2008 NBA Draft/ Offseason Thread..

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Clippers signed Azubuike(sp?) to an offer sheet. He's exactly the kind of guy that they need IMO, as he's not as much of a volume shooter as the other guards on the roster.

Yes, I really like this signing. I am hopeful the W's won't match, since they still need to sign Ellis and Biedrins, and they have Maggette signed for big money to play that position.

I discovered two things of interest looking up more information on Azubuike (yes, you spelled it right). A) He was born in London, England; and B) when you search his name on Yahoo Sports, the first site that pops up is not his player page, but an ad for Nigerian boys and girls? WTF?

Anyway...

[Groundhog]

From what I've seen of Azubuike, he actually kinda reminded me of a poor man's Maggette. I like his game, and could see him having a breakout year (again).

I'd also be surprised if the Warriors matched given what their roster looks like right now.

[Groundhog]

Cavs lock up Gibson for 5 seasons. Can't find a $ amount. He's LeBron's buddy so he was always going to be brought back, I just hope they didn't overpay.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Cavs lock up Gibson for 5 seasons. Can't find a $ amount. He's LeBron's buddy so he was always going to be brought back, I just hope they didn't overpay.

I am actually curious what the Cavs are trying to do this offseason. I can't think Gibson signed for anything small if he agreed to a five year deal, BTW. I mean he's young enough that he and his agent could delude themselves into believing he has tremendous upside, so they wouldn't lock themselves down for his prime playing years unless he got some good change.

Everyone knows the Cavs need to get LeBron help, and that last year's trade with Chicago didn't do the trick. But I haven't heard about them doing anything. Are they that much up against the cap or the luxury tax threshold? I know Wallace's deal doesn't help, and LeBron's being paid what he is, but if I were them, I would be throwing money at restricted FAs at the least if I had the money/cap room to spend.

[Karlifornia]

Just for Chief Rum (the boards Clippers fan) and Groundhog (the most awesome down under NBA fan), Kelenna Azubuike is a hell of a talent. He's got very impressive guns (for the ladies), and a well rounded game for a two guard. I don't know for sure if he can be a key piece for a playoff team (I'm no arbitor of talent. I have no NBA scouting experience...just a lot of obsessive observance), but I think he has shown the physical tools necessary to be awarded a shot at it. It's hard to tell exactly what a former Neo-Nelson era Warriors player can offer to another team, but I believe he's got something worth investing in.

Now, Clippers fans...tell me what to expect from Maggette.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I am actually curious what the Cavs are trying to do this offseason. I can't think Gibson signed for anything small if he agreed to a five year deal, BTW. I mean he's young enough that he and his agent could delude themselves into believing he has tremendous upside, so they wouldn't lock themselves down for his prime playing years unless he got some good change.

Everyone knows the Cavs need to get LeBron help, and that last year's trade with Chicago didn't do the trick. But I haven't heard about them doing anything. Are they that much up against the cap or the luxury tax threshold? I know Wallace's deal doesn't help, and LeBron's being paid what he is, but if I were them, I would be throwing money at restricted FAs at the least if I had the money/cap room to spend.

And they need to do all of that while also making sure that they have the money to offer LeBron a max contract in 2010.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

And they need to do all of that while also making sure that they have the money to offer LeBron a max contract in 2010.

Won't they be able to go over the cap since he'll be resigning? If you're talking about the owner giving the GM the money, in any economic analysis +LeBron will come out ahead of the $20m a year.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Now, Clippers fans...tell me what to expect from Maggette.

On the court, Maggette does certain things as well as anyone in the league. He is still young enough to have the type of explosive athleticism needed to take the ball to the hole forcefully, and he likes to do that. He also has the handles to do it. The result is, sorta like Pierce and Kobe, Maggette is fouled and goes to the line tons, where he is an excellent free throw shooter. He has never been a top notch shooter, but he has worked at that part of his game, and it shows. He is by definition instant offense and a sure thing to get 20 a game if allowed to (and I can't think he won't be on the W's). He loves to get out and run.

The negative to his mentality is that he can get reckless and want the ball too much. He isn't a very good passer (because he doesn't like to do it), and he can turn the ball over when he forces the action for himself too much. Plus, his better success with the outside shot has caused him to sometimes force up bad shots to the detriment of the rest of the team. Still, his tendency to go inside nets him a decent percentage from the floor, in addition to the free throw bonus.

On defense, did I tell you about his offense? Many people think Maggette is a sieve on defense (and they're generally right). He has the athleticism to be very good here, and yet he doesn't, which says it's a lot about effort. W's don't exactly stress D, I think, so that may not be so much of an issue as it was with Dunleavy, a defensive mentality coach.

Dunleavy and Maggette clashed a lot by all reports. Maggette is a very sure of himself type of young man (smart, too, went to Duke, ever so briefly), and Dunleavy is also very hardheaded (like Nelson, but about different things). Maggette has his issues on court, but I also think Dunleavy didn't utilize him enough in seasons past, or in the right way. Nelson is a much better fit for Maggette with respect to desired play style, although Nelson also has a hard-headed rep, so we'll have to see what happens the first time they clash.

Off the court, there aren't too many better. Maggette is well spoken and seems like a good guy. I always enjoy listening to him on the radio because he is articulate and can take (and give) a good joke, and just seems like a good guy. For that reason, he was one of my more favorite players on the Clips. Never been in serious trouble or accused of getting too into the urban lifestyle, although he is no softie, either.

I don't know if he has the mentality to subsume his personality on the court for the good of a championship team, and that will be something to watch, but by and large, he's a significant addition to your team. I think yuo will enjoy having him there, and the Clips are worse off for not having him.

[molson]

Originally Posted by bulletsponge

the press seem complicit in keeping this out of the front pages too. if a player takes roids they rail against it for years every chance they get. if refs rig games they bury it as much as they can. and does anyone think college refs aren't rigging games left and right?

It's really amazing how quiet this has been.

NBA games haven't been on the level - and we're not talking games with 20 point spreads where there's some garbage time calls to cover a line. NBA games don't see spreads like that, and in the games in question, the spreads are often 4, 5, etc, and actual game outcomes have been manipulated.

It was a great run with the Celtics this year (at least whatever games weren't rigged by refs), but I'm not sure I'll be able to really stick around and follow the league as much as I have. How many of these games have been determined before the ball even gets tossed? I'm not sure I can get that out of my mind.

And Stern's refusal to have an independent entity evaluate and oversee the referees after all this is a huge red flag to me, like he has something to hide.

[JeeberD]

The Oklahoma City Thunder? Are you kidding me?!?!

http://www.koco.com/sports/16925692/detail.html

[molson]

Blah...I thought the trend of naming teams something that doesn't end in an "S" was over. It just sounds so XFLish.

[Groundhog]

So, a move I've been expecting for some time: A Euro team offers a decent NBA free agent a contract better than he can likely get in the NBA.

Childress is one of those guys who is probably worth more than the MLE, but obviously not a max contract, and those guys are the biggest losers in the NBA right now, where it is basically max, MLE, or min. A Greek team has offered him a 20mil (can't seem to verify if that's US$ or Euro$) over 3 years deal.

He's probably going to try and use it as leverage with Atlanta, but I don't think it's out of the question for him to wind up accepting it.

Then we've also got Brandon Jennings, the High Schooler who didn't get the grades so is off to play in Europe as well.

Could get interesting if the Euro continues to climb against the US$.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

So, a move I've been expecting for some time: A Euro team offers a decent NBA free agent a contract better than he can likely get in the NBA.

Childress is one of those guys who is probably worth more than the MLE, but obviously not a max contract, and those guys are the biggest losers in the NBA right now, where it is basically max, MLE, or min. A Greek team has offered him a 20mil (can't seem to verify if that's US$ or Euro$) over 3 years deal.

He's probably going to try and use it as leverage with Atlanta, but I don't think it's out of the question for him to wind up accepting it.

Then we've also got Brandon Jennings, the High Schooler who didn't get the grades so is off to play in Europe as well.

Could get interesting if the Euro continues to climb against the US$.

Another note is that the Greek team is willing to pay his taxes for the contract (will he still have to pay US taxes).

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Another note is that the Greek team is willing to pay his taxes for the contract (will he still have to pay US taxes).

Holy crap. Amazing that these teams have the money that they do.

[MrBug708]

Are Euro contracts guaranteed?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Are Euro contracts guaranteed?

I imagine that it differs between leagues, but from what I understand most contracts are not guaranteed in the same sense that NBA contracts are. Imports can be let go (and often are), but usually they are on 1-year deals that have clauses in them especially for that purpose. I'd imagine that this 3-year deal wouldn't have such a clause, because the long term contract imports don't get cut from what I've seen.

[vex]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

The Oklahoma City Thunder? Are you kidding me?!?!

http://www.koco.com/sports/16925692/detail.html

Yeah, I really wanted, and am still holding out hope for the Barons:

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by vex

Yeah, I really wanted, and am still holding out hope for the Barons:

I really don't think it's gonna turn out to be "Thunder". First of all, the Warriors mascot is nicknamed Thunder. This means it would be like a baseball team calling themselves the "Portland Youppi!s". Second, hasn't a CBA or NBDL team been named the thunder? You can't give an NBA team a CBA reject name.

I'll put 5 bucks on Thunder doesn't wind up being the name.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by molson

Blah...I thought the trend of naming teams something that doesn't end in an "S" was over. It just sounds so XFLish.

"

Though to be fair, the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz aren't bad team names.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Though to be fair, the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz aren't bad team names.

Not a big fan of Heat, but as lame singular names go it's one of the better ones. Jazz was a great name -- in New Orleans, where it was perfect. "Utah Jazz" is the dumbest name in sports.

Although "Oklahoma City Thunder" ain't far behind.

[Neon_Chaos]

OKC Thundercats!

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Second, hasn't a CBA or NBDL team been named the thunder? You can't give an NBA team a CBA reject name.

I don't know about CBA or NBDL, but the Winnipeg Thunder played in both the WBL and NBL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg_Thunder

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Are Euro contracts guaranteed?

Don't quote me on this, but I recall a friend in law school who studied international law mention how at-will employment is basically an American thing. That even people who work at McDonalds in Europe are on short-term contracts and can only be fired for cause. So, if that is the culture/law over there, then I imagine that the contract would be guaranteed.

In this case, since the Greek team is trying to compete with an NBA contract, you would have to think that they would guarantee it regardless of whether they had to or not. Otherwise, it would not even be on the player's radar as a legit offer.

(1) Hang out in Greece for three years
(2) Play basketball
(3) Get $20,000,000 tax free

That's not a bad place to be.

[MikeVic]

Hahaha I have to cheer for the Thunder just because we had a Winnipeg Thunder team. Although I never went to a game.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Hahaha I have to cheer for the Thunder just because we had a Winnipeg Thunder team. Although I never went to a game.

I can't remember if I saw the Thunder or the Cyclone, but either way, it was weak sauce.

[MikeVic]

I saw neither, but I remember the Cyclone has Chocolate Thunder as a coach or something.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

(1) Hang out in Greece for three years
(2) Play basketball
(3) Get $20,000,000 tax free

That's not a bad place to be.

No kidding. Beautiful weather, beautiful women and 20 million isn't bad at all.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

I saw neither, but I remember the Cyclone has Chocolate Thunder as a coach or something.

As I think back, I believe I actually saw a game of each. The Thunder played at the Arena and the Cyclone at the Convention Centre, and I'm pretty sure I watched in both places. Good times!

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by vex

Yeah, I really wanted, and am still holding out hope for the Barons:

Apparently, in the past, Clay Bennett has indicated his preference for team names that end in 's'. And no one around the team has come close to confirming it or anything of the sort. And there isn't anything in TESS with that name, so....I don't know if it's anything other than speculation. Seems Barons might still be in the running.

[vex]

lol, nice.

[Groundhog]

Nets send PG Marcus Williams to the Warriors for a conditional future 1st rounder.

I thought Williams showed a lot of promise as a rookie, but never got back on track after missing 20-odd games to start the 07-08 season with a foot injury. Pretty good deal for the Warriors.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Nets send PG Marcus Williams to the Warriors for a conditional future 1st rounder.

I thought Williams showed a lot of promise as a rookie, but never got back on track after missing 20-odd games to start the 07-08 season with a foot injury. Pretty good deal for the Warriors.

I liked Williams at Uconn, but it remains to be seen if he can be a starting PG in the league. He should get plenty of minutes here in GS. Nellie has a short leash, so we'll find out if he's worth anything pretty quick.

[BishopMVP]

Considering they were considering using Marco Belinelli to spell Monta Ellis' ballhandling duties, seems like a good deal.

[MrBug708]

hxxp://www.oklahomacitythunder.com

Funny stuff

[MylesKnight]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Are Euro contracts guaranteed?

I'm sure it can vary from country to country. Btw, the book below is a pretty funny interesting read on life in professional basketball. Check it out if you haven't already.

[MylesKnight]

Originally Posted by vex

Yeah, I really wanted, and am still holding out hope for the Barons:

Very nice.. Love the name and team colors.. Black & Gold Baby!!

[TroyF]

Camby trade happened while I was on the road. I don't want to say the Clippers made a mistake here, because getting a player of Camby's talent for nothing is worth doing.

On the other hand, Camby is not the player a lot of people think he is. On offense, he is a jump shooter who gets an occasional rebound and never gets to the line. He sets horrible screens. He can pass the ball fairly well when he's not in his selfish mode and jacking up 20 foot jumpers from the top of the key.

Defense is where people love Camby. The problem is most of the people who love him, don't watch him play. He blocks a lot of shots and grabs a lot of rebounds. The problem is, he will only plya help defense if there is a stat in it for him. I can't recall the last time Camby trapped a ball handler on a pick and roll. It's a wide open jump shot or drive everytime. He would rather let the guy go in for the shot and try to block it.

I think Clippers fans are going to be stunned at how few shots Camby actually "changes". He'll give up layups as often as he'll block a shot. As far as one on one defending? Forget it. He simply doesn't have the bulk or the strength to handle most players. He can have the occasional monster game against a guy with his body type who doesn't like to get physical with him. But anyone else? Forget it. He's usless in a man to man setting.

He's also getting old. Not only in age, but how he plays on the court. His numbers took a dive as the season progressed last year.

Overall, I think after the Nuggets use the 10 million in the trade exemption (likely next offseason), they'll come out ahead.

As for how he'll be replaced by Denver, it really comes down to a healthy Nene. If he's not healthy, Denver is screwed inside. If he is, they are better than what people think down low. The real key to the season is going to be when Karl is fired. When that happens, the new coach will run the offense through Melo instead of AI and the team will be vastly better off than it is now.

[Chief Rum]

W's matched the offer sheet of Azubuike. That's a bummer.

Honestly, I am trying to figure this one out. Why even match this? And how are they making all of these additions?

They lost Baron, got it. That's a big chunk of change. But now they have brought back Azubuike, signed Maggette to a big deal, traded for Maurice Williams (sent away a pick, so all cap to them), signed Ellis to a big new extension, apparently overpaid for Turiaf.

They have Maggette, Jackson and Ellis at the swing spot, and probably others I am not thinking of. Just trying to figure out why they would bother to resign Azubuike, much less try to figure out how they are working the cap magaic to bring all of these guys in or back. Davis was going to make $17 M. By my count, Maggette ($10 M), Williams (not sure, but 1st round pick, probably $2-$3 M), Turiaf ($4 M), Azubuike ($3 M)--that's already $20 M right there, and I am not counting Ellis yet or the as yet unsigned Biedrins, since they have Bird rights on them. They also signed top pick Randolph so he's taking up at least some space. Surely, O'Bryant and Barnes didn't take up that much room, did they?

Just weird. Not sure I get the W's moves, especially aiming for the huge swingman corps.

[Bad-example]

Last year's trade of Jason Richardson provided big cap relief with the extensions of Ellis/Biedrins in mind.

[MrBug708]

Sasha Vuicic was reported to have signed a 3 year 15 million dollar deal with the Lakers.

In other news, the Lakers replacement for Turiaf looks to be...Kwame Brown

[Young Drachma]

ESPN - Barons, Thunder among 6 nicknames league seeks for OKC - NBA

The NBA has filed for trademark rights to six nicknames for the league's new Oklahoma City franchise: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind.

An attorney for the league made the filing Monday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Marshal is usually spelled with one l. It's not clear why the league used a variant spelling.

The filing is listed on the patent office's Web site.

The NBA and the team have refused to discuss possible new names for the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics ahead of an official announcement, which has not yet been scheduled.

Thunder is among the six, maybe they wanted to throw the name out on the market to see how the reaction would be, knowing they had a few other options if they wanted to.

I think Barons is the winner, tho.

It won't be Energy, since that's the name of an NBDL franchise.

Henry Abbott had a good take on things, too.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...ons-Bison.html

[molson]

Those are all horrible except for Barons.

[JPhillips]

The NBA is going to love the fast-breaking Wind.

[vex]

Originally Posted by molson

Those are all horrible except for Barons.

No argument here. I hate all the weather names.

[Cuckoo]

I've been a fan of Barons for some time and love the design concepts by the OKC guy (posted in this thread). I could deal with Marshalls, though shouldn't it be Marshals? And Thunder has grown on me a little bit because I've tried to force it, but I've never liked the singular sports team names.

[JeeberD]

Bison isn't bad, either...

[MrBug708]

So the Pistons have money to burn, donating 8 million dollars to Kwame Brown

[bulletsponge]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

So the Pistons have money to burn, donating 8 million dollars to Kwame Brown

there goes that "Joe Dumars is smart" notion

[bhlloy]

Signing Kwame Brown is like sleeping with the dubiously hot, slutty girl that gave all your friends herpes. You know nothing good is going to happen, but damn you are desperate and after 8 beers (or an offseason of striking out on real difference makers), she's really starting to look kind of good...

[Groundhog]

But maybe this will be the time Kwame "gets it"!!!!