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Daniel Plainview :@DizzyDaiAS long as he stays in teh east. Ideally, fro me, hed end up with the Knicks and theyll win the East. Well win teh West and all the drama will fallinto to place as little OKC will Destroy teh Goliath NYC. The Battle of Cities!!

That would be completely amazing. I remember the first time I seen the NOK Hornets up against the NYC Knicks. What a great feeling.

@AC
Last season Green was 39% from 3 but this season is 33%.Iggy had more than 3 shots from 3 from 07-08,and the highest was 33%.I never check who is better in mid range and green plays only 3 seasons.So I should not say Green is better but I hope so.

@AC

Iggy is a good playmaker, Green isn't. Iggy can guard any 2-guard, Green can't... different players.

I think I sort of agree with Presti's view of Ryan Reid and Latavious Williams.

Reid is really fluid out there. He is just really fast for a big guy and really works to stay in front of his guy and be in the right spot. His closeouts are spectacular. He moves like a 6'8" Thabo but is built like Carlos Boozer. He also really works for position on the boards. I have no doubt that if you told him to go get every rebound, he would. He's a worker. I think he could be a guy you stick in the frontcourt for late game defense.

Williams is a run/jump guy who also moves like a gazelle. I don't know if he can shoot at all, but I bet if he develops any semblance of one he could be special.

I think DJ looked the most aggressive defensively I've ever seen. Overall the Thunder Summer league Defense was very good for long stretches, especially with the Scrubs in (even Cliff Hammonds plays defense). Notice how the scrubbies had the best +/-?

@DizzyDai
AS long as he stays in teh east. Ideally, fro me, hed end up with the Knicks and theyll win the East. Well win teh West and all the drama will fallinto to place as little OKC will Destroy teh Goliath NYC. The Battle of Cities!!

@shiki=4 seasons
agree, but its close. And if Green is a better shooter than Iggy, what's the point?

If Lebron leaves, I hope the Cavs win the Eastern Conference Finals.

@AC
Green is a better shooter than Iggy.

i guess assists is the only major difference.

@Keith

I'm 100% against the owners being able to rewrite existing contracts. That's crazy.

At this point, the two changes I see most likely to happen are:

*Last year of contracts are unguaranteed (at least partially)

*Cap dropped to 46% BRI

I appreciate that owners are pushed to operate within the boundaries of the system, and the cap/tax system pushes them to spend at higher levels than are profitable.

Obviously bad business, but it is what it is. My understanding is the profitability line is somewhere around the cap, but b/c of the softcap, the average owner spends over that. A slightly reduction in softcap should be enough to right the ship in time.

This would make future max + exception contracts lower as well (based on %'s and averages).

Jeff Green and Iggy are the same person playing different positions. except.... Andre Iguodala has a 2.5 inch standing reach advantage.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=greenje02&y1=2010&p2=iguodan01&y2=2010&y3=2005&y4=2007

@Keith

Teams that miss out on free agents aren't likely trade partners, IMO. Most of em don't have much left to trade.

More likely are teams that signed a big contract and likely put themselves into the tax. Memphis looks close, Atlanta.

Orlando and Denver both are spending a lot, but their owners seem ok with that.

Cleveland (if they lose Lebron) and Toronto might be willing to trade prospects/picks if we absorb some salary to push along their rebuilding.

Just some guesses.

@Sammy
The owners and league have created their own problems, for sure. But I like accountability. I hated everyone getting those bailouts from Obama, and I would hate to see the owners give out a bunch of stupid contracts only to renege on them a year later. Bad teams should be responsible for their bad decisions. All the blustering about the league losing bunches of money was obviously a lie. The owners are going to get their way, but they don't deserve it.

I cant get on board this hate bandwagon for Lebron. I, liek all respect his game, due to lack of options. I dont care if he ever wins a championship. I am not threatened by where ever he goes. I think we can beat any team he joins, save LA. Yes, I love Durants approach more than LeBrons, but Bron IS an entertainer. He IS funny, e IS charming. Teh media is more responsible for this parade than he is. Recall he did cancel his tour (Or some maintain that he never scheduled one) but he is never credited to that. The Wojonarski article is toooooo bitter, its too hateful for Lebron. While yes he has an ego - he is teh absolute best player in the game - I dont think he deserves the vitriol he is getting. Who cares about his approach to doing it on TV at 9 pm. Sone highschoolers do it that way? Even the haters are going to tune in at 9 and watch it so why is it such a bad thing? Lebron has fun at games because the game is sooooo easy for him. Why is he judged because he has fun? I say this all teh whiel prefering Durants approach and feel like many of you taht I am the biggest Thunder fan in the world. I think Durnat will again win teh scoring championshipo, this time by 2 or more points and a marked improvement in FG%, 3pt%, blocks and assits. He may very well win the MVP next year and I cant wait, but this hatred for Lebron needs to calm down. The media is more responsible for this parade than he is. I mean, I hate teh fact that soccer is on ever channel and radiostation and newspaper sorts section right now cause I hate soccer, but teh overkill is not soccers fault istself. Its the medias.

Has anyone ruled out that these rumors may be swirling regarding different teams for LeBronze in order to drive up ratings and interest for the one hour variety show on ESPN tonight, plus all that delicious, delicious attention?

Sammy :
With all the different reports and hints and clues in the last 24 hrs, gotta think LeBron’s publicity team is just throwing stuff out there for laughs at this point.

I agree.

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67965/20100708/stock_in_madison_square_garden_jumps_as_lebrons_decision_nears/

Erdee :@Sammy

Meltdown waiting to happen.

Yep. Theyll creat some highlights, get some wins, but theyre going to have to play theyree butts off because their bench will lose them tons of points. And if one of them gets hurt, holy shit will they have a hard time of winning.

@shiki=4 seasons
This is what i want. Im hopeful for Aldrich, and to a lesser degree, Mullens, but I do think we need some certainty at center.

Chalmers/Chalmer's mom
Wade/Weaver
Lebron/crusty the clown
Beasley/Jim Traber
Bosh/Robert Swift

Sounds like a championship contender for sure....

Oh just make a decision Lebron... And just for the record, I hope it's not Miami. Don't ruin Wade's shot at another title, you egomaniac!

With all the different reports and hints and clues in the last 24 hrs, gotta think LeBron's publicity team is just throwing stuff out there for laughs at this point.

Broussard's latest tweet: Sources with knowledge of the situation indeed saying LeBron will join Wade and Bosh in Miami, barring a late change of heart

Windhorst: Newsday has reported LeBron has decided on Heat. Only a couple of people can truly confirm this. None have to me at this point.

all signs seem to point to Miami right now. I'm guessing we'll hear Chicago, Cleveland, and NYK between now and the announcement.

@Keith
No way. The owners need to kick the players' butts with the new CBA. I could on at length about this, but suffice it to say that I blame the league first and foremost for creating the conditions that led to the eventual removal of the Sonics from my city.

@Erdee
If all three sign together and there isn't a major injury, I bet they end up with a top 2 seed in the East. I would want a meltdown, because I want the Thunder to win instead, but let's be honest, how do you guard that team? Or for that matter, how do you outscore them when Wade or Lebron can take turns shutting down your best perimeter player(s)?

@Sammy
Meltdown waiting to happen.

I would like to see who becomes available when all the FA dominoes fall. Teams losing big names could start a firesale on players. Teams missing out on big names could panic. Not to mention their will be plenty of teams next year getting burned by big contracts now that might hamstring them under a lower cap with a new CBA.

Side note: I hope the owners lose. They won't because they hold the money, but man, all this talk about financial apocalypse, and the cap goes up. Either someone doesn't know how to read a spreadsheet (claims of losing hundreds of millions league-wide) or they are just a bald-faced liar.

@Gavin
The pick would be near the end of the first round, we could buy it for less than Beasley's contract, and Beasley has nowhere to play in our lineup anyway.

@Sammy
Injury may happen. I dont think Lebron, Wade, Bosh + scrubs will have the best regular season record.

@Gavin
Don't know how much value there is in the 30th pick...

looks like Lebron will join miami. Lets absorb Beasley contract and asking for future picks :-D

If Boozer stay in Cleveland,maybe LBJ has won champion and this summer would be quiet.He is the butterfly who makes hurrican

Sammy :Looks like Boozer totally stiffed the Nets with his decision to go to Chicago.http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/07/nets_stunned_by_carlos_boozers.html

He's not a Bull until the ink is dry. Would you be surprised if Boozer changes his mind? I wouldn't be.

@Ransom
If he can shoot well,he can be a top player.But unluckily he never improve it.

Looks like Boozer totally stiffed the Nets with his decision to go to Chicago.
http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/07/nets_stunned_by_carlos_boozers.html

@Sammy

Take it from someone from Philly, i watch iggy every night he sucks. Unless you watch him all the time you dont relize the magnitude of how many poor on court decisions he makes. Dude is just horrible at managing a clock late in games. 2 minutes left, sixers up by 4 with the ball...iggy takes a contested 17 footer with 18 seconds on the clock. That kinda thing happens all the time. Also, he shot the worst percentage from 3 for any player taking over 300 threes last season...again, poor decision making and poor shooting ability. Lastly, dude shot an astounding 34%!!!! yes 34% on shots outside the immediate basket area (think inside the charge half-circle) thats incredibly bad. You dont want him...you will never want him. Id take jeff green OR james harden even up in a heartbeat...

Yeah.. this really seems like another year we can build though. We'll have a much better idea of what Harden / Ibaka are capable of, Jeff Green's situation will probably be much clearer. It'll be easier to make informed decisions next offseason. Problem is if any of those guys suck we won't get much for them.

@justin
It may also be a bit of conservatism related to the upcoming CBA. Given that we don't know what the new landscape's gonna look like, trading for a long term big money contract could turn out to be a huge contraint going forward. Pretty hard to argue with that logic.

Did anyone notice they listed Mullens as a guard on the box score? Happiest day of his short career.

justin :
I hate the guy but people seem to like Chris Kaman a bit.

booooooooo

I hate the guy but people seem to like Chris Kaman a bit.

Sammy :@justinObviously more than possible that we use our space to buy more picks. But talent consolidation doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me.

Me either. But do you see that happening? I dunno, doesn't seem to be in the cards to me. I hope it does.

@justin
Obviously more than possible that we use our space to buy more picks. But talent consolidation doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.

Sammy :@justin$56.5m/4 is quite a lot. But, man, Westbrook/Iggy/Durant is a killer 1-2-3.

I think if we're prepared to take on that kind of salary it had better be a big guy...

And do 76er need Green and Harden?They have Young+Turnner now.
Of course,I dont care if we trade him by Green+Thabo+others

I think the kind of move we make if we do would be for a guy with one, maybe two years left. Or for an expiring to save a team $8 million with a draft pick or prospect. Like Jason Kapono and a Philly 2nd rounder for the rights to Yotam Halperin. Something like that.

@justin
$56.5m/4 is quite a lot. But, man, Westbrook/Iggy/Durant is a killer 1-2-3.

@Sammy
too much I think.And I dont think Iggy can help us more than Harden+green.

Iggy would be a great fit here. He doesn't really need to score a ton of points to be effective since he can distribute and defend anyone. But I think his contract's a little too big for what his role would be on our team.

I'd trade Green + Harden for Iggy in a heartbeat.

What about Iguodala?

@Sammy
Whoops. link