Save for the last two seasons, Brand has been somewhat durable and can play tough (odd to see a Dukie do that though he did also flash Boozer's shadiness when it comes to verbal agreements). Not too big a fan of Evans though. Rebounds but that's about it. You can find people in the draft or cheap FA to replace him easily. Too short and light to effectively play D against bigger PF's, no offense, and is prone to mistakes. All he's good for is giving Clipper players handjobs (which must be why Brand went there). Kapono I think fits the 76er's more. Gives them a perimeter shooter but he also hustles well.
I know youre a ucla homer which is fine but unfortunately that was the last time Kapono was useful. Well that and in 3 point shooting contests. Evans while replaceable brings toughness and on the interior of an already undersized team thats a quality Philly couldnt afford to lose imo. Brand is getting older. I hope Im wrong but it wouldnt be the first time a player became more fragile as the years went by. Its happened to many a great player and hes had some pretty bad ones the last 2 years. He may never be the same player again. This contract is more and more looking like Larry Johnson as a Knick.
Didn't really factor into my thinking since Kapono was gone before I ever attended classes but Kapono gives them something they've missed when Korver left. Evans had sparse minutes in the Orlando series (not to mention DNP's) and pretty much gave a pedestrian bench performance. If Evans is the answer, I don't want to know what the question is. Sure he brings some toughness but there's a number of guys who can do so and would likely be cheaper possibly also younger. I don't doubt Brand's breaking down which is why I think they may draft a successor at PF.
Like I said, Thaddeus Youngs game has improved each year. He probably would have given you exactly what Kapono gives you. Kapano is very gun shy, not your typical 3 point shooter. Evans is a bad matchup on the Magic players but hes good if youre trying to neutralize say David Lee. He played fairly well vs the Knicks (as everyone does these days) but specifically Lee. Hes the same size as brand anyway and about as athletic at this stage.
Young's game has improved but another shooter to spread the court would be useful for the team. Especially one with some playoff experience. Minus anything scoring and blocking of course. Sixers also like Marreese Speights's development and he does everything Evans can do plus some. Speights's is more athletic, a good rebounder in his own right, and a better shot blocker.
He was pretty damn useful as a heater that one season. If he gets shots..he is absolutely a great rotation player. The guy might be the best pure shooter in the league.
What Jason Kapono needs is a coach who will teach him that 23 foot jumpers are bad, but 24 foot jumpers are good. The chance of making them is roughly the same, yet you get 50% more points for the second one! Honestly, Kapono jacks up more long 2 pointers than anyone. If he's not shooting 3s, he's worthless. As for Kapono for Evans...eh, I think the Sixers missed what Kyle Korver gave them. Brand is fragile, but if he's hurt, they aren't going anywhere anyway; it's not like Evans is going to reproduce Brand's numbers or anything.
Anytime the words "badly outcoached by Stan Van Gundy" are used, you should be in danger of losing your job.
I don't think Brown should be fired; one bad series does not a bad coach make. But Stan Van Gundy is not a good basketball coach. The ways in which he botched the Finals are legion. Granted, it probably only meant the difference between losing in 5 and losing in 6.
I said the same thing in the Finals thread and the Magic fans lost their minds. (well...just a couple of Magic fans in particular) Yeah...SVG sucks. I agree that the difference wasn;t that big...they could have maybe pushed a game 7...maybe..but likely they would have lost in 6.
Per Rotoworld: The Celtics, according to Yahoo! Sports, offered Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Pistons for a package that included Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey, league sources said on Monday. Allen and Rondo have been in the middle of many trade rumors this summer and where there's smoke, you have to think there's fire. However, it is hard to imagine the C's giving up on Rondo after he helped them win a championship a year ago. Allen, on the other hand, seems to be at the top of the Celtics' list of players they hope to move. Source: Yahoo! Sports Related: Rajon Rondo Interesting lineup the C's would be running out there: Stuckey Rip Tayshaun KG Perkins Pretty solid yet you just know they would miss Allen's 3 point shooting. The Rondo/Stuckey part is potentially a close swap as Stuckey played well when he was given 35+ minutes averaging around 17-8
Pierce would start I'm sure. As a Celtics fan I would be happy with the trade even though I love Rondo and Allen's three point shooting is clutch and one of the best in the game.
So I wonder if that means AI is done in Detroit? He prob. is regardless,,,,why would you trade away RIP though?
Dumars apparently took about 10 seconds to shoot that down, but I wonder if that could have been the basis for a deal. Detroit would have been giving up too much, but they also would have gotten the best player in the deal (Rondo) and gotten out from under the misguided contract extension they gave Hamilton. If the Celtics included an Amir Johnson/Kendrick Perkins swap in that trade, I think Detroit would have to give it serious thought. AI is done in Detroit. There is absolutely no chance he will be back. Hamilton feuded with Michael Curry last year and their relationship may be beyond repair. Throw in the aforementioned contract extension that they never should have given him, and I can absolutely see him getting dealt.
The telling point of this statement is when ever they showed the Cavs in a huddle, Brown was no where while his assistant was drawing up plays. They showed that every game. I'm not a huge SVG fan (he yells too much, even when he's winning), but have to admit, he outcoached Brown. As for the Lakers games. Remember, he could/should have been up 3 games to one. You have to admit Courtney Lee lost game two on an easy lay-up that he admitted to making 9 times out of 10. Game four was lost on Howards inability to make 1 free throw in the waining minutes. If players want to take the credit for the win, they need to take the credit for the loss too. SVG's players lost the finals, not his coaching. Every commentary I heard after game 2 was how he drew up a perfect play. Lee just missed that easy lay-up.
That team would be so stacked I completely forgot about Pierce AI has been done in Detroit. I dont believe Detroit intended for one second to resign him or Rasheed Wallace. The Billups/AI trade was so Detroit could clear cap space this year and Im pretty sure they have more then anyone, dealing Rip would just add to it and allow Dumars to make over the team as he sees fit. It would allow for a smooth transition to whatever you want the team to become and not be a multi-year project that all fan bases despise.
but the paparazzi will love it. And he's too big to hide anywhere. Then again he could always go to compton...they wont follow him there
I just know he'll go to a contender, he wants to win. LA makes ALOT of sense, IMO. Odom is a FA, and they could prob. get a better contract with Sheed. Of course Cleveland wouldn't be a bad place for him either.
LA makes sense only if Odom bolts. And I don't think he will. I think Cleveland is the likely destination for Sheed.
Per ESPN, Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. Good trade all around. For the Bucks it clears a bunch of salary after next year and gives them wiggle room to resign Sessions and/or Villanueva, and give Joe Alexander playing time. For San Antonio, it allows them to get a little younger and more athletic. Here's the link. ESPN is apparently working out some kinks in their linking. [ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4281291"]Source: Spurs acquire Jefferson for 3 players - ESPN[/ame]
Amazing deal for the Spurs. This gives them the athletic wing player they lacked when Ginobli went down. It also adds length to their team to allow them to match up better with the Lakers. What a heist.
It's a heist only if they're getting the Jefferson of 3 years ago. He hasn't been nearly the player he was in 05-06. I can't shake the feeling that he's plateaued.
Even he's plateaued he's still better than the crap they gave up for him. He's always good for 18-7 with solid percentages and I can't foresee that changing anytime soon. He's an ideal complimentary player who will ease the scoring burden on timmy d and parker
More wheeling and dealing...life is so cruel as a Knicks fan Per Rotoworld: The Wolves will reportedly trade Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards in exchange for the #5 pick in Thursday's draft, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas and Darius Songaila. Assuming this deal is finalized on Wednesday, the Wizards instantly become a credible playoff team in the East. They also manage to shed three bad contracts without taking any back -- Miller's deal ends after 2009-2010 and Foye becomes a restricted free agent. The Wolves are expected to keep both the #5 pick and their own #6 pick, without looking to move up in the draft. Source: ESPN.com Minor deal: A high-ranking Bucks official said Tuesday that the team is in the process of trading newly acquired center Fabricio Oberto to Detroit for power forward Amir Johnson. If this deal goes through, and it sounds like it will, the Bucks will have a power forward to replace Charlie Villanueva, who may be lost to free agency this summer. Then again, the Bucks do have some added flexibility to re-sign CV and Ramon Sessions after today's three-for-one trade with the Spurs. If Johnson starts for the Bucks he should have a breakout season. Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Wow, I don't know who won that trade. Minnesota gets a million players and the number 5 overall pick, while Washington gets Foye and Miller.
T Wolves are going to want a PG. They were sick of Telfair playing there and Foye isnt a natural one. This is a move for Rubio, Curry or Flynn, whichever is there.
To inconsistent to be a starting player. He can't play Point very good and overall isnt very good. Just another Mchale bonehead move. My bet is either Rubio or Thabeet. Minny lacks a true Center and getting Thabeet would make Jefferson that much better. I believe they can get a PG at 5 or 6 depending on which pick they give up.
but he was constantly injured....i can see them trying to move up and get rubio...the austin daye promise still looks bad...
Washington won the deal. Two quality vets and they offload a bunch of lousy contracts and get rid of a draft pick they didn't really want anyway. GREAT deal for the Wizards. Miller is the kind of player they need to take heat off Arenas, Jamison and Butler. Foye is a guy who I think will be good, but the light bulb hasn't come on yet. I think they want Rubio, it's a question of whether he'll be there. I don't think he's there at 5, but the T'Wolves are talking about a trade up from 5.