NBA Off-season

[Rhom]

Its one of the biggest off-seasons in recent memory. Stuart Scott didn't even let Phil off the podium without asking him if he'd be back for his fourth threepeat. And apparently, there's some big deal with free agents this year. I'm also hoping that Byron Scott gets the Cavs job soon so the rumor mill can stop churning there as well.

Before all that gets answered; the draft is a week away, and I am more interested than I have been in years.

Sure, sure... John Wall is a near lock at number 1 to the Wizards, DeMarcus Cousins will be off the board sometime in the top 5, and Patrick Patterson will be a solid if unspectacular pick for someone in the late lottery. But what amazes me is the rocketing draft stock of one Daniel Orton. Could 3.4 ppg really get you drafted at number 10?????

When he declared early, there were plenty of people who were naysayers. But the general consensus would be that his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder would take him at 21. (And I think he could be a good fit there since he is a great defender and rebounder, and OKC doesn't need him to score.) But last week I saw that the Heat might take him and now there's the link above that says he could go to the Pacers at 10. The kid must be having killer workouts for some teams.

The last Kentucky kid is Eric Bledsoe, and most of the mocks that I see would appear to have him going to the Grizzlies later in the first round. Five first rounders isn't a record to my knowledge, but considering that UK's last first rounder was Rajon Rondo in 2006 and the last lottery pick was Ron Mercer in 1997 :stillsick:... its refreshing to have this much talent up for grabs.

[Jaime L]

The last Kentucky kid is Eric Bledsoe, and most of the mocks that I see would appear to have him going to the Grizzlies later in the first round. Five first rounders isn't a record to my knowledge, but considering that UK's last first rounder was Rajon Rondo in 2006 and the last lottery pick was Ron Mercer in 1997 :stillsick:... its refreshing to have this much talent up for grabs.

Are you serious? Ron Mercer? Hasn't he retired? My how Kentucky has fallen.

This isn't big national news, but Kevin Pritchard is most likely out as GM of the Trailblazers. It's a bit of a scandal in the Northwest. It sounds like he's being outed for petty reasons. It's particularly frustrating because he's been a great GM since taking over a few years ago. Yes, he took Greg Oden, but every GM in the league was prepared to take Oden with the #1 pick that year according to ESPN's John Hollinger.

Anyhow, Pritchard also took Aldridge and Roy in a year when other GM's could have taken Morrison and Foye with the same picks. He also maneuvered to get Rudy Fernandez and shipped Zach Randolph out of town. He is revered in Portland.

The fucked up thing is that it sounds like it could be some shadowy figures from Paul Allen's consulting firm up in Seattle named "Vulcan" which are pulling the strings. I'm not happy, but I'm going to wait until it's official and see who we hire next.

There's no question Pritchard won't be out of work long. Very sketchy firing. He's instantly better than about 20 GMs in this league. Actually wouldn't mind seeing him turn in the "John Wall" card instead of Ernie Grunfeld who has been a disaster these last 3 years or so.

[Commodore]

But what amazes me is the rocketing draft stock of one Daniel Orton. Could 3.4 ppg really get you drafted at number 10?????

When he declared early, there were plenty of people who were naysayers. But the general consensus would be that his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder would take him at 21. (And I think he could be a good fit there since he is a great defender and rebounder, and OKC doesn't need him to score.) But last week I saw that the Heat might take him and now there's the link above that says he could go to the Pacers at 10. The kid must be having killer workouts for some teams.

LINK

Daniel Orton averaged 3.4 points as a freshman for Kentucky last season, but that hasn't stopped some GMs from thinking the 19-year-old center might be worth a lottery slot in the upcoming draft. His stats and status may seem incompatible, but a team builder's job is to project what a player will do, not grade what he has already done. Anyone can see POY candidates like Kevin Durant or John Wall will do fine in the NBA. Tabbing a guy who turns out to be a way better pro than his college career would have led you to believe is the real draft-night coup...

Rajon Rondo was a pariah at Kentucky, scoring 9.6 ppg in his two-year career there, and he was mocked in some circles after leaving early to enter the 2006 draft. Who looks foolish now? These days he's the Celtics' linchpin and a triple-double waiting to happen. "Some players are great in college and only average in the NBA," says Pistons president Joe Dumars. "Some are average in college but great in the pros. It's because the pro game is so different. It lets guys like Rondo exploit their talents more."...

Rondo was in Chicago prepping for the draft and not impressing anyone with his individual workouts. But when he walked across the court to play five-on-five with some other prospects, his whole future was transformed. He pushed the ball at a breakneck pace, changed direction on a dime and got to the basket at will. His huge hands gave him unusual ball control; three times, he dropped dimes that drew audible "ooohs" from spectators. A Celtics scout was in the gym that day, and a few weeks later they dealt for him on draft night after the Suns picked him 21st.

And then there's Orton. DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson hogged much of UK's inside game, leaving little room for Orton, a highly regarded prospect who was coming off knee surgery. Fact is, he has tremendous size and strength that should pay off in a league in which so many bigs float to the perimeter. And that highlights one final factor: Physical profiles, in particular elite athleticism, matter.

"It's so tough to be a great player if you aren't a great athlete," Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard says. "You can hide it in college because teams pack it in on defense and make you beat them on the perimeter. But in the NBA, teams primarily play man-to-man, and speed and quickness rise to the top."

[Rhom]

This isn't big national news, but Kevin Pritchard is most likely out as GM of the Trailblazers. It's a bit of a scandal in the Northwest. It sounds like he's being outed for petty reasons. It's particularly frustrating because he's been a great GM since taking over a few years ago. Yes, he took Greg Oden, but every GM in the league was prepared to take Oden with the #1 pick that year according to ESPN's John Hollinger.

Anyhow, Pritchard also took Aldridge and Roy in a year when other GM's could have taken Morrison and Foye with the same picks. He also maneuvered to get Rudy Fernandez and shipped Zach Randolph out of town. He is revered in Portland.

The fucked up thing is that it sounds like it could be some shadowy figures from Paul Allen's consulting firm up in Seattle named "Vulcan" which are pulling the strings. I'm not happy, but I'm going to wait until it's official and see who we hire next.

Isn't he the guy that cleaned up the "Jailblazers"? He's done a helluva job up there. Other than the injury prone Oden (and how can you predict that?) he has done a stellar job.

Are you serious? Ron Mercer? Hasn't he retired? My how Kentucky has fallen.

Yeap. Technically though... Derek Anderson may have gone in the lottery that year as well; he picked up a ring when playing for San Antonio. Of course, in the time since there have been players like Tayshaun Prince, Keith Bogans, and Rajon Rondo who went in the first round and went on to have good careers. There have also been the guys who weren't drafted that have hustled and worked their way into starting line-ups like Kelenna Azuibuike, Chuck Hayes, and Eric Daniels. The really thin years have been the ones since Rondo was drafted. All we have to show for that timeframe are Randolph Morris (rides the pine in Atlanta), Joe Crawford (2nd round pick of the Lakers and plays overseas now), and Jodie Meeks (couldn't crack the starting rotation in Milwaukee after Redd's injury and then traded to Philly).

LINK

That's good to know. As I said, I think the kid could succeed in the right situation.

In other news, Iverson is going to attempt another season. After the trainwreck that was his year in Philly last season, I'm more than a little surprised to see this happening. I thought for sure he was done.

[Commodore]

RIP Manute Bol

Manute Bol, who became a basketball sensation in the 1980s as a skeletally thin shot-blocking giant with the Washington Bullets and other professional teams, and who devoted his post-basketball life to improving the lot of his fellow natives of Sudan, died June 19 at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. He was 47.

His cousin George Bol said Mr. Bol had internal bleeding and other complications from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin disease that he contracted from a medication he received in Africa.

Mr. Bol, one of the two tallest players in NBA history, was also one of its most exotic and endearing — and surely the only one to have killed a lion with a spear. His unusual journey to basketball stardom began in southern Sudan, where he was a cattle-herding member of the Dinka tribe and never touched a basketball until his late teens. After catching the eye of an American coach working in Sudan, Mr. Bol made his way to the United States without knowing a word of English.

.

[Commodore]

AlexKennedyNBA from Hoopsworld, tweeted this:

Just got off the phone and all I can say is Thursday will be crazy. Take everything that you think will happen and throw it out the window.

Cannot wait for draft day.

[Rhom]

Draft day has arrived. The first of the new

will premier tonight. The most interesting thing for me though is the fact that this draft really has a different feel from other drafts because of the huge free agency class hitting next week. A lot of teams are looking like they'll be drafting/trading to free up cap space instead of drafting for need.

I heard this morning that New Jersey has been seriously shopping the number 3 pick in an effort to get enough space to offer two max contracts. That would be interesting since (unlike New York) they could potentially have some pieces to go with the new stars (Lopez et al).

Elsewhere, all the talk seems to be that Phil might actually call it a career pending his medical visit. I'd be surprised to see him walk away on the cusp of a fourth threepeat. And that pending decision is still delaying the Cavs as Byron Scott waits to see if there's an opening in LA. It really is amazing how many significant dominoes are about to fall in the next week.

[aeu]

It will be an exciting summer in the NBA, to say the least. Lots of interesting stuff happening.

Miami is going all in and agressively trying to have virtually no players under contract and have all cap space. (Currently they have 3 and apperantly trying to get rid of two of them. If they cannot hit the trifecta of Wade / Lebron / Bosh, they will be in for a loong climb back.

According to this,Chicago gave away Hinrich for cap space to sign two max players. I have no idea why Washington would want Hinrich at $9 M / year on top of Wall and Arenas, but maybe they think he will have some trade value down the road. Still, seems like a weird move.

Rohm, lots of people are saying Orton is in a free fall. I guess we'll see pretty soon.

[Jaime L]

According to this,Chicago gave away Hinrich for cap space to sign two max players. I have no idea why Washington would want Hinrich at $9 M / year on top of Wall and Arenas, but maybe they think he will have some trade value down the road. Still, seems like a weird move.

Bizarre deal. I've always liked Hinrich and think he's a winner but the Wizards are beyond overloaded at guard. We going to run a college-style 3 guard offense or what? Don't mind getting the #17 pick either...it's just weird to have a deal where it's not clear what Chicago's getting besides cap space. $9 million doesn't strike me as a huge amount though it looks for Chicago that's the little bit extra they needed to get two max guys.

Maybe Hinrich was the price of getting the 17th pick?

Only the NBA has deals like this.

[aeu]

Maybe Hinrich was the price of getting the 17th pick?

Only the NBA has deals like this.

Maybe, but that's a high price if that's the case. #17 is not worth much in a strong draft, let alone this one. Just yesterday Miami gave up the 18th pick to OKC and all OKC had to take on was a contract worth 2-3 M.

Maybe they think Hinrich can show Wall the ropes, but Wall+Hinrich+Arenas is too much. This makes me think they made up their minds to get rid of Arenas no matter what..

[Jaime L]

Maybe they think Hinrich can show Wall the ropes, but Wall+Hinrich+Arenas is too much. This makes me think they made up their minds to get rid of Arenas no matter what..

I had a similar thought. That perhaps this mean the Wizards had found a team to take Arenas but dismissed that as too farfetched. His contract is just too horrendous and any team who has been saving up room for a max guy assuredly wouldn't have been targeting Arenas with that space.

And after all Wall and Hinrich are both about as pure as point guards come. Arenas on the other hand is a guy who plays PG but really is more of a shooting guard.

[aeu]

That perhaps this mean the Wizards had found a team to take Arenas but dismissed that as too farfetched. His contract is just too horrendous and any team who has been saving up room for a max guy assuredly wouldn't have been targeting Arenas with that space.

I agree that it will be almost impossible to trade Arenas, yet alone have a deal in place already before the free agency.

I was thinking it's possible that they made up their minds about getting rid of him. They might be thinking "We will do everything possible to trade him, if not buy him out, if not just cut him directly, but we are not letting him near John Wall."

But then I looked at the contact. It would be a gigantic hit on their cap space to buy him out or cut directly.

Maybe they can dump him onto NY when all the free agents spur the Knicks. :P

[add-on]

Very, very sad to see Captain Kirk go. He's been one of my favorite Bulls for a long time. Embodies the 'does all the little things' cliche, plus he's a class act all the way. Instead of pouting when the Bulls drafted D. Rose, Hinrich just went to the bench and committed himself to a 6th man/combo guard role that made the team better. With him gone, I can only hope Thibodeau is able to teach Rose some defense.

Aaaand now we can grab two max free agents. I don't feel like I want the LeBron/Bosh pairing. Because if we sign both of those guys, they'll definitely take all the cap space we've got, and then whoops we don't have a single three point shooter on the roster.

I still like a Bosh/Joe Johnson combo, but more and more I'm liking a LeBron/Johnson combo. Can you imagine the small ball line up of Rose/Johnson/Deng/Bron/Noah? My head just 'sploded all over the place. I also think that kind of small ball, open court line up is the only way you can pair James and D Rose, and have them both playing to their full potential.

[add-on]

And after all Wall and Hinrich are both about as pure as point guards come. Arenas on the other hand is a guy who plays PG but really is more of a shooting guard.

Not so much with Hinrich. He's got the size to defend two-guards, and he proved last year with Rose that he could play off the ball and still be effective.

[Trebla]

Very, very sad to see Captain Kirk go. He's been one of my favorite Bulls for a long time. Embodies the 'does all the little things' cliche, plus he's a class act all the way. Instead of pouting when the Bulls drafted D. Rose, Hinrich just went to the bench and committed himself to a 6th man/combo guard role that made the team better. With him gone, I can only hope Thibodeau is able to teach Rose some defense.

Aaaand now we can grab two max free agents. I don't feel like I want the LeBron/Bosh pairing. Because if we sign both of those guys, they'll definitely take all the cap space we've got, and then whoops we don't have a single three point shooter on the roster.

There is talk that they may have enough for 2 top tier guys AND a mid level player. So you could possibly see LeBron/Bosh and a player like John Salmons signed. He was let go by Milwaukee.

Not that I really think the Bulls are going to get all 3. I really think LeBron is gong to stay in Cleveland and Bosh is going to Miami. I think it's more likely they get Amare and and Joe Johnson.

[aeu]

There is talk that they may have enough for 2 top tier guys AND a mid level player. So you could possibly see LeBron/Bosh and a player like John Salmons signed.

AFAIK, teams have the mid level exception regardless. Someone like Mike Miller or Kyle Korver will be easy to get.

[Trebla]

AFAIK, teams have the mid level exception regardless. Someone like Mike Miller or Kyle Korver will be easy to get.

ah, ok. I'm not as versed with the NBA cap as I am with the NFL.

[Slurktan]

AFAIK, teams have the mid level exception regardless. Someone like Mike Miller or Kyle Korver will be easy to get.

That is incorrect. Teams receive the mid level exception *only* if they are at or over the cap at the start of the free agency period;this includes team FA's as you have to have a cap hold for what that players contract was. For example even though Chris Bosh is an unrestricted free agent he still counts as a 11-13 million(I can't remember his exact salary) cap hit to the Raptors until either he resigns, or they do a sign and trade. If Bosh signed with another team not in a sign and trade then conversely that cap hold goes away and in that case the Raptors would actually lose their mid level exception as then they would be under the cap. Teams such as Chicago and New York, and Miami this year will not get a mid level exception.

NBA cap rules are exceedingly bizarre.

RE: Draft

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the Raps draft. I didn't think Ed Davis would drop to 13 so he is unexpected boon right in what they want with Bosh likely gone. His Dad looked pretty pissed though.

[Relic]

Maybe they can dump him onto NY when all the free agents spur the Knicks. :P

I had that thought nightmare as well.

[Rhom]

All in all, it was a pretty bizarre draft. Multiple teams were obviously drafting and trading more for salary cap issues than team need.

The Wizards trade did confuse me as well. I agree with the folks above who think this means that Arenas is out the door, and I also think its a way to let this be John Wall's team from the get go. I can say that he is an infectious personality who likes to have fun and is intense on the court. He has all the leadership qualities that a fanbase could want. He's got the on court skills, but he also is a winner off the court. He'll do well in DC.

Out of all the picks though, I really thought Toronto did the best with their Ed Davis pick. They know they're losing Bosch, and he'll slide nicely in there and develop well over the next few years until he's ready to be someone else's big free agent grab. :lol:

Overall, I'm pleased with where my Kentucky boys landed. Cousins will do well in Sactown with Tyreke Evans and I think its a market well suited to keeping him out of too much trouble. Patrick Patterson should do well in Houston, but I fear that it may signal the end of the NBA career of fellow UK alum Chuck Hayes. Eric Bledsoe is now cursed for all eternity as a first round pick headed to the Clippers... his only prayer for survival is that the pick was actually OKC's and then he was traded. Orton did hit a bit of freefall winding up with Orlando at 29, but really nothing too Earth shattering. He'll have to impress on the practice floor though, because other than coming in for a few minutes a game to relieve Dwight Howard he won't get much time. It'll be similar to what happened playing behind Cousins last year at Kentucky.

In the second round, I think the Celtics got a good role-player for them with Luke Harangody at the 22nd pick.

Now the real off-season begins later next week. I think we havn't seen the last of the cap moves and post-draft trades.