jmmagicfan

quote: Originally posted by obie:Yea sure his stats look similiar to last year but i'm wondering if some of you actually watch the games??? He gets beat BADLY every time on defense, turns the ball over on offense and just looks like he doesn't care at all. He played much better last year and you can't always go by some cute little stats like ppg & rebounds. What no one seems to be taking into account is how different this team is from last year, and how that affects team defense. Gortat is not a great individual defender and never was, but he is a good team, help defender. The problem is that most of his time this year has been spent with JWill, Barnes, and Anderson/Bass on the court with him. Look at how long it has taken the starters to begin to integrate new teammates into the defensive concepts and rotations; and now take into account how much time the bench plays. Of course it is going to take longer for them to get it together defensively. We have played 18 games so far, 10 without Lewis, and 4-5 without Carter, Nelson, and/or Anderson. That affects your bench guys just as much or possibly more than it does your starters; and yet we are 14-4, and leading the east with limited practice time. Gortat's hands have never been great, but the difference was last year his teammates were better at putting the ball where he needs it. I predict that as Barnes, Anderson, Williams, Carter, and Bass have more time playing with Gortat, he will catch more of their passes as they adjust to him, and he to them.

Lets face it, SVG is a very emotional guy, prone to speak his mind in the heat of the moment. If his conversation with Dwight causes hime to take an extra breath, and think a little more before speaking; that is not a bad thing. I am sure that most of his explosive responses are because he knows this team can be better. I am also sure, that upon reflection, he will see that a lot of the defensive errors right now are a result of guys having to think about the game. We have a team with one or two new players at every position. That means these guys aren't all used to playing together and are thinking about their rotations, not just reacting. Throw in the injuries and illnesses, and we are doing well to be 9-3. The fact that SVG took what D12 had to say, and was willing to re-evaluate himself speaks well of him; and the fact that Dwight took it upon himself to address it with him speaks well of him as a man, a captain, and a teammate. This is the kind of quality interaction we should expect of these high-profile coaches and athletes; and don't frequently get. Aren't we glad that our owners/GM have done a great job of getting not just quality players, but professional, quality people.

I would actually support signing AI, and for a reason that no one has mentioned. AI and Jameer are already friends, from playing and training together a couple of summers in the Philadelphia area. Remember, even if Jameer only misses 12 games, it will still take him a couple games to get back into game shape, possibly more. When Jameer is back and ready to start, you can seriously look at starting AI at the SG and moving Vince to the SF.

quote: Originally posted by M4G1C: shard is 9th in the league as far as salary goes. ahead of him in order are... 1. tmac - 23,239,561 2. kobe - 23,034,375 3. jermaine o'neal - 22,995,000 4. duncan - 22,183,218 5. shaq - 20,000,000 6. dirk - 19,795,714 7. pierce - 19,795,712 8. allen - 19,766,860 9. shard - 18,876,000 10. redd - 17,040,000 So, which players above him are worth more? 1) TMac - frequently injured, never played past the 1st round of the playoffs - No 2) Kobe - duh, - YES 3) J O'Neal - put a fork in him, he's done - No 4) Duncan - with recent injury problems, this one is wait and see - Maybe 5) Shaq - if he stays focused and in shape, Maybe - if he becomes final year in Miami Shaq - No 6) Dirk - the player whose game best compares with Shard's, both have gone to the finals - Even 7) Pierce - I'm not a big fan, but finals MVP has to count for something - Reluctantly Yes 8) R Allen - if he plays like he did in the 1st round playoffs, Maybe - playoffs vs Magic - NO Okay, so how about below him. D12, Wade, KG (if healthy), Melo, Lebron, CP3, are probably worth more and receive less. Roy, Bosh, DWilliams, Odom, P Gasol, Boozer, VCarter are probably worth about the same. If you have an "omission", tell me who and why. I might disagree with you, or I might have just missed them. After all, there are 450 player slots available in the NBA. FYI, I didn't miss Durant, I just don't think he merits inclusion in this discussion yet. Maybe in a year or two, but I don't think he has done enough to improve his team yet.

quote: Originally posted by The Jerm!: quote: Originally posted by A BETTER DJ:BUMP they are voting for #7 and Shard is losing. Please go vote for Brand or another player. I'd hate to see our Shard make this list! Maybe if he was more consistant in the playoffs n finals instead of just 3-6 points with over 35+ mins played he wouldn't be on there... I sincerely hope that is simply sarcasm on your part, cause otherwise I will have to jump in and call you a large number of uncomplimentary names. FYI, the actual numbers look like this. 42.4mpg 17.4ppg 7.6rpg 4.0apg 40.5%FG 40.0%3FG 84.6%FT

Just was doing a bit of research into the rosters of the top NBA teams, as there always seems to be an argument of veteran leadership vs. just plain aging. I am not saying it necessarily means much, just thought it was interesting. I really only looked at the top 7 or 8 players for each team, as the end of the bench guys don't get much play. Players over 30 before 4/1/2010 Lakers Artest 30 Odom 30 Bryant 31 Walton 30 Fisher 35 Spurs Duncan 33 Finely 33 Ginobili 32 McDyess 35 (Ratliff 36) Magic Lewis 30 Carter 33 Barnes 30 Williams 34 (AJ 35) Cavaliers O'Neal 38 Ilgauskas 34 Washington Butler 30 Haywood 30 Jamison 33 Miller 30 and finally, Boston RAllen 34 Garnett 33 Pierce 32 Wallace 35 House 31 Scalabrine 32 Based on that, you might like Cleveland, but of course they are thin in the front line and both their centers are over 34, and have either injury, or motivation/chemistry oriented issues.

quote: Originally posted by LinkZ2009:Carter is 32 Yes, but as I stated at the top, he will be 33 before 4/1/10. There are several guys that I mentioned with birthdays in March, and since 4/1 is kind of the mid-point, if you include the playoffs, I thought it fair to choose that as the cut-off. The biggest debate has always been what constitutes a players "prime", and what is past it and on the downside. Generally "prime" seems to be considered the mid-20's and into the early 30's. The age from one to the other seems to be the question. Some players seem to go on without much slowing, others seem to suffer a dramatic change almost overnight. "Bigs" seem to have greater longevity, unless there have been injury issues earlier in their career, especially feet and ankle problems. Having said that, if we re-evaluate the original list, it might look like this. Lakers Fisher 35 Spurs Duncan 33 Ginobili 32 McDyess 35 (Ratliff 36) Magic Williams 34 (AJohnson 35) Cavaliers O'Neal 38 Ilgauskas 34 Washington Jamison 33 Arenas 28 (injury history) Boston RAllen 34 Garnett 33 Wallace 35 That still speaks well for the Lakers and Magic as a finals re-match. I didn't include Vince, as he doesn't have a lot of injury history, but did include Jamison as he had some leg problems a couple years ago and part of last year. Same with Duncan and Ginobili

Just was doing a bit of research into the rosters of the top NBA teams, as there always seems to be an argument of veteran leadership vs. just plain aging. I am not saying it necessarily means much, just thought it was interesting. I really only looked at the top 7 or 8 players for each team, as the end of the bench guys don't get much play. Players over 30 before 4/1/2010 Lakers Artest 30 Odom 30 Bryant 31 Walton 30 Fisher 35 Spurs Duncan 33 Finely 33 Ginobili 32 McDyess 35 (Ratliff 36) Magic Lewis 30 Carter 33 Barnes 30 Williams 34 (AJ 35) Cavaliers O'Neal 38 Ilgauskas 34 Washington Butler 30 Haywood 30 Jamison 33 Miller 30 and finally, Boston RAllen 34 Garnett 33 Pierce 32 Wallace 35 House 31 Scalabrine 32 Based on that, you might like Cleveland, but of course they are thin in the front line and both their centers are over 34, and have either injury, or motivation/chemistry oriented issues.

quote: Originally posted by NickAnderson:Great read - Magic ranked 8. quote: 8. Orlando. Adding Vince Carter was the splashy move. But adding Brandon Bass, Jason Williams and Matt Barnes might be the moves that matter most for this roster. http://www.sportingnews.com/bl..._lakers_still_on_top Please, great read?!?! Even the LeBron/Kobe lovers at ESPN don't think that there are seven teams better than the Magic in the NBA. I am a Magic fan, and having grown up in New England during the 70s/80s, I am happy to see a resurgent Celtics team in the league after a horrendous 90's and early 2000's. As I have said in other threads, I think there are five teams in the league that stand a head above the others; and that any one of them could win it all. In no particular order they are: Lakers, Spurs, Magic, Celtics, Cavaliers - and the winner may be decided by health. All have their potential issues: Lakers - Will Artest keep his head on straight, how much does Derek Fisher have left, and is Farmar ready to take over as the starting PG. Spurs - Tim Duncan's & Manu Ginobili's health issues, and bench strength. Magic - major roster changes chemistry, and Meer's health/backup PG. Celtics - KG health, aging roster, and the brewing Ainge/Rondo feud? Cavaliers - How much does Shaq have in the tank, roster changes/chemistry with Shaq/LeBron

quote: Originally posted by Soul Bro:"Bring back Cook!" "Bring back Cook!" "Bring Back Cook!" Join me, won't you. "Bring back Cook!" O-rena Basket, I know you miss him! Wow, I sincerely hope that this is a very lame attempt at sarcasm, because if you are actually serious we need to have the men in white coats come to pick you up. I hear they have a nice room made of rubber to keep you from hurting yourself.

quote: Originally posted by ThisIsTheYear:I'm speaking strictly from a raw statistical standpoint. Nothing more, nothing less. Then factor in that Gortat is averaging about 10 mpg more, so if you take that into accout, Hedo's numbers are a little more impressive. However, Hedo is supposed to be a superstar player, with a big contract and 10 years in the NBA. Gortat is still a young player with less than 5 years in, and not expected to be a star yet. I like Marcin, and expect him to compete for minutes at the PF, as well as backup C. Will he get many there, I don't think so, but I hope he keeps working on it. That can only be good for our team.

quote: Originally posted by bayoyin:a question we have the equipment needed to play against Cleveland, Boston ,lakers and Spurs and win Cleveland PG Mo Williams Daniel Gibson SG Delonte West Anthony Parker SF LeBron James Jamario Moon PF Anderson Varejao J.J. Hickson C Shaquille O'Neal Zydrunas Ilgauskas Boston PG Rajon Rondo Eddie House SG Ray Allen Marquis Daniels SF Paul Pierce Bill Walker PF Kevin Garnett Rasheed Wallace C Kendrick Perkins Shelden Williams Lakers PG Derek Fisher Jordan Farmar SG Kobe Bryant Sasha Vujacic SF Ron Artest Luke Walton PF Pau Gasol Lamar Odom C Andrew Bynum D.J. Mbenga Spurs PG Tony Parker George Hill SG Roger Mason Manu Ginobili SF Richard Jefferson Michael Finley PF Antonio McDyess Matt Bonner C Tim Duncan Theo Ratliff Orlando PG Jameer Nelson Jason Williams SG Vince Carter Mickael Pietrus SF Rashard Lewis Matt Barnes PF Brandon Bass Ryan Anderson C Dwight Howard Marcin Gortat I believe we should continue with lewis at position 4 to cause problems for other power foward and barnes of small foward buscar Interesting when you look at them all that way, each has at least one position where there is a much larger talent dropoff. For Cleveland it seems to be at the PF, Boston it is the SF, Lakers it is the Center if you count Mbenga as their backup, Spurs might have problems at center (age of McDyess/Ratliff), and the Magic it is at the PG. As usual, health is going to play a huge issue as to who is favored come playoff time. If everyone is healthy, you might as well put the names in a hat and pull one out, I think they are all that close. I can't even make a prediction based on age and recent health. Shaq and Z don't have the mobility, especially if hampered by nagging injuries; KG's injury, Allen running out of gas last year, and Sheed's whole season leave room for doubt about Boston, Artest's brain leaves room for doubt about LA, Manu and Tim's injuries last year are concerns for SA, and Meer's injury history, along with the backup PG's on the roster are concerns for us here in Orlando. I gotta say, it is going to be interesting, and it will probably come down to whose main guys stay healthy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/...sonPredictions09-MVP ESPN and their writers are at it again, 35 out of 53 pick Queen James to repeat as regular season MVP - at least they aren't picking him for finals MVP - I guess even they realize he has to actually get there. Kobe got 9 votes, DWade got 6 and three others, including Dwight, got 1 each. Just goes to prove that they are all about offense, and defense doesn't earn the respect it should. And yet, they will be the ones to tell us next spring that "Defense wins championships". Typical!

Just a quick question, but if (knock on wood it doesn't) Meer is injured after the trading deadline, wouldn't we possibly be able to get an injury exception to sign an available free agent? In which case, I say come on down Earl Boykins. I think that there might be a couple other free-agent, NBA-worthy point guards overseas. I believe that their season ends somewhere around the trading deadline.

quote: Originally posted by COLOMBIANO:Boston average age based on Rondo, Allen, Pierce, KG and Perkins is 29. Orlando's average age based on Nelson, Carter, Barnes, Lewis and Howard is 28.2 We gotta stop talking about the age so much. People said they were too old 2 years ago and they won a championship. People said they were too old last year and lost against us minus KG. I HATE The Boston Celtics, but they are a very good team and have played well together. Give them some credit and hope we don't face them in the semifinals. You don't compute the average age using only 4 or 5 players. You really need to include the guys who play consistent minutes. In Boston's case you would need to include House (31?), RWallace (34), and Big Baby (25?); in Orlando's you would need to include Pietrus (25?), Bass (24?), and Gortat (24?). Do I really need to run the numbers to tell you how your averages just swung?!? Yes, Boston is still a good team, but they are beginning to get older; and if you don't think that is apparent with KG's knees, RAllen's performance in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and RWallace's last season; then I think you are fooling yourself. I am not saying they are past it, I think it is too close to call if everyone on both teams is healthy; I just think we have the advantage on that major IF.

quote: Originally posted by gporter:Either way he is going to be a Warrior. We don't really need him to win it all this year, though I'm pretty sure with him we'd get a little more respect from ESPN. We could get Chauncey Billups to play PG, Wade to start at SG, Melo to start as SF, and Boozer to start at PF, and we still wouldn't get respect from ESPN cause neither Kobe nor Lebron is on the team.

quote: Originally posted by COLOMBIANO: quote: Originally posted by Rimsh:Wow, no one for Billups? He pretty much made the Nuggets Championship contenders. I think he's a dark horse to win MVP. He was their MVP and Billups made Iverson look really really really bad! No votes for Billups. I know it is a prediction, but the others who got one vote were Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant. Also, I did not say that LeBron played no defense, I said they obviously rate offense higher. Lebron is a talented all-around player, but you can name on one hand the number of guys who have led the league in rebounds and blocks in the same season. The following centers never did it: Shaq, Ewing, Olajuwan, Robinson, Abdul-Jabbar. It boggles my mind, that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year leads the league in rebounding, and blocks; leads his team in scoring; improves his game every year; took his team to the finals, including beating the MVP's team in six; and still gets no more consideration in the predictions than Kevin Durant?!?!? You really don't think I have a point, and all you can say is Lebron plays good D too?!?!? For those who say the MVP has to make his teammates better, please keep a really close eye on how Hedo does this year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/...sonPredictions09-MVP ESPN and their writers are at it again, 35 out of 53 pick Queen James to repeat as regular season MVP - at least they aren't picking him for finals MVP - I guess even they realize he has to actually get there. Kobe got 9 votes, DWade got 6 and three others, including Dwight, got 1 each. Just goes to prove that they are all about offense, and defense doesn't earn the respect it should. And yet, they will be the ones to tell us next spring that "Defense wins championships". Typical!

quote: Originally posted by SmackDaddy:Admittedly, this is difficult to envision because the VA trade setup every subsequent move made by Otis (and frankly there isn't a single realistically conceivable situation that would make our current roster better), but IMO if the Nets just didn't want to move VC... If we were to resign Hedo, with Pietrus and Shard already taking minutes at the 3, I don't think we'd be able to lure Barnes here. I do think Brandon Bass still signs with us regardless though. I am also in agreement with Echo, that regardless of circumstance, Gortat was not an asset Otis was going to simply let walk away. However, although I've stated what could happen if we were to sign Hedo, I don't think for a minute Otis considered signing Hedo to the long term 10+ mil contract he received. It's very possible that we would have orchestrated a S&T with TOR for something other than a TE. But considering how productively Otis has used past TEs, I see no reason to take on TOR's dead weight. So you can look at this in one of two ways. Either we keep our same roster (minus Hedo) with minimal additions, and address needs nearer the trade deadline. Jameer/Rafer/AJ CLee/Pietrus/JJ Barnes/Shard/Pietrus Shard/Bass Dwight/Gortat/Battie That represents a payroll of 75.8mil for 13 roster spots. Or, we put together a package that lures another player other than VC to the Magic. You would think that it would still need to be a SG, SF, or PF depending upon what position Shard is moved to. Because DAL wanted Gortat, if VC isn't landed by Otis, I think they become our next trade target. A package of Gortat/Rafer/JJ for Jet Terry & JJ Barea would address needs for both teams. They get their big man, a vet to backup Kidd, and a sharpshooter. We get a swing guard with energy in spades that can handle the ball and play D, and a young backup PG to groom behind Jameer and hopefully take minutes away from AJ. Jameer/Barea/AJ (with Terry getting minutes) Terry/CLee Barnes/Pietrus/Shard Shard/Bass/FA Dwight/FA/Battie With these moves made, I think we attract the attention of a couple vet players willing to join our team for the minimum because playing time is opened up at their respective positions. Ratliff? Gooden? Zaza? Big Baby? Leon Powe? Tim Thomas? Joe Smith? Fabricio Oberto? Rasho? Channing Frye? For the sake of this arguement, let's just pick two names out of a hat - Rasho & Tim Thomas. That now gives us: Jameer/Barea/AJ Terry/CLee Barnes/Pietrus/Shard Shard/Bass/Thomas Dwight/Rasho/Battie That gives us a payroll of 76.4mil with the expiring contract of AJ & Battie to dangle at the deadline along with the TE from TOR. I agree with you up to the trade with Dallas, but I don't know that Dallas would go for that trade. I think more likely we would have to split it up into two/three trades. The first would probably be part salary dump, sending Alston to Portland (pre-Miller signing) for Bayless and about $3.8M TPE. The second trade would be in two parts AJ or JJ and the TPE from Portland to Houston for Battier; and then Gortat to Houston in a sign & trade for a TPE back to "get around" the base year compensation issue. This would give us the following: Jameer/Bayless/Free Agent or AJ CLee/Pietrus/Free Agent or JJ Battier/Barnes/Pietrus Shard/Bass/Barnes/Battie Howard/Battie/Free Agent Assuming that Houston might prefer a veteran PG to backup Brooks/Lowry, more than a relatively unproven SG; let's assume that AJ goes in the trade. Picking up two free agents to fill the slots, I think we still pull in JWill, and maybe Rasho. Now we look like this: Meer/Bayless/JWill CLee/Pietrus/JJ Battier/Pietrus/Barnes Shard/Bass/Barnes/Battie Howard/Rasho/Battie I think with this roster Pietrus gets most of his time at the SG position, opening more time at the SF for Battier and Barnes.

quote: Originally posted by echo4papa: Nelson/Watson/AJ Lee/Pietrus Hedo/Barnes Lewis/Bass/Battie Howard/Gortat I threw Watson in, thinking that paying less int he short term for Hedo vs. VC that Otis might have tossed a little more incintive into the fire to swing him our way, but it would probably still be Williams instead. I really think the only major difference between this, and what we actually have now is that the 5th option on offense moves from the SG position to the SF position, and will still be tasked with a major defensive assignment every game. Of course, the responsibilities Hedo held at the SF position move to the SG position with Carter. You keep the same philosophy, the same basic game plan, you are just shifting the roles of two positions to accomodate personnel. I happen to like Carter over Hedo, but I might also go with Lee over Barnes. However, Barnes can still be a decent defender, and Carter can be a much better defender than Hedo, he just needs to put that mental effort in. I think he won't have much of a problem in that department being on a team that is contending for a title. I don't think Otis would have paid Hedo $10M+ per season for 5 years, regardless of whether the trade happened or not. I think this is the more likely scenario. Nelson/Watson/AJ Lee/Pietrus/Reddick Shard/Barnes Bass/Battie Howard/Gortat Alston would probably have still been traded - possibly for another SF. Maybe Otis could have pulled off a great deal for Travis Outlaw, but the Blazers haven't made a whole lot of those types of trades lately, and I don't think they would have pulled the trigger on that, since they didn't get the SF they wanted (Hedo). The free agent market was actually quite thin at SF, so the best we might have been able to do was do the sign and trade with Toronto, and get Marion back. Even that would have been difficult with the BYC rules. Consider also, about the best SF available for under $8M this summer was . . . Grant Hill.

quote: Originally posted by magicfan83: quote: Originally posted by Skywise316:Barnes has a 2 year contract, player option to opt out after the 1st year. If anybody will pay the poor guy more than a Moldy Hobo rate, he'll bolt for the money, wherever it is. He's hasn't made the big cha-ching yet in his career. We should sign a third center (#13), and a SF project (#14). Offseason over. I'd take Foyle and Powell for minimum deals. And keep praying for CJ Watson at a reasonable price. There are some interesting names still out there for centers and forward/centers. Among them are Chris Mihm, Jason Collins, Jarron Collins, and the one that kind of caught my eye, Robert Swift. Now granted, he hasn't done anything in this league yet, but at 7'1", 270 pounds, and only 23 years old he might be worth taking a chance on. Look what being in camp and working with Ewing and Dwight has done for Marcin Gortat. As for the SF/SG types, there are a couple of interesting players still out there as well. I would be okay with us picking up Rodney Carney, Gerald Green, Flip Murray, or Kareem Rush.

quote: Originally posted by Miller4Prez64:JJ is not a decent defender. Just because Stan had him chase Ray Allen around screens doesn't mean he's a decent defender. JJ is not the first player to have trouble adapting his shot after adding weight and muscle; and I am sure he won't be the last. Prior to last year, I don't think JJ would have been able to stay close enough to bother Ray after chasing him around screens. This time, he did. I think anyone who can't recognize that he has been working hard to improve on his weaknesses, with some success, just has their own reason for disliking him. Personally, I respect that he is a hard-working guy who is driven to improve. I don't see much potential upside to his game. He will probably be able to lock his shot back in, as his form really is text-book; but I don't think he will ever be more than a 9th or 10th man on a good team.

quote: Originally posted by Rob:Alot of great players in the league still play alot of minutes in their 30's. Just because Lewis is 30 and Carter is 32 doesn't make any sense to shorten their minutes. Their still our best players and you play your best players the most you can get out of them. Don't short them cause of age. So I guess Kobe at 31 should play only 28mpg cause of his age right. Age doesn't mean sh**. As long as they can get the job done then that should be ok with us. I swear that age crap is overrated. Means absolutely nothing. This guys are in better shape then average 30-35 year old. Their 30-35 is like our 23-28. Nelson will play his 32mpg maybe more. But Carter, Lewis and Howard should play the most they can play every game. No shortages. Their our best players. I am not saying they aren't capable of playing 35-38mpg, I am saying that with our depth, we are probably not going to have to play them that many minutes to win. Look at it this way, every year teams that don't have to play their stars to either make the playoffs, or lock in a specific seed frequently sit them, or play them reduced minutes the last week or two before the playoffs start. If you play your older stars 4 minutes less per game, you have saved them playing 320 minutes over the course of the season, which is the equivalent of 6 2/3 games. How can that not benefit you in the playoffs to have them fresher at that time of year when you need them to step up and play a few more minutes? Sure, you are going to have games during the season where you need VC and Shard to play 40-45 minutes to win, but why would you play them more than you have to on a nightly basis, when you have the depth to share the workload?

IBTL

quote: Originally posted by Blackhennie:Let see how the players we have fit first... we now have bass and anderson... Tell that to QRichardson - traded four times this summer (and counting?).