richboy wrote:Wone wrote:
no perkins and okc stays the same where they were before they got him. that's all i'm saying. that trade MADE okc a title contender. perkins provided the defensive anchoring big that okc needed and didn't have when they had krstic and green instead.
Perkins jumped on a stock that was already rising. He was right place right time. As a player he has been horrible. He hasn't made them a title contender. Statistically they are much better when Nick Collison plays.
OKC instantly improved with the Perkins trade not because of Perkins. They improved because Jeff Green was one of the worst PFs in the league. He couldn't guard or rebound his position at all. With Green on the team Harden development was slow. Getting rid of Green and the improvement of Westbrook and Harden has them in this position. They didn't need Perkins to do that. Same thing would have happened if they moved Collison in as the starter.
ok i agree with you for the most part but that last sentence is pushing it. if they had just collison and ibaka they woud be thin as hell in the front court. perkins is still one of the best interior defenders in the league. he had higher defensive rating and more defensive win shares than nick collison.
