<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The trade deadline is five weeks away and TrueHoop, ESPN’s basketball blog, has made some calls to determine who is most likely to be in the deal making mode between now and then. Their analysis, based on conversations with “team personnel, agents, cap experts, and various NBA insiders”, identifies ten teams in trade mode…in spite of the team’s disappointing record and as a result, “seem ripe for a re-tool”. -netsdaily.com</div> Source
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jizzy @ Jan 15 2008, 04:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>good, hopegully this team loses every game and the idiot thorn gets fired.</div> Don't question Mega Thr0n.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Trade RJ</div> Why would we do that? He's having an insane year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Trade RJ</div> Why would we do that? He's having an insane year. </div> Insane what? His talent is so limited,i wouldnt mind shippin' his ass.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Trade RJ</div> Why would we do that? He's having an insane year. </div> Insane what? His talent is so limited,i wouldnt mind shippin' his ass. </div> Insane statement IMO, but I'll bite. If we trade him, for who then? Who is out there that could possiby elevate us to the elite?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Trade RJ</div> Why would we do that? He's having an insane year. </div> Insane what? His talent is so limited,i wouldnt mind shippin' his ass. </div> Insane statement IMO, but I'll bite. If we trade him, for who then? Who is out there that could possiby elevate us to the elite? </div> Pau or JO can contribute more than what RJ is.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ Jan 15 2008, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican @ Jan 15 2008, 11:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Trade RJ</div> Why would we do that? He's having an insane year. </div> Insane what? His talent is so limited,i wouldnt mind shippin' his ass. </div> Insane statement IMO, but I'll bite. If we trade him, for who then? Who is out there that could possiby elevate us to the elite? </div> Pau or JO can contribute more than what RJ is. </div> No way. Neither one can step up and be our leading scorer in this offense.
Every team has talent. Look at Charlotte--they're just loaded: Felton, Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, and Okafor--That's probably equal to our top-four, and they're terrible! There are three things that set teams apart, in my view. (1) Ability to play together. You could have all the talent in the world, but if you're selfish, the team isn't going to win in this league. (2) Ability to play defense. (1) and (2) are somewhat related in that they require the team to be on the same page, and be together, and they are impacted by the ability of the coaching staff. (3) Depth of the bench. The better teams have shooters up and down the bench that are almost interchangable with the starters. Look at Portland--they can bring James Jones and Travis Outlaw off the bench! And Jarrett Jack and Frye can score, too, and meet the first two criteria. So: Trading the Nets' starters for new starters isn't going to help unless you can improve (1) or (2). The Nets starters play very well together, especially with Boone and Smokey in there. They actually are playing at a quicker pace than they have in years, which plays to Kidd's strength. Can you improve their defense? Well, among the starters, the weak link is clearly Vince, and he's not terrible. Kidd is erratic but can bring it defensively when he has to, and Boone and Sean will improve greatly over the next year or so, so there's no reason to pull the plug on them. That leaves us with . . . the bench. The way to most improve this team is to improve the bench. As. it. has. been. every. year. for. the. past. five. years. Stop talking about trading the nets' starters! The Nets need young atheletes who can shoot and be pests on defense. These guys are actaully AVAILABLE but the nets have chosen instead to sign veterans every year to one-year deals. From the looks of things, this will continue and continue. Trading Vince for Pau or RJ for O'Neil will not make the team better. It'll just shuffle the pieces a little bit. Remember, the bench players, in total, will use up roughly between a QUARTER to a THIRD of the team minutes. In other words, the bench, in total, is worth MORE than a starter. The Nets' bench is TERRIBLE--one of the bottom five in the league in terms of both production and defense. Maybe Charlotte's is worse. Minnesota's and Memphis' might be better. Everyone harped on how Collins was the worst starter in the league . . . well, the Nets' bench is worth MORE than a 20-minute-per-night starter, and it is worse than Collins. THIS should be the target of everyone's ire. THIS is where the Nets should figure out how to improve the team--but by "blowing up" the starting unit. Blowing up the starting unit will NEVER improve the team UNLESS we get a better bench.
Whose Bench is better Boston's or NJ's? House or Marcus? Posey or Wright? Big Baby or Krstic? Scalabrine or Collins?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 16 2008, 11:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Whose Bench is better Boston's or NJ's? House or Marcus? Posey or Wright? Big Baby or Krstic? Scalabrine or Collins?</div> Our bench looks better if you put Krstic on it, but quite frankly, he's not a part of the team. Neither is Marcus. Obviously, if you could plug a 2005-Dec '06 Krstic on the bench, it would get better in a hurry. Marcus is terrible right now and, while I am very optimistic by nature, I haven't seen anything from him that would make me thing that he'll be anything more than a scrub. Right now, the bench is Collins (good post defense, can't shoot); Malik Allen (can't play defense, doesn't box out, every now and then can hit an open jumper but just as likely to miss); Magloire (completely useless, as expected); Antoine Wright (very good defender but can't shoot or slash); Daryl Armstrong (shows energy on defense but contributes little offensively); and Nachbar (poor defensively--slow foot speed, and forgets to box out and lets his man get plenty of offensive rebounds--but is a league-average offensive threat). So there's only one semi-offensive threat (Boki) and a couple of guys who play above-average defense.
I'm looking at this similar to GSW a year ago. They had long term contracts of JRich, Dunleavy, Murphy and Foyle and they were not going any where with that group. Nellie was frustrated, the team was dead. Then they found a commonality with Indy, basically exchanging each other's junk. GSW goes to the playoffs and becomes the postseason darlings. Then during the draft, they unload JRich's contract for Brandan Wright. Then they buyout Foyle at about 60%. Not only are they under the lux tax, but they have salary cap flexibility heading into next offseason where Ellis and Biedrins are free agents. Thorn can't be afraid to make a move. Trade VC and Magloire for a PF. Buyout Collins next offseason.
