07-03-2025, 07:20 PM
(07-03-2025, 06:32 PM)F Gump Wrote: You know I have been arguing against people lusting for JG for quite some time as a very bad value play. He stopped playing real D once he got paid by DET and never started again. He WOULD BE excellent value if he was still a plus defender, but that ended in Denver.
If Nico stupidly wanted him at some point, thats on Nico.
Your "compelling argument" for JG vs PJW ignores the limits in spending facing every team. The massive diff in salaries is (or should be) altering values of each player in huge way. I think PJW is actually a better player anyhow (good D vs no D) but the salaries makes it not close at all imo.
I'm not arguing that Grant is worth the contract (especially right now, with everyone slamming against the 2nd apron) but I watched him play quite a bit over the past few seasons, and he does still play defense. Possibly better than PJW, if you catch him on the right night.
And that's coming from one of only two people who wanted PJW here, promising all the people against it that HE was a good defender.
I don't know why we're sooooo quick around here to proclaim these things about players in such a binary way. It's dismissive and sucks the fun out of everything. The reality is that there are good teams and bad teams (due to wiiiiide range of factors, some of which have nothing to do with players, even), and it's really tough to predict what effect on a player's performance might occur when moving from the former to the latter, or vice versa. Obviously, Grant is not on a level where he changes your team from one end of that spectrum to the other - I'd say his Portland stint has established that conclusively, but I'd also argue that Denver's team would've been far better since he left there had they prioritized him over MPJ. He's a much, much better player than that guy, imho.