So, through this series I realized...

[Optimus_Steel]

I have said this before and i will say it again. We dont need to trade Hedo, just keep him and add a bruiser PF that is not a total liability on the court like Foyle is to come off the bench. That would give us the ability to match up better, which we lack currently.

[TheRevTy]

Many people get very defensive when someone suggests trading Hedo. They feel that it is bashing the player. It has been explained time and time again that such is not the case. Here is the simple explanation:

Someone stated that Turk is an A SF in the league (ranking wise, like a grade). I'll agree with that. Here's the rub: Rashard Lewis is an A/A+ SF in the league as well. Rashard Lewis is, let's say, a B- PF in the league (maybe, in a loose sense). They are two very talented players. Many have suggested keeping it as is with the 3 and 4, but get a solid defending 4 to bring off the bench, let's say a C PF (many have implied Battie. I would give him a C overall). Let's imagine a scenario where we are playing a team, say, the Wizards, and their PF (Jamison) is KILLING us. Ok, we bring defensive bruiser off the bench, slide Lewis down, and give Turk a rest. We now have an A/A+ SF, but a C PF. SO... even though we have two A/A+ ranked players on the team, they can never be A/A+ at the same time, because one will either have to be on the bench or playing out of position (as a point of reference, I would imagine Hedo is a B/B- SG). Let's look at our roster:

Jameer: A- pg
Keyon: B- pg, C sg
Carlos: B- pg
Mo: C+ sg, C- sf
Bogans: C sg, C- sf
JJ: C- sf (maybe)
Hedo: A/A+ sf, B- sg, C pf
Rashard: A/A+ sf, B pf
Cook: B- pf
Auggie: C- pf
Garrity: F basketball player, A+ human being
Dwight: A+ c
Foyle: C c
Gortat: C+ c
Battie: C pf, C+ c
Fran: ???

Therefor, our best possible 5 player combo is: A-, C+, A/A+, B, A+

Now, trade Hedo for an A-class SG or PF and we become much more balanced and can utilize our talent that much more.

Hopefully SOMEONE was able to follow this.

[mattyBoi]

^^^ thats a great way of breaking it down and is exactly how i feel...Plus we have the MLE so really we could plug a couple of holes this offseason

I also think we need to bring in Fran...Just get it done...We need the athletcism and youth really bad

[TheRevTy]

I will say, the one issue about dealing Turk would be losing his playmaking skills. However, during these playoffs, he seems to be doing that a lot less (not a knock on his skill, just hit a slump), and Stan seems to have adjusted it to the majority of our playmaking coming from Jameer driving and kicking out. It would work well if we could hit our flippin' 3-pointers.

Also, it should be mentioned that our 2 SF's always get a fair amount of assists because they are the one swinging it to the corners. So not all of the assist numbers that Shard and Hedo see are do to playmaking, some of it is the product of the system (hence Jameer's talk about the 'hockey assist' this past summer).

[Last Guardian]

If somehow we could get Al Jefferson.

PG - Nelson
SG - Who cares
SF - Lewis
PF - Jefferson
C - Dwight

[mattyBoi]

If somehow we could get Al Jefferson.

PG - Nelson
SG - Who cares
SF - Lewis
PF - Jefferson
C - Dwight

Hope they get the #1 pick and get Beasley making Jeffeson expendable

[Dome]

-= original quote snipped =-



for real? considering he's been running SVG's offense the best this season, i can't see him wanting to part ways with him too easily.

as for everyone else jumping on the Hedo hate wagon, it's just pathetic. he was a major reason this team managed 50 wins this season. now, because we've got a mismatch, he's useless and expendable?

To be quite honest I don't think that bandwagon is really that big, I've seen a whole lot more responses denying the initial post of this thread than confirming it.

Like everyone seems to have put it, Hedo was basically the Magic's main playmaker all year. He ran this team's new offense and his emergence was a large part of this team winning 50 games this season. I don't see him getting traded either.

If anything, I think he made Rashard expendable, which is a scary thought considering the pricetag. Hedo basically can bring what Rashard brings (3pt shooting, just not as accurate) but Rashard can't bring what Hedo brings; setting up plays the way Hedo has done.

I'd much rather trade Rashard and keep Jameer, Hedo and Dwight to build around than to trade Hedo. Too bad Rashard's contract makes him virtually untradeable now that Isiah is no longer a GM. That's the only thing I don't like about the Lewis signing unfortunately.

[Optimus_Steel]

Dome that picture is soooooooooooooooo freaking funny.

[Dome]

Dome that picture is soooooooooooooooo freaking funny.

Classic isn't it? So many guys hopping on that 'bandwagon' that it's basically falling apart lol... Seems quite fitting in a lot of cases.

[richboy]

We may very well have to trade Hedo, but it better be for something nice and fills a bigger need, if we go that route. I've always been concerned about paying Shard the max and playing him out of position for his full contract, it doesn't make sense to do that. I don't mind it in the short run, but push is going to come to shove eventually. How about this idea given the recent rumors from insidehoops about Maggette being available in a trade this summer?

Hedo-6.86
JJ-2.14
#22

for

Maggette-8.4
#6

Then we can draft our complement to Dwight with the lottery pick, Deandre Jordan. The kid is projected to be another Dwight Howard, according to hoopshype anyway. Something like this gives us better balance going forward imo. We fill two needs at the same time with this deal, and won't have to use the mle and worry about the luxury tax threshold.

pg-nelson, dooling, LLE
sg-maggette, bogans
sf-lewis, evans
pf-howard, cook
c-jordan, battie, foyle
ir- gortat, second rounder, walk-on

I put Dwight at pf only because his skills are more refined over Jordan, but its essentially a two center lineup.

No way clips trade the 6 pick for that deal. Maggette can become a free agent so they can't trade him anyway till July 15.

[TheRevTy]

I once had to drive a bunch of offensive lineman to a far away (half a mile) practice field. They all were wearing their pads and helmets. My car looked kind of like that.

[Dome]

I once had to drive a bunch of offensive lineman to a far away (half a mile) practice field. They all were wearing their pads and helmets. My car looked kind of like that.

If they couldn't even walk half a mile, I imagine they must've looked quite like this:





Poor car...

[TheRevTy]

They can trade Maggette because he's an opt out, not an impending Free Agent (i think... I should probably check that before I post. Oh well, too late)

[spinedoc]

-= original quote snipped =-



That trade would work, though we take Randolph, not Jordon. Or even Love.

I don't know about that. The guy is only 6'10" and 200lbs. He looks more like a sf to me. Check out the Jordan kid again. His upside is through the roof. Don't get me started on Love though, he is definitely not what we want, and certainly not at #6 in the draft.

[richboy]

Hedo is now the focus of the defense. When the season started often Rashard was guarded by the best perimeter defender. Now teams are trying to slow down Hedo because they no he is the central perimeter player.

Really I'm wondering why people think Rashard be better at SF. Let me tell you first hand that Rashard defending SFs is a joke. The best thing to happen to Rashard was playing PF and not having to chase perimeter guys around. He has almost no laterial quickness to guard the top SFs.

Also Rashard is being guarded on the perimeter by the likes of Maxiell or Rasheed Wallace. Most dynamic perimeter players would love to have these guys out at the arch having to guard them. Rashard at PF has atleast some handle to take them off the dribble. He can't take guys like Prince off the dribble. With Dwight around he isn't going to get the touches in the post. You play Rashard at SF he might be worse on offense and defense.

[spinedoc]

-= original quote snipped =-



No way clips trade the 6 pick for that deal. Maggette can become a free agent so they can't trade him anyway till July 15.

I believe he has a player option Rich. I think he can pick it up at any time or restructure a new deal and then get traded. I'm not so sure about having to wait until July 15th.

[spinedoc]

Hedo is now the focus of the defense. When the season started often Rashard was guarded by the best perimeter defender. Now teams are trying to slow down Hedo because they no he is the central perimeter player.

Really I'm wondering why people think Rashard be better at SF. Let me tell you first hand that Rashard defending SFs is a joke. The best thing to happen to Rashard was playing PF and not having to chase perimeter guys around. He has almost no laterial quickness to guard the top SFs.

Also Rashard is being guarded on the perimeter by the likes of Maxiell or Rasheed Wallace. Most dynamic perimeter players would love to have these guys out at the arch having to guard them. Rashard at PF has atleast some handle to take them off the dribble. He can't take guys like Prince off the dribble. With Dwight around he isn't going to get the touches in the post. You play Rashard at SF he might be worse on offense and defense.

...and conversely he has to guard them at the other end. Did you not see Maxiel out muscle him, or that lob pass over him to Rasheed? It wasn't pretty.

[TheRevTy]

When Dwight is out, Rashard becomes the primary post player (or at least he did in the Toronto which is telling because it was the first time all year he wasn't guarded by a big bruising PF, and wow, look, he did so much more than just shoot threes!)

[TheRevTy]

What about Hedo, JJ, 22 for David Lee, Quentin Richardson, and the #5, where we get OJ Mayo, who can play SG for us, as well as handle the ball and switch off with Jameer, much like teams do with AI.

[eyriq]

What about Hedo, JJ, 22 for David Lee, Quentin Richardson, and the #5, where we get OJ Mayo, who can play SG for us, as well as handle the ball and switch off with Jameer, much like teams do with AI.

I like the way your mind works. Maybe Stan could get something out of Quentin, I really liked him when he was not fat and played for the Suns. O.J. Mayo is the business.