Where is Nerlens?

[bwgood77]

Knight was much better starting.

But two things about Knight. If you can take the ball out of his hands during crunch time and not allow him to overdribble and become more of a spot up shooter for Simmons and work within flow he could be a good player.

He hasn't wanted to do this, but I think part of it is he wants to prove he can get his own and play pg. Give him the right role IF he can buy in and let him start, he could have some value, especially if you can absorb his cap space and it not be an issue.

If he wasn't willing to buy in before, I don't see how he's going to be willing to after joining one of the losingest teams in NBA history. Even if he somehow does, his defense is garbage. I want no part of Knight.

I agree. I was just trying to spin in into what I was telling myself in the beginning of the year. I wouldn't trade Noel for him either. Watching him is infuriating for me. I wasn't stating anything that isn't true, but yes, I agree, but they rely on IFs that I never see happening.

That being said, I don't even know for sure if McD would pull the trigger, with another RFA C there.

[Foshan]

I'd much rather facilitate a 3 way with ORL. They are also looking for scoring.

Knight to ORL
Noel to PHX
Mario & X to PHI

I think Mario is the lowest valued asset in the group, so Philly would need to receive something, from someone. Maybe we get Len (all our bigs are hurt/sick lol) and Magic add something to Phx?

Mario should be the lowest values asset in the group. He's garbage

Well that is why philly is getting something else in the deal. Either a pick from ORL... or ORL sends more value to phx and they send us something else... I agree mario is the lowest piece, hence the "X"

[PhilasFinest]

If your bringing back Knight, id like to get a little bit more but who knows what the market is actually like.
I guess your hoping he can become a Jamal Crawford/Lou Williams type of scoring guard. He would obviously start for the time being, but after the draft who knows how the roster would look.

He's locked up for 3 more years on a pretty reasonable number for today's NBA, so he shouldn't be too hard to move down the road if things don't workout. (Roughly 14 million a year)

He has played on some dysfunctional teams, and has often battled and had to play in 2 PG sets as well, both in PHX (alongside Bledsoe) and DET(Stuckey/Gordon/Calderon). None of those teams were ever very good defensively, or even good overall:
1.DET-22nd (25 wins)
2.DET-24th (29 wins)
3.MIL-30th (15 wins)
4.MIL-4th (traded at deadline. 41 wins)
4.PHX-17th (39 wins)
5.PHX-25th (23 wins)
6.PHX-27th (Currently 6 wins)

Outside of the Milwaukee season in 14/15 (his best year), he's often been on some of the worst defensive teams in the league. Is he the problem? (ratings suggest so) but I guess if your looking for positives, He was on an improving team in Milwaukee that had the 4th best DRTG and was having a decent year prior to the trade.

During his best season in 2014-15 (he was dealt at deadline in MCW deal, after 52 games in Milwaukee) He essentially put up 18-5-5 1.6
2.3 OBPM
-.1 DBPM
2.2 BPM

But still graded out in the bottom half of point guards in RPM at the end of the year.

Maybe on a team with a defense anchored by Embiid, and surrounded with young, talented players he could turn things around and contribute more positively like in Milwaukee that year.... IDK, just trying to find some potential positives in case this was to actually go down. Seems like something that could have legs

[PhilasFinest]

I'd much rather facilitate a 3 way with ORL. They are also looking for scoring.

Knight to ORL
Noel to PHX
Mario & X to PHI

I think Mario is the lowest valued asset in the group, so Philly would need to receive something, from someone. Maybe we get Len (all our bigs are hurt/sick lol) and Magic add something to Phx?

Mario should be the lowest values asset in the group. He's garbage

Well that is why philly is getting something else in the deal. Either a pick from ORL... or ORL sends more value to phx and they send us something else... I agree mario is the lowest piece, hence the "X"

Why would Orlando even want Noel? Sure he may be an upgrade defensively, but they just signed Biyombo and owe him 17 million a year for 4 years. Acquired Ibaka in a big trade and will be required to likely offer a max extension this offseason in the 100+ million dollar range to keep him, and Vuceivic is under contract making a little more than 12 million a year for 2 more years after this.

Im not a math whiz, but add in Noel and his upcoming FA, and thats a **** ton of money tied up into 4 bigs. I dont see that happening

[Foshan]

Mario should be the lowest values asset in the group. He's garbage

Well that is why philly is getting something else in the deal. Either a pick from ORL... or ORL sends more value to phx and they send us something else... I agree mario is the lowest piece, hence the "X"

Why would Orlando even want Noel? Sure he may be an upgrade defensively, but they just signed Biyombo and owe him 17 million a year for 4 years. Acquired Ibaka in a big trade and will be required to likely offer a max extension this offseason in the 100+ million dollar range to keep him, and Vuceivic is under contract making a little more than 12 million a year for 2 more years after this.

Im not a math whiz, but add in Noel and his upcoming FA, and thats a **** ton of money tied up into 4 bigs. I dont see that happening

Trade has Noel going to Phx

[Kobblehead]

I'm not the biggest fan of either Orlando's or Phoenix's assets.

Guys I like from Orlando:
- Jodie Meeks, second string SG
- C.J. Watson, third string PG

Guys I like from Phoenix:
- Eric Bledsoe, starting PG
- Alan Williams, second string C
- Tyler Ulis, third string PG

Getting Eric Bledsoe is a pipe dream that isn't happening. I'd rather hold onto Nerlens for a few more months and cross my fingers that some more teams become interested.

[SelfishPlayer]

Mario Hezonja stinks. It's not because he is low skilled offensively, he's just not much of a team player and doesn't play any defense. He has time to change but right now his career is looking like it's headed down the Adam Morrison path...

[kriss73]

Read on Twitter

So he is alive!

[Mik317]

I like Knight....always have. Probably more than I should.

in theory he fits well next to Simmons as secondary ballhandler who can stretch the floor.

however, his ego is apparently large and he has been a secret locker room cancer and he didn't want that role with Giannis. sooooooo

yeaaaah.

[kriss73]

Read on Twitter

[Kobblehead]

I like Knight....always have. Probably more than I should.

in theory he fits well next to Simmons as secondary ballhandler who can stretch the floor.

however, his ego is apparently large and he has been a secret locker room cancer and he didn't want that role with Giannis. sooooooo

yeaaaah.

Hearing Suns fans talk about how dumb a basketball player he is is a huge turnoff. Also, those 52 games he played for Jason Kidd are about the only time in his career he looked like a starting caliber PG.

Other than that, he's basically been a low basketball IQ guy with a nice shooting stroke but below average distributing and below average defense.

I was more open to the possibility of bringing him in a couple years ago when we were desperate for any glimmer of talent we could obtain. Now, I'm a hard pass on him.

[Mik317]

yeah. It sucks too as he has all the "tools", nice size, solid athleticism, pretty long arms (IIRC), can shoot...but upstairs tho.

also dude is a professional L taker. He has been ethered so many times....

[ShirleyTemple]

Read on Twitter

[SelfishPlayer]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

[tk76]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

You are right. Scary how much even Ish would be an upgrade- especially in terms of setting up the bigs. How did this PG mess happen 2 years in a row under 2 different GM's? It literally cost Hinkie his job... and they are no better at PG right now. A team that is trying to develop its bigs should have placed a higher premium on having the right PG's.

Having a marginal and inexperienced PG like TJ on the floor for 20+ mpg is just such a terrible idea if you are trying to develop or showcase your bigs.

[PhilasFinest]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

You are right. Scary how much even Ish would be an upgrade- especially in terms of setting up the bigs. How did this PG mess happen 2 years in a row under 2 different GM's? It literally cost Hinkie his job... and they are no better at PG right now. A team that is trying to develop its bigs should have placed a higher premium on having the right PG's.

Having a marginal and inexperienced PG like TJ on the floor for 20+ mpg is just such a terrible idea if you are trying to develop or showcase your bigs.

Im not so sure they have been hell bent on developing them. If development of players was so key, they wouldn't be consistently drafting players who don't compliment each other on the floor.

Also, Ben Simmons was being looked at to essentially be our PG/Playmaker on the floor and Bayless was brought in to be that complimentary combo guard at the 1 next to him. Both unexpectedly going down certainly made things look a bit different in terms of the PG position. Erase those injuries and TJ isn't playing many minutes and Sergio is playing 15-20 mpg instead of 30+

[hookshot199]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

You are right. Scary how much even Ish would be an upgrade- especially in terms of setting up the bigs. How did this PG mess happen 2 years in a row under 2 different GM's? It literally cost Hinkie his job... and they are no better at PG right now. A team that is trying to develop its bigs should have placed a higher premium on having the right PG's.

Having a marginal and inexperienced PG like TJ on the floor for 20+ mpg is just such a terrible idea if you are trying to develop or showcase your bigs.

Three years in a row. Carter Williams missed the preseason and first seven games in 2014-2015, then played himself into shape (badly) for the next 10 games while we went 0-17.

Noel will do fine with Fernandez.

[Kobblehead]

Sergio has been an excellent addition. T.J. would be playing an 8 minute role if Bayless was healthy. Colangelo didn't neglect the PG spot. It was just a bad shake of circumstance.

[SelfishPlayer]

Serio has been an excellent addition. T.J. would be playing an 8 minute role if Bayless was healthy. Colangelo didn't neglect the PG spot. It was just a bad shake of circumstance.

How can a basketball player as horrible as Sergio ever be considered an excellent addition? He will never make more money per year for an NBA team than he did this year on his one year contract. He pulled a fast one on the NBA. He flunked out of the NBA and came back for a one year robbery while showing everyone just why he flunked out of the league.

[tk76]

I feel similarly about TJ and Sergio. Both of them are exposed on the Sixers. They belong coming off the bench of a better team. A team that can hide their weaknesses in a way that the Sixers can't. That would still be the case if Simmons and Bayless were healthy. They would be getting less minutes, but still hurting their teammates when on the floor.

I realize that long term the Sixers need a PG who fits with Simmons. But they currently need more an Ish-like PG who can break down a defense in a way that creates good looks for their bigs. Nerlens and Jah will continue to look terrible when paired with TJ. And I doubt they will look any better with Sergio- as he can't break down his man and defenses just go way under on the P&R and dare him to shoot. Partly this is measure of how limited Noel and Jah are without a jumper. But they both did great with Ish, and it is not as if he is anything so special... more that that all of the other PG's the last 3 seasons have been absolute garbage.