The Hornets will still be really good but there's no way this trade doesn't make them worse.
offensively that's an upgrade. smith gives them a guy who can hit an occasional jumpshot (something i never saw chandler do once in his entire career), and wilcox can finish those alley-oops almost as well.
but they just lost their only real defensive-minded post and shot-blocker. historically - including this year - the Spurs have gone on a lay-up drill every time Chandler has been out of the game.
Chandler to SA, make it happen.
I'm not sure I like this trade from the Thunder perspective.
Chandler is a very good defensive big (although he really doesn't block as many shots as you'd think), but without Chris Paul - he's maybe the worst offensive center in the league (at least of 5s playing on contenders).
Without those alley-oops finishes, he basically Sagana Diop...at almost twice the salary.
Last edited by K-State Spur; 02-17-2009 at 03:04 PM.
We wouldn't touch that salary with a 250 foot pole.
Durant doesn't pass anyways. Might as well tell Chandler to hit the offensive boards and try to score that way.
And for a team that has drafted about a half dozen centers in the last few years, filling that hole with an NBA level player is a big move in the right direction. Especially considering that Chandler is still young.
They don't sell out every home game.
And the thing about Chandler is he loses a lot of defensive intensity when he's not involved in the offense. I don't get why so many big men are like that but they are.
It's not so much that I hate the move from a basketball perspective. OKC has 3 young scorers, with a couple more possibly developing.
But man, $12 million/year through 2011 for a guy to hit the boards and block 1.5 shots per game?
I know they have room under the cap with all those rookie deals, but still...
Should have just traded for Diop and you get 85% of the production for 50% the price. ...And you're still overpaying.
well, the hornets should be easier to beat now. i got so sick and tired of seeing any play that involved CP3 and Chandler.
I'm just hoping that CP3 doesn't create that kind of chemistry with Wilcox.
well Sean Marks will now have to make some aleyoops.
Hornets owner George Shinn is a dumb-ass. He just killed his team's hopes of advancing. Definitely helps the Spurs in the division, but probably reduces any possible hopes of the Spurs getting a big via trade.
The alley-oops from CP3 to Chandler killed the Spurs. It seemd like they could run that play every third possesion and it would work for them.
This trade should serve as a cautionary tale that highlights how difficult it is to build and maintain a championship caliber team-- something the Spurs have done for nearly two straight decades now, but the Hornets were only able to do for a tad over one full season.
The Thunder look very good now too, but remember, all of their positive attributes are mere potential-- they are still a team with a record of 13-40 afterall-- and have a long way to go before ever being mentioned in the same breath with any of the Spurs' teams of the last decade.
Agreed. But imagine how the fortunes of that franchise will turn if they somehow win the NBA draft lottery and the right to select OU's Blake Griffin.
Very true. I want to emphasize that I do think OK is doing a great job of rebuilding. I'm not criticizing them at all. I just had a little epiphany there that I, like probably most Spurs' fans, can easily forget sometimes how good the Spurs are and have been.
Damn, that would be scary.
New Orleans' record this year with Chandler in line up: 21-11
Without him: 9-9
Nice catch-- my mistake... I was remembering an article about how attendance was up, but I rechecked and, like you said, they don't sell out every home game.
cross the hornets off the list.
The Spurs, with Presti, did attempt on more than one occassion to aquire Chandler, so it does allow the mind to wonder...
I agree with the notion of the Spurs avoiding that albatross of a contract, and your general assessment of Chandler as a whole, but hearing Tim's roundtable interview with espn radio, he basically described Chandler to the "T" of his first name.(Athletic, energetic, shot-blocking/rebounding big, that can run the floor)
I don't believe we're going to see Presti turn around and trade him to the Spurs, but I'd be lying if there wasn't a little place in the back of my mind thinking, "Ya know, what would be a better Fah-Q to the league, from Pop and one of his deciples, than pulling their own Gasol deal, after all the hubub surrounding the trade from last year?"
Wilcox might just get himself a nice big contract with this relocation.
I've said it before, but Wilcox is capable of doing a pretty good Amare impersonation on a given night. You give him a point-guard, the caliber of CP3, that can spoon-feed him the way Nash does for Amare?
Like I said, Wilcox could be looking at a nice fat check next year.
This trade clearly show what everybody is saying : buyers are in the driver seat for this deadline. Chandler is a good player with a big but not horrible contract and Thunder got him for average players with expiring contracts.
If Spurs are ready to take players with post 2010 contracts, they will be able to get quality players(s), even with their limited assets.
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