#FireCasey

[DanH]

Says who? If there isn't much of a fall-off (which is the premise I'm working from) we're talking 50+ wins.

And why tank at all if you don't have to? Atlanta has done just fine with their non-tanking strategy, and that's in a pretty crappy market.

But the thing is that there would definitely be a huge drop off. I can't understand how anyone would not think so.

Are we still unable to appreciate what Lowry has meant to this team over the past several years?

[mjt20mik]

But mediocre is exactly what we would be. Maybe a bottom 4 seed or just missing the playoffs.

I should have elaborated more. I think it would start a series of events if Kyle is gone. I don't think we resign any of our free agents, and maybe look to trade demar for picks in the upcoming year.

[KHD]

But the thing is that there would definitely be a huge drop off. I can't understand how anyone would not think so.

Are we still unable to appreciate what Lowry has meant to this team over the past several years?

getting fringe MVP play from lowry for the regular season is amazing at 12M/year. it's not so amazing getting steadily-declining play and consistent playoff injury woes at 35M per season.

We would have a huge drop off, sure. but would you rather have a big drop off all at once or a steady decay into irrelevance?

I'm sure MLSE would prefer to milk this team for all its worth but as a fan, i'd rather see some long-term foresight. I'm not sure it makes sense to re-sign any of these guys at this stage, to be honest.

[DanH]

getting fringe MVP play from lowry for the regular season is amazing at 12M/year. it's not so amazing getting steadily-declining play and consistent playoff injury woes at 35M per season.

We would have a huge drop off, sure. but would you rather have a big drop off all at once or a steady decay into irrelevance?

I'm sure MLSE would prefer to milk this team for all its worth but as a fan, i'd rather see some long-term foresight. I'm not sure it makes sense to re-sign any of these guys at this stage, to be honest.

And that's a discussion worth having. But the idea of moving on from Lowry and getting better? It's ludicrous, barring some other incredible influx of talent.

[DanH]

Double post. Gah.

[SkywalkerAC]

But the thing is that there would definitely be a huge drop off. I can't understand how anyone would not think so.

Are we still unable to appreciate what Lowry has meant to this team over the past several years?

Lowry has been absolutely massive, there's no argument with that. But sometimes the drop off is not anywhere close to as big as one would expect, especially when you have a deep team and additional assets (as we do). OKC had less (veteran) depth, and they did ok without Durant (in the reg season at least). Same goes for the Heat (having less depth) and losing Wade.

If we could replace Lowry with Nando, a veteran Spurs-product and a sharpshooter, and make some savvy moves with personel and style-of-play, I don't see why we couldn't remain a 50ish-win team with the kind of depth we have. It's extremely hard to gauge how big the drop would be, especially as other teams improve, but I certainly wouldn't predict the apocalypse.

The key, in my opinion, is replacing Kyle not with Cory (who is good but we might question his passing/shooting and fit next to DeMar) but with someone more of Nando's calibre.

[DanH]

Lowry has been absolutely massive, there's no argument with that. But sometimes the drop off is not anywhere close to as big as one would expect, especially when you have a deep team and additional assets (as we do). OKC had less (veteran) depth, and they did ok without Durant (in the reg season at least). Same goes for the Heat (having less depth) and losing Wade.

If we could replace Lowry with Nando, a Spurs-product and a sharpshooter, and make some savvy moves with personel and style-of-play, I don't see why we couldn't remain a 50-win team with the kind of depth we have. It's extremely hard to gauge how big the drop would be, especially as other teams improve, but I certainly wouldn't predict the apocalypse.

The key, in my opinion, is replacing Kyle not with Cory (who is good but we might question his passing/shooting and fit next to DeMar) but with someone more of Nando's calibre.

I'm having a hard time believing I'm having this conversation... Nando de Colo is most likely essentially the same calibre player as Joseph is. He is by no means remotely a star or even borderline star in the NBA.

Heat lost Wade and Bosh and their ~10 combined win shares and dropped from a 48 win team to a 41 win team. OKC lost Durant and his 14 win shares and managed, heroically, to only drop 8 wins from one year to the next. Lowry is a 10 win player. And we'd probably be losing more than just him.

[SkywalkerAC]

I'm having a hard time believing I'm having this conversation... Nando de Colo is most likely essentially the same calibre player as Joseph is. He is by no means remotely a star or even borderline star in the NBA.

The point with Nando is not him being a star. It's him being a defensive veteran point guard with size that can shoot the heck out of the ball. On paper that's a very good fit next to DeMar, and it leaves us with a PG rotation of Nando/Cory/Delon rather than Cory/Delon/FVV. The former looks like a very solid point guard rotation, the 2nd...maybe not so much.

We'd be losing a star player, and in a star-driven league you're usually going to pay for that in one way or another, but that loss doesn't have to be catastophic. That's all.

[Nilanka]

Says who? If there isn't much of a fall-off (which is the premise I'm working from) we're talking 50+ wins.

And why tank at all if you don't have to? Atlanta has done just fine with their non-tanking strategy, and that's in a pretty crappy market.

C'mon now, we're talking about Nando. You'd probably have a better chance of success with a 45 year old Stephon Marbury brought back from China.

As for the Hawks...again, the definition of mediocrity. No real threat in the East, and never bad enough for a high lotto pick.

The purpose of tanking is to obtain top tier talent. Pining our hopes on Euroleaguers is Colangelo-esque.

[Deems]

If and when Lowry walks we adopt a Costco mentality and wholesale the entire team. Buy one JV get one Demarre free.

[SkywalkerAC]

C'mon now, we're talking about Nando. You'd probably have a better chance of success with a 45 year old Stephon Marbury brought back from China.

No, you cmon. Nando is one of the best players in Europe, MVP last season, leader of one of the best teams in Euroleague, key player for the French national team, and he's a veteran but still in his prime at 29 years old.

[Nilanka]

No, you cmon. Nando is one of the best players in Europe, MVP last season, leader of one of the best teams in Euroleague, key player for the French national team, and he's a veteran but still in his prime at 29 years old.

So he's Alan Anderson?

[MixxAOR]

How do we know that Nando is even looking to come back to NBA? How do we know if any of that stuff he did in Europe translates to NBA?

[Nilanka]

How do we know that Nando is even looking to come back to NBA? How do we know if any of that stuff he did in Europe translates to NBA?

We don't. And it almost never does.

Even Anthony Parker was a role player at best here. Same with PJ Tucker. There are no hidden gems in Europe waiting to light the NBA on fire.

[SkywalkerAC]

So he's Alan Anderson?

I'd probably put him more on par with Anthony Parker.