D
Deleted member 38182
Guest
Hmmm sounds like Cousins probably shoulda slipped to the second round or even go undrafted
OFFICIAL 2010-2011 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD : VOL. MOST. ANTICIPATED. PLAYOFFS. EVER?
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by bigmike23,
- Start date
Hmmm sounds like Cousins probably shoulda slipped to the second round or even go undrafted
D
Deleted member 38182
Guest
Hmmm sounds like Cousins probably shoulda slipped to the second round or even go undrafted
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And crap like that is why we clown Memphis. Why not wait to the offseason to give him that deal? Make sure he keeps up his play all year
Eric Gordon had 2 monster dunks tonight
Eric Gordon had 2 monster dunks tonight
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And crap like that is why we clown Memphis. Why not wait to the offseason to give him that deal? Make sure he keeps up his play all year
Eric Gordon had 2 monster dunks tonight
Eric Gordon had 2 monster dunks tonight
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TThats too much for Conley. Even though i think he's going to have a great season, he hasnt proved much else. If we wouldve waited on the new CBA, he would automatically get a smaller deal even if we had to match.
By doing this, Zach will be the odd man out. You know that the team is keeping Marc. So they gonna choose between OJ and Zbo. My guess is they will choose OJ. I just hope management dont look too stupid after this. Its up to the players to play at the level theyre being paid. So far i got no complaints about Rudys or Conleys performances thus far.Whats even funnier is that they were in the same position early last season with Rudy. Couldve gave him $20mil less than what he got. So guess they felt the ned to give Conley the extension now. If he keeps up avg 15ppg, 8apg, 5rpg, 2spg which he is very capable of, he might get more later on. Just hard to tel now. Hope he keeps this play up.
By doing this, Zach will be the odd man out. You know that the team is keeping Marc. So they gonna choose between OJ and Zbo. My guess is they will choose OJ. I just hope management dont look too stupid after this. Its up to the players to play at the level theyre being paid. So far i got no complaints about Rudys or Conleys performances thus far.Whats even funnier is that they were in the same position early last season with Rudy. Couldve gave him $20mil less than what he got. So guess they felt the ned to give Conley the extension now. If he keeps up avg 15ppg, 8apg, 5rpg, 2spg which he is very capable of, he might get more later on. Just hard to tel now. Hope he keeps this play up.
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TThats too much for Conley. Even though i think he's going to have a great season, he hasnt proved much else. If we wouldve waited on the new CBA, he would automatically get a smaller deal even if we had to match.
By doing this, Zach will be the odd man out. You know that the team is keeping Marc. So they gonna choose between OJ and Zbo. My guess is they will choose OJ. I just hope management dont look too stupid after this. Its up to the players to play at the level theyre being paid. So far i got no complaints about Rudys or Conleys performances thus far.Whats even funnier is that they were in the same position early last season with Rudy. Couldve gave him $20mil less than what he got. So guess they felt the ned to give Conley the extension now. If he keeps up avg 15ppg, 8apg, 5rpg, 2spg which he is very capable of, he might get more later on. Just hard to tel now. Hope he keeps this play up.
By doing this, Zach will be the odd man out. You know that the team is keeping Marc. So they gonna choose between OJ and Zbo. My guess is they will choose OJ. I just hope management dont look too stupid after this. Its up to the players to play at the level theyre being paid. So far i got no complaints about Rudys or Conleys performances thus far.Whats even funnier is that they were in the same position early last season with Rudy. Couldve gave him $20mil less than what he got. So guess they felt the ned to give Conley the extension now. If he keeps up avg 15ppg, 8apg, 5rpg, 2spg which he is very capable of, he might get more later on. Just hard to tel now. Hope he keeps this play up.
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i have more commercial appeal than conley
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i have more commercial appeal than conley
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Originally Posted by ex carrabba fan
Na, there's not gonna be a lockout
Joe Johnson gets 119 million
Rudy Gay gets gets 82 million
David freakin Lee gets 80 million
Brendan freakin Haywood gets 52 million
Travis freakin Outlaw gets 35 million
Amir freakin Johnson gets 34 million
Al Harrington gets 33 million
Wes freakin Matthews gets 33 million
Channing freakin Frye gets 30 million
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Originally Posted by ex carrabba fan
Na, there's not gonna be a lockout
Joe Johnson gets 119 million
Rudy Gay gets gets 82 million
David freakin Lee gets 80 million
Brendan freakin Haywood gets 52 million
Travis freakin Outlaw gets 35 million
Amir freakin Johnson gets 34 million
Al Harrington gets 33 million
Wes freakin Matthews gets 33 million
Channing freakin Frye gets 30 million
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$40 mil for mike conley? Christ
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$40 mil for mike conley? Christ
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This is why I'll never feel sorry for these idiot owners and teams. They offer these players ridiculous money but then complain about losing money or blame the players for not performing. That list above is just a fraction of the bad contracts out there in the NBA. But hey, I'm not gonna blame the players when there are idiots out there willing to give them $100+ million for getting annihilated in the playoffs (Joe Johnson), $30+ million for having 1 decent season (Frye, Matthews) or averaging 5 and 4 over a 5 year career (Amir Johnson).
The league shouldnt cut player salaries, they should find a way to prevent GMs from offering these moronic contracts. I would rather have Zach Randolph run the point than commit to Conley for 5-years.
The league shouldnt cut player salaries, they should find a way to prevent GMs from offering these moronic contracts. I would rather have Zach Randolph run the point than commit to Conley for 5-years.
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This is why I'll never feel sorry for these idiot owners and teams. They offer these players ridiculous money but then complain about losing money or blame the players for not performing. That list above is just a fraction of the bad contracts out there in the NBA. But hey, I'm not gonna blame the players when there are idiots out there willing to give them $100+ million for getting annihilated in the playoffs (Joe Johnson), $30+ million for having 1 decent season (Frye, Matthews) or averaging 5 and 4 over a 5 year career (Amir Johnson).
The league shouldnt cut player salaries, they should find a way to prevent GMs from offering these moronic contracts. I would rather have Zach Randolph run the point than commit to Conley for 5-years.
The league shouldnt cut player salaries, they should find a way to prevent GMs from offering these moronic contracts. I would rather have Zach Randolph run the point than commit to Conley for 5-years.
BTW, happy bday
Not sure if anyone's noticed yet, but so far it's been a really good year for players who spent the summer trying to get out of their supposedly untenable situations. Rudy Fernandez, for instance, has been a major contributor to the Blazers' 3-0 start, while Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets have already knocked off Utah and Houston to start 2-1.
But perhaps the most salvageable situation is in New Orleans, where Chris Paul's push to wriggle out of the Big Easy to someplace else (preferably a place ending in "ew York") sits uncomfortably astride the fact that the Hornets are unbeaten and the Knicks are 1-2.
New Orleans hasn't been mopping up on lottery teams, either. The Hornets' first three victims -- Denver, Milwaukee and San Antonio -- all won at least 46 games last season and were projected to make the postseason this season.
What makes it interesting is that this is all part and parcel of the Hornets' strategy to keep Paul with the Hornets beyond his opt-out year in 2012. They could sign him to an extension as early as next summer, and obviously that task becomes much easier if they can regain their glory from a couple of years ago.
How much easier is a question only Paul knows. No matter how many regular-season games New Orleans wins, it's tough to match the allure of teaming up with, say, Dwight Howard in Orlando or Amare Stoudemire in New York. While his connection to New Orleans runs much deeper than that of Melo in Denver or Fernandez in Portland, one presumes his stay-versus-go decision depends much more on what the Hornets' prospects are for 2012-13 than how they play in the opening weeks of 2010-11.
Nonetheless, the quick start doesn't hurt. At the very least, a strong start from the Hornets probably keeps Paul off the trade market until next summer. Moreover, it stops Paul from pushing even harder for an immediate exit. As one rival exec put it, a bad start would mean, "He's going to start being a real pain."
Apparently that won't happen just yet. But for the Kremlinologists trying to read the tea leaves and determine if Paul will be made available later this season, an important determinant is figuring out whether this start is for real.
Not all the data lines up in the Hornets' favor. New Orleans had a miserable preseason, going 1-7 and ranking 29th in both scoring and scoring margin. And as some of you are growing tired of hearing, preseason results do correlate with regular-season success. In fact, one study showed the correlation to be about as strong as that of the opening two weeks of the regular season.
http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5752430&story=5751777">http://sports.espn.go.com...752430&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-101101#">[+] Enlarge
Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesAfter three games, CP3 is averaging 20 points, 9.3 assists and 6 rebounds for the Hornets.
However, the Hornets have been much better in the games that count, mainly because of a couple of reasons. For starters, they have a really good point guard named Chris Paul. Despite mutterings that he came to camp heavy, Paul has been his usual dominant self in the first three regular-season games -- shooting 50 percent from the floor, handing out 28 assists against four turnovers, and racking up a stellar 30.50 player efficiency rating.
He's also getting more help than he got a season ago. In particular, the Hornets' backcourt depth is now a major strength thanks to the additions of Marco Belinelli, Willie Green and Jerryd Bayless, and the continued development of sixth man Marcus Thornton. Thornton in particular has played well to start the season, averaging better than a point every two minutes on 51.7 percent shooting. This means New Orleans has ball handlers and shot-creators even when Paul is off the floor, and can easily switch to smaller lineups.
Additionally, they have a competent starting frontcourt trio with Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor and David West. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ariza trade because of his overly generous contract -- and he hasn't exactly gone gangbusters in the first three games -- but he does cover an open sore at small forward that had festered the past two seasons.
Whether they can keep this up, however, remains an open question. Regardless of how good they looked in the first three games, New Orleans faces three major obstacles to regaining its footing as a playoff team in the West.
First, of course, is the fact the Hornets are so dependent on the skills of a single great player. If they lose Paul for any length of time they're up the creek, because nobody on the roster can replace his high-efficiency shot-creating or ball-hawking defense.
The second underrated issue is that they face a similar situation in the frontcourt. West and Okafor make a solid starting combo, but the Hornets have the worst frontcourt depth in the league. They've tried to paper it over by using Peja Stojakovic as a small-ball 4 at times, but injuries and/or foul trouble will badly expose a bench rotation that includes retreads like Pops Mensah-Bonsu, .J. Mbenga and Jason Smith.
At some point, one of that motley crew is likely to be starting. While Okafor hasn't missed a game in four years, West has played more than 76 just once and averages 16 games of shelf time per season. That's 16 times somebody like Mbenga, Smith or Stojakovic will have to play heavy minutes. That's a problem, and New Orleans lacks the financial resources and trade assets to solve it easily. (This, in turn, is why I was so flabbergasted by the trade of frontcourt reserves Craig Brackins and Darius Songaila for Green and Smith).
Finally, the Hornets face the little issue of playing in the Western Conference. It's very possible they end up around 45 wins, a total that would seem a lot more impressive if they were in the East and it netted them, say, the fifth or sixth seed in the conference. Out West it might just send them back to the lottery.
Unfortunately, perceptions like that matter -- Paul would probably feel a lot better about his team if they made the postseason and played a tough first-round series, at the very least.
How much they matter, however, is what we can't tell. It's a crucial year for the Hornets, as an impressive season might convince Paul to sign an extension and avoid the kind of, er, melodrama, that we've seen in Denver the past several weeks. But it's also likely the first of several hurdles. Regardless of how well the Hornets play at the start of this season, there's a good chance they'll need to repeat it next November before Paul is sold on the program.
Thus, New Orleans' strong start doesn't necessarily alter the big-picture much on CP's future. It's just a lot better than the alternative.
http://[h3][/h3][h3]Why Smith could be traded[/h3]
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[h5]Josh Smith | Hawks [/h5]
Now that Al Horford has signed a five-year, $60 million extension, the Hawks have about $313.5 million in committed salaries through the 2015-16 season. They don't have any issues regarding the luxury tax this season, but 2011-12 could be different as they already have $65.24 million on the books with just nine players under contract.
Looking at 2011-12, ESPN.com's Chad Ford wonders if Atlanta will make a trade to reduce their future salaries and if Josh Smith will be the player that's moved.
Ford writes: "That situation is already leading to speculation that GM Rick Sund may be forced to put Josh Smith on the market soon. Sund briefly flirted with trading Smith last summer, before pulling back. While no one is claiming he's been made available yet, a number of GMs around the league expect his name to be in the mix by the February trade deadline. ... A number of teams, including the Knicks, Nets, Pistons and Suns, have shown interest in the high-flying forward in the past. It will be interesting to see if talks heat up as we get closer to February."
Smith is signed though the 2012-13 season and is owed a total of $37.5 million. Smith is on the books for $11.7 million this year.
http://[h3]Broken finger hindering Childress[/h3]
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[h5]Josh Childress | Suns [/h5]
Josh Childress is playing with a splint on his broken right-index finger and he'll have to wear it for at least four more weeks.
"I'm trying to not think about it and just play," Childress told The Arizona Republic. "There will be a play where I go up for a rebound or I try to go for a steal, and I start thinking about it again. It's probably going to bother me until it's healed."
The four-week timetable means he'll have to wear it for 14 more games. During that time he may continue to be selective when he shoots. So far he has taken only 10 shots.
http://[h3]Davis admits he was out of shape[/h3]
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[h5]Baron Davis | Clippers [/h5]
Baron Davis did not play Monday against the Spurs due to a sore left knee. Head coach Vinny Del Negro, who criticized his point guard at the beginning of training camp, said the lack of conditioning in the offseason is the reason for the issues with the knee.
"Baron knows he was behind in his conditioning and he's had to work so hard to get in condition that he's had to put some extra strain on his knee," Del Negro told Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "That causes a lot of problems for everybody; for Baron, for the team, for everyone involved. He needs to be a leader and a catalyst for this team and by not preparing the right way he's hurting himself and hurting the group and he knows that. He needs to do a better job in that area. He needs to grow and he needs to get smarter about it. He's not 22 anymore. He's 31. He's got to do a better job in the offseason of keeping himself in condition and understanding his responsibility."
Davis admitted he wasn't in shape when training camp began.
"I usually get in shape in August," Davis said. "I've been doing that for the last six years of my career. This August I started working out and getting ready to go and it got a lot harder. It wasn't like I wasn't doing anything but my body wasn't responding as quickly as it usually does and I think I kind of faced that reality this summer. That was a problem that hit me and kind of caught me off guard because it never really happened to me before in my career. Getting in shape was never really a problem for me before but these nagging injuries have taught me a lesson. This summer was a dose of reality that I need to start training differently and earlier."
http://[h3]Varejao happy with Cavs[/h3]
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[h5]Anderson Varejao | Cavaliers [/h5]
Teams may be asking about Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, but the team has no desire to trade him and he wants to stay in Cleveland.
"I'm happy here," Varejao told The News-Herald. "This is my seventh season (in Cleveland). I love this city. I'm good with everything. This is just the beginning. We've played three games. Let's see how things go."
According to the newspaper, Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, asked his client about the team before the season and Varejao said he wanted to remain in Cleveland.
Reportedly there have been rumors that Varejao wanted to be moved, but obviously that is not true.
http://[h3]George will stay ahead of Rush[/h3]
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[h5]Paul George | Pacers [/h5]
Rookie Paul George has been the backup at shooting guard and small forward to start the season and that will continue when Brandon Rush return from his five-game suspension.
"Brandon will be the second wing off the bench with a coach that only wants to play three wings," O'Brien told The Indianapolis Star. "There will be times where Brandon gets an opportunity. If Paul is not guarding and guys are going by him, I will sub Brandon in for him in a second. If Paul's turning the basketball over, I'll sub (for) him."
The other two wings are starters Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy.
"I think he's pretty far along for a 20-year-old," O'Brien said. "He doesn't get transition defense yet. The other thing offensively is he doesn't understand the best use of the dribble. He can make real good strides if he can improve on those things."
http://[h3]No disrespect to LeBron[/h3]
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[h5]Anthony Tolliver | Timberwolves | Interested: Heat? [/h5]
When LeBron James announced he was coming to Miami it was called, "The Decision." When Anthony Tolliver signed with Minnesota he called it, "The Decision: Part Deux" and posted it on YouTube. Tolliver says he was not being critical of James.
"If he sees the video, he should know it had nothing to do with him personally," Tolliver told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It was more of me having fun with the situation. I didn't make the video for him. I made it for people who know me, my family and friends. I try to tell people it had nothing to do with him. It was just one of those things that blew up."
James hasn't seen the clip and only said, "We play Minnesota twice," when asked about it.
http://[h3]Bass not ahead of Anderson[/h3]
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[h5]Brandon Bass | Magic [/h5]
Brandon Bass may have been the first player off the bench for the Magic in their first two games, but that doesn't mean he's beaten out Ryan Anderson for the backup power forward position.
"Not at all," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy tells the Orlando Sentinel.
Van Gundy plans to give both of them plenty of time and will use them depending on the defensive matchups.
"Those guys have both been so good through this whole first month, I don't want to bury either one of them on the bench," Van Gundy said. "I think it's too important to our team that we keep both of them alive and working and getting better, so that we have the flexibility of working with them both."
http://[h3]Karl thrilled to have Harrington[/h3]
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[h5]Al Harrington | Nuggets [/h5]
Al Harrington has played well to start the season, which is thrilling for head coach George Karl.
"Most people know, shooting 4s are huge in this league," Karl told The Denver Post. "Almost every team that wins a championship has a shooting 4 of some sort. Lamar Odom might not be a shooting 4, but he's an offensive 4 for with Lakers. James Posey has won championships, Robert Horry has won a lot of championships. It just seems like there's a personality. San Antonio believes in the shooting 4. I'm just happy to have one. We haven't had a true shooting 4 like Al. Once he gets healthy we can experiment actually playing some at 3, playing big -- that's usually not my forte, but I have thought about it."
Harrington is averaging 16.3 points in about 26 minutes per game coming off the bench for the Nuggets.
http://[h3]No extension doesn't bother Afflalo[/h3]
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[h5]Arron Afflalo | Nuggets [/h5]
Arron Afflalo would have liked to sign an extension, but it didn't happen and he's not upset.
"I believe it's a privileged position to even be having the ability to have that conversation right now, with only two or three guys in my class even signing," Afflalo told The Denver Post. "So, from that standpoint, if my agent and management were talking, I definitely appreciate it. ... I put my best foot forward."
"It's the nature of the business," Afflalo added. "I value this organization, and I hope they value me. We'll see what happens next summer."
Afflalo will be a restricted free agent in July.
http://[h3]Randolph has a bruised tailbone[/h3]
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[h5]Zach Randolph | Grizzlies [/h5]
Zach Randolph had a MRI which showed he only has a bruised tailbone. He was injured last Wednesday against the Hawks.
"The thing about it is I'm left-handed and (the bruise) is on my right side so I jump off my right side," Randolph told The Commercial-Appeal. "The doctor said I might not be 100 percent for a week or two. I want to play (against the Lakers). I'm definitely going to play on this road trip."
"We're doing everything," Randolph said.
He plans on wearing extra padding to protect the injury.
The Grizzlies are in Los Angeles and play the Lakers on Tuesday night.
http://[h3]Conley agrees to $45 million deal[/h3]
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[h5]Mike Conley | Grizzlies [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Monday night that Memphis had agreed to a five-year, $45 million extension with point guard Mike Conley. Five million of the total is based on various incentives.
According to Broussard, Memphis wanted to lockdown Conley after watching him play in the preseason and the first few games of the regular season.
"Did I envision that Mike would play like this? Yes," Mike Conley Sr. said on Monday. "But I did not have confidence that the Grizzlies would embrace him like they have with this contract. The first thing I told them when we began negotiating was that I didn't want to go further with these discussions unless Mike was their guy. They said he's their guy."
http://[h3]Dudley agrees to five-year extension[/h3]
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[h5]Jared Dudley | Suns [/h5]
Jared Dudley and the Suns agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million extension with just 10 minutes left until the deadline passed on Monday night.
According to The Arizona Republic, Dudley will make $4.25 million each season and can earn another $250,000 in playoff bonuses by making the second round or conference finals. Dudley can also become a free agent after the fourth season of the deal.
Dudley tweeted Monday night, "Yes Suns fans!!!! 5 yr Max deal!!!!!! Lol ok not max but a fair and good deal.. Glad to be apart of this org future."
http://[h3]Dampier in, Taylor out[/h3]
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[h5]Jermaine Taylor | Rockets [/h5]
UPDATE: As of Monday the Rockets had not officially made a roster move to open up a spot for Dampier, but Taylor is aware that his time with the team could be coming to an end very soon.
"I haven't heard anything," Taylor told the Houston Chronicle. "I knew from reading the articles that someone was getting released. My name came up. I saw it a few times. That's nothing I can control. As long as I'm in the league, I'm happy. It doesn't matter where I am. I'd like to be here, but if things don't work out the way I want them to, oh well. I'll have to go somewhere else."
"He is caught in a numbers crunch," head coach Rick Adelman said. "He's worked hard. He worked hard all summer long. It's just a situation, there's not much anybody can do about it."
The Rockets were very high on Taylor and that's why they paid $2.4 million to get his draft rights from Washington in the 2009 draft.
----
The Rockets and free agent center Erick Dampier have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, but it can't become official until the team waives or trades a player to open up a spot on the 15-man roster.
The Houston Chronicle reports second-year guard Jermaine Taylor is the player who is expected to be on his way out.
Taylor, who was acquired via a 2009 draft day trade from Washington after being selected with the No. 32 pick, did not get lot of time last season and has not played in the first two games this season.
Taylor has three years remaining on his contract, but only this season is guaranteed.
http://[h3]Brooks cool with Rockets' decision[/h3]
4:43AM ET
[h5]Aaron Brooks | Rockets [/h5]
Aaron Brooks, like most of the 2007 first round picks, wasn't offered an extension. In late September he had voiced his frustration about not even being able to discuss a new deal with the Rockets, but on Monday he was okay with the decision.
"We talked about it," Brooks told the Houston Chronicle. "They explained their reasoning. I'm cool with that. I'll move on."
"I'll just leave it alone," Brooks added. "There's nothing you can do about it. It's over. We have a season to play."
Brooks will be a restricted free agent in July.
BTW, happy bday
Not sure if anyone's noticed yet, but so far it's been a really good year for players who spent the summer trying to get out of their supposedly untenable situations. Rudy Fernandez, for instance, has been a major contributor to the Blazers' 3-0 start, while Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets have already knocked off Utah and Houston to start 2-1.
But perhaps the most salvageable situation is in New Orleans, where Chris Paul's push to wriggle out of the Big Easy to someplace else (preferably a place ending in "ew York") sits uncomfortably astride the fact that the Hornets are unbeaten and the Knicks are 1-2.
New Orleans hasn't been mopping up on lottery teams, either. The Hornets' first three victims -- Denver, Milwaukee and San Antonio -- all won at least 46 games last season and were projected to make the postseason this season.
What makes it interesting is that this is all part and parcel of the Hornets' strategy to keep Paul with the Hornets beyond his opt-out year in 2012. They could sign him to an extension as early as next summer, and obviously that task becomes much easier if they can regain their glory from a couple of years ago.
How much easier is a question only Paul knows. No matter how many regular-season games New Orleans wins, it's tough to match the allure of teaming up with, say, Dwight Howard in Orlando or Amare Stoudemire in New York. While his connection to New Orleans runs much deeper than that of Melo in Denver or Fernandez in Portland, one presumes his stay-versus-go decision depends much more on what the Hornets' prospects are for 2012-13 than how they play in the opening weeks of 2010-11.
Nonetheless, the quick start doesn't hurt. At the very least, a strong start from the Hornets probably keeps Paul off the trade market until next summer. Moreover, it stops Paul from pushing even harder for an immediate exit. As one rival exec put it, a bad start would mean, "He's going to start being a real pain."
Apparently that won't happen just yet. But for the Kremlinologists trying to read the tea leaves and determine if Paul will be made available later this season, an important determinant is figuring out whether this start is for real.
Not all the data lines up in the Hornets' favor. New Orleans had a miserable preseason, going 1-7 and ranking 29th in both scoring and scoring margin. And as some of you are growing tired of hearing, preseason results do correlate with regular-season success. In fact, one study showed the correlation to be about as strong as that of the opening two weeks of the regular season.
http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5752430&story=5751777">http://sports.espn.go.com...752430&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-101101#">[+] Enlarge
Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesAfter three games, CP3 is averaging 20 points, 9.3 assists and 6 rebounds for the Hornets.
However, the Hornets have been much better in the games that count, mainly because of a couple of reasons. For starters, they have a really good point guard named Chris Paul. Despite mutterings that he came to camp heavy, Paul has been his usual dominant self in the first three regular-season games -- shooting 50 percent from the floor, handing out 28 assists against four turnovers, and racking up a stellar 30.50 player efficiency rating.
He's also getting more help than he got a season ago. In particular, the Hornets' backcourt depth is now a major strength thanks to the additions of Marco Belinelli, Willie Green and Jerryd Bayless, and the continued development of sixth man Marcus Thornton. Thornton in particular has played well to start the season, averaging better than a point every two minutes on 51.7 percent shooting. This means New Orleans has ball handlers and shot-creators even when Paul is off the floor, and can easily switch to smaller lineups.
Additionally, they have a competent starting frontcourt trio with Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor and David West. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ariza trade because of his overly generous contract -- and he hasn't exactly gone gangbusters in the first three games -- but he does cover an open sore at small forward that had festered the past two seasons.
Whether they can keep this up, however, remains an open question. Regardless of how good they looked in the first three games, New Orleans faces three major obstacles to regaining its footing as a playoff team in the West.
First, of course, is the fact the Hornets are so dependent on the skills of a single great player. If they lose Paul for any length of time they're up the creek, because nobody on the roster can replace his high-efficiency shot-creating or ball-hawking defense.
The second underrated issue is that they face a similar situation in the frontcourt. West and Okafor make a solid starting combo, but the Hornets have the worst frontcourt depth in the league. They've tried to paper it over by using Peja Stojakovic as a small-ball 4 at times, but injuries and/or foul trouble will badly expose a bench rotation that includes retreads like Pops Mensah-Bonsu, .J. Mbenga and Jason Smith.
At some point, one of that motley crew is likely to be starting. While Okafor hasn't missed a game in four years, West has played more than 76 just once and averages 16 games of shelf time per season. That's 16 times somebody like Mbenga, Smith or Stojakovic will have to play heavy minutes. That's a problem, and New Orleans lacks the financial resources and trade assets to solve it easily. (This, in turn, is why I was so flabbergasted by the trade of frontcourt reserves Craig Brackins and Darius Songaila for Green and Smith).
Finally, the Hornets face the little issue of playing in the Western Conference. It's very possible they end up around 45 wins, a total that would seem a lot more impressive if they were in the East and it netted them, say, the fifth or sixth seed in the conference. Out West it might just send them back to the lottery.
Unfortunately, perceptions like that matter -- Paul would probably feel a lot better about his team if they made the postseason and played a tough first-round series, at the very least.
How much they matter, however, is what we can't tell. It's a crucial year for the Hornets, as an impressive season might convince Paul to sign an extension and avoid the kind of, er, melodrama, that we've seen in Denver the past several weeks. But it's also likely the first of several hurdles. Regardless of how well the Hornets play at the start of this season, there's a good chance they'll need to repeat it next November before Paul is sold on the program.
Thus, New Orleans' strong start doesn't necessarily alter the big-picture much on CP's future. It's just a lot better than the alternative.
http://[h3][/h3][h3]Why Smith could be traded[/h3]
9:52AM ET
[h5]Josh Smith | Hawks [/h5]
Now that Al Horford has signed a five-year, $60 million extension, the Hawks have about $313.5 million in committed salaries through the 2015-16 season. They don't have any issues regarding the luxury tax this season, but 2011-12 could be different as they already have $65.24 million on the books with just nine players under contract.
Looking at 2011-12, ESPN.com's Chad Ford wonders if Atlanta will make a trade to reduce their future salaries and if Josh Smith will be the player that's moved.
Ford writes: "That situation is already leading to speculation that GM Rick Sund may be forced to put Josh Smith on the market soon. Sund briefly flirted with trading Smith last summer, before pulling back. While no one is claiming he's been made available yet, a number of GMs around the league expect his name to be in the mix by the February trade deadline. ... A number of teams, including the Knicks, Nets, Pistons and Suns, have shown interest in the high-flying forward in the past. It will be interesting to see if talks heat up as we get closer to February."
Smith is signed though the 2012-13 season and is owed a total of $37.5 million. Smith is on the books for $11.7 million this year.
http://[h3]Broken finger hindering Childress[/h3]
9:27AM ET
[h5]Josh Childress | Suns [/h5]
Josh Childress is playing with a splint on his broken right-index finger and he'll have to wear it for at least four more weeks.
"I'm trying to not think about it and just play," Childress told The Arizona Republic. "There will be a play where I go up for a rebound or I try to go for a steal, and I start thinking about it again. It's probably going to bother me until it's healed."
The four-week timetable means he'll have to wear it for 14 more games. During that time he may continue to be selective when he shoots. So far he has taken only 10 shots.
http://[h3]Davis admits he was out of shape[/h3]
9:04AM ET
[h5]Baron Davis | Clippers [/h5]
Baron Davis did not play Monday against the Spurs due to a sore left knee. Head coach Vinny Del Negro, who criticized his point guard at the beginning of training camp, said the lack of conditioning in the offseason is the reason for the issues with the knee.
"Baron knows he was behind in his conditioning and he's had to work so hard to get in condition that he's had to put some extra strain on his knee," Del Negro told Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "That causes a lot of problems for everybody; for Baron, for the team, for everyone involved. He needs to be a leader and a catalyst for this team and by not preparing the right way he's hurting himself and hurting the group and he knows that. He needs to do a better job in that area. He needs to grow and he needs to get smarter about it. He's not 22 anymore. He's 31. He's got to do a better job in the offseason of keeping himself in condition and understanding his responsibility."
Davis admitted he wasn't in shape when training camp began.
"I usually get in shape in August," Davis said. "I've been doing that for the last six years of my career. This August I started working out and getting ready to go and it got a lot harder. It wasn't like I wasn't doing anything but my body wasn't responding as quickly as it usually does and I think I kind of faced that reality this summer. That was a problem that hit me and kind of caught me off guard because it never really happened to me before in my career. Getting in shape was never really a problem for me before but these nagging injuries have taught me a lesson. This summer was a dose of reality that I need to start training differently and earlier."
http://[h3]Varejao happy with Cavs[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Anderson Varejao | Cavaliers [/h5]
Teams may be asking about Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, but the team has no desire to trade him and he wants to stay in Cleveland.
"I'm happy here," Varejao told The News-Herald. "This is my seventh season (in Cleveland). I love this city. I'm good with everything. This is just the beginning. We've played three games. Let's see how things go."
According to the newspaper, Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, asked his client about the team before the season and Varejao said he wanted to remain in Cleveland.
Reportedly there have been rumors that Varejao wanted to be moved, but obviously that is not true.
http://[h3]George will stay ahead of Rush[/h3]
7:21AM ET
[h5]Paul George | Pacers [/h5]
Rookie Paul George has been the backup at shooting guard and small forward to start the season and that will continue when Brandon Rush return from his five-game suspension.
"Brandon will be the second wing off the bench with a coach that only wants to play three wings," O'Brien told The Indianapolis Star. "There will be times where Brandon gets an opportunity. If Paul is not guarding and guys are going by him, I will sub Brandon in for him in a second. If Paul's turning the basketball over, I'll sub (for) him."
The other two wings are starters Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy.
"I think he's pretty far along for a 20-year-old," O'Brien said. "He doesn't get transition defense yet. The other thing offensively is he doesn't understand the best use of the dribble. He can make real good strides if he can improve on those things."
http://[h3]No disrespect to LeBron[/h3]
6:52AM ET
[h5]Anthony Tolliver | Timberwolves | Interested: Heat? [/h5]
When LeBron James announced he was coming to Miami it was called, "The Decision." When Anthony Tolliver signed with Minnesota he called it, "The Decision: Part Deux" and posted it on YouTube. Tolliver says he was not being critical of James.
"If he sees the video, he should know it had nothing to do with him personally," Tolliver told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It was more of me having fun with the situation. I didn't make the video for him. I made it for people who know me, my family and friends. I try to tell people it had nothing to do with him. It was just one of those things that blew up."
James hasn't seen the clip and only said, "We play Minnesota twice," when asked about it.
http://[h3]Bass not ahead of Anderson[/h3]
6:39AM ET
[h5]Brandon Bass | Magic [/h5]
Brandon Bass may have been the first player off the bench for the Magic in their first two games, but that doesn't mean he's beaten out Ryan Anderson for the backup power forward position.
"Not at all," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy tells the Orlando Sentinel.
Van Gundy plans to give both of them plenty of time and will use them depending on the defensive matchups.
"Those guys have both been so good through this whole first month, I don't want to bury either one of them on the bench," Van Gundy said. "I think it's too important to our team that we keep both of them alive and working and getting better, so that we have the flexibility of working with them both."
http://[h3]Karl thrilled to have Harrington[/h3]
6:03AM ET
[h5]Al Harrington | Nuggets [/h5]
Al Harrington has played well to start the season, which is thrilling for head coach George Karl.
"Most people know, shooting 4s are huge in this league," Karl told The Denver Post. "Almost every team that wins a championship has a shooting 4 of some sort. Lamar Odom might not be a shooting 4, but he's an offensive 4 for with Lakers. James Posey has won championships, Robert Horry has won a lot of championships. It just seems like there's a personality. San Antonio believes in the shooting 4. I'm just happy to have one. We haven't had a true shooting 4 like Al. Once he gets healthy we can experiment actually playing some at 3, playing big -- that's usually not my forte, but I have thought about it."
Harrington is averaging 16.3 points in about 26 minutes per game coming off the bench for the Nuggets.
http://[h3]No extension doesn't bother Afflalo[/h3]
5:48AM ET
[h5]Arron Afflalo | Nuggets [/h5]
Arron Afflalo would have liked to sign an extension, but it didn't happen and he's not upset.
"I believe it's a privileged position to even be having the ability to have that conversation right now, with only two or three guys in my class even signing," Afflalo told The Denver Post. "So, from that standpoint, if my agent and management were talking, I definitely appreciate it. ... I put my best foot forward."
"It's the nature of the business," Afflalo added. "I value this organization, and I hope they value me. We'll see what happens next summer."
Afflalo will be a restricted free agent in July.
http://[h3]Randolph has a bruised tailbone[/h3]
5:40AM ET
[h5]Zach Randolph | Grizzlies [/h5]
Zach Randolph had a MRI which showed he only has a bruised tailbone. He was injured last Wednesday against the Hawks.
"The thing about it is I'm left-handed and (the bruise) is on my right side so I jump off my right side," Randolph told The Commercial-Appeal. "The doctor said I might not be 100 percent for a week or two. I want to play (against the Lakers). I'm definitely going to play on this road trip."
"We're doing everything," Randolph said.
He plans on wearing extra padding to protect the injury.
The Grizzlies are in Los Angeles and play the Lakers on Tuesday night.
http://[h3]Conley agrees to $45 million deal[/h3]
5:25AM ET
[h5]Mike Conley | Grizzlies [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Monday night that Memphis had agreed to a five-year, $45 million extension with point guard Mike Conley. Five million of the total is based on various incentives.
According to Broussard, Memphis wanted to lockdown Conley after watching him play in the preseason and the first few games of the regular season.
"Did I envision that Mike would play like this? Yes," Mike Conley Sr. said on Monday. "But I did not have confidence that the Grizzlies would embrace him like they have with this contract. The first thing I told them when we began negotiating was that I didn't want to go further with these discussions unless Mike was their guy. They said he's their guy."
http://[h3]Dudley agrees to five-year extension[/h3]
5:13AM ET
[h5]Jared Dudley | Suns [/h5]
Jared Dudley and the Suns agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million extension with just 10 minutes left until the deadline passed on Monday night.
According to The Arizona Republic, Dudley will make $4.25 million each season and can earn another $250,000 in playoff bonuses by making the second round or conference finals. Dudley can also become a free agent after the fourth season of the deal.
Dudley tweeted Monday night, "Yes Suns fans!!!! 5 yr Max deal!!!!!! Lol ok not max but a fair and good deal.. Glad to be apart of this org future."
http://[h3]Dampier in, Taylor out[/h3]
4:51AM ET
[h5]Jermaine Taylor | Rockets [/h5]
UPDATE: As of Monday the Rockets had not officially made a roster move to open up a spot for Dampier, but Taylor is aware that his time with the team could be coming to an end very soon.
"I haven't heard anything," Taylor told the Houston Chronicle. "I knew from reading the articles that someone was getting released. My name came up. I saw it a few times. That's nothing I can control. As long as I'm in the league, I'm happy. It doesn't matter where I am. I'd like to be here, but if things don't work out the way I want them to, oh well. I'll have to go somewhere else."
"He is caught in a numbers crunch," head coach Rick Adelman said. "He's worked hard. He worked hard all summer long. It's just a situation, there's not much anybody can do about it."
The Rockets were very high on Taylor and that's why they paid $2.4 million to get his draft rights from Washington in the 2009 draft.
----
The Rockets and free agent center Erick Dampier have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, but it can't become official until the team waives or trades a player to open up a spot on the 15-man roster.
The Houston Chronicle reports second-year guard Jermaine Taylor is the player who is expected to be on his way out.
Taylor, who was acquired via a 2009 draft day trade from Washington after being selected with the No. 32 pick, did not get lot of time last season and has not played in the first two games this season.
Taylor has three years remaining on his contract, but only this season is guaranteed.
http://[h3]Brooks cool with Rockets' decision[/h3]
4:43AM ET
[h5]Aaron Brooks | Rockets [/h5]
Aaron Brooks, like most of the 2007 first round picks, wasn't offered an extension. In late September he had voiced his frustration about not even being able to discuss a new deal with the Rockets, but on Monday he was okay with the decision.
"We talked about it," Brooks told the Houston Chronicle. "They explained their reasoning. I'm cool with that. I'll move on."
"I'll just leave it alone," Brooks added. "There's nothing you can do about it. It's over. We have a season to play."
Brooks will be a restricted free agent in July.
- 92,708
- 128,932
There's no way the Grizzlies can pay Rudy, Conley, Gasol and then one of those two. The writing has already been on the wall with Juice for awhile thanks to the trade rumors and acquistions of Tony Allen and Xavier Henry. With Darrell Arthur playing well, management may feel comfortable letting Z-Bo leave.
- 92,708
- 128,932
There's no way the Grizzlies can pay Rudy, Conley, Gasol and then one of those two. The writing has already been on the wall with Juice for awhile thanks to the trade rumors and acquistions of Tony Allen and Xavier Henry. With Darrell Arthur playing well, management may feel comfortable letting Z-Bo leave.
- 4,184
- 10
That Kings/Raptors game last night was exciting. I'm loving this League Pass free preview, but don't feel like throwing down the money for it during the season.
- 4,184
- 10
That Kings/Raptors game last night was exciting. I'm loving this League Pass free preview, but don't feel like throwing down the money for it during the season.
- 8,762
- 13
Somewhat surprised that Brooks and the Rockets didnt come to an agreement on an extension.
- 8,762
- 13
Somewhat surprised that Brooks and the Rockets didnt come to an agreement on an extension.
- 92,708
- 128,932
