Posted by bobs3304:

Here's the thing about Steph:

He's not a Kobe or an AI. He's a 2nd tier Star. He's not Batman, he's not Robin. He's like Steve Francis. Can't really carry a team, can't really take a backseat.

It's not directly Steph's FAULT. He's been utilized the wrong way for so long. The only reason GM's have traded for him is b/c he's a top TALENT and draws tickets and fans. But you have to settle him in the right role in order to get the most out of him - meaning WINS.

The best scenario is for him to move almost exclusively to SG, and to get the green light to shoot and shoot and shoot until he can't shoot anymore. To play an "AI role". When Marbury's assists go DOWN and his scoring efficiency and defense go UP.....that's when you know you're making the most out of his talent, which is dominant scoring from both the perimeter and the paint.

But once you start relying on him to move the offense through both him AND his teammates.....then you have a problem. That would be like expecting a bus driver to keep the bus going 60 MPH when he's most comfortable and efficient driving 50. Marbury simply can't get his AND be a REAL point guard. Just not feasible.

Certainly, if we had this identical 0-5 stretch somewhere in the middle of the season, there would be rumblings but *nothing* like it is now. What's the difference between those two scenarios? Nothing, except how one tends to be more glaring to perceptions than the other. Things aren't rosey right now for sure, but all the exaggerated claims and unchecked emotions flying around are just way over the top.

Posted by tomverve:

I dunno dj, my spidey sense tells me all this media white noise is a bunch of BS and this will all blow over sooner or later. Time will tell.

But either way, running with every fragment of news that gets out there is not the way to go. We should judge news on the strength of its reliability, not on the basis of how much of a splash it makes. And I've never been one for the conspiracy theories, for the same reason; for all the intrigue and so on, it could very well be that that the intricate conspiracy puff is just wrong, and certainly this is not an uncommon pattern to find. Why stop at how LB is backstabbing Zeke who has an under-the-table agreement with David Stern to trade Marbury, except that Marbs has compromising photos of Isiah that he's using to blackmail him, etc. Might as well talk about how aliens built the pyramids until there's something more solid to go on.

[Edited by - tomverve on 11-13-2005 4:14 PM]

Posted by bobs3304:

we can go 2 ways with this team:

Keep Steph, and bring in a Shane Battier type SF...

or Trade Steph for either cap space or a backup Point + Star SF

Example - Steph for Harrington + Delk (example of cap space)

Example 2 - Steph, Nate, Butler, S.A. 1st for Lewis, Ridnour, Fortson (example of PG + star SF)




[Edited by - bobs3304 on 11-13-2005 5:26 PM]

[Edited by - bobs3304 on 11-13-2005 5:27 PM]

Posted by Bonn1997:

If you're in love with cap space, you can do that type of cap space trade but then you have to continue to make moves that lower the payroll so we're eventually way below the cap. Just getting rid of Marbury to be $20 mil less than $1 trilion over the cap does nothing in itself for cap space. If you really want them to pursue the cap space approach, then you need to be arguing for new ownership.

Penny + AD + Marbury = 45 Million

Taylor + H2O = 30 Million

120-45-30 = 45 Million......by that time the cap will be around 55 Million. Lebron anyone?


But either way........if you DO trade Marbury, and it's not for equal/upgraded talent contracts, and you've expanded every recourse for keeping Steph, then you take back expirings at the very least.