any remotely sane calculus where the risk/reward balence makes Blatche more favorable. There is a reason teams have been falling over themselves for a chance to take on Dwight for years, while Blatche is the afterthought of an afterthought. Howard may not be what he.was, but I've never heard anybody marvel at the way Blatche took over a game and carried his team on his back. Also, buy low/sell high would seem to apply. Despite his status as an afterthought, Blatche's value is at an all time high. You don't buy when a stock has rocketed up and so completely outpreformed its long term historical average.
If we get Andray Blatche for around 3 million per year versus Dwight's 22 million, what does that leave us? $19,000,000.00 (assuming the math is simple as that). That's a lot of money we can spend elsewhere - such as Tyreke Evans, OJ Mayo, Iggy, or even Chris Paul. If we manage our money well, we can afford to have very solid players at each position (plus bench) for years to come. Or we can roll the dice with Dwight and not have enough to cover Chandler's raise next season, etc. Andray is not just a pretty good solution at PF + depth at Center. Acquiring him also gives us breathing room and maneuverability to make further, solid acquisitions. We have a young, playoff caliber team as it is. These guys have good chemistry. We could stand completely pat and still move up a few notches in the WC. We don't have to look very far in the past to see how problematic Dwight can be. We don't need him. We can have a championship caliber team without him.
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Here's a fairly recent highlight mix of Andray's game this season. This dude has some handles. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XE4E96d_KPA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I like the OP thoughts. Blatche was with the WAS WIZ for all those years, that is not the best place to start a career, IMO. Look at his counterpart in Denver now. They both looked and acted alike for years. The OP never said Blatche is better than Howard. Maybe just a better fit, paired with what we already have AND could pick up for the same money, for us long term. I now Timmy O. was a beast in the D league. Maybe a smaller move like Blatche is the answer, though. Versus the Howard show and the money / cap room it would take to get it.
How many Andray Blatche threads have their been over the past 5 years? Seriously folks. Look, after the draft trades/free agency(Dwight or no Dwight)/Summer trades, etc. if Blatche wanted to sign in Houston for the minimum than I guess you have to entertain the offer, but theres no way on earth Im gambling my future of the franchise for this clown. The guy has always had natural talent at his size, but even late last season, he still had very silly moments where you are wondering if this guy is just trying to piss off his coach by taking the most ill advised shots known to man. So the main thing for me is for people to realize that even if the Rockets miss out on Dwight this Summer, there are some very, very intriguing options coming up the following year that the Rockets need to stay flexible to bring in the 2nd star that will truly make them a contender. So when bringing up guys like Blatche, JR Smith, and others time and time again on here please ALWAYS note the Terms and Conditions with each player you are intrigued with beforehand.
By most accounts, Blatche just had a good season with the Nets. He had the 3rd or 4th highest PER among PFs this season. This is obviously very good. Blatche can be had inexpensively as noted. I hardly think this is "gambling the franchise." When is 2-3 mill jeopardizing a team's future? If you sign Blatche, you fulfill a need and maintain flexibility. If it doesn't work out ideally, you have several youthful legs and potential on the bench. If Blatche can just have a similar season, you'll definitely have a bargain comparatively. Wasn't aware of the many Blatche posts. So sorry. I'll post about Lin next time. Oh wait... Make that DH. Oh wait...
