Ditto. Mike James is a MUCH better defensive player and at this stage of NVE career there is not a lot of difference in the offensive punch they bring off the bench. But for the vet min, particular in Spanoulis isn't ready or if James is part of a trade (Daniels), why not.
That's not true. Nick is a lot better in the half court with the basketball in his hands. He makes better decisions and he gets loose for the teardrop in the lane or the mid range jumper which he absolutely nails. MJ is basically a 3 point shooter in the half court or he goes to the hoop out of control. If he beats the defense, it's all good, but if they beat MJ, he doesn't adjust, and here comes the to. Nick makes better adjustments, better reads, and better decisions with the basketball. All that being said, he hasn't played defense since he came into the league. I wonder if Van Gundy could actually get him to work on it.
While I don't disagree with some of those elements in NVE's game, at this point in his career I don't that he is that efficient at those plays (plus James is better off picks and with the 20 footer than you credit him). Just look at their stats, similar 3 point shooting, FT%, comparable A/TO, and James shot better much better for 2s. I don't think the NET (considering Mike James considerable more athleticsm at this stage of NVE career) offensive contribution would be that much different between the two guys. NVE 2,3,4 years ago, yes, but not now. Defensively, no contest of course. IF Mike James is your back-up 1, there really is no role for NVE.
I do think he will be a solid NBA bench tweener guard (lights out shooter, OK defender but small, not a great handle) and would like him if we acquired a later first or early 2nd. But 24 is too soon and there might be servicable 4s or swingmen we need more strongly.
I`d have to take Garcia or Graham if they are still available just on their size alone, but as far as a killer instinct and a killer shot, Salim is going to be something else. As you probably know, NVE was also drafted in the 2nd round coming out of Cin. he wasn`t thought much more than a streaky shooter but we all know how clutch he was for the Mavs. I`m thinking that Salim will probably have a similar career.
Did Van Exel even play at all last year? His knees are shot, so don't count on more than 15-20 minutes a night from him.
Salim Stoudamire will not be a better pro than Nick Van Exel. Van Exel has actually made an All-Star team. Stoudamire would be lucky to be make a team. He just cannot create his own shot. Van Exel could get into the lane any time he wanted when he was younger. And he was a terrific finisher. He has tremendous ball handling skills and good playmaking skills. Stoudamire has a great shot. That's it. He is a below average ball handler and has below average quickness for a point guard. Combine that with a lack of size and that's a terrible recipe for being an NBA guard.
i dont see him being an upgrade over sura. 11 pts/4 assists of 38% shooting (38% from 3's too, which is his only bright spot). plus, he only played in 53 games last year. add those weak #'s to his habitual attitude problem and i say "no thanks". id take an injury prone sura over van exel at this point in their careers.
enlighten me on how his knees are shot... i think this is complete bs, yes he is getting old but every player has knee problems after 30 and they all seem to overcome it, i dont see why NVE wont, he hasnt had near a serious injurt as McDyess and look at him now
Yeah, and he played over 30 minutes a game. He still has some game left. Granted, he missed 29 games, but most of those were in the final two months of the season when Portland went with a youth movement and essentially told the vets to get lost.
He played only 39 games in 2003-04, and 53 games in 2004-05. On average he's missed almost 50% of his games the last two years. He's just not durable at this point in his career.
I dont think they were that serious of an injury. I think he will be fine as long as the team actually wants to play him. I think he was having trouble getting into both Golden State, and Portland's rotation.
Guys.. too many questions about about a guy that makes too much money.. the team isnt gonna wanna get rid of a bad knee Sura to pickup a even older bad knee in NVE...
That's not exactly fair to Rod or Van Exel. Rod did not have a proper offseason to get ready or learn the system. Van Exel is not someone who won't get picked up by anyone. He'll play somewhere.
Hey, Damon Jones makes a nice guy to have off the bench and has made himself a nice NBA career with similar skills/frame. Salim is an inch or two shorter, but a little better defensively and better shooting off the dribble in addition to the dead eye off the ball shooter. I think he will stick around the NBA and be better than most late 1st rounders/early 2nds.
I think the key differences between Salim Stoudamire and Damon Jones is that Damon Jones is 6'3" instead of 6'0", he's a slightly better athlete, and he's got a better handle. Salim is a below average ball handler for a guard and undersized. I'd have very serious reservations about Salim's ability to consistently getting past half court as the primary ballhandler. He wasn't very good at it in college and he'll be terrible at it in the pro's.
I thought there was at most 2 inches different. If Damon measures 6'3" in shoes, I would expect Salim to measure at least 6'1". I would think Salim is a little stronger and quicker (I think he is a better athlete and defender than say Damon Jones or Juan Dixon), making the 2 inches not as significant. I do agree Salim will have to work on his ball handling, and improve it a ton for him to be anything more than a tweener back-up guard. Salim does have some advantanges on Damon too, he is better off fakes and off the dribble--he isn't just a 3 point shooter who needs a lot of space around the 3 point line to be effective, he is deadly anywhere on the floor with the slightest of space and has a knack for finding that space (Juan Dixon was the last college guy I thought was as good at finding the little space he needs to score). College teams designed their defense to stop Salim from getting any space for his shot, and few did. After watching Arizona a lot I can safely say he was much harder to stop and scheme for with a decent scouting report than say Channing Frye (For Frye you just get him off his comfort zone with a good lower body push and he is not that effective offensively, he also can't handle quicker players defensively). I think worst case he is a solid tweener guard (shooting guard in points body) who paired with a big 1 (a guy like Sura or AD to guard the opponents 2) will be effective off the bench. If he can improve his handle he could be a starter. Either way, the team who drafts him in the late 1st or ealry 2nd may not get a ton of upside, but will get a player I am pretty confident will have a role in the league a number of years and it would not surprise me at all if he were a better pro than Frye--though admittedly after watching him equally I think Frye is quite overrated as a pro prospect, the kind of prospect I expect Golden State to draft .
