Well, another pre-draft trade has occurred. Just a few days after Arctic put Marc Gasol on the block - he found a trading partner in his big brother Benny. Marc Gasol for Ben Gordon. I thought I would argue both sides of why they did this deal.
Why Arctic made this trade?
For starters, Arctic was a big team. He had D12, Bargnani, and Gasol. He apparently has a man-crush on another Centre and wanted to move Gasol. Gasol was the weakest of the 3 centers and enters a situation in Memphis this season in a very different state than he left in 08/09. The Grizz have added Zach and AI as well as #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet. How many shots will Gasol be able to get behind ZBo, AI, and Gay? Does ZBo take away from Gasol's rebounds? Does Thabeet take some of his playing time? All unknowns at this point. So, Arctic was able to obtain Ben Gordon from the Wack. Gordon is a legitimate 20 point scorer. He shoots the 3 ball well and should be the Pistons leading scorer. So, when you have great depth at the Center position...I like grabbing a talent like Gordon as he is a bargain at $11 bucks.
Why Chilliwack made this trade?
Rebounds and blocks. Maybe 2 of the most competitive categories in the JBL. That's why Benny pulled the trigger here. There is a great belief that SG's are a dime and dozen and there are plenty of guys who could put up decent numbers from the SG spot. However, there aren't that many guys who can block 100 shots in a season. Benny, like me, obviously believes that Gasol will be fine in Memphis and that Thabeet will be a BUST. Gasol is just 24 years old and is a cornerstone piece of the Grizz moving forward. Benny decided to bring back Mike Bibby for $18 bucks as well - although I have bad feelings about this move. I think Mr. Bibby may get some pressure from Jeff Teague this season and I'm not sure if keeping Bibby at this price is the right thing to do. We'll see.
I emailed Ron in Juan de Fuca this morning. Today is D-Day for their roster. Who will their 2 keepers be?? He emailed me about Troy Murphy being a Forward only this season. Could this be a big drawback?? Can Murphy be more valuable than Brook Lopez? Is Devin Harris even in the discussion? Harris is poised to be the #1 guy in New Jersey now that Vince is gone. Could Devin score 25ppg? Can you really pass on that for just $18 bucks. Or is Brook Lopez the answer at $6 bucks? How many centers can you draft one week from now that will average 15 and 10 and 2 blocks and get that for $6 bucks???? How about none! I am assuming that KD is locked up for $38 bucks. This is a no-brainer in my books. I am with the other experts that predict a monster season from Durant.
I am so excited for the Draft next weekend. Now only is it already the best day of the year but it caps off a brilliant run for me.
Thursday - Oct 22 - Ryan and I are going to GM Place to watch the Suns v. Blazers pre-season game.
Friday - Oct 23 - my 36th birthday (which also means the outside chance of bedroom action!)
Saturday - Oct 24 - Christmas, er, I mean JBL Draft and season #19 begins. Oh the excitement!! I am looking forward to seeing some good friends, having some laughs, mocking some picks, playing some poker, hanging out with the boys, and loving the night! I can't wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment