IMO, we're riding a good streak right now in terms of chemistry and playing together which is resulting in huge wins for us. sure we are due for a stretch of games going south but til that time comes and we have til Feb, i say we leave our roster as it is for the time being, besides we're getting back CDR who can be a wild card for us, as well as the return of Boone at sometime(SWAT been gr8, but more pts and rebs will come thru boone). then we have Najera who can spell minutes and looks like Swift is getting back into game shape... we've been playin at 85% ability where as CDR and Boone can fill out the 15% imo...
CDR and Boone will not help with our perimeter defense. Defense is the issue right now. It is the one thing that separates this team from being good to being very good.
It would take plus some expirings since they are in the 2010 cap hunting mode too. Lets put it this way it would be possible that Haslem is an after thought for Miami after Marion goes in a deal, they might attempt to get Boozer in the offseason. What would they need in return cap space and young guaranteed players. I don't see Marion and Dorian Wright, I see them selling Marion a trying to pawn off Marcus Banks contract. Either way they have 2010 in thier minds too, and would do w/e they can to get under the cap for this summer to go after a Carlos Boozer.
This is a great thread. I really think that Jarvis Hayes is a great 3 off the bench (he can really do it all, shoot, defend, rebound)...keeping his minutes up over 25 will help. Plus there is more experimenting to do here with moving guys on the roster around. Carter can play more 3 if CDR comes along.
i like the marion deal too. no risk only one year plus with artest and odom joining the free agent market in 2009 we can either make a move for them or hope for lebron. ironic huh it took a bad season for the nets to get the big man we needed the depth we needed and a great one two punch
Marion for Boone obviously makes a lot of sense of both teams, but a lot of filler would have to come from the Nets to make contracts match up. Something along the lines of Boone, Swift, and probably Najera and Hassell. Third team might have to get involved.
Gooden and Hinrich for Marion would make more sense for both teams. Also, Brad Miller and Sheldon Williams for Marion. I think there will be way better offers for Marion than Boone and filler.
Well if it's just perimeter defense, Hassell is already on the roster. He's not quick enough for LeBron, but he's plenty physical and tenacious and will do a good job against most 3s. The problem is that you can't really have a one-dimensional specialist on the floor unless the other players are all VERY good in his area of weakness. Yi and even Lopez are still too inconsistent offensively to use a defensive specialist at the 3. We need a SF who can defend AND hit 40% or better on wide-open jumpers (2s and 3s) to keep defenses honest. That's why a Battier or Bowen is so valuable.
I think Wallace would work very well. He may not be a 3pt specialist, but he's an offensive threat. Guy puts up solid numbers. Battier and Bowen in his prime would be perfect, but Houston will not trade Battier. If a game situation requires 3pt shooting at the SF position you sub in Hayes.
why would the Rockets give up on him already? He's putting up decent numbers, and the team is doing well.
how much salary cap space do the rockets have. shane yao t-mac alston and now artest will be looking to collect this off season. can they afford him or are they willing to let shane go?
OK, here's the longer response I promised: This team is doing extremely well right now, way better than anyone expected. It's been a true pleasure to watch the Nets this season. However, the goal in the NBA is obvious: winning championships. Shawn Marion would NOT make this team good enough to beat the juggernauts. The Lakers and Celtics would still be way better than the Nets. The Heat would want more than the Nets can realistically offer anyway. Josh Boone isn't nearly enough to convince the Heat to give up their one year lease on Marion. Instead of going all out this season, I'd prefer to let Harris, Lopez and all the other youngsters continue their improvement and hope VC is still star-caliber in the next few seasons. Forget about LeBron in 2010. The chances of him becoming a Net, with the Knicks clearing cap space, Brooklyn seeming far, far away, the Cavs looking great, etc., are slim. But with all the hype around LeBron, other 2009 and 2010 free agents have been forgotten. Here are some players the Nets could realistically attract in the next two summers: -Ron Artest (2009 Unrestricted): Would fit perfectly alongside VC and Harris. Brings a defensive presence. His reputation as a "cancer" is overrated; put any player in a good situation and he'll shut up and play. However, he could still cause chemistry problems if things don't go his way, especially as a 3rd or 4th option on offense. -Rasheed Wallace (2009 Unrestricted): The Pistons are looking to refresh their roster and have been struggling so far with Iverson. Sheed is aging, but he's a fierce competitor. The question is whether he would be happy backing up Yi. I personally wouldn't want to sign him, but he's still out there. -Matt Barnes (2009 Unrestricted): Those who saw both Suns games know what his specialty is. Would be solid at SF, but it would probably cost a pretty penny to get him out of Phoenix and he isn't worth it. -Joe Johnson (2010 Unrestricted): He left a great situation in Phoenix for the money in Atlanta. If the Hawks don't prove to be a contender in the East within the next 2 years, he could jump ship again. Would cost most if not all of our cap space, but who wouldn't want to see a lineup of Harris/Johnson/Carter/Yi/Lopez? Will attract a lot of attention from many teams. -Mike Miller (2010 Unrestricted): Will be 30 years old. His numbers have dropped a lot this season. Would be a good addition for the right price. -Amare Stoudemire (2010 ETO): Amare is no doubt one of the best big men in the league. He would have to want to leave Phoenix and would cost the max but would drastically improve the team. -Travis Outlaw (2010 Unrestricted): Will still be just 25 years old. He is finally proving himself in Portland this season and years of talk about his potential. His next two seasons will be important in determining his role in the league. Portland have a lot of contracts to worry about extending in the next few years. -John Salmons (2010 ETO): Like Amare, he would have to terminate his contract. Will be 30 years old. A good starting SF. He will be looking for a final big paycheck, meaning lots of years and lots of money. -Manu Ginobili (2010 Unrestricted): The Spurs will likely trade Ginobili by 2010. At 33 and with a history of injury problems, signing him to a big contract would be a big gamble. However, a healthy Ginobili would be a solid starting SF. -Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh (2010 Player Options): The big fish. The whole league will be trying to sign them and LeBron. The Nets will have to have a good 09/10 season in order for Wade or Bosh to sign. -The restricted FAs: Marvin Williams (2009), Rudy Gay (2010), Randy Foye (2010), Andrea Bargnani (2010). Their teams will do whatever it takes to keep them and would match nearly any offer. But hey, why not try? Basically, the point of this list was to show that the Nets have enough options in the future. No need to rush the process because of an over .500 record in early December. Rod and Kiki built a great team, one which will be a lot better in a few years.
