Topics

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Philadelphia 76ers / Who Will Coach The Sixers Next Year

« on: May 10, 2009, 08:19:06 AM »

An interesting article by Kate Fagan handi-capping the likely coaching candidates, including DiLeo, for next year.  Ignoring DiLeo, which I think Stefanski will do as well, the most interesting names on the list to me are Avery Johnson and Tom Thibodeau.  I definitely do not want Doug Collins (just another ego trip for this guy), Jeff Van Gundy (wrong style) or Jay Wright (dumber than I think if he leaves his current gig).  Eddie Jordan does not have a great overall record, but could be one of those guys who is now experienced enough to blossom into a good coach, I am ambivalent on him.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20090510_Inside_the_Sixers___Handicapping_the_race_for_new_coach.html

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Philadelphia 76ers / Sixers vs. Short-handed Jazz

« on: December 29, 2008, 08:49:03 AM »

Another opportunity against a good team missing a lot of good players tonight:

Tonight in Utah, the Jazz (18-14) will be without leading scorer Carlos Boozer, third-leading scorer Paul Millsap, and possibly Mehmet Okur, their No. 2 scorer.

Boozer has been out since Nov. 21 with a strained quadriceps and sore knee. In 12 games, he was averaging 20.5 points and 11.7 rebounds.

His replacement, Millsap, injured his left knee Tuesday. Tests revealed a sprained posterior cruciate ligament. Millsap, who was averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds, is expected to miss from seven to 10 days.

Okur has missed Utah's last two games with back spasms.

On Saturday, the Jazz lost in double overtime, 120-115, to the Houston Rockets.

Boozer and Milsap definitely out, if Okur does not play there are no excuses, good losses or moral victories, this team needs to take advantage when the opportunity presents itself.

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Philadelphia 76ers / Holiday Greetings (OT)

« on: December 24, 2008, 01:27:23 PM »

To one and all, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa and Best of Festivus to you. 

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Philadelphia 76ers / Predict the Road Trip

« on: December 23, 2008, 11:30:58 AM »

It's an annual holiday rite for the Sixers. The dates and opponents vary, but it's generally from five to seven games, mostly out West, in recent seasons including a game on New Year's Eve. This time, it's six games, taking them from Boston to Denver, Utah, Los Angeles (the Clippers on Dec. 31), Dallas and San Antonio.

It's always daunting, but this time perhaps even a little more so. Consider: Going into last night's schedule, the six opponents held a combined record of 99-64. Take the 8-19 Clippers out of the equation, and the other five were 91-45.

I am optimistically calling 2-4, maybe we go nuts tonight and stop the C's from breaking our record.  What do you think their record will be?

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Philadelphia 76ers / 12/13 DiLeo's Team vs. the Wiz

« on: December 13, 2008, 04:37:23 PM »

I am leaving to hit the turnpike down to the first game of the post-Mo era.  Mo, we weill always love you and good luck wherever you go.  I will check back in after midnight.  Go Tony D.

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Philadelphia 76ers / NBA PG inventory

« on: December 09, 2008, 03:49:50 PM »

I did a similar thread to this last year looking expansively at the PF's around the league to gauge who we might be missing as we discussed filling that gaping void last year.  Here is an inventory list of PG's presently playing for or previously drafted by NBA teams.  I removed very old guys like Cassell, burnouts like Steve Francis and truly unattainable superstars in their prime.  I left most of the young guys in there.  Memphis and Portland both still have a load of guys that play the position and might be desirable, but who out there might be sleepers or available in a trade that you would want.  Some are established players, some might be considered more SG than PG.  Here they are (from the Atlantic to Pacific), other than the upcoming draft, expect one or more of these guys to replace Miller by next year:

JR Giddens
Gabe Pruitt
Rajon Rondo
Devin Harris
Keyon Dooling
Chris Duhon
Nate Robinson
Anthony Roberson
Jose Calderon
Roko Ukic
Kirk Hinrich
Mo Williams
Daniel Gibson
Delonte West
Rodney Stuckey
Allen Iverson
Arron Affalo
Travis Diener
Jarrett Jack
TJ Ford
Jamal Tinsley
Stephen Graham
Luke Ridnour
Ramon Sessions
Mike Bibby
Acie Law
Raymond Felton
DJ Augustin
Shaun Livingston
Mario Chalmers
Marcus Banks
Chris Quinn
Jameer Nelson
Jason Kidd
Jasom Terry
Jose Juan Barrea
Rafer Alston
Aaron Brooks
Luther Head
Mike Conley
Javaris Crittenton
Kyle Lowry
Roger Mason
George Hill
Blake Ahearn
Randy Foye
Sebastian Telfair
Jerryd Bayless
Sergio Rodriguez
Steve Blake
Petteri Koponen
Russell Westbrook
Ronnie Price
Monta Ellis
Anthony Morrow
Demarcus Nelson
Marcus Williams
Baron Davis
Jordan Farmar
Sasha Vujacic
Steve Nash
Leandro Barbosa
Goran Dragic
Sean Singletary
Bobby Brown
Quincy Douby
Beno Udrih

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Philadelphia 76ers / If this is true, make the move

« on: November 30, 2008, 09:19:02 PM »

From ESPN's evaluation of the top 10 tradeable expiring contract.  If Miller has value, take it.  He is just not working out and declining rapidly:

10. Andre Miller (Philadelphia 76ers)
Expiring Salary: $10,333,334
Soon to be traded? UNLIKELY

There will be no shortage of interest in Miller if the Sixers do decide to make him available. Most teams don't expect that to happen, given Philadelphia's playoff aspirations and the fact that Miller and high-profile newcomer Elton Brand already have some familiarity after playing together with the Clippers. But there is a sense that if the Sixers continue to disappoint/underachieve, Miller could end up on the market, since he's the most movable player Philly has and since the Sixers already are out of the 2010 free-agent frenzy.

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Philadelphia 76ers / No plays called for Thad

« on: November 18, 2008, 09:41:02 AM »

From the Philly papers today:

THERE ARE, in the 76ers' scheme of things, post plays for Elton Brand, point forward sets for Andre Iguodala, back-door lobs for Samuel Dalembert, one-on-one breakdown calls for Lou Williams and Willie Green. For Thaddeus Young, there is simply a vista of opportunity that stretches the length and breadth of the basketball court.
The precocious, second-year wing player is savvy enough to understand this won't last, but through the first 10 games of the season he is the Sixers' leading scorer, putting together averages of 16.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 39.4 from three-point distance.

"Well, that's shocking [that he's the leading scorer]," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said yesterday after practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "But I think if he had two points he would still have an impact on the game. It's not like he's got to score 20 points to have an impact. His impact is just based on the things that he does. No flash - offensive rebounds, runs the floor, beating people down the floor."

Cases in point: Young shot just 3-for-5 in last Wednesday's victory in Toronto, but had four rebounds, three steals and a block and contributed by defending against 6-10 Raptors star Chris Bosh, then switching to cover a shooting guard. In Friday night's dramatic, come-from-way-behind victory in Indianapolis, he was a major factor, with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and has dropped in 21 of 33 shots over the last two games.

He is, far and away, their most improved player, the product of a dedicated, businesslike summer that included playing with the Sixers' summer-league team in Las Vegas, participating in Tim Grgurich's skills camp and spending time with shooting instructor Mark Price in Atlanta. But to Cheeks, that doesn't mean Young came back as a changed player.

"Thad just does what he's capable of doing," Cheeks said. "He doesn't try and do too much. We don't run any plays for him. He kind of offensive rebounds, spots up, [is consistent at] coming down on the break. And he's been making shots. He's not doing anything I don't think he did the latter part of the second half [of last season]. He's just doing it a little bit better, and getting more opportunities."

Young, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2007 draft, had been projected to need a season or more to fully acclimate to the pro game. Instead, he needed roughly half a season, starting 22 of the last 38 games as a rookie. He is playing even above that level now, physically stronger, slotted at small forward - his natural position - rather than power forward, where he spent a good chunk of last season. He runs and jumps just as effectively, but has extended his shooting range and improved his accuracy.

When somebody asked Cheeks whether, as Young continues to develop, he would begin calling plays for him, the coach laughed and said, "Why would I screw it up? . . . Because he may not realize he's our leading scorer. If I start calling plays, he may start thinking about that; I want him to play the way he's been playing, not thinking that he has to score. It's not like he's taking over the game, like you're throwing the ball to him 20 times."

If we had a team full of go to scorers, I might agree with this philosophy, sort of the way Phoenix used Sahwn Marion.  But for goodness sake, Thad is by far the best perimeter scorer we have, and it's not remotely close.  I am not saying to make him the focal point of the offense at this point of his career, but pass him the ball in a motion offense and give him a few set plays and he is a 20+ ppg scorer easily.  If teams had to focus on him more it would open Brand up and reduce the number of shots taken (and often forced) by less gifted scorers like the Andres.  If Cheeks can't see that his natural scoring talents and vastly improved/honed skills compared to last year don't warrant some extra touches he is a complete and utter tool.  This makes my head hurt.

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Philadelphia 76ers / POLL - Possible Replacements for Andre Miller

« on: November 12, 2008, 02:15:18 PM »

Here are Hollinger's write-ups (with most easily identifying references removed) on four PG's that are "reasonably" available if we want to replace Andre Miller, at least for this year.  I chose players based on their compatibility with a pick and roll/pop game (quickness to finish, mid-range jump shot, passing off the screen).  Whether they are available was my subjective choice.  I ruled out a lot of popular players from trade proposals I have seen based on whether their game fit the criteria above.  You can guess who they are but keep it to yourself if possible and refer to them as Player A, B, C or D in your posts.  I will positively identify them tomorrow after most of the regulars have had a chance to vote here.  some are vets, some are young guys who might flourish as starters:

Player A

2007-08 season: A hyperactive ball of energy who was essentially playing his first pro season, Player A might have been an all-defense selection if anybody watched his games. On a team for which a lot of players were going through the motions, his extra effort stood out. Player A drew 47 offensive fouls, the fourth-most in the league; on a per-minute basis, the only perimeter player to draw more was the Lakers' Derek Fisher.

Player A's other defensive metrics were outstanding, too -- among point guards he was sixth in blocks per minute, 12th in steals and seventh in defensive rebound rate. Overall, his team gave up 5.7 points fewer per 48 minutes with him on the court.

The only reason he didn't play more was his shaky outside shot, combined with a refusal to acknowledge its shakiness. Player A took nearly two 3-pointers a game but made only 25.7 percent, a major reason his shooting percentage was so low. He was much better on long 2s, making 44.8 percent, but they were a less-utilized part of his arsenal. Player A also killed himself at the line. He led all point guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, but converted only 69.8 percent.

Scouting report: Player A is only 6-1, but has superb speed and quickness combined with incredible toughness; that combo is what makes him so willing to throw his body into the fray, draw charges, rebound and defend effectively.

Player A is a very hard driver going to the basket, especially to his right, and can use his jets to get past defenders and draw fouls. He has to improve as a passer and decision-maker, however, as his pure point rating was subpar and most of his drives seemed to be for his own offense. Player A is good at advancing the ball in transition, throwing pinpoint alley-oops from midcourt and sending it ahead when shooters are free.

Player B

Player B has made steady progress as a shooter, improving to 35.9 percent on 3-pointers and 78.3 percent from the charity stripe last season. The latter figure is important, given that drawing fouls is one of his main skills -- Player B ranked 11th among shooting guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt. He's light as a feather and gave nothing on the boards -- he was 61st out of 63 shooting guards in rebound rate -- but in spite of that finished 18th at his position in PER.

Scouting report: Player B would be a better defensive player if it weren't for the magnets in his uniform that slam him into every screen. Though he has breathtaking speed and quickness that enable him to get steals, he seemingly runs right into every pick set in his path, whether it's on or off the ball, and can be caught napping and ball-watching from the weak side. Additionally, his size is a major issue when he plays shooting guard.

Offensively, Player B is difficult to keep away from the basket because of his blazing speed. This makes him a force in transition and on quick drives in the half court, and as his shooting improves he should only become more difficult to guard. There's still some room to grow here -- while his 3-point numbers were respectable he only made 36.2 percent of his long 2-pointers and was phenomenally bad (33-for-114) on "in-between" shots.

Player B plays the point on occasion, but his shoot-first mentality and occasional sloppiness with the ball make him a tough fit there. However, if he's ever going to be a starter it almost has to be at the point for defensive purposes, unless he's paired with a very big point guard who can switch assignments with him on defense.

Player C

2007-08 season: Player C's gentle decline continued apace, as his free-throw rate completely evaporated -- he earned half as many per game as the year before and ranked in the bottom third of point guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt. He also lost three points off his 40-minute scoring rate, and largely because of the free-throw decline his TS% fell, too.

The other interesting part about Player C's season was his overwhelming preference for the left side of the floor. He took 42.7 percent of his 2-point shots from the left side, second only to Sam Cassell, and had the greatest difference between right and left in all of basketball -- nearly twice as many tries coming from the left side. He made more shots from the left, too -- 42.1 to 38.5 percent -- so there was some method to his madness. And his attempts were just as staggered if you include 3-pointers.
Scouting report: Player C has a reputation as an indifferent defender, though he did draw 12 offensive fouls in 33 games with the Team 2. However, both Team 1 and Team 2 defended much better when he was off the court. Because he's relatively small for the position and doesn't possess outstanding quickness, this end of the floor will always be somewhat problematic for him.
Offensively, he's a deadly 3-point threat who is as comfortable firing off the dribble as he is off the catch. He prefers to operate on the left side and likes to go baseline from there, although often he's looking to pass in that situation. Otherwise, he likes to use a quick dribble left away from the pick-and-roll to get free for a mid-range jumper. Though he's not a true drive-and-kick point guard, he doesn't dominate the ball either -- he just moves it along if nothing's there for him.

Player D

2007-08 season: I'm a fan of Player D, but he did not have a good year at all. The second year guard shot only 35.2 percent from the floor, including 29.3 percent on 3-pointers, and his high assist rate was more than offset by the fact he was insanely turnover prone. Only four point guards had a worse turnover ratio, and only two had a worse TS%, so between those two things and his relatively high usage rate, he was an empty-trip generator.

The one excuse I'll make for him was how he was used. Player D played 72 games, but averaged only 8.8 minutes per, which is very odd. Usually somebody who averages fewer than 10 minutes will play in half his team's games or less; conversely, usually somebody who plays 72 games is a big enough part of the rotation that he'll see extended minutes in at least some of them. Player D didn't have an outing longer than 21 minutes all year and he had a whopping 42 contests where he played less than 10 minutes.

Since my research has shown players perform worse when their minutes come in dribs and drabs like this, it's quite possible Player D was a better player than he showed last season. The Catch-22 is he can't prove this unless he plays better in these little dribs and drabs.

Scouting report: Player D is very quick and has great passing instincts, which makes him a good playmaker who can see the floor and set up shots for teammates off a pick-and-roll and penetration. Too often, however, he forces passes that aren't there, and his inability to score on his own allows defenders to play him for the dish.

Player D badly needs to improve as an outside shooter, but he also needs to improve around the basket. At 6-foot-3 with his speed he should be able to get a lot of layups, but he only shoots 45 percent in the immediate basket area for his career with a poor free-throw rate. It also might help him to relax a bit -- right now he's trying to create a shot on nearly every trip, so he's forcing plays.

Defensively, Player D fouls too much on the perimeter trying to pressure the ball and gets beaten too easily because he's playing overly close. With his size and quickness he should be a quality defender once he figures out he just needs to stay in front of people.

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Philadelphia 76ers / Where will the Sixers (and Flyers) play?

« on: September 29, 2008, 12:18:57 PM »

Citigroup bought out Wachovia today as the dominoes continue to fall on Wall Street. What will become of the CoreStates, er, First Union, er, Wachovia Center's name this time? Will Citigroup put their stamp on it so that our arena will share a close name with the Mets' new stadium. Ugh.  If Citigroup wants out of the naming rights deal, perhaps it's time to sell the naming rights to some company that isn't in the banking business. At least it wasn't as embarassing as Enron Field in Houston and the FU Center sure had a real Philly feel to it for a couple of years.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26933280/

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Philadelphia 76ers / Fantasy League Open

« on: September 25, 2008, 10:05:19 AM »

I have set up a fantasy b-ball league on Yahoo.  This league is a follow-up to the league we played on Philaphans last year, but the limited number of hardcore b-ball posters over there is limited.  I am opening up the league to people on here that want to join, but aren't posters/fans of the Philaphans site.  Below is the invite for people to sign up that I posted on Philaphans:

The URL for the new league is:

http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/13816

Password to join:

Erving6

Right now it is a 9 category head to head league. Rosters are slimmed down a little from last year with 12 players on the roster, including 3 bench spots (last year we had 14 roster sposts including 4 bench players). I currently have the league set up for 12 teams, although we could go up to 14 like last year if needed. There is a live draft preliminarily set for Thursday october 16 @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. Autodraft is available if you can't or don't want to make the live draft. The date and time of the draft is subject to change as people start joining the league and I get some feed back.

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Philadelphia 76ers / Early Pre-season Power Ranking - Eastern Conference

« on: August 15, 2008, 01:24:50 PM »

Here are the assumptions I made for yesterday's look at the Western Conference (of course that was before noted game changer Lou A signed with Phoenix, hence upsetting the delicate balance of power):

Most of the worthwhile free agents have been signed or moved to Europe, the draft and summer leagues are completed and a few sizable trades are in the books.  Let's assume for now that the remaining RFA's like Ben Gordon, JR Smith, etc all take the QO or otherwise remain with their former teams.

Here is how I see the Eastern Conference shaking out right now:

1.  Boston Celtics - Basically I think they have one more run in them either this year or next.  They were pretty fortunate with injuries and health in general last year and presuming the same thing occurs this year they should remain the class of the East.  After all the second baest player on their team is the best player in basketball, how many teams can say that?

2.  Detroit Pistons - Is this team coming back intact or will dumars make a big move?  For now they bring back the older core with the younger guys like Stuckey and Maxiell improving.  That should be good enough for the second spot.

3.  Toronto Raptors - The health of JO will determine their level of success this season.  Even without him they are a good team, but nothing special.  Their second best big man last year was Rasho Nesterovich down the stretch, he's gone and Barngani looks like a bust.  So if Bosh wants any help it will have to come from O'Neal.

4.  Philadelphia 76ers - A close grouping with the next three teams, but might be the best defensive team in the second tier group and has the most balance and depth.  Brand will have a huge impact and the young guys have a high ceiling and keep improving.  Speights might be the X-factor down the stretch of the season.

5.  Orlando Magic - Weak at PG, lack depth up front, but should be improved at SG with Lee and Pietrus.  Best inside out game around with Howard the beast down low and the forwards firing away from the perimeter, but Howard needs some help down low.

6.  Washington Wizards - The big three are back and Nick Young should contribute more this year.  This team seems locked into treading water as good, but far from great for the next 3-4 years.  Lots of scoring, but no true PG and weak in the middle. 

7.  Cleveland Cavaliers - Still dangerous in a playoff series for one reason named LeBron, but the team has a Frankenstein-like look too it.  Lots of unusual parts that just don't fit together.  Look for under-performance followed by another big, mid-season trade with all of those expiring contracts.  This is a team that should be trying to get Ben Gordon or JR Smith, still not great fits but more talented than their current cast of non-LBJ players.

8.  Chicago Bulls - They had the first pick in the draft and should have been better last year.  If they bite again this year, look for Paxson to be sent packing.  Another candidate for a major mid-season trade.  This ranking might be too high, but I have already typed it and their are no real titans below them.

9.  Charlotte Bobcats - Look for the usual first year improvement under Brown, but as he gets older his expiration date seems to run faster.  Watch Michael Jordan make a big, stupid trade with LB goading him on.

10.  Atlanta Hawks - The player are talented, but some hate the coach.  Management and ownership is inept, the fans don't really care and Childress was more important than they realize.  Josh Smith will be the surliest dude to ever get $57 million dollars.  Woodson will be fired by January.

11.  Indiana Pacers - Some nice young players will play very hard and win some games they shouldn't.  They will have a lot of opportunities since there are a lot of games they should not win.

12.  Milwaukee Bucks - RJ will help if he can pretend to be happy, Bogut may blossom and Ramon Sessions will rack up lots of assists.  Skiles will have an aneurysm watching this team play defense.

13.  Miami Heat - I don't really think they are trying to win this year or they might be higher up.  They could be better than this because of Wade, but I think Riley has his sights set on another lottery pick before trying to grab a big FA like Boozer.  Team is horrifically weak down low, especially on defense, and Marion won't be happy.  Next year they add a PG in the lottery and grab a big man before riley re-appears behind the bench.

14.  New Jersey Nets - Is it summer of 2010 yet?  Nope, well remember to wake us up when it gets here.  expect a lot of potential to be shown by young players, a lot of losses and a desparate effort to trade Carter. 

15.  New York Knicks - Chris Duhon as the next Steve Nash?  Z-Bo and Curry on a running team?  Trading Balkman for a bag of chips?  Gallinari better be good fast.  Another team that will be busy at the trade deadline or earlier.

Overall the East as a whole looks a lot stronger and more competitive than last year.  The league looks more balanced this year and the Eastern Conference should have at least 7 solid play-off teams, maybe even with winning records.  The East also looks a lot more fluid than the West which should make for an interesting year.

Thoughts?

13

Philadelphia 76ers / Early Pre-Season Power Rankings - Western Conference

« on: August 14, 2008, 09:33:39 PM »

Most of the worthwhile free agents have been signed or moved to Europe, the draft and summer leagues are completed and a few sizable trades are in the books.  Let's assume for now that the remaining RFA's like Ben Gordon, JR Smith, etc all take the QO or otherwise remain with their former teams.  Here is my early take on the relative strength of the teams in the Western Conference:

1.  LA Lakers - The top is bunched up pretty tight like last year, so health will be a major concern.  I will go with the Lakers assuming Bynum is healthy.  Otherwise they drop a couple of spots.  Does an Odom for Marion trade make a bunch of sense here or what?

2.  Charlotte Hornets - A little thinner up front than the Lakers with Bynum, but have more prominent players on the upswing of their careers.

3.  Houston Rockets - I simply cannot assume a full year's health for Yao, McGrady or Artest (mental health counts too), plus their point guard situation is still less than desirable.  This team could win the conference or barely make the playoffs depending on how healthy their big three is and hoe the team chemistry comes together.

4.  Utah Jazz - A team that might hit a plateau just below conference champion.  They need more depth and more production from the wings.  I think a Kirilenko trade might be the way to shake things up, but they might not move him for fear of losing Boozer next summer.

5.  San Antonio Spurs - Getting older, not much added this summer, the draft was less than inspiring and not geting Tiago Splitter to come over after trading Scola last year hurts.  Still dangerous come playoff time.

6.  Phoenix Suns - Slipping and transitioning, but still plenty of talent.  The team seems a little poorly constructed and we will see how they fare under new coaching.

7.  Portland Trailblazers - They should take the step into the playoffs this year and no one will want to play them.  A powerhouse in the making, but one with fragile health in its young players.

8.  Dallas Mavericks - Talent level is slipping rapidly, but still decent.  A good candidate to completely fall apart, but I think Carlisle helps them stay competitive for a year or two.

9.  Golden State - Still a lot of talent and could easily beat the Mavs out of the last playoff spot.  Can Ellis become a PG, and if not, who sits out of Maggette and Jackson?  Still more of a show than a team, but too much offensive firepower to be really bad.

10.  LA Clippers - This is where the bad teams start, but the Clips might be decent if Eric Gordon develops, Baron Davis stays healthy and interested and Al Thornton keeps improving.  Like the top of the conference the lower levels of the conference are tightly bunched.

11.  Denver Nuggets - My candidate to be the Heat from last year, minus the injuries.  The loss of Camby will be huge.  Expect a full revolt by February with players, coaches and management pointing fingers at each other.  It could get ugly.

12.  Sacramento Kings - Might be better off blowing things up completely, but they will be competitive most nights.  Look for them to really commit to rebuilding by trading Brad Miller at the deadline if he has any game left.

13.  OKC ThunderBaronMarshals - Too much young talent to not improve a little.   Talent too young to improve too much and fairly weak at the power positions.

14.  Memphis Grizzlies - Cheap bastards, but will be beter if Gasol has improved in Europe like everyone says and if Arthur really did drop too far.  Need to trade a PG for some more help up front.

15.  Minnesota Timberwolves - I like Jefferson at PF, I like Love at PF, but as a PF-C pairing they will be a defnsive disaster.  Still no top notch PG, but they should be more competitive as the talent level generally rises, but Kevin McHale still works here so the future looks less bright than it should.

Thoughts?  Tomorrow, the Eastern Conference.

14

Philadelphia 76ers / Artest to the Rockets

« on: July 29, 2008, 08:37:20 PM »

...for Bobby Jackson, a 2009 first rounder and a PTBNL.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3510261

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Philadelphia 76ers / Biedrins signs - 6 yrs/$63 million

« on: July 27, 2008, 07:26:34 PM »

With an opt out after 5 years when he will still be only 27. 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3507385

The market, for better or worse, is starting to sort itself out.