Marco Belinelli gets traded for Devean George and Cash.
I'm sorry, but this has got to rank up there as one of the stupidest moves the Warriors have made in a while. Why trade a young, unselfish shooting talent who can defend guards for an over-the-hill, vet that doesn't even deserve to be on the floor? I hate Devean George - always have, always will! He's a scrub who has no game, poor instincts, low skill level, and has lost several steps since his 'prime' a few years ago. He'll give us nothing except steal minutes from younger players that deserve the playing time. This makes no sense from a talent exchange perspective and is clearly a move to save Cohan some money. But do you mean to tell me Riley and Nelson are that incompetent and unimaginative that they cannot get a better deal than Devean George? Not even a second rounder or a prospect overseas? Garbage!
I get that Belinelli would have been near the bottom of the depth chart among the SG's, but he has a versatile enough game to play 3 positions and brings skills that the Warriors desperately need - perimeter defense, passing, and a high basketball IQ. He was a fan favorite, but his untimely injury brought about a case of amnesia in the front office. Belinelli was forgotten and became undervalued. I expected a trade, but was hoping it would be a trade involving Azubuike instead because Azubuike holds more trade value to other teams and Belinelli has more value as a Warrior than as a trade chip. The Warriors should have showcased his talents early on in the season and in pre-season to re-establish his trade value and work him into a package deal with Wright to bring something back that would win games, not cut costs.
If the same thing happens to Brandan Wright, I'm done supporting this team financially. If deals continue to be made solely to save Cohan money and have no other merit, I will cut ties as a season ticket holder in hopes to expedite the sale of the Warriors to an owner that doesn't place short term profit motives over long term success.
Belinelli was never given a chance to show what he could do with regular minutes. He proved to be competent at the end of the 2007-2008 season when he scored 17 pts in 19 min. in the season finale. Nelson would not let him play despite Jackson needing reduced minutes to remain fresher for a final playoff push. Belinelli worked on his game feverishly and came back a much better defender and finisher at the rim. He saw little time early in the 2008-2009 season, but was eventually allowed to play more minutes due to injuries. He played extremely well over a 13-game stretch in which he averaged 16 points and shot better than 50 percent in eight of those games. He also made 46 of his last 113 3-point attempts (40.7 percent).
Belinelli was the antithesis of Corey Maggette. The ball moved around, the pace of the game quickened, and the game became fun to watch again. No Warrior was able to have that effect on the game like Belinelli - he knew how to play basketball the right way. It's no wonder the one of the best GM's in the league, Bryan Colangelo, had been in hot pursuit of Belinelli for a year. Too bad the Warriors are going to regret giving him up for so little. It's a crime to see yet another example of the Warrior's Front Office mismanaging their assets. I can't wait to see him drop 30 on the Warriors, Olympic-style.
Good luck, Rocky. You will be missed.
Related Links
Warriors give away Belinelli, officially for Devean George, unofficially for no apparent reason - Tim Kawakami
Golden State Sends Marco Belinelli to Toronto for Devean George, Cash - Steinmetz
Belinelli Bargain: 23 year old for 32 year old - Raptors Republic
Sources: Raptors nab Belinelli - Yahoo! Sports
Belinelli Traded to Toronto - Marcus Thompson II
do you think the Warriors are positioning themselves to make a bigger trade later? or do you think they are really going to keep this current squad and give it a try? hopefully they make another trade where they would trade George, Claxton, and Law and get a "star" player in return.
ReplyDeletedo you think Riley is going to make more moves? what are your thoughts?
I really hope they make a trade to cut the fat off the roster (the 3 guys you mentioned), but Belinelli was an intriguing assest that could have been included in a multi-player deal as sweetener. I expected Brandan Wright to be traded, but was hoping that packaging him with Belinelli would net us some of the 'Beef' they are looking for at the PF slot.
ReplyDeleteThis move limited their options even further because all they got was cash and a worse player in return. One of their trade chips was dealt to pad Cohan's bank account. Those that argue that George is valuable as an expiring deal, well so is Belinelli. All they had to do was do what they did to Patrick O'Bryant and not pick up his 4th year option. At least this way, they would still have a chance to showcase him or evaluate his progress further before trading him for something better or just letting him expire.
I'm not opposed to the trade from a basketball standpoint - as both players weren't going to affect wins or losses - but the value obtained for Belinelli is definitely puzzling.
ReplyDeleteRiley spoke of George as if he's a player of actual merit. Perhaps it was a move to convince some ignorant season-ticket holders that the Warriors are looking for "playoff experience" and the like...
Who knows?