The official 2003 NBA free agents thread

[Guest Human Fly]

Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift (and once again...any 2 guard...Wesley Person) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

Whatever happened to Michael Dickerson?

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

Andre Miller, Nene Hilario, Marcus Camby and Carmello Anthoney (throw in any two on the team...Rodney White) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

 

Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift (and once again...any 2 guard...Wesley Person) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

 

And selfishness also comes from thinking you are better than anyone that d's you up and you can score at will. A long term contract doesn't change the fact that they will still think that. And most of the guys they brought back REALLY don't want to be there, long term or not.

No they're not. Look what an impressive starting line-up on paper did for the Bucks and the Hawks…

 

Rasheem, Big Dog, Ratliff, Terry and ??? was a pretty solid line-up on paper. Same with Allen, Cassell, Mason, Tim Thomas and Erving “I’m not Magic” Johnson.

[Guest Ripper]

Wait, hold up. Contrary to popular belief, the Hawks started off the season strong until Emmanuel Davis tore his achilles. This forced Jason Terry to move to the point and have Ira Newble or Dion Glover at the 2. Theo Ratliff and Nasi Mohammad where hurt. then Demarr Johnson was hurt. AND Chris Crawford. They had a shit load of injuries...including the 3 guys out for the season which left them with no bench. They only had 3 quality players anyway.

 

 

As for the Grizz and the Nuggets, I'm not saying they are playoff teams, because they aren't. But Jason williams is a better point than Jaric. Mike Miller=Lamar Odem. Pau Gasol is just behind Brand(but I think he is a top 3 powerforward in the league anyway) Stromile Swift/Lorenzen Wright bitches the entire Clipper bench and starters at center.

 

I can do the same thing with the nuggets.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

Good point with the injuries, which is exactly why the Clips were projected to be playoff contenders before the start of last season. However, the injury epidemic struck the team and their top 8 players played together for a combined ONE game all season, including pre-season and training camp. That's why with everyone healthy and Odom in the mix for the entire year (hopefully), the Clips are set to considerably erase the loser stigma that has been following this organization for years.

 

We also have a pretty deep bench with athletic players like Quentin Richardson (who had an injury plagued year), Keyon Dooling, Chris Wilcox, Melvin Ely, and the underrated Wang Zhi Zhi. Add veterans like Cherokee Parks, Olden Polynice and possibly a veteran point guard like Kenny Anderson and the Clips are set to continue to build on the success that they enjoyed 2 seasons ago.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

The Kings just traded Keon Clark to the Jazz for a 2nd round pick.

[Guest Ripper]

The Kings just traded Keon Clark to the Jazz for a 2nd round pick.

So now they have:

 

Keon Clark, Matt Harpring, Deshawn Stevenson, Andre Kirelinko...nice little line up there.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Don't let the smooth taste fool you on Keon Clark. Way overrated. Sure, he'll provide a highlight reel dunk or blocked shot, but eventually he'll disappear. He was non existent in the playoffs this year and the Jazz are not a playoff team this year, so this move means very little.

[Guest Ripper]

Don't let the smooth taste fool you on Keon Clark. Way overrated. Sure, he'll provide a highlight reel dunk or blocked shot, but eventually he'll disappear. He was non existent in the playoffs this year and the Jazz are not a playoff team this year, so this move means very little.

I disagree..

 

Keon Clark is a starter.

 

He can't give you SHIT from the bench. When he starts, he will get a shit load of blocks and rebounds and if you feed him the ball constantly, he will get you points as he has a nice mid-range jumper and a nice game with his back to the basket.

 

If he gets in foul trouble or doesn't start, you have one useless man.

[Guest Human Fly]

I'm still waiting for someone to fall on one of Keon Clark's legs and snap it like a twig. Sooner or later I figure he is bound to have some kind of injury trouble with those toothpicks.

[Guest Dangerous A]

When C-Webb was hurt this year and Clark started, he really didn't step up that much. We'll have to wait and see on Keon. He'll have the oppurtunity now that Malone is gone.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

What are the Kings thinking of besides the salary cap? Brad Miller is not that good! What if C-Webb gets hurt again? Without Pollard and Clark are we going to have a Lawrence Funderburke sighting? They better re-sign Jimmy J before McHale grabs him for the Wolves. As long as the Kings have enough ammo to stop the Lakers, I’’ be happy.

[Rendclaw 0]

PR: the very reason why the word fan is short for fanatic.

 

Understand this, my friend. The Clippers are going to take baby steps, if they are going to make any progress at all, for the following reasons.

 

1: There is still a stigma attached to that team. There is a reason why the bottom-dwelling teams in the Eastern Conference are called "The Clippers East". It will not completely go away until (which leads to my second point)....

 

2: Donald Sterling is still doing very little to actually improve his ballclub, which I will admit is a damn sight better than what he used to do in years past. Despite the "blockbuster" hiring of Mike Dunleavy, this means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because he is not willing to show (more than a tease here and there) that he wants to win. He wants to make money. That will ALWAYS be the primary reason why he owns a sports team, even though if he took a major risk and started from scratch and built from there, he would get a long-term return on his investment with intelligent drafting and a TRUE commitment to the team and winning in general. Which brings me to my third point....

 

3: The reason why there is selfishness from certain players is because THEY WANT TO LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. After being drafted or traded there, they realize that things are not going to change in upper management, so they start trying to showcase themselves to other teams in hopes for a trade or (more likely) to be desireable when unrestricted free agency rolls around. That why offer sheets get matched when talented players are courted my other teams.

 

I know you are a fan, but you're blind if you think the Clippers are going to make any kind of noise as long as Sterling owns the team. There is a miasma of losing in the air, and I have to give props to the players of recent years for fighting against it, but when you have an owner who only cares about making as much money off the team as he can and nothing else, you will start choking on it.

 

The Clippers will not make very much headway until someone buys the team, Like a Mark Cuban or the Maloofs or that guy who owns the Red Sox. Someone who is able to think outside the box, and get people interested in the team, and show a commitment to WINNING.

 

Nothing breeds success quite like that.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Dunno if it was mentioned but Earl Boykins is a Nugget officially. How dare they have 2 respectable PGs.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

Anybody care that the Sixers signed Derrick Coleman to a reported 2 year deal for approximately $10 million?

[Guest kingkamala]

Anybody care that the Sixers signed Derrick Coleman to a reported 2 year deal for approximately $10 million?

Do I!?

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift (and once again...any 2 guard...Wesley Person) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

Whatever happened to Michael Dickerson?

He's had a ton of injuries the last 2 years.

[Guest Ripper]

Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift (and once again...any 2 guard...Wesley Person) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

Whatever happened to Michael Dickerson?

He's had a ton of injuries the last 2 years.

And then everyone noticed he was about half as good as he thought he was.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

Not sure if it belongs here but the Blazers took out a one page ad in local newspapers stating that the team would be cutting ticket prices and establishing a code of conduct for their players...Too late to change people's perception of the JailBlazers?

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Rockets sign Adrian Griffin. With the imminent departure of James Posey this is a good pickup assuming they didn't overpay. Now Rice can start, Griffin and Piatkowski can go in at the 2 or 3 as matchups dictate, and Nachbar (the forgotten lottery pick of last year) can get minutes here and there and learn the NBA game.

[razazteca 0]

Rumor is that Steve Smith is considering going to play for the Lakers or Nuggets.

[Dangerous A 0]

I see him joining the Lakers. The Lakes love those spot up 3 point shooters and with the exception of cheering on the bench, that's all Steve Smith can do.

[Ripper 0]

I think Steve could still give you 20 a game if he was the focal point of the offense. But he would be PERFECT for the Lakers and would make them dangerous. Of course if he went to the Nuggets he would A: Start over Rodney White and B: be the Vet on the team that could teach those whippa snappas a thing or two.

[Dangerous A 0]

Steve Smith is broke down, man. I don't think he could give you 20 minutes, much less 20 points a game. I think he's lost it.

[Ripper 0]

He was playing major minutes at the beganing of this season, before Manu came back from the bad ankle.

[razazteca 0]

Steve Smith wants 2 year $10 million deal, while the Lakers are only offering the vet min salary.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

I thought he was going back to the Heat?

 

Anyway, did anyone mention that nene hilario has changed his name to simply NENE?

[razazteca 0]

Somebody tell him that he plays basketball not football.

[Gert T 0]

Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift (and once again...any 2 guard...Wesley Person) aren't a more impressive line up than the Clips?

Whatever happened to Michael Dickerson?

He's had a ton of injuries the last 2 years.

And then everyone noticed he was about half as good as he thought he was.

I disagree, before Dickerson's injury (groin, I think) he was on his way to be a Wally Szerbiak type player, a pretty solid No.2 option on a team, and he was shit on coming out of Arizona because he absolutely disappeared during the NCAA tournament. I guess that's why he excelled in Memphis, never had important games.

[Tony149 0]

Surprised nobody has mention this yet, but Steve Kerr announced at his basketball in AZ he's retiring to go into the broadcast field with TNT.

 

5 rings, played with 3 of the greatest players in NBA history (Jordan, Duncan & Robinson), holds the all-time 3 pt. FG% record, along other things. Plus he has the "Steve Kerr Trauma Center" for the Jazz & Mavs. That's a helluva career.

[Ripper 0]

I thought he was going back to the Heat?

 

Anyway, did anyone mention that nene hilario has changed his name to simply NENE?

I think he just changed his first name from what ever the fuck it is to NeNe.

 

And as for Michael Dickerson, he performed well for the rockets...then when he was traded to the Grizzles it became apparent that the only reason he was good with the rockets was because Barkely and Hakeem were drawing all the defense. He was always a iffy shooter, and that was just shown true in Vancover.

 

Then he started trying to prove that he was just as good as any two in the league and when he would touch the ball, just set up for the rebound. He was going to try and elevate over his man and shoot, or try to go around them...something he had no business doing.