WizarDynasty wrote:Ernie has to get points for getting Markieff Morris. Not a super star but definitely the best powerforward we have had since webber and wallace.
Huh? No. Not even close.
Without bothering to look at numbers for every PF since Webber/Wallace, it's obvious that only two things matter: how good is the player? & how good was the trade itself?
To start with the 2d of those, we gave Phoenix a lottery pick in Round 1 for a guy they had been trying unsuccessfully to trade all season. It was a ridiculous over-pay -- especially since he was supposed to give us a "jolt" that would get us into the playoffs. He didn't give us any kind of jolt, & we didn't get into the playoffs.
Which brings us to the ultimate question: how good is Markieff? Answer -- not very good at all. Last year (& pretty much every year of his now 6-year career), Kieff was a below average efficiency scorer, a below average defensive rebounder, a below average offensive rebounder, slightly below average in assists, slightly above average in steals, below average in shots blocked, average in turnovers, & commited fouls at an above average rate.
All of those are in comparison to the average of all PFs in the league -- not starters, but every last guy who played any minutes at the 4 last year.
Markieff seems to be a good guy & a good teammate. He seems to be happy in DC & happy on the Wizards. I've got nothing against the guy. As a player, however, not so much.
If we'd acquired -- to take a semi-random stab -- Ersan Ilyasova instead, we'd have been better off these last years, we'd be paying a little less, & we'd have an expiring salary who might be tradable this year. Nor would Ilyasova have cost us a lottery pick. It's not that I know the guy would have been available -- though he's been traded seemingly ever 6 months the last couple of years! -- it's just an example.
In all, no, Ernie gets no points for wasting a lottery pick on Markieff Morris.