No way Indy is giving away Artest for crap. He's a good player, worth something, even if he is crazy as hell.
I'm surprised at the negativity directed towards Darius Miles. I get the feeling alot of you haven't seen much of him. He has his issues, and no doubt has underacheived, but that guy just oozes with untapped potential - especially defensively. I remember Steve torching the Clippers' point guard one game and then Darius coming in and picking him up full court and completely shutting him down. And then he outplayed T-Mac one game this year. This guy could be unreal defensively in the right system. I'm surprised everyone is against him because I'de trade for him in a heartbeat. Young, athletic, 6'9 with a 7 footer's wingspan. He could have been the difference in this series if you put him on Nowitzki and leave McGrady fresh.
Agree, big NO to Zach Randolph, another big NO to Miles. YESSS to crazy Artest, but I don't think we have any chance of getting him. The pacers are not that stupid to give up on this guy.
You know, if the Pacers beat the Pistons in this series, which is highly unlikely, but if they beat them or even push it to game 7 without Artest, I could see them deciding they're better off without him and moving him, but I'm still not sold we'd be the team with the right package.
It's kind of like hockey, the other team gets to have a 5 on 4 power play on offense end when Ryan Bowen is on the floor. We can't afford to have more guys like that on the floor anymore.
Both Miles and Randolph have huge contracts that make them untradeable. It's pretty much guaranteed they will be Blazers next year. If the Blazers could do it over, they wouldn't have signed either player for the long term. Artest is interesting. The Pacers lost trust in him when he flipped near the end of Game 7 last year against Detroit in the ECFs. His stupidity cost them a chance at the NBA Finals! Then he goes nuclear in Detroit and gets himself and 2 other Pacers long suspensions. The Pacers will again try to trade him but nobody will give them equal value. His contract (~$7 million/yr) isn't too bad for what he brings to the table. I think Bird will trade him to whoever make them the best offer.
Miles is a better shooter than Bowen. He is actually decent from midrange. I wonder if Portland would take Spoon's expiring plus a future #1 for him? He's still not a big bodied 4 but he is a 3-4 that would fit with McGrady playing the 2 and if we wanted to go small, he would provide us with defensive pressure and much better matchups against teams like Dallas that play small.
He can definitely finish better than Ryan Bowen. The coventional wisdom is don't mess with good team chemistry by adding a troublemaker with a bad rep. I say screw that thinking. We need to take a chance on a misfit with talent because that's what we're missing - talent. Im glad everyone on this team likes each other and hangs out for fish tacos on the road. We need athleticism. We need youth. And no way we get that with our terrible scouting or the propensity to add "safe old veterans". Take a chance. This is our opportunity to buy a fixer upper at a below market rate. You can screw around in Portland but don't mess with TMac and Yao. Even dumb players understand the social order of the NBA.
They'd accept before we finished offering it. Because Miles is a wasteland. I'd rather have Steve back, at least he'd give the effort the two from Portland never have. It's one thing to be a misfit because you're bat-**** crazy, it's another to be a misfit because you just don't care.
I don't have a problem with Darius Miles per se. But I do have a problem with obtaining anyone who is McGrady-lite on defense. Either McGrady or Miles would have to guard the 2-guard. I don't want McGrady expending the energy and I don't think Miles can effectivly stop the Ray Alllen/Reggie Miller/Iverson type 2's. If we're going to shore up perimeter D, we need a lockdown 2-guard. Someone in the 6'6"-6'7" range with enough athleticism to take a PG on every once in awhile. He's controversial, but Bobby Simmons would be my choice...assuming we don't get a gunner 2 in the draft.. Of the 3 proposed, Artest would be my choice. I think Van Gundy can handle him...but I doubt Indy is going to have a Fire Sale on him.
LOL. I doubt they would accept it. I think CD would pull the trigger on it though. Miles is an extremely talented player who needs strong, tough leadership and coaching. He would get it from Van Gundy. I doubt if he gets it in Portland. Maybe we can hand them Spoon and Baker for him and Van Exel?
He'd care on this team. 4th different team. Playing with TMac and Yao. People all thought Ricky Davis would be a cancer on the Celtics - he wasn't. Miles has talent. Only way we're getting this kind of talent is by taking a chance. Otherwise, expect us to draft Mirsad Turckson again and sign Eric Piatkowski to a 30 year contract during free agency.
The ROX need to make a big time push to add BOBBY SIMMONS.. 6'6" SG / SF If I am not mistaken he won the most improved player award this year.. He will score as needed,, good on-ball defender and will rebound,, He is quick enough definsively to take the other teams best perimeter player and he is a free agent this year..
i'm not sure how much of a lockdown 2-guard he is, but what about derrick anderson? he wants to come here, the rockets want him, hes not crazy like artest or miles, and he can be had for relatively little (compared to what you would have to give up to get someone like artest)
To those of you dismissing Miles, what exactly are you trying to get in a trade for our expiring contracts? It's no secret that we desperately need to upgrade our overall athleticism and add youth. You're not going to do that with the trade assets we have unless you take a flyer on a guy who can be had on the cheap right now. People thought McGrady didn't care before this year and we saw how he played. I'de love to add Miles.
