daddyfatsax wrote: Heh. Was actually a sincere question!

Typical 'fans of a good-team' response. Thinking every player is directly responsible for a .700 win percentage when the reality is, um, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Can we agree to permanently dub this "The Ariza Effect?" (With the understanding that Beard is significantly more studly than Ariza, of course).

College Wolf wrote:
Joke? Troll attempt ? Can't tell.

If serious, Love is a once in a generation (or more) player. Beard or Obaka aren't even 'once in a 2-3 year span'-type players. Love and Rubio are about to develop an unbelievable chemistry on that pick and roll. I can't even fathom the idea of losing Love for 2 run of the mill above average players. It would be a fucking disaster, but not as much as losing him for nothing as you said. That ought to be resolved in a few weeks.

Plus OKC couldn't afford all 3 of Love Westy and KD so it's a mute (moot? Which is it mute, or moot? Please advise) point.

Mind you, I still (quasi) like the trade, I'm just not sure what the hell is going on with Ibaka. He's very average again. That said, A defensive tandem of Ibaka and Darko with Derrick Williams at the four is tougher to score on than what we have going on now.

Plus...Harden starting next to Rubio and then alongside Luke Ridnour (bench sparkplug) and effectively running the point while Luke spots up for jumpers, money. You undervalue Harden WAAAAAAAYYY too much.

However, I'm the same guy that, at one time, advocated for a Love-David Lee trade (plus something else) and I think something around Anthony Randolph...So I suck at seeing potential sometimes. It's irrelevant. It's not a sound decision for non-basketball reasons (Those two don't sell like Love) and it is clearly not a cut and dry positive for basketball reasons either.

WallyWorld wrote:
Moot. And I agree. Because I trust Kahn is working on a Derrick Williams, 1 rounder, and Wes for Harden trade.

Moot point.

If you look at nerd stats, Harden is one of the top SG's so far this year:

The NBA Geeks of the Week, week 1

That puts him slightly ahead of K-Lav so far (in nerd stat lingo, obvious disclaimer here of course.) And we get Iblocka too?

I still like the trade, and I'm being serious. I'd like it less if we didn't have D-Charge available to take Love's minutes. But we've got him.

If we did the trade we'd have a legit SG, PF, and Center. If we don't trade, then we have 2 PF's, no SG, and no Center (well, other than Darko whom I like in limited minutes.)

Fair DFS...but, gah...Harden's just come along too often and...Ariza effect. Love is so damn unique and has such a rare attitude and work ethic. What will he do next to improve his game? That pick and Roll combo with Rubio could just be killer. Far more killer than Beard. Beard is a shooter, and...Love is a significantly better shooter than Beard even debating basic strengths.

I would only trade Love in a rare situation where we could upgrade talent over him. Trading him for 2 $.50 pieces is out of the question. Potential vs. Performance, remember? K Love, Wes, Ridnour and 2 firsts for Dwight Howard can't possibly be a laughable trade idea over other DH12 alternatives, can it?

Tangent time: you know who I really want here long term, as in, if I were Kahn and I had to pick 5 guys to keep and everyone else walks? Anthony Tolliver. He needs to be #2 resigning priority over Love. Even more important than Beasley, one could argue.

College Wolf wrote:
After week 1 in the 2011-2012 NBA? Supported by an article where a guy picks Ryan Anderson, Kyle Lowry and Spencer Hawes for his 'dream NBA geek team?'

.....?

WallyWorld wrote: I love Tolliver. I hope we resign him.

WallyWorld wrote: Dude, I told you they were nerd stats. I put a disclaimer in. Don't hate on me, I didn't write it.

Wages of Wins is a legit site though; just depends on how much weight you put on the nerd stats.

College Wolf wrote:
Well, I mean, you used it as a basis for your argument so I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to hate on it. It was a one week look at stats thus far in the year and the guy had Spencer Hawes as his starting center. I don't care is it's Wages of Wins, that's fail.

I just don't see how this trade makes us better. Harden is not an overly unique player and is overvalued because he happens to have the best player in the NBA on his team (Ariza effect, again). And as for Ibaka, he a stud defensive big man, but we don't have to trade Kevin Love to get a defensive big. Especially when we have beast man, Manu hand breaker AT on the squad . Give that man the MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE $$. (I kid, maybe)

Love/Rubio pick and roll combo. Too good of a thing to throw away for a 2nd/3rd wheel and a role player. 'Potential' be damned (obsession continues). Love is once in a generation in terms of his skills.

Don't knock Hawes, look at his stats this year. Pretty stellar.

And like I said, they are nerd-stats. Hence my disclaimer. Take them for what you will. (Apparently not much in this situation.)

However, I also think you aren't giving The Beard or Iblock near enough credit at all. They would both be huge studs on our team, with no one blocking their positions and allowing them to play huge minutes.

College Wolf wrote:
Fixed above.

I am giving them plenty of credit. I have said nothing but good things about them. I don't need to publicly perform fellatio on them to like them as players, or call them future all-stars. The argument works in reverse: you guys wouldn't even glance at this trade if Harden and Ibaka were on the Raptors or Cavs. Ariza effect.

Love is vastly superior to them both. Trading for them so we can bank on their 'potential' with more minutes because they happen to have Kevin Durant and Westbrook leading them to success is foolish.

I guess we can agree to disagree, but I would love to hear how you think those 2 are a better combo with Rubio at the point than Love, or how and why this makes us a better team.

WallyWorld wrote: It makes us a better team because we have THREE positions filled with good players (assuming D-Charge is a good PF with starter's minutes), instead of ONE position with K-Lav. We'd be a better team no doubt. Plus then we actually get something out of our freakin #2 overall pick, instead of having him backup the best player on our team.

Also, we push back having to give out a max contract extension to player (Love) by at least 1 year. That would really help our finances and give much more flexibility.

Just imagine Harden WITH Love...now we're talking about public fellatio!

Darko, Love, Beas, Harden, Rubio.

daddyfatsax wrote: I would trade any/everyone on our team except Love/Rubio for The Beard.

That would be soooooo awesome.