2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[ItsGoTime]

Yes, it COULD work. The relative success of KP/WCS has proven that. 

I don't have a problem with building your roster in such a way that a super big option like that presents itself. I'd mark that in the "advantages" column. Flexibility is good. Where I take issue is building the roster in a way that the economics of how players are compensated makes you NEED that lineup to work. If Turner (or KP) was an MLE player and you could justify not closing with them when you didn't think the situation called for it, I'd be all about this hypothetical. But, since both are paid like stars, both expect to be out there. Even if one or both are super easy-going about their minutes and roles, that doesn't solve the problem, because the guy who's replacing them in the closing lineup is likely to be extremely underpaid. 

I just feel like the salaries matter, even beyond the obvious impact they have during the talent acquisition process. 

Having said all of the above, I actually think Turner might be a better player than KP, and I would've slapped someone who suggested that just two months ago. It's funny how perspective changes over time, so maybe I'm wrong about this.

I won’t believe Turner is better than KP unless I see another injury this year from KP (contact injury or not). At that point, for me, he would just be too unplayable and never able to reach his full potential. I agree that I would have liked to trade for Turner and Oladipo when Ind had both. I even believe I proposed such a trade this offseason. The trade that started this all is hyper dependent on Lamb being as good as 1998 said. If he is actually as good as JRich will be with us (closer to last game and preseason) then if the FO did pull the trigger on such a trade, I’d not poo-poo it right off the bat and be willing to see the fit.


McDermott is meh to me. Specialist bench player. The picks are also super interesting. Gets us back in a position to be opportunistic with a team that is finally ready to compete with the best of them with that 1 last perfect fitting piece...as long as we don’t have too much of the good roster outgoing in the rest of the package.