OrlandoNKentucky

I wouldn't either, but I think having Collins as the backup would be like having Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson as the backups now. Johnson is 6'3, Williams is 6'1, and Nelson is 6. I'd think we would want our primary backup (at least for now) to be in the 6'3-4 range and who plays a different style than Jameer. I still think that the Magic should see if Rafer would be interested. I thought he and Nelson were the perfect 1-2 punch at PG for the Magic. Thats just my opinion.

quote: Originally posted by Jareth Cutestory: quote: Originally posted by petey:Gortat for James Harden and a second rounder, get Boozer and draft Sherron Collins and its all over (hope its that easy to get done) It's not. but don't we wish it could be that easy?? I think Drafting Collins is a bad idea anyways. He's just another Nelson. We need a taller, different type of player at the PG position, so that when he subs in for Nelson, the defense will have to change their strategy with him.

quote: Originally posted by ButterMilkPancakes: quote: Originally posted by Magicman28:I don't know if they are or not. I'm talking to the fans in this forum who act like "why bother". I understand the financial aspect of the NBA as well as how trades go. I never mentioned the word, EASY. For the same reasons a lot of people don't play the lottery. Sometimes you're better off not wasting your time with things so unrealistic. To quote Kevin Garnett - anything is possible. Who would have thought that KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce would end up on the same team. I understand that it is very very very unlikely, but still why not dream? Why not dream for a union between the 2-3 best players in the NBA in a Magic uni? Everyone on this forum shuts down ideas, just because they think they are unrealistic, but any big ideas where we would bring in a big-name player (for the most part) is a little unrealistic. Just enjoy the dream and stop being so pessimistic.

quote: Originally posted by Lewis4thewin: quote: Originally posted by OrlandoNKentucky: quote: Originally posted by Lewis4thewin: quote: Weaknesses: Cousins' lack of maturity and mental focus is evident in his negative body language and lack of composure ... He tends to lose his head, looking disinterested or frustrated if things don't go his way. Also does not appear receptive to coaching, tuning out his coaches when they attempt to give him advice on the bench ... The big question is whether it's merely a lack of maturity due to age or something deeper ... To his credit he made it through the entire season without any suspensions or ejections. However, there were a few times (flagrant fouls) where he may have deserved to be ... http://www.nbadraft.net/players/demarcus-cousins quote: teams are concerned about his approach to conditioning and his off-court issues. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/d...ageRow;pageContainer quote: Has an aggressive nature, but is a bit too emotional at times (has had several on-court confrontations with the coaching staff) and this will result in reckless play, leading to a high amount of needless fouls (led the team with 122 personals) Needs to mature on and off the court (was highly defensive of some character issue questions at the Chicago pre-camp that could lead to some teams red-flagging him due to his lack of focus)

quote: Originally posted by Lewis4thewin: quote: Weaknesses: Cousins' lack of maturity and mental focus is evident in his negative body language and lack of composure ... He tends to lose his head, looking disinterested or frustrated if things don't go his way. Also does not appear receptive to coaching, tuning out his coaches when they attempt to give him advice on the bench ... The big question is whether it's merely a lack of maturity due to age or something deeper ... To his credit he made it through the entire season without any suspensions or ejections. However, there were a few times (flagrant fouls) where he may have deserved to be ... http://www.nbadraft.net/players/demarcus-cousins quote: teams are concerned about his approach to conditioning and his off-court issues. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/d...ageRow;pageContainer quote: Has an aggressive nature, but is a bit too emotional at times (has had several on-court confrontations with the coaching staff) and this will result in reckless play, leading to a high amount of needless fouls (led the team with 122 personals) Needs to mature on and off the court (was highly defensive of some character issue questions at the Chicago pre-camp that could lead to some teams red-flagging him due to his lack of focus)

I really don't care what people say about him. Nobody follows UK players like UK fans. We know Cousins the best and having personally met this kid and spent time with the UK team, I'll tell you that he isnt a headcase he is just passionate. Any article, any reporter that you give a reference too gives no examples, they just say "oh he has a reputation..." based off what? The kid was a little immature the first quarter of the games this past season, but as the season progressed, so did his maturity. Thats the player you are going to get, a kid with the sky as his ceiling. Seriously, the best per-minute player in the nation last year. Averaged a double double in half the time as everyone else. The only worry is he gets in foul trouble, but with a player like Dwight and a coach like Ewing , he'll just keep getting better. I'm not saying all of this just to throw Kentucky players in to the mix all of the time, but if people are seriously saying the Magic need to try and trade Gortat for a lottery pick number, then people would be idiotic to not consider Cousins, based off rumors and to not listen to the one guy on this forum who knows the guy personally.

Good job. You selected the most hated rivalry in college basketball not named Duke-UNC as your evidence for a 18 year old being a headcase. What you probably don't know is that before Cousins through his elbow (that didn't even connect) at the frightened little kid, the guy through a unnecessary knee to Cousins forehead which did connect. So if you were kneed in the head, I bet you'd be a little short tempered as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Qgok&feature=related Try again. Your attempt failed.

Seriously, again with Cousins the headcase? You have no proof of that you just assume it because on first glance he seems a little "thuggish" There has been no evidence to support Cousins as being a headcase. This kid is passionate who plays with his heart on his sleeve! Since when is that being a headcase. Even if you still think Cousins is a headcase, he is 18 for crying out loud. I'm sure we were all headcases at 18. If we could trade with the Kings for their draft pick and pick up Cousins, I'd say that would be one of the best things ever. Then sign Outlaw and resign JJ. That is about as good of an offseason as the Magic could ask for. I'm telling you (and I know better than anyone on this forum) that Cousins is not a head case and that with the right coaching, this kid will be an amazing starting center some day.

quote: Originally posted by Jareth Cutestory: quote: Originally posted by OrlandoNKentucky: Shaq, Dirk, and Kidd. That team would be a dynasty years ago. Yea, but now it would probably just lead to whats been happening now for the Mavs. A mediocre to good regular season and then a 1st or 2nd round knock out. I personally want Shaq to retire. He annoys me and he isn't as effective as he thinks he is, I personally think he's a backup at best, no way is he a starter anymore.

Oh ok. Didn't realize their contracts where that close. That would be interesting. Shaq, Dirk, and Kidd.

quote: 10. Shaquille O'Neal: Dallas - Sign outright Why would Dallas want Shaq and why would Shaq go to Dallas when they already have Eric Dampier and Brendan Haywood?

You will predict which team each player will sign with and whether it will be an outright signing, Re-Seign, S&T, Unmatched Offer Sheet, or a Matched Offer Sheet. Point Break Down Big 10, Correct Team: 25 Points Impact Players, Correct Team: 15 Points Restricted Free Agents: 10 Points Predicting a Sign & Trade Correctly: 20 Points Predicting an Outright Signing or Unmatched Offer Sheet Correctly: 10 Points Predicting a Re-Signing or Matched Offer sheet Correctly: 5 Points *Note: Sign & Trades do not have to be predicted in full detail, just that a given player will be Signed and then Traded to a certain team. *****ONLY ENTRIES THAT LIST PLAYERS IN THE EXACT SAME ORDER WILL BE VALID, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS FORMAT BY COPYING AND PASTING***** The Big 10 Player: New Team - Signing Method 1. LeBron James: Chicago - outright 2. Dwyane Wade: Miami - resign 3. Chris Bosh: Chicago - outright 4. Amare Stoudamire: Miami - outright 5. Dirk Nowitzki: New Jersey - outright 6. Carlos Boozer: Orlando - S&T 7. Joe Johnson: New York - outright 8. David Lee: New York - resign 9. Ray Allen: Boston - resign 10. Shaquille O'Neal: Cleveland - resign The Impact Players Player: New Team - Signing Method 1. John Salmons: Milwaukee - resign 2. Grant Hill: Suns - resign 3. Channing Frye: Suns - resign 4. Josh Howard: Clippers - outright 5. Udonis Haslem: Miami - resign 6. Nate Robinson: Boston - resign 7. Tracy McGrady: retires 8. Travis Outlaw: Orlando - outright 9. Al Harrington: Washington - resign 10. Mike Miller: Washington - resign Restricted Free Agents Player: New Team - Signing Method 1. Rudy Gay: Memphis - Matched Offer Sheet 2. Tyrus Thomas: Charlotte - reign 3. Luis Scola: Clippers - Unmatched Offer Sheet 4. Ronnie Brewer: - Memphis - resign 5. JJ Redick: Orlando - Matched Offer Sheet

quote: Originally posted by CaliMagicFan:For those saying "nobody will trade a top pick for Gortat," you've got to look at the alternative. If you're an NBA GM, who would you rather have? Headcase Cousins who looks a lot like Zach Randolph; Favors, who measures well but hasn't showed a thing on college; Obviously you know nothing about Cousins or his game. Yes I am biased, but tell me one incident where he was a headcase once KY got into the meat of the season? You didn't he went from a player who got too passionate in the beginning of his freshman year, to a player who can control his temper at the end of the year. He even had Mississippi St. students call his phone calling him a certain "N" word, but he stayed cool and played a good game. The only knock on Cousins would be he gets in foul trouble too much. He only played 23 minutes a game and still almost averaged a double double. He is the most productive big man as a freshman. If he could learn how to not get in foul trouble, then he could be amazing learning behind Dwight. Of course this is all built around Gortat going for a top 5 draft pick and the Magic picking Cousins over Johnson or another talented wing player (which I doubt they will do). I just had to stick up for my boy. I'm tired of everyone calling him a headcase when he is actually the exact opposite. He just plays with his heart on his sleeve, but most players do that.

Can someone tell me how to get a picture as my sig? I'd like to add one but can't figure it out. Do I need a mod permission?

I'm surprised no one has written anything on this yet. Did anyone see the highlights or the actual game between the Tigers and the Cleveland Indians? The guy lost the perfect game in the 9th inning with 2 outs left. The call was a grounder covered by the pitcher and the player was out by 1 full stride. It wasnt even close. I'm not a Tigers fan (Bravos baby) but I still feel sorry for the kid. The MLB needs to undo the call and give the kid a perfect game (even though it doesnt really mean as much as getting the call right the first time). That is the only fair way to end this situation. Does there need to be more replay availability in baseball games?

I'm surprised no one has written anything on this yet. Did anyone see the highlights or the actual game between the Tigers and the Cleveland Indians? The guy lost the perfect game in the 9th inning with 2 outs left. The call was a grounder covered by the pitcher and the player was out by 1 full stride. It wasnt even close. I'm not a Tigers fan (Bravos baby) but I still feel sorry for the kid. The MLB needs to undo the call and give the kid a perfect game (even though it doesnt really mean as much as getting the call right the first time). That is the only fair way to end this situation. Does there need to be more replay availability in baseball games?

Even though I know most are focused on the series (as am I), I did see this video on ESPN today and it caught my attention. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5224873 Apparently Joe Johnson, LBJ, Chris Bosh, and DWade will be meeting in the next couple of weeks to talk about free agent locations. If all 4 of those guys land on one team, that team will win titles for years and years to come. Even though I know the chance for all 4 to land on the same time is virtually impossible, looking at a place like NJ where they can already offer 2 max contracts to players and then with a billionaire owner who could throw some money around, it could be worth discussion. Is that a concern for the Magic? I know some of us would love to see Wade, Johnson, or Bosh in a Magic uniform next season. Does this hurt that chance or are these guys just meeting cause they arent playing in their conference finals?

What do you think Dwight needs to improve on during the offseason? I hear some of the NBA guys on ESPN saying that if Dwight wants to go from a very important player to an all-star then he needs to keep coming back with something new every season until he has a complete game. What would those improvements look like? Here are some of my opinions: 1. Free Throw Shooting. This is an absolute must, people need to not want to foul Dwight at the end of games. 2. More polished low post game. I'm not saying that Dwight needs to go and get a 10-12 ft jumper, but he needs to come with different looks with his down low moves. I think if he can go an entire quarter without doing the same low post move, that would greatly improve his overall game. 3. More aggressive attitude when it comes to offensive rebounds. I think that there are sometimes when Dwight goes hard for those defensive rebounds, but the offensive rebounds are just as important. I would like to see Dwight to have his offensive rebounds be more than his defensive rebounds. What do you guys think? What can Dwight improve on? Comment on my opinions or add your own.

Who is the best player to compliment Howard that is NOT on this team? I'm mainly thinking of a player at the PF position and moving Lewis to the SF. Sticking with those two positions only, which player NOT on the current team at the SF or PF would best compliment Howard and the rest of the team? And Why?

I'll throw out David Lee for consideration

Who is the best player to compliment Howard that is NOT on this team? I'm mainly thinking of a player at the PF position and moving Lewis to the SF. Sticking with those two positions only, which player NOT on the current team at the SF or PF would best compliment Howard and the rest of the team? And Why?

quote: you mean '10-'11 team No, I meant who are probably additions to the 2009-2010 team. The 2010-2011 team hasnt been formed yet. Sorry if I phrased it weird. I agree that we don't need to get rid of Gortat if we can avoid itW, even though he doesnt like being behind Howard, I don't really think he is a starter yet. He doesn't have the defense for it. He may not get many minutes, but he plays well and I actually really like the twin towers look. I think most people are in agreement that the SG is the biggest worry. A younger backup point is another concern. So sticking with those two positions here are some interesting free agents the Magic could consider: Point Guard A)J.J. Barea - Mavs - If the Mavs don't pick him up (which I would be shocked if they didn't), I think this guy would be an awesome addition. I know he is another smaller point guard, but he brings high energy and from what I can tell, a high bball IQ when he plays. B)Rafer Alston- I said this in another post and I don't know if he would resign with the Magic, but a combination of a healthy Jameer and Rafer would be amazing. C) Nate Robinson - this one is the least likely of the point guard possibilities, but I really think if the Magic pushed for him, he would strongly consider it because of his good relationship with Dwight. Some people are concerned with his attitude, but I think that was just a bad atmosphere in NY. I haven't heard anything about his attitude since being in Boston. Shooting Guard A)We don't have enough cap space to sign DWade or Joe Johnson and I doubt their of those teams would do a S&T with the Magic, but one name that caught my eye for SG FA is - Kyle Korver . Dude is lights out from the three point strike and is relatively consistent as well. B) Raja Bell - this would be another interesting player to consider. Doesn't really shine in one area but does several areas well. I think he would be a good role player and great in the locker room as well. As far as favorite players to get through trades - what do you guys think about Danny Granger? Would it be possible to get him? Would the Pacers be interested in VC, Anderson, and maybe a pick? I'm hearing a lot of people pulling for Rudy Gay, I like that idea too. He could fill up a 3 spot we need desperately. Would it be better to sure up the 3 spot or move Lewis to the 3 and get a solid 4? I vote the latter and go after a player like David Lee, but what do you guys think?

got any ideas for the athletic wing player?

I've seen a lot of forum posts where people say - we should get this guy and we should get that guy and lets let go of this guy, that guy was worthless lets trade him. Why not just come up with realistic options? There will probably only be 1-2 additions to the team with 2-3 cuts (thats my uneducated guess).

If the Magic aren't looking at a back up PG in the draft, then it would need to be through a S&T or free agent. Interesting name in the free agent point guard list: Rafer Alston. Maybe he makes the trip back down to OTown? Probably not, but I really liked the idea of him and Nelson doing a 1-2 punch.