Sekou's new blog - a depressing read

[JoshB914]

It's important to mention that BK "resigned" and wasn't fired. The fact that it looked like he chose to go could save his career. We do have some young talent that he assembled (albeit because he couldn't possibly screw up so many lotto picks), he'll look a lot better if we start to have some success and he's remembered as the guy who built much of this team and walked away, instead of the idiot who lucked into Josh Smith and JJ and was fired soon after.

It wouldn't surprise me if BK is keeping quiet because ASG did him a HUGE favor by not firing him.

[tisbee]

Killbuckner,
Money talks,and it sometimes it buys silence. A generous severance package might include a no comment clause. BK did walk out on his contract and ownership may have given him a nice severance deal that included keeping his mouth shut about internal team dealings.
Doesn't mean the whole alledged trade came close,just means there are other reasons BK might not talk.

If it was Knight trying to rehab himself,I'd expect something along the lines of:
"Yeah Paul and Williams were talented,we had some misgivings,but so did some other teams,but the main reason we didn't draft them is PGs take several yrs to develope and we thought a more established PG would help us win now. We didn't want to go thru several losing seasons w/a young team while the rookie points developed. We knew we had a decent shot at landing JJ and w/a good young PG we thought we'd hang around the Playoff chase and then w/that experience and a tweak or two,we'd be in it for the next decade. And I might point out once we got a vet point who was healthy enough to play,we did make it into the Playoffs."

[killbuckner]

I think you are crazy if you think that the ASG would pay Knight a severance when he didn't even have a contract. This is a CHEAP ownership group.

And I didn't believe it the last time there was an anonymous source spreading a rumor that the ASG vetoed a trade for Amare- the trade didn't make any sense which made the whole rumor just ridiculous to me. Of course it turned out that the story wasn't true. Why would I believe it this time when there is another ridiculous rumor by an anonymous source? The suns wouldn't have done the Amare trade, the Raptors wouldn't do Calderon for Childress.

[conleyorbust]

I think you are crazy if you think that the ASG would pay Knight a severance when he didn't even have a contract. This is a CHEAP ownership group.

And I didn't believe it the last time there was an anonymous source spreading a rumor that the ASG vetoed a trade for Amare- the trade didn't make any sense which made the whole rumor just ridiculous to me. Of course it turned out that the story wasn't true. Why would I believe it this time when there is another ridiculous rumor by an anonymous source? The suns wouldn't have done the Amare trade, the Raptors wouldn't do Calderon for Childress.

You are twisting here. The Amare thing was shot down by Sekou, just like the Smith-Woody thing.

I feel much more comfortable taking hints from Sekou's "sources" than the national media, obviously not all of these guys have the same goals in mind when they decide who to believe. Granted, many of us thought Calderon was awsome last season but he was still a 9-5 player at age 25 and the Raptors were in the position of having to move one of thost two guys eventually. It wasn't the stretch you make it seem.

[killbuckner]

COB- I think its just as ridiculous as the Amare rumors. I think there is literally zero chance that the Raptors would have done Calderon for Childress. Childress just wasn't worth that much- he was a backup SF where Calderon was certainly seen as a starting PG. There is a massive difference in value. Is all just anonymous sources spouting total crap. And I say this as someone who was on board before last season with doing Marvin for Calderon which I considered to be a fair trade- but there is no way that the raptors would have done Childress for him.

[conleyorbust]

Childress just wasn't worth that much- he was a backup SF where Calderon was certainly seen as a starting PG. There is a massive difference in value. Is all just anonymous sources spouting total crap.

Huh? They were both backups and Childress was younger and more productive (although there were certainly those who thought Calderon was a better player). You have even said that Chil should have been starting here and there were, according to Josh himself, teams offering SnTs to make him a starter. To say that Chil was a backup and Calderon could have been a starter is one of the more ridiculous things I've heard you say. There was MUCH more evidence that Chil could be a starter as he had been a starter for much of his rookie season.

Calderon had been backing up Ford who had seemed completely healthy and had just finished a very effective season. You wouldn't have traded Gasol for Kwame, but it happened. Just because you, killbuckner, don't like a deal doesn't mean it couldn't have happened.

This could have shaken out a couple ways, Calderon could have been a guy that just did well in limited minutes or had just had a blip year shooting, remember he was 25 and had never been that accurate before. If that had been the case and they hadn't been willing to trade him for Childress, a consistent contributor at a position of need, when they already had a point guard, they would have been lambasted.

As it turned out, Ford got punched by Horford and Calderon proved he could start but you are being extremely hyperbolic with your comments about how the Raps would never consider this.

EDIT: don't take the above as a an indictment of Jose, obviously he is a much better player and I was more than willing to throw our Acie pick in there to get him... but there was certainly logic from the Raps side.

[killbuckner]

If we were able to go back and look at the long Childress for Calderon thread you would see I was saying the exact same thing at the time. Calderon was openly talked about as a top 15 PG even then. It was a legitimate starting PG for a borderline staring SF... there is a world of difference in value. I laughed and people then who thought that the Hawks could get Calderon for Childress (and even harder at the people who said they wouldn't do childress for calderon) and I laugh at it now. An anonymous source who won't even give a valid reason is definitely not going to make me change my mind on it.

[conleyorbust]

An anonymous source who won't even give a valid reason is definitely not going to make me change my mind on it.

Thats fair enough, I just disagree with the position that BK would admit that to make himself look better but also the position that there was that much of an element of certainty about Jose's ability.

I believed in it and, like you, I thought it was silly for a Hawks fan to not want that trade (even with the 11 thrown in), but from a pure value standpoint they were in the same position as us. A backup who was starting caliber for a similar player at a position of greater need.

[killbuckner]

And actually I will admit that I have had more time to think and have come up with great reason why BK might not come out on the record trying to clear his name on this even if it was right about it. (Say it was Childress plus something for Calderon and the something just got left out of the story to Sekou). If he went to a reporter just to clear his name on this, the very next question would be about taking Marvin over Deron and Paul. Then the next question would be about Shelden Williams. Then the next question would be about Childress over Iguodala and Deng. And so on and so forth and I can certainly why BK doesn't want to answer all of those questions as well. I am not at all trying to say that BK was to blame and the ownership is great, in fact I have probably been the biggest critic of the ASG. Just that I don't believe the story how it was relayed. I still think that an owner stepping in to stop a trade like this where money isn't an issue is exceptionally rare and it would have somehow made the news at the time, but I agree that there could be reasons for BK not to be out there telling a reporter on the record that he was correct in this situation.

[NDaATL]

When a GM gets fired and the GM is being blamed then why wouldn't the GM say what really happened?

BK did not get fired. BK resigned.

You are really giving the ASG too much credit. First of all, in 2006 Calderon averaged 8 and 5, and despite his good numbers in limited minutes, noone knew if he was a starting caliber player. Meanwhile, Toronto needed an SF badly and Childress was averaging 13 and 6 and shooting 50%. I guess EVERY rumor about the ASG blocking BKs moves is completely wrong? I guess the THREE reports that BK tried to fire Woodson and was overridden were also wrong? Stop giving credit to losers, you are being an apologist.

Not to mention, it's rare that former GM's badmouth their former teams, because when a person develops a reputation as that type of person, other teams won't want to work with them in the future.

[JoshB914]

^^^ I agree with most of that. But I still say a good organization would have traded for Calderon. Despite his underwhelming stats, it was clear that he was well on his way to being a very good PG in the league.

[magee]

Not sure if this was brought up about the Childress-Calderon rumors, but the main reason it could've happened was because Chris Bosh was a big fan of Ford. Calderon just finished his rookie season and the idea was being floated around. BK was probably hesitant because Childress was a proven commodity as a garbage man next to the bona fide stars in Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Could Calderon really come in and have a big impact? I'm not trying to defend his logic, just trying to figure out if that was what he was thinking at the time. I know I would've made the deal in a heartbeat.

In all actuality, everyone knows the front office is in flux. Not much can be done except bring in new blood. Either have an ownership group who is willing to pay top dollar for smart scouts and young front office guys or a GM that isn't afraid of going big or going home. Like me.

[Charcoal Filtered]

When John Nash first took the Blazers job, he claimed that it was his choice to draft Kobe Bryant and it was overruled when with the Nets. It is easy to say in hindsight you championed a killer trade, whether it be true or not.