(Thread has been bumped) SHAMS: Grizzlies Trading Valunciunas + Nos. 17 & 51 Picks to NOLA for Adams, Bledsoe, Draft Pix

[Whole Truth]

Adams has a similar play style to Jonas, he was inserted into an established role on what was a improving PO team. They got 3J back after a years absence, upgraded Allen to Bane, a move I wanted last year, added a top 10 pick & with some additionl internal leaps (players like Konchar) in a top heavy, watered down Western division they're now among the crust of the division, deservingly so, IMO legit contenders, don't want to take away the credit that organization deserves top to bottom. Couldn't be happeir for Memphis.However, anyone stating the Adams, Jonas swap alone was responsible for this overal progression, is laughable at best. They would have been 4th seed last year with a healthy 3J playing the way he's playing, not factoring the overall young teams & coaches continuing growth. Morant, twice Western conference player of the week..

Jonas & NO's on the other hand, started the year out with a new role, where he was asked to stretch the floor (50% on the most shots taken in his career) new head coach, new syestem, new rotation & a plethura of injuries, including BI for 7-8 games in combination with not having Zion all year, where their team was build around him being their primary ball handler & playmaker. They traded Ball's playmaking out for Graham's ability to space the floor. The lack of playmaking is part reason for Jonas 8yr career dip in efficiency. NO's has the worst assist to TO ratio in the league. This while having the 2nd toughest schedule in the league at the time. Competitive in most, they started the year 3-16 trying to build the necessary chemistry that comes with that type of coach, roster TO.. Since that slow start to the season, still without their best player, NO's are 13-12 in their last 25 heading into the easiest portion of their schedule. Where that team in past has shown they need Zion to win games, they've now shown they can play 500 or better ball without if you take away the slow start.all things considered.

In short, the development & progress of Zaire will determine the value of this trade If you're looking to evaluate the value of this specific trade. Outside of that, they're are a young, deep, talented team who''s well coached & proving to be contenders.

[Dacost]

This trade was more about clearing the paint area for Morant.And unlocking Jaren Jackson at the 5.

Adams as well is one of the most unselfish players in the NBA and his screens are legendary.

[jefe]

As a Grizz fan, my opinion of this trade has made a complete 180 in the last six months. I initially hated it (thinking that we gave up the best player for a turd sandwich of salary and whiffed on the pick with Ziare), but it now appears to be a good move.

While JV is certainly the more talented offensive player, Adams is the better fit with the Grizz in that he does the little things to help a team win without taking/demanding alot of shots which has allowed Ja, Bane, and (to a lesser degree) JJJ to blossom on the offensive end. The jury is still out on Ziare, but he has started showing flashes of potential upon returning from his 17 game absence due to an injured ankle. Finally, the Lakers first round pick looks like it might end up being a juicy one this year if they end up making the play-in but failing to advance to the actual playoffs.

Again, JV is a great player and, from an offensive perspective, the best player involved in the trade, but I now think the Grizz won the trade overall.

[Richard4444]

You can not blame JV for the Pelicans season. They are without their best player. And their backcourt is awful. NAW and Graham are shooting 37% from the field. Sato and Murphy are even worse.

[celticfan42487]

Come on dude, you can't bump a thread that has a Shams Bomb in the title. You'll make people think something actually happened in the NBA

[ThunderBolt]

The issue with adams has never been that he wasnt a very good player. It’s that about this time of year he starts getting banged up and his performance declines. He’s a physical player and his body pays the price for it. Hopefully if that happens Memphis will be smart enough to rest him until he’s healthy. At times Adams will go out and play when he should be resting.

[Whole Truth]

As a Grizz fan, my opinion of this trade has made a complete 180 in the last six months. I initially hated it (thinking that we gave up the best player for a turd sandwich of salary and whiffed on the pick with Ziare), but it now appears to be a good move.

While JV is certainly the more talented offensive player, Adams is the better fit with the Grizz in that he does the little things to help a team win without taking/demanding alot of shots which has allowed Ja, Bane, and (to a lesser degree) JJJ to blossom on the offensive end. The jury is still out on Ziare, but he has started showing flashes of potential upon returning from his 17 game absence due to an injured ankle. Finally, the Lakers first round pick looks like it might end up being a juicy one this year if they end up making the play-in but failing to advance to the actual playoffs.

Again, JV is a great player and, from an offensive perspective, the best player involved in the trade, but I now think the Grizz won the trade overall.

Fair opinion,

I have a question for you. How much of an impact do you think adding 3J & Bane into the starting rotation helped these Memphis improvements ?

3J's 6 3's a game & versatility at the 4/5 that was missing last yr where Vic could attest I said with him last year Memphis would be top 4 in a division that wasn't as watered down as this season where currently the 5th place Western team is only 2 games over 500. Then you look at Bane over Allen who was a streaky shooter often injured. Bane is a better defender taking 7 3's a game on 42% efficiency, You think Adams intangibles is THE reason why Memphis are where they are ? Last year, Jonas was also one of the best offensive rebounders in less minutes played, he may not be as good a screener as Adams but he was an elite screener himself. Along with his physicality, there's a reason Memphis targeted a similar player/game to replace Jonas as the stop gap option to 3J's development in order to land their wing of the future in Zaire & overpay for, which they did & I too would have done, pay more for what I want/need. So in that vain I have it as a good trade for Memphis pending on how Zaire pans out.

Reference to Adams lower usage. Do you think not having 3J last year might of had something to do with Jonas needing to be higher usage ? Do you think if Memphis had to rely on Adams in that offensive capacity, he would have been the Grizz 2nd or 3rd best player on what ended up a PO team without their 2nd best young talent 3J for a full season & or the inconsistency at SG with Allen being streaky, often injured, where he had many 0 ofr nights vs the emergence of Banes as an effective defensive floor spacer avg 7 attempts at 42% ?... or am I talking **** ?

Ask Pelicans fans, NO's this year.without JV combined with BI win maybe 2 games, though some of the depth on the team, especially the 2nd round pick Herb have been revelations & improving with time. NO's litterally had Satoranksi as their starting PG at a point & have one of, if not one of the worse assist to TO ratio's of any team. Yet after a slow start they are 13-12 over their last 25, improving & heading into the easiest portion of their schedule for the remainder of the season having had one of the toughest scheddules to date as they struggle through injury not having their primary star, ball handler & playmaker in which they built around..

[BigShaq34]

Grizzlies won this hands down.

JV hater for life. What did he do to you?

https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

Facts

did you ever once consider maybe it's because their franchise player (Zion), has been out all year? Not to mention Ingram missed a bunch of games as well.

Your bias against JV has been more evident as the years go on.

[Johnny Bball]

JV hater for life. What did he do to you?

https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

Facts

did you ever once consider maybe it's because their franchise player (Zion), has been out all year? Not to mention Ingram missed a bunch of games as well.

Your bias against JV has been more evident as the years go on.

Did you ever once consider I was talking about Memphis' record? It isn't a bias, its reality. Lol at me being the one that's bias after all these years of proof.

[Jadoogar]

I'll admit i thought the Pelicans won this trade and they aren't really a loser because JV has been good for them. But i'm very surprised that losing JV hasn't mattered at all for Grizzlies. They might have been able to draft Zaire Williams at their original pick but it's good to be sure if you really like a guy. They also probably want to close with JJJ at center so JV didn't really make a lot of sense for them.

[Ritzo]

I love Adams-Morant chemistry on PnR.
Adams faking a screen then screening his own man for a wide open Morant layup.

[Jadoogar]

You can not blame JV for the Pelicans season. They are without their best player. And their backcourt is awful. NAW and Graham are shooting 37% from the field. Sato and Murphy are even worse.

Absolutely, it's hard to call the Pelicans a "loser" in this trade. They definitely made bad moves this offseason (Lonzo trade, everything with Zion) but this was a smart trade from their side.

[VanWest82]

I'll admit i thought the Pelicans won this trade and they aren't really a loser because JV has been good for them. But i'm very surprised that losing JV hasn't mattered at all for Grizzlies. They might have been able to draft Zaire Williams at their original pick but it's good to be sure if you really like a guy. They also probably want to close with JJJ at center so JV didn't really make a lot of sense for them.

I think the other side of this is Ja and JV weren't the best fit in PnR. Ja isn't a low IQ passer but he isn't Kyle Lowry to say the least. What he does excel at is getting to the rim with reckless abandon and Adams is one of the best at sacrificing to make sure his guards can do that. JV wants to score.

[sleepingbunch]

Look, 0% of Pels fans would think they lost the trade. Jonas has been a huge upgrade from what Steven Adams gave us last season. It doesn't feel close. Jonas has added a 3-pointer to his arsenal, and he has solid-to-average on defense. So many double-doubles and big games from Jonas. Best or 2nd best offensive player on the team depending on the day, and the best rebounder.

The Pels have a poor record for a few other reasons. The Pels started 1-12 with a new roster that hadn't vibed with each other yet, and have actually gone 15-14 since - they're playing .500 ball and are one game out of the play-in currently. When the Hart-Graham-Herb-Ingram-Jonas lineup starts, they are 10-5. The Pels have found their footing with a new coach and no Zion, and are trending upward.

The guard play has ranged from mediocre to abysmal. Trading Lonzo for peanuts affected the team negatively. Zion not playing affected the team negatively. But JV has been the best or 2nd best player for the Pels for most of the season where Steven Adams directly hurt the team being in the starting lineup last season. If Adams was starting for the Pels this season, they'd be fighting for that #1 draft pick (and maybe that would be better in the long run, but that's a separate argument)

[John Murdoch]

I love Adams-Morant chemistry on PnR.
Adams faking a screen then screening his own man for a wide open Morant layup.

Both are moving screens but yeah ik what u mean

[UcanUwill]

https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

Facts

did you ever once consider maybe it's because their franchise player (Zion), has been out all year? Not to mention Ingram missed a bunch of games as well.

Your bias against JV has been more evident as the years go on.

Did you ever once consider I was talking about Memphis' record? It isn't a bias, its reality. Lol at me being the one that's bias after all these years of proof.

Ja is much better this year, JJJ is healthy and actually playing. Bane is MIP candidate. Ja and Jonas dragged that team to playoffs basically by their own effort last year, if you think its addition by subtraction, you are just hating.

[Johnny Bball]

did you ever once consider maybe it's because their franchise player (Zion), has been out all year? Not to mention Ingram missed a bunch of games as well.

Your bias against JV has been more evident as the years go on.

Did you ever once consider I was talking about Memphis' record? It isn't a bias, its reality. Lol at me being the one that's bias after all these years of proof.

Ja is much better this year, JJJ is healthy and actually playing. Bane is MIP candidate. Ja and Jonas dragged that team to playoffs basically by their own effort last year, if you think its addition by subtraction, you are just hating.

I would argue there is much more space for Ja to work in right now, that being part of why he is better.
See above for examples. I rememembr all of you btw so lets not pretend its just me "hating" and there isn't a flip side.

[Jabroni Lames]

Since when did Jonas freakin' Val-an-chew-ness become the face of an NBA franchise and the lightning rod for team wins & losses. JV is playing all-star level basketball this year. Did something happen in the NBA while we weren't watching?

[Spicy P]

This is like when the Raptors swapped Valanciunas for Gasol. Val put up the better numbers, but Gasol made a way bigger impact on the floor and didn’t need to score a lot. He anchored the defense, knew how to set screens and knew where to be, and was an amazing passer.

[jefe]

I love Adams-Morant chemistry on PnR.
Adams faking a screen then screening his own man for a wide open Morant layup.

Both are moving screens but yeah ik what u mean

Real talk: if you're not screening on the ball, you can usually get away with murder