NBA Offseason Thread

[Krankor 0]

Jumaine Jones is a great guy to have coming off the bench. He's the type of role player you get when you are serious about winning a championship. If any of the bigs get hurt for the Suns he'll easily pick up the slack rebounding.

 

Just about every guy on that team can knock down a 3 pointer.

[alfdogg 0]

I'm not going to hand the Suns the title just yet. The Spurs and Mavs both got deeper, as well. It's still very much a three-team race, IMO.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Just hand the Suns the championship now. What's the point of the season.

 

The Suns aren't any closer to the title than they were a few months ago. They are a top 5 team with the ability to win it all, but they haven't done anything this offseason that has set them apart from the rest of the contenders.

[alfdogg 0]

Besides, Gilbert Arenas is going to drop 100 on them in two games. He said so!

[alfdogg 0]

David Wesley signs with Cleveland.

[Brett Favre 0]

Just hand the Suns the championship now. What's the point of the season.

 

The Suns aren't any closer to the title than they were a few months ago. They are a top 5 team with the ability to win it all, but they haven't done anything this offseason that has set them apart from the rest of the contenders.

 

They got Amare back, and seeing them making it to the Western Conference finals without him last year, getting him back should be a boost. They also added depth with Banks and Jones.

[Precious Roy 0]

Let's not proclaim Amare back just yet.

[naiwf 0]

No one knows if Amare's knee or Nash's back will hold up for 100+ games next year. I'd never pick a team that has its two biggest stars one bump away from missing a substantial part of the season.

[Brett Favre 0]

Or Duncan's ankle, or Shaq's age, or Wade getting thrown down every single play. Everyone has their fair share of possible problems, not just Phoenix. Amare looked good in the summer league, and Nash was still going strong late in the playoffs last year.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Let's not proclaim Amare back just yet.

 

Exactly. Until we see one guy come back from microfracture surgery with more than 75% of their original explosiveness, I'd stay cautiously optimistic. He hasn't really been recovering on the timetable that the doctors originally predicted.

 

Plus, last year's team played with a different style and culture than they did with Amare. Amare's minutes and touches are going to come from the players who excelled in the system last year. How does getting him back make them the '05-'06 team + Amare instead of just an updated version of the '04-'05 team?

[Brett Favre 0]

Raja Bell is a better shooter than Q, and the emergence of Boris Diaw is changing the NBA. Plus Barbosa is better, and Banks is a good scorer. KT is also a better post defender than anyone on that '05 team.

[naiwf 0]

Or Duncan's ankle, or Shaq's age, or Wade getting thrown down every single play. Everyone has their fair share of possible problems, not just Phoenix. Amare looked good in the summer league, and Nash was still going strong late in the playoffs last year.

 

And that's precisely why I wouldn't say to just hand the title to the Spurs, Mavs or Heat on September 1st.

 

Arguing with CW doesn't work. He doesn't understand the simple logic in that Amare getting 35-40 minutes and 15-20 shots a night takes away those minutes and shots from the emerging stars on his team. There are only 240 minutes per team in a regulation game, and both he and Nash can't just play 24 per night because then they won't be in shape down the stretch. Similarly, if they play enough minutes to get tired by the end of the regular season and Marion and Diaw also get theirs, then the bench gets the table scraps.

[Brett Favre 0]

..and last year they still played a shitload of minutes with less people, and still made if far. You don't seem to understand that they have more depth with Amare, therefore they will get a less tired Marion, and Diaw come playoff time. Not that it mattered last year anyway.

 

And Amare playing doesn't mean Diaw can't still put up good numbers. JJ and Q averaged over 16 points a game, while Amare average 26 two years ago, so what makes you think Diaw can't score himself?

[Ripper 0]

Amare, without the explosiveness can still put up 20 and 10 in the league. People look at highlights and thinkthat was amares game. His game was the ability to face up on anyone and have a very consistant mid range jumper, or use his ball handling to get by you with if you closed(ala Tim Duncan). On the post, he simply bullied people around with his strength. Yeah, his explosive ness alowed him to get some freakishly great looking dunks, but those dunks didn't come in the half court. He dropped 37 a game against the spurs with hook shots and jump shots. THere is a reason out of shape, hasn't played in a year Amare dropped 20 and 10 his first game back. He just wasn't the highlight machine.

 

And when Amare last played, marion put up 18, Q at 16, Joe Johnson at 17, Nash at 17 and Amare at 26. So how exactly is Boris diaw and raja bells production going to fall off with him back when the guys that they are replacing scored more when they were with the Suns? Amare will take front court minutes away from Sean Marks and Kurt Thomas(oooohhhhhh) Who the fuck cares. Shawn Marions scoring numbers will drop and so will Nashs. Banks and Barbosa and Jones(pick on) will provide ample offense off the bench.

 

 

I am picking the Suns(yes, I know I pick them like every year) but this year...seriously....SUNS.

[Precious Roy 0]

Amare, without the explosiveness can still put up 20 and 10 in the league. People look at highlights and thinkthat was amares game. His game was the ability to face up on anyone and have a very consistant mid range jumper, or use his ball handling to get by you with if you closed(ala Tim Duncan).

 

I just worry about his knee holding up over 82 games.

 

And I also think that losing some of his explosiveness will take away the effectiveness of his face up game. The reason he was able to get face up 10-15 footers was because he was so explosive, if you played the shot he could get to the hoop in one quick burst. It's not like he was a "good" ballhandler, he had a good power move to get by guys when he got played close. He probably won't have that advantage any more. A guy named Antonio McDyess used to have the very same face up/explode to the rim game, and microfracture took that away from him.

 

It's not that I don't think Amare will be a good player anymore, but lets see him out there in actual games and staying healthy during the grind before we declare him the savior of the Phoenix Suns.

 

That said, Amare being back isn't going to hurt anyone else's game. The Suns are going to be good with or without him.

[Ripper 0]

But he actually is a "good" ball handler. He isn't going to win any skill competition but his ball handling is amoung the best amoung big men in the NBA. Once again, when most of what people see out of a guy is monster dunks night in and night out, they tend to think that is all that he can do.

 

How will he hold up is a good question though, seeing as the suns run that run all the time style, but we'll see.

[alfdogg 0]

Denver will re-sign Reggie Evans to a five-year deal that's said to be slightly below the MLE.

 

Houston will sign Casey Jacobsen to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal.

[Brett Favre 0]

 

Visits P.S. 188, 288 and 329 in Coney Island

Marbury Brightens First Day of School

by Tom Kertes

 

 

NEW YORK, September 5, 2006 -- First Stephon Marbury went back to school. Then, he’s going back to school.

The Knicks’ star point guard said he was interested in returning to university studies. “I’m going to take Business Management. First of all, you can never have enough knowledge. But it’s even more about being an example and sending a message; how can I tell these kids to go to school, how can I tell these kids how important education is, if I don’t do what I say?”

 

“These kids” were the students of P.S. 188, 288 and 329, a trio of elementary schools in Marbury’s old Coney Island neighborhood. As the next step in his continuing campaign of going home and helping the community, Stephon distributed 2200 school supplies packages to the thrilled-to-the-hilt kids.

 

”It’s fantastic to have Stephon do this for the students,” Assistant Principal Salema Dawson said while hundreds of curious students -- even the teachers were not told who was coming -- were awaiting Stephon in the P. S. 329 gym. “He insisted we do it today, too, in order to make sure the children have everything they need on the very first day of school. It’s a wonderful thing that an athlete comes home and gives back to his community. It’s truly remarkable -- because so many don’t.”

 

“The Marburys lived right across the street and, at one time or another, we had all seven brothers and sisters -- in fact, now several generations of the family -- in this school,” added smiling Principal Anita Garcia. “I used to be his brother’s guidance counselor. And Stephon himself attended kindergarten here.”

 

The curious crew of over 500 third and fifth graders broke out in an enormous cheer when Marbury, with 11 year-old daughter Stephanie in tow, arrived. “Stephon is here because he feels education is the key to a successful life,” Principal Garcia said. “And he wants you to have all possible success.”

 

Marbury reached into one of the hundreds of sky-blue Knicks bags. “We have here…a notebook,” he said, pulling the items out one by one. “Then another notebook. A folder. Another folder. Two pencils. A calculator. A ruler. Crayons. A crayon pouch. Two pens. A sharpener.” And so on, and so on, the never-ending stream of goodies just kept on coming.

 

“How many of you own a dictionary?” asked Stephon. “How many of you carry it with you EVERY DAY?” Eleven little hands went skyward. “If you do, come on up here, you’ll get a new dictionary right now. But, don’t worry, all of you will get one in your bags.”

 

“That’s where all the words are,” smiled Stephon. “They have meaning. They help you express yourself. The better you are able to express yourself, the better person you will become. It will make you self-reliant -- I’m living proof of that. If you rely on yourself, there is nothing you can not do. Words, they can also take you all over the world. So make the dictionary a part of your every-day life. If you have a twenty minute break, play for ten minutes -- and read you dictionary for the other ten.”

 

“Do this every day. The process of learning never stops.”

 

“I can’t tell you how inspirational this has been,” Principal Garcia said. “Going home has been wonderful,” smiled Stephon. “But today wasn’t even so much about that. It was really about giving these children knowledge, the power to become something special. And to give them a better understanding as to what it takes to become successful in life.”

[Precious Roy 0]

Marbury's been getting a lot of good press this summer, hopefully he can just keep his mouth shut and play ball next season, and maybe some of the haters can get off his back

[alfdogg 0]

Pau Gasol had surgery on his broken foot today and is expected to miss four months.

[alfdogg 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2579995

 

Article on the HOF Inductions, which took place last night. Barkley's entire speech is included.

[alfdogg 0]

Kukoc thinks he's finished

He plans to retire after 13 years as pro

 

Toni Kukoc would have played another season in the National Basketball Association, but only on his terms.

 

He didn't want to move his family from Highland Park, Ill., so when neither the Milwaukee Bucks nor the Chicago Bulls expressed interest in signing him, he decided to end his career.

 

"It looks like I'm done," Kukoc said Monday after playing in the Skip Kendall Charity Pro-Am Fore Kids at Tripoli Country Club. "There are teams that want me, but I don't want to go far from home."

 

Kukoc, a 6-foot-11 forward, played 13 seasons in the NBA, including six-plus years with the Bulls and the last four with the Bucks.

 

"My choice was either Chicago or Milwaukee," he said. "Milwaukee is going with a young team and Chicago is in need of a big guy, so that's it."

 

The versatile Kukoc, a crowd favorite at the Bradley Center, played in 65 games last season and averaged 4.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Though he played increasingly fewer minutes in recent years, he was valued for his outside shooting, passing ability and leadership qualities.

 

Kukoc, who turns 38 on Monday, said he wasn't sad about leaving the game.

 

"No, not at all," he said. "I think it's time for me to move away from basketball. It was a huge part of my life and gave me pretty much everything I desired but there comes a time when you just can't take it anymore.

 

"I can still play 10, 15, 20 minutes, maybe, but I don't need it anymore. I always felt like I needed to play basketball. Right now, it's not my most desirable thing anymore. I'd rather play golf."

 

A native of Croatia, Kukoc was a three-time European player of the year and helped both Yugoslavia (1988) and Croatia (1992) win silver medals in the Olympic Games before signing with the Chicago Bulls in 1993.

 

He played six full seasons and part of a seventh with the Bulls and teamed with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to win three consecutive NBA titles from 1995-'96 to 1997-'98.

 

The Bulls traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 1999-2000 season and the 76ers traded him to Atlanta the next year.

 

On Aug. 2, 2002, the Bucks obtained Kukoc, Leon Smith and a 2003 first-round draft pick from the Hawks for forward Glenn Robinson.

 

Over his 13 NBA seasons, Kukoc averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He won the NBA's sixth-man award after the 1995-'96 season and averaged a career-high 18.8 points in 1998-'99.

 

Kukoc said he had a 7 handicap in golf and was looking forward to spending time working on his game.

 

"I think it's the best game ever invented," he said. "I'm actually mad at my dad that he didn't get me involved in golf, but we didn't have golf back then."

[alfdogg 0]

Kendrick Perkins agreed to a four-year extension with the Celtics.

 

The Suns and Boris Diaw are about $2 million (a year) apart on negotiations, according to the AZ Republic.

[alfdogg 0]

NEW YORK (AFP) - National Basketball Association officials require cardiac screening for every player in the wake of a player's death and heart issues for other players last season, a US newspaper reported.

 

New rules were sent to NBA clubs this summer but the most extensive program in American team sports to prevent heart-related deaths was not made public, the New York Times newspaper reported.

 

The move comes after Atlanta center Jason Collier died last October at age 28 of an abnormally enlarged heart and Chicago traded center Eddy Curry to New York because he might have a strong chance of a possibly fatal heart condition.

 

Four NBA players needed heart surgery to correct abnormalities - Frenchman Ronny Turiaf of the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota's Fred Hoiberg, Cleveland's Robert Traylor and Serbian Zeljko Rebraca of the Los Angeles Clippers.

 

"They should be given substantial credit for this initiative," cardiologist Barry Maron told the Times. Maron was part of a four-person panel that helped develop the program for the NBA.

 

The new rules do not require a player be banned from playing based upon test results but tests will be administered annually and no player can take part in training camp before the tests are taken, the Times reported.

 

The NBA screening process includes a physical exam, blood tests and three heart tests - an electrocardiogram and echocardiograms at rest and while stressed.

 

Player medical histories are also being sought to check for possible pre-disposition to certain heart conditions.

 

Most players are expected to be tested October 2 or 3 before training camps begin, the newspaper reported.

 

Curry refused genetic testing and was traded by the Bulls as a result. Genetic testing is not part of the new NBA program.

 

NBA clubs previously dictated their own cardiac prevention programs but a standard program was sought to prevent situations like Curry's condition from recurring.

 

"Every team had a sensible program in place. There was nobody who we thought was deficient," NBA basketball operations president Joel Litvin told the Times.

 

"But we thought it made sense, after talking to our experts, to have one standard set of tests that we all used."

Found this on Yahoo.

[alfdogg 0]

FOX 26 Exclusive: Bonzi Wells May Sign With Rockets

 

 

Free agent guard Bonzi Wells arrived in Houston Monday to meet with Rockets General Manager Carroll Dawson and head coach Jeff Van Gundy.

 

An eight year veteran, Wells says he could sign with Houston within the next 48 hours.

 

“I could. I definitely could. It’s up to the organization. I would want to sign depending on how everything worked out,” Wells told FOX 26’s Mark Berman.

 

Wells knows wherever he goes he would probably be signing a one-year contract.

 

“Hopefully we will have good news for each other. We are going to be talking about the situation and the possibility of me playing here (this) year,” said Wells. “Houston would be a good spot for me to make my home. They have a great team. Hopefully they will give me an opportunity to come here and play my game.”

 

During his career, Wells has averaged 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a game.

 

“They already have what they need with Yao and Tracy McGrady. Hopefully I can come and be a good teammate. With Yao and Tracy there that would make my life a whole lot easier because I would have a whole lot of open shots and the lane would be wide open for me with those getting most of the attention.”

 

Wells, who played most in Sacramento last year, acknowledges that Denver and Miami are also possibilities if nothing works out here in Houston.

[alfdogg 0]

This is from HoopsHype via a Warriors' fan site, so take it for what you will.

 

One of our peoples who is closely connected to the NBA scene dropped us this anonymous tip. The Warriors and Bobcats are working on a deal that would send Mike Dunleavy and Mickael Pietrus to Charlotte in exchange for Gerald Wallace and Melvin Ely.

 

The Bobcats would then also ink Bonzi Wells to a deal.

 

One problem holding up the transaction is that the Phoenix Suns are making a late push for Melvin Ely.

[Brett Favre 0]

That's a good trade for both teams. The Bobcats would have some nice guards/small forwards with the trade, and the signing (Pietrus, Wells, Dunleavy, Morrison).

[Precious Roy 0]

That's a great deal for the Warriors. Gerald Wallace is one of the most athletic defenders in the league, and Ely is very good backup/rotation at the PF/C spot. Both Dunleavy and Pietrus have been underachievers thus far. Wallace is far and away the best player in the deal.

 

It makes more sense when you look at it as clearing a spot for Wells, but at the same time you're bringing back a 2/3 and a 3.

[Fökai 0]

Signing Bonzi to anything more than a one-year deal is a bad move for the Bobcats. Maybe if he was more of the leader type, not a guy that could potentially stunt the growth of a Morrison or Dunleavy. Nevertheless, if the Bobcats are looking at him as a short-term solution until their team shakes out, I can buy it.

[Adam 0]

I wouldn't pull the trigger. You're then committing millions to Mike Dunleavy and Bonzi Wells, two guys that don't really set the world on fire (Lil' Dun more than Bonzi, who is sporadically good-to great). The Bobcats have done a good job so far of keeping well under the cap, and have a roster of young, very talented players. Losing Gerald Wallace and gaining Dunleavy/Wells isn't going to help the team in the long run, IMO.