Remember the wedding scene in Old School when Will Ferrell’s
character Frank
”
The Tank
”
Ricard and his soon-to-be-wife are taking their vows, and Vince
Vaughn (as Bernard Campbell) opens his mouth at the most
inopportune time?
”
(Cough, cough) Don’t do it!
”
Remember the wedding scene in Old School when Will Ferrell’s character Frank “The Tank” Ricard and his soon-to-be-wife are taking their vows, and Vince Vaughn (as Bernard Campbell) opens his mouth at the most inopportune time?
“(Cough, cough) Don’t do it!”
It played in my head many times this weekend as I read and reread the press release stating that Golden State signed Ronny Turiaf to an offer sheet reportedly worth $17 million over four years. With that, the Warriors put a price tag on effort – and not much else.
All congrats go to Turiaf. With his high-energy style of play, the 6-foot-10, 250-pound space-eater raked in the league minimum while doing the bare minimum last season. With the Lakers, Turiaf averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.14 blocks in 18.7 minutes a game. He’s a great defender who passes well and shoots too much – an adequate addition to Golden State as a backup center.
But is he really worth $4.25 million a year? ?It’s tremendous coin for someone that factored little into the Lakers’ NBA Finals run.
Even after Andrew Bynum went down with a season-ending knee injury in mid-January, Turiaf’s statistics showed little spike. He saw more playing time and turned in some solid nights, but most of those came in stat-padding games against Eastern Conference bottom-dwellers.
Consider Laker frontmen who surpassed or matched his numbers in the regular season: Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic, Chris Mihm and Trevor Ariza. Only Walton and Radmanovic started more games. Ariza and Mihm totaled a fraction of Turiaf’s minutes. In two days, all four will be making less than Turiaf. The Warriors will acquire Turiaf if the Lakers don’t match Golden State’s offer – again, $17 million for four years – by Thursday. Los Angeles is already nearing the luxury tax ceiling, so retaining Turiaf is likely out of the question. Thus, Golden State will be paying more than $4 million annually for the same production they could have gotten from Hakim Warrick (currently paid $1,376,040) or Paul Millsap ($687,456).
Now for a positive spin. Many league analysts label Turiaf a “banger” – one who gives 110 percent in the paint every night. It’s a valid stance, but what’s more important, effort or production? You don’t always get both from a guy like Turiaf.
He was invisible when the Lakers needed him most last season – against a much bigger Boston Celtics team in the finals. The 25-year-old Turiaf was outmuscled and outplayed by younger starter Kendrick Perkins, and reserves Leon Powe and Glen Davis. As of now, each will be making less than Turiaf next season.
So what exactly are the Warriors hoping to accomplish by bringing in Turiaf? They’ll definitely need his energy next season in the absence of Baron Davis, plus his added size in the hauntingly big Western Conference. But Golden State should have thought twice about the offer. Do you really think the Los Angeles Lakers – a franchise with more talent in the front court than they know what to do with – would have matched any four-year contract for more than $2 million annually? Unless they hate money, probably not.
Even if you haven’t seen Old School, you’ve probably heard that old saying about a fool and his money going separate ways.
Bon chance, Ronny. Welcome to the family.
