Weez

says possibly

Lamar Odom is a point forward, and a fantastic one...but he's going to be playing...? pg? I just don't see how they're going to lineup on the court defensively, esp. against smaller, quicker teams who will try to run them to death. This is a problem, because offensively, the Heat will have to be a primarily half-court team, which equals low scoring, thus you can't have too many defenses lapses.

I just don't want to have a Arenas sort of situation on our hands...and I would like to know who's option that second year is...it won't be a problem if it's a team option, cause we'll have "potential" cap space in two years...but we don't have a ton next year, not to resign someone without any rights to them... one thing no one ever considers is what if this team starts to gel and plays well next year (starts this year, excels the next) and then is faced with FA's SJax, Theo, Reef, Hendu et al???

option for who?

because Eddie's getting old and doesn't have the speed to run a team from the sg anymore...Butler's a sf, despite Riles attempts to make him a pg this summer, that's a two position slide (he was a pure last year). That bench, honestly, is probably worse than ours. Simply put, I don't think Riles can play pg from the bench, the team's too old to run, depite a noted interior presence and depth, and there's no pg, unless it's Alston, and he wants to run. all that said, I think they'll contend for that spot,, but won't get it. They get quite a few wins when teams lose focus, but they're forced to grind out nearly every win, and that just doesn't work over the season...

Okur has early edge at center By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Friday, October 3 Updated: October 3 7:31 AM ET The Pistons moved Cliff Robinson and Michael Curry this summer to allieviate a few logjams. But with four 7-footers on the roster, coach Larry Brown has yet to decide who will be the starting center. Small forward also is a small issue, though it appears that Tayshaun Prince has the position locked up. Detroit Pistons Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Mehmet Okur 1 6-11 6.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg in 19 mpg By the time of the playoffs, Okur was the Pistons' best offensive weapon in the paint and the team's second-best rebounder. Larry Brown wants more offense in the paint this year and it looks like Okur has early edge. He'll also get minutes at power forward. 2. Elden Campbell 13 7-0 6.1 ppg, 3.2 apg in 15.5 mpg Another big guy with a nice back-to-the-basket game and a better defender than Okur. If he's healthy, Brown might decide to start Campbell and use Okur to back up Ben Wallace and Campbell. 3. Zeljko Rebraca 2 7-0 6.6 ppg, 3.1 apg in 16.3 mpg They'll take it slow with Rebraca for a while. Offensively, he can give them a big boost, but right now he's probably looking at less than 20 mpg. Power Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Ben Wallace 7 6-9 6.9 ppg, 15.4 rpg in 39.4 mpg He's the best rebounder and shot blocker in the league. This year, Larry Brown wants to get him more involved in the offense. 2. Darko Milicic R 7-1 -- Darko won't play big minutes this year. Brown wants to ease him in slowly. However, he will get minutes. The Pistons want to develop him this season. 3. Darvin Ham 6 6-7 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg in 12.3 mpg Brown calls Ham his "George Lynch", which means that he'll get more minutes than his talent suggests. A hustle guy. Small Forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Tayshaun Prince 1 6-9 3.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg in 10.4 mpg Ignore the regular-season numbers. His 9.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg in the playoffs is the numbers that the Pistons are looking at. Brown loves his versatility and plans to use him some at point forward. 2. Corliss Williamson 8 6-7 12 ppg, 3.9 rpg in 25.1 mpg The Pistons' top scoring option off the bench. However, most of his production came in the paint. As teams figured him out, his numbers plummeted. With Brown using more players inside, will Williamson become the odd man out? Shooting Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Richard Hamilton 4 6-7 19.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg in 32.2 mpg The team's most consistent scorer last season. His ball handling and court vision need to improve in Brown's new system. Right now he's a little too one dimensional. 2. Bob Sura 8 6-5 7.3 ppg, 3.0 apg in 20.5 mpg Combo guard will get minutes backing up both Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. A decent defender. 3. Hubert Davis 12 6-5 1.8 ppg in 7.6 mpg Best 3-point shooter on the team, but will spend the season waving towels from the bench. Point Guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes 1. Chauncey Billups 6 6-3 16.2 ppg, 3.9 apg in 31.4 mpg Was the team's most explosive scorer at the end of the season, but is he enough of a playmaker to make Brown happy? Billups is going to have to learn how to share the ball AND score -- he seemed incapable of doing both at the same time last season. 2. Chucky Atkins 4 5-11 7.1 ppg, 2.7 apg in 21.5 mpg Good shooter, but trying to bounce back from a very shaky season. Was the subject of numerous trade rumors this summer. 3. Lindsey Hunter 10 6-2 9.7 ppg, 2.4 apg in 23.2 mpg Injuries and age have limted his production. He's insurance if Billups or Atkins go down.

~sans Peep Show - sorry, admin problems kept me from posting yesterday and necessitated the new screenname~

Too much is expected from James By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Friday, October 3 Updated: October 3 2:24 PM ET We've been stuck at 13 all week. Thirteen players on the verge of breaking out. Thirteen players in a make-or-break season. Thirteen players in the twilight of their careers. Thirteen players trying to come back. Call this one Friday the 13th. For mysterious reasons that have to do with the quirks that come with media hype or lack thereof, there are a number of players out there living with reps they don't deserve. Is LeBron James the next Michael Jordan? Please. Insider breaks down the NBA's most overrated and underrated players by position in the last of 13 series. Rookie Overrated? Lebron James, G/F, Cavs -- Even if James averages 20 ppg, 6 rpg and 6 apg, there will be someone out there disappointed. This isn't a knock on his talent or work ethic. Both are stellar. But the expectations are just out of control. There's only one Michael Jordan. And as a string of posers will (Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, Grant Hill) will tell you -- it's no fun playing in his shadow. Underrated? Dwyane Wade, G, Heat -- You hear a lot about Carmelo Anthony and James as rookie of the year candidates, but don't count out Wade. He'll play a big role on the Heat this year. His length and athleticism in the backcourt will turn a lot of heads, especially if the Heat start winning some basketball games. Point Guard Steve Francis will be asked to share the ball more this season. Overrated? Steve Francis, Rockets -- Rudy Tomjanovich let Francis do whatever he wanted and he's put up terrific numbers in Houston the past few years. That's about to change. New head coach Jeff Van Gundy wants to turn the Rockets into an inside, out team, which means that Francis isn't going to try to take his man off the dribble every time down the court. My guess is his numbers will slip and there will be some serious pouting on the bench. Underrated? Tony Parker, Spurs -- He's 21 years old, already has a championship ring and takes an extraordinary amount of abuse. I'm not sure that Parker is a Top 5 point guard in the league, but he does what coach Gregg Popovich asks him to do and it works. My guess is that if he were to move to a team that ran the floor more, he'd put up sensational numbers. If he's improved this much in his first two years in the league, what's he going to look like when he's 25? Shooting Guard Overrated? Latrell Sprewell, T-Wolves -- Spree is an obsession. His numbers the past few years and the Knicks' pitiful record suggest that he peaked about three years ago. Everyone is talking about how the Wolves are now one of the three most dangerous teams in the West. But considering that four of their five starters (Spree, Sam Cassell, Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Olowokandi) could've made the overrated list -- it's tough to untangle the hype from the reality. Spree's absence at media day should give Flip Saunders a nice taste of what he's in for this year. Underrated? Ray Allen, Sonics -- He's always been overshadowed by a teammate or a coach in Milwaukee. Allen really shined the last 30 games of the season in Seattle. We learned that he's a better passer and better defender than we ever thought and he proved that he can be a leader. If he can stay healthy, expect a huge year from Allen this season. Small Forward Overrated? Jalen Rose, Bulls -- The days of Rose jacking up 20 to 25 shots a game are over. This year coach Bill Cartwright is going to give the ball to his young players and ask them to lead. For all of Rose's offensive fire power, he couldn't lead the Bulls to the locker room. Underrated? Al Harrington, Pacers -- He's been up and down and stunk in the playoffs -- but Harrington is a lot better than people give him credit for. If the Pacers' rotation becomes set, and coach Rick Carlisle doesn't play favorites and sits him in favor of Austin Croshere, Harrington is a guy who can drop 20 points and grab 10 boards on any given night. Power Forward Overrated? Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Hawks -- His numbers are great but his lack of playoff appearances is alarming. Rahim is the guy who seems destined to always put up good numbers on a bad team. The problem is a lack of leadership. He's been on several teams with a chance at being decent, but has never taken over the way his talent suggests he should. Underrated? Elton Brand, Clippers -- I know this is hypocritical. Brand's a playoff virgin as well and puts up great numbers on bad teams. The difference? Brand's teams have never had a shot at being good. Despite that, he comes to play every night, never complains and remains one of the few sure things in this league. If he ever were to make it to a good team, he'd put up the same numbers and would be looking at a championship. Center Overrated? Just about everyone in the league -- Let me make a bold plea to David Stern. After Shaq retires, can we just go ahead and abolish the center position? He should make it illegal for anyone to draft a player 6-11 or taller who doesn't know how to score, rebound or block shots. That would rid us of about 75 percent of the stiffs in the league. Underrated? Rasho Nesterovic, Spurs -- He quietly improved his game each year in Minnesota. Playing next to Tim Duncan should really open things up for Nesterovic in the high post. He's looking at a career year in San Antonio this season. No. 13 Juwan Howard, F, Magic -- Howard went from being the most overrated player in the NBA to the most underrated in the course of two years. Take away his enormous contract for a second and Howard has steadily produced (for bad teams) his entire career. In Orlando, he'll be the No. 2 option behind Tracy McGrady. Will he finally get to show what he can do in the playoffs? Around the league It's training camp time again. Click over to sitelines, read the headlines and you'll learn in 10 minutes everything you need to know about the league. "McDyess' Return Unclear" (Newsday) -- If I had a nickel for every time we've heard that the last two seasons. . . "Where's Spree?" (St. Paul Pioneer Press) -- . . . I'd be a very rich man. "Camby Puts Health Atop his Agenda" (Rocky Mountain News) -- So that was the problem the past seven years. "Davis: 'Let's Play Basketball'" (Toronto Star) -- . . . somewhere other than Canada. "Carter's Summer Credo: No Sweat" (Toronto Star) -- So much for Vince dispelling the "he doesn't play hard" label. "Fit and Trim Baker Ready to Fight for Spot" (Boston Globe) -- Huh? "Silas sees Ricky Davis as a Leader" (Akron Beacon Journal) -- A leader of what? "Can Ricky and LeBron Co-exist in the Same Line-up?" (Morning Journal) -- Now that's more like it. "Alonzo's Ready and Able" (New York Post) -- But for how long? Only two prominent free agents are still looking for work. One of them, Stephen Jackson, is in Atlanta today hoping to seal a deal with the Hawks. Jackson, who reportedly rejected a three-year, $10 million deal with the Spurs, is looking at taking a lot less money wherever he winds up. Hawks GM Billy Knight hopes that he chooses the Hawks. "I don't know if anything is going to happen or not," Knight told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We look forward to having a chance to visit with [stephen] in person. We really, really would like to have him. He's athletic. He's played in big games. He's got some experience, but he's still young enough to potentially have a big upside. He'd add another dimension to the team, and that's what you'd like to have --- more versatility, more of everything." If Jackson chooses not to sign in Atlanta, it's unclear what other options he realistically has. Tyrone Hill is the other top free agent still looking for work. It's hard to believe that in a league starved for big men who can do the dirty work in the paint that Hill doesn't have a job. While he isn't much of an offensive threat, Hill's a veteran rebounder who could be a nice role player on several contenders. The problem may have something to do with his contract demands. While he's not asking for the moon, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Insider that Hill has rejected offers from several teams that are offering him the veterans minimum. "I just think it's unfair to offer a guy a minimum contract when you know he's going to be a key player coming off the bench for you," Bartelstein said. "If he's going to play thirty minutes a game, he should be compensated for it." Bartelstein said Hill is talking with several teams right now, but refused to name them. One team that looks like it could really use him is Sacramento. With Lawrence Funderburke out and Keon Clark gone, the team has no real backup for the fragile Chris Webber. "We're going to be patient," Bartelstein said. "An injury will happen somewhere in camp and a team will need someone like Hill to step in." Peep Show By Terry Brown NBA Insider Wednesday, October 1 Updated: October 1 9:44 AM ET Los Angeles Lakers: General Manager Mitch Kupchak isn't taking anything for granted and says his superstar center shouldn't, either. "We're going to do what we think is best for the organization and the players on this team," Kupchak said in the Los Angeles Times about Shaq's upcoming contract extension. "That's really all I want to say about it right now." The former MVP is due to make between a maximum of $105 and $114 million in a three-year extension, but Kupchak wasn't giving out any details. "I wouldn't make any assumptions," he said. Brown Washington Wizards: Kwame Brown might be starting only his third season in the NBA, but he's already looking for the reset button."I have to come in prepared and ready and be solid, be ready to wash the taste of the first two years out of my mouth and just be a natural basketball player," Brown said in the Washington Post after his first day of training camp. "I've got to have a big year but it's not like the coach is riding me, saying, 'You've got to be better. You've got to do this. You've got to do that.' It's just, 'Come on, work hard, come in and be solid for us.' " Houston Rockets: The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Rockets have sent Glen Rice and a pair of draft picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for center John Amaechi and then immediately signed free agent guard Jim Jackson to a three-year, $7.3 million contract. "It's just so much easier to live under the cap," Houston general manager Carroll Dawson said. "If you can't do that, you try to live under the luxury tax (because of) the restrictions. This enabled us to get under the luxury tax and enabled us to get Jim Jackson." Los Angeles Clippers: Quentin Richardson is only 23 years old, but for a Clipper, that's a lifetime. "This is my chance to forget about last year, forget about the injuries, forget about us not fulfilling expectations," Richardson said in the Orange County Register. "Now is the time to get that out of our system, start over and do better. It's funny, and I even hate to say it but at 23 I definitely feel like I'm one of the veterans,'' Richardson said. "But that's from games played and minutes played here. I'm definitely one of the more game-tested and experienced guys on the team.'' Outlaw Phoenix Suns: The Arizona republic is reporting that the Phoenix Suns have traded center Jake Tsakalidis and forward Bo Outlaw to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard Brevin Knight, center Cezary Trybanski and forward Robert Archibald. The paper reports that the deal was done for financial reasons with both Tsakalidis and Outlaw having two years on their contracts while Knight, Trybanski and Archibald all having only one. Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers took care of Allen Iverson this off season and now they're working on Eric Snow. "I'm fairly optimistic we can wrap this up this week," Steve Kauffman, Snow's agent, said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "We've been talking for a while." The new deal is expected to be for three years at $18 million. Suter will have surgery on knee Rick Snider / Washington Times Richardson: Time to step up Art Thompson III / Orange County Register Suns send Tsakalidis, Outlaw to Memphis Bob Young / Arizona Republic Team Backs Off Some on Extension for Shaq Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times Agent: Snow near extension Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News Rice shipped to Jazz; shooter Jackson signs Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Best Case Scenario Three things need to happen for the Pistons to win 55 games and compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference this season. Chauncey Billups, left, may be allowed to do what he does best: score. 1. Billups and Brown become friends. Everyone knows Larry Brown likes point guards who pass first and shoot second. And everyone knows that Chauncey Billups likes to shoot first and shoot second. So what gives? Everyone is hinting that Tayshaun Prince may do some of the ball handling, freeing up Billups to shoot and score. That seems fine with Billups, who claims he'll be the same player he was at the end of last season. "Our system will be different," Billups said. "But I'm always going to be a scoring threat." If that works for Larry, who's declining comment until he gets Billups in practice, fine. If it doesn't? See Worst Case Scenario No. 1. 2. Wallace needs to score. Brown wants to get more offense from his big men. While more skilled offensive players like Mehmet Okur, Elden Campbell and Zeljko Rebraca seem like more obvious options, Brown wants Ben Wallace to carry the load. "He's such a great player, I think we need to raise the bar for him and make sure he gets more involved on offense," Brown said. Teams were able to sag off Wallace on defense last year. If he can just give them a few buckets in the paint this season, teams will have to guard him. 3. Okur, Campbell, Rebraca and Prince need to rebound. Last year, the rest of the Pistons sometimes stood around, depending on Wallace to do the dirty work for them. "Ben can't grab every rebound and block every shot," Brown said. "We've got to get everyone involved." The statistics last year are staggering. Wallace led the NBA with 15.4 rebounds a game, yet the Pistons were one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Okur is the team's second-best rebounder, and that's one reason why Brown is flirting with starting him at center. Worst Case Scenario The Pistons will struggle to keep home-court advantage in the first round with 45 victories if the following three things happen. 1. Billups has another identity crisis. Last season, Billups came to the Pistons determined to prove that he was a "true point guard." The result? Billups struggled to do anything the first two months. After Joe Dumars told Billups he signed him to score, Billups turned his season around. If Brown sends a different message, how will Billups respond? 2. Prince and Okur have a sophomore slump. The Pistons traded veterans Cliff Robinson and Michael Curry to clear the way for Prince and Okur. But what if they're not ready? Both players had impressive playoff performances, but with just one year under their belts, are they ready to do it for 82 games? If they aren't, the Pistons do have backups, but clearly they are counting on both players to have a big impact this season. 3. The team gets off to a slow start. The Pistons won 50 games last season. But with a new head coach, a new offensive and defensive philosophy and two new starters, it may take a while for everyone to gel. Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's ESPN Insider.