[aamir543Participant]

Not sure if many people remember this but at the trade deadline of the 2009 season three years ago the Hornets were a late playoff team struggling to meet their high expectations after almost getting past the Spurs and to the conference finals the year earlier. At the deadline, OKC(then a strugling young team that would finish 23-59) pulled of a trade that would have sent Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox for Tyson Chandler. The trade was recsinded because Chandler failed to pass his physical due to what I remember as a toe injury or somthing like that.

Chandler was in the midst of a down season(due in part to an injury) and had a hefty contract that NO was looking to unload. Hindsight is 20/20, and everything could have been different had they aquired Chandler, such as maybe not getting the same pick with means maybe not getting Harden, but imagine if they had gotten Chandler, and they into the 09-10 season with a 16 and 8 Westbrook, Sefelosha, a Durant that’s just making "the leap", Jeff Green, and Chandler, with Harden and Ibaka still developing(Ibaka was picked in 2008, so he would’ve come over regardless.)

It’s useless to wonder, but it”s intersting to think of them having a team so deep that Jef Green would be a scorer off the bench, and this San Antonio series would be much easier for them. Love the adjustments Scott Brooks made, but he needs to realize this is not the series for Perkins, and regarless of what happened last night San Antonio will carve up Perkins’ pick and roll defense. No disrespect, but that’s just not his game. He was brought in to give them some help on LA’s twin towers. He did exactly that, but he just can’t defend the Duncan Parker pick and roll.

Anyways, I’m sure there are other Gm’s that would’ve tried to get Chandler but just didn’t have the cap(11 million for Chandler at the time) but I just found it interesting how we’re just now labeling Chandler as a chamionship piece and a defensive menace, but the guys in OKC tried to get him two years before we all realized it. 

 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

They thought he would never be able to play consistently and at a level near where he once was. That is the message they sent at the time they rescinded the offer due to Chandler not passing his physical. In hindsight, and even than, he would have been a monumental piece for their team. Want to know the messed up thing about Chandler’s left big toe being the reason he flunked the physical? The doctor that performed corrective surgery on it in 2007 was the SAME doctor who flunked him on his OKC medical check-up.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1153637/index.htm

At the time, it sure made it seem like Tyson might have issues we did not necessarily know about. When a team is making an obvious one sided trade where they may be taking on more money in the process but still getting the best player bar none, one would have to think something would have to be pretty serious for it not to go through. Turns out, this doctor probably did the team a major disservice.

Tyson Chandler pounded the absolute tar out of Kendrick Perkins in the 2011 Play-offs. He has made every team he has gone to since being traded from New Orleans better (no small feat that he was part of taking the Bobcats to the play-off’s). The Thunder dropped the ball big time, I feel a Chandler/Ibaka front court is monumentally superior to the current one with Perkins.

The issue might have been money. Chandler was making 3 million more than what they eventually signed Perkins to. He also just signed this gigantic extension, which may have put the Thunder in a possibly unfavorable position regarding the luxury tax, not to mention re-signing James Harden and Serge Ibaka for pretty pennies over the next year. Seems like of all the great moves Sam Presti has made, this is one that is a glaring reminder that the Thunder could possibly be in a better position than they are even in right now.

[CynthiaParticipant]

Just even thinking about both Chandler & Ibaka at the same time is scary…they was both top 3 finalists for DPOY. So to have them both on same team? Disgusting!

I do like Perkins, but I feel he doesn’t fit the Thunder, he’s been a good enough Center placeholder but I think it’s time they pursue someone else, I’m just not sure who. I think they’d like someone roughly near the 24-29 age range, who can defend, but also needs a slightly better scoring touch than Perkins. I’m not sure how many Centers fill that bill. 

Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrew Bynum would be nice choices but I don’t think the Thunder have the assets to acquire one of those without losing a major piece of their core. So that leaves players like Al Horford, Nene, Marc Gasol, Andrew Bogut, Roy Hibbert, & DeMarcus Counsins.

Al Horford has been injured lately and I’m not sure he has the defense the Thunder want, Bogut would be nice if he wasn’t always injured. I doubt Hibbert & Cousins would be moved by their respective teams. So that leaves Nene & Gasol as probably the most viable option without having to give up too much to attain them.

If I had a choice between those two I think I’d go with Marc Gasol, his laid back personality kind of fits the Thunder, he’s a major offensive upgrade over Perkins, and while not quite as good on D as Perkins he’s deffinitely not horrible either.

[JunkYardDogParticipant]

Gasol is a VERY good defensive center… underrated but high bball defensive IQ. Memphis will never trade him if he keeps being so good.

Wash has just acquired Néné and won’t trade him against an unidimensional undersized center. Same thing for monroe cousins hibbert and horford who are all far better in O and too valuable for their team.

 

[CynthiaParticipant]

 

Calm down bro. I never said Gasol was bad at defense.

[aamir543Participant]

Just looking at opposing center’s stats against OKC, their bigs allowed, and they allowed one 30 point game to Dwight, but nine 20 point games, 3 of which were to Bynum. The Lakers never allowed more than 21 points to any center, but did give up 2 of them to Marcin Gortat, and one to Javale McGee and Chris Kaman, and Chicago allowed just five 20 point games, 2 of which were to Dwight, another two which were to Spencer Hawes in the playoffs, and the other is to Hibbert. Just thought that’d be interesting, but this stat is definatly skewed due to pace adjustments and such, but Perk is one of the bet post defenders in the league regarless of what anyone says, he’s just a pretty bad pick and roll guy.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Wouldn’t it be funny if Oden goes to OKC and revives his career.  OKC would have the number 1 and number 2 picks on that draft.  That would be insane but it is remotely possible.

[JunkYardDogParticipant]

 @Cynthia :

I agreed everything you said about perk’ and how he doesn’t fit the thunder… but when you talked about possible trade targets I began to cry.

There is absolutely no targets (you mentionned howard, bynum, Horford, Nene, Marc Gasol, Andrew Bogut, Roy Hibbert, & DeMarcus Counsins) that could be available in a trade for different reasons.

If OKC was open to trade for one of those guy (and you can also add Gortat, Noah) they should give so much more than perkins and create a package with perk’ and ibaka or harden for example, something they won’t try to do till they have a chance to win the ring.

… maybe they will try when they will face the contract issue of ibaka and harden.

 

[Sewok15Participant]

OKCs GM came from San Antonio and it is obvious he learned a thing or two in his time there. I find it funny how the Spurs are now in the midst of one of their last runs while the up and coming Thunder are in the midst of their first legit run. Spurs better hope they pull this series out because the next few years the West will go through OKC.

[iguapops420Participant]

 I said it in another thread and I ‘ll say it again, for what Perkins does, I’d personally take Kwame Brown over him any day. Every bit as good a post-defender, and a MUCH better posst defender. Neither guy is going to wow yo with their offensive game, but at least KWame can step out and hit an OCCASIONAL jumper. Both guys are somewhat injury prone, but Kwame would have been a better fit IMO due to his athleticism and ability to get out and run with the OKC young’ns. His ability to set a hard pick would be well appreciated as it seemes It’s about the only other thing Perkins does well for OKC besides POst D. 

Switch places for Kwame and Perkins in 08 and I bet you would have been hearing how Doc Rivers and the big 3 helped Kwame reach his potential as a defensive captain that OPerkins was credited as.

As for the thread, yes, I remember this trade as well. Turf toe if I recall was the injury. Thought it was dumb to pass on then given that his contract was almost up and they were giving up almost nothing and still think it’s stupid now. Tyson isn’t quite worth the max mony he’s being paid, but he’s definitely worth enough.

Side question, could anyone see a Tywon Lawson/Javale McGee for Russell Westbrook/Cole Aldrich deal as a possibility? Who would say no?

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