We’re talking about value here so potential is extremely important. There’s a reason why everyone wants Batum and it mostly has to do with his potential. Players like Batum are both extremely rare and extremely valuable to winning championships. He can do everything well, including the little things, has extremely high bbiq, and is a lock down defender over 4 different positions. If his offense continues to improve, he will be an all-star without a doubt. Oden is the only player, other than Roy, that has a chance to be more valuable than Batum in the future, but his health concerns take away his value.

but this sounds like a pissing match. Hate to say it, because both of you normally make posts that I like to read, but you and two4larue need to move on from this.

First I said yesterday (only partly facetiously) that it would take Roy and LMA to land CP3

then you told me to take a walk (i.e. you’re crazy, it will never happen, etc)

Then you made your best effort to put a deal together that didn’t include either Roy or LMA, even though you knew it had a snowball’s chance of impressing NOLA.

Then we get word today that KP had (allegedly) put Batum and Oden into a proposal for CP3 and the Hornets said that that wasn’t rich enough

Then you responded to someone that KP not being willing to (hypothetically) trade Nic for CP3 was crazy

That’s when I turned the tables on you and responded

if you think that Nic alone would fetch CP3, then you’ve lost your mind the Hornets are asking for Roy or LMA, and Batum, and probably more

The point isn’t that I thought that you were saying that Nic was the linchpin in the CP3 deal, it was the idea that offering anything less than Roy and/or LMA was going to have any affect whatsoever on the Hornet’s decision. If KP had put Roy into the proposal, then there’s no reason to include Batum (unless you count him as the “other starter” that NOLA is demanding along with an all-star for CP3) The Blazers could have offered LMA and Batum, but then they would have come up short of NOLA’s requirement that an “all-star” be included in the deal (quasi all-stars like LMA need not apply, besides they already have David West)

From the beginning I was dubious of the Paul pursuit. Not that I think that KP wasn’t serious about it, but because he would never agree to include the one player that might actually make the Hornet’s flinch, and that’s #7. Personally, I’m glad that he didn’t, because I want to keep Roy and upgrade the PG position with Tony Parker (if it’s possible) without having to sacrifice Batum, Oden or LMA.

more than the points that LMA will get playing with those guys? The fact that LMA gets midrange shots fits really well with Oden and Przy playing deep in the paint.