RealGM

Don't know how many people have listened to the Sports Guy's Podcast, but it had some very intriguing info. Basically, Simmons came to the same conclusion that we have all been at for a couple years, i.e: this is our chance, we needed to get up and take a swing at a home run pick like Cousins or Favors. Ford concurred and detailed how we had been trying desperately to move up with NJ, but that the price was simply too damn high. Simmons cited the Harpring trade exception and asked how a package like a 2012 and 2014 1st rounders, along with taking Yi off their hands (into the exception) etc etc would not entice them to move back to #9. Its a great listen, I would highly recommend anyone that hasn't listened do so.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/simmons/index

...right around the 10:00 mark.

Yep I heard that one Friday and thought 'wow, wish he was our GM'. Supposedly the guy we were going after was Cousins. I'd have been thrilled if that actually was the mindset, and I'd absolutely have given up 2 future 1st's + the 9th and taken Yi back for the Harpring exception for that chance.

Swing. For. The. Fences. Overpay for a shot at a guy like that, IMO. He could be a bust. Yep. So could John Wall, there is still no way of knowing who will be the best guy from 1-60. But I guarantee that regardless of what he turned out to be, had we matched their 'high price' (whatever it was, short of D-Will or Millsap + 9 + Future 1sts or something nuts), we'd have looked back on it and either said 'at least we tried' or 'that move changed the franchise.'

Instead, we sit on our hands, go the 'BPA' way, and we'll see if Gordon Hayward can keep the best point guard in the league from leaving Utah for good.

I don't know...that is alot of eggs to put in one basket. If your pick turned out to be a bust, you pay the price for the next 4 years--at least 2 while your free agent is under contract for top 5 pick money and then your 2 missing future 1st round picks. And if your team is down for those years, you just make other people's draft pick that much better.

I'm trying to think of any team that has made such a deal to move up at such a high cost and had it pay off for them...

Colby wrote:
Swing. For. The. Fences. Overpay for a shot at a guy like that, IMO. He could be a bust. Yep. So could John Wall, there is still no way of knowing who will be the best guy from 1-60. But I guarantee that regardless of what he turned out to be, had we matched their 'high price' (whatever it was, short of D-Will or Millsap + 9 + Future 1sts or something nuts), we'd have looked back on it and either said 'at least we tried' or 'that move changed the franchise.'

Instead, we sit on our hands, go the 'BPA' way, and we'll see if Gordon Hayward can keep the best point guard in the league from leaving Utah for good.

Couldn't agree more. Using the baseball analogy, the jazz like to bunt. They have a chance to really do something and they take the safe way. Sad, its almost like they just enjoy being mediocre.

@ Fido.... How about the Utah Jazz? I can't remember the specifics but I know we gave up at least one future first to move up for D-Will.

I'm sure they were trying to trade up, but must have thought it was too 'expensive'. So we're saying, go for it and overpay, it's our one window to get a potential franchise cornerstone to set alongside Williams and compete with the Lake Show. And we didn't.

@GP.... Because of that reason. Safely stay in our #9 spot. Pretty content to just play the hand we're dealt. It's funny, we are afraid to make the moves to get past the Lakers, so we take like '8th place' in the playoffs each year (just roll with me on that), and then we get the 9th pick...and we are too afraid to make any moves, to stick our necks out and try and create an actual contender.

It's almost as if they really enjoy being on the NBA 'backburner' so to speak, and would hate to make any splash, because we'd get a few headlines and then people would take notice if it didn't work out.

KOC seems to be pretty content just moping along and keeping his job by putting a 50 win team on the floor each year. Not a contender, but a 50 win team. Just enough to keep us intrigued and following.

Peter from Office Space: 'That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.'

Sounds like KOC.

How funny is it when I try and think of an example of a team who has traded big value to move up and get a player and had it pay off, you give me none other than KOC & the Utah Jazz--who you then turn around and bash for being "too afraid to make any moves, to stick our necks out and try and create an actual contender".

I'd say this is a reflection of risk/reward/cost. For Deron Williams (#3 pick in the draft) they traded the #6th pick (Martell Webster), #27th pick (Linas Kleiza), and a conditional 2006 first rounder (which I believe turned into the #27 pick - Sergio Rodriguez). They obviously felt that the risk/reward/cost was worth it.

Favors certainly has some questions about him since he only played 1 year in college. I would not say he is a no brainer to trade up for at a cost of:
- your $6.5 mill trade exception, adding $4 mill of salary and eliminating any other chance at a player this offseason making more than about $2 mill (which could be had with the Maynor trade exception)
- freeing up more cash for New Jersey to chase free agents--such as your own Carlos Boozer
- the #9 pick and 2 future 1st round picks in 2012 and 2014 (meaning that isn't the Grizzlies 2011 first)

If they are saying the cost was too much, I'll take their word on it more than fickle fans who talk out of both sides of their mouth. That said, I'm not thrilled with the result of the draft and hope they can work out something the rest of the offseason to address the team needs that went unresolved.

Six million and two future picks if not a lot to move up to #3 in a draft with four guys with a chance to be all-pros.

I would agree, if we could have moved up by giving up a couple first round picks and taking on Yi we should have done it. I think Cousins was a can't miss, but I'm not KOC and not sure what they know and what they are thinking. I would like to see what they are planning because who they drafted makes no sense to me. Even though I do think he's a good player, it just doesn't address much.