MCW

[WTF]

This is a tough post to write because I really like all of these kids! However, there is one cardinal rule in the NBA!

You play the position that you can defend!

On the floor leadership front, Burke is the clear winner with MCW coming in a close 2nd! The upside for Burke & MCW is also higher than Knight's, so in this situation, you want to hopefully draft either Burke or MCW!

Scoring is a bit of a wash between Burke & Knight with MCW bringing up the rear! I also like the upside of both Burke & Knight in this area, as both will get better than MCW over time!

Of the 3, the ONLY one capable of, and has the greatest upside for defending NBA level point guards on the perimeter is Knight! This isn't much of a contest because he's ahead of MCW and far out distances Burke! Burke has the weakest lateral agility of the 3, while Knight has the highest and is also the quickest and fastest!

So where does that leave us if both MCW & Burke are available at #8?

If you believe in defense, the only logical choice is to draft MCW to pair with Knight in the backcourt! I've said it a long time ago, but everyone that looks at the situation has arrived at the same conclusion!

MCW has great size and is almost as good as Burke as a floor general, but the thing that makes him better than Burke is that on defense he can guard SG's leaving Knight to handle the speedier PG's.

This is almost a perfect situation for the Pistons, because drafting Burke would mean that either he develops fast, or Knight likely will have to be traded at the deadline!

Trading Knight is risky for a team that needs superior perimeter defenders. A smart GM recognizes where a player is in his development and augments it to keep the very positive parts, no player is without holes in their game! The problem with the draft is that those holes aren't exposed until it's too late!

So if Burke is there, Joe's options(IMO)
1. Get MCW if available
2. Go big if Zeller or Bennett are there
3. Draft Burke

The bottom line is that Burke is a defensive liability that we'll always have to cover for which will ultimately limit our ability to become a lock down defensive unit! That's the main reason he may drop, but some teams don't value defense as much as we do!

Man,  a tingling in my gut is whispering that MCW may be the Darko of this draft.  The numbers may dispute this but I wonder if he will be able to guard his position in the NBA.  Long, lankey, light in the arse, and having played primarily in the zone D makes me wonder if PGs won't blaze by him and SG bully him.

I can live with our PG not being strong defensively few PG's are, Rondo is a great on ball defender much in the manner of the Glove during his glory days and as Cheeks was in his days in Philly. It's not many PG's in the league that are great defenders.

I think Burke is an excellent on ball defender, if you recall he basically shut down MCW and then abused him on the offensive end.  You might shoot over Burke but you're not going to put the ball on the floor in front of him because he will take it.

[Sebastian]

This is a tough post to write because I really like all of these kids! However, there is one cardinal rule in the NBA!

You play the position that you can defend!

On the floor leadership front, Burke is the clear winner with MCW coming in a close 2nd! The upside for Burke & MCW is also higher than Knight's, so in this situation, you want to hopefully draft either Burke or MCW!

Scoring is a bit of a wash between Burke & Knight with MCW bringing up the rear! I also like the upside of both Burke & Knight in this area, as both will get better than MCW over time!

Of the 3, the ONLY one capable of, and has the greatest upside for defending NBA level point guards on the perimeter is Knight! This isn't much of a contest because he's ahead of MCW and far out distances Burke! Burke has the weakest lateral agility of the 3, while Knight has the highest and is also the quickest and fastest!

So where does that leave us if both MCW & Burke are available at #8?

If you believe in defense, the only logical choice is to draft MCW to pair with Knight in the backcourt! I've said it a long time ago, but everyone that looks at the situation has arrived at the same conclusion!

MCW has great size and is almost as good as Burke as a floor general, but the thing that makes him better than Burke is that on defense he can guard SG's leaving Knight to handle the speedier PG's.

This is almost a perfect situation for the Pistons, because drafting Burke would mean that either he develops fast, or Knight likely will have to be traded at the deadline!

Trading Knight is risky for a team that needs superior perimeter defenders. A smart GM recognizes where a player is in his development and augments it to keep the very positive parts, no player is without holes in their game! The problem with the draft is that those holes aren't exposed until it's too late!

So if Burke is there, Joe's options(IMO)
1. Get MCW if available
2. Go big if Zeller or Bennett are there
3. Draft Burke

The bottom line is that Burke is a defensive liability that we'll always have to cover for which will ultimately limit our ability to become a lock down defensive unit! That's the main reason he may drop, but some teams don't value defense as much as we do!

Man,  a tingling in my gut is whispering that MCW may be the Darko of this draft.  The numbers may dispute this but I wonder if he will be able to guard his position in the NBA.  Long, lankey, light in the arse, and having played primarily in the zone D makes me wonder if PGs won't blaze by him and SG bully him.

Joe better not draft MCW!!! This kid is an overated, PG-version of Austin Daye. Don't do it, Joe!

[WTF]

Hold up on the killing Rondo stuff, this kid was running off strings of games with 16-17 assist and seem to be logging a triple-double every time you glance at him.  Granted he doesn't have the best jump shot and his FT shooting is sub-par, but everything else is above excellent.  

Let's not not get on Cousins for demanding a Max Deal,  there's no denying this kid has the talent and a greater upside than Monroe does. IMO all Cousins needs is a change of scenery and Joe love this kid even more so than he does Monroe. Let's not be fooled that Monroe won't be demanding the same Max Deal since he already declined signing an extension last summer.  

Sorry Lemon but I have to side with DX on the PG thing.  Combo guards are best suited to be 6th men and back ups unless they are exceptional defensive players.  This why I've always stated that Stuckey is the best Combo Guard on the team, he see the floor better than Knight does, he's a better defender than Knight is and gets the nod to start if were force to keep him. Knight is the better shooter but that is off set by he's lack of defense and TO's as well as his poor decision making. 

I don't know what's going to happen with this team, but if I could land Rondo, Josh Smith and we draft good I would be happy.   I could live with a line up of Rondo PG, Stuckey SG, Smith SF, Monroe PF and Drummond C. I could see this group immediately contending next season.

[deusXango]

Don't know why some folks can't get their heads around PG/SG means combo guard; all we have under contract is combo guards and it's not working!!

Deus,  isn't every really good PG a combo guard to a large degree.  They can see the floor, manipulate the flow, drop dimes and shoot lights out / score when required.  I think what we really want is a version of Knight that does more of everything, execpt turn the ball over.

Lemon, with all due respect, every really good PG can shoot the lights out and finish at the rim; that doesn't make them combo guards. Other than our mutual recognition that top PG's are excellent shooters, everything else you pointed out falls in the providence of PG play, not SG. To call a player a combo guard is not a statement of his superiority over true position backcourt players but, rather an acknowledge of shortcomings that will prevent him from excelling at either PG or SG. IMHO combo guards should never be looked upon as starters but, developed as 6th men!

Glad to see you back on board with your thoughtful input; can't wait to read your thoughts on the upcoming draft and the free agent signings.

[lemonpen]

This is a tough post to write because I really like all of these kids! However, there is one cardinal rule in the NBA!

You play the position that you can defend!

On the floor leadership front, Burke is the clear winner with MCW coming in a close 2nd! The upside for Burke & MCW is also higher than Knight's, so in this situation, you want to hopefully draft either Burke or MCW!

Scoring is a bit of a wash between Burke & Knight with MCW bringing up the rear! I also like the upside of both Burke & Knight in this area, as both will get better than MCW over time!

Of the 3, the ONLY one capable of, and has the greatest upside for defending NBA level point guards on the perimeter is Knight! This isn't much of a contest because he's ahead of MCW and far out distances Burke! Burke has the weakest lateral agility of the 3, while Knight has the highest and is also the quickest and fastest!

So where does that leave us if both MCW & Burke are available at #8?

If you believe in defense, the only logical choice is to draft MCW to pair with Knight in the backcourt! I've said it a long time ago, but everyone that looks at the situation has arrived at the same conclusion!

MCW has great size and is almost as good as Burke as a floor general, but the thing that makes him better than Burke is that on defense he can guard SG's leaving Knight to handle the speedier PG's.

This is almost a perfect situation for the Pistons, because drafting Burke would mean that either he develops fast, or Knight likely will have to be traded at the deadline!

Trading Knight is risky for a team that needs superior perimeter defenders. A smart GM recognizes where a player is in his development and augments it to keep the very positive parts, no player is without holes in their game! The problem with the draft is that those holes aren't exposed until it's too late!

So if Burke is there, Joe's options(IMO)
1. Get MCW if available
2. Go big if Zeller or Bennett are there
3. Draft Burke

The bottom line is that Burke is a defensive liability that we'll always have to cover for which will ultimately limit our ability to become a lock down defensive unit! That's the main reason he may drop, but some teams don't value defense as much as we do!

Man,  a tingling in my gut is whispering that MCW may be the Darko of this draft.  The numbers may dispute this but I wonder if he will be able to guard his position in the NBA.  Long, lankey, light in the arse, and having played primarily in the zone D makes me wonder if PGs won't blaze by him and SG bully him.

[Sebastian]

You know, I wonder if Moose and Dre can become the tandem that WE all dream of or if Joe should try something else.

First off, allow me to indicate that I don't necessarily endorse the following proposal but would be interested in learning to read how my fellow, Pistons Pals would consider the following moves:

Trade Moose, Stuckey, Singler to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6287341

Trade: Charlie V. and the Ukraine for Kendrick Perkins and Perry Jones III.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6287320

Go after Tyreke Evans in Free Agency, offer $10-$12/4 years and Al-Farouq Aminu, offer $3/3 years

Draft: C.J. McCollum (8th), Patric Young (37th), a Ben Wallace prototype, and Doug Anderson (56th)

Then WE roll with:

PG- B. Knight/C.J. McCollum
SG- Tyreke/Middleton/English
SF- Aminu/PJIII/Doug Anderson
PF- LA/Jerebko/Patric Young
C- Dre Drummond/Perkins

This is a 50+ win roster that will return OUR Pistons to NBA relevancy!

DETROIT BASKETBALL!!

[Sebastian]

You know, I wonder if Moose and Dre can become the tandem that WE all dream of or if Joe should try something else.

First off, allow me to indicate that I don't necessarily endorse the following proposal but would be interested in learning to read how my fellow, Pistons Pals would consider the following moves:

Trade: Moose, Stuckey, Singler to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6287341

Trade: Charlie V. and the Ukraine for Kendrick Perkins and Perry Jones III.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6287320

Go after Tyreke Evans in Free Agency, offer $10-$12/4 years and Al-Farouq Aminu, offer $3/3 years

Draft: C.J. McCollum (8th), Patric Young (37th), a Ben Wallace prototype, and Doug Anderson (56th), the preliminary favorite to win the 2014 Slam Dunk Contest.

Then WE roll with:

PG- B. Knight/C.J. McCollum
SG- Tyreke/Middleton/English
SF- Aminu/PJIII/Doug Anderson
PF- LA/Jerebko/Patric Young
C- Dre Drummond/Perkins

This is a 50+ win roster that will return OUR Pistons to NBA relevancy!

DETROIT BASKETBALL!!

[lemonpen]

Don't know why some folks can't get their heads around PG/SG means combo guard; all we have under contract is combo guards and it's not working!!

Deus,  isn't every really good PG a combo guard to a large degree.  They can see the floor, manipulate the flow, drop dimes and shoot lights out / score when required.  I think what we really want is a version of Knight that does more of everything, execpt turn the ball over.

[deusXango]

Oracle don't forget about that kid who broke his foot from the small school C.J. Something????

I was watching his workout and he got moves. Puts me in the mind of A Andre Miller, crafty, smart, high IQ type of Guard. If you want A safe pick of A guy who can help from day 1 this might be your best option at Point Guard.

Don't know why some folks can't get their heads around PG/SG means combo guard; all we have under contract is combo guards and it's not working!!

[deusXango]

"Caldwell-Pope wasn't the most consistent perimeter shooter -- he shot just 43 percent from the floor this season."-MLive
Rodney Stuckey shot 40 percent from the floor, in the same season, in the NBA.

[Phil-Good]

Oracle don't forget about that kid who broke his foot from the small school C.J. Something????

I was watching his workout and he got moves. Puts me in the mind of A Andre Miller, crafty, smart, high IQ type of Guard. If you want A safe pick of A guy who can help from day 1 this might be your best option at Point Guard.

[Oracle]

This is a tough post to write because I really like all of these kids! However, there is one cardinal rule in the NBA!

You play the position that you can defend!

On the floor leadership front, Burke is the clear winner with MCW coming in a close 2nd! The upside for Burke & MCW is also higher than Knight's, so in this situation, you want to hopefully draft either Burke or MCW!

Scoring is a bit of a wash between Burke & Knight with MCW bringing up the rear! I also like the upside of both Burke & Knight in this area, as both will get better than MCW over time!

Of the 3, the ONLY one capable of, and has the greatest upside for defending NBA level point guards on the perimeter is Knight! This isn't much of a contest because he's ahead of MCW and far out distances Burke! Burke has the weakest lateral agility of the 3, while Knight has the highest and is also the quickest and fastest!

So where does that leave us if both MCW & Burke are available at #8?

If you believe in defense, the only logical choice is to draft MCW to pair with Knight in the backcourt! I've said it a long time ago, but everyone that looks at the situation has arrived at the same conclusion!

MCW has great size and is almost as good as Burke as a floor general, but the thing that makes him better than Burke is that on defense he can guard SG's leaving Knight to handle the speedier PG's.

This is almost a perfect situation for the Pistons, because drafting Burke would mean that either he develops fast, or Knight likely will have to be traded at the deadline!

Trading Knight is risky for a team that needs superior perimeter defenders. A smart GM recognizes where a player is in his development and augments it to keep the very positive parts, no player is without holes in their game! The problem with the draft is that those holes aren't exposed until it's too late!

So if Burke is there, Joe's options(IMO)
1. Get MCW if available
2. Go big if Zeller or Bennett are there
3. Draft Burke

The bottom line is that Burke is a defensive liability that we'll always have to cover for which will ultimately limit our ability to become a lock down defensive unit! That's the main reason he may drop, but some teams don't value defense as much as we do!

[Phil-Good]

Rondo is very talented but he's a CANCER on whatever team he's on, we have to say no, and we will, Joe's not that stupid now that everybody knows about Rondo's love of Rondo!

Rondo does have A rep as A DIVA! It got so bad at 1 point that Boston was really trying to move this kid before giving him A new contract. And everybody around this place knows that Detroit does not have A Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers to keep Rondo in line. But he just might be worth the risk if Detroit does not have to give away anything special and Stuckey and Charlie V are Pistons trash anyways....

[deusXango]

Remember what Drummond promised at the end of the season? He was going to improve his free throws so we wouldn't have that to joke about; I have no reason not to believe him, at this stage of his career. I speculated that under Olajuwon's tutelage Drummond would improve his interior offensive game; he announced that he was going to work with Olajuwon this summer. Again I have no reason to doubt him or the teaching abilities of the "old master." I don't think Drummond will only surprise but, he'll amaze us this coming year. Don't worry, Oracle.

[Oracle]

The ONLY Pistons I'm worried about are English(caught up in the numbers game) and Drummond.  I worry that Drummond's FT shooting won't improve enough and his post moves will still be weak! However, none of that will keep a legitimate rim protector off the floor, so what I worry about are bonus gifts from a talented kid!

Knight & Monroe will be very good this upcoming season, and Singler will add something to his already decent game from the bench!

Middleton, if given the chance is going to blow up in our faces! He's way better than a lot of people here think!

[Oracle]

The Doc Rivers to the Clippers deal is now DONE!

Rondo is very talented but he's a CANCER on whatever team he's on, we have to say no, and we will, Joe's not that stupid now that everybody knows about Rondo's love of Rondo!

[deusXango]

Rondo? Oh, hell NO!! Too many frightening injuries lately and that sh!t's bound to catch up with him physically sooner rather than later; don't want it happening here!

Cousins? Well, I'll be doggone. This must be my punishment for championing Josh Smith coming here; we live in fear of paying Monroe a max deal, Smith has never been an all-star so he doesn't deserve one either but, there's a malcontent, who's never been an all-star either but, is demanding a max contract, let's go get him!

I keep banging the drum for the Pistons to be rid of Stuckey because there remains fans who totally overlook the fact that he's a failed prospect at PG (that's why Knight got what little run he did at PG) and did worse as a SG (with a fg. percentage that barely crept past 40%!). He couldn't cut it as a SF, so now we're back to calling him the best thing going, as a PG, the Pistons have. Whatever voodoo spell that's been cast over fans to want to hold onto this guy, no matter what, needs to be broken. Until he's removed from the rebuilding equation, the best efforts will stall, mark my words!!

We all need to just chill, when it comes to looking at the young players who've gotten a raw deal, as far as being given a fair chance at contributing to our rebuild efforts; this is a new day for everybody from Joe on down to English, who may not prove to be worthy of another shot at being a Piston. Let's apply an open mind to the players, starting with....

Monroe and Drummond: Greg Monroe worked on a PF game, last summer, that we didn't get a chance to see the results of his efforts, because he wasn't allowed to put it on display, so Maxiell could eat up PT that should have gone to the young'uns. Until last year he was progressing, and in all honesty, we've got to acknowledge that.
Andre Drummond was taken advantage of, through his naiveté; we all were clamoring for him to start as soon as we saw what he was capable of, and his rawness notwithstanding, we wanted to see him paired with Monroe, not playing behind him! It never happened in a timely manner (before injury and that 22 game lay off) but, when he did play with Monroe, it didn't matter and the team was screwed up mentally. Let's see how those two come out the gate this year and how their interior play is on both sides of the ball; what type of chemistry they've developed, and if they are in fact the backbone of the team.

Knight: Leave this kid alone and let him develop as a PG or Cheeks move him to the 6th man role where he will flourish for sure. He's a long ways away from being Darko, and a hell of an improvement over Stuckey! This young man came in needing more patience than we've shown (for those who're calling for him to be traded!), and the type of coaching he has now. With the right free agent signings and a decent to good draft, he can't stop the team from performing up to the standards it'll be designed to; Expect a progression in his game this year.
 
Middleton: Let's hope that he's the "diamond in the rough" Joe is always looking for and go beyond that; pull for him to be the MOP of the year! If we can hold so much hope for (sight unseen on a pro floor) SG/SF like Muhammad and KCP, why not Middleton? What gives them so much ceiling and limits him so much? He's one of ours now! Given the benefit of good health and an opportunity, his confidence began to build and his production increased also; he plays defense, within the offense, and never hurt the team when on the floor with knuckleheaded, selfish, plays. Let's see how he performs in the summer league and how much he impresses Cheeks before we pass final judgment on him. He could be that 20+ pt. a night scorer, for a high percentage, right under our noses, at SG.

Singler and Kravtsov: These two Euro trained players can be the perfect role players coming off the bench for us; Singler keeps his head in the game and is not ego driven but, success driven. That's rare today, kind of old school. He can shoot, finish at the rim, and plays within the confines of his limited athleticism. Perfect backup SF. Kravtsov has the big body every team covets for limited minutes; hard fouls, rebounding, and rim protection. Why fix something that isn't broke? We're spinning our wheels talking about buying out his contract when he's a bargain for what he can do for us.

Draft dream: The best thing the Pistons have going for them right now is Monroe and Drummond, so that's who I'm building around; there's nothing better than a lottery pick who can logically play off the bench. A player who can spell both Monroe and Drummond, with no drop off in effectiveness, on both ends of the floor. (Gimme a drum roll.) Cody Zeller is the most athletic big man in the draft; he's undamaged, cerebral, fast, highly skilled, with as high a ceiling as any other big in the draft! There is not a better big man to replace Maxiell, Jerebko, and CV with in this draft, and all of those "PF's/C" need to go. If our luck holds true, with players falling to us, Ray McCallum Jr. will be there for us at #37. The perfect replacement for Bynum; a bigger 2nd PG than Bynum, a more reliable decision maker than Stuckey, and he can shoot. Everything that C.J. McCollum is getting props for, this young man can do, if given a chance. Lehigh and U of D are of the same ilk; neither are breeding grounds for elite talent but, McCallum was rated an elite prospect, before going to play for his dad. That alone should give him a leg up on the other 2nd round PG candidates.

[Phil-Good]

Time for Joe to hammer the phones and get Rondo.

How about Stuckey ending contract, Charlie V ending Contract and the 9th pick? For Rondo, Lee and or Avery Bradley??

[WTF]

I would strongly consider a swapping of Knight and Monroe for Rondo and Cousins.  I think Rondo would only become that much better under Cheeks than he did with Rivers.  As for Cousins like I've always said he just needs a change of scenery.

Rondo is a much the answer to our PG issue than Burke or MCW may be,  I still favor drafting Burke if possible but wouldn't hesitate at an opportunity to land Rondo.  I wouldn't sneeze at a Stuckey - Rondo back court. 

Cousins while we all can debate the stats of both Cousins and Monroe as being very comparable I still believe has greater upside and toughness.  Cousins could become as close to being the next Shaquille and Drummond could be a Patrick Ewing.  Imagine that

[deusXango]

Oracle, if New Orleans pulls this trade off (which they probably will) it will show the local basketball world of the Detroit Pistons that Joe Dumars is unimaginative, stubborn, dimwitted, and slow on the up-take. That #13 pick represents a golden opportunity for the Pistons to take a giant step on the road back to championship contention. I can't wait to see how the draft comes out this week, and what the free agent signing period yields. A sure sign that nothing's really changed will be when Stuckey shows up at training camp with the Pistons, and when the season starts, he'll be our starting PG.

[Oracle]

"Rajon Rondo, the team's star point guard, is a polarizing player on several levels. He steps up and fights with the best players in the league on the big stage, but tends to vanish and look uninterested in less important games. Many question his character, as he often appears stubborn and confrontational. There were rumblings about his relationship with Ray Allen after Allen left for the Miami Heat, and there may now be similar questions between Rondo and Rivers." - Is Rajon Rondo the Reason Doc Rivers May Not Return to the Boston Celtics?

Other Links:
Report: Cavaliers offer Celtics two second round picks for Pierce

@DX - Pelicans taking No. 13 pick, Shawn Marion off Mavericks’ hands?

Cousins on warpath... again - DeMarcus Cousins agent wants max extension this summer… or a trade

[Go Stones!]

Let's put some names together that would be of the Piston DNA (hard workers, quality, not a bad reputation, not punks, passionate):

Kaman
D.Howard
Calderon
Deng
Pierce


Names NOT on the list:

C.Anderson
Jennings
JR Smith
Delonte West

[deusXango]

Time is a wasting; work a deal with Dallas so they can get on with their dream of signing Howard, and acquire the added lottery pick we need. Use Stuckey, or Jerebko, or Singler, with the #13 pick from Dallas to move up in the lottery, and draft Burke and Zeller (in that order)!! I believe that Shawn Marion is professional enough that he would come to Detroit to play for Joe and Mo, and give his very best, without being a distraction. The members of the frontline have flaws but, the sum total is greater than the individual; Drummond, Monroe, Marion, Zeller, Slava, and CV are potentially very formidable in a weak east (weakness means a lot to us doesn't it?). The combined talents of these guys would be something that whatever big man coach Cheeks brought in, he would love.

Not only am I not resigning Calderon, Maggette, Bynum (maybe), or Maxiell, I'm doing my best to finally rid the team of Stuckey (mutually the best thing). I'm putting big money on the table for Chandler Parsons (Gores said he was spending and Houston don't want to be faced with not being able to compete for the services of Howard), and trying to toughen up the team with Allen, Brewer, or Barnes. We need some hard nosed, nasty and dirty; this is the NBA folks.

Knight is starting until Burke clearly out performs him in practices under the watchful eye of Cheeks (I trust him, I didn't trust Lil' Larry), and I'm starting Middleton at SG. Let the rebuild begin in earnest!

PG-Knight/Burke/Bynum
SG-Middleton/Allen/English
SF-Parsons/Singler/Barnes/
PF-Monroe/Marion/Villanueva
C- Drummond/Zeller/Kravtsov

Not only is the starting unit a witch but, the 2nd unit is as well; we finally have a balanced roster with size, skill, and smarts, that can play better defense than we've seen in a long time.

[Go Stones!]

We had the "Bad Boys "then the "Come to Work" theme, but what would be next?  Of course Gores is paying some PR/marketing person a LOAD of cash to figure this out, but let's hear some.

With B-Knight, Dre and Moose as our core for the future what do they all have in common?   They are all nice guys!  HA!  Where do nice guys finish?  LAST!

[Go Stones!]

"#1- Move B. Knight, Singer, and the #8 Pick to the Bobcats/Hornets for Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist. The Bobcats get a second lottery pick in this year's draft, a very good young player in B. Knight, who they may choose to keep or move for another piece themselves, as B. Knight has value as a player, who is still getting better while playing on his Rookie contract. [Note: I like B. Knight, a lot, but like MKG just a bit better for OUR needs going forward.] The Bobcats/Hornets also get a somewhat local favorite in Singler, who has proven that he can shoot and he comes cheap at $1 million per season for the next two years - Nope, #1) Jordan will NOT be trading with Joe D since we dumped Gordon on him #2) Too much for one dude #3) this would imply that both Joe D and Jordan admit that they made mistakes in the draft when they give up on young players so soon....or so it is perceived. 

WE get a great wing defensive player, who yes needs to improve on his jumper, but he can become a lock down defender at the two and provide substantial minutes as a SF.

#2- Don't resign: Will B., Maxie, or Maggette. Roughly, providing $19 million in salary cap relief. - Of course!

#3- Do Jose Calderon and Toronto a favor, by executing a Sign and Trade of Jose Calderon at $7.5 million for 3 years to return to the Raptors in exchange for Andrea Bargnani's remaining 2 years at $22.25 million. Hear me out for a second: The Raptors would love to have Calderon back. Calderon and his family (especially wife) would love to return to Toronto. And, the Raptors would love to rid themselves of Bargnani's contract. My thought is that Joe D has a plan, we may not like it, but it involves signing Calderon.  This signing will be only if he agrees to a fair/cheap offer.  This may have been why he wanted Cheeks too as Cheeks would have his PG that may even grow and mature back to all-star status.  I imagine Joe D adding Calderon to BK7 and Stuckey (vomit, puke, hurl) and Cheeks gets them to their best.  Calderon starts with BK7 and Stuckey taking care of SG and first guard off bench.  Between the 3 all have PG and SG covered.  English and Middleton may be deep bench players, or English may be the odd man out.  Joe will draft and trade for SF and a big. 

I hear you all asking: Why would WE want to help the Raptors by taking on Bargnani's contract. I had to ask myself the same question, before coming up with a good response. I know that Bargnani is a jump shooting 7' PF/C, but he is the idea player to share minutes with Dre and Moose. His career 15 pts, 5 rebounds, per game would translate well to OUR roster. Whenever Bargnani is on the floor with either Dre or Moose, they can play in the paint with space and Bargnani would help to open the floor for whoever is playing the SF position. And, occasionally Bargnani can get US something in the paint. The following year his salary will come off of the books and We can then decide to resign him at a cheaper wage. - I'm in favor of this, if we can trade Stuckey, CV, others for the contract...in other words obtain Bargnani to be our stretch PF/C without taking on extra salary. 


#4- I'm not done yet. By now, if you have elected to read this far are, screaming: What about OUR point guard, WE have no starting PG. You don't expect Stuckey to be the starter do you! Solution: Go after Brandon Jennings in Free Agency. I would suspect that Jennings can be gotten with $10 million per year for 4 years. Jennings becomes OUR starting PG with Stuckey playing the 6th-man, first guard off the bench role that he is so very well suited for. - I would think that Jennings is a punk who would take advantage of Cheeks.  No respect for the past superstars....just interested in his own playing time and status.  I don't see Joe D obtaining him b/c he wouldn't be able to stand seeing someone with so much talent have such a selfish attitude.

#5- Take Thomas Robinson off of the hands of the Rockets. I believe that this guy can still play. He was the #5 pick in last year's draft. And, I think that he can play the SF position some, as well as the PF position. He comes cheap (Rookie contract) and he comes with a lot of redemption. - Good idea, however, what do we give up in return?  Most likely they would want a #1 pick in the future.  So, nope.

#6- Draft Ray McCallum, Jr. with the 37th Pick. - I'm fine with this, however, I believe you will see Joe D find a sleeper in the draft that many do not know about.  He found a sleeper in Dre last year.

#7- Now, WE will get the opportunity to see how good Middleton can become. - If Joe D drafts a SG/SF with the #1 pick this year, a BIG name, there will be a lot of pressure to play that rookie rather than Middleton.  Just saying.

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