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Are the Pelicans doubling down on a mistake?

Discussion in 'NBA Discussion' started by YoungThundercat, Feb 17, 2016.

  1. YoungThundercat

    YoungThundercat - Rookie -

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    Now I like Jrue, but there's no way that he's "untouchable". That label is for guys like, well, you know who it's for....

    What they gave up for Jrue was a mistake, I don't know how anyone could argue differently (though if you want to, by all means).

    So do you think that NO is really sold on him being a foundational piece, or are they trying to not sell short on an overpay and compound a mistake?

    I've always found this situation fascinating when it comes to player movement in all leagues (see: RG3 in Washington, minus the injury bonus he might have cashed in on).
     
    YoungThundercat, Feb 17, 2016
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  2. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    They traded Nerlens for him, right?

    I think they'd prefer Nerlens.

    The deal is, Jrue is really talented. I think they're willing to hope he works out. They have by far the most injury prone team I think I've ever seen assembled though. Davis, Holiday, Gordon, and Asik all miss time pretty regularly. Yikes. Isn't Evans hurt too?
     
    therealdeal, Feb 17, 2016
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  3. YoungThundercat

    YoungThundercat - Rookie -

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    1st, yes, that team is so snakebit and admittedly looks great on paper.

    The trade was:

    Philly gets:
    Draft rights to Nerlens Noel
    Top 5 protected 1st in 2014 (ended up #10, Philly took Elfrid Payton, traded to Orlando for draft rights to Dario Saric)

    NO gets:
    Jrue Holiday
    #42 overall pick in 2013 (Pierre Jackson)

    Now, nothing happens in a vacuum, but for simplicity sake, would you rather have Jrue/Pierre Jackson to pair with AD or Nerlens/Elfrid?
     
    YoungThundercat, Feb 17, 2016
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  4. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    That's some great hindsight, but in a vacuum of the deal at the time I think it was a decent trade. It's always, always easier to look back and say it sucked but at the time I thought it was a really great deal for NO. Jrue is legitimately talented and I thought giving up a couple picks for him wasn't so bad.

    Now obviously knowing Jrue's injury history and who the picks turned into changes the story a lot.

    Remember when we fleeced Memphis with Kwame/2nd Rounder/Javaris Crittenton/some picks?

    That turned into:

    Lakers in: Pau Gasol/Devin Ebanks

    Memphis in: Marc Gasol/Kwame Brown/Hasheem Thabeet/Greivis Vasquez

    More reasonable over time. And Thabeet was their mistake in the draft. They should have drafted Harden, Evans, Curry, Derozan... Or ironically Jrue Holiday. :D
     
    therealdeal, Feb 17, 2016
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  5. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    i think if holiday stays healthy, he's better than noel and payton individually, if not collectively. i'm not a huge fan of either player, though, and i do like holiday. he just can't stay on the floor enough to find a rhythm anymore, imo.
     
    abeer3, Feb 17, 2016
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  6. YoungThundercat

    YoungThundercat - Rookie -

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    Well, it's not complete hindsight for me. I was one of the people who thought Nerlens was can't miss, how are we 5 picks in and nobody's drafting him, by 2016 he will be the best big in the NBA guy. So 1) I'm a dummy, but 2) I wouldn't have moved him AND a 1st for Jrue, even at the time.

    I completely agree on the Pau trade. Ibe made that argument for years. We by no means "lost" that trade, bit it wasnt highway robbery.

    I generally dislike doing the team A trades pick to team B who drafts player A hindsight. Too many moving parts, there's no guarantee that NO takes Elfrid, or that they are at 10 in 2014. That's why the old "Phoenix traded the pick that became Rondo" always made my skin crawl. I was just going for simplicity, but I would be more than excited to dive down the alternate universe rabbit hole on it.
     
    YoungThundercat, Feb 17, 2016
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  7. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    I get what you're saying, but the hindsight in the argument is just natural because of the factors we've seen. If Holiday never got hurt and stayed completely healthy all the time, I think he's a stud. He was an All-Star at 22 years old and then has missed half his time on the court since. It's pretty crazy.

    I think for NO they might not be making a mistake by holding on to Jrue. What's his trade value right now? It can't be high. I wouldn't move him at his worst right now when he can still be a good player (has looked good this season when healthy) and he can improve his trade value. If he gets hurt again, who cares? His trade value would roughly the same as it is right now.
     
    therealdeal, Feb 17, 2016
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  8. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    ^right. at the time, jrue was a young allstar caliber pg who played both ends and was on a pretty friendly contract. I don't think his injury problems could have been predicted. I was never high on noel (too skinny to not have much in terms of basketball skill), so that played into it as well.
     
    abeer3, Feb 17, 2016
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