Sup dubs? Been a pretty cruddy year for both of our squads unfortunately. You guys have so many talented players. I just hope management and the coaches get it at some point. Oh well.

With talk of Randolph on the block, I figured that I would pitch my own trade idea. Here it goes.

David West and Hilton Armstrong and cahs for Randolph, 'Buike and Claxton.

Hornets get their 4 of the future before Nellie ruins him and crazy good cap space, and the Warriors get a two time all star/ jump shooting big man. Hilt is thrown in just for kicks, and to help us get under the luxury tax this year. We throw in the chas to pay his contract and it comes out aces. He's a pretty crappy player, but he gives you a good defender on an expiring contract. I know you guys wil miss Buike, but he is done for the year, and you'll be able to resign him next year provided that no one else offers a better deal.

Downside is pretty obvious. David West has no real upside. He is the player he will always be, maybe a little worse. He will never be the athletic or defensive presence Randolph is. Potential is sexy and D West doesn't have it. Additionally, unlike Amare, D West doesnt play the 5 a whole lote, and I'd imagine that Nelli would prefer to play him that spot. Also he isn't very fast. On top of all of that he doesnt' shoot the 3 much. So that's all the bad but honest stuff, just so you guys know I'm trying to argue from a pretty objective spot.

What D West does have is a low drama game that can operate well without killing ball movement. He is also a great floor spacer and owns one of the wettest mid range j's in the game. He is also a vet who is used to winning. He would be a perfect compliment to Biedrins, because they can both do the stuff that the other can't. D West is shorter but stouter, so he could take on more of the post d. Biedrins can play the Tyson Chandler to David West's David West. He can use his miblity to play weakside d and pick and roll d, and he will be able to stay on the floor longer as he will no longer be solely responsible for post defense. Offensively he also helps Biedrins because he operates well from the high post and thus frees up space in the middle. This is also great for Ellis because it opens up lanes for him.

Hornets get great cap space, and a fantastic compliment to both Chris Paul and to Okafor. In my opinion our two biggest issues right now are 1) post defence and 2) the lack of a fast break game. We allow a crapload of points in the paint. I think this is due to that lack of a more molible help defender in the paint. Mek is a great post defender but he is also a shot blocker, and when he is drawn out to the high post, David West lacks the foot speed to recover and help guard Mek's man. Randolph still has alot to learn, but I think he has the commitment , and the ability to be a good defender, and th rest will come.

Chris Paul is the perfect fast break guard, but he doesn't have the pieces to run. In order to run the fast break game well you need at least one fast big, and right now he has none. If you ever watch him you can see him beating two or 3 oppsing players down the lane, but he has no one to throw it two so he is forced to take it back to the top of the key.

So this is my idea. Thoughts?

I posted this on BlogBulls. Basically I am really worried about D West's defense. Yes his shooting has been down, but honestly his D has been worse. Here's my idea. And yes I think Deng can play the 4 well.

David West for Luol Deng. The move is a pretty straightforward deal.

For you guys: David West, one of the best pick and pop bigs in the game. Additionally he would be a terrific compliment to both Rose and to Noah. You guys run alot of high pick and roll, which makes alot of sense becuase ofthe point guard you have (granted it isn't working now because the wings can't/ aren't spacing the floor from the three point line).

D West is perfect for the high pick and roll because he can either 1) be the pick er in which case he draws his big with him because no one wants to leave him alone for an open j, or 2) he can be a floor spacer from the elbow if Noah is the picker. This was the type of pick and roll that the Hornets most often used with Chandler. Noah actually reminds me alot of Tyson. It really frees space up in the middle of the floor for both Rose and Noah. This allows Noah to use his speed and length to get back to the post, and it gives Rose more options.

Two other benefits are 1) West is an underrated shot creator. He gets a fair amount of assisted shots from Paul, but he also good at both taking bigs off of the dribble, and posting up on smaller defenders. and 2) He is a good passer from the high post. He's been really good with feeding Okafor this year and has been averaing a high assist rate recently for a forward.

Defensively, West is less mobile then Tyrus, and obviously Deng, but he is also bigger then both of them. He has a more solid frame then Noah as well and would take over a fair amount of the post defense duties so that Noah can be free to roam. Additionally, if he was playing against a banger then he could make them work on the defensive end. This worked really well for the Hornets when we had Chandler. West played post d and Tyson was our pick and roll/ weakside defender. West has had a down year so far in points but he has been playing much better of the last 10 days.

As for the Hornets... we move Deng to the 4. We will make use of his mid range j, since he loves to shoot that shot. He is also so quick for his size that becomes a great pick and roll defender and weak side defender. Okafor has the bulk so he can be our Kendrick Perkins type. Also, Deng is an excellent rebounder so we don't miss anything there. Perhaps mostimportanly we give CP3 a big who can run. This is crucial, because right now, no one can run with him so his vision and quickness is wasted.

Additionally, I don't think you can really pair Rose and Deng together in the long term. Neither one will ever be a 3 point shooter, so unless you get a stretch 4, you are doomed to only having one 3 point shooter on the court. This kills floor spacing, and it will make it much harder for rose to operate in the half court. Same goes for Deng, as people will just crowd him.

Now you might ask yourselves... why don't we just move Deng to the 4 spot permanently. He can hit the open J and play d and rebound. The problem is defensively, Deng isn't a great option for you guys. Pairing him Noahdoesnt work beacue neither one has the fram to be a banger.

The other issue would be what to do with with the wing now that Deng isn't there. I think you should move Salmonsback to the 3 where he can take advantage of quickness matchups, and trade Tyrus for a 2 who can shoot. With the size of Rose and Hinrich you'd be able to get a combo guard. I'd recommend Tyrus for Jerryd Bayless and Outlaw. Outlwa probably won't play this year, but he is an expiring. The Blazers need another big, and you guys could take advantage of Bayless's quickness.

Also West's contract actually declines every year and he makes a million less then Deng this year, so it gives you some extra cash to throw around next year and it gives a little extra money to buy a vet for a minimum contract this year.

And no, we wouldn't do Tyrus for West. We would need a first or some wing help that you guys can't really provide us.

Thoughts?

Whatup Chi town? I havea trade proposal that I wanted to run by you guys. The move is pretty simple. David West for Luol Deng.

The move is a pretty straightforward deal.

For you guys: David West, one of the best pick and pop bigs in the game. Additionally he would be a terrific compliment to both Rose and to Noah. You guys run alot of high pick and roll, which makes alot of sense becuase ofthe point guard you have (granted it isn't working now because the wings can't/ aren't spacing the floor from the three point line).

D West is perfect for the high pick and roll because he can either 1) be the pick er in which case he draws his big with him because no one wants to leave him alone for an open j, or 2) he can be a floor spacer from the elbow if Noah is the picker. This was the type of pick and roll that the Hornets most often used with Chandler. Noah actually reminds me alot of Tyson. It really frees space up in the middle of the floor for both Rose and Noah. This allows Noah to use his speed and length to get back to the post, and it gives Rose more options.

Two other benefits are 1) West is an underrated shot creator. He gets a fair amount of assisted shots from Paul, but he also good at both taking bigs off of the dribble, and posting up on smaller defenders. and 2) He is a good passer from the high post. He's been really good with feeding Okafor this year and has been averaing a high assist rate recently for a forward.

Defensively, West is less mobile then Tyrus, and obviously Deng, but he is also bigger then both of them. He has a more solid frame then Noah as well and would take over a fair amount of the post defense duties so that Noah can be free to roam. Additionally, if he was playing against a banger then he could make them work on the defensive end. This worked really well for the Hornets when we had Chandler. West played post d and Tyson was our pick and roll/ weakside defender. West has had a down year so far in points but he has been playing much better of the last 10 days.

As for the Hornets... we move Deng to the 4. We will make use of his mid range j, since he loves to shoot that shot. He is also so quick for his size that becomes a great pick and roll defender and weak side defender. Okafor has the bulk so he can be our Kendrick Perkins type. Also, Deng is an excellent rebounder so we don't miss anything there. Perhaps mostimportanly we give CP3 a big who can run. This is crucial, because right now, no one can run with him so his vision and quickness is wasted.

Additionally, I don't think you can really pair Rose and Deng together in the long term. Neither one will ever be a 3 point shooter, so unless you get a stretch 4, you are doomed to only having one 3 point shooter on the court. This kills floor spacing, and it will make it much harder for rose to operate in the half court. Same goes for Deng, as people will just crowd him.

Now you might ask yourselves... why don't we just move Deng to the 4 spot permanently. He can hit the open J and play d and rebound. The problem is defensively, Deng isn't a great option for you guys. Pairing him Noahdoesnt work beacue neither one has the fram to be a banger.

The other issue would be what to do with with the wing now that Deng isn't there. I think you should move Salmonsback to the 3 where he can take advantage of quickness matchups, and trade Tyrus for a 2 who can shoot. With the size of Rose and Hinrich you'd be able to get a combo guard. I'd recommend Tyrus for Jerryd Bayless and Outlaw. Outlwa probably won't play this year, but he is an expiring. The Blazers need another big, and you guys could take advantage of Bayless's quickness.

Also West's contract actually declines every year and he makes a million less then Deng this year, so it gives you some extra cash to throw around next year and it gives a little extra money to buy a vet for a minimum contract this year.

And no, we wouldn't do Tyrus for West. We would need a first or some wing help that you guys can't really provide us.

Thoughts?

I have been very impressed with Darius Songalia as of late. He is a mobile savy vet who does alot of the little things.  Drawing the charge on Thompson tonight to foul him out is a good example. But we still need some bulk off of the bench Songalia can't rebound worth a lick, and our bench is stil lgetting scored on in the paint. Darius is a good pick and roll defend er but having him in the game as a center exposes us to post players and offensive boards. This has been exploited often this yea,r and Sacto scored almost 60 points in the paint tonight.

I have said before that the guy we really need is Desagan Diop. He is one of the best defensive centers in the league though he can't score at all. Right now MoPete can't even smell the court. We aren't talented enough right now to have mid level guys languishing on the bench. We should really trade him for Diop or Jason Maxiell, or Kwame Brow or any of a number of defensive, rebounding bigs. We no longer need points out of that sopt with Collison and Thornton in the games, but we still need post d, and protection against second chance shots.

What's up Bulls fans? The season has been Topsy Turvy so far. You have my sympathy, but as a Hornets fan I'm in the same boat (actually fewer topsies more turvies). Anyways, like any NBA fan I like to look at matchups and combinations of players even beyond my team. I know it is early, but there are two guys in the draft that I really think would be pefect for the Bulls. One guy has been hyped up quite a bit, and the other less so.

Demarcus Cousins and James Anderson

Let's start with Cousins. He is the absolute perfect guy to put next to Noah. Being a Louisiana guy, I love Tyrus, but he just repliactes too much of what Noah already does. Very athletic, great defender, but skinny and narrow and without a refined offensive post game. Both get beat up by back to the basket bigs, and neither is a very talented post scorer. Most all great defensive teams have their post defender and their team defender. The post guy guards the Al Jeffersons and Tim Duncans. The team guy plays the pick and roll and weakside D. The Celtics are the best example of this with Perkins being the post guy and KG being the roamer. You guys have to roamers and no post guy other then Brad, who is a liability due to lack of mobility.

Cousins is the perfect compliment to Noah. He is extremely skilled, and a natural scorer from all over the court. Also, while isn't known for his defensive intensity, he has an nba body, basketball i.q. and naturally large frame that is perfect for post play. This would leave Noah free to roam the court on Pick and Rolls and help side D which is what he is best at, and save him from the pounding of bigger guys that he sucks at. Also it gives Noah another guy to get dishes from,. As a matter of fact, both players will benefit from the other's ability to pass creating a great hi-low game for the Bulls and adding another offensive factor. Eventually Cousins who get double teamed thereby getting Noah open more oftenfor layups and also providing more oppurtunity for offesnive rebounds and put backs when Cousins draws two bigs.

The downside with Demarcus is that he is thought to be a low character guy who dogs it. They said the same thign about Speights. I say look at his his body of work. He is 15 and 8 with 2.5 blocks in just 20 minutes of work. If Patrick Patterson isn't playing on Kentuck, Demarcus is a 20 and 10 guy right now in college. Those are crazy numbers. Also, this draft is really loaded at 4 so he will be available later then he should be. I see him being a one and done guy.

James Anderson is a guy who nobody talks about but I love his game. He is mostly a three point shooter, but has really improved his all around offensive game this year.He is averaging 20 points and 8 rebound from the 2 guard spot. He is actually having a better year then Wesley Johnson who everybody loves as a top 10 pick. He is already NBA ready. Great athelticism, his body is ready for the big leagues, and he really shows defensive intensity. He would give you guys another great defender, but one who could really space the floor for Rose and Deng. He is also a high character.  This kid is going to be a steal unless scouts realize his game this year.

His downside is that one he is older so there is less upside, and 2 he isn't a great ballhandler.

Obviously, this requires two picks. You'd have to trade for a late first rounder, although the way things are going for your season, you may be able to trade you pick for two picks in the 20's and be able to get both of these guys.

That's it for me. I'd love to hear your opinion on these guys.

Hey guys, I'm back with another trade proposal. These are fun, and you know you like them as much as I do. I think this move is pretty sensible, but I wanted to check with you guys to see if I am crazy. So here is the trade proposal:

Peja for Nocioni and Garcia (And Sean May or Udoka because Garcia is a BYC player as I was helpfully reminded by one of your posters. This would also mean that this move couldn't go down until closer to the trade deadline.)

Peja has had a resurgence recently but the real reason Sacto would do this move is because it saves you serious money. Peja's contract expires next year. You guys pay 2 million more next year but save 24 million after that over the next two years.  Heck you could even buy him out but I think you lose his value that way. Next year you guys will have serious cap space, a big expring, lot's of young, talented players, and multiple first round paicks. That;s the kind of stuff that gets you superstars and builds dynasties.

Additionally Peja is not completely useless as a player. He can still score, and pass, and he is still deadly from the three. Peja would also give you guys a solid vet to help teach your wings (something Nocioni can already do). Granted he is not the tenacious defender that Nocioni is, but that gives Casspi a new role to play.

Having said that, honestly, it frees up some space at the 3 for Green and Caspi.You don't owe Peja minutes, and there really isn't space for Nocioni and Freddie in you future with the talented wings you already have. Lastly, it's Peja, a guy with a special relationship to Sacto. It would be nice to see him finish his career where he started it.

For the Hornets, we get our starting wings for the next few years. Garcia is a great versatile wing, and Nocioni is a tenacious defender who can hit the spot up J. Anyone who has seen my posts before knows how much I love Garcia's game and how perfect a fit I think he is next to CP3 (good catch and shot game, good ball handler, good defender, tough, good character). Both space the floor and play good defense which is really all we need from our wings. We also save two million dolLars next year which will be a bad luxury tax year for us.

So that's my move. Thoughts?

P.S. I know you guys want to try Kevin Martin and Evans together, but would this move plus David West and Marcus Thornton for Kevin Martin work for you guys? Just wondering.

I'd love to see what you have to say about these moves. Good luck with the rest of the year.

What'sgood Rip City? I had a trade idea that I wanted to toss around, and I was wondering if I could get some input from the Blazers faithful. Here it goes:

Marcus Thornton, Posey, Julian Wright and a first for

Rudy, Martell, and Outlaw.

Here's the deal: For us this makes sense becuase we get cap space and our wings for the future. Rudy and Martell are perfect compliments for CP, especially Rudy. He is a 2 guard with great handles so he can occasionally bring the ball up the floor, and he can shoot the 3 so he spaces the floor for Chris Paul. Our issues last year and this year revolved around an overeliance on CP, offensive predictability, and a lack of shot creators.  Also our offense is at its deadliest when our wings are hitting open 3 point j's. It opens up the floor for CP and forces wings to stay at home, and either double with a big or take CP one on one. Rudy is perfect becuase he is such a good ball handler and passer. His ability to bring the ball up the floor and pass prevents teams from doubling CP hard at the top of the key. Martell can play good D and hit the open 3 which is all we need from the 3.

Also, Outlaw probably will not be ready this year which is a shame, but his contract is expiring, which would save the Hornets about 4 million next year. It allows the Hornets to do a bit of a salary dump while saving face because we get some quality players in return.

For you guys, here's the deal. Thornton, is a scorer, plain and simple. He put the ball in the hole. That's about it. He's a good three point shooter, he draws fouls, he can score on pin downs, post ups, you name it. He also doesn't need alot of minutes to be effective. Perfect 6th man. He plays rookie d, and he isn't a really good passer but do you guys even need that stuff? 12 points in about 19 minutes a game.

You also get Julian Wright and Posey. Juju is not a scorer at all, but he does everything else, especially play d. He would essentially play the same role that Batum played. He can also play the 4 because of his length and his rebounding, so you guys would get a small ball 4. But again, he is not a scorer, and his turnover rate is pretty high. And then there is Posey. When Pose is on a good team is an utter gamer. Late threes, defensive reobunding, drawing charges. That's his game. He could also play the small 4 and has the added benefit of being a 3 point shooter. This would give you the floor spacer at the 4 that Outlaw provided. He is getting pretty old, and had a slow start, but has picked it up lately, and  is back to his old self. He has been the final piece for multple teams and he would give the Blazers added toughness and another clutch shooter even though they don't need one. He is also a vet, something you guys are a bit light on. You also get a pick, and there is a serious possibility that the Hornets don't make the playoffs so it could be a lottery pick.

There has been alot of talk about cohesion issues this year with your team. Trades don't usually help that, but the 2 players that you get in this trade will help immensely because of three reasons. First, they all know their role. Thornton, is a microwave scorer in limited minutes. Juju is a stopper. Posey is a playoff gamer. They know what they do well, they don't need to start, and their games are complimentary. For Posey and Juju, neither are big shooters, and both only take open shots. They both take care of your forward issues at the 3 or the 4. Nate seems to prefer a small 4, and they both can fit the bill.

Also, eventually, I think coming off of the bench will take a toll on Rudy. He has a starter's game. Yeah he can do the spark plug thing fine, but he doesn't score at a really high clip compared to a guy like Ginobili, or even Bayless, or even... Thornton. This role doesn't take as much advantage of his versatility, passing ,and dribbling skills, especially with Miller playing backup since he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Also, his minutes will always be limited because he is backing up one of the best 2's in the game. His ability to play his natural position wil lalways be limited as long as he plays with Roy. Less a concern for the Blazers then for Rudy.

Okay, so what are your thoughts, am I crazy? I'd love to get some input form you guys,

Hello utes. My apologies for the slow start to the season. As a Hornets fan I can really commiserate.

As with many fans of teams with slow starts, I am prone to unrealistic trade proposals.

That being said, trade ideas are always fun, so let's give it a whirl.

Trade D West and Posey plus cash for Kevin Martin and Freddie Garcia

Trade Peja and 2 top 10 protects picks for Andre Kirilenko

We get the best 2 that the New Orleans Hornets have ever had.

For Sacto, getting D West allows them to play Jason Thompson at his natural center position. And Dwest gets anthoer mobile big to cover for him on pick and roll d. Evans is a 2. His last few games with Sacremento have highlighted this. 

As for Utah, this move allows them to move Korver at the trade deadline for just cash. He makes less than 6 mill, so if sold to a team with cap room halfway through the year, Utah can just pay a team 3 million to take him off of their hands for cap space. New Orleans would be willing to throw in Posey probably, provided that you would want him. He could give the spark and toughness that Harpring used to give you and he is a better shooter. In that scenario, the Kings would take Harpring's contract, so you still would save 3 mill in the deal. Utah probably wouldn't do this because posey has some years on his contract, and he is recovering from surgery. So what do you guys think? Am I completely crazy?

What's up guys? I hate that the best start to a Saints season ever is being sullied by the issues with the way the Hornets are playing. I'm really not liking the way the pieces are fitting right now. Mek and D West are not in sync, and Mek will never be the type of defensive player that Tyson was (not worse just different). West needs a space eater in the middle who can cover the pick and roll and recover on weakside d to cover some of his slowfootedness on D. Emeka can't really do that. He is more of a solid, shot blocker/ man defender. Also, Mek can't run like Tyson, and neither can D West so we never get fast break oppurtunities. I still think the move needed to be made because of the issues with tyson.

Also, like everybody realizes, we don't have shooters at the wing position anymore which is killing us.

That being said, trade ideas are always fun, so let's give it a whirl.

Trade D West and Posey plus cash for Kevin Martin and Freddie Garcia

Trade Peja and a pick for Andre Kirilenko

That gives us:

His CP3ness/ Collison

K Mart/ Thornton/ Brown

Garcia/ Juju/ Peterson

AK47/ Diogu/ Songalia

Mek/ Hilt/ Marks

We get the first legitimate 2 since the Hornets have been in New Orleans. Sacto gets the best 4 that they have had since C Webb, and Utah gets picks and some necessary cap space.

With these pickups the Hornets will be able to do 3 things they currently cannot do 1) capitalize on CP's dribble penetration with open 3 pointers 2) run  3) play pick and roll d.  Kevin Martin is something special, even with his injury issues he is still MORE then worth his salary. Also, folks on this site know that I love me some Freddie Garcia. Also, if we ever made the move that I've been pleading for (getting Diop), we could play an absolutely ginourmous second unit

6'7 Garcia

6'8 Juju

6'9 AK

6'10 Meka

7 Diop

 or a small uber quick second unit

CP

Collison

K Mart

Juju

AK47

The down side of this move is that it would essentially kill this year. Both Martin and Garcia are injured and won't be back for months. We would have to rely on  Mo and Juju on the wings.

For Sacto, getting D West allows them to play Jason Thompson at his natural center position. And Dwest gets anthoer mobile big to cover for him on pick and roll d. Evans is a 2. His last few games with Sacremento have highlighted this. 

As for Utah, this move allows them to move Korver at the trade deadline for just cash. He makes less than 6 mill, so if sold to a team with cap room halfway through the year, Utah can just pay a team 3 million to take him off of their hands for cap space.

Fransisco Garcia and Desagana Diop.

First trade Rasual and Devin Brown for Garcia. Fransisco is a quick, athletic wing who can both shoot the 3 ball and drive to the hole. He has excellent ball handling skills, defensive presence, and a fiery attitude. He even played some backup point guard last year. The guy is really well rounded, and I am a big fan of his. Why then, do I think he is avaliable? Because the Kings have at least 4 years and 24 million dollars committed to a bench player. He backs up Kevin Martin, one of the best scorers in the game, and Andres Nocioni. Also, both Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih, two of Sacramento's point guards,  are more combo guards then reall pg's anyway, so they ought to eat up most of the backup minutes at the 2 spot. At small forward, Sacto has to young prospects, Dontae Greene, and Omri Casspi, that they will want to give some minutes to this year since it will be a rebuilding year and they want to see what they have with those players.

Also, if they move Garcia they would have less then 30 million in committed salary next year making them major players in either free agency or trade scenarios.  Butler had a great year last year, but Garcia is younger, quicker, a better ball handler, and more versatile. If his shot isn't falling he can drive to the basket. He would be a crucial third option/ shot creator on the court. With him starting we'd have four above average scorers (Paul, West, Garcia Okafor), and 4 above average defenders (Paul, Wright, Okafor, and Garcia). That kind of balance would make it really difficult to stop us on any given night because we could rely on the best matchups that night and save CP's energy for those 3rd quarter/ 4th quarter heroics that he prefers.

A Diop for MoPete and a 1st is alot for a backup. I realize that, but he would give us the last piece. Emeka is an excellent defender and one of the best all around centers in the game (top ten). His problem is he is a little undersized. This wouldn't matter in the vast majority of games we play in, but there would be a few games where this woud be a problem (Orlando, Cleveland, L.A., Portland). Getting Diop would do three things 1) it would allow Okafor to play agressively without worrying as much about fouls 2) It would give us a big banger to combat the low post scorers left in the game, and 3)  we wouldn't have to double the opposing team's low post threat so we wouldnt give up open looks on kickouts.

We make those moves and I put us up against any other team in the league.