Free Agent Gold

     Well, it seems that all the big names in the draft have been signed away to new teams: Josh Smith to the Pistons, Andrew Bynum to the Cavs, Al Jefferson to the Bobcats, Paul Millsap to the Hawks, Andre Iguodala to the Warriors, and of course, the Dwightmare ended with him in Houston. But, there are still quite a few hidden gems in this free agent market. They may not be big names, but they can more than hold their weight and contribute to a team.
     The first is Nate Robinson. Nate Robinson proved himself to be a small, lethal weapon in the playoffs when the Bulls needed anything they could get on offense. I have always been a fan of him, even back in the good ol' days when he was a Knick. He is powerful for a small player, and although he is not a huge contributor in the assist category, he can be a huge asset for a team desperate for some offense.  There are many teams that could use his kind of punch, like Phoenix, Washington, or the Bobcats, but he is looking to win, and he would not get that in any of those places. I think that he would fit best in Minnesota or Detroit. Minnesota shot terribly this past season, and they have already signed Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger, who are both deadeye marksman. If they can manage to keep Pekovic, the addition of Robinson would be huge, especially considering the lack of output by Rubio. The Pistons, on the other side, have added a juggernaut in Smith, and Billups at point, but lost Calderon, who was an offensive general who never really gets enough credit for his high efficiency. Billups will make up for some of that, but their backcourt is really hurting without him.

Who Be Ballin? Ty Lawson

After riding a season high 7-game win streak, Denver has lost 3 games in a row (starting with that intense 3OT loss to Boston.) You can blame the losses to injuries: Danilo Gallinari and Andre Iguodala, Denver's best defenders, are out. But, Ty Lawson has stepped up in their absence. 

Ty Lawson is becoming a true floor general

In Denver's 3 losses, Ty has put up amazing stats:

28pts/9ast average and 62% FG% over 3 games? Whoa.

Lawson signed a lucrative contract at the beginning of the season, and has, for the most part, been unable to live up to the lofty expectations that came with it. Ty was drafted 18th overall in the PG heavy 1st round of the 2009 draft. Here's the list:

1.5 Ricky Rubio

1.6 Jonny Flynn

1.7 Stephen Curry

1.10 Brandon Jennings

1.17 Jrue Holiday

1.18 Ty Lawson

1.19 Jeff Teague

1.20 Eric Maynor

1.21 Darren Collison

1.25 Rodrique Beaubois

1.29 Toney Douglas

As you can see, many PG's taken that year have transcended into franchise cornerstones and all-stars. Ty has always shown flashes of greatness, but has never been considered to be part of either of those categories. Ty is my favorite player in the entire league and I have been following him closely since we traded for him draft night. I've always thought he had it in him to be great, I mean, as the 2009 ACC player of the year and winner of the Bob Cousy award for best PG, he did lead NC Tar Heels to a NCAA championship.

I think Ty is progressing to Denver's franchise player (no more of this Danilo Gallinari garbage) I hope that his excellent play continues: he's been improving every month since September.

By the way, highlight of my entire life when Ty tweeted at me last year (I legitimately geeked when Kenneth Faried tweeted at me, too):

Who Be Ballin? Lebron James

Okay. Okay. We all know LeBron James has been ballin for 6 games now---it's all over ESPN and the interwebs. Long story short, since Feb. 3, James has had 6 straight games with over 30pts, shooting 60% or better (he's overall, shooting 71.7%): That's an NBA record.

Thumbs up to you too, King James

As a player that gets constantly, brutally torn apart for his bad performances (which are more often than not career games for most players) it's nice to see LBJ getting some love. I am not like others immediately tossing his name next to Michael Jordan, (realistically, he's the closest thing we have to the "Airness" now, and probably for the next decade) but he's getting close. I mean, how many players can you think of that averages 26+pts/7reb/7ast annually, and flirts with a triple-double every night?

His performance is being admired by players around the league like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

Fantasy Deal: Wilson Chandler for Josh Smith

Improved play by Lawson and Faried have turned the season around

Backstory
You may not know, but my favorite team is the Denver Nuggets; I love the team from their starting 5 to Evan Fournier's seat at the very bottom of the bench.

However, that's not to say I wouldn't like them to make moves to become a true championship-caliber team. I know, I know. Aren't the Nuggs ripping it up in January/February? Why mess with a team that is currently ranked 4th in the tough-as-nails Western Conference?

Well, the Nuggs have been annual playoff contenders since coach George Karl took over the team in 2004 (that's 8 straight playoff appearances, with 2012-2013 being 9)

The problem is though, we get in the playoffs and get knocked out first round everytime (with the exception of 2008-2009 when Melo/Billups led us to the Conference Championship game...and lost) Our team is filled with tons of talent; we have BY FAR the most stacked roster with bench players good enough to start (Javale McGee, Corey Brewer, Wilson Chandler, and Andre Miller), and players that don't even get minutes that deserve them (Quincy Miller, Jordan Hamilton, Anthony Randolph, and Evan Fournier)

Andre's Iguodala holds the young roster together

We made a big move this past summer acquiring swingman, Andre Iguodala; I was FREAKING out when I heard we got him. I was a little sad to see Aaron Afflalo moved, but Iggy is legitimately the closest thing the Nuggets have to an All-Star/Superstar/Franchise/Cornerstone/"Whatever you want to call it" player. The thing with Iggy, however, is he did not bring the impact most people were hoping for. He's averaging 13pts/5reb/5ast in 2012-2013. While those numbers are not terrible by any stretch, I was expecting Iggy to take a more prominent role on the team, which at the very least, in my eyes, means being our highest scorer on the team (is 18-20pts/game too much to ask for?)

Don't get me wrong, Iggy is the glue that holds our very young roster together. His experience, along with his "team-player" mentality and defensive prowess are invaluable. I just think that a player with pay $15mill/yr should be having a larger impact in the scoring department. I'm not sure if it would be in the team's best interest to resign Iggy come this summer if we have to pay him as much. In my opinion, I'd only bring him back at no more than $10mil/season. But, that is besides the point of this blog post.

Ujiri knows what he's doing.

What I think Denver should do is pursue more established, veteran talent to mesh with our young roster. We recently made an inquiry for Celtics PF/C Kevin Garnett. However, Mr. Garnett waived his No-Trade Clause and shut down any further trade talks. Personally, I think it was a great effort by GM  Masai Ujiri. Garnett, a proven, tough big man could have been our starting center and a game-changer going into the playoffs. Sadly, this move never came to be. Bu, I propose that Denver doesn't give up their search for a veteran big man!

In my initial mockups, I tried to make a scenario that brought Pau Gasol to Denver (who I think would be a great fit) but, with Gasol's recent injury, that's no longer possible. I also thought Anderson Varejao would have fit, but he got hurt as well.


However the best move I can think of involves a certain Forward for the Atlanta Hawks.

Josh Smith would put Denver over the top

Atlanta Hawks
Wilson Chandler
Anthony Randolph
Timofey Mosgov
1st Rd Draft Pick

Denver Nuggets
Josh Smith

- This move would be an absolute slam dunk for both teams. I do not think any team could match what assets Denver is capable of moving. I addition to the players (Chandler is a starting SF with a great contract, Randolph can replace Smith at PF with another great contract), Denver can give draft picks (Denver already has 1st Rd. draft picks who haven't even played yet in Fournier and Hamilton)

Using the trade exception we got in our trade for Andre Iguodala, Denver can make the cap figures work as well. While Smith isn't guaranteed to resign, getting him on the roster should be considered a win in itself: Denver has a very hard time getting Star players to come to Denver. If we prove to Smith that Denver is a great place for him, maybe he will sign a Max deal in the summer. 

Fantasy Deal: Tyreke Evans for Josh Smith

     Im starving.  Sweet sweet basketball has been eluding me for the past few months.  Ive been following the NBA like an Atlanta Hawk but alas, life has been pulling my strings in a definite evil puppeteer fashion.  This is now my first post in about a month, so I'm gonna try to make it count.

     The trade deadline is fast approaching and a thousand names are being thrown around online in a hectic,  hodgepodge way.  Most are absolutely ridiculous and I, the Zoltar of Basketball Future, am here to clear the cloudy crystal ball of trade scenarios.

Zoltar, teller of basketball trade future

      Anyway who knows me can tell you that I have a healthy respect for former ROY Tyreke Evans, whose strong, limber frame carries a bevy of potential.  Buuuuuuuut, most of you probably know, he is on the Sacramento Kings (the Seattle Supersonics as of next year), which is not a hotbed for NBA elite.  The Kings roster is packed full of guards, all of which are at some point playing off position, with a sparse selection of bigs outside of DeMarcus Cousins.  Evans is one of these guards, the most naturally talented I would say, but has been struggling to find a spot on this chaotically changing team since his injury ridden sophomore season.

     The Atlanta Hawks, after starting fiery hot and exceeding expectations, have fallen off, especially after losing Lou Williams, (winner of a PB and J Dark Horse award for December) who provided a hot, juicy load on offense.  And, after a good long run among the strongest teams in the East, the Hawks look to be fading into NBA limbo.  I think the Hawks have realized this and I believe that this is going to make them hemorrhage some assets.  Namely, forward Josh Smith, who the people of Atlanta have scoffed at as taking stupid shots and trying to do too much.  Although I can agree with that to some degree, THIS GUY IS EASILY YOUR BEST PLAYER WHO MADE YOUR TEAM WHAT IT WAS THE PAST FEW YEARS.  Joe Johnson, a notorious shooter whose actions I describe as "Kobe-esque" (Kobe-esque- adj.- 1. actions such as shooting your team out of a game 2. handling the ball more than a typical point guard while playing a different position. 3. playing terribly then blaming teammates.), has never received so much flak.

     So, even though I don't agree with it, I think the Hawks will part with Josh Smith, who can be a giant pick up for any team.  I hope that the team to do so will be the Sacramento Kings.  The Kings could trade away Evans and a package deal maybe including Jason Thompson(?) for Josh Smith and preferably a veteran like Kyle Korver, who could help them tremendously down the Stretch Armstrong.  Securing Josh Smith would cement two good big men for the Kings which would almost immediately make them contenders because of the lack of quality big men in the NBA right now.

     In my opinion, this deal is beneficial for both teams.  An offensively crippled Hawks secure a scorer in Evans, and the skinny Kings team would receive a crazy solid forward playing better than he ever has.

     Game. Set. Match.

    Do I think this will happen? No.

    Sigh.

The Sharks are Circling

Will Garnett and Pierce be moved?

So, word has it with Rajon Rondo's recent ACL injury that has him out for the rest of the season, the Celtics are receiving tons of phone calls inquiring about the availability of veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Many are assuming now that the floor general for the Celtics is out, (Rondo was averaging 14pts/11ast a game) the Celtics should blow up the team and start the rebuilding process---as opposed to making a move for a stop-gap PG that will help the current 8th seed team limp into the playoffs.

Currently Pierce, 35 and Garnett, 36, are being sought after by playoff contenders that could possibly use one of the the veterans to catapult them to a championship. Of the two, Pierce is the most movable, only owed $4mil for this season---but is under contract for 2013-14 at $17mill, and a player option in 2014-15 for $15mill (Garnett is owed $18mill, but contract is expiring)

Pierce and Garnett are pretty much the only valuable trade chips the Celtics have at the moment; Avery Bradley's stock is wayyyy down after a pretty lousy season thus far. The only obstacle standing in the Celtics way is pride and loyalty, with the latter being directed at longtime Celtic, Pierce. It's hard to see the Celtics part with Pierce unless Pierce openly asks for one. Garnett doesn't hold the same title in Boston, but his departure would mean the Celtics would most likely miss out of any deep playoff run possibilities this season. Coach Doc Rivers has already said: 

"You can go ahead, but I'm not. We won tonight and so, the way I look at it is, we're going to stay in there. In my opinion, we're going nowhere."

Pride may keep the Celtics from trading Garnett (or Pierce) and giving up on the season. 

Personally, I don't think the Celtics are good enough to reach the Championship this year or next year with their current roster. I think it is in the best interest of the team to trade one of them, if not both, for whatever young talent and draft picks they can get.

Ainge has to do whats best for the team.

However, I'm a big fan of franchise players. I love seeing a player stay with a team his whole career. It would be awfully sad to see Pierce leave the Celtics. Danny Ainge and the Celtics organization are walking a fine line with how they handle Pierce; I think they should ask Pierce whether or not he wants traded---a move that could be beneficial to both Pierce and the Celtics: Pierce could pursue 1-2 more rings with another team and the Celtics could start the rebuilding process

As far as Garnett goes, I think he should be traded for sure...if they can find the right deal.

The only problem I have with all this trade talks is finding a suitable trade partner. I can't see the Celtics trading either veteran player to a team not already poised for a deep playoff run. I mean, why would the Celtics ship off Pierce or Garnett (or Terry) to any other team? It wouldn't be right.

Only 2 teams come to mind as possible suitors:

Memphis Grizzlies
- Grizzlies have been in trade rumors all season, specifically with SF Rudy Gay. The Grizz are playoff contenders. Rudy Gay would be a great rebuilding piece for BOS.

Maybe Rudy Gay for Paul Pierce and Garnett straight up? I'm not sure if the contacts add up, but it has to be close. Probably the best case scenario for the Celtics.

Gay would be best-case scenario for Celtics

Philadelphia 76'ers
- The 76'ers may try to trade Andrew Bynum, rather than resigning him or letting him walk this summer. Bynum has been injured all season so far and hasn't been a part of the teams success this year. They could move him and not risk hurting the team. The addition of Garnett and Pierce could catapult them too title contenders (especially with Jrue Holiday plating at an All-Star level) Andrew Bynum could be healthy when Rondo returns next season. Bynum is young and talented, despite injury concerns. They could take the chance. The fact that this would be a trade within the Eastern Conference may hinder trade possibilities, however.

Bynum would be a high-risk, high reward move

The lack of suitable trade partners (that are good fits for Garnett and Pierce, as well as the Celtics) may mean that the Celtics don't make a move before the Feb. 21st trade deadline. They may just play the rest of the season and let Garnett walk this summer and retain Pierce til his retires...or they blow the team up like everyone is speculating.

Who knows.

Flat Hair, Don't Care

If Guile and Gerald had a baby...

Iman Shumpert's hair is insane this season. After recovering from his ACL tear for the last couple months, Shump returned with the most glorious flat top fade I've seen seen. He is the latest to rock the do---Norris Cole of the Miami Heat has been sporting it for awhile now and Brandon Jennings had one couple seasons ago. 

Side burns are a nice touch.

De Loy Shis

I hope the trend continues! and doesn't fade away.