SI July 8th article on NBA Draft on what Cleveland did mentions Ming....

do u have a link to that article? or is it only in the mag?

 

It was a good read. I thought it was funny how if a player told John Lucas that he didn't do drugs that Lucas didn't believe him.

Don Sterling comes across even scummier than usual in it.

 

I just don't seem to have much in common with what anyone has to say on the boards : ( But personally loved the two picks. I think Ely gives them a backup to CandyMan, and Wilcox isnt pushed into a starting role immediately had he gone to Cleveland. Williams and Wagner were the only two players that could have helped the squad, otherwise they had ridicilious debt everywhere else. Although the picks dont provide an answer on the starting squad at PG, they do have potential serious tradebait

 

Hey, I think the Clips improves. They got a backup PF (Wilcox) and a backup C (Ely( which is exactly what they needed.


Kandi/Ely
Brand/Wilcox
Odom/Miles
Q-Rich/Maggette
Mcinnis/Dooling



That team has the depth, youth, hops and speed to run like hell.

 

Drayton and Sterling don't deserve to own professional franchises!

 

McInnis (and Kandi) may not return. If they resign McInnis they still have a very weak backcourt. Without him they undoubtedly have the worst backcourt in the league going into next year. No matter how good their front court is next year they won't be much above 500 because of the backcourt and shooting problems. After this years draft and assuming Mo's health we now look much more balanced than they do IMO.

 

I think we've forgotten about a few players like Maggette, Richardson, Odom, Marco Jaric, even Eric piatkowski and Keyon Dooling. By no stretch of the imagination is their backcourt, spots 1-3, the worst in the league.

 

I don't think the Odom and picks offer is really an indication of Miller's value, but more that the Clippers are already in a bind as far as minutes/extensions and need to jettison players quickly. They're willing to overpay to fill a need and help lessen the risk of losing all their main building blocks.

The interesting things to me were that Miller couldn't garner a top 5 pick; I would have thought a team like Golden State would have been willing to part with their pick, but I guess they're opinion of him is more in accord with mine.

Also, the fact that they would have taken Wagner over Jay Williams, even if he had fallen to 6th. I'm not sure I agree with Lucas on that one, but I do see more Terell Brandon than Isiah Thomas in Williams.

 

Had Paxson's original plan gone through, and the Cavs would've been able to get Miles or Odom plus #8 (C. Butler) for A. Miller, then Cleveland would've defnitely been a team to watch next year.

Check out this potential line-up

C - Ilgauskas
F - D. Miles/L. Odom
F - C. Butler
G - Lamond Murray/Bryant Stith/Nick Anderson
G - Dajuan Wagner

Not a playoff team, but definitely an exciting one.

The SI writer was able to get some candid comments from the Cavs' brass -- Paxson, in defending his decision to shop Miller, says, rather bluntly, that nobody comes to the arena to watch Andre Miller and the team hadn't won a thing with him in the line-up. I tend to agree with that.

According to the article, Sterling had agreed to Odom and #8 for Miller but he took too long to relay the message so the deal failed.

Too bad for Cleveland, but who knows what will happen in the coming weeks.

 

Donknutts, I agree the Cavs would have talent but in no way could they play odom or miles at the 4 spot, like you have it. They would get tossed. In fact, if they were to get one of the two 3's from the clipps to start at the SMALL FOWARD spot, I believe they could have either nabbed Wilcox at 8 or traded the 8 and 12 for #4 for Gooden, #5 for Hilario,etc... to play the POWER SPOT in the near future. That would give the Cavs a bright future.

Wagner
Murray
Odom or Miles
Gooden / Mihm
Diop / Ilgauskas / Doleac

 

If you consider Darius Miles a PF, then yes.

Ely is a PF/C, as is Wilcox....they needed a backup at both positions and got them in the draft, so they are ptty much set 2 deep everywhere.

 

ya thats because of ur hate on our best players and have a ridiculous user name

 

The article also mentions that Caron Butler dropped in the draft because of an undisclosed medical problem. Anyone know what it was?
Also, after reading the story, it seems easier to deal with the Chinese than with the Clippers.

 

Butler also was very weak in Chicago. He only put up 185lbs on bench press twice.

 

Butler mentioned that they spread rumors about him having knee problems which weren't true. I think he almosted cried when he was talking about it.

 

Funny how LA has all this potential(haven't proved anything) serious tradebait(not without court time, not gonna happen in LA), but the Rocket you'd like to trade is better than any of the Clippers at his position.

 

Odom is not a guard. And who exactly would Maggette, Richardson, Jaric, Piatkowski (I think he is gone anyway) and Dooling going to start for or be in the top of the rotation for??? Not saying some of those guys don't have have some skills and/or potential--but quality NBA starting guards none of them are. McInnis was the only average-ish starting quality guard of the bunch and he may be leaving. The Clips are totally front court heavy and backcourt bare--at least backcourt bare compared to any of their remote competition save perhaps SA (this excludes the complete league dregs like the Nugs, maybe Griz or Heat)