Start Ed Davis

[Boob-No-More]

Certainly not perfect; just look at the Afflalo trade. Will Barton is better than any wing we have and any player outside DameCJ. That's looking like Jermaine Oneal 2.0. Who knows what the draft pick will do in 5 years.

I do think Neil is a great GM and his moves work out more often than not though.

Barton has a had a very good season, but he's NOT Jermaine O'Neal 2.0, not even close. He's the 6th man on a crappy team. Jermaine went on to become the the best player on a 61-win team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals (back when that meant something) and a 6-time all-star. Jermaine was 23 when he made his first all-star team. Will is already 25 and nowhere near an all-star. Jermaine was a young kid with a ton of upside. Will is pretty much as good as he'll ever be. At 25, he doesn't have a lot of untapped upside left.

At the time of the trade, most here were more upset about losing Thomas Robinson than Will Barton. Hindsight is always 20:20.

BNM

 

[Pinwheel1]

Teams are so enamored with 3 point shooting I think we'll be able to keep Harkless for a big discount.

Crabbe on the other hand; a team could put us in a bad bind. I could seriously see a team offering him the max.

What is the possible max for 4th year player like Crabbe....who was a 2nd round pick?

 

[Draco]

What is the possible max for 4th year player like Crabbe....who was a 2nd round pick?

I believe same as any 0-6 year player such as Chandler Parsons. Starting around $23 mil per year.

Probably unlikely Crabbe gets that much; but if Orlando, Brooklyn and the Lakers are left with 0 free agent signings a week into free agency and multiple max slots available they might do something crazy.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I believe same as any 0-6 year player such as Chandler Parsons. Starting around $23 mil per year.

Big fan of Crabbe, but no way would I pay that.

 

[riverman]

Crabbe...I'd say 4 years for 40 would work. His numbers aren't amazing this season.

 

[Draco]

Barton has a had a very good season, but he's NOT Jermaine O'Neal 2.0, not even close. He's the 6th man on a crappy team. Jermaine went on to become the the best player on a 61-win team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals (back when that meant something) and a 6-time all-star. Jermaine was 23 when he made his first all-star team. Will is already 25 and nowhere near an all-star. Jermaine was a young kid with a ton of upside. Will is pretty much as good as he'll ever be. At 25, he doesn't have a lot of untapped upside left.

At the time of the trade, most here were more upset about losing Thomas Robinson than Will Barton. Hindsight is always 20:20.

BNM

Sure its unlikely Barton hits that single season peak level of Jermaine. But he currently projects to be a quality starter for years which would be similar it that we sold very low on a young player we may regret for a long time. Most poster were not more upset about TRob leaving; that was a vocal few posters who wanted Tim Frazier to play big minutes or other ridiculous statements.

At the time Neil signed free agents like Ed Davis and Aminu many weren't impressed. Many thought CJ couldn't coexist with Damian. Turns out those moves were far better than expected and we give Neil lots of credit. The Denver trade is a horrible trade knowing what we know now. If we're going to give Neil credit for his moves that work out better than expected a true analysis of his acumen needs to account for the opposite. Neil has been good; if not great as a GM. But he is no where close to perfect as I originally responded to.

 

[BlayZa]

I'm a huge Ed Davis fan as most would know.

I like both scenarios for him, he plays well either way. What I've thought about before though is that what if he WANTS to start.... I know he's sat through half a season of watching Vonleh start for 14mins a game and then comes in and does this thing. If he wants that recognition n status of being a starter, and we crown him as the 'bench king' it could work against us with everything else being equal.

I'm pretty sure he isn't like that, but some people are - ie if us and LA offer meyers the exact identical contract, but LA gives him a starting job, hands down he's gone..... tbh i really want this to happen, but still....

Basically, I'm a fan for competition in the team and people earning their spots and minutes, but yeah, Stotts knows the team and the dynamics, hopefully we can just keep Ed happy so he wants to be here for the long haul.

 

[BonesJones]

I'm a huge Ed Davis fan as most would know.

I like both scenarios for him, he plays well either way. What I've thought about before though is that what if he WANTS to start.... I know he's sat through half a season of watching Vonleh start for 14mins a game and then comes in and does this thing. If he wants that recognition n status of being a starter, and we crown him as the 'bench king' it could work against us with everything else being equal.

I'm pretty sure he isn't like that, but some people are - ie if us and LA offer meyers the exact identical contract, but LA gives him a starting job, hands down he's gone..... tbh i really want this to happen, but still....

Basically, I'm a fan for competition in the team and people earning their spots and minutes, but yeah, Stotts knows the team and the dynamics, hopefully we can just keep Ed happy so he wants to be here for the long haul.

Ummm if we were willing to give Meyers the same exact contract then we'd just match...

 

[Draco]

I'm a huge Ed Davis fan as most would know.

I like both scenarios for him, he plays well either way. What I've thought about before though is that what if he WANTS to start.... I know he's sat through half a season of watching Vonleh start for 14mins a game and then comes in and does this thing. If he wants that recognition n status of being a starter, and we crown him as the 'bench king' it could work against us with everything else being equal.

I'm pretty sure he isn't like that, but some people are - ie if us and LA offer meyers the exact identical contract, but LA gives him a starting job, hands down he's gone..... tbh i really want this to happen, but still....

Basically, I'm a fan for competition in the team and people earning their spots and minutes, but yeah, Stotts knows the team and the dynamics, hopefully we can just keep Ed happy so he wants to be here for the long haul.

We did give Meyers a starting job. He shot 30%, played horrible defense and couldn't stay healthy. As Bones said we can match anything with him if we wanted so let him sign with the Lakers if he wants.

Regarding your larger point with Ed he seems like a guy who just wants to play and hadn't been in a regular rotation until last season. Being on a 3 year deal I think he is more happy to just be appreciated and in a permanent long term place. If he is a starter he's going to be below average as has shown with his stats against starters; Stotts know what he's doing. Maybe a piece of him wants to start but we're never going to have every player on the roster 100% happy with their roles. It would actually be bad if we did because that means we don't have high enough quality players able to fill in for fatigue and injury.

 

[jlprk]

Last season, Ed Davis led the Lakers in PER at 20.0. Yet he was only 12th in minutes per game.

That's right, 20 !

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2015.html

 

[BlayZa]

Ummm if we were willing to give Meyers the same exact contract then we'd just match...

i guess what im trying to say is that if meyers had 2 contracts, identical one here and one elsewhere, but the elsewhere was a starting role, he'd be gone. more to the point of that some people want to be a 'starter' and it matters in some way to them and is a factor..... even if they are delusional about their own abilities aka meyers.

 

[Draco]

i guess what im trying to say is that if meyers had 2 contracts, identical one here and one elsewhere, but the elsewhere was a starting role, he'd be gone. more to the point of that some people want to be a 'starter' and it matters in some way to them and is a factor..... even if they are delusional about their own abilities aka meyers.

Not sure you understand restricted free agency.

 

[BlayZa]

Not sure you understand restricted free agency.

i know he's an RFA and we can match whatever he gets offered, but what im saying again, is IF he was offered 2 contracts with everything else being equal, except the other would have him starting, he's choose that if he was able, as he has stated he sees himself as a starter - not that that's his situation, but would be his choice....

tbh i hate the fact he's a rfa, cause it means we MAY match an offer for him...

 

[Draco]

i know he's an RFA and we can match whatever he gets offered, but what im saying again, is IF he was offered 2 contracts with everything else being equal, except the other would have him starting, he's choose that if he was able, as he has stated he sees himself as a starter - not that that's his situation, but would be his choice....

tbh i hate the fact he's a rfa, cause it means we MAY match an offer for him...

Well that's fine you have such opinion but I disagree. He has a house and wife here, is very settled in and enjoys his teammates in Portland. Just like any of us living in a city for years; he'd have concerns of moving. I think he'd want to stay if the money was the same. Not that I'd care to keep him personally.

 

[riverman]

Well that's fine you have such opinion but I disagree. He has a house and wife here, is very settled in and enjoys his teammates in Portland. Just like any of us living in a city for years; he'd have concerns of moving. I think he'd want to stay if the money was the same. Not that I'd care to keep him personally.

He's real popular in Indiana...big following there. I could see him wanting to go back home..just hope Indiana offers him a max and Paul George wants to be in Portland

 

[Chris Craig]

I'm hoping the Blazers get Horford or another center and move him to the 4 next year...starting of course

 

[Draco]

I'm hoping the Blazers get Horford or another center and move him to the 4 next year...starting of course

Oh thank gosh I realized you were talking about Ed Davis. Phew.

 

[Chris Craig]

Oh thank gosh I realized you were talking about Ed Davis. Phew.

Lol...yeah I meant putting Horford at the center with Plumlee and moving Davis go the 4...Horford is not a PF...no

 

[Draco]

Lol...yeah I meant putting Horford at the center with Plumlee and moving Davis go the 4...Horford is not a PF...no

lol; still none of the players I was horrified you meant of starting at PF next to Horford.

 

[Sinobas]

Teams are so enamored with 3 point shooting I think we'll be able to keep Harkless for a big discount.

Crabbe on the other hand; a team could put us in a bad bind. I could seriously see a team offering him the max.

Whaaaaat? Allen Crabbe for the max? That would be ridiculous.

 

[Draco]

Whaaaaat? Allen Crabbe for the max? That would be ridiculous.

It would; just like Enes Kanter, Tobias Harris, and Wes Matthews after a shredded achillies.

 

[Sinobas]

Crabbe is just a Dorrell Wright level player...