Results-oriented teams extend guys to contracts after outlier shooting years and move off of decision makers without letting their moves fully pan out (Process Sixers) Process-oriented teams remain competitive even without superior talent Process > results always.

NOLA’s personnel circumstances was bad enough, but the addition of neglecting to control one of the many extranaous variables that dictate draft outcomes is what makes this trade infamous unfortunate Queen will be linked to to this forever

This encapsulates all my thoughts. On top of that, even if Queen turns into an MVP caliber player, the process that led to NO getting Queen will likely be the same process that puts a poor roster around him in the future due to the variability of their flawed process.

perfectly said

On draft night the trade was bad but you cant discredit the pelicans for having the foresight that Derik Queen can be a true star. “Process” is subjective because part of their process was believing in Derik Queen. If the 2026 pick isn’t better then they won.

philosophically i cannot get there you’ve seen enough 16 games into his career to deem him a true star?

I have not but have you seen enough to say he cant be one? If he continues to play like this it’ll be hard to not justify the trade

@dlee4three lol when they could’ve drafted aj or dp it’s impossible to justify the trade

@210206ayoyinka @dlee4three Hypothetically. Recent years have shown us that even the worst teams can have bad lottery luck. If they get the 5th pick, then what?

You mentioned how the Hawks walking away with Trae in the Luka trade wasn’t the worst thing that happened vs drafting Bagley and Ayton because Trae still became a star Would that be the same way with the Pelicans? They called from pick 9 down with the same offer

It’s not Trae becoming a star that makes the trade valid from my standpoint, it’s the process of betting on one of (if not the greatest) sub 6’4 collegiate guard prospects in addition to acquiring a 2nd lotto pick You can only control so much when it comes to the draft, generally think teams have a lot less influence on a prospect’s development than they do other aspects of team building. The talent evaluation is what deserves more scrutiny imo, but selecting those bigs with glaring red flags without acquiring any additional draft capital was always the worst part of the 2018 draft

@BlockedByBamba Greatest guard prospect 😂😂😭😭😭😭

@dlee4three @BlockedByBamba Can you read?

@skengdr1 @BlockedByBamba lol

Process > Results always That being said, it bothers me that only the Pels' process is being criticized. What about the teams from #8-12 in the draft who passed on the offer? If we criticize Dumars for giving away an unprotected pick, we should criticize teams who passed on it

Agree with everything EXCEPT the Clippers bit. You mortgage 80% of the house 100% of the time to get two top 10 players in their primes. We can’t be revisionist & act like that was bad process at the time.

it’s only bad process imo because that approach has persisted in the last half-decade

Even if one is results oriented, they traded the Pacers their 2026 pick back for the 22nd (which they packaged along with their own 2026 pick for Queen). So that's two likely t6 picks for Queen. Disagree with the clips part tho, they got a t5 player and a t10 player for that

yeah i was a proponent of that trade and still am (they had a +13 net rating with PG/Kawhi on the floor over 4K mins), my comment about process has to deal with them not adjusting once the injuries/age piled up

I don’t think you can say they shouldn’t get credit “because they got lucky and Derik Queen turned out to be good” They evaluated him and deemed him a player they think would be great, and paid a high cost to attain him. And pair him with their other pick, Fears. DQ is 20 and JF is 19. While that pick is still in college they are getting real NBA experience and building chemistry. Also makes it easier to move Zion if they choose to. So if it all works out, they should absolutely get credit. If it doesn’t, they will suffer the consequences of it.

i would be willing to give credit if this was a calculated risk you have to hedge your bets with prospect evaluation, they selected 2 of the most variable players in the draft at the generationally high cost of one of the most coveted picks in the league in an incredible 26 draft not like they started this season WANTING to develop these guys, this trade screamed that they were convinced this team was going to be competitive this year, which was a poor eval of their roster betting on Zion health alone is bad process at this point, this strategy of setting future assets on fire for gargantuan gambles is the type of stuff that can sink a franchise for years whether Queen/Fears pans out or not

even if they would’ve went immediately in on the young guys, trading Zion + all the other vets I would’ve respected it more Acquiring Poole then drafting Fears = bad process with Dejounte & Jose already on the roster Adding Looney to a crowded big rotation = bad process

Making some bad decisions doesn’t automatically make every decision you make, bad

sure, but these are bad decisions by a delusional FO

Yeah but ultimately what we are calling “results” is actually “reality.” The game is played on hardwood and luck is a factor. Luck is a part of what makes sports special. DQ looks like a star to me. Unless that pick is top 3, trade was ok. Potential rings don’t count.

I hear that, just have the philosophical standpoint that results that are the product of bad process are short-lived luck is a part of sports but thorough process trumps even luck from my evaluation standpoint, i would have 10-12 2026 players above queen rn for context

Pro Sports is a results focused business. The real fault line is if you believe player evaluation is a difference maker. Queen got vauled as being a top 5 lvl player/pick(trade value wise)There is no way to say that if he’s an all-star he’s a bad pick. Call it a high risk trade.

Philly didn't even fire Hinkie! League just stepped in and took him out.

This 1000%

But if in their pre ncaa Queen was t5 would the swing not have been worth it considering they are getting a guy who they value at t5? I get your point but for some guys it just makes sense and I’m not a dq guy

1. All yall team-affiliated journos cannot help but to defend, make excuses, etc. for your teams at any cost 2. Crazy stray at Jordan Hawkins 😂

Great Video. Exactly this.

I typically agree with this thought process except for in the NBA. The name of the game is get 1 legit franchise guy and then anything is possible. Queen is a top 15 type of player that makes others better. Now anything is possible moving forward.

Top 5 protections on that pic and it’s a totally different discussion. IMO they’re going to shop their already paid players between now and the draft to get back into the first round. Idk if it’s going to work though.