Cronin deserves to be fired for not taking the New Orleans pick. (3 Viewers)

[THE HCP]

Logical fallacy to continue to play dumb on this

Like I said bro….keep fighting that fight. There is ACTUAL PROOF of moves that were made or not made that you could be upset about, but one that was never actually on the table….. never seen THAT before. This is literally along the same lines of being upset that we should have drafted Miller instead of Scoot….. this place sometimes.

 

[BBert]

If so, depressing. If they value PR and overseas merch sales above winning players, what an indictment on ownership and their priorities.

It takes a multi-billionaire to buy a team. My assumption is that to become a multi-billionaire one most likely prioritizes money above all else.

It's an investment. Running a team takes money. Theoretically, winning makes money. So does getting a billion new fans by drafting a star Chinese player.

They traded the 11th pick for two first round picks. The first netted said Chinese money maker who still may become a decent player. The second can be traded or used in the first round next year, maybe on a player as good as Queen. Maybe not.

Yang is a young center who's never faced this level of competition. Whatever happened to giving centers three years before throwing them in front of a train?

It was a strategic move. It may or may not pan out. I'm fine with it.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Oh lordy….

So happy this forum doesn't run the team.

 

[BBert]

Oh lordy….

So happy this forum doesn't run the team.

Yeah, but the epic arguments!

 

[Phatguysrule]

I wonder how much having a popular Chinese center added to the value of the sale of the team?

I'm sure that was part of the gamble...

 

[RR7]

Those are the same

Passing on CP3 for Martell Webster is something one could say haunts the franchise. It's a terrible move at the time and even more so with hindsight. Fans were right to bitch about it then, and an occasional god that was stupid is warranted still. Trading away Norman Powell and Robert Covington doesn't "haunt" the franchise. Keeping them around doesn't alter the trajectory of the franchise. Fans still bitch about it 4 years later. There's more bitching than the move warrants. That, IMO, is the big difference.
This situation made even worse, because fans are now free to speculate that what one franchise got, we also would have received, and everything else would have been exactly the same.

 

[blazerkor]

The way I see it Yang was a stretch but the front office knew that and got an unrestriced first round pick to mitigate the risk. I don't know if Yang's foot speed will ever allow him to be extremely effective in the league but he was drafted outside of the lotto and even lotto picks are a crapshoot.

It sounds like Joe is staying and I'm interested to see what he can do with ownership that is just telling him to be bolder and move faster. It seems that Kolde was risk averse and Dundon is the type of owner that will fire you if you're not risking it all to be great. Those are two highly different approaches from the top, so maybe it's worth seeing what Joe can do with this new direction.

 

[RR7]

I wonder how much having a popular Chinese center added towthe value of the sale of the team?

I would think very very little. A month and a half or so after drafting him is very unlikely to increase the value of the team. If he was a #1 pick, Yao type of Chinese C? Sure, maybe. The one we got? Maybe Dundon paid an extra hundred dollars.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I would think very very little. A month and a half or so after drafting him is very unlikely to increase the value of the team. If he was a #1 pick, Yao type of Chinese C? Sure, maybe. The one we got? Maybe Dundon paid an extra hundred dollars.

Probably

 

[RR7]

From Sam Quinn at CBS citing The Chicago Tribune among many others:

“Dumars did indeed call other teams picking between No. 8 and No. 12 trying to make this trade and was rebuffed”

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/five-ways-the-pelicans-could-have-handled-the-derik-queen-trade-better/

Now you can concede the point.

"Surely the Pelicans would have protected the pick if they could have, right?" "Dumars did indeed call other teams picking between No. 8 and No. 12 trying to make this trade and was rebuffed, perhaps suggesting to him that the pick had to be unprotected in order to get across the finish line."

You left out chunks of the reporting that, IMO, seem important. He mentions being rebuffed as a suggestion that he had to unprotect the pick. Which would imply that the initial offers were with protections on the pick. And I believe I read reporting elsewhere that initial offers were offered with protection, but then Dumars was getting desperate and unprotected once it got down to Atlanta.

Making the trade with protections doesn't seem nearly as good to me. Obviously, we don't know what those protections would be.

 

[julius]

I wonder how much having a popular Chinese center added towthe value of the sale of the team?

I'm sure that was part of the gamble...

I really doubt it make a big enough difference in the sale amount or valuation.

The biggest increase was most likely the sale of the lakers and their valuation

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I really doubt it make a big enough difference in the sale amount or valuation.

The biggest increase was most likely the sale of the lakers and their valuation

But Phil's offer was a good deal at 2 billion+ amiright?

I don't think Yang affected the valuation much. But, it appears it didn't hurt when getting people to buy into being a part of the ownership group.

 

[julius]

But Phil's offer was a good deal at 2 billion+ amiright?

I don't think Yang affected the valuation much. But, it appears it didn't hurt when getting people to buy into being a part of the ownership group.

Yeah. I think he did offer 2-2.5

I don't think they drafted Yang in order to get Panda money. It's not like there would have been no other offers

 

[andalusian]

ownership could have loved Keljin Blevins...that didn't make him a better player

Correct. However the title of this thread is the possibility of Cronin being fired for a past draft pick over a trade he did not make, I think my comment makes sense in this context and your answer, while technically true, should be filed under the non-sequiter file.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Apparently new ownership LOVES Yang, so I doubt that's gonna happen.

They love Yang not for his on-court ability, but for his provided access to the Chinese market. Strictly business.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Yeah. I think he did offer 2-2.5

I don't think they drafted Yang in order to get Panda money. It's not like there would have been no other offers

I agree with that. I don't think you scout a guy illegally years before drafting him only for the money. It isn't like he was the next can't miss prospect. They must've thought he could develop.

Honestly the pick always seemed to me like one where our gms liked to sniff their own brand of farts and thought they were the smartest guys in the room.

 

[Hoopguru]

They love Yang not for his on-court ability, but for his provided access to the Chinese market. Strictly business.

nah the Chinese wouldn't watch him if he doesn't develop in a couple years.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Except the front office said they were never offered that...

 

[julius]

Except the front office said they were never offered that...

And based on the fact Joe is still employed, I'm sure they weren't.

Otherwise if I'm the owner, id fire the people who didn't take that deal.

 

[Chris Craig]

This is the franchise that passed on Michael Jordan. On Kevin Durant. Not surprised they passed up (if they did) a top 5 pick this draft for Yang Hansen. Hopefully, Hansen at least eventually develops into something.

I don't think the Blazers are trading him. Can you imagine trading him, and he becomes a star center for another team. I guess you can. The Blazers have done that before too.

 

[KingSpeed]

Sorry but this is cope. If Yang is a star you’d see more this year. Maybe at some point he can be a rotation level player. But just on a pure asset value standpoint you could trade the New Orleans pick this year for a star player or keep it and have a much higher ceiling player.

Look at Dirk Nowitzki’s rookie stats. Could’ve even hit a 3.

 

[BigGameDamian]

LMA going to join the front office or coaching staff? Put the rumor in now!

 

[Chris Craig]

LMA going to join the front office or coaching staff? Put the rumor in now!

New big man coach?

 

[julius]

LMA going to join the front office or coaching staff? Put the rumor in now!

He's probably pointing at Damian and saying "so. You threw it all away because you couldn't talk it out with him, huh? Dork"

 

[Sheldon Shape]

And based on the fact Joe is still employed, I'm sure they weren't.

Otherwise if I'm the owner, id fire the people who didn't take that deal.

Agreed.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

"Surely the Pelicans would have protected the pick if they could have, right?" "Dumars did indeed call other teams picking between No. 8 and No. 12 trying to make this trade and was rebuffed, perhaps suggesting to him that the pick had to be unprotected in order to get across the finish line."

You left out chunks of the reporting that, IMO, seem important. He mentions being rebuffed as a suggestion that he had to unprotect the pick. Which would imply that the initial offers were with protections on the pick. And I believe I read reporting elsewhere that initial offers were offered with protection, but then Dumars was getting desperate and unprotected once it got down to Atlanta.

Making the trade with protections doesn't seem nearly as good to me. Obviously, we don't know what those protections would be.

I've often been a Cronin critic, and even more so critic of the management trio with him/Jody/Kolde - it's one of the worst in the last decades of the NBA.

However totally agree with your takes here. Everything I've read on the Pelicans offers aligns with what you say and makes it apparent Cronin was never clearly offered the trade the Hawks got.

I'm all for ripping on Cronin - but this isn't the issue to do it.

This is a failed thread.

 

[wizenheimer]

They love Yang not for his on-court ability, but for his provided access to the Chinese market. Strictly business.

people keep mentioning this narrative as if it's an actual thing. The Blazers would have the same "access" to the Chinese market if Yang had been drafted by the Clippers. It's all part of BRI and is split among 30 teams. The Blazers don't get any substantial financial bump from having Yang on the roster. I

they might have 15-20 years ago, but each subsequent rewrite of the CBA has pretty much swept all avenues for profit into the BRI. The NBA has been planning for international sources of revenue for a lot of years

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Look at Dirk Nowitzki’s rookie stats. Could’ve even hit a 3.

Let me know when a Hall of Famer says this about Yang

 

[blazerfan11]

Now that we are at the end of the season, it’s important to remind ourselves that Cronin decided to pass on a top 5 pick in a loaded draft this year for Yang Hansen.

Yang Hansen and AN UNRESTRICTED 2028 FIRST-ROUND PICK.

Obviously not trying to put forth a fair analysis.

Yes, it was dumb not to get New Orleans's 2026 pick (with swap option for Milwaukee's)

But is anyone saying Cronin was the only GM to pass on this opportunity?

Why didn't Memphis themselves send the #11 pick to New Orleans?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Yang Hansen and AN UNRESTRICTED 2028 FIRST-ROUND PICK.

Obviously not trying to put forth a fair analysis.

Yes, it was dumb not to get New Orleans's 2026 pick (with swap option for Milwaukee's)

But is anyone saying Cronin was the only GM to pass on this opportunity?

Why didn't Memphis themselves send the #11 pick to New Orleans?

Because they took Coward. Which was also a good decision we could have made.