ESPN Draft Buzz : Rockets using Landry to try to acquire lotto pick

Latest from Chad Ford

POSTED: June 23 -- 10:16 a.m. ET


Chad Ford: Much has been made that the Grizzlies, Thunder and Kings hold the keys to the draft. But most of the hand wringing by at least a dozen GMs at the moment surrounds what the Washington Wizards will do at No. 5.

We first reported on lottery night that the Wizards would shop their pick. Over the course of the past week, Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld has been pretty open about it, telling the media on Monday that the team was still looking at all options.

"We have a good feel for what we have and we feel we can find a good player [in the draft]," Grunfeld said. "At the same time, we have had some interesting conversations. I think, whether we keep the pick, we're going to get a very solid player. In the meantime, we're going to continue to listen to what other teams have to say."

The Wizards have rebuffed any advances for players like Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. Instead they've put together a pretty basic wish list: Take a couple of our bad contracts, save us some money and give us a veteran or two who can help right now.

Etan Thomas, Mike James and Darius Songaila seem to be the three players the Wizards wouldn't mind getting off the books.

The Wizards have gotten at least 10 offers for the pick, but every team I spoke with that's in the draft was still in the dark about where they stood.

The Knicks have offered Larry Hughes for Thomas and James. The Wolves have reportedly offered Mike Miller. The Celtics would give them Ray Allen. The Rockets would give them Tracy McGrady and Carl Landry. The Bucks would send them Richard Jefferson. The Nets would entertain unloading Vince Carter. The Suns could do something with Shaq. The Blazers could part ways with Steve Blake, Jerryd Bayless or Travis Outlaw.

The question is: Are any of those offers good enough for the No. 5 pick? In most year's, no. But this year, with the Wizards thinking they're poised to make a deep playoff run? It might be enough.

 

Let's face it. The only player on the roster who won't be touched is Yao. Anyone else is fair game.

As good as Landry is, he often disappears and is a liability on defense. He is what he is. If Morey can flip that into a guy with a cheaper contract with similar skills, I'm all for it.

 

Link

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...raft2009/insider/news/story?page=09DraftBuzz2

 

Landry put in his offseason work last summer as well and it got him what? A couple more percentage points on his jumper? His handles didn't improve much, he still didn't develop a go to move. Not much improvement on his hook. He's virtually the same player he was his rookie year, playing the same way, doing the same thing. Don't get me wrong, those things help us a lot and its what makes him valuable, but let's not pretend he's carving himself into a post presence or future all-star (i know you didnt say this, but some fans think this way)......i think too much is made about his jumper, it became consistent and all of a sudden he's on his way to becoming Millsap or West..but notice his jumper is still very much a set shot, which he usually only takes when wide open. He's not very mobile with the ball outside of 8-10 feet, and i'm not saying he should be some kind of guard, but some fans think he's going to become a three point threat, but even if he can develop a good 3 point shot, which is a longshot on its own, it's not going to help much if he can't show the defense he can drive by them if they get up close to cover him.


I definitely agree Landry has proven himself on the court, but Dorsey has very similar natural talent and landry's fundamentals aren't advanced enough tot he point where dorsey can't catch up to him, or come close, in just one season...given that Landry doesn't seem to improve much from year to year, i can see Dorsey eventually catching up by next year...

 

Yeah, this is a little fishy. I think Morey likes a guard somewhere in the top ten, and if we move up I guarantee that's what we're taking. So why trade Landry and further add to our small line-up? If we go guard, I'm thinking Brooks is the one that's shipped. Plus there is no restrictions on Brook's contract.

 

Dorsey is so far behind Landry offensively it will be a miracle if Dorsey "catches up" to Carl before Dorsey turns 30. I don't think you appreciate the huge chasm in skill level between the two players.

Olden Polynice was closer to become Hakeem than Dorsey is to become Landry.

 

i think it's a little of both, but mainly that he doesn't have the higher ceiling they expected. His shot blocking is spotty because he cann't go up and down continuously, he's all or nothing when blocking, he goes up with everything he has and either gets the block or doesn't and ends up completely out of the play. Overall i don't think his D improved like they hoped and length and quickness still bother him like in the Portland series. Plus he's not getting a lot of PT here, they've made a second rounder into a near lottery talent, so they can get good value now and have Dorsey fill in 10-15 mins a game eventually.

 

You lost all credibility from your prior posts comparing Dorsey's jumpshot to Landrys jumpshot. Who is asking Landry to be a post presence or all-star making 3million a year. Landry shoots over 57% from the field for christs sake, one of the highest FG% in the league. Dorsey is strickly a defender period.

 

9 pts, 5 boards, and half a block in 20 mins?
We're not talking all-star numbers here. In a back up role, getting 20 mins a game, i don't see why dorsey can't match these numbers by next year. Im not too sure he'll hit the J as well as Landry, but i think he'll get it good enough not to leave him open.

 

Rebounds for sure, but points no way in hell. If Im an opposing defender and Dorsey is in position down low to score the ball, Im hacking him to death and getting him on the free throw line.

 

Nope don't see that happening. If it was just easy to give someone with no jumper a jumper I'm pretty sure Chuck Hayes would have one by now.

 

Maybe Ben Wallace will develop a solid jumpshot next year too.

 

Ok, I took credit for getting this link from soonerocket, but:

The Knicks have offered Larry Hughes for Thomas and James. The Wolves reportedly have offered Mike Miller. The Celtics would give them Ray Allen. The Rockets would give them Tracy McGrady and Carl Landry. The Bucks would send them Richard Jefferson. The Nets would entertain unloading Vince Carter. The Suns could do something with Shaquille O'Neal. The Blazers could part ways with Steve Blake, Jerryd Bayless or Travis Outlaw.

This is talking about the Wizards' 5th pick.

Tracy McGrady
Carl Landry

for

Etan Thomas
Mike James
#5 pick

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22285

Because Dorsey didn't even average 9 points a game in college playing 25 minutes a game while he was 24 years old and playing against mostly guys who will never sniff the NBA while they are at the age 18, 19, 20, 21, etc.

Because there is no indication that Joey Dorsey can stay on the floor 20 mpg without giving Adelman a heart attack.

He "might" suprise us, but there is no basis for counting on that.

 

Yeah, I saw that, but to even make the salaries work, I think we'd have to take back one more large salary. The Wiz are balking at offers for Caron Butler and I'm not so sure we want Jamison. Even if we did, we'd likely have to add a little more to the deal. So, yeah, LOL.

 

Highway robbery. Morey should resign if He did offer that package.

 

It would be hilarious to see Mike James with us again though.

He and Rafer Alston must have SO much to talk about, lmao!

 

As mentioned, it would have to include more contracts from Washington, so I assume Caron Butler, Washington might consider it if they are big believers in Tracy and to get rid of those contracts, but I doubt it.

Of the list ESPN Insider provided I would say we are the most unlikely destination for the 5th pick.

 

personally, i don't think Landry is...as much as he worked on his game last offseason he didn't improve a lot. I just don't see Landry capable of improving his game more than where its at. He doesn't have the fluidity needed to develop moves, whether it's facing the basket or with his back to it. If he had more length then fluidity wouldnt be such an issue, but being udnersized, he needs to be able to do more than just go straight up, and he really can't.

I see dorsey as the guy who never tried to expand his game because he didn't need to, while landry did and did it earlier. Dorsey's doing it now. He may never shoot quite like Landry, but i think he'll match the inside game, have a decent J, but surpass Landry defensively, better shot blocker, more steals, better pick and roll defender, etc.. If landry is reaching his ceiling, i'd rather have the steals, blocks, and defense than a few percentage points on a jumper.

 

Did I miss something? Is Rafer back on the team?