Wishing for some Grizzlies

[slamtheking]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

geez Roy, when you put it like that, I want to slit my wrists now   

[Evantime34]

GRIT AND GRIND!

If Danny decides to go after an established all star this offseason (like he has done in the past) I wouldn't be shocked if they moved Bradley then tried to bring TA back in free agency.

[pearljammer10]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

My god that is just terribly depressing.

[KCattheStripe]

I love my Western Conference team.

[Moranis]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

[pearljammer10]

GRIT AND GRIND!

If Danny decides to go after an established all star this offseason (like he has done in the past) I wouldn't be shocked if they moved Bradley then tried to bring TA back in free agency.

Id be down depending on if KG and Pierce stick around.

[Chris]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

Do we know Pau wouldn't have required Jefferson?  I am not so sure about that.

Without Jefferson, the C's didn't have a whole heck of a lot to offer, unless they wanted to send Rondo instead of Jefferson. 

[Fafnir]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

Do we know Pau wouldn't have required Jefferson?  I am not so sure about that.

Without Jefferson, the C's didn't have a whole heck of a lot to offer, unless they wanted to send Rondo instead of Jefferson.

Lakers offered future picks and low level prospects plus salary relief.

Gomes, Green, Telfair, future picks + Ratliff easily match that deal.

And because of the insurance payout for Ratliff it would have allowed the owner to pocket many extra million. Ratliff's expiring deal was the best possible case for salary dump trade.

[Roy H.]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

Do we know Pau wouldn't have required Jefferson?  I am not so sure about that.

Without Jefferson, the C's didn't have a whole heck of a lot to offer, unless they wanted to send Rondo instead of Jefferson.

At the time, I think some of us were hopeful that Ratliff's insured contract + Gomes + Green + future #1 would have been enough.  That's roughly in line with what most analysts thought the Lakers had given up.  It would have saved the Grizzlies even more money, which seems to be what their primary goal was at the time.

EDIT:  Again, basically what Fafnir said.

[Fafnir]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

I think that Jefferson/Pau would have been too weak defensively.

The Lakers worked defensively because of Odom's versatility as a PF defender/rebounder and as an outside threat to give Gasol room.

Gasol/Jefferson would have been rougher match, the C's would have had to have found a pairing that could get stops and would have had spacing issues similar to Gasol/Howard as Jefferson didn't have much of a jumper at that point.

[Chris]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

Do we know Pau wouldn't have required Jefferson?  I am not so sure about that.

Without Jefferson, the C's didn't have a whole heck of a lot to offer, unless they wanted to send Rondo instead of Jefferson.

At the time, I think some of us were hopeful that Ratliff's insured contract + Gomes + Green + future #1 would have been enough.  That's roughly in line with what most analysts thought the Lakers had given up.  It would have saved the Grizzlies even more money, which seems to be what their primary goal was at the time.

EDIT:  Again, basically what Fafnir said.

Yeah, but the analysts aren't Chris Wallace.  Wallace basically was a European scout.  While I wouldn't go as far as saying he knew what he was getting in Gasol (if he did, they would have found a way to draft him), I think its reasonable to suggest he may have targeted him. 

Also, lets not forget that Wallace was still working with the C's up until the Grizzlies hired him.  So, he knew exactly what he was getting with Green and Gomes.  I also don't think its unreasonable to suggest that the C's braintrust knew Green was a bust by the end of the 2006-2007 season, and Wallace would have been in on that discussion.  But, they kept playing him in that season, to boost his value. 

So, the Lakers package which included 2 first round picks, Marc Gasol (who Wallace may have liked), and Crittendon, who was picked 19th a few months before the trade, very well could have beaten out the C's offer pretty handily.

Honestly, this is just a pet peeve of mine when it comes to hindsight with trades.  People forget that these teams have their own scouts.  And they have a value for the players they are getting that might be different than what an analyst or a fan of another team would have. 

Its easy to look at a trade and say "we could have offered more", but if the GM didn't like the players more than the guys he got, then you really couldn't. 

[Fafnir]

You don't think the selling owner pocketing an extra 10 million or whatever the insurance payout would have greased things along? I do, though you're right from a basketball perspective the C's offer wasn't as good and Wallace likely would know that.

But I do not think the Gasol move was about anything other than getting maximum salary relief, otherwise Wallace could have shopped for better packages of assets than what the Lakers offer was at the time.

[Chris]

You don't think the selling owner pocketing an extra 10 million or whatever the insurance payout would have greased things along? I do, though you're right from a basketball perspective the C's offer wasn't as good and Wallace likely would know that.

But I do not think the Gasol move was about anything other than getting maximum salary relief, otherwise Wallace could have shopped for better packages of assets than what the Lakers offer was at the time.

I think there was a balance.  They needed to save money on the deal, but they also wanted the best deal they could that saved them the money.  And the salary relief wouldn't have been $10 million, since they didn't trade Gasol until midseason.  So, they may have saved ~$5 million of Ratliff's contract.  And some of that may also have been made up in other ways.

[Moranis]

You don't think the selling owner pocketing an extra 10 million or whatever the insurance payout would have greased things along? I do, though you're right from a basketball perspective the C's offer wasn't as good and Wallace likely would know that.

But I do not think the Gasol move was about anything other than getting maximum salary relief, otherwise Wallace could have shopped for better packages of assets than what the Lakers offer was at the time.

I think there was a balance.  They needed to save money on the deal, but they also wanted the best deal they could that saved them the money.  And the salary relief wouldn't have been $10 million, since they didn't trade Gasol until midseason.  So, they may have saved ~$5 million of Ratliff's contract.  And some of that may also have been made up in other ways.

wasn't one of the picks a fairly good one that we sent back to Minnesota (I don't remember, I think it may have ultimately turned into a 2nd rounder, I just didn't recall).

Assuming we still did the Seattle trade, we also would have had Glen Davis, who by the middle of his first season was looking like he was going to be a pretty solid prospect (and if we hadn't made that trade that means we would have still had Wally, West, and whomever we took in the Jeff Green slot).  I would imagine, Davis, Gerald Green, Gomes, Telfair, Minnesota's pick, and a pick or two from Boston, would have been enough for Pau Gasol even if Wallace really liked Marc Gasol.

[Chief]

I understand why Danny let Tony go, and I supported that decision at the time.  In hindsight, though, Tony sure would have looked good on this team the last couple seasons.

On the "what if" theme, imagine how different the NBA would be if Danny had drafted Marc Gasol over Gabe Pruitt.  If Chris Wallace is to be believed, that would have meant that Pau doesn't end up in LA, and we'd have the starting big man we've been desperately looking for.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Boston didn't make the Garnett trade and instead waited and had acquired Pau to pair with Jefferson (as Pau would not have required Jefferson).  One of those things I think about.

Do we know Pau wouldn't have required Jefferson?  I am not so sure about that.

Without Jefferson, the C's didn't have a whole heck of a lot to offer, unless they wanted to send Rondo instead of Jefferson.

At the time, I think some of us were hopeful that Ratliff's insured contract + Gomes + Green + future #1 would have been enough.  That's roughly in line with what most analysts thought the Lakers had given up.  It would have saved the Grizzlies even more money, which seems to be what their primary goal was at the time.

EDIT:  Again, basically what Fafnir said.

Yeah, but the analysts aren't Chris Wallace.  Wallace basically was a European scout.  While I wouldn't go as far as saying he knew what he was getting in Gasol (if he did, they would have found a way to draft him), I think its reasonable to suggest he may have targeted him.  Also, lets not forget that Wallace was still working with the C's up until the Grizzlies hired him.  So, he knew exactly what he was getting with Green and Gomes.  I also don't think its unreasonable to suggest that the C's braintrust knew Green was a bust by the end of the 2006-2007 season, and Wallace would have been in on that discussion.  But, they kept playing him in that season, to boost his value. 

So, the Lakers package which included 2 first round picks, Marc Gasol (who Wallace may have liked), and Crittendon, who was picked 19th a few months before the trade, very well could have beaten out the C's offer pretty handily.

Honestly, this is just a pet peeve of mine when it comes to hindsight with trades.  People forget that these teams have their own scouts.  And they have a value for the players they are getting that might be different than what an analyst or a fan of another team would have. 

Its easy to look at a trade and say "we could have offered more", but if the GM didn't like the players more than the guys he got, then you really couldn't.

Gasol went to high school in Memphis while his brother was playing there. He chose to go to Europe rather than college. He was a big time prospect after they went to the state championship. I'm sure Memphis was very sure in what they were getting.


Also, his younger brother Adria is at UCLA right now. I hope Ainge is keeping an eye on him.