Funny thing is, that the much ridiculed Rudy trade suddenly looking worse for us than the initially more of a win-win Cavs trade.
I love Mike but he didn't materially change the pick last year and we ended up doing really well on it. In a year I doubt Mike is able to continue to help all that much. He also may be out of their price range. It was a calculated risk but not a big mistake imo since we don't have their pick this year. They are in cap hell starting next year and will not likely retain Mike and/or Kyle Anderson. The still have great building blocks and the pick next year is likely in the 20s without a major injury. We ended up getting cornered a bit since LA really wanted Russell over Conley.
Trading both Rudy and Donny never made sense to me and I have taken some shots for saying so. I have been surprised at how much energy this board has had about having "assets" and how comfortable many are with being crappy, especially when there was zero need to be crappy. Some teams are forced into it, we were not. I guess the small percentage of a chance to get a player that completely changes the trajectory of your team is very compelling to lots of fans. Trading one of the two and building around them with some great assets was a pretty simple path forward. Then you could debate on when and if to trade Royce, Bogey, Mike, etc. It is smply very difficult to come across the Rudy's and Donny's of the world by drafting. DL deserves more credit than he gets.
I look almost all Minny game and have to agree. Rudy is even better than in Utah. The reason may not be necessary Rudy himself but guys around. Ant, Mac Daniels value defense, KAT move his a... as he never did before. Mike is Mike. NAW is a great defender as well. When i remember Don defense......
Ya I have been one of the posters who thought trading both was great (considering what we got for them) and the right move but your point is very valid and might have been the better move.
I always loved when he made a jumper on a game. Almost nothing would bring me greater joy during that era.
That might have worked. No way to really know though.
That team in the last year of Don-Rudy had no soul. Intangibles matter. "I've never had a more depressing year as a sports fan . And I followed the late 1960s Phillies. That was not going to "self heal." It had to be blown up.
Nobody knew Lauri was going to be this good for us - and, of course, there's no way of knowing if he would have been with Gobert still there, although I think they would have been complementary pieces. But I think Danny planned on tanking last year, and we were just better than anyone thought.
We would have built a middle of the pack team just like before that was aging rapidly.
Yes Rudy dominated totally JJJ last night. If fairly noted, he should get the DPOY this year.
