artest would have gone to LA anyway, he's been wanting to play with kobe since 08 and La is also the best place for him to keep his music going.
No Artest, means we are either starting a rookie Greene, Von Wafer or trying to trade mid season, when McGrady goes down. Either way, their probably would have been a drop off in our record which means we probably could have been higher in the draft. Although as someone else said, this is all useless and unrealistic to think things would have fell the exact same way it did for the Kings with Houston picking with our pick.
Sorry, but taking out the Lakers in game 1 of the Western Semis, fueled by Yao's Willis Reed moment makes this trade worth it. With Artest and a healthy Yao, the Lakers were beatable.
I'm just replying to those who think that we would do everything exactly the same. Either way, neither Greene nor Cassipi are starters for us THIS year, and there's no reason to believe they would be the 'solution' as a starter next year either. In fact, to this point, Budinger looks just as valuable a contributor. So pointless to cry over two 'contributors' - surely we can easily find someone else to play 3rd string PF?
I'm not going to get into this one because in my mind, we've had a wheel type of effect. Notice i said my mind. I think a franchise can get into trouble when they give or trade away first rd picks. Why? If the guys produce, they're cheap and they're groing in your system on your team. I think the trading of those picks still reveolve around the #8 pick being traded. Had that pick been made and a good player was drafted that was developing, the artest trade wouldn't have never happened.
A lot of things would be different. With Greene instead of Artest, there's a good chance we don't make the playoffs last year. Which means there's a good chance Yao is playing right now, delaying the inevitable.
Ronnie Brewer? Take the best player on the board and let it work out. Thats what i said about it then and now. When we get into this type of talk, people always think i'm talking about gay when i'm not. I was a huge ronnie brewer fan and i think he would've been great. I thought he brought everything the rockets needed at that time. The rockets needed a guy with size on the wing that could slash,defend,handle, and get to the rim. To me, brewer fit all those to a T. I didn't think Gay would be there and i think thats why he gets thrown in the conversation. Guys like DD and a few other wanted jj and myself and others wanted brewer. Some were calling JJ overrated duke system player and others were calling brewer rodrick rhodes part 2. I think if gay or brewer were on the squad, the ron artest trade wouldn't have ever happened.
I doubt it especially considering how many games they won when mcgrady was hurt anyway. Ron had his faults, but his threat at least gave the team a better 2nd option than luther head or rafer alston.
