This past offseason, Sam Presti decided to allow the Orlando Magic to overpay Rashard Lewis. To do so, Seattle and Orlando agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that allowed them to gain an eight million dollar trade exception. Rather than holding onto that extra money, Presti did a masterful job of converting it into a handful of extra assets.
The first move, was to acquire veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns' first round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 for a conditional second round draft choice. Phoenix needed to clear Thomas from their payroll and Seattle was able to leverage their trade exception into multiple assets.
Then on Wednesday night, the Sonics traded Thomas to the Spurs for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson, and a 2009 first round draft pick. Both Barry and Elson are in their last year of their contracts and will fall off the payroll this summer.
Presti said after making the trade with the Spurs, "looking at the first-round pick, in combination with our other future picks, we have great flexibility to add to our core or acquire another impact player in the future. At the same time, Kurt is a tremendous person and player, and I appreciate his contributions this season and wish him success."
Seattle has 13 draft picks over the next three years, including six in the first round - two each season. After next season, Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Nick Collison, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Damien Wilkins, and Johan Petro are the only SuperSonics currently under contract. Presti has plenty of flexiblity and some intriguing young players to be big time players within the next few years.
Showing posts with label Rashard Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rashard Lewis. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Cleveland's Restricted Free Agent Quandry
"Cavs at forefront of NBA restraint"
Brian Windhorst
Published on Tuesday, Oct 09, 2007
There are a lot of eyes on the Cavaliers' front office these days, and it's not fans wondering when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic are going to get signed.
Right now, the Cavs are serving as a giant test case a precedent setter for the way business is going to be handled in the NBA, and other organizations are watching carefully. The stakes are high.
Let's see if we can make this simple without launching into a deep economic diatribe. The summers of 2004, 2005 and 2006 featured record spending in the NBA. Part of it was due to a new collective bargaining agreement in 2005 that bolstered the salary cap.
Lots of max contracts were given out, numerous teams had, and used, giant amounts of cap space; lots of teams used their entire mid-level exceptions to sign mid-level players to contracts worth more than $35 million; and lots of restricted free agents got huge deals without having to get legitimate offers elsewhere.
That was the flow, now is the ebb.
With the luxury tax now known before the season and after three years of big spending, there is a recession in the NBA.
Only one team this summer, the Toronto Raptors, used its full mid-level exception on one player. Only two free agents, Rashard Lewis and Darko Milicic, changed teams for more than the mid-level exception. There were no sign-and-trade deals of significance. The market is different, and the Cavs and everybody else know it.
So here come Varejao and Pavlovic, guys coming off career seasons and looking around at their peers who got paid the past three summers. That includes their teammates. Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall all got big contracts from the Cavs in 2005, when more than a half-dozen teams had a load of cap space.
Varejao and Pavlovic want their piece of the pie, and who could blame them? Except, the pie has changed.
Varejao and Pavlovic and their agents seem to be in denial about it. Which is why they are getting so radical by attempting unprecedented holdouts to apply pressure to the Cavs. It's their attempt to buck the market.
The Cavs, looking around the league and at their highest payroll ever this season, are standing firm and refusing to pay more than the market dictates. In 2005, it dictated that a guard with Jones' track record was worth four years and $16 million. He got it. It was a market-value deal at the time.
In 2007, not a single team can offer Varejao a deal starting at more than $5.3 million this season. So why would the Cavs pay him the $9 million he wants? Varejao's side is betting the Cavs will fold under the pressure of his absence. Most of the league is watching, but shares the Cavs' viewpoint.
Here's the other factor: As things stand today, next summer appears to be just as tight. There will be a couple more teams with salary-cap space than this summer, but the free-agent class is much deeper. Being a free agent again, as Varejao and Pavlovic could've been if they took one-year qualifying offers, might not be a smart move.
However, in 2009 and probably again in 2010, many of those contracts signed between 2004-06 will expire. It appears as if the league again will be awash in available cash. That's when you want to be a free agent. Not now.
This is what Varejao and Pavlovic should focus on: getting paid for a few years and taking another bite when the money is flowing again. The offers the Cavs put on the table would've given both players huge raises for the next few years. In Varejao's case, he easily can make five times more in the next two years than he did in his first three seasons combined.
Instead, they appear to be waiting to hit that home run. Here's the rub: Nobody in the league right now is pitching.
Brian Windhorst
Published on Tuesday, Oct 09, 2007
There are a lot of eyes on the Cavaliers' front office these days, and it's not fans wondering when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic are going to get signed.
Right now, the Cavs are serving as a giant test case a precedent setter for the way business is going to be handled in the NBA, and other organizations are watching carefully. The stakes are high.
Let's see if we can make this simple without launching into a deep economic diatribe. The summers of 2004, 2005 and 2006 featured record spending in the NBA. Part of it was due to a new collective bargaining agreement in 2005 that bolstered the salary cap.
Lots of max contracts were given out, numerous teams had, and used, giant amounts of cap space; lots of teams used their entire mid-level exceptions to sign mid-level players to contracts worth more than $35 million; and lots of restricted free agents got huge deals without having to get legitimate offers elsewhere.
That was the flow, now is the ebb.
With the luxury tax now known before the season and after three years of big spending, there is a recession in the NBA.
Only one team this summer, the Toronto Raptors, used its full mid-level exception on one player. Only two free agents, Rashard Lewis and Darko Milicic, changed teams for more than the mid-level exception. There were no sign-and-trade deals of significance. The market is different, and the Cavs and everybody else know it.
So here come Varejao and Pavlovic, guys coming off career seasons and looking around at their peers who got paid the past three summers. That includes their teammates. Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall all got big contracts from the Cavs in 2005, when more than a half-dozen teams had a load of cap space.
Varejao and Pavlovic want their piece of the pie, and who could blame them? Except, the pie has changed.
Varejao and Pavlovic and their agents seem to be in denial about it. Which is why they are getting so radical by attempting unprecedented holdouts to apply pressure to the Cavs. It's their attempt to buck the market.
The Cavs, looking around the league and at their highest payroll ever this season, are standing firm and refusing to pay more than the market dictates. In 2005, it dictated that a guard with Jones' track record was worth four years and $16 million. He got it. It was a market-value deal at the time.
In 2007, not a single team can offer Varejao a deal starting at more than $5.3 million this season. So why would the Cavs pay him the $9 million he wants? Varejao's side is betting the Cavs will fold under the pressure of his absence. Most of the league is watching, but shares the Cavs' viewpoint.
Here's the other factor: As things stand today, next summer appears to be just as tight. There will be a couple more teams with salary-cap space than this summer, but the free-agent class is much deeper. Being a free agent again, as Varejao and Pavlovic could've been if they took one-year qualifying offers, might not be a smart move.
However, in 2009 and probably again in 2010, many of those contracts signed between 2004-06 will expire. It appears as if the league again will be awash in available cash. That's when you want to be a free agent. Not now.
This is what Varejao and Pavlovic should focus on: getting paid for a few years and taking another bite when the money is flowing again. The offers the Cavs put on the table would've given both players huge raises for the next few years. In Varejao's case, he easily can make five times more in the next two years than he did in his first three seasons combined.
Instead, they appear to be waiting to hit that home run. Here's the rub: Nobody in the league right now is pitching.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Training Camp Begins, Time for Eastern Conference Rankings
With NBA training camps having begun this week, I thought it would be a good time to provide my power rankings for the Eastern Conference:
Contenders
1) Detroit Pistons - The key pieces from a 53-win team, plus the addition of some promising rookies lead me to put Detroit on top of the East.
2) Chicago Bulls - Seven of the Bulls top eight from last season return, plus two new big men - Joakim Noah and Joe Smith.
3) Boston Celtics - The Hall of Fame trio will certainly contend for the conference championship. Injuries and the development of their young players will be the determining factor here.
4) Cleveland Cavaliers - With Ilgauskas and Marshall a year older, the development of Cedric Simmons, Shannon Brown, and Daniel Gibson will be vital.
Pretenders
5) New Jersey Nets - I don't buy Jamaal Magliore being the missing piece to the Nets' puzzle. I would expect the Nets to play more consistently throughout the season, but never truely contend for the title.
6) Miami Heat - Too many injuries to key players and a lack of talented youth has the Heat as a fringe playoff team.
Sleepers
7) Washington Wizards - The Wizards certainly have a talented roster this season, but likely are a talented center short of moving up the power ranking.
8) Orlando Magic - Adding Rashard Lewis is worth at minimum five wins to their regular season total. The Magic are still short on talent around Dwight Howard and Lewis to make a serious run in the East.
9) Toronto Raptors - With a majority of the Eastern Conference teams improving this offseason, the Raptors only made minor tweaks to their roster. The development of Andrea Bargnani and T.J. Ford will determine the success of this team.
Losers
10) New York Knicks - Zach Randolph was a strong addition to the Knicks roster, but they will have all types of trouble playing defense this year.
11) Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks have a young roster with loads of potential. Finding a reliable point guard to lead them will be vital in their success.
12) Charlotte Bobcats - I like Charlotte's starting five now, but they lack depth at every position. If they can keep their core together for years to come, they will be a contender soon.
13) Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks had an active offseason, but still have plenty of question marks. What will Yi Jianlian bring them? Can Charlie Villanueva stay healthy? Do they need more of a true point guard?
14) Indiana Pacers - The Pacers may see themselves trading Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley by midseason and starting over around Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy Jr.
15) Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers have some nice pieces in Andre Iguodala, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young, but they lack a consistent veteran post scorer.
Contenders
1) Detroit Pistons - The key pieces from a 53-win team, plus the addition of some promising rookies lead me to put Detroit on top of the East.
2) Chicago Bulls - Seven of the Bulls top eight from last season return, plus two new big men - Joakim Noah and Joe Smith.
3) Boston Celtics - The Hall of Fame trio will certainly contend for the conference championship. Injuries and the development of their young players will be the determining factor here.
4) Cleveland Cavaliers - With Ilgauskas and Marshall a year older, the development of Cedric Simmons, Shannon Brown, and Daniel Gibson will be vital.
Pretenders
5) New Jersey Nets - I don't buy Jamaal Magliore being the missing piece to the Nets' puzzle. I would expect the Nets to play more consistently throughout the season, but never truely contend for the title.
6) Miami Heat - Too many injuries to key players and a lack of talented youth has the Heat as a fringe playoff team.
Sleepers
7) Washington Wizards - The Wizards certainly have a talented roster this season, but likely are a talented center short of moving up the power ranking.
8) Orlando Magic - Adding Rashard Lewis is worth at minimum five wins to their regular season total. The Magic are still short on talent around Dwight Howard and Lewis to make a serious run in the East.
9) Toronto Raptors - With a majority of the Eastern Conference teams improving this offseason, the Raptors only made minor tweaks to their roster. The development of Andrea Bargnani and T.J. Ford will determine the success of this team.
Losers
10) New York Knicks - Zach Randolph was a strong addition to the Knicks roster, but they will have all types of trouble playing defense this year.
11) Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks have a young roster with loads of potential. Finding a reliable point guard to lead them will be vital in their success.
12) Charlotte Bobcats - I like Charlotte's starting five now, but they lack depth at every position. If they can keep their core together for years to come, they will be a contender soon.
13) Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks had an active offseason, but still have plenty of question marks. What will Yi Jianlian bring them? Can Charlie Villanueva stay healthy? Do they need more of a true point guard?
14) Indiana Pacers - The Pacers may see themselves trading Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley by midseason and starting over around Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy Jr.
15) Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers have some nice pieces in Andre Iguodala, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young, but they lack a consistent veteran post scorer.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
From Intern to General Manager
On June 7, the Seattle SuperSonics hired Sam Presti as their new general manager. Presti became the youngest current general manager in the NBA at thirty years old. He also became the second youngest general manager in league history to Jerry Colangelo, who was 28 years old when he took the job with the Phoenix Suns in 1968.
Presti was born in Concord, Massachusetts. His career started in high school when he was the captain of the Emerson College basketball team. While at Emerson, he was a Rhodes Scholar candidate and the first in the school’s history. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2000 in communications, politics and law.
In 2000, he began his career in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. Presti began with the Spurs as an intern making $250 a week. After one season, he was named the team’s basketball special assistant. In September 2002, he was promoted to assistant director of scouting. The Spurs named Presti the director of player personnel in September 2003, and then became the Spurs assistant general manager in September of 2005.
Presti launched himself through the Spurs organization when he led the design and implementation of the Spurs scouting database, a system that is now being used by numerous teams throughout the NBA. He spent valuable time around great leaders like Avery Johnson, Danny Ferry, Steve Kerr, Terry Porter, Peter Holt, Greg Popovich, R.C. Buford, and P.J. Carlesimo.
Presti stresses his belief in team defense and strong character players. He also values versatile players, who fit into the team’s system. He has said that taking responsiblity for performance and effort is something that he holds highly.
During the first two months of his time with Seattle, Presti already has experienced a great deal. Seattle is threatening to relocate under their new ownership, led by Clay Bennett. He has also added Kurt Thomas, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Deltone West, while trading Ray Allen and their 2007 draft pick, which became Glen Davis. Additionally, Presti hired Carlesimo, who he worked with in San Antonio. Presti also allowed Rashard Lewis to leave for Orlando for a maximum value contract.
In a short time, Presti has begun to shape Seattle into the contender that the Spurs have been over the last decade. With Durant and Green leading the way, along with cap flexibility and future first round picks, the SuperSonics should turnaround their fortunes quickly.
Presti was born in Concord, Massachusetts. His career started in high school when he was the captain of the Emerson College basketball team. While at Emerson, he was a Rhodes Scholar candidate and the first in the school’s history. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2000 in communications, politics and law.
In 2000, he began his career in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. Presti began with the Spurs as an intern making $250 a week. After one season, he was named the team’s basketball special assistant. In September 2002, he was promoted to assistant director of scouting. The Spurs named Presti the director of player personnel in September 2003, and then became the Spurs assistant general manager in September of 2005.
Presti launched himself through the Spurs organization when he led the design and implementation of the Spurs scouting database, a system that is now being used by numerous teams throughout the NBA. He spent valuable time around great leaders like Avery Johnson, Danny Ferry, Steve Kerr, Terry Porter, Peter Holt, Greg Popovich, R.C. Buford, and P.J. Carlesimo.
Presti stresses his belief in team defense and strong character players. He also values versatile players, who fit into the team’s system. He has said that taking responsiblity for performance and effort is something that he holds highly.
During the first two months of his time with Seattle, Presti already has experienced a great deal. Seattle is threatening to relocate under their new ownership, led by Clay Bennett. He has also added Kurt Thomas, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Deltone West, while trading Ray Allen and their 2007 draft pick, which became Glen Davis. Additionally, Presti hired Carlesimo, who he worked with in San Antonio. Presti also allowed Rashard Lewis to leave for Orlando for a maximum value contract.
In a short time, Presti has begun to shape Seattle into the contender that the Spurs have been over the last decade. With Durant and Green leading the way, along with cap flexibility and future first round picks, the SuperSonics should turnaround their fortunes quickly.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sizing Up the Eastern Conference Today
With rumors floating around that the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves are nearing a trade that would send Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfar, and multiple future draft picks, I thought it was a perfect time to see who's rising, who's falling, and who's at status quo at this point.
Who's Rising?
Boston:
If Boston is able to land Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the same offseason, then the Celtics are definitely a team rising in the East. A starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins would certainly be able to compete with anyone else's starting five in the East. Garnett would bring the 20 points and 10 rebounds the Celtics would need every night and Pierce and Allen should both be able to put up 25 points each night. The development of Rajon Rondo at point guard will be vital towards the Celtics success. If Boston hopes to advance in the playoffs, Rondo needs to take care of the ball and improve his one-on-one defense. It would be beneficial for Danny Ainge and the Celtics to bring in a veteran point guard who can spell Rondo towards the end of games. Earl Boykins may be the best option here. Boykins is a speed demon who can get anywhere he wants off the dribble and takes care of the ball very well. If the Celtics do not land Garnett, strictly from a prespective of "have they gotten better for next season", the Celtics still meet this criteria.
Chicago:
With the additions of Joakim Noah and Joe Smith, the Bulls have added more big bodies to the roster. The further development of Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and Thabo Sefolosha will give them a great chance of reaching the Eastern Conference finals this year. Chris Duhon will either be traded or see his playing time diminish greatly this year, which will be a benefit to the squad.
New Jersey:
The Nets struggled for most of the season and ended with a .500 record. Although Jason Kidd is a year older, there is no reason to think that they should not have a better season. The Nets have added Jamaal Magloire from Portland and drafted Sean Williams. Williams will add length and athleticiscm and becomes the teams best shot blocker. New Jersey will also look for further development from Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, and Bostjan Nachbar. This could be Kidd's last season playing at a high-level, and the Nets should plan to take advantage of this.
Orlando:
The Magic added the top free agent available in Rashard Lewis. Teaming Lewis with Dwight Howard will automatically make the Magic a competitor in the East. Orlando is still looking to add some veteran size upfront and some more depth throughout. The Magic will feel the losses of Darko Milicic and Grant Hill, but they likely will have the talent to make up for that. The Magic will also look for a great deal of development from last year's first round draft pick, J.J. Redick. Redick should bring a much-needed perimeter game to compliment their scoring inside. The addition of Stan Van Gundy should also be beneficial to the team. Van Gundy has won over 30 playoff games during his four year career as an NBA head coach.
New York:
Isiah Thomas and the Knicks added Zach Randolph to the mix this season to a roster which already includes Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Davis Lee, and Quentin Richardson among others. Although it is still to be seen how Curry and Randolph co-exist on the floor at the same time, the mix of talent will certainly be improved. With Renaldo Balkman, David Lee, and Randolph Morris sure to develop further, the Knicks should make the playoffs this year.
Charlotte:
With the addition of Jason Richardson, the Bobcats have a top scorer at the wing for the first time in their existance. Richardson and Gerald Wallace will look to be one of the top scoring duos at the wing positions, which should lead to a franchise-high in regular season wins. The development of players like Adam Morrison, Jared Dudley, Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor, and Sean May will also be vital to their success. Newly-hired head coach, Sam Vincent, needs to stress defense with the young players, as the Bobcats finished in the bottom three in the East in opponents points last year.
Atlanta
Last season, the Atlanta Hawks finished last in the NBA in points scored per game. Since the Hawks chose not to make any drastic moves this season, they will look towards the development and healthy seasons from their core of Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson, Shelden Williams, and Josh Childress. Newly drafted youngsters, Al Horford and Acie Law, will also be counted on to produce immediately. The Hawks still lack an effective low post scorer and top-level point guard, but with a plethora of improving young talent, the Hawks should be a competitor to reach the playoffs this season.
Who's Falling?
Indiana:
Jermaine O'Neal continues to be on the trading block in Indiana. The Pacers problem at this point is a lack of significant talent and without trading O'Neal it will be hard for them to solve this. The Pacers have a group of long, young players in Marquis Daniels, Ike Diogu, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger, and Shawne Williams. However, this is only a start in their rebuilding process. Indiana lacks a true point guard and size upfront. The Pacers will take a step back this season if they start the season with their current roster. If they are able to move O'Neal for a collection of players, they will most likely be better off for the future, but will still struggle this season.
Philadelphia:
The 2007-08 season is crucial towards the rebuilding of the 76ers. Andre Iguodala will continue to develop into one of the top scorers in the East and youngsters Rodney Carney, Louis Williams, and Shavlik Randolph should see increased playing time. Adding Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith to the mix through the draft will also help in their transition mode after moving Allen Iverson during last season. In terms of wins, the 76ers project to win less than the 35 games they won last year, but with more young players involved, it will be a more beneficial season.
Washington:
With Arenas missing almost all of April and the entire playoffs with an injury, the Wizards should be better this season simply because of his prescence. Additionally, the Wizards have brought in shooting guard Nick Young through this year's draft and have agreed to terms with Oleksiy Pecherov, whom they drafted with the eighteenth pick in 2006. The Wizards are still hopeful they can move centers, Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, as well as, the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro. Moving these players could bring back more talent upfront to compete for minutes. However, I have the Wizards falling because with the Magic and the Celtics improving, the Wizards have not done enough to get significantly better.
Toronto:
This offseason, the Raptors have added Maceo Baston, Carlos Delfino, and Jason Kapono, while losing Morris Peterson. Toronto's additions may be benefiical, but are not strong enough to think they will have any better of a season than last. They will see improvment from Andrea Bargnani and Joey Graham, but last year's team avoided significant injuries and played in the weakest division in the league. With Boston and New York looking to be much improved, the Raptors have not improved enough. They still lack a formidable wing player to put next to Bosh in the post.
Who's Remaining at Status Quo?
Cleveland:
I believe that Cleveland should have an improved regular season this year because of head coach, Mike Brown's willingness to play Larry Hughes as the starting point guard from day one. Brown moved Hughes from the starting shooting guard to the team's point guard before Cleveland's March 3 game against Toronto. After that, the Cavaliers finished the season winning 17 of their last twenty four games. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have not added any talent to their squad. They are currently struggling to figure out the best way to deal with Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejo, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Donyell Marshall. With Varejo signing a large extension this summer, it will be hard for Cleveland general manager, Danny Ferry, to rationalize having him play behind Gooden. The Cavaliers' talent should be improved because of the development of Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown. However, with most of the teams' around them coming back strong, the Cavaliers have not done enough to show that they will be improved from last season.
Miami:
Miami struckout in their pursuit of Mo Williams and Mickael Pietrus and appear to be sitting at status quo. Playing without Dwyane Wade for 33 games last season greatly hurt the Heat. Miami will win more games this regular season, but without adding anymore talent besides Daequan Cook and Smush Parker, the Heat will most likely not be able to get out of the first round again this year. Their young players like Cook, Dorrell Wright, and Wayne Simien do not appear to be talented enough to make an impact this season.
Milwaukee:
The Bucks selected power forward, Yi Jianlian, this offseason to add to their mix of Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Andrew Bogut, Mo Williams, and Charlie Villanueva. Whether or not Jianliian actually joins the Bucks, I do not think will make a difference in their success this season. Milwaukee should benefit from less injuries, however, they still lack a consistent scorer in the post. Without this guy, the Bucks are still a jump shooting team, who will struggle to make the playoffs.
Detroit:
Detroit's offseason does not appear to be finished, with last year's starting center, Chris Webber, still unsigned. Eith way, this season's version of the Pistons will greatly be determined on the success of some of their young players: Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, Sammy Mejia, and Rodney Stuckey. These guys will play significant minutes in an effort to give Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Richard Hamilton increased rest. The Pistons struggled in last season's Eastern Conference finals, but there is no reason to think they cannot get back there again. Getting past the Eastern Conference finals will be a tough task for Detroit. They still tend to lose focus at times and struggle to get consistent play at times from Wallace.
So, as of right now, if the Celtics get Garnett, here are my Eastern Conference regular season projections:
(1) Detroit, (2) Cleveland, (3) Chicago, (4) Boston, (5) New Jersey, (6) Orlando, (7) Miami, (8) Toronto, (9) Washington, (10) New York, (11) Charlotte, (12) Atlanta, (13) Milwaukee, (14) Indiana, (15) Philadelphia
Who's Rising?
Boston:
If Boston is able to land Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the same offseason, then the Celtics are definitely a team rising in the East. A starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins would certainly be able to compete with anyone else's starting five in the East. Garnett would bring the 20 points and 10 rebounds the Celtics would need every night and Pierce and Allen should both be able to put up 25 points each night. The development of Rajon Rondo at point guard will be vital towards the Celtics success. If Boston hopes to advance in the playoffs, Rondo needs to take care of the ball and improve his one-on-one defense. It would be beneficial for Danny Ainge and the Celtics to bring in a veteran point guard who can spell Rondo towards the end of games. Earl Boykins may be the best option here. Boykins is a speed demon who can get anywhere he wants off the dribble and takes care of the ball very well. If the Celtics do not land Garnett, strictly from a prespective of "have they gotten better for next season", the Celtics still meet this criteria.
Chicago:
With the additions of Joakim Noah and Joe Smith, the Bulls have added more big bodies to the roster. The further development of Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and Thabo Sefolosha will give them a great chance of reaching the Eastern Conference finals this year. Chris Duhon will either be traded or see his playing time diminish greatly this year, which will be a benefit to the squad.
New Jersey:
The Nets struggled for most of the season and ended with a .500 record. Although Jason Kidd is a year older, there is no reason to think that they should not have a better season. The Nets have added Jamaal Magloire from Portland and drafted Sean Williams. Williams will add length and athleticiscm and becomes the teams best shot blocker. New Jersey will also look for further development from Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, and Bostjan Nachbar. This could be Kidd's last season playing at a high-level, and the Nets should plan to take advantage of this.
Orlando:
The Magic added the top free agent available in Rashard Lewis. Teaming Lewis with Dwight Howard will automatically make the Magic a competitor in the East. Orlando is still looking to add some veteran size upfront and some more depth throughout. The Magic will feel the losses of Darko Milicic and Grant Hill, but they likely will have the talent to make up for that. The Magic will also look for a great deal of development from last year's first round draft pick, J.J. Redick. Redick should bring a much-needed perimeter game to compliment their scoring inside. The addition of Stan Van Gundy should also be beneficial to the team. Van Gundy has won over 30 playoff games during his four year career as an NBA head coach.
New York:
Isiah Thomas and the Knicks added Zach Randolph to the mix this season to a roster which already includes Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Davis Lee, and Quentin Richardson among others. Although it is still to be seen how Curry and Randolph co-exist on the floor at the same time, the mix of talent will certainly be improved. With Renaldo Balkman, David Lee, and Randolph Morris sure to develop further, the Knicks should make the playoffs this year.
Charlotte:
With the addition of Jason Richardson, the Bobcats have a top scorer at the wing for the first time in their existance. Richardson and Gerald Wallace will look to be one of the top scoring duos at the wing positions, which should lead to a franchise-high in regular season wins. The development of players like Adam Morrison, Jared Dudley, Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor, and Sean May will also be vital to their success. Newly-hired head coach, Sam Vincent, needs to stress defense with the young players, as the Bobcats finished in the bottom three in the East in opponents points last year.
Atlanta
Last season, the Atlanta Hawks finished last in the NBA in points scored per game. Since the Hawks chose not to make any drastic moves this season, they will look towards the development and healthy seasons from their core of Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson, Shelden Williams, and Josh Childress. Newly drafted youngsters, Al Horford and Acie Law, will also be counted on to produce immediately. The Hawks still lack an effective low post scorer and top-level point guard, but with a plethora of improving young talent, the Hawks should be a competitor to reach the playoffs this season.
Who's Falling?
Indiana:
Jermaine O'Neal continues to be on the trading block in Indiana. The Pacers problem at this point is a lack of significant talent and without trading O'Neal it will be hard for them to solve this. The Pacers have a group of long, young players in Marquis Daniels, Ike Diogu, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger, and Shawne Williams. However, this is only a start in their rebuilding process. Indiana lacks a true point guard and size upfront. The Pacers will take a step back this season if they start the season with their current roster. If they are able to move O'Neal for a collection of players, they will most likely be better off for the future, but will still struggle this season.
Philadelphia:
The 2007-08 season is crucial towards the rebuilding of the 76ers. Andre Iguodala will continue to develop into one of the top scorers in the East and youngsters Rodney Carney, Louis Williams, and Shavlik Randolph should see increased playing time. Adding Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith to the mix through the draft will also help in their transition mode after moving Allen Iverson during last season. In terms of wins, the 76ers project to win less than the 35 games they won last year, but with more young players involved, it will be a more beneficial season.
Washington:
With Arenas missing almost all of April and the entire playoffs with an injury, the Wizards should be better this season simply because of his prescence. Additionally, the Wizards have brought in shooting guard Nick Young through this year's draft and have agreed to terms with Oleksiy Pecherov, whom they drafted with the eighteenth pick in 2006. The Wizards are still hopeful they can move centers, Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, as well as, the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro. Moving these players could bring back more talent upfront to compete for minutes. However, I have the Wizards falling because with the Magic and the Celtics improving, the Wizards have not done enough to get significantly better.
Toronto:
This offseason, the Raptors have added Maceo Baston, Carlos Delfino, and Jason Kapono, while losing Morris Peterson. Toronto's additions may be benefiical, but are not strong enough to think they will have any better of a season than last. They will see improvment from Andrea Bargnani and Joey Graham, but last year's team avoided significant injuries and played in the weakest division in the league. With Boston and New York looking to be much improved, the Raptors have not improved enough. They still lack a formidable wing player to put next to Bosh in the post.
Who's Remaining at Status Quo?
Cleveland:
I believe that Cleveland should have an improved regular season this year because of head coach, Mike Brown's willingness to play Larry Hughes as the starting point guard from day one. Brown moved Hughes from the starting shooting guard to the team's point guard before Cleveland's March 3 game against Toronto. After that, the Cavaliers finished the season winning 17 of their last twenty four games. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have not added any talent to their squad. They are currently struggling to figure out the best way to deal with Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejo, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Donyell Marshall. With Varejo signing a large extension this summer, it will be hard for Cleveland general manager, Danny Ferry, to rationalize having him play behind Gooden. The Cavaliers' talent should be improved because of the development of Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown. However, with most of the teams' around them coming back strong, the Cavaliers have not done enough to show that they will be improved from last season.
Miami:
Miami struckout in their pursuit of Mo Williams and Mickael Pietrus and appear to be sitting at status quo. Playing without Dwyane Wade for 33 games last season greatly hurt the Heat. Miami will win more games this regular season, but without adding anymore talent besides Daequan Cook and Smush Parker, the Heat will most likely not be able to get out of the first round again this year. Their young players like Cook, Dorrell Wright, and Wayne Simien do not appear to be talented enough to make an impact this season.
Milwaukee:
The Bucks selected power forward, Yi Jianlian, this offseason to add to their mix of Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Andrew Bogut, Mo Williams, and Charlie Villanueva. Whether or not Jianliian actually joins the Bucks, I do not think will make a difference in their success this season. Milwaukee should benefit from less injuries, however, they still lack a consistent scorer in the post. Without this guy, the Bucks are still a jump shooting team, who will struggle to make the playoffs.
Detroit:
Detroit's offseason does not appear to be finished, with last year's starting center, Chris Webber, still unsigned. Eith way, this season's version of the Pistons will greatly be determined on the success of some of their young players: Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, Sammy Mejia, and Rodney Stuckey. These guys will play significant minutes in an effort to give Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Richard Hamilton increased rest. The Pistons struggled in last season's Eastern Conference finals, but there is no reason to think they cannot get back there again. Getting past the Eastern Conference finals will be a tough task for Detroit. They still tend to lose focus at times and struggle to get consistent play at times from Wallace.
So, as of right now, if the Celtics get Garnett, here are my Eastern Conference regular season projections:
(1) Detroit, (2) Cleveland, (3) Chicago, (4) Boston, (5) New Jersey, (6) Orlando, (7) Miami, (8) Toronto, (9) Washington, (10) New York, (11) Charlotte, (12) Atlanta, (13) Milwaukee, (14) Indiana, (15) Philadelphia
Monday, July 23, 2007
Lewis Joins the List of Maximum Contract Players
On July 11, Rashard Lewis signed a six-year contract worth more than $110,000,000 with the Orlando Magic. By doing so, he became the twenty-second player currently making maximum money. Here is the full, up-to-date list in order of team they currently play with:
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
Paul Pierce, Boston
LeBron James, Cleveland
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Carmelo Anthony, Denver
Allen Iverson, Denver
Baron Davis, Golden State
Tracy McGrady, Houston
Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana
Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Shaquille O’Neal, Miami
Dwyane Wade, Miami
Michael Redd, Milwaukee
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
Jason Kidd, New Jersey
Stephon Marbury, New York
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
Shawn Marion, Phoenix
Tim Duncan, San Antonio
Chris Bosh, Toronto
Antawn Jamison, Washington
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
Paul Pierce, Boston
LeBron James, Cleveland
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Carmelo Anthony, Denver
Allen Iverson, Denver
Baron Davis, Golden State
Tracy McGrady, Houston
Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana
Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Shaquille O’Neal, Miami
Dwyane Wade, Miami
Michael Redd, Milwaukee
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
Jason Kidd, New Jersey
Stephon Marbury, New York
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
Shawn Marion, Phoenix
Tim Duncan, San Antonio
Chris Bosh, Toronto
Antawn Jamison, Washington
Friday, July 20, 2007
Otis Smith's Huge Mistake
On July 3, it was widely reported that Rashard Lewis gave Orlando a verbal commitment that when free agency opened on July 11, he would sign with their franchise. On the first day of free agency, the Orlando Magic signed Rashard Lewis to a six-year maximum dollar contract and renounced the rights to Darko Milicic, who then proceeded to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Magic should be commended for signing a young, wing player like Lewis, who will make a great duo with Dwight Howard. However, Magic general manager, Otis Smith, clearly made a mistake with the way he went about this series of transactions.
Smith was fortunate to be able to get a commitment from Lewis before free agency began. Once he locked up Lewis, Smith decided that he would not be able to afford Milicic, so he renounced his rights allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent and taking away the opportunity to match any offer he receives.
So what’s wrong with this? From the time Lewis committed to Orlando, Smith should have began to either work on a sign-and-trade with Seattle or make a move to trim their payroll by trading away some of their players who are in the last year of their deal. With Lewis' new, large contract coming onto their payroll with Howard and Nelson's new extensions abou to be signed, Orlando needs to consider where they stand. The Magic have three players who are in their last year of their deal and making near $4,000,000 in: Carlos Arroyo, Pat Garrity, and Keyon Dooling. Otis Smith and the Magic could have tried to trade a group of these players to Seattle along with draft picks, or look to trade these players to another team. Moving two of the three of these players would have allowed the Magic to both add Lewis and bring Milicic back.
Instead, Smith did not give himself a chance to put out a Lewis, Milicic, Howard frontline because he unnecssarily renounced the rights to Milicic before he needed to. In the end, the Magic sent Seattle a conditional second-round pick and also acquired a trade exception believed to be in the $9,000,000 range. On July 11, Milicic signed a new contract with Memphis for three years and $21,000,000. So where did Smith make his mistake? If he would have forced Seattle’s hand earlier and let Milicic and his agent, Marc Cornstein, know that he was committed to signing him but needed time, the Magic could have ended up with a great, young frontcourt. Smith got flustered too quickly and renounced the rights to Milicic which essentially was waving the white flag on the possibility of bringing him back. Did Smith really think the SuperSonics would take nothing over something? The Magic would not have been risking losing Lewis because they were going to be paying him significantly more money than anyone else. Lewis would have waited a few days into free agency for everything to work out for his new team.
At the same time, Cornstein and Milicic would have had no choice but to wait for Smith to finalize a deal with the SuperSonics or another team to clear the cap space to bring back Milicic. As a restricted free agent, Milicic was not free to sign with another team without the Magic having the option to match it. At the minimum, Smith should have held onto Milicic and when Memphis wanted to sign him, at least get compensation in return. A future first round pick or a young, post player like Alexander Johnson would have been better than nothing. Johnson is a good leaper and shoots the ball well, but tends to be foul-prone. He played in 59 games for the Grizzlies last season, including a stetch in December where he played well. In the end, the Magic received no compensation for Milicic, after acquiring him last season from Detroit for Kelvin Cato and a first-round pick.
Smith completely dropped the ball here and now Tony Battie, Marcin Gortat, and James Augustine are Orlando's only other big bodies outside of Howard and Lewis. If you add in the critiscm that many have made that Smith threw in an extra, sixth year at close to $24,000,000 for no real reason, the series of transactions becomes even more perplexing. At the end of the day, what could have become a spectacular front line for the next six years, has now become a team that will be struggling to put together a competent rotation.
Smith was fortunate to be able to get a commitment from Lewis before free agency began. Once he locked up Lewis, Smith decided that he would not be able to afford Milicic, so he renounced his rights allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent and taking away the opportunity to match any offer he receives.
So what’s wrong with this? From the time Lewis committed to Orlando, Smith should have began to either work on a sign-and-trade with Seattle or make a move to trim their payroll by trading away some of their players who are in the last year of their deal. With Lewis' new, large contract coming onto their payroll with Howard and Nelson's new extensions abou to be signed, Orlando needs to consider where they stand. The Magic have three players who are in their last year of their deal and making near $4,000,000 in: Carlos Arroyo, Pat Garrity, and Keyon Dooling. Otis Smith and the Magic could have tried to trade a group of these players to Seattle along with draft picks, or look to trade these players to another team. Moving two of the three of these players would have allowed the Magic to both add Lewis and bring Milicic back.
Instead, Smith did not give himself a chance to put out a Lewis, Milicic, Howard frontline because he unnecssarily renounced the rights to Milicic before he needed to. In the end, the Magic sent Seattle a conditional second-round pick and also acquired a trade exception believed to be in the $9,000,000 range. On July 11, Milicic signed a new contract with Memphis for three years and $21,000,000. So where did Smith make his mistake? If he would have forced Seattle’s hand earlier and let Milicic and his agent, Marc Cornstein, know that he was committed to signing him but needed time, the Magic could have ended up with a great, young frontcourt. Smith got flustered too quickly and renounced the rights to Milicic which essentially was waving the white flag on the possibility of bringing him back. Did Smith really think the SuperSonics would take nothing over something? The Magic would not have been risking losing Lewis because they were going to be paying him significantly more money than anyone else. Lewis would have waited a few days into free agency for everything to work out for his new team.
At the same time, Cornstein and Milicic would have had no choice but to wait for Smith to finalize a deal with the SuperSonics or another team to clear the cap space to bring back Milicic. As a restricted free agent, Milicic was not free to sign with another team without the Magic having the option to match it. At the minimum, Smith should have held onto Milicic and when Memphis wanted to sign him, at least get compensation in return. A future first round pick or a young, post player like Alexander Johnson would have been better than nothing. Johnson is a good leaper and shoots the ball well, but tends to be foul-prone. He played in 59 games for the Grizzlies last season, including a stetch in December where he played well. In the end, the Magic received no compensation for Milicic, after acquiring him last season from Detroit for Kelvin Cato and a first-round pick.
Smith completely dropped the ball here and now Tony Battie, Marcin Gortat, and James Augustine are Orlando's only other big bodies outside of Howard and Lewis. If you add in the critiscm that many have made that Smith threw in an extra, sixth year at close to $24,000,000 for no real reason, the series of transactions becomes even more perplexing. At the end of the day, what could have become a spectacular front line for the next six years, has now become a team that will be struggling to put together a competent rotation.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Daryl Morey and the Rockets Keeping Busy
On April 3, 2006, the Houston Rockets named Darryl Morey their assistant general manager. The Rockets planned on Morey eventually taking over the general manager position for the start of the 2007-08 season. Since taking over the job full-time, the Rockets have a great deal of depth and should get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1996-97. Since last season, the Rockets have added Mike James, Aaron Brooks, Jackie Butler, Luis Scola, and Carl Landry. Each one of these players adds much-needed depth and the Rockets should be as deep as any other team this season.
James was acquired from Minnesota in the trade that allowed Morey to get out from under Juwan Howard’s contract. James enjoyed success with the Rockets previously when he played 27 games and averaged 12.4 points per game, 2.9 assists per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game. James is a combo guard, who is in a point guard's body, but certainly has a scorers mentality. He is an above average defender who moves his feet well and can pressure the ball. Although he is not the greatest distributor, he has seen success playing both guard spots. He will compete to be the starting point guard and also grab minutes behind Tracy McGrady at the shooting guard spot. Justin Reed was also acquired by the Rockets in this trade and should make the roster out of summer camp.
Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry were picked up during last month's draft. Brooks is a Morey-favorite, who may become the starting point guard in the near-future. Brooks is an undersized guard with great quickness and strong ball-handling abilties. He is an excellent free throw shooter and possesses good fundamentals and a high basketball IQ. He sometimes can be single-minded on the court, but I think the Rockets believe that will change when he enters the league. Landry is an undersized power forward who has great mobility on the court. His post footwork, shooting touch, and soft hands enable him to convert most opportunities in the paint. Head coach, Rick Adelman, will most likely not give Landry many minutes this season, but he could be a factor down the road.
The real steal of the offseason was Morey's acquisition of Scola and Butler. When the Rockets knew that they weren’t going to be able to acquire Rashard Lewis, Morey had the foresight to think outside-the-box. Rather than overpaying veterans like Anderson Varejo, Chris Mihm, or Joe Smith, Morey looked to bring in someone who could provide greater upside. Morey described the addition of Scola by saying, "We saw him as one of, if not the, best option. He's a bit unique. He uses his body to finish around the basket. He's got a midrange game and a great IQ for the passing game. He has a lot of heart. That group of Argentinians he grew up with is as tough as nails and knows how to fit into teams. They're winners. As excited as I am about acquiring him, I don't think I've ever spoken to anyone more excited than he is. This has been a dream of his."
Scola should compete for the starting power forward job with Chuck Hayes and possibly even Shane Battier. Whether he starts or not, Scola will be a very valuable player for the Rockets this season next to center Yao Ming.
Butler was also a nice addition in the trade that also brought Scola to the Rockets. Butler is a developing post player, who is still young and inexperienced. Butler will most likely not see many minutes this year, but should play a key role once backup Dikembe Mutombo retires after this season. The Rockets added Scola and Butler to the team through a cost-cutting trade with the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets gave up guard Vassilis Spanoulis and a 2009 second round pick in the trade.
At this point, the Rockets will have Rafer Alston, Mike James, and Aaron Brooks at the point guard spot; Tracy McGrady and Luther Head at the shooting guard position; Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, and Jackie Butler will be the centers; Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes should compete to be the starting power forward with Carl Landry backing them up; and Shane Battier as the starting small forward with Justin Reed playing behind him.
The wildcard here is Bonzi Wells. If Wells is in shape, motivated, and willing to not be a distraction, he could be a huge part of the Rockets team this year. Wells will be reunited with his former coach, Adelman. Adelman coached Wells during arguably his most productive season in 2005-06, when he averaged 23.2 points per game and 12 rebounds per game in the playoffs and a steady regular season.
Wells is tough and relentless and could play both the shooting guard and small forward spots. He excels in the playoffs and when he is at his best, he is one of the toughest players in the league to guard. Wells’ prescense would allow Adelman to play both a slower lineup with Yao Ming and Chuck Hayes or a quick lineup which would include McGrady, Wells, Battier, and Scola. Wells has one year left on his contract at $2,284,200 and if he comes into camp with a positive attitude, Adelman and the Rockets will be happy to have him. If not, the Rockets will release him or buy him out of his contract.
Either way, in a very short time, Morey has shown that he is ready to take the reigns and lead the Houston Rockets. With Rick Adelman installed as head coach and a series of other transactions already made this summer, the Rockets are expected to make it past the first round for the first time in Tracy McGrady’s career.
James was acquired from Minnesota in the trade that allowed Morey to get out from under Juwan Howard’s contract. James enjoyed success with the Rockets previously when he played 27 games and averaged 12.4 points per game, 2.9 assists per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game. James is a combo guard, who is in a point guard's body, but certainly has a scorers mentality. He is an above average defender who moves his feet well and can pressure the ball. Although he is not the greatest distributor, he has seen success playing both guard spots. He will compete to be the starting point guard and also grab minutes behind Tracy McGrady at the shooting guard spot. Justin Reed was also acquired by the Rockets in this trade and should make the roster out of summer camp.
Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry were picked up during last month's draft. Brooks is a Morey-favorite, who may become the starting point guard in the near-future. Brooks is an undersized guard with great quickness and strong ball-handling abilties. He is an excellent free throw shooter and possesses good fundamentals and a high basketball IQ. He sometimes can be single-minded on the court, but I think the Rockets believe that will change when he enters the league. Landry is an undersized power forward who has great mobility on the court. His post footwork, shooting touch, and soft hands enable him to convert most opportunities in the paint. Head coach, Rick Adelman, will most likely not give Landry many minutes this season, but he could be a factor down the road.
The real steal of the offseason was Morey's acquisition of Scola and Butler. When the Rockets knew that they weren’t going to be able to acquire Rashard Lewis, Morey had the foresight to think outside-the-box. Rather than overpaying veterans like Anderson Varejo, Chris Mihm, or Joe Smith, Morey looked to bring in someone who could provide greater upside. Morey described the addition of Scola by saying, "We saw him as one of, if not the, best option. He's a bit unique. He uses his body to finish around the basket. He's got a midrange game and a great IQ for the passing game. He has a lot of heart. That group of Argentinians he grew up with is as tough as nails and knows how to fit into teams. They're winners. As excited as I am about acquiring him, I don't think I've ever spoken to anyone more excited than he is. This has been a dream of his."
Scola should compete for the starting power forward job with Chuck Hayes and possibly even Shane Battier. Whether he starts or not, Scola will be a very valuable player for the Rockets this season next to center Yao Ming.
Butler was also a nice addition in the trade that also brought Scola to the Rockets. Butler is a developing post player, who is still young and inexperienced. Butler will most likely not see many minutes this year, but should play a key role once backup Dikembe Mutombo retires after this season. The Rockets added Scola and Butler to the team through a cost-cutting trade with the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets gave up guard Vassilis Spanoulis and a 2009 second round pick in the trade.
At this point, the Rockets will have Rafer Alston, Mike James, and Aaron Brooks at the point guard spot; Tracy McGrady and Luther Head at the shooting guard position; Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, and Jackie Butler will be the centers; Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes should compete to be the starting power forward with Carl Landry backing them up; and Shane Battier as the starting small forward with Justin Reed playing behind him.
The wildcard here is Bonzi Wells. If Wells is in shape, motivated, and willing to not be a distraction, he could be a huge part of the Rockets team this year. Wells will be reunited with his former coach, Adelman. Adelman coached Wells during arguably his most productive season in 2005-06, when he averaged 23.2 points per game and 12 rebounds per game in the playoffs and a steady regular season.
Wells is tough and relentless and could play both the shooting guard and small forward spots. He excels in the playoffs and when he is at his best, he is one of the toughest players in the league to guard. Wells’ prescense would allow Adelman to play both a slower lineup with Yao Ming and Chuck Hayes or a quick lineup which would include McGrady, Wells, Battier, and Scola. Wells has one year left on his contract at $2,284,200 and if he comes into camp with a positive attitude, Adelman and the Rockets will be happy to have him. If not, the Rockets will release him or buy him out of his contract.
Either way, in a very short time, Morey has shown that he is ready to take the reigns and lead the Houston Rockets. With Rick Adelman installed as head coach and a series of other transactions already made this summer, the Rockets are expected to make it past the first round for the first time in Tracy McGrady’s career.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
What does Sam Presti do next?
Newly hired Sam Presti has been busy already this summer, drafting Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and trading Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Additionally, Presti was able to acquire Delonte West and a trade exception from the Magic worth $9,350,000.
Although the other team got the better player in the trades of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, Presti was able to acquire some valuable assets and provide flexibility for his team. With Allen, the Sonics were able to create future cap relief, as well as, bring in West who could be promising. West is a lefthander who has a strong outside shot, especially from midrange, and good quickness and athleticism. He's not a natural point guard, however, as it's not his instinct to drive and dish and he doesn't push the ball well in transition. West is better in halfcourt set-ups where he can use his size to shoot over opponents, and he's a very good spot-up shooter when he plays off the ball. He has the tools to be an outstanding defender, but is not quite there yet. The trade of Allen also brought in Jeff Green, who seemingly is a perfect talent to put next to Durant.
Rashard Lewis left as a part of a sign-and-trade with Orlando. The Sonics and Rockets competed with the Magic for Lewis’ services, but in the end Orlando outbid everyone. Many have criticized the Magic for giving Lewis a sixth year in his contract when the Sonics were not going to match the five year offer in itself. Presti was smart enough to realize that overpaying for Lewis would not be smart for the long-term success of his team.
Presti recently was quoted as saying: "The exception has made me the most popular person in the gym (Thomas & Mack Center) the last 24 hours. We have to be smart about how to utilize it. If the right opportunity comes along, we won't hesitate to use it.”
So what is the next move for Presti? I believe that Presti should package some of the assets he has remaining to continue to rebuild the Sonics around his two young wing players. The assets that Seattle has in its pocket include:
*$9,350,000 trade exception from Orlando Magic
The trade exception expires after one year if it has not been used. It can be very valuable in an effort to bring in premium talent.
*Delonte West
2007-08 Contract: $1,889,759
2008-09 Contract: Qualifying offer of $276,282,800
2009-10 Contract: Potentially Unrestricted Free Agent
West could be very valuable to a team looking for an experienced, big guard to add to their backcourt.
*Wally Szczerbiak
2007-08 Contract: $12,000,000
2008-09 Contract: $13,000,000
2009-10 Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Szczerbiak has played at a high-level in the past and is a tremendous shooter. His contract likely will be a bigger asset to other teams than his talent.
*Chris Wilcox
2007-08 Contract: $6,500,000
2008-09 Contract: $6,750,000
2009-10 Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Wilcox is an outstanding leaper and great finisher around the basket. He rebounds the ball well, but does not bring much to the table from the offensive side and can still improve a great deal on defense. For a team looking to bring in another big body to bring off the bench, Wilcox would be a good fit. His contract expiring after the 2008-09 season would also be attractive to many teams.
*Luke Ridnour
$19,500,000 over the next three years
Ridnour is an experienced point guard having started there since the 2004-05 season. He fell out-of-favor with his coaches in the second half of the season and had a disappointing season. However, he maintains a strong assist-to-turnover ratio and gets to the basket fairly well. The biggest knock on Ridnour in the past has been his poor defense. He has quick hands and decent anticipation, but zero strength, average lateral movement, and can be shot over. He can be a nice addition for a team looking for a point guard who can eat up some minutes.
*21 year old, athletic centers
Robert Swift, Saer Sene, Johan Petro
Each one of these three do not make more than $3,000,000 per season and have great potential. Nobody in the group has played significant time in their career, but were all at one point first round picks. Swift missed last season when he blew out his knee in a preseason game, but in the past he has shown the ability to pass in the post and stay active. Sene most likely has the most upside of the group. He has wowed scouts in the past with his athleticism and shot-blocking ability. Petro is a great athlete, but has not been able to grasp the subtle aspects of offense. He generally looks to dunk the ball around the basket and has shown a decent short hook shot. He needs to develop some more post moves and improve in his team defense.
So, what should Presti do with this group of assets? I would look to acquire more talent to help the progression of Durant and Green. Some options at the point guard position would include: Jarrett Jack, Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Mike Bibby. In the post, Marvin Williams, Jermaine O’Neal, Shelden Williams, and Drew Gooden may be available.
What would I do if I were Presti? I would offer the Pacers, Johan Petro ($1,077,120), Wally Szczerbiak ($12,775,000), Delonte West ($1,889,760), the $9,350,000 trade exception, and Seattle’s first round pick next year for Jermaine O’Neal ($19,728,000) and Jamaal Tinsley ($6,300,000). This trade would bring the Sonics back a top-knotch post player in O'Neal, who would play a similar role that Tim Duncan has played with the Spurs. A combination of Tinsley and Ridnour at point guard, Jeff Green at shooting guard, Kevin Durant at small forward, Nick Collison at power forward, and Jermaine O'Neal at center would be a great start towards the Sonics climb to the top of the West.
The Pacers should do this trade because of the great flexibility and the specific talents it gives them. The Pacers plan to alter their style of play this year under newly hired coach, Jim O'Brien. O'Brien recently said, "We're going to shoot the 3. I don't know (how often), but we're going to shoot the 3." Additionally, he said, "I can't have enough perimeter shooters." With this trade, he would be getting more perimeter-type players. West would immediately step into the starting point guard spot for the Pacers, and Szcazerbiak would provide the outside shooting they have missed since Peja Stojakovic left in free agency. Also, Petro would be an intriguing player the Pacers would be able to develop.
From a financial prespective, all the players the Pacers would receive in this trade could be off their payroll after the 2008-09 season. Including Tinsley in the trade would also be very attractive to the Pacers. He has four years remaining in his contract and clearly fell out-of-favor with Indiana's management last year. With the Sonics first round pick included in the trade, the Pacers would gain additional flexibility to rebuild their squad.
At this point, there have not been much reports of Seattle making another meeting immediately, but if I were Presti and the Sonics, I would surely go ahead and call the Pacers to try and pry away O'Neal. With O'Neal (28), Green (20), and Durant (18) as their core, the Sonics would definitely contend for the title for years to come.
Although the other team got the better player in the trades of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, Presti was able to acquire some valuable assets and provide flexibility for his team. With Allen, the Sonics were able to create future cap relief, as well as, bring in West who could be promising. West is a lefthander who has a strong outside shot, especially from midrange, and good quickness and athleticism. He's not a natural point guard, however, as it's not his instinct to drive and dish and he doesn't push the ball well in transition. West is better in halfcourt set-ups where he can use his size to shoot over opponents, and he's a very good spot-up shooter when he plays off the ball. He has the tools to be an outstanding defender, but is not quite there yet. The trade of Allen also brought in Jeff Green, who seemingly is a perfect talent to put next to Durant.
Rashard Lewis left as a part of a sign-and-trade with Orlando. The Sonics and Rockets competed with the Magic for Lewis’ services, but in the end Orlando outbid everyone. Many have criticized the Magic for giving Lewis a sixth year in his contract when the Sonics were not going to match the five year offer in itself. Presti was smart enough to realize that overpaying for Lewis would not be smart for the long-term success of his team.
Presti recently was quoted as saying: "The exception has made me the most popular person in the gym (Thomas & Mack Center) the last 24 hours. We have to be smart about how to utilize it. If the right opportunity comes along, we won't hesitate to use it.”
So what is the next move for Presti? I believe that Presti should package some of the assets he has remaining to continue to rebuild the Sonics around his two young wing players. The assets that Seattle has in its pocket include:
*$9,350,000 trade exception from Orlando Magic
The trade exception expires after one year if it has not been used. It can be very valuable in an effort to bring in premium talent.
*Delonte West
2007-08 Contract: $1,889,759
2008-09 Contract: Qualifying offer of $276,282,800
2009-10 Contract: Potentially Unrestricted Free Agent
West could be very valuable to a team looking for an experienced, big guard to add to their backcourt.
*Wally Szczerbiak
2007-08 Contract: $12,000,000
2008-09 Contract: $13,000,000
2009-10 Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Szczerbiak has played at a high-level in the past and is a tremendous shooter. His contract likely will be a bigger asset to other teams than his talent.
*Chris Wilcox
2007-08 Contract: $6,500,000
2008-09 Contract: $6,750,000
2009-10 Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Wilcox is an outstanding leaper and great finisher around the basket. He rebounds the ball well, but does not bring much to the table from the offensive side and can still improve a great deal on defense. For a team looking to bring in another big body to bring off the bench, Wilcox would be a good fit. His contract expiring after the 2008-09 season would also be attractive to many teams.
*Luke Ridnour
$19,500,000 over the next three years
Ridnour is an experienced point guard having started there since the 2004-05 season. He fell out-of-favor with his coaches in the second half of the season and had a disappointing season. However, he maintains a strong assist-to-turnover ratio and gets to the basket fairly well. The biggest knock on Ridnour in the past has been his poor defense. He has quick hands and decent anticipation, but zero strength, average lateral movement, and can be shot over. He can be a nice addition for a team looking for a point guard who can eat up some minutes.
*21 year old, athletic centers
Robert Swift, Saer Sene, Johan Petro
Each one of these three do not make more than $3,000,000 per season and have great potential. Nobody in the group has played significant time in their career, but were all at one point first round picks. Swift missed last season when he blew out his knee in a preseason game, but in the past he has shown the ability to pass in the post and stay active. Sene most likely has the most upside of the group. He has wowed scouts in the past with his athleticism and shot-blocking ability. Petro is a great athlete, but has not been able to grasp the subtle aspects of offense. He generally looks to dunk the ball around the basket and has shown a decent short hook shot. He needs to develop some more post moves and improve in his team defense.
So, what should Presti do with this group of assets? I would look to acquire more talent to help the progression of Durant and Green. Some options at the point guard position would include: Jarrett Jack, Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Mike Bibby. In the post, Marvin Williams, Jermaine O’Neal, Shelden Williams, and Drew Gooden may be available.
What would I do if I were Presti? I would offer the Pacers, Johan Petro ($1,077,120), Wally Szczerbiak ($12,775,000), Delonte West ($1,889,760), the $9,350,000 trade exception, and Seattle’s first round pick next year for Jermaine O’Neal ($19,728,000) and Jamaal Tinsley ($6,300,000). This trade would bring the Sonics back a top-knotch post player in O'Neal, who would play a similar role that Tim Duncan has played with the Spurs. A combination of Tinsley and Ridnour at point guard, Jeff Green at shooting guard, Kevin Durant at small forward, Nick Collison at power forward, and Jermaine O'Neal at center would be a great start towards the Sonics climb to the top of the West.
The Pacers should do this trade because of the great flexibility and the specific talents it gives them. The Pacers plan to alter their style of play this year under newly hired coach, Jim O'Brien. O'Brien recently said, "We're going to shoot the 3. I don't know (how often), but we're going to shoot the 3." Additionally, he said, "I can't have enough perimeter shooters." With this trade, he would be getting more perimeter-type players. West would immediately step into the starting point guard spot for the Pacers, and Szcazerbiak would provide the outside shooting they have missed since Peja Stojakovic left in free agency. Also, Petro would be an intriguing player the Pacers would be able to develop.
From a financial prespective, all the players the Pacers would receive in this trade could be off their payroll after the 2008-09 season. Including Tinsley in the trade would also be very attractive to the Pacers. He has four years remaining in his contract and clearly fell out-of-favor with Indiana's management last year. With the Sonics first round pick included in the trade, the Pacers would gain additional flexibility to rebuild their squad.
At this point, there have not been much reports of Seattle making another meeting immediately, but if I were Presti and the Sonics, I would surely go ahead and call the Pacers to try and pry away O'Neal. With O'Neal (28), Green (20), and Durant (18) as their core, the Sonics would definitely contend for the title for years to come.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Magic Launch Themselves to the Top of the East
ESPN is reporting this morning that small forward, Rashard Lewis, told the Orlando Magic on Monday morning that he plans to leave the Seattle SuperSonics to sign a max contract with Orlando on July 11. The exact value of a maximum contract won't be known until the league announces the salary-cap figure in effect next season on July 11. However, the agreement is believed to be between $75 million and $85 million over five seasons.
With the addition of the 27 year old small forward, Lewis, the Magic instantly become contenders in the East. Pairing Lewis and Magic big man, Dwight Howard, the Magic have one of the best one-two punches in the Eastern Conference. Here is a look at the other duos in the East and where they compare to the Lewis-Howard tandem.
Kidd-Carter: With Kidd having just turned 34 and Carter on the wrong side of 30, this duo probably does not have much left in the tank. Since both players play in the backcourt, the Nets are lacking talent in the post. Therefore, the Magic led by Howard and Lewis are the better duo.
Marbury-Randolph: A true inside-outside combination, the Knicks certianly have a lot of talent between these guys. The one problem remains that both players have a history of selfishness and there are questions of whether they can coexist. In addition, these two are not half the defenders that Lewis and Howard are. So again, I'm taking the Magic's Lewis-Howard combo.
Pierce-Allen: These two will certainly be fun to watch this year at the Fleet Center. Both are talented wing players who are amongst the best shooters in the league. Unfortunately, they are both talented wing players, leaving the Celtics without much inside. Based on age, potential for injury, and size, I'm taking Lewis and Howard over Pierce and Allen.
Wade-O'Neal: A year ago, most people would take the Heat's duo over the Magic's new pairing. However, today I think most would take the Magic's inside-outside combination. At 35, O'Neal certainly looks like he is coming down towards the end of his career. He only played 40 games last season, and for the first time in his career, he did not manage to average 20 points per game. Although he was often injured last year, Wade is still one of the best players in the league. Based on age and a downward trend in production, I would go with Dwight Howard at 21 and Rashard Lewis at 27 over the Heat's two top stars.
Arenas-Jamison: This is where it gets interesting when comparing duos. Arenas finished third last year in the league in points per game, while Jamison managed to finish twentied in the league in the same category. However, I would still go with the Magic's twosome over the Wizards'. If you compare the two today, I would probably give a slight edge to the Magic. However, if you compare the two for tomorrow, the Magic easily get the edge. Arenas has announced that he will be opting out of his contract after this season and Jamison will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Howard and Lewis are younger and have more certainty around their future than the Wizards.
Billups-Wallace: The Pistons pairing puts up the biggest fight against Lewis and Howard. With Wallace and Billups, the team has won more than fifty games every year for the last four years. They have also reached the NBA Finals twice, while winning it once. Nevertheless, these Pistons are now on the wrong side of 30 and Billups' contract status is in flux. Billups is currently a free agent, but has made it known that he prefers to return to the Pistons. Based on their past, if you assume that these two both return this upcoming season, I would take the Pistons combination over the Magic's for next season. However, past that, I am going with the Magic.
Once the dust clears and all the lines are signed, the Magic have catapulted themselves to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. With young, big man, Dwight Howard, and talented Rashard Lewis about to enter his prime, the Magic have one of the best pairings in the conference. Although the Billups-Wallace due maybe better now, the Howard-Lewis combination will be better for years to come.
Assuming the Magic do not bring back Darko Milicic or Grant Hill, they will still have some wholes to fill in their lineup. They will need to find a big man to put next to Dwight Howard in the post, and another strong shooting year from Hedo Turkoglu. The development of point guard, Jameer Nelson, and wing player, Trevor Ariza, will also be vital towards the Magic's success. However, with the duo of Howard and Lewis, the Magic have guaranteed themselves to be contenders to win the Eastern Conference.
With the addition of the 27 year old small forward, Lewis, the Magic instantly become contenders in the East. Pairing Lewis and Magic big man, Dwight Howard, the Magic have one of the best one-two punches in the Eastern Conference. Here is a look at the other duos in the East and where they compare to the Lewis-Howard tandem.
Kidd-Carter: With Kidd having just turned 34 and Carter on the wrong side of 30, this duo probably does not have much left in the tank. Since both players play in the backcourt, the Nets are lacking talent in the post. Therefore, the Magic led by Howard and Lewis are the better duo.
Marbury-Randolph: A true inside-outside combination, the Knicks certianly have a lot of talent between these guys. The one problem remains that both players have a history of selfishness and there are questions of whether they can coexist. In addition, these two are not half the defenders that Lewis and Howard are. So again, I'm taking the Magic's Lewis-Howard combo.
Pierce-Allen: These two will certainly be fun to watch this year at the Fleet Center. Both are talented wing players who are amongst the best shooters in the league. Unfortunately, they are both talented wing players, leaving the Celtics without much inside. Based on age, potential for injury, and size, I'm taking Lewis and Howard over Pierce and Allen.
Wade-O'Neal: A year ago, most people would take the Heat's duo over the Magic's new pairing. However, today I think most would take the Magic's inside-outside combination. At 35, O'Neal certainly looks like he is coming down towards the end of his career. He only played 40 games last season, and for the first time in his career, he did not manage to average 20 points per game. Although he was often injured last year, Wade is still one of the best players in the league. Based on age and a downward trend in production, I would go with Dwight Howard at 21 and Rashard Lewis at 27 over the Heat's two top stars.
Arenas-Jamison: This is where it gets interesting when comparing duos. Arenas finished third last year in the league in points per game, while Jamison managed to finish twentied in the league in the same category. However, I would still go with the Magic's twosome over the Wizards'. If you compare the two today, I would probably give a slight edge to the Magic. However, if you compare the two for tomorrow, the Magic easily get the edge. Arenas has announced that he will be opting out of his contract after this season and Jamison will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Howard and Lewis are younger and have more certainty around their future than the Wizards.
Billups-Wallace: The Pistons pairing puts up the biggest fight against Lewis and Howard. With Wallace and Billups, the team has won more than fifty games every year for the last four years. They have also reached the NBA Finals twice, while winning it once. Nevertheless, these Pistons are now on the wrong side of 30 and Billups' contract status is in flux. Billups is currently a free agent, but has made it known that he prefers to return to the Pistons. Based on their past, if you assume that these two both return this upcoming season, I would take the Pistons combination over the Magic's for next season. However, past that, I am going with the Magic.
Once the dust clears and all the lines are signed, the Magic have catapulted themselves to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. With young, big man, Dwight Howard, and talented Rashard Lewis about to enter his prime, the Magic have one of the best pairings in the conference. Although the Billups-Wallace due maybe better now, the Howard-Lewis combination will be better for years to come.
Assuming the Magic do not bring back Darko Milicic or Grant Hill, they will still have some wholes to fill in their lineup. They will need to find a big man to put next to Dwight Howard in the post, and another strong shooting year from Hedo Turkoglu. The development of point guard, Jameer Nelson, and wing player, Trevor Ariza, will also be vital towards the Magic's success. However, with the duo of Howard and Lewis, the Magic have guaranteed themselves to be contenders to win the Eastern Conference.
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