I could, but why Camby over Joel? I doubt it makes much difference to Denver. It's an expiring contract either way.
Oh no doubt. I just wouldn't be surprised to see guys like JR Smith, Nene, and KMart traded rather quickly if Melo is gone.
Re: Denver Wants Batun I was under the impression that the entire context was whether he could move up to the starting SF spot if we traded Batum, at which point I would concur with most that he could fill that role as the SF spot is really his natural position. The question of HAS HE is obvious, of course he has just like even Greg Oden has played PG at one time or another as there are times in a 5 on 5 game when you dribble a ball up the court or a time when you come up outside the arc and are in a switch. So all 4's are playing variations of the 3 and 5 throughout the game and throughout the 24-second shot clock. So to simply try and qualify what position a player plays out there by using the designator some guy decided to print on the media guide doesn't make much sense. Obviously everyone has their own opinions, but I believe his game is a natural to the soft wing/mid-range jumper game than the power post-up Tim Duncan/Rasheed Wallace PF game. And the take that someone hasn't been playing the 3 due to who they were backing up (or where they were listed in the depth chart) is a lot like what we in my industry call the "zebra argument". That is like having a zoo with a bunch of horses and a zebra in there since he can coexist with the horses. You claim the zebra is really a horse because he is living with the horses. He's right there in the same pen with them, how could I disagree that the zebra isn't a horse? The answer is that no matter how much you think it's a horse, it's still a zebra. Just like Bayless has never been listed as a SG, but would fill that role naturally as it is his best fit in the NBA. Just like Camby has never played a game at PF on our team, but he is a natural PF since he's joined the association and it is the best fit for him. So I'm only speaking of Cunningham in the context of making Batum expendable in a trade.
I think that Dante's handle up to last year was the main reason he was mostly a 4 - and that's where Nate played him. He is a stretch-4 that can stroke the mid-jumper - but he is mostly a 4. He has also mostly played 4 on defense - but like most Portland 4s - finds himself guarding perimeter guys on a switch. I think he has the speed to guard perimeter guys - but he seems more effective providing weak-side help on them than as primary defender. I do not think I have seen enough of his improved handle to make up my mind if he is more natural at the SF position now. To me it seems that Portland's 3s - Batum, Webster, Roy/Rudy/Wes when they play the 3 - handle the ball more than Dante does - so to me it does not seem like Nate is using Dante as a SF yet. He seemed to have worked on his handle this summer - so maybe, but I have to admit that I do not see Dante as a natural SF.
