[h1]Pat Riley: `Nothing going on' between Miami Heat and Carlos Boozer[/h1]
[h3]BY BARRY JACKSON[/h3] [h3][email protected][/h3] Though Carlos Boozer wants to be traded to the Heat, Miami has put the issue on hold, at least for now.
``We listen to all inquiries but there is nothing going on,'' Heat president Pat Riley said Tuesday about Boozer, his first public statement since June.
Contrary to an Internet report, there was no discussion with Memphis about a deal that would send Udonis Haslem to Utah, Boozer to Miami and Dorell Wright to the Grizzlies. The Heat likes Boozer -- his skill set and expiring contract are appealing - and might pursue a trade eventually, but the priority now is waiting on free agent Lamar Odom's decision.
The Heat believes Odom is still strongly considering Miami's five-year, $34 million offer, though many consider the Lakers the front-runner to retain him because they can offer more money.
If Odom signs with Miami and if Dwyane Wade re-signs by next summer, the Heat would need to trim salary eventually in order to have room to sign a second maximum salary free agent in 2010 (such as Chris Bosh). That could be done by buying out James Jones next summer, not picking up the 2010-11 option on Daequan Cook or trading one of its two 2010 first-round draft picks.
How about anybody on those Pistons championship teams?
The difference between those guys (who at some point in their careers were considered borderline franchise players or second options) and Kevin Martin is negligible,
IMO, If you can score the ball at a certain level of productivity and efficiency. I believe you can build around that. I'm not saying Kevin Martin is some all time NBA player, or that i what you should do, but throughout NBA history there is precedent for winning with Kevin Martin type guys as your "franchise player".
I don't know man. I think people associate Memphis with being a losing franchise. But they weren't always that way. And Pau was a major factor in thembeing good at one time.
Originally Posted by JapanAir21
And I feel so bad for my dude Mo... Dude's in the NT doghouse.
I'm willing to bet that he's going to be a good thing for the Grizz this season. There's a lot of things I've heard and took into consideration with Z-Bo. He's a follower and judging by his past teams, I can see why he did some of the things he did. I just looked at a lot of these things the past few weeks and don't think he will actually be that bad surrounded by positive players.
Anybody willing to bet that he actually has a good season for Memphis and significantly improve their win total?
the eastern conference finals are going to be amazing. Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston have done nothing but get better. I cant wait for the season tostart
I don't know man. I think people associate Memphis with being a losing franchise. But they weren't always that way. And Pau was a major factor in them being good at one time.
i never said anything about memphis been trash tho
The CAVS lineup/depth chart should look like this:
1. Mo Will
2. AP
3. LeBron
3. AV
5. Shaq
1. Boobie
2. Delonte
3. Moon/Danny Green
4. Joe Smith/J.J. Hickson/D. Jackson
5. Z
I don't know how the hell someone in their right mind can say we didn't make significant upgrades to our roster. Seriously. [color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]2 starters (on the best team in the league reg. season) are moving to the benchbecause of upgrades. How many other teams can claim that?...I'm guessing NONE.[/color]
Other than Shaq, we didn't make any "power moves"
, but we most definitely made significant upgrades to our roster (you'reeither ignorant or just a hater to say otherwise). Shaq is coming off of 18 & 8 with an ASG MVP trophy season. I have NO idea why so many NT'ers hateon one of the most dominant players in the history of the game (prolly b/c a good majority are Lakers fans? I honestly have no clue...). With Yao out, he isstill easily the 2nd best true C in the L. Dude has also been working his tail off lately. Him & Z will probably split minutes averaging around 24 mins agame each, keeping both of them fresh & healthy. I strongly believe Shaquille will have major NT'ers eating crow this upcoming season.
As far as the "How do we match up with ORL better now?" question goes...my answer is, "How the hell do we NOT?!" Shaq alone gives us amuch better match up. Add in AP & Moon on the wings and that's A LOT more help (subtracting Hedo & adding Shaq, the mismatches won't be nearlyas bad). I also think Danny Green is gonna surprise a lot of folks right out of the gates. Dude is a quality player & has MAD stroke game. Add in ahealthy/improved J.J. Hickson and we definitely have something to work with here. Also, shall we meet again, there is no way in hell ORL's role playerswill play so far out their @ss and our entire squad will just stink up the joint again. I just can't/don't see it happening...
I feel like the East right now on paper is:
1. ORL
2. BOS/CLE
3. Unless Miami gets L.O. AND Boozer, who cares?
Yes the Magic are scary on paper, but they are getting a tad hyped up right now IMO. We have to wait & see howthat squad will mesh & how their team chemistry is. They are the favorites going into the season and deserve to/should be. And BOS is just another year older (their window is quickly shrinking). That squad will fall of just as hard if not harder than DET in a fewyears. But NO ONE knows what will happen THIS year. After 82 games, the discussion(s) will obviously be different...
I don't know man. I think people associate Memphis with being a losing franchise. But they weren't always that way. And Pau was a major factor in them being good at one time.
i never said anything about memphis been trash tho
But, I'm willing to bet you any kinda money that adding Z-Bo will significantly improve the team in wins and he won't be as bad as people make him outto be.
Yes, I'm serious.
And people really do associate Memphis with being a losing franchise. It can be true if you want to count the Vancouver years too. They've been in Memphisfor only 8 seasons though and were a playoff team for 3 seasons.
That's not that bad and that's why I don't understand why they like to associate Memphis in the same category as the Clippers who only had 3winning seasons in the last 25-30 seasons.
The CAVS lineup/depth chart should look like this:
1. Mo Will
2. AP
3. LeBron
3. AV
5. Shaq
1. Boobie
2. Delonte
3. Moon/Danny Green
4. Joe Smith/J.J. Hickson/D. Jackson
5. Z
I don't know how the hell someone in their right mind can say we didn't make significant upgrades to our roster. Seriously. 2 starters (on the best team in the league reg. season) are moving to the bench because of upgrades. How many other teams can claim that?...I'm guessing NONE.
Other than Shaq, we didn't make any "power moves"
, but we most definitely made significant upgrades to our roster (you're either ignorant or just a hater to say otherwise). Shaq is coming off of 18 & 8 with an ASG MVP trophy season. I have NO idea why so many NT'ers hate on one of the most dominant players in the history of the game (prolly b/c a good majority are Lakers fans? I honestly have no clue...). With Yao out, he is still easily the 2nd best true C in the L. Dude has also been working his tail off lately. Him & Z will probably split minutes averaging around 24 mins a game each, keeping both of them fresh & healthy. I strongly believe Shaquille will have major NT'ers eating crow this upcoming season.
As far as the "How do we match up with ORL better now?" question goes...my answer is, "How the hell do we NOT?!" Shaq alone gives us a much better match up. Add in AP & Moon on the wings and that's A LOT more help (subtracting Hedo & adding Shaq, the mismatches won't be nearly as bad). I also think Danny Green is gonna surprise a lot of folks right out of the gates. Dude is a quality player & has MAD stroke game. Add in a healthy/improved J.J. Hickson and we definitely have something to work with here. Also, shall we meet again, there is no way in hell ORL's role players will play so far out their @ss and our entire squad will just stink up the joint again. I just can't/don't see it happening...
I feel like the East right now on paper is:
1. ORL
2. BOS/CLE
3. Unless Miami gets L.O. AND Boozer, who cares?
Yes the Magic are scary on paper, but they are getting a tad hyped up right now IMO. We have to wait & see how that squad will mesh & how their team chemistry is. They are the favorites going into the season and deserve to/should be. And BOS is just another year older (their window is quickly shrinking). That squad will fall of just as hard if not harder than DET in a few years. But NO ONE knows what will happen THIS year. After 82 games, the discussion(s) will obviously be different...
You dobring up a good point though (& didn't even mean to
)...All the dudes that are like "But Jameer will be backhealthy!"...you can say "Mo won't pull a COMPLETE Casper again". Jameer's return isn't as huge, because we basically didn'thave our own starting PG (All-Star
) as well...I @ least hope that's the case. If Mo Caspers his @ssout of a monumental series again, he will then become a certified bum.
The CAVS lineup/depth chart should look like this:
1. Mo Will
2. AP
3. LeBron
3. AV
5. Shaq
1. Boobie
2. Delonte
3. Moon/Danny Green
4. Joe Smith/J.J. Hickson/D. Jackson
5. Z
I don't know how the hell someone in their right mind can say we didn't make significant upgrades to our roster. Seriously. 2 starters (on the best team in the league reg. season) are moving to the bench because of upgrades. How many other teams can claim that?...I'm guessing NONE.
Other than Shaq, we didn't make any "power moves"
, but we most definitely made significant upgrades to our roster (you're either ignorant or just a hater to say otherwise). Shaq is coming off of 18 & 8 with an ASG MVP trophy season. I have NO idea why so many NT'ers hate on one of the most dominant players in the history of the game (prolly b/c a good majority are Lakers fans? I honestly have no clue...). With Yao out, he is still easily the 2nd best true C in the L. Dude has also been working his tail off lately. Him & Z will probably split minutes averaging around 24 mins a game each, keeping both of them fresh & healthy. I strongly believe Shaquille will have major NT'ers eating crow this upcoming season.
As far as the "How do we match up with ORL better now?" question goes...my answer is, "How the hell do we NOT?!" Shaq alone gives us a much better match up. Add in AP & Moon on the wings and that's A LOT more help (subtracting Hedo & adding Shaq, the mismatches won't be nearly as bad). I also think Danny Green is gonna surprise a lot of folks right out of the gates. Dude is a quality player & has MAD stroke game. Add in a healthy/improved J.J. Hickson and we definitely have something to work with here. Also, shall we meet again, there is no way in hell ORL's role players will play so far out their @ss and our entire squad will just stink up the joint again. I just can't/don't see it happening...
I feel like the East right now on paper is:
1. ORL
2. BOS/CLE
3. Unless Miami gets L.O. AND Boozer, who cares?
Yes the Magic are scary on paper, but they are getting a tad hyped up right now IMO. We have to wait & see how that squad will mesh & how their team chemistry is. They are the favorites going into the season and deserve to/should be. And BOS is just another year older (their window is quickly shrinking). That squad will fall of just as hard if not harder than DET in a few years. But NO ONE knows what will happen THIS year. After 82 games, the discussion(s) will obviously be different...
I see where you coming from. The thing I'm looking at is that you have two of the oldest/slowest big men in the league at their current state. With theaddition of Orlando adding Bass to go along with a re-signed Gortat, they can definitely outhustle and outplay Cleveland's frontline. They're younger,quicker, more athletic and they all hustle. Varejao would be the only one that could keep up. Unless Hickson plays some major role next year, I see him asbeing a no show come playoff time.
Gibson is inconsistent and didn't show up at all last season. There's just a lot of "if's" when it comes to Cleveland at this point. Yousaid you have to wait and see how the Magic squad mesh and how their team chemistry will be, well what about Cleveland? I think they will have the same problemand probably have a hard time dealing with it.
If you think your team matches up with Orlando so well then take this into consideration. Let Lebron get hurt for a month and let Dwight Howard get hurt fora month. Which team do you honestly think would be better off without their superstar? Without Lebron, everything just completely closes up for Mo Williamswith his open threes and Cleveland has nobody that can create other than Lebron especially with the way that offense is ran. I want to keep typing, but I'mpretty sure CP will read that and continue on.
^ I'm not saying we match up with ORL "so well" because that's not the case (we just match up with them A LOT better than last year where wegot COMPLETELY exposed).
And hypothetically taking LBJ & D12 off the rosters & seeing how well each team does is ******ed. LBJ is the most dominant/valuable player on theplanet & does EVERYTHING. That comparison/logic is horrible IMO...
I don't think its a HORRIBLE comparison, you gotta figure, only one person can do so much, lebron towards the end of the playoffs looked tired and just outof it, I think what he means is that without Lebron the cavs are a mid-lower tier team, but the magic without D12 are still a top 3/4 team.... ( both on paperrespectfuly)
The Spurs always seem to find a way to turn a little into a lot. They turned three aging players past their primes into Richard Jefferson -- an athleticforward at the peak of his game. They added AntonioMcDyess to play the 4. McDyess is getting older, but is still very productive and a model citizen on and off the court.
And even without a first-round pick in this year's draft, they were still able to come away with some terrific players in the second round.Specifically, Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, who was the best rebounder in college basketball and is a beast in the paint. If his knees stay sturdy, he'llgo down as the steal of the draft. Overall, the Spurs have dramatically improved their team and are, once again, serious contenders for an NBA title.
[h3]2. Los Angeles Clippers[/h3] Key additions:Blake Griffin, QuentinRichardson
For the Clippers faithful looking for a glimmer of hope, this has been your summer. Not only did the Clips beat the lottery odds and land the best pick inthe draft -- Blake Griffin -- they also were able to unload Zach Randolph for the expiring contract of Quentin Richardson.
The Pistons' moves this summer have been a little underwhelming. Since Detroit traded away Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson and his expiring contract,Pistons fans have patiently watched their team struggle for the first time in years. The silver lining the whole season was "Don't worry, great freeagents are coming this summer to upgrade the team."
On one hand, Pistons GM Joe Dumars delivered. Hesigned Ben Gordon, arguably the best free agent on the market, and quickly followed that up by signing Villanueva, probably the best free-agent power forwardhe could get with the money he had left. The combination of Gordon and Villanueva is an upgrade over Iverson and Wallace.
On the other hand, the Pistons are far from a lock to return to the Eastern Conference finals. They lost a key free agent they wanted to re-sign, AntonioMcDyess, they don't have enough cash to sign another significant free agent and they still need a lot of help in the frontcourt, especially at center.Their first-round draft pick is 6-foot-11 and weighs 191 pounds -- meaning he's a few years away. And they are bringing in yet another head coach -- thesixth in Dumars' tenure as GM.
I've learned over the years not to second-guess Dumars -- he's usually right whenever everyone else thinks he's wrong -- but does anyone thinkthis Pistons squad, as currently constructed, is good enough to win a title now or even in two or three years? If the answer is no, can Pistons fans live withbeing just plain old good?
[h3]4. Orlando Magic[/h3] Key additions:Vince CarterRyan Anderson, Brandon Bass
The Magic made a gamble I think they'll be happy with in the future. They essentially swapped Hedo Turkoglu and Lee for Vince Carter and Anderson. Thegamble was that Turkoglu wasn't worth the $50 million he was looking for in the free-agent market and that Carter, whose contract has only two years ofguaranteed money remaining, can do as good a job (or better) as Turkoglu. The addition of Bass also helps. The Magic desperately needed toughness, reboundingand depth at the 4, and Bass delivers on all accounts.
But the big move is the Magic deciding to match Marcin Gortat's huge offer sheet from the Mavs. Without Gortat, the Magic would have had virtually nodepth at the center spot. Now, with him back in the mix, they are deep at virtually every position and look like the favorites to win the East.
[h3]5. Washington Wizards[/h3] Key additions:Randy Foye, Mike Miller
The Wizards traded the No. 5 pick in the draft -- along with Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov -- to the Wolves for Randy Foye and MikeMiller two days before the draft. Wanting to be serious contenders in the East next season, they didn't think they'd get a player with theirfirst-round pick that would crack their rotation.
Meanwhile, Foye gives them an athletic, dynamic scorer who can play both backcourt positions. And Miller gives them a shooter with deep range -- somethingthe Wizards have been missing. If Gilbert Arenas andBrendan Haywood both comeback healthy and motivated, the Wizards could be a serious threat in the East.
[h3]6. Boston Celtics[/h3] Key additions: Rasheed Wallace
GM Danny Ainge pulled off a coup of sorts by gettingWallace to accept a two-year deal. Sheed can be a pain to deal with at times but he still has a lot of talent and gives the Celtics some much-needed depth onthe front line.
All of the talk about trading Rajon Rondo seems tohave cooled considerably, and that's probably a good thing for Boston. Rondo was its best player in the playoffs this past season and I'm not sure howtrading him would improve the team.
[h3]7. Dallas Mavericks[/h3] Key additions: Shawn Marion, QuintonRoss
Re-signing Jason Kidd was huge to the Mavs' effortto stay relevant in the West. So was the addition of Marion. While his presence means that the Mavs will play a pretty unconventional lineup, they clearly haveadded another terrific rebounder, defender and open-court player in Marion. While the price was steep (5 years, $39 million), Marion is still a talent.
The downside is that the Mavs lost some serious front-court depth with Orlando shockingly matching their huge offer sheet for Gortat -- the Mavs were hopinghe would start for them. The Magic signed Brandon Bass away from the Mavs, too. So while you've got to love Dallas' depth at the perimeter spots, itsfrontline is looking shaky.
[h3]8. Toronto Raptors[/h3] Key additions: Hedo Turkoglu, DeMar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Jarrett Jack
The Raptors made a nice free-agent addition in Turkoglu. While they definitely overpaid to get him, he's a great fit on a Raptors team that valuesspacing, shooting and skilled forwards.
They also swung for the fences in the draft, landing DeRozan, who has as much athletic upside as any rookie. By agreeing to the sign-and-trade for Marion,the team freed up more cap space and was able to land Jarrett Jack (the Pacers aren't expected to match the offer), a very solid backup guard who can playboth backcourt positions. Antoine Wright should also help the Raptors and could end up being the starting 2-guard until DeRozan is ready to roll.
While I don't think these moves suddenly make the Raptors a serious contender, I do think they're a playoff team. Given last year's disaster,that's pretty significant.
[h3]9. Cleveland Cavaliers[/h3] Key additions:Shaquille O'Neal,Anderson Varejao, Anthony Parker
I thought the future was now in Cleveland, but if it is, GM DannyFerry has his work cut out for him. Trading for Shaq was a good deal and made a big splash in the media, but does anyone really believe Shaq hasenough left to put the Cavs over the top?
The Cavs also worked to get their biggest free agent, AndersonVarejao, locked up to a six-year, $50 million deal. And the addition of Anthony Parker gives them another veteran presence in theirbackcourt.
However, not everything's rosy in Cleveland. The Cavs have been spurned by a number of free-agent targets, including Charlie Villanueva, Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza. Two of the key players they added are in theirmid-30s. And they had a really odd draft, passing on proven college players like Sam Young and DeJuan Blair for a virtual unknown in Christian Eyenga. The Cavswill, once again, be among the favorites to win it all in 2010. But I'm not sure they've added enough pieces for the future to convince LeBron James to stay.
[h3]10. Atlanta Hawks[/h3] Key additions:Jamal Crawford,Jeff Teague
The Hawks are still, by and large, a team in limbo. GM Rick Sund has solidified his backcourt by re-signing free agent Mike Bibby, trading for combo guardJamal Crawford and drafting the uber-athletic combo guard Jeff Teague. And he's started to address his front court, agreeing to a four-year deal withcenter Zaza Pachulia. But the frontcourt still has lots of questions.
Williams and Childress are both free agents and the costs are mounting. It appears the Hawks are heading in the direction of having everyone back, but untilwe know for sure on Williams they're still a bit up in the air. http://bbs.hoopchina.com/745944.html
The Knicks didn't get what they wanted in the draft -- a point guard of the future in either Ricky Rubio or Stephen Curry -- but they did draft the best available players with their two first-round picks. Add in the trade of Darko Milicic for Quentin Richardson, and the Knicks upgraded their front line.
But the truth is we won't know how to grade the Knicks' summer for a while. Lee and Robinson are still out there as restricted free agents, and we have no idea whether they will get offer sheets and, if they do, whether the Knicks will match. If the Knicks match, they'll have to trade Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries to clear more cap room in the summer of 2010. But with the cap number likely falling into the $53 million area next summer, will they even have enough cash to lure a top-flight free agent?
Based on what the Knicks have done so far this summer, their roster has gotten a little better. But Knicks fans are expecting more.
[h3]12. Golden State Warriors[/h3] Key additions:Stephen Curry, Acie Law, Speedy Claxton
It's hard to grade the Warriors right now because we're still waiting to see if they can pull off the rumored Amare Stoudemire trade. The proposed deal on draft night had them sending Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli and the No. 7 pick for Stoudemire. But since then the Warriors have been balking at including Curry, whom they drafted with the seventh pick, in the deal.
As it turns out, they think Curry will be perfect in a backcourt with Monta Ellis. I'm not sure I can argue with that. I thought Curry was a great pick on draft night. If the Warriors find a way to pull off the deal without including Curry or Anthony Randolph, they will rocket up this list. If they do include one of them, they'd be giving up a lot for Stoudemire -- maybe too much for them to be a true contender.
[h3]13. Oklahoma City Thunder[/h3] Key additions:James Harden, B.J. Mullens
The Thunder are the "it" team among NBA junkies, who have a crush on Sam Presti for quickly turning a bad team into the best young team in the league. Kevin Durant is a superstar in the making. Russell Westbrook could be special. And Harden is a nice addition -- a savvy guard with an old-school game who will be fine playing third fiddle to Durant and Westbrook. If you factor in that last year's other draft pick, Serge Ibaka, has been looking pretty good in summer league, and that Mullens has enormous potential, the Thunder appear to be bursting at the seams with talent.
However, their reticence to make a play in the free-agent market and their voiding of the Tyson Chandler deal in February mean that the Thunder won't be much better than the squad that suited up last season. Eventually, the Thunder will have to take some risks and add some veterans into the mix. I don't blame Presti for being patient, but next year he's probably going to have to make a big move.
[h3]14. Sacramento Kings[/h3] Key additions:Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Sergio Rodriguez
The Kings are clearly in rebuilding mode and they aren't spending any money. However, they did make a few nice moves on draft night. Tyreke Evans is a terrific, physical slasher who knows how to score. Omri Casspi is tough as nails and has a high-energy game.
Put them together with the acquisition of Andres Nocioni in February and you can no longer call the Kings soft. On the other hand, you also can't call the Kings good. While the additions of Evans and Casspi help Sacramento's future, it's going to be a long time before you see the Kings in the playoffs again.
[h3]15. Utah Jazz[/h3] Key additions:Eric Maynor
The Blazers made Millsap a 4-year, $32 million offer, but the Jazz are expected to match the offer sheet and swallow the hefty $5.6 million signing bonus the Blazers threw in. Now things could get really interesting because the Jazz will incur the luxury tax with Millsap if they match -- a big no-no in past years in Utah. That has led GM Kevin O'Connor to actively pursue trades for Carlos Boozer. The most likely outcome is moving Boozer in a three-way deal with the Blazers and Bulls that provides them some cap relief.
The addition of Maynor was the most underrated move of the draft. He'll be a perfect backup for Deron Williams. Overall the Jazz are on pace to be really good again next season -- just at a much higher price tag.
[h3]16. Indiana Pacers[/h3] Key additions:Tyler Hansbrough, Dahntay Jones
I like the strategy Larry Bird and David Morway are employing in Indiana. They aren't swinging for the fences with their transactions. Instead, they are going for singles and doubles and they've been converting over the past two years. No, Hansbrough isn't a sexy addition, but he should be in the league for 10 years, maybe even as a starter. And he brings the toughness and energy that the Pacers really need. Adding Jones on the perimeter delivers another tough, no nonsense player who can guard multiple positions.
The good news is that if the Pacers can re-sign Jack and Daniels on the cheap, and if Mike Dunleavy comes back healthy, they could make a run at the playoffs next season. The bad news is that even if all of those things happen, the Pacers are still one more star player away from being a serious threat in the East. At some point Bird and Morway are going to have to do something bold if they want to contend like they did before things went downhill after the Palace Brawl.
[h3]17. Phoenix Suns[/h3] Key additions:Channing Frye, Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, Earl Clark
Phoenix GM Steve Kerr broke up one of the most enjoyable teams in NBA history to get O'Neal in 2008. But in about a year's time the Suns went from title contender to lottery team. Last month, the Suns gave Shaq away for cap relief.
It appeared the team was beginning to embark on a major rebuilding project. However, there have been more recent signs that the Suns are still trying to compete. Talks of an Amare Stoudemire trade have cooled considerably, they signed Grant Hill and Channing Frye, and they're making progress with Steve Nash toward a contract extension.
Still, even if Nash, Hill and Stoudemire are all back, do the Suns have enough to make a serious run in the West? With the Lakers still looking dominant, the Nuggets still a threat and the Spurs and Mavs vastly improved, it's going to be harder than ever.
[h3]18. Charlotte Bobcats[/h3] Key additions:Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown
After Larry Brown traded half his roster last season, one would expect he'd trade the other half this summer for sure. While the Bobcats have talent, they aren't the playoff contender he wants them to be. However, the Bobcats have been pretty quiet.
Henderson was a solid addition in the draft and, if they can re-up Felton at a reasonable number, they should be set at guard. But rumors are cropping up again that Gerald Wallace is back on the block, so the Bobcats may not be done reshaping their roster just yet.
[h3]19. Portland Trail Blazers[/h3] Key additions: None
Kevin Pritchard is the most active GM in the league. That's why it's such a shock to be wondering what he's up to on July 8. The team made a huge pitch to Hedo Turkoglu but was left at the altar for the more cosmopolitan Raptors. The Blazers' draft was a disappointment, as well. Pritchard tried to move up high in the draft but couldn't. He ended up taking Spanish forward Victor Claver, who won't play in the league for at least the next two years.
The Blazers are saying they'll be patient. They have cap room and could make a run at David Lee. Or they could sit back and try to be a trade partner for a team trying to clear room. But for a team that came out of the gates saying it had the green light to "go for it" and make a major upgrade, the early results are disappointing.
[h3]20. Miami Heat[/h3] Key additions: None
The Heat have done virtually nothing this summer, much to the chagrin of soon-to-be free agent Dwyane Wade. The team is wisely trying to save its money for next summer when it should have room to add another great player, like Chris Bosh, to the roster. But in the meantime, Wade and Heat fans are wont to be a little frustrated.
[h3]21. Denver Nuggets[/h3] Key additions:Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo
The Nuggets have some serious cap issues that could cause them to slide even further in these rankings. The pickup of Lawson was a nice draft-night move, and they were quick to re-sign Chris Andersen. But they lost a key starter, Dahntay Jones to the Pacers and are in danger of losing another key reserve (Linas Kleiza) if he gets a big offer.
[h3]22. New Orleans Hornets[/h3] Key additions:Darren Collison
The Hornets are another team with financial problems that may end up having to trade away good players for cap relief. They almost did it at the trade deadline with Tyson Chandler and his name has surfaced again in trade rumors this summer. With the team unwilling or unable to spend, Hornets fans have to just hold their breath that the damage won't be too bad.
[h3]23. Chicago Bulls[/h3] Key additions:James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Jannero Pargo
The Bulls made a big, bold move at the trade deadline in February and gave the Celtics all they could handle in the first round of the playoffs. But since then, things haven't gone well. They lost their best scorer, Gordon, to the Pistons. The word is they're shopping their starting power forward, Tyrus Thomas. And I'm still scratching my head a little concerning their draft.
The Bulls still have lots of talent, but losing Gordon means they've taken a step back.
[h3]24. Los Angeles Lakers[/h3] Key additions:Ron Artest
The Lakers ended the season on the ultimate high of winning a championship. But I haven't liked anything they've done since then.
On draft night they traded away the rights to Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverley for cash and future second-round picks, the argument being they needed to save every penny when trying to re-sign Ariza and Odom. Then they turned around and low-balled Ariza and then replaced him with Artest, one of the most unpredictable players in the history of the game. And now the team is struggling to get Odom re-signed.
I know Artest is a talent, but he's unreliable. Why the Lakers would pass the torch from Ariza, who was just coming into his own, to Artest is a risk I just don't understand. And if somehow Odom decides to bolt for a team like Cleveland for the midlevel exception, the Lakers will have taken a big step backward.
Don't get me wrong: Even with Artest and without Odom, the Lakers would have a shot at winning it all again next year, but they would be much less of a sure thing.
[h3]25. Houston Rockets[/h3] Key additions: Trevor Ariza
It's tough to be a Rockets fan right now. Yao Ming might have to miss the entire season with a foot injury. Tracy McGrady is rehabbing again, but you have to wonder if he'll ever be healthy. Ron Artest, who did such a great job of harassing Kobe Bryant in the playoffs, decided that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
And so far the best the Rockets have been able to do is sign Ariza. While he's a talented, athletic wing who in the long run will be an upgrade over Artest, in the short run it's not clear exactly how he'll fit. Put all that together and it looks like the Rockets could be a team in free fall in the West next season.
[h3]26. Philadelphia 76ers[/h3] Key additions:Jrue Holiday, Jason Kapono
The 76ers made the first trade of the offseason, swapping Evans for Kapono. Philly needed the shooting, so that works. And I really liked the Sixers' draft pick, Holiday, a great value at No. 17 in the draft.
But Holiday is not ready to be a big contributor at the point, and the Sixers don't seem close to a deal to re-sign incumbent point guard Miller. If they lose him, the Sixers may take a step back next year, even if Elton Brand is healthy. Miller was the glue and a driving force for that team, and I don't think a combo of Lou Williams and Holiday can replace him.
[h3]27. New Jersey Nets[/h3] Key additions:Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Rafer Alston, Tony Battie
The Nets' draft day was pretty eventful, as for the second straight year they made a major trade to cut payroll. Last year they shipped out Richard Jefferson (for Yi Jianlian and future cap space), and this year it was Carter (for Lee and future cap space).
After the Carter trade, the Nets are going to take a pretty big step backward this season, but they'll take solace in the additions of Lee and Williams, the No. 11 pick. Lee showed a lot of promise as a "Rip Hamilton Jr." in the playoffs, and while he's no Vince Carter, he should be a solid partner in the backcourt with Devin Harris. Williams has the talent of a top-five pick, with great size and athleticism -- he can do just about everything but shoot.
The ultimate success of the Nets' long-range plan won't be known until next summer, when the Nets will have a lot of cap room. If they sign LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or another star, New Jersey honchos Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe will look like geniuses. If they don't, their plan takes a major setback.
[h3]28. Milwaukee Bucks[/h3] Key additions:Brandon Jennings, Amir Johnson
The Bucks took a serious step back when they shipped off Jefferson to the Spurs for nonguaranteed contracts and then didn't give Villanueva a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted, instead of a restricted, free agent. That move essentially handed him over to the Pistons for nothing.
In the place of Jefferson, Villanueva and possibly starting point guard Sessions, a restricted free agent the Bucks may not be willing to pay, the Bucks are banking on young, unproven talents. Their lottery pick, Jennings, is a terrific athlete who can score like crazy. He needs to get stronger, work on his jump shot and settle down a bit, but he has the tools to be great. Last year's lottery pick, Joe Alexander, will step into Jefferson's shoes -- he's another super athlete, but he looked lost for most of his rookie campaign. And replacing Villanueva will be Johnson, a long, athletic big man who was a disappointment last season for the Pistons but might benefit from a change of scenery.
[h3]29. Minnesota Timberwolves[/h3] Key additions:Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila
The Timberwolves had one of the weirdest drafts in NBA history, including the selection of point guards with both of their lottery picks. Two weeks later, we keep waiting to hear about a trade that explains where one of the two -- Rubio or Flynn -- is really going to land, but instead we have Minnesota GM David Kahn saying he wants to keep both of them. Meanwhile, Rubio is threatening to sign with a European team for the next two or three years.
So, to recap: The Wolves sent away two key players on their roster, Foye and Miller, in exchange for some undesirable contracts and a player -- Rubio -- who is threatening that he won't play for the Wolves. If Kahn sorts all of this out, either via trade or by persuading Rubio to come and try his mad experiment, the Wolves will move up in these rankings and I may even call Kahn a genius.
But for now, the team appears to be in disarray and considerably worse off than it was going into the draft. Not a great start for Kahn.
[h3]30. Memphis Grizzlies[/h3] Key additions:Zach Randolph, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young
Though I'm not a huge fan of Thabeet, I understand why the Grizzlies went that way on draft night -- Rubio wasn't cooperating and Thabeet filled a need as an athletic shot blocker. And I really liked their other two picks, Carroll and Young, who will provide some of the toughness the Grizz have lacked.
So why are they all the way at the bottom of the list? Because I'm still trying to make sense of the acquisition of Randolph.
The Grizzlies had lots of spending room under the salary cap, and it appeared they had free agent David Lee ready to be the tough, athletic rebounder they need to complement scorers like Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. Then suddenly, a day into free agency, they passed on Lee and took on the last two years and $33 million of Randolph's contract instead. Randolph is a talented offensive player, but he has a terrible track record of seldom passing the ball and often getting into trouble, making him perhaps the worst possible fit for a franchise trying to build around some talented young players.
[h1]Bryant 'optimistic' Odom will re-sign with Lakers[/h1]
[h3]By ALEX KENNEDY[/h3] [h3]Associated Press Writer[/h3]
SINGAPORE -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is optimistic the NBA champions will re-sign key free agent Lamar Odom.
"I'm optimistic that he'll be back," Bryant said Wednesday at a news conference in Singapore as part of a six-country Asian tour. "He makes us a much, much stronger team."
Negotiations broke down last week and the Lakers retracted a contract offer to Odom. The Miami Heat are also wooing the 6-foot-10 forward.
Odom played a key role off the bench in the Lakers' championship run, averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.
eneyekayee: People, and generally everyone not just Laker fans as you mentioned, dislike the Shaq trade because: a. 18 and 8 is nice, but not necessarily achampionship piece and b. Shaq is 37 and c. the Center position isn't what got us killed against Orlando
I agree with you about ORL's hype right now, but mostly in the direction of their bench. They have a championship starting 5 on paper, but people arefreaking out about their bench on here and I don't agree with it. Also, Alston, Lee, and Hedo made major contributions in the playoffs and they'regone. Like I said a few pages back, ORL on paper is better than CLE, but it's sure as hell not a blowout, and we'll see if the role guys can match lastyear's performance (namely Pietrus, but we won't have to worry about Alston, Lee, and Hedo now
[h1]Bryant 'optimistic' Odom will re-sign with Lakers[/h1]
[h3]By ALEX KENNEDY[/h3] [h3]Associated Press Writer[/h3]
SINGAPORE -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is optimistic the NBA champions will re-sign key free agent Lamar Odom.
"I'm optimistic that he'll be back," Bryant said Wednesday at a news conference in Singapore as part of a six-country Asian tour. "He makes us a much, much stronger team."
Negotiations broke down last week and the Lakers retracted a contract offer to Odom. The Miami Heat are also wooing the 6-foot-10 forward.
Odom played a key role off the bench in the Lakers' championship run, averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.
just hurry up and sign with us odom.... Riley will throw in a bag of skittles and some jolly ranchers... then we can move on to finding a back up PG... or avet and chalmers can come off the bench and bring some energy along with cook, beasley...
the cavs are whack. orlando has had their number for the past what 3 years??? im sorry to say to all cavs fans but just because shaq is in the mix it doesntmake them any better. hes old and slow and im sure he cant keep up with dwight running up and down the court. call me bias but the way i look at it is
the cavs are whack. orlando has had their number for the past what 3 years??? im sorry to say to all cavs fans but just because shaq is in the mix it doesnt make them any better. hes old and slow and im sure he cant keep up with dwight running up and down the court. call me bias but the way i look at it is
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