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July 30, 2005 ...Jeff McInnis will be signed by the Nets. I’m not
wild about the overall McInnis game. However, I’ve heard many of his
teammates compliment him as a true ‘share-the-ball’ point guard. ...It sucks
for Orlando that draft choice Fran Vazquez is
going to play in Spain rather than Orlando next year. Oh well, more touches
for Dwight Howard.
...Apparently Minnesota did not watch too many St. Joseph’s games. Signing Dwayne Jones for two years was a waste of money.
Five years for Mark Madsen? ...Geoff Petrie and the Kings stole Jason Hart from Charlotte. Hart is starter-good
at this point in his NBA career. He defends and plays with a cockiness that
can remind you of Gary Payton. Hart
doesn’t score as well as GP, but he also takes less chances offensively.
Sacramento gave up only a second round pick for the former Syracuse point
guard. ...The Bonzi Wells deal?
I don’t know. I am not as quick to endorse that one. I like Bobby Jackson a lot. Wells is a scorer and
rebounder that gets steals at a high rate. He has a nice post up game. The
kicker is still pending—and that is—who will the Kings sign with the money
saved by sending Greg Ostertag back
to Utah? I think Sac needs to be better at the backup Small Forward (to Peja), and desperately needs to improve at Center. I say
that because to me Brad Miller is a
power forward. Possible Peja backups I would be looking at are Keith Van Horn, Ime Udoka (is he
big enough?), Josh Davis, Dermarr Johnson, and Spencer Nelson. The Center pool is weak in free
agent land. A trade may be the only way to really get a performer there.
Among FA’s the best on my list are; Tyson Chandler (too
expensive for Kings cap), Dikembe Mutombo, Mamadou Ndiyae, Ervin Johnson, and Theo Ratliff. Don’t laugh at Mutombo. He would
make sense for Sacramento. … July 27, 2005 ...Since
the Knicks are a hot topic now—we look at their roster. The Knicks are much
deeper in 2005-06 thanks to a draft that yielded three guys that can play.
New York was already great at the point guard spot with Stephon Marbury. Where they have sucked is at the
two and three. That figures to change as Allan Houston, and Penny Hardaway morph into Quentin Richardson and Trevor Ariza. Michael Sweetney is a
good Power Forward, and I believe Channing Frye will
prove to be the Knicks best Center, ahead of Jerome James, and Jackie Butler. I am not a Jamal Crawford fan but maybe Larry Brown can change Crawford’s unseasoned
game. Draft picks Nate Robinson and David Lee will add toughness. The issue for the Knicks may be finding
team harmony with veterans sitting on the bench. Jerome Williams, Tim Thomas, Malik Rose, and Maurice Taylor can all play power forward. I have
never liked Mo Taylor’s game, and were I in-charge he would be the first to
go. Next—Tim Thomas would be moved somehow someway. I love Jerome Williams’ hustle and heart
and I would keep him. Finally, Rose is just not worth his contract. He is a
low efficiency PF that should be fourth on the depth chart at his position
behind Sweetney, Lee, and Williams (JYD). |