BRUNSON BURNER: to NYK for 4yrs/$104M (no SnT) | NYK docked 2025 2nd for tampering

[jdb152]

I think you are underplaying Brunson impact.  Dinwiddie is not as good as Brunson, particularly when Luka is not on the court.  Don't know that Dragic signs here (even if Brunson leaves) and he does not cover Dinwiddie value.  THJ was going to be here regardless and we need his depth.  Counting on Green to make a huge jump and contribute to playmaking is very optimistic.  They don't have options to not miss a beat.  Anything they do would be better if you added Brunson to the mix.

Not at all. I never said those things were guarantees or that it would be easy. Still, I think the result forecasting doom is clouded vision. Dinwiddie will be 18 months beyond his surgery, with a full offseason to further acclimate to his team/system & benefit from the medical staff. Totally different players but he is fully capable of giving you 16/4. If that needs to be the primary ball handler off the bench, so be it. We didn't have THJ after the new year. If he's here, there's another 15ppg guy. They already added a guy that is going to land between 18-22ppg in Wood. There are quality, affordable guards other than Dragic. As for Green, I told folks when he was hot that his growth was not worthy but that he would be a zero factor in the playoffs. He's entering Year 3 now. The jump usually starts happening, for prospects like him, in Year 3. I'm not suggesting he leaps into the starting lineup or becomes a member of the closing 5. To think he could become an viable option as the third wing or become a real threat in the passing game is completely reasonable. After tasting some success and now knowing he has a staff that will reward him, I expect a significant step forward from him.(to know I'm on the level here, I lost my mind when they passed on Bey to take him).

I don't want JB gone. We are absolutely a better team with him than without. Still, to look at the four players I mentioned, know that we still have a TPE for a day or so, know that FA hasn't opened & that's when things really get going, see the tradeable contracts and think a guy like Nico, who has shown so much in less than a year, can't find a way to keep this team going is folly. That's what I am saying. All this panic is basically the result of the last decade Nelson gave us. Nelson is gone. Nico ain't Nelson.