FA Thread

[Blame Rasho]

Yeah... there is a lockout... and there might not be a season but we can have a free agency thread

I am looking at what could be had...with MLE money...

We need big guys and a backup point

Names out there...

Low Risk/ High Reward

Earl Clark
Brandan Wright
Julian Wright
Kyrylo Fesenko
Yi Jianlian
Shawne Williams

Vets--
Troy Murphy
Kwame Brown * **** he has been in the NBA 10 year already
Joel Przybilla
Kurt Thomas
Jeff Foster.... by the way the longest tenured player in the NBA after Kobe I think

Points
Ford?

[Nolan]

Well we addressed our needs at SF by drafting Kawhi Leonard. Now the only two holes this team has are at center and backup PG.

There aren't many PG's available but one guy i've always liked is Ronnie Price. He's a good athlete, a good distributer and he can break down the defense and get into the paint. We could also look to trade for a backup PG, Cleveland's probably going to be looking to unload Sessions and/or Gibson since I doubt they'll be able to get rid of Baron Davis. Either one of those guys would a solid option for us behind Parker.

At center I really want Samuel Dalembert. He's the big strong shot blocking center we've needed for about a decade now and its about time we addressed that need.

Jason Smith is another guy I really like. He was great for the Hornets off the bench last year and they made a terrible decision by not giving him a qualifing offer. Smith isn't exactly a force on the defensive end, but he's a good athlete who rebounds, scores in the paint and he's got a decent mid range game. He's a guy we could probably get on the cheap and he'd be a good fit on this team.

[co_laper]

I think Dalembert is gonna be out of our price range.

Looking at the roster now, I agree our 2 weakest position is backup Center and backup PG. However, I don't think we should use our full MLE for any of that position.

Backup Center, I think I like what each player brings. Splitter gives size, Blair gives energy, Bonner gives shooting. They all have something different to offer. And there's no playing time for 5 big men. Our current group are all locked up long term. If our main 3 man rotation at frontcourt is Duncan, Splitter, Blair instead of Duncan, Bonner, Dice, i'd be happy enough. It would be a huge difference compared to last year.

Backup PG, with Parker there I just don't feel we should spend the whole MLE. Part of it is okay. Maybe like 2-3 mil for whoever... Mike Bibby for instance to give that steady hand and 3 point shooting.

I just have this feeling that what we have right now is likely to be what we have going into the season. I don't expect us to score a major FA with our full MLE. Plus, with increases in everyone's salary, I think we're close enough to the tax as it is without using the MLE. There's a huge chance that Peter Holt won't use it.

[Donald Kaufman]

Bibby is a corpse. He provides literally nothing. I'd sooner have Neal as backup point and live with the fact that he can't pass or dribble.

[Nolan]

Bibby is a corpse. He provides literally nothing. I'd sooner have Neal as backup point and live with the fact that he can't pass or dribble.

Ya Bibby's done.

What do you guys think about trading Jefferson to the Cav's for Daniel Gibson? We save a ton of money which allows us to go out and use the MLE and we get a decent backup PG who can shoot the lights out.

[co_laper]

But why would Cleveland do that?

If any team is willing to take Richard Jefferson for FREE, i say go for it.

We use the MLE to sign the many SFs who are available and would fit us better... Moute, Prince, Battier.

[Donald Kaufman]

Not a big fan of Gibson. I think we could do better than him if we're trading RJ.

Would love to get Battier if we can nab him on the cheap. Always loved his game.

[Ballings7]

http://basketball.realgm.com/blog/21575 ... ng_Defense

Flat-out, correct... this is what we needed to jump on since summer 2008 when the Lakers beat us... The Celtics, while we didn't play them when it mattered, also were of a similar mold, and would of likely presented similar issues. This is what I've been calling for from the front office since summer '08, not only at PF/C, but around the perimeter, too. Getting McDyess was not a bad move at all, as was Blair, but neither provided the true size and mobility that was needed in the longer run. Bonner's, Bonner, and should of been kept if anything as a third stringer and situational player, he's been over-used as a main piece next to Duncan. Out of the guy's capabilities to succeed.

Although I don't quite think Tyrus Thomas is the best in terms of overall size needed to help the interior defense... however in terms of just adding talent up front, I'm a Ty Thomas supporter, have been since he entered the league, and while I do like Blair, I'd trade Blair for him if it was the deal-maker... he'd be a great infusion of youth and serious athleticism on both ends of the floor, and he can shoot the ball from mid-range, too. If you've seen enough of him over his career so far, his ball-handling isn't bad, either.

Ideally, to just keep improving, even though time is what it is now (not in favor at all), this team needs two new main big men - one off the bench and one starting, I don't care about their offense as long as they're not a serious liability, just have good length and have a form of significant agility where it's effective around the paint.

Dalembert and Thomas being added would be incredible... Dalembert has improved his offense since coming into the league, too.

[co_laper]

This is what I still can't understand to this day.

Our issue with Dallas or Lakers is that we can't guard Dirk and Gasol because we don't want to put Duncan on them to avoid foul trouble. That's why we send out Bonner, Blair, Dice, and everybody else. Like EACH and EVERY team in the league, we have trouble defending perhaps the two best post scorer in the league right now.

So by adding Dalembert, or Tyrus Thomas, or whoever else is available, we're expecting them to do what? Shut Dirk and Gasol down? Tyrus Thomas and Dalembert aren't great man to man defenders. Unless your plan is to put Duncan on Gasol/Dirk and have Thomas/Dalembert be a help defender, maybe, but then you risk Duncan in foul trouble and it's laughable to think Thomas/Dalembert as a help defender suddenly we shuts down the league's best post scorers. Hell, Tyrus Thomas is a 6'9'' 215 lbs PF. He's as heavy as Manu...

[co_laper]

I think it's not about us not having two 7 footers.. We just need guys who have adequate size at their position, can rebound, and play defense. Last year we have all sorts of problem with that.

Bonner has the size, but not the rebounding or the defense.
Blair has the rebounding, but not the size or defense.
Splitter has the size, but not the bulk. And he was way too inconsistent and inexperienced on the rebounding and defense.
McDyess had the perfect size, rebounding, and defense but he was too old to play big minutes.

And it goes down all the way to the perimeter. A lot of times, our best lineup consist of Parker, Hill, Manu. Whenever Jefferson is out, Manu becomes the SF. And I thought Manu played more minutes at SF than he does at SG last year. Jefferson averaged 30 minutes a game. The rest of those minutes went to Manu.

Jefferson was has the size, but doesn't rebound or defend.
Manu was often at SF with a disadvantage in size, but he does rebound and defend
Hill was a 6'3 SG who defends but lacking in size and rebounds.
Neal is an undersized SG who doesn't defend nor rebound well enough. His biggest value is his ability to score.

That's why I thought the Leonard trade was great for us in the sense that it gets everything back to normal, especially if he can contribute. No more Manu playing SF. He's likely to be our backup PG now. We suddenly get much bigger in the rotation.

I thought in the old days, we were a strong rebounding team, had good size on every position, and was defensive minded. We're hardly any of that nowadays.

[Ballings7]

This is what I still can't understand to this day.

Our issue with Dallas or Lakers is that we can't guard Dirk and Gasol because we don't want to put Duncan on them to avoid foul trouble. That's why we send out Bonner, Blair, Dice, and everybody else. Like EACH and EVERY team in the league, we have trouble defending perhaps the two best post scorer in the league right now.

So by adding Dalembert, or Tyrus Thomas, or whoever else is available, we're expecting them to do what? Shut Dirk and Gasol down? Tyrus Thomas and Dalembert aren't great man to man defenders. Unless your plan is to put Duncan on Gasol/Dirk and have Thomas/Dalembert be a help defender, maybe, but then you risk Duncan in foul trouble and it's laughable to think Thomas/Dalembert as a help defender suddenly we shuts down the league's best post scorers. Hell, Tyrus Thomas is a 6'9'' 215 lbs PF. He's as heavy as Manu...

Nope, that's not what I meant at all in relation to those specific players.

I meant in general to get more athletic and bigger up front so the interior defense in general is better. As well as being some more versatile offensively with increased size and agility. I just used Dalembert and Thomas as two examples who would supplement this addition to the team.

Adaptation to get better on both sides of the floor up front with Duncan slowly aging, and Horry gone, while other contenders got better and bigger - we didn't do this from 2008 and on, simple as that.

Agreed on the SF spot... same deal, didn't make the right moves when they could of, and I was calling for it each off-season. Jefferson was a risk.

[co_laper]

If there is an amnesty (likely there is I think), we'll probably use it on Jefferson. If we do, then our MLE needs to be on getting a SF more than getting a big man. We can't rely on Leonard or Anderson as the starting SF or even start Manu there fulltime.

But if there is no amnesty and we do keep Jefferson, yeah I think we should focus on getting a Dice replacement. Dice was the only guy last year that had good size, rebound and defend. We need to get a big man that can do that too considering we don't have one on the roster.

[Blame Rasho]

If there is an amnesty (likely there is I think), we'll probably use it on Jefferson. If we do, then our MLE needs to be on getting a SF more than getting a big man. We can't rely on Leonard or Anderson as the starting SF or even start Manu there fulltime.

But if there is no amnesty and we do keep Jefferson, yeah I think we should focus on getting a Dice replacement. Dice was the only guy last year that had good size, rebound and defend. We need to get a big man that can do that too considering we don't have one on the roster.

I would love 05 Horry. It is so hard to find a guy who can space the floor( esp with a 3 ball), rebound and defend who is 6'10 or taller.

Anyways... I think we might have a lost season....