I was diligently following the daily machinations of the NBA til I was overcome by some household duties. The duties were of the pleasant variety (as opposed to the oh-fuck-emergency kind) but they unfortunately appeared right in the middle of Summer League and the early signing period. I did catch some Summer League but of the signings: I'll do a team by team retrospective of the Summer movement some time in August. Til then I have turned my attention to other things. Like:
FIBA U-19 World Cup: USA 78-71 (OT) Serbia. Oh man, Serbian kid had 2 free throws to win it with under 10 seconds, makes the first, misses the second, USA runs out the clock, then dropkicks the Serbs in the overtime. The Americans probably were the better team but they underperformed from the beginning of the game til that last foul that handed Serbia the match. But give the Yankee kids props for the laying the beatdown in OT and getting it done when the chips were down. That said: feel bad for that Serbian kid, had the whole frickin' Cup on his racket and couldn't sink the game winner. (Those games may still be available on ESPN3, maybe other places)
Women's World Cup: USA 5-2 Japan. Just missed the kick off, USA already up 1-0, up 4-0 before I was even comfy on the couch. Japan made a game of it, way more exciting than most four-nuthin' soccer matches I reckon. Still somehow couldn't shake the feeling that USA underperformed. Germany, England and France were more lackluster than anticipated. Hate to be that guy: I don't much care for the women's game of football. I'm probably gonna regret not watching any rugby this year or not seeing more tennis rather than feel good about watching USA half-heartedly drub all the other countries of the world in a sport that's usually kinda dull to watch. Oh well. Go America!
Wimbledon: Djokovic over Federer, Serena over Muguruza. Totally thought Federer still had enough to take Djokovic...then the match started...oh yeah, Djokovic is a step better than everyone else on the planet. You think you can make that shot and you can't, Djokovich is like Spiderman or some shit, he just seems to teleport to the proper spot, much the way Federer used to. Nadal is the supreme hustle player, dominant on the soft surfaces, game based on pure athleticism, quickness, and a Boris Becker-ish tenacity to return every shot. But Federer and Djokovic (Wawrinka, as well) are mathematicians who know all the angles, the inflection points, all that Beautiful Mind shit that allows them to move with greater efficiency thus saving wear and tear on their bodies. Federer is still better than most everybody else in the world but Djokovic is the best at this point. Didn't see any of the ladies' final though I did watch some of Serena's earlier rounds. Yup Serena is still better than everyone else at tennis.
British Open (St Andrews): Johnson (-15) in a playoff over Leishman and Oosthuizen. Final Sunday got rained out, I watched most all of it on Monday (lucky to be me). Wide open field, lotta sweet final day action. Thought Spieth was gonna sneak in there, just didn't have it down the stretch. Johnson looked more ready for 3 more holes than the other two; dude's won at Augusta and St. Andrews now, pretty rare company.
Gold Cup: Mexico 3-1 Jamaica. (USA loses bronze medal game to Panama (PK's)). I only watched the USA matches (not sure I could've seen the others even if I had made the effort). I was not overwhelmed by USA's 2-1 victory over Honduras, I was even less whelmed by their 1-0 win over Haiti (dude, if Haiti could shoot worth a shit, they would've won comfortably), enthused but still not impressed by the 6-0 thumping of Cuba (teams that lose that bad are always bad, teams that win that good are only good maybe half the time). And I was not at all surprised they got bounced by Jamaica. Jamaica really only had a 10 minute flurry where they punked USA, otherwise USA was maybe the slightly better team but they didn't score. I kinda dug the furious 2nd half action but USA just didn't have enough to get it in the goal til even the furious action devolved into old timey long-ball-and-chase-after-it that USA has never been good at. Suddenly Jurgen Klinnsmann, the golden boy of USA soccer is hearing rumblings about his job. I was disappointed at last summer's World Cup: thought his grasp of our squad was lacking considering his crazed micromanaging of the entire talent pipeline. And honestly the Gold Cup doesn't mean that much to me, any North American competition is basically USA-Mexico with an occasional upset (like this summer). This doesn't prove much of anything going forward, personally I can't imagine Klinnsmann getting das boot.
Pan Am Games (Basketball): Brazil over Canada, USA over Puerto Rico for bronze. I avoided the Pan Am Games because honestly I can't stand the Olympics* (*more below). But I do like watching the up and coming talent. The only two games I watched were Brazil throttling USA in group play and Brazil over Canada in the final. Brazil was better than either of the NorteAmericano squads. Brazil brought not the A team but the B+ team while USA and Canada were rolling with B/B-. I've always thought these kinda of competition should be on an age range or big enough to invite the pros, but this falls in the middle so the squads are weird amalgam of older journeyman vets (like Anthony Randolph) and random NCAA players (I know everyone loves Karaczewski but does anyone think he's in the top 500 USA basketball players out there? So why does he have USA written across his shirt?); Canada's squad was similar. I suspect in Brazil their basketball culture is a bit more unified and the older guys stay in better touch with the places the young kids come from so when fielding a team like this, the vets and youngsters have already played more together. I dunno, maybe not, but they had good talent at every position and better team play than anyone else I saw.
Pan Am Games (Soccer): Uruguay 1-0 Mexico. Thought the game was evenly matched as any contest I've watched in ages. The only thing separating the squads: Uruguay hit one sparkling free kick and Mexico...did not. Not must watch soccer by any means, but enjoyable enough.
Tour de France (Froome, UK). I watched not even a smidge of a highlight of a second of the Tour this year. Some years I really get into it, other years it glides right by me. This installment apparently even had controversy and shenanigans. But then again, I was already assuming this guy Froome's downfall is imminent.
MLB Trade Deadline. I ought to be buckling back into NBA duties but suddenly the trade deadline is bewitching me like no time in recent memory. I love baseball, it is my first sport and still my favorite. But I spend so much more time with basketball and even soccer or tennis these days that I sometimes forget all about baseball. I can imagine a world where I literally just watch baseball all day every day.
NBA Summer League (Spurs over Suns in the Final). Didn't get to watch much but I was impressed with Okafor, Towns, Porzingis, Aaron Gordon, Seth Curry, Kaminsky and...a bit of a reach but Dakari Johnson (Thunder): I think he was overthinking everything at UK, Calipari howling at him, all the spotlight and none of the playing time, not necessarily the best environment for his game, I think he'll defend just fine, if he can score he might actually be a pretty good baller (think Carlos Boozer but more fun to watch), its early but I was impressed with his flow in the Summer League. Also I was impressed with Becky Hammons, thought she willed the Spurs to the victory in the Final: there was a great moment where the Spurs had a coupla hot dog plays, one successful, one not successful, and we got to see the video of her in the huddle locking the dudes down, I thought it was a brilliant moment, I was totally impressed. The Suns were probably the better team, man, the Suns are gonna score, score, score this year, wave after wave off the bench of dudes that can drop 30 on any given night.
Make no mistake: Summer League is practice basketball. Its about raw talent, athleticism and instinct; its not about winning ball games or developing a team concept, its not a preview of what's to come. Players are "talented" when they are not yet "good". No one thinks of Kobe Bryant as "talented", dude, he's the one of the best to ever play the game, he has long since transcended mere "talent". Summer League is a showcase of "talent" not of the best of all time. So extrapolating anything out of Summer League is a fool's errand, but its fun to watch.
(* Olympics....yeah, I kinda hate the Olympics. I'm actually kinda pleased that the whole thing seems to be financially imploding. Boston made headlines when the Mayor personally removed Boston from contention for the 2022 Olympics. Good for him. I was living in the Bay Area when they were trying to get the 2012 Olympics (went to London) and, dude, nobody--NOBODY--wanted the goddamn Olympics coming to San Francisco. That would've been such a horrible obnoxious nightmare for everyone involved. Now is the time to get rid of this notion that all the athletes have to be competing in the same place: equestrian people can perform in France, cycling activities could be in Brazil, track and field can be at the Rose Bowl, ice hockey can be in Finland and they can be all be scheduled around each other for TV. Break all the games into their own separate Olympic-sanctioned entities and create a steady stream of events that goes on in 4-year cycles. The IOC is corruption personified, get rid of the life-sucking corruption and get everyone all over the world to love sport, to love games, to love international competition that doesn't require tank divisions or jingoistic propaganda campaigns. The Olympics can be useful...they just aren't)
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Signings & Such (cont)
Mo Williams (Cavs): 2yrs/$4.3m. I get that he's a Cavs vet and he wants to win but it feels like he could've made a bigger impact with the Grizzlies or Mavs and probably make more money too. When you're offered a spot on a team that is pretty well guaranteed to go the conference finals, must be tough to pass up.
Jason Smith (Magic): 1yr/$4.5m. So they just sent O'Quinn (making $4m/per) to the Knicks and then sign the guy NYK cast off to make room for O'Quinn for $4.5m? Don't understand any of that. I can't truly comment on Smith, no feel for his game, don't think I watched the Knicks at all last year, but the Knicks don't think he's better than O'Quinn so why would the Magic? (I guess they just valued a shorter deal to a longer one)
Barbosa (Warriors): 1yr/$2,5m. Okay. Nice vet off the bench, fits the Warriors ethos, money's reasonable, good deal.
Brooks (Bulls): 1yr/$(undisclosed). I can appreciate continuity and you certainly can't blame the Bulls' troubles last year on Brooks, but it felt like this was the one place where the Bulls could make for some change on the roster. They brought back Hinrich, Butler, Dunleavy and now Brooks and that's still a pretty good squad....if 2nd round of the playoffs is all you want. Up to Portis and McDermott (mostly hurt last year) to provide some new excitement. Up to Coach Hoiberg to get a few new drops of blood out of this turnip.
Jordan Farmar (Maccabi Tel Aviv). You knew his NBA career was done when even the Clippers gave up on him last year. He's a solid veteran going to one of Europe's better squads, he'll contribute and he's in a pretty good place to make a run at a Euro title.
Garnett (Wolves); signed Towns and Jones. 2 year deal for KG? I don't get this. KG has been done for a coupla years now--DONE--and the talk has long been than KG would move into the Wolves management (or even ownership) when he's finally done...which to my eye happened at least 2 years ago. So why is he still on the roster? Why are they spending precious salary cap dollars on a dude that has no hope of contributing on the court? And conversely, why is KG stealing money from the team he wants to own? I can dig 1 year of "coach-like" KG but two? I just think its a waste of money to pay KG to hang around the team's bench while games are being played. Either put him in a suit (and pay him way more money if you want!) or send him on his way. A honorarium is nice but if this turns out to be in the $10m/per neighborhood, then the someone needs to go to jail. On the upside, though, the Wolves announced the signings of both of their draft picks. This is a good move, positive start for those two dudes.
Ingles (Jazz); signed 1st rd pick Lyles: 4yrs/$10.5m. Ingles was a pleasant surprised for the Jazz last year, they brought him to be a harmless study buddy for the young master Exum and ended up 6th in minutes played and was a steadying force off the bench all year long.
Warriors get Wallace, Celtics get Lee. It appears to be a straight up swap, though the money is far enough apart that you'd think the Celtics would hold out for a draft pick ('cause the Celtics don't have enough). If its just a swap than I don't see why the Celtics would do it: it appears they've spent $5m on another trade chip for their bench. The Celtics have a lot of nice pieces that need to be packaged into one really good piece, does Lee bring them closer to that? I'm not seeing it. But if they end up playing him, he'll be a fine part of that rotation. The Celtics are on the upswing but until they get a bankable star, they got no shot at de-throning the Cavs. As for the Warriors, talk is they'll stretch Wallace's contract (something like $3m for 3 years), way cheaper than getting stuck with Lee.
Alan Anderson (Wizards): 1yr/$4m. So the Nets built this crazy expensive team of big stars and yet every time I watched them, Alan Anderson was the one carrying the team. He's not a bad player, decent scorer, doesn't make dumb mistakes, not a big star but someone that will do more than you think he will. Wondered if the Mavs would give him a shot, as it is I think its a good bench-thickening move for the Wizards. If injuries come, Anderson will get a lot of playing time.
Villanueva (Mavs): 1yr/$2m. The Mavs need to fill out their roster, Villanueva's cheap and standing by. He can still play a little (but last year in the playoffs you could tell the Mavs were meat because of all the time he was getting).
Jason Smith (Magic): 1yr/$4.5m. So they just sent O'Quinn (making $4m/per) to the Knicks and then sign the guy NYK cast off to make room for O'Quinn for $4.5m? Don't understand any of that. I can't truly comment on Smith, no feel for his game, don't think I watched the Knicks at all last year, but the Knicks don't think he's better than O'Quinn so why would the Magic? (I guess they just valued a shorter deal to a longer one)
Barbosa (Warriors): 1yr/$2,5m. Okay. Nice vet off the bench, fits the Warriors ethos, money's reasonable, good deal.
Brooks (Bulls): 1yr/$(undisclosed). I can appreciate continuity and you certainly can't blame the Bulls' troubles last year on Brooks, but it felt like this was the one place where the Bulls could make for some change on the roster. They brought back Hinrich, Butler, Dunleavy and now Brooks and that's still a pretty good squad....if 2nd round of the playoffs is all you want. Up to Portis and McDermott (mostly hurt last year) to provide some new excitement. Up to Coach Hoiberg to get a few new drops of blood out of this turnip.
Jordan Farmar (Maccabi Tel Aviv). You knew his NBA career was done when even the Clippers gave up on him last year. He's a solid veteran going to one of Europe's better squads, he'll contribute and he's in a pretty good place to make a run at a Euro title.
Garnett (Wolves); signed Towns and Jones. 2 year deal for KG? I don't get this. KG has been done for a coupla years now--DONE--and the talk has long been than KG would move into the Wolves management (or even ownership) when he's finally done...which to my eye happened at least 2 years ago. So why is he still on the roster? Why are they spending precious salary cap dollars on a dude that has no hope of contributing on the court? And conversely, why is KG stealing money from the team he wants to own? I can dig 1 year of "coach-like" KG but two? I just think its a waste of money to pay KG to hang around the team's bench while games are being played. Either put him in a suit (and pay him way more money if you want!) or send him on his way. A honorarium is nice but if this turns out to be in the $10m/per neighborhood, then the someone needs to go to jail. On the upside, though, the Wolves announced the signings of both of their draft picks. This is a good move, positive start for those two dudes.
Ingles (Jazz); signed 1st rd pick Lyles: 4yrs/$10.5m. Ingles was a pleasant surprised for the Jazz last year, they brought him to be a harmless study buddy for the young master Exum and ended up 6th in minutes played and was a steadying force off the bench all year long.
Warriors get Wallace, Celtics get Lee. It appears to be a straight up swap, though the money is far enough apart that you'd think the Celtics would hold out for a draft pick ('cause the Celtics don't have enough). If its just a swap than I don't see why the Celtics would do it: it appears they've spent $5m on another trade chip for their bench. The Celtics have a lot of nice pieces that need to be packaged into one really good piece, does Lee bring them closer to that? I'm not seeing it. But if they end up playing him, he'll be a fine part of that rotation. The Celtics are on the upswing but until they get a bankable star, they got no shot at de-throning the Cavs. As for the Warriors, talk is they'll stretch Wallace's contract (something like $3m for 3 years), way cheaper than getting stuck with Lee.
Alan Anderson (Wizards): 1yr/$4m. So the Nets built this crazy expensive team of big stars and yet every time I watched them, Alan Anderson was the one carrying the team. He's not a bad player, decent scorer, doesn't make dumb mistakes, not a big star but someone that will do more than you think he will. Wondered if the Mavs would give him a shot, as it is I think its a good bench-thickening move for the Wizards. If injuries come, Anderson will get a lot of playing time.
Villanueva (Mavs): 1yr/$2m. The Mavs need to fill out their roster, Villanueva's cheap and standing by. He can still play a little (but last year in the playoffs you could tell the Mavs were meat because of all the time he was getting).
Monday, July 6, 2015
Signings & Such (cont)
Miss a coupla days and the stories pile up quick then disappear forever.
Aldridge (Spurs): 4 yrs/$80m, West (Spurs): 1yr/$1.5m, Ginobli (Spurs) (terms undisclosed, I assume its 1 year, something like $6-8m). Kawhi and Aldridge locked up for the future, held on to Green and Ginobli, add in West for a song. Wow. A pretty good off-season for an aging team that didn't even get out of the 1st round. Who's gonna beat this team? The Clippers? The Warriors? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? Lawdy. (Pre-pre-pre-season pick: Spurs over Cavs)
Lou Williams (Lakers): 3yrs/$21m, Brandon Bass (Lakers): yrs/$ undisclosed, Roy Hibbert to the Lakers. The Lakers were so bad last year that just adding anyone is an upgrade. In comes rim protection, D and rebounding down low and scoring off the bench. Teams need those things, the Lakers need those things so its hard to say that the Lakers haven't improved somewhat. But even these guys are tradebait for later on (someone's gonna be desperate for a shotblocker at the trade deadline, Lakers might be able to steal a 1st rd pick for Hibbert). No one wants to talk shit about the toys while they're still under the tree...but the Kobe swansong season is not setting up to be a playoff run.
Barea (Mavs): 2yrs/$5.6m. The Mavs needed more PGs and they still do.
Gasol (Grizzlies): 5yrs/$110m. Anything short of the absolute most amount of money agreed to as soon as Gasol could get a pen in his fingers would've been awkward and uncomfortable for all of us. This one's a cockle-warmer.
Bjelica (Wolves): 3yrs/$12m. Seems like a bargain for a top quality veteran PG. Curious to see how the Rubio/Bjelica/Jones dynamic develops. Wolves are high on my League Pass meter right now (I dig the young talent-rich squads).
Stuckey (Pacers): 3yrs/$21m. Most underrated player in the league last year. Pacers did well to get him at a good deal.
Koufos (Kings): 4yrs/$33m, Caspi (Kings): 2yrs/$6m. The Kings are the Kings, thus it is their fate to overpay even the mediocre free agents. I like Koufos as much as the next guy but I'm not sure I'm ready for the $8m/per portion of his career. Also, not sure I understand the fascination with Caspi, perfectly serviceable journeyman off the bench, can score a little, not turnover prone, seems like a team player. But is he the kind of guy you really just need to have around? I dunno. Maybe there's more to it than his stats.
Joseph (Raptors): 4yrs/$30m; Biyombo (Raptors) (didn't find the details). Toronto, too, has moved into an overpayer this summer. Too bad, last year everything was on the up swing, now everything looks on the down (Vasquez, Johnson, Lou Will already gone, expect more to go). But now that they're a low expectations team, they can sneak up on people again, might be just the ticket to get them going in the playoffs. Biyombo is a pretty terrible player, not rant-worthy but beyond long legs doesn't much else a basketball player needs. I like Cory Joseph, could be an exciting young player but $7.5m/per seems a bit rich for a dude that's never really played. But when you're inviting people on to a sinking ship, I guess you need to sweeten the deal.
O'Quinn (Knicks): 4yrs/$16m. (Actually an s&t with the Magic getting cash and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2016, seems like the Magic could've gotten more back, that's a pretty good contract, wonder why they let the Knicks have him) I like O'Quinn, not a starter this year but a reliable bench minutes big guy. I think that's a very reasonable contract for O'Quinn and the Knicks didn't have to give up anything to get him (a 2nd rd pick swap? How is that even a thing?). NYK is working the risk/reward factor very well so far.
Evans (Mavs): 2yrs/league minimum ($4m for 2 years?). Bench guy, young, cheap, if he works hard he'll get some playing time.
Jackson (Pistons): 5yrs/$80m. I was wondering when this was gonna happen, thought it was a day 1 kinda move, guess the Pistons needed to get ducks in rows and whatnot. This is more money than I would give Reggie Jax, especially since its no guarantee that he and Jennings can play together. But Stan Van is in overpay mode, lucky for Reggie to be on the good side of that deal. I'd like to think that Stan Van is going somewhere with all these moves but I don't see them getting closer to the 8th spot in the East (though probably not any further away).
Jason Kidd is NOT the GM in Milwaukee. It took precisely one year for that story to begin. Can't wait to see where this story is by next summer. You'd think the fates of Kidd and the current GM (uhhh.....uhhhhh) would be intertwined, such that promotions/firings would come in tandem but perhaps there's enough daylight between them to shake them up. We'll see.
Aldridge (Spurs): 4 yrs/$80m, West (Spurs): 1yr/$1.5m, Ginobli (Spurs) (terms undisclosed, I assume its 1 year, something like $6-8m). Kawhi and Aldridge locked up for the future, held on to Green and Ginobli, add in West for a song. Wow. A pretty good off-season for an aging team that didn't even get out of the 1st round. Who's gonna beat this team? The Clippers? The Warriors? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? Lawdy. (Pre-pre-pre-season pick: Spurs over Cavs)
Lou Williams (Lakers): 3yrs/$21m, Brandon Bass (Lakers): yrs/$ undisclosed, Roy Hibbert to the Lakers. The Lakers were so bad last year that just adding anyone is an upgrade. In comes rim protection, D and rebounding down low and scoring off the bench. Teams need those things, the Lakers need those things so its hard to say that the Lakers haven't improved somewhat. But even these guys are tradebait for later on (someone's gonna be desperate for a shotblocker at the trade deadline, Lakers might be able to steal a 1st rd pick for Hibbert). No one wants to talk shit about the toys while they're still under the tree...but the Kobe swansong season is not setting up to be a playoff run.
Barea (Mavs): 2yrs/$5.6m. The Mavs needed more PGs and they still do.
Gasol (Grizzlies): 5yrs/$110m. Anything short of the absolute most amount of money agreed to as soon as Gasol could get a pen in his fingers would've been awkward and uncomfortable for all of us. This one's a cockle-warmer.
Bjelica (Wolves): 3yrs/$12m. Seems like a bargain for a top quality veteran PG. Curious to see how the Rubio/Bjelica/Jones dynamic develops. Wolves are high on my League Pass meter right now (I dig the young talent-rich squads).
Stuckey (Pacers): 3yrs/$21m. Most underrated player in the league last year. Pacers did well to get him at a good deal.
Koufos (Kings): 4yrs/$33m, Caspi (Kings): 2yrs/$6m. The Kings are the Kings, thus it is their fate to overpay even the mediocre free agents. I like Koufos as much as the next guy but I'm not sure I'm ready for the $8m/per portion of his career. Also, not sure I understand the fascination with Caspi, perfectly serviceable journeyman off the bench, can score a little, not turnover prone, seems like a team player. But is he the kind of guy you really just need to have around? I dunno. Maybe there's more to it than his stats.
Joseph (Raptors): 4yrs/$30m; Biyombo (Raptors) (didn't find the details). Toronto, too, has moved into an overpayer this summer. Too bad, last year everything was on the up swing, now everything looks on the down (Vasquez, Johnson, Lou Will already gone, expect more to go). But now that they're a low expectations team, they can sneak up on people again, might be just the ticket to get them going in the playoffs. Biyombo is a pretty terrible player, not rant-worthy but beyond long legs doesn't much else a basketball player needs. I like Cory Joseph, could be an exciting young player but $7.5m/per seems a bit rich for a dude that's never really played. But when you're inviting people on to a sinking ship, I guess you need to sweeten the deal.
O'Quinn (Knicks): 4yrs/$16m. (Actually an s&t with the Magic getting cash and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2016, seems like the Magic could've gotten more back, that's a pretty good contract, wonder why they let the Knicks have him) I like O'Quinn, not a starter this year but a reliable bench minutes big guy. I think that's a very reasonable contract for O'Quinn and the Knicks didn't have to give up anything to get him (a 2nd rd pick swap? How is that even a thing?). NYK is working the risk/reward factor very well so far.
Evans (Mavs): 2yrs/league minimum ($4m for 2 years?). Bench guy, young, cheap, if he works hard he'll get some playing time.
Jackson (Pistons): 5yrs/$80m. I was wondering when this was gonna happen, thought it was a day 1 kinda move, guess the Pistons needed to get ducks in rows and whatnot. This is more money than I would give Reggie Jax, especially since its no guarantee that he and Jennings can play together. But Stan Van is in overpay mode, lucky for Reggie to be on the good side of that deal. I'd like to think that Stan Van is going somewhere with all these moves but I don't see them getting closer to the 8th spot in the East (though probably not any further away).
Jason Kidd is NOT the GM in Milwaukee. It took precisely one year for that story to begin. Can't wait to see where this story is by next summer. You'd think the fates of Kidd and the current GM (uhhh.....uhhhhh) would be intertwined, such that promotions/firings would come in tandem but perhaps there's enough daylight between them to shake them up. We'll see.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
FIBA U-19 World Cup
Finals and semifinals up on ESPN3! Don't tell me! I'm about to watch USA Women's soccer first.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Down goes Chestnut! Down goes Chestnut! Matt Stonie is the new king of food with a 62-59 victory over Chestnut.
One of my first posts on this blog way back in the day was about Joey Chestnut beating then-unbeatable-champ Kobayashi. Chestnut was (until today) still defending that title! Eight straight anything is pretty impressive, Chestnut is clearly a Competitive Eating Hall of Famer (and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise!). We'll see if Matt Stonie can be the Nadal to Chestnut's Federer and rule Nathan's for the next decade.
Can't help but add this quote from the ESPN article:After his victory last year, he dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend. They have since broken up.
Ouch! Been a tough year for Chestnut, culminating in a performance way off his career high of 69 (couldn't even hit 60 this year). Feels like we're only halfway through the Joey Chestnut 30-for-30.
One of my first posts on this blog way back in the day was about Joey Chestnut beating then-unbeatable-champ Kobayashi. Chestnut was (until today) still defending that title! Eight straight anything is pretty impressive, Chestnut is clearly a Competitive Eating Hall of Famer (and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise!). We'll see if Matt Stonie can be the Nadal to Chestnut's Federer and rule Nathan's for the next decade.
Can't help but add this quote from the ESPN article:After his victory last year, he dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend. They have since broken up.
Ouch! Been a tough year for Chestnut, culminating in a performance way off his career high of 69 (couldn't even hit 60 this year). Feels like we're only halfway through the Joey Chestnut 30-for-30.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 3)
Today's sweet action.
Jordan (Mavs): 4yrs/$80m, Matthews (Mavs): 4yrs/$64m. I'm kinda amazed the Clippers let Jordan get away, thought they would do whatever it took to keep him; they're gonna miss him, solid rocks down low are rare and they let him go. Matthews is an underappreciated scorer, a nice bookend for Parsons. The Mavs' summer is looking a lot better (and I guess the Monta sign-and-trade for Hibbert is off the table now but how about West?). They still need a table-setting PG. (Jameer Nelson? Looks like JJ Barea)
Brewer (Rockets): 3yrs/$23m; Beverley (Rockets): 4yrs/$23m. I thought Brewer had a good chance to get a really good deal somewhere else (same age as Afflalo who just got $8.5/per), guess he liked H-town living. Beverley too probably could've done better than $6m/per. They just made the conference finals (w/out Beverley, Motiejunas, Papanickolau, and Howard, Jones for stretches), guess they like their chances to get back. (The Texas teams are gonna kill each other this year)
Neal (Wizards): 1yr/$2.1m. Neal gettin' Steve Blake money to play 3rd string for the Wizards. I'm not a big Neal fan myself but he's a useful vet I guess.
Harris (Magic): 4 yrs/$64m. I like Harris, not sure he's worth Wesley Matthews money but the Magic gotta spend the money on the players they got. I think its a good signing and over time could be a great deal. Keep the youth movement rolling, let the players play and the Magic'll be fine for the next coupla years.
Derek Williams (Knicks): 2yrs/$10m. Like Thomas Robinson, a much maligned non-star player who has potential to be a fine role player. Not a game-changer but he can be a reliable rotation guy (especially for a crappy East team). NYK is doing a good job of nabbing the low risk/high reward players.
Belinelli (Kings): 3yrs/$19m. (Man, this is why the Kings suck) For the last ten years or so the Kings have done absolutely everything wrong (even drafting Cousins is of dubious value when managed this poorly), they just did a salary dump to get out from under the horrible decisions of the previous years, give away valuable draft options and their young cheap SG to sign...an old expensive SG. So you gave away Stauskus to make room for...Belinelli? What? Who does that? The Kings do that, that's why they're the Kings. (Belinelli just got Munson-ed) I like Belinelli, nice player, would be a better player on a good team but he'll shoot marginally better than Stauskus (and he'll stay way clear of the Cousins and the Karl), he's a pro, he'll suit up, take shots and collect checks like a reliable droog. For the Thunder or Pacers or Spurs, Belinelli could show up and make a difference; for the Kings he'll just look like a basketball player for the next three years. The rest of the new money is rumored to be going to Rondo, Josh Smith and Lou Williams...because the team wasn't combustible enough. Is that viable in the West? I doubt it but they'd be better than they've been in a while.
Rondo (Kings): 1yr/$9.5m. (What a weird looking contract) Rondo it is. (Josh Smith on the way?) Rondo could be just fine with Cousins, Rudy and the gang, but if it goes south, it'll go way way waaaaay south (and Rondo would be retiring this next summer). I'm optimistic, they'll catch people off guard, people will see what an unholy badass Demarcus is, might could sneak into the 8th spot (although Mavs cemented their spot in the top 8 today). Or it turns into a party at Polanski's house. Either way, probably a great year to be the Kings beat writer.
Dudley to Wizards; future 2nd rd pick to Bucks. I thought Dudley was actually a nice veteran off the bench for the Bucks, now he's doing it for the Wizards. The Bucks youth movement is already penciled into the playoffs, they're trying win now with the kids so I guess they think Vasquez is all the vet they need. Wizards'll play him, he'll get some of Pierce's minutes.
Robinson (Nets): 2 yrs (player option)/$2.2m; Larkin (Nets): 2yrs/$3m. Robinson's only problem in the NBA has been expectations. Kings, Rockets, Blazers, Nuggets, Sixers have all passed on this guy in the cheapest part of his career. When I watch him he looks just fine to me, definitely a quality 2nd stringer in this league, maybe a starter and clearly not too expensive. Why is he playing for the minimum on the most disappointing team in all of basketball? This guy couldn't get hired in Sacramento? Is he a total dick in real life or something. I dunno. I get that he's not an all-star talent but its too early to call him a bust; this guy might could last another 15 years in this league. He keeps getting chances because he's pretty good at basketball, I think he'll get paid (Danny Green style) one o' these day. Nets got themselves one of the best bargains of the summer. Larkin was disappointing for the Knicks last year but everything about the Knicks was disappointing last year, can't really evaluate him just yet. The Nets are getting a low risk/high reward 2nd string PG in Larkin.
Allen (Pacers): 3yrs/(undisclosed)$. I'm sure the price is right for the Pacers. Allen can play with Monta, Hill and George, continuity is good thing.
Baynes (Pistons)(couldn't find details). I remember Baynes from last summer's FIBA World Cup than from any of his time with the Spurs. He's got good hands, decent footwork, better offensive player than defensive player. Here he's meant to be a low cost replacement for Monroe. I guess he could work.
Wade (Heat): 1yr/$20m. Next year when the salary cap goes up, they'll be able to comfortably overpay Wade for a coupla more years of wearing a suit on the bench at Heat games. This is the bridge to the next bridge.
Kenyon Martin announces retirement. Every once in a while some old movie or TV star dies and you go, Oh really? I thought that dude died like ten years ago...yeah, this is one of those. Martin had some good years for some good teams but his Hall of Fame chances are not real good.
Robin Lopez (Knicks): 3yrs/$54m. He's tall, Knicks need tall guys, no brainer. NYK will be making it up as they go for the first coupla months but by the spring this might be a nice little squad. Good enough for 8th in the East? In the East? Yeah, sure.
Suns trade Marcus Morris, Granger, Bullock to Pistons for future draft considerations. They dared to split up the Morris twins...Morris will be nice role player for the Pistons. Granger gives some veteran gravitas (or gets waived in the next coupla days). Bullock is..I dunno, I've never seen Bullock be Bullock, hopefully he'll get a chance to play this year. The Suns are just dumping salary, presumably to make a run at Lamarcus Aldridge (though they probably would've been better off taking a run at Aminu). I think they should see if they can pry KJ McDaniels away from the Rockets or see if they can get in on Jamal Crawford.
(An older item but I had forgotten) Grizzlies picked up the team option of Jeff Green. Green's not a bad player but, man, he totally did not fit in with the Grizzlies last year. Surely he's trade bait, right?
(Also) Swear I thought I saw Mo Williams to the Grizzlies, but can't find it now. I guess that didn't happen...?
Jordan (Mavs): 4yrs/$80m, Matthews (Mavs): 4yrs/$64m. I'm kinda amazed the Clippers let Jordan get away, thought they would do whatever it took to keep him; they're gonna miss him, solid rocks down low are rare and they let him go. Matthews is an underappreciated scorer, a nice bookend for Parsons. The Mavs' summer is looking a lot better (and I guess the Monta sign-and-trade for Hibbert is off the table now but how about West?). They still need a table-setting PG. (Jameer Nelson? Looks like JJ Barea)
Brewer (Rockets): 3yrs/$23m; Beverley (Rockets): 4yrs/$23m. I thought Brewer had a good chance to get a really good deal somewhere else (same age as Afflalo who just got $8.5/per), guess he liked H-town living. Beverley too probably could've done better than $6m/per. They just made the conference finals (w/out Beverley, Motiejunas, Papanickolau, and Howard, Jones for stretches), guess they like their chances to get back. (The Texas teams are gonna kill each other this year)
Neal (Wizards): 1yr/$2.1m. Neal gettin' Steve Blake money to play 3rd string for the Wizards. I'm not a big Neal fan myself but he's a useful vet I guess.
Harris (Magic): 4 yrs/$64m. I like Harris, not sure he's worth Wesley Matthews money but the Magic gotta spend the money on the players they got. I think its a good signing and over time could be a great deal. Keep the youth movement rolling, let the players play and the Magic'll be fine for the next coupla years.
Derek Williams (Knicks): 2yrs/$10m. Like Thomas Robinson, a much maligned non-star player who has potential to be a fine role player. Not a game-changer but he can be a reliable rotation guy (especially for a crappy East team). NYK is doing a good job of nabbing the low risk/high reward players.
Belinelli (Kings): 3yrs/$19m. (Man, this is why the Kings suck) For the last ten years or so the Kings have done absolutely everything wrong (even drafting Cousins is of dubious value when managed this poorly), they just did a salary dump to get out from under the horrible decisions of the previous years, give away valuable draft options and their young cheap SG to sign...an old expensive SG. So you gave away Stauskus to make room for...Belinelli? What? Who does that? The Kings do that, that's why they're the Kings. (Belinelli just got Munson-ed) I like Belinelli, nice player, would be a better player on a good team but he'll shoot marginally better than Stauskus (and he'll stay way clear of the Cousins and the Karl), he's a pro, he'll suit up, take shots and collect checks like a reliable droog. For the Thunder or Pacers or Spurs, Belinelli could show up and make a difference; for the Kings he'll just look like a basketball player for the next three years. The rest of the new money is rumored to be going to Rondo, Josh Smith and Lou Williams...because the team wasn't combustible enough. Is that viable in the West? I doubt it but they'd be better than they've been in a while.
Rondo (Kings): 1yr/$9.5m. (What a weird looking contract) Rondo it is. (Josh Smith on the way?) Rondo could be just fine with Cousins, Rudy and the gang, but if it goes south, it'll go way way waaaaay south (and Rondo would be retiring this next summer). I'm optimistic, they'll catch people off guard, people will see what an unholy badass Demarcus is, might could sneak into the 8th spot (although Mavs cemented their spot in the top 8 today). Or it turns into a party at Polanski's house. Either way, probably a great year to be the Kings beat writer.
Dudley to Wizards; future 2nd rd pick to Bucks. I thought Dudley was actually a nice veteran off the bench for the Bucks, now he's doing it for the Wizards. The Bucks youth movement is already penciled into the playoffs, they're trying win now with the kids so I guess they think Vasquez is all the vet they need. Wizards'll play him, he'll get some of Pierce's minutes.
Robinson (Nets): 2 yrs (player option)/$2.2m; Larkin (Nets): 2yrs/$3m. Robinson's only problem in the NBA has been expectations. Kings, Rockets, Blazers, Nuggets, Sixers have all passed on this guy in the cheapest part of his career. When I watch him he looks just fine to me, definitely a quality 2nd stringer in this league, maybe a starter and clearly not too expensive. Why is he playing for the minimum on the most disappointing team in all of basketball? This guy couldn't get hired in Sacramento? Is he a total dick in real life or something. I dunno. I get that he's not an all-star talent but its too early to call him a bust; this guy might could last another 15 years in this league. He keeps getting chances because he's pretty good at basketball, I think he'll get paid (Danny Green style) one o' these day. Nets got themselves one of the best bargains of the summer. Larkin was disappointing for the Knicks last year but everything about the Knicks was disappointing last year, can't really evaluate him just yet. The Nets are getting a low risk/high reward 2nd string PG in Larkin.
Allen (Pacers): 3yrs/(undisclosed)$. I'm sure the price is right for the Pacers. Allen can play with Monta, Hill and George, continuity is good thing.
Baynes (Pistons)(couldn't find details). I remember Baynes from last summer's FIBA World Cup than from any of his time with the Spurs. He's got good hands, decent footwork, better offensive player than defensive player. Here he's meant to be a low cost replacement for Monroe. I guess he could work.
Wade (Heat): 1yr/$20m. Next year when the salary cap goes up, they'll be able to comfortably overpay Wade for a coupla more years of wearing a suit on the bench at Heat games. This is the bridge to the next bridge.
Kenyon Martin announces retirement. Every once in a while some old movie or TV star dies and you go, Oh really? I thought that dude died like ten years ago...yeah, this is one of those. Martin had some good years for some good teams but his Hall of Fame chances are not real good.
Robin Lopez (Knicks): 3yrs/$54m. He's tall, Knicks need tall guys, no brainer. NYK will be making it up as they go for the first coupla months but by the spring this might be a nice little squad. Good enough for 8th in the East? In the East? Yeah, sure.
Suns trade Marcus Morris, Granger, Bullock to Pistons for future draft considerations. They dared to split up the Morris twins...Morris will be nice role player for the Pistons. Granger gives some veteran gravitas (or gets waived in the next coupla days). Bullock is..I dunno, I've never seen Bullock be Bullock, hopefully he'll get a chance to play this year. The Suns are just dumping salary, presumably to make a run at Lamarcus Aldridge (though they probably would've been better off taking a run at Aminu). I think they should see if they can pry KJ McDaniels away from the Rockets or see if they can get in on Jamal Crawford.
(An older item but I had forgotten) Grizzlies picked up the team option of Jeff Green. Green's not a bad player but, man, he totally did not fit in with the Grizzlies last year. Surely he's trade bait, right?
(Also) Swear I thought I saw Mo Williams to the Grizzlies, but can't find it now. I guess that didn't happen...?
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 2)
Davis (Blazers): 3yrs/$20m. Nice raise for Davis, a nice player. On a good team like the Blazers, he'll get regular bench minutes, won't get asked to do too much, if he stays on his game, Davis will help out and be a productive player. The Blazers have taken on Davis, Aminu, Mason Plumlee at very affordable prices, locked up Lillard for the long term, and I still think they end up keeping Aldridge. If so, they have legitimately upgraded without breaking the bank. I think the Blazers are quietly off to a great start in the free agency period.
Ellis (Pacers): 4yrs/$44m. Not sure Monta is the perfect fit for the Pacers, but they need playmskers on offense and he needs a PG and a strong D behind him, maybe it is a perfect fit. Now do the Pacers flip Hibbert?
Monroe (Bucks): 3yrs/$50m/player option year 3. Great deal for the Bucks! I thought Deandre Jordan was the ideal fit for the Bucks (but not the other way around, an unfortunate occurrence). But making a real run at Jordan, the flirtation with Chandler, those things add gravitas and now the Bucks steal the guy everyone thought was going to NYK. So far its been an aces off-season for the Bucks: re-signed Middleton, brought in Monroe and Vasquez, reatained Dudley, drafted Vaughn, all positive steps and they've still got room to make some moves. Bucks starting five next year: MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari, Monroe. This team was nowhere not long ago and now they look like they're in the mix for home court in the playoffs.
Afflalo (Knicks): 2yrs/$16m. Did Afflalo just opt out of an $8.5m deal to sign an $8m deal with a crappier team? Hmmm, think he needs a new agent. Knicks need anything and everything so this is a good deal for them but what does this do for Afflalo? Seems like he could've gone for either more money and/or a better situation. (Afflalo is now the answer to cool trivia question: Who was Phil Jackson's first free agent signing as a GM?)
Crowder (Celtics): 5yrs/$35m. The Celtics lock up another fine role player on a reasonable deal. The Celtics have the most reasonable roster in the league right now, its a good thing that they've got the best coach to maximize them. The Celtics are in the packaging business now, gotta turn all these nice pieces into a star. There are still big trades waiting out there, the Celtics need to get on the end of one of those.
Asik (Pelicans): 5yrs/$44m (incentive-laden deal, call it $44-ish). I like Asik but I didn't think he was the ideal fit last year, a little surprised they brought him back but apparently new coach Alvin Gentry wanted the whole team back. The Pelicans without any changes at all should still be at least a little better than their 8th spot last year. But the Thunder will be back next year, Suns could be better, the Pelicans best bet is that the Blazers and Mavs can't get it together by the end of the summer.
Kings trade Stauskus, Thompson, Landry, at least one 1st round pick (and maybe some pick-swapping rights?) to Sixers for rights to Gudaitais (#47 pick in the draft) and Mitrovic (#60). Told ya those Sixer 2nd round picks would be on the move in a salary dump capacity (people act like those things aren't valuable but they can be very effective in a salary cap league). I assume the Sixers will waive Thompson and Landry, while Stauskus gets a second chance. Sixers need scoring (and rookie contracts), so Stauskus should get plenty of playing time. As for the Kings, they can ill-afford a salary dump when they're already the horriblest team in the league, giving away 1st rounders is not a good move for them and pick swapping?!? All the Kings have for the next three years is Demarcus Cousins and three 1st round pick, they cannot be giving those picks away (though if you're gonna swap with anyone, the Sixers are a pretty safe bet). The Kings are horrible and everything they do is horrible...you think Calipari wants this job? You crazy. And this is all to create space so they can chase after Rondo and Ellis...who hated each other in Dallas but they're gonna love each other in Sacramento? Crazy. Every move is a step back for this franchise.
Ellis (Pacers): 4yrs/$44m. Not sure Monta is the perfect fit for the Pacers, but they need playmskers on offense and he needs a PG and a strong D behind him, maybe it is a perfect fit. Now do the Pacers flip Hibbert?
Monroe (Bucks): 3yrs/$50m/player option year 3. Great deal for the Bucks! I thought Deandre Jordan was the ideal fit for the Bucks (but not the other way around, an unfortunate occurrence). But making a real run at Jordan, the flirtation with Chandler, those things add gravitas and now the Bucks steal the guy everyone thought was going to NYK. So far its been an aces off-season for the Bucks: re-signed Middleton, brought in Monroe and Vasquez, reatained Dudley, drafted Vaughn, all positive steps and they've still got room to make some moves. Bucks starting five next year: MCW, Middleton, Antetokounpo, Jabari, Monroe. This team was nowhere not long ago and now they look like they're in the mix for home court in the playoffs.
Afflalo (Knicks): 2yrs/$16m. Did Afflalo just opt out of an $8.5m deal to sign an $8m deal with a crappier team? Hmmm, think he needs a new agent. Knicks need anything and everything so this is a good deal for them but what does this do for Afflalo? Seems like he could've gone for either more money and/or a better situation. (Afflalo is now the answer to cool trivia question: Who was Phil Jackson's first free agent signing as a GM?)
Crowder (Celtics): 5yrs/$35m. The Celtics lock up another fine role player on a reasonable deal. The Celtics have the most reasonable roster in the league right now, its a good thing that they've got the best coach to maximize them. The Celtics are in the packaging business now, gotta turn all these nice pieces into a star. There are still big trades waiting out there, the Celtics need to get on the end of one of those.
Asik (Pelicans): 5yrs/$44m (incentive-laden deal, call it $44-ish). I like Asik but I didn't think he was the ideal fit last year, a little surprised they brought him back but apparently new coach Alvin Gentry wanted the whole team back. The Pelicans without any changes at all should still be at least a little better than their 8th spot last year. But the Thunder will be back next year, Suns could be better, the Pelicans best bet is that the Blazers and Mavs can't get it together by the end of the summer.
Kings trade Stauskus, Thompson, Landry, at least one 1st round pick (and maybe some pick-swapping rights?) to Sixers for rights to Gudaitais (#47 pick in the draft) and Mitrovic (#60). Told ya those Sixer 2nd round picks would be on the move in a salary dump capacity (people act like those things aren't valuable but they can be very effective in a salary cap league). I assume the Sixers will waive Thompson and Landry, while Stauskus gets a second chance. Sixers need scoring (and rookie contracts), so Stauskus should get plenty of playing time. As for the Kings, they can ill-afford a salary dump when they're already the horriblest team in the league, giving away 1st rounders is not a good move for them and pick swapping?!? All the Kings have for the next three years is Demarcus Cousins and three 1st round pick, they cannot be giving those picks away (though if you're gonna swap with anyone, the Sixers are a pretty safe bet). The Kings are horrible and everything they do is horrible...you think Calipari wants this job? You crazy. And this is all to create space so they can chase after Rondo and Ellis...who hated each other in Dallas but they're gonna love each other in Sacramento? Crazy. Every move is a step back for this franchise.
Rumor?
John Kerry and Iranian diplomats spotted having dinner with Chandler Parsons. Nuclear deal expected any day now.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Signings and Such (Day 1)
Well, that didn't take long. Already plenty of headlines on day 1.
Davis (Pelicans): 5yrs/$140m extension; Ajinca (Pelicans): 4yrs/$20.2m. There's no reason for Davis to wait, this is the deal, just sign it and start check collecting. I believe there's an out after year 4, but god, they'll figure out how to fill out the roster around in the next four years, won't they? Hope so for their sake. I like Ajinca, not dissimilar in style and build, a decent stunt double for AD going forward. I thought the Pelicans would let Asik move on and fill the space in some other way but the rumblings are that he'll be back too. We'll see.
Chandler (Suns): 4yrs/$52m; Knight (Suns): 5yrs/$70m. Did not see Phoenix as a landing spot for Chandler. (Since they just grabbed Jon Leuer too does this mean Alex Len is on the move?) He definitely gives them a defensive presence in the middle that they haven't had in decades and he can score around the basket, if he's opportunistic he'll have plenty of scoring options with Bledsoe and Knight combo-in' all over the place. And I like the Knight signing, gives Bledsoe a formidable comrade, they'll be fun and Tyson gives them some credibility. They might be sniffing around #8 again.
Butler (Bulls): 5yrs/$90m; Dunleavy (Bulls): 3yrs/$15m. The word was that Butler was wanting a shorter deal to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. But if he stays good, his contract will be easily moved (I can totally see him in the post-Kobe LA), I'd say the kid did the right thing: take the full dollars, everything else can be worked out later. I thought they'd let Dunleavy walk but as soon as Lebron expressed some interest in him, Bulls right quick locked him up. They don't have any flexibility any more (looks like they're already way over the cap, how do these deals metabolize?).
Love (Cavs): 5yrs/$110m; Thompson (Cavs): 5yrs/$80m; Shumpert (Cavs): 4yrs/$40m. They're rolling with last year's squad again. Probably not a bad idea. That squad should probably comfortably rule the east for the foreseeable future. Room left for Smith?
Leonard (Spurs): 5yrs/$90m extension; Green (Spurs): 4yrs/$45m; traded Splitter to the Hawks (terms still being worked out). Signing Kawhi is a sigh of relief (you can't exhale until the ink is dry) but signing Green is a pleasant surprise. In order to make room for Aldridge (or whoever they end up wooing) I thought Green would get jettisoned and I suppose he could still be traded but this move seems like their shoring up the lineup for next year. Moving Splitter would be bring to in someone new but it looks like they gave a good chunk of that to Green. Green's a good fit, perhaps a better fit than Aldridge, and perhaps they chose to stay in-house (and a run at Lopez maybe?) instead of re-shaping everything for the bigger star. We'll see.
Singler (Thunder): 5yrs/$25m. This one surprised me too: all indications are that the Thunder want to re-sign Kanter, would've though that made Singler a cap casaulty. Guess not. (Also, I thought Singler was a perfect fit for the Cavs but this is more than the Cavs would've wanted to give him I reckon)
Dragic (Heat): 5yrs/$90m. I love Dragic, think he's gonna be money with Bosh, Wade, Winslow, Deng, McRoberts, Whitside. Just one year in Lebron's wake and already they seem the most likely to challenge the Cavs (for the next year anyway) in the East. (Or this could be a painful disaster where none of the pieces fit the way they're supposed to...though that might be fun too)
Middleton (Bucks): 5yrs/$70m. Good move, Middleton was one of the most underappreciated players in the whole league last year, it was his maturation that held the Bucks in playoff mode even after Jabari got hurt and Sanders bailed. He had a really good year and its good to see him get rewarded.
Johnson (Celtics): 2yrs/$24m, Jerebko (Celtics): 2yrs/$10m. A coupla short-term role deals, hardly the big splash the Celtics were hoping to make on day one. I don't dislike the players or the contracts (both very reasonable) but the Vegas odds didn't get any better for the Celtics today. Maybe tomorrow, still a lot of summer left to pull off the right deal.
Carroll (Raptors): 4yrs/$60m. One of those moves where the team overpays a nice player who's not the right player, team swallows up the player, who's never heard from again. Carroll is a a good contributor for a good team but a mediocre team going in the wrong direction, he's just absorbing too much salary. Raptors have too many players to trade away to have any idea where this team will be in October but I still don't see how Carroll fits.
Lillard (Blazers): 5yrs/$110m extension, Aminu (Blazers): 4yrs/$30m; I knew Aminu would get paid, D'd up James Harden as well as anyone all year, that's a valuable thing in the West. Personally I've thought the whole time that Aldridge goes back to Portland, I think all this talk is just him getting some league love (he deserves it) and then heading on back home. Kinda looks like Plumlee to replace Lopez, Aminu in place of Batum, (now to replace Matthews), and Lillard getting big money doesn't keep Aldridge away. I think they're feathering the nest while he hangs with Kobe and Pop (and, of course, anyone who's anyone is having dinner with Chandler Parsons these days). I think the Blazer re-build is closer to complete than we realize.
Pierce (Clippers): 3yrs/$10m. I dunno...I don't get this move, its not obvious to me why he wants to be in LA. Sure, playing with Chris Paul will be great but I feel like Pierce interrupts the Clipper flow more than adding to it. I'm not feeling Lance and Pierce as big upgrades over Barnes and Hawes, we'll see who they can get for Crawford but if they lose Deandre, all these moves are moot. The Clippers are really on the edge right now.
Lopez (Nets): 3yrs/$60m, Young (Nets): 4yrs/$50m. I would've thought the Nets would've been happy to get any new blood but I guess they're going for continuity. $20m/per for Lopez, are we sure he's that good? I like Lopez as much as the next guy but I feel like there's more versatility out there. Young, too, is a nice player but $12m/per feels like more than anyone else would've paid. I dunno, these aren't horrible signings but they certainly aren't any kind of leap forward either.
Wright (Grizzlies): 3yrs/$18m. The Grizzlies could use more perimeter players (JR Smith, anyone?), but they have let go of Koufos and Leuer already, Wright is good for depth and he's a pretty good scorer. Wright was one the one unsung victims of last season: he was having a great season with the Mavs but got tossed aside for Rondo (bad play), then dumped again by the Celtics and again by the Suns. The Grizzlies got a pretty good player at a reasonable price.
Millsap (Hawks): 3yrs/$59m. I felt like Millsap would be one of the coveted free agents of the summer instead he gets less than Brook Lopez to stay with the team he helped build. (I thought the Jazz would make the down-on-one-knee kinda plea to Millsap to return to the SLC but I guess that was never gonna happen) One rumor is this is part of a sign-and-trade for Tobias Harris; could be an interesting move for both teams. They did acquire Splitter (for a player to be named later) so perhaps this signing is the first step in a longer process.
Green (Warriors): 5yrs/$85m. Wow, that seems a little high but this is the right move. Green is a badass, knows exactly who he is and he fits on this team and they've already won a championship, go ahead and pay the man.
Davis (Pelicans): 5yrs/$140m extension; Ajinca (Pelicans): 4yrs/$20.2m. There's no reason for Davis to wait, this is the deal, just sign it and start check collecting. I believe there's an out after year 4, but god, they'll figure out how to fill out the roster around in the next four years, won't they? Hope so for their sake. I like Ajinca, not dissimilar in style and build, a decent stunt double for AD going forward. I thought the Pelicans would let Asik move on and fill the space in some other way but the rumblings are that he'll be back too. We'll see.
Chandler (Suns): 4yrs/$52m; Knight (Suns): 5yrs/$70m. Did not see Phoenix as a landing spot for Chandler. (Since they just grabbed Jon Leuer too does this mean Alex Len is on the move?) He definitely gives them a defensive presence in the middle that they haven't had in decades and he can score around the basket, if he's opportunistic he'll have plenty of scoring options with Bledsoe and Knight combo-in' all over the place. And I like the Knight signing, gives Bledsoe a formidable comrade, they'll be fun and Tyson gives them some credibility. They might be sniffing around #8 again.
Butler (Bulls): 5yrs/$90m; Dunleavy (Bulls): 3yrs/$15m. The word was that Butler was wanting a shorter deal to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. But if he stays good, his contract will be easily moved (I can totally see him in the post-Kobe LA), I'd say the kid did the right thing: take the full dollars, everything else can be worked out later. I thought they'd let Dunleavy walk but as soon as Lebron expressed some interest in him, Bulls right quick locked him up. They don't have any flexibility any more (looks like they're already way over the cap, how do these deals metabolize?).
Love (Cavs): 5yrs/$110m; Thompson (Cavs): 5yrs/$80m; Shumpert (Cavs): 4yrs/$40m. They're rolling with last year's squad again. Probably not a bad idea. That squad should probably comfortably rule the east for the foreseeable future. Room left for Smith?
Leonard (Spurs): 5yrs/$90m extension; Green (Spurs): 4yrs/$45m; traded Splitter to the Hawks (terms still being worked out). Signing Kawhi is a sigh of relief (you can't exhale until the ink is dry) but signing Green is a pleasant surprise. In order to make room for Aldridge (or whoever they end up wooing) I thought Green would get jettisoned and I suppose he could still be traded but this move seems like their shoring up the lineup for next year. Moving Splitter would be bring to in someone new but it looks like they gave a good chunk of that to Green. Green's a good fit, perhaps a better fit than Aldridge, and perhaps they chose to stay in-house (and a run at Lopez maybe?) instead of re-shaping everything for the bigger star. We'll see.
Singler (Thunder): 5yrs/$25m. This one surprised me too: all indications are that the Thunder want to re-sign Kanter, would've though that made Singler a cap casaulty. Guess not. (Also, I thought Singler was a perfect fit for the Cavs but this is more than the Cavs would've wanted to give him I reckon)
Dragic (Heat): 5yrs/$90m. I love Dragic, think he's gonna be money with Bosh, Wade, Winslow, Deng, McRoberts, Whitside. Just one year in Lebron's wake and already they seem the most likely to challenge the Cavs (for the next year anyway) in the East. (Or this could be a painful disaster where none of the pieces fit the way they're supposed to...though that might be fun too)
Middleton (Bucks): 5yrs/$70m. Good move, Middleton was one of the most underappreciated players in the whole league last year, it was his maturation that held the Bucks in playoff mode even after Jabari got hurt and Sanders bailed. He had a really good year and its good to see him get rewarded.
Johnson (Celtics): 2yrs/$24m, Jerebko (Celtics): 2yrs/$10m. A coupla short-term role deals, hardly the big splash the Celtics were hoping to make on day one. I don't dislike the players or the contracts (both very reasonable) but the Vegas odds didn't get any better for the Celtics today. Maybe tomorrow, still a lot of summer left to pull off the right deal.
Carroll (Raptors): 4yrs/$60m. One of those moves where the team overpays a nice player who's not the right player, team swallows up the player, who's never heard from again. Carroll is a a good contributor for a good team but a mediocre team going in the wrong direction, he's just absorbing too much salary. Raptors have too many players to trade away to have any idea where this team will be in October but I still don't see how Carroll fits.
Lillard (Blazers): 5yrs/$110m extension, Aminu (Blazers): 4yrs/$30m; I knew Aminu would get paid, D'd up James Harden as well as anyone all year, that's a valuable thing in the West. Personally I've thought the whole time that Aldridge goes back to Portland, I think all this talk is just him getting some league love (he deserves it) and then heading on back home. Kinda looks like Plumlee to replace Lopez, Aminu in place of Batum, (now to replace Matthews), and Lillard getting big money doesn't keep Aldridge away. I think they're feathering the nest while he hangs with Kobe and Pop (and, of course, anyone who's anyone is having dinner with Chandler Parsons these days). I think the Blazer re-build is closer to complete than we realize.
Pierce (Clippers): 3yrs/$10m. I dunno...I don't get this move, its not obvious to me why he wants to be in LA. Sure, playing with Chris Paul will be great but I feel like Pierce interrupts the Clipper flow more than adding to it. I'm not feeling Lance and Pierce as big upgrades over Barnes and Hawes, we'll see who they can get for Crawford but if they lose Deandre, all these moves are moot. The Clippers are really on the edge right now.
Lopez (Nets): 3yrs/$60m, Young (Nets): 4yrs/$50m. I would've thought the Nets would've been happy to get any new blood but I guess they're going for continuity. $20m/per for Lopez, are we sure he's that good? I like Lopez as much as the next guy but I feel like there's more versatility out there. Young, too, is a nice player but $12m/per feels like more than anyone else would've paid. I dunno, these aren't horrible signings but they certainly aren't any kind of leap forward either.
Wright (Grizzlies): 3yrs/$18m. The Grizzlies could use more perimeter players (JR Smith, anyone?), but they have let go of Koufos and Leuer already, Wright is good for depth and he's a pretty good scorer. Wright was one the one unsung victims of last season: he was having a great season with the Mavs but got tossed aside for Rondo (bad play), then dumped again by the Celtics and again by the Suns. The Grizzlies got a pretty good player at a reasonable price.
Millsap (Hawks): 3yrs/$59m. I felt like Millsap would be one of the coveted free agents of the summer instead he gets less than Brook Lopez to stay with the team he helped build. (I thought the Jazz would make the down-on-one-knee kinda plea to Millsap to return to the SLC but I guess that was never gonna happen) One rumor is this is part of a sign-and-trade for Tobias Harris; could be an interesting move for both teams. They did acquire Splitter (for a player to be named later) so perhaps this signing is the first step in a longer process.
Green (Warriors): 5yrs/$85m. Wow, that seems a little high but this is the right move. Green is a badass, knows exactly who he is and he fits on this team and they've already won a championship, go ahead and pay the man.
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