fanboyslim

No, don't get me wrong, he's absolutely number 1 in this draft. I'm just saying he may not be a generational player as he's being sold, not because of lack of talent but because injuries may keep him from reaching his full potential. I'm thinking Dwight Howard.

What in the seven hells? If that injury is anything more than a mild sprain that's probably it for Zion this season. I doubt his handlers will allow him to risk a potential #1 position in the draft. That said, I think injuries will be a concern for Zion in the long run. That kind of weight and explosiveness tends to wear down on bodies, and he's not that big.

You had me at "Leuer"

WELL $%&@ YOU FOR CALLING US FRIENDLY!!!1!!ONE!

Yelloyello was ok, just the typical teenage player fangirl. She actually knew quite a bit about basketball but of course all she posted was about Bayless. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised we haven't had more of those in all the history of the forums.

Lots of Lithuanian fans! Don't worry about the occasional troll giving you a bad name, you should have seen the boards when we had lots of Serbian fans of Darko Milicic!

Pues el objetivo ahora no es conseguir un top 3 (lo que ya era complicado) sino competir para dar el pick a Boston. Ese era el objetivo inicial de la temporada, pero a estas alturas suena a cachondeo. Al final acabaremos quedándonos el pick pero será el #7 o el #8.

Great article.

Look, obviously I can’t tell what would have happened if we had started testing the waters in December (let alone earlier) when it was clear the season was done or if we hadn’t broadcasted the fire sale. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you think this is the absolute best we could do, so be it. I somehow can’t picture Masai Ujiri watching Marc getting an ovation and the subsequent failed Charlotte trade and then thinking “Aw shucks, poor guys, I better give them the fairest return for Gasol, they deserve a break.”

Am I still writing in English? Am I so obtuse that I can't make my point across? I can't be the only one here who has taken part in negotiations. This is Negotiation 101. I've literally said it's not about keeping Gasol or trying to fleece the other GMs. It's about keeping your cards close to your vest so you can come out with the best possible outcome in the negotiation, even if it's just turning a 2nd round pick into a protected 1st or getting a slightly better young prospect. We didn't do that and we paid for it because all the other teams knew we could not afford not trading Marc.

I want a guy able to run a tight ship and can handle negotiations one on one. You can't have a detailed leak in your organization if you're the only one dealing with the other teams. And someone who is not afraid to screw teams that try to screw with us. E.g. if the Hornets leaked the initial offer and then lowballed us, I would have leaked that they were offering Kemba and let them enjoy the fallout.

He did go to Europe last year and said Rade Zagorac impressed him. Then we signed him, waived him, and are still paying him. So there's that.

It doesn't matter. Rumors and hearsay will always be there. But the moment you make something official you've automatically reduced your options. Everyone and their dog knew we could not keep Gasol at that point so we were lowballed (even more). People keep putting up strawmen as if the alternatives were just to stand pat or to receive some mythical haul, when the alternative I wished for was simply for the FO to conduct a competent negotiation.

This gives me hope that a competent GM can put the right people to work on the right jobs. I'd be terrified if we kept the same people handling trades.