OT: Posey to New Orleans

[College Boy]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53619/20080716/hornets_land_posey/

James Posey agreed to a four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday worth an estimated $25 million, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said.

Didn't see it posted. So much for the return of Posey...

[kevC]

You mean New Orleans not OKC.

[aznkillabeezZz]

we should've gave him a 4 yr deal .. he was a big part of celtics and heats championship role players.. He made so many big shots too

[MaxRider]

we should've gave him a 4 yr deal .. he was a big part of celtics and heats championship role players.. He made so many big shots too

we can't offer him that number because we are saving the MLE on Landry

[ShaY]

Don't mind that at all , not worried about it.
Do they keep Bonzi?
Just wondering.

[moofs]

Oh well. Having Posey was a nice idea, and an obviously nice one, so a lot of teams had it, and now, as expected, we get to shrug.

[TMACFORMVP]

I didn't think we had a chance at him really, but kinda sucks to see him go to NO. He's a terrific fit there considering the Hornets main weakanesses last season was their perimeter defense. Add in that Posey is a lights out shooter and very experienced, he should thrive even more next to CP3.

The west continues to get better....well except the Nuggets..

[Vator]

Good pickup by the Hornets. This improves them.

Edited the title by the way. OKC would actually be used in reference to the former Seattle Supersonics.

[Ribalding]

Crap.

Landry better make himself worth the money.

[Dinky Bits]

Don't mind that at all , not worried about it.
Do they keep Bonzi?
Just wondering.

I'm curious about that as well. I haven't heard anything about Bonzi at all this offseason.

[King Roosk]

This is a very good move for NO. It improves their perimeter defense, and fixes the one hole they had in their starting lineup.

Chandler
West
Peja
Posey
CP3


With or without a solid bench, that's scary.

[kevC]

Overpaid. Overrated. Hit a couple of big shots in the Finals and all of a sudden you're a big time player. Fans and GM's are so fickle.

[moofs]

What? How is Posey overrated? Please inform.

[kevC]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ets-080716

You knew this was coming -- the inevitable overreaction to a role player on a championship team in free agency. Every year there's one guy whom teams can't stop fawning over, and this year it was James Posey. Sure, he was an integral part of championship teams for both Miami and Boston, but as with a lot of players who win rings it can be hard for us to look at him rationally.

That's why role players on title winners tend to get unusually generous contracts, and Posey appears to be the latest example. The same guy who inked a two-year deal (the second was a player option) for just a portion of the midlevel exception last summer to join the Celtics suddenly finds himself enriched with a four-year, $25 million deal by the Hornets. If that seems excessive for a 31-year-old who hasn't averaged more than 8.1 points per game in any of the past four seasons, it's because it is.

It's true that Posey brings three things to the table: defense, rebounding and 3-point shooting. He's not an all-defense guy, but he's an above-average defender who can play multiple positions, and that's certainly helpful. So are the 3s -- in his past three campaigns he's hit 40.3 percent, 37.5 percent and 38.0 percent from downtown. And he's an underrated defensive rebounder who had the third-best defensive rebound rate among small forwards last season.

But those strengths need to be seen in the context of the bigger picture. The guy has all but abandoned shooting anything besides a 3 -- two-thirds of his shots were triples, the fourth-highest rate in the league and the highest among nonguards -- so despite the 3s, he's a fairly inert offensive player.

[Optimism Prime]

What? How is Posey overrated? Please inform.

I'm with moofs on this one. If you have realistic expectation for him--good defense, playing the 5th wheel in that lineup, making the open shot--he's hardly overrated.

If the Hornets are expecting all-NBA play out of him... they'll be disappointed.

Anyone rational knows that Posey can be a difference-maker between a good team and a great one. Doesn't mean I'm ready to surrender the championship to them, but it makes them more dangerous.

Besides, isn't clutch shooting and good defense why some (albeit, misguided) people keep asking if Horry should be in the Hall? He's got the rings, after all...

Look at it realistically, and he's a good fit.

And, in case anyone forgot my earlier views: JUST SAY NO TO BONZI.

[jove9]

I'd still start Mo Pete and bring Posey in off the bench. Posey, Pargo, and Julian Wright make a good 8-man rotation.

(BTW, Pargo is a FA)

[stillmatic73088]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=Posey_Hornets-080716

You knew this was coming -- the inevitable overreaction to a role player on a championship team in free agency. Every year there's one guy whom teams can't stop fawning over, and this year it was James Posey. Sure, he was an integral part of championship teams for both Miami and Boston, but as with a lot of players who win rings it can be hard for us to look at him rationally.

That's why role players on title winners tend to get unusually generous contracts, and Posey appears to be the latest example. The same guy who inked a two-year deal (the second was a player option) for just a portion of the midlevel exception last summer to join the Celtics suddenly finds himself enriched with a four-year, $25 million deal by the Hornets. If that seems excessive for a 31-year-old who hasn't averaged more than 8.1 points per game in any of the past four seasons, it's because it is.

It's true that Posey brings three things to the table: defense, rebounding and 3-point shooting. He's not an all-defense guy, but he's an above-average defender who can play multiple positions, and that's certainly helpful. So are the 3s -- in his past three campaigns he's hit 40.3 percent, 37.5 percent and 38.0 percent from downtown. And he's an underrated defensive rebounder who had the third-best defensive rebound rate among small forwards last season.

But those strengths need to be seen in the context of the bigger picture. The guy has all but abandoned shooting anything besides a 3 -- two-thirds of his shots were triples, the fourth-highest rate in the league and the highest among nonguards -- so despite the 3s, he's a fairly inert offensive player.

Add to that hustle and leadership. In addition, how many players that shoot the three well are also good defenders and play hard every night? You just said yourself that he was an integral part of two championsips! Posey may not be big for them now but in the playoffs he's not scared to take a big shot(i know houston could use that when mac doesn't have the ball) and he can guard the other teams best player. Come on dude he played kobe bryant better then anyone in the league not named bowen or battier. Posey(especially to NO since they need perimeter d) is a lot better than a lot of these other players getting these bs full mid-level's in the league.

[moofs]

KevC, you and Hollinger may be right on this one. I'm pretty tired at the moment. One thing he has on about all the guys listed other than Christie and Eddie Jones though is about 3 inches, but I was also thinking he was 28-29, not 31.

[College Boy]

Yeah that was my fault for the OKC. I was in a rush, and I forgot the Hornets weren't OKC anymore. My bad!

[BaYBaller]

He is a good fit. I think the yearly salary is about right, it's the length of the contract that will probably bite them given his age.