At this point...you ONLY trade AB if you can get someone like Bosh. AB has turn into an All-Star player for now.
And you have been clamoring for Lowry to be the starter in numerous other threads, and are just recanvassing the same tired arguments. Why not enjoy the better player of the two, Brooks? Why not just sit back and watch a player who is top 20 in scoring coming into his own and think...wow, did we get lucky to get this guy at the 26th pick? Why get hung up in outdated thoughts on team building where a team needs a John Stockton like player at the point. AB is our best player, is only in his 3rd year, first year starting and is getting better and better.....I mean wtf would you want to trade him now? Did the Pistons b**** about the salary cap when Isaiah Thomas was their smallish PG? Did the Spurs with Parker, did the 76ers with AI early? Come on...this thread is just a continuation of a tired argument that has been proven time and time again to be inaccurate. Give it up....your side is wrong, and the start Lowry crowd is dwindling by the day. All this proves to me, is that there is nothing COMMON about sense. DD
Just for the record (I guess, from post #150 onward) I have NOT been calling for Aaron to be traded. I'm only lamenting about the endgame and commenting on one of DD's posts (which have been really insightful). Would love to see AB dish to Carl or Luis more in an endgame and see a second drive to the hoop / higher percentage shot than a 6'0'' dude blazing up to the basket on a sudden double team, etc. I am sorry for the hijack in that regard... Earlier in this topic, I was also in favor of starting Aaron and Kyle in the backcourt more often, if only because that's an exciting tandem we've got to work with right now, and it has always felt like an fun / wildcard sort of way to go up and down the floor IMHO...
Ok, so if I understand what you're saying, you would build around AB. you'd pair him with a competent but not All-Star SG (because we don't live in a uncapped league) that presumably makes up for some of AB's size and defensive deficiencies. In such an arrangement, AB plays a greater scoring role than the SG you'd pair him with. I don't think that's insane, but I don't think that's ideal. I'd rather have Lowry and a SG that plays off the ball and is a featured scorer.
Planet G raises a good point, and your point that it's basically year 1 for AB is a valid response. Basically, it's not clear whether AB can be a closer type player for a contender, but you shouldn't dismiss the concern.
I think there needs to be more than one option, if you recall, the guy hitting shots late in games is a lot of times complimentary players etc. Horry, Paxson, Maxwell, Kerr, Von..... The problem right now, is that AB doesn't have anyone to pass the ball to to make that shot right now, outside of perhaps Landry...who is usually covered up. We need a 2nd penetrating player at the SG spot....that is why Lowry and Brooks play a lot together..... Now imagine if you take a guy who can also score and dribble at a wing position.....the team takes off. If you replace AB with Lowry and add another SG, you still only have ONE scoring threat on the perimeter.....as Lowry is not one. I prefer having TWO scoring threats. DD
I think the Rockets are lucky to have two very good, up-and-coming, albeit different point guards. This creates so many matchup problems and gives Adelman so many different options to run his offense. It's a blessing to have both and I wouldn't trade either one. Let's focus on wing players and interior-minded bigs, plz.
Rubio is much more highly touted, and at the time, AB had a very small body of work. I wonder if DM would make that same move now? Now that AB is a top 20ppg scorer in the NBA.... AB has probably exceeded their expectations, and is only getting better. He is a 23ppg and 6apg starter IMO... DD
1. You must have me confused with someone else. I rarely post and I'm not sure I've ever advocated starting Lowry over Brooks on this team. This thread isn't about who should start on this team as presently constructed. So you know, on this team, it would be a bad idea to start lowry because the first unit needs AB's skill set, and Lowry's the perfect trigger man for the bench brigade. 2. I'm not calling for AB to be traded now. I would serious explore trading him this year or next, depending on when his value is highest. One could reasonably argue that his value is highest now, based on production relative to cost and contract. 3. So, here's my challenge to you Dada. Within bounds of reason and salary cap, articulate the makeup of the team you would build around AB. Keep in mind that the idea is not to build a team that just makes the playoffs. The criteria is to build a team that can be in the Top 4 in the West and have a credible argument of challenging the elite teams. I've shown you what I'd rather have as rotation players, as follows: Starting Unit Lowry Scoring SG like Kevin Martin or to a lesser extent, Caron Butler Ariza Landry Yao Such a lineup has no real weaknesses and returns Ariza to his best role as a spot up shooter from distance, fast break finisher and defensive hawk. Our best 5 could match up with the best 5 of the elite teams. Bench - Standard Backup PG - MLE Quality Combo Guard or Wing Player with AB's skill set, but to a lesser degree. Somewhere between a Flip Murray and Jamaal Crawford. (I can't some up with the right example for some reason. I'll dig around rosters and come up with something. - Buddinger/Battier - Nocioni as a stretch PF, Dorsey as a Rebounding PF - true backup C for Yao.
It's a question of assets. We can't just snap our fingers and get a quality wing or big. There's a salary cap and luxury tax. The question is the proper use of existing assets, like AB, to construct a contender. You've missed the question completely by just wishing for a wing and interior player. Three letters for your consideration: H-O-W?
He changes the tempo because he comes in for Battier and the Rockets go small. I'm sure if Lowry started, then Brooks came in for Battier instead, the tempo would change just as much.
Oh, one last point - As you can surmise from my proposed roster above, I have shifted our assets by reducing the allocation to PG play (moving AB), and increasing the focus on wing players by adding a Kevin Martin and a MLE quality backup SG.
That starting lineup you proposed is still lacking. And your premise that you need to trade AB to get a starting caliber wing is off too. Why not trade Lowry, keep Brooks and still get a starting wing? Look, you may have not posted about this topic in the past, if search was working, I would clearly look it up. But either way, Brooks is better with Yao than Lowry, he is better with KMart than Lowry, he is just flat out better than Lowry. DD
No, but Rondo would not be as successful in Houston as AB is.....having Pierce and Allen to pass the ball to on the perimeter opens things up a LOT for Rondo. DD
Cmon now Dada. Don't shrink from my question. What's the roster youd build. It's easy to say I don't want to eat at Shady Grove. Tell me where you want to eat. How is the lineup I propose lacking. In offense? Defense? I've skewed it a little toward defense with lowry and Ariza and the ability to sub in Battier if he's needed along side Ariza. But the starting lineup should have enough scoring with Yao, Landry, SG and the capabilities of Lowry and Ariza as a spot up shooter.
