Disappointed in Dell Demps.

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Published: December 12, 2011

I have to start off with a disclaimer. “I have no idea what went on behind the scene.” I all can based my opinions on is what has been said by all parties involved.

Chris Paul sure he’s slowly making his way onto the most hated man in New Orleans list (after all love and hate are so closely linked),but there’s no denying his talents. Some would even say his presense saved basketball in the Big Easy. If what he says is true and he just wants to win, then Demps has failed us as a fan base. Once again it’s not far fetched that Chris may have went to Demps and said “I want a big market”. If this is the case then trading him was unavoidable and I apologive to Mr. Demps. However all we’ve heard from Paul is he wants to win he doesn’t care where.

Let’s say that as a fan of a small market team(on the verge of giving up on the NBA altogether) I wasn’t thrilled about the new CBA. Let’s face it competitive balance took a back seat to the owners cash grab. However some door were open to a team in our position that need to get good and quickly. 1st most teams aren’t going into the luxury anymore. 2nd many talented guys would be hitting the bidding market due to the amnesty rule.

I was foolish enough to think A) CP3 heart was with the city and goal was truly just to win and B) that Demps would exhaust every option before attempting to trade Paul away. This league revolves around difference makers. I believe we had a top 3 difference maker. Plan A should have been to use any avenue to get Chris the talent he deserved. This is where great GM’s are supposed to thrive, but instead plan A, B, and C all included trading Paul away without any kind of fight. Waving the white flag before the battle had even started.

Some people would love to point out the lack of appeal a city/market like New Orleans has. They’ll also point out the wasted years CP had with cheap ownership and bad front office moves. For the finisher they would point out the fact that we are owned by the league. Everylast one of those things would be correct, except for the front office isn’t the same poor decision makers. Demps was only hired last year. We didn’t(still don’t) have a ton of asset, but we had ton of roster spots and adequate cap space for Demps to show off his genius and the right FA’s and make the right trades to surround Paul with enough to show him we mean buisness.

It would have been the long shots of long shots, but isn’t that what he gets paid the BIG bucks for? Remember Kobe crying about how bad his team was? Did the Lakers trade him nope they made the necessary trades to get him the talent he needed. However questionable the trade. That team had no assets yet managed to get it done. Why difference makers don’t grow on trees. We could get the number 1 overall pick for the next 5 years and still never acquire a players as good as Paul. Yet names like Dragic and Bledsoe are expected to replace him without having fought tooth and nail to keep him here.

I don’t know what Mr. Demps is capable of as a GM, but much like the driving instructorthat notice you have failed to secure your safety belt and promptly fails you before the test even starts. I have to give any GM a big fat F- for attempting to trade away a once in a generation player without using that great willing and dealing talent (assuming he has some) to keep said player first. Ofcourse unless Paul said he wanted only a big market(and even then I would be hard press to trade him).

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