Leap Year - The Kemba Walker Thread III

[fatlever]

I still don't think people are willing to accept that we got Al to match with Kemba specifically.

I mean.... it happened lol

We didn't get Al just because we liked him. We wanted a big FA to match with our PG of the future. A stopgap while we developed the talent behind him.

It happened

we may have, if so it was a mistake and another example of short sightedness by our front office.

thought we need a post presence to help Kemba. Al is good in the post, lets ignore everything else and sign him asap.

done, now Kemba should really be free'd up with a true post presence.

Kemba wanted him and ownership and the FO obliged.

Lets blame ownership and the FO?

kemba wanted talent and he just happened to know Al from their agent. thats a little different than kemba specifically targeting Jefferson out of all the players in the league because he (and the team) felt Al was a great fit. I think Kemba (and our FO) would have settled for any borderline all-star that summer, regardless of fit.

[amcoolio]

Thats why this season is so disheartening. We just completed a 4 year rebuild and are worse than when we rebuilt.

We can't blow it up, because whatever sliver of chance we had at attracting Davis/Curry goes out the window.

We just gotta maintain cap space, draft a home run, and be decent the next couple of years I guess. Maybe trade Kemba for spare parts.

[Elden Payton]

Also agreed. I dont think it is really fair to bitch about Kemba's FG% w/out first bitching about the fit and style of the roster and offense. Its a terrible fit for Kemba. If he is our guy, we have to commit to him 100%. Kemba is not the type of guard you can plug into any roster with any scheme and expect him to be productive.

Do you want to change it all for Kemba? That's the question. I think we have to or trade him.

He's an enigma.

Kemba is not a good enough player to change an entire roster for. Hes not a Westbrook or Chris Paul.

When is the last time a team centered and built around a PG won a title? Magic Johnson? Lol even he had Kareem, Worthy, etc. You cannot shape a team around a point guard. Changing everything for Walker would be such a monumental mistake its insane.

Sure, of course.
But we don't have a single player worth building around if we are trying to win a ring. Until we have a player worth building around for a ring, we have to have some kind of plan, right? Currently our plan seems to be, having no plan at all.

Maybe the plan should be, blow it up and start all over again.

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

[DY_nasty]

we may have, if so it was a mistake and another example of short sightedness by our front office.

thought we need a post presence to help Kemba. Al is good in the post, lets ignore everything else and sign him asap.

done, now Kemba should really be free'd up with a true post presence.

Kemba wanted him and ownership and the FO obliged.

Lets blame ownership and the FO?

Kemba woulda took Javale Mcgee at that time we were so corny and void of frontcourt talent. Hell we were starting Mullens and Hakim Warrick. Him and Al had the same agent. Al was a free agent and Kemba put a bug in his ear. I don't see how is that maybe front office obliging to Kemba. I'm sure Kemba want LeBron, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, and whoever may become a free agent too. Who wouldn't?

That's not the point being made at all though.

[amcoolio]

Kemba is not a good enough player to change an entire roster for. Hes not a Westbrook or Chris Paul.

When is the last time a team centered and built around a PG won a title? Magic Johnson? Lol even he had Kareem, Worthy, etc. You cannot shape a team around a point guard. Changing everything for Walker would be such a monumental mistake its insane.

Sure, of course.
But we don't have a single player worth building around if we are trying to win a ring. Until we have a player worth building around for a ring, we have to have some kind of plan, right? Currently our plan seems to be, having no plan at all.

Maybe the plan should be, blow it up and start all over again.

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

He's had 4 separate injuries this year. Not a chance. Hes great when he plays, but he isn't going to have a long career at this rate.

[Braggins]

I heart Fatlever.

[catch20two]

Nobody said that we should. While you're at it tho you should tell Cho since you think he did.

Nope, can't question Cho, only your least favorite players.

My thinking is you give max contracts to your cornerstone pieces. Kemba got far from it considering the looming rise especially.

Cho knows more about basketball than all of us and Kemba is overpaid regardless of when the cap rises.

You just said two things that don't mix. You do know that Cho is the smart dummy that gave Kemba that contract, right? But you can keep on with you silly baseless arguments.

[Liver_Pooty]

Kemba is not a good enough player to change an entire roster for. Hes not a Westbrook or Chris Paul.

When is the last time a team centered and built around a PG won a title? Magic Johnson? Lol even he had Kareem, Worthy, etc. You cannot shape a team around a point guard. Changing everything for Walker would be such a monumental mistake its insane.

Sure, of course.
But we don't have a single player worth building around if we are trying to win a ring. Until we have a player worth building around for a ring, we have to have some kind of plan, right? Currently our plan seems to be, having no plan at all.

Maybe the plan should be, blow it up and start all over again.

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

I gotta disagree with you Sik. I love MKG to death, but as of right now you can't build around him with the way his offense still is. Can't finish with his left hand, can't hit a three. Hes still young as hell, and may prove me wrong and he is a hell of a player, but he is not the kind of player you build around right now.

[Elden Payton]

we may have, if so it was a mistake and another example of short sightedness by our front office.

thought we need a post presence to help Kemba. Al is good in the post, lets ignore everything else and sign him asap.

done, now Kemba should really be free'd up with a true post presence.

Kemba wanted him and ownership and the FO obliged.

Lets blame ownership and the FO?

kemba wanted talent and he just happened to know Al from their agent. thats a little different than kemba specifically targeting Jefferson out of all the players in the league because he (and the team) felt Al was a great fit. I think Kemba (and our FO) would have settled for any borderline all-star that summer, regardless of fit.

He didn't even know Al, they share the same agent.

Kemba ran into him at his agents office and said that he(Kemba) wanted him in charlotte.

It was done within a couple of days.

[DY_nasty]

Thats why this season is so disheartening. We just completed a 4 year rebuild and are worse than when we rebuilt.

We can't blow it up, because whatever sliver of chance we had at attracting Davis/Curry goes out the window.

We just gotta maintain cap space, draft a home run, and be decent the next couple of years I guess. Maybe trade Kemba for spare parts.

I'm sorry, but this is factually wrong on every level. Do you not remember getting hyped for Derrick Brown and trading a 1st for Tyrus Thomas?

Do you remember when our GM had his son playing backup PG?

[Diop]

That did happen, but you also have to admit that Al is a horrible fit with Kemba. We brought in Al partially to increase our talent and give us a stop gap player while our young guys developed, but also because the thought was that we needed a big to pair with Kemba. That doesn't change the fact that Kemba and Al are an awful pair. Al doesn't really pair well with anyone except spot up shooters, and even that is iffy considering how unwilling he is to pass to open shooters once he has the ball.

2 things

1, yes. I'm glad we can agree that Al was brought in to match with Kemba.

2, And this is the kicker. They weren't a horrible fit though. They were the 3rd best PnR combo in the league according to synergy last year

I don't know how those stats work and if they really reflect how good of a pnr player Al is, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I was more referring to how he has played this year. He has been setting the most lazy disgusting screens I've ever seen. He literally sets screens like a Jr. high girl trying to protect her tits. He also makes the most half assed roll attempts that defenses completely ignore. He is just generally awful without the ball and can basically be ignored. He isn't even reliable at catching a pass and gathering himself and then making a shot.

Al was on such a tear last year that he constantly attracted attention, so those crappy screens might have worked a little better in creating room, having the defenders follow him

[Elden Payton]

Sure, of course.
But we don't have a single player worth building around if we are trying to win a ring. Until we have a player worth building around for a ring, we have to have some kind of plan, right? Currently our plan seems to be, having no plan at all.

Maybe the plan should be, blow it up and start all over again.

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

I gotta disagree with you Sik. I love MKG to death, but as of right now you can't build around him with the way his offense still is. Can't finish with his left hand, can't hit a three. Hes still young as hell, and may prove me wrong and he is a hell of a player, but he is not the kind of player you build around right now.

everyone thinks offense, hand the keys to MKG, tell him it's his team, get him shooters and defenders and watch magic happen.

MKG doesn't need to score 20ppg to have a major impact on the game, give him the players he needs and let him fulfill his potential.

[MasterIchiro]

we may have, if so it was a mistake and another example of short sightedness by our front office.

thought we need a post presence to help Kemba. Al is good in the post, lets ignore everything else and sign him asap.

done, now Kemba should really be free'd up with a true post presence.

Kemba wanted him and ownership and the FO obliged.

Lets blame ownership and the FO?

kemba wanted talent and he just happened to know Al from their agent. thats a little different than kemba specifically targeting Jefferson out of all the players in the league because he (and the team) felt Al was a great fit. I think Kemba (and our FO) would have settled for any borderline all-star that summer, regardless of fit.

Don't be silly, clearly if Kemba wanted Anthony Davis and the front office targeted him clearly they'd be bowing down to master Kemba once again. It's like Kemba runs the franchise with his petty demands.

[Diop]

Thats why this season is so disheartening. We just completed a 4 year rebuild and are worse than when we rebuilt.

We can't blow it up, because whatever sliver of chance we had at attracting Davis/Curry goes out the window.

We just gotta maintain cap space, draft a home run, and be decent the next couple of years I guess. Maybe trade Kemba for spare parts.

I'm sorry, but this is factually wrong on every level. Do you not remember getting hyped for Derrick Brown and trading a 1st for Tyrus Thomas?

Do you remember when our GM had his son playing backup PG?

ugh, did you have to. now I have indigestion.

[MasterIchiro]

Sure, of course.
But we don't have a single player worth building around if we are trying to win a ring. Until we have a player worth building around for a ring, we have to have some kind of plan, right? Currently our plan seems to be, having no plan at all.

Maybe the plan should be, blow it up and start all over again.

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

I gotta disagree with you Sik. I love MKG to death, but as of right now you can't build around him with the way his offense still is. Can't finish with his left hand, can't hit a three. Hes still young as hell, and may prove me wrong and he is a hell of a player, but he is not the kind of player you build around right now.

Can't hit a 3? ****, can't shoot a 3, hasn't shot a 3. You don't see that kind of centerpiece on any contender now and any in history unless we are talking about Hakeem Olajouwon or a center. There is no centerpiece wing who won't take a 3 on any contender now or ever in history. That doesn't make MKG special, it makes him guesswork at best. There is no precedent. Guesswork.

[fatlever]

Are we paying Kemba a max contract or something? I don't get the argument that we have to trade Kemba in order for Cho to add talent to the team. It's rather imbecilic.

from a salary standpoint, I dont think his deal should prevent us from adding a great player. us adding a great player has other obstacles that are much bigger - our inability to draft, difficulty getting big name FAs to sign here.

[DY_nasty]

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

I gotta disagree with you Sik. I love MKG to death, but as of right now you can't build around him with the way his offense still is. Can't finish with his left hand, can't hit a three. Hes still young as hell, and may prove me wrong and he is a hell of a player, but he is not the kind of player you build around right now.

everyone thinks offense, hand the keys to MKG, tell him it's his team, get him shooters and defenders and watch magic happen.

MKG doesn't need to score 20ppg to have a major impact on the game, give him the players he needs and let him fulfill his potential.

This sounds weird but... I kind of agree.

I trust MKG's finishing, growth rate over the years, injury history (nothing like Kemba's knee stuff tbh), and slashing over Kemba's at this point. MKG with spacing > Kemba with spacing. And he doesn't need the ball either.

Its kind of a stretch, and hard to really imagine, and I'm not even sure I fully agree - but I can definitely understand where this thought process comes from.

Hell, I even trust MKG in the open court on a fastbreak more than Kemba these days.

[catch20two]

Kemba ruins everything. He's such a enigma of a player that he not only turn our team's offense and defense into crap but he also turn out fans against each other in silly baseless contradicting arguments of hypocrisy. Damn you Kemba.

[Braggins]

I don't think Kemba has to be built around or traded. We need more shooting regardless of who our PG is. Getting better shooters doesn't mean we are building around Kemba. Right now, I do agree that Kemba needs to be the primary ball handler, but I don't think he needs to a primary scorer. Kemba isn't the kind of player who thinks he needs to be taking tons of shots every game. When we made our run at the end of last season he was averaging like 7.5 assists per game and shooting like 14 or so shots a game. He is willing to try to play whatever role he needs to if we are winning.

I'm also not really sure how relevant it is that Al coming here had something to do with Kemba. Why does that even matter?

[Diop]

MKG is the perfect player to build around, people don't think of defense as worth building around but it could work, since we are supposedly a defensive team.

I gotta disagree with you Sik. I love MKG to death, but as of right now you can't build around him with the way his offense still is. Can't finish with his left hand, can't hit a three. Hes still young as hell, and may prove me wrong and he is a hell of a player, but he is not the kind of player you build around right now.

Can't hit a 3? ****, can't shoot a 3, hasn't shot a 3. You don't see that kind of centerpiece on any contender now and any in history unless we are talking about Hakeem Olajouwon or a center. There is no centerpiece wing who won't take a 3 on any contender now or ever in history. That doesn't make MKG special, it makes him guesswork at best. There is no precedent. Guesswork.

Elgin Baylor??

Ok, I'm just being a smart ass