Nets

[Crow]

RPM and I say that was an insanely stupid trade by the Nets.

[Rd11490]

I get why RPM says it was stupid, but why do you? It makes perfect sense to me. Eat a bad contract, take a flyer on a youngish player that you hope you can develop/reclaim. It's not like they are actually competing any time soon.

[Crow]

I put my basic take in my correlation of minutes with metrics thread. See that. I don't feel a need to say more, right now.

[Crow]

Except... this trade sets them back from competing quite a bit. Years.

But if the plan is years more of tanking, then this should work.

[watto84]

In regards to Russell....

I wrote a piece a few months back that looked at the correlation between poor summer league performance and top 10 pick draft busts. It provided some pretty accurate results/trends for the past few draft classes and how their NBA careers are tracking. Russell was a poor summer league performer and fell into this 'bust zone' as I called it. However I did mention that he did have a chance of not being a bust as his performances were improving. From what that analysis showed me (all be in not a huge set of data) Russell was tracking somewhat similar to Dion waiters for comparison.

Allthough I don't no him personally, his leadership qualities and trouble we have heard in the lockeroom doesn't fill me with confidence. Obviously all reported on by the media.

I don't believe the lakers have given up an all star here or even border line allstar and have been able to rid themselves of a horrible contract in the process. Great deal for the lakers.

[JoshEngleman]

Top 25 comps for Russell through '16-17. Not seeing anything that screams superstar, but this sort of group, plus his pedigree, could put him around league average in 2/3 years. That will be right in line with when he'll need to get paid. Further down his comp list, Jrue Holiday pops up a few times. I think that might be the ceiling. Or maybe pre-injury Brandon Jennings? He does have age on his side. The average age for this group is 1.5 years old than he was for this season.

[jgoldstein34]

I agree that the trade for the Nets could end up not mattering and will make them worse for now, but I think it was the right move. How else will they get guys who had potential coming out of college and just 2 years into their NBA career? Russell has had it rough in Lakerland and now he gets as many shots that he wants. I don't love Russell as a prospect, but I completely get why the Nets made the trade and I like it for them.

[Crow]

Nets had worst perimeter in league last season (by simple efficiency measure). Russell will make it worse. Bigs are maybe average but the perimeter will run the show, lose games, tank the season.

[JoshEngleman]

Yuck. I just...ugh.

[Crow]

It doesn't matter but if they want to win a bit more: Less Kilpatrick. More Booker. No Nicholson. Little Whitehead or Harris. More Lin and Carroll, even just to generate better trade options.

[Crow]

Sean Marks seems to be building for 2022 and beyond. Ok, if ownership said yes. And meant it.

[JoshEngleman]

It doesn't matter but if they want to win a bit more: Less Kilpatrick. More Booker. No Nicholson. Little Whitehead or Harris. More Lin and Carroll, even just to generate better trade options.

They should be praying that Lin and Carroll look good in the 1st half of the season. I think Lin could be this year's Lou Williams at the deadline.