payitforward wrote:pcbothwel wrote:I'm not interested into any further consolidation of this core. I want better usage/lineups/growth from our current group. Once that ceiling is realized, I prefer to 1) Rebuild by trading at least 2/3 of the core if they dont look competitive, or 2) Retool if they look good by trading 1/3 to cut cost and get cheaper depth.
No further consolidation except that you want to trade either 1 or 2 of the 3 guys...Ok, got it.
Players have ceilings. Individuals, not groups. & individuals improve. Of those 3 guys, 1 may improve & 2 get worse. 2 may get better & a third plateau or decline. Or 1 could get better, 1 plateau at his ceiling, & the 3d be worse. Or they all 3 could get better -- as individuals. Or all of them could decline. Or all plateau. As individuals
If Wall & Beal come back strong, but what they do is play as they did 2 years ago, will that not tell you that you are seeing their ceilings?
Brad Beal just turned 25. Doesn't he have to improve rather than plateau? If he plateaus, doesn't that make it likely we are seeing his ceiling? Perhaps the same in Porter's case?
John Wall, otoh, is 28. John Wall is entering his 9th NBA season; he's a veteran not a developing young player. Plus, he's played a lot... 4000 more minutes than Jimmy Butler, the guy who's supposed to have all that "wear and tear" on his body.
I'm not saying he can't have a little better year than 2 years ago. Of course he can. Or not quite as good; that can happen too. But, significant development? Hey, I don't have a crystall ball. But, Wall's game is based on athleticism; isn't he more likely to start declining some time in the next couple of years than to become meaningfully better than he already is?
PIF,
You're missing my point. i have no interest in consolidating assets to double down on this core. I.E. Im not trading Oubre and a 1st for a 4th "Star", or trading Otto and a 1st for a Superstar.
Consolidating requires taking a number of separate pieces and combining them. So when I look to trade Beal or Otto for 2-3 pieces...that is the opposite of consolidation.
And the Wall, Beal, Otto "Ceilings" of two years ago is better than 98% of the league. You add in a legit Sato & Oubre along with Dwight Howard... I'll take it. Morris, Rivers, & Brown not being suck is just gravy.




























