Author Topic: NBA 2007-2008  (Read 21317 times)

Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #100 on: June 27, 2008, 12:04:02 PM »
So... I don't exactly understand what Portland has planned with all the guys they drafted (I mean... I know there's a few of them that didn't renew their contracts, but they had SIX draft picks). However, the head office knows much better than I do, and that's pretty much fact.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #101 on: June 28, 2008, 06:40:54 AM »
I think they traded most of them and wound up with Batum and yet more draft picks.

Portland is ridiculously smart. Not only are they plucking up the most talented guys available, they're farming ridiculously talented Euro-talent they can keep overseas like having a second D-League team that can hold more players. They are the only team that does this as well as they do, and it's probably brilliant.

I'll have a full draft-day report card this weekend. Because I'm nice, I'll include the big trades.

EDIT
Actually, my room flooded, so I'll have a full draft-day report card in a few minutes. God DAMN it. I hate sleeping on that couch.

Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #102 on: June 28, 2008, 08:07:27 AM »
I'm interested in seeing if Rudy Fernandez comes over this year now. He's apparently joining Portland because he wanted to be in the most competitive Conference of the most competitive League in the world (Specifically, NBA Western Conference). I guess he's some hot shit in the Euro League right now.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #103 on: June 28, 2008, 08:17:51 AM »
When I said report card, I actually meant "Analysis". Because really, report cards are overdone, and giving letter grades bothers me. Don't expect my best analysis game, because really, I know nothing of college ball.

ATLANTA HAWKS:
Hey, guess who didn't have any picks this year! ATLANTA. Analysis over.

BOSTON CELTICS:
I have heard of none of these picks, and they're probably nothing more than some late-aquisition fliers taken by the champs. I'm inclined to say the Cs have to know what they're doing, because of Powe and Davis, though. Rondo also feels way better than 17th in his draft.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS:
From what little I know of Weaver, he's pretty decent for a second-rounder, and he's homegrown, which we all know that the Bobcats love. The French guy averaged 5 and 5 in FRANCE, so I have no idea how the hell he's a lottery pick. Fuck this "Draft on potential" noise. Larry Brown likes him, apparently, so I dunno what the fuck. I hope to god that DJ Augustine is meant to be a backup for Felton (Which they need!), because otherwise, there's no way he's better than Felton, and there's no way that Felton can be traded for what he's worth. I get a sense he's really undervalued somehow. Which is ridiculous, because he's aces.

CHICAGO BULLS:
I still like Hinrich, but Rose is apparently the real deal. I remember being fairly impressed with him watching him play once or twice, but he gives me crazy-ass Stephen Marbury vibes. I can't explain it. Also I think it's ludicrous Chicago passed on a legit post-up guy they've needed for years, even to get a star guard in the "age of the point guard". It strikes me as off. If nothing else SWAP PICKS with Miami and get something else out of it. Jesus.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
Took a player that's supposedly got "upside" but is raw. Cleveland needs talented players RIGHT THE FUCK NOW to stick with James now. He needs to get a sense of victory, or he is out of here in two years. This is a bad, bad pick as far as I know. (JJ Hickson later becomes a 9-time all-star and leads Cleveland to the championship -after- LeBron leaves, proving me wrong. ....... or not.)

DALLAS MAVERICKS:
In a late round, took a specialist with a skill that obviously translates to the NBA. Best they could hope for with a lone #51 pick.

DENVER NUGGETS:
Had a pick, traded it, and eventually ended up with a guy named Sonny Weems somehow. (They facilitated a deal between Portland and Chicago to...... be nice or something. Anyhow. They have Sonny Weems. no idea what the fuck he can do.)

DETROIT PISTONS:
Drafted a second Jason Maxiell and traded him for two other random dudes. D-League time unless Detroit blows up this year. That said OH MY GOD ARE YOU STUPID? Is it true you considered Chauncy and Tayshaun for CARMELO FUCKING ANTHONY? Seriously? You think Carmelo god-damn Anthony is the answer to your supposed motivation issues. Carmelo. The jackass NEVER defends. He is poison. Drafting Darko didn't pan out, but it sent a message that said "WE DON'T WANT CARMELO ANTHONY". No team with Anthony headlining it will win a championship. Also, you'd be pairing him up and having him learn from RASHEED FUCKING WALLACE. God damn. That better have been all rumor. Denver wins that trade concept so much it hurts.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:
Apparently, they LIKE drafting lanky beanpoles every year. The other guy is supposedly good value in the second round, but I have to wonder what the Warriors are trying to accomplish, here.

HOUSTON ROCKETS:
Donte Green and Maarty Luenen. No idea who either one is, and Maarty Luenen is the worst name I've ever heard.

INDIANA PACERS:
I think they win on the Ford/O'Neal trade. Trading away Bayless makes sense, because I betcha Ford is better. I dunno if Rush was the best they could have got for him, but oh well. From all I hear, Hibbert is some surprisingly horrible dude that everyone thought was a draft pick for some reason. Jawai is a definite project. I think the Pacers will be a mid-table playoff team in just a few short years. But I'm big on TJ Ford. Let's see if they can pawn Tinsley off on anyone while he's still talented.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS:
I seriously thought they were going to trade up to get Westbrook, who I said they should take here, assuming he'd be available, not... you know, the fourth guy picked. Eric Gordon seems exactly like Ben Gordon, which is REALLY odd because they're not actually related to one another. It's also odd because they don't NEED a fucking Shooting Guard. They needed a guy like Westbrook. An athletic combo guard who plays good defense. This pick is being lauded by others, who I guess are big on Gordon, so I guess Gordon can really, REALLY score the ball. Good for him. The great thing about the Clipper draft is DeAndre Jordon. If he doesn't pan out, he doesn't have a for-sure contract. If he DOES begin to pan out, he'll probably become good at right around the time the old teams in the west are dying off, and maybe the Clips can sneak into the new-guard. Oh, and they got some NBDL guy.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS:
If they had Joe Crawford on their team last year, they'd have won the finals. ..............wait, you mean it's some player named Joe Crawford? Oh. Well...... Maybe he'll develop, or they'll cut him like the Chinese Magic Johnson from last year.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:
I think I'll take the unpopular side and say that Minnesota won their trade, but Memphis did something pretty cool. Memphis picked up a guy like Mayo who might just develop into something great. They have holes all over their team, and they got rid of their best player, so they'll likely have the best shot at #1 next year. Pairing that guy with Mayo and Gay is probably a formidable trio. If Mayo doesn't develop into an all-star, Memphis is really fucking stupid.

MIAMI HEAT:
Arguably the winners of the draft. Beasley gives them a good player who is ready to play right now. They can likely attract some off season help to fill the hole at point guard, and Chalmers seems like he could at least come off the bench and contribute, which is Miami's biggest hole, I'd say. Depending on how they fill the gaping wound at Center, they might just make the playoffs. If not, I give 'em two years. Tops.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS:
Hey, they did some of the things I was ranting to them about. They actually got TWO slashers to pair with Michael Redd. Putting Alexander at an undersized PF might be a smart as hell idea, too, depending on how NBA ready he is. You have no idea how happy I am with Milwaukee right now. I still say they need a big man to stick with the Aussie, but they're already saying "Hey! We're smarter than Larry Harris". Good for them. Hell, they did pretty much EVERYTHING I told them to do if the Congolese Prince turns out to be good.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES:
Here's the thing. They definitely won their trade, and they got pretty much their biggest holes filled up, but the west is ridiculously stacked. So they'll probably get a worse pick next year than they could have this year, but they're undeniably a better team now. Mike Miller is arguably the most underrated guy in the NBA (Mayo would have to be a legit perennial all-star to be better than Miller. For what it's worth, I think Miller is way better than some guys who routinely make the squad like, right now.), and Kevin Love might actually be a good pairing with Al Jefferson. (Bit small, I guess.) From what I hear of Pekovic, if he ever comes over, he'll make the Kevin Love thing moot and be the perfect compliment to Jefferson. I still think Love/Jefferson will work wonders. Yes, neither is particularly athletic (although Love's combine results disagree), but Love is an outside playing big who passes well, and Jefferson is an around the basket type. They will play well together.

NEW JERSEY NETS:
So let me get this straight. They got some decent shooters for Jefferson. Yi Jianlian is marketable, which is great for a moving franchise. They got Lopez later than they thought he'd go. They got CDR later than they thought he'd go, and they got yet another shooter with their final pick. Really. I take back what I said about Miami; New Jersey won this draft.  Even if Lopez IS an overrated stiff, can you fault ANYTHING Jersey did?

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS:
Sold their pick. Could have had Arthur, who'd likely fit onto the team pretty well. On the other hand, they'll have free-agent money now. Hope they use it wisely.

NEW YORK KNICKS:
"With the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Dani*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
God, I love New York City. Anyhow, he might develop into something good. WHICH IS WHAT NEW YORK NEEDS. Sorry, haters, but you need developable talent, because you're too shitty to take on anything but projects. I hope he pans out, becomes a hall-of-fame player and ditches you first chance he gets because of how you treated him tonight. I hope he even goes to a small market like Milwaukee, just to REALLY fuck with you. Assholes.

ORLANDO MAGIC:
Yes yes yes! THANK YOU. A 50-win team that's going to be capped out for half-a-decade selects a guy that will help RIGHT NOW as opposed to a guy that will only be able to contribute when they no longer can afford their services. Good job, Orlando.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:
Dunno much about Speights, but apparently, he's a talented big man. Could fit in really well with the up-and-coming squad.

PHOENIX SUNS:
Lopez at least has really good interior defense, which they'll never get from their current twin-towers duo. Steve Nash is good enough to make Brook not look like an idiot on offense, too, probably. ("You there! Dunk this!") In a surprising twist, they actually paid SOMEONE ELSE money for a draft pick. That's right. PHOENIX bought a pick. A European player that the Spurs had their eye on. I got 10 fake dollars that says he's the one bright spot in the Valley of the Sun in the next few years.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS:
See last post. They got yet another really good Euro that they could use later on, and they got Bayless, who could quite possibly contribute right away and pair up decently well with Roy. Portland is almost certainly going to be the big franchise of the 201X era. They're so stacked with young talent it makes me shudder.

SACRAMENTO KINGS:
The guy they picked seems good and ready to contribute right now, but I'm not sure if that's what the Kings really need. They seem like they're a team that has to wait a few years before they really have a shot at the playoffs. I still think they should unload Miller for anything they can get. No clue on Singletary, but if Patrick Ewing Jr. can get some skills to match his sick athletic ability, he could be a major steal.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS:
You know, I think once Duncan and Ginobili retire, this franchise might be doomed forever. Which is a shame, because they feel like they squeeze as much blood out of stones as possible. Apparently, Hill can help right now, but can San Antonio still win right now? It's always the question. It really depends on how they retool their bench in the off season.

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS:
They really reached to get Westbrook, from everything I understand, but the plus is, everyone agrees he can play defense, which the team BADLY needs. So maybe he's not such a bad idea after all. They reverted to old form of picking big man projects, but in this case, that's probably smart, because they need someone large to team up with Westbrook and Durant and Green, and there's no way they'll be viable for a few years.

TORONTO RAPTORS:
Well, they needed to get something for Ford, and Jermaine O'neal might actually do them a lot of good, if they can get his whiny brittle ass into the post. In fact, knowing that they were going to lose Ford, this is probably the best they could have hoped to grab and still hold on to their playoff spot, for my money. I like this trade for both sides. I think Indiana clearly won, but O'Neal, who I have maligned in the past, is still more than capable of helping a few playoff level teams.

UTAH JAZZ:
Blatantly pandering to their racist fanbase. Drafted another potential Okur, but they already HAVE Okur, and they need to fill out their wings a little better. The part that frustrates me? There were like, FOUR teams above Utah that I remember thinking "Pick Kosta Koufos. PICK HIM GOD DAMN YOU" and they didn't. (Most puzzlingly, Charlotte. Koufos has got to be a better move than some 5 and 5 Frenchie.) When Utah rolled around, I was like "Take a slasher!" still hoping to see who'd take Koufos. ........And then Utah picked him. Why you gotta be that way, Utah? Why you gotta hate the brothers?

WASHINGTON WIZARDS:
Needed a big man, got a big man. Should have taken Kosta Koufos.

Am I really that big on Koufos? Not especially, but I think that there was a period where he was CLEARLY the best big man available and several teams passed on him for god knows what. This didn't seem like a great draft for big guys.

FAKE EDIT
I'm pretty sure I've heard that Fernandez WILL come over this season. This is ridiculous, because they've already got Rodriguez, Bayless, and Blake. Portland is so stacked.

Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #104 on: June 28, 2008, 12:54:52 PM »
Even though he wouldn't do anything for us, really, I kind of wish Portland had gotten Kevin Love. He's from Lake Oswego (which, for those of you not from Portland, is one of those towns that is considered to be Portland) and taking him would have been feel-good fluffy bunnies.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #105 on: June 29, 2008, 01:32:31 AM »
Casual fan question: Is there anything of note from now until the pre season?
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Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #106 on: June 29, 2008, 09:07:10 AM »
Nope. After the finals and the draft, there's nothing until next pre-season (which is really only good for seeing the rookies play, and seeing them try new lineups for practice's sake).

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #107 on: June 30, 2008, 05:39:45 AM »
Uh... 2008 Summer Olympics? We kind of have a team playing in that.

Also, there will likely be some trades and stuff, but I figure someone here will discuss them at some point or another, so it's all good.

Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #108 on: June 30, 2008, 05:43:10 AM »
Well, that's Olympic Basketball, not in the NBA. But point taken.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #109 on: June 30, 2008, 05:45:11 AM »
It's also worth watching because some of those foreign guys will almost certainly be draft prospects of the next year or so.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #110 on: June 30, 2008, 11:18:01 AM »
I think a good chunk of them already play for the NBA, or have been picked up (like Rudy Fernandez). But like I said before, point taken.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #111 on: July 02, 2008, 06:51:14 AM »
NEWS: The Clippers have signed Baron Davis.

VIEWS: Well, this certainly makes their drafting of Eric Gordon seem MUCH more sensible. Baron is huge, and Gordon is just a little guy, so an undersized lights-out shooter like Eric is actually a terrific fit suddenly.

Davis
Mobley/Gordon
Thornton/Thomas(In a contract year. So Good Thomas)
Brand (presumably)
Kaman

Hey, look. The Clippers really are still good. Let's see what their bench looks like after the offseason.

As for Golden State....... now would be a good time to tank for Ricky Rubio.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #112 on: July 03, 2008, 03:11:16 AM »
Welp.

RIP Seattle Supersonics.

Dark Holy Elf

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #113 on: July 03, 2008, 03:21:34 AM »
So the nearest city to me with an NBA team is now Portland? This league makes no sense.

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Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #114 on: July 03, 2008, 05:07:23 AM »
Might as well get on board with it. They're going to kick ass for a decade.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #115 on: July 03, 2008, 04:53:57 PM »
Even though he wouldn't do anything for us, really, I kind of wish Portland had gotten Kevin Love. He's from Lake Oswego (which, for those of you not from Portland, is one of those towns that is considered to be Portland) and taking him would have been feel-good fluffy bunnies.

Love went too high, woulda had to trade up too much for a guy who plays the same position as L.A.  Also, his dad's a douchebag.

I was hoping Portland would go for D.J., but Bayless is still a solid addition.

In other news, Seattle is set up for an expansion team, but the NBA won't add just one team.  Any guesses on who the other... we'll say 2011 expansion team will be?

Anthony Edward Stark

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #116 on: July 03, 2008, 08:43:12 PM »
Well, the two largest markets without an NBA team are now Seattle and Las Vegas. They could move New Orleans to the Eastern Conference, where it makes sense for them to be.

EDIT: Apparently, the conference Oklahoma City plays in is "subject to realignment." So they can be put in the East if they need to, too.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2008, 09:14:09 PM by Rob the Stampede »

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #117 on: July 04, 2008, 12:27:42 AM »
I doubt they'd stick one in Vegas, even though Vegas badly deserves one.

Virginia badly needs one, too. Maybe they'll stuff one there.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #118 on: July 05, 2008, 08:24:29 PM »
Vegas? As famous as it is, it certainly isn't the second largest city lacking an NBA team, or even remotely close. If the basketball model is anything like the hockey model (and I believe it is), then it kinda requires permanent population to keep it running, both from season ticketholders, and from local TV deals. An NBA team there doesn't seem like it'd be especially appealing to tourists, and all the things Vegas DOES have to appeal to the tourists just distracts local business from a team. There's a reason it doesn't have a pro team yet. Still it's a bit of a question mark and I suppose it's possible that basketball may be the first league to take a plunge.

Hmm. There's rumbling about getting an NBA team back here, though I dunno how much to make of it. A dual expansion to two side-by-side cities doesn't seem likely however, so I'd say it's more likely that if we got a team again it would likely be the Grizzlies moving back or something (lol Memphis).

Besides that... New York #2? Especially tempting with the way the Knicks have been going the last few years. Another team in Ohio? (Cincinatti, maybe Columbus.) St. Louis and San Diego are the two largest cities without NBA teams besides Seattle (and Montreal but yeah I so can't see that), so they'd make sense. Virginia... tends to lack the kind of business communities to attract pro teams these days but it is a pretty noteworthy state to lack a pro team. Hmm, maybe.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #119 on: July 05, 2008, 08:29:58 PM »
Virginia's been around the mill on it. I can't speak for Northern Virginia, but Hampton Roads isn't going to have a basketball team. The pooch got screwed awhile back with it.
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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #120 on: July 05, 2008, 08:58:58 PM »
New York's unlikely, as I understand it.  The Nets are supposedly planning a move to Brooklyn, so they've already got a second team coming.  Other than that, no real idea here, though Vegas has been lobbying for one so there's a decent shot of that.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #121 on: July 09, 2008, 10:49:10 PM »
Reports are in that Philadelphia has signed Elton Brand.

My take on the matter:
It seems like Philly is saying, "The East is weak, our team actually projects to nearly 50 wins, and we just got a 20/10 guy with excellent defense to help shore up our bigger weaknesses."  Philadelphia is mostly young, and though Brand is getting on in years, I can't feel like signing him THIS year (2010 will be an epic free-agent year) is a major mistake, especially when Philly showed a surprising amount of strength in the post-season. The rest of the team is young enough where they can continue to develop and still be pretty damn threatening when Brand starts to go downhill. I say this is a good move for the team.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #122 on: July 11, 2008, 07:18:39 AM »
I think Baron Davis might just have shit a brick.

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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #123 on: July 11, 2008, 06:53:49 PM »
Reports are in that Philadelphia has signed Elton Brand.

My take on the matter:
It seems like Philly is saying, "The East is weak, our team actually projects to nearly 50 wins, and we just got a 20/10 guy with excellent defense to help shore up our bigger weaknesses."  Philadelphia is mostly young, and though Brand is getting on in years, I can't feel like signing him THIS year (2010 will be an epic free-agent year) is a major mistake, especially when Philly showed a surprising amount of strength in the post-season. The rest of the team is young enough where they can continue to develop and still be pretty damn threatening when Brand starts to go downhill. I say this is a good move for the team.

Sure looks good to me. Cheeks was scrambling to cover the power forward spot last year and our best guy at it (Young) was playing completely out of position. This improves the team at both power forward (obviously) and small forward (Young moves there full-time, and should be starting), and generally makes the frontcourt a lot better (and if nothing else, bigger - Young is 6'8"). So yeah, I'm pretty hyped about this.
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Re: NBA 2007-2008
« Reply #124 on: July 18, 2008, 02:22:52 AM »
Some player movement:

The Nuggets trade Marcus Camby to the Clippers for Jack goddamn Shit.

What the hell are the Nuggets thinking with this move?! They gave away one of their more valuable trading assets and best defensive player for potentially nothing, and at best, a mildly better second-round pick than they'd otherwise have. That's insulting to poor Camby.
My only explanation is that they're trying to free up cap-room to resign Anthony and a second threat, but A)'Melo is not going to be worth it. He's a Rasheed Wallace who will only threaten to win a title when he's the LAST piece added to a team. He will be perennially overpaid, because, by golly, he's just not that good at anything but scoring (But he is a freakishly talented scorer. I will give him that. His footwork is fantastic.) and B)No one will want to come to Denver anyhow. Especially if they have no point guard.
It'll be nice to see if they hang onto Smith and if JR and 'Melo can gel together, because, while I don't particularly like 'Melo, he's definitely very far above average when it comes to talent, and with the right pieces, he really can be good, but it doesn't strike me that he's become anything the average baller is going to want to play with, so I can't see how Denver can build around him and Smith.
Clippers get a good end of the deal, but I'm not sure this pushes them into the playoffs with Brand gone. It looks like Camby will likely play at the Power Forward spot, because he can pop out and hit jumpers, when Kaman is more of an around-the-basket kind of guy. If Camby doesn't take all of Kaman's rebounds, this will be a really nightmarish team to try and beat on the boards. They still probably haven't replaced Brand and Magette, but I have to think that with a real point guard like Davis, they'll still be a bit better than last year. If Eric Gordon pans out, they can still be a little surprising. I think they should take some cheap risks in Free Agency. Reports say they made an offer to Golden State's Azubuike, and he'll probably be an excellent pickup if he can be had on the cheap. He puts in a lot of work to improve his game, and clearly works well with Baron Davis, so the Clippers actually feel like, even though they've gotten hit hard by circumstance this summer, they've made some decent moves. I don't fault them much.

James Posey reportedly signs with the New Orleans Hornets:
Excellent move by Posey. The Hornets probably offered him more money than other teams, and they're still good enough where he's right in the thick of a championship contender who will give him minutes.  I am not a big Posey fan (he beats my teams), but I will give him this: He is very savvy.  Posey is definitely a solid role-player who has helped two teams so far win a championship, neither of whom could have done it without him.  Even though he's not a superstar, he's very in-tune with his role on a team, and he intelligently plays it to the hilt. When Boston picked him up, I made a fuss over it, and I'm going to make a fuss for New Orleans picking him up, too.  After Brand and Davis, Posey was probably the best free agent on the market, and he's a very strong pick for any club that wants him. If the Lakers weren't so stacked, I'd say he'd help lift NO to the next level, but I can't see them getting past Gasol/Bryant/Bynum/THE MACHINE. Just the same, don't be surprised to see the Hornets in the title mix, or at least maybe in the Western Finals.

New Jersey picks up Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes
Hayes can contribute off the bench, assuming Jersey starts Nachbar at Small Forward with Jefferson out. (I think they still have Nachbar. He's better than Hayes, anyhow.) Najera is a very solid player who always challenges and brings legit work ethic to the Nets who badly could use a guy like that. Just the same, he's not a big scoring threat, and the Nets could really use someone other than Krstic who can score points from the big man positions.  Sean Williams may well develop into something special if he's motivated. The boy has some talent, and there's really not much getting in his way if he wants to reach out and claim a big man spot.

Milwaukee picks up Tyronn Lue and Malik Allen
Nothing special here. Just a big guy to come off the bench behind Charlie V and a small guy to come off behind Williams.  It really seems like they should get a rugged hard-working forward up in this spot, but for the life of me, I dunno who on the market is available for that spot.  I'd have liked to see them pick up Najera for his defense and hustle, but Jersey stepped in first.  These are solid signings of decently talented players who will earn some minutes, and they're at positions the Bucks need depth in.  Just the same, I don't think these are the moves that'll lead them to the playoffs. (Although RJ will help quite a lot) They are still better on paper this year than last year.