Sorry I just don’t give a darn about the problems CP3 is having in New Orleans. My utmost concern is the ATL HAWKS and the PLAYERS ON THE ATL HAWKS’ ROSTER.

Actually, I don’t question CP3’s leadership much at all. I watched what he was able to do with a Hornets team that has NEVER been as stacked as ours is. I watched him do it very early in his career (and he’s still young). You don’t drive your team into the second round of the playoffs that early in your career, with a team that is somewhat patched together, and not be a leader. This kid ran his team past a much more experience Jason Kidd and the Mavericks, or has anybody forgotten? He’s a leader. Trust me on that. And what did he do in the offseason? Work his butt off to make sure he was stronger/more durable. He’s frustrated with the losing down there, and I can’t blame him.

Here’s the funny thing: we complain around here about the ASG not spending money here or there (and they’ve been spending it, just not at luxury tax level). Imagine being CP3, in one of the weakest NBA markets, with an owner who is NOTORIOUSLY cheap?

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve long bemoaned the day Billy Knight decided (with Mike Woodson’s help) to pass on Chris Paul. And please don’t take this as a bash on Marvin, I actually like the guy, even if he’s not proving the franchise right for picking him at #2. Hey, they did the picking, not him.

But trading two starters for one? I agree that Paul is a transcendant player. One of the best pgs in the game right now. Easily. He’s certainly tough, and he’s not just all about scoring, as his career assist numbers are off the charts. Here are my thoughts, initially:

1) This is perhaps the biggest thing: such a trade is not good asset management, in my opinion. You don’t trade an all-star and a solid role player/starter for one all-star/superstar. You have to get something else in the deal.

2) To borrow from Vava74 , Joe and Marvin are guys who are capable of defending more than one position. Now while I’m sure I just made Rod laugh for the first time today with that statement, but that’s what I see. Take both away and put CP3 out there, and you WILL LOSE OUT defensively. It’s not that CP3 is a bad defender. He’s actually a decent one, particularly when he puts his mind to it. But can he guard 2s, 3s, and 4s? No. Joe and Marvin can. And if you’re suddenly asking Jamal Crawford to guard guys the way JJ has, well…let’s leave it at “that’s not gonna work.” It’s not that Jamal won’t do it. It’s that he can’t . You can’t put him on guys like Granger, Roy, Carmelo, etc. You can’t put CP3 on them, either. So who you going to put on them?

3)Mo Evans can match Marvin Williams in current offensive production. Marvin has more potential, though. There is a reason Marvin is a starter, and Mo is not. Marvin’s bigger, stronger, less foul prone. The last time I saw Mo given the ball and actually go off was in the preseason. Never the regular season, and if memory serves correctly, didn’t he get some pretty good minutes when Marvin was out towards the end of the year last year?

I don’t want Mo to be the only option at the 3 spot. Guess what? Trade JJ and Marvin, and he WILL be. Seriously, take a look at the roster and tell me who else is going to play the 3? You’d have to sign somebody (I can hear echoes of “Stackhouse!” and “GeraldGreen800k” coming from somewhere in the background).

4) Salaries have to be even in this trade. I don’t know what all of the numbers are right now, but I’m sure they’re not even. Ask MannyT or Niremetal about that stuff…they know it pretty dang well.

5) I don’t think Chandler/West is better than Al/Josh. No way. In fact, that only solidifies points many of us have tried to make in the past regarding CP3. I’m sure he would LOVE to have frontcourt teammates that aren’t overly injury-prone and offensively dysfunctional (Chandler), not to mention ones that can run the floor and handle some. I can only dream on occasion what it would be like with a pg like that at the helm, and what he could do with/for our guys.

…..but I still think that’s a lopsided trade, by itself. But that’s just me. Take it for what it’s worth, which actually ain’t much.

We’re definitely not disagreeing. I was just throwing my half cent in on your thread. What you highlighted about defense is, I think, the BIGGEST point. A very good point, and enough to make someone like me say “no” to that trade. Not that anyone’s asking me, of course.

Guys/Gals ,

Hang in there. Working on a new blog as we speak…

Print up t-shirts that say committee to get JJ resigned.

Eastern Conference Player of the Week for last week needs to continue leading this team to a championship. JJ should finish what he’s started and give it a few more years before he leaves the team.

It doesn’t make sense to me to get rid of a major player on the squad right when your starting to taste success. I just don’t feel that CP3 can lead this team to championship calibur anymore than JJ could.

Ok for those of you so big on CP3. Think about this: JJ may have talked about things in the media that may or may not have been appropriate but never have I seen or remembered him taking out his fustrations on the court on players on the opposing team. Yeah you guys forgot how CP3 was starting to lose his cool when his team was going through difficulty at the beginning of this season. Wasn’t he getting violent on the court! Just plain being unsportsmanlike.

Do you guys know what kind of leader CP3 is? What are your trade ideas based on?

Thanks for “manning up”.