Author Topic: Big Ben gone to join LBJ  (Read 9114 times)

Offline atom2030

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Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« on: February 21, 2008, 04:02:31 PM »
The Bulls just traded Big Ben and Joe Smith to Akron Cleveland for some warm bodies in Hughes and Gooden.

Wow. I mean geting rid of Wallace is huge, but bringing in killer Hughes and and Gooden ???
Hope that's addition by substraction ...



Any takes ?
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Offline Lurker

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2008, 04:06:17 PM »
I heard that there were going to be other players involved...possibly Newble and Duhon.

There also is a second trade the Cavs were pursuing...to get Wally World from the Sonics.

If it just Wallace & Smith then the Cavs did squat.  This doesn't address their need of another scorer.
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Offline Lurker

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2008, 04:08:43 PM »
ESPN is reporting a 3 way...

Quote
the Cavaliers to receive Wallace, Szczerbiak, Seattle point guard Delonte West, Chicago's Joe Smith and a future second-round pick from the Bulls.


The Bulls would get Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden and swingman Larry Hughes along with Cavs reserves Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown.


The Sonics come away with the expiring contracts of Cleveland's Ira Newble and Chicago's Adrian Griffin as well as Cavs veteran Donyell Marshall.
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Offline atom2030

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2008, 04:09:29 PM »
ok, yougot it first.

There are speculations in Chicago Duhon might be gone as well, but no confirmation yet.
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Felix Skydivers '13
In honor of Felix Baumgartners adventures
... and not just because he's Austrian too


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Offline westkoast

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2008, 04:09:53 PM »
If Larry Hughes got healthy and got to play the 2...then it would make sense.  At least until you look at who plays the 2 for the Bulls and you realize 'WOW what were they thinking?'

Gooden could help out as an active body in the paint and someone who can run (im looking for any positives here)
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Offline atom2030

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2008, 04:12:08 PM »
the biggest positive is: WALLACE IS GONE.

The whole realgm site is doing a collective breath of relief now. You couldn't believe, nobody cares who CAME, just who LEFT ...
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In honor of Felix Baumgartners adventures
... and not just because he's Austrian too


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Offline Lurker

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2008, 04:18:57 PM »
If Larry Hughes got healthy and got to play the 2...then it would make sense.  At least until you look at who plays the 2 for the Bulls and you realize 'WOW what were they thinking?'

Gooden could help out as an active body in the paint and someone who can run (im looking for any positives here)
For the Bulls...
Doesn't Gooden duplicate Noah & Thomas?

Doesn't Hughes play the same spot as Gordon, Duhon, Heinrich, Sefolosha (sp?)?

Is Hughes contract any more freindly than Ben's?


I like this deal for the Cavs...

Wallace may end up being motivated ala Shaq by moving to a new team...especially one with a defensive minded coach.  Wally gives them a solid spot up shooter who LeBron will find with the pass.  Delonte West could be the sleeper part of the deal but teamed with Boobie gives the Cavs a couple young backcourt players to compete for playing time.  Wallace & Smith both bring some post season experience.

Sonics are in salary dump mode.
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Offline jn

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2008, 04:42:20 PM »
What did Seattle fans ever do to deserve the way the Sonics have been run recently? 

I think it's a solid move for the Cavs, assuming Lurker is correct that Ben Wa gets remotivated.   I've seen a few Chicago games this year and have been surprised by Joe Smith.  He has more left in the tank than I thought.  Wally has to be salivating right now at the thought of the open looks he'll get with the attention paid to Lebron.  West is not a great point guard be he does bring more of a PG's skill set than Hughes.  The Cavs are trying to be aggressive to win a Championship while they still have LeBron and I say why not?

Unless Chicago has some future plan that I can't see the acquisition of another scorer like Hughes seems strange.  It's understandable that they got rid of Wallace but I'm not sure they really helped themselves much.
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Offline atom2030

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2008, 05:03:15 PM »
Joe Smith will be missed ... but he's hardly the future of this team.
The baseline is, they got rid of Ben Wallace huge contract (in comparison to his production) and actually received SOMETHING in return for 3 veteran players (age 34, 33 and 34) with no future on this team:

Getting Hughes, Gooden, Brown, Simmons isn't shabby.

Gooden's contract expires next season, Hughes (like Wallace) in 2010.

I think the Bulls assume younger - and skilled - guys like Hughes (age 29) and Gooden (age 26) are easier to move (at least for expirings) so they gain a ton of salary flexibility and removed a cancer from the team.
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Felix Skydivers '13
In honor of Felix Baumgartners adventures
... and not just because he's Austrian too


xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
xxx-xxx

Offline westkoast

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2008, 05:04:33 PM »
Big Ben going to the Cavs is bigger then Shaq going to the Suns.  They are a shoe in to beat the Celtics now!
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Offline Lurker

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2008, 05:08:58 PM »
What did Seattle fans ever do to deserve the way the Sonics have been run recently? 

They are year 1 of rebuilding.  They have 2 of the top rookies in Durant & Green.  They have 6 draft picks over the next 3 years...all of theirs plus Suns 2008 & 2010 and Spurs 2009.  Earl Watson is the only player on teh roster born before 1980 (well Barry & Elson but they won't stick past this year).  I would say their future is brighter than it was holding onto Allen & Lewis...who btw play the same positions as those two solid rookies.

The Suns 2010 pick could be intersting.  Shaq and Nash will be 2 years older and in their final seasons.  And you want to complain about the Spurs not having replacement parts in the wings...the Suns will have a core of Amare, Barbosa and Diaw.

Now the ownership issue is whole other matter...
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Offline Reality

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2008, 05:32:15 PM »
Ex Spurs assistant Sam Presti is completeing his 1st year in Seattle as GM.  Looking good Spurs style so far.

Offline jn

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2008, 05:33:21 PM »
Do they have that bright future or does Ok City?  There's also the matter of what was, IMHO, a downgrade at the coaching position.
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Offline WayOutWest

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2008, 05:33:35 PM »
The Suns 2010 pick could be intersting.  Shaq and Nash will be 2 years older and in their final seasons.  And you want to complain about the Spurs not having replacement parts in the wings...the Suns will have a core of Amare, Barbosa and Diaw.

In all honesty, where will the Spurs be in 2 years?  What is the plan to replace TD?  The Spurs are not known for making moves to aquire high caliber, franchise type players, they rely on the draft.  The Spurs have been at or near the top of the NBA for nearly a decade but that is only because of TD.  It will be extreemly tough to replace a player like TD, in fact it is close to impossible, so the Spurs future is even more bleak than the Suns.  I don't know how much longer TD will be in the league, it will be tough to see him go.  

TD is like Larry Bird to me, a hated rival but someone I admire a great deal, in fact TD is the player I admire the most in the NBA since Shaq's fall from grace in 2001-2002.  On and off the court he is terrific person.
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Offline Reality

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Re: Big Ben gone to join LBJ
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2008, 05:35:47 PM »
Will Big Bens having turned into Big Slug will he be motivated in Cleveland?