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What do you guys think about johan getting more minutes? he's been real productive as of late and puttin up numbers in only 10-15 mins/game

Welcome to the board!


Hopefully after the trade deadline Petro will have fewer people in front of him and he will be seeing more minutes.

shmin1234 wrote:What do you guys think about johan getting more minutes? he's been real productive as of late and puttin up numbers in only 10-15 mins/game

As far as 1st posts go, yours is excellent. Couldn't agree with you more. Plus I like the way J Petro runs the floor. I'll be interested seeing if/how he gets involved in the break.

My personal feeling is that Petro might actually see less time even though he's playing well. Carlisimo has said he wants to see how Robert Swift can play now that he's returned. Giving him playing time has to come at someone's expense. My guess is that they will also at some point recall Sene to see if he has learned anything form playing in the D League.

Kurt Thomas is the wild card in this. If he goes then it opens up some room for these guys to either share or have one get the bulk of time. If they don't move him it leaves a bigger logjam at center.

There's also another problem. Before, they had Nick Collison playing center some, opening up room for Jeff Green off the bench. Now both Collison and Wilcox are playing well splitting the power forward minutes with Green playing small forward. Carlisimo has just said that they want to bring Gelabale back and give him playing time. Unless they plan on using him exclusively at shooting guard it means less time for someone at small forward. Yet another logjam.

I'm attempting to relate all this domino effect back to Petro. While he can play both center and power forward I have to wonder how he will get more time and at whose expense. Sene, Swift, or Thomas at center? Collison, Wilcox, or Green at power forward?

I'm in full agreement that Petro is earning the right to play more and it was a good move by Presti to extend his contract by two years last summer. He is a good example of why it's not a good idea to give up on players on their rookie contracts too soon, and especially young centers who are notorious for taking longer to get their game to the NBA level.

But my guess is that unless Presti pulls off at least a couple deals involving moving a center or power forward( and hopefully a pointguard, but that's unrelated here) then Petro isn't going to see his playing time increased.

Downtown wrote:But my guess is that unless Presti pulls off at least a couple deals involving moving a center or power forward( and hopefully a pointguard, but that's unrelated here) then Petro isn't going to see his playing time increased.

I think you're right on with your analysis. I also think Presti is going to pull off a couple of deals.

DJ, I said in another post that I think that Presti is going to make us suffer this season and that like last year, draft day is going to be when he makes some trades. It gives them all season to do their evaluation, it also keeps the talent level where they should get a good draft pick, and it also puts players like Wilcox and Szczerbiak into the better trading position as expiring contracts. I do see them waiving Kurt Thomas after the trade deadline rather than take on more salary. It then gives the three centers room to fight it out for #1, like it was supposed to be before this season. Also, there's a chance Wilkens opts out and frees up more salary. Gelabale is a free agent, and so is West as a restricted one. If we're talking bottom line it makes sense to stay pat.

I hope I'm wrong a really good trade to shape things up better happens mind you.

Downtown wrote:DJ, I said in another post that I think that Presti is going to make us suffer this season and that like last year, draft day is going to be when he makes some trades. It gives them all season to do their evaluation, it also keeps the talent level where they should get a good draft pick, and it also puts players like Wilcox and Szczerbiak into the better trading position as expiring contracts. I do see them waiving Kurt Thomas after the trade deadline rather than take on more salary. It then gives the three centers room to fight it out for #1, like it was supposed to be before this season. Also, there's a chance Wilkens opts out and frees up more salary. Gelabale is a free agent, and so is West as a restricted one. If we're talking bottom line it makes sense to stay pat.

I hope I'm wrong a really good trade to shape things up better happens mind you.

If wilkins opts out, he will be the dumbest guy ever.

HAHAHA man for the fans sake I really hope he does. Watch the Knicks sign him!

if Wilkins opted out, it would be like christmas come early.

Troy McClure wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



If wilkins opts out, he will be the dumbest guy ever.

I'd take less money to find an ideal situation for myself.

Who wants to play for a guy like Clay and Aubrey?

It's not like Wilkins is hurting for money.

I'd rather pick my destination than have to be forced to move.

wiff wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



I'd take less money to find an ideal situation for myself.

Who wants to play for a guy like Clay and Aubrey?

It's not like Wilkins is hurting for money.

I'd rather pick my destination than have to be forced to move.

Those things could all be true, but he'd still be dumb to opt out.

He's one of those a dime a dozen swingmen that you can even find in the D-League and most of those guys don't make more then the minimum.

So even though money might not be his biggest problem, he's most likely not receiving anything like this in free agency and would be better off not opting out and asking for a trade, then to opt out and leaving all that money on the table.

wiff wrote:


I'd take less money to find an ideal situation for myself.

Who wants to play for a guy like Clay and Aubrey?

It's not like Wilkins is hurting for money.

I'd rather pick my destination than have to be forced to move.

Whats more ideal than making the most money?

No one.

That's what we said about Spreewell.

Well, if he gets traded than another team wants him. He won't get anywhere near as much money as he's making now. That's whats important.

IMO D Wilkins isn't a dime a dozen guy. He's a legit 8th guy in a rotation. I think his salary is about right, more or less. I don't think he'll opt out. But he could for the reason wiff stated... he wants to play. And that could be a problem for another year if W Szczerbiak isn't traded. All it takes is one team out of thirty indicating to his agent they'd be willing to sign him and D Wilkins thinking that new situation (eg, playing time, chance of winning, city, etc) would be better.

It's not like Wilkins is making 9mil a year.

He's making 2.9 mil.

Other guys in that price range.

Brian Scalabine 3mil

Tyronn Lue 3.2mil

Ira Newble 3.4mil

Trenton Hassell 4.3mil

Matt Barnes 3mil

Bob Sura 3.8mil

Charlie Bell 3.1mil

Greg Buckner 3.7mil

Bostjan Nachbar 2.5mil

Rasual Butler 3.3mil

Fred Jones 3.3mil

Keyon Dooling 3.5mil

Kevin Ollie 3.4mil

Willie Green 3.1mil

Michael Finley 3.1mil

Juan Dixon 2.9mil

DeShawn Stevenson 3.3mil

Just about every team in the league has a guy like Wilkins making similar money.

He is getting paid about the going rate for his production. So no it really wouldn't surprise me to see him opt out.

I can see reasons why he wouldn't, but there are plenty of reasons why he might want to leave this ship that could easily start to take on water.

I hate to say it but there really is a chance the team could be going to Oklahoma. Would you want to live there?