Time to cash in on Perkins, and spend pennies on Gordon

Remember the Thief’s creed ballers, ‘Don’t Fall in Love With Your Players!’. You got Kendrick Perkins either late in a draft or as a Waiver Wire freebie, and now is the time to cash this puppy in. His current year stats nearly dominate his career averages, and we have plenty of reason to believe that he won’t keep this up. I know what you’re thinking, this could be his big breakout year, and indeed it already IS his big breakout year. But so long as we’re getting value back in the trade equivalent to where he is ranked NOW, we’ll rid ourselves of any risk that he goes on to underperform, and be better off for it. A good target might be someone like Emeka Okafor, a proven talent that we know will have at least the same stats as Perk by seasons end. And this coming from a Boston Celtics fan! Let’s take a look at the numbers:
 
Kendrick Perkins
CAT  2009  Career
PTS  11.7  5.9
AST  1.1   1.0
REB  7.7  5.8
STL  0.1   0.3
BLK  2.0  1.4
FG%  64.3  55.9
FT%  61.7  61.4
TO  2.3  1.6
 
OK now I realize how good the numbers look, so let’s add in some storyline. Three big factors moving forward will play into the decline of Perk’s great season start. The first is the most evident, Kevin Garnett. It is no small feat that Arnett hasn’t missed time since coming off of knee surgery. In the early goings, Garnett looked old and slow, but the team and Garnett himself both kept telling us he was just rusty. Well as of late we can say they were right, and make no mistake, the reemergence of one of the most dominant players in basketball will hurt Perkins value. Next up is Rasheed Wallace, who also has had a bit of a slow start to the season. The Celtics signed Sheed because they needed that big post player who can shoot and defend to add depth to the rotation. While Sheed has been coming off the bench, it is not a secret that he will have the majority of minutes down the stretch. Sheed is a hall of fame type player who will be there when the Celtics need him most. Finally, Glen Davis and Sheldon Williams are two young exciting players that will also command minutes from the big man. At the end of the day, cash this puppy in while you still can.
 
If three pointers and points are two categories you’re in need of some help in, then Eric Gordon would be a good target for you. Coming off a dismal performance, and missing time this year due to small injuries, you might just find a manager looking to dump him in a hurry. If you watched Gordon play in college, and followed him at all last year, then you’ll know what I’m saying when I say that he is a poor mans Jason Terry, that is, he’ll give you the same stat line at a much cheaper price. Of course, there’s one caveat, the upside for Gordon is much higher. Let’s look at a comparison of the numbers between Gordo and the well known Trey Man himself, Jason Terry.
 
STAT  Gord  Terry
PTS   17.4  17.8
AST   3.4  3.5
REB  3.4  2.0
3’s   1.7  1.8
STL  1.6  1.4
BLK  0.2  0.1
TO   2.4  1.5
FG%  47.4  46.1
FT%  75.4  83.5
 
A smidge higher in both Turnovers and FT% knocks Gordons value down far enough for you to swoop in for the kill. In any negotiations you need to play up the injuries Gordo’s had, and push to move something worthless on him in exchange. Don’t be dismayed by the FT% or the turnovers either, these are both actually integral pieces to Eric’s upside. Indeed having more turnovers means one thing – you hold the ball in your hands more often. Down the road that translates into more points! The FT% might be lower, but the attempts are higher, which also leads to higher points down the road.
 
Finally, where Terry will have competition down the road for playing time, when Josh Howard comes back and as some of the younger players mature, Eric Gordon is a mainstay at the 2 guard position for the clippers. Baron Davis is an excellent distributor, and the trio of big men they have underneath (when Blake Griffin comes back) will draw defenders toward the paint, leaving Eric with many open opportunities. By seasons end, I fully expect Eric to match or beat the stat line Jason Terry will give you, thus solidifying your rotation in three’s and adding to points scored, at a MUCH lower cost. Don’t sleep on this one though, it won’t be long before he drops 30 in a game and commands the respect he deserves!
 
Now get out there and DOMINATE!