* Offiical NBA Off-Season Thread: I'll give one of my damn kidney's for these Melo rumors to stop *

[airjordan jb23]

Nets are wiling to give anyone up on the roster but Lopez... Plus the #3 & Devin for CP.

The trade posted up on the Nets board, I would do... Only with confidence we can bring in a big name in Free Agency.

 

[rook]

Why the Sixers what Scalabrine...I'll never know

 

[p mac one]

Why won't the Blazers just let J.Bay play?

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by Im Not You

/\ Contrary to belief...Lebron actually plays VERY well without the ball in his hands 24/7. I'd envision something similar to how he played with Kidd in the olympics.

Fair enough point, but that's against other countries that have no book on that tandem, NBA teams scouting non stop would have time to find ways to defeat that.  I'm not saying Paul and Bron would be pushovers or anything, just saying imo I don't see Bron coming off screens and hitting J's all day or anything.  Now pick and roll would be ridiculous, get them a shooter for the corner and it would be trouble, but at some point, end of game, only one of them can have the ball, I see it getting in the way somehow. 
  

there is nothing wrong with brons mid range game tho. he would do just fine if he played with a PG that could create shots for him and others around him. and i had know idea having 2 players that could close out a game would be a problem

Eddy Curry Met With LeBron
well that ends the knicks chance of getting bron now


CP3 with the magic would be @+#%@+$ SICK

 

[airjordan jb23]

Not only the Sixers, but the Nets too

What they see in Scal, I don't know. *Shrugs

Mo to Portland

 

[krazy88s]

^ But JB23, doesnt CP3's knee scare you? I know it scares me. We dont need injury to start the season like we did last year

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by P MAC ONE

Why won't the Blazers just let J.Bay play?

because he sucks and cant play PG

 

[clevelandsprince23]

Originally Posted by RoOk

Why the Sixers want Scalabrine...I'll never know

No idea man.  

 

 

[airjordan jb23]

Originally Posted by krazy88s

^ But JB23, doesnt CP3's knee scare you? I know it scares me. We dont need injury to start the season like we did last year

His knee made me think a little longer about making a trade like that. But I look at 2 things -

1. Devin is no stranger to injuries. As of now, come opening day, He will be our starting PG. With him as our starter he is at an injury risk just like CP would be. Devin was an all star 2 years ago, only to follow that up with an injury hit season. Just like CP, when healthy, he can be huge for any team. But if you had to choose between the 2, you're looking at a shot to get the best PG in the league. I wouldn't want to look away from that trade because of an injury factor, especially since our PG has the same factors.

2. We would lose a lot with that trade... A lot of our future would be gone. But on the other hand... Bringing in CP would also bring in other big named players more so than that young future we would trade away could. We could fill the gaps we're losing in the trade by bringing in a big name like Paul.

 

[hood17]

Scalebrine top priority this off season?

If Miami ends up with Wade, Lebron, and Bosh. I think L.A. or Boston

can defeat that team because it will be bron,wade, bosh and a bunch of bums.

Mo to Portland

 

[big j 33]

Oh man, I have a few friends who already think up outrageous trades for the Magic on a daily basis, now that there's an actual "story" or sources, I imagine it would only get worse.

CP3 with Dwight would be ridiculous.. If he's catching alley-oops from Jameer on a nightly basis, imagine with Paul throwing them.

 

[samb]

We don't want MO!!! Stay in the east you bum

 

[bangdak]

CP with Dwight,

However, that means Dwight wont be learning any new moves since he'll just rely on those alleys. eh.

 

[bigmike23]

The Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves are close to swapping first-round draft picks, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

The Grizzlies would send their 16th overall pick to Minnesota for the Timberwolves' 25th and 28th picks.

 

[hood17]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

The Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves are close to swapping first-round draft picks, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

The Grizzlies would send their 16th overall pick to Minnesota for the Timberwolves' 25th and 28th picks.

Minnesota would be sending the 16th pick to Memphis for their 25th and 28th picks.

I think it's a rumor though

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by Im Not You

/\ Contrary to belief...Lebron actually plays VERY well without the ball in his hands 24/7. I'd envision something similar to how he played with Kidd in the olympics.

Fair enough point, but that's against other countries that have no book on that tandem, NBA teams scouting non stop would have time to find ways to defeat that.  I'm not saying Paul and Bron would be pushovers or anything, just saying imo I don't see Bron coming off screens and hitting J's all day or anything.  Now pick and roll would be ridiculous, get them a shooter for the corner and it would be trouble, but at some point, end of game, only one of them can have the ball, I see it getting in the way somehow. 
  

there is nothing wrong with brons mid range game tho. he would do just fine if he played with a PG that could create shots for him and others around him. and i had know idea having 2 players that could close out a game would be a problem

Serious? 

And I didn't say having two closers would be a problem, but having two guys that need the ball to be effective, might be is all I'm saying.  If Bron has the ball, what is Paul gonna do?  I think if they get the KLJ special and line up Bron, Paul and Korver, then that would be something else.  And Kiddin's head would explode for sure. 

I'm just confused why dudes was sayin Bron and Wade would clash, but now Bron and Paul are good.  Both situations they both need the ball, only this time Paul is a pure point.  Just strange to me. 

And I brought up Paul and Dwight tandem during the playoffs, and I asked if people would consider them the immediate favorites to win a title.  I wonder what the better pairing is, Paul and Bron, or Paul and Dwight. 

  

 

[proshares]

Paul and Dwight with the supporting cast that would be there in Orlando would be sick. I dunno which would be better, Paul/Dwight/ strong supporting cast in Orlando or Paul/Bron/Lopez and a very weak supporting cast in NJ.

Would Chicago and NO be open for a CP3 for Rose trade? Or would they need more pieces to be thrown in?

 

[live boy d]

Originally Posted by h3at23

Some of ya'll say he's not & that you dont see it happening but LeBron IS GOING TO MIAMI for the DWad3 & Zo's Summer Groove

BOOK IT!

*Yawns*

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by Proshares



Would Chicago and NO be open for a CP3 for Rose trade? Or would they need more pieces to be thrown in?

   why would the bulls do that?

 

[CP1708]

Osh just put on Twitter that the Blazers turned down the #4 pick for Batum???? 

Pritchard overvaluing his players strikes again if that's true. 

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Originally Posted by Proshares



Would Chicago and NO be open for a CP3 for Rose trade? Or would they need more pieces to be thrown in?

   why would the bulls do that?

Just throwing it out there since they say CP3 and Bron would be paired together.  You think a trio of Rose/Bron/Noah > Paul/Bron/Noah?

 

[airjordan jb23]

Originally Posted by LIVE BOY D

Originally Posted by h3at23

Some of ya'll say he's not & that you dont see it happening but LeBron IS GOING TO MIAMI for the DWad3 & Zo's Summer Groove

BOOK IT!

*Yawns*

at the hidden message... A lot of people never catch these.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Osh just put on Twitter that the Blazers turned down the #4 pick for Batum???? 

Pritchard overvaluing his players strikes again if that's true. 

the sad thing is you buy that trash. ant no way in hell that crap is true


pro if bron and rose are boys why is there a need to trade for CP3 because him and bron are boys?

 

[Majorbread]

Batum has alot of upside IMO, I hope he stays with Portland

Hoping portland can get CP3 as well, that would posistion them nicely for next year, although I would love to see him go to NJ to further entice the bidding for lebron

edit: I DONT WANT THAT %#!@#! BUM MO WILLIAMS ANYWHERE NEAR PORTLAND THO, SMH IF THAT HAPPENS.

 

[thekingofva]

[h1]Buyer's Guide: Dirk Nowitzki[/h1][h3]The Dallas sharpshooter can still fill it up. But are there just too many miles on his tires?[/h3]

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By Tom Haberstroh
Special to ESPN Insider
Archive

Matthew Emmons/US PresswireAs he ages, Nowitzki is taking fewer 3-pointers and more midrange fadeaways.

ESPN Insider is analyzing NBA free agents not named LeBron James (we covered him pretty extensively a few weeks ago, and there's even more coming every day on the LeBron Tracker) to determine what they're really worth to the teams chasing them this summer. To follow the entire series, click here. We continue today with Dallas sniper Dirk Nowitzki.
[h3]OVERALL ASSESSMENT[/h3]
By deciding to turn down a $21.5 million player option for next season, Dirk Nowitzki punched his ticket to the much ballyhooed free agent festivities this summer. That said, barring a cataclysmic misstep in negotiations, the big German will almost certainly play in Dallas for the foreseeable future. But it will come at a steep price.

The Mavericks will have the upper hand to land Nowitzki because they can offer more cash than any other team since league cap rules allow front offices to retain their franchise players at higher prices than their competitors can offer. All told, the Mavericks can -- and expect to -- offer Dirk an average annual salary of $24.1 million over four years, whereas those outside Dallas can only lure him at $23.3 million annually over four years.

And while he'll be worth every dollar, there are some red flags.

For one, Dirk's 3-point game has diminished drastically. With just 1.4 3-pointers per game, Nowitzki takes less than half as many 3s today as he did five seasons ago. But he hasn't phased the trifecta out of his game by necessity; he shot a personal-best 42.1 percent from beyond the arc this past season. Tall shooters at Nowitzki's stage in their careers tend to shoot more 3s to compensate for lost quickness, but he is moving in the opposite direction for some reason.

Rest assured, other teams are cheering Nowitzki's shot evolution. Opponents would certainly rather see Nowitzki take a fadeaway 22-footer with a 2-point payoff than watch him drill 3-pointers with similar accuracy. Pure and simple, it's a percentage play.

"You have to have Nowitzki shooting several 3s a game," one league exec said. "If he played for our team, he'd be taking six or seven 3s a game, that's for sure. [Dallas coach] Rick Carlisle's running a more regimented offense, and it's meant to get Dirk where he can operate in the midrange. He can take that turnaround jumper and fade over anybody. He's unstoppable there."

At this point in his career, it's time to treat Nowitzki more as a 7-foot shooting guard than a big man gifted with a lights-out shot. The nightly double-double outings he enjoyed early in his career are a distant memory. His offensive rebounding numbers have fallen off a cliff -- he's collecting nearly 30 percent fewer of the Mavericks' misses than he did in his 2007 MVP campaign. When he fades away from 20 feet, Nowitzki effectively surrenders any rebounding advantage he had as a 7-footer. What's worse, his rebounding numbers have slid on the defensive side as well, making it more of a question of effort than orientation on the hardwood.

Just like the rest of the big men in free agency, Nowitzki generates most of his value on the scoring end but is a liability defensively. Teams routinely try to force him into a mismatch to expose his clumsy footwork.

"You have to attack Dirk," the exec said. "You have to create situations where he has to switch on a guy who can attack his feet. It's not because he doesn't want to play defense; he's just not capable."

Nowitzki has been amazingly healthy in the NBA. He hasn't missed more than six regular season games in a season due to injury in his whole career. But there should be some concern that his astounding durability will come back to haunt him. He has logged more miles than a vintage Mercedes-Benz, and his year-round play will likely catch up to him eventually.

Defense and rebounding issues aside, Dirk can still score when and where he wants, even as he approaches his mid-30s. And for that rare commodity, he'll get as much money as the CBA allows.
[h3]FINDING THE RIGHT FIT[/h3]
Over his 12-year career with the Mavs, Nowitzki has played alongside just about every type of player. He's played with two future Hall of Fame point guards in Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, as well as 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley. He's been paired with All-Star scorers like Michael Finley, Antawn Jamison, Antoine Walker, Jerry Stackhouse and Caron Butler.

“
Ideally, you'd want a low-post power guy for Nowitzki. Or a really good wing. And I don't see Butler as that guy.