The addition of DRose puts Knix in a position to trade Rivers or Elf.
Would not be prudent if trying to max out wins.
Couldn't disagree more strongly, my forum (co-) leading 33 W prediction goes +5 more if Elf is traded or becomes physically disabled at any point in the season...
***even if there are only 4 games left!
Sigh. Very Trump of you.
Derrick Rose is a dawg, but he is no longer a 35 minute a night dog.
Elfrid has been just as motivated by the sound of IQ lapping at his loins as Derrick.
Thibs will figure out how to balance his rotations, so as to get DR and IQ in for the final 5-8 minutes of the fourth quarter.
But Rose will not have a running buddy, nor will he have gas left in the tank for the final 5-8, in the unlikely event that the Knicks concur with the spiteful groundlings, and assclowns [my bad, homie, MISTER ASSCLOWN] such as yourself who would sunder the team and the rotations to indulge your savage [okay, moronic] blood lust, denmanding a human sacrifice.
Thibs is NOT going to toss Elfrid to the mob. Hey, if EP wants, WANTS TO MOVE ON, he can speak to Perry, sunder his no trade clause, and green light a move to a team such as the Celtics or Clippers.
But he strikes me as a prideful fellow, and while there is a ceiling on his game, and manifest limitations, a solid defender, who has benefitted from the Quickley competition, and will likley respond well to Rose's as well. BY THE WAY, ASSHAT, er, MISTER ASSHAT, did it elude you that EP drained a three on Tuesday night? Or that he led the Knicks in scoring, with 18-5-4.
Did we lose because of him?
We lost [by one lousy basket] because the Heat's D was suffocating, they took Julius out of his game in the blocks, and forced him to shoot threes [1-7], and because of some truly bizarre refing [Knicks 12-16 from the line, the Heat, 32-39....HELLO].
You are revelling like Donald Trump in your fantasy of some plague of Egypt befalling Elfrid.
There is a dynamic afoot in which the second unit challenges the first unit. AND THAT IS GOOD.
Noels-Toppin-Burks-Quickley-Rose
Robinson-Randle-Bullock-Barrett-Payton
Moving forward, in terms of chemistry and matchups, we have two viable units, and the possibility for mixing and matching come the fourth quarter.
Am I opposed to trading Rivers, Payton, Ntilikina, Knox?
Not if it makes us better. Not if it gets us viable draft assets.
Am I a proponent of Dawg spite trades?
No.
Do I co-sign some of BoD's concoctions where we exchange our scrubs for Portland's scrubs? Or we give up on Obi as if he were Jordan Hill?
No.
Despite all of the media and fan handwringing, the Rose trade immensely improved our second unit, showed dividends with Quickley and Toppin, and added a sonrous note of competition to our practices. Likewise, all of the paranoia about IQ's development being stifled. It would appear just the opposite is in play. He has a new big brother and running buddy. His minutes should increase, not decrease. Likewise Toppin's by degrees, because we can't just keep rolling out Julius for 37 minutes a night--that WILL catch up with him.
Let Thibs play with his Crayolas, and see if we can't march inexorably towards 33 wins and beyond, and knock on the playoff doors. Elfrid is a part of that. Derrick is a part of that. WE ARE A PART OF THAT, and soon there will be 2000 live bodies screaming in the Garden.
Patience Butterflies.
PS: Speaking of Fantasy Island Scenarios, somehow I suspect that Frank and Kevin [and just for the sake of argument, Bullock, to clear space for RJ and Burks at SF] and Dallas' #1 does not get a Zach Levine deal done. Not to mention, why the fuck would Chicago trade ZL. He is their best player.