Quite the lively conversation these trades generate.
So far, from what I can tell, reaction is pretty mixed although the polling shows 58% opposed to the trade.
There's some understandable attachment to Goran and there's some understandable excitement for Brooks. There's also plenty of typical thrill that any trade brings. New is always fun.
My own reaction is headed more towards the skeptical as the hours pass. Shocking, I know.
It's not so much that I hate giving up Dragic because while I think he's had a down year and I am fairly confident he can be a decent NBA player, I never was sold on him being a potential All-Star (remember those conversations from November?) and was even uncertain about his ability to be a good starter.
The problem I am having is with Brooks.
As I dig into his numbers I am not impressed. He put up big point totals on a pretty average team that didn't have a lot of other scoring options. He wasn't extremely efficient and has declined this season from as he lost his job to Kyle Lowry.
Do people really believe that a guy who couldn't beat out Kyle Lowry (no offense) can be the replacement for Steve Nash?
Brooks is a small point guard which hurts him on defense and hurts his ability to score at the rim (57.5% shooting at the rim this yr vs. 68% for Dragic). His three-point shooting -- like Goran's -- has fallen from almost 40% down to about 28%. And Brooks in his big breakout season last year was 39th in the league among point guard in assist rate (min 25 min/gm).
Doesn't finish well at the rim. Doesn't set up his teammates. Isn't shooting the ball well from long range. Tell me again why this guy was worth a 1st round pick and giving up Dragic?
Not to mention the pickle the Suns put themselves in because he's a restricted free agent. If Brooks plays well over the last 27 games other teams can offer him more money and drive up the price for the Suns to match. If he plays poorly the Suns either cut their losses and admit defeat (like they did with Hedo) or they sign him to a deal anyway and pray he improves.
As always, we'll just have to wait and see what happens to really know. In the mean time, here's some links to chew on along with audio from the Lon Babby and Lance Blanks press conference:
Audio: Babby Blanks press conf 022411
- Lance said Goran's a better person than basketball player. I guess that's a compliment.
- Lance Blanks said Brooks isn't really an upgrade over Dragic and that both guys need a fresh start. That's interesting because the Suns gave up a first round pick for Brooks as well as an extra year of control on a rookie-level deal.
- Suns like Brooks ability to have the ball in his hands and score and of course talked about the need to energize the bench.
- Aaron is described a solid person when asked about his incident walking off the court and getting suspended which was just a few weeks ago.
- They hope the benefits of messing with the chemistry out-weighs the risk of another trade.
Great break down from Valley of the Suns
We’ll take a closer look at the aspects of the game where Dragic is more effective than Brooks, and vice versa. Both point guards are struggling mightliy this season, and Brooks missed 25 games with an ankle injury, so we’ll delve into this year’s and last year’s stats to see how they stack up in a handful of different categories.
More thoughts from me (b/c you can't get enough)
Can Aaron Brooks Give The Suns What Goran Dragic Didn't? - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
Does that mean Goran Dragic was the source of all the Suns' second unit woes? With Aaron Brooks stepping in, we are about to find out if the season-long struggles were the result of Dragic's poor play. Or perhaps there were more issues at work that didn't show up quite so glaringly as the contrast between the two-time MVP and the third-year player.
And a handy list of all the trades that went down across the NBA
NBA Trades: Kendrick Perkins, Gerald Wallace Highlight Deadline Day Deals - SBNation.com
There were a flurry of NBA trades before the deadline on Thursday. To help you catch up on all the went down, we provide a brief recap of every deal that happened over the past 48 hours.
From the Rocket's fan perspective
Grading the Trades (And the What Could Have Beens) - The Dream Shake
Dragic brings some defense, a pass first facilitator mentality, and a semi-reliable jump shot. He should fit smoothly into the rotation as Kyle Lowry's back up and solidify possible defensive lapses at the point guard position. In all the action I've seen Dragic in, he's been a reliable back up and managed to steady Phoenix's offense while spelling Steve Nash. This pick up strengthens our backcourt as a more traditional one. What we lost, essentially, was points in this trade.