beav

Not to be wishy washy but you really can't go wrong with either one. MOst seem to agree they were far and away the two best fantasy players this year. If you like KG more as a player take him I suppose. One other factor that I take into account is how often they'll be on TV to see your fave player though. You'll get the Cavs a lot more than the Twolves on TV.

Yes 3s is a category and you are right I believe they are my weakest spot possibly. Re: Ratliff We each need two centers as starters and in a 13 team league it got thin. But truth to tell he is definitely my first potential drop. I liked Mason at 13 too... Particularly since I already had Simmons as a bit of insurance for injury. The category that killed me last year was FT% hence my grabbing Miller and Magette. I plan to win that one this year! I do think that I may regret taking Jaric over Ridnour, but the steals were too enticing....

PG: ridenour, TJ ford, damon jones SG: ray allen, j-rich, jr smith SF: lebron, artest, odom PF: swift, donyell marshall C: camby, okafor I don't like camby because of the injury history... in a ten team league I would have just dropped lower and taken someone else.... Okafor is also complaining of back spasms all of a sudden and back problems worry me... TJ Ford could be a great pickup, and if damon jones wins the starting job he could be too... I'm iffy on donyell marshall... he seems to be kind of up and down and his defense sucks so who knows how much of that his new coach will put up with... BTW, I'd appreciate it if someone might critique my team a few posts down! Throw me a freakin' bone here for crying out loud!

What do you guys think? It is a 13 team rotisserie league and we use the standard 9 category yahoo scoring. (I picked 8th) 1. Kirilenko 2. Brad Miller 3. Bibby 4. Maggette 5. St. Jackson 6. Al Harrington 7. Marko Jaric 8. Troy Murphy 9. Bobby Simmons 10 Al Jefferson 11 Chris Kaman 12 Ratliff 13 Desmond Mason I'll be in a world of hurt if Miller goes down that much I do know.

http://www.nba.com/fantasy/

thanks cyman, I will check out hoopshype.com... I am using rotowire.com now with a 10 day free subscription... I don't think that brand is forgotten...I haven't seen too many mock drafts that have him lower than the 2nd round... I do agree about SAR and will try and pick him up cheap in maybe the 6th round or so...

So we have our draft in about a week or so. Does anyone have any advice for any sleepers that I might pick up in the late rounds? And please don't say Amare Stoudemire!

Ratliff hopes to shoulder more this season Blazer says summer regimen helped him overcome injuries By KERRY EGGERS Issue date: Fri, Oct 7, 2005 The Tribune McMINNVILLE — With Joel Przybilla’s emergence and Theo Ratliff’s disappearance last season, the latter’s place in the consciousness of Trail Blazer faithful has all but dropped out of sight. Ratliff hopes that will change this year, with a pair of healthy shoulders and a new coaching staff in place. Wind back to the start of last season, when memories of Ratliff’s first half-season in a Portland uniform were fresh. After coming to the Blazers with Shareef Abdur-Rahim in the February 2004 trade that sent Rasheed Wallace to Atlanta, the 6-10 former All-Star was a shot-blocking phenom. He rejected 4.4 shots per game and anchored the Portland defense so well he was rewarded with a three-year, $35-million contract extension. But he injured his left shoulder in late December, hurt the right shoulder later in the season and finally shut it down with 16 games to play. He averaged 4.5 points — the worst since his rookie year in 1995-96 — and 5.3 rebounds, and shot a career-low .447 from the field. He finished fourth in the NBA with 2.51 blocks a game, but his impact with the Blazers was so minimal, “overpaid” could have been scratched across his forehead. Ratliff, 32, worked out five days a week this summer in his hometown, Atlanta, enduring a regular regimen that ex-Blazer assistant coach Jimmy Lynam calls the most grueling he has seen from an NBA player. “Did a lot of (stretching with) elastic bands and balancing type of drills, core work with the abdominal muscles and some free weights,” Ratliff says. “But the main thing this summer was to get the shoulders right.” The injuries, he says, were to the small muscles in the back of the shoulders. “I had to get the (inflammation) calmed down and get stronger,” he says. “I’ve been doing my routines to try to strengthen the muscles. They feel a whole lot better — 100 percent better than what they were. They’re a little sore, but they’re holding up, so hopefully I’ll be able to get by with an injury-free year.” Beginning his 11th NBA season, Ratliff is the senior member on the Blazer roster. New coach Nate McMillan had a long conversation with him about his role on this team. “Theo is a vet, with more experience than anyone out here,” McMillan says. “I’ve talked to him about helping me with the young group of guys and being a leader in the locker room as well as out on the floor. He’s a guy who’s been through it and can talk to the young guys about what it takes to have success in this league. “We need him. He brings something this team can feed off of at the defensive end at the floor. We want to concentrate on defense. He and Joel do a nice job of defending the paint. We want to take advantage of that.” Ratliff says he and McMillan talked about having him be more of a vocal leader. “I want to help keep the young guys focused,” Ratliff says. “Keep encouraging them to work hard and do what’s best for the team.” McMillan says he will let things play out in the preseason before deciding between Ratliff and Przybilla as his starting center. That’s fine with Ratliff. “ I’m not worried about that,” Ratliff says. “It’s about who (McMillan) feels is best out there on the floor. Whoever starts, it doesn’t matter to me. “When I was a lot younger, I cared about that. Now it’s another year in the league. I know I’ll get to play. If I start, I start. If I don’t, I’m going to have the same attitude once I hit the floor.”

Here is Sean Devaney's list (not one Blazer for a change). http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=14959 1. Tim Thomas 2. Adonal Foyle 3. Jason Collins 4. Austin Croshere 5. Keith Van Horn 6. Maurice Taylor 7. Michael Olowokandi 8. Scot Pollard 9. Antonio Davis 10. Kelvin Cato I think that Ratliff is getting a pass purely on potential. Everyone (as recently as the year before) has seen Ratliff produce good numbers. Also most everyone that has been paying attention has seen him pout and/or slack off as well. Ratliff's head (much like many blazers players) last year was not in the game, and he gave up. I don't expect similar results from McMillan with him. However, the ultimate determinant is the market for centers. Let's face it guys.... there just ain't that many decent ones out there, hence you have an overpaid ratliff and foyle. If Ratliff were truly the most overpaid player the blazers would have cut him instead of derek anderson in the offseason. If he has a decent first half of the season he'll be traded faster than Tractor Traylor can eat a ham.

and please keep scouting those players for us!

Q&A with Chucky Atkins August 25, 2005 Veteran guard Chucky Atkins, who was acquired by the Wizards on August 2, recently phoned in from Orlando to discuss the upcoming season and his thoughts on playing in DC. Atkins began his NBA career in 1999 with the Orlando Magic where he played all 82 games his rookie season and averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 assists per game in 19.8 minutes per play. He spent the next four seasons with the Detroit Pistons where he appeared in 265 games and averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 assists and 1.97 rebounds per game. He was traded to the Boston Celtics midway through the 2003-04 season and appeared in 24 games, averaging 12 points and 5.3 assists per game. On August 13, 2004 he was traded from Boston to the Lakers along with Chris Mihm and Jumaine Jones in exchange for Gary Payton, Rick Fox and a future first round draft pick. Atkins started a career-best 82 games in 2004-05 with the Lakers. He averaged career-highs in points (13.6) and rebounds (2.4) and added 4.4 assists per game last season. He finished the season ranked ninth in the NBA in three-point field goals made (176). Entering his seventh season, Atkins is averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. You’ve officially been a Wizard for a couple of weeks now. What have you been doing in the recent weeks since the trade? Chucky: I’m in Florida playing a lot of ball right now to make sure that I’m ready. There’s some good competition down here to play with. We do individual drills in the morning from 11 am ‘til about 12:30. Then, we go get lunch and after that we go play – five on five, five times a week. You name it, they’re down here playing with us - Jared Jeffries, Michael Ruffin, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Sebastian Telfair, Tyronn Lue, Al Harrington – they’re all here. It’s nice to be a part of it. What did you think when you found out about the trade? Chucky:At first I had a few doubts because I didn’t really know a lot about the organization. But then I thought about the team last year…they were exciting and they played an up-tempo basketball game which is something I like. So I thought about it for awhile and I thought it would be a great fit for me. How familiar were you with Coach Jordan before the trade? Chucky:Not that much. When I was with Detroit he was an assistant with New Jersey and they got through us to get to the Finals, so I saw him one year in the Eastern Conference Finals, but other than that, I wasn’t too familiar with the system. But once I talked to Ernie Grunfeld after the trade and heard about the system, I thought about the whole situation and the team’s style of play, and I think it’s a perfect fit for the way that I play. What are you going to bring to the floor this year for the Wizards? Chucky:Just my ability to make something happen. When I was with LA last year, Kobe got hurt and Lamar Odom got hurt, so the team pretty much put the ball in my hands and played off of me. I think that you put can me out there beside Gil, or with Antonio, and you can have two guys that you know can push the ball and make plays. I think that we’ve got shooters and some young guys that know how to play the game. It’s going to be fun. You’re more familiar with Caron Butler’s game than anybody on the team right now. What can you tell everybody about Caron? Chucky: I think the people in Washington are going to be very excited about Caron’s game. The guy’s a slasher and a finisher. He’s a guy who is very passionate about the game and very intense. And I think he’s a blue-collar type player and he’s definitely going to be good for us. He’s a guy who can get to the free throw line, he can rebound the ball and he can run the court. Is your game or your approach going to change now that you’re somewhat of an elder statesman on the team? Chucky: I think that over the years I’ve learned from other veteran players about how they approach the game and how to approach certain situations, so that’s just a part of me now. But I don’t think that has anything to do with my age. I think it’s just from being around older guys like Cliff Robinson and Michael Curry. You can’t help but learn. Now I’m in a situation where the younger guys are going to be looking at me, but I’m not going try to do anything different from what I do. I always go out there and work, and when the time is right I may pull some of the guys to the side and show them what it takes for us to get to the next level as a team. What about Coach Jordan’s offense? Do you think it will be difficult to pick up the nuances of the motion? Chucky: I think it’s going be easy for me. I don’t think it’s going to be that hard because last year we had to learn the triangle offense on the fly. You know we implemented that offense during the mid-season and that’s tougher than it sounds. You’re coming from the West last season, but you’ve played in Orlando, Detroit, and Boston. What do you think of the Eastern Conference since you left it? There seems to be a lot of competition in the East now. Chucky: Well, I think you’ve got to bring your game every night. People talk about how weak the East was a few years ago and now everybody is talking about how strong it got last year just with one acquisition. When Miami got Shaq, everybody was talking about how strong the East had got just from one player. It’s funny that way, but in the end, regardless of what the situation is, you’re going to be playing against professional basketball players every night. Top notch guys. You got to be on top of your game every night. East or West doesn’t matter. Okay, but who are some of the teams to look out for this season? Chucky: I think that teams that have been there in the past are going to be tough to beat. Indiana is getting Ron Artest back and with Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson, you know those guys are going to be tough to beat. They play hardnosed defense and they’ve been there before. Obviously Detroit is going to be good again - they have the same team back and I’m sure they’re pretty upset about losing in the Finals to San Antonio. They are going to be back. Miami has made some acquisitions so they’re feeling good about themselves. But in the end you just got to put it all together and be a team. I think the team that sticks together and gels together the quickest is going to be the team that’s going to survive. You mentioned the value of having been there before and last season in the playoffs, not a lot of our guys had been there before. Now, with last year’s playoff experience and the addition of Caron, Antonio Daniels and yourself, there’s a lot of experience out there. Chucky: Yeah, it’s going to be a great situation. Anytime you’ve been to the playoffs, you hunger for more. You have to be competitive, and after getting swept in the second round to Miami, these guys want it bad. I think that everybody’s going to come back hungrier this year. And the value of having been there before goes a long way. There’s a lot of guard talent on this team, Chucky. What will the competition be like for backcourt minutes? Chucky: Well, I have to look at it like this: I think Eddie is going to have to go with who’s playing the best. You’ve got three guards out there that can play either position. You can put Antonio at the one or the two. You can put Gil at one or two. You can put me at one or two. And you’ve got Jarvis Hayes’ versatility at the two and three. You’ve got a lot of guys that will compete for minutes but also believe that the thing is to win. The ultimate goal is to win so whoever has it going on that particular night, they got to play. It’s just that simple.

that Donnie Walsh gave BK some kind of heads up on Edwards... "You know Billy he's not good enough for the best team in the East...but if you need a backup" Seriously though I'm sure that Walsh made a call and told him that this guy can play back up minutes here, and let's face it the guy knows his stuff...

We are paying Joe Johnson how many millions to be our starting PG? No way in h*ll would I pay a below average PG like Lue 3-4 mil per year. Let's face it, it's not like the Hawks are shooting for the conference finals this year or in all likelihood even 30 wins, so let a young player with loads of potential get pt behind your best and highest paid player.

http://www.nba.com/features/rookie_shoot_050811.html Strike A Pose By Jeff Dengate MORE FROM THE ROOKIE PHOTO SHOOT Julius Hodge defeats Sean May in the NBA Live 06 video game tournament Playing For Keeps: Rookies battle for the title of NBA Live Champion Rookie Photo Shoot Gallery Behind the scenes video If you thought fetching veterans' donuts was a drab job for an NBA rookie, consider staring down flash bulbs for six hours. Or waiting in line behind me for lunch. But what could have been just another day's work turned out to be a fun afternoon for the rookies in attendance at the NBA Rookie Photo Shoot held at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, N.Y. on Wednesday. LIGHTS. CAMERA. SMILE. The trading card companies -- Topps and Upper Deck -- along with NBA Entertainment photographers, gathered on the Knicks' practice court, complete with curtains, backdrops and cameras to photograph this year's incoming group in their freshly sewn jerseys. The players were divided into three groups, with teammates making the circuit together throughout the day. E-mail photo | Buy photos Chris Paul's new jersey is as sharp as his ball-handling skills. Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images As music blared from a DJ in one corner of the gym and flash bulbs popped in their peripheral vision, the players smiled, posed and made passes to be captured on film. The backdrops, in front of which the players posed, varied from simple rolls of colored paper to an elaborate locker room set. At another photo station, players posed in front of a green Chroma Key background that will be replaced by an image -- similar to how your local weather person appears in front of all those maps. When Jarrett Jack assumed a defensive stance, you probably could have as easily replaced that green background with a wave and stood him on a surfboard as you could have put him on a basketball court. LUNCH TIME The lunch scene was straight out of a SportsCenter commercial. You know how the athletes act all normal but something seems amiss because they're wearing their game uniforms? That was how lunch seemed when we all broke for hot dogs and hamburgers under a big white tent set up on the lawn in front of the training facility. Staff, media and rookies alike, armed with paper plates and plastic ware, waited in line for their turn at the grill and then spent the better part of an hour refueling. Most of the rookies piled around a few tables, still sporting their uniforms and sneakers -- and, in the case of Boston's Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes, headbands. Careful with the mustard fellas, you still have to look pretty for four more hours. AT THE CONTROLS The EA Sports folks were nice enough to bring two systems set up with NBA LIVE 06 for the rookies to play with when they had a little down time. When the games were first turned on, there was a mad rush of players trying to find their rendered selves. In Martynas Andriuskevicius' case, he wasn't in the game because he's yet to ink a contract with the Cavaliers. Such a little detail didn't deter him however, as the Lithuanian center spent a good chunk of the day with a controller in his hand. His team of choice? The Cleveland Cavaliers, of course. Many of the players took their turns at the games, but perhaps none more so than Nate Robinson. The little man's athleticism took some time to shine through on the game as Robinson repeatedly complained, "I can't dunk! I can't dunk!" Clearly it was not an oversight on the part of the EA Sports crew, just part of the learning curve for the 5-9 guard who, when needed for photos, could be found in front of the game. E-mail photo | Buy photos Gerald Green holds one of many poses during the day. Chris Bisani/NBAE/Getty Images No matter who was at the controller, you could be assured of two things: They would be playing with their real NBA team. And the ball would be in their hands. Hopefully the rookies aren't ball hogs on the court as they were in the game. Robinson best illustrated this when he began a game using the Knicks and immediately made a substitution, replacing Stephon Marbury in the lineup with himself. As Robinson's teammate, Channing Frye, stood over his shoulder shouting, "Put your hands on it big Frye!" you could be certain the virtual Frye wasn't getting touches until the real Frye took his turn at the game. MORE GAMES When asked to compare this year's rookie class to those in recent years, a common theme we kept hearing was that this is a good group of guys who really get along well together. This was evident throughout the day. In one corner of the gym you had Detroit's Jason Maxiell giving a little good natured ribbing to Martell Webster, Portland's 18-year old rookie. It seems Webster either got the wrong size shorts or he doesn't fancy the super long bottoms in fashion today. While Webster's trunks were far from the length sported by players from the 1980's and earlier, they were certainly the only pair to end above the knee -- even higher when he hiked them up to play around for Maxiell and an NBA Entertainment photographer. Meanwhile, off in another part of the gym, Andriuskevicius and fellow countryman -- and newest Indiana Pacer -- Sarunas Jasikevicius found a couple chairs to relax and converse in their native language. As Wayne Simien, who aspires to someday be a full-time minister, told us, this is a tight-knit group. "Being through workouts together, the Pre-Draft Camp, playing against and with each other for the last several years," Simien said, "the relationships are something that are defintely strong with this class." A WORKOUT IN ITS OWN E-mail photo | Buy photos Like Brandon Bass here, all the rookies at Wednesday's shoot got to work on their penmanship. Chris Bisani/NBAE/Getty Images While the day was one of rest for most players, they were still likely to be sore at the end of the day. In between photo sessions, the players were ushered to various spots where they had to repeatedly give autographs. An NBA table at the center of the gym, for example, held roughly 40 basketballs and a collection of jerseys -- memorabilia which was signed by the players and will be used throughout the season. Then it was on to Topps, where sheets of holographic stickers awaited the players. Those silver autographed stickers will be incorporated into trading cards and will be available in the near future. Consider it all practice for what lies ahead as an NBA star. TOP SECRET We were privy to a sneak peek at one team's new jerseys during the shoot, but like any good secret, we can't tell. The team's rookie -- or was it rookies? -- donned a shirt over the jersey when not in front of one of the backdrops, limiting the exposure of the new uniform until an official unveiling is held. All we can tell you is the new gear was pretty sharp. IT'S A WRAP So, how would a day of photos and games wrap up? Like most NBA shoot arounds and practices: With Green, Webster, Danny Granger and Gomes repeatedly hoisting shots from mid-court, including one underhanded lob that bore a striking similarity to a bowling ball toss. Webster stole the show, however, as he was absolutely money from just inside the half court line. In a seemingly effortless performance, Webster knocked down more shots than he missed, hoisting the shots as though they were a typical jumper.

Quote: The point is that we have never drafted anybody as good or who turned out as good as JJ. Again re-reading my post you can see that I did not disagree with the value of JJ, nor the fact that the Hawks almost certainly should have still done the deal. But seeing as BK is the second coming we need to hoard every pick like it is platinum, right?

"The Celtics/Lakers pick is going to be in the 15-20 range. With how terribly weak the 2006 draft is, that pick isn't worth much of anything. If you want to see what you get with such picks look at Suns Zarko Cabarkapa 2003-04 Draft, or Suns Casey Jacobsen 02-03 Draft." I can't really argue at all with most of your post (with the exception of the above paragraph). Yes Belkin is an ass, and yes I think we needed to make the deal: You never know how the season goes... that C/L pick may be in that range, but there is a damn good chance that it may not. One significant injury and that is a definite lotto pick. Also, with an entire year to go, I hate hearing how "weak" a draft is. Of course some drafts are stronger than others, but it seems that come April, the drafts are looking a lot stronger than people typically think in August. Also, I've heard plenty of people shining BK's nob for drafting Josh Smith. Smith was drafted with the 17th pick. People here were ready to throw BK a freaking parade for us handing the Pistons championship rings for the 17th pick of the draft so I'm not turning my nose up at a pick in the 15-20 range. In *any* draft. Jacobsen was drafted higher than 20th. 23rd or so I believe.

Some may surprise...some may not... http://danrosenbaum.blogspot.com/2005/08/d...o-adjusted.html

"Plus, it really doesn't matter how lottery protected the picks are after this next season. I don't see the Hawks in the lottery for more than one more season." Well, optimism is a nice thing to have, however I still stand by my statement. Was it a deal that the Hawks had to make? Yes, but I'd certainly feel a lot more relaxed if they were protected past one year certainly given the Hawks history the last 4-5 years.

I would add that it also depends a bit on how lottery-protected the picks are. Are they lottery-protected for just the first year? Do they then resort to say top 10 protected in the second year, and top 8 the third etc? Diaw was worthless to the Hawks so that means little. He might turn into a decent 8th man for someone out there, but if the two lottery picks down the road turn out to be *real* lotto picks then I'm considerably less than impressed. However, all in all you have to think that it is probably a positive for the Hawks since they've been left at the altar by the likes of erick dampier before.

I've gotta wonder how over the cap MIL is currently? (maybe the capologists here can help) Obviously if they are over they can still match, but they are almost certainly in luxury tax territory after signing redd to a huge extension, resigning gadzuric and signing simmons from the clips which would make zaza a lot tougher to stomach in luxury tax land.

I've played in a local league here for 8 straight years. I know all the people and we have money on it. It just wouldn't be the same for not playing for money and not having a live (I mean everyone sitting around, drinking and giving each other sh*t about drafting Kijana Carter 5 years ago) draft.

Man, as much as I like Mo Cheeks as a person, he was not a good coach. He spent too much time the last few years in Portland being everyone's buddy in lieu of preparation for games. I know that Philly has a better group of guys than portland, but you'd better hope that Lynam is ready to work a lot of late nights in game prep. He ran the worst offensive sets that I've ever seen from an NBA coach, and that includes former Hawks coach Lon Kruger.

"It is unlikely Davis would come here but I think he is from the South or at least maybe played for Clemson?" He did play for Clemson and is from Georgia.

Turiaf fails physical, needs heart surgery KHQ Local News file photo. LOS ANGELES, CA... - Ronny Turiaf's NBA career may be over, before it's even begun. Shocking news out of Los Angeles Thursday about the former Gonzaga great.(AP & Staff reports) -- After signing a two-year contract with the Lakers, Ronny Turiaf was looking forward to a big rookie season, but he won't get that chance. Late Thursday afternoon, KHQ Local News confirmed through Turiaf's agent Bouna Ndiaye, that the former Gonzaga star failed his physical with the Lakers because of an enlarged heart. Turiaf was the Lakers' second-round pick in last month's NBA draft. Turiaf will meet with team doctors Friday to schedule surgery, which will be paid for by the Lakers. Turiaf did sign his contract with the Lakers but John Black, the team's Public Relations Director, would not discuss any specifics with KHQ over the phone.Black said previous examinations of Turiaf, a couple of years ago and earlier this year at the pre-NBA draft camp, turned up an abnormality, but in both instances doctors didn't think it was serious and cleared him to play. Further examinations by the Lakers' own physicians turned up the more serious problem.He said the team could make a formal announcement about Turiaf's health Friday. The 22-year-old Turiaf will most likely have the operation in the next four to six weeks.

The only thing that I would add is that it appears to be a "very protected" first since it may not happen until 2010. The Nets in the East have done well for themselves. I'd put them 4th in the East right now. Nets seal deal for Abdur-Rahim Friday, July 22, 2005 BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO Star-Ledger Staff When word reached his home in Atlanta at 2 p.m. yesterday, it came in stereo, so to speak. Shareef Abdur-Rahim absorbed the good news on the telephone from his new boss, Rod Thorn, just as his agent, Aaron Goodwin, popped up in his instant-message window. The deal with Portland was done and Abdur-Rahim felt himself smile. When the free-agent forward signs a contract with the Nets in the next few weeks, it will be for six years, $38 million. "I'm really happy about it, but what I really want people to know is that I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the community," Abdur-Rahim said yesterday. "I don't take that lightly. And the other thing fans in New Jersey should know is that I'm coming to win. Other than that, they can judge for themselves. They'll see what I'm about." After two weeks of discussion, Thorn sealed the deal by sending a provisional first-round pick to the Blazers along with a $4.9 million trade exception. The pick is lottery protected for at least 2006, but there are a number of additional stipulations -- depending on where it is situated -- before the Nets hand it over. It might be as late as 2010 before Portland actually gets it. Regardless, the Nets still have the Clippers' unprotected pick for next season, so it's not as though they'll need another youngster, because they are on the verge of building the most talented roster in their franchise's history. Of more immediate importance to the sign-and-trade deal is that the Nets were able to retain their midlevel exception -- the extra fund capped-out teams can use on free agents -- for targets such as Keyon Dooling, who told the Nets that New Jersey is his first choice during his visit yesterday. Abdur-Rahim, for one, knows exactly why Dooling feels that way. "I chose New Jersey because of the things I want to accomplish in the second half of my career," said Abdur-Rahim, 28, who has never been in a playoff game in his nine seasons. "I know what people say about (the hole in his résumé), but it is what it is. We all have challenges, and when I get to New Jersey, that will put a rest to it. "I have a great opportunity to win there, and that's what it's about -- getting a chance to compete for the championship. I'm not taking anything away from the other teams pursuing me, but New Jersey presents the best opportunity." The Nets now have a unique opportunity to have a slam-dunk summer if they get Dooling at their price. A report that the Orlando Magic offered Dooling $9 million over three years was denied almost immediately by GM Otis Smith, who told the Orlando Sentinel the team had not made any offers to the 6-3 veteran swing guard. Thorn wasn't sure. "We had a good meeting with Keyon, and we'll see what transpires from there," the Nets president said. "He allegedly had a huge offer from one team, so we'll have to see where it's going." If the Nets cannot land Dooling, they will take their business elsewhere. At the top of their contingency list is Milt Palacio, the well-traveled point guard who has played for five teams in six seasons, but coming off his best year in Toronto (5.8 points and 3.5 assists in only 19.2 minutes per game). Their third choice? Juan Dixon has been discussed, but he'll be more pricey. But even with a power rotation that will include Abdur-Rahim, Nenad Krstic, Jason Collins and Clifford Robinson, the Nets know they have to go shopping for more toughness. So if Dooling can be signed for part of their midlevel exception, the other part can be used on a big man such as Tractor Traylor. Other wide bodies (Reggie Evans, Vitaly Potapenko) have been discussed, but the Nets are only starting to learn what their contract demands will be.