Let's get this going again.
It's ok to be sad, mad, glad, rad, whatever you're feeling right now...
[Note by Seth Pollack, 12/18/10 5:07 PM MST ]
Press conference audio: Blanks Babby Press Conf 121810
[Note by Seth Pollack, 12/18/10 8:03 PM MST ]
I might be softening a bit from my initial reaction to the trade. I HATE mid-season trades as a rule and a firm believer in letting things play out. Hedo didn't fit with this team now but I think he could have when circumstances changed. Having Vince Carter on the Suns is a gut-punch. That guy is everything about the NBA that's deplorable from his me-first attitude to his inability to be a winner. What does it say that the Magic who are considered to be a contender in the East, wanted Hedo back after dumping him in favor of Carter just last year?
I am very excited, however about Gortat. I look forward to having two legit centers and see what he can bring to the team. The second unit should be MUCH improved defensively which was a huge issue. I've always been a Pietrus fan and hope the Suns training staff can help him stay on the court which has been an issue in his career.
Overall, as long as Carter doesn't poison the well and Nash doesn't revolt at having to try and play with Vince then this can work out well. Certainly in the long run having Gortat under contract should pan out.
There's several new stories up at SBN AZ as a result of this afternoon's press conference. You can find them all in this Story Stream and here:
Here's a few more quotes that didn't make it into any of those stories:
- "On paper at least, it doesn't look like we're going to be giving up a whole lot from an offensive perspective." - Lance Blanks
- Blanks said this added to the Suns ability to run, not take it away
- "I think the Hedo Turkoglu acquisition was a noble experiment. I think Hedo really tried to make it work, our team tried to make it work. But I think it became obvious that we were not going to be able to succeed with him as our four and that's through no fault of his, frankly." - Lon Babby
- "You're never going to get better by remaining static and we're constantly looking for new opportunities." - Babby
- "I think it was an on-going work in progress and if this opportunity didn't come along we would have continued to do everything we could to make it work. I just think this gives us an opportunity to be better and to give us something that we needed and to do it without giving up what he had in terms of size really is what made it attractive for us." - Babby
Several times Babby hinted at not having to give up size which makes you think the Magic really wanted Robin Lopez back in the deal.
