SB Nation - Jake Voskuhl

Waive Goodbye, Part 3

Jon L — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:15:16 -0000

by Chris Young - AP

Pops! (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

We wrap up our look at which players got waived last week and which made their respective teams with the Divisions Atlantic and Southwest. Really, I promise those are the correct divisions. I know some of these cuts happened a while ago, but I think that seeing them all as a group helps give a broader perspective as to which teams around the league are filling out the end of their benches with cheap talent (and it is talent). Here's part 1, and here's part 2 (and ignore the whole "Derrick Byars made the Bulls" thing. It happened, then it didn't happen.) Part 3 is here:

Boston Celtics

Who got cut: Mike Sweetney

Who got kept: No one.

Well, not no one, but their third-string guards are going to be recent draft picks Lester Hudson and the J.R. Giddens Rebounding Machine. Mike Sweetney is trying, he really is, and he's mostly fine on the offensive end. His conditioning is awful, though, which means he gets hurt and that he's several steps too slow on defense when he makes it onto the court. There's been some suggestion that he could try working his way back into shape in the D-League, and it will be interesting to see what he does from here. J.R. Giddens will likely see some D-League action himself, as his shooting is still really bad. I'm guessing Lester Hudson will as well. After all, the Celtics have a team in their own backyard, and they can't make Danny's son look bad by withholding their NBA talent.

Dallas Mavericks

Who got cut: Jake Voskuhl

Who got kept: No one.

What, you want me to talk about Jake Voskuhl? The Mavericks also rid themselves of Nate Jawai, who hadn't been there all that long, but I suspect that was more of a cap move than anything. D-League-wise, ESPN's Marc Stein things that rookie Rodrigue Beaubois could see some time in Alberquerque, as minutes could be hard to come by for him in Dallas. Beaubois is definitely talented, and he had an intriguing Summer League, so he could be fun to watch for the Thunderbirds.

Houston Rockets

Who got cut: Will Conroy, Romel Beck, Garrett Temple

Who got kept: Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The Rockets had to waive Brent Barry in order to keep Pops, so that's something. It's a shame Conroy couldn't stick around, as he played very well in Summer League and decently when he got preseason minutes, but the (ridiculous?) upside is that he hopefully showed other teams around the league that he can run an offense and is ready to play in the NBA. It's great that Mensah-Bonsu made the team, obviously, but it shouldn't really be that much of a surprise. A power forward/center somewhere between 6'6" and 6'9" who rebounds the hell out of the ball? Sounds like the Rockets to me. Add to that the fact that the team doesn't really know what it's going to get from new center David Andersen either, and you can see why they might want some extra frontcourt help behind Scola, Hayes and Landry. Mensah-Bonsu's offense will be up and down, but as Rockets fans are finding out, that's going to be true for a lot of their players. I'd definitely expect to see Jermaine Taylor and hopefully (for his and the team's sake) Chase Budinger in Rio Grande Valley at some point later this season.

Memphis Grizzlies

Who got cut: Mike Taylor, Thomas Gardner, Leon Rodgers

Who got kept: No one.

Again, it's not really "no one," as Trey Gilder is still around after signing a partially-guaranteed contract back in August. Mike Taylor has proven that he can play in the NBA, provided he can keep his turnovers to a minimum. It will be interesting to see what he does, as other players with less NBA experience have already said they're fed up with trying to make it out of the D-League and are heading to Europe. Taylor probably could lead the Euroleague in scoring, but he'd also be perhaps the number one call-up candidate should come back to the D-League, based on his NBA experience and ability.

New Jersey Nets

Who got cut: Bennet Davis, Will Blalock, Brian Hamilton

Who got kept: No one.

I didn't really expect any of these guys to stick around. Blalock and Hamilton are headed back overseas, I suspect, while Davis would do well to go back to the D-League and either develop an offensive game or become a top-notch post defender to go with his elite shot-blocking ability.

New Orleans Hornets

Who got cut: Earl Barron, Larry Owens

Who got kept: No one.

The Hornets are one of those teams that clearly don't care about the D-League, so I'm not really sure what to write here. Pass? Incomplete? Not qualified? Earl Barron has a D-League pedigree, sure, but even given his time with the Miami Heat this was pretty clearly not going to work out for him unless Hilton Armstrong went down with an injury. I'm guessing Barron goes the overseas route, but seeing him in the D-League would be a pleasant surprise.

New York Knicks

Who got cut: Warren Carter, Sun Yue, Ron Howard, Gabe Pruitt

Who got kept: Marcus Landry

Plus, don't forget the team also cut partially-guaranteed guys Chris Hunter and Joe Crawford. This team is all about winning on the cheap, right? And yet they cut several good, cheap players. But hey, have fun with that whole Jared Jeffries thing. Carter is probably going back to Europe, though I think coming to the D-League might be worth his time, because as I've noted several times before he has a David Lee-ish game. Ron Howard may come back to the D-League, though I'm less certain about Sun or Hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if Sun entered the draft, as he's become a semi-prominent example of a Chinese basketball product aiming for the NBA, and to give up on that while he's so young could be somewhat embarrassing. It also would give the D-League someone to market with so many players headed overseas this year. If he does enter the draft, it will be interesting to see both where he ends up and in what round, as the league considers him somewhat of a star, and while NBA stars can play pretty much anywhere, I'm not sure the same is true for the D-League. A crazy thought popped just into my head: would the Spurs/Toros be interested in giving him the Marcus Williams Treatment? Sun's offense isn't nearly at the level that Williams's is and was, but the Toros essentially created an NBA point guard where there wasn't one, which is what Sun Yue is. Or isn't.

Philadelphia 76ers

Who got cut: Stromile Swift, Sean Singletary, Rashad Jones-Jennings, Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas

Who got kept: No one.

So the 76ers apparently were comfortable with their roster as it stood. How's that working out? Yeah, yeah, they already had a lot of guaranteed contracts, and it's not like Sean Singletary is the bee's knees, but this is yet another team that doesn't really care about the D-League, or where their end-of-bench guys come from. Singletary could benefit from some D-League time, but a lot of European teams don't really care whether their point guards can distribute the ball as long as they can score, so that's likely where he's headed. Christmas could stay in the U.S., if for no other reason than to be on hand if the 76ers decide they want to sign him to a 10-day and then not play him.

San Antonio Spurs

Who got cut: Marcus Williams, Curtis Jerrells, Dwayne Jones, Jack McClinton

Who got kept: Malik Hairston

San Antonio went with Keith Bogans over Marcus Williams, even though Bogans played pretty poorly in the preseason while Williams barely played. I say that Williams was waived instead of Bogans and not Malik Hairston because Hairston played so well in both Summer League and the preseason that I would've beeen pretty shocked to see him gone. McClinton, Jones and Jerrells have already signed overseas, and Williams is another guy who it will be interesting to watch, because he'd be at the front of the call-up list should be come back to the D-League. He'd probably also be a first-round D-League draft pick and maybe the first player taken overall. As much as we praise him here at RU, Williams does still have some work to do as a point guard, mainly getting his turnovers down. And, if he tries to hang around the Spurs universe he'll have to become a better-than-passable defender. But the fact that he's gone from a gunning wing to a high-scoring, (mostly efficient), high-assist point guard in the span of less than a year is a testament to Williams's talent and how hard he's willing to work to improve his chances, which speaks well to his basketball future.

Toronto Raptors

Who got cut: No one.

Who got kept: No one.

Okay, this is who should get the pass/incomplete/not qualified. They didn't sign any waiver fodder, so they didn't have to cut any waiver fodder. All is not lost, however, as Sonny Weems seems to have landed solidly in Toronto after being traded twice this offseason. He's begun the season on the inactive list, where I suspect he'll see a fair amount of time, but still.

Training Camp Invites - Dallas Mavericks

Jon L — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:25:11 -0000

Mavericks fans, meet the only guy you brought into camp.

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So, the Mavericks seem to "get it," in that they're making moves to control their own D-League team, then they go and bring Jake Voskuhl into camp. Whatever.

Jake Voskuhl - Assuming Voskuhl lands somewhere, this will be his 10th NBA season. Somehow. His eFG percentage hasn't been above .500 since the 2003-2004 season. Last year his regular FG percentage was an abysmal .267, and he averaged nine fouls per 36 minutes (which isn't even his career high). His rebounding numbers have always been solid if unspectacular, but at this point in his career I wonder if that outweighs the fact that he's gotten even slower with age, and did I mention he shot .267 last season? I'm assuming the Mavericks front office has some kind of secret stat that tells them Voskuhl is better than all the D-League guys who ended up going to Europe, because I just don't see it.

A Look at the Orlando Magic's Last-String Power Forward/Center Options

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:11 -0000

More photos » by George Frey - AP

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Not so long ago, I took a look at potential free-agent point guards whom the Orlando Magic could sign to fill out their bench. Team GM Otis Smith has made it clear that point guard is his highest priority; he's also made it clear that he'd also like to add another big man to the roster. With no movement on the point guard front--except the rumor that Smith is still pursuing restricted free agent C.J. Watson via a sign-and-trade with Golden State--it's high time we look at potential power forwards and centers Orlando could probably sign on the cheap.

The operative word is "cheap." As we've noted previously, the Magic are over the salary cap and have used both the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, meaning they can only sign players to minimum contracts. NBA experience determines the specific finances of said deals, about which you can read here.

Unfortunately for the Magic, the best minimum-salary bigs have already signed. Joe Smith spurned the Cleveland Cavaliers to latch on with the Atlanta Hawks, while Rasho Nesterovic has re-upped with the Toronto Raptors after a one-year detour with the Indiana Pacers and, in arguably the best signing of the summer, the Cavs landed the productive-but-injury-hobbled power forward Leon Powe. Thus, there are few standouts on this list. Bear in mind that whomever Orlando chooses will be last on the depth chart, behind two All-Stars (Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis), two youngsters combining to earn nearly $10 million this season (Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass), and the second-year player whom the team views as a long-term building block (Ryan Anderson). In short, the Magic's mystery signee will hardly play, so he need not be exceptional.

After the jump, brief breakdowns of no fewer than 17 free-agent power forwards and centers who are still on the market.

And, as with the point guard piece, I've excluded D-Leaguers, because Smith has never made a D-League call-up in his tenure as Orlando's GM.

Calvin Booth:

The Good: Booth has parlayed his exceptional shot-blocking skills into a 10-year career in which he's earned nearly $36 million. He still has the touch, averaging a block per every 13 minutes played over his last two seasons, which he's split between Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Sacramento. And he'd undoubtedly accept a minimum contract.
The Bad: Just about everything else. He's not much of a scorer or rebounder, and one wonders if he'll even sign in the NBA this year as teams plan to carry fewer players due to the weak economy.
The Verdict: In spite of everything, he's hardly the worst name on this list, which should keep him in the conversation.

Head back to the top.

Jarron Collins:

The Good: Regarded as a stout, heady defender--just like his twin brother, whom we'll discuss shortly--Jarron Collins has carved out a respectable 8-year career despite having no discernible offensive skills. The contributions that have kept him in the league this long must go beyond the box score, since his per-game stats (4.3 points, 3.1 boards, 0.2 blocks in 16.9 minutes) are far from exceptional.
The Bad: As with most of the guys on this list, Jarron Collins is a zero on offense.
The Verdict: Think of Jarron as a younger version of Adonal Foyle, minus the rebounding and shot-blocking. In other words, think of him as Adonal Foyle, minus the skills that have kept him in the league.

Head back to the top.

Jason Collins:

The Good: Jason's career has eerily mirrored that of his brother but he enjoys a higher profile due to his presence on the New Jersey Nets' Eastern Conference Championship-winning teams in 2001/2002 and 2002/2003.
The Bad: Statistically speaking, he's worse than Jarron, in spite of his higher profile. Despite hardly straying more than 10 feet from the immediate basket area on offense, he's a career 41% shooter (Jarron's more efficient, but still unacceptable, with a career 45.9% mark from the field) . For some perspective, two years ago, Rashard Lewis shot 40.9%...from three-point range. "Awful" really doesn't begin to describe Jason's offensive ability.
The Verdict: Unless his great reputation somehow precedes him, it's hard to imagine Jason Collins playing in the NBA this season. Jarron is the better option of the two.

Head back to the top.

Melvin Ely:

The Good: If nothing else, Ely's built like a semi truck. Listed at 6'10" and 260 pounds, but likely heavier, Ely can take up space in the paint.
The Bad: But in all likelihood, when he's in there offensively, he's not doing much good. Discounting dunks and tip-ins, Ely converted just 31.3% of his shots in the immediate basket area last season. You'd almost prefer him to step out and take a jumper, which he's willing to do. 82games classifies nearly one-third of Ely's shots last season, as jumpers, which he converted at a 33.3% clip.
The Verdict: Maybe the Magic could live with Ely's considerable offensive shortcomings if he could at least rebound, but even then he's mediocre, with a career rebound rate of 11.7%, which puts him in Brian Cook (11.2% career) territory. He's a poor all-around player who hardly cracked New Orleans' rotation last season, despite their dearth of frontcourt talent. With all that said, Smith tried to acquire Ely from Charlotte at the 2007 trading deadline, so we at least know he was on Smith's radar at one point. For Orlando's purposes, it's probably best if he isn't.

Head back to the top.

Adonal Foyle:

The Good: Say what you will about his poor hands and finishing ability, but Foyle's still a tremendous defender, rebounder, and shot-blocker. I stumbled all over myself in order to praise Foyle after his first appearance last season, in which coach Stan Van Gundy called upon him to defend Yao Ming. Foyle responded with 4 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocked shots against the NBA's most offensively skilled center, in relief of the foul-maligned Howard. And, on the non-basketball side of the equation, Foyle's a great guy to have in the locker room, and as someone who eschews stories about athletes' intangibles, that's not something to take lightly
The Bad: Outside of the occasional put-back attempt, all Foyle can do on offense is set screens and box out.
The Verdict: Whichever team signs Foyle--if he's even in the league at all--will get some bang for its buck. He's worth the money for his locker-room wisdom--not a vocal leader, but more of a quiet, willing, mentor--alone. The fact that the Magic re-signed him last season solely to be a sparring partner for Howard during practices attests to his "intangible" value, and all told, he's in the upper tier of players on this list.

Head back to the top.

Aaron Gray:

The Good: In two seasons with Chicago--which owns his restricted free-agent rights, giving it the ability to match any offer another team makes for his services--the 24-year-old Gray has shown flashes of being a solid, rotation-caliber player. Consider, for instance, his career per-36-minute averages of 12.4 points and 10.5 boards. Not bad for a second-round draft pick, and arguably better than another second-rounder from the 2007 draft class who recently signed for $3 million annually.
The Bad: He's noted for his utter lack of athleticism and speed, and the Bulls would likely match a minimum-salary offer, meaning the Magic would have to obtain him in a sign-and-trade deal.
The Verdict: Physical limitations aside, Gray has decent low-post, back-to-the-basket scoring instincts, and would be worth a long-term investment were it not for the more than $100 million Orlando has tied up in Howard and Gortat over the next several seasons. If he can be had cheaply, he might be the best fit for Orlando of any player listed here. That possibility seems very remote, however.

Head back to the top.

Juwan Howard:

The Good: The opposite of Gray in many respects, as a been-there, done-that veteran. He's lasted quite awhile, hasn't he? Howard, at age 35, appeared in 42 games last season, no doubt surprising countless television viewers who assumed he'd been out of basketball for quite some time. Last season, his 15th in the league, he set a new career-high by shooting 51% from the field. And he's earned a reputation as a good locker-room presence
The Bad: If the Magic want rebounding from their end-of-the-bench big man--and why wouldn't they?--they aren't going to find it with Howard, whose total rebound rate of 9.9 last season puts him in (here comes that phrase again!) Brian Cook territory.
The Verdict: My guess is that he doesn't have much of anything else to contribute at the NBA level. He's probably not a markedly better option for Orlando than, say, either of the Collins twins.

Head back to the top.

Othello Hunter:

The Good: In extremely limited minutes for the Atlanta Hawks last season--92, to be precise--Hunter posted encouraging numbers. 8.6 points per 36 minutes isn't great, but the 9.4 boards and 15.3% rebounding rate? That's encouraging. And at 23, there's potential for long-term development.
The Bad: He's listed at just 6'08" and 225 pounds, making him a less-than-ideal size for the position. Plus, the Hawks didn't think highly enough of him to play him very often, although that might be more of an indictment of coach Mike Woodson's ability to manage players than it is of Hunter's skills.
The Verdict: Based on the small sample size, Hunter appears to be worth at least a training-camp invitation; I'd stay away from offering him a guaranteed deal until he shows what he's got in the preseason. He might stand to earn more money overseas, but at the same time, he might not want to give up on the NBA just yet. Put him at or around the top of the list, for now.

Head back to the top.

Sean Marks

The Good: Based on what I've seen, there aren't many scrappier players in the NBA. Marks is a decent rebounder (13% rebound rate) and an average shot-blocker (1.4 blocks/36 career) who plays hard. 110% and all that.
The Bad: Utterly anemic offensively, with a career 44.9% mark from the field, although he's a combined 49.5% in his last two seasons. All the hustle in the world can't put the ball in the basket.
The Verdict: He's one of the main reasons the Hornets traded for Emeka Okafor and signed Ike Diogu this summer, as Marks just doesn't belong in a contender's rotation. But in Orlando, as the 6th big man, he wouldn't be in the rotation. Not a great option, but certainly not the worst, either.

Head back to the top.

Mikki Moore:

The Good: He's only 2 years removed from averaging 8.5 points and 6 rebounds per game with Sacramento, with a respectable Player Efficiency Rating of 11.5.
The Bad: Last year, the Boston Celtics signed Moore after the Kings bought him out, hoping he'd approximate the contributions P.J. Brown made to their championship team in 2008. Predictably, it didn't work out. Moore plays hard and means well, but was so utterly lost defensively in Boston that coach Doc Rivers couldn't count on him when the games mattered more. Indeed, Moore played only 66 minutes in the postseason, while Brian Scalabrine--Brian Scalabrine!--played 246. If that's not a strike against Moore, I'm not sure what is.
The Verdict: As a sixth big man--as opposed to the third in injury-riddled Boston--Moore isn't such a bad option. And he'd actually have a fair amount of time to learn Van Gundy's defensive rotations, as opposed to last year, when he had to take a crash-course in Boston's plans. He wouldn't be a bad pickup, but certainly wouldn't be a great one, either.

Head back to the top.

Johan Petro:

The Good: His rebounding and blocked-shots statistics compare favorably to Marks', and he's 10 years younger to boot.
The Bad: His offense, though, is also similar to Marks. Worse, it's on the decline. In his first two seasons, he shot a combined 51.4% from the field. In his last two? 41.8%, a staggering drop-off due to his over-reliance on an iffy jumper. Yikes. Now the Magic wouldn't ask him--or anyone on this list, really--to create any offense for himself. But you'd nonetheless like whomever they sign to be able to bang an open jumper every now and again, as Tony Battie did last year, and as Brandon Bass will do (much more effectively) this year.
The Verdict: I'm lukewarm on Petro, which makes him better than almost everyone on this list. Of the young players, he seems the most likely to be available for the minimum.

Head back to the top.

Malik Rose:

The Good: Rose would bring championship experience to Orlando, as he won titles with the San Antonio Spurs in both 1999 and 2003. These weren't cheap rings for Rose, as he averaged 12.9 minutes per game in '99 and 24.5 in '03.
The Bad: Did the absence of any skills analysis in the last paragraph tip my hand? Rose doesn't have anything in the tank anymore, it appears. His Player Efficiency Ratings in the last three years are in the single-digits, and his rebounding rates have dipped into the 11-and-12 range. He never was an offensive stalwart, having never shot better than 47.7% from the field in any of his 13 professional seasons, and he hasn't so much as cracked 40% in any of his last 4 seasons.
The Verdict: Rose has enjoyed a decent career by most metrics, but his skills have diminished too sharply to justify granting him a roster spot.

Head back to the top.

James Singleton:

The Good: The 28-year-old James is coming off a career season with the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 5.1 points per game, in just 14.9 minutes, while shooting 52.9% from the floor. His ability to finish inside boosted his field-goal percentage, as he converted a stellar 71.4% of his shots in the immediate basket area in 2008/2009. For comparison's sake, consider that Dwight Howard shot 62.2% and Marcin Gortat shot 63.4% in the same situations.
The Bad: First, there's the question of how much Hall-of-Fame point guard Jason Kidd inflated Singleton's stats; they'd almost certainly return to Earth in Orlando, even potentially playing alongside All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson. Second, there's probably no way Dallas wouldn't match a minimum contract offer for his services, as he is a restricted free agent, and owner Mark Cuban is a freakin' billionaire (the Magic's decision to match his offer to Gortat doesn't figure into this analysis, because Cuban would match a minimum offer to Singleton regardless of the team that extended it). Finally, he's more of a combo forward than a true big man, although he still played roughly 80% of his minutes at power forward last season.
The Verdict: If the Magic can somehow find a way to grab him, their fans wouldn't have much reason to complain. He'd be worth it, even when one accounts for the statistical decline in his play without Kidd. Let me put it this way: the Magic's chances of signing him are so infinitesimally remote that he's hardly worth considering, but I included him in this post anyway because he was, frankly, just that impressive last season.

Head back to the top.

Brian Skinner:

The Good: One can take or leave Skinner's rebounding--15.1% career rate, 13.9% last year with the Clippers--but that block rate (3.6% career, 4.6% last year and 6.0% the year before) deserves some attention. Skinner is perhaps the quintessential, defensive-minded, end-of-the-bench big man. His overall statistics last year suggest that, even at 33, he's an NBA-caliber player.
The Bad: In the tradition of many mediocre NBA bigs, he tends to shoot a lot of jumpers at a low percentage.

Also, this goatee.
The Verdict: Skinner, it seems to me, is the sort of emergency big man who's not going to greatly aid his team's cause when he's on the floor... but he's not going to hurt it, either. That's about all you can ask from a sixth big man, which is why I endorse Skinner more strongly than I do any of the other veterans on this list, save for Foyle.

Head back to the top.

Stromile Swift:

The Good: He has a bad reputation for never living up to his potential--he was the second overall pick of the 1999 draft--but he's actually carved out a decent career. In 2003/04, under the tutelage of Hubie Brown, he posted a Player Efficiency Rating of 19.7, for instance, and his career PER is an above-average 16.7. So he's not as bad a player as some people might expect due to the negativity surrounding him, which stems from his high draft position.
The Bad: Sadly, Swift's mother passed away in February, which (obviously) upset him very much. He was "inconsolable," according to his agent, and a week later, the Nets waived him after his agent talked things over with GM Kiki Vandeweghe. He signed with Phoenix--where he played with Magic free-agent signee Matt Barnes, who also lost his mother recently--but did not contribute much. In short, it's been a tough year for Swift, and concerns remain about his readiness to play basketball to the best of his (underrated) ability.
The Verdict: Orlando might be the ideal landing place for Swift, as he'd re-join former teammates Anderson, Barnes, and Vince Carter. He'd also play with Nelson, a team captain and leader, who dealt with the sudden and unexpected death of his father in 2007. In short, he'd be among friends. Of this we can be certain.

Whether Orlando has much use for him, though, is less sure. He's still a great athlete (this dunk is less than two years old!) and, as I mentioned, a somewhat underrated player. If Smith feels as though he can bank on Swift's readiness to contribute in an end-of-the-bench role, then he'd be a solid pickup. But if Swift isn't mentally "there" yet, the Magic shouldn't commit to him when there are other, better options who are ready.

Head back to the top.

Jake Voskuhl:

The Good: At 6'11" and 245 pounds, Voskuhl's a big boy. Yup, that's all I've got.
The Bad: Last year, in Toronto, he posted a PER of 0.4, shot 26.7% from the field, and committed a turnover on almost exactly one-quarter of his possessions used. He also committed one foul for every four minutes he played. He was so cosmically dreadful that Basketbawful coined the term "Voskuhl" for big men whose "combined fouls and turnovers exceed his combined points and rebounds over the course of a game."

And he was no great shakes prior to last season, either.
The Verdict: There's quite simply no compelling reason to believe Voskuhl merits an NBA roster spot at this point in his career.

Head back to the top.

Lorenzen Wright:

The Good: Pardon the echo chamber here, but at 6'11" and 225 pounds, Wright's a big boy..
The Bad: He's probably worse than Voskuhl, if you can believe it. Injuries have limited Wright to 36 games over the last two seasons, in which he's combined to shoot 16-of-48, or 33.3%. No NBA team is ever going to ask Wright to do anything on offense, but his other stats don't indicate he's worth having on the floor. He'll turn 34 in the first week of the season.
The Verdict: Yeah, his NBA days are probably finished. Orlando need not seriously consider Wright, but if there isn't anyone else on the board, they might have to settle for him.

Head back to the top.

A quick survey of the above players shows that only four (Foyle, Gray, Singleton, and Skinner) are near-locks to make an NBA roster this season, which sort of illustrates the talent pool with which we're dealing. Fortunately, the Magic won't require much of their last big man, which makes these choices sightly more attractive. Foyle and Skinner are the best realistic options, at least to me, and the only way Smith can go wrong here is by signing someone on the level of Voskuhl and Wright. In other words, don't get too down on the Magic if, say, Moore is the best they can get for the minimum salary.

Tony Allen: Waive, Work or Keep for Insurance?

tenaciousT — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:49:01 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

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Tony has been rumored to be in every Celtic trade suggestion from Marquis Daniels to Sidney Wicks. At least in what has made print, Danny Ainge has offered Tony and Gabe Pruitt around the league like a waiter offers those last couple of hors d'oeuvres turned cold sitting on the plate in the middle of the party. ‘Care for one? They're really good.'

‘No thank you. I'll pass.'

Pruitt is gone. Tony is still here. Larry Bird was reported to not want Tony in a sign and trade for Daniels. Not because Tony can't play the game, but because of ‘off court distractions' that Bird has been working hard to distance his team from ever since he took over complete control of player personnel decisions from Donnie Walsh.

Many think the Tony Allen situation is already clear.

That's understandable. But there has been little direction from Celtic management on Tony Allen to this point. Many consider his off court issues to be the central problem from last season. It could be argued that the bigger issue was his health. He only played 46 games.

The year started with great promise.

NBA.com preseason report on October 11...

Update: Allen had 25 points in the Celtics' preseason win over the Cavs on Friday night.

Analysis: Allen may fill the sixth man role left by James Posey, especially if he can find his scoring touch.

Then this October 19 report from NBA.com....

Looking Strong in Preseason
Update: Allen had 32 points in three quarters during the Celtics' preseason game against New Jersey on Thursday, according to the Boston Herald.

Analysis: Allen seems like the current favorite for the sixth man role left by James Posey, and has shown an ability to score in bunches. His defensive issues, however, may end up reducing his playing time as the season continues.

November 23rd ....

Instant Offense off Bench
Update: Allen had 15 points and six rebounds in the Celtics' win over the Raptors on Sunday.

Analysis: Allen has now posted double-figure scoring in three straight games, and is averaging 20.6 points per 48 minutes.

December 2nd, the first shoe drops, rather, the ankle turns ...

Right Ankle Sprain
Update: Allen sprained his right ankle during Boston's victory over Orlando on Monday, the Boston Globe reports.

That was the start of the season long bugaboo to Tony's healthfulness. The whole string of setbacks (and dates) for the season are noted here. But to give you a taste:

The ankle continued to vex Tony all the way through January:

Re-injures ankle - Jan. 6
Could possibly play - Jan. 10
Out one more week - Jan. 13
Returns to practice, still recovering - Jan. 26

Then Tony played in just seven games before he got a severe thumb injury with ligament damage that required surgery on Feb 17.

Tony was out until April 3rd missing 23 straight games.

Allen came back to finish the season with 18 and 15 points on 13 of 25 shooting with 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals in the final two regular season games.

Already out of the rotation and with recurring ankle problems, he played little in the post season.

On June 3rd, Tony...

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Update: Allen had surgery on his right ankle and leg on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

Analysis: The Celtics expect Allen to recover in time for training camp. Allen was hampered by his faulty ankle for most of last season, averaging 7.8 points in 34 games.

That brings us to today.

What to do about Tony Allen?

When healthy, he can still play some productive ball. But he is 27. He will be 28 in January. The Celtics have given Tony many opportunities. Primarily, it is injuries that have taken down Tony's career. He has missed 128 games in 5 years. Only twice has he played more than 51 games. At some point, it doesn't matter how good the reasons are. A change of scenery might be a good thing for everyone involved.

As of today, August 15th, through the end of the regular season, a player clears waivers after just 48 hours.

Should Tony Allen be waived? Or worked?

If he is not in the Celtics plans, waiving him helps Tony. He would be free to find a place where he can get a real opportunity to restart his career. For the Celtics, it would clear a valuable roster spot for a player that could be in training camp from the get-go. But that would mean a buy out that still counts against the cap and additional money spent on another player when the Cs are deep in luxury tax territory.

I'm normally not in favor of such moves or of contract buy outs. But in this case, the amount is relatively small - $2.5 million. Total cost with tax - $5 mil. Vet minimum replacement - another $2-2.5 million with tax. Total cost - $7.5 million.

But....the other problem is that there are few good free agent options at small forward, the position of choice, available at minimum dollars.

Ime Udoka might bite. Rodney Carney will want more money.

Other positions?
How about a shooter likes Flip Murray, Juan Dixon, or Steve Novak. Keith Bogans, Desmond Mason and Rashad McCants are still out there. Perhaps an insurance center in Aaron Gray, a Collins brother or Jake Voskuhl? Are any of these options better than having Tony Allen available on your bench?

Neither Danny nor Doc has said that Tony won't play a role. If for no other reason than Marquis Daniels often averages about 60 games a season, Tony could be a valuable fill in for 20 games a year, assuming a similar 60 game season from Marquis.

That there has been a less than hoped for performance from Tony is acknowledged by all. Nagging injuries have played a central part in his being able to establish himself. When he is healthy, he can be a contributor.

I'm looking at this strictly from a Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge, and what-is-best-for-the-Celtics-and-Tony-Allen point of view.

At this point, Tony Allen's trade value is at a low point. With Marquis Daniels about to come aboard, and J.R. Giddens in house, what is Tony's role this coming season?

Right now the 15th roster spot is assumed to go to rookie Lester Hudson or another PG possibility. If Tony is no longer in the Celtics plans, the Celtics should waive Allen. Then they could bring another player. It helps both parties.

Do you think the Celtics should waive Tony, work him, or keep him for insurance?

Poll

What to do with Tony?

Waive him

780 votes

Keep as insurance

778 votes

Work him into the lineup

324 votes

1882 votes | Poll has closed

Liberty Links: Miller to Portland, C.J. Watson and Jamaal Tinsley

jsams — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:07:56 -0000

The Blazers are making Andre Miller an offer.

The Portland Trail Blazers are preparing to make Miller an offer, according to a Western Conference general manager who requested anonymity because his team was not involved in the discussions.

And the Sixers withdrew their offer.

A source familiar with the situation said the Sixers have withdrawn their 1-year offer to the veteran point guard.

Jasner says the Sixers still have interest in C.J. Watson.

[The Sixers] still have interest in Golden State Warriors restricted free agent C.J. Watson, but have been told Watson wants more than 1 year in an offer.

Just offer him two years please!

But unfortunately they also have interest in Jamaal "I shoot 39 percent and miss 20 games a year" Tinsley.

The Sixers are talking about 6-3 Jamaal Tinsley, who was released by Indiana on Wednesday after the sides agreed on a buyout. The Pacers sat the seven-year vet for the 2008-09 season because of disciplinary issues. He was connected with three late-night conflicts in a 14-month span.

And in more slightly depressing news, the Sixers look to fill out their roster with one of these big men:

The Sixers are looking at 7-foot-1 Primoz Brezec (Toronto), 7-0 Aaron Gray (Chicago), 7-0 Ryan Hollins (Dallas), 6-11 Jake Voskuhl (Toronto), 6-10 Adonis Foyle (Orlando) and 6-11 Jared Reiner.

How about Garret Siler instead? Out of these bigs, Ryan Hollins is my personal favorite.

The Shopping List

atthehive — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:03:53 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Ike Diogu is one of the 50 front court options NBA teams have this summer.

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I took a look at our budget last post (1-2 million dollars to sign one player). Now, let's assess what people are going to cost.

I've tried to include every front court free agents (UFA and RFA) that I could find here, but if I missed any, let me know. Big thanks to this list from Depressed Fan and to ESPN player pages. Quick explanation of the table: Restricted refers to UFA/RFA status, competitors refers to projected number of teams that want the player, Salary projection is my estimation of the player's market value, and target refers to whether New Orleans can reasonably target the player (in parantheses is an explanation of why (expensive, etc)).

The full 50 player table after the jump.

Player	Restricted?	Last Salary	Competitors	Projection ($)	Target?
Rasheed Wallace	No	20.1M	3+	10-15	No ($)
Malik Rose	No	11.5M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Drew Gooden	No	3.0M	1-2	2-4	Yes ($)
Chris Wilcox	No	10.1M	1-2	2-5	Yes ($)
Stromile Swift	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes
Shawn Marion	No	20.1M	3+	12-18	No ($)
Ike Diogu	Yes	8.8M	0-1	2-4	Yes ($)
Lamar Odom	No	20.1M	3+	15-20	No ($)
Paul Millsap	Yes	1.6M	3+	unknown, but $$$	No ($)
Charlie Villanueva	Yes	10.3M	1-2	8-15	No ($)
Joe Smith	No	2.4M	1-2	2-4	Yes ($)
Shelden Williams	No	4.1M	0-1	Minimum	Yes
Maceo Baston	No	4.5M	0-1	1-2	Yes
Cedric Simmons	No	2.7M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Marcin Gortat	Yes	0.83M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Chris Andersen	No	0.83M	2-3	2-4	Yes (DEN)
Channing Frye	Yes	9.5M	0-1	2-4	No ($, sucks)
Hakim Warrick	Yes	6.4M	1-2	4-8	Yes ($)
David Lee	Yes	6.1M	3+	unknown, but $$$	No ($)
Steve Novak	No	1.0M	0-1	min-3	Yes
Donyell Marshall	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes (old)
Ryan Bowen	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes
Michael Ruffin	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes
Shavlik Randolph	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes
Leon Powe	Yes	0.83M	3+	Unknown, but $$	No ($)
Glen Davis	Yes	1.0M	2-3	3-7	Yes (BOS)
Raef LaFrentz	No	19.1M	0	Negative	No (sucks)
Rasho Nesterovic	No	12.6M	1-2	3-5	Yes ($)
Jason Collins	No	9.3M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Zaza Pachulia	No	8.0M	2-3	4-5	No ($)
Robert Swift	No	7.2M	0	Minimum	Yes
Aaron Gray	Yes	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes
Chris Mihm	No	5.0M	0-1	2-3	Yes
Saer Sene	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes
Jarron Collins	see Jason	4.1M	see Jason	see Jason	see Jason
DJ Mbenga	No	0.96M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Calvin Booth	No	2.7M	0	Minimum	No (sucks)
Melvin Ely	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes (sucks)
Ryan Hollins	No	0.83M	0-1	1-2	Yes
Lorenzen Wright	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes (old)
Adonal Foyle	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes (old)
Jamaal Magloire	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes (old)
Sean Marks	No	0.83M	0	Minimum	Yes (old)
Theo Ratliff	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes (old)
Johan Petro	Yes	5.9M	0-1	2-3	Yes
Jake Voskuhl	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	No (sucks)
Marvin Williams	Yes	14.1M	3+	10-15	No ($)
James Singleton	No	0.83M	0-1	Minimum	Yes (DAL)
Walter Herrmann	No	4.0M	0-1	2-4	Yes

So out of the 50 UFA/RFA big men of 2009, the Hornets can put 30 of them on their radar.

As you can see, there are a ton of guys out there. Not all of these guys (or even half these guys, I suspect) are going to find homes next season. Yes, there is a good deal of variance, but the supply is definitely greater than the demand.

There are four tiers the 30 players can be split into.

"Uh Oh, Everybody's Gone And/Or (Probably And) We're Broke."

Among the 30 potential signees, we can probably classify some of them as last gasp options due to suckage, old age, or some combination of the two. Of all the players I gave a 'yes' in the far right column, here are the ones I'd categorize as last resorts:

Steve Novak: The Hornets have gaping holes in their frontcourt, but specifically they need to target rebounders. When David West and Tyson Chandler hit the bench, Byron Scott won't appreciate a big man that spends 99.999% of his time between three point arcs. Novak's rebound rate is barely half of Hilton Armstrong's. Yeah. Consider this the last last resort.
Donyell Marshall- DMarsh is another three point specialist, but he's been a stellar defensive rebounder throughout his career. The issues clearly are that he's 36 years old, and he's nearing retirement. Toss in a recent comment about how he'd want to come in and mentor guys if he joined a new team (nothing on actually playing), and you don't have a great combination.
Michael Ruffin- He's undersized but a fantastic rebounder on offense and defense. The question with him is playing time. He only got 11 games last year, 46 the year before, and 30 before that. Nobody knows how he'd hold up over 82, especially now that he's on the wrong side of 30.
Ryan Bowen- Great hustle, but I don't think I need to elaborate much here.
Shavlik Randolph- Randolph only got in 89 games in his first 4 years in the league. But he's shown some serious potential on the boards. The risk is that if we pin our one rebounding hope on the 25 year old and he blows up, well, we won't be in great shape.
Robert Swift- Showed lots of potential, once upon a time. He's the madly tattooed, infinitely riskier Shavlik Randolph.
Saer Sene- 47 games in three years. He'll be mad cheap, but he's 7'0" and weighs 220 pounds. You tell me how that's gonna end up.
Melvin Ely- Yeah.
Ryan Hollins- I rank Hollins somewhere between Last Resorts and the next category. He's a great shot blocker with good timing, and while he isn't the most impressive defensive boarder, his offensive figures are nice. He brings great energy to both sides of the floor. With Eric Dampier rumored to be on his way out of Dallas, I wonder how much the Mavs will spend to keep him. My feeling is they like him a good bit... and Hollins is only worth it if he comes cheap.
Lorenzen Wright- With age, his offensive boarding figures have slipped badly. And last year, not one, not two, but three teams (ATL, SAC, CLE) tossed him in the their respective trash cans. He brings size (6'11), if not bulk (225), and he has a career full of good defensive rebounding. One of the better Last Resort picks, though it wouldn't be a flashy signing at all.
Adonal Foyle- And if you thought Lorenzen was the antithesis of all things stylish, well, apparently, you've never seen this guy. Most famous for clanging an open 7 footer off the side of the backboard, Foyle's actually a decent option. The problem here is that he spent most of last year injured. Not sure the Hornets are willing to gamble on a 34 year old's health.
Sean Marks- I think Marks is a last resort, not because of his play necessarily, but because it wouldn't go over well with the fans. Most Hornets' supporters are looking for a front court overhaul. The truth is, Marks' 9/18/13.5 rebounding split from last year wasn't shabby at all. An understatedly decent last resort option
Theo Ratliff- Ratliff hasn't been discussed in a basketball context ever since he legally changed his name to The Expiring Contract of Theo Ratliff some time in 2004. Though the dude is older than my pet rock, he provided Philadelphia some boards and some blocks last year. Overall, he's way too old to be considered a good signing.
Johan Petro- I'd rank the Denver center higher (his rebounding numbers are terrific) but he seemingly never plays, and he is straight up horrible at basketball. A center with a 43% true shooting percentage? Unbelievably atrocious.
Stromile Swift- From 2000-2008, SS was a serviceable player. Great rebounder, good shot blocker, coudl even put the ball in the bucket unassisted, once a month. Suddenly everybody forgot about him, and he played nineteen of the most anonymous games in NBA history with NJN and PHO last season. One of those guys where if he goes to the Knicks, everyone will rag on them for getting another overpaid bust, and if he goes to the Spurs, everyone will praise them for getting another underpaid overachiever. If he goes to New Orleans? Who knows.
Walter Herrmann- Imagine Hilton Armstrong with range. (If you can actually do this, I have just one question: are you on drugs?)

"Yeah If We Got Him, Sweet... But We're Not Getting Him"

Glen Davis- Boston is going to keep him. Danny Ainge will re-sign him. Kevin Garnett will continue to make him cry. I don't see many ways around this. Plus, his rebounding is mediocre, his offensive abilities are vastly overrated on the strength of one or two jumpers he made in the playoffs, and he really isn't that great at anything else. So "If we got him, sweet" would probably not be an accurate description of Glen Davis, now that I think about it.
Joe Beast- aka Joe Smith to those unacquainted with his hip hop skills. Smith is kind of like Davis in that his team is probably going to keep him (I can't see Cleveland performing a single action that does not directly contribute towards the appeasement of the Great One). Smith is also kind of not like Davis in that he's actually good at basketball.
Antonio McDyess- Dice is likely out of the Pistons' price range this summer, though they have said they want to keep him. He made 6 million+ last year. I know there's always the chance he takes a pay cut to join a contender... but who really considers the Hornets a contender now any way?
Chris Andersen- The league leader in block rate will be getting some sort of financial upgrade, and probably one from Denver. If not, there will be plenty of teams just salivating at the thought of overpaying the 31 year old.
Hakim Warrick- Warrick is another guy in line for an upgrade on his 1.5 million a year salary. He's not the most efficient scorer, but I'd say he's the most underrated foul drawer in the entire league (6.6 FTA/36, which would be 0.3 more than Chris Paul, without the aid of superstar calls). He's a decent rebounder too. If Memphis doesn't realize what they have on their hands, plenty of others will do the realizing for them.
Marcin Gortat- If recent rumors are to be believed, the Magic are in hot pursuit of Rasheed Wallace and/or Brandon Bass. It sure sounds like they're gearing up to lose their backup power forward. The Gortat situation is a tricky one to read. On the one hand, he made under a million dollars last year. On the other hand, he had a great postseason and pretty much the entire NBA now knows about him. Positives: beastly rebounder, very efficient scorer, brings terrific energy. Downside: fouls a lot, but who really cares. But all this misses a crucial point- several teams have already reportedly discussed offering Gortat a large part of their midlevel exceptions (five million plus).

"Maybe They'll Forgive Us For Not Taking Blair Now"

Radoslav Nesterovic- aka Rasho to those unacquainted with Slovenian. Nesterovic is one of the few 30+ options I wouldn't mind. He has size (7'), bulk (250), and the career rebounding split (10/17/13) to warrant a serious look. The biggest issue would be salary. He made 7 million+ last year alone, and he hasn't earned below 2.5 mil since 2002-2003. If he agreed to take a pay cut with us, that'd be terrific.
Aaron Gray- It's universally agreed that Aaron Gray sucks, but he could help us out big time in the rebounding department. With a 14/22/18 split last year, he would bring rebounding figures that very few free agent bigs could match. He should be dirt cheap (making less than half a million last year on a second rounder contract). With a lot of teams looking at the flashier names, we're likely to receive less competition to sign him. And of course, the kicker is that he's a big from the University of Pittsburgh, something a lot of people seemed to want around these parts.
Shelden Williams- I've always loved Williams. Seemingly not in possession of a neck, he'd be the perfect complement to Hilton "The Ostrich" Armstrong. He posted super awesome terrific rebounding figures with ATL his rookie year before they moved him to Sacramento. He finished last year in Minnesota. He seems universally unwanted, but he'd be a tremendous bargain for the Hornets.
Maceo Baston- Baston's first salary was 20,000 with the Chicago Bulls in 1999. So I'm thinking he might be down to make a couple million with us next year. Last year with Toronto, he posted an 11/15/13 rebounding split in 27 games. He draws fouls at a decent rate and has a nice offensive game. He can also block a few shots here and there. The biggest problem is his size- 6'9" and 215 pounds; I don't know how long he can hold up.
Chris Mihm- Mihm has posted very, very nice rebounding numbers throughout his career. (a career 11/19/14 split). I thought we'd seen the last of him after his sparring session with D.J. Mbenga, but who knows. Could be an attractive option, given the lack of competition and low price.
Jamaal Magloire- 14/24/19 rebounding split last year. That's all you gotta know about the Big Cat. He will rebound the hell out of that ball.
James Singleton- Thanks to reader Scott for e-mailing to me about Singleton. Personally, this would be one of my favorite signings if it happened. Singleton, who broke into the League as a swingman, has seriously bulked up in recent years. He posted a 12/21/16 rebounding split with Dallas last year, terrific numbers for any player, let alone one making the minimum. He was also very efficient at putting the ball in the bucket (the most efficient out of any of the 30 on this list). Want more? He didn't turn the ball over, and Dallas put a fair bit of responsibility on him when he was in the game. And, oh yeah, he has three point range. Unfortunately, it appears we have compeition. Both my Dallas contacts confirmed that the Mavs have definite interest in bringing him back next season, and Singleton seems to like his situation there too. Don't know if it will happen, but Singleton would be an amazing, cheap add.

"The Heavens Have Smiled Upon Us"

Chris Wilcox- Wilcox parlayed a terrific contract year with the Clips into an overpaid two year stint with the SuperThunder. This summer, he's likely to return to his rightful tax bracket, and if so, the Hornets stand to benefit. At a career 9/20/14 rebounding split, Melvin Ely's twin would make Melvin himself a distant memory. Wilcox can also jump out the gym, so Chris Paul could still have an alley-oop partner when he's on the floor with the bench and Tyson's off. Wilcox's defense has been questioned repeatedly... but dude's trying to make the New Orleans Hornets' bench, not the All Defense team. I'd take him in a heartbeat, providing he agrees to slash his salary to the 2 million range.
Ike Diogu- Enter Mr. Diogu. I like Ike, and you should too. He never really got a chance with the GSW, or the IND, or the POR. Finally, he got some minutes with SAC last year, and they were predictably glorious. In the last two games, he dropped 32 on Denver, and 28 on Minnesota (oh, what's that you say about Denver resting its starters and Al Jefferson being injured? I can't really hear you, you're going to have to speak louder). He can rebound, and he draws fouls like a maniac. While he's kind of foul-prone, he doesn't turn the ball over. The kicker? His full name is Ikechukwa Somotochukwa Diogu. Pau Gasol is already recoiling in fear.
Drew Gooden- For a while there, it appeared Gooden's basketball ability had taken a back seat to him cultivating that ridiculous beard. But now all is well. Ever since he left the company of the Great Shining Internationally Renowned Supreme Basketball Talent, Gooden's been looking on the up and up. Rebounding last year? Try 10.4/22.6/16.6. 52.6% true shooting. 11.7% turnovers. 4.0 FTA/36 minutes. The one flaw is that he's lost all ability to put the ball in the bucket from the floor... but I can excuse that. Another downside: Signing the 27 year old Gooden would probably cement Jeff Bower's place as the Greatest GM in the History of Western Civilization.

So there you have it.

50 options -> 30 reasonable options -> 25 actually reasonable options -> 9 actually reasonable and good options -> 3 actually reasonable and very good options. Happy shopping.

2000 NBA Draft Second Round Re-draft Part 1

Jon L — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:00:25 -0000

Michael Redd is well known for being a second-round steal from the 2000 draft.

View full size photo »

So it's come to this. The 2000 NBA Draft. The Kenyon Martin draft. The Kenyon Martin-Stromile Swift-Darius Miles-Marcus Fizer draft. Internet expert Wick E. Pedia calls it "the worst draft since the 1986 NBA Draft." FreeDarko wrote about what a black hole this draft was in their Macrophenomenal Almanac. For some reason, unless I hear otherwise, this will be our final look at past second rounds. Remember, this exercise is to try and demonstrate that even "weak" drafts have quality players in them later on, when the deputy commissioner is calling the names. Part 1 is after the jump, but I warn you: don't look directly at it. I recommend one of these.

30. Los Angeles Clippers (original pick - Marko Jaric)

First of all, congratulations to Jaric and his hot wife on their first child. Unfortunately, Jaric won't get to celebrate by being our first pick. Instead, that honor goes to Michael Redd, one of three All-Stars to come out of this draft. The other two are Kenyon Martin and Jamaal Magloire. Let's move on.

31. Dallas Mavericks (original pick - Dan Langhi)

Langhi was traded for Houston's second-round pick, Eduardo Najera. Najera had a few decent years in Dallas and in Denver, so we'll take him here since the Mavericks apparently wanted him so much.

32. Chicago Bulls (original pick - A.J. Guyton)

This was back when playing basketball at Indiana meant something, namely being overrated by NBA front offices. Chicago has three straight picks in this draft (they obviously wanted to get in on all the talent available), so to a certain extent looking for positional fit doesn't matter. Eddie House has become a solid rotation player with the Celtics, even though he's a point guard who can't handle the ball, he's still turned out better than Guyton.

33. Chicago Bulls (original pick - Jake Voskuhl)

Apparently the Bulls front office that year only scouted the NCAA tournament and thought they were done. We know better, though, and will draft Ime Udoka. Even though Udoka's a late bloomer, to say the least (I hadn't realized he's 32 years old), he's developed into a solid wing defender with the Spurs.

34. Chicago Bulls (original pick - Khalid El-Amin)

See what I mean about scouting the NCAA tournament? Also, I'm sure Guyton had a lot of confidence after his competition was drafted two spots after him. We'll do pretty much the same thing to House, though, and draft Eddie Gill. Gill was actually a shooting guard originally, but as we've seen in the D-League, his offense-running skills are better than his three-point shooting, and he'll complement House well.

35. Washington Wizards (original pick - Mike Smith)

Fun fact time! The Wizards already had a player on their roster named Michael Smith. This Wizards roster was a mess. The team had recently traded Chris Webber to the Kings for Mitch Richmond, who was pretty much done (it still hurts to type that). Also featuring Richard Hamiton, Hubert Davis, Cherokee Parks, Christian Laettner, Calvin Booth, and Tyrone Nesby. Chris Whitney! Jahidi White! Popeye Jones! Laron Profit! Basically, WizzNutzz couldn't have existed without this roster. Let's face it, though, anyone we pick here would likely be traded eventually for not doing what Michael Jordan wanted. Point guard is a slight need, so we'll go with Jason Hart, who had a decent year or two with Sacramento.

36. New Jersey Nets (original pick - Soumaila Samake)

Center was a huge need for this team, what with Jim McIlvaine, Jamie Feick, Vladimir Stepania, and Evan Eschmeyer all getting at least a handful of starts. There are only five centers available, though, and unfortunately they don't get much better than Samake. Maybe we can trick the Nets into thinking they drafted Samaki Walker.

37. Miami Heat (original pick - Eddie House)

This is a roster without a completely obvious need. I guess they could've used a backup power forward better than Cedric Ceballos. I'm not sure Dan Langhi is better, but he's available, and he had a solid college career.

38. Houston Rockets (original pick - Eduardo Najera)

Well Najera's gone, as is the guy they traded him for, Langhi. This team definitely could have used some better forwards, and while he's not much of an offensive option, Yakhouba Diawara has become a solid defender.

39. New York Knicks (original pick - Lavor Postell)

This team made the playoffs, and it's a solid roster, though Marcus Camby was their starting center, with Luc Longley and Travis Knight as the backups. Given Camby's injury problems, we'll sigh a deep sigh and draft Jake Voskuhl here.

40. Atlanta Hawks (original pick - Hanno Mottola)

Same deal as Houston, they need an upgrade over Chris Crawford, Roshown McLeod and Cal Bowdler. Mottola wasn't it. And, much like what happened with the Rockets pick, we'll take defense-first Malik Allen.

41. San Antonio Spurs (original pick - Chris Carrawell)

I'll be honest with you, I had no idea who Chris Carrawell was. Apparently he played on the same high school team as Jahidi White and Loren Woods, so...yeah. The Spurs lost in the Western Conference Finals this year, but they were still pretty set for awhile. Igor Rakocevic was/is an intriguing European prospect, though the Spurs did acquire him at one point then released him. Still, he was the Euroleague's leading scorer in 2006-2007, which should count for something.

42. Seattle SuperSonics (original pick - Olumide Oyedeji)

How unsuccessful was Oyedeji? His Youtube mix doesn't even contain video, it's just still pictures. This was a top-heavy Seattle roster with a pretty much uniformly mediocre bench. Into the void steps Marko Jaric. He's not great, but he's an average player who's shown some staying power, and he's pretty much the best available, better than several players we've drafted so far.

43. Milwaukee Bucks (original pick - Michael Redd)

A great pick for the Bucks, obviously, but our job is tougher. A guard was even somewhat of a luxury for them, as they already had Sam Cassell and Ray Allen, plus Rafer Alston. Like Jaric, Brian Cardinal is better than some of the other guys we've drafted so far, so the Bucks will take him.

44. Detroit Pistons (original pick - Brian Cardinal)

It took me a while to figure out the difference between Cardinal and Brian Scalabrine. Cardinal became a frequent trade throw-in, but Detroit already has a lot of forwards. I'm not sure Richie Frahm would've stuck either, but he's become a solid shooter in Europe and the D-League.

Making A List (and Checking It Twice)

Jeff Clark — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:12:11 -0000

More photos » by Thearon Henderson - AP

One Grant Hill please.

Browse more photos »

Here's a very handy list of all the free agents that will be hitting the market in July. They even have a page sorted by position.

Why don't we pool our collective wisdom and start picking some favorites? As you make comments, I can update this list.

So far I've just tried to narrow the list down to guys that interest me and start lumping them into vague groupings.

(r = restricted | eto = early termination option)

We Want You Back!

Glen Davis
Leon Powe

Probably too rich for us:

Jason Kidd
Allen Iverson
Shawn Marion
Mike Bibby
Lamar Odom
Rasheed Wallace
Ron Artest
Ben Gordon
Paul Millsap - r
Carlos Boozer - eto
Hidayet Turkoglu - eto

Will He Take The MLE?

Trevor Ariza
Ramon Sessions - r
Marvin Williams - r
Raymond Felton - r
Charlie Villanueva - r
David Lee - r
Josh Childress - r

Already on the CelticsBlog most wanted list

Grant Hill
Chris Anderson
Marcin Gortat
Antoino McDyess

Hey, he sounds familiar - can he still play?

Andre Miller
Radoslav Nesterovic
Drew Gooden
Bobby Jackson
Chris Wilcox
Jason Collins
Desmond Mason
Joe Smith
Anthony Parker
Zaza Pachulia
Brevin Knight
Jason Hart
Rodney Carney
Juwan Howard
Jacque Vaughn
Quinton Ross
Donyell Marshall
Matt Barnes

He's Tall, That's Worth Something, Right?

Robert Swift - like a bad penny...
Shelden Williams
Jamaal Magloire
Jarron Collins
Calvin Booth
Jake Voskuhl
Michael Ruffin

Been There, Done That (no thanks)

Stephon Marbury
Gerald Green
Darius Miles
Patrick O'Bryant
Theo Ratliff
Wally Szczerbiak
Raef LaFrentz
Justin Reed
Mikki Moore
Chris Mihm

These guys are restricted - so who knows?

Channing Frye
Ike Diogu
Sean May
Rashad McCants
Joey Graham
Hakim Warrick
Nate Robinson
Jarrett Jack
Luther Head
Johan Petro
Linas Kleiza
Aaron Gray
Brandon Bass
Jamario Moon
Carlos Delfino

Who did I miss? What would you change? Talk to me.

(note: I left out most of the ETO guys)

Wizards Game 34 Blog vs. Toronto Raptors: Groundhog Day Continues

Truth About It — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:38:08 -0000

Bargnani Turns Around Gay
via flickr/phillenium1979

The Raps have cats out tonight.....Moon, O'Neal and Calderon....no sympathy here. In case you missed it, I had a Q&A session with RaptorsBlog.com before the game. Read my answers about the Wizards here, and RaptorBlog.com's answers about the Raptors here.

Q1

Blatche on Bosh, James on Solomon, Jamison on Bargnani, McGuire on Parker and Butler on Graham to start.

11:07: Blatche doesn't really put a body on Bosh...he gets the rebound and ends up with 2nd chance points for the Raps. 5-0 Toronto.

10:33: The Wiz are 0-2 on FGs (both open 3s - Butler and Jamison).

10:00: Butler makes a needed baseline drive and score on the next possession. 5-2 Toronto.

9:00: The Wizards lack crispness to being on offense.....they're trying to move the ball, but have settled for three missed long jumpers.

7:49: Tapscott calls a timeout to regroup, the Wiz are 1-6 from the field. 10-2 Raptors.....the Verizon Center is so quiet, I think I just heard Steve Buckhantz cut one.

6:43: Blatche hits an open jumper as Toronto continues to concentrate heavily on Caron Butler.....however, I'd like Andray to fill the lane if he is left alone. 14-6 Toronto.

Andray is, however, doing a good job of moving his feet on Bosh's dribble drives.

5:26: Not much awareness of a dwindling shot clock....James hesitates to drive and McGuire has no clue when the pass is kicked to him.

5:08: Back to back Raptor long jumpers...instead of trusting Blatche to defend Bosh, the Wizards are turning their back on the shooters (Jamison on Bargnani then James on Solomon). 19-6 Toronto.

4:26: Andray picks up his 2nd foul.....too much hands that time.

Songaila, Young and Crittenton check in, join Jamison and McGuire.

2:45: Jamison is having trouble with the Italian Spazz....Songaila helps by knocking the ball out of his hands and out of bounds off his leg. Crafty D-Song....that's what he do (note: non-stat sheet item).

2:13: Another shot clock violation for the Wiz -- this offense is as nasty as the weather in DC today. 21-12 Toronto.

1:45: Great hustle by the young guys....Crittenton deflects a backcourt Raptors pass high toward the Wizards end as he's falling out of bounds....Nick Young sprints to save the ball from going out of bounds at the baseline.....and Antawn Jamison is there to clean up with a bucket. 23-14 Toronto.

Overall, the Wizards offense still severely lacks movement (ball and man)....as the PG, I'd like to see Crittenton a bit more proactive.....at least get the ball moving in and out of hands quickly. After one, Raptors 27, Wizards 16 - Toronto is 12-17 from the field.

Q2

Etan, Songaila, Crittenton, Young and McGuire to start the 2nd.

At this point....I guess Tapscott is going with Etan first because he's been working hard, but I wouldn't mind seeing JaVale McGee in the game with either him or D-Song.

10:20: Butler comes back in for McGuire.....something has got to happen on offense.....and it does as Etan gives Caron a pass off a backdoor cut for the tough runner. 31-18 Raptors. Phil Chenier comments that the backdoor cut has been MIA lately.

9:26: Crittenton is bad at fighting through the screen against some dude named Roko.....dribble penetration......pass, pass.....Kapono trey ball from the corner. Too easy. 34-18 Toronto.

8:38: Nick Young hits a three...but it wasn't easy. The Wiz offense is relegated to Caron Butler slowly backing down his defender, and when he got it to Young, the shot was still contested. 34-21 Raptors.

The Wiz are now 1-5 from long distance, Toronto is 4-7.

This game is BOR-ing.

7:30: Jamison comes back in for Songaila.....and nails a three at the 7:02 mark. 36-25 Raptors.

God the Wizards' offense looks terrible.....they keep running into each other, etc.....have they been practicing? My initial thought is that our coaching staff lacks an experienced offensive mind.

What about this commercial where young "Emily" stands up at an AA meeting and says that in seven years, she'll be an alcoholic? I wonder how her parents reacted when she got the part...."Oh sweetie!...You get to play a future drunk! Well that's wonderful! I mean, that really is the sh*t."

5:00: James and Blatche are back in to join Jamison, Butler and Crittenton.

4:17: Blatche gives Bargnani too much space.....three in his face...yet another timeout for Ed Tapscott. 46-25 Wizards. The camera is near the huddle as Tapscott must embarrassingly relate the simplest of concepts....here's the quote, "You gotta guard the player, you're not.....you gotta share the ball and move it." Buzzer eventually sounds and Jamison leaves the huddle before Tapscott finishes talking -- countless signs of a losing team here.

Speaking of alcoholics......this game is driving me to drink, but I won't considering that I'm watching it at about 1 am.....Smart Water it is. On a related note, I don't think it would be that unprofessional if Steve Buckhantz started drinking during game......it'd be fun.

3:17: Mike James hits a three....I detect a soon to be smoking gun. 46-31 Toronto.

2:50: Huh? After some Caron Butler FTs, somehow the Wizards are on a 9-0 run in the last 53 seconds....news to me. 46-34 Toronto.

You know that subtle sound a basketball makes when it leaves your hands......yea, I can hear that on the TV.

Well, the Wizards are kinda-not-really hanging around despite themselves. At the half, it's 50-38 Toronto. Parker, Bargnani and Kapono all have 10 points each.

Q3

10:00: Jamison hits a jab step three....cool. 52-43 Toronto.

9:21: Blatche making himself available in the lane....Caron no look pass....dunk. 7-0 Wiz run. 52-45 Raptors.

Antawn Jamison trying to guard the Italian Spazz is like trying to open a drawer without your hands.....can't handle it. Foul, And 1, 55-45 Raps.

6:28: Toronto keeps turning the ball over (5 straight), but the Wizards keep doing things like.....3 second violation in the paint on offense.

5:36: The Wizards will get within 8....but Toronto will push it right back to 14 with a 6-0 run. 61-47 Raptors.....time for another timeout from Ed Tapscott.

Kiss Cam draws the most decibels from the Verizon Center crowd.......gooooo Marketing!

4:42: Antawn Jamison snags the 6,000th rebound of his career...an offensive one that leads to points. 61-49 Raps.

Jake Voskuhl's balding head that he's trying to cover up with a headband makes me feel old. I remember that guy at UCONN.

I shudder just because the possibility of Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison making the NBA All-Star team is even discussed.

2:45: Nick Young is starting to build a rhythm with a nice arsenal of moves. 65-56 Raptors.

1:11: Will Solomon, Raptors point guard, gets an offensive rebound and a flock of Boo-Birds is released into the Verizon Center atmosphere....Solomon eventually scores a layup. 71-56 Toronto.

The 3rd ends with the Raptors up 73-60....Chris Bosh is only 3-12 from the field with 7 boards and 5 assists.....yep, exactly.

Q4

Stat Check:
FG% - Toronto 57.4, Washington 40.3
Rebounds - Toronto 33, Washington 20

Young, Crittenton, McGuire, Jamison and Songaila start the 4th.

9:35: Another Toronto turnover...they had 7 in the 3rd.....they are just begging to give this game away.....will the Wizards take it? Needless to write (but I'll do it anyway), but if you've been reading so far, you'll know that my confidence is shot.

9:20: Two Songaila FTs makes it 75-68 Toronto.

9:04: Jamison was near Bargnani....but it must be in the game plan for him to loose track of him and let someone else take responsibility. The Italian Spazz hits a trey....on the other end, Jamison answers with his own three. 78-71 Toronto.

7:20: Yet another Raptors turnover eventually leads to a Nick Young reverse layup. The Wiz are 6-6 on FGs so far in the quarter.....and are only down 5, 80-75.

7:07: Bosh is trying to force the issue....draws a 5th foul on Jamison playing help D. Blatche checks in for him. 82-75 Raps.

6:50: Songaila wets another jumper. 82-77.

Crittenton is starting to get more comfortable as a creator....he's got a 4 assists so far in the quarter...5 for the game.

5:50: The Wizards only have one turnover so far in the 2nd half.....and right after I type that, they get turnover #2.

4:44: Very quick catch and shoot from Kapono at the shot clock buzzer.....he's an outlaw.......and Toronto pushes their lead back to 10, 89-79.

3:13: Jamison misses the FT on an And 1 attempt - he's 2-6 from the line tonight. 89-83 Toronto.

I wonder if Mike James is fuming because Crittenton has been playing down the stretch.

The Raptors keep leaving the door open, but the Wiz can't take advantage.....Jamison misses a three....Nick Young travels -- time is running out.

2:01: Wiz focus on Bosh with Songaila on him...and Bargnani gets free for three AGAIN. Really? No...really? Dagger anyone? 92-83 Raptors.

Mike James has checked back in and he's missing threes (I think Nick Young's travel did him in).

1:11: Pass and cut...Songaila to Crittenton for a layup. 92-85.

0:40: Mike James drive and dish to Jamison....92-87 Raps. Wiz must foul, it's Bargnani, he makes both.....94-87...go ahead and call this outcome inevitable.

0:21: James gets fouled shooting a three....miss 1, miss 2, make 3.

The rest of the game takes forever......I fast forwarded through it.

Final: Toronto 99, Wizards 93. NBA.com Box Score

Poll

Had Tapscott's passiveness (or lack of intensity -- not sure which one is the better way to put it) made this team complacent with their futility.....or do the Wizards just suck?

Huh?

4 votes

Whatever.

5 votes

Dude?

6 votes

Man.

11 votes

26 votes | Poll has closed

Jake Voskuhl: Enforcer

Steve Perrin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:36:16 -0000

I didn't focus on this point in the game recap, primarily because it's tangential to the outcome of the game. I do not in fact believe that the Clippers would have won had Zach Randolph not been hurt. It's not like Randolph is the defender to stop Chris Bosh, and Bosh's 18 fourth quarter points were insurmountable, regardless of who was playing offense for the Clippers. Zach's absence certainly contributed to the final margin, but not to the outcome.

However, I am surprised by the coverage of this aspect of the story that I have seen.

Let's be clear. It was significant. The Clippers had whittled a 21 point lead down to 6, despite the fact that Zach Randolph had missed most of the first quarter with foul trouble. Nonetheless, Randolph was leading the team with 19 points at the time, and had led the comback. In a single play, the Raptors increased the lead to 8, and sent Randolph to the locker room for the rest of the game, ending any hope of a comeback.

Toronto Raptors vs L.A.Clippers Dec.22/08 (via monuow)

Take a look. I couldn't find the Clippers broadcast, which contains better angles, on YouTube. But you can clearly see the shove in this as well . The play in question is about 4:45 into the video.

But I have yet to see an account that got it right.

For the record, here's what happened. Jake Voskuhl, who doesn't really do justice to the term 'NBA journeyman', was making his second appearance of the season after being signed by the Raptors last week. On Baron Davis' three pointer on the preceding play, Voskuhl and Zach Randolph had gotten tangled battling for rebounding position. On the other end, after Chris Bosh bulled his way in for a layup, Voskuhl almost literally crashed the boards, shoving Z-Bo in the back with both hands in the process. Randolph went sprawling to the floor, falling over DeAndre Jordan who had tried to draw the charge against Bosh to no avail. Randolph bruised his knee in the fall, and spent the rest of the game in the locker room. X-rays on his knee were negative.

Lisa Dillman of the LA Times writes about the loss of Randolph, but doesn't even have Voskuhl at the scene.

Randolph suffered an injury 1:16 into the fourth quarter, tumbling to the floor, joining teammate DeAndre Jordan, who already had landed hard. Both were trying to deal with the Bosh onslaught.

It was evident fairly quickly that Randolph was injured when he grabbed his knee in pain. He went back to the locker room and did not return.

Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy reported Randolph suffered a sprained left knee. The good news, Dunleavy said, is that the X-rays are negative.

"Bosh pushed me in the back, yeah," Randolph said. "Hopefully, it's just a bone bruise, so I'm just going to ice it in the next couple of days. It's just a little sore."

Obviously, that's Randolph incorrectly blaming Bosh. In Zach's defense, he couldn't see who pushed him, but it clearly wasn't Bosh, who was in FRONT of Z-Bo at the time.

The AP wire story makes it all sound like good old, innocent, incidental contact:

Randolph had 19 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles during a foul-plagued 28 minutes, and left the game with 10:44 to play after bruising his left knee in a collision with Jake Voskuhl on a layup by Bosh 16 seconds earlier.

Um, no. Voskuhl pushed Randolph - hard - from behind. Randolph's knee collided with the hardwood.

The Toronto Sun has Randolph clumsily falling down unassisted.

The Clips also lost Randolph with just under 11 minutes to go in the game when he bruised his left knee falling over a teammate as he went up for a loose ball.

Silly Zach. Be more careful next time!

The gamer in the Toronto Star makes no mention of Jake Voskuhl nor of any injury to Randolph. Here's the one and only reference to Zach:

Eric Gordon and Zach Randolph led the Clippers with 19 points apiece.

Anyone reading that recap, who also had access to a play by play, would certainly be surprised that the Clippers chose to remove their leading scorer from the game for the final 11 minutes. The omission seems all the more surprising to me given that beat writer Dave Feschuk wrote a piece about an increase in no-calls in the NBA this season. Hmmm, really significant no-call in the game I just watched in which a team's star was injured. Wouldn't want to mention that.

In fact, I was only able to find one semi-accurate reference anywhere to the play. It was in Doug Smith's Raptor's blog in the Star.

Action: Jake Voskuhl’s tough.

Reaction: Providing something they need.

I remember the day they signed Jake and a guy who knows him a little bit had this to say, or words to the effect:

"Jake’s a real good guy. Yeah, he’ll smack someone in the face if he has to, or hammer someone. But then he’ll say ‘sorry’ and he’s a nice guy."

Well, watching him last night and I’m not sure if there’s an apology but going hard after a rebound without a care in the world who was in his way –- it turned out to be Zach Randolph – was something you don’t see from the Raptors often enough.

Not a dirty play, just a good, aggressive one.

Apparently, when a MSM columnist writes in a blog, it's an excuse for them to use horrid syntax and incomplete sentences. I would not agree with his conclusion that it was 'not a dirty play' but at least he saw the significance. And frankly, from the Raptors perspective, it was the play of the game, whether the team on the whole needed an injection of toughness or not.

The inconsistent, incomplete, inaccurate coverage of the incident aside, the implications of a play like that should, in my opinion, be making David Stern and the league office more than a little uneasy. Jake Voskuhl, a career 4.3 point per game scorer who had played 6 minutes this season, sends Zach Randolph, a career 17 point per game scorer averaging 22 this season, to the locker room a little more than 100 seconds after entering the game. Am I suggesting that it was pre-meditated? Not in the sense that Jay Triano sent him into the game to take Randolph out. But in the context of the preceding play, it sure looks like Voskuhl was happy to give Randolph a good hard shove. More importantly, the whole thing has the APPEARANCE of impropriety. The NBA certainly can't condone an action in which a guy recently signed off the waiver wire sends the opposition's leading scorer to the locker room for X-rays. That's a good strategy for winning right there.

Although the game has changed over the years, there's a long tradition of enforcers in basketball, and it wasn't that long ago that players' were sent into games with specific instructions. In fact, current Clipper Mardy Collins was likely following orders from Isiah Thomas (he of the Bad Boy Pistons from that by gone era) when he started a brawl in Madison Square Garden with the Nuggets two seasons ago. And Robert Horry's hip check on Steve Nash in an already decided game was the biggest play in the series between the Suns and Spurs in the 2007 playoffs. Horry was clearly the Spurs' MVP in that series, and Voskuhl deserves serious consideration for game honors from the Raptors last night.

Hopefully the league office will review the play and issue a fine and suspension to Voskuhl. If I were the Clippers, I'd be asking the question, that much is certain. How all three refs missed the play in the first place is an entirely different question.

Although they don't admit it, the NBA 'protects' their stars, in sometimes ludicrous ways. The motive is understandable - Jake Voskuhl doesn't sell tickets to games, but Zach Randolph does. Unfortunately, this policy usually manifests itself in counter-productive ways - superstars get the benefit of every call, making players like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James even more unstoppable than they already are. And obviously it doesn't help Wade avoid injury to allow him to stretch the discontinued dribble or traveling rules. Well, here's a case where a star player actually needs to be protected. The prospect of Jake Voskuhl sending Zach Randolph to the locker room is fraught. The NBA certainly doesn't condone this behavior, and I don't think it would be wise to ignore it.