SB Nation - Josh Childress

Five Game Cycles: The Road Warriors

djturtleface — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:59:58 -0000

After beating the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies sealed their two wins out of five for this stretch. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

If Coach Hollins has done one thing right this season, it's convincing his team to see this season in subsets of five games. By Hollins's estimation out of each five games, the Grizzlies should be winning two.

I like this as an outlook for a young, improving team. But even more importantly, I like it as a blogger, because it makes a remarkable set-up for a lasting series. From here on out, each five games will include a wrap of how the Grizzlies played, if they lived up to expectations, what they can do better, and some prospects for the next five game set.

So hop over the jump for the new format. Check it out, feel free to comment on your favorites over the past few, and be sure to check back for game-by-game analysis as well.

The Breakdown- 2-3: All five games were on the road, and the Grizzlies were vast underdogs in three of the five games. Memphis began the trip by getting run the hell out of Phoenix, playing no defense against the Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudamire super-pick-n-roll. They stunned Portland at home after a huge run. Then they lost after giving up a big 4th quarter run by the Clips and lost again to the heavily favored Jazz. Memphis finished the trip with just the right record with a tight victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

What Feels Good: The win against Portland was a huge bright spot for the Grizzlies. It was probably just an anomaly, especially since the Grizzlies struggled to get much going outside of that huge run, but still, monster road wins are monster road wins.

In terms of specific skills, the ball-movement was pretty solid this trip. The young guys still get a little overeager (read: never pass) when things get tight, but when the Grizzlies are rolling and feeling it, they swing the ball at least as well as the average. And average is a huge step up for this squad. Jamaal Tinsley and Marc Gasol are clearly helping in this department; Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo, especially in pressure points, are not.

I thought the bench contributed just about what they can be expected to during this trip. Unless Mike Conley comes to the bench as a tiny-scorer in training and Jamaal Tinsley replaces him, Sam Young should remain 6th man and comes close to doing the job. He has a Josh Childress-like upside. Hasheem Thabeet has shown improvement, and DeMarre and "Ashey Larry" straight bring it.

Even the defense looks a little better, with the guys seeming to show a little more awareness. Yes, the Jazz and the Suns carved them up, but those two teams can be fantastically efficient and execute well with great coaching. I'm seeing some double-teams that look nice. I'm also seeing the Grizzlies actively trying to force turnovers, which could be called gambling, but is probably the only effective strategy with these personnel.

Tell Me What Hurts: But all in all, Memphis's defense still is terrible. The players aren't good at defense. Tinsley is still rusted to the court on defense and Conley has never been decent. O.J. Mayo is way worse than we thought, with what seems like every shooting guard killing him this season. Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph were never supposed to be good, but at least they both board. Marc Gasol is the lone bright spot, but he's no Dwight Howard.

And the offense seems to break down at the most inopportune times. Maybe this is part of growing as a young core, but it's pull-your-hair-out frustrating. It's awful watching O.J. Mayo taking stupid, isolation shots at the end of games when he is one of our least efficient isolation scorers. Rudy Gay doesn't have the killer instinct. Zach Randolph has a tendency to do really stupid things. Marc Gasol's success is predicated on ball-movement.

The effort hurt at times too. None of these starters are known as big-time hustlers, but they seem to be giving up at times during the blowouts. Maybe setting the bar at two wins out of five was too little. Maybe they're just not that good so they look tired. It's hard to say, but bringing guys who play their hearts out off the bench, guys like DeMarre and Hadaddi could help.

Into the Horizon: The next five are against: Dallas, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Miami, and Boston. In other words getting one win will be an accomplishment, two will be a godsend.

With four out of the five at home, it's feasible that the Grizzlies could beat Dallas or Miami, but I'm not sure they match up against Cleveland or Boston, who play too tough of defense and will force turnovers every other possession. If Dirk Nowitzki or Dwayne Wade has an off-night, it's more than feasible that the balanced Grizzlies attack could pull an upset.

But honestly, that one that got away from the Grizzlies in L.A. against the Clippers is going to come back to haunt Memphis. This five is tough, much tougher than the last, and the Grizzlies will be lucky to get out with another gold star.

Bad Ball

Stop-n-Pop — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:21:54 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Timberwolves' Corey Brewer scores as Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams looks on in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 in Minneapolis. Brewer scored 11 points in the Timberwolves' 104-87 loss to the Cavaliers. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Browse more photos »

Near the bottom of last night's comments a few important things were pointed out:

Anthony Parker

has 6 points from 2/7 shooting and was +23

That statistic has very definite limitations.

Judd: "...I've since watched some Steven Seagal movies and I realise that pressure points are no laughing matter.".

by Auswolf on Oct 31, 2009 12:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

...

Hey, everyone:

This was a game against one of the top 3 teams in the league, 0-2 start be damned.

I think we would all benefit by making literally no — not a single one ~~- definitive statements about the team after this game. Of course Flynn was going to have a terrible +/~~. Of course we were going to look bad. Do not worry about it. Hold your judgements for when we get blown out by a bad team.

Thank you, and good night.

by LoveTo on Oct 31, 2009 12:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

There are going to be a few things that we all need to keep in mind when discussing the Wolves this season:

They are going to put up some crooked stat lines.
+/- is going to be even more flawed than usual as a stand-alone stat used to gauge individual game performances. The Wolves are going to take it in the chin this year on more than a few occasions. That doesn't mean that individual players won't play well within any given blow-out (Brewer played decent during last night's atrocity). It also doesn't account for the roles that certain players inhabit (Ramon Sessions as a backup point; Sasha Pavlovic as a defender off the bench) or the fact that the team's two best players are either inactive or playing at 70%. +/- is a nice part of the equation but it will need to be downgraded this year as the Wolves, as a whole, are going to be going through some bumps and bruises beyond what was expected last year when they had the ability to trot out a relatively respectable and experienced lineup of Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Kevin Love, and Al Jefferson. Also, we're really, really, really early in the season and until we see how some of these lineups look over the course of 10-15 games, +/- is going to have some pretty hefty limitations and should be used in conjunction with other observations/stats. For instance, Jonny Flynn ended last night's game with a -23 in 25 minutes. This is a bad, bad number but it could mean that he was on the court with the team's most ineffective front court (Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, and Damien Wilkins) and LeBron James for a long period of time. It could also mean that Jonny Flynn is not an NBA point at the moment and while he can score until the cows come home, he has some fairly big issues facilitating the offense. Or, it could be a combo of the two factors. Either way, simply citing +/- isn't going to cut it with this team right now.
Al Jefferson is not anywhere near 100%. Yes, it looks like he has no business being in the new offense and he is the last person on earth you want directing traffic out of the high post, but a serious injury is still a serious injury and the Jefferson Discount should be taken into account when discussing his overall worth to the squad.

I'm sure we can come up with a few more gentle nudges for game discussion but these are the ones that have quickly risen to the top in the first two games of the season.

Enough about the Wolves for a second. The most notable thing about last night's game, for me, was the composition of the Cavs. This team is not as good as it was last year and it is not a championship contender. The most glaring issue that they have is that even with LeBron on the squad, they are the most unathletic non-Wolves starting-5 team I have seen in a long, long time. Shaq and Ilgauskus may be the slowest and most earth-bound frontcourt duo in the league and their non-LeBron wings stand around the three point line and do not crash the boards. This team will be taken apart by any other squad with two players who are both athletic and above 6'10" Witness Toronto, Orlando, and Boston. Witness the change in the game when Ryan Hollins entered the contest. Hell, even Nathan Jawai was able to change the pace of the game for a few moments. This team will always have a decent shot at winning any single game because of LeBron James (who I firmly believe is the best player in the world). However, any team that is thinking about giving 80-90 minutes of court time to a Shaq, Varejao, Ilgauskus front court trio doesn't have the top end to compete with the Bostons, Orlandos, and yes, even the Torontos of the world over a 7 game series. They don't need a Steven Jackson; they needed a Rasheed Wallace or a Marcin Gortat. Mike Brown will eventually take the heat for what happens to this squad but it's the damn Dukie who did the damage.

Let's wrap this up with a few bullet points:

There is no reason on God's green earth to front or double Shaq at this point in his career. This didn't stop Al Jefferson from trying the former and Damien Wilkins from attempting the latter (off of LeBron James, no less). Make them go over the top and if they beat you with Boobie Gibson, so be it.
The FSN game was apparently brought to us by Bret Michael's November appearances at Grand Casino.
The Wolves' starting front court (Jefferson, Gomes, and Wilkins) went 0-for-their-starting-stint. The first front court bucket was made by Ryan Hollins. Sasha Pavlovic was the next front court player to score followed by the White Hole himself, Oleksiy Pecherov. The starting FC ended the game on 9-28 shooting. This comes on the heels of their 9-30 effort against the Nets.
My first Wolves prediction of the year: Ryan Gomes plays himself out of his team option at the end of the year. David Kahn isn't going to pick up a $4.2 million tab on a guy who can't really play the 3 or the 4 in a year where guys like Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, and Travis Outlaw could be on the open market.
Speaking of options, today is the day for the White Hole and Corey Brewer. Will their options be picked up by the team? I think Brewer gets his but my money is against Pech. Putting the last two points together, ESPN currently has the Wolves with between $8.9 and $12.5 million in 2010 cap space. This is with a cap projected between $50 and $53.6 million. According to the definitive Hoopus cap page, the Wolves are on the books for roughly $37.5 in pre draft pick 2010 salaries. If they decline the options on Pech and Gomes, they can reduce that number by roughly $6.5 million. In other words, by not picking up Pech and Gomes, the Wolves can be sitting at $31 mil at the start of the 2010 free agent without taking into consideration slotted 1st round draft picks. Could the Wolves be in the Mark Stein ballpark after it's all said and done with? Yes, but they also could be at the top of the heap with about $15-18 mil to spend even after all the draft picks are signed. We think Stein and ESPN underestimate the amount that the Wolves could have to spend at the end of the year, especially if Pech and Gomes are voted off the island.
How sad is it that we're already talking offseason cap space and draft picks? Yes, it will be a long year. An entertaining one at times, but a long one nonetheless.
There was a play in the 2nd half that really illustrated just how not-there Big Al is at times. The Wolves were about to enter the bonus when the Cavs got a fast break opportunity. Instead of making his way down the court to contest the shot, Al fouled the Cavs player at half court, conceding the foul and the trip to the line. If you are willing to give the foul and the trip to the line because of the bonus, why not contest the shot?
To say one good thing about Al, he did blow by Shaq on one play like Shaq was a 37 year old 360 lbs oaf....oh wait.
Corey Brewer played solid defense on LeBron when he wasn't spending time on the dangerous Anthony Parker. I know that LeBron can get his against anyone in the league but it would have been nice to see Brewer get a bigger crack against the guy.

Well, that about does it for the game wrap. What did you notice about the game? What guidelines will you have for critiquing the team's performances? Do you think Pecherov's option gets picked up? What about Gomes at the end of the year?

Until later.

Cavaliers go International with visit from Olympiacos

John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:09:45 -0000

2009/2010 NBA Preseason
	VS
0-0		2-0
October 12th, 2009
Quicken Loans Arena
7:00 PM
Radio - WTAM 1100AM/FOX SPORTS OHIO
Probable starters:
Teodosic	PG	Daniel Gibson
Linas Kleiza	SG	Anthony Parker
Josh Childress	SF	LeBron James
Vasilopoulos	PF	Anderson Varejao
Schortsanitis	C	Shaquille O'Neal

The Cavaliers go a bit International tonight when Olympiacos invades the Q. While some names are literally foreign to Cavs fans, there are also a couple - Josh Childress and Linas Kleiza - that NBA fans should know fairly well.

For the Cavs, it will survival of the fittest. Mo Williams(Groin), Jemario Moon(Wisdom Teeth) and Danny Green(Contusion) are out of the game with injuires. Add to that Delonte West who is still away from the team due to personal reasons and the Cavaliers will be far from full strength tonight.

Watching the action? Talk about it here.

PtR Preseason QuickCap: Olympiacos is Not an NBA Team

Tim C. — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:46:02 -0000

That weaksauce? Get it outta here.

OK, let's make this live up to the whole "quick" thing. All I have to go by is a box score, and several PtR members were at this game, so one or more of them should be able to drop a full recap on us.

Tonight the Spurs squared off against Olympiacos B.C., and beat them in convincing fashion(did you expect anything less?), 107-89. One look at the box score will tell you a few things:

The Leaders

George Hill is awesome. Cubits had 17 points, 3 board, 2 assists and shot 5-8 from the field in his 22 minutes of play. Rock on, Cubits, rock on.
Josh Childress is still a really good player. If he ever decides to come back to the states, the Spurs would be wise to provide a home for him.

The Rest

Tim Duncan(10 points, 5 boards, 3 assists) and Tony Parker(12 points, 3 assists) had a better +/- score than anyone else who played in this game. Big surprise, I know.
Manu Ginobili was pretty lackluster, but still chipped in a team-high 5 assists. It's OK Manu, you're still the Manuest, or something like that.
The Spurs got 5 blocked shots tonight: 2 from Timmeh, 2 from Malik Hairston(who was quietly effective again), and 1 from Theo Ratliff.
Richard Jefferson was again not very involved in the offense(going by the boxscore), but managed to get 2 steals on the defensive end to go with his 4 points on 2-2 shooting.
Roger Mason shot 4-5, including 2-3 from long range, for 10 points. It's good to see Roger back in midseason form.
Ian Mahinmi had a redemption game of sorts, coming away with 7 points, 2 rebounds and zero fouls, even though the game was already decided by then.
DeJuan Blair must have switched brains with Ian, as he had 4 fouls to go with the 9 points(mostly on FT's), 2 boards, and 2 steals he picked up.
Every player on the Spurs camp roster played tonight, and all but Marcus Williams and Dwayne Jones scored.
On the Olympiacos side, Von Wafer and Sofoklis Schortsanitis(leading scorer for the Greeks tonight) scored in double figures, though Schortsanitis got in foul trouble.
Linas Kleiza sucked. I wonder if this is because Keith Bogans started and SHUT. HIM. DOWN. Somebody who was at the game might be able to elaborate on this a bit more.
Ioannis Bourousis, of rumored-to-be-offered-a-deal-with-the-Spurs fame, had a less than stellar outing, but still managed to get 7 points, 4 board, and stole the ball from Manu at least once.

Ok, I lied about only going by the boxscore - there's also some video highlights. And photos.

I have no idea why there are no second half highlights as of this writing, which sucks.

all images below via yahoo

Oh man, I hope I don't get me the Bourousis from this.

Hey Josh, will you be my backup next year? OK, fine, I'll back YOU up instead... just come to SA.

Didn't I just beat you last month?

So, the Spurs won a game they were supposed to win, got good performances from most of the guys we're concerned about, and nobody got hurt. Seems like a good outing to me. Next up, the Spurs play in Miami on Sunday night.

Kleiza is heading to Greece

Nate Timmons — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:36:02 -0000

The Denver Post is reporting that Linas Kleiza will be signing a 2-year $12 million deal with the Greek club Olympiakos.

I was afraid that LK might leave the Nuggets, but at the same time I didn't think he'd really leave the NBA. Denver loses a key reserve off the bench ... and a guy that causes many-a-fans to smash their heads against walls with his inconsistent play.

I was a fan of LK's game initially, but definitely found myself wondering when he was going to realize his full potential ... that's no longer going to be an issue for me since he's decided to leave the NBA. Denver will still retain his rights as a restricted free agent much like the Atlanta Hawks and Josh Childress. So, if LK wants back in the League ... all paths go through Denver and his $2.7 million qualifying offer.

The end result here is the Nuggets losing another member of a team that went to the Western Conference Finals and a Euro League team has poached another NBA player. How will Denver replace LK? Whether you are a fan of him or not ... the bench is now looking paper thin.

Linas Kleiza 2008-09 Exit Interview.

ntimmons73@yahoo.com

(photo courtesy of AP Photos: Mark Terrill)

Daily Links 8/3

FLCeltsFan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:04:44 -0000

The Herald and Globe have dropped the ball on Celtics coverage. Nothing in either paper today. But still plenty of links.
CelticsBlog    Yep, It Is The OFFseason
You Are The GM
LOY's Place    Celtics History by the Numbers Part 3
Have the Celtics Become the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA?
Red's Army    NBA title now awarded in early August
HoopsWorld Better Have This Bowen Story All Wrong

Celtics Circuit    Who Should You Take to the Game?
NESN    The Celtics' Best From Beyond the Border
Celtics Town   Top Ten Best Trades In Boston Celtics History
Celtics Still Trying To Replace James Posey
Lex Nihil Novi   No Need to Play Next Year: Looks Like a Purple Repeat
Bird Jousts with Kobe's Dad in Celtics' Win (81-82)
A Few Minutes with Bruce Bowen
Sun Sentinel     Free agency: Sorting through the bargains
Bleacher Report    Is Kevin Garnett Draining Away What's Left Of Him?
Boston Celtics Made a Mistake In Getting Rashed Wallace
Hoopsvibe    Should your team sign that beep Bruce Bowen?
Orlando Magic Blogspot    Which Eastern Conference contender has improved the most in the off-season
Dimemag   O.J. and Rudy take a step toward Seattle; What’s beef with LeBron?
You Got Dunked On   Kendrick Perkins Does NOT Get Dunked On By Josh Childress
Twin Cities    Wolves owner: Moves make Kevin McHale's exit clearer
Inside Hoops    NBA Rumors - Aug 3
PBN    Rating the NBA's offseason, from best to worst
Hoopsworld     Will Bowen Pick Celtics Or Cavs?
SLAM Online    Isiah Thomas Seeks Redemption At FIU
Indy Cornrows    Wondering How The Pacers Will Deal With Injuries This Year
Washington Post    - Delonte West Settles Down, Settles In
Locker Gnome   Stephon Marbury and Decomposing Online
CBS Sports    Will any friends be there to catch a fallen Starbury?
Sportige The NBA’s All Time Top Ten Rebounders
News Herald NBA notes: Don't count on Cavs making big-ticket buy -
Cleveland.com    Cleveland Cavaliers owner to help NBA address labor issues
Bucks Diary      1964-65 Win Charts for every NBA team
TO Sports    Top Five Eastern Confrence Benches
Commercial Appeal Geoff Calkins: Scouts' honor, Grizzlies' cutbacks revealing priority
OJ's Juice A Summer of Good and Bad Moves in the NBA (Part 1)

Daily Links 7/30

FLCeltsFan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:45:35 -0000

Herald Jayson Williams due in court on assault charge
Trail Blazers won’t play preseason game in NBA-less Seattle after all
Chris Paul headed back to China as basketball ambassador
Vince Carter likes Orlando Magic’s chances next year

CelticsBlog     The Challenge Of Trading Big Baby
LOY's Place    Random Thoughts on Random Things
Red's Army    Is Everyone Overrating Lamar Odom?
I'm sick of waiting for Marquis Daniels
Celtics Hub    Read and React
A Brief Statistical Appreciation of Walter Ray
Celtics Circuit    Ads on Practice Jerseys?
Deciphering Rasheed Wallace
Celtics Town    Larry Bird, A Child's Idol
CT News    UConn’s Marcus Williams Signs with Memphis
Fernsten's Follies     Gabe Pruitt Doesn't Get Any Respect
Gabe Pruitt Doesn't Get Any Respect
League Consensus: Odomless Lakers would be Vulnerable
Lex Nihil Novi     1986 Lite?
Celtics Down Waltonless Clippers (81-82)
Savannah Now   NBA Arms Race
ESPN    Pay Them By the Made Free Throw
Hoopsworld     Ranking the Eastern Conference
Average Bro    The Rise Of The NBA SuperTeam.
Dimemag    Hawks, Hornets trying to move on up; plus Steve Nash’s shot at L.A.
NBA.com    Five teams that could be headed for a fall
Al Jefferson to Hold Charity Youth Basketball Camp
Chronicle    Cavaliers release Tarence Kinsey
Detroit News    Face it: Rasheed Wallace was unorthodox, but he delivered
Inside Hoops     NBA Rumors - Thursday
Indy Star    The pressure is on you now
AZ Central    Q&A: Former Highland guard Austin Ainge
HoopsAddict    LeBron James Alienating People To Protect His Precious Image
NBA Clip KEVIN GARNETT - From Timberwolves to Celtics - Road to Glory
Scores Report    2009 NBA Free Agency: Who’s left?
Peach Tree Hoops    A Josh Childress interview that makes snarkiness difficult to avoid
NOLA   New Orleans Hornets sign free-agent forward Ike Diogu
NBA Musings    will live streaming be the downfall of civilization?
USA Today    76ers' Brand puts injuries behind him
Sun Sentinel    A logical endgame: Udonis for Lamar
BareKnucks    Ray Allen used to be a likeable guy, now no one can stand him in Boston
NY Daily News    Brooklyn's Jamaal Tinsley willing to play for Knicks at Garden for less
Dueling Couches    Brandon Jennings Goes The Glen Davis Route
Pruitt To Be Traded Or Waived
Bleacher Report    Who Will Have the Larry O'Brien Trophy Come June?
Ball Don't Lie    A quick look through Kendrick Perkins' photo album
Report: Cavs to open season against Celtics; face Lakers on Xmas
FanHouse    Nash Has Shaq's Back, Now That He's With Cavs
SI.com    Bulls place faith in Luol Deng, current roster for next season
Tiger Weekly   NBA Offseason: Winners, losers and those in-between -
Star Tribune    Would Stephon Marbury’s pain make you feel better?
Love Tripper    Celtics Star Kendrick Perkins' Wedding
Hoop Doctors   The 10 Best NBA Players Under Age 23 - Part One
Mass Live    Years with Boston Celtics help mold Springfield Armor coach Dee Brown
Boston Man Cave    Star, Buried

A Josh Childress interview that makes snarkiness difficult to avoid

hawksdawgs — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:35:37 -0000

More photos » by Michael Sohn - AP

In Europe, basketball players require two people to dunk.

Browse more photos »

Hoops TV has an excellent interview with Josh Childress (HT TrueHoop). It covers everything from growing up in Compton to attending Stanford and of course his experience in Greece.

You can read the whole thing to be reminded how sick-nasty his AAU team was, what he has on his ipod, and which Hawk players he still talks to (I am a little sad he doesn't say Zaza). But two questions really jumped out at me.

HTV: Was it hard to watch the Hawks knowing that you could have been playing on that stage?

CHILDRESS: No because I was in the playoffs too. It wasn't like I left early. We were in the finals in our league and so I was busy doing that.

and

HTV: You played a lot less games and minutes overseas in Greece and your production (8.8 ppg. & 4.6 rpg.) dipped from your time in the League (NBA career averages of 11 & 5.6 per game). Was the decline in your numbers frustrating for you?

CHILDRESS: It was frustrating not playing the same amount of minutes and all that stuff but at the end of the day it comes down to wins and losses and we didn't win the championship like we should have and that's a bigger concern than my stats. So I'm looking next year to come out with a new found fire and to finish off the season with some trophies.

I was never privy to the conversations that happened behind closed doors, and I freely admit any bitterness I have toward Josh Childress simply comes from the selfish desire for the Hawks to be the best team possible. It is hard to chastise a person for wanting to make the most money possible when my only argument is that I would have enjoyed watching my favorite team win more games.

Still, outside of money (which is kind of like talking about a restaurant and saying, "well outside the food, the place was great."), Childress has to classify Greece as a disappointment right? He wanted a starting job, desired a larger role on a team, did not like the direction of the Hawks and/or attempted to control his future despite his restricted status.

Well, after this summer, it is clear the Hawks are still very much in the driver seat when it comes to controlling where Childress plays in the NBA, the Hawks went further in the playoffs, Childress avg. less minutes and points this season than in the NBA, and he played one of the most important games of the season to an empty gym.

In the end, Childress is this weird test case for looking at how a fan aligns his or her loyalty for either the organization or the player can shift and turn and randomly be formed by the way the media covers it and the needs of the team.

Selfishly, I want to say "I told you so" but I was never in a place where that carried any weight so I guess I will just say this instead, "I hope the extra money is worth it." Both reactions are probably ignorant double standards but what would a fan do without those.

Tuesday Notes: Jennings unleashed, Childress back to Greece, Sessions' suitors

Frank Madden — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:35:19 -0000

Woelfel: Ilyasova close, Sessions' interest
Gery Woelfel tweets from Vegas that four teams are still interested in Sessions, including the Clips. Woelfel also reports Ilyasova is still close to signing, but again nothing official. I kind of like the theory I first heard from Bern on RealGM that the Bucks have a deal in place with Ersan but are keeping it secret so as to appear flush with cash and scare off Sessions suitors. Reports from Spain and Turkey suggest he's signed for three years and something between $6 and 7 million, which fits with the $2 million starting figure we've seen thrown around. In Vegas the talk was that the Bucks didn't have to actually decide anything by July 15, which was the supposed deadline for picking up his Barca option, but that may have been because he was effectively already signed. The plot thickens!
Meeks and Stoudamire contract details.
Some good news on the contract front is that Salim Stoudamire's deal is unguaranteed until training camp (when it becomes roughly half-guaranteed), meaning the Bucks could free up $884k and another roster spot at no cost should they want to sign both Ilyasova and Sessions. Considering they'd still need to open up one more roster spot, waiving Bruce Bowen with his $2 million buyout would be the other obvious move.

Like Luc Mbah a Moute last year, Jodie Meeks will get slightly more than the rookie minimum in his new contract, reducing the amount left to sign Sessions/Ilyasova slightly (most second rounders get two year minimum deals). The Bucks opted to give him a three year deal with a base salary of $550-650k and the minimum the following two years, the last of which isn't fully guaranteed. It's essentially same deal the Bucks gave Luc last year, which delays restricted free agency by a year in exchange for a few hundred grand extra as a rook. Considering the millions Mbah a Moute will be forfeiting because of that, it would seem that NBA players have high discount rates.

JS: Childress staying in Greece
Josh Childress will not be a Buck this season, as he's heading back to Greece for a second season with Olympiacos. Charles Gardner got John Hammond's reaction:

"It was a business decision," Hammond said Tuesday from Las Vegas. "We wish Josh nothing but the best. We were interested."

Personally, I'm not that broken up about it. Still just 26, Childress is a phenomenal role player and glue guy. But as a long-term contract on a young team? Eh, I wasn't quite so enthused. I would have been happy to add him in a S/T if very little was headed out (like Luke Ridnour), but once first round picks and big contracts come into the equation it's less appealing. You could certainly do worse than give Chill an MLE deal, but I'm fine with giving Luc the keys to the car at SF and letting Joe Alexander fight for backup minutes. Besides, I'd rather save our cash to bring back Sessions--yes, even with Jennings lighting up Vegas.

Bucksketball: Focus on Sessions
Jeremy chimes in on Childress and a more pressing issue: the Sessions situation.

Are they waiting for an offer sheet? I sure hope not. Letting other teams set the market usually goes a long way towards souring relationships between players and teams. Don’t believe me? Read about the recent Marcin Gortat fiasco with the Magic. Does he sound like a happy guy? We don’t want Sessions getting promised starter minutes somewhere else only to find out he’s coming back here to fight with Brandon Jennings and Luke Ridnour for minutes.

I'm a bit nervous, too, but the fact that there are rumors of Olympiacos interest is in some ways encouraging--if he's resorting to Mediterranean recruiting trips then it would suggest NBA interest isn't what he hoped it to be. For now that interest appears to be coming from Greece, not Sessions, which is an important distinction. And like the inflated Jarrett Jack deal in Toronto, it only takes one team to force the Bucks' hand.

Jones: Evans vs. Jennings
Via Sactown Royalty, Jason Jones writes:

Jennings showed some of the immaturity he was criticized for having before the draft when after missing a shot on which he thought he was fouled, Jennings tripped Thompson.
Thompson only offered a stern glare, but has not retaliated.

You couldn't actually see what happened on the NBA.com game feed, but at about 23:30 of the video you see something happens. At the time I assumed it was just the two guys getting tangled up since there wasn't a technical and Thompson just got up and kept walking. On the replay, Jennings looks like he was fouled (though certainly not viciously) by Thompson on a perimeter jumper. Both guys disappear from the picture, a whistle is blown, and then you see Jennings walk back into the picture with his arm raised to acknowledge the foul as Thompson gets up. It's not all that uncommon for guys to hold or otherwise impede opponents trying to break down the court, but there's no way of telling if there was much malice in it or what.

Either way, Jennings will probably need to get used to fans and media looking for reasons to label him immature, brash, cocky, etc. It's a convenient story given his reputation for flashy play, academic indifference, and trash talk. Even if the hype doesn't mesh with reality, "easy" stories always tend to get retold, and people are always eager to mount their high horses. Hopefully Jennings can walk the fine line of letting his confidence and charisma show without letting it become a distraction.

Ball Don't Lie: Jennings winning over Skeets???
Skeets is Canadian, so sometimes he says unfortunate things. Like, "I hate the Milwaukee Bucks." But he's too good to us to be mad at him. And maybe, just maybe, he's coming around.

Honestly, outside of Brew Hoop and maybe Armen "The Hammer" Gilliam, everything about the Bucks bores me to death. Those tacky Christmas color jerseys, the uninspired team roster (sorry, I've never been a big Michael Redd(notes) fan), that creepy emo mascot ... man, I can't stand 'em. They're just ... just ... there. It's a frustrating franchise to try and follow.
But I'll tell you what, if rookie Brandon Jennings(notes) and new addition Amir Johnson(notes) keep connecting on sick alley-oops (like they do at the 1:17 and 1:24 marks in the Vegas Summer League video above), well, I'm going to start paying a lot more attention to the Bucks. Heck, I might even drink a Milwaukee's Best. (Too much?)

Looking At The Options At Small Forward

Roy_Hobbs — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:00:44 -0000

Marc Spears provides a fairly comprehensive list of the free agent small forwards who may or may not be willing to backup Paul Pierce this off-season:

There is a long list of small forwards available for the $1.9 biannual exception or even less, including Miami’s Jamario Moon (restricted), Phoenix’s Matt Barnes, Jerry Stackhouse (waived by Memphis Friday), Indiana’s Marquis Daniels and Stephen Graham, Atlanta’s Josh Childress (restricted), Dallas’s James Singleton (restricted) and Gerald Green, Detroit’s Walter Herrmann, Oklahoma City’s Desmond Mason, Golden State’s Rob Kurz, San Antonio’s Ime Udoka, and Minnesota’s Rodney Carney. While some may garner more money elsewhere, playing for the contending Celtics would be an added draw that could bring a discount.

Other names that Spears left out are Wally Szczerbiak, Joey Graham, and Keith Bogans.

I think some of the guys on the list are pretty unlikely to take the LLE, including Daniels, Moon, and Childress (and in the case of the latter two, their teams would almost surely match any LLE offer sheet signed). We all know the story with Gerald, and Kurz is a rookie with 40 games total of NBA experience. If you further limit the list to only include: 1) players 6'6" or taller; and 2) a three point percentage (career or last season) of over 33.3%, you're left with the six names: Carney, Herrman, Barnes, Singleton, Wally, and Udoka.

For the LLE, I'd be okay with any of those guys. Obviously, none of them are ideal, but that's what you get when you only have bargain contracts to offer. Of those players, I'd rank my wish list in the following order: Carney, Barnes, Udoka, Herrman, Wally, Singleton. Bruce Bowen also may get bought out, and if so, I'm sure he'd be considered, as well.

The small forward I really want, though, is Nocioni. If Sacramento has any desire to dump his salary, I hope Danny puts in a phone call, because he'd be a great fit here. Other potential trade targets for teams that are struggling finacially include Francisco Garcia, James Posey, Rasual Butler, Matt Harpring, Jared Jeffries, James Jones, Tim Thomas, and Ricky Davis (some are more likely than others).

Poll

Which free agent small forward should the Celtics sign?

Matt Barnes

1357 votes

Rodney Carney

363 votes

Walter Herrman

170 votes

James Singleton

28 votes

Jerry Stackhouse

639 votes

Wally Szczerbiak

295 votes

Ime Udoka

234 votes

None of the above

513 votes

3599 votes | Poll has closed