It’s good to have goals. They drive you. They’re the bulls-eye just over the horizon. Small goals, big goals, short-term goals, long-term goals individual goals, team goals- without them, no one but the top dog would have a measurement for success. The great thing about goals, especially sports-related goals, is that they’re flexible. Rather than not reaching your goal and being disappointed with the outcome, you can always replace it with a new goal that’s a little bit more realistic, a little closer to being reached.
This is where we find ourselves now. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to make the playoffs with the “most talented Raptors ever assembled.” Some maintain that with a healthy roster, renewed focus, and a little bit of luck we could indeed salvage a 7/8 spot in the playoffs. As I write this, the online poll to your right reflects this opinion to be the majority, the result of a two game win streak. Still, these are folks still holding on to the original goal set prior to the season. Like a child with their blankie, they refuse to let go.
But I, like some (including Arsenalist), have moved past that goal (notably because there’s a better chance of RapsFan becoming a rabbi) and are now looking to put a positive spin on the rest of the season. Our new goal should be to win the summer of 2009. It may not be a game, but it’s a competition. Let everyone else sweat it out until 2010. If we make the right moves this summer, we’re positioning ourselves to win both summers, because if we do right by Bosh next season, there’s a slight chance he might not bounce to go win championships (but never MVP’s – he should get that out of his head while he’s still young).
Winning the summer of 2009 begins with unloading O’Neal for an expiring contract. We tried, it failed, game over. The most obvious and talked about solution is Shawn Marion, but I like this trade better.
I think the sell to Cleveland is easy. They’re going deep into June. They already have an excellent fit at center, but imagine if they could bring JO off the bench? Not to mention having that type of injury insurance come the postseason. They’re not resigning Wally, and I think the whole Varejao contract debacle soured both sides beyond repair. They are also pretty high on the talented J.J. Hickson, who with minutes will be an upgrade from Varejao by the end of the season. So they get two players off the books in 2010 (when they’re trying to resign this guy Lebron James) for a hard-nose big body that can still contribute at a high level when motivated and healthy. He won’t be asked to play too many minutes for the Cavs, which should negate the fatigue we’ve seen in his legs some games. And playing for a championship, on Lebron’s team…well if that doesn’t motivate JO, he should just retire. If Cleveland is serious about beating Boston, L.A., or even Orlando, this is a great trade for them.
For us, we get two players who we aren’t obligated to pay next season. I could see us resigning Andy, who’s hustle and rebounding (and foreigner status) make him more attractive to Colangelo than Humph. Sorry Kris, but you’re out on this one.
Okay, so now that we’ve done that, our roster for the remainder of the season is:
Jose/Roko/Other Guy
Parker/Sczerbiak
Kapono/Graham/Jumpshotio
Bosh/Varejao/Humphries
Bargnani/Voskhul/Jawai
Clearly we’re thin at the C but Varejao and Bosh are both more than capable of playing minutes up front. And I defy anyone to tell me this isn’t a better roster than we have currently: I’m not buying it. We’ll win enough games with these 13 down the stretch to salvage a bit of respect and not totally disgust the fan base (though I’m learning we’re capable of anything, like CNN keeps telling me young black children across America have recently discovered). Plus, we could play Kapono and Sczerbiak at the same time just to watch them clunk into each other like lemmings at the three point line. High comedy.
Now – fast-forward to July 2009, the point of all this. Who’s available? Names like Kobe, Iverson, Kidd, and Boozer top the “no way in hell they’re coming here” list. Guys like Rasheed Wallace, Okur, Drew Gooden, Andre Miller, and Mike Bibby are all on the “no thanks, we’re all stocked up” list. If we can we agree our needs are perimeter defence, a wing who can create their own shot, and rebounding, then let’s look at who else is available and alluring, in no particular order.
Lamar Odom
Current Salary: $11.4 million/yr
In theory, he’s a dream player. A big who can handle the ball very well, has excellent range, play the 3/4/5 (in smallball), can rebound, doesn’t need plays run for him, and has good quickness at the position. Again, this is all “in theory”. Odom has had motivation/attitude problems in LA, which may be a result of playing in an offense that doesn’t put enough focus on him. If he came to Toronto, it would be a similar situation, but at least he’d be out from under Kobe. He hasn’t proven he can play alongside other bigs yet, which he’d have to do in TO. Regardless, a 5-4-3 lineup of Bargnani, Bosh, and Odom is long, athletic, and a major matchup issue for most teams.
Brandon Bass
Current Salary: $826,269/yr
Yes please! He’s strong, doesn’t need the ball, comfortable coming off the bench, and is only 23. Even for $3 million per season, the upgrade Bass gives us as the first big off the bench over Humph/O’Neal/whoever is gigantic. He’s got a punishing inside game and would average 10 boards given the right PT. All those ill-advised, long jumpshots we like to take and miss? Bass would wrangle them bitches quicker than R.Kelly at the prom. I’d put Chris Wilcox here right beside Bass if Wilcox wasn’t already making almost $7 million a year (though he IS only 26…). Bass fits into the “complimentary” category – at that salary, Wilcox doesn’t.
Hedo Turkoglu
Current Salary: $6.86 million/yr
Hedo’s the type of guy I’m not totally sold on. Yeah, he’s having a great run in Orlando, but is that because he’s truly blossomed into an All-Star or a function of all the space Lewis and Howard make for him? Is it the maturation of his skill set or a coach that knows how to best utilize them? I’m undecided but there’s no denying that “Orlando Hedo” would be a home run in Toronto. Calderon would have a field day kicking it out to him for open 3’s, and his ability to get to the free throw line and rebound from the wing position are two things sorely missed on this team. And then there’s the whole international vibe we’ve got going on. Hedo’s got a player option that he may or may not exercise, depending on how Orlando fares this season. At only 29 someone’s going to overpay him either this year or next. At $9/season, I could see us getting him and still having a lot left over for another signing/2010.
Ron Artest
Current Salary: $8.45 million/yr
He’d bring the toughness we’ve been lacking since Oakley left. He’s as good as any one-on-one defender in the league, and would welcome the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best player every night. He can hit the three, a necessity for any Raptor. He’s an excellent rebounder and a near-perfect 3 for this team. He’s also insane, and could easily swing a chair at the Raptor during a TV timeout. That being said, someone will gamble on Ron-Ron, and Colangelo’s been nothing if not a dice-roller. Why would he come here? For the same reason girls with low self esteem date jerks. Because somebody wants them. Signing Artest leaves room for another significant FA acquisition, perhaps a solid veteran 2 guard that would help turn this team right around. Maybe someone like…
Desmond Mason
Current Salary: $5.3 million/yr
There are bigger FA names left to discuss, but I can’t help but think that if Mason was brought in as a complimentary signing to a higher-tiered player like Artest, it would instantly turn this team around. A starting 5 of Calderon, Mason, Artest, Bosh, Bargnani has it all (on paper) – rebounding, deep threats, ball movement, athleticism, the ability to get to the FT line, and a little big of swagger. I like Jamal Crawford here as well but he’s unlikely to opt-out of his last two years in Golden State and makes Mike James look gunshy. Desmond isn’t going to want to stick around in Oklahoma City to watch his minutes dwindle, and at 31 he’s at the perfect age where veteran wisdom and athleticism still co-exist. He’s still a starter in this league – just look at Jamario Moon and tell me otherwise. Forgetting about his numbers with the Thunder (his minute are way down), he’s a proven scorer/slasher. We could sign him to a $5.5mil/season contract and I’d consider it reasonable.
Carlos Delfino
Current Salary: $2.75 million ruples ($4 million USD)
It’s clear to me that we miss Carlos’ ball handling, and resigning him would alleviate some of the major of finding a backup PG for Jose. Between Jose, Roko, and Delfino, we should have 48 minutes of solid guard play. When he doesn’t rely on the jump shot, Delfino is a definite slasher who can keep the defence guessing.He carried us in more than a few quarters last season when our offence was stalling. Carlos is an above average defender and wouldn’t command a crazy salary. To top it off, we still have his NBA rights. But can we bring back a player we let go last year? I want to say we shouldn’t but…
Rasho Nesterovic
Current Salary: $8.4 million/yr
…I hope the answer to that question is yes because I want to see Rasho back in Raptors red black next season. If we kept Anderson (in my total fantasy scenario) then I there’s no room/money for him, but if we didn’t, Rasho is comfortable with the team, the players, and his role as a backup. He’s got high basketball IQ, rarely makes mistakes, and can play more minutes if someone’s injured. But he’d have to be willing to make less than his current salary.
I realize there are more names to chat about, but they’re either totally useless (The Collins twins) or totally destructive (Starbury and Damon Jones – you could potentially add Artest to this list, but I’m not). In my most realistic “nice to have” scenario, here’s how we net out in 2009-2010:
We lose: O’Neal, Szcerbiak, Parker, Voskhul
We gain: Artest, Mason, Bass, Draft Pick, Varajeo*
We drown: Solomon
* If we resign
2009-2010 roster:
PG: Jose/Roko
SG: Mason/’09 Draft Pick
SF: Artest/Graham/Kapono/Me/Whitney Port/Jamario Moon
PF: Bosh/Bass/Humph or Varajeo
C: Bargnani/Rasho (if we don’t sign Varajeo)/Jawai
Yes, there are a TON of what ifs in there, and I’m sure more than a few of you will call me all sorts of flattering things in the comments section, but what is being a sports fan without speculation? Would you not play with this team in NBA 2K10, if nothing else than to trot out a lineup of Bargnani, Bosh, Bass, Artest, and Mason just to grab every rebound? What if we swapped Kapono for a competent backup PG or a SG? Tell me we’re not instantly more competitive next season. Deeper and tougher and with more less holes across the board?
I’m not suggesting long-term contracts for anyone but Bass. No more getting pushed around. No more being one foul away from the bonus with 7:00 left and not getting to the FT line. No more stints where we don’t have a legitimate NBA talent on the court. No more laughing stock.
These are MY goals for the team next season. And it begins now. If we don’t get rid of JO this year, it will be the biggest mistake in franchise history. Mark my words. Admit your mistake Colangelo, and help achieve our new goal for this season.
(I am aware none of this takes into consideration stockpiling more money necessary to resign Bosh in 2010. But if we can resign him to the same type of contract, the numbers should work.)
58 Raps
I don’t think the JO pitch to the Cavs will be easy or successful. I think the Cavs are better off keeping the Brazilian Beast since he’s younger, has no health issues and is the energy guy they need to sub for B.Wallace. The last thing the Cavs would want is an injured JO between April and June.
I think the Cavs could get something big (Josh Howard) for Wally’s huge expiring if they wanted to pursue it. Dallas/Cuban could than use Wally’s salary to snatch Ron-Ron from under our nose this summer.
I’ve said it before that as Ron-Ron ages closer to 30, he’s becoming a more mature and complete player. He hasn’t caused a wave in the Rockets Tsunami-alert locker room this season. His skill set and attitude would be perfect for the Raps next season. And as you pointed out, he just wants to be wanted ($44M/4yrs).
As far as shoring up bigs off the bench, I would also like the Raps to re-acquire Rasho. He would also be a perfect fit playing 15min per off the bench.
As far as finding a replacement at SG to move a re-signed AP to the bench (where he would excel playing less min against sub/scrubs), I think we’d be out of money to succeed in achieving that goal.
They key is JJ Hickson. They won’t need to keep Anderson if JJ continues to exceed expectations, and at a fraction of the salary for the next two seasons.
WHY NOT TREVOR ARIZA.
I have literally become to Ariza what Khandor is to Carney. This guy is young, athletic, can shoot the three and would command the MLE at most.
The lakers are penciled in at 75 before odom and ariza. People say they will resign him, but I think if we offer enough, he might bite and move here. Especially if the lakers decide Odom is the way to go (or sign and trade him for another 3), ariza wouldnt want be off the bench for his early prime year (24-28), he would develop quite nicely along with bosh, calderon, and bargnani.
YES! Ariza should be the raps target for SF.
Improving jumper, solid defense, great hops.
Whats not to like?
You could probably pry him away from the Lakers for about 6-7Mil, which is cheap. The Lakers are such a deep team, that is the only reason he isn’t getting more attention.
I don’t disagree, but I didn’t include him because I believe that LA will stick with Ariza over sulky Lamar Odom at the end of the day.
I haven’t seen enough of Ariza this season to understand the recent love affair with him. But if he’s “all that topped with a cherry”, than the Lakers will surely re-sign him.
How much are the Lakers willing to go over the cap? I think depends if they win this year, Posey walked away from Celts.
They are already in the luxury tax now, without resigning anyone, a decent offer (money and playing time) and he could walk
And if Ariza could be signed, BC should think hard about Ben Gordon. He’s a liability defensively because of his size but if our SF is the defense/rebounding specialist Bosh and Bargs need, getting some scoring punch from the SG becomes a necessity. Gordon wants a big deal but he might want out of the debacle the Bulls are becoming enough to swallow a bit of financial pride.
And no to Artest. I’d rather have what remains of Shawn Marion. No one on the Raptors has a hope of keeping Artest in line when he starts getting crazy – not unless Charles Oakley is brought in as a coach and given a firearms acquisition certificate. And Ron Artest will get crazy. And I think his best years are behind him anyway so why pay top dollar for a declining player? Didn’t we try that with JO?
i’m still holding my breath for JJ in 2010! our #3 could be anyone as long as they are rebounders and defenders and can hit a 3 if wide open.
i like Varejao – if he wants a reasonable amount of money,I would try to sign him anyway in the offseason.
In terms of trades? I doubt it. Not that it might not be a good trade, but it is too much of a risk for a team that has proven it can beat the Celtics as is.
I would also love JJ, but… I’d take Ron-Ron this summer instead of hoping for JJ in 2010. Fact is, if the Hawks offer JJ the max ($30M more than any other team), he’s gotta take it – same goes for Bosh: he’ll take $30M more to stay in Toronto.
i think the best and least obvious moves on that list are mason and bass. didnt mason scorch us one game last year??? and bass is an absolute monster!! i love that guy.i like resigning delfino but i seem to remember hating rasho last season, i know he had a stretch of good games but i also remember that whenever he had a big game we would lose..?? i dont love artest for this team but i do love hedo. if we can sign bass and hedo i think we’d be better off..
Yeah Mason started off 8/8 against us early last season when he was in…Milwaukee was it? Can’t recall.
oh yeah ariza is sick!!
Ariza is only “sick” becuase he works in a great system. Likewise Jason Kapono sucks cuz hes in the wrong system. Production has just as much to do with someones natural abilty as it is the system they work in.
Totally agree. I have no idea why people are crazy about Ariza. The Lakers had the ball in his hands against the Spurs in San Antonio a few weeks back and this guy panicked beyond belief. It ended up being an offensive foul.
Ariza is only good if you have great players around him. He’s not a great shooter and cannot create off the bounce. We cannot look to him as being the savior at the wing spot. I’d even say that J.R Smith is better.
Dinosty,
The concept of an original goal being “flexible” just because the odds of achieving said goal are slim-to-none is pathetic. Isn’t that a fancy way of saying you’ve given up on your original goal?
You don’t change the goal, but rather admit that your original goal was way too high. In fact, I think the problem with fans of the Toronto Raptors is that htey don’t separate their goals from their expectations. It’s great to have high hopes and a “reach for the sky” attitude, but when your goal is the same as your expectation you are setting yourself up for disappointment year after year.
Yes, it’s a euphemism for giving up, for sure. That’s kind of what I was getting at ;)
Interesting point about goals and expectations.
Even if the Cavs would do this deal (which I doubt) there is no way Toronto would as it would put them over the cap (into luxury tax territory).
If MLSE refuses to pay tax to acquire Wally Szerbiak they should be hunted down, tarred and feathered!
I don’t see the Cavs trading AV. At this moment he is doing great coming off the bench and so are the Cavs. Unless there is a signifcant drop off in the level of AV play which results in signifcant losses just before the trade deadline, he isn’t going to move.
Not to mention that AV and Wally come off the books in the end of this season while JO continue’s to next season.
As for Lamar he strikes me as the type of Player that needs a strong coach (Like Phil) to make him wanna hustle. I can also see Lamar wanting some ridiclous amount of money (over 10 million) for a long term contract while avg like 12 points and 7 rebounds for the Raptors. He also strikes me as a bit of a basketcase.
Hedo is also turning 30 like Lamar and is looking for big bucks for his final contract. Him and Bargnani are too much alike for my taste. I prefer our next SF to be some tough hard nose player.
Ron Artest – too unpredictable.
Carlos Delfino – I actually want to have him back at a resonable price. He would make a perfect six man coming off the bench, but you need to get rid of Kapono and let Delfino play through his mistakes.
Whats up with all this talk about Carney and Ariza? I’m thinking that people got these ideas from video games. Last year with NBA 08, I averaged a triple-double with Corey Brewer and thought that he was fantastic. Turns out he ain’t that great. Is that whats happening with Carney and Ariza? Cause Carney doesn’t even get much playing time in MINNESOTA! And Ariza has been a great role player for the Lakers, but not some saviour of a franchise.
I like the talk about getting Delfino back. He was really good last year, playing tough defence and pretty good offense. I like the fact that he could rebound, pass, and score. Wings that can pass well are valuable. I’d like to see Moon assist once in a while…
See, I was with you until you said Delfino was “really good last year”. He was erratic, unreliable and just because he picked up a couple chargers here and there don’t mean he was a great defender. He was better than Moon but that doesn’t say much. His offense was 8-11 one night and 2-10 the next four. Still, he’s a decent wing off the bench on a mediocre team. There’s a reason the Pistons let him go.
Ariza is playing the James Posey role on the Lakers, he is not good and not worth overpaying for which is what we’ll have to do. Save your money for JJ or even Wade. Imagine that, Bosh and Wade in TO. Make a play BC, make a big play.
Wade? Are you serious? There’s a better chance of Barack Obama playing for the Raptors. Any image-conscious NBA superstar will stay away from this city and it’s few thousand fans. Wade is a big market player…not gonna happen.
we can sure dream though, eh?
I’m pretty sure Wade would have a bigger market in Toronto (and Canada) than Miami. That’s assuming Wade would want to stay in Miami.
The Clevland trade would not put us into luxury tax teritory….look it up.
Why don’t the Cavs trade Szerbiak’s expiring contract to the Wizards for Antwan Jamison? The Wizards look like they need to rebuild but just signed a bunch of long-term deals. Szerbiak at the deadline lets them hold onto Tough Juice while getting a bit of salary relief to retool. They’re stuck with Agent O.
In short, I think Cleveland will get better offers.
I think Danny Ferry and the Cavs would have to be on Peyote to accept that proposed deal. Wally’s contract can fetch a more serviceable, younger, and less risky (health-wise) player than J.O.
A player that will help them win the Championship? That doesn’t just add depth but can create their own shot? A big body with, when healthy, All-Star skills? Not sure. No risk, no reward.
This is the same risk BC took when he got JO and has since gotten railed for. No risk, no reward. No lack of criticism.
I still like the Marion swap better, as long as Jamal M. or Joel A. are included and not Banks. If we did that trade and Marion works well with the team, his inability to create his own shot would be offset by signing a sg like Ben Gordon in the offseason.
Calderon/Ukic
Gordon/Parker(Re-sign)/09 Pick
Marion/Graham/Kapono
Bosh/Hump/FA?(Bass would be nice)
Bargs/Jawaii(pick up the option)/FA?(Rasho would be nice)
Not sure how the salaries would work or if all this is feasable.
If the JO/Marion deal goes down.
Marion comes off the books this season…but yeah ben gordon would be a good addition.
09-10 season.
Calderon/Ukic/
Gordon/Kapono
Turkulu/Graham/09Pick
Bosh/Hump
Bargs/Jawai/J.Anthony
We should have enough cap space to sign ben and hedo.
Personally, we can’t take marcus banks back.. 4 mill is too much to pay a bench warmer.
Ariza would be best case scenario. I think someone like Sideshow Bob and Ariza would dramatically improve our defence.
I think with Andrea’s Improved Game, The future is still bright. We just need a wing on calderon/bosh level and we’d have something going.
man, Barack Obama is just the CHANGE the raptors need at SG. He’d really give some HOPE to a discouraged fanbase. Thats the best a poli sci major could pull off. kind of sad, really.
Chances are that Ariza is good because he has a limited role and no one is really watching him. Put him on the Raps and have all of us pin our hopes on his defense and athleticism and we’ll probably see that he ain’t what he’s cracked up to be.
Great news,
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/56834/20090126/heat_want_moon_in_deal_with_raptors/
the thing is that the Heat are also looking for a pick to add with Moon, which is unacceptable.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=11339
BC tell slick, enough is enough, Miami wants us to eat Banks contract,now they want Moon thrown in ?
As much as I would like a 3 that can go to the hole,we already paid dearly for JO.
i agree, if something can be worked out along the lines of:
marion and anthony
for
o’neal and moon
I would make that deal. I am unsure why Moon has such a great reputation around the league, it confuses me.
Trade Moon! he has legit value and a tiny contract (soon to be overpaid) Trade him for any rotational player or draft pick because he’s not a fit here unless he resigns for 2mill or less per year and is bumped back in the rotation. Might as well use that 2 mill per for someone who’s better and/or younger.
Dinosty,
I too posted that Artest would be a good fit in a prior article on the site. I had Jamal Crawford though for the slasher role. Finally, Although Delfino could be potentially available (and is younger), I might be tempted to keep Parker to play the aformentioned Delfino role. If we could get Artest and Crawford to play at their current salaries (probably unlikely but who knows with this economy, just look what happened in baseball) We could maybe even add another big body or keep Jake (for foul purposes)
Free agency often boils down to paying too much for other team’s garbage. If your one of the 26 or so teams that are allergic to the tax its all about cost effectiveness. Case in point – Every team would love Kapono coming off the bench as he is the best jump shooter by far in the league. But we all know that he has too many holes in his game to be counted on in big minutes consistently. Big free agent money almost always disappoints statistically and cripples financially. Kapono, Diop, Darko, Baron, Mike James, Mo-Pete, Kwame, K-Mart, Fred Jones, Najera, Simmons, Swift, Curry, Hughes, Nazr, Big Ben, Harrington, Jerome James, Claxton, etc have all been failures in this regard.
I’d like to see an attempt of all the free agents over the last few years that have met or exceeded expectations. It would be a short one.
- Hedo(eventually), Jameson (statistically), Salmons, Posey(arguably), Johnson, Anthony Parker(european steal), umm drawing blanks…
please no realgm or hoopsworld links…come on!!!!
not down for an av trade…id rather have oneal…and that says something.
i think if the raps can get cap space this summer their main focus should be getting josh childress, resigning ap, and hopefully retaining marion (with every passing day i dont think the trade is going to happen) at a reasonable price…
if none of that works out and we are stuck with The Big Showcase i would be interested in offering up either bosh or calderon (or both) for a mix and match of portland players (i.e. outlaw, webster, bayless, raefs expiring contract, maybe the bogus aldridge).
i know that sounds crazy but we’re all getting a bit hypothetical in here arent we?
like the brandon bass idea a lot though.
I don’t see Hedo leaving Orlando as he’s good friends with Dwight and the rest of the bunch. Good weather, great coach, and turning into an elite team. He will not leave all of that.
Question, how many consecutive rings would this team win. Im bored
PG – Chris Paul
SG – Dwayne Wade
SF – Lebron James
PF – Chris Bosh
C – Dwight Howard
all of them if you could manage egos
They’re all friends away from the court. They all played in the Olympics and are good character individuals. Thew only issue would be guard play and who controls the ball the majority of the minutes. I would say 3 straight titles until the ego situation might build up after that time period.
Does anyone else have that sinking feeling that whoever we trade JO to, will turn around and use the money opened up from his expiring contract to sign Bosh in 2010. Miami would be an obvious one, with Cleveland (mentioned above) and New York being the other two.
Ugh. What a kick to the groin that would be.
Yeah. Its going to backfire, you wait and see. Especially with this Miami deal in negotiations.
Really? Lamar Odom and Desmond Mason as viable options for this team? Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree more…
(1) Odom – A versatile, long player who rebounds well. But, more importantly, a big softie (both physically and mentally–no “killer instinct” here): precisely the type of player the Raps DO NOT need. I would take a flier on Artest, his niece, and one of his malnourished Great Danes before signing Odom.
(2) Mason – A once-flashy wing player who can’t shoot. At all. Like, really. And, for a slasher, his ability to get to the basket isn’t even that great because teams can just sag off and give him room to shoot. I geuss you could call him a rich man’s Hassan Adams.
Brandon Bass is an interesting proposition, but he’s basically Kris Humphries, version 2007-8. That said, I like him as a bench option.
What the Raps need most is: (a) a wing scorer; (b) a wing stopper (if this is the same person as (a)), even better; and (c) a banger/shot blocker.
Uh, not sure if we’re talking about the same Desmond Mason here. The Demond Mason I am referring to can get to the FT line 6 times a game, defend and rebound well at his position, and brings some veteran toughness to the court. He’s not Brandon Roy, but he doesn’t need to be. The rest of the roster are “shooters”, as you call them.
As for Bass being Humphries ‘07, that’s just an insult to a developing player. He’s going to be much closer to Maxiell than Humph, I can assure you.
Oh, the same Desomond Mason that averaged 2.8 fta’s per game last season, and 2.2 per game this season? And the same Desmond Mason that shoots about 55% to 65% from the line once he manages to finally get there? Good call.
a) That’s in limited minutes
b) I’m not saying he’s the saviour, I’m just saying that him+artest might be a good way to strengthen the foundation of our starting 5. Would you prefer Ben Gordon and Jamal Crawford’s 20+ FGA per game?
Point taken.
I would welcome Mason as a bench option, but as a starter I don’t think he is a viable choice.
I don’t know if Gordon/Crawford would be a good fit, and I see your point, but I guess it depends who fills the 3-spot.
All 3 players are pretty one-dimensional (perhaps Crawford the least so). It would be nice to get a player who could do more than one thing well.
List of available 3’s in 2009 FA:
Flip Murray’s available. Want him? I guess he’s a bit 1D too, but dude can fill it up.
Gerald Green? No thanks.
Dahntay Jones might be a good fit. He can score and defend, but I can’t help but see him with an attitude problem.
Von Wafer? There might be something with this guy. Hasn’t had a chance to play consistent minutes but was impressive in Atl and Houston when he’s stepped up to fill injuries.
No love for Marquis Daniels.
Ariza would be nice but they’re not letting him go.
Quinton Ross is a great defender but can’t do a lick offensively. Would rather Desmond Mason.
Everyone around here seems to love Rodney Carney, but he’s no upgrade on Joey G.
Al Harrington? He will likely get resigned but he’s an interesting option at the 3. Mismatch heaven.
Kareem Rush? Or is he a 2?
Matt Barnes? Average at everything, great at nothing. Still, we’ve seen him used effectively as a peice in a puzzle.
Shelden Williams? Haven’t seen him do anything in the NBA. AP would be thrilled though.
I know – Stephen Graham! I think the reason Joey’s only been playing average is becuase he’s missing his other half. Plug them in together and they’ll be like Voltron on the basketball court.
Done and done. We’re signing Stephen Graham. Ink it.
yup, slim pickins…
Add Josh Childress to the list since Atlanta is likely inclined to get something for him as a restricted free agent. And, to paraphrase Doug Smith at the Star, remember that being significantly under the cap opens up trade options since salaries do not have to match. What if Chicago wants to part ways with Luol Deng’s long-term contract or Charlotte decides Gerald Wallace has to go in a salary dump and they don’t care that he doesn’t want to live in Canada?
And I wouldn’t be surprised if Marion has something left in his tank and fits the Raptors’ roster despite not being able to create his own shot. I really hope that deal gets done because JO, even playing well and with a good attitude, just doesn’t fit. I thought he would but I was wrong. I like his 9 rb/game. I’d gladly give Miami Jumpshotio and would even give up a pick if Miami agreed to swap theirs. I don’t think the late lottery and a pick in the 20’s have much separating them for this draft year. It’s a total crapshoot even if you get the #1 pick.
I like Marion’s 9rb/game
New to the blog – great discussions…IMHO, the Raps aren’t going to get anything of real value for JO – sure, they could go ahead and trade him for marion, but all it does is get big money off the books one year earlier – is there anyone out there they can sign this offseason that will make them a true contender? As for signing Ben Gordon – does a team with Gordon and Jose have any chance in the playoffs? Who guards the other team’s best backcourt player? To me, this is the time they need to at least be kicking the tires on possible deals for Bosh – if Bosh is going to leave to play w/ LBJ or Dwade in 2010, then the raps might as well test the waters to see what they can get. Also, it would free up Barg to continue to develop at his natural position of PF. But what deals are out there? What about Nene and JR Smith? Would Miami part with Beasley (+Blount)? Would Portland give up Oden (+LaFrentz)? Any other ideas???