For those that like to criticize Otis's trades......

[ball junkie 277]

Josh (Chicago, IL)

Hey Ric, a lot of people have criticized Otis Smith for the Magic trades, but seriously, Rashard Lewis is out for the season, Vince Carter has been playing hurt and has been inconsistent, and Pietrus is barely getting any PT with the Suns. So it was four guys for Gortat essentially, I call that a job well done for Otis Smith. What say you?

 

Ric Bucher (1:26 PM)

I agree. I'm always going to go with the guy who takes his cuts and goes for it. Otis went for it. I don't think it's going to pay off, but he made the best deals available to him. They just haven't paid off. Yet.

 

I love how he uses the word "YET".....

 

GO MAGIC !!!!!

 

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/37651

[FlawlessVictory 26]

Yeah, cause we all know Ric Bucher is the most rational "expert" out there...

 

 

 

We'll see how the masses sing a different tune after the playoffs.

[Arielle 138]

Hedo has been playing great the past 2 weeks. He is getting in playoff form. I think his addition alone will be big for us in the playoffs. And don't count out J Rich and Clark.

 

...and, no, I haven't given up on Arenas YET ...

[Manu Ginobili 61]

Hedo has been playing great the past 2 weeks. He is getting in playoff form. I think his addition alone will be big for us in the playoffs. And don't count out J Rich and Clark.

 

...and, no, I haven't given up on Arenas YET ...

 

Arenas, as bad as he is playing, is still an improvement over both what he had in Rashard, and what we have in Duhon.

 

The pain is having lost Gortat, who is probably going to continue exploding in Phoenix. And the fact that JRich has not lived up to his potential yet. Hedo and Clark were definitely good additions. But it is the playoffs that will decide how good the trade really was. Maybe Richardson can score 20pts a game in the post season and make it one of the best trades ever.

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

If Arenas doesn't become serviceable for the playoffs or at the least next season that specific trade will be awful. Shard may be out but he has a year less on his deal, if Shard never played another game that would make him the better choice vs Gilbert not giving us anything and having to be stuck with him for an extra year.

[IronMaiden 43]

Yeah, cause we all know Ric Bucher is the most rational "expert" out there...

 

 

 

We'll see how the masses sing a different tune after the playoffs.

 

You mean after we're hoisting the trophy?

[Manu Ginobili 61]

If Arenas doesn't become serviceable for the playoffs or at the least next season that specific trade will be awful. Shard may be out but he has a year less on his deal, if Shard never played another game that would make him the better choice vs Gilbert not giving us anything and having to be stuck with him for an extra year.

 

Arenas is already an improvent over Duhon, as easy as that may sound. When Nelson goes out in the playoffs, we have a semi-horrible PG to back him up, not a completely horrible one.

 

At the rate Shard was going, and how have Bass and Anderson done after he was gone, i prefer Brick Gilbert.

[Soul Bro 1,422]

If Arenas doesn't become serviceable for the playoffs or at the least next season that specific trade will be awful. Shard may be out but he has a year less on his deal, if Shard never played another game that would make him the better choice vs Gilbert not giving us anything and having to be stuck with him for an extra year.

 

+1

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

Arenas is already an improvent over Duhon, as easy as that may sound. When Nelson goes out in the playoffs, we have a semi-horrible PG to back him up, not a completely horrible one.

 

At the rate Shard was going, and how have Bass and Anderson done after he was gone, i prefer Brick Gilbert.

 

At least Duhon knows what his limits are. If he is shooting poorly he gives up the ball, he isn't trying to make impossible passes and he isn't taking early 3's, he hasn't been much better but I know that he will give it up to someone else who has a better chance of making something happen. I also don't hear Duhon making excuses for injuries and rehab programs. It's nice that Gilbert says he is going to work out with Tim Grover, my question is why was he not doing that last summer during his rehab program?

[BRich 56]

short term...slight upgrade at best

 

long term...most likely brutal and possibly franchise crippling

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

*******BEGIN TRANSMISSION*******

 

If Bucher says it, you can be sure it's wrong.

 

*******END TRANSMISSION*******

[FlawlessVictory 26]

You mean after we're hoisting the trophy?

I see what you did there. :cheers: