Game Thread 02/11: Pacers vs. Hornets

[Scoot McGroot]

But did it help his team win? Nope, and we're without Vic. I'm not impressed with Kemba's stat stuffing.

It's not the same. Without Vic, you still have Myles Turner, Thad Young, Bojan, and even Collison to play over 20 minutes a night and help fill the gaps. For Charlotte? Well, they only play Kemba, Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams, and Cody Zeller over 20 minutes a night. That's his supporting help. Other than Kemba, would any of those guys be anything more than situational role players on any other roster in the league? Instead, they're being asked to be second options. Kemba's playing hard, and playing well, but he's simply not superman.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHO/2019.html

That's a messed up line up and pricey to boot. That team has drafted poorly and handed out money like drunk sailors on shore leave. But Kemba doesn't make his team mates better, Batum and Marvin Williams are in the scrub category and getting paid like top players. My point on Kemba is that he's gonna want $30-32 million a year if no more. He's not worth it, put him on a team with some good players and his huge stats will drop right off.

I don't know. I don't think that's much more than a 20 win roster without Kemba there, so I think he clearly makes them better.

And the thing about unrestricted free agency and overpaying guys like Kemba a bit (or Tobias, Middleton, whomever), is that you are able to acquire them without having to trade away picks, players, etc. Now, we'd have to make decisions on whom we keep this offseason, but with everyone hitting free agency, it's also their time to decide if they want to come back, too. Sure, we could be giving up the chance to resign CoJo and Collison to sign Kemba, but we could likely still keep at least one of Bojan/Thad, IF they want to return. The overpaying in salary means we don't have to overpay in picks/players AND THEN also overpay in salary.

[basketballwacko2]

It's not the same. Without Vic, you still have Myles Turner, Thad Young, Bojan, and even Collison to play over 20 minutes a night and help fill the gaps. For Charlotte? Well, they only play Kemba, Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams, and Cody Zeller over 20 minutes a night. That's his supporting help. Other than Kemba, would any of those guys be anything more than situational role players on any other roster in the league? Instead, they're being asked to be second options. Kemba's playing hard, and playing well, but he's simply not superman.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHO/2019.html

That's a messed up line up and pricey to boot. That team has drafted poorly and handed out money like drunk sailors on shore leave. But Kemba doesn't make his team mates better, Batum and Marvin Williams are in the scrub category and getting paid like top players. My point on Kemba is that he's gonna want $30-32 million a year if no more. He's not worth it, put him on a team with some good players and his huge stats will drop right off.

I don't know. I don't think that's much more than a 20 win roster without Kemba there, so I think he clearly makes them better.

And the thing about unrestricted free agency and overpaying guys like Kemba a bit (or Tobias, Middleton, whomever), is that you are able to acquire them without having to trade away picks, players, etc. Now, we'd have to make decisions on whom we keep this offseason, but with everyone hitting free agency, it's also their time to decide if they want to come back, too. Sure, we could be giving up the chance to resign CoJo and Collison to sign Kemba, but we could likely still keep at least one of Bojan/Thad, IF they want to return. The overpaying in salary means we don't have to overpay in picks/players AND THEN also overpay in salary.

If I could get a Middleton or Walker for the cost of Collison and Joseph plus a little I'd be ok for that, but to give those guys $32 million it's not just 2 guys we'd be unable to sign so it's kinda like a trade. There is the trade off from what we have at a reasonable price and the expensive guy. I said it before I don't want to pay Tier 1 money for Tier 2 players.

The bold part, this is why I so strongly objected to trading for Kemba, he's gonna want that big money so if you ship them players and picks and then have to sign him it's just as bad. I think we agree that signing Middleton for $30 million is a mistake. I say that for Walker as well.

If we can't get players that we want at the right price, then I'd use the space to bring in some 2 year contracts and get some assets in the process.