Revisiting Sabonis for Brown

[jbpats]

Earlier in the summer there was chatter of Indy wanting to trade Sabonis. This forum was fairly split on should we trade Brown for Sabonis. I personally at the time voted to make the trade.

Now that both players are being talked about as all stars this season I am curious if people would rather have Brown or Sabonis.

Jaylen Brown - 4 year/115 million
2019/20 stats:
20.7 PPG
7.2 Reb
2.3 Ast
51.1 FG%
39.5 3Pt%
76.5 FT%

Sabonis - 4 year/77 million
2019/20 stats:
17.8 PPG
13 Reb
4.2 Ast
52.2 FG%
25.6 3Pt%
71.8 FT%

My vote is still to trade for Sabonis. At the time I said he filled a bigger need, and that is still the case. His contract will end up being one of the best value deals in the NBA at this rate.. but who knows if we would have got them for that cheap if the trade ever happened.

I will say the gap is much closer IMO, Brown is turning into one of the best young two way players in the league, I think his potential is much greater then Sabonis's but even with that said I would have/and still would make the trade.

Thoughts?

[Monkhouse]

Earlier in the summer there was chatter of Indy wanting to trade Sabonis. This forum was fairly split on should we trade Brown for Sabonis. I personally at the time voted to make the trade.

Now that both players are being talked about as all stars this season I am curious if people would rather have Brown or Sabonis.

Jaylen Brown - 4 year/115 million
2019/20 stats:
20.7 PPG
7.2 Reb
2.3 Ast
51.1 FG%
39.5 3Pt%
76.5 FT%

Sabonis - 4 year/77 million
2019/20 stats:
17.8 PPG
13 Reb
4.2 Ast
52.2 FG%
25.6 3Pt%
71.8 FT%

My vote is still to trade for Sabonis. At the time I said he filled a bigger need, and that is still the case. His contract will end up being one of the best value deals in the NBA at this rate. I will say the gap is much closer IMO, Brown is turning into one of the best young two way players in the league, I think his potential is much greater then Sabonis's but even with that said I would have/and still would make the trade.

Thoughts?

Our big man rotation is actually pretty good. Theis/Kanter/Williams/R Williams would be a decent 4 man squadron of PF/C, that can switch their compatibility to fit the team's schemes.

You even said the potential is much greater than Sabonis, but yet you want to trade Brown for him? That makes no sense to me lol.

I like Sabonis, and I was very high on him, but it's pretty clear that the Pacers have moved on from Turner, and decided to use Sabonis as the full time C.

EDIT:

It's also pretty clear in today's NBA, you need to have a consistent 3 pt shot, or at least the ability to draw defenders away from the paint to stop defenders from clogging the middle.

Sabonis's shot has been up and down, but he's more of the traditional bang down low with the additional top of the key post passing ability. I think a swing/forward that can guard from 1-4 and shoot in our system, while developing his ball handling and passing can become way more valuable than someone like Sabonis, who granted, is still a definitive solid big man by himself, and most teams would be happy with either.

[iadera]

Our rotation at C/PF is good for an average team, but for a serious team, it's pretty thin. We don't have any ''starter'', they're all role-players.

[Fafnir]

I think Jaylen is the better player right now, plays a position of greater scarcity, and has more star potential.

Would much rather have Jaylen, I don't value the contract savings compared to the higher potential.

[Roy H.]

Sabonis’ growth since he came into the league has really surprised me, and he’s a bargain contract.

But, I’m going to ride or die with Jaylen. I love the kid.

[bopna]

I think Jaylen is the better player right now, plays a position of greater scarcity, and has more star potential.

Would much rather have Jaylen, I don't value the contract savings compared to the higher potential.

It's pretty wash to me.

Of course the savings in money is better with Sabonis than JB but both have delivered this year on their respective positions.

[nickagneta]

I think Jaylen is the better player right now, plays a position of greater scarcity, and has more star potential.

Would much rather have Jaylen, I don't value the contract savings compared to the higher potential.

Sabonis’ growth since he came into the league has really surprised me, and he’s a bargain contract.

But, I’m going to ride or die with Jaylen. I love the kid.

TPs to these guys for saving me the time to write the same thing. I'll stick with Brown.

[NKY fan]

Our big man rotation is actually pretty good. Theis/Kanter/Williams/R Williams would be a decent 4 man squadron of PF/C, that can switch their compatibility to fit the team's schemes.

Outside of some hardcore Celtics fans no one has heard three of the four big men above.... They are decent when expectations are low...That combo of big men is laughable for a contender with championship aspirations.

[Moranis]

I'm still for Sabonis.  Team needs big men far more than wings and  given that 4 of the 5 best players are wings, I think the team can take the loss of a wing more.  Sabonis would be fantastic on this team, adding real elements that are lacking and doing so at a very high level.   

[Donoghus]

All star caliber two-way wings that are under contract for multiple years don't exactly grow on trees.   

Also, given the importance of wing play in today's NBA,  having a guy like Brown on the roster is huge. Teams chase after & lust for those guys.

EDIT:  Also, after pulling this trade, this board would be screaming about lack of wing depth.

[Fafnir]

Also, after pulling this trade, this board would be screaming about lack of wing depth.

If Hayward leaves in FA like Horford did we would be suddenly very thin at the wing and relying on Langford to be a player.

I know everyone expects him to extend or pick up his option, but I'm not counting on it.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I like Sabonis alot. I'd be happy to have him in Boston.

But grounded power forwards with limited range and average defense are simply not as valuable as high-level two-way wings, even though Sabonis' rebounding and interior offense are upper-tier.

The value added is not enough to make up for the value Brown adds as a versatile wing defender, transition player, shooter, and budding slasher.

Honestly, I think Robert Covington is closer to Sabonis' value than Brown.

[Wretch]

I like Sabonis but I think he's a pretty average to below average outside shooter, and defender. 

I think he's a good regular season player but will get exposed in the playoffs by elite bigs and when he has to switch onto wings and ball handlers. 

I also think his offensive numbers are benefiting from Olidipo being out and once VO gets back they'll go back to Turner as their primary big because they won't need Sabonis' offense.

[PhoSita]

Jaylen Brown, no question.

I like Sabonis, but a player like Brown is simply more valuable in the modern NBA than a player like Sabonis.



What sets this Celtics team apart from most other teams in the league is the multiple elite perimeter / wing players that they can put on the floor.  Most teams don't have one wing player on the level of Tatum, Brown, or Hayward.  The Celtics have three, plus Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart.


All of these discussions about trading one of the wings in order to upgrade at big are coming at this the totally wrong way.  You don't sacrifice what sets your team apart for the sake of "balancing" the roster, if what that means is becoming more like your opponents and less distinct from them.


I think it's much better to have an imbalanced roster that is very good at certain things that opponents can't match than it is to have a balanced roster that is not great at any one thing.

[jambr380]

Definitely keeping Brown (and always have thought that way).

But I would probably swap Smart for Sabonis or Turner. I realize this may be an unpopular opinion, but I am a believer in Langford and think we should be able to pick up a decent back-up PG for cheap (I'd happily take Ish Smith, for instance). I'd wait until the off-season to see how other things look (Re: Hayward) - this would need to happen for Sabonis anyway.