(03-27-2021, 05:50 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: But that is my problem and the fact is so many fans have resigned themselves to that mindset that 2nd round picks are irrelevant anyway. I could not disagree more with that mindset.
How many undrafted free agents have turned into studs? I might be missing someone but best I can think of is JJB and DFS types who turn into good role players Jokic, Manu, and Marc Gasol were 2nd round picks who turned into studs. I am not even counting the number of solid players got late first and in the 2nd. I know the odds are still stacked against that but I am just not ok with throwing picks away for a short term solution. If Reddick helps us move to the 2nd round is it worth it? No. But I get the argument that in the short run that extra round might help keep Luka here a couple more years before he gets frustrated.
However if you really want to keep Luka happy long term you have to hit on talent and 2nd round picks have value be it finding good players or in getting a more long term asset. Boston is already talking that if they can’t keep Fournier they can sign and trade him in the off-season and get more because the team getting him know that he will be theirs. That is the kind of thinking I want the MBT to adopt. You have your stud. Kudos. Now go and develop assets that help you get a long term player next to him.
Thanks, Hakeem. I'm sure you already the below, but I think everyone on the board is not on the same page wrt terminology in describing the value of these picks.
Second-round picks have some value. They are not worthless. However, they are inherently speculative assets. Once in a blue moon, one turns into a stud. Once in a while, one results in a rotation player. Mostly, they result in players who never play meaningful minutes in the NBA. That naturally affects their value -- generally, something like a scratch-off lottery ticket, magnified to NBA scale.
If they think Redick can help them get to the 2nd round, then that's huge. That's a deal just about any front office would have made.
In that regard, reports are that a lot of the reason there were so few salary dumps is financial. COVID has not been kind to the league and its teams financially. The playoffs offer a short-term opportunity to make up some of that deficit. Even lower teams can rake it in with a playoff appearance. This has proven to be very important to many of the teams. So, teams that otherwise might have been more receptive to trading some of their vets for picks/young players elected to hang in the hopes of earning a play-in/play-off spot for the extra money. No reason to think Cuban wouldn't be tempted by the chance to earn more games, in addition to the sporting reason. And the situation also tended to depress the value of speculative picks.
Personally, I view this signing as likely to be pretty low-impact one way or another, but if Redick is actually helpful to a substantial degree in the playoffs, I think we could declare it a raging success.
A front office can't get so wrapped up in holding on to a low pick that they spurn an opportunity to boost their team in the playoffs. Well, I guess they can, but . . .
PS. I think your point about the FO being profligate with picks in general is a legitimate debate to have, and there are some instances to point out. But I think this use of this particular pick here was pretty much a no-brainer, at least if he is indeed able to play.