Perk signs extension with OKC

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6170182

beat

If 2 million a dollars more is worth starting over on a fast breaking, no defense playing team. Good luck to him.

Congratulations to Perk. He deserves it, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I hope he has a great career with the Thunder.

Sam

Much deserved for Perk. According to Wojnarowski deal is for 4/34.8 mill.
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/42616901075083264

Lot of cash for a questionmark right now. I do hope he at least stays healthy.

beat

Wonder if Perk will regret not taking the offer made to him ? Or will we?

Seeing what he signed for really makes me believe he wouldn't have resigned had he stayed. Guessing Dany thought the same.

mrkleen09 wrote:If 2 million a dollars more is worth starting over on a fast breaking, no defense playing team. Good luck to him.

They were an excellent defensive team last year, and although they've slipped some this year, they are by no means the Warriors.

And adding Perk will upgrade their biggest defensive weakness. They're going to be a tough team for years to come.

babyskyhook wrote:

mrkleen09 wrote:If 2 million a dollars more is worth starting over on a fast breaking, no defense playing team. Good luck to him.

They were an excellent defensive team last year, and although they've slipped some this year, they are by no means the Warriors.

And adding Perk will upgrade their biggest defensive weakness. They're going to be a tough team for years to come.

bsh,

I agree, young and tough.

So, now they have Perk at 5, Westbrook at 1, Durant at 3, defense oriented Sefelosha at 2 and Ibaka at 4. They also have swingman Harden off the bench at 2/3.

That's a pretty good team there, and not completely soft on defense anymore either. They do have 2 non-offensive players in the starting 5 though (Perk and Sefelosha).

bob

.

Sky and Bob

The upgrade in OKC that you both refer to is realy based on that idea that Perk will be healthy. With the knee and the sholder both are big questionmarks. Not that I am wishing Perk ill health at all, I'd love to see them succeed but we just won't know until he steps on the floor and plays the rest of this year and the next couple. Who knows OKC gave the Lakers about all they wanted last year in the Playoffs.

beat

Why would Perk regret not taking a $22m offer from a team with a 2-3 year window that felt he was expendable when he got a $36m offer from a team that wanted him badly, is positioned for a decade of contending for titles and is located close to his family and hometown ?


The real question is why Ainge, who has shown excellent cap management skills up to now, signed Nate and Jermaine to 2 year deals last summer when he knew that Perk was coming up for free agency ? He put those guys on the books for next year at a combined $11m knowing that he needed to re-sign Perk. He obviously knew that the $11m going to those guys was going to take away a good chunk of the money that was available for Perk.


This was either a moment of colossal incompetence, which I find hard to believe based on Ainge's track record (if we were talking about Billy King or Chris Wallace it would be a different story), or Ainge and the Cs medical staff had serious concerns about Perk's long term knee issues.


That's the only explanation that makes sense to me- that they had serious doubts about not only when Perk was coming back, but also what his long term outlook was even after recovering form the injury.

And if that's the case, Ainge did well by turning Perk into Green and Krystic.


But if Perk goes on to have a long and productive career in OKC, people will look back on the Nate trade (gave up depth in Walker who would have been useful this year), the Nate re-signing (putting him on the books at $4.5m for two years) and the Jermaine signing (full mle for two years ) in a very different light.

If they had signed a vet pg for the min after the buyouts last year for the stretch run instead of trading for Nate they'd still have Walker. Even if they had made the Nate trade, they could have passed on re-signining him and gone for a vet min pg like Earl Watson last summer, along with a vet min guy like Kwame (which I also wanted the Lakers to do) instead of Jermaine at full mle. They could have then added a guy like Butler or Brewer now as they would clearly have playing time available and are an attractive destination.

They would have then had capspace to re-sign Perk and could have easily explained it to the fans why they were not using the mle last summer.



Everyone else on the roster would remain the same, so adding


Perk + one of Walker/Brewer/Butler + Earl Watson + Kwame is a much stronger lineup both for both short and long term than

Kristic + Green + Jermaine.



And it would have given them the ability to easily re-sign Perk.


Which brings me back to the Ainge question. Unless he truly lost his mind temporarily, as LACeltfan was theorizing (in jest I think ?), my feeling is that Ainge and the Cs medical staff know something about Perk's knees that make them question his long term viability.

In that case, who better to trade him to than OKC ?


They rejected the Tyson Chandler for nothing salary dump deal two years ago based on Chandler's physical. They have obviously been regretting that move for at least the last year and a half and have been desperate for a defensive-minded big man.

With Perk recently getting hurt, any physical that OKC can give him is going to be somewhat limited. I'm not saying his current injury is any big deal, but it makes it harder for OKC to evaluate him for longer-term potential issues. So they have now locked in an extension based on incomplete medical information as they didn't want to repeat their mistake from the Chandler trade.


If it plays out that Perk can't consistently stay on the court over the years, Ainge will look like a genius, in the best tradition of Red (selling high), and Presti will look like the young guy who made the mistake of being too eager. My feeling is that this is the likely scenario, as the moves that Ainge has made since the summer make no sense to me otherwise.

beat wrote:Sky and Bob

The upgrade in OKC that you both refer to is realy based on that idea that Perk will be healthy. With the knee and the sholder both are big questionmarks. Not that I am wishing Perk ill health at all, I'd love to see them succeed but we just won't know until he steps on the floor and plays the rest of this year and the next couple. Who knows OKC gave the Lakers about all they wanted last year in the Playoffs.

beat

beat-

I think you're onto something here and that Presti way well have jumped the gun (and that Ainge is very, very crafty). Read my long post above. Curious to hear your thoughts.

Hope you and your family are doing well.

Cheers,

bsh

sky

all are doing fine........and with BASEBALL starting next week Marcus will be chucking again, hoping for a great season, just wish the weather would get a tad warmer! Nice and sunny today.............and it's 25 degrees out!

As with any trade someone will make out a little/lot better than the other. I remember when Jim Bouton was traded from the Yankees to Seattle I think (remember BALL FOUR) His line " What's a Dooley Womack?" was priceless.

Well there are no unknowns here, but there is a lot that is unknown. And if we could have the means to fast forward we'll see what the past held.

One other thought too. Should there be no NBA next season, the window of the BIG three will be about closed. PLUS for OKC Perk would have an entire year to get medically better. Perhaps have that sholder surgery that he is said to need.

Ainge might come out looking like a friggin brain surgeon or perhaps the one that needs brain surgery..............as always time will tell.

beat

beat wrote:sky

all are doing fine........and with BASEBALL starting next week Marcus will be chucking again, hoping for a great season, just wish the weather would get a tad warmer! Nice and sunny today.............and it's 25 degrees out!

As with any trade someone will make out a little/lot better than the other. I remember when Jim Bouton was traded from the Yankees to Seattle I think (remember BALL FOUR) His line " What's a Dooley Womack?" was priceless.

Well there are no unknowns here, but there is a lot that is unknown. And if we could have the means to fast forward we'll see what the past held.

One other thought too. Should there be no NBA next season, the window of the BIG three will be about closed. PLUS for OKC Perk would have an entire year to get medically better. Perhaps have that sholder surgery that he is said to need.

Ainge might come out looking like a friggin brain surgeon or perhaps the one that needs brain surgery..............as always time will tell.

beat

Nice and sunny at 25 ? Yikes, I will stop complaining about the rain from the last few weeks.

" What's a Dooley Womack?" - classic.


You make a good point about a possible lockout wiping out the season and the big 3 era coming near a close. Hadn't thought of that.


"Ainge might come out looking like a friggin brain surgeon or perhaps the one that needs brain surgery.."- that's what it comes down to. And that's what makes it fun for me. Outside of the games themselves, I love analyzing how winning teams are built and maintained. Boston, LA and the Spurs are in a class by themselves.

And as much as I hated Ainge as a player, I greatly respect his abilities and his gambler's instincts- his willingness to go all in.

All the great ones put themselves in that position. When Jerry West traded Vlade to get Kobe's draft rights, he was taking a huge risk. Cleared capspace to sign Shaq and got a great prospect, but if Shaq hadn't come and Kobe had crapped out they would have been up the creek. Plenty of examples from Red's days also, or, for that matter, Mitch bringing in Ron Ron took some serious cajones. And that is what all those guys have in common.


Glad to hear you and yours are well.

Talk to you come playoff time.

Cheers,

bsh

babyskyhook wrote:They were an excellent defensive team last year, and although they've slipped some this year, they are by no means the Warriors.

And adding Perk will upgrade their biggest defensive weakness. They're going to be a tough team for years to come.

I like Perk and like the future prospects for OKC, but I don’t see a fast breaking team as the best fit for him.

mrkleen09 wrote:

babyskyhook wrote:They were an excellent defensive team last year, and although they've slipped some this year, they are by no means the Warriors.

And adding Perk will upgrade their biggest defensive weakness. They're going to be a tough team for years to come.

I like Perk and like the future prospects for OKC, but I don’t see a fast breaking team as the best fit for him.

I think he will trigger some outlet passes and then come up the floor at Perk speed, not needing to go past halfcourt when Westbrook gets off and running with durant and Ibaka.

They've got so many athletes that they don't need Perk to be a Noah-type player who runs the floor. He will be the caboose that comes up slowly and if for some reason the break doesn't work, he will set one of his bone-jarring moving screens on an unsuspecting defender in a halfcourt set.


at least I'm assuming that's the way it will work.


Also, in the West, there are teams like PHX and GS who try to break out even after a made basket, so if Perk stays behind while the team is on the break, he gives them a line of defense to prevent the "fast break the other way immediately after a made basket" scenario.

He is more suited for a half court team that runs as a matter of opportunity, than a team that runs for a living like the Thunder.

mrkleen09 wrote:He is more suited for a half court team that runs as a matter of opportunity, than a team that runs for a living like the Thunder.

I think (and clearly so does Presti) that the needs he fills for them far outweigh whatever fashion he may or may not fit with them.


You don't need 5 guys to run a break. You do need low post defense- especially in the playoffs when it's more of a halfcourt game.

I am really happy for Perk. The Celtics had him on the cheap for a few years. He basically sign a contract in the MLE range. As far as his heath is concerend. His current injury when he bumped knees with Curry is one of those things that happens. He came back sooner than ecpected and was playing well.

He loss some lift but that is to be expected the first year coming off of major knee surgery.

From a financial perspective, DA had to make a decision between Baby and Perk. Baby is a two position player and has established himself at both ends.

I think when you weigh all the factors it seems to me that DA made a good move.

dboss

babyskyhook wrote:

mrkleen09 wrote:He is more suited for a half court team that runs as a matter of opportunity, than a team that runs for a living like the Thunder.

I think (and clearly so does Presti) that the needs he fills for them far outweigh whatever fashion he may or may not fit with them.


You don't need 5 guys to run a break. You do need low post defense- especially in the playoffs when it's more of a halfcourt game.

Yup. We shall see how it all works out. I see a very frustrated Perk - getting little help on the defensive end, and rarely seeing the ball on the other.

mrkleen09 wrote:

babyskyhook wrote:

mrkleen09 wrote:He is more suited for a half court team that runs as a matter of opportunity, than a team that runs for a living like the Thunder.

I think (and clearly so does Presti) that the needs he fills for them far outweigh whatever fashion he may or may not fit with them.


You don't need 5 guys to run a break. You do need low post defense- especially in the playoffs when it's more of a halfcourt game.

Yup. We shall see how it all works out. I see a very frustrated Perk - getting little help on the defensive end, and rarely seeing the ball on the other.

One way or another, it is going to be very, very interesting.

I'm sure the Spurs were thrilled to hear about it since that will be the 1-4 matchup. If the Spurs can get by the Grizz in the first round. (joking )

babyskyhook wrote:Why would Perk regret not taking a $22m offer from a team with a 2-3 year window that felt he was expendable when he got a $36m offer from a team that wanted him badly, is positioned for a decade of contending for titles and is located close to his family and hometown ?

The real question is why Ainge, who has shown excellent cap management skills up to now, signed Nate and Jermaine to 2 year deals last summer when he knew that Perk was coming up for free agency ? He put those guys on the books for next year at a combined $11m knowing that he needed to re-sign Perk. He obviously knew that the $11m going to those guys was going to take away a good chunk of the money that was available for Perk.

This was either a moment of colossal incompetence, which I find hard to believe based on Ainge's track record (if we were talking about Billy King or Chris Wallace it would be a different story), or Ainge and the Cs medical staff had serious concerns about Perk's long term knee issues.

BSH,

Interesting point about cap management and the contracts for Nate and JON. Just goes to show how complex the job of being a GM is and how convoluted the risk/reward calculation is.

Regarding the contract for Nate, what would most people's opinion about that be if they had won last year? They came within a whisker, and my guess is that most people would say it was worth it, even if just for the Shrek/Donkey game, kind of like I've heard people say Artest's contract was worth it to the Lakers just for game 7.

Regarding the contract for JON, it seems the biggest chunk of fault lies with the physical the Celtics gave him and not properly assessing his knees, but the story isn't over yet. If he doesn't play meaningful minutes again, then it's easy to say he's a bust, but how would you judge the deal if he comes back to contribute in the playoffs and the Celtics win?

Regarding Perk, his knee and shoulder injuries may have been a factor behind Ainge pulling the trigger on the trade, but I don't think it was the biggest one. To me, Perk didn't fit in their long-term plans because he's an offensive liability and always will be, and combined with Rondo's limitations, that makes the team too predictable, especially in crunch time. In a few short years, when the big 3 are gone and Rondo and Perk are the core of the team, their offensive shortcomings will be magnified. Maybe Rondo will develop into a decent shooter, but based on the past couple of years, I wouldn't bank on it. Perk is who he is offensively. All players have limitations or weaknesses, and the strongest teams are constructed so that one player's weakness is offset by other players' strengths. When two core players have similar weaknesses, those weaknesses are magnified, not offset. Up till now, the Celtics have been an elite team despite that because of the offensive strength of the big 3 and the strategic decision to not play Perk at crunch time.

Consider that:

-- The salary cap is likely to be lower in the next CBA. An $8 million-$10 million contract for Perk represents an even larger portion of the budget in the next CBA.

-- Long term, the team would still need to sign offensive firepower since that's not what Rondo and Perk bring to the table. With significant contracts going to Rondo and Perk, the team would have limited flexibility to do that.

-- Perk is probably approaching his ceiling of playing ability. I think it's fair to say that Rondo's ceiling is much higher.

Given all that, it makes sense to bet on Rondo going forward and spend the budget that would go to Perk on an option that has a much bigger offensive upside. That's the scenario that makes sense to me, and none of that has anything to do with Perk's knee.

My guess is that Perk would've tested the free market but ultimately signed for less money in Boston, but in addition to the factors I describe above, Ainge had to consider the possibility that Perk would sign elsewhere. He wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't consider that risk, plus the risk of ongoing injury issues, plus the other factors, when deciding whether to do the trade.

You'd need compelling reasons to trade away such a valued, loyal, and well-liked player. I think Ainge had them.

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