I understand the feral passion of some mad dawgs to offload JR, and to reclaim cap space with EF.
Nor am I opposed to a real deal.
But the notion of offloading two front line players for a basket of shit, and in the process giving the fucking Lakers a free ride to the playoffs really fries my onions.
To me, the notion of "Clearing Cap Space" is utterly offensive, as is GIFTING the Lakers two front line players for ZERO RETURN.
We bring on Westbrook to buy him out? FUCK THAT. Russell, like Julius is coming off a year which is most def subpar based on the bar he has himself raised, and 18.5-7.4-7.1 is still pretty respectable, though in Westbrook's case, he is going to be 34 in November, while Julius will be 27. Russell is still a player who can make a contribution to the right team, and we're going to facilitate that for nothing, Facil? The most telling stat is to compare last year with RW's Big O year at 28 in 2016-2017, when he averaged a triple double [31.6-10.7-10.4] had his best 3-PT % [.343%], and his best FT% [.845% based on 10.4 attempts per game]. His FT% last season with the Lakers was .667% based on 5.1 attempts per game. So clearly he is on the downside of his career.
Now, as per our Julius, and the dismissive negative cheerleading of one chuckling Lester The Insult Comic Dawg, the cratering of Julius's 3-PT shooting from 2020-21 to 2021-22 [from a freaky .411% to a ghastly .308] is most concerning, as in, WILL THE REAL JULIUS RANDLE PLEASE STEP UP. Obviously, the main difference between 2020-21 and 2021-22 is that in 2020-21,
Julius was feeding off of Payton-Rose, while in 2021-22 WE HAD NO FUCKING POINT GUARD. Also, as per Nate McMillian and the Hawks, they provided the league a template for how to defend Julius, and Thibs's
NO PG response, and his insistance on tasking JR with being a Point Forward, did not do Julius any favors--nor did his often petulant responses to negativity, which has left a lingering bad taste with Knicks Fans.
Still, for all of THAT, JR still basically averaged 20-10-5.
This feeding frenzy to DUMP Julius is so fucking self-immolating, so very typical of Hissy Fitting Knicks Fans.
Again, deal Julius?
Sure, for a real return, of course.
Deal Julius
NOW, coming off of an up and down season? Dealing Julius at the lowest point of his competitive arc? Dealing from weakness rather than from strength? DUH?
Before JR has even had an opportunity to play with JALEN BRUNSON, DERRICK ROSE and IMMANUEL QUICKLEY? Hello! Before we have even had an opportunity to see how JR and RJ interact with each other having ceded the rudder to JALEN BRUNSON. Let's not forget how great a strtetch JR & RJ had when DERRICK ROSE first arrived.
Seems prudent to re-evaulate EVERYONE as of December 15, let alone February 15. Having all of those DRAFT PICKS in the quiver will be way more valuable and impactful further down the road...
And CLEARLY, I am not feeling a Donovan Mitchell Transaction. Converting our #11 pick into 3-4 future protected #1 picks was part and parcel of offloading Walker, Burks and Noel,
getting younger, and opening up cap space for BRUNSON & HARTENSTEIN, and to re-up ROBINSON & SIMS.
I think we need to see how the pieces we have fit and interact before we engage in wheeling and dealing and allow Danny Ainge to run a Masai Ujiri scam on us, based on fan & media pressure.
Alan Hahn would seem to agree. Check THIS Out.
https://fb.watch/f8Qs9Ol0Z7/
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