Meet the 2011 NBA Free Agent Frenzy Class
The 2010 and 2012 free agent choices are going to define the NBA for the next decade, but it is the 2011 free agent class that is going to define what those 2012 top-tier free agents (Chris Paul, Dwight Howard) decide is right for their future.
NBA free agency is scheduled to begin on December 9 and it will be a hectic frenzy just like the NFL’s free agency period was this fall. Expect each of the 30 teams to be signing players each day until they have their roster set for the merry season openers.
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Let the Dwight Howard Frenzy Begin
With the Magic being eliminated from the playoffs early, and Dwight Howard just one year away from free agency, it seems more likely now than ever that the Magic might look to move Howard.
This was a golden scenario that has played out for the Bulls. They get an easier second round opponent in the Hawks, and they get the luxury of not having to knock Dwight and the Magic out of the playoffs, which would have probably soured the Magic on trading Howard to the Bulls.
What do you give up for Howard? Everything that’s not named Derrick Rose, even if the Bulls manage to win the championship this year. The current Bulls team is full of so many fragile pieces that could become irrelevant because of injuries (Deng and Noah) or because of age (Boozer).
We’ve seen guys who played great for the Bulls, like Ben Gordon, who work their asses off, fall off in game. I think getting as many transcendant stars as possible, whose games won’t fall off would be the smart move, an…
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Carmelo Anthony trade frenzy shows no signs of fading
The theater of the absurd neared its apex Sunday as Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony awaited the final act to where he will be playing …
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TLN’s Postgame Report – Pre-Season: Lakers vs. Nuggets – Passing Frenzy (95-102, Win)
TweetRon Artest slapped the ball from under Ty Lawson’s arm, Steve Blake grabbed it, passed it to Artest, who passed it to a sprinting Shannon Brown – dunk.
With 4.3 seconds left in the first half, Kobe stood by the Denver bench and heaved a one-handed pass to a running Lamar Odom, who caught then tossed the ball against the backboard – goal.
Pau Gasol was trapped in the corner. He passed out to an open Kobe Bryant, who threw a no-look pass to Ron Artest standing under the basket, who passed it to an open Lamar Odom – dunk.
At one point in the game, the Lakers were shooting 61% and they shot 50% for the night. They weren’t getting lucky shooting from every which way. They were just getting higher percentage shots. There were passes that led to wide open looks; passes that led to other passes; passes that led to passes that led to assists. Out of 38 made field goals, the Lakers handed out 29 assists, which means that 76% of their makes weren’t lucky – they were created.
It’s no surprise that the Laker who handed out the most dimes was Lamar Odom. Odom passed out 7 assists to add to his 14 points from 7-10 shooting, not to mention six rebounds, a steal and a block. In search of any source of consistency in this pre-season, the Lakers need only to look to their prized sixth man. Having played the most (three seconds shy of 32 minutes), Odom has been the exact opposite of what he is continuously accused of – inconsistency. And statistics aside, Odom is playing with a fervor and purpose that is usually not seen until the playoffs. Opposing coaches may want to strategize against more than just Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
Kobe Bryant only shot 5-13 from the field, but his conditioning and timing post-surgery are clearly on its way up. His catch, turnaround, stepback fadeaway appeared more fluid and rhythmic tonight than it has the last couple of weeks. He not only sustained almost 25 minutes of play, he was productive with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Lakers reserves contributed 43 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, but the standout bench performer was rookie Devin Ebanks. He has been compared (often) to Trevor Ariza, but it is not just his resemblance that’s uncanny. Ebanks hustled for loose balls, converted offensive rebounds into second-chance points and wasn’t afraid to try for the steal. If he continues with such effort, he won’t sit on the bench very long.
Tonight’s game was a positive sign that 1) the veteran players don’t appear to need more conditioning (other than maybe Kobe). 2) The five new players look almost fully assimilated into the system.3) the regular season is almost here.
Pre-Game Thoughts: Back at Staples Center. The last time the Lakers won in this building, they got a nice shiny trophy.
Half-Time Thoughts: 51-63 – Leading by a dozen, the Lakers are finally starting to look like a team preparing to defend their title. Shooting 58% from the field, the home team looks sharper on the floor and Kobe Bryant is finding his rhythm. Bryant already has 11 points and it’s no surprise that Lamar Odom is leading in the assist category with five.
Most Thoughtless Player(s) of the Game: Both teams for collecting 41 turnovers! Lakers with 21 and the Nuggets with 20. Sloppy.
Most Thought-filled Player(s) of the Game: Lamar Odom can’t get enough praise, and Kobe Bryant has finally started to look like his old self, but tonight’s honor goes to rookie, Devin Ebanks – 14 points on 5-8 from the field, 7 rebounds, and 24 minutes of hustle.
Related posts:TLN’s Postgame Report – Pre-Season: Lakers vs. FC Barcelona – Viva España (88-92, Loss)
TLN’s Postgame Report – Pre-Season: Lakers vs. Kings – Share and Share Alike (95-98, Win)
TLN’s Postgame Report – Pre-Season: Lakers vs. Timberwolves – First Glance (111-92, Loss)
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Oklahoma City Thunder Will Benefit From Free Agent Frenzy
There have been quite a few teams that have been hurt by all the player movement by the stars this summer. One of the teams that have benefited from all the drama is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
We know they are up and coming, talented, and gave Los Angeles all they wanted in their first round playoff series last year. We know they have one of the top five players in the league in Kevin Durant, but they just moved up from their eighth seed in the playoffs last year without playing a game.
Let’s look at their own division.
The big news there is where will Carmelo Anthony end up. Even if he stays with Denver this year the cloud of his impending free agency will be over that franchise until Anthony gets traded or leaves. Either way Denver will not be as good as they were last year because Anthony‘s heart won’t be in it.
The Northwest Division is the toughest in the west, and when Denver comes down a notch, (and they will) Oklahoma will come up. If Anthony ends up going to the east coast it will be even better for the Thunder.
Another team that will suffer from free agency is the Phoenix Suns. The loss of Amar’e Stoudemire hurts them up front and they don’t really have a way to replace what he gives them on the offensive end on the blocks and on the break.
They won’t completely fall apart, but they won’t get back to the conference finals either. Steve Nash will only be able to do so much. Oklahoma will benefit from that and move up more in the win column. Keep in mind that the Thunder will be better just because they are young and now have some playoff experience.
There is no substitute for that.
Individually they will be better as well. Durant took a big step this past year and will look to dominate and elevate his game even more.
It is scary, but he can and probably get better. Dare we say that he may surpass Anthony in the player rankings. Russell Westbrook is one of those tough and fearless young players that can dominate a game from the defensive, and offensive ends. He is dangerous in the open court as a passer and scorer, and can lock you down defensively.
Westbrook is still getting better as well.
For a point guard he grabs a lot of rebounds and it is very conceivable that he can be a triple double threat on a regular basis ala Jason Kidd. His versatility makes him indispensable since he his capable of playing both guard positions well.
Even if Jeff Green doesn’t get much better than he is now, Oklahoma is still in good shape. They do need some size in their front court if they are going to deal with the Lakers over a seven game series. Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison are not enough if Oklahoma has aspirations of dethroning L.A.
One of the teams that could be a surprise coming out of the west this year is the Houston Rockets.
Yao Ming is back, and if he can stay healthy, the Rockets will be good. Add to that they have a chance to get Anthony, and they could really make a big jump. A lot of things have to go right for Houston, and I don’t think Yao can be counted on to stay healthy over the course of a season.
very deep though, and will be a factor.
The Thunder finished with the same record last season as Portland, and they have their own issues. Rudy Fernandez doesn’t want to be in Portland next season and is at a stand-off with management. They are deep and talented but seem to under perform in big situations. Portland will be in the mix, but they are not on the up-swing, like the Thunder.
Let’s not forget New Orleans, and the fact that Chris Paul wants out of there as well.
They will not be a factor this year even with a healthy Paul. Surprisingly that doesn’t leave many teams in the west ahead of Oklahoma. I look for them to make the next progression in becoming a great team and finish in the middle of the pack in the west.
Free agency will have a positive effect on where they finish, plus the fact that they will be better collectively. Watch out.
Can you hear the Thunder in the distance? I can.
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Free Agent Frenzy: Boston Edition
At midnight on July 1st, the proverbial gun sounded for the teams to court perhaps the greatest free agent class the league has ever seen. Just years after the 2003 NBA Draft, experts and basketball pundits around the world were debating whether we had witnessed a draft class head and shoulders above all others. Now, just seven years later, most of that talent is eligible to alter the balance of the league and select a new home for the next six or seven years.
For the most part, the Boston Celtics will not have a hand in any of the big name players commanding monstrous contracts. Teams have tanked for the past two years while depleting their rosters of as much player salary as possible in order to set up an appointment with LeBron James, while the Celtics have made two title runs in that same time frame.
While teams with tons of cap space have a wish list that consists of names like LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amar’e and Joe Johnson, the Celtics’ free agent targets are drastically different. Let’s take a look at who Danny Ainge should be targeting
Point Guards
Rajon Rondo has emerged as an elite point guard in the league. The Cs just spent the No. 19 pick of last week’s draft on Avery Bradley, a combo guard out of Texas (who just happened to be the No. 1 high school prospect of his class just months before). With that said, a back-up point guard is a modest-to-mild need for this roster, but if a serviceable option is available for the veteran’s minimum, rest assure Ainge will be making a phone call. Here’s three options to consider:
Steve Blake – A journeyman who has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of almost 3.00, Blake would be the ideal backup. He’s got three-point range and would allow Doc Rivers to rest Rondo much more during the season. Would be my first choice at backing up Grand Theft Rondo.
Chris Duhon – A cap casualty in New York, Duhon gives about the same assist and turnover numbers over his career as Blake, but doesn’t have the jumper to match. Would not be my first choice by any stretch of the imagination, but I would gladly take him in a Celtics uniform.
Nate Robinson – A trade deadline addition, Nate didn’t play much in the regular season, but gave some inspiring moments in the postseason and won over the hearts of Celtic fans across the country. He also said he would like to be back, but at what price? If it’s for the vet’s minimum, I’m game. If he’s looking for more money, he can definitely find it elsewhere.
Those are just a few options for point guard, but I think there is a player that we all know and love (and hate) that could fill this void.
Wing Players
The starting wing players on this past season’s team may very well be gone, but I honestly don’t see Ray Allen and Paul Pierce leaving Boston (despite Pierce opting out of his current deal). We need to get some players behind these two veterans that will keep their legs fresh and healthy. The only other wing man on the team is the unsigned Avery Bradley, so there are spots to be had.
Tony Allen – This is the back-up point guard I alluded to earlier. We’ve all seen the three faces of this guy: Good Tony, Bad Tony and Terrible Tony. Sometimes Good Tony turns great and other times Bad Tony goes terrible. One thing is for sure, Tony Allen can play defense. On top of that, he does have some point guard skills and knows the system. I believe he will be back.
Mike Miller – A second unit that seriously lacked outside shooting, Mike Miller would be the ultimate sixth man for this team. He would also be more than capable to slide into the starting lineup in case of a Ray Allen or Paul Pierce injury. This is a no-brainer for Ainge if Miller wants to play in Boston.
Ryan Gomes – Traded on draft night along with Luke Babbitt to Portland for Martell Webster, he was waived just hours ago. Gomes was a fan favorite in Boston until traded (along with half a dozen other players and picks) for Kevin Garnett. Fans have been clamoring ever since about bringing him back and the opportunity has come. He’s a great role player, but he may command about $3 million a season and would price himself out of the Celtics’ pay range.
Tracy McGrady – By far the biggest name of this list of wing players, McGrady tried to revive his career last season in New York, but once again, injuries reared their ugly head. There were moments where we saw vintage T-Mac, but it was obvious he no longer has enough left in the tank to be relied on as even a third option, but to bring him off the bench would be intriguing. Give him a chance to compete for a title and it could pay big dividends.
Big Men
Our most dire need is at both the power forward and center positions. With Rasheed Wallace retiring and Kendrick Perkins scheduled to undergo knee surgery within the next week, the Celtics have Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis as the only healthy and signed big men on the roster. Ainge could possibly deal Rasheed’s contract to bring someone in return, but that’s a situation I won’t get in to at the moment. Here are some targets that would serve a purpose for the Celtics.
Brad Miller – As reported here at Celtics 24/7 , the Celtics are looking to bring Brad Miller to Boston. He would fill the the role of Rasheed Wallace as a big man able to stretch the floor with his jumper. Miller also brings a blue-collar mentality that fans expect from their Boston athletes. Brad Miller has to be Ainge’s No 1. target in free agency.
Shaquille O’Neal – Believe it or not, this is a realistic option. With Kendrick Perkins possibly sidelined for the beginning of the season, Shaq would be the closest replacement to Perk as we could find. He’d be able to block shots and play some defense while allowing Glen Davis to have to play very limited minutes at the center position. The big question would be whether or not Shaq would be willing to check his ego at the door like all the other future Hall of Famers did just three seasons ago.
Al Harrington – A versatile big man, Harrington would be able to stretch the floor as a power forward. His defense has never been his calling card, but he could be a top scoring option for the second unit. If the price is right for Harrington, he would be a favorable option.
Hakim Warrick – A very reasonable option for Boston, Warrick is an energetic power forward that can run the floor and play some defense. A poor-man’s Tyrus Thomas, Warrick would be a great role player for this team coming off the bench. His length could force turnovers and bad shots and would be able to finish in transition.
That’s a quick look at some possible targets for Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics. I’m sure not all of these players are even being considered by the front office, but the possibilities are endless for this team. Who do you think we should be targeting?
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NBA News & Conspiracy Frenzy (6/13/08)
Admit it…you knew the NBA was fixed all along, right?!?!
