Who said Crisis? My, two days in free agent season and already are blockbusters around.
Z-Bo to Memphis for Q-Rich! - Wait has Chris Wallace actually managed to fleece someone?
McMillan wants to overpay Turk The Turk. It could work, but they'll wreak their rotation and have already pissed Rudy off.
Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon to the Pistons - That's a nice downgrade there from Chauncey and Sheed. Detroit, four more years of anonimity!
>>Z-Bo to Memphis for Q-Rich! - Wait has Chris Wallace actually managed to fleece someone? <<
I can't see it... if he's taking back Randolph's lousy contract and poisonous attitude, I think he's just creating a bigger mess. Meanwhile, the Clips just made it much easier to slide Blake Griffin into the line-up... although I'm not totally sure how Q-Rich fits into a guard rotation with Baron Davis and Eric Gordon.
>> McMillan wants to overpay Turk The Turk. It could work, but they'll wreak their rotation and have already pissed Rudy off. <<
Yeah, supposedly Rudy says he'll bop off back to foreign hoops if he feels like his PT is being threatened by Hedu... back to Spain?
>> Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon to the Pistons - That's a nice downgrade there from Chauncey and Sheed. Detroit, four more years of anonimity! <<
Really don't get this move... do they still have money to go after the '10 class of free agents? And they must be intending to move Rip Hamilton, right? I mean, you're not paying Gordon $11M/yr to come off the bench... and neither guy can really play anything but SG. And Villanueva's work ethic has always seemed a little suspect at times; I can't imagine it's going to get that much better now that he's gotten paid.
If Wallace had paid a packet of crisps for Z-Bo, I'd say he was being stupid. Again. As it is, Q-Rich's for him isn't that bad. They have tons of cap space still left, they solve the problem of minimun contracts in one sweep and they manage to get their badly needed post player all for Q-Rich's bad contract and bum back which I doubt will play much for the Clips.
Besides, it's not like Gay and Mayo would get the Selfish flu off him. They already have it.
back to Spain?
Unless the guy in charge of Real Madrid gets crazy again, not really. Greece probably. Panathinaikos's owners are crazy rich and cracy enough to pay him 5 mill.
Unless McMoron trades Outlaw he'll probably get a transfer to a team where he can have some minutes. He's right being angry, btw. He paid his buyout off his own money only to be belittled and underused by that moron. With 30 minutes a game, Rudy could be getting 20+ points easily while getting the crowd fired up on a regular basis.
Really don't get this move
Dumars has lost his mind. They have to move Rip now, they could get something veery nice for his 10mill contract, and they guy's certainly tradeable, but then why fire Curry?
Villanueva has improved his work ethic, so he deserves a chance. I just don't see how he fits in Detroit, though. He's an outside shooter like SHeed, but there ends the similarities
I'll save my judgement until we know for sure he hasn't been abducted and he's being constantly analprobed
It's not my fault if I'm hot and everybody wants to have dirty probing with me, bitch.
>> Besides, it's not like Gay and Mayo would get the Selfish flu off him. They already have it. <<
Conley will have a lot of fun trying to keep all those guys happy.
>> Greece probably. Panathinaikos's owners are crazy rich and cracy enough to pay him 5 mill. <<
Were they the ones who splashed out all the money to Childress last year?
>> They have to move Rip now, they could get something veery nice for his 10mill contract, and they guy's certainly tradeable, <<
He would probably be easier to deal if they hadn't given him a three-year extension last fall, though.
Conley will have a lot of fun trying to keep all those guys happy
Not much if they swap Mayo to the point as they've said they'd do. How terrible is their situation when Mayo looked like Steve Nash last season compared to Gay?
I like Conley and Mayo, btw. They should bitchslap Gay or trade him to a place where he can play first banana and win 15 games a year
Were they the ones who splashed out all the money to Childress last year?
That was Olympiakos, but both have crazy amounts of money and very good teams.
He would probably be easier to deal if they hadn't given him a three-year extension last fall, though.
Nah, Rip' has good rep, puts up numbers, is a team player and 10 mill is almost what you should expect for a player like him. They are going to pay Gordon more, and he does less than him, ferchrissakes.
Z-Bo to Memphis for Q-Rich! - Wait has Chris Wallace actually managed to fleece someone?
No one wins, there. You have the best FA class coming up next offseason and you trade for Randolph's bloated contract? Yep, that sounds like regular ol' Chris Wallace to me.
Dude, they had 17 million in guaranteed contracts before Z-Bo, now they are still like 30 mil under the cap.
And as if Amare, LeBron or D-Wade are moving to fucking Memphis. The trade is a shot at 8th place and a first round exit. Z-Bo in the East could actually look less bad. You know he'll get his 20-10, probably more.
The questions lie in other things: weren't they trying to play quick ball? They can't now with Bo and Thabeet (if he's not a bust) And what do they plan to do with Gasol? He's a team player and won't make much noise at first, but he knows what happened with Pau there, If they piss him off with minutes he'll get the hell out of Dodge for Greece or Spain pronto.
To be a real fleece Wallace should have got a couple picks, though.
I guess the owner of the Grizzlies is not going to give out max contracts anyway, but come on, at least give the Memphis fans a sense of false hope!
I'm not sure what they were trying to do on the court last year. Whatever it was, it sure didn't work.
I don't know that Gasol is going to be nearly as good as his brother. He had some very good games towards the beginning of last season, but he didn't do much after that. Maybe the draft of Thabeet gives Gasol a kick in the ass, sorta like Przybilla vs. Oden last year.
>> Not much if they swap Mayo to the point as they've said they'd do. How terrible is their situation when Mayo looked like Steve Nash last season compared to Gay? <<
Mayo at the point sounds like a bad idea, but it's a moot point so long as they have him, Gay, and Randolph on the same team -- they're not going anywhere with that lineup. Especially if there are rumors about them being interested in AI?! That would be all-time All-Me team.
>> Nah, Rip' has good rep, puts up numbers, is a team player and 10 mill is almost what you should expect for a player like him. They are going to pay Gordon more, and he does less than him, ferchrissakes. <<
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9196
Per that, he's making $11.6M this year and $12.6 each of the next three after that, which has to be about on par with Gordon's deal. Not a terrible deal, but not ideal, either. But, yeah, given the roughly equal money and the fact that Rip is a bit better than BG, this deal makes little sense from the Detroit POV. The only tihng BG has on Rip is age.
>> The trade is a shot at 8th place and a first round exit. Z-Bo in the East could actually look less bad. You know he'll get his 20-10, probably more. <<
I'm confused - are you thinking Memphis is in the Eastern Conference? They're in the Western Conference, in the Southwest Division.
Although making the bottom of the Western Conference playoffs doesn't seem quite as hard as it's been the last few years...
NORTHWEST: I see the Nuggets and Blazers as very likely/guaranteed playoff teams. T-Wolves going nowhere (as usual). Jazz probably still a playoff team if Boozer is staying. The Thunder will vie for one of the last spots in the playoffs.
PACIFIC: Lakers are a lock. Kings are a lock to make the lottery. Clips will probably join them there again, although they could be interesting if Baron can stay healthy (lol). Baron, Gordon, Griffin, and Kaman plus someone else is not a horrible starting lineup. Not sure what to make of either Phoenix (aging into a total mess) or Golden State (too wacky to figure out).
SOUTHWEST: Spurs should make the playoffs. Ditto Dallas, I suppose. But the Rockets could have play most/all of next year with T-Mac and Yao sitting on the bench and the Hornets appear to be falling apart, so it's hard to know what to expect from either of them.
Shite, you are right, I'm always placing them in the East for whatever reason
I'm not convinced about the Blazers. Sure, they have a nice core, but that first round exit must have hurt and it showed signs of players not trusting McMillan. Whose only plan seemed to be balls to Roy, btw. I can see them imploding mid-season.
T-Wolves have some pieces and cap room, they could build a team that could get a first round exit, but that roster is ridiculous as it is.
Boozer has announced he's staying in the Jazz. Same with Okur. Playoffs, out in the first. Will see what happens with Millsap. Too many stupid GMs in the League not to consider someone throwing crazy money at him.
Thunder aren't there yet as good as Durant is. They lack a 5. And I'm not sure Harden will help much.
Lakers (Artest? whoah, if he gets in the third banana mindset that's one incredible team) look like a lock. Clips' biggest problem is the coach. Phoenix goes to the lottery, Nash out next season. Same with Warriors unless they get Amaré or other teams slip.
Lakers getting Gasol was a steal, but what the Spurs got in Jefferson is almost the same. If Manu and Timmah stay helathy it's Lakers/Spurs in the West Finals.
Dallas depends on what they do in Free Agency.
The Rockets are adding Ariza (who I'm not sure about) and have a nice young core even without Yao. And they are totally trading T-Mac, that's one enormous expiring contract lots of teams could use for next season's free agency.
Hornets, I dunno. What's their plan again? They seem to be trying to trade Chandler again, their team is so so, they have a few awful contracts so they'll have a hard time improving.
>>Shite, you are right, I'm always placing them in the East for whatever reason <<
Probably because Memphis really ought to be in the Eastern Conference if you're paying attention to geography, but hey.
>> I'm not convinced about the Blazers. Sure, they have a nice core, but that first round exit must have hurt and it showed signs of players not trusting McMillan. Whose only plan seemed to be balls to Roy, btw. I can see them imploding mid-season. <<
They are a weird mix of good/very good pieces who don't quite seem to add up to a great whole just yet. I figure them for a playoff team in part because someone has to fill those 8 spots and I only see about 4 other sure things (LA, Utah, San Antonio, Denver).
>> T-Wolves have some pieces and cap room, they could build a team that could get a first round exit, but that roster is ridiculous as it is. <<
They have some nice pieces, but their backcourt is still a giant question mark. Unless they swing a big trade to address that, they're going to be on the outside looking in.
>> Boozer has announced he's staying in the Jazz. Same with Okur. Playoffs, out in the first. Will see what happens with Millsap. Too many stupid GMs in the League not to consider someone throwing crazy money at him. <<
I wouldn't throw crazy money at a guy who's basically just a really nice 7th/8th man, but that's probably why I'm not a GM.
>> Thunder aren't there yet as good as Durant is. They lack a 5. And I'm not sure Harden will help much. <<
They are lacking a 5 and I'm not totally sold on Harden, either, so they may be a year or so away, but they do have a lot of really exciting pieces. If the last 2-3 spots in the West are as wide open as they seem, they might be able to sneak into one if they get some good breaks.
>> Lakers (Artest? whoah, if he gets in the third banana mindset that's one incredible team) look like a lock. Clips' biggest problem is the coach. Phoenix goes to the lottery, Nash out next season. Same with Warriors unless they get Amaré or other teams slip. <<
I put the Warriors in basically that same bunch as the Thunder in that they have a lot of good, interesting pieces but they don't seem quite there yet. But with a few breaks their way... who knows.
>> Lakers getting Gasol was a steal, but what the Spurs got in Jefferson is almost the same. If Manu and Timmah stay helathy it's Lakers/Spurs in the West Finals. <<
I don't think RJ is as good as Pau, but he is still a nice upgrade and the fact that they were able to get him for chump change is pretty amazing.
>> Dallas depends on what they do in Free Agency. <<
Sounds like they may add Gortat, which could be a nice addition. If they get PG figured out, they should make the playoffs without too much difficulty.
>> The Rockets are adding Ariza (who I'm not sure about) and have a nice young core even without Yao. And they are totally trading T-Mac, that's one enormous expiring contract lots of teams could use for next season's free agency. <<
Ariza parlayed a great playoffs run into a nice deal. He's a good player (especially on defense), but he shot way over his average in the playoffs so you have to hope that was a sign of things to come and not just a crazy hot streak. So they're going Brooks, Battier, Scola, Ariza, and ??? next year? That's not too bad. Add in whatever they can get for T-Mac and that's probably a bottom-tier playoff team.
>> Hornets, I dunno. What's their plan again? They seem to be trying to trade Chandler again, their team is so so, they have a few awful contracts so they'll have a hard time improving. <<
If they can get healthy, motivated seasons out of guys like West and Chandler, they might be able to make a decent run at the playoffs. But, yeah, they're a total mess.
So if you figure the West as:
1) Lakers
2) Spurs
3) Nuggets
4) Jazz
5) Mavs
6) Rockets
7) ???
8) ???
Those last two spots look pretty wide open to me.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4305310
So apparently Hedu is backing out of the Blazers deal so he can go to Toronto for an extra $6M, assuming Toronto can clear up the cap space (which they probably can). Guess he's not too interested in playing hoops in June again...
In other news, apparently Avery Johnson is the favorite to be the new Pistons coach. Which would be great if they still had their former, defense-oriented line-up. Good luck getting Ben Gordon to play D, Avery.
<<Mazzeo is the worst forum owner ever>>
Is that because we've had an NBA thread in the baseball thread without it being changed ?
Cheers,
Mark
'Sheed to the Celtics. Their starting five is ridiculous now, but they'll need to find a little depth and stay healthy for their playoff run to get the trophy.
Other random thoughts:
Portland is definitely still a playoff team. They were the 4 seed and lost nothing and are still really youn. If they really want to do some damage in the playoffs they'll need to upgrade some pieces, but I'd be stunned if they didn't make the playoffs at all.
Spurs need to shore up their front court fast, but they've been very good about finding their spare parts. I really liked DeJuan Blair in college, and I can see him making all those other GMs look stupid.
Houston's a realllllly interesting team, because they can either tank for the lottery or try and sneak into the playoffs. Even if Yao never plays again they actually might be able to reload fairly quickly, since both Yao and TMac have their contracts up this season (although Yao has a player option for 1 more).
The Jazz are probably going to match for Millsap and then try and unload Boozer to avoid the luxury tax. Gotta think that Boozer's $12m expiring contract and just generally being a really good PF will net them something decent.
Toronto is going to be the most hilariously soft Euroleague lineup to watch. Calderon/Turk/Bosh/Bargnani in the same lineup? Christ. I'm sure there will be some fine passing and a well spaced floor though.
The Clippers getting rid of Randolph is miraculous. There are reasons why Z-Bo is the most unwanted 20-10 player in the NBA. Memphis is one of those rosters with talent that doesn't really seem to go together.
Hornets are probably still in the playoffs but the franchise in general is fucked. Bad cap situations mean they can't help out CP3, and they're close to being bankrupt. I can't imagine Paul sticks around when his contract is up.
The league is getting top heavy. The Lakers/Celtics/Spurs/Magic/Cavs are probably going to have some pretty nutty win totals beating up on the shitty teams next year.
Sheed to the Celtics.
They have no bench, they still need cap space to pay Big Baby, Sheed looked horrible last year. The Big 3 will net them loads of games, but they can't expect to play them 40 minutes a night and do something in the postseason
Portland is definitely still a playoff team
Talentwise sure, but I think McMillan will face an open revolt if they start having problems. I also have doubts about how the team is constructed.
Toronto is going to be the most hilariously soft Euroleague lineup to watch.
I wonder where the urban legend about Euroleague being soft comes from. FIBA rules allows for more contact, moving blocks, there are no touch fouls, and features Italian and Serbian teams that would stab you before letting you slam their basket. The defense is so relentless top teams have 10 possible starters in their rosters and no one plays more than 30 minutes.
Not to mention that you have to be unbelievably hard mentally to cope with cutthroat rivalries like Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos, Real Madrid vs Barça or any visit to a Serbian joint.
Euroleague teams usually lack athleticism, and that's because getting airborne in the Euroleague is not really recommended unless you have a free path to the basket; but all this talk about players and teams being soft puzzles me.
Spurs
Blair is undersized and has no ACLs (Really, he has not, his muscles freakishly fused to the bone or something) but if he shows a minimum of the rebounding ability he had in NCAA games, Timmah has found the perfect partner.
// Talentwise sure, but I think McMillan will face an open revolt if they start having problems. //
Nah, they've already gotten rid of Sergio Rodriguez. They're not getting Turk so Rudy shouldn't be complaining anymore... I can't think of anyone else that's complained about PT or roles otherwise on that squad.
// but all this talk about players and teams being soft puzzles me. //
I think very specifically it comes from virtually every Euro import into the NBA. Even disregarding the overall generalization, Toronto and their lineup is going to be pillowysoft (and that includes their one American starter who is also soft).
// Blair is undersized and has no ACLs (Really, he has not, his muscles freakishly fused to the bone or something) //
Blair plays below the rim the same way Millsap and Kevin Love do. He knows how to play around taller athletes (he destroyed Thabeet repeatedly in college), and should be fine. I can see why those caveats kick him out of the lottery, but everyone skipping him in the 2nd round too was insane.
The ACLs are an interesting thing, because he's missed ... one game? his entire career post-surgery. If it's an issue it's likely to be a chronic pain thing, but honestly nobody knows since he's going to be the first NBA player with this. There have been other pro athletes without ACLs though.
Rudy complaining about playing time and his pal Sergio being traded (and Martell Webster's coming back so that means another body to give minutes to), Roy clearly went solo in the last games of the Rockets series while McMillan said nowt, apparently LaMarcus is getting pissed again with him for that (they weren't exactly the best of pals until Outlaw managed to drew them together)...
The Rockets seres showed they don't trust him that much. And it can't be fun to play for that micromanaging, slow tempo sourpuss.
I think very specifically it comes from virtually every Euro import into the NBA
Oh yeah, that talk drives me crazy. "Gasol is soft" "Dirk is soft" someone should explain to all those ESPN analysts (Bucher, Smith, you cunts) that not looking like a bodybuilder and having a sweet hand so you don't need to slam every basket to score doesn't mean you are bloody soft. I've heard people call Zaza Pachulia "another soft Euro". Well, first, he's not Euro, second his only game is hustling, banging and hammering so how comes he's a soft Euro?
Those guys have played in Athens' Green Hell, ferchrissakes. Ten thousand people raining shit on you, referees swallowing their whistles 'cause they are scared shitless of crazed fans, riots in the streets, random court invasions.
Just ask Josh Childress or that little moron Brandon Jennings about the softness of Euroleague basket.
everyone skipping him in the 2nd round too was insane.
Absolutely. Even if he played only for a combined 3 seasons, selecting a guy with that game and those stats maybe's not worth a risk in the lottery, but beyond 15? Madness.
He could become another Millsap. But I think he'll have the same problems Millsap has with long and lean NBA PFs. Love's a different animal. He's not strong enough but he's savvy and has a very good outside shot which I don't think Blair would ever develop. Small PFs have to spend ages in the gym bulking up to counter lenght with bulk, so they have no time for gruelling shooting training and barely ever become good shooters
// "Gasol is soft" "Dirk is soft" //
When analysts say soft they're not talking about mental toughness. It's just a style. If they like you they use the word "finesse" and if they want to dog you they'll say "soft." Dirk is a seven footer that settles for jumpers and gives way on the low block on defense. He's TOTALLY soft. Compare that to guys like Boozer or Shaq and that sort of bullish post technique and that's where it comes from.
That said, the league as a whole is a lot less physical than it was even just 4 or 5 years ago. It's become much more of a length league than a bulk league and contenders aren't loading up on physical big rotations just to deal with Shaq anymore.
// Millsap/Love/Blair //
They all have problems with long lean PFs. Love has a little more flexibility as far as popping out and passing out of the post, but when they go one on one they all have to back deep into the bodies of the shotblockers and then use some post moves to get their shot off since they don't have the vert to explode to the rim. Guys that play below the rim always slide in the draft and almost always surprise. (granted, Love only slid to 5, but he was a favorite to flop and he's been anything but).
Boston will assuredly address the bench this offseason, since it was so problematic last season. House is staying, which is good. But they know they have some bench issues to figure out after parting ways with Powe and dealing with Davis. And there's talk of getting Grant Hill as a backup swingman.
I think 'Sheed in a reduced role will be great for Boston. Right now it looks like he's not going to start many games. You already have KG/PP/Ray-Ray/Perk/Rondo as the starting 5.
I wonder where the urban legend about Euroleague being soft comes from
I have to disagree, you don't hear that shit thrown at Michael Redd, Ray Allen or any other American shooter or Euro-style forwards like Aldridge, you didn't hear it said about Smits, Petrovic or Kukoc back in the day either. You are right about the "finesse" label, but US journos throw that soft tag most of the time as the insult du jour towards Euro players. I don't hear that thrown at Z-Bo and he has exaclty the same flaws in defense Dirk has. They simply say he's lazy.
This is all a backlash of too many useless picks of Dirk wanabees like Tskitishvili or asparagus-looking Slav centers like Peric, drafted based on potential but who never were anything special in Europe for a start, and are footnotes when they go back.
The problem with guys like Gasol and Dirk is that given their size and skills, they are thrown at positions where they can create mismatches. Thing is, that works both ways and they fail to show that same quality when the mismatch is thrown at them. Dirk always played as a 3 and is not fast enough to defend most 4s so he is regularly massacred on the post. Gasol started as a 3 point chucking 3, had to change to 4 when moving to the NBA and in the last 2 years Jackson asked him to play 5. Instead of praising his chops for playing out of position and subject himself to a grueling weight program to improve his game at that spot, he is called soft.
They do not have the muscle to compete with the League's juggernauts. Boozer is a 4 who has trained for 20 years to bully people in the paint. Shaq the same at 5. You can't have a serious conversation about Gasol or Dirk's misgivings guarding those guys, of course they can't. They are not built for that.
Let's see if Sheed likes starting on the bench.
And why did you let Powe go free? Even injured, the guy was a baller.
Big Baby will get a stupid offer, just wait.
How many pounds has Howard on Gasol?
// I have to disagree, you don't hear that shit thrown at Michael Redd, Ray Allen or any other American shooter or Euro-style forwards like Aldridge, you didn't hear it said about Smits, Petrovic or Kukoc back in the day either. //
Uh, I just called Bosh soft! Aldridge is totally soft. Smits was absolutely called soft (immediately followed up by praise of Antonio and Dale Davis's physicality). Perimeter players generally aren't stuck with that label because of their expectations.
Skinny interior players that can't hold their own in the paint are gonna be called soft, euro or no. Thabeet's soft. Shawn Bradley was soft. Like it or not, Gasol and Dirk are expected to guard 4s and 5s. If they get blown off the block, they're gonna get called soft. Some guys are physical and some guys aren't. If you're not, you'd better have an amazing skillset. If you're not, then you better hope you have a complimentary guy opposite you in your front court. This has been the blueprint for a lot of euro post players, which is where the reputation for the entire international community comes from.
Zaza is one of the few Euro bigs that I wouldn't hang the soft label on. He's a borderline thug. If someone called him soft then they're definitely not watching him play.
// And why did you let Powe go free? Even injured, the guy was a baller. //
It's a sad story cuz Powe's a great great kid. I've liked him ever since he was at Cal. But Boston's cap situation is just really busted and signing a guy that might not play til midway through the season if he plays at all is just bad. If he gets a deal from anyone it's probably going to be a minimum deal or people will flat out wait until he comes back from rehab.
Glen Davis is rumored to be going to the Spurs.
Howard is only 10-15lbs heavier than Gasol, I think. Gasol did a terrific job on him in the finals, and really hung tough for the Lakers when Bynum was completely incapable of staying out of foul trouble. It was really the first time I've seen Gasol really get at another big like that on a consistent basis.
