in the trade thread, barelyawake wrote:Blowup this team and bring in a new culture. I've said a million times, the first step would be to get us a leader -- a vet who is tough and has been to (or close to -- at least in college) the show. It doesn't matter how he produces now. What matters is he is in place to help develop Blatche, Java and a Favors or whomever we draft. Get me a guy who will lead a team for the next three years (as youth develop). That's step one in rebuilding. Get me a PJ Brown type who hates to lose. To me, the closest I can think of is Shane. Too bad there isn't someone else who commands immediate respect (for instance, Shaq).
Now, hang on him a few pieces that have out of this world potential (Wall, Favors, etc). Keep adding TOUGH vets who have been to the show and have won something (Kurt Thomas types, AD types), until your youth have learned how to play (forget about winning, just get them to understand what it takes to win). Develop a culture of defense. Trade all players who show an ounce of not giving 100%. There is no teaching toughness.
We should get one good young player and one Shanetype out of our big three. Then, draft Favors or Wall. And we shouldn't shoot for the playoffs without two young players in place -- a big and a small (both of whom are leaders). So, keep adding tough, older players to help develop our youth as we build (don't sign guys just to get us into the playoffs). That's how I build a real contender. It starts by trading now and tanking for this great draft coming up.
Pre-java rambling perhaps... But, that's what I've wanted us to do for close to a decade. We kept missing step friggin one -- get a tough, vet leader.
Barely and I butted heads pretty hard over the summer about the direction of the team, and through 22 games it's pretty clear that he, Dat, closg, etc., have been right.
Mea culpa.
When I look at the league's elite right now I see a couple of different things -- LA, Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, San Antonio (even though SA's record isnt elite, their 4 titles are). All those teams have a common thread -- a two-way superstar who sets the tone at both ends of the floor and behind whom everyone else falls in line.
Then there's another group: Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix. They're more "team" and less "superstar" oriented. They all are great in either offense or defense, and good in the other (except PHX who is 27th in D).
Gilbert Arenas, god love him, is never going to be a great two way player. He doesn't give a rat's ass about defense, and I don't think he ever will. Miller31time and dandridge10 have pointed this out for some time. That being the case, CCJ was right -- the contract for Gil was a big mistake. You just can't pay first tier superstar money to a guy who doesn't play both ends of the floor and who doesn't provide any leadership or emotional tone-setting. Lebron, KG, Duncan, Kobe, etc simply do not their teammates to take nights off. Gil can't and won't ever be that guy.
So knowing that, what do we do? Do we try to become one of the "A" or "B" group? I think barely's plan above presupposes the ability to figuratively hit the lotto. That said, I agree that we need some emotional tonesetters in here to change the feel of things fast. Maybe all three of the mislabled "Big 3" need to go. Maybe only two or one.
The point is that Ernie worked toward a vision and it didn't materialize. It's looking increasingly likely that the worst will come true -- that we'll have traded the #5 pick in the draft for one-year rentals or that it'll cost us Haywood. If that's the case (and by the way, I've held this all along even though I'm sure some here will paint be as unabashed Ernie defender) the Grunfeld needs to go.
If we're going to suck, I'd rather suck with Ricky RUbio developing overseas or Curry or Jennings or Johnny Flynn to show for it.
This sucks.
