Oveido Voodoo

Yeah... I think there is a juxtaposition between go all in now and cash in on assets now or be patient and see what pans out... It definitely looks like we are in the second boat... which is probably the safe one... especially given that the free agent class is weak and we have young talent... I mean, who could we have signed that would have made us a championship contender with this team? I think that would take more than just Dame... and while Portland is seemingly attempting to sign every young point guard on the planet... they were probably only doing that to piss off Lillard... now that he has asked for a trade... maybe they will not want to take any of the our guards... and then ... really what could we offer? They want 9 first round picks... we had better be sure that is the right move if we do that... I don't see that making us a finals type team right away... So if you would have to wait and see if the young guys pan out any ways... why not stock up on assets while you do that? If we get lucky and one of the 4 young guards we have starts to elevate ... really just hit 3s we would be on a really good track ... and at that point we would have the assets to actually go get the missing pieces to turn it up... I mean we avoided taking on any real bad contracts... and the ones we over paid will come off the books when it's time to re-sign Paulo... We have a pretty solid core... and young guys who do play hard and work hard off the court too...who are also tall and versatile defenders we are set to be able to keep our two best players when they become FA... and in a league that is increasingly trying to discourage and break up super teams... our course seems pretty solid to me... What changes would you have wanted us to make? I would have liked us to have drafted maybe Lively from Duke and Jordan Hawkins... I think they are both ready to contribute now... but I like the idea of us trying to be a home grown contender in a couple years and probably both of our draft picks have bigger upside ... Most of the free agents available that could have helped us had some serious down side aspects... age... asking price was way too high... bad locker room fit... And none of them ... IMO would have made us Champion material...

One thing I noticed about Jett... on defense, these summer league teams are not attacking him... he is usually on the weak side with a shooter just standing in the corner...but he got a block shot out at the perimeter... and a couple of good stops... but teams aren't targeting him... and usually the action is on the opposite side of the court from him... I don't think he is switching off of players... I think they are intentionally going to the.otherside. Do you guys think he.is really a full 6'8" ? He looks a little bit shorter on TV...

Jett is aware of the clock for last shot of the 3rd... but the rest of the team was sleeping on it... It got sloppy again in the 3rd...

I'm impressed with ABs rebounding and hustle motor! And how bout the Wilson entry pass on the seal move in the 1st!!! Tiger is ballin too! Those 2 are out there fighting.

Hmm now you know how old I am... or am not...and not a Lakers fan either... you know Dr J... Abdul Jabbar...

I didn't read anything about closing them down... why wouldn't they play? I watched Wemby play both of his games... dudes were serious going at him... like post season 1988 no dunking in my house... no blood no foul stuff... I understand the Spurs closing him down over a pointless summer game against a bunch of guys who want to prove they are tough against him... the kid was on the floor a lot in both games... What's to gain?

Hmmm... I get Shaq as #1...I remember when he tore the backboard down...and um...we are gonna need bigger goal post structure...the league had to develop new "Hack a Shaq" rules...I know he hates that name... but the league literally adopted new rules because of him...and all of the NBA had to "reinforce" code word for buy brand new heavy duty backboards... Also Scott Skiles for passing the ball to Shaq and always getting an assist...lol... seriously... a lot of guys wouldn't have been humble enough to just pass Shaq the ball... although I would have liked to see him get Shaq a 100 point game or two ...I know they could have pulled it off... But no Jordan? If you didn't see him play... it was magnificent... everybody else looked like they were in slow motion... and everybody tried to copy his game for years after...and still even now... Also the Barkley back down... the association made new rules to stop Barkley from dominating larger centers by going low on them... James Harden and his lean in and rake through moves... for drawing fouls on players out at the 3 point line... I mean if we are talking about changing the game... the refs had to change the rules... even though James was initiating the contract for a while there he would always get the call... I suppose Steph and Klay as a team now have the entire NBA jacking up 3s... LBJ ... invented the Krab walk...lol... and now all of the 6 foot 8 players in the league are allowed to take at least 4 steps without a travel call...I actually like the guy... and admire how long he has competed at such a high level... but if we look back at how the game changed because of him... all of the big guys migrating all over the court is what comes to my mind...before him if a big went to dribbling or probing the court a carry or travel call was imminent...now everyone takes a little extra hop here and there... Oh... how bout Ron Artest!!!! He used to get into fist fights with the fans... now the league has strict fan ejection policies and every player has private bodyguards... and for sure he paved the way for Jah Morant's and earlier Agent Zero's gun antics... Dr. J... and his sky hook... lots of people tried to copy it... it turns out that it is more of a skill than anyone ever wanted to admit... it's really strange that no one else ever really used it as their go to... because it is absolutely unguardable against even significantly taller players... And my most favoritest of them all... to weed out the new school Magic fans from the old ones.... Terry Catlidge... the "Cat-Man" himself and the year the expansion team from Orlando almost made the playoffs on the back of his patented quadruple pump fakes...dude should have been a star... and for a couple years other guys tried to copy it... without success... I often wonder what happened to the old Catman... P.S. Mods... don't hate on me... I know this is a summer league thread... I just couldn't resist...and besides you could have closed it down long before I saw this... Oh yeah... Anthony Black... Jett Howard... and...um... Kai Sotto... Please believe me I'm not trolling you guys!

Lol... yeah, that was pretty tough to watch... I can't figure out what the goal is for the summer league...obviously winning isn't the agenda... we looked like the old 2000 summer league teams where everybody who touched the ball immediately took a shot ... regardless of shot clock or rebounding positioning... I saw some streaks where AB looked like he could get his shot anytime and he passed well... Howard looked disengaged without the ball... but with everyone else jacking up horrible shots... I could easily see why... Howard seemed to get involved in short spurts and pass /create shots well for others... and he made a couple shots... he does have a quick release...and when he made shots he seemed to engage on D for a few plays after... I agree with you... I can't identify any plays being run ... and the ball movement was relegated to AB creating an immediate shot for the first guy to touch it after him...I can't figure out what the goal is... other than "just let em play!!!" There wasn't even a lot of pick and roll happening... lots of TOs, though... IDK... maybe Houstan will get picked up by someone because of this...probably not us, though... I read an article where Dylan Murphy said "everyone will get a chance to play" when referring to Sotto...maybe they do have line ups in mind ... or situations they are trying to create to see how players react...just we can't pick them out through the apparent randomness...IDK...maybe they want to get young guys out there and comfortable and take away pressure and then play line ups... But I agree with you it would be nice to see smaller rotations and more play calling... maybe see if AB can control a game... maybe we will look different in the next game.

Why would Houston want Harden back?... he royally screwed them with the "fat suit" antics he pulled to get out of there... forcing a bad trade for him... basically saying to them... trade me or I won't play... or at least I wont play hard... you can only pull that stuff so many times before GM know who you are...

.... The Spurs!!!!!! For me watching basketball as a fan I want to either be in the mix for a ship... playoffs winning close to 50 games a year... or I want to have the "Magic" and excitement of having rookies with high potential and watching them grow... and the hope.that one.of them works out... I would definitely take the Magic over Houston we don't have any bad contracts, yet... And we have our #1 go to already in Paulo... we have plenty of developing assets to trade around once we figure out what will get us over the top... I like where we are... The worst is being average... just Blah...Because there is no hope... When you rebuild you hope your rookies will fulfill their potential... when you compete you hope that you get the luck and the.ball bounces just right so that you win it all... What does houston have that gives them hope right now? Hakeem Olajawan coming out of retirement?

I agree... they are over valuing Dame right now... and Dame took the leverage to walk away from trades away from Portland by demanding the trade... but he doesn't have a no trade clause ... does he? So Dame might wind up not going to a contender...and might go to another rebuild team... like Houston... or Brooklyn... I don't think Dame can turn down any trade... for some reason... "probably because Portland has 9 young players that play Dames position " and they didn't try and build a team around him..." he just decided to handcuff his front office and announce he wants a trade... I mean if Portland told Dame they were building a team around him... and then Portland spent the last 4 years stocking up on point guards... Portland Front Office absolutely deserves this... So yeah...

Yeah thank you... I don't hate Herro...and you are right... 2 spot is our weakest position... but the league is ever more becoming positionless... and the need to be able to defend multiple positions seems to be the trend... go Aaron Gordon... And I do agree Herro would definitely make us better on the court...probably won't put us over the top but better... but it could also keep.some of the young guys off the floor and from developing... But.... Herro's contract isn't fantastic either...120 mill 4 years... it expires in 2027...so in theory it could hamper resigning Paulo or Franz... I don't see the Spurs taking Dame either...they have a longterm view going and are not. n a hurry to do anything... except maybe put a bruiser like Steve Adams... "I know he isn't available " on the court with Wemby for protection... Spurs already win the offseason the second that ping pong ball popped out... Maybe Houston? The thing is Portland wants 1st round picks for Dame and lots of them... right now... and I don't know who would do that... Maybe a Harden trade for Dame??? Harden opted in to his contract after 6rs and he both said they were parting ways... that makes me think trade... their contracts are similar... I know Portland probably wants 1st rounders... but aside from NY wanting to throw Simmons off for.someone else to cut... who will do that when Portland is on the hot seat now... They might wait until the season starts to trade Dame... or end of the summer...

Hmmm you think Dame is worth all that... now that he is asking for a trade? Portland is asking for what 100 first round picks for Dame? But his contract is 180 mill with 2 years left and so I'd say Portland has almost no leverage in this... and it will be an ugly contract to match so that they can get first round picks I don't think that Miami thinks they are NBA champs if they add Dame... I know that they made the finals with... what 3 undrafted starters... probably says more about the coaching staff though...no doubt Jimmi balled out but I'm sorry that Heat team was not even the 4th best in the conference... they were the beneficiary of injuries to other teams key players at playoff time and somehow shot the lights out until they didn't... if I were Miami I wouldn't sell off all if my future draft picks for Dame... it appears that Miami is adept at producing and farming talent from within... Sure he can score ... no doubt... but he is a super max contract... undersized at his position and aging and he already has concerns about defense abilities... As far as that trade would concern us... yes we already have plenty of rookies... so we could afford to send one out... but wouldn't you want to get something more than Herro for it??? With the new salary cap rules... first round picks are going to become increasingly valuable... those rookie contracts on players that work hard and ball out will be what wins SHIPS... For sure... NBA is trying to put a stop to super teams... so we might want to get something better than Herro. Do you think Herro is a lock down defender 3 and D? Or a Bonafied rim protector? I would want Herro coming off of the bench on our team... I would want Jett or Suggs or Black magic...or hopefully Issacs getting minutes before Herro... We aren't going to win the conference this year... the point of this year is to see how muchFultz and Suggs can improve... see if WCJ is our guy at Center..."he looks good so far"... And to try and develop our young guys... yeah I think the rookies will get plenty of run this year... We don't need to take on any contracts right now until we get a little better identity to our team... My guess is that Broklyn gets Dame and they make Portland eat Ben Simmon's contract and they only get 2 first rounds out of it... Maybe Houston... but I doubt Miami will actually come off 4 first round picks for Dame... as much as Dame wants to go to Miami...

Where do you think Dame will go?

Lol... yeah... Well you never know with Portland... But why do you figure Cronin didn't trade him 2 years ago when they knew they were going to tank out and rebuild... It almost never works out in your favor to wait until a player is so disgruntled that they are screaming for the rest if the league GMs to come save them... I think Dame wants to compete on a competitive team. Lol... I suppose at least he doesn't have a "No Trade" clause like Washington gave Beal... so they retain rights to worst GM /front office award ... for now... Kind of makes you appreciate being a Magic fan....