benji wrote:LeBron is such a choker. And people were talking about him as an all-time great. As having possibly surpassed Kobe. What a joke.
velvet bliss wrote:Andrew, you the real MVP.
Andrew wrote:He who flops and flails to the Finals and a title, flops and flails best.
Are you going to put T-Will on your team?
Patterson, Smith, Relegated to the NBDL
With the arrival of Terrence Williams from New Jersey, the Rockets find themselves even deeper at the wing positions. It is only fair for Patrick Patterson and Ishmael Smith to be sent down to the NBA D-League. "I'd much rather see them develop and improve in the D-League than to see them rot on the bench," said Rockets GM Daryl Morey after the announcement.
The Rockets sent a 2012 first round pick, and the Los Angeles Lakers sent Sasha Vujacic and a 2011 first round pick to New Jersey, while in return, the Nets sent veteran big man Joe Smith to Los Angeles, and young athletic swingman Terrence Williams to Houston. It isn't expected for Terrence Williams to get much playing time in Houston, with Shane Battier and Chase Budinger above him in the rotation.
After executing the trade, the Rockets had 16 players on the roster, one player more than the maximum of 15. So they sent Jermaine Taylor to the Sacramento Kings for a protected 2011 second round draft pick. This of course was done to clear roster space. With all of these trades here's how the Rockets' rotation will probably be throughout the season:
benji wrote:LeBron is such a choker. And people were talking about him as an all-time great. As having possibly surpassed Kobe. What a joke.
velvet bliss wrote:Andrew, you the real MVP.
Andrew wrote:He who flops and flails to the Finals and a title, flops and flails best.
Brad Miller as 3rd stringer? And where is Jared Jeffries?
If I were you, imma put Miller behind Scola as a backup PF. But that's just me.
Terrence to second option.
You know, there are many blogs/articles out there that hype the top upcoming 2011 NBA Draft prospects; players like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, and Kyrie Irving. This is not one of them. The prospects mentioned in this article you probably don't even know who the heck they are. Coincidentally, all of these prospects are fellow posters in one forum, the NBA Live Series Center Forum. Here they are:
Liam Washburn
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
College: Washington
Washburn is entering his senior year at Washington. He is a pass-first point guard; he led his team in assists last season at 8.1 a game, but if his teammates aren't open, he'll knock down shots all day. He has an excellent mid-range game, and shoots the three-ball very well. However, he lacks athleticism and isn't highly touted due to his lack of upside. If you're posting him up, you are guaranteed an automatic two points. He grew up a Sonics fan, and is still bitter that they were moved to Oklahoma City. Despite that, he is an all-around nice guy; he can develop excellent chemistry with players around him. This season he is expected to continue what he's always done, pass the rock to set his teammates up, but also take the big shots.
Ceiling: Steve Nash | Basement: Steve Blake
Willie Lewis
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
College: LSU
Lewis is entering his senior year at Louisiana State University, and unlike Washburn, is an athletic guard. He has an excellent mid-range game, rebounds at a higher rate than most guards, and is well-known for his pesky defense. Many people say he's overweight for a guy his height, but others say that makes him a better defender. He led his team in scoring last season at 18.9 points per game. Despite having a mid-range game, he lacks the three-point shot. He is also inexistent in the post on both ends of the floor, and to top that all off, he's foul prone. With his athleticism, he'll have no problem getting attention from scouts this season.
Ceiling: Caron Butler | Basement: J.R. Giddens
Thierry Tirieux
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
College: Michigan State
Thierry is an athletic guard from France. He is probably one of the most heavily scouted international players in this upcoming draft. He played two seasons in France, won MVP in both seasons, and led the league in scoring and assists. At such a young age, that's a major accomplishment. College scouts convinced him to head overseas to the NCAA, but he had a tough time deciding which college to commit to. After considering many colleges, he finally decided on Michigan State. He has a high basketball I.Q., an excellent mid-range game, and is probably able to play the majority of a basketball game. However, he's a poor free throw shooter, lacks rebounding skills, and is inexistent in the post.
Ceiling: Chris Paul | Basement: Rodney Stuckey
Xavier Nelson
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
College: Clemson
Nelson was a star in high school, and was heavily scouted by college scouts. He chose Clemson. College was something that looked impossible for him as a kid; he was shot in the leg, but never gave up on basketball. Entering his freshmen year, the team will look for him to make plays; he averaged 7.2 assists per game in high school. He's also an excellent mid-range shooter and three-point shooter, and his slashing abilities make him almost impossible to guard. However, he's not a good close range shooter, and usually can't finish plays inside. His rebounding needs improvement, and like the prospects above, he's inexistant on the low post.
Ceiling: Allen Iverson (prime) | Basement: Jason Williams
Valdis Iesalnieks
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 271 lbs.
Position: Center
College: UCLA
Finally, a player who isn't a guard. Valdis is another international player on this list. He's still pretty raw offensively, but on the defensive end is where he can produce some big stats. He's an excellent rebounder, he can block shots, and is very athletic. He can also perform post moves, and has a lot of stamina. He grew up a Kevin Durant fan, and he just may be the big man that his favorite team lacks. He's a poor free throw shooter, and shoots at a pretty low percentage for a big man.
Ceiling: Dwight Howard | Basement: DeAndre Jordan
Justine Jones
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Position: Small Forward
College: Kentucky
Another player who isn't a guard, Jones is a Filipino-American who didn't have such a successful college career because of all the injuries. When healthy though, he can really be a great player. He's an excellent passer, mid-range shooter, and three-point shooter. He also rebounds at a very high rate. However, as said above, he's injury prone, and he's also turnover prone. He's hoping to have a better NBA career, but the team that drafts him is likely taking a big gamble.
Ceiling: Undersized Kevin Durant | Basement: Morris Peterson
George Koukoulis
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
College: Greece
Unlike Thierry, George decided to stay in Greece for basketball. He grew up a Bulls fan, and always had an ambition to play in the NBA. He started with the lower leagues in Greece, moving up and he was eventually signed by Olympiakos BC. After having a great season, the team took the triple crown in Europe, and NBA Scouts convinced him to come overseas and enter into the NBA Draft. He decided to play one more season in Greece, before declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft. George is an excellent mid-range shooter, excellent in the penetration game, and is always willing to dive for loose balls. He always seems to know where the ball is going which explains his high rebounding rate. He lacks a three-point shot, isn't very strong, and lacks low post defense.
Ceiling: Dwyane Wade | Basement: Ronald Murray
They say the mid-range game is becoming a lost art in the NBA, but over half of these guys are excellent at that. Maybe this will be the start of the revival of the mid-range game. Most of these guys are also lacking defense on the low post, so if they are matched up against players like Andre Miller and Chauncey Billups, they'll need all the help they can get.
benji wrote:LeBron is such a choker. And people were talking about him as an all-time great. As having possibly surpassed Kobe. What a joke.
velvet bliss wrote:Andrew, you the real MVP.
Andrew wrote:He who flops and flails to the Finals and a title, flops and flails best.
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