[Quasi-Quasar]

1. Dre and Brand will be great pick-an-roll players like Stockton and Malone, although Brand is a better rebounder and not as good a scorer and Dre is a better fast-break PG but not the shooter Johnny S is.

2. Odom is the shizny, and give Maggette a chance. Maggette if given the chance, could be like VC with better D...think about it VC was a 22 year old rookie when he averaged 16 points and Maggette is 22 now (although he turns 23 in December) so Maggette's progression is more similar than you think.

3. Kandi needs to improve his shooting percentage, he shoots 43% if he gets it up to 48% and takes the same number of shots he averages 16 not 12 points and he needs to become more agressive. He has more natural ability than most centers, he's athletic and his jump hook/fade-away is unblockable. Mainly he can't shoot 15' shots like he was last season, he just needs to be more disciplined and play with more passion.

4. Wilcox will play very much like Miles has the past two years, so Miles' departure isn't so painful for the flash and dazzle fans. Wilcox can slam an alley-oop just as hard and may even have a higher reach.

5. Q has to be traded, he just whines and plays no D and now that Miles is gone he wont pass to anyone.

6. Jaric is somewhere in the 3-D plane of Brent Barry, Peja Stojakovic, and Jason Kidd and will be a valuable 6th man

7. Dooling will be good...elsewhere

with that said here's a quick "sketch" plan:
1. trade Q, and the 2003 2nd to Chicago for their 2003 1st and JCraw (I know Krause doesn't like to give up picks but for Q he would).
2. trade JCraw, 1.2 mil cash to Orlando for the pick owed, their 2003 1st pick via Sacramento and Jeryl Sasser
3. trade Keyon Dooling to Memphis for their 2003 1st via Houston
and Antonin Fotis.
4. sign either Wil Avery or Smush Parker. I edge towards Smush.
5. sign Brand,Odom,and Miller to 7 year 60 million dollar contracts and Kandi to a 7 year 70 million dollar contract, and Maggette toa 7 year 38.5 million dollar contract. With Odom's,Maggette's, Brand's, and Maggette's extensions being next off-season.
6. 2003 Draft:
a) use the Chicago pick (#1-#7) for James White unless it's #1 (Lebron James)
b) use the Houston pick (#1-#13) for Malick Bidiane or the best European on the board (Kosta Perovic if he declares would be the best but Edu Hernandez and Maciej Lampe are fine), unless it's #1 (Lebron James).
c) use the teams own pick for a raw-potential player, preferably a Euro so as to keep him in Europe for a year or two (Carlos Delfino would be nice if he drops, but Zaur Pachulia is nice too), but Travis Outlaw would be good also (or Ndudi Ebe who seems set on college though)
d) use the Sacramento pick on Mickael Pietrus and keep him in Europe for a year or two (unless like a lotto caliber player drops like Qyntel Woods did)

and that gives a final roster of (03-04):
PG Miller/ Parker or Avery/ Sasser
SG Maggette/ Jaric/ White
SF Odom/ Outlaw or other rookie/
PF Brand/ Wilcox/ Fotis
C Olowokandi/ Ely/ Malick Biadiane (or Perovic)
with Mickael Pietrus in Europe still...although if Jaric,White,Wilcox or/and Outlaw (or other rookie) can be traded for Lebron James and a filler the Clipps should do it.

so what's your thoughts?

 

[RD]

My thoughts?

Do nothing.

Leave everything alone.

We've had another fantastic offseason and we should call it quits right now.

This team does not need anything else but experience. This team can't get more athletic. This team can't get more exciting. This team can't get any better in the post. The team can't get any better at any position, so there is no need to make moves. All that does is bring up potential problems. This team has played together for a copule years now, aside from Dre and the rooks, but they all know each other. Breaking them up is not a good move. It can only cause problems.

I understand that you like to sit there and dream up trades - I think everyone does. But, it realisticly will not happen. And it should not happen. This team has more talent than they know what to do with and there is no need to do anything else.

 

[Quasi-Quasar]

re:

I know , I know. I just really dislike Q, he doesn't play D, he only passed to D Miles so he wont be passing now, he's only 6-3 and a half, and he should be traded while he can. I bumped into Q and D Miles at JFD in Westwood (they hang there) last month and Q is like a freaking guard dog, he stands in front of D Miles and litterally pushes people away, so rude I couldn't even get Miles' autograph and now he's gone (not that I don't like Odom more, which I do). Maggette is the ideal SG for this lineup, my moves are purely superficial, they are basically trading Q and Dooling for James White, Mickael Pietrus, another lotto pick and the team's own pick as well as signing Smush or Wil which they should do in any case. Basically my trades just renew the youth and keep cap manageable with 4 guys in the 9 mil range and one at almost 6.
So if you have a lineup with White,two other rookies and Pietrus remaining in France for a year or two the salaries add up to about 54 mil +- change which is at the threshold and under the tax. I like Dooling and he could be kept instead of one of the 1st picks but his salary reaches 2.2 mil in two years, and as I said above I dislike Q and think he will be like the plague for the Clipps. lets say Q is traded for 3 mil cash and a future 1st and Dooling is traded for Memphis' 1st via Houston, that gives the Clipps James White and their 2nd pick with their current team basically. I really like White and think he would be the perfect raw player to store on the bench next to Wilcox in the talent and in case crap happens boxes.

 

[basketball_jesus]

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE James White. He is my favorite college player and I worship him like a god. BUT you keep knocking on Q for his lack of D and what is the biggest knock on White? His lack of D. You don't like the fact that Q is undersized, but the fact is he can post up and rebound over any two guard in the league. I also think you are mistaken about Q not passing the ball. Maggette is a great player, but I think Q has more weapons and is right now, and allways will be, better than Maggette. I like the idea of getting Flight but would I trade Q for him? No. Get rid of Dooling sure. Even Wilcox. But don't get rid of Q.