Soul Bro

quote: Originally posted by FENDI:Soul, just wondering, I just want to hear the general consensus regarding the possible signing of Corey. Do both of your sources confirm this? Or just one? I think if its for the MLE, some other teams can still make a better offer. HOpefully he takes a paycut. Or hopefully a sign and trade can be worked out. I think if we get Maggette with the MLE, we can bid adios to Dooling. Both

If you look back at my posts over the last couple of weeks, my insider info proved accurate. Before the workouts, Otis wanted either Rush or CDR ... definitely a SG. After the workouts and background checks, Otis fell in love with Lee. I also said Otis wasn't high on Dorsey, which he wasn't. All of this I posted prior to the draft. Here is what I heard today. The Magic still very much like Maggette. However, they don't know if he'll opt-out. If he does, they want him to take the MLE ... a pay-cut. Moreover, I now have conflicting info about JJ remaining with the Magic. My two sources, both credible, have said two different things. One said JJ is "gone," while the other today said he might be with us this year. Who knows? Oh, and last but not least, the Magic very much want Dooling to return ... just not for big money. This will probably be the last time I post insider info. Hope you all have enjoyed it. Go Magic!

At the very least, I think we need to fill two rotational positions in FA, PG and PF. If I were Otis, I'd offer half of the MLE to Chris Duhon or Delonte West (PG) and half to Ronny Turiaf (PF). Is that wishful thinking? Probably. Landing just one of the those players would make me happy and add toughness to our team. (BTW, West could play PG or SG for us and reunite him with Meer, his college PG).

quote: Originally posted by KillingInTheNameOf: quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro:At 216 pounds, Arthur wouldn't have seen the court for us at PF this year. Near-sighted by the Magic? Perhaps. Depends how each player turns out. I think we'll have to agree to disagree. He's a more natural front court player right now at 217 than Shard & he'll only get bigger. For some ref points, the following players came into the NBA at: Darrell Arthur - 6'7.5"/217 Rashard Lewis - 6'8.5"/190 Kurt Thomas - 6'7.75"/221 Nzar Muhammed - 6'10"/220 Cliff Robinson - 6'9"/223 Dikembe Mutumbo - 7'1.25"/228 PJ Brown - 6'10"/225 Robert Horry - 6'8"/220 Joe Smith - 6'9.5"/220 Theo Raliff - 6'8.75"/214 Kevin Garnet - 6'11"/217 Marcus Camby - 6'11"/223 Tony Battie - 6'9.5"/227 Tyson Chandler - 6'11"/224 Horace Grant - 6'9"/215 A good percentage of these guys contributing immediately and there aren't many of his list more athletic than Arthur. I read you. My point is I believe the Magic feel Lee will contribute more right now than Arthur. I personally wanted both. We need a future PF very badly.

Let it be put on record ...

Any word on this guy? This guy could be a steal b/c he is coming off a torn ACL. He is a young PF who would compliment Howard well. I know he is restricted and was tendered a qualifying offer. What is he worth?

2006-07 season: Krstic got off to a very strong start before tearing his ACL 26 games into the season and missing the rest of the year. Up until the injury, he was the inside scoring presence New Jersey had long been lacking -- Krstic was averaging 20.1 points per 40 minutes on 52.6 percent shooting when he was hurt, and ranked 14th among power forwards in Player Efficiency Rating. Scouting report: Krstic doesn't have a rugged build but is an effective low-post scorer. The 7-footer has a quick release around the basket and a jump hook move with either hand he can turn to. He's especially good from the left block, where he likes to turn right for his jump hook. Additionally, he runs the floor well and can beat opposing centers down the court for transition baskets. Krstic is also a very good midrange jump shooter. He made an eye-popping 53.1 percent of his long 2-pointers in 2005-06, and last year was at 44.3 percent before the knee injury ended his season. That skill makes him very dangerous on pick-and-pop plays, and defenses need to account for his shooting from the weak side. 2007-08 outlook: Krstic has had nearly a full year to rehab his knee, and the hope is he can come back and regain the momentum from what looked to be a breakout season last summer. Between now and then, the Nets face a tough decision -- do they give Krstic a contract extension, and if so how much? Prudence says to see how the knee reacts to game competition before coughing up the $40 or $50 million it likely takes to keep him, but prudence could end up being quite expensive if Krstic is allowed to test restricted free agency next summer. It still seems the wiser course, but based on the lunacy of the past few summers nobody would blame the Nets for locking him up now. Most similar at age: Rasheed Wallace http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=1719

They were talking about giving this guy 50+ million before the injury. Any med guys on here? Can he come back from that ACL? Hollinger compares his game to a young Rasheed Wallace. For the record, I don't think Otis would chance signing this guy. IMO, it would probably cost us almost all, if not all, of our mid-level. High risk, high reward.

Any word on this guy? This guy could be a steal b/c he is coming off a torn ACL. He is a young PF who would compliment Howard well. I know he is restricted and was tendered a qualifying offer. What is he worth?

quote: Originally posted by ball junkie:I talked to Steve and asked him if he really thought there was a chance we could get Udonis. I also asked him if he was hearing 'anything' else about the Magic. Here was his comments: quote: The Magic told Courtney they did not draft him for him to sit, but he'd have to earn his place... They did not tell Courtney JJ was gone, but did hint that they did not expect their back court to be as crowded. Mo Evans wants to return... Keyon wants to be paid... there are about 7 teams that have him high on their list including Miami and Washington, neither will go full boat (Mid Level) for Keyon, but Keyon's dance card will be full. Carlos is toast... As for Udonis, I still think a sign and trade with Keyon and JJ Reddick get you Udonis - there are not enough minutes - the thing is I do not see it happening until after Summer League, and once Miami really knows what they have in Beasley... I think Orlando has to take on an unfavorable contract or give up a draft pick to get Miami to bite... If I am Otis, I offer the rights to Fran Vasquez, JJ Reddick, a sign and trade for either Carlos or Keyon and a future 2nd rounder for Udonis. I use the Middle Level to get a veteran backup guard and a backup center... UD can hold down the Five when you go small. Steve Interesting stuff! Yeah you're right Killing, I would wet on myself if we could get him!!! Ha-Ha Good stuff. Thanks.

quote: Originally posted by SmackDaddy:Does anybody here think that Lee will be that much better than Bogans? He sure as heck better be or it is a wasted pick. quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro:I was told that the Magic wanted a guy who could contribute right away. At 216 pounds, Arthur wouldn't have seen the court for us at PF this year. Near-sighted by the Magic? Perhaps. Depends how each player turns out.

quote: Originally posted by KillingInTheNameOf:I'm on the road tonight and a little bored since I couldn't find any hookers in this podunk town (joke), so I watched the 3 tournament games of Courtney Lee. In respond to many comments I've read about Lee on this board today, not exclusive to this thread, & just some overall general observations... 1. Possible PG? Not a chance. Lee's handle and play making ability is only average for a 2. Better than Brandon Rush's, but not overly impressive. The ball def slows him down and he struggles when pressured or in traffic. He's capable of taking a few dribbles to get off a shot, but that's the extent of his handle. He struggled to create shots for himself off the dribble against better competition and he was definitely most effective playing off the ball. He's not going to impress anybody attempting to take a defender off the dribble let alone trying to run the offense. If he can get the corner on a pick & roll, he shows a little burst, but he didn't get it a lot. When he tried to create off the bounce against multiple defenders against UCLA, it was ugly. If our front office even suggested this as others have indicated, that's just scary how clueless they are. The idea he could take Doolings role to me is laughable. Dooling is a far superior athlete and a far superior ball handler. 2. Superior Athlete? Sorry, he's a very smooth athlete, but he's not a dynamic athlete. He'll flash something every now and then, but he's not overly explosive. He doesn't look spectacular running the floor and he's not capable of finishing at the rim in college, let along the pro's. He didn't create much seperation against weaker competition and he couldn't shake UCLA defenders to save his life. He's a respectable athlete. He certainly won't stand out in the NBA & for the 2 he's maybe above average. His teammate Brazelton was a far better pure athlete who flew up and down the court. Based on what I saw, Lee only stood out in the half court game as a shooter, and his team was an up tempto team. The times he got the ball in transition or on the break he didn't stand out at all athletically imo lacking some explosion off the bounce. nbddraft.com compares him to Bobby Phills. I don't see it. Bobby Phills was a big, physical, explosive athlete. If Mickael Pietrus was more muscular, that's who would remind me of Bobby Phills. 3. Great defender? Again, don't see it. I think he's solid, but he's not Brandon Rush by any wild stretch of the imagination. Also concerning was the fact his team played a very high degree of zone and Lee wandered around lost a fair amount of the time when he wasn't on the ball. When he was on the ball, he was solid. He'll have to get a lot more aggressive in the NBA & play with the same kind of tenacity he reserved for inferior athletes or he'll struggle with the more athletic 2 in isolation. 4. Lee has size? I'll bet you right now if you stand him and JJ side by side they are roughly the same size, height & weight. Lee reminds me of Anthony Parker, but there is no way he has Parkers length. 5. He coasts & floats around the floor a lot on both ends. As the star of his team, he was pretty inactive for long stretches. Again, Brazelton seemed like the more dynamic player on both ends. I'm not saying Lee isn't good, but his offensive game reminded me a lot of JJ's without the insane range. He wasn't out there blowing by defenders and creating shots for himself or his teammates. For the positives: 1) Lee is a very smooth catch and shoot player who can shoot off screens. Give him wide open looks and he'll knock down more than his fair share. Run him off some screens & pin downs and he'll knock down shots. When he misses, it's not typically pretty, but he knocks down a high percentage, and when he's on target he's pure. The very encouraging thing is that he didn't get many wide open looks, but when he did, he buried them. On this team, he'll be an after thought, and get a lot more open looks than he got in college. I don't think he has JJ, Rush, or JR Smith range right now, but he should be able to knock down the pro 3 immediately. 2) He has a decent mid range game. He'll pump fake and step in for a 2. He'll get leverage in transition or off a screen & get himself into the paint for a floater. Much like the rest of his game, he's typically either 100% pure or way off. He was awful against UCLA, but even in the other games, he scores a good percentage from midrange, but he also throws up a much highter percentage of bad shots. When he gets his shot in rythm, he's gold. When he's pressured, results varying pretty dramatically. Assuming he won't force the issue and try to take players off the dribble in the NBA, he'll be an effective complementary player offensively. He can definitely play the Mogans role in this offense and add another dimension to it with his ability to shoot off screens. He might eventually be able to facilitate some offense in the pick and roll, but he's not a great set up man. I would like him better if he ran the wing stronger and was more of a finisher, but he is what he is. A very smooth half court shooter. 3) He's not a physical rebounder, but he has good timing, and a nose for the ball. Which allows him to pick up the occassional offensive rebound or loose ball. 4) Seems to play with a lot of poise and under control. Which is a positive, but there were times he needed to go more wrecklessly to the basket. Conclusion: I think the general consensus is that the guys solid & I would agree with that. His intensity is a little inconsistent and he disappears from games for stretches. He's not nearly as physical or athletic as I thought he was, but he's pretty fluid without the ball in his hands. All accounts are that he's a coachable guy and Stan & Co. should be able to light a fire under his azz and get him to play more physical on both ends with more consistency. I'll add this and you can quote me, I think he'll be a better fit for us than JJ long term, but if we don't trade JJ before training camp, he will outplay Lee head to head in training camp! Considering that we aren't likely to get anything of value for JJ, I'm actually hoping he'll be here for training camp. That would be a very entertaining sub plot. Good stuff. Thx.

Man, what a team we would be with Haslem and a quality back-up pg.

quote: Originally posted by lavell12: quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro:As if I need to post this ... Source: "Redick is GONE." This is assuming a decent deal can be made. any idea what team are the suitors? No idea. What I posted is all I know.

Catman, how you doin'? Any word on FA? I am trying to tap that well.

Okay, so here is more insider info: -Evans and Dooling are both still coveted and are 50/50 to return. -Turk is not getting traded unless it nets us "Carmelo Anthony"[with source laughing]. *Please keep in mind this is not my opinion. I'm simply passing along insider info that I deem pretty doggone credible.*

As if I need to post this ... Source: "Redick is GONE." This is assuming a decent deal can be made.

quote: Originally posted by Knappy: quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro:I think a sign-and-trade of Dooling, JJ, and a future 1st could possibly work. It is no secret that the Heat love Dooling. Could Miami do better? Sure, but they would probably have to take back more contracts (think Hinirch, etc.), which I've heard they are reluctant to do. Know this, Otis and SVG covet Haslem. Miami can make a run at Dooling without us - only benefit is if they don't make a run at him the Magic may sign him for less and Miami has a smaller salary to contend with in a trade. I don't see any validity in this. Understandable, but doing it in a sign and trade would keep them from adding salary. I'll also say that a similar trade idea had real legs around the trade deadline, according to two sources.

Here is what I like the most: SVG wanted Lee. This pick is on Otis, but it is also on SVG. Having seen what SVG can do with young players he likes (see Miami when he was the coach), this gets me excited. fansince89, could Arthur have worked next to D12 and under SVG? I don't know. I was told that the Magic wanted a guy who could contribute right away ... a can't miss prospect. Hopefully, they got their guy.

quote: Chad Ford on the Bulls Draft: Round 1: Derrick Rose (1) Round 2: Omer Asik (36), Sonny Weems (39) Analysis: The Bulls got lucky in the lottery and made it pay off by getting the right fit for their team. I'm not sure that Rose is the most talented basketball player in the draft, but he has every intangible that you'd want in a No. 1 pick: He's tough, strong and explosive, and just as important, he's a leader who will put the team first. He'll be an All-Star for a decade and end up with a ring on his finger someday. What else can you ask for in a No. 1 pick? Asik was the only international player I really liked in the second round. He is so active and has such a great motor that he should find a place in the league the same way Anderson Varejao did. But his contract issues could delay his arrival for a while. My only issue with the pick is the high price Chicago paid for it: three second-round picks. That's a lot for someone who might never wear an NBA jersey. Weems is an athlete, but right now there's no roster space for him. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?c...e=DraftGrades-080627 Guys, this is very relevant. Either Denton is wrong or Ford is wrong. For pick 36, the Bulls had to trade 3 second rounders. That is a steep asking price, actually 3 times what Denton says it cost.

Good find, Rev! "11. Courtney Lee, SG, Magic Very athletic with polished skills, Lee was drafted by Orlando mainly because he can really defend. He's a classic Stan Van Gundy guy." Now that is what am talking about!

Okay, Junkie, in your mind, who is gonna have the better career?

quote: Originally posted by Drunk on Mystery: quote: Originally posted by TheRevTy:In all seriousness, it goes like this for me: A dream I once had within a dream: Josh Smith Just a dream: Andrei Kirilenko A wish I had when I was awake: David Lee, Udonis Haslem A passing fancy: Paul Millsap, Craig Smith, Ryan Gomes, Carl Landry I guess he'll do for now: Kurt Thomas Smith is an interesting phenomenon because watching him play, I don't get the feeling he could contribute in any meaningful way on a good team. It's because that Atlanta is such a trainwreck and such a disorganized mess, with no offensive or defensive scheme whatsoever, that Smith can be effective. I'm relatively certain that if Smith came to Orlando, and tried to play within a real scheme under a legitimate coach, he'd just look lost. That is Thorpe's assessment, too. Interestingly, the same has been said over and over about AK. Anyway, I still want Smith

Answer the question, Junkie! I want you on record!

quote: Originally posted by ball junkie: quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro: quote: Chad Ford on Darko Milicic:"At just 17, Darko is Europe's version of LeBron James." http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/playe...18423&draftyear=2003 See my quote above. Why? My point is Ford has a history of being off the mark. I want this to be YOUR opinion, not Ford's, not Denton's, not Kyler's, etc.