JJ Redick

I will defend it until the end. Now, you could say, did they overreact to the Miami series in which they just fell apart completely? Giannis missed most of the series. Bud did not cover himself in glory in that series. They fire Bud. Butler bullies Drew Holiday. And it feels to them like the end of the road for this team. Like, we just don't have enough offense. And they make this trade...

And they get Giannis then to sign an extension a month later, which in itself is a huge victory for that trade. Look, it hasn't worked. And one of the reasons it didn't work, as you said, is they couldn't control Drew Holiday's destination and it ended up being a worst case scenario for them. Another reason it didn't work is that Dame is 34 and got older a little faster than I think we expected.

And they get Giannis then to sign an extension a month later, which in itself is a huge victory for that trade. Look, it hasn't worked. And one of the reasons it didn't work, as you said, is they couldn't control Drew Holiday's destination and it ended up being a worst case scenario for them. Another reason it didn't work is that Dame is 34 and got older a little faster than I think we expected.

And they get Giannis then to sign an extension a month later, which in itself is a huge victory for that trade. Look, it hasn't worked. And one of the reasons it didn't work, as you said, is they couldn't control Drew Holiday's destination and it ended up being a worst case scenario for them. Another reason it didn't work is that Dame is 34 and got older a little faster than I think we expected.

Another reason it didn't work is that the Dame Giannis pick and roll never turned in to the Steph Draymond 2.0, except the Draymond in this is a seven foot monster who can lob dunk everything. Right. I don't know why it didn't. I suspect part of the reason why is that Giannis didn't want to set 40 screens a game, and that's fine. He's above that in that he is above that.

Another reason it didn't work is that the Dame Giannis pick and roll never turned in to the Steph Draymond 2.0, except the Draymond in this is a seven foot monster who can lob dunk everything. Right. I don't know why it didn't. I suspect part of the reason why is that Giannis didn't want to set 40 screens a game, and that's fine. He's above that in that he is above that.

Another reason it didn't work is that the Dame Giannis pick and roll never turned in to the Steph Draymond 2.0, except the Draymond in this is a seven foot monster who can lob dunk everything. Right. I don't know why it didn't. I suspect part of the reason why is that Giannis didn't want to set 40 screens a game, and that's fine. He's above that in that he is above that.

Another reason it didn't work is that teams just sold out on it from preseason game one. It was clear like, Brooke Lopez, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Whoever, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Another reason the trade didn't work is part of the logic, and I echoed this logic, was Yeah, you hurt your defense by trading Drew Holiday, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Another reason it didn't work is that teams just sold out on it from preseason game one. It was clear like, Brooke Lopez, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Whoever, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Another reason the trade didn't work is part of the logic, and I echoed this logic, was Yeah, you hurt your defense by trading Drew Holiday, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Another reason it didn't work is that teams just sold out on it from preseason game one. It was clear like, Brooke Lopez, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Whoever, you're going to be allowed to shoot. Another reason the trade didn't work is part of the logic, and I echoed this logic, was Yeah, you hurt your defense by trading Drew Holiday, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Your base defense is a dropback scheme. That doesn't work if the guy pursuing the ball handler isn't hounding that guy from behind and challenging all those shots and making all those looks extra difficult. But who are we kidding? If you have Giannis and Brooke Lopez, you have the foundation of an elite defense for the next couple of years.

Your base defense is a dropback scheme. That doesn't work if the guy pursuing the ball handler isn't hounding that guy from behind and challenging all those shots and making all those looks extra difficult. But who are we kidding? If you have Giannis and Brooke Lopez, you have the foundation of an elite defense for the next couple of years.

Your base defense is a dropback scheme. That doesn't work if the guy pursuing the ball handler isn't hounding that guy from behind and challenging all those shots and making all those looks extra difficult. But who are we kidding? If you have Giannis and Brooke Lopez, you have the foundation of an elite defense for the next couple of years.

And Brooke Lopez got benched in this series against Indiana. He was too slow for the series, and that didn't hold up either. And it's tempting to look back and say, What happens if they don't make the Dame trade? Are we just in the same spot anyway, given what has happened to Chris Middleton's career? But I guess the difference would be you're in the same spot, but let's say you've stood pat.

And Brooke Lopez got benched in this series against Indiana. He was too slow for the series, and that didn't hold up either. And it's tempting to look back and say, What happens if they don't make the Dame trade? Are we just in the same spot anyway, given what has happened to Chris Middleton's career? But I guess the difference would be you're in the same spot, but let's say you've stood pat.

And Brooke Lopez got benched in this series against Indiana. He was too slow for the series, and that didn't hold up either. And it's tempting to look back and say, What happens if they don't make the Dame trade? Are we just in the same spot anyway, given what has happened to Chris Middleton's career? But I guess the difference would be you're in the same spot, but let's say you've stood pat.

You still have all the draft picks that you no longer have. You still have the ability to trade Drew Holiday, which you no longer have. Now... You don't have the ability to trade Damian Lillard, which was the last bullet left in the can we salvage this thing around Giannis? And nobody wants to have this conversation. I don't want to have this conversation. You don't want to have this conversation.

You still have all the draft picks that you no longer have. You still have the ability to trade Drew Holiday, which you no longer have. Now... You don't have the ability to trade Damian Lillard, which was the last bullet left in the can we salvage this thing around Giannis? And nobody wants to have this conversation. I don't want to have this conversation. You don't want to have this conversation.

You still have all the draft picks that you no longer have. You still have the ability to trade Drew Holiday, which you no longer have. Now... You don't have the ability to trade Damian Lillard, which was the last bullet left in the can we salvage this thing around Giannis? And nobody wants to have this conversation. I don't want to have this conversation. You don't want to have this conversation.

Definitely not. Opposing teams who I contacted last night who would theoretically be Giannis suitors already do not want to have this conversation. They're in mourning, too. It is unfortunately unavoidable just to say this. They can't trade Dame. That pivot is gone. This team cannot win with Giannis. There is no path to them winning big in the playoffs anymore.