RealGM

Today, 02:48 PM #623
ihateginobili
Rookie
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 20
Re: The LATEST on the Amare trade!

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as of this morning, the talks between the suns and warriors have started again..wtf?

this could only mean that the suns are content with not getting curry or randolph, considering the fact that the deals in place with both of those did not come to fruition.

funlle wrote:It is my strong opinion that the SUNS front office CANNOT do a deal without Curry or Randolph for Amare.

carey wrote:Ugh, no need for extra traffic over there please. Remove the link if you don't mind.

Hollinger wrote:The "Did They Really Say That?" award for 2007 goes to the Warriors brass who speculated Belinelli might beat out Monta Ellis for a starting job. Puh-leeze -- this guy might not be able to start in the D-League.

Belinelli did exactly what his Euroleague translations predicted: he had a decent scoring rate with a bad shooting percentage, a low rate of assists, and truly horrid rebounding. Though he's 6-6, Belinelli grabbed only 3.1 percent of missed shots when he played; had he met the 500-minute cutoff that would have been the worst rebound rate in basketball (for comparison Earl Boykins, who is 13 inches shorter and in his 30s, had a rebound rate of 3.4).

The rebound rate is a fairly strong indicator that Belinelli simply isn't athletic enough to compete at this level; other red flags screaming out this information are that he didn't block a shot all season, and that he earned only nine free throws in 242 minutes.

At a bare minimum, he needs to shoot a whole lot better. He came in advertised as a shooter but hit only 38.7 percent from the floor. The one positive was his 39.0 percent mark on 3-pointers, and if he wants to survive in the league he should specialize more in this shot and shoot fewer long 2s off the dribble.

Scouting report: A left-hander with a sweet, high-arcing delivery, Belinelli certainly isn't somebody you'd want to leave open on the perimeter. However, he's had surprisingly poor shooting percentages throughout his career -- both in Europe and in Golden State -- and one wonders if his shot selection needs work.

Defensively, he was hopeless in his rookie season, but he's not the first player in history to struggle with that transition. At 6-6 he could become a competent wing defender in time, but given his slow feet and lack of hops it's going to be an uphill battle.

2008-09 outlook: Save for one brilliant summer league game, there's nothing in Belinelli's track record to suggest he's an NBA rotation player, so I certainly wouldn't place much faith in his ability to produce this year. The Warriors will probably give him a few chances to earn a rotation spot, since they invested a first-round pick in him, but given his other glaring weaknesses he'll need to hit 45 percent or so on 3s in order to keep it.

Hollinger wrote:Scouting report: Biedrins is an unorthodox player who shoots an extremely high percentage despite the fact he's a terrible shooter. Obviously, shot selection plays an important role -- he will never, ever attempt a shot more than five feet from the basket -- but he's also a long, active force in the paint who is an expert finisher from close range. Though he's improved his bizarre lefty line-drive push shot from the free-throw line, he still shoots a lot of free throws that never get 10 feet high.

Defensively, Biedrins' thin frame doesn't do him any favors in post defense, as he can be overpowered by bigger centers or even physical power forwards. He does a better job against players with his body type, but he's prone to picking up fouls leaning on opposing bigs. He's a good shot-blocker and takes care of the boards, but he'd be a lot better off paired with a physical, take-no-prisoners power forward who did the dirty work and allowed him to roam off the ball and make plays.

2008-09 outlook: The one positive of Nelson's chronic underuse of his big man is that nobody seems to have caught on to quite how good he is. This guy could easily end up in an All-Star game in the next couple of years, yet the Warriors were able to retain him with a six-year deal worth only $54 million in guaranteed money. Given what far lesser centers have made in recent seasons this was a screaming bargain, though that may not become obvious until Nelly has retreated to Maui.

For now, don't expect any big upticks in Biedrins' minutes, even though he seems a mortal lock to lead the league in shooting percentage again. But take note of those stellar per-minute stats, which may only rise given that he's improved his numbers every season.

Most similar at age: Eddy Curry

TASTIC wrote:There's no chance we get Randolph or Curry, so it'll be something lame like Biedrins, Wright and Belli


uber ghey

DirtyDez wrote:Hypathetically would GS fans take Randolph over Amare?

Coxy wrote:

Nellies put his foot down, the fat controller wont budge.