The 2016 Off-Season Thread

[spaceballer]

This is what happens when you sign injured players. He wasted 4.4 mil on Vasquez and we still need a SG who can hit shots.

People were complaining about possibly bringing in Lance or Waiters because of their background. PJ Hairston is talented but he is has a long wrap sheet. So much for that "culture" Marks was worried about protecting. It's too bad that he had his nose in the air in the offseason because we could have gotten much better players then PJ Hairston for the character risk. Marks has no idea what the hell he is doing.

Not exactly.

First of all, PJ Hairston hasn't been signed. They're just exploring all options, as they should. They're doing due diligence and nothing wrong with that (as they did with Bennett, and either Lance or Waiters). If I recall correctly, according to Net Income, I think they even spoke briefly during summer league with one of Waiters or Lance (I forget which), and concluded from the conversation that they didn't want him. So they're doing the same with PJ Hairston as they did with Waiters or Lance, or with Bennet for that matter. They explore all options. Whether they'll decide based on their evaluation if a guy with previous character question marks will fall on the Bennett vs. Waiters/Lance end of the spectrum when it comes to fitting into the culture remains to be seen.

Regardless if Hairston being signed, he is going to be around the team. Specifically the young guys everyone want to insulate.

If they had signed Hairston, that means that he's not a problem around the young guys, just like they decided that Bennett was not a problem around young guys. If they decide he's a problem, they won't sign him, just like they won't sign Waiters/Lance. Again, it was just an interview, just like when they interviewed Bennett or interviewed Waiters/Lance. They're not signing Hairston, it looks like. It's just due diligence.

Secondly, we're likely talking fully non-guaranteed or make-good contracts for the 19th and 20th spots on the training camp roster with every expectation of being cut before the season starts. They're just there for bodies to practice against, and may not even get much time on the practice floor anyway. Players willing to gamble on that slim sliver of hope. You really think Dion Waiters or Lance Stephenson would be willing to sign that sort of contract where the expectation is that they're likely to be cut before the season starts, instead of the deals they got where they're likely to at least get more time on the floor during training camp and likelier to make the roster cut?

You know who is not on a make good contract? Vasquez. It's his role that needs to be filled now. We don't have a SG who can make 3s off the ball. Kilpatrick needs the ball to score and his shot is suspect. RHJ cant shoot. Bogs is likely to play SF. LeVert and Whitehead are complete unknowns and I don't want to throw a rookie into a guaranteed role. Harris is also coming off serious injury and is unproven. Foye was pitiful last season and lacks the size to play SG. Waiters and Lance both signed similar contracts to Vasquez and are both younger and healthier. Vasquez didn't get hurt after we signed him, he was damaged goods when Marks inked him.

Your soapbox rant here is not at all relevant to the topic of PJ Hairston. Because PJ Hairston is not a SG who can make 3's off the ball. Last season, parking him out at the perimeter didn't really help Charlotte's spacing, since opponents would often leave him unguarded out there and he wasn't able to make them pay with his 3pt%.

Third, these last couple of spots are open and need to be filled out regardless of whether guys like Vasquez are injured or not. It's not like they'll suddenly not have 20 roster spots if Vasquez is healthy. It may change the direction of what position they choose to fill out the 19th and 20th guy on the roster, but it doesn't change that they'll still need to sign someone to maximize utilization of available roster spots. These aren't core players they're looking for, nor even players likely to make the cut in preseason. Just training camp bodies. Healthy or injured Vasquez doesn't change the fact that the NBA rules give you 20 spots for training camp.

This is a problem because of roster construct. Marks brought in a bunch of guys coming off injury. It's not shocking to me that Vasquez isn't ready since previous injury is the best indicator of future injury. People seem to think having a "cutting edge" training group is going to change the fact that guys like Vasquez, LeVert, Harris and Foye are highly likely to have setbacks. We already had Lopez, RHJ and CMC to worry about.

Vasquez getting hurt also shows the poor roster construct because he was suppose to be our 3pt shooting wing off the bench. Marks brought in guys like Hamilton and Scola to space the floor but they play the same position as our best player. Booker is a downgrade as a floor spacer from Thad. We are going to depend on our young, unproven guys to provide floor spacing and that isn't a good thing.

Again, none of these elements in any way changes the fact that the NBA allows 20 roster spots for training camp and the team would be filling these spots regardless of whatever else was done in free agency. Roster construction or not doesn't change the 20 spots given by the NBA. The 20 roster spots are not a "problem" of roster construction, but a fact of the NBA.

[ChokeFasncists]

Hairston is being worked out and interviewed, this isn't a training camp invite its due diligence. you make a huge issue out of everything dude its annoying. Personally, i want nothing to do with him. He's a scrub, just like Dion Waiters and a decent rap sheet for a 23 year old. No thanks.

and i find it funny you're talking about guys not being able to shoot when you're clamoring for Lance and Dion Waiters. Waiters is an inefficient hero ball scrub with a TS% in the 40s and Lance is such a nutjob that he only got signed because he was willing to take a deal with only $100,000 of it guaranteed. No one wants to deal with the guy, he's a bad teammate and a bad guy, period.

We'll see whats up with Vasquez. I'm not too high on him but if his health issues resulted in his really bad metrics last year I'll give him a shot I am very concerned though now that they are implying he may not be ready by camp. The old man over at "the blog" said that LeVert might not be ready either, which is actually making me pissed that Marks traded Thad and this kid may not be ready to play next month. We could have picked him with an early 2nd and still had Thad here.

that being said, I'm not going to sit here and predict injuries and setbacks. that's ridiculous. by your logic Lopez's foot should have fallen off sometime over the last two seasons. it didn't.

2015-16 3pt%
Lance 38.5%
Waiters 35.8%
Lin 33.6%
Foye 30%
J Harris 25%
Vasquez 24.7%

Yeah why would we bring in Lance or Waiters.

Waiters and Lance really suck bad. There's a reason very very few teams want them.

Don't forget that Thad shot 23% from deep last season.

[Roy Tarpley]

that over/under is an easy pay day, I think the Nets can hit 22-23 wins at bare minimum

Agree. The Nets may not win 34 like I predicted, but they should easily, at a minimum, tie last year's mark of 21 wins, which would beat the 20.5 over/under. I gotta get my brother in Vegas to make the bet. Also, the Sixers over/under of 27.5 looks to be a good bet for the under as well.

Alright, I bet $200 on the over -- though the line moved from 20.5 to 21. The only things that worry me are a major injury/ies and the bench, especially with Vasquez and Levert delayed in their status. But you gotta put your money where your mouth is!

[hood30]

that over/under is an easy pay day, I think the Nets can hit 22-23 wins at bare minimum

Agree. The Nets may not win 34 like I predicted, but they should easily, at a minimum, tie last year's mark of 21 wins, which would beat the 20.5 over/under. I gotta get my brother in Vegas to make the bet. Also, the Sixers over/under of 27.5 looks to be a good bet for the under as well.

Alright, I bet $200 on the over -- though the line moved from 20.5 to 21. The only things that worry me are a major injury/ies and the bench, especially with Vasquez and Levert delayed in their status. But you gotta put your money where your mouth is!

How much do you win for betting $200?...I may also make a bid..21 looks very low for the Nets given the fact that they are clearly a better team than last year at every position except Booker who is a downgrade to Thad....

RHJ being healthy will help them and Lin is better than Jarret Jack..Than you have Bogs as a starter would at least give you good perimeter scoring, eventhough he will be bad on defense.

[jbeachboy]

rondae was huge last year, he changed the game and how the nets did cause of his activity and defense. that was a huge injury along with jack.

[Prokorov]

Agree. The Nets may not win 34 like I predicted, but they should easily, at a minimum, tie last year's mark of 21 wins, which would beat the 20.5 over/under. I gotta get my brother in Vegas to make the bet. Also, the Sixers over/under of 27.5 looks to be a good bet for the under as well.

Alright, I bet $200 on the over -- though the line moved from 20.5 to 21. The only things that worry me are a major injury/ies and the bench, especially with Vasquez and Levert delayed in their status. But you gotta put your money where your mouth is!

How much do you win for betting $200?...I may also make a bid..21 looks very low for the Nets given the fact that they are clearly a better team than last year at every position except Booker who is a downgrade to Thad....

RHJ being healthy will help them and Lin is better than Jarret Jack..Than you have Bogs as a starter would at least give you good perimeter scoring, eventhough he will be bad on defense.

The vig on a $200 bet is usually 10 bucks, depending where you lay the bet. so bettin 200 would win you $190. so your pay out would be 390 total, minus uncle sams cut if you claimed it.

also, id be careful on '" we should be least years win total, we are better at evey position"

just a couple years ago we massively upgraded our two weakest links, reggie evans and gerald wallace with paul pierce and kevin garnett, and upgraded our bench a ton as well, yet went backwards and got worse. so dont count your chickens especially if money is on the line.

[Roy Tarpley]

Agree. The Nets may not win 34 like I predicted, but they should easily, at a minimum, tie last year's mark of 21 wins, which would beat the 20.5 over/under. I gotta get my brother in Vegas to make the bet. Also, the Sixers over/under of 27.5 looks to be a good bet for the under as well.

Alright, I bet $200 on the over -- though the line moved from 20.5 to 21. The only things that worry me are a major injury/ies and the bench, especially with Vasquez and Levert delayed in their status. But you gotta put your money where your mouth is!

How much do you win for betting $200?...I may also make a bid..21 looks very low for the Nets given the fact that they are clearly a better team than last year at every position except Booker who is a downgrade to Thad....

RHJ being healthy will help them and Lin is better than Jarret Jack..Than you have Bogs as a starter would at least give you good perimeter scoring, eventhough he will be bad on defense.

The sportsbook's cut was $19 on a $200 bet so the winnings would be $181.

Also, of course, I think Booker isn't a downgrade, but that's just me.

[NyCeEvO]

With the team's roster maxed out and the preseason starting in just a few weeks, I think it's safe to say that the offseason is over. Here lies the end of this behemoth thread.

Join us in the 2016-17 Regular Season Thread.