Trade Grades: Blazers Send Mason Plumlee To Nuggets For Jusuf Nurkic

[Scalma]

I don't consider Meyer's contract to be a boat anchor. I think 9 million is tradeable. Obviously Crabbe is making quite a bit more, but if he were traded it would be to a team that needs a starter. His contract is not unreasonable for a starting caliber shooting guard. I like Crabbe but at that price he needs to go.

Yeah, Meyers contract isn't shit either. If every player in the league was a free agent last summer, no one would even complain about Leonards contract. Just wait a year or two.

 

[Scalma]

We can't have that much money sitting on our bench. The new rules about the luxury tax will make Crabbe's contract a huge weight on our roster. We won't be able to add new players. You can't pay a bench player that much, especially with Nurkic coming up for free agency in a year. The team will stay as it is if we don't offload some salary.

Davis, Ezeli, and Meyers. I just cleared what, 24m? I also would trade one of Aminu/Harkless before Crabbe.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Salary cap management amounts to Robbing Peter to Pay Paul. We robbed our coffers to sign everyone. Now, we are paying by having to give up our third best player.

I like Nurkic, but at the end of next year, we'll have to pay HIM. So, the shell game continues, and we put things off for an extra year.

I like the pick, but some are too excited by this. A pick in the low 20s in a great draft is still a low pick in the 20s. Hopefully, we'll use it in conjunction with our other "assets."

 

[BonesJones]

Salary cap management amounts to Robbing Peter to Pay Paul. We robbed our coffers to sign everyone. Now, we are paying by having to give up our third best player.

I like Nurkic, but at the end of next year, we'll have to pay HIM. So, the shell game continues, and we put things off for an extra year.

I like the pick, but some are too excited by this. A pick in the low 20s in a great draft is still a low pick in the 20s. Hopefully, we'll use it in conjunction with our other "assets."

The 21st pick isn't "low 20s" and this draft is deep.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yeah, Meyers contract isn't shit either. If every player in the league was a free agent last summer, no one would even complain about Leonards contract. Just wait a year or two.

The problem with Leonard is that he can't really play. Maybe there's some sucker GM out there that thinks all he needs is a change of scenery, but if you can't lock up meaningful minutes in this front-court, how's that going to go somewhere else? His only bankable skill is shooting the three ball (with a glacially slow release) and he ain't hitting shit this year.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leoname01.html
That is one bad fucking player.

 

[tester551]

I don't consider Meyer's contract to be a boat anchor. I think 9 million is tradeable. Obviously Crabbe is making quite a bit more, but if he were traded it would be to a team that needs a starter. His contract is not unreasonable for a starting caliber shooting guard. I like Crabbe but at that price he needs to go.

If you think Crabbe's contract is reasonable for a starting SG, why wouldn't Mason at $16M be reasonable?

 

[Schilly]

I also would trade one of Aminu/Harkless before Crabbe.

I agree on Aminu simply because he won't get better.... Harkless though is a year younger than Crabbe locked up on a more favorable contract, Scores at an almost identical rate, but is a much better rebounder and defender. Harkless also has a higher PER.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I agree on Aminu simply because he won't get better.... Harkless though is a year younger than Crabbe locked up on a more favorable contract, Scores at an almost identical rate, but is a much better rebounder and defender. Harkless also has a higher PER.

Harkless is far superior to Crabbe. People here love their 3 point shooters

 

[Natebishop3]

If you think Crabbe's contract is reasonable for a starting SG, why wouldn't Mason at $16M be reasonable?

Because Plumlee has two major problems.

1) He isn't really a scorer.

2) He isn't really a good defender or shot blocker.

To be a quality starting center, you either need to be a rim protector or a scorer. Plumlee isn't really good at either thing. He's an exceptional passer for a center, and he has a high BBIQ, but those things don't cancel out the fact that he's not good at the core responsibilities of a center.

 

[jlprk]

Because Plumlee has two major problems.

Crabbe has more than 2 major problems. The result is that Plumlee is more versatile at center than Crabbe is at guard. Even if they were of equal quality, the center should be paid double that of the easily-replaced, dime-a-dozen guard. But they aren't equal quality. There are Crabbes in the D-League, not 6-7 granted, but 6-4.

 

[mook]

I think Nurkic will fit in pretty quickly in our offense. He'll set better screens than anybody since Przybilla. He really can't help doing so because he's just so damned big. As much as we appreciated Plumlee's passing, you don't need to be as clever a passer if you just wiped out a defender with 280 pounds of belligerent eastern european badassery.

We just planted a massive oak tree in our front court that our two guards will run around all night. CJ alone will get a couple easy midrangers just by standing in his shadow. At the end of the night the defenders chasing Dame and CJ will feel it in their joints.

Damon Stoudamire got a lot of buckets off Sabonis picks. I'm looking forward to a lot more of that.

On the defensive end, well, I don't think we'll be a lot better at first, but maybe a little. But the guy is young and has the kind of arrogant mindset that defensive big men traditionally have. Except for Aminu, we don't really have another player on the team who takes any pride at all in defense. I can see that changing with Nurkic.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I think Nurkic will fit in pretty quickly in our offense. He'll set better screens than anybody since Przybilla. He really can't help doing so because he's just so damned big. As much as we appreciated Plumlee's passing, you don't need to be as clever a passer if you just wiped out a defender with 280 pounds of belligerent eastern european badassery.

We just planted a massive oak tree in our front court that our two guards will run around all night. CJ alone will get a couple easy midrangers just by standing in his shadow. At the end of the night the defenders chasing Dame and CJ will feel it in their joints.

Damon Stoudamire got a lot of buckets off Sabonis picks. I'm looking forward to a lot more of that.

On the defensive end, well, I don't think we'll be a lot better at first, but maybe a little. But the guy is young and has the kind of arrogant mindset that defensive big men traditionally have. Except for Aminu, we don't really have another player on the team who takes any pride at all in defense. I can see that changing with Nurkic.

By virtue of being a Blazer, he'll rack up fouls at twice the rate he ever did on Denver. We'll be lucky if he can log 10 mpg.

 

[TBpup]

The 21st pick isn't "low 20s" and this draft is deep.

The only "low 20s" pick lower than 21 is 20....but I totally get what you/they meant. Just messin' with the English language.

 

[illmatic99]

I think Nurkic will fit in pretty quickly in our offense. He'll set better screens than anybody since Przybilla. He really can't help doing so because he's just so damned big. As much as we appreciated Plumlee's passing, you don't need to be as clever a passer if you just wiped out a defender with 280 pounds of belligerent eastern european badassery.

We just planted a massive oak tree in our front court that our two guards will run around all night. CJ alone will get a couple easy midrangers just by standing in his shadow. At the end of the night the defenders chasing Dame and CJ will feel it in their joints.

Damon Stoudamire got a lot of buckets off Sabonis picks. I'm looking forward to a lot more of that.

On the defensive end, well, I don't think we'll be a lot better at first, but maybe a little. But the guy is young and has the kind of arrogant mindset that defensive big men traditionally have. Except for Aminu, we don't really have another player on the team who takes any pride at all in defense. I can see that changing with Nurkic.

This is exactly what we need if we get it from Nurk. I've been on this guy's bandwagon for a while, but soured on him after he completely fell out of rotation in DEN. Hopefully, he can rekindle what he did earlier in his career.

Also, he looks a bit out of shape to me. Terry agrees with me about the shape thing.

 

[Minstrel]

By virtue of being a Blazer, he'll rack up fouls at twice the rate he ever did on Denver. We'll be lucky if he can log 10 mpg.

By virtue of being a Blazer, we've doomed his knees (or, potentially, feet) if he ever becomes really good. That puts us in a moral dilemma--do we root for him to become really good to help the team, knowing we're indirectly rooting for the destruction of a human being or do we root for him to suck, for his sake?

Things just got complicated.

 

[mook]

I put a little comparable list together of Nurk vs other former Blazers (plus Pekovic, who he kind of reminds me of a little.)
Pek and Sabas I put in first years (since I feel they were much closer to finished products entering the league), LA/Joel/Mason/Nurk I put in second years.

You look at Per 36 stats and it's hard not to get excited about Nurkic:
http://bkref.com/tiny/DLc4S

He's a better rebounder than all but Sabas, 2nd in blocks (to Joel), and third in scoring (to LA and Sabas).

It's a small sample size for Nurkic, given he only played 32 games last year. But he seems to be well ahead of the curve to where Plums, Joel and Pek were. Seems to be more on the "front court cornerstone" career path so far than "fringe starting center" path.

 

[mook]

A few more comparables. http://bkref.com/tiny/jdpAO

 

[mook]

Fuck Meyers Leonard sucks.

 

[illmatic99]

A few more comparables. http://bkref.com/tiny/jdpAO

Gotta add our boy Rolo

 

[Minstrel]

The concern with Nurkic is that, while he scored a fair amount per minute, his scoring efficiency is absolutely terrible and he has a very high turnover rate. That's driving his very bad Offensive Ratings.

He does seem to be a very capable rebounder and shot-blocker, though. And a decent passer.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I would have liked to see a poll and a link to multiple trade grades by the OP, instead of the typical Canzano-esque baloney BGD hands out.

 

[e_blazer]

The concern with Nurkic is that, while he scored a fair amount per minute, his scoring efficiency is absolutely terrible and he has a very high turnover rate. That's driving his very bad Offensive Ratings.

He does seem to be a very capable rebounder and shot-blocker, though. And a decent passer.

In other words, he has great potential, but at 22 still has some stuff to learn. Sounds promising.

 

[mook]

Looking over all those numbers, the thing that stands out most to me that I hadn't known about the guy is the number of shots. He takes nearly 16 per 36. That's really quite a lot of volume for a young guy. Basically the same as Zbo took at the same age.

The days of Plumlee 15 feet from the basket desperately trying to find somebody to give it to are definitely over. If Nurk can't quickly find an option, he's going to call his own number some way or another.

 

[Minstrel]

In other words, he has great potential, but at 22 still has some stuff to learn. Sounds promising.

I think he has great potential on the defensive end, not so much on the offensive end. At least, no more so than any offense-challenged young player. I think scoring efficiently (over a significant number of shots per game) and reducing turnovers aren't trivial things to learn.

 

[mook]

I think he has great potential on the defensive end, not so much on the offensive end. At least, no more so than any offense-challenged young player. I think scoring efficiently (over a significant number of shots per game) and reducing turnovers aren't trivial things to learn.

It's a good point, but to be fair, he was trying to score on a team with pretty poor spacing and no playmaker. And this year he's shooting at .507 FG . I haven't heard a lot of Denver fans describe him as a chucker.

Just getting a few chippies every night from Dame/CJ double teams could make him look a lot more efficient.

 

[mook]

The turnovers are a huge problem though. That and an inability to hit a free throw.

 

[TBpup]

Very likely he is out of shape as he hasn't played much in quite a while. That will come with some practice and regular game minutes. I worry a bit about his offensive efficiency and FT% as well but hope that his impact on the boards and the defensive end make up for that as well as just being a 'big' presence with some attitude.

Much needed.

 

[Minstrel]

It's a good point, but to be fair, he was trying to score on a team with pretty poor spacing and no playmaker. And this year he's shooting at .507 FG . I haven't heard a lot of Denver fans describe him as a chucker.

Just getting a few chippies every night from Dame/CJ double teams could make him look a lot more efficient.

Yeah, I wasn't saying he's a chucker. My guess is that he was trying to make the most of his dwindling minutes and trying to work as the fulcrum of the offense when he's on the floor, probably with mostly reserves. I agree that having a substandard group around him can be a problem. That role probably doesn't suit him, though. Ideally, he'll probably only take the easy shots opened up by defensive pressure on other guys. I just think that his points-per-36 is probably inflated by inefficient attempts to be a main scorer (when on the floor). My feeling is that his main impact will come on defense and the boards and he won't be a tremendously impactful offensive player--his scoring will decrease and his efficiency will increase.

 

[Blazinaway]

Very likely he is out of shape as he hasn't played much in quite a while. That will come with some practice and regular game minutes. I worry a bit about his offensive efficiency and FT% as well but hope that his impact on the boards and the defensive end make up for that as well as just being a 'big' presence with some attitude.

Much needed.

Hopefully he will be more relaxed knowing he will get all the minutes he needs assuming he plays halfway decent. He should keep it simple initially and focus on good D and rebounding and do not force anything on offense and limit the TO's - take it slowly. With Dame and CJ he'll likely get a lot more easy buckets and that should help his confidence.

 

[Reep]

I was surprised by the difference in his no-step vertical and his one-step vertical. Nurk seams very ground-bound when going strait up (but quick, like Zach), but if he gets one or two steps he can get up there. I think he will be much better at the PnR than posting, but I do like his quick drop-step. I just can't imagine teams won't have scouted for that and just force him to the middle.