Lets pull a Boston
Long time member of this board but have not posted much lately. Watching this team this season has been my most disappointing experience as a sports fan. I won't go into all my frustrations (which have been articulated very well here through other posters), but I think we all need to accept that this is a poorly constructed team that is not going anywhere. We have been talking about making that one "big trade," but I wonder, do we actually have the pieces to pull a Boston and make 2?
Wallace and Deng ==> Houston for McGrady
Gordon, Tyrus, Thabo, Khyrapa, Griffin ==> Memphis for Gasol and Warrick
(the inclusion of Griffin and Warrick is not really necessary, I just think Warrick's 3/4 versatility would make him a better fit for our new bench)
Why Houston does it: They are questioning whether TMac helps them get to the next level and want to turn the team over to Yao. Wallace would make a nice enforcer alongside Yao, and Deng would give them another scoring option without taking touches away from Yao. New lineup Yao, Wallace, Deng, Battier, Alston.
Why Memphis does it: This one I'm less sure of. Not sure how much they like Tyrus, and they do have plenty of other backcourt options (Navarro, Lowry, Conley, etc.). Still, if they want to emulate Phoenix' style of play, Gordon, Tyrus, and Thabo could all make sense.
Our new lineup:
Hinrich
McGrady
Noc
J.Smith
Gasol
Bench: Duhon, Noah, Warrick
That starting 5 would be a fun group to watch and a huge improvement offensively. Duhon, Noah, and Warrick would be a thin bench, but let's face it, the way the team is constructed right now, we still don't have a defined rotation, and most good teams only have 8-9 guys that receive regular burn. Would be pretty easy to add to the bench in the off-season through the draft and FA.