04/19/24
June 23, 2004
Et tu Antawn?: The Mavs have dealt Jamison to the Wizards for the No. 5 pick in the draft; other "unspecified" players were included in the deal but not mentioned. It's official, Cuban is making the moves to get Shaq. This very well could be the biggest offseason shift in the league's balance since 1996.
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 07:59 PM - 22 comments
Damn. Balls. I just submitted a column about an hour ago. When it shows up, you'll know how I feel.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:35 PM on June 23, 2004
Ok, this makes no sense to me... Stackhouse Laettner #5 ...for Antawn Frickin' Jamison!#%@!@% What the hell is Ernie Grunfeld thinking? Unless this deal includes Josh Howard or Marquis Daniels, the Wizards, AS USUAL, got UTTERLY SCREWED. I hate rooting for this team. -s
posted by sashae at 08:54 PM on June 23, 2004
When it shows up, you'll know how I feel.. Will you be using stronger words than Damn and Balls? :) Seriously, things look good for the Mavs, provided these deals go through: The #5, Howard, Nash, Walker for Shaq. Stackhouse, Laettner, for McGrady. Prospective starting 5: Shaq Nowitzki Mcgrady Finley Daniels Not Bad.
posted by lilnemo at 08:57 PM on June 23, 2004
I think you're dreaming, lilnemo. But it's a helluva lineup.
posted by rcade at 09:00 PM on June 23, 2004
Now how on earth would Stackhouse + Laettner be enough for McGrady if Dallas does the deal? They have a> bad contracts, b> health/age problems... if the #5 went to Orlando, maybe. But I doubt it.
posted by sashae at 09:01 PM on June 23, 2004
Washington = Warriors East? Projected starting 5: Haywood Jamison Hayes Hughes Arenas Admittedly, losing the #5 pick hurts. But, Eddie's offense relies on players who can change ends quickly. Neither Stackhouse or Laettner meet that criteria. Jamison's contract is a bit of an albatross, but he'll be a consistent scorer whether he plays the 3 or 4. He'll be a good presence in the locker room (unlike Stack/Laettner), and will allow for the Wizards to win while Kwame Brown matures. It's really not that bad. They're moving forward.... seriously.
posted by lilnemo at 09:05 PM on June 23, 2004
Now how on earth... the contracts match up, but thats not to say that some other players couldn't be bundled to make it work. I didn't type it before but, I get the nagging feeling that if the Magic and Mavs deal, Finley will finally get a ticket out of town. And to do that the Mavs would have to take on.... Grant Hill.
posted by lilnemo at 09:10 PM on June 23, 2004
It's so crazy it could be true. Admit it. Admit it! I'm a genius!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
posted by lilnemo at 09:11 PM on June 23, 2004
nemo - Arguing that Jamison is an improvement over Stackhouse and Laettner isn't hard. Arguing that he's an improvement over Stackhouse, Laettner, and [Deng|Livingston|Iguodala|Childress] is facile. This is another in the never-ending series of TERRIBLE Wizards trades. At least this time we're not trading young for old, but still. -s
posted by sashae at 09:12 PM on June 23, 2004
I have a hard time understanding why you think: [Deng|Livingston|Iguodala|Childress] would better serve the Wiz than the SF you drafted last year: Jarvis Hayes. A breakdown if you will: Deng: physically more imposing but nowhere near as athletic, nor as proficient from midrange. Livingston: a scoring PG. Sorry, a scoring High School PG. Don't the Wiz have 3 or 4 scoring PG? Can anyone name the last successful PG to make it directly to the pros? Iguodala: a well rounded SF/SG who compares favorably, but whom primarily played PF @ Arizona. Not a consistent shooter. Childress = the 2nd coming of Jared Jeffries, not the Ice Man.
posted by lilnemo at 09:22 PM on June 23, 2004
Hayes is going to be a better SG than SF, and Jeffries is a stiff (why we draft players from Indiana after the Calbert Cheaney era ended, I will never understand.) I'm happy with Hayes as 6th man next year, honestly. I'm unsure that he'll make it as a starter, but I can hope... I disagree with you about Deng... with his huge wingspan, long stride, defensive skills, and good 15' jumper he would have been the perfect SF for the Wizards. There haven't been -any- PGs that have jumped from HS to the pros, but Livingston sounds like he could be the guy to do it. He's not much of a scorer actually (18ppg) but rather a quality distributor with fabulous court vision. I still would have rather had Deng. Childress and Iguodala both have something that Jamison most certainly does not -- upside. Jamison is what he is -- an egregiously overpaid (13mil/13mil/15mil/16mil over the next 4) SF with limited range, weak defense, and ZERO passing ability. Sounds like a super fit for the Princeton offense which is ENTIRELY predicated upon ball movement! Kwame Brown will not see the ball for the entirety of the 2004-2005 season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's either a 3-way with the Lakers (Wizards ending up with say... Luke Walton and the #27) or Howard is involved.
posted by sashae at 09:30 PM on June 23, 2004
SF with limited range, weak defense, and ZERO passing ability. Limited range? He shot 40% from 3. Weak defense? Maybe. Zero passing ability? Hmmm. Besides a slight difference in rebounding, what is the difference between Jamison and say, Kenyon Martin? Martin is a more physical defender, Jamison a more versatile scorer. I would say they have about the same passing ability. I'm just saying give him a shot. :)
posted by lilnemo at 09:38 PM on June 23, 2004
Oops, wanted to say that Jamison should prove capable of fitting into the Princeton offense just as well as Martin.
posted by lilnemo at 09:40 PM on June 23, 2004
The problem is that Kenyon Martin is a PF, and Jamison is a tweener SF -- PF skills, SF size. He's never averaged more than 2apg in his career. Brutal. Human matador too. We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one ;) The idea that he's going to get 12.5 mil next year to be a blah player just gives me hives.
posted by sashae at 09:43 PM on June 23, 2004
The problem is that Kenyon Martin is a PF, and Jamison is a tweener SF -- PF skills, SF size. He's never averaged more than 2apg in his career. Brutal. Kenyon Martin is 6' 9", same as Twan. Martin's career apg? 2.4 per. Aside from the D, not much different. I wonder if Martin's agent will bring that up in his contract extension negotiations? We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one Agreed. But don't sleep on 'Twan!
posted by lilnemo at 09:51 PM on June 23, 2004
Lilnemo is like the guy in your fantasy league who makes trade offers that are so ridiculous that they border on insulting. Sure, the Magic are going to trade McGrady for Stackhouse and Laetner. Lilnemo, if the Magic would take that package, don't you think WASHINGTON would have wanted McGrady? Don't you think the Lakers might be reluctant to give their conference rival O'Neal? Do you play poker? Cause if you do I'd like to invite you to play a game with me. via ESPN: ESPN.com reported late Tuesday that, according to Lakers sources, L.A. refuses to deal O'Neal to their Western Conference rival unless Dallas makes Dirk Nowitzki available, but Mavs owner Marc Cuban told the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday night that Dallas would not move Nowitzki in a Shaq deal.
posted by Mike McD at 11:29 PM on June 23, 2004
The problem is that Kenyon Martin is a PF, and Jamison is a tweener SF -- PF skills, SF size. He's never averaged more than 2apg in his career. Brutal. Assists, schmassits. The guy is an offensive rebounding machine, and has one of the quickest releases in the NBA. Plus, he's proved himself to be a team player, all the way. His spirit this year was contagious. I'm really, really sad to see him go. Esp. to another non-contender team (no offense, sasha). I'm sure I'll have more tomorrow.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:42 PM on June 23, 2004
Pisses me off that Indiana wasn't in the running for this - Harrington would be a much, much better fit than Jamison, and Indiana really coulda used that pick.
posted by chmurray at 12:26 AM on June 24, 2004
Wizards as Warriors East, that is too funny. All we can hope for in the Bay Area is that CM is a real GM unlike GSJ, who could use a GSW.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:24 AM on June 24, 2004
don't you think WASHINGTON would have wanted McGrady? Maybe, but WASHINGTON wasn't on McGrady's list of teams. DALLAS is. And I'm not saying its going to happen I'm only discussing the possibilities, if not the intent behind some of these moves. I'm not saying the Magic WANT Stackhouse or Laettner, I'm saying they NEED to get rid of Grant Hill's contract which is worse than Stack and Laettners. If they "just so happen" to nab Finley in the deal, bully. Don't you think the Lakers might be reluctant to give their conference rival O'Neal? Duh. Thats why I posted this.
posted by lilnemo at 11:05 AM on June 24, 2004
P.S. The next worst thing to being the guy who lost Shaq with no compensation... is being the guy who lost McGrady with no compensation.
posted by lilnemo at 12:17 PM on June 24, 2004
EDIT: Whoopsie the "unspecified players" are Laettner and Stackhouse. Let the tilt a whirl begin!