Was the Batum for Vonleh/Henderson trade the best deal in the NBA this summer?

[Strenuus]

No, YOU DON'T GET IT! You think that some people are going to hate Vonleh, bout that won't happen because he is going to be TEH BESTEST PF IN THE LEAGUE! **Personal attack deleted by moderator**

hahahahahahahahahahahaha. The end got me so good.

 

[Paine Tablet]

Sure that "could" happen. But again I think you could say the same thing about half the players on our roster.

Vonleh was a top 10 lottery pick. Nic was an end of the first round project expected to not make the team. Very different initial expectations.

Not really. Batum was not at all what you describe. Months upon months before the draft Batum was talked about as a top 10 pick, even top 5. He had a health warning regarding his heart that allowed him to drop so low. It had nothing to do with talent or a perception of his potential that he dropped.

 

[magnifier661]

Honestly though... Vonleh is a rebounding machine. He's got great instincts and his hands are epically large. I think he's gonna become a fan favorite.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

I see where you're coming from with that. I don't see Harkless as that guy more than Vonleh, but I can see where you're coming from.


Oh wait, we're supposed to argue.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MAKE AN ENEMY OUT OF ME - Stepehen A. Smith

Naw, it's totally gonna be Meyers Leonard.

 

[Trackjack]

If you want to know the trade was good for the blazers

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Vonleh/Meyers skillsets mesh so well together.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Let's revisit this when/if Henderson actually puts on a uniform.

 

[BigGameDamian]

If you want to know the trade was good for the blazers

What?

 

[Strenuus]

What?

He forgot the comma.

Does that help?

 

[riverman]

Just fighting to move the team to LA so more Blazer games will be here for me and my children.

You can spank me later...

FIFY

 

[BigGameDamian]

Honestly though... Vonleh is a rebounding machine. He's got great instincts and his hands are epically large. I think he's gonna become a fan favorite.

Hakeem Olajuwon!! Just call him Deam part 2.

 

[magnifier661]

Hakeem Olajuwon!! Just call him Deam part 2.

Um no...

 

[Strenuus]

Hakeem Olajuwon!! Just call him Deam part 2.

You are never allowed to say we overvalue players again.

 

[Chris Craig]

Short Answer: Yes

Long Answer: Yes, of course, definitely, for sure, Without a doubt, By all means, uh uh

Really Long Answer: Yes

 

[Draco]

Not really. Batum was not at all what you describe. Months upon months before the draft Batum was talked about as a top 10 pick, even top 5. He had a health warning regarding his heart that allowed him to drop so low. It had nothing to do with talent or a perception of his potential that he dropped.

You make a great argument of how Cliff Alexander is similar to Batum.

 

[Paine Tablet]

You make a great argument of how Cliff Alexander is similar to Batum.

You made the connection, but I agree. They both certainly dropped for reasons that I believe were misguided/misinformed and both dropped from a lofty perch to a place where paid scouts and managers along with the more distant observers of amateur basketball would underrate their current and/or potential ability. That's the beauty of due diligence though, when it pays off.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Best trade of all time, for any team

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Not really. Batum was not at all what you describe. Months upon months before the draft Batum was talked about as a top 10 pick, even top 5. He had a health warning regarding his heart that allowed him to drop so low. It had nothing to do with talent or a perception of his potential that he dropped.

And that turned out to be right - Batum did have heart issues.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

And that turned out to be right - Batum did have heart issues.

BOOM!

That was a mic drop moment right there, BG.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

BOOM!

That was a mic drop moment right there, BG.

That's right. I'm out.

I quit S2, bitches.

 

[Reep]

Not really. Batum was not at all what you describe. Months upon months before the draft Batum was talked about as a top 10 pick, even top 5. He had a health warning regarding his heart that allowed him to drop so low. It had nothing to do with talent or a perception of his potential that he dropped.

This is correct. Someone leaked some information on his health that caused him to drop.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That's right. I'm out.

I quit S2, bitches.

You're welcome, everybody!

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

All these months later I'm still trying to figure out WTF Charlotte was thinking. Or if they even were thinking. Good for us and God bless Neil. Only the dumbest of owners would hire Michael Jordan to evaluate talent. Oh wait.....isn't Jordan the owner....? This was (and gets more so every day) an incredibly great trade.

 

[Reep]

All these months later I'm still trying to figure out WTF Charlotte was thinking. Or if they even were thinking. Good for us and God bless Neil. Only the dumbest of owners would hire Michael Jordan to evaluate talent. Oh wait.....isn't Jordan the owner....? This was (and gets more so every day) an incredibly great trade.

Maybe that is the Olshey zone? No team will trade a top five pick for junk, but there are a lot of guys that fall between 6 and 25 that for whatever reason never get a chance to prove themselves. Those are the guys that seem available for a reasonable price. If you have the golden gut and are on the lookout for those guys then you could do quite well. Time will tell if Neil has that gut, but don't Harkless, Vonleh, Plumlee, Davis and Aminu fit that profile?

Regarding Harkless, I sure would like to know how the bargaining went down. Did they just come to Olshey with the idea or did he just hold firm and they caved. I would have certainly thought an early second rounder would easily have been worth it, but 55-protected is just ridiculous.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

All these months later I'm still trying to figure out WTF Charlotte was thinking. Or if they even were thinking. Good for us and God bless Neil. Only the dumbest of owners would hire Michael Jordan to evaluate talent. Oh wait.....isn't Jordan the owner....? This was (and gets more so every day) an incredibly great trade.

I tried to explain it in another thread:

It's not a matter of being stupid, directly. It's about being desperate.
1) They're trying to balance their roster.
2) Big Al ain't getting any younger.
3) They didn't want to trade Vonleh, they tried to another frontcourt player first.
4) So, they traded their previous lotto pick for a high character player who will fill up the boxcores for them immediately - he also play very good defense (of course they may not have players we are interested in).

The trade was logical for a desperate team. As a blazer fan, I am interested in making trades with Sacramento and Brooklyn - they are good candidates to be or become desperate.

 

[Tunchi]

All these months later I'm still trying to figure out WTF Charlotte was thinking. Or if they even were thinking. Good for us and God bless Neil. Only the dumbest of owners would hire Michael Jordan to evaluate talent. Oh wait.....isn't Jordan the owner....? This was (and gets more so every day) an incredibly great trade.

Hey you never know they could get the last laugh. Everybody said the same thing when Sac dumped a top 5 lottery pick couple years ago in even shorter time than Vonleh and they ended up being right.. You just never know

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

You're welcome, everybody!

You're dead to me.

 

[magnifier661]

You're dead to me.

Okay Mr. wonderful

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Okay Mr. wonderful

Look who has time to finally post from his tour with Mr. Trump. He finally let you come up for some air, eh?

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Hey you never know they could get the last laugh. Everybody said the same thing when Sac dumped a top 5 lottery pick couple years ago in even shorter time than Vonleh and they ended up being right.. You just never know

I'd have been happy with a Batum for Hendo straight up trade. Vonleh was icing on an already sweet cake.