Tuesday, July 20, 2010

What a tangled web we weave.

So I thought I would wait for the dust to settle before I made another post because the League is in a state of such turmoil at the moment. I meant to follow up the draft, but what happened a week later blew it all out of the water. So here I go, ranting about various topics as they come to me, because there's no way I'd be able to fully cover what has happened in the past few weeks without writing a thesis on it (and I probably could). To help aid in my quest I'll be splitting it into a few sections; trades, free agents, the draft, Summer League.

Trades
  • Some of you might have read my Beasley post a while back, and as predicted he was shipped out. Now, he didn't end up where I thought he would but the important thing is he left. So now that he is with the T'Wolves what can we expect from him? He'll be fighting Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster for the starting spot at the 3 and probably playing some limited minutes at the 4. However, Webster is either going to start at the 2 or come off the bench like he did in Portland. I hope Webster gets the nod to start at the 2 because I'm not big on Johnson or Brewer as starters. Johnson is better suited to the 3 than the 2, but I think Beasley will get in there because of his experience and upside, whereas Johnson is already 23 and has seemingly maxed out. The Wolves have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving Beasley minutes. If he plays well, then he has the potential to be top 5 in the League based on his talent and Rubio is that much more likely to actually come over to the States with Minny.If it doesn't, well they were worst in the West already so the only way is up. But I think the triangle will benefit him and being on a team without anybody with franchise talent will suit him well.
Free agents
  • Where to begin? Let's start with the big one. What was LeBron thinking? I think most of us will admit we thought he would leave, but the Miami 3 was something I never thought would happen. People questioned his drive before, but clearly he is without any competitive fire if he is going to ride the coattails of Wade and Bosh to championships. Put simply, he copped out. The League is worse for it regardless of what happens; if it works out then there will be zero competition in the East and probably the Finals in a few years when Kobe's body gives in. If it fails horribly and the Heat suck, then Miami will be stuck in a terrible situation and the League will see the downfall of two of its biggest stars. For the record, Bosh and Wade aren't at fault, they would have worked well together. This is all on LeDouche. It will be a few years before any team will challenge, but more on that later.
  • Bulls did a great job upgrading at the 2 and 4 by signing multiple free agents. Ronnie Brewer is a defensive minded SG who should complement Rose well and is probably an upgrade over Captain Kirk due to his size and athleticism. Korver provides perimeter shooting and should benefit enormously from the attention Rose will receive. Boozer gives them a low post presence and complements defensively minded Noah well.
  • Knicks did well to pick up STAT and have a shot at Melo/Paul in the future. Felton was definitely an upgrade at point but they still need a big C so that Gallinari can play the 3 and STAT can avoid starting at the 5.
  • Grizz overpaid for Gay but kept their young core together.
  • Joe Johnson should have left Atlanta but the Hawks don't need to sign anybody to improve, just need to adjust their positions. Actually, they desperately need a true C. Rumour has it Shaq is keen, which would be perfect for the big fella and the Hawks. Horford at the 4, Smith at the 3 and Johnson at the 2. Those starters will rumble with anyone in the league.
  • My Celtics upgraded their roster by signing JO and keeping their group together.
Draft/Summer League
  • Obviously this is a vast area to cover briefly, but a few picks seemed out of place; Hayward at 9, Udoh at 6 (are you freaking kidding me?) and Stephenson dropping that far was ridiculous. Knicks must be feeling like idiots for letting him slip after he played in the SL.
  • Wall is looking as good as everyone said he was and the Kings did a great job picking up Cousins. Orton seems like a bust at this point and I doubt he will ever be a starter in this league. Bledsoe is going to take over the reins in LA sooner or later and it will be for the best. BD is a has-been and with their young core the Clippers could actually go somewhere. Aminu needs a jump shot and just general growth. Patterson is going to be the solid rotation guy we thought he would be.
  • Favors is looking really raw!
  • Stephenson can play point! Who would have thought. Can't wait for Lance and Wall to go head to head for the first time in the pros. Former SLAM cover buddies couldn't have gone any further in opposite directions since then if they tried. Lance needed to drop though because now he has one hell of a chip on his shoulder. Wish he'd made it to LA, but the Pacers are looking young and exciting nowadays.
  • Nets drafted well by getting Damion James who will do well with T-Williams. Not sure how this will work with the Outlaw, Farmar and Morrow signings though. Morrow would have been a better fit in Chicago as they desperately needed a starter. These guys have trade value so we'll just have to see.
  • OKC addressed their biggest need with Aldrich and will only improve this year.
So there are my thoughts on what has happened, but rest assured, I'll be making another NBA related post soon covering my thoughts for the next 5-6 years and the 2011 season.

Cheers,

Omphalos.

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