I saw this and wondered why Morrison if Tndy plans on re-signing Peja? Rumors have abounded that Bird is fed up with JO'N. The article also claimed RDavis/Tinsley. So, for the sake of argument - if this were to occur then SJax is excessively redundant (and unloved in Pacerville) so JuHo matches up well.
Agreed. I would rather have Cedric Simmons so we can trade Stromile Swift for what we need at SG/SF. However, slide Patrick into the PF spot a la Cato (and reports say O'Bryant has quick feet) and that is an immense presence in the paint. It's too bad our poor perimeter defense would never allow this possibility. Again, before you believe that I am a proponent of this scenario, let me disabuse you of that conclusion. However, it is one of hundreds of possible scenarios. Minnesota, Boston or perhaps even Toronto might scoop up O'Bryant to preclude O'Bryant being drafted by the Rockets.
Tyrus Thomas slipping to #8 is what worries me. I liked him in college, but I can't help worrying about his inexperience. With just 1 year of college ball & weighing in the neighborhood of 218 lbs., I'm afraid it'll be a couple of years before he can hold down the starting position. In my opinion, at #8, we should take the safest player available. Forget the potential upside of Thomas, we've got Swift for that purpose. I'd rather take Simmons over Thomas. He's got more size & experience. My top 3 picks at #8 would be Marcus Williams, Brandon Roy, or Shelden Williams, & in that order. If we were to somehow steal Marcus Williams or Roy at #8, I'd take a long look at Alexander Johnson (strong rebounder) or Nick Fazekas (nice shooting touch) in the 2nd round.
We should have a celebration if we pick them... Not if they are available. Never know with the Rockets.
Fazekas has withdrawn his name from the draft. Except for Shelden, I would not be unhappy with Williams or Roy. My strong hope is for Gay to drop somehow someway, but that is not likely. BTW, why have we been missing out on your creative trade scenarios?
Make sure instead of relying on Marcus Williams or Redick to fall. If Atlanta wants Shelden Williams, then make a trade with them - #8 and #32 for #5. Atlanta gets their guy plus a bonus high 2nd round pick, and the Rockets get Bargnani - tall versatile PF with range.
That's a shame. He'd have been a nice fit at the PF position, from an offensive standpoint. I just got tired of all the negativity. It got to the point that no one (or, very few anyways) wanted to look at the merits of the players involved. All they wanted to do was criticize, while offering no alternate solutions. Although, I did offer one up about 2-3 weeks ago. Thanks for asking though.
It's not like I'm a big Hawks fan, but that team MUST get a legit PG. Joe Johnson is OK but he's isn't a full time PG. If they take Shelden, Billy Knight must have some confidence of making a trade or signing a FA PG. If they actually draft Shelden, it would be great knowing another player would be pushed down to #8.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060611/SPORTS/606110346/1002 No one ever questioned Williams' strength, but now it looks like the Hawks feel he is a good enough athlete to keep pace with all the athletic guards on their team.
In earlier days some of your trades smacked of Rube Goldberg, which made them unlikely but highly entertaining. However, even the more convoluted trade suggestions had merit on the surface and, more importantly, helped some of us less creative posters think out of the box. Sometimes investigating ideas that ultimately won't work leads to ideas that will. It pains me to see all the negativity on the current board killing off the exchange of ideas. Enlightened disagreement spawns deeper reflection. Bellicose quarrels and ridicule lead us down other paths. I am sorry to see your suggestions curtailed for these reasons, and I hope you pick up the gauntlet once again. I understand if you do not.
Hehehe how's that thesaurus workin out for ya? Hehe jk.. nice to see someone who possesses an actual vocabulary. Regarding SWill moving into the top 5 .. Geez, it HAD to be Atlanta, didn't it? Possibly the single team in the top ten with the single most easily-identifiable need (PG), coinciding with a high pick AND and availability of not one but two 'perfect-fit' point guards (MWill and Foye), and what do the rumor winds say they are planning to do? Reach on a guy who should go 5 spots later, and ignore their need. Well, I suppose since the Clips are suddenly deciding to play like an actual NBA Franchise, someone needs to take their place as the wearer of the 'Stupid Crown'. Atlanta is definitely heading in that direction, if they weren't there already. Nothing against Shelden - I am sure he will be a solid player for years, but probably not the bulk of it with Atlanta.. Anyway, while it's interesting about Shelden possibly moving into the top 5, that's only a part of the puzzle. Toronto still has to figure out what they are going to do with Bargnani. If for some reason Toronto decides not to draft this kid, then he is likely the one who will fall, because he has flat-out stated that he will only play for Toronto. If he is not taken by them, someone is going to be sorely tempted, and might get burned badly if the kid decides to stay in Europe. So what do we do it both Tyrus and Bargnani fall to us at 8?? TRADE THE PICK!! Take anything, anything reasonable, move down a couple of spots and still get Brewer and maybe Reddick. On a related note - has anyone seen anything which can give a really good accounting of Tyrus Thomas' basketball IQ?? We are still reeling from having to discover the hard way just how lacking Stro is in the mental part of basketball - nobody questions Stro's athletic ability, but good lord the guy got into an argument with a bag full of doorknobs, I would be tempted to put money on the bag. So, having been once-burned, and having heard the Stro comparisons, has anyone had any kind of reassuring information regarding Thomas' actually being able to play *smart* basketball? I ask only because I know the Rockets are likely to be faced with this question on draft night, and I can bloody well see us taking him, and having to cry about it for the next four years, all the while watching guys like Brewer and Carney either becoming all-stars or all-defensive players, and JHo continues to start for us at the 4... (or even worse - taking Bargnani and him becoming Mirsad v2.0, never setting foot over here, and we get NOTHING from this draft. Argh.)
I have read, several times I think, that AB has never said that. He says he'll play for whichever team drafts him. Or is he going to redux the Orlando muck up of last year?
You're right about their point guard situation. Joe Johnson insisted on playing point guard for the Hawks, using that as leverage to sign with them; the Hawks screwed up last summer by bypassing the ROY. The Hawks could have already been in the playoffs. None of this precludes the Hawks making separate trades. They'll have cap space, too. This won't happen, probably, but Rafer and whatever play for one of their swingmen, that sort of thing.
jopatmc & m_cable, I like both of your trade suggestions. Here's an interesting read about J.R. Smith. http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1150092405200120.xml The Hornets could trade Smith, who will enter his third season this fall, before July. Smith clashed with Scott during the season and lost his starting job. This summer, Smith has participated in workouts in Houston with John Lucas, a former NBA player and coach. Smith is working out with other NBA players such as Steve Francis and Mike James. And according to Smith's father, Earl, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard now is at 225 pounds with 1 percent body fat. The Hornets could wait until after the summer league to trade Smith -- if they trade him at all -- so he can showcase his abilities for opposing scouts. ___________________________________________________________ At 20-years-old, J.R. is younger than anybody we're considering to take in the draft. I don't know how you guys feel about him but I would be content with him as our new "project SG" considering he's basically a poor man's version of Vince Carter right now, which is easily a considerable upgrade to anything we had last season. He's big, super athletic, can hit the long ball and still has a ton of upside. .....and hopefully with us dealing for one of his workout buddies, Mike James would feel more inclined to sign with us. Thomas + Howard + #32 for P.J. Brown + J.R. + #15 Still works under the premise of dealing Howard for Brown but also includes J.R. and gives us a mid-first rounder to take one of the inevitable lottery flameouts while letting New Orleans keep their other draft pick at #12. New Orleans would be getting their man in Thomas, swapping veteran PF's while still keeping one of their original lottery picks at #12. Sounds like a win-win situation for both teams.
1. I think it is funny how, when someone climbs in the ranks, everyone says "oh good, maybe one of the top-6 will fall to us," instead of saying, "damn, Shelden won't be available to us." What if Shelden is a real stud who was hidden in the grass and could have come to us at #8 but some other team has found out about him and will now take the gem of the draft before we get a crack at him? 2. It seems to happen every year, and I never believe it. Someone claims to have been promised by a certain team that they will be picked. Why on earth would a team want to do something like that? They don't get anything in return. Now, if it is New York saying, "if you stay in the draft instead of going back to college, we promise to pick you 29th at the latest," okay maybe that's possible. But, why would Atlanta or any other top-5 team want to make any promises? They tie themselves down with a moral obligation in a situation that requires maximum flexibility. They tip their hand to other teams. And, they haven't even finished working out all their prospects. It's possible that Shelden inferred from things they said they were going to take him, and he got carried away with it. I think that's what happened with Rashard Lewis. But, I think it is more likely that this is some lame attempt by Shelden's agent to increase his client's draft stock by trying to market him as a top-5 guy.
