Elton Brand and Al Jefferson.... I doubt we get Jefferson, but Elton Brand... would he fit? Or is he too injury prone?
This. Some good suggestions in this thread.. Monta Ellis and Beasley are the two I'd keep my eye on. Monta could probably win right now with the right supporting cast.. Beasley is more one of those guys who figures it out in a few years and becomes a really good player.
Great topic, here are a few ideas: Ben Gordon: I think Detroit should be arrested for the wrongful imprisonment of Gordon's career. Houston could get this guy very cheap (3 or 4 expiring contracts of players who never play anyway should do it) and he could score 20 a game like he did the last time he was in Chicago. Detroit may even give away their 1st round pick to be rid of him. Andrew Bogut: Even though he was injury plagued last season he played 65 games, blocked 2.6 shots a game and rebounded well. Love seeing someone play through adversity like that. He may not be too cheap though.
I like Ellis and a lot of the people everyone is posting on here as well, but remember, our good Venezuelan CarlHerrerra said the next Zach Randolph, so we are talking about someone you could get on the cheap. You're not getting Jefferson or Ellis on the cheap -- those are the players those teams are building around. Same for Joe Johnson.
Dalembert can be a defensive force in the middle. We need to pay this guy in the summer to protect the rim. We can develop a similar defensive scheme like when we had yao healthy. Our wing players can funnel their guys into the shotblocker. Thabeet could be a solid backup to him. If we were protecting the rim at all times, luis scola's and kevin martin's defensive shortcomings can easily be masked.
You might be able to get Jefferson, but not Ellis. You certainly couldn't get Bogut for cheap though.
Fair enough -- I was kind of thinking Bogut wouldn't be cheap myself but wasn't sure... I think Gordon is the way to go. Perfect Randolph formula: a player with some playoff experience, able to score 20 ppg, get near a 20 PER -- and you could probably get him AND the 7th pick for T Will, Thabeet, Jordan Hill and the 14th pick. It would make trading away Martin for prospects like you propose LongTimeFan a lot more palatable.
None of these guys are a "Randolph". Randolph is a 20/10 guy even when he's not motivated. How many proven producers are there out there that teams are willing to move. I think Ellis is the closest to that description but he's only has half of Randolph's production.
Z-Bo's biggest problem before is not really his production, it was how he bogged down the offense and destroyed whatever offensive flow the team had with how much he hogged the ball. His play during the Blazer era was a lot like how Cory Maggette played on GS-good stats, but he was dragging the team production down. Now Z-Bo is actually becoming involved in the offense instead of doing his own thing. That's why although the production is similar (same old 20-10 ish), the impact on the team is several times over. As to potential Z-Bo like targets, some guys I think of are: 1) Ben Gordon -10M is fair value if you're getting a prime BG, his o was almost as efficient as Martin this year except he can also make difficult shots and clutch plays. 2) OJ Mayo -one of the better two-way players in the league, got buried because of Tony Allen's out of the blue emergence. 3) Bogut -someone good enough to be on par with Pau Gasol IMHO. Too bad Milwaukee won't let him walk for peanuts.
Its a crazy notion, but you mean as little boys with way to much money grow older, they mature? Who woulda thought Ron Artest would become a classy guy now (almost). Randolph and Wallace were part of the Jailblazers (at the same time if I'm not mistaken). The only exception seems to be guys like Iverson and Marbury who come in to the league expecting to dominate. But to answer the question, I'd say Andray Blatche. 6'11", 260 putting up solid numbers under the radar in a city run by John Wall.
Bargnani could probably be stolen away too. The skillset and talent are obviously there. I think most people forgot he went #1 overall 5 years ago. He's improved every season. He's 26, reaching the point where potential becomes a ceiling. If he could be around some proven talent and solid coaching, I don't see why he couldn't be a very pleasant surprise.
Sorry for the triple post, but Michael Beasley. He's 22, hasn't been in a solid team atmosphere yet, and I get the impression he's a "head case". But he sure puts up solid numbers. I'm skeptical of the high fliers because of the always present danger of serious injury, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Beasley eventually overtake Rose as the star of that draft.
I agree. I see people arguing that Memphis's success validates the Gasol trade debacle. (3 staright Finals/2 Titles for the Lakers vs 1 playoff series win.). Really Mike Conley's improved play and Z-bo's video game power forward act is the reason for their success. Sam Young is a nice role player as well. (We shoulda took him over JT).
Yes it is still an unfair trade and the new CBA needs to have to veto trades, but you don't think getting Marc Gasol in return might eventually validate that trade? The way Zach plays, (aka never jumping), he could continue to be a 20-10 guy for at least another 4 years. With Marc playing up front with him, all roads to Finals may now lead through Memphis. I like their short term better than OKCs at the moment.
