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Turkoglu Bringing More Euro to Toronto

dkmiecik — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:51:07 +0000

By: David Kay

In recent years, Toronto has become the “Euro” team of the NBA. That transformation began in 2006 when the club hired former Benetton Treviso general manager Maurizi Gherardini as the first European to hold a senior management position in the league. With his knowledge of overseas basketball, the Raptors began to stock their roster with unfamiliar names like Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Delfino, and Roko Ukic. Now, Hedo Turkoglu is continuing that trend by bringing his Turkish roots to the Raptors.

After he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Magic that would have paid him about $7.3 million, everybody expected Turkoglu to join the on-the-rise Portland Trailblazers this off-season since Orlando already moved on by trading for Vince Carter. Once the free agency period began, Blazers head coach Nate McMillan wasted no time in courting the Turkish star and a deal between the two sides seemed imminent. Instead, Turkoglu spurned an all but done deal with the Blazers and agreed to a five-year, $53 million with the Raptors. This decision was reportedly made because Turkoglu and his wife preferred living in Toronto where there is a larger Turkish population.

This is a huge get for the Raptors who were desperate to land an impact wing player. Turkoglu proved to be a go-to scorer with the Magic this past season, especially during their run to the NBA Finals. His size and shooting ability make him a difficult match-up for opposing teams. Combine his versatility with Bargnani’s capability to step out and knock down the three-pointer and Calderon’s three-point range, and Toronto should be one of the most dangerous outside teams in the league.

His signing is even more crucial with the likely departure of Chris Bosh, who is entering the final year of his contract. If the Raptors decide to trade Bosh during the season (which they are likely to do as to ensure they don’t lose him to free agency and get nothing in return), Turkoglu can help fill the massive void he would leave. If somehow Bosh ends up staying in Toronto past this season, the Raptors suddenly have an effective one-two punch of Bosh and Turkoglu with productive players like Bargnani, Calderon, and first-round pick Demar DeRozan who is loaded with potential.

The one major down-size that results from this signing is how thin Toronto will be on their bench. Assuming they trot out a starting five of Bargnani, Bosh, Turkoglu, DeRozan, and Calderon, their bench will consist of Reggie Evans, Patrick O’Bryant, Kris Humphries, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Nathan Jawai, Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, and Marcus Banks. None of those eight projected bench players averaged more than 6 points per game last season. And by signing Turkoglu, Toronto’s cap space shrinks making it more difficult to land any other free agents to strengthen their depth.

By the way, if you are a Blazers fan, you mind as well start referring to Hedo’s wife, Banu, as Yoko Ono for breaking up what could have been the missing piece in launching Portland to contender status in the Western Conference.

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2010 NBA Draft Center Prospect Rankings

paulmbanks — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:36:05 +0000

By Paul M. Banks and David Kay, Walter Football.com

The 2009 class of centers didn’t offer much to NBA teams as only two true centers were taken in the draft. While there isn’t one player with the height or defensive presence that Hasheem Thabeet brought, the 2010 crop should be much deeper.

The rest of the 2010 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings to be posted soon.

1. Cole Aldrich, Kansas
Height: 6-11. Weight: 245. Year: Jr.
Projected Selection: mid-to-late lottery.
‘08-’09: 14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 59.8 FG%, 79.2 FT%

2. Solomon Alabi, Florida State
Height: 7-1. Weight: 241. Year: So.
Projected Selection: late lottery-mid teens.
‘08-’09: 8.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 54.0 FG%, 68.0 FT%

3. DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Height: 6-10. Weight: 245. Year: Fr.
Projected Selection: late lottery-mid teens.
‘08-’09: n/a

4. Jan Vesely, Czech Republic
Height: 6-11. Weight: 240. Year: 1990.
Projected Selection: mid first round.
‘08-’09: 4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.7 bpg, 51.7 FG%, 67.4 FT%

To view the rest of this list, click here

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Raymar Morgan’s Draft Stock

paulmbanks — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:18:48 +0000

By Paul M. Banks, for Walter Football.com

Senior Raymar Morgan likely has the most NBA potential of anyone on Michigan State - quite a compliment when you consider that Sparty found themselves playing in the tournament’s final game. Raymar was having another solid season in 2008-09 until injuries and walking pneumonia forced him to miss quite a few games and play sparse minutes in quite a few more. He displayed first-round talent as a freshman, had another solid season as a sophomore, but in 2008-09, his stock dropped like General Motors. OK, it didn’t fall that horribly, more like General Electric.

Morgan is a good defender and he has to be, because he plays for Tom Izzo. He has a good but not great mid-range jumper, and he can bang inside too. The 6-7 225 forward should fit in at the three in the NBA, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to develop more post moves in college this season. Teaming with super-soph Delvon Roe at Michigan State (who might have pro potential himself some day) should make this improvement in the paint come naturally.

I had an exclusive with Morgan where I asked which skills of his needed improvement.

“Shooting definitely, just being more consistent, extending my range, ball-handling, it’s coming I been working,” Morgan stated.

To read the rest of the profile and interview click here

http://www.walterfootball.com/nbadraft2010profilermorgan.php

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Big Ten 2010 Draft Prospects

paulmbanks — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:14:46 +0000

By Paul M. Banks

Kalin Lucas and Robbie Hummel

It seems like every college basketball season, there’s one player in the game who can move so swiftly, he’s on a level all his own. That player’s speed just jumps out at you so much that it appears unfair. In past years, Illinois’ Dee Brown and Texas’ T.J. Ford come to mind. Michigan State junior Kalin Lucas is this year’s model - except he’s a more consistent scorer and better distributor than Brown, and possesses a better jumper than Ford.

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber coached against Lucas four times in the Big Ten and described him thusly: “He’s as quick a player as anyone in the country. From top of the key to top of the key, he gets there really quick, and it puts you in a bind, puts you on your heels, he might be quicker than Eric Snow or Mateen Cleaves, he seems like one of those little bugs that just flies down. And they work at it.”

To read the whole thing click here

http://www.walterfootball.com/nbadraft2010profileklucas.php

Robbie Hummel

Purdue’s Robbie Hummel is a “point forward,” a very nice euphemism for a “tweener.” In the Big Ten game, he’s a big, tall point guard who can run the floor with decisive a height advantage over other point guards like Magic Johnson at Michigan State or Anfernee Hardaway at Memphis.

“Because I’m taller, when I bring the ball up I think it’s a huge advantage to how I can see the floor,” Hummel said during my exclusive interview with him. “When I was little, I always played guard. I wasn’t very big, but then I grew a lot between my eighth grade and freshman year, so with that I kind of kept my guard skills and tried to add some big man skills, but I’m kind of used to playing the point.”

The 20-year-old junior is 6-8 but just 208 pounds and projects to more of a tweener in the NBA; not big and strong enough to guard twos and way too skinny and weak to bang down low with the fours. So, he would most likely play the three in the NBA. He’s quick enough to play the one in college, but likely doesn’t have the same speed burst to keep up with point guards at the next level.

To read the rest click here

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Mixed Reviews on Blackhawks Moves

paulmbanks — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:51:49 +0000

By Paul M. Banks

It’s the 4th of July, ready for some hockey? It’s time to celebrate America’s Birthday by vivisecting the roster decisions made by one of the premier franchises in Canada’s national game. On July 1st, “Canada Day” or their version of Independence Day the Hawks made the biggest headlines in the NHL as the league officially opened its free agency period. I wanted to see what they did the rest of the week before analyzing their personnel moves- because nothing in life happens in a vacuum.

The Losses:

Leaving the Chicago Blackawks were winger Martin Havlat, who collected a six-year, $30 million deal from the Minnesota Wild. Havlat, who led the Hawks in scoring last season with 29 goals and 48 assists and was one of the most crucial players in the long playoff run, left on (possibly) somewhat bitter terms, as evidenced by his tweets on Wednesday night:
“Excited to be in Minny where I was welcomed and appreciated by management,” Havlat

“The real story about what happened in Chicago [will] come out.”

“There’s something to be said for loyalty and honor.”

Stay tuned. Havlat has one of the best “following to followers ratio” I’ve ever seen: 12 to 7,832. Also among the departed were veteran goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin (Edmonton, four years and $15 million), center Sammy Pahlsson (Columbus, 3 years $7.95 million) and defenceman Matt Walker (Tampa Bay, 4 years $6.8 million).

The departing of the Bulin Wall was probably inevitable ever since the Cristobal Huet signing. However, Khabi played his best hockey by far this winter once he had somebody solid competing with him for playing time. ’08-’09 was his best season by far in a Hawks uniform, and despite the many outstanding performances he gave in the postseason this spring, he never really lived up to expectations in Chicago. He wasn’t bad, it’s just that he had the richest goalie contract in NHL history, therefore he had a lot to live up to.
Pahlsson is a decent role player who will be replaced through the farm system or perhaps a free agent signing. Matt Walker, no he’s not the drummer from Filter who later joined the Smashing Pumpkins, is a serviceable but not spectacular blue-liner who may find more minutes in Tampa.

The Additions:

The Hawks signed two-time Stanley Cup Champion and 10-year National Hockey League center John Madden to a one-year contract. No, this isn’t the fat, annoying, loud, still-wondering-why-he-has-a-job-on-television football broadcaster who loves Mexican food and only travels by bus.

Madden, 36, has spent his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, helping the organization reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last nine seasons. He has recorded 297 points (140G, 157A) in 712 career regular-season games and 41 points (20G, 21A) in 112 playoff contests which includes capturing the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003.

“John is a proven winner and one of the premier defensive forwards in the game who also has the talent to contribute with timely offense as well,” Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said. “Adding his experience to our team is an important piece to the puzzle.” Madden holds New Jersey’s franchise record with 17 shorthanded goals.

The Barrie, Ontario native captured the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2001, given annually to the National Hockey League’s best defensive forward, and was the runner-up for the award in 2003, 2004, and 2008. At the University of Michigan, he won a National Championship in 1996

But the big prize was right wing Marian Hossa, even though I find the 12 year contract to be more than a bit extravagant.

“To add Marian, an elite and world-class player, and Tomas, a Stanley Cup Champion, to our exciting young core reinforces our commitment to try to win the Stanley Cup,” Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said. Last season, Hossa, 30, led the Red Wings in goals (40) and finished third in points (71) during the regular season before chipping in 15 points (6G, 9A) while appearing in all 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Following the regular season, he was named to the 2008-09 NHL Second All-Star Team. The Trencin, Slovakia native is also a four-time NHL All-Star.

Hossa is (somewhat dubiously) known as the guy who played on the Stanley Cup runner-up team the past two seasons. This “feat” is newsworthy when you consider you had the same two teams (Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins) playing each other both years, and a different team one each time.

The Hawks also snatched away from Detroit center Tomas Kopecky (TAW-mahsh, koh-PEHTS-kee) He finished second on the team with 109 hits while posting career highs with six goals, 13 assists and 19 points in 79 regular season games.

I can’t approve of the 12 year deal for Hossa, even though it’s really cool that they signed the top scorer away from their hated rivals. Like Jerry Seinfeld said “in sports, you’re rooting for clothes.” In the shell game and zero sum game that is the NHL roster under the salary cap I have a feeling that this deal could lead to the departure of someone in the young nucleus Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith down the line. That would be just plain awful. Still signing Hossa is “kind of a big deal.” Losing Havlat is too. As for Khabi, the question of whether or not it was right or not to let him go, can only be answered by one man- Cristobal Huet. And how he performs…well, it’s all in his head.

But I don’t think the Hawks are done dealing yet- And I have a feeling the next signing will be a defenseman. The same position they focused their draft on. So don’t judge the +/- of this offseason just yet.

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Favre’s arrogance trumps his production

jmccormick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:38:57 +0000

By Jake McCormick

Although no one could confirm it, rumors continued to swirl as the writing on the wall became much easier to read over the past couple of months. People wouldn’t leave it alone and let things play out, but I guess that’s the nature of drama. Yes, Jon and Kate are getting a divorce, ending months of “will they or won’t they?” questions. Now who does that sound like?

It was almost a guarantee that the reality show couple would separate when Jon started melting wires with his stare of death during the confessionals. That point came for Brett Favre and his Minnesota Vikings affair when he sat down with Joe Buck and essentially said, in the words of the Notorious B.I.G., “I’m just playin’, but I’m sayin’.”

First off, I’ve been a Green Bay Packer fan my whole life, and it was very strange to see a double digit number line up under center for the first time in 16 years. If Favre would’ve played for the Vikings last year, I would’ve been legitimately concerned given the results of the previous season. But as a New York Jet, Favre returned to the form more consistent with the past nine years of his professional career, whereas Aaron Rodgers handled the transition better than anyone could ask of him. The question marks about Rodgers have almost all been answered, and the rest will come with time. Combined with Favre’s increasingly visible shortcomings, Rodgers’ progression makes it easy to feel confident in the Packers’ future without Favre.

Now Favre will eventually be the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and you know what? I, along with most of Packer Nation, do not care. As evidence, I cite the FSWisconsin “Text the Booth” question during the Milwaukee Brewers game last Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. In response to the question, “Do you care if Brett Favre plays in 2009?,” 14 percent said yes, 56 percent said no, and 31 percent said only if he plays for the Vikings. Ok, so that’s not a completely official poll, but the results are still surprising, yet normal for a player defecting to a rival. Thanks to his selfishness, disloyalty, and good ol’ boy facade that holds as much water as a sieve, Favre has worn out his welcome in Wisconsin. His “16 years will speak for themselves” when he realizes that teams are not interchangeable to a fan base, and especially one that fills bleachers to watch practice in the middle of July.

Most athletes in the age of free agency don’t understand the concept of heated rivalries because money talks louder than fans do. Favre believes that his resume is so impressive, despite his decline in numbers and playoff wins after 2000, that he doesn’t have to think about how his actions affect anyone around him. The Vikings aren’t benefiting in any way from Favre’s waffling, just as the Packers and Jets were negatively affected at some point. By carrying on his circus act year after year, Favre looks more like an angry senior citizen unable to grasp the fact that he isn’t what he used to be.

Of course, the Worldwide Leader in Sports only feeds into Favre’s hunger for attention. I think ESPN tries to make up for the fact that they don’t much care to cover small market or Midwest teams by sending the CSI team down to Mississippi to swab every seedy motel within a five mile radius of the Favre compound. Favre is and always will be a unique player in a league that is increasingly based on strict adherence to a game plan. Well so was Jerry Rice, and there wasn’t nearly as much coverage following him around in his final years in the NFL. But since he carried himself with class and led by example, Rice wasn’t as headline dominant as loudmouth counterparts Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. At least they have the courage to say what they’re thinking, something Favre feels he’s above because that would involve spoiling the ending to a movie that his teammates shouldn’t have to sit through.

In the end, Favre can do what he wants, but needs to understand the ramifications behind playing for a hated rival, regardless of why he wants to play. His relationship with the Packers and their fans will never be as fluffy and happy as it once was. If someone cheats on their spouse, they shouldn’t expect a quick forgiveness, if it even comes at all. Hopefully he enjoys his year in Minnesota, because it sure would be a shame to think that he could fail miserably while reuniting Packer fans under Ted Thompson.

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Who will coach the Wolves?

paulmbanks — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:21:53 +0000

By Andy Weise
Who would have thought a month ago the general public would be more curious about the Timberwolves than the Pistons? Thanks to new President of Basketball Operations David Kahn, the T’Wolves have filled headlines with a major pre-draft trade that landed international star Ricky Rubio. While the Rubio situation figures to be an on-going situation throughout the course of the summer, the Wolves still have yet to hire a new head coach.

After all, isn’t this pretty important to have a coach in place so the right players are there for that coach’s system?

Well, because Kahn decided not to retain Kevin McHale shortly before the draft, there was just not enough time for Kahn to interview all possible candidates. Let me take you through some of the options for the future coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves:

Terry Porter:

His leash at Phoenix was incredibly short although he was coaching a team that was significantly underachieving and the personnel didn’t fit his profile. Porter could be a great fit with a young up-and-coming team that needs to learn how to play good defense. Porter’s name hasn’t really come up yet as a possible hire so I would be surprised if he gets the job. He would, however, be a great hire for an assistant coach if Mark Jackson is the hire.

Monty Williams:

The newest name to the search, a former NBA player who has spent time on the Portland bench the last several seasons. We all know how the situation ended up the last time the Wolves went after an assistant for the Blazers – Tom Penn, who ended up getting a raise and some type of promotion within the front office after supposedly getting offered the head GM gig for the Wolves. Williams is sort of an unknown so I would be surprised if they go that way but we are talking about David Kahn here. Kahn seems like he likes to make noise, not sure if this makes the type of noise he likes.

Mike Fratello:

Veteran coach, supposedly was Kahn’s picked for top assistant which then had McHale saying no thanks. Fratello doesn’t really excite me too much though. He coached the Hawks in the ’80s with Dominique Wilkins, and had mild success in Cleveland during the 90s. His time in Memphis was rather short a few years ago but again, this pick just doesn’t jump out when you have a team of young players like the Wolves.

Bill Laimbeer:

So he’s had some success in the WNBA. Big deal. Laimbeer wasn’t a well liked player during his time in the NBA unless you were a Pistons fan. There is speculation that he could end up as the top assistant in Minnesota, which I am OK with that as long as he’s not the replacement for the new coach when that guy will get fired in a year and a half (probably). I would have rather had Kevin McHale stay on than have Laimbeer get his first shot at coaching here.

Sam Mitchell:

Common sense says Sam Mitchell, the former Wolves player and mentor to Kevin Garnett, should get a look. After having some success at Toronto, he was sent home last year when the Raptors looked horrible. In my opinion, Bryan Colangelo never really thought Mitchell was a good fit so he waited for the right opportunity to let him go. (On a side note: Jay Triano, coach of the Raptors, don’t get too comfortable, Marc Iavaroni was just hired as your assistant. Iavaroni is a Colangelo favorite).

Del Harris:

Here’s an interesting situation. The guy was an assistant for the last 10 years and is 72 years old. Charles Barkley recently came out and said Harris should be the guy for the Wolves. As a head coach, he’s missed the playoffs once and was fired twice early into his last season’s with Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pretty much the rumored favorite to this point. Jackson was a great floor general during his long NBA career but his lack of any coaching can make people a bit nervous. The ties with Kahn are there (both were part of the Indiana organization at the same time), so I would not be surprised if this were the pick. They have to surround Jackson though with some veteran coaches if he ends up being the guy.

Avery Johnson:

Supposedly the favorite to land the Detroit Pistons job now. Avery has always been an interesting coach, his fire and intensity can be a great thing about him and it can also turn off some players. His experience of playing the point guard position on championship teams and coaching the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA finals makes him a great candidate for any opening but he might be looking more for a sure thing. The Wolves are anything but a sure thing.

Jeff Van Gundy:

His name seems to come up for almost every open head coaching position. He appears to be happy doing the color commentator gig but like his associate Mark Jackson, there is an itch with these guys that have that competitive spirit. Plus, let me know when the money for being a color commentator is the same as a head coach. Van Gundy likely will not be the next coach for the Wolves but he’d be a great hire.
Now after all these possible targets, there could be other names that jump in the fold. I wouldn’t be surprised at this point but I will say I hope some of the assistants from the last few years are retained. J.B. Bickerstaff who is the same age as plenty of NBA players and son of Bernie Bickerstaff, has been on the Wolves coaching staff the last few years.

He’s got a future in this league as a head coach and I hope he is kept on considering his relationship with players. Jerry Sichting, the top assistant last year, should be given a look to stay on as well. Dean Cooper and Ed Pinckney were newer assistants for the Wolves but I would not be disappointed to see them stick around either. Cooper was the “defensive” coach but as we know, the Wolves weren’t necessarily well equipped in that department.

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Waiting on Stafford key to success for Lions

dboucher — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:54:19 +0000

By David Boucher

It’s just barely July, with training camp a solid few weeks away, and yet the majority of the talk coming out of Detroit about the Lions hasn’t changed since the NFL Draft: How early will Matthew Stafford get the ball? Everyone knows he’s the undisputed heavyweight champ of the future, but when does that future start? While the rest of the country is more than comfortable to see him get the job from day one, the actual die hard fans who have struggled through with the Lions are not so sure. And can you blame them? If you ask almost any Detroit fan who the three biggest flops in the team’s past 25 years, Joey Harrington’s name will most assuredly come up. Everyone loved Joey. They loved his success in college, his personality, his cool demeanor. And yet the bad taste he left in the city’s mouth has yet to leave.

Those in favor of Stafford starting right away say Harrington never had a shot at winning anyway. He wasn’t nearly as big or as talented as the gunslinger from Georgia. As they say, though, hindsight is 20-20. There is no way anyone can say that he would have been worse had he sat back during his rookie campaign, learned the system, and come in firing the following year.

Instead, people focus on the recent success of rookie QBs like Matt Ryan in Atlanta and Joe Flacco in Baltimore. And it’s true, both did an amazing job leading their teams to the playoffs and learning on the fly. But is it really possible they would have had even an ounce of that success had they played for Detroit? Not a chance. People suddenly forget that Ryan happened to have the league’s second-leading rusher lining up behind him. Or that Flacco could rely on the Raven’s black hole of a defense to bail him out when he made a mistake.

The Honolulu-blue and silver are not quite so lucky in their talent pool. Peyton Manning wouldn’t have led the Lions to an 8-8 mark last year, let alone a rookie. The point here is that it’s impossible to liken any of the unique situations of every team in the NFL to one another. That is why, on a team with an entire new staff and (hopefully) new philosophy, the Lions should select the starter in tried and true fashion: a competition. Yes, Daunte Culpepper is old, he’s slower than he once was, and he’s not the ultimate solution. But he’s reportedly in better shape than he has been in years, and the drafting of Stafford seems to have lit a fire underneath him. Even more importantly, though, he’s been around the pro game forever! If he knows the system, and is able to produce at a higher level than Stafford, then he should play. Period.

It’s undeniable that the best way to learn something is to do it. But that’s what the pre-season is for. That’s what training camp is for. And, generally as far as the Lions go, that’s what the fourth quarter is for. Let Stafford get his reps when he can, and if he proves he’s the best, then great, give him the job. But if Culpepper plays better (and he will in the beginning of the season) then he needs to be the one on the field. Lions fans are definitely excited to see their extremely expensive new toy, but they’re even more desperate for a win. Let Culpepper start the season, and give him until the halfway point. If Stafford is the better quarterback for the team by then, it’s time for a transition. However, a little patience could produce the same kind of results that the Bengals received when they sat Carson Palmer behind John Kitna for a season, then let the kid show his stuff the next year.

Detroit, don’t worry, Stafford will start soon enough and probably for a very long time. But right now, let’s have the best quarterback on the field, the one who gives the team the best chance to win now, not tomorrow.

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Grizzlies acquire Zach Randolph from Clippers

paulmbanks — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:52:25 +0000

By David Kay

“He has one of the worst contracts in the NBA, is a head-case, and is coming off a serious knee injury. So who in the world would want to mess up their salary cap situation and trade for such a volatile player like Zach Randolph? I bet Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace would.”

That must have been Clippers general manager/head coach Mike Dunleavy’s mindset when he was trying to unload Randolph’s remaining 2-year, $33.3 million contract. On the other hand, that’s giving Dunleavy an awful lot of credit. Maybe Wallace called him and had to convince Dunleavy to pull the trigger on the trade. However it went down, the Clips made a great deal by sending Randolph to Memphis for Quentin Richardson.

Why this makes sense for the Clippers:

It’s quite simple actually. L.A.’s “other” team unloads one of the plethora of post players it has since drafting Blake Griffin, and clears up some more playing time for the top pick. In the process, the Clips rid themselves of a toad on their team and maybe more importantly, save about $7 million this year and another $16-plus for next offseason.

The red-headed stepchild of L.A. basketball will now be at least $16 million under the cap next summer and should be able to make a run at one of the marquee names hitting the market in 2010. For the year ahead, Q-Rich adds some perimeter depth to a team short on talent off the bench.

P.S. Bill Simmons may need to issue a formal apology to Dunleavy after this move.

Why this makes sense for Memphis:

Ummm… I mean… Well, if you think about… It just doesn’t. Why in the world would the Grizzlies, who entered the free agency period some $20 million under the cap, trade the expiring contract of Richardson to take on the massively overpaid Randolph, who has two years remaining on his deal?

If your answer is “because Chris Wallace is their GM,” award yourself a point. This trade might be more idiotic than giving Pau Gasol to the Lakers for a ball rack. Maybe Wallace was ordered to make another ridiculous trade to ensure the franchise wouldn’t be in Memphis past 2011. I could seriously go on in hyperbolic talk for another 13 pages if I had the time.

Yes, the Grizzlies needed an answer at power forward. But why bring in a player with Randolph’s issues instead of pursuing a younger, saner free agent like Paul Millsap, David Lee, or even Glen Davis who would cost less than Randolph and not risk the chemistry of your team? Is Randolph really going to be happy playing for a squad that might win 25 games this year? How long until he sucker punches Hasheem Thabeet or Marc Gasol? Seriously, did any of this go through Wallace’s head before he decided to go through with this trade? In the words of Will Hunting, “F***ing people baffle me.”

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Artest Joining Kobe in Hollywood

dkmiecik — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:48:00 +0000

by: David Kay

When it comes down to it, the Lakers and Rockets pretty much swapped Ron Artest for Trevor Ariza straight up. Thursday, Artest reached an agreement with the defending champs on a 3-year deal worth about $18 million. Houston responded by stealing the Lakers’ Trevor Ariza for the mid-level exception which will net him around $33.5 million for the next five years. So who gets the advantage?

From the Lakers’ standpoint, signing Artest brings in a veteran defensive stopper who can also provide toughness and offensive firepower. Yes, there is the whole “Artest is crazy” argument, but for the most part; he was the ideal citizen in his one year in Houston last season. Snagging Artest at a VERY reasonable price increases the Lake Show’s chances of once again claiming the Western Conference crown and making a run at a second straight NBA title.

He was a thorn in Kobe Bryant’s side when the two teams met in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, so it will be interesting to see how Artest and the Mamba co-exist in Hollywood. I would assume that Artest understands that by signing with L.A., he will play second fiddle to Kobe and must become more of a role player if he wants to win a ring. If the Lakers are able to re-sign Lamar Odom (which may be more difficult now that Artest will steal some of his minutes), they will clearly be the favorite to once again be the best of the west.

When the Rockets realized they were likely losing Artest to the Lakers, they turned their attention to Ariza. The five-year pro found a home in L.A. and was vital to the Lakers’ success in the post-season, which ultimately led to him becoming a sought after free agent this summer. He is a tenacious defender, runs the break well, and doesn’t try to do too much on the offensive end.

I am not sure he is a better option for the Rockets than Artest though. With Yao Ming’s career-threatening injury and Tracy McGrady’s brittleness, Artest provided an offensive ability the Rockets needed with their two big guns un-reliable. Signing Ariza means Houston takes a hit on the offensive end, and if T-Mac cannot stay healthy this season, the Rockets might be one of lowest scoring teams in the NBA. Also, giving Ariza their entire mid-level exception limits what Houston can do in the remainder of free agency in terms of finding a replacement for Yao. They may have to find a suitor via trade for T-Mac’s expiring contract as to fill a couple holes on their roster.

Advantage: Lakers (unless of course Artest goes back to his old, “run in the crowd and punch fans” ways.)

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