Daily Thunder.com

Daniel Plainview :
Perk and Westbrook for Dwight Howard?

I don't think Orlando would do it.
I wouldn't.

Lets bring up Latavious to back up KD

@okc baby

He could be part of a multi-player trade some day but probably not in the next 12-18 months.

I love RW, but his unwillingness to pass late in games seems to be increasing. I feel like hes trying to outplay D Rose all the time.

I know, the above comment seems blasphemous, just throwing it out there

@Sammy

I hear your perspective / point.

I have tended to start the information gathering early to try to get to speed by draft time.

Perk and Westbrook for Dwight Howard?

Id like to get rid of Thabo somehow.

@f5alcon

I have been surprised and impressed with Otis Smith a number of times (getting Van Gundy, Bass, Anderson, locking Nelson in low), but the bet on Arenas looks like a really bad one so far, as I thought it would be.

The Magic will probably re-shuffle again to some degree this summer unless they at least get to the conference finals and are competitive.

I'd take Redick but not Turkoglu or Duhon in a multi-player deal if necessary. 3rd team would have to step up to take them.

Maynors development needs to be strictly monitored. If he improves vastly next year, hell probably want out, so we need to know if we can tarde him fro a SF, like Babbit, or a proven SF, and rely on Nate or get another back up pg next year. I think Maynor is going to be in demand and I doubt he'll want to remain a backup for long.

@Crow
Not saying there aren't gems to be found in the late-first/second. But projecting which ones will produce is tricky right before the draft, let alone right now when draft stock is still so fluid. And considering that any player drafted will immediately be a project likely stashed in the D-League, I'm have little interest in analyzing possible draft decisions at this point.

@Sammy

Draft strength is always a curious thing to hear opinions on and I am often contrarian. There is quality at the top, middle and lower to cosnider. They can get blended together but I prefer to consider the parts.

Trevor Booker is on a nice run right now.

No I do like him, bit of there's a team that wants him and they have something we like or want, then I'm all for it

@kreese29
Umm no.. and it doesnt sound like you like him

I would be fine with seeing Eman getting traded. I know he comes in for his few mins and manages a nice game but that's all he does. He won't give you alot scoring or defense. He will pass the ball nicely but we could easily replace maynor. Like I said I do like him but if we can get somemore scoring from the bench that's fine with me.

@Crow
i would really like anderson, he gives brooks his stretch 4 that he wants. I think we could do it if the cap stays in the 56 million range, and we use our cap space for a bad contract, and send thabo and/or nate back and cut ivey, we would probably have to take on duhon, redick or hedo, though if it was hedo i would want more than just anderson, but that would probably be an acceptable deal for orlando. It would mean we would be over the cap for a long time though.

perkins/collison/aldrich
ibaka/anderson
durant/hedo
harden/drafted SG (thabo and nate are traded and cook not re-signed)
russ/maynor

would not be a horrible lineup

@Crow
Considering our only 'need' is back-up 3 and we have a pick in the 20s in the weakest draft in a decade, I'm less invested with the upcoming draft than with any draft that I can remember. I'm sure I'll do some research as the draft gets closer, after the season when draft position is solidified and projections can begin in earnest, but as of right now I couldn't care less.

okc baby :
Hakim Warrick would be nice to have

The Suns got him last summer, starting at $4 million a year.

If they could have decided what they were going to with Green last summer, or even if they hadn't decided yet, they could have gone after Warrick. Of course he wanted playing time. It might have been a tough sell but he didn't have a lot of bargaining power and hasn't gotten big minutes there after all.

One part of Maynor's game that hasn't been seen much lately is that little high floater that he used to shoot from the middle of the lane. Maybe he's just not looking for it as much now that Daequan has started hitting 3's.

Maynor hits good shots from the three with the amount of times he takes them. He hits high percentage from half court. Threes should be a piece of cake.

Chris Singleton will probably be gone before the Thunder pick but might be move up worthy.

Any opinions on Tobias Harris? Write-up sounds pretty good.

@Struts
That would be most excellent, except we'd be the Miami Heat ^4

@Mark!
A lot of this depends on matchups, and, of course, we haven't even seen Perk take the floor yet, but I think Ibaka/KD gives up too much on defense. Ibaka's poor instincts are highlighted when he's the only big on the floor. I'd rather have KD/Nick than KD/Ibaka. Nick, at least, plays PnR's well and can set good screens. I feel like Perk/KD might actually be a pretty good defensive pairing, though I obviously can't be sure right now.

As for Maynor, the jury's still out on what his true shooting ability is, but I'm encouraged by what I see. 1.3 3PA isn't a terrible rate for Maynor's 15 min a game. That's a little over 3.1 per 36. I feel like that rate would only increase in a small ball lineup where he doesn't start every play with the ball in his hands.

How about if we don't resign Russ and instead get CP3 and Superman. Then we could go huge with Perk and Superman underneath. Maybe we could even trade Manor and cash for Love to play SF and move KD back to SG. FOR REAL!! I'm gonna do it on 2k11 and simulate the season.

okc baby :
Maynors stocks are going up. Our backups are playing really well under his management.

They have fixed the second unit offense issue with Maynor from last season. A better Harden and now a better Cook helped.

@f5alcon

Yeah I guess Anderson doesn't become a RFA til summer 2012. But Magic will face the question of whether to extend early or not this summer. Wonder what they will try / achieve or not. If they don't extend, then maybe they become more willing to trade a la the Green situation?

Unlikely he leaves Orlando but I mention it anyways.

Mark! :@okc
baby
I never thought that Sammy wanted to replace Russ.
I was responding to what I assumed was your critique of my suggested lineup since you responded @ me.
You said he doesn’t shoot the 3 ball very well, I said it wasn’t necessary in that lineup.
You said he doesn’t pass, that’s absurd.
I wasn’t being sensitive outside the fact that I bothered to respond to hyperbolic criticism in the first place

Oops I read back over it and I agree with you:)

Maynors stocks are going up. Our backups are playing really well under his management. We almost lost them to the Pacers before the season

@TaoMaas
Me either but its going to be tough

@Crow
i tried to make it work in trade machine for ryan anderson, but matching salaries was tough we would probably have to take a bad contract with it.

I'd hate to see the Thunder trade Maynor. We still have some needs on this team, but a more productive 2nd team isn't one of them.

@Mark!
Your post certainly sounded like it

Hakim Warrick would be nice to have

@okc baby

I never thought that Sammy wanted to replace Russ.

I was responding to what I assumed was your critique of my suggested lineup since you responded @ me.

You said he doesn't shoot the 3 ball very well, I said it wasn't necessary in that lineup.

You said he doesn't pass, that's absurd.

I wasn't being sensitive outside the fact that I bothered to respond to hyperbolic criticism in the first place :)

I just don't think it's a really good draft class this year. That's why I would rather try to make a trade for a guy from last years outstanding class, and what I mean when I say outstanding is alot of those guys have alot of up side to them, like a luke babbit. Does Portland even need someone like maynor? Assuming thabo keeps his starting job next season( hopefully not!) I could see JH and Babbit bringing some scoring of the bench

Someone like the Pacers could use Maynor

aknike :
In the draft, assuming we have 24th overall pick this draft has us getting jajuan johnson, which is good because hes big and tall. This means he can play in the post, but he can also knock down the 18 footer, kinda like Chris Bosh.

I don't know if he should be the pick but Johnson should be closely considered.

I've always liked Amir Johnson more than normal. Probably can't get him but if that day came that Toronto was willing to part with him (to make more rook for Ed Davis) I would make a strong effort. Even with Ibaka here.

What can / will Orlando pay to keep Ryan Anderson? I'd look hard and trying to steal him if the price was tolerable.

Josh McRoberts is a step or two below those 2 but should be cheaper and easier to get. I think he might be a decent to good value proposition and would accept a backup role.

Portland has 2 PG's. We have to trade him for a team that needs a PG.

@aknike
draft express has us taking nolan smith, which i dont see unless we trade maynor and replace him with nolan smith. Maybe do what kreese had suggested with trading for babbitt and sending maynor to portland for him and drafting smith

Lot of people take offense because they think their favorite player isnt getting replaced:)

Iam sure Sammy doesnt want to replace Russ. That would be a great 2nd team small ball lineup

@okc baby

Russ doesn't need to shoot 3s w/ Cook, Harden and Durant on the floor.

Russ doesn't always make perfect decisions, but he's actually a very good player.

Hyperbole is fine in general, but it makes for poor criticism.

3 ball* And he chooses to shoot it at the most dumbest times

@Mark!
Russ doesnt shoot the ball very well and he doesnt pass

Sammy :@SmackDaddy

I feel like Maynor-Harden-Cook-KD-Perk is our best small ball lineup, with Harden doing a lot of the ball handling. Maynor’s obviously not as good a penetrator or rebounder as Russ (which hurts), but he can space the floor with the 3 ball. Russ is better in our traditional lineups where his ability to single-handedly break down the D creates opportunities for our bigs, who struggle to create for themselves.

I like Russ-Cook-Harden-KD-Ibaka for smallball way better. Ibaka seems much more complimentary to the playstyle we should be shooting for with smallball IMO; he has a little range, can play bigger than his size, and he's fast.

I don't quite buy Maynor as a 3P threat and as far as I can tell, other teams don't either. Among players with at least 1 3PA per game, his 3P% is top 50, but in terms of 3PA per game, he's barely top 200. I don't know why he doesn't shoot 3s more often, our offense could use it. I dunno if it's a confidence thing or a coaching thing or what, but until he's willing to take (and make) a few more 3s a game, I'd rather have Russ for smallball as well.

Not saying your lineup wouldn't work, just my opinion :)

I would love to have Luke Babbit on the thunder team. What do you think we would have to give up for him?Maybe This years draft pick and a thabo or even nasty Nate

Beat*

I wouldnt mind getting betting with Ibaka there. But playing KD there at the 4 for long periods of time was idiotic. Why not put someone there that can benefit. Jordan developed those moves later on in his career to adjust to his slight but noticeable deterioration of his athletic ability.

http://www.nbadraft.net/2011mock_draft

kreese29 :Dose anybody have an idea what we should do in the draft. Maybe a backup for kd? When is mullens contract up?

Nevrmind Mullens, but we do need a back up SF. I proposed a couple of days ago that now since the Blazers are stacked at SF - tehy dont want to get rid of Batum - apparently - we should try and pry away Luke Babbit.