Agreed....this whole FA process with IT is just reinforcing that I wish the Kings would have drafted Payton and then tried to sign a cheaper FA SG. It wouldn't be ideal going into the season with a rookie(Payton) or a 2nd year guy(Ray) but I like both guys. I think Payton can match what MCW did last year and Ray is capable of running a team and putting up numbers. With our cap where it is.....it feels like we are going to get cornered with the IT free agency and there is no way he is worth $8mill per year.....can he put up good offensive numbers? Yes...it's why most want him to be a 6th man. Is he a capable defender? No, he's a liability and that is why he's not worth that type of salary for us.
IT = Rumor of 3/24 offer from Pistons
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Assuming the Kings do let IT walk or move him in a sign-and-trade, I do wonder who will be the obect of Kings' fans wrath next year? That's just how it works with fans of bad teams. Somebody has to take all of the blame and there is usually a "golden boy" and a "whipping boy". If IT is gone next year somebody has to take that responsibility...lol
No doubt Isaiah has his flaws and limitations but it is pretty astounding how much hate he gets considering he has improved every year, he was the last pick of the draft, he works extremely hard, and he's mostly overcome his lack of height and succeeded at the highest level.
I don't like his skillset as a PG because shoot-first "combo guards" who don't play much defense and don't make their teammates better are a dime-a-dozen in the NBA.......but most of those guys were drafted much higher than IT and they also stand much taller. He does deserve some credit for doing so with less and none of the experts predicted him to do so. He's not the right fit (as a starter) for this team going forward but he doesn't deserve the amount of negativity that surrounds him.
No doubt Isaiah has his flaws and limitations but it is pretty astounding how much hate he gets considering he has improved every year, he was the last pick of the draft, he works extremely hard, and he's mostly overcome his lack of height and succeeded at the highest level.
I don't like his skillset as a PG because shoot-first "combo guards" who don't play much defense and don't make their teammates better are a dime-a-dozen in the NBA.......but most of those guys were drafted much higher than IT and they also stand much taller. He does deserve some credit for doing so with less and none of the experts predicted him to do so. He's not the right fit (as a starter) for this team going forward but he doesn't deserve the amount of negativity that surrounds him.
That's not even remotely true though. IT is getting interest at $8 million per this summer, that's no guarantee he'll be trade-able at that amount next season or the season after. What if his stats decline next season? What if he gets injured? What if Boston and Detroit settle their PG needs elsewhere and nobody else is in the market for a scoring guard? Overpaying a guy with the intention of possibly trading him down the line is almost never going to work out. You look at the season IT just had and his age and his value right now is probably the highest it will ever be. In the poll I voted for $4 million per because at that amount he is either a bit of a bargain as a top 6th man or a player you should be able to trade down the line to fill a different roster need. I also think he's a poor fit so it had better be a bargain for me to consider keeping him mainly as a trade asset. At twice that amount you'd better be comfortable with him as your starter because you could easily be stuck with him like it or not.
You can say the "decline" thing about literally any player in the league.
Expecting Thomas to sign at $4mm is as realistic as expecting Lebron to come to Sacramento. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Here's guys in the 4-5mm range:
http://espn.go.com/nba/salaries/_/page/4
http://espn.go.com/nba/salaries/_/page/5
Guys in that range include Brad Miller, Elton Brand, Darius Songaila, and Jared Dudley. Guys who are either 8th-10th guy in the rotation or in their late 30s and on the last contract. Be a little more realistic
Expecting Thomas to sign at $4mm is as realistic as expecting Lebron to come to Sacramento. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Here's guys in the 4-5mm range:
http://espn.go.com/nba/salaries/_/page/4
http://espn.go.com/nba/salaries/_/page/5
Guys in that range include Brad Miller, Elton Brand, Darius Songaila, and Jared Dudley. Guys who are either 8th-10th guy in the rotation or in their late 30s and on the last contract. Be a little more realistic
If we could S&T IT and Terry for Rondo, then swing Landry and Outlaw for for Sanders we could go into this season looking like this.
PG: Rondo/Stuaskas/Ray
SG: Ben/Stauskas/Ray
SF: Gay/Williams/Acy
PF: Sanders/JT/Evans/Acy
C: Cousins/JT
Assuming Boston wants IT and wants to dump Rondo, we give them the player they want and Cap relief.
With Milwaukee, you rid them of a large contract give them a post scorer and salary relief.
I think, these are win wins.
PG: Rondo/Stuaskas/Ray
SG: Ben/Stauskas/Ray
SF: Gay/Williams/Acy
PF: Sanders/JT/Evans/Acy
C: Cousins/JT
Assuming Boston wants IT and wants to dump Rondo, we give them the player they want and Cap relief.
With Milwaukee, you rid them of a large contract give them a post scorer and salary relief.
I think, these are win wins.
I think it is funny that you start with the "hate" comment (which is definitely overblown with IT - very few don't like him, most just don't want to pay him more than MLE± and like him as a super 6th man), and then you proceed to agree with the shortcomings some use to say his fit as a starter on this team is not feasible.
So are you a "hater" too???
So are you a "hater" too???
Cracks me up how every FA season fans cry "too much!". Meeks was high on my list, even with two young SG's.
Like you said, he actually does a lot more than just spot up and shoot 3's. D'Ant also played him on defense against 1's last season. He's worth it, imo.
FA is all about overspending. Teams sometimes get good deals on their own players...ie GSW signed Curry to 11/44 a couple season ago, and some thought it was too much then.
Salary cap keeps going up up up.
Like you said, he actually does a lot more than just spot up and shoot 3's. D'Ant also played him on defense against 1's last season. He's worth it, imo.
FA is all about overspending. Teams sometimes get good deals on their own players...ie GSW signed Curry to 11/44 a couple season ago, and some thought it was too much then.
Salary cap keeps going up up up.
He's a shooter, nothing more. You don't get paid for being home grown. 6 mil per is going to come back and bite them in the ass. Someone who puts up 2.5 boards and under 2 assists in 33 minutes is absolutely one dimensional.
edit: sorry jamal, I misread your post. Thought you were talking about Meeks.
edit: sorry jamal, I misread your post. Thought you were talking about Meeks.
I was actually describing IT, calling IT a one trick pony is laughable no matter how much you hate the guy. I agree Meeks on paper would seem like a pure spot shooter, but watching him last season his off the dribble stuff was much improved and he's the only Laker I saw that gave it 100% night in night out, and clearly had improved his game from previous years. I would say Detroit overpaid slightly, I see him more as a $3-$4 million per year player. However in a league where dribble penetration and 3 point shooting are of high value, Meeks was amongst the best spot shooters on the market.
Thats the one thing people overlook about IT, he has proven he can get around his man and get in the lane against practically every guard in the league(Paul, Westrbrook, Rondo etc. couldn't contain him). If we can get actual good shooters around Cousins/Gay/IT(not Ben McLemore or Marcus Thornton), we could really see team play improve.
Thats the one thing people overlook about IT, he has proven he can get around his man and get in the lane against practically every guard in the league(Paul, Westrbrook, Rondo etc. couldn't contain him). If we can get actual good shooters around Cousins/Gay/IT(not Ben McLemore or Marcus Thornton), we could really see team play improve.
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