Soul Bro

I would respect MC a lot more if he just acknowledged he was a fan who likes to think creavitely.

This is a glorified fan post.... Nothing more. Why does he do it? To serve us? Come on. This guy is dying for admiration ... and he's getting a lot of it. My issue is that he presents himself as an insider, actually as a professional insider (with his own webpage). Come on. P----lease ...

quote: Originally posted by Courtskils:Chad Ford can kiss my rear end...... Oh course it will take up a chunk of the cap, but the Magic can package an attractive enough deal for teams to get a F.A. with Darko Attractive package ... Turk, Redick, Jameer, who??? Those guys aren't very attractive outside of Orlando. Turk has proven himself only to be a 6th man. JJ has proven nothing in the NBA. Jameer's stock is at an all-time low. They don't equal up to an All-Star talent.

quote: Originally posted by 30Assists:I might trade Darko for Magic Johnson in his prime. Maybe, just maybe, Russell in his prime

I don't disagree with you guys. We all know Darko has potential and has flashed signs of brilliance. However, I question his drive and his ability to work well with any coach. He has struggled under 3 coaches ... Brown, Saunders, and Hill. If he struggles under Van Gundy, he will not be a valuable asset around the league. He will be known as an uncoachable player. Plus, our team has other huge holes to fill. All of this talk of resigning Darko and obtaining a star is just that ... talk. To actually pull this off will be extremely difficult. By no means is it a given. And given the Billy debacle, this team has to make a splash this summer for public relations reasons. That is why I believe Otis is keeping all of his options open. Back to the thread, I just pulled this from Ford's blog: "The Warriors, however, may want to hang on to him. Pietrus could play a bigger role in Golden State in the future. The talk here in Italy is that the Warriors are trying to move Jason Richardson and the No. 16 pick to move up higher into the draft to grab Yi Jianlian. Their targeted trade partners appear to be the Grizzlies (for Stromile Swift, Damon Stoudamire and the No. 4 pick), the Celtics (for Theo Ratliff and the No. 5) and the Bobcats." http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2902484&name=ford_chad Would Otis trade Darko for J-Rich and the #16? I believe he would have to think long and hard about it. Would GS do it? Maybe.

If you were Grant, where would you want to play, Phoenix or Orlando? Sorry, Junkie, Meer and D-12 are no match for Nash and Amare. You must have blued out.

quote: Originally posted by ball junkie:Obviously, the other thread that's going on is false. I still think when it's all said and done Grant will be here. He said Orlando is still his home and he will listen, but I think playing time is important to him. He can get more playing time here than the Spurs or Phoenix. He was our best and most consistent player at the end of this past season. False? What do you mean? HE, not the posters, said he'd like to play for a team like Phoenix or Detroit. Now he is somewhat, not totally, recanting those comments. BTW, if Phoenix trades Marion, they would have a whole at SF ... possibly filled by Boris ... or by Grant. My best guess is that he won't be here next year, and I am perfectly fine with that outcome.

MC's posts annoy me b/c he mixes his "inside info" with his imagination. From other friends on this board who supposedly also have "inside info," I've heard Darko is not "untouchable." Who knows ... time will tell.

I'm ready to move on.

While I am intrigued by Darko's potential, we don't know whether he will develop into a stud big next to Dwight. Therefore, if the right deal comes along, Otis should/would consider it. Here is one that really intrigues me: Hedo, Darko (resigned for 8 mil/yr), and Carlos for J-Rich, Al Harrington I believe this trade would give us a MLE. Plus, it would really fit our team. J-Rich is a hardworking, stud sg, while Al is a hardworking, great shooting pf type. Both are young. Using the MLE to sign Anderson Varejao, here would be our team: PG: Jameer, Keyon, Travis (resigned) SG: J-Rich, JJ, Kebo SF: Trevor, Kebo PF: Al, Anderson C: Dwight, Marcin, James This would give us a great, young team for years to come.

quote: Originally posted by spenny:I dnt think we should be targeting PG's in the draft. If Meer doesnt work theres still Diener. Draft for need an with a draft so deep on bigs we should capitalize on that. Say Sean Williams or Nick Fazekas. We have a very large need for a bigger, playmaking pg. This guy is 6'5'', which would allow JJ to get a lot more burn. Plus, all of our pgs will be free agents in the next year or two. Last but not least, quantity doesn't equal quality. Our pgs were awful last year.

Finally, some of you are warming to the idea of J-Rich.

Signing Grant Hill was THE worst move in the history of sports. We should have traded Diener and him for Marion at the deadline. Now we get nothing for that investment.

quote: Originally posted by John the Jerk:He's a turnover machine!!!!! ??? His a/to ratio is 2/1 ... not bad ... better than Javaris Crittenton.

I would rather target AMARE, not Marion, with a package of Darko, Hedo, and Travis. Would they bite? .... Probably not.

"Stop hatin'!"--Shawn M.

Why isn't this guy getting our attention? Mustafa Shakur Point Guard (Rank: #82) | 6-5, 185 | Age: 22 Arizona (Senior) Hometown: Wynnewood, PA Season Averages YR GMS MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF FG% FT% 3P% PPS 06-07 31 34.8 11.9 4.0 6.9 3.7 1.9/1 1.5 0.2 2.3 .455 .788 .325 1.43 05-06 33 30.7 11.2 3.7 4.7 2.7 1.8/1 1.5 0.1 2.2 .423 .806 .333 1.32 04-05 37 28.9 8.1 3.6 4.5 2.7 1.6/1 1.2 0.1 1.9 .423 .738 .378 1.21 03-04 30 30.2 9.4 3.6 4.5 2.8 1.6/1 0.6 0.0 2.3 .519 .803 .396 1.37

Yes, I would take JJ again. His back issues and DUI made made me sore on him last summer, but I'm glad Otis saw the big picture. I want to see JJ get some serious burn this year to really determine his worth.

Why not consider all scenarios? Considering that Darko's new contract is going to eat up most of our cap space, trading him for a pick might not be a bad idea. (For the NBA experts, is this even possible?) Doing so would easily allow us to sign one of the stud free agents and possibly do a sign and trade for another one. The question is what pick (or player) would be worth Darko and that cap space? I personally feel Darko would be the 3rd pick in this year's draft class if he were getting drafted. The player I have my eye on in this draft is Al Horford. He is in the Carlos Boozer/Emeka Okafor mold. If we could trade Darko for the number 3, 4, or 5 pick and secure this guy, I would do it. Now it's your turn, what pick (or player) would be worth Darko and that cap space?

Why not consider all scenarios? Considering that Darko's new contract is going to eat up most of our cap space, trading him for a pick might not be a bad idea. (For the NBA experts, is this even possible?) Doing so would easily allow us to sign one of the stud free agents and possibly do a sign and trade for another one. The question is what pick (or player) would be worth Darko and that cap space? I personally feel Darko would be the 3rd pick in this year's draft class if he were getting drafted. The player I have my eye on in this draft is Al Horford. He is in the Carlos Boozer/Emeka Okafor mold. If we could trade Darko for the number 3, 4, or 5 pick and secure this guy, I would do it. Now it's your turn, what pick (or player) would be worth Darko and that cap space?

Okay, I was on the Gerald Wallace bandwagon until I found out that he REALLY struggles with injuries. For his NBA career, he has only played in 68% of his games. That, my friends, is a BIG problem.

quote: Originally posted by Nyce_1:If he was available, JRich would be my first and only option. He's that good. Exactly. Plus, he has a very friendly contract and has never played within a whiff of a decent big.

GS has cap issues. They also like high flying offensive players. Why not try trading Hedo, Carlos, and the rights to Fran (and possibly a pick) for J-Rich? He is young, hard-working, and has loads of upside. He is good defender, too, and a team guy. (The reason his numbers were down this year was b/c of his injury problems). Why would GS do it? To clear cap space with Los' expiring contract so they can resign Ellis. Plus, Hedo fits their style of play perfectly. I would rather have J-Rich than VC, RL, or GW b/c he is a true SG with youth and upside. How would this starting line-up look over the next few years: Meer J-Rich Trevor Darko Dwight I have to believe that J-Rich is on the Magic's radar b/c of Dave and Otis' days in GS.

Wow, many of you guys really are unknowledgable regarding J-Rich. First off, J-Rich is a young SG ... what we need. The only other SG being talked about on this board (who's not on our team) is VC. J-Rich plays better defense than VC or RL and is more of a team guy. Plus, up until this year, he'd played in 95% of his games.... In fact, he's known for his toughness (playing through injuries). Look, I'll be happy with GW, VC, RL, or JR, but before you bag on a guy, know the facts. Here is what John Hollinger (ESPN) wrote about him: "2005-06 season: While Rome burned, Richardson quietly put together the best season of his career, and was one of the few Warriors to continue playing hard even as things went down the tubes in the final month. He's boosted his scoring rate every pro season and last year upped it to 24.2 points per 40 minutes, the 16th-best figure in the league. Refreshingly, he did it by boosting his accuracy rather than his shot attempts. Richardson has become a real weapon from the perimeter, hitting 38.4 percent of his 3-pointers while trying over six a game. His numbers would have been even better if his free-throw stroke didn't continue to vex him. Richardson made only 67.3 percent, a result that's consistent with his career numbers. If he shot 80 percent, a number most good-shooting guards reach with ease, he'd add another half-point to his scoring average. Scouting report: At 6-6 with absurd leaping ability, Richardson can jump right over defenders to launch his shot even when he's closely guarded and often does. Those hops also make him an outstanding finisher in transition and, as most fans know, an absolutely spectacular dunker. Richardson isn't very elusive with the dribble but has learned to limit his forays off the bounce, resulting in the ninth-best turnover ratio at his position last year. He also should develop his post game further, as his size and leaping ability would seem to make him a natural weapon on the blocks. Despite his leaping ability, Richardson is not a good defender. His lateral movement isn't nearly as strong as his explosion to the basket. However, his effort level has improved considerably the past couple of seasons, as has his awareness. He's also a very strong rebounder, ranking sixth at his position in rebound rate. To improve further, he needs to be more involved from the help side and take a charge once in a while. 2006-07 outlook: Richardson's scoring average won't keep going up forever, and this might be the year it stops. While his talents are undeniable, last year's 3-point mark was an outlier compared to the rest of his career and might be due for a drop this year. Despite that, Richardson will again be among the best seven or eight shooting guards in the game. General manager Chris Mullin took some criticism when he gave Richardson a six-year, $70 million extension two years ago, but he's one of the few Warriors who has proven worth the investment. Most similar at age: Nick Anderson" http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?statsId=3515

GS has cap issues. They also like high flying offensive players. Why not try trading Hedo, Carlos, and the rights to Fran (and possibly a pick) for J-Rich? He is young, hard-working, and has loads of upside. He is good defender, too, and a team guy. (The reason his numbers were down this year was b/c of his injury problems). Why would GS do it? To clear cap space with Los' expiring contract so they can resign Ellis. Plus, Hedo fits their style of play perfectly. I would rather have J-Rich than VC, RL, or GW b/c he is a true SG with youth and upside. How would this starting line-up look over the next few years: Meer J-Rich Trevor Darko Dwight I have to believe that J-Rich is on the Magic's radar b/c of Dave and Otis' days in GS.