Kings #5 Pick for Pau Gasol?

[Uncia03]

We might not have Pierce/Allen but we do have Tyreke/Cousins. Gotta run with what you have sometimes... Gasol might turn a 20 something win team into a 40 something win team with some upside to get better if Tyreke or Cousins or both can make a leap.

The problem is that a 40-win team gets you no-where.

Let's say that we are a 40-win team and miss the play-offs this year.

Next year we squeak into the play-offs with 50 wins and are eliminated in the 1st round.
Now, Gasol is done with his contract and we have to decide to take the huge expiring or re-sign him again.

We aren't close enough as a team, where adding a Gasol will take us to the 2nd round of the play-offs and beyond, so because of that, I have to pass on him.

If I thought we could make the Western Conference finals next year by signing him, I'd reconsider, but I don't think we'd make that sort of leap.

 

[roasthawg]

The problem is that a 40-win team gets you no-where.

Let's say that we are a 40-win team and miss the play-offs this year.

Next year we squeak into the play-offs with 50 wins and are eliminated in the 1st round.
Now, Gasol is done with his contract and we have to decide to take the huge expiring or re-sign him again.

We aren't close enough as a team, where adding a Gasol will take us to the 2nd round of the play-offs and beyond, so because of that, I have to pass on him.

If I thought we could make the Western Conference finals next year by signing him, I'd reconsider, but I don't think we'd make that sort of leap.

If Tyreke and or Demarcus steps up their game next year then we might become a 35 - 40 win team by default. Problem with that is we might not be in a position to get a Gasol once that happens. Gotta take a gamble sometimes.

 

[rainmaker]

I will never cease to be amazed at the cluelessness of many Kingsfans.

No matter how many years it is proven and waved in their face, they will still fall for the carrot-on-the-stick of draft picks and unproven rookies over talented, experienced vets.

If the Kings were lucky enough to be able to acquire Pao for #5+nothingimportant they should IMMEDIATELY do it and get ready to be in the playoffs. This is a no-brainer, the exact same way it was a no-brainer last year and how they should have picked up Tony Parker (if they could have). And people here actually called Tony Parker too old and not enough quality years left, if you remember.

Repeating a newsflash from others:
This team does NOT have much time left to form a solid team.
Time has run out on the Kings after last year's debacle of a summer.
If they do not trade for a quality vet (actually vets) , they will fail.
They can not expect rookies to pull their franchise out of the gutter.

The amazing thing is - even on this Kings team, some fans still are distracted by the shiny possible future of a draft pick.
Haven't we, as Kings fans, become immune to that shiny bauble?
Let other teams overvalue untested promise and under-rate clutch, veteran skill.

Pao was demonized in LA, by a blase petulant spoiled fanbase that only expects championships. When their precious plans go awry, they collectively need someone to take the blame, and they are joined at the hip to Kobe so that's not going to happen.
Pao has plenty of game left, and is exactly the kind of savvy vet player the Kings need.
Other teams need this #5 draft pick - the Kings don't. They need an untested rookie like they need another hole in the head.

This is EXACTLY like what happened last year with the Tony Parker rumor/trade - the fanbase was too ***** to jump at opportunity and made up irrational excuses to justify their obsession with the promise of a draft pick. And last year was #7, and they STILL didn't want to trade it for battle-tested and proven vets.

When will Kingsfans get it?

I think someone needs a little love in their life.

You love coming in and bashing "kingsfans" as a whole whenever you get a chance. If you disagree with someone do what everyone else does and quote them and make your case. What's with all the "kingsfans don't get it" type of generalities you constantly spew?

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

Btw, I'm not opposed to trading for a veteran with a sizeable contract. I just want one who I feel can grow w/ our core.
I.E Rudy Gay, Josh Smith, etc.

Pau at 31/32 is still better and will have more impact than Gay or Smith.

 

[Spike]

The problem is that a 40-win team gets you no-where.

Let's say that we are a 40-win team and miss the play-offs this year.

Next year we squeak into the play-offs with 50 wins and are eliminated in the 1st round.
Now, Gasol is done with his contract and we have to decide to take the huge expiring or re-sign him again.

We aren't close enough as a team, where adding a Gasol will take us to the 2nd round of the play-offs and beyond, so because of that, I have to pass on him.

If I thought we could make the Western Conference finals next year by signing him, I'd reconsider, but I don't think we'd make that sort of leap.

But then we're a team on the upswing with a huge expiring contract that other teams would like to have. Players like playing for winners. We need to shake the loser label, and fast. I don't know that Gasol is the player to help us take that step, but it's along the line of thinking we need to follow.

 

[Hoovtrain]

Sorry, I disagree. First of all, I'm pretty sure Pau has at least 4 very good years left. He is a guy with a lot of skills, who relies on them and not on his body. This will make his career longer. Just remember Vlade.
Then, you are right, in Memphis he was the 1st option and they went 0-12 in the post season. But, he was younger and didn't have any experience, and, most important, he won't be the 1st option on this team. Cuz would remain the go to guy, and Pau and Evans would be the 2nd and 3rd, depending on the game.

If it was for me, if Pau was there for the 5th and a bad contract, I'd do it.

If Pau has 4 good years left then i do it.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

The problem is that a 40-win team gets you no-where.

Let's say that we are a 40-win team and miss the play-offs this year.

Next year we squeak into the play-offs with 50 wins and are eliminated in the 1st round.
Now, Gasol is done with his contract and we have to decide to take the huge expiring or re-sign him again.

We aren't close enough as a team, where adding a Gasol will take us to the 2nd round of the play-offs and beyond, so because of that, I have to pass on him.

If I thought we could make the Western Conference finals next year by signing him, I'd reconsider, but I don't think we'd make that sort of leap.

And do you really believe strongly that by adding the #5 pick this year, we will be better than a 50 win team?

Also, I think we will be much better than barely making the playoffs with Gasol. Cousins and Tyreke will have great years. A front line of Cousins and Gasol is very very difficult for ANY team to match up with. You going to double boogie? or Pau? Where is that 2nd help defender coming from? Tyreke's?, MT's?, Cousins?

We have legitimate scorers all around at that point with 2 great passing big man. Both of these guys rebound easily. How many games did the lakers win because Pau and Bynum repeatedly get offensive rebounds and creating 2nd chances down the stretch for them?

 

[rainmaker]

The problem is that a 40-win team gets you no-where.

Let's say that we are a 40-win team and miss the play-offs this year.

Next year we squeak into the play-offs with 50 wins and are eliminated in the 1st round.
Now, Gasol is done with his contract and we have to decide to take the huge expiring or re-sign him again.

We aren't close enough as a team, where adding a Gasol will take us to the 2nd round of the play-offs and beyond, so because of that, I have to pass on him.

If I thought we could make the Western Conference finals next year by signing him, I'd reconsider, but I don't think we'd make that sort of leap.

True, but it puts the pieces in place and changes the culture in the locker room. Also have to think of the longer term impact he'd have on the guys, especially Cuz. Also if we were to resign him 2 yrs down the road it'd be significantly cheaper. Also think advancing deeper into the playoffs would depend largely on Reke/Cuz and their development next to Pau. Then there's the factor that Reke/Pau/Cuz trio looks more attractive to potential FA's.

When we keep winning 20 something games, I don't see what the fear is about regarding winning 40-50 in the next two years with a move like this, if it were to happen. Today might be our only chance to trade for a signifacant player. We're always afraid to spend and waste money, and then usually end up wasting a crap load of money on players who don't make a difference. I get that some might be turned off by Pau's contract, but does anyone see us signing a FA even in the same neighborhood as Pau? I don't. Do we have another opportunity to grab a great player without trading one of Reke/Cuz in the next year or two? I doubt it. MT is valuable, but not 5th pick valuable. We're not getting offers of Gasol/Lowry/J Smith for MT. We're getting those for the pick.

But if we could get any of Iggy/Noah/Deng/Horford/Lowry+ picks I consider all those as well. IMO, this is our chance. Not free agency. Not the draft next June. Not trading Reke and blowing up our foundation. But here when can get a difference maker, a starter, bordeline All Stars, without breaking up our core. I have zero confidence we'll have an opportunity like this in the nest few years without including Reke or Cuz, where here we can add to both.

 

[Uncia03]

I don't have a problem trading for a Veteran.
If we could flip the pick and pick up Iggy/Noah/Horford I'd be on board. I might consider Deng and would probably be ok with Lowry plus picks.

But I don't see how getting an aging Gasol gets us past the 1st round in the next two years while he's under contract, and after the contract is up, there is no guarantees with what he'll do, and no guarantees that we'll have a 'winning culture' by then.

Now...if we were going to trade the #5 pick plus Salmons/Hayes/Outlaw for Gasol so we are not taking on any more salary, then it would be different, because we'd have to spend money in order to bring in a veteran SF, and I think solidifying the SF position is the most important thing we can do today.

But if the idea is to let the Lakers use this trade as a salary dump PLUS they get the top 5 pick, I'd say 'NO' to that deal.

 

[Uncia03]

And do you really believe strongly that by adding the #5 pick this year, we will be better than a 50 win team?

Also, I think we will be much better than barely making the playoffs with Gasol. Cousins and Tyreke will have great years. A front line of Cousins and Gasol is very very difficult for ANY team to match up with. You going to double boogie? or Pau? Where is that 2nd help defender coming from? Tyreke's?, MT's?, Cousins?

We have legitimate scorers all around at that point with 2 great passing big man. Both of these guys rebound easily. How many games did the lakers win because Pau and Bynum repeatedly get offensive rebounds and creating 2nd chances down the stretch for them?

I don't see how we'd ever win 50 games by just adding a #5 pick this year.
However, we don't have to make the play-offs this year or next year in order for the #5 pick to be a success.
If we win 40 games next season, then end up fighting for the 8th spot the year later, while the team grows together that's acceptable to me.
Hopefully the year after that we break into the play-offs with a young core of players who have developed chemistry.

With Gasol you're basically saying that if we don't make the play-offs it's a failure, but taking the #5 pick represents a different set of expectations.

Regardless, I don't actually expect to make the play-offs as long as we refuse to bring in high quality coaching. With-out good coaching, I'm not certain what roster moves would put us into contention to win a play-off series.

 

[IfAt1st]

The ironing is delicious.

um.. really?
Because I've been proven to be right in my statements more than the average poster here. I stand by my statements and predictions - can you?

Even though I agree with, Lol at you for thinking we as fans have any control over the personnel decisions this team makes. I remember you going ballistic about Beno being traded and blaming everyone here for that.

* Stop projecting. I never said that. Of course we aren't in the Kings FO. All we have is our opinion, and many KF's are, and have proven to be, woefully wrong in their opinions and still don't see it when it repeats (like this subject).
And I was right about Beno, and the impact it had on this team.
But I never blamed everyone here - I specifically pointed out KF's who were proven wrong about not valuing a steady vet who fit the team (not that they admit it gracefully). And yes, fans not valuing a player DOES trickle up to management. I see it on KF's, I see it on other boards, see it on sacbee.com, then see how it influences some fans at games with yelling out criticisms, then how the FO trades that player. It does have an impact. If you don't think fan approval of a player influences FO moves, then I guess we'll just have to ignore the entire concept and continual application of the phrase "fan favorite" for the past few decades in professional sports.

You love coming in and bashing "kingsfans" as a whole whenever you get a chance. If you disagree with someone do what everyone else does and quote them and make your case. What's with all the "kingsfans don't get it" type of generalities you constantly spew?

It's a good question.
Mainly, because it's easier to generalise than to collect specific quotes - That takes time.
And I'm one of the few on KF's who repeatedly quotes people's words, so you're preaching to the choir. If there was a specific quote I was posting to, I'd have done it.
I distinctly remember requiring you to quote me where I say things when you repeatedly deliberately misrepresent me. And you're getting better at quoting me, I see.

But as for generalizing, it's simple - my post only applies to KF's who are again showing their ignorance of basketball by valuing a #5 pick over a player like Pao Gasol (and Tony Parker last year).
You have proven with your posts that you aren't in that sub-group of KF's - you are one of the KF's who has shown that you know the value of a Pao Gasol, and that a #5 pick isn't nearly as valuable as a proven, game-changing successful vet.
In fact, I'd say this last year your takes on the team have been remarkably on-point.
Much better than previous years.

I simply haven't seen much reason to post lately, because nothing this team has been doing or saying has been interesting, or has likelihood of making the team better.
THIS trade could make the team better. Then they of course they still need a new, real coach who has proven they can coach the NBA, too....

 

[Dime Dropper]

Another thread ruined with self-appraisal and misplaced arrogance. And no, don't ask me to respond to your post to point out where you're wrong - I have no intention of wasting anymore time on you. This post is one too many.

 

[rainmaker]

Feels great to have you back, Ifat1st.

As dimedropper said, took you all of two posts to hijack a thread. Good times.

 

[IfAt1st]

No problem, guys -

glad to be the one to keep KF's honest, and mindful of what's happened previously.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

Sorry, I disagree. First of all, I'm pretty sure Pau has at least 4 very good years left. He is a guy with a lot of skills, who relies on them and not on his body. This will make his career longer. Just remember Vlade.
Then, you are right, in Memphis he was the 1st option and they went 0-12 in the post season. But, he was younger and didn't have any experience, and, most important, he won't be the 1st option on this team. Cuz would remain the go to guy, and Pau and Evans would be the 2nd and 3rd, depending on the game.

If it was for me, if Pau was there for the 5th and a bad contract, I'd do it.

Also, folks need to remember than Kobe was 0-3 (no playoffs first year, 1st round out in next 2) after Shaq and before Pau.