Even with DA, I'd like to keep hold of Wesley. That would give us 5 quality guards that can be spread to three positions: Sura (PG, SG, SF), Anderson (PG, SG, SF), James (PG, SG, SF), Wesley (PG, SG, SF), and Barry (PG, SG, SF). Remember the back-up 3 minutes can also go to DA (or even Sura)--it would be a lot less painfull to bring down Tmac's minutes to 38 or even 36 minutes (consider TD and Manu play 34 and 30 minutes last year because they had the depth to allow for it). Even if all healthy, 108 minutes (48PG+48SG+12SF) for 5 players is not bad, somthing like BS 26 MJ 22 DA 25 DW 20 JB 15. It can be tweaked a little depending on who is playing well. Second, these guards are generally old and Sura/Anderson have had a lot of injuries. The odds all 5 are healthy at any one time is not great and the minute load above is likely greater. Spreading more PT among them should reduce any one players load--reducing their injuries and allow them to go all out the time they have, particularly for the grind of a regular season where you have back to backs and such. I'd plan for Head to work on his game in the NDBL this year unless we sustain and injury or two, and go with these 5 vet guards. 2 years (3.5 mil total), but can make it a player option to make it a little more advantagous for the player. If the player sucks or is injured, they can keep their second year (about 1.8 mil). But if the player has a good year the player can opt out for a deal starting at up to a 20% raise (2 mil) to the current team using an exemption for your own non-qualifying free agents, or the team can offer more using the MLE. IMO Sura/James are at least as formidable tandem of PGs as Wesley/Barry is at SG. Anderson does actually help with depth at both positions (very helpfull because of Sura's history), and Anderson/Sura both can play some SF.
I agree that getting DA does not at all mean someone will be traded. I see the depth chart in the backcourt still as Sura, Wesley, James, DA, Barry, Head with Barry taking Bowen's minutes behind T-Mac at SF and Sura, Wesley, James, and DA splitting the 1 and 2 among them. Bowen and Head are the ones out of the rotation. Can DA play some 1? That would be good. I'm actually a little worried about the depth at point unless Head's got something. I guess Barry can play the point too, arguably. Five guards in the rotation is not too many considering the age of the backcourt.
AM610 said about an hour ago that DA's agent will be in town tomorrow. Looks like the deal may close.
Mark Berman said on Fox26 that DA himself will be in Houston to have a meeting with Rockets Management.
For some reason, I though DA was in town today and because the visit went well, his agent was coming tomorrow to finish the deal. I guess both of them are coming tomorrow.
Love it, aren't these the same things Swift said about the Rox before he signed. Now the Rox need to schmooz DA just like they did with SS, CD needs to get T-Mac to put on his recruiting hat again and fly Yao back to Houston and fix up a Chinese banquet for DA at his restaurant. Lets show DA some love and make him a Rocket.
If indeed we do get Anderson, it just quiets any speculation that Houston will be unloading some personnel at guard, it pretty much solidifies that idea. The Rockets have entirely too many at that position and to say thay need to get rid of some bodies is understating that fact. I like Sura (if healthy), MJ (that would be James, not that other fella) at PG, DA and J. Barry at SG while Im tempted to want to keep Wesley, I think hes good candidate some type of trade. Someone brought up a potential weakness at the backup SF spot, and I thought about it. WHO CARES? We have arguable the best SF in the game! It's OK to not be loaded at every position.
If we get DA it is essential that we keep Wesley for the remainder of the year (unless we somehow get a younger two of equal or greater value). Our backcourt should be run similarly to Hubies Grizzlies team Most would either be old-ish or brittle but all can play at a high level when 100%. Platooning them would hopefully be the best of both worlds. Sura at 65+ games, DA at 65+ games, James at 75+ games, Wesley at 75 games (but reduced minutes so fresher at the end of the season), Barry at 75 games - that scenario would result in a very good season for us. Additionally, TMac, though by far our best player and needing to be on court as much as possible, could hopefully get down to around 37-8 minutes without the team suffering (a lot of that is on Yao Ming's development as well).
I disagree. If we can get a better starter, I'm willing to trade anyone in our backcourt. If trading Wesley plus MJ gets us a solid upgrade at either PG or SG, we MUST do it. Between Sura, Wesley, possibly DA, Barry & Head, we have depth at both positions. Sura can play either without a problem. If getting DA supposedly helps us, Wesley becomes more expendable, not less.
That sounds great. But this isnt baseball. Platooning mediocre players can run the risk of only creating a problem with consistency pushing those players deeper into mediocrity. With the guard position it is essentail that a team establish themselves to have a fair chance at contending with the many talented guards in the league...not to mention to create a good chemistry within the team itself.
We obviously have a log jam with small guards. If we sign DA, that's 8 guards 6'5'' or under. I dont agree with some of you when you say Barry or Wesley can get minutes at the 3. We cant have guys 6'5'' and 6'1'' playing SF. We need to get a tallish swingman to take pressure of T-Mac, a guy like DeMarr Johnson sounds good, or someone in a trade. Think about it, if T-Mac is on the bench, who will guard the Kobes or LeBrons? Bowen? please no. Wesley or Barry? They can try but won't do much good.
lol wesleys great D is IMO what lost us the dallas seires. finley, stackhouse, and every other SG was scoring at will against him. don't forget that he wasn't able to score on a fast break either. he kept getting chased down and/or blocked. if we would have had DA or even spree in that series instead of wesley we would be playing the suns. and of course with stro we could've beat the suns.
Rimbaud, that was very close to my formula too. The Spurs played 6 "smalls: (PGs or swingmen) substantially in their rotation over the course of last year (PGs, SGs, SFs): Parker, Manu, Bowen, Barry, Udrah and Devin Brown. The Rockets playing a largely older and more veteran 6: Tmac, Sura, DA, James, Wesley and Barry, is not a problem. Particularly when you consider their age and injury history will mean we will be lucky to have 5 ready to go at any one time. Of course, no one said we would pass on a better player than James, Wesley, Sura, etc, for that player in return, but nor do we need to sell the farm either. Sura, Barry and Anderson all go 6'5", I would not call that small. Sura or Anderson are tall enough, and sturdy enough, to play most SFs, for sure most back-up SFs they would face when Tmac rested. If Lebron or Kobe is in there for the opponents, and it is at a critical juncture, you can be sure Tmac will draw the assignment.
people dont remember wesley was pretty injured towards the end of the season but played through it?...when we first got him, it seemed like his defense was pretty good against anyone he was guarding
6' 5" is not a small guard, that is the normal size of a shootings guard - guys over 6'7" are usually wing players that play small forward (see Marion and Tmac) I believe D Johnson falls into the latter category ( a G/F) Anderson is a traditional Shoot Guard size (there are no more Clyde Drexlers anymore)
I haven't seen much of Derek Andersen's game. Can he play point? Because that's what the lakers were expecting him to do if they acquired him. If he can, I'd like to see how he does there. If he's better than mike james, we should ship james off for another big. Someone once suggested a James for Reggie Evans trade, and I'd certainly like that. I love James, but he's going to opt out next season and we should at least get something for him, especially if it's the best rebounder in the league.
Looks like the Lakers might be focusing more on picking up Aaron Mckie than DA: http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...eadlines-sports-nba-lakers&ctrack=1&cset=true Lakers Turn Focus to McKie By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer After taking a week to study their options, the Lakers on Wednesday opened negotiations to bring in a new starting point guard — not with Derek Anderson, but with Aaron McKie. Until General Manager Mitch Kupchak contacted McKie's agent, Leon Rose, the Lakers had been focused on Anderson. The switch is thought to have been prompted by Coach Phil Jackson, who decided he preferred the 6-foot-5, 210-pound McKie, who is bigger and more solid if not as talented as Anderson. Both players were released as amnesty moves and are far from the zenith of their careers. Anderson, 31, missed 66 games the past two seasons. McKie, 32, played only 48 games last season, averaged a career-low 2.2 points and shot 16 free throws in the entire campaign. Jackson is known for having an unusual profile for players in his unusual triangle offense. In 1999, when he took over the Lakers for the first time, he benched starting point guard Derek Fisher, whom then-general manager Jerry West had just signed to a five-year, $15-million contract, and brought in 35-year-old Ron Harper to run the team. For a backup, Jackson brought in Brian Shaw, who was 33 and had played one game the season before. Of course, with Jackson's eccentric personnel choices, the Lakers won their first of three consecutive titles that season. McKie peaked in the 2001-02 season when he averaged 12.2 points as a starter for Philadelpha in a three-guard lineup with Allen Iverson and Eric Snow as the 76ers reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Lakers. McKie played in the Finals with a stress fracture in one foot and was never the same. His scoring average dropped from 12.2 to 9.0 to 9.2 to last season's 2.2 when new Coach Jim O'Brien dropped him out of the rotation. Owed $19.5 million over the next three seasons, McKie was released by the 76ers Monday and was reportedly close to signing with New Jersey, which would have kept the Philadelphia native close to home. However, the Nets can only offer the veterans' minimum, $1.1 million for a player with 10 years service. The Lakers still have their $5.2 million veterans' exception and are hoping to split it for two players, either a guard and a big man, or two guards. "New Jersey has shown a lot of interest," Rose said from his Pennsauken, N.J. office. "We're just in the process of seeing what's out there and making a decision." Kupchak, who has been conducting negotiations by phone while vacationing with his family, is on his way back and is expected to resume his talks with Rose today. Anderson remains on the Lakers' list but is being considered by other teams too. Michael Finley, recently released by the Mavericks, the best of the available shooting guards, is being courted by Miami, Detroit, Phoenix and San Antonio. Minnesota's Latrell Sprewell, a free agent, emerging as the No. 2 shooting guard, is talking to Detroit, in case the Pistons don't get Finley, and Houston. Anderson is talking to Detroit, Houston and Minnesota, as well as the Lakers.
