Posey and Barry signings, anybody care?

[WayOutWest]

The Hornets made a HUGE mistake IMO.  Posey is 31, he will immediately begin to decline.  The guy was not worth the MLE last year or the year before so what makes him worth it now?  Posey will probably help next year but I don't expect him to help for more than a couple of years.

Barry at 36 singed for 2 years is not much of a risk, depending on the money, I haven't seen any figures.  He's a solid 10 to 15 minutes per game guy comming off the bench.  He's a smart player, despite the brain fart in the playoffs last year, so he's not overly reliant on his athletic abilities, he's a brain and skills type of player and should help the Rockets next year in small doses.

[Reality]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?
Price and how long he will keep it up, fine i will agree that's an unknown.
But as for the last couple years, he rocked.

Shot a Barrdoglike 58% adjusted, played his role very well.
I think the Hornets did well.

As for Barrdog, I'm hoping and expecting Adleman to cut the 'Dog loose.  I hope he playes point at 30 minutes per game vs Popavich in the playoffs.  I would love to see the Rockets send Phils Bitty packing in Round 1 as Barrdog puts up career playoff numbers.

[WayOutWest]

I think the Hornets did well.

Crack open your book of boxscores and you'll see guys like Posey RARELY play well beyond 31.  If you look at guys who did not put up decent numbers heading into their 30's and the list drops to ZERO.  The Hornets may get one good year out of him but they will be kicking themselves for giving him such a big contract in the second year of his deal.

[Lurker]

I think the Hornets screwed themselves.  They basically got a mirror image of Peja who plays the EXACT SAME POSITION.   A defensive specialist who hits the occasional 3...and here is an excerpt from Hollinger that really sums it up well:

Comb through the books and try to find perimeter players who played well until 35 -- it's tough. Now try to find some who played well 'til that age after scoring single figures in their 20s. Good luck.

For better insight into Posey's future, let's take a look at what happened to some similar players -- those who rated as statistically similar based on their performance at the same age, played primarily on the wing and were in his league as a defender. The top names on that list are Bryon Russell, Dan Majerle, Jaren Jackson, Rick Fox and Raja Bell.

? Bell is only a year older and declined noticeably last season.
? Majerle declined sharply starting at 30 and had his last useful season at 32.
? Jackson had a quality season at 32 but played 25 games the rest of his career.
? Russell lost it at 31 and never got it back, though he managed to hang around for four more years.
? Fox played reasonably well until 33 and then lost it, hard, and was out of the league by 35.

Swim deeper in the similarity pool and you'll find similar stories from Walter McCarty, Shandon Anderson, Lucious Harris, Doug Christie, Eddie Jones and Aaron McKie.

Yes, you'll find a couple exceptions if you look hard enough, most notably Mario Elie and Bruce Bowen. But the big-picture takeaway is that most players decline sharply between ages 31 and 35, and if Posey wasn't that good at 31 he's likely to be unplayable by the time he's 35. That's why nobody else wanted to give him four guaranteed years.

I have two other problems with this signing from the Hornets' perspective. First, it doesn't address their main weaknesses. New Orleans badly needs additional frontcourt depth and it seemed only reasonable that it would use the midlevel exception to address that need.

If not a frontcourt player, one presumed the Hornets would at least use the midlevel to target a shooting guard, where Morris Peterson was up and down this past season. Perhaps they think Posey can play the 2 full time, but that seems a major stretch for a guy who has played almost exclusively the 3 and 4 with Miami and Boston.

[Reality]

Naw, this is the era of designer steroids and HGH.
Agree they may only get one good year out of Posey, but if they topple the Collusionists and go on to Title, it's worth it.

[WayOutWest]

Naw, this is the era of designer steroids and HGH.
Agree they may only get one good year out of Posey, but if they topple the Collusionists and go on to Title, it's worth it.

I don't think the Hornets should be focusing on the Spurs.  The Lakers and Jazz are going to probably take them out in the playoffs.  The article that Lurker posted is spot on, they guy went all the way back to Thunder Dan! 

[Reality]

Hollinger pssssh.  You, he and Lurker need to come out from behind the boxscores and BSG reruns and watch some live hoop.  Its a measurement called "heart" along with skill.
Besides, Thunder Dan took dirty 'roids.

Modern Day contributors to title:
Michael Findog 34 2007  How quickly Lurker has fogotten?
Kevin TRex Willis 40 2003 yeah yeah not perimetir i know
Bob Horry 37 2005 try telling me Big Shot Bob is not a perimeter player.


Old school Thunder Dan petering out?
Try 33 year old Billy Walton workin it for the 1986 Celts.
"Brawk brawk he's not a perimeter player."
Terry Porter, Mario Ellie both age 36 for the World Champ 1999 Spurs.

[jemagee]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?

Based on your post about 'heart' - I'm going to guess the concept of small sample size is lost - and that you over rate robert horry as well?

Role players are fungible and shouldn't be given 4 year deals for the full MLE especially when they are 31 years old

[Reality]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?

Based on your post about 'heart' - I'm going to guess the concept of small sample size is lost - and that you over rate robert horry as well?

Role players are fungible and shouldn't be given 4 year deals for the full MLE especially when they are 31 years old

I'm knowing you underate Bob Horrys 7 titles in 9 years.  He should have also taken the last shot in Gm 1 vs the Lakers, not gimpy Manu as ordered by Cementhead Phils Bitty.  We would probably be looking at another Bob Moment.

4 years is too long, or is it?  New Orleans should be desperately seeking a title while they have the chance.  A title will bring 8 zillion dollars to the organization.  If Posey flames out after two years, buy him out with a micro fraction of the 8 zillion and enjoy the title for 20 more years.
I like what New Orl is doing.

[JoMal]

I think Reality is right in this case. The Hornets lacked playoff experience, which showed up big time in game seven. Posey is a short term answer and the Hornets were obligated to give him the four years in order to sign him. But WOW is right too, in that they are not addressing what they need to get by the Lakers or Jazz, so maybe they get one round further into the playoffs, but then what?

[westkoast]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?

Role players are fungible and shouldn't be given 4 year deals for the full MLE especially when they are 31 years old

Couldnt have said it better myself.

[Reality]

Posey seems to have "it' ala Bob Horry when it comes to playoff presense.
As to addressing the bigs to go up against Gasolgift and Bynum, well who does have the answer other then the gambling lords and Satan?

Still time for New Orl to address the frontline tho.
Andris Biedrins is a bit beanpole-ish but i like his game and he is only 22, so far his improvement has been very good.  I think Golden State will match any offer but who knows, they way overpaid for MeGetty and might want to keep payroll down.

Ron 'Testy is the answer for a lot of playoff teams IMO.

[Reality]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?

Role players are fungible and shouldn't be given 4 year deals for the full MLE especially when they are 31 years old

Couldnt have said it better myself.

Derek Fisher getting 3 years at age 33.

[Ted]

As for Barrdog, I'm hoping and expecting Adleman to cut the 'Dog loose.  I hope he playes point at 30 minutes per game vs Popavich in the playoffs.  I would love to see the Rockets send Phils Bitty packing in Round 1 as Barrdog puts up career playoff numbers.

Can we take this as an official announcement that you've jumped a bandwagon yet again?

[westkoast]

Posey was great in the playoffs, what are you talking about?

Role players are fungible and shouldn't be given 4 year deals for the full MLE especially when they are 31 years old

Couldnt have said it better myself.

Derek Fisher getting 3 years at age 33.

Right and I think that wasn't the smartest way to go either.  Fisher is not going to be playing when he's 36.