The Durant Sweepstakes

[JCSunsfan]

I was listening to Woj. The problem is KD is not saying he won't play next season if a trade can't be worked out. So, that takes a ton of pressure off the Nets. He seemed to indicate they are OK with letting KD play on his existing contract. In contrast, he is saying that he has talked to teams and the hesitation is trading away the bank and not having enough to win a title after getting KD.

No question I trade Cam for KD. Not even a hesitation there. I don't want to give up Bridges, but I wouldn't say no there either. It's easy to throw in Crowder, Payne, Shamet, Craig & Saric but at the end of the day many teams may not want those players including the Nets. Also, that's not how picks work. We wouldn't have no picks for 7 years. Some of those would be pick swaps but I think the Nets traded away a bunch of those already.

I would trade Cam. I would hate trading Mikal but I might. I would not at all be interested in trading both.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Pippen had handles and could create his own shot. Also he could score at will. Three things thar separate a role player at that position from a star.

Comparing bridges to pippen is just silly in almost every manner.

 

[Sparky16]

I was listening to Woj. The problem is KD is not saying he won't play next season if a trade can't be worked out. So, that takes a ton of pressure off the Nets. He seemed to indicate they are OK with letting KD play on his existing contract. In contrast, he is saying that he has talked to teams and the hesitation is trading away the bank and not having enough to win a title after getting KD.

No question I trade Cam for KD. Not even a hesitation there. I don't want to give up Bridges, but I wouldn't say no there either. It's easy to throw in Crowder, Payne, Shamet, Craig & Saric but at the end of the day many teams may not want those players including the Nets. Also, that's not how picks work. We wouldn't have no picks for 7 years. Some of those would be pick swaps but I think the Nets traded away a bunch of those already.

The filler is not for talent, its for exp payroll. The picks are the trade value

 

[Dr. Jones]

Comparing bridges to pippen is just silly in almost every manner.

I personally agree but if you look at Pippen after year 4....... You notice many similarities. Bridges is the lessor for sure, but it could be much worse.

 

[Covert Rain]

The filler is not for talent, its for exp payroll. The picks are the trade value

That doesn't change anything. You have to find a team that is looking for expired payroll. That's why it's so each to cherry pick players and assume that will work. Also, I didn't say anything about the value of picks. I was just responding to you about not having picks for 7 years. That's not how it works. You can only trade every other 1st rounder and the picks in between can only be swaps. In this case, the Nets have already traded away some of those picks in-between.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I personally agree but if you look at Pippen after year 4....... You notice many similarities. Bridges is the lessor for sure, but it could be much worse.

outside of both being very good defenders, i notice very few similarities.

In year 4, Pippen averaged 18/8/6 to Bridges 14/4/2. More points, double the rebounds and tripling assists.

I also see in the playoffs in year 4, Pippen raised his game to 22/9/6.

In year 4, Bridges "raised" his game in the playoffs to 13/4/3.

Bridges is a very good defender... that's where any comparisons with Pippen start and finish.

 

[Dr. Jones]

outside of both being very good defenders, i notice very few similarities.

In year 4, Pippen averaged 18/8/6 to Bridges 14/4/2. More points, double the rebounds and tripling assists.

I also see in the playoffs in year 4, Pippen raised his game to 22/9/6.

In year 4, Bridges "raised" his game in the playoffs to 13/4/3.

Bridges is a very good defender... that's where any comparisons with Pippen start and finish.

Mikal is the guaranteed 4th option (sometimes 5th or 6th) on this team, and rarely has plays ran for him. Pippen was never worse than third and usually 2nd by his 4th year, and had multiple sets in the triangle that utilized his height in the post IIRC.

I do agree that Pippen is better.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

outside of both being very good defenders, i notice very few similarities.

In year 4, Pippen averaged 18/8/6 to Bridges 14/4/2. More points, double the rebounds and tripling assists.

I also see in the playoffs in year 4, Pippen raised his game to 22/9/6.

In year 4, Bridges "raised" his game in the playoffs to 13/4/3.

Bridges is a very good defender... that's where any comparisons with Pippen start and finish.

Exactly. Pippen could get his own shot and create for others as a good distributor. Bridges - no.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Mikal is the guaranteed 4th option (sometimes 5th or 6th) on this team, and rarely has plays ran for him. Pippen was never worse than third and usually 2nd by his 4th year, and had multiple sets in the triangle that utilized his height in the post IIRC.

I do agree that Pippen is better.

Dude the 8 to 4 rebound advantage and 6 to 2 assist comp should be enough, but just having watched them there’s no comparison. Pippen could play point guard. Bridges would be an outright disaster at point.

 

[Hoop Head]

Bridges is more of a supercharged Bruce Bowen than poor man's Pippen.

 

[AZ Native]

As great as MJ was individually, one of his best attributes was making everyone around him better.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Mikal is the guaranteed 4th option (sometimes 5th or 6th) on this team, and rarely has plays ran for him. Pippen was never worse than third and usually 2nd by his 4th year, and had multiple sets in the triangle that utilized his height in the post IIRC.

I do agree that Pippen is better.

They’re not in the same universe. There’s a reason Mikal is the 4th option and is never depended on to create for others.

 

[Phrazbit]

They’re not in the same universe. There’s a reason Mikal is the 4th option and is never depended on to create for others.

Bridges had that amazing stretch of offense in March, shot great, displayed a cagey mid-range game, averaged nearly 20 a game for a month straight, then, just like the rest of the team, the wheels came off towards the end of the year.

By the later part of the Mavs series he couldn't even find the rim on wide open looks.

The version of him we saw in March is a clear all-star, if he can get to that level with any consistency.

(but the Pippen comparison is obviously bonkers)

 

[sdscard4]

It's that stretch where I thought Bridges was taking that next step. He was playing great. He's no 33 but he's got that 'IT' to him....can he elevate? I sure think so

 

[Cheesebeef]

Bridges had that amazing stretch of offense in March, shot great, displayed a cagey mid-range game, averaged nearly 20 a game for a month straight, then, just like the rest of the team, the wheels came off towards the end of the year.

By the later part of the Mavs series he couldn't even find the rim on wide open looks.

The version of him we saw in March is a clear all-star, if he can get to that level with any consistency.

Yeah… he had a similar two week stretch two years ago also. The fact that those stretches are a… eh, who cares.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yeah… he had a similar two week stretch two years ago also. The fact that those stretches are a… eh, who cares.

I do think his hand was bothering him a lot more than he let on, watching games live, he was frequently shaking and holding it between plays.

I have little doubt that he went under the knife after the season.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Dude the 8 to 4 rebound advantage and 6 to 2 assist comp should be enough, but just having watched them there’s no comparison. Pippen could play point guard. Bridges would be an outright disaster at point.

Oh I'm there. Pippen may still be a top 50 player all time. He's definitely top 75.

Bridges is more of a supercharged Bruce Bowen than poor man's Pippen.

Agreed

 

[AzStevenCal]

I do think his hand was bothering him a lot more than he let on, watching games live, he was frequently shaking and holding it between plays.

I have little doubt that he went under the knife after the season.

Yeah I saw it too plus you could see times when he'd hesitate to use the hand especially after a reach-in or having tipped a pass.

 

[SunsFanFirst]

Bridges just gives me Pippen vibes...notthe same player but he's got that potential. You just know he's gone if we land KD kinda selling our souls
But hey that's freaking KD man!

I see more Shawn Marrion

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I see more Shawn Marrion

I don’t see that at all. Not the same athletically. Marion a superior rebounder by a country mile. And though he wasn’t always 100% effective guarding bigs, Marion didn’t get just ragdolled like bridges does against bigs.

 

[Covert Rain]

Bridges is a 14/4 guy who is 25 years old and on most nights the 4th or 5th option on offense. He gets most of his touches cutting to the basket without plays called for him and still scores 14. We now he is a great defensive player.

On a team without Book, CP3, Ayton and even guys like Crowder, Cam J spotting up? I think Bridges is an 18 PPG a night player on another team. I could easily see him putting up Marion like numbers offensively with a different role. To me what separates Marion and Bridges is the rebounding and the raw athleticism.

 

[elindholm]

I see more Shawn Marrion

Bridges's physique is quite similar to Walter Davis's. Their games aren't similar, but in terms of just physical presence on the court, that's where Bridges is. Pippen and Marion were longer.

 

[Phrazbit]

Right now, I'd say Bridges is a rich man's Tayshaun Prince, and that is a pretty damn good player. If his handles and/or his 3 point shooting improve he would be an All-Star.

And really, he doesn't even need to improve his shot, he just needs to get more willing to take it. He passes up too many good looks for a guy who shoots as well as he does.

 

[Sparky16]

That doesn't change anything. You have to find a team that is looking for expired payroll. That's why it's so each to cherry pick players and assume that will work. Also, I didn't say anything about the value of picks. I was just responding to you about not having picks for 7 years. That's not how it works. You can only trade every other 1st rounder and the picks in between can only be swaps. In this case, the Nets have already traded away some of those picks in-between.

4 1st and 3 swaps, same thing taking the lowest 1st rd between the 2 in NBA drafts that tend to only be about 5-10 deep in actual talent for years is a joke and something that can only be made up by ignorant media pundits

 

[Mainstreet]

Right now, I'd say Bridges is a rich man's Tayshaun Prince, and that is a pretty damn good player. If his handles and/or his 3 point shooting improve he would be an All-Star.

And really, he doesn't even need to improve his shot, he just needs to get more willing to take it. He passes up too many good looks for a guy who shoots as well as he does.

Agreed.

Tayshaun Prince is probably the closest comparison for Mikal Bridges through 4 seasons.

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