He's one of the "players that could start for a lot of teams," but, until he plays like he deserves special mention, he doesn't. Last year, he didn't.
the_ouskull
He's one of the "players that could start for a lot of teams," but, until he plays like he deserves special mention, he doesn't. Last year, he didn't.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
I didn't see him play last year, but I see that he started 71 games, and averaged 15 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists last season (rounded up). He's not amazing on offense, but I'm not sure you really need that with Brooks and Martin as your other guards. He was always a really good defender and a solid rebounder. What makes you think Budinger would be better as the starter?Originally Posted by the_ouskull
Nothing. I'm just hoping that he gets to the point where he could be. Lol. That was a "dream Houston," not what I think will happen. I'd like to see Ariza become a better outside shooter, honestly. Budinger is already a better mid-range shooter, and I think that he'll become a better finisher around the rim. Ariza is a little TOO comfortable hanging out around the arc.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
i have no ****ing clue what WS/48 remotely means, but i just have a gut feeling about it. maybe i'm wrong, but then again i didn't expect 8 page answers from my "mongo" comment.It's rocket SURGEON, stupid. Geez.
I prefer the discourse of aggressive conversation. But, if you'd prefer, I can ask questions of your opinions rather than ask and answer them simultaneously.
Why do you think that Hedo Turkoglu is going to have a better season this year in Phoenix than he did last year in Canada?
I'll start by telling you why I don't think he's going to have a good season, comparatively.
- His WS/48 is in free-fall. According to it alone, he was half the player he was last season that he was in 07/08. In addition, his overall Win Shares are almost a third of what they were 2 years ago. What else has happened since then?
- He turned 30 - to answer the previous question I asked. Players, especially players with deep playoff runs under their belt, tend to drop off significantly around 30... especially if they were only marginal athletes to begin with. (He has played 82 playoff games, or an entire regular season's worth...) He turns 32 in March.
- Not just his scoring being down, but all of his shooting percentages are down as well... There is a 3-year trend of his percentages going down in EVERY category, even free-throw shooting, with the exception of his 3-pt percentage. It went up a bit last season, but it's 1) still below his career average, and 2) most likely a function of his not getting the ball as often as he is used to, and making the most of the shots he did get from out there. (Or better looks playing with an offensive-minded post in Bosh instead of a defensive-minded post like Howard...)
- Watch him play. He quit on Toronto. Make no mistake. More so than that, his play was completely listless, even when he was playing well. His give-a-sh*tter was broken, and at his age, with his contract, those tend not to get fixed.
The bonuses of signing him?
- Phoenix's training staff can, once again, prove why they're the best in the business. (Good, since his games played and games started have all been going down in the last three years as well...)
- He's 6'10" and can still get you 4 rebounds and half a block per game, despite his physical limitations.
Yes, he had a good season in 07/08, and probably deserved the MIP award. But, the flip side of that is that you have to suck to earn that award. Maybe he's just regressing back to the mean again...? But, I don't know. I'm not a rocket surgeon, so let's hear your side, please.
---
There? That better?
the_ouskullfeenix likes the 3 ball and they're uptempo. nash is getting older, so i can see turk playing the point forward similar to what he did in orlando...maybe not as much as he did since the suns have dragic, but he's a very good distributor for a forward. i think being back on a playoff team will also help his attitude and motivation. btw, i'm not too worried about the amount of playoff games wearing on him. outside of his 3 seasons in orlando, he was a role/bench player for the kings and spurs. in fact, i think his playoff experience will only benefit the suns if/when they make the playoffs come next season.
there, there's my side. no crazy-*** stats, just an opinion.
They'll be a good, fun team to watch. They'll have decent passers on the court at almost every position, and they'll get out and run and hit the long ball... but, they'll have half a defender on the court at all times. It'll look good, but they'll lose when it matters. Maybe he'll even put up decent numbers... but adjusted for pace, I don't think they're going to be impressive, and I honestly expect his physical decline to continue, right along with his shooting percentages. No stats there, either.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
The Kings' GM sees Moses Malone but will probably just get fired in two years.Originally Posted by the_ouskull
Kings: Stop it. You ignorant b*tches, stop it. The Kings are not "a team to watch" and sh*t. They're the Kings. Sure, they drafted Cousins (Calipari NBA Prep Academy), but he's a freakin' head case on a team with no leaders. Who, Evans? He's a one-on-one player first-and-foremost, and it's pretty darn hard to develop (whiny) young posts when they're not seeing the basketball in the offense.
- Evans
- Garcia
- Greene/Casspi
- Cousins
- Dalembert
Well, with Petrie involved, he's going to wind up being a good pick. I mean, this is a guy that, 10 years ago, was the two-time GM of the Year. As team president, he's been quiet, but he got back involved with the draft this season, and I think he's going to be a bit more active. Sure, they could turn into a decent team, but I don't see it. They'll win some games, 'cause they have some talent, but they're not making a playoff run or anything... not a serious one, anyway. Not this season.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Okay, let's do some full-blown edits instead of the small ones I"ve been doing in the original posts...
Charlotte:
Jordan is still running teams like players used to guard him, but at least he's doing it with flair now. I LOVED the LeBron comment Simmons Twittered over the weekend, even if I hate myself for the existence of those words and my use of them.
- D.J. Augustine (they're screwed - never thought losing Raymond Felton would HURT a team...)
- Stephen Jackson
- Gerald Wallace
- Boris Diaw
- Tyrus Thomas
Derrick Brown (X), Najera, Diop and Dampier (Mavs), and Gerald Henderson (Duke) round out the club.
Now, if Henderson or Augustine can develop into a defensive presense, this team could turn a few heads. They won't win a lot of games, 'cause they don't have a lot of people capable of putting ye ol' ball in yonder basket, but they do have some very capable defenders, and they may get out and run.
If Diaw can handle an up-and-down game, he'll start. If not, drop Thomas to the 4, start Diop or Dampier (Lolz) and run, baby, run. Augustine would be better served in an attacking offense anyway. Ditto with Gerald Wallace and Thomas. Jackson will adapt, and Diop and Dampier can't score, no matter what. They'd get fouled in an empty gym and miss the layup and the free throws. I can't believe Jordan took them from Cuban.
Mavs: Okay Dallas fans, smile a little, 'cause Jeremy Lin is fun as sh*t to watch play ball. He'll probably D-league it for a year, 'cause I don't see anybody, even Nelson, signing him to a full roster right now... but he's a blast and he's a good guy to boot. Freakin' Haaarvard.
Oh, and Dominique Jones can freakin' play too. Like, a lot. He was a really good pickup.
BUT... Roddy B. didn't look like he's going to be able to "get it" as far as running a team goes. If he can't figure out how to play point in summer league, then he's going to REALLY struggle to do so in the bigs. Jus' sayin'.
- Kidd
- Stephenson, or Jones, depending on development...
- Butler
- Dirk
- Haywood or Chandler, depending on attitude. (I think Chandler should start, giving Haywood, who has more offensive game, a chance to kill some back-ups while not losing a lot on defense...)
Your bench would be Jason Terry (Kenny Smith is "The Jet," a-hole. For that matter, Chet Walker is "The Jet." You're an idiot who drags your arms behind you when you run...), whoever loses the above-mentioned battles, Barea, Roddy B., and Marion, if he can stop crying long enough to realize that it's 2010, not 2004, and he's in Dallas, not Phoenix, and he's not "The Matrix" anymore. He's just a dude with a messed-up jumpshot now.
Denver:
First of all, get ready for a year of "Is Carmelo staying in the Rockies?" stories. I hate that sh*t.
- Billups
- Smith/Affalo
- Carmelo
- Martin
- Nene
Now, I know that injuries, etc... play their part, but that'll be their playoff roster, and that's a decent-looking roster, as long as Chauncey stays "young," and everybody else stays healthy. For depth and size, they've added Shelden Williams and Al Harrington to their bench, giving the starters and the Birdman some help with the long bigs in the West. (Namely, L.A.) Also, with Ty Lawson, Anthony Carter, and whoever loses the battle for the starting 2 coming off of the bench, this is a really, really deep team, who is good, but not great, at every position.
They're talented enough to win the West, but they're dumb/injury-prone enough to get beaten in the first round, too. It's too hard to predict what stupid will do,' cause, as Forrest Gump taught us, "If George Karl comes back, this team will kick the crap out of people."
Rockets: We re-signed Lowry and Scola, we re-signed Lowry and Scola!
- Lowry
- Budinger
- Battier
- Patterson
- Miller
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Those are our backups and they could probably make the playoffs! (At least in the East...)
- Martin
- Brooks
- Ariza
- Scola
- Yao
Sadly, 'cause Yao is one of our starters, our backups may HAVE to make the playoffs for us... again... Oh, and we also have Jared Jefferies, Jermaine Taylor, Chuck Hayes, and Jordan Hill on the roster. With one more point guard on the roster we're 3-deep at every position (assuming that the c-team is willing to start Jordan Hill or Chuck Hayes at the 5...)
Deepest team in the league? Yeah.
BUT...
Loaded with good, not great, talent. Yao is (can be) great. Everybody else can be really, really good. If 2-3 are really, really good at the same time, Houston will probably win the game. If they're not, then bring in the next group. If they're not, then we're probably NOT winning the game.
Ariza has to play like he's worth $6 million/per, Scola has to stop f*cking reaching in, especially on post-entry passes, and start playing with his hands up on defense more. He's never going to be a shot-blocker, but he can at least try to influence them. He's a really good team defender, though.. as long as it's not Yao coming over from the other side to help him... and Brooks has to keep remembering two things, 1) it's about the team, not me, and 2) Kyle Lowry could also run this team, so REALLY remember number one.
Soooo much potential on this team. I'm giddy.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Okay, so wow... This one could be big...
---
New Orleans loses: Chris Paul
Charlotte loses: Gerald Wallace (stud SF, All-Star), D.J. Augustin (Collison's new backup), and either Erick Dampier's expiring contract (but not until Sept 13th) or a non-protected first-round pick.
New Orleans gains: Gerald Wallace, a LOT of cap flexibility, and two scrubs.
Charlotte gains: the prodigal son
---
New Orleans loses: Paul, Peja, and some trade exceptions.
Charlotte loses: Wallace, Augustin, Henderson, and Dampier's expiring contract, and maybe still a first-rounder.
---
Wallace and Augustin for Paul would work, contract, etc..-wise. Dampier can't be traded in combination with other players, though. Not until September 13rd. But, Paul for JUST Wallace and Augustin would mean that NOLA hated Paul, and probably their fans too. Even just one first-rounder seems too little for one of the best players in the league, though.
So, in order to make it work, it'd take two trades:
Trade One: Paul for Wallace, Augustin, Gerald Henderson.
Trade Two: Dampier for Peja and an unprotected first-rounder.
---
What do you mooks think about this rumor?
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Yao to maybe miss first 2 months of season?
http://benmaller.com/2010/07/yao-min...st-two-months/
I hate it, only because I wanted the Mavs to make the trade for Paul, and if they use the Dust Chip to pull of this trade it'll be a real punch in the balls to Mavs fans.
In taking off the Mavs glasses though, the 2nd option would probably be better for NOLA. They get rid of Peja's salary and can dump most of Damp's salary. They also get some solid to decent players in return.
Rumor source?
Dallas is definitely buzzing about Lin's summer league performance. Great kid that gets in there and hustles, makes good decisions, makes a few flashy plays, and by all accounts is just a great teammate.
Roddy B hasn't lived entirely up to expectations this Summer. He's had a few nice games and shown flashes of what he is capable of, he just hasn't been very consistent. He got absolutely destroyed against John Wall. I'd look for him to maybe get some minutes at the off guard position when the season starts along side Kidd. I really think when the team gets back together and he can have some more mentoring from Kidd, he will help, but I don't think he is ready to run the show at PG anytime soon.
Jones has been very impressive, and proving to be a great draft day deal pulled by Donnie and Cubes. His shot isn't that great for a two guard, but he can take it to the rim against just about anyone, and has knack for getting to the FT line. Love this kid's upside. His game brings something that the Mavs have lacked for a long time now.
Bench-wise....Terry can provide you 20+ on any given night. The only problem is that those nights are becoming fewer and farther between. Marion is almost completely useless on the offensive end, unless he is getting a putback on an offensive board, or getting a pass from Kidd on the way to the basket in transition. Defensively, he's still an above average defender. He'll be needed for that come playoff time.
Barea is serviceable if the Roddy B experiment doesn't work as we all hope it will. Chandler, who by all accounts is finally healthy, can hopefully provide energy, athleticism, and defense at the 4 or 5 position. Stevenson...I'd like to see him get some more minutes, but just not sure if he is going to get them. Definitely excited to see if Jones can make an impact on the 2nd string starting out.
I don't give away my sources.
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I'm just kidding, it was the Charlotte Observer.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...s-uniform.html
...but it's not like there are ongoing discussions or anything. I'm just facilitating conversation... and f*cking with Mavs fans about Dampier's Expiring Contract. So, does Cuban HAVE a G.M.? Does he work, ever? It's Donnnnnn, isn't it?
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Yep. Donnie Nelson. He stayed on board when his Dad was let go and Avery took over.
Donnie has been under pretty heavy scrutiny by most Mavs fans over the past few years, especially since the loss to the Heat in the finals. Fans are/were tired of the Mavs acquiring pieces that didn't result in championships and just letting Nash walk away for nothing a few year prior to that.
He does do a lot for the franchise both personnel-wise and operations-wise. He is definitely part of the reason the Mavs have won 50 straight the past 10 seasons and gone to the playoffs all those years as well. I'd say he has done a better job recently though. The big trade last year with Washington was pretty solid, and it didn't leverage them with players with long term contracts. So it definitely bought them a little more flexibility in the years to come.
I also think they did a great job in the draft this year in picking up D. Jones. And while you only were able to get Chandler out of Dampier enticing contract, it is still an improvement at Center from what you had last season, plus it is a contract year for Chandler, so maybe we'll get extra effort from that.
Good point, and Chandler has a habit of playing like that, too.
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Lin signs with the Warriors. That kid could tear it up down there, and with the Bay Area's high Asian population and his style of play, he'll be a fan favorite too. Nice.
Oh, and there's an article on how Mongo will help the Suns here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5399469
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
that dude basically said what i said, just in more words.
doesn't mean that turk's season is going to turn out all fine and dandy, but maybe i'm not off my rocker as i seem to be.
Oh, I disagree with him too. I think he's done. He won't be near All-Star level this year, even, but in the next two or three, I think we'll see a huge drop-off... unless Jesus has joined Phoenix's training staff. (wait, they kept Grant Hill, Nash, and Shaq all healthy in the same season? - never mind...)
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
More Chris Paul rumors on ESPN this morning...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5399241
And they got me to thinking...
Chris Paul to Oklahoma City for:
- Westbrook
- Krstic
- Sefolosha
- 2011 1st Round Pick
It works under the cap, and would give NOLA Westbrook, to either pair with Collison or start for him; and much-needed depth on the wing and in the post. Sefolosha might start, even, unless they put Collison and Westbrook on the floor at the same time, UCLA-style.
Would OKC want to do it, though...?
Why or why not?
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
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