A trade that makes sense (Tony Allen) (3 Viewers)

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I don't think Batum is a good passer, he throws it away a lot. It's just that in this offense, he passes a lot more than he used to.

He can get too loose with the ball but Batum is arguably our best distributor. He almost averages as many assists as Lillard and he doesn't get the ball near as much.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Why do you think the Nets are so eager to give up one of their few bright spots on the team this year?

Billy.

King.

 

[KingSpeed]

I don't think Batum is a good passer, he throws it away a lot. It's just that in this offense, he passes a lot more than he used to.

Oh dear.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

I don't think Batum is a good passer, he throws it away a lot. It's just that in this offense, he passes a lot more than he used to.

Dude? Yes, he has freedom to pass more under Terry Stotts, as he should, because he is an ELITE passer for a SF. Yes, he tries for highlight reel passes and ends up making some atrocious TO's at times, but Batum is an excellent passer. In fact he's a motherfuckin' pimp!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Blazers Send:

Mo Williams
Thomas Robinson

Grizzlies Send:

Tony Allen
Trade Exception

Everyone agrees that Blazers must improve their defense, and the best on-ball defender in the league is Tony Allen. While I agree that we need more front-court depth than anything else, getting someone like Tony Allen makes us a real title contender.

This sort of hinges on the ability of CJ to come back from is injury. If we shipped Mo, we would def need his offense off the bench.

I also realize that Tony Allen, 31, just got a contract, and its for 4 years, but its still at a low $ amount. Also, trade would have to occur after Jan. 15.

The tough part of this trade will be to get Memphis ti agree to this trade.

This trade makes ZERO sense for Memphis

 

[Sinobas]

Batum has made some nice passes this season, but he's made an equal share of really bad ones. Swinging the ball around the perimeter, or hitting LA on a pick and pop are not extremely difficult passes to make in the NBA. When Batum tries to force a pass inside, we all cringe a little bit. He's wracking up assists because of his role in the offense, but it's not like he's Magic Johnson out there.

 

[BBert]

Dude? Yes, he has freedom to pass more under Terry Stotts, as he should, because he is an ELITE passer for a SF. Yes, he tries for highlight reel passes and ends up making some atrocious TO's at times, but Batum is an excellent passer. In fact he's a motherfuckin' pimp!

You know who's a good passer for his position? That Meyers Leonard chap. He shoots and passes almost like he played guard at some point.

 

[Draco]

This trade makes ZERO sense for Memphis

It makes sense if they don't want to pay him $5.5 million in 2017. I would not do it from our end but for a team that could use Tony Allen as a starter something along those lines could make sense.

 

[blue9]

Batum has made some nice passes this season, but he's made an equal share of really bad ones. Swinging the ball around the perimeter, or hitting LA on a pick and pop are not extremely difficult passes to make in the NBA. When Batum tries to force a pass inside, we all cringe a little bit. He's wracking up assists because of his role in the offense, but it's not like he's Magic Johnson out there.

He's the closest thing we have to Magic. He's the only player on our team who consistently makes passes that lead to lay-ups or dunks. As you said, passing the ball around the perimeter isn't difficult - anyone can do that; that's what Lillard, Wes, and LMA do. But if you take away the only player on our team with court vision and the ability to use that court vision to make passes that lead to an automatic 2 points (or shooting foul) then that's going to make the game that much harder for us. We so rarely score in the paint, and when we do it's almost always set up by Nic. I would hate to see our points in the paint go lower than they already are.

 

[Draco]

There is zero chance we trade anyone from our starting lineup so I don't see why it has been a part of any discussion. Might as well discuss who would be best here, LeBron, Paul George, Durant, or the Brow. I'd take George because he is young and plays on both sides of the ball.

 

[cmeese47]

It'd be interesting. We need perimeter defense, but the offense is predicated around shooting, and Allen is terrible at that. And I doubt CJ will be playing PG at this point in his career, so Allen would take his minutes. A bench unit of Watson and Allen would be a nice defensive backcourt, but Portland might struggle to score.

Allen is a terrible 3 point shooter but his FG% is 49.3% which would be fourth on the team behind Lopez Leonard and Matthews. Plus his defense is miles ahead of everyone else.

 

[Natebishop3]

Allen is a terrible 3 point shooter but his FG% is 49.3% which would be fourth on the team behind Lopez Leonard and Matthews. Plus his defense is miles ahead of everyone else.

Miles ahead of Wes and Nic?

 

[cmeese47]

Miles ahead of Wes and Nic?

Without a shadow of a doubt his defense dwarfs both of them. Allen is a top ten defender in the NBA Matthews and Batum are just above average.

 

[blue9]

You can add all the skilled defenders you want and it won't change a thing until we implement a good team-defense concept. An individual defender can only do so much against a skilled offensive player. Good defense starts at the team level, not the individual level. Swap Nic and Allen and Nic would be all-defense and Allen would merely be a good individual defender on a poor defensive team.

 

[Natebishop3]

You can add all the skilled defenders you want and it won't change a thing until we implement a good team-defense concept. An individual defender can only do so much against a skilled offensive player. Good defense starts at the team level, not the individual level. Swap Nic and Allen and Nic would be all-defense and Allen would merely be a good individual defender on a poor defensive team.

I agree with this. 100%.

 

[magnifier661]

In the summer, I was all for getting him. The way we've playing offensively, I'd rather us keep who we have and see where it takes us.

 

[cmeese47]

In the summer, I was all for getting him. The way we've playing offensively, I'd rather us keep who we have and see where it takes us.

Would you not take him in a heart beat for some combo of Wright, Robinson, Crabbe, Leonard, Freeland, Claver or Barton

 

[Natebishop3]

Would you not take him in a heart beat for some combo of Wright, Robinson, Crabbe, Leonard, Freeland, Claver or Barton

Where does he fit? Backup small forward?

Maybe you haven't noticed, but our bench has not been very good at scoring points. Allen would do nothing to remedy that.

 

[blue9]

Would you not take him in a heart beat for some combo of Wright, Robinson, Crabbe, Leonard, Freeland, Claver or Barton

Most certainly, no. Only the bolded players. No way would I give up young (lottery) talent for an old player who really doesn't do anything to add balance to the roster.

 

[magnifier661]

Would you not take him in a heart beat for some combo of Wright, Robinson, Crabbe, Leonard, Freeland, Claver or Barton

No I wouldn't. Not now. The way Stotts needs scoring perimeter players would give us major problems. Yes, Wright isn't shooting the 3 as well as we like, but he is still above average. He still demands enough respect for teams to not sag off him. There hasn't been a player on our team that I've seen being dared to shoot. Allen would immediately be that player. The same way Claver was dared to shoot last season.