Sunday Miscellany

by Tom Ziller on Sep 23, 2007 10:10 AM PDT in Links

Ailene Voisin of The Bee endorses retiring Vlade Divac's jersey. I'm not in opposition of this. #21 and #4 should represent the glory era in the rafters.
More Vlade: He's running a fundraiser in the former Yugoslavia this weekend. Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Bobby Jackson and Scot Pollard all went. Thumbs up all around.
Baron Davis threatens to opt out next summer if he doesn't get a fat extension in the next week or so. I know how glorious he can be. But he's not worth more than $12 million a year in his 30s. A four-year $45 million extension is about the highest I would go. Chris Mullin should tailor the talks toward a 2- or 3-year extension, maybe then at a slightly higher premium. But good lord, was there ever a point guard you need to be more worried about?
ESPN's Marc Stein should have his rankings of who improved the most in the West this summer out tomorrow. Where do the Kings place (as of now): 13th? 14th? I think the Clippers have had a worse offseason, and the Lakers didn't exactly get better in spades. The Suns got worse. The Spurs didn't improve. The Nuggets traded Steve Blake and Reggie Evans for Chucky Atkins and Steven Hunter; that's a downgrade. Is Mikki Moore and Spencer Hawes enough to sneak the Kings into the top 10?

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Re: Sunday Miscellany

and here it is:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=WestOffseason07&lpos=s potlight&lid=tab3pos1

we cracked the top10

by cwebb on Sep 24, 2007 5:52 AM PDT reply actions

I'm having trouble making sense of Stein's thought process for the rankings. He puts Seattle at #2. Now Durant and Green will be nowhere near as good as Allen and Lewis this year, but they will be better in a couple of years if those young guys develop. So if the ranknigs take the future and upside into consideration, how does Portland land at #7? Oden's injury will impact the team this year, but I think almost any team would trade their 1st round draft pick right now for him, Durant notwithstanding (would you deal Hawes for Oden as/is?). Stoudemire has shown that you can come all the way back from microfracture (I think youth plays a role).

The scary thing for the Kings has been mentioned before - it's not that the good teams got better so much as some of the bad teams got better. GP has some work to do over the next couple of years.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 24, 2007 6:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Sunday Miscellany

I can see putting Seattle above Portland, but not by much. Portland added Oden, Frye, Fernandez and Koponen while giving up an overpaid (but very good) power forward. I'd venture most Western teams would take that in a heartbeat.

by Tom Ziller on Sep 24, 2007 7:05 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Sunday Miscellany

You forgot Randolph's penchant for getting in trouble, going to a strip-club instead of a funeral for his family, and general craziness/bad attitude. These are the sorts of things you have to consider when your second best (or best depending on opinion) player is Ron Artest.

by moproblemz on Sep 24, 2007 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions