Trade, More Injuries & Rookies
- On 1/11 the Denver Nuggets traded Earl Boykins, Julius Hodge and $700,000 to the Milwaukee Bucks for Steve Blake.
This trade includes all relatively minor players, but addresses the needs of both teams.
The Bucks high powered offense was in need of a serious infusion of talent with all their injuries (more on those below). I’m not a big fan of Boykins’ game, but he can score the ball with the best of them, and in a hurry too.
Not to mention that Earl is a much better fit with the way Milwaukee plays then Blake was. Now, rather then slowing the pace down when Steve checks in, the Bucks will play at an even faster tempo (against the opposition’s 2nd unit too) when Boykins checks in.
Hodge is a bit of an unknown quantity after playing only 35 minutes his entire rookie year. He was just four games into his return from gun shot wounds sustained while driving on I-76 in north Denver on 4/8/06 too.
Julius should get a sink or swim opportunity for the rest of the season in Milwaukee. He’ll either impress someone around the league or be in Europe next October.
For the Nugs this was a little more then addition by subtraction. It’s true that Earl was the odd man out in Denver with the arrival of Allen Iverson and had to go. However, Blake is more then just a throw in.
While not the most athletically gifted guy in the NBA, Steve knows how to run a team and is not the liability on defense that Earl was. The problem with Blake in Milwaukee this season was that he could not throw it in the ocean.
A career 37.7% shooter from behind the arc, Steve is bricking it up there at an alarming 27.9% this year after posting a career high of 41.3% from distance the previous season. His shooting overall is no better either at 34.9% from the field and an almost silly 55% from the line (78.1% career at the stripe).
Where his shot went nobody knows, but there’s already going to be a scarcity of touches in the Mile High City anyway with AI, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. That’s why acquiring Blake is so key for the Nugs.
He’s a guy that can at least *attempt* to keep everyone happy by just playing his normal game. And if he finds the range again he could easily get 8-10 points a night by just making open shots.
Quick AI slam here – Denver has gone 3-7 since the “Answer” showed up. Beating Boston (without Paul Pierce), Seattle (without Ray Allen & Rashard Lewis) and Milwaukee (without Michael Redd). Oh yeah, and they look more and more like the Sixers every day Melo is away. Just throwing it out there…
- More freaking injuries to report on. I’m sick of writing about them at this point.
1. Maurice Williams (1/8 sprained left shoulder, out 2-3 weeks)
Michael Redd (1/5 strained left patellar tendon, out 4-6 weeks)
Charlie Villanueva (right shoulder tendonitis, day to day) – Just when the Bucks were starting to play some ball, their backcourt implodes. Redd hurt his knee on a meaningless dunk with 14 seconds to go in a 95-86 loss to Cleveland. While Williams injured his shoulder just before halftime in Denver when he collided with Linas “the Menace” Kleiza while going for loose ball near mid-court.
Villanueva’s case is little different in that no one, not even him, knows when he hurt his shoulder. What makes it worse is that it’s not getting better and surgery is looking more inevitable by the day.
Factor in that Bobby Simmons is already done for the season with right heel and ankle surgeries, and Milwaukee is down FOUR starters.
Now you see why they needed Boykins’ scoring so badly and why Hodge is going to finally get his shot at consistent minutes.
The Bucks had climbed up to the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, but there is no way they are going to stay there. (I’m sure that makes a certain team from South Beach very happy BTW.) Yet Milwaukee is not completely out of it because they do play in the East.
Second year center Andrew Bogut is going to really have to step up and carry the load as the #1 scoring option. Hopefully (for them) Earl can come right in as the #2 and Ruben Patterson continues his career year in the third slot.
I know that is a lot of “ifs”, but at the very least coach Terry Stotts has earned a reprieve and should last the season now.
2. Tony Allen (1/10 torn left ACL & MCL, out of the season)
Brian Scalabrine (1/10 bruised meniscus & sprained MCL in his right knee, out *at least* three games) – Allen's injury is a cryin’ shame as he was playing the best ball of his short career. What makes it worse is that Tony landed awkwardly while trying for a crowd pleasing dunk after the whistle had blown. Ugh.
The Celtics are already without Paul Pierce (left foot), Wally Szczerbiak (both ankles), Theo Ratliff (back surgery) and Delonte West (sore back).
When it rains it pours.
Boston is dead in the water if Pierce and/or Wally don’t get back soon, even in the Titanic Division. Kendrick Perkins just returned to action, but Al Jefferson is cooling off, so it will be up to guys like Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes to carry the load in the meantime.
(Did I really just type that?)
Anyway, the one good thing that may come of this is that rookie Leon Powe may finally get some burn. Say what you want about Celtics Director Danny Ainge, but the guy can draft with the best of them.
- I know it’s still early but this year’s rookie class has been…..in a word…..awful. No one has separated themselves from the pack even slightly thus far. My Quarter Pole rookie award came down to Adam Morrison or Jorge Garbajosa for cripes sake, neither of which really deserved it.
The good news is that help may finally be on the way.
Brandon Roy (Trail Blazers) looks like a solid NBA starter, but I’m not sure I see “star” in his future.
Randy Foye (Timberwolves) has started to show some signs, but I’m far from sold on him, and the Dwyane Wade comparisons I’ve yet to see myself.
Rudy Gay (Grizzlies), same thing. Great athlete that has flashes of above average-ness, but is way, way too inconsistent for my liking. (That has less to do with him being a rookie and more to do with his make up if you ask me, which you didn’t.)
Garbajosa (Raptors) looks like a solid 29 year old role player.
Morrison (Bobcats) is completely a one trick pony (scorer) and needs to figure out the difference between good and bad shots. He is much better suited to coming off the pine right now due to his lack of…well…everything besides scoring.
I’ve mentioned Craig Smith (Wolves, #36), Paul Millsap (Jazz, #47) and Leon Powe (Celts, #49) already as second round picks that I like, but I need to add Alexander Johnson (Griz, #45) to that list as well. The difference between Johnson and those other three is that Alex is not an undersized PF at 6’10, 240 pounds. The dude is a *man* down low. He’s surprising athletic, plays with energy, takes no guff from anyone and is built like a brick shiest house.
This was supposed to be a weak draft for PG’s, but I’ve seen a few with potential in Jordan Farmar (Lakers), Daniel Gibson (Cavaliers) and Sergio Rodriguez (Blazers). They all are at least two years away though. Marcus Williams gets all the press, but follow Flava Flav’s advice and “don’t believe the hype.”
Man, I meant this to be quick piece on the rooks, but it has quickly careened out of control. Back to my point, which was I’ve seen only two potential “stars” so far…
Andrea Bargnani (Raps). Why people questioned/panned Bryan Colangelo for picking him I don’t know. I also don’t think the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons are that far off. In fact, I’d venture to say that Bargnani looks better then Nowitzki did as a rookie. Now, I’m not saying for a second that Andrea will develop into the kind of player Dirk is, but he certainly has the skill set to do it if he wants to.
LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers). People had reservations about his motivation coming into the draft, and I can see that (although I like his intensity better then Gay’s). LaMarcus has been caught in a numbers crunch behind Joel Przybilla and Jamaal Magloire, but Aldridge has easily out played both of those journeymen. He’s athletic and long with decent range on his jumper for guy his size (6’11). He also has a post up game, and has shown a willingness to block shots and rebound as well. The problem with all three of those aspects for him right now is that he’s not strong enough to bang with the big boys down low just yet. If he can bulk up and discover a more consistent motor, he should be the best player of the 2006 draft class.
- I know many of you out there have been waiting with baited breath for the next guy in the line of my favorite type of player.
First there was Andrei Kirilenko.
Next was Josh Howard.
Now, introducing my new main man (drum roll please)……….Thabo Sefolosha (Bulls)!
What do all these guys have in common? Well, other then me being onto them when they were rookies, they are all lock down defenders that are unselfish and can do a little bit of everything offensively.
It might take Thabo some time to get regular minutes, but if/when Luol Deng is traded for Kevin Garnett or Zach Randolph, my boy will be ready to step in.
- Scary thought I had the other day…..
So the Sixers end up with the number one pick and draft Greg Oden.
NICE!
Then Larry Brown steps in to coach again.
NNNNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!
I can’t think of anything worse then LB playing his mind games and “Darko-ing” the next great big man in NBA history.
(I’ll cover the Chris Webber buyout situation after he signs with his new club.)
This trade includes all relatively minor players, but addresses the needs of both teams.
The Bucks high powered offense was in need of a serious infusion of talent with all their injuries (more on those below). I’m not a big fan of Boykins’ game, but he can score the ball with the best of them, and in a hurry too.
Not to mention that Earl is a much better fit with the way Milwaukee plays then Blake was. Now, rather then slowing the pace down when Steve checks in, the Bucks will play at an even faster tempo (against the opposition’s 2nd unit too) when Boykins checks in.
Hodge is a bit of an unknown quantity after playing only 35 minutes his entire rookie year. He was just four games into his return from gun shot wounds sustained while driving on I-76 in north Denver on 4/8/06 too.
Julius should get a sink or swim opportunity for the rest of the season in Milwaukee. He’ll either impress someone around the league or be in Europe next October.
For the Nugs this was a little more then addition by subtraction. It’s true that Earl was the odd man out in Denver with the arrival of Allen Iverson and had to go. However, Blake is more then just a throw in.
While not the most athletically gifted guy in the NBA, Steve knows how to run a team and is not the liability on defense that Earl was. The problem with Blake in Milwaukee this season was that he could not throw it in the ocean.
A career 37.7% shooter from behind the arc, Steve is bricking it up there at an alarming 27.9% this year after posting a career high of 41.3% from distance the previous season. His shooting overall is no better either at 34.9% from the field and an almost silly 55% from the line (78.1% career at the stripe).
Where his shot went nobody knows, but there’s already going to be a scarcity of touches in the Mile High City anyway with AI, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. That’s why acquiring Blake is so key for the Nugs.
He’s a guy that can at least *attempt* to keep everyone happy by just playing his normal game. And if he finds the range again he could easily get 8-10 points a night by just making open shots.
Quick AI slam here – Denver has gone 3-7 since the “Answer” showed up. Beating Boston (without Paul Pierce), Seattle (without Ray Allen & Rashard Lewis) and Milwaukee (without Michael Redd). Oh yeah, and they look more and more like the Sixers every day Melo is away. Just throwing it out there…
- More freaking injuries to report on. I’m sick of writing about them at this point.
1. Maurice Williams (1/8 sprained left shoulder, out 2-3 weeks)
Michael Redd (1/5 strained left patellar tendon, out 4-6 weeks)
Charlie Villanueva (right shoulder tendonitis, day to day) – Just when the Bucks were starting to play some ball, their backcourt implodes. Redd hurt his knee on a meaningless dunk with 14 seconds to go in a 95-86 loss to Cleveland. While Williams injured his shoulder just before halftime in Denver when he collided with Linas “the Menace” Kleiza while going for loose ball near mid-court.
Villanueva’s case is little different in that no one, not even him, knows when he hurt his shoulder. What makes it worse is that it’s not getting better and surgery is looking more inevitable by the day.
Factor in that Bobby Simmons is already done for the season with right heel and ankle surgeries, and Milwaukee is down FOUR starters.
Now you see why they needed Boykins’ scoring so badly and why Hodge is going to finally get his shot at consistent minutes.
The Bucks had climbed up to the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, but there is no way they are going to stay there. (I’m sure that makes a certain team from South Beach very happy BTW.) Yet Milwaukee is not completely out of it because they do play in the East.
Second year center Andrew Bogut is going to really have to step up and carry the load as the #1 scoring option. Hopefully (for them) Earl can come right in as the #2 and Ruben Patterson continues his career year in the third slot.
I know that is a lot of “ifs”, but at the very least coach Terry Stotts has earned a reprieve and should last the season now.
2. Tony Allen (1/10 torn left ACL & MCL, out of the season)
Brian Scalabrine (1/10 bruised meniscus & sprained MCL in his right knee, out *at least* three games) – Allen's injury is a cryin’ shame as he was playing the best ball of his short career. What makes it worse is that Tony landed awkwardly while trying for a crowd pleasing dunk after the whistle had blown. Ugh.
The Celtics are already without Paul Pierce (left foot), Wally Szczerbiak (both ankles), Theo Ratliff (back surgery) and Delonte West (sore back).
When it rains it pours.
Boston is dead in the water if Pierce and/or Wally don’t get back soon, even in the Titanic Division. Kendrick Perkins just returned to action, but Al Jefferson is cooling off, so it will be up to guys like Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes to carry the load in the meantime.
(Did I really just type that?)
Anyway, the one good thing that may come of this is that rookie Leon Powe may finally get some burn. Say what you want about Celtics Director Danny Ainge, but the guy can draft with the best of them.
- I know it’s still early but this year’s rookie class has been…..in a word…..awful. No one has separated themselves from the pack even slightly thus far. My Quarter Pole rookie award came down to Adam Morrison or Jorge Garbajosa for cripes sake, neither of which really deserved it.
The good news is that help may finally be on the way.
Brandon Roy (Trail Blazers) looks like a solid NBA starter, but I’m not sure I see “star” in his future.
Randy Foye (Timberwolves) has started to show some signs, but I’m far from sold on him, and the Dwyane Wade comparisons I’ve yet to see myself.
Rudy Gay (Grizzlies), same thing. Great athlete that has flashes of above average-ness, but is way, way too inconsistent for my liking. (That has less to do with him being a rookie and more to do with his make up if you ask me, which you didn’t.)
Garbajosa (Raptors) looks like a solid 29 year old role player.
Morrison (Bobcats) is completely a one trick pony (scorer) and needs to figure out the difference between good and bad shots. He is much better suited to coming off the pine right now due to his lack of…well…everything besides scoring.
I’ve mentioned Craig Smith (Wolves, #36), Paul Millsap (Jazz, #47) and Leon Powe (Celts, #49) already as second round picks that I like, but I need to add Alexander Johnson (Griz, #45) to that list as well. The difference between Johnson and those other three is that Alex is not an undersized PF at 6’10, 240 pounds. The dude is a *man* down low. He’s surprising athletic, plays with energy, takes no guff from anyone and is built like a brick shiest house.
This was supposed to be a weak draft for PG’s, but I’ve seen a few with potential in Jordan Farmar (Lakers), Daniel Gibson (Cavaliers) and Sergio Rodriguez (Blazers). They all are at least two years away though. Marcus Williams gets all the press, but follow Flava Flav’s advice and “don’t believe the hype.”
Man, I meant this to be quick piece on the rooks, but it has quickly careened out of control. Back to my point, which was I’ve seen only two potential “stars” so far…
Andrea Bargnani (Raps). Why people questioned/panned Bryan Colangelo for picking him I don’t know. I also don’t think the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons are that far off. In fact, I’d venture to say that Bargnani looks better then Nowitzki did as a rookie. Now, I’m not saying for a second that Andrea will develop into the kind of player Dirk is, but he certainly has the skill set to do it if he wants to.
LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers). People had reservations about his motivation coming into the draft, and I can see that (although I like his intensity better then Gay’s). LaMarcus has been caught in a numbers crunch behind Joel Przybilla and Jamaal Magloire, but Aldridge has easily out played both of those journeymen. He’s athletic and long with decent range on his jumper for guy his size (6’11). He also has a post up game, and has shown a willingness to block shots and rebound as well. The problem with all three of those aspects for him right now is that he’s not strong enough to bang with the big boys down low just yet. If he can bulk up and discover a more consistent motor, he should be the best player of the 2006 draft class.
- I know many of you out there have been waiting with baited breath for the next guy in the line of my favorite type of player.
First there was Andrei Kirilenko.
Next was Josh Howard.
Now, introducing my new main man (drum roll please)……….Thabo Sefolosha (Bulls)!
What do all these guys have in common? Well, other then me being onto them when they were rookies, they are all lock down defenders that are unselfish and can do a little bit of everything offensively.
It might take Thabo some time to get regular minutes, but if/when Luol Deng is traded for Kevin Garnett or Zach Randolph, my boy will be ready to step in.
- Scary thought I had the other day…..
So the Sixers end up with the number one pick and draft Greg Oden.
NICE!
Then Larry Brown steps in to coach again.
NNNNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!
I can’t think of anything worse then LB playing his mind games and “Darko-ing” the next great big man in NBA history.
(I’ll cover the Chris Webber buyout situation after he signs with his new club.)
posted by D$ at 9:21 PM
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