Arizona's Finest
Your My Favorite Mistake
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Well knowing what we know now, it’s safe to say that everyone does the trade again. At the time it seemed like a pittance for a player of Joe’s caliber and I felt the Suns were just making the best of a bad situation. Instead it has turned out to be a trade that theoretically could define the franchise for years to come. Hyperbole? Not quite…Lets break down the trade on a further level…
Do you do this trade?
Joe Johnson for Boris Diaw straight up:
This is a whole lot easier when you take salary cap into account. I think most national fans would think that Joe at 70 million is not quite the value of Boris at 2.whatever million he makes. But let’s forget salary cap implications for a second. Just take the two players into acct. Here is a rundown of the players (I have not double checked but any number off is just barely so you get the idea….
Joe
6-7
Fourth year player (24)
Strengths: Perimeter defense, ball handling, shooting, refined offensive skill set
Weakness: Lacks athleticism, lacks fire, does not finish particularly well
Boris Diaw
6-8 (maybe even 6-9)
Third Year player (23)
Strengths: Passing, Post and Perimeter defense, Rebounding, Bball Acumen, Shot blocking
Weakness: Shooting range, lacks fire and aggression, lack of refined offensive skill set
So I look at the weaknesses of Boris and I think to myself, well that sounds a lot like Joe when he first arrived. After being coached up he became more aggressive and a more reliable shooter. Putting them on the same time line is not fair due to the two years spent in the abyss known as Atlanta for Diaw. So compare the player Joe was when he got here and Boris. Well Diaw is already doing more the Joe did when he first got here and Diaw has advantages that Joe can never learn. Boris is more athletic, can block shots, and amazingly is a superior passer.
I give them a push in ball handling and Diaw is much more knowledgeable and long body wise. So to me, as big a Joe fan as I am, knowing what I know now I make this trade again straight up. If you look at my posts when Joe left, my biggest concern is what would happen to the team with no other ball handler other than Nash. Well now we have a better playmaker than Joe and in my mind, we have the best 1-2 passing combination in the NBA (is it to early to say that). I mean to be as big as he is and make the passes he does is just ludicrous. The only size comparison and passing ability that makes sense are Lebron and Magic. Now that’s some heady company.
Do you do this deal:
Joe Johnson for James Jones and another player (likely a big man who comes off the bench)
I have no idea what the Suns will do with the rest of that TE so let’s evaluate Joe and Junior. To me, Jones and Johnson are more alike than Joe and Boris. For two consecutive games Jones has set a season high, and his shooting ability is as good as Joes in my mind. Unfortunately Joe brings more to the table than Jones so I can’t say I would do this one straight up. Even though Junior is young and has potential to be as good as Joe one day, its not so much more potential that you can say you would rather have him than the known commodity. Now depending what the rest of the TE ends up being, I could change my mind, but as it stands, I will have to say I would rather have Joe.
Would you do:
Joe Johnson for a 2007 Lottery pick and a 2008 top 3 pick
This is speculation on my part of course but lets say thing remain the same in LA, Boston, and the ATL….Lets say we don’t get the extra pick this year but in 2007 we have the #10 pick. Now with the age minimum being enforced this year, 2006 is likely to be a weaker draft than the Oden 2007 draft. So the number ten pick could net us quite the player. Likely a talented freshman who would have come out in 2006 or our pick of the next great Euro player. This is kind of hit or miss. But let’s assume Atlanta continues to be garbage (which isn’t a stretch) and we end up getting a top 3 pick in 2008. So let’s think about the top players at the PG and SG position who will be available that we will likely want. Two names come to mind for me. Jerryd Bayless (Arizona phenom compared to D Wade) or OJ Mayo (constantly compared to Lebron)….Both of these guys are supposed to be transcendent players with the requisite height, athleticism, and basketball pedigree. Worried about when Nash leaves. Don’t be…Under his tutelage for a year or two, I think these guys would carry on the Suns PG tradition and team with Amare and Boris for years to come. I make this trade if the slots above turn out to be the actual place we pick.
Ok so it’s a bit speculative….but this trade is paying off both now and down the line. They say everything Sarver has touched has turn to gold, and the local team seems to be on its way. Who knows what happens between now and then, but at the very least it goes w/o saying this was a good trade. I could see myself making the trade 2/3 times on an item by item basis, but the entire package is a no brainier. Maybe Belkin IS the smartest man in Atlanta….
Do you do this trade?
Joe Johnson for Boris Diaw straight up:
This is a whole lot easier when you take salary cap into account. I think most national fans would think that Joe at 70 million is not quite the value of Boris at 2.whatever million he makes. But let’s forget salary cap implications for a second. Just take the two players into acct. Here is a rundown of the players (I have not double checked but any number off is just barely so you get the idea….
Joe
6-7
Fourth year player (24)
Strengths: Perimeter defense, ball handling, shooting, refined offensive skill set
Weakness: Lacks athleticism, lacks fire, does not finish particularly well
Boris Diaw
6-8 (maybe even 6-9)
Third Year player (23)
Strengths: Passing, Post and Perimeter defense, Rebounding, Bball Acumen, Shot blocking
Weakness: Shooting range, lacks fire and aggression, lack of refined offensive skill set
So I look at the weaknesses of Boris and I think to myself, well that sounds a lot like Joe when he first arrived. After being coached up he became more aggressive and a more reliable shooter. Putting them on the same time line is not fair due to the two years spent in the abyss known as Atlanta for Diaw. So compare the player Joe was when he got here and Boris. Well Diaw is already doing more the Joe did when he first got here and Diaw has advantages that Joe can never learn. Boris is more athletic, can block shots, and amazingly is a superior passer.
I give them a push in ball handling and Diaw is much more knowledgeable and long body wise. So to me, as big a Joe fan as I am, knowing what I know now I make this trade again straight up. If you look at my posts when Joe left, my biggest concern is what would happen to the team with no other ball handler other than Nash. Well now we have a better playmaker than Joe and in my mind, we have the best 1-2 passing combination in the NBA (is it to early to say that). I mean to be as big as he is and make the passes he does is just ludicrous. The only size comparison and passing ability that makes sense are Lebron and Magic. Now that’s some heady company.
Do you do this deal:
Joe Johnson for James Jones and another player (likely a big man who comes off the bench)
I have no idea what the Suns will do with the rest of that TE so let’s evaluate Joe and Junior. To me, Jones and Johnson are more alike than Joe and Boris. For two consecutive games Jones has set a season high, and his shooting ability is as good as Joes in my mind. Unfortunately Joe brings more to the table than Jones so I can’t say I would do this one straight up. Even though Junior is young and has potential to be as good as Joe one day, its not so much more potential that you can say you would rather have him than the known commodity. Now depending what the rest of the TE ends up being, I could change my mind, but as it stands, I will have to say I would rather have Joe.
Would you do:
Joe Johnson for a 2007 Lottery pick and a 2008 top 3 pick
This is speculation on my part of course but lets say thing remain the same in LA, Boston, and the ATL….Lets say we don’t get the extra pick this year but in 2007 we have the #10 pick. Now with the age minimum being enforced this year, 2006 is likely to be a weaker draft than the Oden 2007 draft. So the number ten pick could net us quite the player. Likely a talented freshman who would have come out in 2006 or our pick of the next great Euro player. This is kind of hit or miss. But let’s assume Atlanta continues to be garbage (which isn’t a stretch) and we end up getting a top 3 pick in 2008. So let’s think about the top players at the PG and SG position who will be available that we will likely want. Two names come to mind for me. Jerryd Bayless (Arizona phenom compared to D Wade) or OJ Mayo (constantly compared to Lebron)….Both of these guys are supposed to be transcendent players with the requisite height, athleticism, and basketball pedigree. Worried about when Nash leaves. Don’t be…Under his tutelage for a year or two, I think these guys would carry on the Suns PG tradition and team with Amare and Boris for years to come. I make this trade if the slots above turn out to be the actual place we pick.
Ok so it’s a bit speculative….but this trade is paying off both now and down the line. They say everything Sarver has touched has turn to gold, and the local team seems to be on its way. Who knows what happens between now and then, but at the very least it goes w/o saying this was a good trade. I could see myself making the trade 2/3 times on an item by item basis, but the entire package is a no brainier. Maybe Belkin IS the smartest man in Atlanta….
) and I wanted Sarver to sign him for the 50 mil two years ago.
Your right and im on it....
