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You mean like trading for Antawn Jamison?
I was gonna say the same thing about Kurt. His offense has always been underwhelming, not his defense. After the injury though, I don't know; he didn't have a ton of athleticism to lose, he's a great defender because he's stronger than he looks, effort, and smarts. I highly doubt Meeks is at his level defensively. But defense isn't the Sixers problem, they need to be looking for offense, IMHO.
Sure. However, who here would be surprised if Orlando made a dumb in the abstract deal to make Howard happy, then lost him this offseason anyway?
So - is Howard the #2 player in the league? I think so. Who else is on the short list - Durant, maybe Paul...
Wade.
It was a Cleveland joke, in case you missed it.
Off the top of my head I think Howard is clearly #2 and then Wade, Paul is a tossup at 3. Then it's the Durant, Rose, Kobe, Westbrook, Love pick em.
Yeah, I can't say that I care much for the Grizz blog on the True Hoop network or really any others that I'm aware of. One of the writers for the Memphis Flyer, a local alternative-type paper, Chris Herrington, does really good work on the Grizz, but other than that there is limited writing/analysis on the Grizzlies that is worth reading.
That statement pretty much matches a lot of local sentiment about Pau. It's always irritated me. Just a combination of Pau's personality, Euro background, and "finesse" type game, plus the fact that they got swept out of the first round 3 straight times made a lot of people pretty irrational about Pau. You've also got the whole blame the best player for the team's failures dynamic going on as well.
I also think Marc's emergence has probably worsened Pau's perceptions around here, because he plays like what a lot of Memphians think they wanted Pau to be.
I remember a fairly big game where noted psych warfare expert Kevin Garnett got in Pau's head, played him physically, and outrebounded him 3 to 18.
Would Syracuse have gotten a 1 had this been known last weekend?
They played pretty well without him. Plus, the committee knows the lengths to which Boeheim will go to get his players in games regardless of what laws/rules they broke.
i like herrington.
i meant to add wade, sorry. i'm w/ your list, nj.
the sixers problem with him right now is that he's 6'3 with a 6'4 wingspan, and the sixers need a guy off the bench who is capable of at least nominally being able to guard small forwards. with both turner and iguodala in the starting lineup, and with jrue holiday playing a lot of minutes alongside lou williams in the backcourt, meeks just is not capable of being the player that the sixers need him to be.
But even with a couple of holes in his game, I am pretty well convinced that Howard is the #2 player in the league right now. I think 3-10 or so you could have a lot of reasonable arguments.
I would think that would need to be a 3 teamer to get anything back the Lakers wanted, i.e. a PG. What say you RR?
It would also mean someone would want to trade for Boozer. I guess the Bulls could be offering Noah instead, but I highly doubt that. That, or little Buss thinks the Lakers have to trade Gasol no matter what; even though, they could still do better I would think.
But to get Pau they would obviously need to give up more than that. Deng, or Noah? None of that seems to add up, to me. So either this is just smoke, or it would need to be a multi-team trade.
Pretty sure the Lakers have their hearts set on Deng. Not sure if Chicago is prepared to give him up for what would be an huge gamble with Pau.
Also: Watson, Kobe, Deng, Gibson, Bynum is a pretty well-balanced lineup, and very good defensively.
also, has anyone noticed how well james johnson is playing defense up in toronto? he's averaging 2 blocks and 2 steals per 36 minutes, and he's got a D-rating under 100. that looks like it was a pretty nice pull for toronto from last season.
Pau is expensive, but he's not a "huge gamble." His health record has been pretty good and he is consistent. As I have said several times, I think his numbers are down in large part due to context.
I don't really see a deal that works here. Watson is OK, but he is not really the kind of playmaker/creator the Lakers need. I don't see why Chicago would want to give up Deng to get Gasol, and I don't see why the Lakers would want to give up Gasol to get Watson and Boozer.
Like I said, based on what seems to be out there, I would rather they try to keep Pau and try to get Sessions. I would probably move Pau to get a legitimately GOOD PG, like Lowry.
I thought of that--Gibson went to USC, which the Busses would like--and I would do it. Don't see why Chicago would do that, though.
Gasol is really good and they can amnesty Boozer after the year.
How long is Pau signed for? Gibson is a RFA and Chicago is unlikely to match the 4 year 32 million (or so) as that would put them firmly over the cap. He'd be a throw in and I believe Pau will expire before Deng, so Chicago frees up some future cap space.
I say "gamble" because I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade. Yea, it gives Rose a legit #2, but it also weakens their defense to the point it might not matter.
I think that's too much to give up. Does this move Boozer to the Bulls bench?
Sure, but they are still paying Pau almost $40M into the new tax year, and they lose a key guy on the second unit D, and a borderline All-Star 3.
Pau, like Kobe, is signed through 2014. I suspect that Old Man Buss thought the new tax rules would kick in after '14, rather than '13.
That would be harder to work out because Pau already makes more than those three combined, and all the other mid-salary Chicago guys are signed at least through next year.
Well, maybe last night convinced the Bulls they can trust Butler more and so Deng can be traded.
This. I don't think that the Lakers make any trade without upgrading point and a wing. The Bulls can't really help with one, CJ Watson's just not enough to get it done, probably. Once the rumors start involving more than two teams, the probability goes way way down on it happening.
2016 for the unprotected Charlotte pick.
Man, I still think they'll be in the lottery.
Supposedly, the Blazers want a 1st for Crawford and aren't going to trade him if they can't get it.
As to the Lakers, Buss may well want to get Pau off the payroll before the tax kicks in, and based on the Paul deal, his concept of the team appears to be Kobe/Bynum/PG for the core. But I don't think a Bulls' deal works.
both philly and orlando play back-to-backs against both miami and chicago this weekend. philly plays theirs friday-saturday, and orlando plays theirs sunday-monday (in addition to playing miami tonight).
there could be some consolidation here.
Dwyane Wade SG 14 6-8 0-0 2-2 0 2 2 2 0 1 1 +13 14LeBron James SF 18 5-7 1-1 3-3 0 4 6 1 1 3 0 +12 14
Chris Bosh PF 18 5-7 0-0 5-6 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 +10 15
Magic are lucky to be down only 11.
the trade exception and 2nd round draft picks that the sixers received for marreese speights could prove useful. if radmanovic is a target, he'd fit under the exception. and if jj hickson is on the block, he'd also fit. i think the best scenario would be for houston to declare themselves sellers and offer up chase budinger or courtney lee for draft picks. either one of them would look to be a really good fit to replace turner coming off the bench. i'm also slightly interested in terrence williams, who could possibly slot into turner's vacated role of secondary playmaker off the bench.
and there's andres nocioni's expiring contract. i mentioned the potential trade with atlanta upthread, but he'd also figure to be attractive to new jersey if they plan on cutting their cap number down to the bare minimum in advance of this summer's dwight howard sweepstakes. some combination of anthony morrow, shawne williams, deshawn stevenson, and jordan farmar could be very attractive for the sixers (in the offseason, if not at the deadline), and NJ would be able to shed the entirety of their contracts without taking any salary back going into their offseason whale hunt.
I agree that Deng for Pau is bad for both teams. The most likely way for the Bulls to get Pau would be in a 3-team trade with Orlando in which the Lakers get Dwight Howard. Then the Bulls could contribute assets to the Magic that the Lakers don't have (good and cheap role players, Charlotte pick), and Boozer's good O / bad D combo would be much more palatable to the Lakers with Dwight on the floor alongside him. If Dwight is set on the Nets, then I don't see a fit unless the Lakers really like someone on the Bulls' bench or a third team jumps in that values Boozer a lot more than the LA.
kwame brown
drew gooden
ersan ilyasova
jon leuer
larry sanders
ekpe udoh
luc richard mbah a moute
jon brockman
i find it hard to believe they're done. there's no way there's enough minutes at the 4/5 to keep everyone of the above happy.
and i might be alone in thinking this, but i think golden state kept the wrong guard. putting together bogut and curry just seems to be begging for injury-related heartbreak.
oh, and a backcourt of monta ellis and brandon jennings should be a hell of a lot of fun to play against.
at this point, even if they lose him for nothing, they're better off taking one last run at the title than they'll be with an extra draft pick and brook lopez.
I saw the last 5 minutes. It was shamefully bad.
I have no problem with the 68 teams, but if you're one of the last 4 teams in, you should be a 16 seed. That's what seeding is.
So punish the 1 seeds?
unc-a should be higher than a 16 as is. regardless, i really don't like moving to 68.
I'd imagine if Iona or the winner of USF/Cal goes on a run to the elite 8, there'll be rumblings already about how a change needs to be made to not give these play in teams a momentum advantage.
ETA: I just hope it's not something even dumber like moving to 96.
ETA: [765] Lamar should be the one bumped to 15, not Asheville, but they may not want the 2 HBCs as 16s.
Bynum: 15/18 FG, 37/16 49 min
Howard: 9/13 FG 6/18 FT, 24/25 47 min
No, I am not implying Orlando should trade Howard here. Just an interesting night.
I'll give you Lamar over UNC-A, though #### Coach Knight.
It's not young players so much as it's role players. I am deeply skeptical of guys who take half their shots from 3p. That has never been the sort of thing that a lead guy on a really good team does. My original comment (7th or 8th man on Milwaukee) was overstated. I had forgotten how good of an offensive rebounder he is.
Here's why I am skeptical of Anderson. Let's give him Kevin Love's shots per game (to reflect greater usage) as well as Love's number of 3p taken per game (to reflect defenses crowding him off the 3p line with no Howard). Leave the percentages on his shots the same (so he still hits from 3 at 42%).
Taking Anderson to the usage levels of the star most similar to him (IMO), drops his eFG% to .501--a full 50 points lower than his current numbers.
I realize that this is sort of "if my aunt had balls" analysis, but I'm trying to explain why I heavily discount production that depends disproportionately on taking open 3pers.
Maybe they will try to get Ellis from the Bucks...
10 points in the last 17:30 for Iona.
And Udoh. Ugh. Warriors fans have positive reports on his defense but Warriors fans are, in my opinion, the 3rd most delusional fanbase, behind only Toronto fans and NY fans. Even if he is good defensively (which he certainly wasn't last season when I saw more Warriors games), a 4/5 who rebounds like Andrea Bargnani is not something smart teams are especially interested in.
At least Stephen Jackson was salary dumped in the deal. Cold comfort...
I mostly agree with that, depending on exactly how good a team has to be to escape purgatory. Bogut is good, not great (though he showed signs of becoming great before he was gruesomely injured in a game against Phoenix in 2010). He appears to be a liability on offense now, though he's still a good rebounder and great defender. If he has a healthy year and Lee somehow stops sucking, the Warriors should be pretty good, especially now that they don't have to accommodate Monta's ugly, losing style of play.
It's not like this is a franchise crippling move by the Bucks. Losing a good center hurts but Bogut wasn't going to carry them to a title any time soon. It's more that it's yet another move that shows the GM (John Hammond, former golden boy assistant GM under Joe Dumars. Funny how both of them look like morons now. That great Detroit team seems to have been a massive fluke. Either that or the 2 of them are like radio waves with opposite phases and their stupidity cancels each other out) has no plan or reliable way to value players. He got nothing really useful for the 3rd best center in the league. It's annoying.
OK, here's your feedback:
You suck.
Questions, comments?
I agree that he's not going to shoot as many open threes in most other situations. But Anderson is really good for other reasons. Last night I was mostly impressed by his defense, rebounding, and hustle.
Something tells me Stan Van and Carmelo would not exactly be a match made in heaven.
But I think they are best off keeping him for the playoff run. Doing so doesn't mean they think Dwight really likes them and will resign. Just that keeping him gives them a chance, though a slight one, of getting back to the NBA finals.
No matter what they get back in a trade you have no idea when the next time such a chance will come around.
But I think they are best off keeping him for the playoff run. Doing so doesn't mean they think Dwight really likes them and will resign. Just that keeping him gives them a chance, though a slight one, of getting back to the NBA finals.
The problem, though, is that if Howard's already got his mind set to leave, he may not give you the balls out effort you need to beat Miami or Chicago. In addition to the fact that it's human nature not to, he also (subconsciously, if not consciously) wouldn't want to put himself in the position of leading the team deep in the playoffs and then having to leave.
I don't see Howard as a guy who's going to put aside what's going on and playing full-scale balls out. He won't loaf, and will be professional, but you need more from him than that.
Also, allow me to say it's a shame that no team can get Stephen Jackson under control. A lot of talent, but it wasn't an accident the Spurs let him walk.
No kidding. The year they went the finals, they had a deep team with a bunch of guys that could contribute. It's amazing how quickly that all went to ####. And if some of what has been rumored is true - that they've done a lot of this for Howard... well then between how quickly the talent eroded around him and around LeBron when the players were calling some shots, and then the fact that they moth both end up having moved on... well it goes to show why you don't let a star player have that much say over personnel.
***
Orlando's owner is in his mid-80s - I think that's a big part of why they (seemingly) don't want to try to rebuild.
This. Stephen A Smith is saying that Melo's about to get D'Antoni pushed out the door by the end of next week. Melo's just been a disaster all around (not that I think D'Antoni is great.)
The Magic would be crazy to do this.
though, i do wonder what would happen if orlando traded him to LA for pau gasol. the lakers were on his list of 3 teams he'd sign an extension with, but since he's apparently set his sights on new jersey, i wonder if he'd still consider signing there.
And they have luxury boxes to fill. Attendance will crater if Dwight leaves for nothing. Glen Davis is their back-up center, for crissakes! I could honestly see them taking Carmelo and Chandler, just because SF and C are/would be giant holes for them.
What they really need is one of the old F'in A type trades that brings in a point guard without giving up any major part of the current rotation. I know this isn't going to happen, especially in the next 24 hours, but to do this they need to bring back Jerry West so he can either:
1) Make the F'in A trade or
2) Suit up his 70+ year old body and replace 80 year old Fisher in the lineup.
A civil war has basically broken out in the NY papers, including the Times, as well as ESPN NY. The small pro-Melo faction in the locker room, the big anti-Melo faction in the locker room, and similar factions in the front office and suits. No holds barred; and yes, in less than a basketball year since he decided he wanted to come here, NYC has swallowed "franchise player" Carmelo Anthony and spit him out, reducing him to a "Nobody likes me, nobody understands me, nobody listens to me" babbling, simpering embarrassment.
Yet another season of ultra-efficient, Eyes on the Prize Knickerbocker basketball. Well played.
Exactly. Even if it's not New Jersey, he's been so damn wishy-washy during this whole thing. You can easily rip on both Lebron and Melo, but I think they both handled this better. Lebron didn't say a word. He just said that it's an offseason thing and played. And Melo let it be known before the season he wasn't re-signing. Better than Howard, he's been on both sides now. Howard's going to come out looking like a real ass if he does anything except stay in Orlando.
My Warriors fan friends are pretty unhappy about the trade too. I dunno, I don't think this is getting either team out of purgatory.
No, but I like it for the Warriors. As I said yesterday, they needed to just make up their mind which small guard they were going to keep and move on. They sucked with both, may as well trade one and be serious about playing in the NBA. They've done that, they brought in a high risk, high reward guy, and they'll still suck enough because he's hurt now to probably stay in the high lottery. While it's not an immediate franchise fix, it's a step in the right direction.
As for the Bucks, has Hammond watched the Warriors the last few years? He willingly took on their problem: two small, offensive minded low percentage guards that want/need the ball.
This. Stephen A Smith is saying that Melo's about to get D'Antoni pushed out the door by the end of next week. Melo's just been a disaster all around (not that I think D'Antoni is great.)
You know, at this point, it's probably not a bad idea to get rid of D'Antoni. His offense is not a match for their personnel at all, and since it appears he's not going to adjust at all, may as well dump him. They should probably dump Melo, too, if they can find someone.
Totally homerish here, but they could easily take some combination of Portland's one year guys (Crawford, Wallace, Camby, Felton) for Melo and Toney Douglas. It works. It dumps a lot of money off New York's cap while giving D'Antoni (assuming he's kept) guys he can use, and it gives Portland a marquee guy. Not saying it's great for the Blazers, but Paul Allen gave up doing sensible basketball things when he fired Rich Cho, so at least this gives him a shiny name.
Ole' Jimmy of JD and the Straight Shot wouldn't ever do this deal. He'd insist on Greg Oden and Brandon Roy(who would have to unretire). He'd then sign both to the largest extensions he could. This is the trouble with a potential Melo deal: Dolan will get involved and find a way to make the worst deal possible. I would have been fine with the original Walsh plan for getting Melo but no, we had to throw in Gallo. Dealing away Melo? Who knows what we get. Jimmy Dolan's like the guy in your fantasy league who picks up players based on name recognition and nothing else.
I kid you not: the reason I don't want to see D'Antoni go is that it raises the specter of Isiah's return. This is totally plausible. Guh.
To nitpick, Oden's on a cheap expiring, and Roy's a free agent. Anyone except the Blazers can sign him for anything.
plus, his second guard isn't as good as their second guard.
although, ilyasova is possibly better than anyone golden state ever put around their combo.
it's surprising to me how quickly people have forgotten about how good melo is. even people here, people who count themselves among the more analytical thinkers in this sport are just completely writing off his ability to be a part of a winning core.
Not me. Just a few pages ago I was the one who brought up the idea that Melo's good and taking way too much blame.
It's just not going to end well for him in New York. Between their schedule being more difficult now, and the New York media having a new beau to swoon over, Melo's the goat. I just read an article in the Times about how Melo stinks and is the reason they lose. Just put everyone out of their misery and end it. Melo will get over all his lost marketing opportunities and have to go somewhere else. I propose Portland because I know they're looking for a guy like that, they have a ton of expirings, and there's not a chance that they'd ever lure a guy like that up here as a free agent.
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