George Karl on Recent Trade

[Heuge]

Here is another "Insider" analyzing the trade. I find this one to be much more informed than the one Chad Ford created earlier.


By: George Karl


First, let's consider the Kings (25-11), who have been close to the top of the Western Conference for half a dozen years. Management realizes the team is getting older, and most observers are saying they don't have enough to stay at that level.



The Cuttino Mobley trade gives them a young guy who's a better player than Doug Christie. A defensive role player, the 34-year-old Christie is approaching the end of his career. And the truth is that Mobley, 29, might be as good as Christie defensively (or better). I saw Mobley in the playoffs last year against the Lakers, and he defended Kobe Bryant about as well as you can defend him.

The Kings want to stay at the top of the mountain and maintain their role as a contender. The Mobley trade means they have a better and younger player than Christie. Mobley will be a free agent at the end of the season, so the Kings should have more than 40 games to observe him and make a decision about whether they want him long-term.

 

[PFFFT!!]

Tard? who you calling 'tard!?!?!

 

[Heuge]

Here is hopefully the last "insider" article on the trade.

By Brian James
ESPN Insider

When a major trade is made in the NBA, it sends shock waves through not only the players directly involved, but also the organizations as well as the media and fans analyzing the positives and negatives of the deal.

The Magic's recent decision to send guard Cuttino Mobley (and reserve Michael Bradley) to the Kings for versatile guard Doug Christie certainly qualifies as a shocker.

Usually teams trade one problem for the other team's problem. Not very often do teams that are in the hunt for a top-four playoff seed (and thus first-round home-court advantage) make a deal like this unless they see "leaks in the dam." If those leaks are getting bigger by the week, it's best to repair them ASAP.

Mobley's north-south mentality in the open court and ability to hit the big jump shots as he did against the Trail Blazers recently fits with coach Rick Adelman's philosophy.

I don't see any reason why the Kings, who always have been close to the top of most of the offensive categories in the NBA, will decline in scoring by adding Mobley.

He basically replaces the injured Bobby Jackson (out for the season with a left wrist injury) and, like Jackson, can play either guard position.

Essentially, the Kings will have Mobley take the place of both Christie and Jackson.

This also provides more opportunities for the athletic Maurice Evans, whom the Kings' coaches will turn to when they need someone who has Christie's size and defensive presence.

Five-man basketball is fun to watch. With this trade, it will continue at its best for both teams.

He concluded by ranking perimeter defenders
1. Bowen
2. K**e
3. Doug
4. Hughes
5. AK-47
6. AI

 

[Bricklayer]

Doug is not the third best perimeter defender in the league at this point.

 

[Twix]

And the truth is that Mobley, 29, might be as good as Christie defensively (or better). I saw Mobley in the playoffs last year against the Lakers, and he defended Kobe Bryant about as well as you can defend him.

Great to hear that! Thanks for posting the articles, Heuge!

 

[Heuge]

Doug is not the third best perimeter defender in the league at this point.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. Hughes was suspect as well.

 

[Kev.in]

AI doesn't belong anywhere near a top defenders list either. He's one of the best at playing the passing lanes, but there's much more to defense than coming up with 2+ steals a game.

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

The Cuttino Mobley trade gives them a young guy who's a better player than Doug Christie. A defensive role player, the 34-year-old Christie is approaching the end of his career. And the truth is that Mobley, 29, might be as good as Christie defensively (or better). I saw Mobley in the playoffs last year against the Lakers, and he defended Kobe Bryant about as well as you can defend him.

I agree with this point , hes been playing better D than Christie so far as of this year ...

 

[VF21]

I don't think it's a matter of who's better, Mobley or Christie. I think this is one of those trades that may end up being very beneficial for both teams - Doug is already helping the Magic and Cat is helping the Kings.

So, rather than talking about who's better, I'm just glad to see each player contributing to their new teams. And I'm hoping Michael Bradley at least gets to step on the court once or twice.

GO KINGS!!!

 

[shaka zulu]

cuttino mobley is a better position defender.This means he stays his ground doesn't go for alot of pump fakes,jab steps and steal gambles this style of defense joe dumars played with the pistons being undersized at 6'3 6'4.He stays in the pocket defensively which allows him to defend kobe better than doug at times.Doug is the better all around defender that can realistically guard the #1 # 2 and # 3 positions equally,something not even Bruce Bowen can claim,You don't see Bruce Bowen at Games start the game matching up against the point guards unless they are the bigger ones 6'4 and up or if there is a switch defensively he may pick up that position.

 

[Evenstar]

He concluded by ranking perimeter defenders
1. Bowen
2. K**e
3. Doug
4. Hughes
5. AK-47
6. AI

LMAO!

but doug shouldn't be 3rd on this list. not at this point in his career.

 

[Gargamel]

Great to hear that! Thanks for posting the articles, Heuge!

Kobe avg'd better than his season stats in that series. I guess George meant that Mobley played him as good as anyone because he managed not to get humiliated (although Kobe put Houston to sleep in an OT in Gm4 guarded by Cat).