Generally speaking, you're wrong. Posey made mle money while in Miami and not in Boston. Pietrus makes close to mle money, but that's it. Aflalo doesn't, Bowen never did, Elie didn't, and Barnes hasn't ever made mle money either. Thus, I fail to see how the majority of my examples were players who were paid mle +/- a couple hundred Ks. I also fail to see how these players were or are worse than Battier. Most of them have comparable #s to Battier. Again, overall, you're wrong. First, you're incorrect to say that the examples I provided are "worse players." Second, you're now changing the criteria you initially laid out. You stated that, "I consider an above average role player being 4-7th best player on a team, and those are not as easy to acquire." Now you're saying that capable starters that can play up to 30-35 mpg are not readily available. Even though you've totally changed your own criteria, lets examine your statement to see if it's factually correct. I hope you'll allow me a little leeway since you've moved the goal posts. Posey has played close to 30 mpg, vacillating between being a starter and one of the first guys off the bench, for his career and he's been readily available. Same with Elie in Houston and San Antonio. I don't know if Bowen started for Miami and some of the previous teams he was with, but a few times he averaged over 20 mpg and 30 mpg once before going to San Antonio as a free agent and becoming a regular starter who played over 30 mpg. Aflalo is averaging close to 30 mpg this year for Denver and they acquired him for a second rd draft pick. Both Pietrus and Barnes have averaged around around or over 25 mpg for the past couple of seasons either starting or being 6th man type of players and they've been available as well. Again, your thoughts and ideas don't hold up once we scratch beneath the surface and really examine them. A term like ringwhoring doesn't seem to be a very positive one to me. I'm glad you agree with me.
Thats how I was at the Draft Party when we drafted Gay then traded him for Battier (who I didnt know much about at the time.)
Well 4-7th best players should be able to start and play heavy minutes when needed. If they can't, they really aren't above average role players. Your examples, what six of them you bothered to present, are worse players like Afflalo(when acquired) and Barnes or 35 year old Mario Elie, who was supposed to be close to done( This is relevant because for every Elie, there are lots of Brent Barrys of Derek Andersons who actually were done and couldn't quite carry the role they were signed for.), or Posey and Pietrus who make basically MLE money. And your use of the term readily available is quite misleading. Just because you have given these examples, and even if they all were comparable, it doesn't mean that every contending team had these kind of players to choose from. Giving 6 examples from a ten year span isn't really a convincing proof. What if we wanted to get Posey in the summer of 2007 for 3M? He would have told Morey to get lost, most likely. And using your logic of acquiring Afflalo, I could say players like Kobe Bryant are readily available too since they only had to give up an above average role player to get him.
