A Jumbled Collection of Saturday Morning Thoughts/Debate Starters

[psrs1]

I'm going to go on record again and say trading Lowry would be a mistake. Yes a lot of jumbled pieces that don't fit.. but that's mainly on the style of play. Raptors were pretty successful last year. When Lowry was PG for Houston, Scola was averaging over 18ppg. Lowry knows how to get a big man involved.. he just needs a coach that creates a system that gets the big guys involved.

I guess if you could get the #6 pick, Collison (to play point) and someone else like D. Williams it might be okay. Just think it's a tank move, and then DD should be trade as well.

Isn't Scola a free agent? We do need a PF.

[S.R.]

Why would the Spurs want GV? Their SG's are all UFAs but they're locked in for a few more years with Parker and Mills at PG.

[007]

I like the idea that the Spurs might want GV. Trade him for Corey Joseph in a sign and trade this summer?

Oh god yes please.

Joseph is our PG to develop, and we can draft someone like Wood and Looney, young players at every position.

[magoon]

Ok but what do expect to get back? They won't give Cousins. Staukas and McLemore maybe but it really won't help us .

I would think any Lowry package Sacramento would put together would have to include Stauskas and their #6 pick this year at minimum, and probably more picks as well, plus either Jason Thompson or Carl Landry to make the money work (we would hope for Landry because he's the better player). They won't trade MacLemore unless they get desperate.

But two lottery picks (Stauskas and the sixth) is a good haul for Kyle. Anything more than that (future picks or MacLemore) and it's a great one.

Aside: Cory Joseph is a good backup point guard. He's not someone who only needs a chance to show he's a starter. He's a backup point guard. Better defense than Greivis, not as good on offence. He doesn't really mind the needle.

[Axel]

I would think any Lowry package Sacramento would put together would have to include Stauskas and their #6 pick this year at minimum, and probably more picks as well, plus either Jason Thompson or Carl Landry to make the money work (we would hope for Landry because he's the better player). They won't trade MacLemore unless they get desperate.

But two lottery picks (Stauskas and the sixth) is a good haul for Kyle. Anything more than that (future picks or MacLemore) and it's a great one.

Aside: Cory Joseph is a good backup point guard. He's not someone who only needs a chance to show he's a starter. He's a backup point guard. Better defense than Greivis, not as good on offence. He doesn't really mind the needle.

Lowry for Stauskas, Thompson and 6 is a deal I would make in a heart beat.

6 has a chance to be a really great player though so I question whether Sac would make the deal. They have generally been dumb, but I just don't know if they say yes to including the pick.

I would probably take Stauskas & Thompson as a bottom line return. Hope for an extra pick.

[mcHAPPY]

Lowry for Stauskas, Thompson and 6 is a deal I would make in a heart beat.

6 has a chance to be a really great player though so I question whether Sac would make the deal. They have generally been dumb, but I just don't know if they say yes to including the pick.

I would probably take Stauskas & Thompson as a bottom line return. Hope for an extra pick.

If only you were that much of a pushover in Dynasty.

Collison and #6 would be my minimum.
DC, #6, and Staukas gets it done.

[mcHAPPY]

I would think any Lowry package Sacramento would put together would have to include Stauskas and their #6 pick this year at minimum, and probably more picks as well, plus either Jason Thompson or Carl Landry to make the money work (we would hope for Landry because he's the better player). They won't trade MacLemore unless they get desperate.

But two lottery picks (Stauskas and the sixth) is a good haul for Kyle. Anything more than that (future picks or MacLemore) and it's a great one.

Aside: Cory Joseph is a good backup point guard. He's not someone who only needs a chance to show he's a starter. He's a backup point guard. Better defense than Greivis, not as good on offence. He doesn't really mind the needle.

I'd take Thompson because less money is owed with less years.

[Scraptor]

I disagree with most of the OP, unfortunately.

1 - Roster doesn't fit: I think the roster as used doesn't fit. Complementary pieces are definitely there. A Lowry/Ross/JJ/PP/Val lineup has plenty of shooting and D if you commit to going inside more and teaching Val how to pass out of the post. When we ran a lineup of Lowry/DD/Ross/Hansbrough/Val, DeMar's lack of shooting and Hansbrough's limitations create spacing issues.

2 - Why on earth do we keep making excuses for Dwane Casey after four years? He has a SG who can shoot (Ross), he has a large SF (JJ), he has a healthy PF (PP). He chooses not to play these guys. We brought in Kyle for Dwane Casey, to be the "head of the snake"! We drafted TRoss at his behest! We reacquired JJ to give him a piece to use against bigger wings! We've tried fitting talent into his system... But it's like the saying goes: if you meet one asshole in a day, he's the asshole. But if everyone you meet is an asshole, you're the asshole.

3 - DeRozan has likely peaked. What we're seeing now is stretches of good and bad that happen for every player. He's a jumpshooter and jumpshooters get hot. Masai should be aggressively trying to gauge what DeMar is going to want to be paid after opting out next summer, because if he wants $20mm plus, we should ship him now while we have a chance.

4 - We have pieces, but retooling may be trickier than we think. Most of the major free agents are RFAs and our sweep probably won't do much in the way of convincing those who aren't. Plus some of our contracts expired valueless.

5 - "Start setting up the man to succeed"? How about he set our players up to succeed? Asking Rudy Gay to put on weight to play the four is still one of the stupidest decisions we've made personnelwise in a long time. Amir and Tyler and Acy all being asked to shoot threes? Not using the pick and roll with two elite finishers on the roster? Casey's had four years to show us an ounce of creativity. Enough is enough.

6 - The only one of Amir, Pat, Ross, or GV who would look like a star on the Spurs is Pat. Amir should've had surgery and will be hobbled until he does. Ross would fold like a cheap tent under Popovich; he has zero mental toughness. As for Vasquez, Pop would cut his ass the minute he saw how he plays D.

This was a big part of the issue with retaining Casey. A lot of the talent is being muddied by a bad system and usage. We have holes for sure, but it's hard to say whether anyone on our roster is playing up to their full potential.

This rewriting of the narrative is really bizarre to me. It's almost as though once it seemed Casey might stay, the whole story of the season began changing. Suddenly Lowry is a villain, the pieces don't fit, Casey wasn't set up to succeed.... And I have to wonder if this is all rooted in adulation for Masai. Because people can't accept that bringing back Casey yet again is a mistake if Masai is the one making that decision. I'm not sure how else to explain all the mental gymnastics that have been springing up lately.

[Axel]

If only you were that much of a pushover in Dynasty.

Collison and #6 would be my minimum.
DC, #6, and Staukas gets it done.

I'm not a huge Collison fan but at 6 there is a chance for Russell or Winslow so I'd take that.

[mcHAPPY]

I'm not a huge Collison fan but at 6 there is a chance for Russell or Winslow so I'd take that.

He is a great transition PG as a youngster learns the ropes.

[tDotted]

Lowry for Stauskas, Thompson and 6 is a deal I would make in a heart beat.

6 has a chance to be a really great player though so I question whether Sac would make the deal. They have generally been dumb, but I just don't know if they say yes to including the pick.

I would probably take Stauskas & Thompson as a bottom line return. Hope for an extra pick.

Isaiah Thomas (who was averaging very similar stats to Kyrie Irving at the time) was traded for Alex Oriahki (who??) and a trade exception. I think they'd make a deal like this too Ax.

[Axel]

Isaiah Thomas (who was averaging very similar stats to Kyrie Irving at the time) was traded for Alex Oriahki (who??) and a trade exception. I think they'd make a deal like this too Ax.

True but I tend to think stupid can't last forever. Plus we don't know how much sway Karl has there now.

[mcHAPPY]

True but I tend to think stupid can't last forever. Plus we don't know how much sway Karl has there now.

.....or Divac

[mcHAPPY]

Isaiah Thomas (who was averaging very similar stats to Kyrie Irving at the time) was traded for Alex Oriahki (who??) and a trade exception. I think they'd make a deal like this too Ax.

That was a sign and trade.

Phoenix had cap space to sign outright.

Sacramento didn't want to keep at $8m per year.

Not much negotiating power.

[tDotted]

.....or Divac

Divac thinks he's more skilled than Shaq... Not much credibility there. Karl's influence however is something to watch out for.

That was a sign and trade.

Phoenix had cap space to sign outright.

Sacramento didn't want to keep at $8m per year.

Not much negotiating power.

Forgot about the exact situation. Even then, they could have got something useful besides a trade exception. (late 1st, rotation player)