Can Danny?

Getting hustled by a Brit is bad but a Brit in a sweater?

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How else can you explain that Atlanta Hawks going from almost beating the eventual World Champs to the third worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Hollinger's main arguments are that the bench is no good (where have we heard that before) and:

Additionally, it's naïve to think the tumult in the rest of the organization isn't going to have some effect on the floor. Woodson is back even though multiple players -- most notably Smith and Pachulia -- had issues with him a year ago, and he's working under a new general manager who may not have his back. Meanwhile, the ongoing lawsuit between the current ownership and renegade partner Steve Belkin is still dragging on with no end in sight.

One problem, you could have said the same thing last year. Josh Smith and Coach Woodson's problems didn't first pop up last season and the new GM might not have Woodson's back but at least he isn't openly trying to get him fired. I'm not sure how Woodson is going to feel worse under Rick Sund when Billy King made it well known that he wanted Woodson fired before the season and it was the owners that prevented it. 

So how did they move down?

The first and most glaring reason is Larry Brown. John Hollinger apparently still drinks the Larry Brown Kool-Aid. Personally, I'm not wild about Brown dealing with Raymond Felton and DJ Augustin running the show, nor do I think he's going to be particularly impressed with most of his teams defensive acumen. Yes, Matt Carroll can shoot the ball. No, that's not going to matter to Larry Brown if Carroll continues to play the piss poor defense that he's become so well known for. And lets not even worry about Adam Morrison. Even Hollinger admits that a key player is Sean May, a guy who has never been in shape which is part of the reason he's never been healthy. I'm sorry but depending on Sean May and Larry Brown handling two young point guards sounds like a bit of a disaster to me.

The next confusing selection is the Bulls, whom Hollinger has ranked as tied for 9th. Hollinger admits that Derrick Rose won't be much of an impact and that there are too many wild cards for the team. For some reason, that doesn't matter and the Bulls will somehow improve and be a better team than the Hawks. And when I say "for some reason", I think everyone should realize what that reason is. Stats. 

The Bulls and Hawks are perfect examples of the problem with Hollinger's stat-based predictions. The Bulls are a "better" team because top-to-bottom, they have more talent. The problem is that the top of Atlanta's roster is better and the talent actually fits together. You just can't get numbers to understand that (and so Hollinger always seems to overlook it). Hollinger's stats helped propel the Bulls to the #1 preseason spot last year (Celtics were 3rd, Pistons 5th) and we all saw how that worked out. 

A third odd selection is Washington collapsing to 11th in the league. Yes, they don't have Gilbert Arenas but they didn't have him last year and they won 43 games. Hollinger also goes on to say some odd things such as claiming that Nick Young isn't a three point ace. The kid shot 40% from behind the arc last year! I think the Warriors will get worse but I still think they'll be in the playoff picture (and at least in the picture longer than the Bobcats or Bulls)

But who knows? Maybe Josh Smith will finally blow up and go Sprewell on Mike Woodson. Maybe the Bulls will remember how to play basketball and how to win despite little outside shooting or post scoring. Maybe Larry Brown will turn the Bobcats into a legit team. You never can tell in the NBA but judging from Hollinger's own write-ups, I can't say that his analysis exactly supports his positions.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Unlike most of his career, Shareef Abdur-Rahim's retirement announcement seems to have flown under the radar. I have to make a note of it because for years, SAR has been the epitome of the good player on a bad team. A guy who puts up stats but never seems to be able to actually help his team win. Of course, he's been overshadowed of late by guys like Zach Randolph, who actually does SAR one better than helps his teams lose, but 'Reef always held a special place for me because he was tied to Antoine Walker. While Antoine was certainly a flawed player, he had a passion and a skil set that helped his teams. I never saw anything out of 'Reef that made him seem like anything more than a very talented #3 star. Yes, I know he played on some terrible teams but one playoff appearance is pathetic. Especially since some of those bad teams would have been playoff-bound if you had replaced 'Reef with an actual star player.

And since I really don't have that much more to say about 'Reef, let's re-rank the top 10 players from the first round of the 1996 draft.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Isn't it time for Gordon to just accept the qualifying offer and play out his year in Chicago? Not only is it probably the best move for Ben, but it would also save other NBA GM's from making a bonehead move. Ben Gordon is a great scorer but he seems to me like a poor man's Gil Arenas, a gifted player whose team fares just as well without him.

The latest rumor makes no sense to me at all. Gordon, Joakim Noah, and Larry Hughes for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks? For starters, I don't really get the Gordon/Wade backcourt. Gordon is better with the ball in his hands and when you have Wade and Michael Beasley, you don't need that. Personally, I think the Heat have their point guard in Mario Chalmers, a good spot-up shooter who can defend.  Ideally they'd get someone bigger who can defend the tougher guard spot (and give Wade the easier assignment) but Gordon doesn't make much sense to me. Also, why give up Marion's expiring deal in order to have Ben Gordon on a long term deal as well as Larry Hughes? It would be nice to dump that extra year of Marcus Banks's contract but is that really worth it?

I don't know where Ben Gordon should end up but knowing most GM's in the NBA, it will be somewhere where he probably doesn't fit.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sam Cassell said that he's going to be back in Celtic green next season. I thought his play last year at times was laughable because of how quickly he shot the ball but I'll take him as a third string PG.

The real question, though, is who isn't going to be around come opening night? The Celtics already had 15 men under contract and now will need to jettison one player. The obvious pick seemed like Bill Walker but all word out of the front office is that not only will he be on the team but he'll be a contributor. 

Darius Miles? Even if Darius doesn't make the team, I think the Celtics are going to need to find another SF because right now, the roster is slim at that spot. Bill Walker can get some minutes and Tony Allen could play some spot time there but you'd like to have a big body to go up against LeBron James. 

The same goes for Patrick O'Bryant. If we cut him, we need to find someone else to shore up the bench. We'd have Leon Powe as our backup center. 

The likely choice would seem to be Gabe Pruitt. Personally, I was never really sold on Pruitt but there's really no reason to keep him around if we already have Tony Allen and JR Giddens backing up the 2 spot and House and Cassell backing up the point. I don't think we can just send Pruitt to Europe since he's already under contract so it might be adios to Mr. Pruitt.

Could there be a trade in the works? Possibly but probably not likely. I know that a lot of fans enjoy coming up with Brian Scalabrine deals but Veal is fairly tough to move unless we take on a bad contract. And seeing that we weren't willing to give James Posey a fourth year on his contract, it would seem odd that we'd deal Veal for a contract that ran that long. And if that's the case, there really aren't that many contracts that are around Veal's numbers and only one year longer than teams are dying to get rid of.  

It should be interesting to see how this all shakes out because even with 16 people on the roster, I wouldn't be stunned if Danny Ainge had a few more moves up his sleeves.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have revealed their logo and it's stupid. To me, it looks like the generic NCAA Tournament logo and it just doesn't seem like anything that would really sell jerseys/hats/etc.

To be fair, Thunder isn't exactly an easy word to logoify (and no, that's not a word). Most teams that go with the nickname go one of two routes. The first is to ignore the difference between thunder and lightning and just go with a bolt of some sort. This just doesn't seem to make good sense to me and I'm happy that the Okalahoma City Thieves didn't go that route.

The other option is usually related to Thor, the Norse god of Thunder. Often times, it's just a hammer although some times, like with the Berlin Thunder logo (right), it's the man himself. Of course, I'm not sure how celebrating a false god would fly in the Bible Belt. Still, it's cooler than a random picture of a basketball.

Even worse, there's really no way for this logo or even this basketball team to live up to the legacy of the Thundercats so I really think this team is setting itself up for failure. And they were starting off with such an easy assignment; all they had to do was find a better name than Supersonics. And it's not like Oklahoma is known for great sports names, although there is a hockey team called the Tulsa Crude which is just so terrible that it's pretty awesome.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the name Thunder is pretty lame so I guess the logo suits it well.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some stories but it's one in the morning, I can't sleep and have to wake up in 8 hours to watch Syracuse's sad excuse for a football team open up it's season. Honestly, three wins or more and I'll be happy.  

Manu Down
San Antonio's title hopes to a shot when it was announced that Manu needs ankle surgery. The odd year dynasty might be coming to an end. In related news, Andrew Bynum and Greg Oden are both up and at 'em; their rehabs are going nicely and they look to be in game shape when the season starts.

Ewing is Back!
Patrick Ewing Jr. was traded to the New York Knicks for the rights to infamous draft bust/Vince Carter poster Frederic Weis. I kind of get why New York did it since Ewing could be one of their better perimeter defenders and would help guarantee that there will be a Knick at All-Star weekend (look up Patrick Ewing dunk on Youtube) but I don't really get it for Houston. Weis is washed up and they could have just waived Ewing. Maybe they just wanted to see if they couldn't help T-Mac's jersey sales in France.

One reason the Rockets didn't need Ewing was because they had just traded the other 2nd rounder they got for Artest for another son of a former New York star athlete. The Rox acquired DJ Strawberry for Sean Singletary.

The Grizzlies sign Iranian Big Man
So now a Serbian bust and Iranian big man will be battling for minutes while likely getting heckled by people from Tennesse. On the bright side, it might be the first time people in the Volunteer State are relieved to have a Gay guy around.

Monta Ellis out for 3 to 4 months
The dreaded high ankle sprain has claimed another victim. The Warriors main man will be out, which should mean more minutes for my man Kelenna Azubuike. The Ellis injury hurts the most because that team needed time to gel. As it stands now, Corey Maggette is going to become the main trigger man with Stephen Jackson helping out. It should be interesting if they are eager to share shots when Monta comes back.

Bring the Thunder! 
Oklahoma City is going to be named the Thunder. There was a picture of a possible logo but I don't want to link to it because it looked awful. It basically looked like the NCAA Tournament logo. Not bad for a tournament but terrible for a team. On the other hand, the former OKC team, the Hornets unveiled a pretty nice new logo. 

RIP Kevin Duckworth and Get Well Soon Wayman Tisdale. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been all over the map when it comes to Darius Miles. When he was on the Clippers, I was a big fan, rejoicing in the odd headbumps that he and Quentin Richardson would do. A few years later, I thought he became slightly overpaid and seemed like only a mediocre player. He proved me wrong by becoming an absolute disaster off-the-court and combining with Zach Randolph to be one of the biggest stat whore combos in recent memory.

Now the Celtics sign him and... eh.

I'm not happy that the Celtics have turned to Darius as a possible solution to their small forward issues but it's only a flyer so it's too hard to get worked up about it. In terms of talent, he should help defensively but he doesn't really fit Posey's role on offense (which was basically to launch up threes). I'm not sure who we have to do that since Tony Allen isn't much of a trey threat and I really hope we're not planning on giving Scal big minutes at the 3. 

In terms of attitude, I don't like it much at all. Darius was a grade A doofus for most of his career and while it would be nice to think that his injury might have caused his career to flash before his eyes, I'm not going to bet on it. Yes, KG is his idol but Darius is also the guy who said, "Look, I don't influence nobody. I can't tell no grown man what to do." so I'm not sure how well he'll take to KG's mentoring. On top of that, the Celtics have added JR Giddens who also is supposedly a bit of a "free spirit" shall we say and I don't like having Miles around him. As the old Al Maguire quote goes, "You can have one donkey on your roster, but you can't have two.  Because then they'll breed."

On the other had, there's always the fact that Darius Miles could be a lockdown defender and a good enough offensive player to be a legit role player on this Celtics team. Potential-wise, he's better than any remaining free agents. He might be the longshot to Devin Brown's sure thing but if there was a team that could take the risk, wouldn't it be the Celtics? Darius also has never been on a winning, veteran team so maybe he could straighten himself out ala Randy Moss.

All in all, part of me doesn't like that Danny Ainge seems to be getting a little too cute for his own good this off-season. He seems to be rolling the dice every chance he gets: letting Posey walk over a 4th year, relying on Tony Allen, reaching for JR Giddens, and now Miles. Will it matter? Who knows. But personally, I'd rather not even let the question arise. But Danny brought 17 to Beantown so he's earned the right to walk out on a limb. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have to realize that their window is closing and that this could be their last big push. Manu is 31 and Tim Duncan is 32 and the odds of them getting through seasons in one piece are getting slimmer and slimmer. They need to fill out the roster a little but as of now, I see this season as the Spurs Last Stand.

2. Los Angeles Lakers
One reason I think the Spurs need to focus on this year is because of the Lakers. A healthy Andrew Bynum alongside Pau Gasol and a healthy Trevor Ariza gives Kobe a great supporting cast. The Spurs may be the team to beat but the Lakers are the team that may beat them.

3. New Orleans Hornets
I've long been a fan of Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler and have finally admitted that I underrated David West but even with those things being true, and even with James Posey now in the fold, I just can't see the Hornets taking out the Spurs or Lakers in a playoff series. The sale of the 27th pick before the draft came back to bite the Hornets in the ass as they could have had Donte Green to replace Peja Stojakovic in the near future. Still, I think the Hornets need a find a way to upgrade at the swingspots if they really want a shot at seeing the Finals.

4. Houston Rockets
Ron Artest may be crazy but if there's a team that needed a little bit of crazy, it's the Rockets. They still have a hole at the point guard spot but the rest of the squad seems built for a nice playoff run. This may be Tracy McGrady's team but they are operating in Ron Artest's world now. If people can come to grips with that, T-Mac might finally get to see what the second round looks like.

5. Utah Jazz
This team just seems unhappy. Andrei Kirilenko always seems like he wants out, Carlos Boozer is rumored to be looking to leave next year, Jerry Sloan is Jerry Sloan. Rookie Kosta Koufos should fit in nicely but I don't see him being much of a difference maker (and possibly not even as good as Mehmet Okur). Like the Hornets, the Jazz also still have to better fill the SG and SF spots if they want to get past the Spurs and Lakers.

6. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are too good to not make the playoffs but they also aren't good enough to make too much noise in them anymore. The Robin Lopez selection was a safe one but it's not going to make them all that much better. The Matt Barnes signing is equally neutral. After this year, the Suns could find themselves in a position in which they are looking to move two former MVP's, Steve Nash and Shaq (both of whom will be expiring deals). Honestly, I would probably have started looking at those deals this off-season.

7. Dallas Mavericks 
I still think the best move for everyone would be swapping Jason Kidd for Allen Iverson but that looks like it will never happen. Dallas hasn't made any real moves this offseason and I really don't think a full pre-season with Jason Kidd is the cure to what ails them. In fact, one of the things that will ail them is watching Kidd get blown by by the likes of CP3, Deron, Nash, Parker, etc. Josh Howard is a nice player but they need to move him to get a couple of players to better complement Dirk and Kidd's weaknesses.

8. Denver Nuggets 
I really want to put the Blazers in the 8th playoff spot but I hate betting against Iverson and 'Melo. Losing Marcus Camby hurts but if Nene could finally be healthy, he could help out a bit. Even better, perhaps not having Camby's help defense around might make the rest of the team a little more focused on defense. Yeah, that might be wishful thinking.

9. Portland Trailblazers
I love how the Blazers have rebuilt their roster but I am concerned that so much rests on the weary bodies of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. Of course, having LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless as your plan B isn't too shabby. The Blazers have too many people on their roster right now and need to make some moves but so far, they are headed in the right direction. Whether that direction leads them to the playoffs will depend on how Oden and Roy hold up this season.

10. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are what the Clippers have always been; a team of great individual talents that don't necessarily make for a great team. The Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby frontcourt doesn't exactly impress me and I'd really rather not have to watch a Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Al Thornton frontcourt. I like Eric Gordon but think he has definite bust potential and isn't a better option than Jerryd Bayless. Elgin Baylor did a nice job with the bench, adding Brian Skinner and Jason Williams but I just don't see this team gelling under Mike Dunleavy or being consistent enough to make the playoffs.

11. Golden State Warriors 
The Warriors have amassed a nice lineup for the future. Their young talent of Monta Ellis, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins, Marcus Williams, and Kelenna Azubuike is impressive. As for the present, I'm not sure what to make of this team. Monta Ellis isn't a point guard and I'm not sure if Marcus Williams is the right guy to team with him in the backcourt. Randolph and Wright are similar players and both beyond skinny. How Corey Maggette fits into all of this is also beyond me. Honestly, Steven Jackson, even with his craziness, is a better option than Maggs at the SF. Ronny Turiaf is the kind of signing that a team looking to add that one last piece makes. The Warriors still aren't sure if any of their pieces fit yet.

Chris Mullin could be set to make some huge trades in the near future but until then, this seems like a team that will supply some great highlights and a lot of losses.

12. Sacramento Kings 
While I liked that the Kings were able to Donte Green for Ron Artest, his talent is pretty similar to Kevin Martin and neither of them are all that great on defense (or even, all that good). On top of that, Jason Thompson, their reach of a draft pick, is also a perimeter based player with suspect defensive prowess. Anthony Randolph seemed like a better risk to take. The rest of the roster is about as average as you can get. Right now, the Kings are a team that is going nowhere fast.

13. Oklahoma City Thunder  
Seattle has had a solid off-season. While I'm not a huge fan of the Sergei Ibaka selection, they still added a solid young PG in Russell Westbrook and were able to dump a year off of Ridnour's contract AND bring back a better player (Desmond Mason).  The core of the new squad is slowly taking shape and the salary situation is getting better. I still think dealing Chris Wilcox makes more sense than keeping him but so far so good for Sam Presti.

14. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies need to make some more moves but, on the bright side, they have the assets to make moves. I'm not a huge fan of Mike Conley/OJ Mayo sharing the backcourt but I'm not sure they can get legit value for Conley right now so they'll have to deal with it for a half season, at least. They have 17 million in expiring contracts with Antoine Walker and Darko Milcic so they could shake things up a bit. The key, however, is that they brought in a potential star in OJ Mayo and netted another solid player in Darrell Arthur with their late first rounder. Chris Wallace has his work cut out for him but he should be able to make moves to get this team back into the playoff picture in a couple of years.

15. Minnesota Timberwolves
I absolutely hated the Kevin Love for OJ Mayo trade. The Love/Jefferson frontcourt seems a bit problematic and none of their guards were good enough to give up on OJ Mayo, who could be a superstar. Mike Miller is a nice trade asset but he's not going to make the team much better. In fact, their defense might have gotten worse overall. Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, and Corey Brewer are going to have to be a lot better than most people expect them to be for this team to amount to much.

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While Ben Gordon is making the most noise, there are still a number of quality free agents floating around. Which teams make sense? Will they be able to get there?

Salim Stoudamire: As much as I've supported Salim in the past, I think it's time for him to take the money and run overseas. He's a one-dimensional player who isn't really great at his one dimension. A lights-out shooter in practice and summer league, when it comes to actual games, Salim's knocking down just 36% of his triples. He could have more success on the court and in his bank account in a FIBA league.

Ben Gordon: The first thing Ben needs to do is stop talking to the press because nothing he's saying is helping his cause. Claiming that he should be the highest paid player because he's the Bulls leading scorer just strengthens the opinion that all he wants to do is score. He is indeed a gifted scorer but if Leandro Barbosa could only get 7 million a year, there's no way Ben is getting the 12 million he's looking for.

Although that's not the biggest issue Ben is facing. Right now, Ben Gordon just doesn't really fit anywhere. He would have been an ideal guy to pair with Brandon Roy, but the Blazers had Jerryd Bayless fall in their lap. Miami might be an option but they'd probably want a better defender to take some pressure off of Dwyane Wade. In the end, the one team that might need him most is Chicago. He's their best perimeter shooter and could pan out to be a better complement to Derrick Rose than Kirk Hinrich or Larry Hughes. While he might not like it, the best move is probably swallowing his pride, taking the qualifying offer, and earning minutes (and more money next offseason) with the Bulls.

Delonte West: A great player off the bench, West should have no shortage of suitors. Unfortunately, a number of his would-be suituors (Dallas, New Orleans, Golden St, among others) have already used their mid-level exception and don't really have much to offer him. His best option might be to head north to Toronto to backup Anthony Parker and Jose Calderon.

Devin Brown: I'm a big Devin Brown fan but it looks like the Celtics are done making moves. Brown will likely play for the vet minimum this year and the Cavs might be his option as he'll likely be the backup SF as soon as they move Wally Szczerbiak and his expiring contract.

Devean Geoge: George doesn't have much left in the tank but he can guard both forward positions so he should be able to find work somewhere. He might not be a bad fit as a backup in Indiana.

JR Smith: Smith, like Ben Gordon, is hampered by the fact that nobody can offer him big money and his team will match any smaller contract offer. He's also an all-offense player and, even worse, has red flags in terms of attitude. The Bulls could actually use his three point shooting but I doubt they want to add another questionable attitude onto rookie coach Vinny Del Negro's roster. Personally, I think the Nuggets should deal Iverson and re-sign Smith but perhaps JR's agent can work a sign-and-trade to get him to Seattle to play alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Carl Landry: Landry's situation got a lot murkier when the Rockets acquired Ron Artest. The plan is to give Artest some minutes at the PF. With Luis Scola also at the PF spot, there aren't a lot of minutes left for Landry. While he's undersized, I think he would have been a better signing than Ronny Turiaf. He could be a Turiaf replacement for L.A. but I'm not sure if Houston wouldn't match any offer from a conference rival. He's be a nice fit for Indiana or Milwaukee.

Dorrell Wright: Wright seems like he could develop into a nice role player but he's still a major question mark and can't really be depended on. Unfortunately, I also believe that he needs actual playing time to improve so he doesn't really fit on a contender. Seattle seems like the best bet.

Kirk Snyder: Snyder seems like he should be a nice rugged swingman but he just doesn't put it together. The reason guys like Adrian Griffin make it over more talented first rounders like Snyder is effort. There just aren't many teams looking for a backup shooting guard with limited potential and questionable work ethic. He should probably start seeing if there's an Euro-interest.

Darrell Armstrong: The 40 year old point guard isn't going to bring much but a few teams could use those years of experience. If Armstrong is up for the mentor role, Portland, Chicago, Memphis, Seattle, and pretty much any team with a young lead guard could be interested.

Bonzi Wells: Bonzi is pretty much done. His best asset is the fact that he used to be a fairly good player which usually means it's time to head overseas.

Fred Jones: Fred Jones is a free agent this year because he turn down his player option a year and a half ago in order to make a trade to Portland, his home city, happen. Half a year after he gave up money to go home, the home team shipped him across the country to New York. Sympathy aside, Jones is a solid player and should be able to land on a roster, maybe Miami.

Robert Swift: Swift should probably just take the qualifying offer and hope that he can stay healthy and boost his stock.

Mickeal Gelabale: If the Bulls lose Ben Gordon, they might want to take a flyer on Gelabale, who is a willing defender and improving 3-point shooter. The Knicks also might want to give him a shot. Then again, playing time, money, and fame would all probably be improved if Gelabale returned to France.

Robert Horry: Yeah, he's Big Shot Bob but if you are a NBA title contender, do you really want a washed up 37 year old taking your big shots? His three point shooting plummetted to sub-30 last season and it's not like he's ever been a great locker room guy or someone you want hanging around young players. I could see a borderline playoff team adding him for a PR stunt but I don't really see a reason why a real contender would need him.

Damon Stoudamire: It's time for Damon to take a victory lap overseas where he still might be an effective scorer.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll fully admit that I was once a member of the Mo Williams fan club. I thought the C's should go after him when he was a free agent but then the Bucks gave him a big deal. Then Mo became one of the most frustrating players to watch. He once showed great promise as a point guard but when he gained the starting spot he proved to have a questionable hoops IQ. He masked this problem with this shooting and scoring but he never helped the Bucks win. He would end up missing a dozen or so games every year and basically just panned out to be a very good backup but not the PG of the future (nor the present).

In essense, he's a lot like Larry Hughes minus the defense.

So while some pundits and fans might laud this deal as just what the Cavs need, it's really just more of the same for Danny Ferry. The Cavalier defense is going to struggle if Mo And Wally World are ever on the floor together and opposing point guards are now going to have an even easier time against the Cavs. Rajon Rondo will have his way this coming season against the Cavs. IMO, the only way this trade works is if Mo takes over the backup PG spot and help out the second unit offensively.

Danny Ferry has one again made the big name acquisition who really doesn't do anything to help the Cavs. Even worse, the team could have used Joe Smith's shooting and if he's bought out, I wouldn't be surpised to see the Celtics make a run at him in order to replace PJ Brown. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been common knowledge for over a year now that the Pacers would like to move Jamaal Tinsley and his horrific contract. Now, Pacers owner Herb Simon has joined Bird and GM David Morway in outright saying it.

Pacers' owner Herb Simon is on the same page as team President Larry Bird and general Manager David Morway regarding point guard Jamaal Tinsley, according to The Indianapolis Star.

"Tinsley, he's probably outlived his welcome here," Simon said Tuesday. "He's a very talented player. Teams will give us a hard time because they know it's better for him and for us to have him play somewhere else. We're confident that we'll find a good place."

Bird said in a radio interview last month he doesn't believe in buying out contracts.

Maybe NBA GM's are even dumber than I think they are but why in the world would anyone trade for Jamaal Tinsley? He's a 30 year old injury prone head case who has three years 21 million dollars left on his contract. It's not that Larry Bird doesn't believe in buyouts but he better learn to believe in giving up Jeff Foster's expiring deal and possible one of his young players for a bad big contract in order to dump Tinsley. Of course, even then the guy he's probably going to be bringing back is a nutjob like Zach Randolph so it's not really a step up in the world.

While I usually get annoyed by Danny Ainge's obviously BS optimism in most of his interviews, it's better than having a GM who inexplicably tells too much of the truth about his players. I'd rather be fed propaganda about Gerald Green than actually had Danny come out and tell me that Green had zero work ethic and little ability to grasp the game. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Things calmed down a bit after the initial signing spree a month ago but it seems like the major holdouts are starting to find the deals they want. So who's come out ahead? Who's strugglied so far?

Winners: Big Men.
I get that Andrew Bogut, Andris Biedrins, and Emeka Okafor are quality big men but they aren't difference makers and don't exactly warrant the deals that they've signed. Bogut especially has done nothing of much interest and I don't think he's exactly earned the tens of millions he has coming his way. Okafor is a monster on the defensive end but he's not exactly the most stable of players and I'm not sure if a 6 year deal was a wise choice. Charlotte should have given him the money or the years, not both. A smaller money deal with a player option in the third year would have been a more reasonable offer. As for Biedrins, he's the toughest call because he's still so young. 10 million a year is probably the best the Warriors could have done but I hope they made it a straight 10 million per or a frontloaded deal because the team would be better off having more space in the future. They are a team on the rebound right now so they can eat the two big dollar years now and then have space to add to the squad in the future. Still, Ellis, Biedrins, and Maggette are nice players but this is still a mix of talent that's going nowhere but the lottery.

Losers: Fans of Mediocre Teams
The Bucks and Bobcats are going anywhere soon and these signings just cemented them in their mediocrity. I just can't see a Michael Redd/Richard Jefferson/Andrew Bogut team making much noise. Ditto for the Gerald Wallace/Jason Richardson/Okafor trio in Charlotte. Even worse, the GM's blew their draft picks, the Bucks adding Joe Alexander and the Bobcats grabbing Alexis Ajinca over Donte Greene and Darrell Arthur (not to mention Kyle Weaver over Chris Douglas-Roberts and Bill Walker. I don't mind DJ Augustin but I'm not sure he's better than Felton and they should have dealt Felton before draft day because his value took a shot when the 'Cats gave him a vote of no confidence by getting Augustin. As for the Warriors, they are rebuilding and I wouldn't be surprised if there was mid-season talk about the Celtics going after Stephen Jackson.

Winners: Both Teams in the Artest deal
Adding Ron Artest is definitely a risk. He's a highly underrated player and a guy who could help the Rockets make a legit run in the second season but he's also a gunner who could clash with Yao and T-Mac. While I don't mind Rafer Alston, Luther Head, and Aaron Brooks, I don't particularly like any of them and I think this team could use the steadying hand of a veteran point guard. All in all though, Daryl Morey turned a #25 pick, Bobby Jackson, and a future first (which will be a late pick) for Ron Artest, Joey Dorsey, and a Grizzlies 2nd rounder (which won't be much worse than the Rox first rounder).

As for Sacramento, they get a talented young player in Greene who should have gone late-lotto, mid-first. In fact, they probably should have taken him instead of Jason Thompson. (In fact, Thompson and Greene kind of duplicate one another.) Still, it was a solid deal, not only because the Kings helped themselves but they stuck it to their arch-rival Lakers as well.

Losers: Lakers and Cavs
Yes, Andrew Bynum is coming back and yes, JJ Hickson had a nice summer league but I just don't think that means much to Kobe and LeBron. 

Winners: Gerald Green
If there's one place he might be able to shine, it's Dallas. 

Losers: Minnesota Timberwolves 
I still hate the Kevin Love for OJ Mayo deal and I really don't understand why Kevin McHale is re-signing all of the players from last year's team. I might be one of the last people to still believe in Bassy but a three year deal for 6 million? Not even a team option in there? They brought Gomes and Craig Smith back in for cheap but with Love and Jefferson in the middle, is there really playing time for both of them? Could you imagine a Bassy, Mike Miller, Gomes, Love, Jefferson lineup? They'd give up 120 on a good night. On the bright side, the Wolves didn't overpay for anyone and give them 5 or 6 year deals so I guess head-scratching moves is a step up from their usual obviously dumb transactions.

Winners: Marcus Williams
The former UConn guard should finally get a chance at legit minutes on the woeful Warriors. Monta Ellis is better off at the 2 so Williams could be starting.

Losers: Sports Reporting 
I understand how there are mistakes during the draft but I don't ever remember there being so many rumors and reports that were just plain wrong as this year. It seems like half of the stories that are floated end up being nothing more than gibberish. Unfortunately, in this day and age, sports networks would rather discuss and debate an erroneous report for a day rather than actually do the legwork to dig up some real news.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have to say, Chris Mullin is having a mind-boggling off-season. He loses Baron Davis, drags his heels on Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, drafted another skinny forward who doesn't fit in with Nellyball, overpays Ronny Turiaf and their big signing, Corey Maggette, is basically a similar player as Jason Richardson, whom they just dealt away. He's built a spectacularly average team with little-to-no hope for actually competing in the Western Conference.

That being said, he's put together a great little stable of young talent in Ellis, Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Brandan Wright, Marco Bellinelli, Marcus Williams, and Kelenna Azubuike (they are reportedly matching the Clippers offer for him). I'm not sure how that assemblage of talent works as a team but as trade bait it could bring in some talented players. I'd be more than happy to deal Ray Allen for Stephen Jackson and one or two of those guys next offseason. Hell, I might think about it this offseason.

So while I like to say that Mullin has had one of the worst off-seasons, it could turn out that this is the off-season that allows him to make the huge moves that turn the Warriors into contenders.

Or he could screw it up like Jon Paxson. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Posey gone, the Celtics now have three available roster spots, all three of which will likely be in the rotation (two of which could be the first two players off the pine). Who can the Celtics get to fill these spots? Who's available?

1. Kelenna Azubuike: If you know me, you're probably sick of hearing me gush over Azubuike but I love this kid. He can defend and he can hit the open 3. He doesn't have Posey's height so he won't be as strong against opposing SF's (or the only one that matters, LeBron) but he's better against 2-guards.
Signed Offer Sheet with L.A. Clippers

2. J.R. Smith: J.R. Smith for the MLE would be a steal but the reason I rank him below 'Buike is his defense. Smith has All-Star talent in him but he hasn't been able to put it all together. If there's a chance for him to do it, what better place than alongside Ray Allen, Pierce, and KG?

3. Josh Childress: Can't imagine Atlanta doesn't match but he's basically Posey-lite.

4. Devin Brown: A tough veteran, Brown would be a great, cheap answer however I am a bit nervous about the fact that his three point percentage dipped to 31% last season.

5. Mickael Gelabale: The 6'7 Frenchman probably isn't strong enough to defend LeBron but he is an active defender and shot the ball fairly well last season. Plus, he's got some great hair. The problem, of course, is that he might not be ready (or able) to handle significant minutes, especially come playoff time.

6. Devean George: Fading as he gets older, George can at least still defend and shoot the three.

7. Matt Barnes: I'm not a Matt Barnes fan, especially since his three point percentage dipped this past season, but he can handle the 3 and 4 and wouldn't be a bad signing. If we could get Barnes and a 2-guard lik Azubuike, I'd be happy.

8. Kirk Snyder: Still only 25, Snyder seems like the guy who could be a late bloomer in the right situation. He shot the three pointer better earlier in his career and is potentially a good defender, he might not be a bad option to take over Tony Allen's roster spot.

9. Mo Evans/Keith Bogans: Meh. Either of them wouldn't be a bad last ditch signing but I wouldn't offer much.

10. Ruben Patterson: If it's defense we need, it's defense he can provide. However he most certainly won't fit Posey's three-for-all role in the offense.

After that ten, I'd probably just look to bring back Tony Allen and spend more money on a backup point guard.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James Posey is heading to New Orleans, wallets bulging with a four year, 25 million dollar contract. The move makes sense for the Hornets who have a lot of money spent on Peja and Morris Peterson for three more years so it's not like they'll have much cap space to play with anyway. Year 4 is a wash since James will be an expiring contract and, at the very least, a tradeable commodity.

Part of me wishes we kept James but, on the other hand, I don't think this is a crushing blow to the Celtics and it should definitely keep the guys from getting complacent. ESPN claims the move was due to "luxury tax concerns" but I don't buy that because the stumbling block was the amount of years and the luxury tax problem would be at its worst in the next couple of years (with the Big Three still on their big contracts).  

It was a tough call on Ainge's part but the real impact of the move won't be felt until the other shoe drops. The C's now need to look at their backup options (I'll be posting about this tonight or tomorrow) and see what they can do to reload for their title defense.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vince Carter to the Clippers
I thought this deal needed to happen before the Clips got Marcus Camby but I think it's even more imperative now. The two best players on Southern Cal's other team are both north of 30 so the window for winning is small (if it even exists in the Western Conference). The team isn't going anywhere as is and probably just succeeded in getting themselves a worse lotto pick. True, Camby's contract is off the books before the Great Free Agent Class of 2010 but how many players do you know that are going to be interested in placing the prime of their careers in the hands of Elgin Baylor?

The Clippers one chance to make some noise this offseason is to deal package the contracts of Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley along with Eric Gordon and a future pick to get Vinsanity. The lineup of Baron Davis, Vince, Al Thornton, Marcus Camby, and Chris Kaman could make some noise in the West and gives the Clippers their best chance at being a relevant franchise. The Nets get a young prospect in Gordon, future pick(s), and cap space for LeBron in 2010. A supporting cast Devin Harris, Gordon, Yi, Sean Williams, Brook Lopez isn't a bad start and that's not including what's sure to be another lotto pick this year.

Jason Kidd for Allen Iverson 
Two experiment gone mediocre, it's time to try to fix things a bit in Dallas and Denver. The Iverson/'Melo tandem is fun but it's gone about as far as it could possibly go (especially with Camby no gone). The best thing for 'Melo, K-Mart, and JR Smith (whom they should re-sign) is to team them with the consumate running PG in Jason Kidd. Martin had his best seasons running alongside Kidd and I could see Smith blossoming by feeding off of him. 

As for the Mavericks have been in dire need of some toughness and cajones and that's always been Iverson's greatest strength. I might even go for an overload of cajones and deal Josh Howard for Ron Artest and Shelden Williams while I was at it.

Tracy McGrady for the Pistons backcourt 
In the Conference Finals, the Pistons played with a been there, done that attitude that made it seem like they didn't really care whether they won or lost. If there's one guy out there who could change that attitude, it's the still-never-won-a-playoff-series Tracy McGrady. The Rox and Stones make a huge swap, with Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince heading to H-Town while the Motor City welcomes T-Mac, Shane Battier, and a sign & trade of Carl Landry Houston adds a championship caliber backcourt alongside Yao, Scola, Landry, and friends while the Pistons trot out Stuckey, T-Mac, Battier, Landry, and Rasheed Wallace. I'm not sure if it would bring these teams the titles but it's better than maintaining the status quo.

Chi-Town Shaq
The Suns give up on the Shaq experiment and, while they don't get anyone the caliber of Shawn Marion, they do get three solid backup pieces in Larry Hughes, Andres Nocioni, and Joakim Noah.  Chicago teams the #1 pick (whom some have compared to Dwyane Wade) with the man that helped Wade win a ring. Diesel might not be the player he once was but the lineup of Rose, Hinrich, Deng, Gooden/Thomas could be good enough to help him make a run at one last ring. If the Bulls could sign & trade Ben Gordon and Ty Thomas for a starting power forward, even better.
--- 

And if we need one more to make it five, I'd deal Shawn Marion to the Bobcats for Gerald Wallace. Someone else might have to be added to make it work but if I'm the Heat, I'm happy to add a defensive minded player to complement Beasley (and one who's not a free agent next year). I might even be willing to take on Matt Carroll's terrible contract. As for the Bobcats, they get a veteran who could help the team take it to the next level (which is still a level below the playoffs). The last person the Heat need to get on their team (especially for Marion) is Lamar Odom. Why would you team a crazy but uber-talented kid like Beasley with one of the biggest wastes of talent of the last decade? 

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marc Spears (who I should take a moment to commend on his excellent coverage of the Celtics) is reporting that the Celtics seem to be locked into a two year offer to James Posey while Team Posey is understandebly looking for a longer deal.

Celtics forward James Posey's agent, Mark Bartelstien, said Sunday that there could be "something" contract-wise for his client on Monday. Bartelstien would not divulge the interested teams, but an NBA source said that the Hornets seem to be Boston's main competition. The Celtics seem willing to give Posey the full $5.5 mid-level exception, but it seems doubtful that it will be offered more than two years. The 31-year-old seems interested in getting a four-year deal. Other teams potentially interested in Posey include Detroit, Washington and Cleveland

If this is true, I can't see how Posey wouldn't take the Hornets offer. New Orleans paid Peja Stojakovic the max and gave the full MLE for four years to Morris Peterson so you have to imagine that they won't think twice about offering James what he wants. Posey is also from Cleveland so I could see why going to the Cavs might make sense (although I'm not sure why they'd invest their MLE on a guy who plays the same position as LeBron but this IS Danny Ferry we're talking about).

The play for four years is a no-brainer for Posey as he'd stand to possibly lose millions of dollars if he settled for just a two year deal and then was looking for a new contract when he was 33. As for the Celtics, I initially felt like four years was too much to offer but now I think it could be worth it. How many more years does Posey have left in him? I could see him being successful for a couple more years and even if he tails off in year three of the deal, he'll still be an expiring contract and a useful trade asset heading into year four. The C's currently have a little cap space saved up for the Great Free Agent Rush of 2010 but it's a bit deceiving. Yes, they only have 44 million in salary promised for that year, that is just for Pierce, Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins. Once we re-sign Rondo and add our draft picks, there won't really be much left to offer. Also, we HAVE to replace Posey should he go and I'm not sure how many worthwhile players would really be interested in a 2 year deal.

There's no easy answer here but right now, I'm leaning towards sticking with Posey, even if it means giving him the four year, full MLE deal.  

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Los Angeles Clippers seem to want to fail. They've lost Elton Brand and now apparently think that a suitable replacement would be Zach Randolph. There couldn't be a worse move out there (Okay, I'm sure Elgin Baylor could find a worse one but this one's really bad).

The issues with Zach are many and well-documented but the most important one is that the man simply doesn't help his teams win. He doesn't help in the locker room or on the court. He's essentially a younger version of Shareef Abdur-Rahim who was equally adept at raking in 20/10 and lottery picks. With all of the young talent still available, it really makes no sense to waste cap space on Randolph and his exorbitant salary. Thankfully, Donnie Walsh is saving the Clippers from making this mistake by making a mistake of his own.

The New York Knicks got Zach for an underwhelming Channing Frye and the corpse of Steve Francis. After this past disaster in MSG, I'm not sure how Walsh could think he's going to get something better than that offer. And to be honest, cap space alone is a better offer than what the Knicks gave up. The Clippers are supposedly offering a second round pick which isn't bad seeing that it should be a decent one if Randolph lands at LAX. And while I understand that Walsh might hope that he could get something more for Randolph, there comes a point when you just have to cut your losses and move on. That time is now, especially if they can get immediate salary relief.

The Clippers need to focus on bringing in some of the young free agents like Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Carl Landry. or Nenad Krstic and avoid the disaster that is Z-Bo.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I liked the idea of giving Patrick O'Bryant the Scot Pollard Memorial roster spot before the draft but before the draft i was also thinking that we might walk away with one or possibly no new players. Talk was that the C's could trade their first rounder and take a Euro to stash away overseas with the second pick. Now with two rookies as well as Gabe Pruitt, I'm not so sure about having over a quarter of our roster being unproven young guys.

On the other hand, I really like the idea of Clifford Ray getting to work with the athletic O'Bryant and I could see him doing enough in this one year to fool someone into thinking that he could be the next big thing. Maybe we could then move O'Bryant along with Ray Allen's expiring deal for a younger player. I wouldn't put it past Rick Sund (of Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Saer Sene fame) to get all hot and O'bothered about Patrick and think about shipping Joe Johnson back to Beantown.

In the end, it's an interesting move by Ainge but it also makes the rest of the roster spots all the more important. I really hope we aren't relying too heavily on one or two of our unproven commodities. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RealGm reports that Paul Pierce has said that the Knicks should dump Stephon Marbury if they truly want to rebuild. While this might look like a shot at Marbury, his comment seems like it might be more of a dream than a diss.

"I'd try to trade him or buy him out at this point," added Pierce, who still believes Marbury can be a starting point guard in the NBA. "I just think he needs a fresh start somewhere else. Marbury needs to be on a veteran team where he fits into what they're trying to do a little bit more."

If someone can get through to Marbury, it would probably be Piece and old friend Kevin Garnett. I think Steph is ready for a comeback season and would love to see him in the Celtics green. Hopefully, the Knicks won't be able to find a trade partner and just buy out Steph, opening up a path for him to come to the C's.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The opening of free agency has been filled with surprises as well as the typical head-scratching decisions (the full MLE for Desagana Diop? 4 years, 17 million for Ronny Turiaf?). So let's look at how teams have fared after the first flurry of free agent signings.

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers are the big winners, possibly moving up to #2 in the Atlantic division with the addition of Elton Brand.  That being said, the Sixers aren't as big a winner as some people seem to think. While Brand is an All-Star player, I don't think he makes the Sixers an elite Eastern Conference team and part of me isn't sure how much better they are than the Washington Wizards. Still, Brand is a huge signing and puts the Sixers smack dab in the middle of the playoff picture.

Los Angeles Clippers: While the Clippers seem like big losers after not landing the Baron/Brand duo, they actually could come out in a great position. Personally, I think going from Maggette and Brand to Baron Davis and Josh Smith would be an improvement. I think the Thornton/Smith duo at the forward spots could be a dynamic duo, especially when running alongside Baron. The key is for the Clips is to not panic and overpay someone.

Miami Heat: I like the Chalmers/Wade/Marion/Beasley foursome but I thought the Heat would make a run at a low post big man rather than spend a good chunk of change on a fairly one-dimensional 2 guard James Jones.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks re-signed Andrew Bogut to a 5 year, 60 million dollar contract with inentives that could make it worth 70+ million. While I liked Bogut, he's not that good and when you already have big money invested in Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, I'm not sure if spending more on Bogut makes much sense.

New York Knicks: New GM, same issues. The Knicks overpaid for a good but not great player who I don't see getting any better in the future. It also doesn't help that Chris Duhon was hardly a Boy Scout in Chicago so it's not like he's going to be a steady force in the locker room.

Dallas Mavericks: Well, at least you can't say they're rearranging the deck chair on the Titanic. The Mavs overpaid old friend Desagana Diop and then signed up the fun but not going to help much when it matters Jose Juan Barea. Unless something changes soon, I wouldn't be surprised if the backup plan in the LeBron sweepstates is Dirk Nowitzki.
 
Golden State Warriors: I thought Chris Mullin and the Warriors were favorites for Worst Offseason of the Year but I never expected it to be this bad. If you had told fans in the Bay Area that their team would trade Baron Davis for Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf, they'd call you crazy. Unfortunately for them, that's essentially what the Warriors have done. They've also lost Mickael Pietrus and have yet to re-sign Monta Ellis or Andris Biedrins. While the Warriors can definitely salvage this lost offseason, the scary thing is that things still could get worse.

As for the Celtics, the good news is that nobody has grabbed Posey but the bad sign is that it seems like Posey is definitely going to get a full max, 5 year offer. As much as I'd like to try to split the MLE to grab a couple of players, it's looking like we'll have to use the full MLE to bring in anyone of any value.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The C's are taking a look at free agents but right now the key move is to figure out what to do with your sixth man. While re-signing James Posey seemed like a no-brainer, the fact that he wants the full MLE for five years is enough to give any team pause. Is it wise to invest that kind of money on a 31 year old swingman? When the alternatives are Corey Maggette and fellow Clipper teammate Darius Miles, the answer is yes.

Maggette is younger than Posey and he'd help add scoring to the second unit but his defense is a problem. Ray Allen wasn't known as a great defender but made due here last season but the big difference is that Ray knows how to play defense and could fit the system while Maggette's never really shown that he understands defense. In fact, there are a lot of questions about how well Corey understands offense outside of being able to create his own.

As for Miles (who I didn't even consider in my top 75 free agents), he has the potential to be a very good defensive player but he's an All-Time headcase and has chronic knee problems. And even if he helps on defense, Miles is a problem on offense. It's hard to have a sixth man whom you pretty much can't play at the same time as your starting PG. No team is going to lose sleep leaving Rondo and Miles wide open on the perimeter. But that's getting ahead of ourselves because the bottom line is that Miles is the kind of attitude that could bristle even when KG, Pierce, or Ray Allen try to keep him in line. In the end, Miles would be taking Scot Pollard's 15th man spot and I'm not sure if Darius is the kind of guy you want with idle time on his hands. Honestly, I hope Miles can turn his career around and make a great comeback. I'd just rather not take the risk on him.

In the end, while I'm not sold on Posey getting a big five year deal, he's looking like the best option out there (although I'd still like the C's to take a look at Kelenna Azuibuike).

On a related note, while I think John Hollinger's scouting reports are usually a great read, nothing is better than this little blurb on James Posey.

2007-08 outlook: The Celtics signed Posey to a two-year, $7 million deal, one that I think might disappoint them a bit. While Posey answers their need for somebody who can guard LeBron James come playoff time, he struggles defending quicker guards and is unlikely to be much help the likes of Dwyane Wade or Ben Gordon. Additionally, he's likely to drop off a bit from his numbers of a year ago.

The bigger reason he'll disappoint, though, is that he's not Ruben Patterson -- the player Boston passed up in order to sign him. Comparing the two, I'm struggling to fathom how the Celtics came to this decision, and I think it's one they'll regret.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the end of the list.

51. CJ Miles: The straight-outta-high schooler has shown flashes but hasn't been able to put it all together. Getting away from Jerry Sloan and finding a mentor (ala Ray Allen) might help him progess.
52. Shaun Livingston:Odds are that Livingston is done but he might be worth a look.
53. Mickael Gelabale: The Frenchman should be a solid defender off of the bench.
54. Ricky Davis: Crazy and not the greatest locker room presence, Davis is still a hell of a scorer.
55. Anthony Johnson: A very nice, cheap backup PG option.
56. Devean George: George is getting older but he's still a solid 5th starter/6th man.
57. Brian Skinner: A legit big man option who does the dirty work and is surprisingly effective.
58. James Jones: Lights out shooter off of the bench, Jones's problem is that he doesn't really offer much of anything besides light out shooting off of the bench.
59. Roger Mason Jr.: Under the radar combo guard, Mason Jr. should find himself playing an expanded role this year. He's good enough, he just hasn't gotten the chance.
60. Ronny Turiaf: Ronny is a banger but I have a feeling he's going to get overpaid. He's a nice player off of the bench but really isn't better than most end of the bench bigs, almost all of whom can come farily cheap.
61. Theo Ratliff: Theo showed he had a little life left in him this past season with the Pistons. He's a solid backup and a great vet in the locker room.
62.  Keith Bogans: I've always thought Bogans had been underrated as an NBA player. He's the kind of guy who could step up in the playoffs and make a name for himself if given the chance.
63. Chris Mihm: Long forgotten because of injuries, Mihm is a good big man who would be ranked higher if you could only count on him to stay healthy.
64. Kirk Snyder: A good defender and hard worker, Snyder might not be as talented as someone like Tony Allen but he's steadier.
65. Derek Anderson: A solid veteran swingman who can fill in as a start in a jam.
66. David Harrison: A good big man who you keep thinking should be better but never is.
67. Chris Anderson: The Birdman is a good energy guy off of the pine but his lack of defense makes it hard to really put him as a key role player.
68. Royal Ivey: A nice defensive-minded backup PG, he's kind of like a completely flat broke and in debt man's Rajon Rondo.
69. Steve Francis:I might be holding on to the past here but I think Franchise could help out a team in a limited role ala Dominique Wilkins in his year with the San Antonio Spurs.
70. Yakhoba Diawara: A hard worker, Diawara isn't a bad option as a tenth or eleventh man.
71. Darrell Armstrong: Can't go wrong with the vet PG.
72. Bobby Jones: Another solid defender, I think Jones has some potential and could blossom into a Bobby Simmons type talent.
73. Quinton Ross: He really had no business starting over Corey Maggette and whlie he's a nice player, you aren't winning many games if he's a key contributor.
74. Anthony Carter: A last resort, Carter is a capable if underwhelming backup PG option.
75. Paul Davis: A solid big man with a decent shot, Davis isn't going to win steady minutes but he's the perfect guy to turn to when you're in a jam.

Also-Rans
Fred Jones: He could bounce back as a scorer off of the bench but Jones didn't nothing to inspire too much hope during his time with the Knicks. 
Jamaal Magloire: Worth a shot but he seems to be uninspired of late.
Bonzi Wells: Probably not worth the trouble but if a team needs some help offensively, they could do worse than take a shot on Wells.:
Randolph Morris: Still living off of his high school hype more than anything, Morris is a 12th man. While he has the size, most teams would be better off going with smaller, better options like Paul Davis.
Patrick O'Bryant: I had him higher but reports from workouts are that he simply doesn't have it. If a team has a roster spot available, he's worth a flyer but odds are that he'll be out of the league very soon.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the next group of FA talent. The key to this list is trying to find the bargain and not overpaying for a good but not great player. In many cases, teams might be better off signing the lesser talent because they aren't much worse but will make half as much. It's possible that a team could sign a couple of players ranked in the 40's for the same it costs to get someone ranked in the mid-to-late 30's.

21. Louis Williams: I doubt he'll ever live up to his HS hype but Williams still has a lot of potential and sees to be improving each year. He has a chance to be a Barbosa-type off of the pine.
22. Sasha Vujacic: I wouldn't pay Sasha too much but he's a solid player off the bench, bringing a fiery attitude, nice shot, and better than expected defense.
23. Devin Brown: I've alwards been a fan of Brown, a poor man's Posey who can keep defenses honest and also bring some tough defense.
24. Kurt Thomas: Much like PJ Brown for the Celtics, Thomas won't wow you with anything but he'll always seem to be in the right place at the right time and can hit the big shot/make the key stop when need be.
25. Robert Horry: Big Shot Bob's days are coming to a close but he's still a very nice asset to have coming off the bench.
26. Jason Williams: Williams is a tough call because he's either going to plummet as a many 32 year old guards do or he could just as easily make a James Posey-esque Escape from Miami type comeback. He's not someone you'd want to invest in long term but he's still a starting PG in this league and is worth a look.
27. Robert Swift: If he's angling towards anything close to the MLE, his stock moves down. But as a cheapie, 2 or 3 year contract, Swift could be one hell of a catch. He showed some signs of being a starting NBA center a year ago before going down with injuries yet again.
28. Maurice Evans: Evans is a steady-as-she-goes swingman who can is a notch below the likes of Posey, Pietrus, and Childress. He's a solid 6th man but he doesn't seem capable of really stepping up at all. He'll give you what he gives you and nothing more.
30. Matt Barnes: Of all the players in the Warriors system, I think Barnes benefitted the most from the Nellie ball system. Still, he's a solid player who should be able to help a team off of the bench.

THE POINT GUARD PILE 
31. Daniel Gibson
32. Delonte West
33. Lindsey Hunter
34. Keyon Dooling
35. Tyronn Lue
36. Eddie House
37. Chris Duhon
38. Carlos Arroyo

There are a lot of solid backup point guards on the market, all of whom can help a team and none of whom are really worth more than a couple million a year.  Each of the guards has their flaws and there's no one player who I think is a great fit for every team.

39. Bostjan Nachbar: Nachbar has some impressive games
40. Tony Allen: Tony can be extremely frustrating to watch but the fact remains that he is a talented player who also does some solid work on the defensive end.
42. Salim Stoudamire: I've always been a fan of Stoudamire and think he could turn into an Eddie House type sparkplug off of the bench. The key difference though is that Eddie is a great locker room guy whereas Salim doesn't seem to bring much to the table in that department.
43. Craig Smith: An undersized big man who could start but probably shouldn't, Smith would help almost any team off of the bench.
44. Kwame Brown: For all of his faililngs, Kwame is actually a solid enough defensive player. Unfortunately, he just doesn't seem to like basketball and he can't be counted on to catch the ball on offense, let alone score.
36. Eduardo Najera: Najera's adds toughness and some range off of the bench.
45 Jannero Pargo: Pargo had a breakout season but I'm still not a huge fan. Still, he's a viable option for backup PG minutes.
46. Brent Barry: He's only got a couple of years left but Barry is still a great weapon to have coming off of the bench.
47. Sam Cassell: While he was very annoying to watch at times in the playoffs, most teams could still do a lot worse than having the Alien as their backup PG.
48. Ryan Gomes: Gomes's problem isn't that he's a tweener, it's that he isn't able to use his in-between game to create mismatches. He's not going to blow past many PF's nor is he really going to post up SF's.
49. Paul Millsap: If Millsap could add some of Gomes' SF skills to his repertoire, he's be a hell of a player. As it is, he's a great big man off of the bench but he can't shoot and turns the ball over too much.
50. Sebastian Telfair: Point guards always take longer to mature and I still think Telfair has a place in the league. If he could settle into a backup spot in Toronto or Atlanta, he could flourish.

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The mad season is upon us and it's time for GM's to open up their checkbooks and force undeserved millions upon some lucky players. Meanwhile, other quality players will be forced to settle for scraps (or the MLE). It's the cruel world of NBA finances (if you can call making 1 - 5 million dollars a year to play hoops "cruel". Here's my list of the top free agents (figuring in talent as well as possible contract offers).

The Elite
1. Josh Smith: An improving offensive player and elite defensive force, Josh Smith is going to be an impact player on both ends of the court for years to come.
2. Monta Ellis: A young scoring guard who also is showing a knack for being a team leader, Ellis will be the player who helps lead the Warriors (or whomever he signs with) into the playoffs.
3. Elton Brand: Brand is a better player right now than Smith or Ellis but his injuries and age have him down a couple of notches. Still, he's the type of player who could turn a playoff team into a title contender.
4. Andre Iguodala: Iggy is probably better served as a second star but I've thought the same thing about Paul Pierce for a while too. I think he'll improve yet again his season and prove himself to be a true franchise player.
5. Luol Deng: Deng needs to bounce back from last season but he's a great talent who can be an impact player on both ends of the floor. However, he doesn't seem like a team leader at all.
6. Gilbert Arenas: Gil is arguably the best player on this list but he's looking for a second max contract and I don't think many players are worth that. Gil isn't worth it and his injury issues the last couple seasons make him a risk, which moves him down to #6.
7. Ben Gordon: I know I'm one of the few people who watch the NBA who still believe Ben Gordon could be an All-Star talent but he's young and is a great scorer. He's probably shown less the 75% of his abilities in Chicago and should have a breakout season should he lands in the right situation.

The Key Role Players 

8. Andris Biedrins & 9. Emeka Okafor
Biedrins and Okafor are two young, talented, defensive-minded bigs who could help a lot of teams improve immediately. Biedrins seems to be improving more than Okafor so he's ranked higher. On the other hand, I don't think he's worth a max contract which some people are saying he might get.
10. Corey Maggette: Corey is a brilliant offensive player but his defense is lacking, as is his decision making. He could take a team like Chicago or Toronto to the next level but he's not for everyone. I think there are a lot of coaches who would have struggled with him like Mike Dunleavy Sr. did. Granted, most wouldn't go as for as benching him in favor of Quinton Ross but still...
11. J.R. Smith: Smith has attitude issues, seems like he'd rather forego even running back on defense let alone actually playing it, and could stand to improve his playmaking skills but he's also beyond talented and could be an elite level player if he got his head on straight. He has the potential to be the best player on this list and odds are that the team signing him won't have to pay for that potential so it's a good gamble.
12. James Posey: The perfect role player, Posey defends and can hit the open shot.
13. Kelenna Azuibuike: My man. I've been driving the Azubuike bandwagon for a while now and would love to see him on the Celtics. He can defend, score, and (best of all) should come ridiculously cheap. There's no better bargain on the market.
14. Mickael Pietrus: He has the potential to be the James Posey for the next decade. He can defend, loves the spot up three, and would benefit from getting out of Don Nelson's wacky rotations.
15. Josh Childress: Another Posey-esque role player, Childress is just missing something for me. He's a good player but he just seems to disappear too often for my liking. He'll likely end up getting overpaid.
16. Carl Landry: Overlooked because of Luis Scola's play, Landry could give 'Buike a run for the Best Bargain crown. He's a strong PF with a better than expected offensive game. He's a legit 4th or 5th starter.
17. Nenad Krstic: Krstic has the potential but now he's been banged up and he's a finesse big man, which definitely aren't in vogue after Pau Gasol's Finals performance.
18. Dikembe Mutombo & 19. Alonzo Mourning & 20. Michael Finley: Three wily vets who keep helping out their teams, these guys would be prime additions for almost any contender who is looking to secure their bench. They aren't the best long term investments but they could be the difference between first and second place.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Day 1 of the 2008 free agency market saw a big winner and a big loser. The winner was the Clippers who added an elite point guard and put themselves into the thick of the playoffs picture out west. The loser was Corey Maggette who was hoping for a raise but instead will now have to take a pay cut. Because the Clippers renounced Maggette's rights and now have signed Davis, there's no way that they can or will agree to a sign and trade. With that possibility gone, there's only a few teams that can Maggette more than the MLE and I doubt any of the able teams are going to be willing to pay Corey what he was hoping for. The one team that might make it happen is Golden State but I just don't think, with half of their roster floating around as free agents, if they would really be willing to spend that much on Corey.

So what does that mean?

It means that Corey's loss is about to become some contenders gain. If Corey can't get paid, you'd think he'd want a shot at winning (which he hasn't done much of in his career). The Celtics have made an offer out to Maggette but personally I'd rather wait for Posey. If we can't re-sign James, I'd rather split the money between a good big man and a cheaper swingman. Corey is a hell of an offensive player but he struggles on defense and I think it's important to have someone who can body up LeBron on the bench.

So where would the best fit be?

Phoenix could use a small forward but they'd probably be better off looking for someone who could help out defensively. Utah might have the personnel to mask Maggette's issues but I can't imagine Jerry Sloan is going to want to put up with Corey's less-than-cerebral game. San Antonio wouldn't be bad but, again, Maggette might be an issue on the defensive end. I could see a lot of open drives to the hoop after Manu flops and Maggette misses his rotation. The Spurs seemed hesitant to go after Maggette last year (for Brent Barry and Beno Udrih) and I don't think anything really changed with Corey over the past season.  Detroit might be an interesting fit but I'd think that Corey would want to be a starter since he didn't seem thrilled in the 6th man role in Los Angeles (then again, backing up Tayshaun Prince is a lot different than sitting behind Quinton Ross). The knocks out Houston as well.

The perfect place for Corey Maggette to go could be Toronto. Anthony Parker could grab the tougher defensive assignment and Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal would be backing him up. The only other team that I think could be as good a fit would be Dallas if they do indeed deal Josh Howard. But I can't see Corey waiting around for that to happen.

Can Bryan make it happen?

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the Nets clearing room to acquire LeBron James in 2010, it is only a matter of time before Vince Carter is shipped out of the swap. The question is, where will he end up? There aren't a lot of teams that will be willing to take on his huge contract and even fewer that will be able to offer up anything of value in return. But seeing as all Richard Jefferson brought back was a project (Yi Jianlian), maybe the asking price won't be as much as many would expect. Still, the key to any deal is a contract or contracts that run less than two years and a good-to-great young prospect whose rookie contract doesn't end before 2010.

As for the Celtics, a Ray Allen for Vince Carter deal is somewhat interesting but we don't really have any young prospects to offer. Also, if I'm shaking up the chemistry and dealing Ray Allen, I'd rather do it to get a little younger. Vince is a better talent than Ray but I'm not sure he's a better fit.

The 11 most likely destinations seem to be: 

1. Portland Trailblazers: This is Portland's deal to turn down. They have Raef Lafrentz's expiring deal and a boatload of young talent to offer up. Vince could play the 3 and give the Blazers a legitimate shot to win the West alongside Jerryd Bayless, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden.

2. Detroit: The Pistons could deal Rip Hamilton and Amir Johnson for Vince. The Pistons add a star player to team with Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince (should he not get dealt) while the Nets put together a Devin Harris/Rip Hamilton backcourt which should be very appealing to LeBron.

3. Denver: Marcus Camby and a sign & trade of J.R. Smith (4 years, around 16 million) would cover the cost of Vince. The Nets get a big man who'll be a valuable trade chip next season as both a player and an expiring deal as well as a promising and cheap 2-guard prospect to team with LeBron. With a backcourt of Iverson, Carter, and 'Melo, maybe the Nuggets won't have to ever improve their defense.

4. Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers have cap space and could give the Nets immediately relief but I'm not sure they would be interested in Vince. They, like the Sonics, might rather stick with their young core rather than add an aging swingman. If the Sixers are going to make a run at a veteran, I'd bet on Elton Brand.

6. Washington: The Wiz could package Antonio Daniels and Etan Thomas along with youngster Nick Young and Oleksiy Pecherov in order to get Vince. I just don't know if Young and Pecherov are nearly enough to make the deal worthwhile. Adding more picks doesn't help any because I can't imagine a squad with Agent Zero, Vince, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison wouldn't be one of the best teams in the league. (Although it would also put Washington way over the luxury tax)

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Like the Sixers, I can't imagine the Wolves are that interested in adding Vince (and I can't imagine that he has any interest in going to Minnesota) but a deal of Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Corey Brewer for Vince and fodder (Mo Ager or Josh Boone) would work. 

9. Golden State Warriors: The Warriors could make an offer but since they're already trying to re-sign Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, I can't imagine they are looking to add a huge contract like Vince.

10. Sacramento Kings: The Kings could offer contracts (Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim) and Spencer Hawes. They could have sweetened the deal on draft day by adding their pick but I don't think Jason Thompson is going to interest Rod Thorn. Of course, they already have Ron Artest and Kevin Martin so I'm not sure they'd be interested.

11. New York Knicks: The Knicks have Stephen Marbury's expiring contract as well as David Lee and Danilo Gallinari so anything is possible. The question is whether or not they too are in a cap clearing state of mind, hoping to land LeBron or if D'Antoni just wants to add talent now.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

- A solid deal for the Nuggets depending on the protection on the pick. The Bobcats aren't going to be great any time soon so it could pan out to be a very nice deal. The Bobcats will now be sitting pretty to get any player who drops (perhaps Donte Green) or they've added another asset to move up in the draft.

- The Hornets' fans should be a bit disappointed about selling the pick. There should be someone worthwhile on the board at 27 and New Orleans just missed a chance to upgrade their roster.

- The JO/Ford deal is win-win. The Raptors get a big man to team with Chris Bosh but they are still lacking in the swingman position. I like the Calderon/Bosh/JO trio but I just don't see it being good enough to get out of the second round of the playoffs, at best.  The Pacers add a young albeit injury prone PG and also net another draft pick which could be huge. The Pacers could come away from this draft with two VERY good prospects. Of course, I'm not sure if Jim O'Brien is happy about getting younger but this is the right move for the team in the long run. Of course, GM Larry Bird will probably blow the picks on Kosta Koufos and Ryan Anderson but still...

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can Danny Ferry or Kiki Vandeweigh pull an Ainge and turn around their team's fortunes? Can Rick Sund get the Hawks to the next level or will he just spend his years collecting project big men like he did in Seattle? Will Joe Dumars be able to retool? And is Mitch Kupchak really going to stand pat rather than try to move Odom for someone with a heart?

This offseason is going to be a very interesting one (for the Celtics as well who need to re-sign Posey and figure out if they want to keep Eddie House) and someone should come away as a possible new contender to the crown. Who will it be? 

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bucks need to shake up their squad. The team has some talent but it just doesn't seem like an actual basketball team. Now deposed GM Larry Harris put together a rag tag bunch of questionably talented players but all isn't lost for the club.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
The first thing you have to do is figure out what to do with Michael Redd. Personally, I just don't think he's worth the money he's being paid so he needs to go. Then you look at the young guys (Bogut, Yi, Charlie V) and figure out who you want to keep and who you want to move. Right now, I'd be willing to deal any and all of them. In fact, like the Knicks, I don't think there's a single guy that I would consider a cornerstone who I'd build around.

2. The Draft
The trade I mentioned in the Knicks piece is intriguing but I just can't recommend that any team take on Zach Randolph. However, if Golden State does make the rumored Brandan Wright and #14 for Yi Jianlian, I think you have to take it. I'm actually a fan of Wright and think he could pan out in a couple of years so it's a no brainer to me. As for the draft pick, I think the decision is between Russell Westbrook and DJ Augustin and right now I'd bet on Westbrook.

In the second round, the Bucks should go after a defensive-minded big man, which should be available at #37. 

3. Trade Market
During the season, I made some trade suggestions for the Bucks but I'm not sure if any of them besides making a move for Ron Artest would be available anymore. If they could move Charlie V, Dez Mason and fodder for Artest, they should definitely think about that move.

Still, I would look into dealing Redd. The Cavs lowball offer of Wally, Damon Jones, and #19 isn't going to be enough. Would Michael Redd and #8 for Josh Howard and Jason Terry work for Dallas? They'd likely counter with Howard and Erick Dampier for Redd but I just don't think it would be wise to take on Damp's horrible deal. Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, and the #7 might be the best possible deal. Even if they lose Maggette next year, they'd clear Redd's contract and have Mobley as an expiring deal along with another top young prospect.

If they can find a taker for Mo Williams, they should jump at it. Mo isnt' bad but 5 years of around 8.5 million per is too much.  Bobby Simmons's deal is getting shorter by the year but is still a tough pill to swallow. I'm not sure how Dan Gadzuric got his 4 years, 26 million dollar deal but I'm very sure that nobody is going to be all that interested in trading for it.

One underrated guy that I'd hold on to is Ramon Sessions. The last two games were likely an aberration but he's a hard working, pass first point guard, and a willing defender. At the very least, he's going to be a nice guy to have off the pine.

And, of course, there's always Bogut. Do you trade him? What can you get in return for him? The Bucks should try to re-sign Andrew Bogut to a sensible contract. If Bogut demands are too much, then he might have to move the mediocre big man.

4. Free Agency
I can't imagine anyone is all that interested in signing with the Bucks right now.

5. Summary
John Hammond's first year as Bucks GM might not be a flashy one as he isn't really in the best position in terms of trade assets. Dealing with Bogut and Redd will be his first two jobs but it's probably going to be another year of mediocrity for the Bucks.

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Mo Williams, Corey Maggette, Ron Artest, Brandan Wright, Andrew Bogut
Bench: Ramon Sessions, Russell Westbrook (#8), Bobby Simmons, Danilo Galinari (#7), DeAndre Jordan (#14), Charlie Bell, DJ White, Dan Gadzuric

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While everyone likes to dump on the Clippers, they aren't in a bad position. It sounds like Shaun Livingston is done but Elton Brand should be healthy and Al Thornton has a year under his belt so they team should definitely be improved next season even if they stand pat.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
A lot of people act like Chris Kaman and Al Thornton make Elton Brand available but I think Brand is still hands down the best player on the roster. The only way I deal him is if I'm getting a top 2 or 3 pick back in return. I could see the Heat possibly moving the pick so they could team Brand with Wade and Marion. But if those offers don't come, the Clippers have Kaman, Brand, and Thornton to build around. Corey Maggette is a wild card since odds are that he is going to opt out. If he doesn't, he should be the team's #1 trade asset. Odds are they'll had to give up Maggette and the pick to make any big moves because, to match salaries and get a max player, they'll have to include Tim Thomas or Cuttino Mobley who have negative trade value right now.

Other than that, there's really not much on the roster worth discussing.

2. The Draft
The Clippers are in dire need of someone to fill the 1 and 2. Depending on Shaun Livingston is ridiculous because the kid wasn't even holding down the point when he was healthy. Relying on potential is one thing but relying on potential after a devastating knee injury is a recipe for disappointment. Sitting at the #7 pick, the Clippers choice will likely be between Eric Gordon or Russell Westbrook. DJ Augustin is a dark horse but I don't think I'd pass on Westbrook or Gordon for him. As of now, I'd go with Gordon. OK, actually I'd trade the pick but if Elgin Baylor can't find a good trade partner, then I go with Gordon.

With their second round pick, the Clippers should hope that a guard like Mario Chalmers might fall to them. If not, a backup big man like JJ Hickson, Joey Dorsey, or DJ White might not be bad picks. 

3. Trade Market
The Clippers might just have a chance to make a Celtics-like push this offseason. They can build around Brand and move Maggette and the pick and then Kaman or Thornton for another veteran. Whether Elgin Baylor can get it done is the real question. 

The first thing the Clippers need to do is check the availability for two LA-bred guards: Baron Davis and Gilbert Arenas. Getting one of them could be difficult since the Warriors or Wizards would have to bite the bullet and take Cuttino Mobley or Tim Thomas but either trade would be worth it. If they can't get either of those guys, they might want to make a push for TJ Ford. I'm not sure if Toronto would be down for a Ford for Maggette swap (or if Donald Sterling would allow it since Maggette is his favorite player) but it could work. Another option might be Michael Redd, if the Bucks are indeed looking to move his contract.

On the other hand, if the Heat or even Wolves come through with an offer of the #2 or #3 for Elton Brand, you'd have to consider it. One issue, however, might be how one thinks Beasley complements Kaman and Thornton. If Anthony Randolph falls to #7, I'd almost be willing to take Beasley at #2, Randolph #7, and look to move Thornton for a guard.

The Clippers are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this off-season, both because of the strides that they could make and the fact that historically they always make the most confusing, ill-advised moves. 

4. Free Agency
Until they sort out their roster, I doubt many people will be interested in becoming a Clipper unless they overpay them ala Tim Thomas. This could be where old friend Gerald Green ends up (New York also being a good possiblity if they have roster space). If the Clippers do make a big splash with a trade, then they could be able to snag guys like James Posey and Eddie House.

5. Summary
This is a make-or-break year for the Clippers. They are either going to make a push to become a contender or dump Brand and start with the youth movement yet again. While I'm usually a fan of the youth movement, Elgin's already proven that he's not adept at that so it is about time that they make a real run at making LA a two contender town.  

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Baron Davis, Q Ross, Al Thornton, Elton Brand, Chris Kaman
Bench: Eddie Jones, Kurt Thomas, Cuttino Mobley, Joey Dorsey, Brevin Knight, Keyon Dooling, Paul Davis, Nick Fazekas, Marcus Williams

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Chicago Bulls have decided to go with Vinny Del Negro as their head coach. So rather than having Doug Collins, Dwayne Casey, or even Chuck "The Rifleman" Person, the Bulls opted for a guy who has zero coaching experience and has been just an announcer and an assistant to the GM. Some people have argued that this was all about money, with Jerry Reinsdorf simply not wanting to pay Doug Collins. Whatever the reason, the Bulls offseason just got a lot more interesting since now everyone is an option. Ben Gordon could be back, Michael Beasley could go #1, you name it.

On a related note, if Jerry Reinsdorf is so obsessed with saving/making money, do you think he's looked at the latest draft odds which have OJ Mayo as 50 - 1 to go first overall and thought about putting some money down? If he spreads his bets around ala the Black Sox scandal he could make some serious coin. And it's not like OJ Mayo isn't a good prospect. (And yes, I'm joking about this actually happening.) 

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Sacramento Kings have the most loyal fans in the NBA so you know that things are bad when people decide to find other things to do in Sac-town rather than go check out the Kings. The problem with Sacramento is two-fold: they aren't good and they aren't even fun to watch.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
Kevin Martin is the resident superstar but I'm not a huge fan of his game, primarily because he's pretty one-dimensional. While he might be the best shooter in the league, he doesn't do much else on offense, has a 1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and doesn't create much of anything for his teammates. His defense is also nothing to write home about. On the other hand, I'm still a huge fan of Ron Artest.  

2. The Draft

3. Trade Market

4. Free Agency

5. Summary

Possible Roster
Starters:
Bench

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What to do with the Indiana Pacers. They might have the worst salary situation outside of New York City and have little potential to hang their hope on.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
Danny Granger is the only bright spot on this roster although I think he's a #2 star and not a legit franchise player. Jermaine O'Neal is now underrated IMO but he's on the decline and vastly overpaid. Mike Dunleavy Jr. emerged as a player in 2008 but I'm not sold on him. I think Bird would be best suited to sell while Dunleavy's value is high. Jamaal Tinsley and Troy Murphy are almost unmovable and definitely have negative value in terms of trades. Shawne Williams showed some improvement but seems awkward on the court. He's only 22 so you have to hold onto him. Nobody else really merits much discussion.

2. The Draft
You can make a strong argument for the Pacers being this decade's worst team in terms of the draft. The only thing in their favor is that they haven't been drafting in the lottery. Besides not drafting well, they've also given away lottery picks for guys like Jeff Foster and Al Harrington. Honestly, I'm not sure that this year will be any better.

Best case scenario, DJ Augustin doesn't move up into the top 10 and the Pacers can draft for need and add a point guard. If he's not there, then the pick might be between the best remaining PF prospects like Joe Alexander, Darrell Arthur, Marreese Speights, etc.  

3. Trade Market
The Pacers have to deal Jermaine O'Neal and pretty much everyone knows that. Even worse, JO makes so much money that it's going to be nearly impossible for the Pacers to throw in a guy like Jamaal Tinsley in order to dump that contract. Jermaine for Stephon Marbury and the #6 probably isn't possible because the Knicks need the lotto pick in order to dump Randolph. The stumbling block with the Cavs deal is likely Ben Wallace, whom I'd bet the Cavs would rather deal instead of the expiring contracts of Wally Szczerbiak, Eric Snow, and Damon Jones. Perhaps the Bucks could offer Bobby Simmons, Mo Williams, and Charlie Villenueva but that seems like a lot and they might want a pick back in return which I wouldn't do if I was Indiana because I'm not exactly thrilled about any of the three players I'm getting back for JO.  In the end, the Pacers decision might come down to either holding on to O'Neal for one more year (or until the trade deadline) or taking the Cavs lowball offer.

Another deal I would look into would be Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Marquis Daniels for Andrei Kirilenko. I like AK-47 working with Jim O'Brien and in Indiana, he'd get to be back at his more natural power forward position.  

4. Free Agency
Indiana might be where Tony Allen or Delonte West ends up. Both could work well in O'Brien's system at the 2 guard. Matt Barnes also might not be a terrible pickup for cheap while Mo Evans would be a nice fit as well, if Orlando lets him go. Unfortunately, after the Pacers decline and Jermaine O'Neal's public complaints and pleas to get out of town, I'm just not sure many quality players are going to be looking at Indiana as a possible new home.

5. Summary
Starters: Jamaal Tinsley, Mo Evans, Danny Granger, Andrei Kirilenko, Jermaine O'Neal.
Bench: Shawne Williams, Troy Murphy, DJ Augustin, Tony Allen, Jeff Foster, Ike Diogu, Travis Diener, Matt Barnes, David Harrison.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If any team is going to make a run like the Celtics in the offseason, the Nets are it. If they want to build around Vince Carter (who came alive after the Kidd deal), they have some great trade assets in Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson, the #10 pick along with Marcus & Sean Williams and the right to Nenad Krstic (who is a free agent).

1. Sort Out The Roster 
Of course, the question remains: is a maxed out, 31 year old Vince Carter, who has some history with injuries, the guy you want to build around? That is the decision new GM Kiki Vandewegh has to figure out before he can do anything. I think Richard Jefferson is overpaid but his contract isn't bad. Devin Harris looks like he could turn out to be a bit of a bargain. That being said, if you are building around Carter, would you move Harris for a more veteran PG like Chauncey Billups or Baron Davis? Stromile Swift and Trenton Hassell are both expiring contracts (Hassell has a team option on his final year) so they are immediately on the block, as is Marcus Williams who seems like the odd man out after the Harris/Kidd deal. Sean Williams had a solid rookie campaign but is he going to be consistent enough to be a starter? Hell, even Josh Boone looked servicable at the end of the year. And what to do with Krstic? He's one of those guys that could get an ungodly offer from a team but if the Nets can retain him for a reasonable amount, you'd be best served to sign him up.

2. The Draft
Odds are that this pick along with at least a couple of Nets are headed somewhere else on draft day but if the Nets keep the pick, their most likely target is DeAndre Jordan. Jordan definitely has bust potential but the Nets are solid at pretty much every position so they can risk taking a flyer on Jordan.

Another reason they can take the flyer on Jordan is that they also have the #21 pick, where they should be able to grab a talented player like Mareese Speights, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Roy Hibbert, or Bill Walker. 

3. Trade Market
If the Nets can get Carmelo Anthony, you make the deal. I'd make pretty much everything on the roster available for Anthony. I still don't get why Denver is trying to trade him but if I'm Kiki Vandewegh, I don't care. Personally, I think the deal that makes more sense for the Nuggets would be an Iverson trade. Something along the lines of Devin Harris and #10 (alongside expiring contracts like Trenton Hassell and Stromile Swift) is more than enough to make the deal work. It gives Denver a better point guard and even the fodder like Hassell helps out defensively. You might even be able to make that deal with just Harris and the #21.

The Nets also could make a move of Richard Jefferson (plus salaries to make it match, including perhaps Marcus Williams) for Ron Artest and Brad Miller. I think Artest is someone they definitely look at as a defensive stopper alongside Carter and Iverson. Brad Miller's game is definitely declining but if he's the 4th or 5th option, I think he could be a solid addition. Another person I'd target is Stephen Jackson who might be on his way out if the Warriors decide to clear cap room and go young this offseason. Yes, the implosion risk with an Iverson/Carter/SJax or Artest lineup is high but I also think those are the kind of guys that will put everything on the line to get a ring (which should help balance out Vince's questionable desire)

But those are just two of many deals the Nets could make (and those could be worst case scenario deals with the Nets overpaying in both). if there's one GM I'd want to be this off-season, it's Kiki Vandewegh who should be in a great position to improve his team and make a legit run at the NBA Finals. There's no way that this team should be in the playoffs next season and I think it will be an absolute disappointment if they don't have home court for at least one round. They can make a play for almost every top available veteran (Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest) and should be able to walk out of the off-season with at least two top level new players.

4. Free Agency
If the Nets make the right moves, they should be the #1 destination for free agents. Veterans will be taking paycuts to play there.

5. Summary
Starters: Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Ron Artest, Sean Williams, Brad Miller 
Bench: Nenad Krstic, Jason Williams, Josh Boone, James Posey, Eddie House, Penny Hardaway, Brian Skinner, Devin Brown.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The goal of the Knicks is to clear out space for 2010 when the class of LeBron, Wade, 'Melo, etc. hits the free agent market. Mike D'Antoni says he wants to win but I'm not sure if you can win and clear out cap space at the same time. 

1. Sort Out The Roster 
To be completely honest, there isn't one single person on the Knicks roster who looks like a bonafide keeper. Nate Robinson is fun to watch but is a bench player, Jamal Crawford scores and doesn't do much else, David Lee showed promise in his rookie season but didn't improve all that much and supposedly isn't a favorite of D'Antoni, and so on and so forth.

Even worse though is the fact that they have a few players that many people believe are untradeable. Stephon Marbury make 20+ million and has been the face of the putrid Knicks over the last few years. The Knicks would love to get rid of him but can they without taking on a contract that lasts past 2010? I wouldn't trade for Zach Randolph. Period. I'm sure someone will be dumb enough to repeat Isiah's mistake but the guy has a lousy attitude, is a black hole on offense, and doesn't play much defense. Eddy Curry doesn't even seem like he enjoys playing basketball. He is probably the most movable piece but even that will be tough to pull off.

2. The Draft
If the Knicks make the Marbury to Seattle deal to move up in the draft, they might just be able to end up with OJ Mayo. If not, Jerryd Bayless is a good second place prize. True, he might just be a newer version of Jamal Crawford, but I think he'll pan out better than Jamal. Without the trade, the Knicks have an outside shot at getting Bayless but they might end up choosing from the top big men or projects like Randolph. I just don't see Galinari being the pick, even if it would make Little Italy happy. When looking at the big picture, I think it might make sense for Donnie Walsh to bite the bullet and make an Ainge-like #6 and Zach for scraps with short term contracts (ala the Raef/Roy deal). The current rumor is Philly making the deal but I don't think you could ask for a worse combo for a young team than Zach Randolph alongside Andre Miller during a contract year.

Another rumor had Golden State pushing hard for Yi Jianlian so a three team deal would work with New York dealing Randolph, Malik Rose's expiring deal, and the #6 and getting Bobby Simmons, Al Harrington, and Brandan Wright. The Warriors dump a year off Harrington's contract and the apparently unwanted Wright for Yi & Malik Rose while moving up from #14 to #8. Milwaukee gets Zach, New York's #6, and Golden State's #14. (And if New York also makes the Marbury deal, then Milwaukee would end up getting the #4 pick)  

The Knicks traded their second round pick for Zach Randolph. 

3. Trade Market
Again, I really can't believe anyone would deal for Zach Randolph so the Knicks are going to have to leverage their #6 pick (and possibly David Lee as well) in order to ship him out.

I'm not sure who wants Eddy Curry but since Rick Sund is back in the GM business and loves him some project centers, I wouldn't be stunned if Atlanta made a run at him. Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford for Marvin Williams, Speedy Claxton, Zaza Pachulia, and a future pick? Atlanta might like Marvin but adding a 20 point scorer off the bench and Curry (whose defensive lapses can be covered by Horford and Josh Smith) is tough to turn down. The Knicks give up more talent but they also get rid of the last two big contracts that they have on the books in 2010. Ideally they could also dump Jared Jeffiries in the deal but that would take a third team to work. The better deal might be Jamal, Eddy, and Jeffiries for Jermaine O'Neal and Marquis Daniels but I don't think it's a smart move. Of course, that's never stopped Larry Bird before.

On the other hand, the Knicks could also move the sixth pick, perhaps in a deal to get someone like Shawn Marion (see the Heat mock offseason). Right now I'd bet against that one because it doesn't help their cap nor does it dump Zach's contract.

4. Free Agency
New York is New York so people will always want to come to play. But with the Knicks looking to keep the books clear for 2010, I'm not sure exactly who they can get. They might have to settle for some short-term guys ala Ricky Davis, Gordon Giricek, or old friend Gerald Green.

5. Summary
No matter what D'Antoni says, this is a rebuilding year and the Knicks are likely going to be at the bottom once again (although they should have a rosier future than they've had in a decade or so). The key is to build a roster that should have better trade assets and short terms contracts so that even if they can't get LeBron, they should have some good youngster and cap space as a plan B. The roster I built isn't great (or even good) but next year they'll have decent talent almost all of which will be on expiring deals so they can make some legit offers in 2009 (or wait until the cap space arrives in 2010)

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Luke Ridnour, Nate Robinson, Marvin Williams, David Lee, Nick Collison
Bench: Al Harrington, Bobby Simmons, Brandan Wright, Earl Watson, Zaza Pachulia, Renaldo Balkman, Wilson Chandler, Jerome James, Jared Jeffiries, Mardy Collins, Speedy Claxton

Posted by SoulHonky at 02:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Sort Out The Roster 
On the bright side, Memphis does have some solid young talent. Rudy Gay is living up to my expectations (and surprising the doubters) while the PG position is packed with Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Javarris Crittenton. I'm not a huge fan of Hakim Warrick but he's good enough and is also someone who might have some trade value.

Brian Cardinal and Darko Milicic are eating up cap space but they both only have two years left on their deals so it isn't so bad. The Grizz should really put Mike Miller out of his misery and ship him out while they still can.

2. The Draft
I would have pegged DeAndre Jordan for this spot but after his disappointing pre-draft measurements/times, he seems like a good candidate to fall in the draft (if he even stays in). Anthony Randolph sounds a little like a very rich man's Kedrick Brown who Chris Wallace LOVED back in 2001. One issue could be the fact that Randolph seems more like a Travis Outlaw-type SF as opposed to a power forward and Rudy Gay already has the small forward spot locked up. Kevin Love or Brook Lopez could fit the PF spot but Lopez replicates Darko and I'm still not sold on Love going so early.

The Grizzlies could deal the pick but I'm just not sure who they could get that will help them long term. If they couldn't win with Pau Gasol, who's the 5th pick going to fetch that is somehow better than that? Do they roll the dice with the Pistons veterans and trade Miller, Darko, and Conley for 'Sheed and Billups? Would they have to include the #5 to make that happen and would Detroit even be interested? Darko didn't exactly wow Joe Dumars during his first go-around.

3. Trade Market
Mike Miller is the main asset but after giving away Pau Gasol, Chris Wallace might not be getting the best offers for him. In true Chris Wallace fashion, a cost-cutting deal like Miller and Brian Cardinal for Wally Szczerbiak, Damon Jones (both expiring deals) and the #19 picks might be enough.

EDIT: Chad Ford had an interesting draft idea: Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the #5 for the #2 and Marcus Banks or Mark Blount. One thing that doesn't make much sense to me though is why Miami would be interested in Lowry when they're target would be PG of the future OJ Mayo. Still, it would be a great move for the Grizz who could grab Beasley to take over the PF spot they vacated when they gave away Pau Gasol.

They also might be able to get something for Juan Carlos Navarro in a sign-and-trade but it probably won't be much. If Phoenix or New Jersey really wants to dump their pick, perhaps a Navarro for the pick deal could be worked out.

4. Free Agency
In order to get people to play for the Grizzles, they'd have to spend money and I just don't see that happening this offseason.

5. Summary
The Grizzlies have further to go down before they hit rock bottom. The plan is probably to stock up on young talent and clear out cap space and then to try to build with sensibly priced players. It sounds good but is nearly impossible for even the best GM's to pull off so I can't imagine Chris Wallace will be very successful.

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Wally Szczberiak, Chris Wilcox, Darko Milicic
Bench: Kyle Lowry, Brandon Rush, Hakim Warrick, Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Randolph, Damon Jones, Shavlik Randolph, Scot Pollard, Casey Jacobsen.

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When Seattle moves, they will no longer be the Sonics and I have no idea what the new name will be. Cowboys, Pioneers, Bullfrogs, Flight, who knows. But the state bird is the Scissortale Flycatcher so I went with that.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
While I'm still not a huge fan of Jeff Green, he seems to have a place in the Sonics's future alongside Kevin Durant. I'm not sure how long the Durant at the 2 experiment will continue but it seems like GM Sam Presti is convinced it can work. The Sonics have to figure out what to do with Robert Swift. I can't imagine he'll demand too much money but do they really want to spend more time on him rather than their other project big men, Saer Sene and Johan Petro?

The veterans aren't much. Chris Wilcox is solid and they might be able to find a taker for him and his expiring contract. Ditto for Nick Collison. Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson aren't terrible but they are both overpaid so I'm not sure who'd really be interested in them, especially since they are the point guards on a team that is widely considered to be desperate for a point guard.. Damien Wilkins is solid but unspectacular. Donyell Marshall is washed up but he's an expiring contract so he could have some value.

2. The Draft
There are reports that the Sonics could be shopping the pick which makes some sense. If any younger star for the #4 and Chris Wilcox and Donyell Marshall's expiring contract they should jump at it but it's hard to say right now who is available. Wilcox, Marshall, and #4 for Richard Jefferson (and the #10 or a future pick, perhaps)? A sign and trade for Agent Zero? One interesting option could be for the Sonics to clear out most of their contracts (Luke Ridnour, Nick Collison, Earl Watson, and Donyell Marshall) along with the 4 for one year of Stephon Marbury and David Lee and the 6. I'm one of the few people in the world who thinks Steph is prime for a comeback season so I'd make the deal D'Antoni gets another white pass-first, defend-never PG in Ridnour and a big man with a better shot in Collison, although Nick's deal goes into 2010 when the Knicks are looking for LeBron cap space so they might not be interested in him.

Presti should be working the phone but if the deal doesn't happen then the choice is between Jerryd Bayless and Anthony Randolph.  Bayless seems like the better player but Randolph fits the roster and Presti's love for tall versatile players.

The Sonics also have the #24, #32, and #46 picks so they'll be able to stock up on quality young players like Bill Walker, Ty Lawson, Javale McGee as well as foreign sliders like Omer Asik, Omri Casspi, or Anton Ponkrashov.

3. Trade Market
None of the Sonics have huge long term contract so all of them are pretty dealable. Yes, Luke Ridnour is overpaid at 6 million per year but since it's only two years, people might be willing to roll the dice. Collison has three years left but he seems a bit more useful. The hardest guy to move is probably Earl Watson (also at 6 million) which is why I'd probably just dump them all in the Marbury deal.

That leaves Chris Wilcox, who is just 25 years old, makes only 6 million, and has had a couple of solid seasons. The reason I think the Sonics might want to deal him is mainly because I think they'd like someone better defensively in the paint and he's also not one of Presti's guys. I could see him being shopped around and Memphis seems like the best destination. A move that could work would be Wilcox and the #32 for Jason Collins, Javarris Crittenton, and the #28. Yes, Crittenton and the #28 are two of the main pieces the Grizz got for Pau Gasol but Chris Wallace is an idiot and the owners are cheap so they'd probably be happy to have the #32 and the non-guarenteed second round contract as opposed to the #28. I'm a big fan of Crittenton and I think, at 6'5, he'd be a good complement to Jerryd Bayless (should they draft him at #4), who could focus more on scoring and Durant moves to the SF position where I feel he is better suited. Either way, the Sonics should be able to find a taker for Chris Wilcox (if they want to deal him) and the deal I offered would probably be the low-water mark for what they expect back. (Of course, as I type this I find out that he just arrested on a weapons charge which might make the Crittenton deal about right).

4. Free Agency
The Sonics don't have much cap space this year and also don't seem to be much of a draw. While they could offer deals to guys like Ryan Gomes, they might be better off waiting until next season when they have loads of cap space and will be able to go after bigger game via signings or trades.

5. Summary
The Sonics could be setting themselves up much like the Blazers did these last few years, clearing up cap space while loading up on young talent. It's a wide open draft day for the Sonics and they could head into next season with loads of youth and almost no long term contracts holding them down. It will be a brand new day and a bright future when they finally get to Oklahoma City.

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Javarris Crittenton, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Johan Petro
Bench: Nick Collison, Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Damien Wilkins, Bill Walker, Saer Sene, Robert Swift, Adrian Griffin, Jamont Gordon, Donyell Marshal.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Yahoo! Sports: 

When much of the league was determined to make a serious bid for the 7-footer, how could Memphis settle so long before the February trade deadline for such a paltry offer out of the Lakers? For the first time, even Heisley wondered whether his general manager, Chris Wallace, blew it by caving so soon to the Lakers. “I don’t know if I got the most value,” Heisley confessed. “Maybe our people should’ve shopped (Gasol) more and maybe we would’ve gotten more, done a better deal. Maybe Chris did call every team in the league. I don’t think he did, but maybe he should’ve…”

Second only to the Celtics being in the Finals is the comforting knowledge that Chris Wallace has nothing to do with this franchise anymore. If the owner doesn't think Wallace can even correctly handle the first aspect of being a GM, making phone calls, then how in the world does he expect him to ever build a team?

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

2008's Boston West didn't fare much better than 2007's Boston Celtics. Big Al Jefferson continued to make a name for himself and the team came together to steal some victories at the end of the year but Kevin McHale's squad is still a long way from being a quality basketball team.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
After trading Kevin Garnett and having multiple lottery picks, you'd think the Wolves would have a lot of young talent. Unfortunately, all they really have is The Unstoppable Al Jefferson. I've never been a fan of Randy Foye, who seems to be a Barbosa-lite 6th man. He'll be able to put up points on a bad team but I'm just not sure where he fits on a contender. Ryan Gomes is solid but I've never liked how he fits alongside Jefferson. Same goes for Craig Smith, although I might be more inclined to re-sign him. Corey Brewer was a disappointment but should be able to hang around as a defensive presence. Rashad McCants seems a lot like Ricky Davis; a great scorer who could be a good defender but isn't and whom won't ever live up to his potential. I'm still rooting for Sebastian Telfair but he has a ways to go to improve his game.

As for veterans, Antoine Walker seemed to be a good mentor to the kiddie corps but he's expressed a desire to get out of Minnesota. Marko Jaric is solid but vastly overpaid. Greg Buckner is also overpaid and his best days, which weren't even all that good, are behind him.

So, basically, the Wolves need a little bit of everything and  should focus on building around Mr. Jefferson. 

2. The Draft
If I'm a Wolves fan, I love Brook Lopez right now. Reports have it that Lopez doesn't want to work out for the Wolves which is probably going to keep McHale and Assistant GM Rob Babcock (of Rafael Araujo fame) from drafting Lopez. I'm not as down on Brook as a lot of people are; he could be a good big man in the league but he won't be great and that's what you should be looking for with the #3 pick. The best player available is OJ Mayo and that's who the Wolves should take. It's really that simple.

At #31, the Wolves should be able to get a first round talent. Someone will likely fall in this draft and the Wolves should be sitting pretty to scoop that person up.

3. Trade Market
Antoine Walker's contract as a team option on it next year which means he's basically an expiring contract. That gives him some value, especially if he is combined with some of the Wolves young talent. Marko Jaric would be a nice guard to team with Mayo and his 3 years, 21 million makes him almost untradeable. The same goes for Greg Buckner.

Unfortunately, trades won't be easy to come by because even though Walker's an expiring deal, he doesn't make that much money and he's not that great anymore. More often than not, it's better just to let the player walk than to take on the type of bad deal you end up saddled with. One possibility though is Denver. If they are desperate to cut salary, they might be willing to deal Nene. Walker and McCants for Nene, perhaps?

The Wolves might want to see what they could get for Randy Foye at this point but it might be better to give him a full year to show what he can do. He should be a solid sixth man and give the Wolves a decent 3 guard rotation with Mayo and Jaric. 

4. Free Agency
Not many people seemed interested in going to Minnesota when they had KG so I can't imagine that anyone is looking forward to playing there now. In a perfect world, they'd make a run at Emeka Okafor who could supply a great defensive complement to Big Al but the odds of that happening are slim-to-none. The Wolves might want to take a run at JR Smith, who I still think has a chance to be an All-Star caliber player. Most likely though, the Wolves will be best suited by just adding some roster fodder this season. They don't want to pull the McHale special and overpay a role player (with a long term contract to boot).

5. Summary
Rebuilding takes time but the Wolves should be able to land themselves at least a second major building block this offseason. If they can add solid players with Antoine's contract and the #31 pick, it's all the sweeter. Still, Wolves fans should keep one eye on guys like Blake Griffin, BJ Mullens, and Dermarr Derozen (as well as Spaniard Ricky Rubio) as they try to figure out who they get with a top pick in 2009.

Possible Final Roster
Starters: OJ Mayo, Marko Jaric, Corey Brewer, Al Jefferson, Nene
Bench: Randy Foye, Craig Smith, Greg Buckner, Chris Richard, Davon Jefferson, Mark Madsen, Gordon Giricek, Earl Barron.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Heat tanked at the end of the year and now find themselves one slot away from the player they covet, Derrick Rose.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
Like the Bulls, the Heat have one bonafide keeper. Fortunately for the Heat, their keeper is Dwyane Wade who is better than Luol Deng and is under contract. The only other real talent on the Heat's roster is Shawn Marion but you'd think that he'd have to be on the trading block since he's their only tradeable commodity and is an expiring deal to boot.

After that, what can you say? Jason Williams's contract is up and he's probably gone. Ditto for Ricky Davis. Udonis Haslem might have some trade value but I doubt it. Besides, he's an expiring deal next year and will be more valuable. I've always been a fan of Marcus Banks but even I wouldn't give up anything if it meant having to take on his 3 year, 16 million dollar contract. And let's not even bring up Mark Blount.

That leaves you with Daequan Cook and the restricted free agent Dorrell Wright. Wright isn't bad but he's an 9th man at best. Earl Barron used to seem like a player with potential but he stunk up the joint when he got playing time this past season so I don't really see him as anything but someone to anchor the end of the bench, if the Heat even bother to re-sign him.

2. The Draft
Word is that Pat Riley and the Heat love Derrick Rose but I'm not sold on a backcourt of Rose and Wade since neither of them is much of a shooter. There's also word that the Heat are looking at OJ Mayo. He's a better fit than Rose but it still doesn't make sense because I just don't see how you could pass up Michael Beasley. Beasley's outside shot will help open up the lane for Wade and those two should become a killer pick-and-roll combo.

There's always the option of trading down, but if the target is Mayo, how far down can you go? I wouldn't bet on him getting past Minnesota and what can the Wolves offer that makes up the difference between Mayo and Beasley? Corey Brewer? No. I'm not a fan of Randy Foye but even if I was it wouldn't matter since it makes no sense to grab him when you're going to draft Mayo to play alongside Wade. In the end, I don't think there's a deal that makes sense outside of the Heat dealing the #2 for a star ala Carlos Boozer or Elton Brand.

Miami gave up their second rounder years ago in the Antoine Walker deal. 

3. Trade Market
The Heat would have to listen to offers of Brand or Boozer for the #2 but the deals would be hard to make since the team getting Beasley would also have to take on Mark Blount and possibly Udonis Haslem. A Utah deal would probably look like Boozer and Harpring for Blount, Haslem, Alexander Johnson, and the #2. The Jazz would cut a year off of Harpring's deal although I can't imagine Blount's attitude lasting long with Jerry Sloan. Still, if the Heat can add an All-Star for the #2, it's something they have to look into.

Similarly, the Heat also might need to look into dealing Marion for a couple of players. That being said, if the offer is Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni, Miami would probably be better off holding onto Marion and trying to make a splash in the upcoming free agent market. THAT being said, they have to be careful because they don't want to bank on the free agent market, come up empty, and then face the possibility of Dwyane Wade opting out and leaving in 2010.

One interesting move could be Marion reteaming with D'Antoni in New York for Quentin Richardson, Malik Rose's expiring deal, and the #6 pick. The Heat would be sitting pretty with Jerryd Bayless, Dwyane Wade, and Michael Beasley with more money off the cap next season and Q's contract would be an expiring deal in 2009 as well.

Besides Marion and the #2, I really don't see much happening unless the Heat are willing to bet future picks on their progress. That's a bet I wouldn't make, especially since Wade has missed 31 games in each of the past two seasons. 

Be it dealing the #2 for a veteran or dealing Marion for a couple of players or a high pick, Pat Riley should be able to get his team headed in the right direction this off-season. Personally, I would deal Marion because even if you keep him, you still have to deal with re-signing him. Marion is going to be a free agent and I'm sure he's likely looking for big money which I wouldn't be willing to give him since he'll be 32 when the new contract kicks in.

UPDATE: Some rumors are swirling about Dwyane Wade being moved for the #1 pick. The possibility of walking out of the draft with Derrick Rose (#1), OJ Mayo (#6), and Michael Beasley (#2) might be too much for Pat Riley to ignore.  You hate to give up a talent like Dwyane Wade but after missing so many games the last two years, the Heat might be afraid that he won't ever be 100% healthy again.

4. Free Agency
What the Heat do in the draft alters what they do in free agency. If they deal for a veteran, they should probably look to use their MLE to bring in a talent, be it Carl Landry, Mickeal Pietrus, Jose Calderon, etc. If they go young, they should probably send out some flyers on younger guys like Chris Duhon, Delonte West, or Patrick O'Bryant while maintaining their cap space.

5. Summary
The Heat are at a crossroads this offseason and they'll likely have to choose which path they are going to take by draft day. If they are going with veterans, they'll need to deal the pick. If they want to go young, their only shot is to deal Shawn Marion. Sticking with their current team is risky because it means either re-signing Marion to a likely questionable contract or risking losing him for nothing. Then again, if things go perfectly, they could add Boozer, sign some talent with the MLE and then bring in some ring chasing veterans to fill out the roster, and then possibly deal Marion at the trade deadline (preferably for younger guys or someone who is signed to a more reasonable contract than Marion may be looking for).

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley, Mark Blount
Bench: Daequan Cook, Chris Duhon, Udonis Haslem, Alexander Johnson, Malik Rose, Dorrell Wright, Stephen Lasme, Chris Quinn

or

Starters: Delonte West, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Udonis Haslem
Bench: Daequan Cook, Matt Harpring, Mickeal Pietrus, Alexander Johnson, Damon Stoudamire, Penny Hardaway, Raef LaFrentz, Jamaal Magloire

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we wait for the Finals to begin, I thought I'd start my offseason team-by-team look (It feels great not to be focusing on the Celtics offseason) and we'll start with #1 pick, Chicago Bulls.

1. Sort Out The Roster 
The Chicago Bulls have one keeper on their team, Luol Deng, and he's a restricted free agent. As much as I liked Deng's game, I'm not sure if you can really afford making him a full max contract player. Paxson should try to get creative with Deng's contract (as he did with Hinrich's diminishing salary deal) and try to get Deng under contract for a more reasonable amount.

Ben Gordon, on the other hand, seems like a bit of a done deal. I don't think he ever really got a fair shot under Scott Skiles and the odds of him getting one under Doug Collins seems unlikely as well. Collins is a defensive-minded coach so there's little-to-no chance that Gordon would get out of his 6th man role. The Bulls will likely either have to try to workout a sign-and-trade for Gordon but if someone makes a big enough money offer to Gordon, Chicago will have to just cut ties and let him walk rather than match the offer and get stuck with a highly paid bench player whom the coach might not be a huge fan of.

The next issue, especially when it comes to Doug Collins, is Tyrus Thomas. Thomas could blossom into a Josh Smith-type defensive stalwart but the question is whether he wants it. And the last talented young big man Collins had to handle was Kwame Brown and we all saw how that panned out. You hate to essentially spend a #2 pick on a potential player and give up on him after just two years but the Bulls might be better off packaging Thomas along with either Larry Hughes or Drew Gooden's expiring contract and bring in a veteran big man. Unfortunately, the odds of the Bulls getting legit value for Thomas could be slim and we've already seen that Paxson is not going to give up any of his player if he doesn't think he's getting max value in return.

Kirk Hinrich's value is too low to move him right now while Larry Hughes's contract is probably too high to make him much of an asset. Andres Nocioni is a valuable player whom Coach Collins will likely love. Chris Duhon seems like he's ready to take the first L out of Chicago.  

So penciling in the guys who aren't on the block, you're looking at a roster of: Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni and Joakim Noah with Thabo Sefalosha and Aaron Gray as the key reserves. 

2. The Draft
I absolutely hate the idea of passing on Michael Beasley but the Bulls seemed to have made their decision by hiring Collins. Collins is a guy who often preaches the importance of point guard play and is focused on defense (which is Beasley's main weakness right now). You have to think that Collins would love a potential backcourt of Rose, Hinrich, and Deng and I suspect that, barring some insane offer from Miami to move down to #2, that is how the Bulls will proceed.

One of the best parts about having the #1 pick is that the Bulls will be able to spend more time working out players for the 2nd round pick. The second round isn't quite as rich as it was when high schoolers could still declare but it is still a good place to find key role players ala Ryan Gomes, Daniel Gibson, Carl Landry, etc. If the Bulls go with Gordon, they should be able to find a decent big man in the second round (Devon Hardin, Joey Dorsey, Richard Hendrix, etc.) or a backup to Deng (Gary Forbes, Bill Walker, Sonny Weems).

3. Trade Market
Here's where things get tricky. Outside of a sign-and-trade of Ben Gordon, I'm not sure what the Bulls can manage during the off-season. Ty Thomas isn't going to fetch near his potential, Larry Hughes's value rises exponentially next year when he's an expiring deal (even at mid-season, he'll be worth much more), and Drew Gooden's deal isn't exactly going to get people running with great offers. I wouldn't be too surprised if Paxson sets his sights for mid-season or offseason 2009 to really make his move.  Unless a team is still high on Hinrich, I'm not sure what deals the Bulls can make to improve their lot. Word is that Miami likes Hinrich but besides Shawn Marion, they have nothing to give up. Would they make a Marion for Hinrich/Nocioni type deal? I doubt it but then again I should know better than to bet against an NBA GM making a silly trade. Barring one of those types of deals, the Bulls might be better off letting Gooden play out his contract and having some more cap space for next year's offseason.

4. Free Agency
The Bulls probably won't be a player in terms of the big ticket items (again, unless someone is interested in Hinrich and/or Ty Thomas) and the MLE crop isn't all that appealing. They might simply look for some smaller signings ala Darrell Armstrong or Anthony Johnson (who could prove to be a good mentor for young Derrick Rose), backup 3's like Mo Evans/Quinton Ross or big guys like Brian Skinner or Craig Smith.

5. Summary
Jon Paxson's been burned by waiting to pull the trigger on deals but this year, he might not really have much choice. Unless he can swing some sign-and-trades or sell people on the potential of Ty Thomas/production of Kirk Hinrich, it could be an off-season of little change in Chi-town. Doug Collins is likely going to get a feel of his personnel in the first half of this season and then Paxson's job will begin in earnest to truly shape this team into a contender.

Possible Final Roster
Starters: Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Ty Thomas, Jo Noah
Bench: Andres Nocioni, Larry Hughes, Thabo Sefalosha, Aaron Gray, Drew Gooden, Darrell Armstrong, Quinton Ross, Cedric Simmons.

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the Atlanta Hawks finally get rid of Billy Knight and who do they replace him with? Rick Sund, the man who helped destroy the Seattle Supersonics. He made a solid deal in getting Ray Allen for an aging Gary Payton but other than that, he was pretty terrible. His draft picks started with Vlad Radmanovic (one pick before Richard Jefferson), Nick Collison (over David West), and Luke Ridnour. After that, he then fell in love with project big men, taking Robert Swift (over Al Jefferson), Johan Petro (over Jason Maxiell and David Lee, nevermind Monta Ellis), and Saer Sene.

I'm not sure how these guys keep getting hired or why it's so hard for fresh blood to get their shot at a GM gig but it's ridiculous how the same piss poor GM's always seem to get rehired. And it's not even like Sund has been out of the league that long or took a step back to better learn his job; he was let go just last year. The Hawks are in a precarious position with Josh Smith needing to be re-signed and the team could be one move away from really contending in the East yet they've added a guy who found it completely impossible to build around Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. I just don't get it.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tony Allen: Allen is a good defender who is a threat on offense. Unfortunately, he's often more of a threat to self-destruct than to actually do much damage against the opponent. I'm a fan of Tony Allen but personally, I think it may be time to bid him adieu if the right replacement comes along.

Replacements:
Kelenna Azubuike - I've been hyping up Buike for over a year now and I think the C's should go after him. He's been completely misused by Don Nelson (who's misused a lot of his bench this season) and he could use a change of scenery.

Devin Brown: I've always liked Devin Brown. What's not to love? He's solid, he's cheap, he's effective.

Antoine Wright: Wright was a draft bust who started to show some signs of life but he's still a huge question mark. While his play picked up with more playing time, his shooting dropped and he managed a woeful 26% from three point land. I'd rather have Tony than this 'Toine.

J.R. Smith: I'd think he'd stay in Denver, which is a shame because I don't think it's the right place for him if he's ever going to blossom into the star he should be. He might be a little pricey but Smith is a monster talent who might just blossom on the Celtics. I'm sure someone will make a run at him and overpay him but I'd love to see if we couldn't lure him to Beantown.

Fred Jones: Jones, like Antoine Wright, is another solid player who is the victim of wild expectations. I'm not sure why the Raptors thought he'd be good enough to warrant the contract they gave him but that doesn't mean he isn't a servicable player. That being said, like Wright, he's not someone I'd be willing to lose Tony Allen for.

Maurice Evans: Mo Evans is about equal to Tony Allen. He's steadier than Tony but he doesn't have Tony's upside or defensive skills. He's someone you settle for, not someone you target.

James Posey: Posey has a player option on his contract that I hope he won't use but this is a business and he probably could squeeze out one more solid contract from someone. While I like Posey, if someone offers him MLE money or a deal longer than two years, I'd have to let him go.

Replacements:
I'd include Azubuike and Devin Brown to this list. I'd consider keeping J.R. Smith in mind as well but he doesn't help defensively and part of me would be nervous with TA and J.R..

Mickael Pietrus: If the C's could get Pietrus for the MLE, I'd probably go for him over Posey. Pietrus has been lost in the shuffle in Golden State but he's the type of guy that I think could blossom in the Posey role on a veteran team like Boston. He'll never be a star and could flame out if someone signs him and expects too much out of him but he'd be a great fit for the C's.

Josh Childress: Childress is likely going to cost a good chunk of change so the odds of us getting J-Chill are slim-to-none. Of course, I wouldn't be that upset since then I wouldn't have to root for someone nicknamed J-Chill.

Michael Finley: I'm not sure if he's leave Texas but Finley has shown that he still has some life left in him and he wouldn't be a bad replacement should we lose Posey.

Devean George: George has a recognizable name but his game has really declined. I'd almost rather roll the dice and rely on our late first round pick to help us out here than George. Still, if the C's are in a bind, he's worth a look.

Quinton Ross: Ross strikes me as a plan C. He's gotten more minutes than he probably should because the Clippers are terrible but he's a solid defensive player who could help the Celtics off of the bench. 

Jarvis Hayes: If Ross is plan C, then Hayes is plan D. He's the epitome of average.

Dorrell Wright: Wright is a restricted free agent which could ruin any hopes of him becoming a Celtic. At 22, he's still young and has improved his game over the years. That being said, he's still unproven and offering him anything more than three million dollars a year is probably too big of a risk for a team that already has three max contracts on its ledger.

Gordon Giricek: I had no idea what team Giricek was on and I'd like to keep it that way.

Eddie House/Sam Cassell:
Back up PG seems like a key need but it's not as bad as I had once thought. To start, Rondo has been amazing this season and the backup role isn't going to be nearly as influential as I'd expected. Also, Gabe Pruitt seems to be coming along and he might be able to get some spot minutes in the third guard role next season. I'd love to see him get some minutes at the end of the season but we might have to wait to see what he can bring. That being said, The Alien hasn't exactly lived up to the hype and he might not even be playing next year. If we lose Cassell, I'd think we'd want to find a more "pure" backup than House.

Replacements:
Salim Stoudamire: He's basically a young version of Eddie House. That being said, House's veteran attitude and locker room presence is probably worth more than most people give him credit. If for some reason House decides to leave, I'd dial up Salim in a heartbeat.

Jason Williams: He'd be a great replacement if Cassell decided to leave. He doesn't do much on the defensive end but then again neither does Sam.

Louis Williams: This will never happen but I really like Williams and think he's a year or two away from becoming a real impact player. Maybe not a star but a poor man's Barbosa. I can't imagine the Sixers let him go, especially to Boston.

Chris Duhon: I'm not sure if Duhon would be willing to resign himself to backup status (and backup money) without looking around at teams that could use him as a starter but he'd be a great candidate to back up Rondo.

Delonte West: We all know what he can and can't do. He wouldn't be a bad option as a back-up at the 1 and 2.

Carlos Arroyo: Arroyo, like Duhon, is probably looking for a place where he might be able to earn some more minutes and that isn't Boston. Still, it's worth sending out the feelers to see if he'd be up for backing up Rondo.

Sebastian Telfair: Obviously this will never happen but I really do think that Telfair is going to become a nice little backup point guard in this league. I wouldn't mind welcoming him back, especially if Sam stays on as a coach and helps tutor Bassy.

Earl Boykins: Nothing special but he's a solid option for backup to Rondo.

Anthony Johnson: He's a lot like Cassell. A solid point guard who is getting up there and might not have much left in the tank. Still, he can run the point and handle backup minutes and after dealing with Josh Smith for a few years (and then losing in Sac-town), I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to play for a veteran winning team.

Keyon Dooling: He's not a terrible last resort but he's not a good backup option.

Ty Lue: I've always liked Lue but he's more of a third guard than actual backup. Pruitt would have to be ready for some heavy lifting if we sign Lue. 

Juan Dixon: I'm not a huge fan of Dixon but he seems to have carved out a niche in the NBA. If he costs just the vet minimum and there's no other options... Did I mention I'm not a huge fan of Dixon?

Janerro Pargo: While I'm not a fan of Dixon, I simply don't like Pargo. He's one step above Smush Parker (and one below Jason Hart) on the list of point guards I'd hate to see on the Celtics.  

PJ Brown: PJ hasn't done too much but thankfully the C's haven't needed it. PF/C isn't a high priority IMO because I'm a big fan of Powe and Big Baby. Still, it's always good to have 6 more fouls and a legit backup big.

Replacements:
Brian Skinner: I've always been a fan of Skinner and think he'd fit in well off the bench.

Kurt Thomas: Most people would probably put Thomas as #1 on their list but I prefer Skinner. Still, you can't go wrong with either guy.

Kwame Brown: After suffering through a career of getting yelled at by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, one can only imagine that Kwame watches Kevin Garnett cursing up a storm and thinks, "Man, I hope I never have to play there." Kwame is more effective than he gets credit for (although not nearly as effective as he could and should be) and wouldn't be a bad fit but I just can't imagine it happening.

Desagana Diop: Diop doesn't have the offensive game of PJ Brown, or PJ O'Rourke for that matter, but he'd be worth a spot on the bench. He's a solid defensive player and could help rest Perkins.

Juwan Howard: Howard was supposed to team up with KG this year but we all know what happened. There's not much left in the tank but he's a good emergency backup.

Scot Pollard: I never liked the Pollard signing and hope that he's gone. Odds are this spot will be taken by our draft pick but if it is left open...

Replacements:
Patrick O'Bryant: O'Bryant might be a complete bust but I'll roll the dice on him than settle another year of Pollard.

Randolph Morris: Morris has been one big disappointment but he's still big so maybe playing on the Celtics could help him grow as it did with fellow Kentucky disappointment Rajon Rondo. I wouldn't hold my breath but this is Scot Pollard's roster spot we're talking about.

Chris Anderson: Pollard said "Hey kids, do drugs." Chris Anderson actually did drugs. I think it's time we had someone who actually walked the walk and didn't just talk the talk.

So in the end, I wouldn't mind seeing these spots filled next year by: Kelenna Azubuike, James Posey, Eddie House, Jason Williams, Brian Skinner, 1st round draft pick.
  

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)