Fournier and Noel for Bledsoe and Hart. We get to keep Cam. We would still have to move Walker.
I appreciate you accomodating my objections in your ongoing fantasy.
Leave us review.
You appear motivated, MAINLY, to dump contracts, ergo accepting Bledsoe's awful contract for one season.
K
However, Josh Hart, not unlike Fournier, has a guaranteed third year, albeit, a player option for $12.96 million in 2023-2024.
Fournier's third guaranteed year is $18.857 million.
So a net savings of what, 6 million?
Bledsoe's guaranteed money for 2022-23 is $19.375 million.
So now a net savings of 5.5 million.
For what?
To totally sunder team chemistry. And create fresh logjams ahead of Puppy Development.
Is Bledsoe going to be a happy camper playing behind Rose and [presumably] IQ? Do we really need KEMBA 2.3 on the bench, not to mention blocking McBride's progress?
Hart is a damn nice combo wing who has raised his assists up to roughly 5 a game. Nice versatility. Would I prefer him to Fournier? Probably.
So why exactly does Portland trade Hart for Fournier. They have what's his name, Anfernee Simmons, who is only 22, a terrific 3-pt and FT shooter who was good for 4 assists a game. Just had such a breakthrough year, that the Blazers felt like they could cash in CJ McCollum for, among others, Josh Hart, who is also good for 5 assists game.
And they are going to take on Fournier's next two years at close to 19 million to play behind Simmons, who is due a new deal or a qualifying offer for next season. And having cased in 30 + McCollum for 27 year old Hart, they are going to trade his versatitlity for the offensive acument of Fournier, who will be 30 this fall.
And Noel? Why does Portland want him, when they can probably draft a young big in a BIG HEAVY 2022 Draft.
Finally, you don't bring on two new players wily nily just to play with the salary cap.
With what we went through this year, at the very least our current roster has a common bond of chemistry, in that WE ALL WENT THROUGH IT TOGETHER.
And you want to mess with THAT?
C: [
Robinson], Sims
PF-C: Randle, Toppin, Gibson
SF-PF: Reddish
SG-SF: Barrett, Burks, Grimes,
HartPG-SG: IQ, Rose, McBride, Walker,
BledsoeI do believe you unnderestimate the element of chemistry.
Fournier said after our last game how much he would love to run it all back with the same group of guys.
We saw how unsettle things got, injuries notwithstanding, when he swapped out Payton for Walker, and Fournier for Bullock.
And now, with what could be a logjam at the point and the wing, you propose adding another gimpy PG, owed almost $20 Million for 2022-23. Is he going to be happy riding the pine?
Yes, Fournier's commitment stands in the way of Grimes development.
So you replace him with Hart, who STILL STANDS in the way of Grimes development, though, qualifying your reasoning, he would give us more facilitation than Fournier does.
But again...WHY DOES PORTLAND do this trade? Lillard, Simmons and Hart is a nice rotation. Fournier would get in the way of Simmons development, whereas Simmons and Hart can both play on or off the ball. So we're going to get Hart and nail Grimes to the pine. Likewise Bledsoe for McBride?
The number may work, but there is no reason for Portland to do it. And again, Simmons is 22, and Fournier is 29. Hello?
Your priapic disdain for Fournier is duly noted. And it remains to be seen if Neon Leon and company can arrive at a deal which opens up space for Grimes...
Randle-Toppin-Reddish-Barrett-IQ
Sims-Gibson-Burks/Fournier-Grimes-Rose
Are these rotations tenable? Will Thibs bite the bullet and go small ball? Does Mitchell stay or does he go, as an UFA or in a sign and trade. What do we do with our #11 pick?
FINALLY, as per Senor Bolivar and the Execution Of Comrade Thibs.
AGAIN....chemistry.
Do we REALLY Need the instabillity of bringing on YET ANOTHER NEW COACH, either this summer or in midseason?
HOW MANY COACHES HAVE THE KNICKS HAD SINCE Van Gundy bailed on us in 2001?
Don Chaney
Herb Williams
Lenny Wilkens
Larry Brown
Isiah Thomas
Mike D'Antoni
Mike Woodson
Derek Fisher
Kurt Rambis
Jeff Hornacek
David Fizdale
Mike MillerThat makes TWELVE [12] since Jeff left in 2001 and Thibs signed on in 2020.
Not exactly a STABLE ENVIRONMENT with which to develop a winning culture.
Do I have issues with Thibs?
Sure do. But it wasn't all bad, though that 3-17 stretch stunk to high heaven, and among the issues I have were mis-using Randle and not holding Julius accountable enough.
But he did develop a core of young players, though fate did have to intervene to get many of them air time, and his stubborness could be infuriating.
But he refused to tank, and the team began to evolve after the all-star break in many positive ways, culminating in the IQ-Toppin-Sims-RJ blossoming. Was Thibs' hand forced? Sure was. But the team never gave up on Thibs, nor on each other.
I think replacing Thibs NOW would be counterproductive.
We are trying to build confidence and continuity.
Nor do I think the notion of firing him mid-2022/23 make a bit of sense.
Yes, the likes of Kenny Atkinson and Mark Jackson look tempting, but come the summer of 2023 we will have expiring/team options on Noel, Gibson, Burks and Rose; we will have two #1 picks; we will have one more year of development of Thibs' system with roughly the same cast of characters.
If major changes are to occur, the Summer of 2023 makes more sense than the summer of 2022.
Let's see how Thibs can build on what he and the team learned. Let's see how our puppies from the last three drafts, 2019-2020-2021 [Toppin, Quickley, Grimes, McBride, Sims...and Reddish from the 2019 draft in exchange for Knox from 2018] can develop. Let's see if Randle can recommit, and if Thibs can figure out a way of deploying him that adds to the motion and pace we developed post-all star break. I mean, Toppin when everyone was chanting his name, was going on about how he and JR had discussed playing on the floor together in 2022-23. And IQ evolved under Thibs' tutelage to the point where over the last five games, he looked suspiciously like our lead guard going forward. If 2022-23 is not a step forward, many heads may roll in the summer of 2023, including that of our coach, and our star player.
ANYWAY...my two cents.
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