Suns Explore Trade for Josh Smith

[Jamaaliver]

At least Josh Smith can lead us back to being a perennial treadmill team fighting for those ever-so-precious 7th-8th seeds in the Western Conference.

Bingo! But Josh plus a top guard in the summer can make you guys a threat...seriously. Last spring, with our other two top players out, Josh averaged like 24/10/5 over the course of a month.

He has his moments. But he's been a polarizing figure here for the last 6 years. He just REALLY needs a fresh start.

I'd imagine that acquiring Josh puts you guys in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes this summer, also.

[Rip2137]

Yeah, there is NO WAY that Phoenix gives up a high pick AND their only Center who is locked into another year for a free agent to be PF where they have 3 other players.

Besides...I would rather have Jefferson if I had to trade Josh. While he is a horrible defender, and can't pass for crap, he gives a low post presence and can rebound. Gortat is not a good defender, not a great scorer, not that great a rebounder...he is a mediocre at everything type of player.

Case in point, you give Zaza 32 minutes a game he will put up 11 and 9 or 10...aka Gortats numbers. So if you are going to move Josh, you would do just as well moving him for bench debt or a real starting 2 instead of a mediocre, should be a backup like Gortat.

[Jamaaliver]

Yeah, there is NO WAY that Phoenix gives up a high pick AND their only Center who is locked into another year for a free agent to be PF where they have 3 other players.

Gortat is not a good defender, not a great scorer, not that great a rebounder...he is a mediocre at everything type of player.

Case in point, you give Zaza 32 minutes a game he will put up 11 and 9 or 10...aka Gortats numbers.

While I actually agree with most of this, you may have just explained why PHX is willing to part with Gortat.

Also, from their perspective, Josh Smith is a better building block for the future and could help them recruit a top flight Free Agent over the summer. They're already one of the worst teams in the league, and have been for a while now. Trading Gortat for Josh at least gives them some direction and hope.

At worst, it's a salary dump where they get rid of a very 'mediocre at everything type of player'.

[tcorbin]

the whole idea makes me go ......... ehhhhhhhhhhh

pros:
legit 7 foot center
1.8 blocks per game
1 year left at $8 million
age 28

cons:
no more Steve Nash
11ppg
9rpg
points and rebounds are about the same as Zaza
not a game changing big
his production doesn't really result in wins for the Suns
will never be all star material
cannot create his own shot

it is nice to have a legit 7 foot center, but Gortat is not a game changing big, like Gasol, so i don't see him making the Hawks better or worst

Gortat = Samuel Dalembert
Gortat = Brendan Haywood

Dalembert and Haywood were nothing special when they were on the Sixers or Wizards, and ultimately the same can be said about Gortat not being anything speical on the Suns now that Nash is not there.

i like Gortat, but i think some people on realgm overrate him and that is not his fault. with that said, i think the trade would be a lateral move, i wouldn't do it, but if it happen, i wouldn't be upset about it either.

whether you are skeptical about the Dwight Howard move or not, skeptics can't deny that Ferry is on full force to target Dwight this summer, Ferry has not only publicly said that offer Dwight max this summer, but he has also made moves to build a team around Dwight by getting Korver, Jenkins, Louis, and Marrow, along with coddling Josh. so with that said, i don't see Ferry making a trade.

[tcorbin]

I'm mentally preparing myself for the absolute ridiculous lopsided trade you guys are going to get from us. Knowing the Suns, we'll probably give up Gortat, Dudley, and our first round pick this year. At least Josh Smith can lead us back to being a perennial treadmill team fighting for those ever-so-precious 7th-8th seeds in the Western Conference.

no offense, but Gortat is not that good, he is 7 foot, modest points and rebounds, and him and Scola don't get wins for his team.

[Hawk4Playoffs]

I would personally love to have Gortat on this team. I think he is far superior to Zaza. He is better in every way than Zaza. He would fit in perfectly for the Hawks. He would move Al to his natural position. Gortat wouldn't have to do much on the Hawks... just rebound and block shots.

Although I do agree that Pau would be a better fit for the Hawks, I don't think he is on the market. I think Dantoni is a full (Please Use More Appropriate Word) and will be fired before the end of the season. How can Gasol be on the bench? Trading for Smoove wouldn't make the Lakers a better team. In fact i think they would be much worse. Lakers would have lost their best post player. Josh's best year is about as good as Gasol's career numbers. Can you imagine Smoove and Kobe on the same team? Imagine Josh taking a 3 pointer with Kobe on the floor. I think Kobe would destroy Josh's ego... which would probably be good for Josh's future. The fact is I just don't see the Hawks getting Gasol, D12 or anybody decent. I think Gortat is probably the best guy we can get for Josh. I am 100% for trading Josh for Gortat and expiring. Gortat would be a perfect 1 year rental.

[Rip2137]

You guys and your "al at the PF" thinking. Al is not a PF, never been a PF and would not work as a PF. It spot work, sure, just like Josh works in spots as a SF. But 99 percent of the time, having all on a quicker defensively player that is away from the rim ANYWAY (thus taking away that midrange shot) as opposed to players he is quicker than off the dribble, up the court and guys that play closer to the rim and don't like coming out to contest jumpshots....

Al at Center = Mismatch for us offensively. Al at PF= Negates every advantage he has until he develops a true post game.

That's why if you are going to trade Josh for a front court player, you need it to be a guy with a back to the basket game who can keep Al in his same spotting up, slashing to the rim offense and preferably at Center. Which is why I think Jefferson is a better player to trade for than Gortat who, as much as you guys want to say he is better than Zaza, hasn't done anything to prove he is better than him.

[WallabyPie]

That's why if you are going to trade Josh for a front court player, you need it to be a guy with a back to the basket game who can keep Al in his same spotting up, slashing to the rim offense and preferably at Center. Which is why I think Jefferson is a better player to trade for than Gortat

PPP on post-ups this season (number of post ups):
Gortat 0.92 (144)
Jefferson 0.84 (389)
Pau 0.77 (98)
Horford 0.90 (167)
Josh 0.69 (186)

Also, FG% from 10-23 feet (FGA):
Gortat .438 (112)
Jefferson .411 (304)
Pau .400 (155)
Horford .393 (231)
Josh .271 (199)

Gortat has 5 less FGs form mid-range than Josh on 87 less attempts.

Just a food for thought.

[...] Gortat who, as much as you guys want to say he is better than Zaza, hasn't done anything to prove he is better than him.

Not sure if serious...

BTW, a reliable source from Phoenix:

John Gambadoro ‏@Gambo620

The stories about the Suns being interested in Josh Smith are ridiculous, there is zero interest there -ZERO!

John Gambadoro ‏@Gambo620

@AlexKennedyNBA @ryguyaz I triple checked it, Suns have NO interest in Josh Smith. And have never even had a conversation with ATL about him

[Jamaaliver]

You guys and your "al at the PF" thinking. Al is not a PF, never been a PF and would not work as a PF.

I respectfully disagree. AL has been productive at both spots, but is clearly overmatched defensively against Centers. Al at PF and a real Center next to him helps our rebounding as well.

Josh is too little to operate in the half court at PF. This is exacerbated when he spends so much time roaming around the perimeter leaving only our undersized Center under the rim.

Sounds like we'll get a chance to get some finality to this debate.

PS I read an old post where you took shots at JJ and Brooklyn for thinking our old player would help them become a better team. I'm keeping track on a number of your old arguments chief, your track record is spotty.

[GrimeyKidd]

John Gambadoro: The stories about the Suns being interested in Josh Smith are ridiculous, there is zero interest there -ZERO! Twitter

[Rip2137]

You guys and your "al at the PF" thinking. Al is not a PF, never been a PF and would not work as a PF.

I respectfully disagree. AL has been productive at both spots, but is clearly overmatched defensively against Centers. Al at PF and a real Center next to him helps our rebounding as well.

Josh is too little to operate in the half court at PF. This is exacerbated when he spends so much time roaming around the perimeter leaving only our undersized Center under the rim.

Sounds like we'll get a chance to get some finality to this debate.

PS I read an old post where you took shots at JJ and Brooklyn for thinking our old player would help them become a better team. I'm keeping track on a number of your old arguments chief, your track record is spotty.

You mean the Nets who fired their coach, are a 1/2 game up on us in the standings now that the customary "we have a new coach, lets actually play hard" stage is over? Those Nets? The consesus was that JOE JOHNSON took them from a lottery team (albiet with injuries) to contender for the Eastern Confernce. A loss tonight puts them in 6th place in the East. Yeah...I was TOTALLY wrong about that one.

jesus dude, I said Acie Law could be a good guard in the NBA. If you want to point at something, there's that. But Joe not turning the Nets into title contenders CERTAINLY isn't something you can say I missed the mark on.

[Rip2137]

That's why if you are going to trade Josh for a front court player, you need it to be a guy with a back to the basket game who can keep Al in his same spotting up, slashing to the rim offense and preferably at Center. Which is why I think Jefferson is a better player to trade for than Gortat

PPP on post-ups this season (number of post ups):
Gortat 0.92 (144)
Jefferson 0.84 (389)
Pau 0.77 (98)
Horford 0.90 (167)
Josh 0.69 (186)

Also, FG% from 10-23 feet (FGA):
Gortat .438 (112)
Jefferson .411 (304)
Pau .400 (155)
Horford .393 (231)
Josh .271 (199)

Gortat has 5 less FGs form mid-range than Josh on 87 less attempts.

Just a food for thought.

[...] Gortat who, as much as you guys want to say he is better than Zaza, hasn't done anything to prove he is better than him.

Not sure if serious...

Gortat scores on the post against smaller players on a bad switch. he isn't a post scorer. Looking at Al's numbers everyone here knows Al doesn't have a back to the basket game either. Just goes to show how SOME stats do lie.

That jumpshot thing is interesting...so coupled with Grantland article, Josh has taken like 100 shots from 7.5 feet to 10 feet and apparently shoots horrible for there. Thats more telling of his shot selection. Almost Grantland picked that arbitrary 7.5 feet to make a point because I found it ODD that they would say Josh has taken more Jumpers than Al Horford from midrange (I know that wasn't your point, just piggybacking on another thread). That said, Josh isn't a good jumpshooter, no one is claiming that Gortat isn't a better jumpshooter.

As for the Zaza thing, yes I am serious Gortat is not 2-3 million a year better than Zaza. Zaza with simular minutes puts up simular offensive numbers with next to no blocks and fewer rebounds. They have simular court presense, Zaza is probably better offensive rebounding, he is definately a better passer, Gortat has actuall hands instead of bricks like Zaza and can catch a pass, but honestly, they are both 6-11 guys with Zaza having more bulk and Gortat being longer.

They are like night and later that night. Nither is a bad player and both are great to have in your rotation, but lets not kid ourselves into think PHOENIX is the one getting screwed if they give up Gortat for a guy averaging 17-8-4-2-1.

[Jamaaliver]

But Joe not turning the Nets into title contenders CERTAINLY isn't something you can say I missed the mark on.