NBA Trades

[Tiinker]

Doc Rivers - Clippers from Boston

Paul Pierce - Nets from Boston

Kevin Garnett - Nets from Boston

Dwight Howard - Houston from Lakers.

What just happened. I was hoping that Dwight would join the Rockets last season with the arrival of JLin and Harden but this year works just as well. Clippers are gonna be a team to watch, Rockets will be a team to watch, Boston won't be. In their trade they received good players though not all-star caliber and three future draft picks in the years 2014, 2015, and 2018 or something and they'll rebuild around their PG Rajon Rondo.

 

Thoughts on trades here or any others that have been going on? 

[hazelkrs1]

I personally don't think the Clippers will be that much better, if at all. They lost a a huge impact player in Bledsoe, their "big" FA signings are JJ Reddick and Ronny Turiaf (I actually like Reddick, I just dont think he'll have a huge effect for em), and imo they didn't fix some of their fundamental problems. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin just isn't a very good starting frontcourt. They're both freakishly athletic, but both are miserable at the FT line (altho Griffin is slowly getting better), and I honestly think Blake's game has plateaued a bit.

 

Plus, CP3 aint as good as he used to be, he has to save most of his energy for the 4th quarter. Parker is now easily the best PG in the NBA imo, he is constantly making sure the tempo of the game in his team's favor. And I don't think Del Negro was as awful as people thought. Doc Rivers used to be thought of as a mediocre coach till he got the Big 3. Now that he can't really use Ubuntu (togetherness in Swahili or something) since his reputation is shot, I think they'll still struggle to even crack the West's top echelon.

 

The Rockets will be good, but I honestly think they might have some growing pains as well. A lot of new additions means chemistry won't be there yet, and a big reason they had so much success last season is because they were able to kinda play above themselves, if you know what I'm saying.

 

Boston will suck (sorry Wombat). Their best bet is to hope Rondo pulls a Derrick Rose and stays out all year so they can try and get Wiggins.

 

I am interested in seeing how the Nets end up. They have a pretty frikkin scary starting 5 (Williams, Johnson, Pierce, Garnett, and Lopez, all with at least 1 All Star game under their belts), and their bench aint too shabby either. The Truth won't be relied on for more than clutch situations, their rim defense should improve, and Williams will need to have a huge bounce back year to justify his contract and get himself back into the "top PG's" debate again.

 

Soooooooo glad the Lakers got screwed. Lerve it.

 

[hazelkrs1]

Honestly think the West's top 4 will be San Antone and OKC again, followed by Golden State and Memphis. Warriors got a great pickup in Iggy, and I think Memphis is led by awesome management that will continue to help the team grow.

 

Clippers will be just outside looking in I think, followed by the Rockets. Rockets could surprise me and have put together an instant contender, but even if they have regular season success I don't think they'll go very far in the playoffs yet.

 

Nuggets and Lakers will slide far down imo. I'm hoping to see the Timberwolves have some better luck with injuries and use that interesting roster to get into the playoffs again finally. New Orleans will still be fun to watch, but won't make it. Dunno if Mavs really did enough to pick themselves back up again. Jazz might be marginally better with a clearer frontcourt rotation picture.

[hazelkrs1]

In the East, I'm interested to see if the Pacers can improve once again and keep building on from the year before. Paul George should be an All-Star, and resigning West was HUGE for them. I REALLY want someone to knock the Heat out of the picture finally, and they still look like the best shot (who knows with Brooklyn tho).

 

I think the Knicks still have a broken, old roster. Very interested to see how Chicago responds from their slump year. Wonder if their might be any lingering chemistry issues from DRose staying out.

 

I'm interested to see if the Cavs and Bobcats can finally climb out of the cellar of the East. Cavs have a multitude of promising young players, and I hope to see Kyrie Irving make another Leap upwards. He's prob my favorite young NBA player (besides Kawhi Leonard of course ). Jefferson signing for the Bobcats was pretty nice for them.

[MasterAblar]

Dallas are just a bit desperate aren't they. I mean... Monta Ellis? OK. I guess.

[hazelkrs1]

Yeah I think that was an awful signing. OJ Mayo was good for them. Monta Ellis... not so much. Plus they have a crowded backcourt now. Either way since they've had two summers in a row now of striking out on all big name free agents, they really should have just focused on a goal of rebuilding. But w/e, theyre clinging to their sole championship and Dirk's last years.

[SBoydW]

I think this is the year that SA begins to deteriorate. The finals finally exposed their age at key positions. The Rockets I think will supplant SA in the top 3 in the west (OKC, GS, HOU). Seeing Pierce leave Boston was sad but they definitley need to start rebuilding (should have started last year IMO). I am just curious to see what else happens in the East. I think Miami needs to make a fairly significant move if they want to go for a three-peat. I think that the Pacers and now finally healthy Bulls will be major road blocks if the Heat don't beef up some. Top three east (MIA, CHI, IND).

[Tiinker]

Heat have dropped Miller. Apparently keeping a hold on Bosh, James, and Wade is getting a bit expensive.

 

I don't think the Clippers lost out when they traded Bletso. With CP3 on the team already it makes sense to trade their other high-rising PG who won't get much game time anyway for talent elsewhere. Either way, it's a good move for Bletso. Hopefully he'll get to start. 

I don't know the figures or anything so maybe I'm wrong, but that's my thought. 

[Tyler Glembo]

I personally don't think the Clippers will be that much better, if at all. They lost a a huge impact player in Bledsoe, their "big" FA signings are JJ Reddick and Ronny Turiaf (I actually like Reddick, I just dont think he'll have a huge effect for em), and imo they didn't fix some of their fundamental problems. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin just isn't a very good starting frontcourt. They're both freakishly athletic, but both are miserable at the FT line (altho Griffin is slowly getting better), and I honestly think Blake's game has plateaued a bit.

 

Plus, CP3 aint as good as he used to be, he has to save most of his energy for the 4th quarter. Parker is now easily the best PG in the NBA imo, he is constantly making sure the tempo of the game in his team's favor. And I don't think Del Negro was as awful as people thought. Doc Rivers used to be thought of as a mediocre coach till he got the Big 3. Now that he can't really use Ubuntu (togetherness in Swahili or something) since his reputation is shot, I think they'll still struggle to even crack the West's top echelon.

 

The Rockets will be good, but I honestly think they might have some growing pains as well. A lot of new additions means chemistry won't be there yet, and a big reason they had so much success last season is because they were able to kinda play above themselves, if you know what I'm saying.

 

Boston will suck (sorry Wombat). Their best bet is to hope Rondo pulls a Derrick Rose and stays out all year so they can try and get Wiggins.

 

I am interested in seeing how the Nets end up. They have a pretty frikkin scary starting 5 (Williams, Johnson, Pierce, Garnett, and Lopez, all with at least 1 All Star game under their belts), and their bench aint too shabby either. The Truth won't be relied on for more than clutch situations, their rim defense should improve, and Williams will need to have a huge bounce back year to justify his contract and get himself back into the "top PG's" debate again.

 

Soooooooo glad the Lakers got screwed. Lerve it.

 

 

I disagree about the Clips.  When you are at the upper echelon, coaching makes a world of difference and I think that the coaching upgrade will do more to improve them than a player trade possibly could have.  Doc should be great for CP3 and the team defense should also improve dramatically, making them a serious contender.  As the Clips improve as a team they will be one of the top teams in the West. 

 

As for the Rockets, how good they are depends entirely on Howard, but I can easily see them making the Finals next year.  The biggest question mark they will have is Lin, as he seems to wilt to some degree against better defenses.  However, Harden is a player that can and will compliment Dwight Howard and just those two alone will win enough games for the Rockets to make them contenders. 

 

Nets should be solid but I don't really see them taking a huge step up.  Garnett and P^2 can bring leadership and experience but I don't see it as a championship caliber team. 

 

Lakers getting screwed...yeah, nothing bad about that :-)

 

 

Honestly think the West's top 4 will be San Antone and OKC again, followed by Golden State and Memphis. Warriors got a great pickup in Iggy, and I think Memphis is led by awesome management that will continue to help the team grow.

 

Clippers will be just outside looking in I think, followed by the Rockets. Rockets could surprise me and have put together an instant contender, but even if they have regular season success I don't think they'll go very far in the playoffs yet.

 

Nuggets and Lakers will slide far down imo. I'm hoping to see the Timberwolves have some better luck with injuries and use that interesting roster to get into the playoffs again finally. New Orleans will still be fun to watch, but won't make it. Dunno if Mavs really did enough to pick themselves back up again. Jazz might be marginally better with a clearer frontcourt rotation picture.

 

Top 4 in West: Rockets, OKC, Clips, Golden State.  I also predict the T-Wolves make the playoffs this year.

 

In the East, I'm interested to see if the Pacers can improve once again and keep building on from the year before. Paul George should be an All-Star, and resigning West was HUGE for them. I REALLY want someone to knock the Heat out of the picture finally, and they still look like the best shot (who knows with Brooklyn tho).

 

I think the Knicks still have a broken, old roster. Very interested to see how Chicago responds from their slump year. Wonder if their might be any lingering chemistry issues from DRose staying out.

 

I'm interested to see if the Cavs and Bobcats can finally climb out of the cellar of the East. Cavs have a multitude of promising young players, and I hope to see Kyrie Irving make another Leap upwards. He's prob my favorite young NBA player (besides Kawhi Leonard of course ). Jefferson signing for the Bobcats was pretty nice for them.

 

Top 4 in the East: Miami, Indiana, Brooklyn, Chicago.  My surprise playoff pick is the Wizards.  John Wall healthy will win games for them.

 

I think this is the year that SA begins to deteriorate. The finals finally exposed their age at key positions. The Rockets I think will supplant SA in the top 3 in the west (OKC, GS, HOU). Seeing Pierce leave Boston was sad but they definitley need to start rebuilding (should have started last year IMO). I am just curious to see what else happens in the East. I think Miami needs to make a fairly significant move if they want to go for a three-peat. I think that the Pacers and now finally healthy Bulls will be major road blocks if the Heat don't beef up some. Top three east (MIA, CHI, IND).

 

I think the finals only exposed Manu.  The rest of the Spurs are solid.  Timmy D is ageless.

 

Why do you think Miami needs to make a "fairly significant move" to 3peat?  They are back-to-back champs and they had a 27 game winning streak..  Yeah they got tested in the playoffs against the best possible competition, but they won.  I would say the only thing the Heat need to do is stay healthier.

 

Heat have dropped Miller. Apparently keeping a hold on Bosh, James, and Wade is getting a bit expensive.

 

I don't think the Clippers lost out when they traded Bletso. With CP3 on the team already it makes sense to trade their other high-rising PG who won't get much game time anyway for talent elsewhere. Either way, it's a good move for Bletso. Hopefully he'll get to start. 

 

I don't know the figures or anything so maybe I'm wrong, but that's my thought. 

 

Sucks.  I wouldn't mind seeing him become an UFA and resign with the Heat for a smaller contract. 

[Tyler Glembo]

What do you guys think of Brandon Jennings?  I've completely changed my mind about him.  When he came into the L I was a fan but now I think he'll be more a sinkhole for any team that signs him.  He doesn't give consistent effort and his defense makes Steve Nash look like an elite defensive player.  He can score but he is a volume shooter who hasn't made guys around him better.  It's almost like he is Allen Iverson except just not good enough...

 

Also, if the Heat released Miller to sign Oden to a minimum contract that would work.  Oden might never see the court but he would be great for the Heat as a practice player.  The Heat would finally have a big man to practice against who could imitate the lane clogging that they see other teams play against them.

[SBoydW]

Tim got exposed too in the second half of games 6 and 7. You could tell he can't do heavy minutes any more. And the Heat definitely need to bulk up down low. That's the main reason they amnistied Miller, was to free up money to try and bring in some bulk.

[Suttree]

Out of all the teams this off season the one that most impressed me was Golden State. To go into it with their salary cap situation, dump those huge contracts(good riddance to Biedrans) and aquire A.I. was just huge. That's the type of thing you never saw from this organization in the past. They have had some exciting moments with Run T.M.C and the "We Believe" teams but this truly feels like a new path.

[Tyler Glembo]

Tim got exposed too in the second half of games 6 and 7. You could tell he can't do heavy minutes any more. And the Heat definitely need to bulk up down low. That's the main reason they amnistied Miller, was to free up money to try and bring in some bulk.

 

But the Heat don't want to "bulk up."  They want to run, get steals, get out in transition, slash and cut in the half court, make weak side cuts, move move move.  

 

In fact, the one thing the Heat have expressly not done is use a slow, bulky, big man because it would screw up everything they do.  Even when they have "bulk" on the roster they keep them on the bench.  They tried it by bringing Zydrunas Ilgauskus along with LeBron and he continuously lost minutes over the season.  They tried to give Pittman some minutes and stopped.  

 

That is why Chris Anderson is working out so well.  He runs.  He doesn't post up.  He has some height, but not "bulk."  He cuts.  He slashes. 

 

If they do bring in another big, it will be someone who can run, not someone who plays down low.

 

Out of all the teams this off season the one that most impressed me was Golden State. To go into it with their salary cap situation, dump those huge contracts(good riddance to Biedrans) and aquire A.I. was just huge. That's the type of thing you never saw from this organization in the past. They have had some exciting moments with Run T.M.C and the "We Believe" teams but this truly feels like a new path.

 

Golden State is going to be exciting for years to come as long as they have Steph Curry and can keep their young talent. A.I. was a big pickup but they have to figure out how to manage Harrison Barnes' minutes now.  I think Barnes can grow into a perennial All-Star.  You make a good point about the salary cap though, that just smacks of them becoming a smart organization.

 

You know, I think Steph Curry might quickly become my second favorite player to watch in the NBA.

[SBoydW]

And the fact that Miami doesn't have a briuser down low is why they struggled mightily against Chicago, Indiana and SA. They would not have made it to the finals if the Bulls or Pacers were 100%.

[hazelkrs1]

I think this is the year that SA begins to deteriorate. The finals finally exposed their age at key positions. The Rockets I think will supplant SA in the top 3 in the west (OKC, GS, HOU). Seeing Pierce leave Boston was sad but they definitley need to start rebuilding (should have started last year IMO). I am just curious to see what else happens in the East. I think Miami needs to make a fairly significant move if they want to go for a three-peat. I think that the Pacers and now finally healthy Bulls will be major road blocks if the Heat don't beef up some. Top three east (MIA, CHI, IND).

 

People been betting for the Spurs to detoriate for years now. It's like betting against the house at this point. Timmy D is obviously a Cyborg from the future, Parker is just not entering his prime, and we got some awesome young pieces that will continue to develop (Splitter, Green, and KAWHIWHI).

 

I disagree about the Clips.  When you are at the upper echelon, coaching makes a world of difference and I think that the coaching upgrade will do more to improve them than a player trade possibly could have.  Doc should be great for CP3 and the team defense should also improve dramatically, making them a serious contender.  As the Clips improve as a team they will be one of the top teams in the West. 

 

As for the Rockets, how good they are depends entirely on Howard, but I can easily see them making the Finals next year.  The biggest question mark they will have is Lin, as he seems to wilt to some degree against better defenses.  However, Harden is a player that can and will compliment Dwight Howard and just those two alone will win enough games for the Rockets to make them contenders. 

 

Nets should be solid but I don't really see them taking a huge step up.  Garnett and P^2 can bring leadership and experience but I don't see it as a championship caliber team. 

 

Lakers getting screwed...yeah, nothing bad about that :-)

 

 

I don't think Doc is a huge upgrade over Del Negro tho. Like I said before, before KG and the others got to Boston Rivers was considered a below average coach by most. He's not bad for a motivational type of coach, but as far as X's and O's go I don't think he brings anything to the table that Vinny could, and it might be a bit harder to get some of the players to buy into his system completely considering how he ditched Boston.

 

I don't think the Nets will be championship caliber, but they should be good enough to annoy the heat. And they have def improved their roster greatly, considering they got ousted unceremoniously from the first round last year they had room to improve.

 

Tim got exposed too in the second half of games 6 and 7. You could tell he can't do heavy minutes any more. And the Heat definitely need to bulk up down low. That's the main reason they amnistied Miller, was to free up money to try and bring in some bulk.

 

I think it goes without saying that he can't really be expected to play heavy minutes anymore, but he def wasn't "exposed". He had a freaking amazing first half of game 6, Pop benched him mysteriously towards the end of the game or else he'd have ring number 5 right now. He can still play at an All Star type level for a couple of years maybe.

 

Best player of his generation.

 

Out of all the teams this off season the one that most impressed me was Golden State. To go into it with their salary cap situation, dump those huge contracts(good riddance to Biedrans) and aquire A.I. was just huge. That's the type of thing you never saw from this organization in the past. They have had some exciting moments with Run T.M.C and the "We Believe" teams but this truly feels like a new path.

 

Yeah Golden State pulled off one of the best offseason moves I've seen in a while, without making a huge splash like other blockbuster deals. In one fell swoop they got rid of dead weight and awful contracts and replaced it with a bonafide star that will help improve their athleticism and defense.