Dat2U wrote:fishercob wrote:I'm warming to the trade. It's a risk, but seems a worthwhile one. Of the guys we discussed -- Bogut, David Lee, Okafor, etc -- I think Nene makes the most sense.
A couple of weeks ago I pointed out that we had all of two guys on the roster who could both play the game (talent/skill) and think it (BBIQ) in wall and booker. Well, we have a third now.
And holy cow, look how much better positioned we are getting for the summer of '13 when we'll have 8-10 guys already under contract and around $30M in cap room.
Dwight -- a Dan Fegan client (someone asked) -- will be unrestricted and the new CBA gives him little incentive to stay put versus moving. Harden will be a RFA and OKC will have a tough time keeping him and Ibaka. Hell, if we don't win a top-2 pick I might trade it straight up for Harden this summer. OKC would have to look at something like that versus losing Harden for nothing.
Having another good player raises the stakes for the next two summers. I think it opens up some doors that weren't previously there.
So your warming to it, huh? Usually your first instinct is the right one. I think it's a defense mechanism all Wizard fans have. I've seen it with every deal Ernie has made, good & bad. In every case, after a couple of days, the board gets swept up in a groundswell of group think. The trade becomes an obvious positive until were clearly shown otherwise.
There's no doubt it's a defense mechanism. I talked myself into supporting the Miller/Foye trade, the Crittenton acquisition, the Blatche extension, and the Arenas and Jamison contracts. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me infinitely, and I'm an idiot. I get it. Part of it comes down to the way I view the world and the role sports fandom plays in that view. While I care deeply about the Wizards success, I don't actually give a rat's ass in the context of what's actually important. This is entertainment for me, pure and simple. And it's more entertaining for me to view the glass as half full. We don't win anything for being right around here, after all. In my case, I don't know that my first instinct is usually right (see the aforementioned reactions to other Ernie moves). I also reject the "group think" assertion; I'm fully capable of coming to bad conclusions all on my own. In fact, the guys here that I think are the smartest are some of the most vocal opponents of the move.
To me it's just a bit scary. I'd probably be more confident with the move if Ernie Grunfeld wasn't the one pulling the trigger on it. This has an Ernie style rebuild all over it. And reads nothing like what Teddy Leonsis had been preaching for the longest. It just screams a panicky & desperate GM making one last push to save his job. And McGee struck me as one of those types where the light goes on at some point in his career. Much like it did for for a guy like Tyson Chandler.
Completely agree that I'd have more faith in this if Ernie weren't in charge. He's screwed up so bad that I'm preconditioned at this point to doubt any move he makes. Keep in mind, though, that it was Daryl Morey -- Dork Elvis himself -- who was after Nene this summer to pair with Gasol (before Stern stepped in and blew up his plan) . If Morey ran the show here, Nivek and his band of nerds (of which I am one) would have given the move the benefit of the doubt from the outset, right?
I agree (and pointed out myself) that this seems off message for Ted. But it doesn't prevent them from continuing to build through the draft and keeping a fair amount of cap flexibility. I don't see the light going on for Javale "
I can't say I do" McGee. I talked myself into supporting Javale for a couple years by charting his progress compared to Chandler and Camby's. But the truth is that Epic Vale -- despite his shotblocking prowess -- continues to be a net negative on D. He doesn't have the fire, heart, or smarts to put him in the same league as Chandler or Camby. What can anyone reasonable expect after Vale gets PAID this summer?
Now as I mentioned a few pages back, if this is followed up by an aggressive approach of trying to immediately build a contender by adding additional veteran pieces, then the move makes more sense. But if were simply continuing to rebuild by developing our remaining youth and remaining patient, then I really got to question the logic and timing of this trade.
It doesn't make sense to try to "immediately" build a contender. John's game isn't ready. WIth Nene in the fold we are up to a grand total of three players who have both rotation-worthy talent as well as brains. But three is better than two. By the end of this summer, we could have four, maybe five of those guys. We have to build this incrementally; we're not going to just make two huge Boston moves and be a contender. Our long term cap situation still looks very good.
But I agree that the move makes more sense IFF there are multiple complementary moves in the near future. If the follow up is drafting Harrison Barnes, overpaying this year's version of Mike Miller, and then signing the next Hilton Armstrong, then yeah, boo. BUt I think there will be better opportunities on the table. Hopefully Ted replaces Ernie to find those opportunities, though I am not holding my breath at this point.
