Reggie Theus to take Kings coaching vacancy:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2909841

6/20/2007 12:33:48 AM

pistons get rid of delfino... THANK GOD, not a huge deal, but he sucked, very replaceable

6/20/2007 12:39:10 AM

^^Hopefully, he'll get the Kings back in the playoffs, but seeing how the West will be totally stacked next year, it'll be very difficult.

6/20/2007 8:52:46 AM

6/20/2007 9:37:52 AM

Don't forget a trade:

T-Wolves get Juwan Howard
Rockets get Mike James back

6/20/2007 9:45:06 AM

^^lolz thats exactly what I thought of when I saw this on SC this morning

[Edited on June 20, 2007 at 10:02 AM. Reason : d]

6/20/2007 10:02:06 AM

plz to have paul pierce and kg in boston!!!1

6/20/2007 5:23:54 PM

Go bobcats!

6/20/2007 5:28:18 PM

do Boston fans really want that?

they'll be trading away Al Jefferson, their 5th pick in the draft and 3 other young players just to get KG - effectively ruining their long term team in favor of getting 3 or 4 decent seasons with Paul Pierce and KG

6/20/2007 5:28:56 PM

not sure how much long term potential that team has anyway...and with the lottery debacle and the recent product they have been putting on the court, i think they would more than welcome kg...the celts have been less than decent in the past 10 years, with a couple early exits from the playoffs and 1 trip to the eastern finals...you put pierce and kg on the court together, they are instant contenders and the best tandem in the east hands down

6/20/2007 6:28:03 PM

KG says hell no

if he goes anywhere he wants to go to Phoenix but Phoenix would have to give up Amare and a 1st round pick

KG + Nash + Marion = ballin

6/22/2007 1:37:33 PM

i really would like to see KG Nash and Marion running the floor together.. but they'd be giving up their future if they sent Amare to Timberwolves. Nash will be gone in a few years and Amare is their future.

6/22/2007 1:41:54 PM

agreed but if nash is gone in a few years and marion commands big money somewhere else in a few years, how far can amare carry the team "by himself" in a power western conference thats about to add 2 more ballers in 6 days (oden,durant)?

6/22/2007 1:44:29 PM

I would rather have 24 year old Amare than 31 year old Garnett any day.....

KG really isn't THAT much of a better player than Amare right now.

6/22/2007 1:48:36 PM

Depends on the offense.. with the Suns I think Amare is around the same level as Garnett.... what I really want to see is Garnett with Chicago.. they are uptempo but they do run halfcourt which is where Garnett could strive because of his face up and back to the basket game

6/22/2007 1:51:59 PM

depends on your philosophy...like the heat paid shaq a bunch of money and won a title...they're gonna be in some trouble in a year or two but they're in the east

do you do whatever it takes to try and win a title now (since nash is getting older, etc)...or do you KEEP building for hte future

6/22/2007 2:02:16 PM

Quote :

"I would rather have 24 year old Amare than 31 year old Garnett any day..... KG really isn't THAT much of a better player than Amare right now."

6/22/2007 2:03:03 PM

i disagree...KG's shot (jumper, fader, ft, 3pt) is infinitely better

also KG deals with a lot more double teams than Amare...also just look at KG's stats last year...murderous as usual...and KG doesnt foul out every other game

although Amare is certainly a fucking baller himself

6/22/2007 2:28:19 PM

Amare is obviously a better offensive player than KG but I think the Suns are targeting Garnett so they have somone who can adequately defend Duncan.

KG's offensive skillset is more well rounded but he's just not an explosive scorer like Amare is.

I definitely wouldnt trade Amare for KG though unless I was really concerned about the durability of his knees.

6/22/2007 5:33:27 PM

or if you wanted to win now as opposed to later, ie the heat with shaq

6/22/2007 5:36:01 PM

^^i disagree...i think KG's offensive game is better than amare's. amare is a freakish athlete and a good offensive player, but as you said, he doesn't have the skillset of KG. i don't think amare can create his own offense like KG can (in many different ways).

at the same time...i think that KG vs. amare on the suns is a wash because of the way the suns play and the fact that they have steve nash. and since i think they are a wash for the suns, i would stick with the 24 year old over the 31 year old.

6/22/2007 5:45:40 PM

I mean KG's offensive game is more well rounded than Amare's but KG isn't comfortable being a #1 scoring option and he's proven that throughout his career.

KG would be the ultimate second banana but when he's the #1 scoring option he struggles a little. He's a ~20 ppg game guy while Amare is a ~30 ppg guy so theres no question who the better scorer is right now.

KG has a wider range of methods to attack a defense with, but Amare is without question the best pick and roll cutter of all time.

If Nash and Amare were a little closer in age they'd surpass the Stockton/Malone combo as the best pick & roll of all time. Hell, they are already ahead of them in winning NBA Championships 1-0. (I'm counting the 2008 championship in advance, but ill take it off if they trade Marion in a bad deal)

[Edited on June 22, 2007 at 6:27 PM. Reason : a]

6/22/2007 6:25:13 PM

bump

7/3/2007 10:26:36 AM

Quote :

"If Nash and Amare were a little closer in age they'd surpass the Stockton/Malone combo as the best pick & roll of all time. Hell, they are already ahead of them in winning NBA Championships 1-0. (I'm counting the 2008 championship in advance, but ill take it off if they trade Marion in a bad deal)"

Please don't ever post in Sports Talk again.

7/3/2007 10:40:17 AM

Jacque Vaughn is going to re-sign with the Spurs for 2 more years.

7/3/2007 3:02:57 PM

you should be suspended for posting that ^

LOLZ.

7/3/2007 3:53:39 PM

I'm guessing sarcasm. I can never tell if anyone is being sarcastic or not.

7/3/2007 4:41:47 PM

this thread sucks compared to the one i had

7/6/2007 1:55:01 AM

Get everyone caught up on this thread:

Rashard Lewis went to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade. Seattle gets a second round pick.

Chauncey Billups re-signed with the Pistons.

Gerald Wallace re-signed with the Bobcats. (Sorry for doubting that.)

Steve Francis received around $30 mil. in a buyout from his contract with the Blazers. Now, he's an unrestricted free agent.

Darko Milicic signed a 3-year deal with the Grizzlies.

Devean George re-signed with the Mavericks. 1-year deal.

Andres Nocioni re-signed with the Bulls.

More to come...

7/12/2007 9:32:41 AM

Grant Hill to the Suns is pretty big

7/12/2007 4:28:27 PM

^eh, maybe

7/12/2007 4:29:28 PM

big enough than to not be mentioned in this thread until now

7/12/2007 4:35:24 PM

oh yea definitely big enough to be mentioned, but certainly (and im sure you would agree) not as big as say Billups or Wallace re-signing or Lewis signing but ok, i gotcha

thats a good situation for phoenix though..since pretty much everyone and their mother knows theyre a contender, you get your solid veterans who take a lot less money just to try and win a ring

also i heard in orlando, based on hill's total contract and the number of games he actually played, he made something like $500,000 per game he played in hahaha

[Edited on July 12, 2007 at 4:41 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on July 12, 2007 at 4:41 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2007 4:39:52 PM

whats the latest on kobe if you dont mind me changing the convo a tad

i for one would either love to see someone like kevin garnett play with him in la or for him to end up on another team that has a chance to do something

7/12/2007 4:52:28 PM

he plans to win "Who's Hot" and then retire

7/12/2007 4:55:14 PM

"After winning 3 NBA titles and the ESPN "Who's Now" award, I'm going to retire and live the rest of my life in a hotel in Colorado"

7/12/2007 5:09:34 PM

Dwight Howard gets a five-year extension from the Magic. $80 mil.

Derek Fisher rejoining the Lakers, 3 years, $14 mil.

Pistons re-sign Amir Johnson for 3 yrs, $11 mil. (wtf?)

Spurs send Jackie Butler & Luis Scola's draft rights to Rockets for Vassilis Spanoulis and a 2009 2nd rounder. (Just when you thought the Spurs couldn't get any more international, they pull this off.)

More to come.

7/13/2007 12:28:21 PM

Quote :

"Derek Fisher rejoining the Lakers, 3 years, $14 mil."

Something fishy (no pun intended) about this...

Didnt the Jazz release him so he could spend more time with his Family this summer? IIRC, he said that he wanted to remain with Utah but didnt want to "hold the team back" this summer while he was away.

I think he just did what his boy Boozer did to Cleveland.

7/13/2007 1:04:44 PM

http://tinyurl.com/386j2k

can an espn insider post that redick update for me?

7/13/2007 1:37:44 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "Derek Fisher rejoining the Lakers, 3 years, $14 mil." Something fishy (no pun intended) about this... Didnt the Jazz release him so he could spend more time with his Family this summer? IIRC, he said that he wanted to remain with Utah but didnt want to "hold the team back" this summer while he was away. I think he just did what his boy Boozer did to Cleveland."

no, he asked to be released to a team where there are doctors that can care for his daughter that has cancer...it was going to be between Lakers, Clippers and the Nicks

7/13/2007 1:39:13 PM

here you go cheap bastard

I always thought Fisher looked better in a Lakers uni anyway (no homo)
He never looked right in that Utah jersey

Quote :

"ORLANDO -- Few topics among NBA executives and scouts bring about more debate than J.J. Redick. When he entered the league last year, opinion seemed to run about 50/50 on whether the former college player of the year would find NBA success. After a nondescript season slowed by injury and full of DNP-CDs, league opinion entering this year's Orlando summer league seemed to be more like 20/80 -- about one out of five believed he would eventually become a legitimate player. Three games into summer league, Redick's doing everything he can to get that other 80 percent on his side. Here's a breakdown of how he's performed: Offense Redick's strengths on this side of the ball are well-documented -- he's one of the purest shooters in college basketball history. But the knock on the former Duke star always has been that he might be too slow and small to get off his shot against quicker, taller NBA defenders. While I agree that he isn't great at getting good shots off his own dribble drives and the triple-threat position, I believe that within a team concept he can be very effective using screens or attacking open spaces created by a good post scorer or another great shooter/slasher. In other words, being the second or third option can be a great role for him. And Redick has two things going for him that allow him to be a go-to guy, at least on occasion -- incredible confidence as a shot-maker and the ability to draw fouls. Thus far in Orlando's summer league, he is showcasing both of those talents. In the Magic's first three games, in an offense that is all about getting Redick involved, he has taken 44 shots from the field (and 24 from the charity stripe). The shots have come in a variety of ways, from transition layups to deep curls, and everything in between. In short, he looks like he did while dominating the ACC, brimming with confidence while constantly moving around screens in search of his quick and deadly jump shot. Few guys can make the deep 3 coming off of a pin down, but Redick is one of them. He has shot 21-for-44 despite being the only real scoring threat on the team and facing a defense stacked to stop him. Though he's not a great penetrator, his array of exaggerated shot fakes and his body control on dribble-drives allow him to create scoring space for himself. And when his defender gets slightly off-balance, Redick is terrific at creating the contact that compels the official to call the foul. In his first game, he scored a cool 30 points on 18 field goal attempts (7-for-18), going 12-for-12 from the line. He showed a strong ability to create points out of tough situations, and hitting 4-of-6 from the 3-point line reminded everybody of his college days -- he should have many nights to come when his 3-point shooting will be the important story of a Magic victory. Game 2 is when Redick displayed his excellent passing and overall unselfishness, recording six assists as the Pacers were quick to rotate to him. A few of his assists went to his backcourt mate, Kevin Kruger (undrafted rookie out of UNLV), who led the Magic in scoring with 18 points on the way to another easy Magic victory. (Kruger, perhaps the biggest surprise in Orlando after two games, is the perfect complement to Redick's offensive game, a true point guard who always looks to get Redick the ball where he wants it, as opposed to where Redick is when the point guard can not get a shot off and is forced to pass. These two tough, feisty, and exceedingly smart guards have shredded their two opponents, perhaps giving new head coach Stan Van Gundy something to consider when devising his offensive strategies. Redick is clearly in his element when he is more of a focal point of the offense.) Redick is moving well, suggesting that his back issues are dormant, if not eliminated altogether. He is not a fun guy to defend, in part due to his frenetic energy and also because his quick release forces defenders to close out on him in a hurry and a little out of control. He is also showing a far better feel for passing than he is normally given credit for. He is making many "easy passes" -- passes to open guys that come in a natural flow of the offense instead of ball-beating and only passing when he can't get a shot. Defense Redick's small stature for his position causes him problems defending big shooting guards, while his relative lack of quickness puts him at an even greater disadvantage against ultra-quick guys. But Redick is very competitive, locking in on defense and showing a willingness to fight on each possession. In the NBA regular season, that is more than half the battle. That he may need help in some situations only makes him like most other shooting guards -- who doesn't need help defending guys like Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, or Michael Redd? And against the more ordinary scorers, he'll be fine. It is his off-the-ball defense that is perhaps more important anyway. With Van Gundy requiring a different defensive help rotation than Brian Hill did last season or Coach K did at Duke, Redick should be focused on learning his new positionings this week. And it appears he is. Of the 90 players here this week, no guard has been more aware of his responsibilities on help defense than Redick. He is locked in, constantly moving slightly when he is in the helpside box, hoping to get the best possible help angles if a penetrating dribble or pass should occur. Intangibles Though he is known for his deft shooting and overall scoring ability, I think leadership is Redick's biggest strength. He has been the most vocal player in this summer league, not overly demonstrative but always talking positively to his teammates, offering "fives" whether they do well or not. He barks out orders when necessary, but always with the proper vocal tone and facial expression. If leadership is "breathing spirit into the hearts and minds of others," Redick's leadership skills are evidenced by how well Orlando's players have played so far. The buzz from former Redick naysayers here in Orlando has been "J.J. looks like he did at Duke." I would agree, though the chip on his shoulder from being so villainized in the ACC has disappeared. He seems just as confident as in the past, but a little more relaxed as he sets out to prove he deserves a chance at being the starting shooting guard for a Magic team that will have at least two solid offensive options in Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. The idea of doubling on Howard, rotating quickly to an open Lewis, and leaving a confident Redick open in the corner has to be a concern for coaches from opposing teams who are developing strategies for the upcoming season. And Redick's willingness to invest in making a difference on defense should allow Van Gundy more flexibility in playing him. For a young player trying to build a career, "crawling before walking" is the smart way to go. Redick is focused on playing well here in the summer league as a foundation for training camp in October. I've always believed Redick could become a starter for a playoff team, and he appears to be moving along that path now. "

[Edited on July 13, 2007 at 1:41 PM. Reason : x]

7/13/2007 1:39:34 PM

thank you sir

7/13/2007 2:28:08 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/07/17/yi/index.html

Guangdong reportedly blocking Yi's move, because the Bucks have other tall players on their roster . According to the article, China is concerned about Yi not getting enough PT in Milwaukee to adequately develop for the Chinese National Team/Olympics. I guess they'll have to keep shopping for a team with noone over 6'8"...

7/17/2007 10:38:39 AM

^Yeah, that was ridiculous. I was like if Yao can make it in H-town, Yi can try to make it work in Milwaukee.

7/17/2007 10:49:03 AM

^that's a dumb comment. Houston's metropolitan area population is like FOUR TIMES that of the Milwaukee area. Not to mention Milwaukee is in fucking Wisconsin.

Yao making it in Houston is incredibly more likely than Yi making it in Milwaukee.

7/17/2007 10:56:07 AM

^I'm just saying that the players should appreciate where they get drafted and try to make the best of the situation. If the first 2-3 years don't work, become a free agent. I just wish all of the politics wasn't in the way, and just play ball. If Yi wants to make a real impression, then he needs to ball his ass off for the Bucks for the first couple of years. Plus, the Bucks will be better getting Mo Williams back. Maybe not playoff team, but a better team.

7/17/2007 11:03:47 AM

Utah was happy to release Fisher and get that awful contract off their books. He was absolutely terrible in that San Antonio series.

They need a legitimate shooting guard, not a washed up backup PG. Fisher had 1-2 very good years for the Lakers (he was instrumental in one of those championships) but he's not very valuable anymore.

7/18/2007 7:11:58 AM

Are the bucks just screwed this year since apparently Yi Jianlian will not be playing there. How does all that work out? He goes on waivers and any team can claim him.

7/18/2007 7:57:52 AM

Rockets bring Francis back


Rockets have made a ton of moves this offseason, but i'm not sure how much i like this or the Adelmen hirng. Hollinger made a good point that Adelman essentially adds a man to the roster b/c Bonzi didn't play last year since he clashed with van gundy. that siad i think a team that hasnt been past the 1rst round of hte playoffs in a long time could have founda coach wells would mesh with that didnt have a history of choking in the playoffs.

and francis, i just dont know what his role would be. we could def use a scorer off the bench to inject some energy, but does francis still have it?

7/19/2007 6:35:31 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/07/20/bc.bkn.suns.supersonics.ap/index.html

The Sonics just got 2 more first round picks (2008 and 2010) from the Suns for eating Kurt Thomas's contract.

7/20/2007 3:39:20 PM