My Last Stand- KOTB: ATL|MIN

[SCourGe OF GoD]

ATL Gets: Derrick Williams


MIN Gets: Anthony Morrow, Anthony Tolliver, 2013 2nd rounder, 2014 2nd rounder



-Wolves get their SG and a former big to add to their depth

-Danny Ferry gets a former 2nd overall pick to add to his re-building efforts

[HartfordWhalers]

I don't think its enough to Minnesota. And I don't think its your last stand. Go on and keep the pressure on Trader Joe to win this.


Yeah, KOTB no, not enough to Minnesota.

[shrink]

Over the last three weeks, the smart people on this board and MIN's have really changed my view around a lot on what MIN needs at SG. And since there isn't a specific view for the forum, I think it's almost impossible for a poster from another team to keep up. So let me give you my spin.

Shved has been fantastic at SG so far -- currently #4 on NBA.com's rookie ladder. He plays good defense, he's got Rubio-esque vision, and he generally makes the right play like a veteran with several more years in the NBA. Perhaps the biggest endorsement is from win-now Adelman, since he generally puts Shved on the floor in the fourth, and often with the ball in his hands.

Many wolves fans believe that we already have their SG, and trading for a better one would simply block Shved's development. However, a rising number would love to see Shved in a Manu-type role off the bench - but on the floor in the fourth. His overall game helps many bench players that have more limited skill-sets. His defense slows down big runs, and his poise calms these players. Moreover, when Rubio gets back, MIN can force a team to have to defend this Rubio-esque passing for a full 48 minutes.

If MIN uses Shved this way, they have a logjam at SG. They don't have a legit starter, but they have Shved, Buddinger (when he gets back), Malcolm Lee and Ridnour all vying for back-up SG minutes. So I think they have four choices:

1. No trade - Start Shved .. Shved/Buddinger/Lee looks realistic
2. No trade - Start Buddinger .. Buddinger/Shved/Lee isn't as appealing
3. Trade for a great starting SG .. force shved to find back-up mins at 1 or 2, not on floor in 4th quarter
4. Trade for a good starting SG ..

I'm at #4 right now. We need to avoid adding a SG who's another back-up because of potential logjams. The guy could be a legit starter, but maybe a vet that only handles 20-25 minutes a game. Preferably he's on a shorter contract too (1-2 years), since we don't after 18 games just how big Shved is going to blow up. It's be nice if the player can defend (offense generally isn't lackingfor the wolves), hiit and open threem and move without the ball. As an example, I've mentioned Rip Hamilton before he got injured.

OK - sorry for the long post, but when I see a poster working as hard as you are GhostX on trade proposals, I feel you deserve the extra time.

[AQuintus]

Remember the old thread about how you can tell when a trade is bad?

Here's a new one: You know a trade is bad when it includes 2nd round picks.

[theatlfan]

From ATL's perspective, I'd honestly prefer the cap space over having Willims on the roster. Now, I realize that I'm seen as a Williams hater, but the reality of our situation is that we're holding out hopes of making a run @ a max/near max FA while trying to hold onto the likes of Smoove, Horford, Teague and possibly even some others (Korver and Zaza being the top 2 on that list). Cap room will be tight and we're already in a situation where, if things go well, we'll be forced to make some very tough decisions. I see no need to make these decisions even worse by committing $5+M to our cap next year for someone who hasn't done anything of note yet in the NBA. If there was something out there were I thought that Williams would intrigue Ferry, then I'd sing a different tune, but absent of that, I'd have to think he'd go forward with the plan that looks like it's already on the table over this one.