Who the hell is going to play for Denver next season? I mean, I KNOW that Kiki wants this team to suck again, so they'll have a decent shot at getting Lebron James and all--but even if he DOES get Lebron James, isn't he STILL a little short on players?
Right now, this is what Nuggets fans have to look forward to in 2002-03:
PG Mark Jackson--George McCloud--Lorinza Harrington (?)
SG James Posey--Predrag Savovic
SF Nickoloz Tskitishvili--Ryan Bowen--Vincent Yarbrough
PF Juwan Howard--Donnell Harvey
C Marcus Camby--Nene Hilario
Guys that have not been re-signed:
Kenny Satterfield
Voshon Lenard
Carlos Arroyo
Zendon Hamilton
Mengke Bateer
Chris Anderson (?)
NOW! Call me crazy, but are there not a TON of pretty decent free agents out there who can be had for next-to-nothing? The Nuggets still haven't used a penny of their $4.5 mil midcap exception--why not make a bunch of one year, $1.5 mil offers to these dudes? SURELY three of them will bite, simply because they KNOW that they are going to OBVIOUSLY get an OPPORTUNITY to play BIGTIME MINUTES in Denver next season, simply by DEFAULT, since the Nuggets have A MAJOR SHORTAGE OF PLAYERS!
So, here's a list of guys who are still available (the BEST guys, that is--but only those who aren't getting any play right now, guys who may not be able to do any better than a one year, $1.5 mil deal--which is why I have excluded guys like Keon Clark), guys who would ABSOLUTELY play around 20 minutes/game for this GODAWFUL Nuggets team, surely THREE of them will cave in and take a one year, $1.5 mil offer from Denver--they will get an opportunity to play in Denver, they can "showcase their talents," and re-enter the free agent fray NEXT summer, hopefully with a little more luck. Here's the list:
Rodney Rogers
Ricky Davis
Michael Redd
Jeff McInnis
Matt Harpring
Michael Doleac
Brian Skinner
Mark Blount
Travis Best
Troy Hudson
Erick Strickland
Eric Piatkowski
THEN there are the dudes who are RELATIVELY intriguing who could be had for even LESS than $1.5 mil, guys like:
Mitch Richmond
Bryon Russell
Dell Curry
Walt Williams
Kevin Willis
Carlos Rogers
Vladimir Stepania
Darvin Ham
Tyrone Nesby
Cal Bowdler
Willie Solomon
Eddie House
Scott Padgett
Rafer Alston
Loren Woods
Vonteego Cummings
William Avery
Dean Oliver
Lavor Postell
Antonis Fotsis
There are ALL KINDS of possibilities here, but let me make the FOLLOWING suggestion, how about the Nuggets sign the following for guys to what amounts to a one year, $4.5 mil contract (all the salaries combined, that is):
Brian Skinner (one year, $1.5 mil)
Mark Blount (one year, $1.5 mil)
Mitch Richmond (one year, $1.0 mil)
Rafer Alston (one year, $500,000)
RATIONALE: We all know that Marcus Camby is going to be able to play about 15-20 games TOPS for the Nuggets, and that, while developing Nene Hilario is obviously a major priority, the dude IS going to be in CONSTANT FOUL TROUBLE, and he is EXTREMELY RAW. So you're going to need some more big guys, and I happen to think that both Brian Skinner and Mark Blount are decent young centers, they should both stick around in this league for quite a while--they won't ever be STARS, but they will have relatively long careers in the NBA, which is saying SOMETHING, don't you think? Mitch Richmond is a guy with a chip on his shoulder, with something to prove--he was a TERRIBLE fit in L.A., he needs a shot at redemption--and PEOPLE, this guy was scoring over 16 points/game THE YEAR BEFORE LAST in Washington! The dude has a little bit left in the tank, and this team needs a backup SG, because this Predrag Savovic guy isn't going to get it done (he wasn't even DRAFTED!)! AS FOR RAFER ALSTON: All I hear around here is how Rafer Alston just needs a chance, how exciting he is to watch--well, fellers, you have Mark Jackson as yr point guard next year, who better to show this kid what it REALLY MEANS to be an NBA point guard than Jackson? AND, if Alston simply DOESN'T GET IT, well, you don't re-sign him after next season! If he goes out there and SUCKS, well, at LEAST it'll shut you guys up once and for all, right?
THE THING IS, even if the Nuggets are able to go out and get a top free agent next summer, even if Tskitishvili and Hilario develop really quickly, even if the Nuggets win the Lebron James sweepstakes--they are STILL going to need a supporting cast! So why not let these guys AUDITION for supporting roles NEXT SEASON? You know? Here's what Denver looks like next year after signing these four dudes:
PG Mark Jackson (24 minutes/game)
SG James Posey (20 minutes/game at SG, 8 minutes/game at SF)
SF Nikoloz Tskitishvili (24 minutes/game)
PF Juwan Howard (32 minutes/game)
C Marcus Camby (injured for most of the season, as usual)
Backups:
George McCloud (12 minutes/game at PG, 8 minutes/game at SG)
Rafer Alston (12 minutes/game, all at PG)
Mitch Richmond (20 minutes/game at SG)
Ryan Bowen (16 minutes/game at SF)
Donnell Harvey (8 minutes/game at PF)
Nene Hilario (8 minutes/game at PF, 8 minutes/game at C)
Brian Skinner (20 minutes/game at C, when Camby is out)
Mark Blount (20 minutes/game at C, when Camby is out)
Lorinza Harrington (whoever the hell THAT is!), Predrag Savovic, and Vincent Yarbrough can all be stashed on the IR until needed. And, if all 13 of the dudes above are healthy at the same time--which is HIGHLY UNLIKELY--one of them will need to be stashed on the IR, too. AND, of course, none of those bums who haven't been re-signed by Denver will be re-signed.
The thing is, the 2002-03 Nuggets team that I am proposing will STILL suck, a LOT--they will STILL almost CERTAINLY be the worst team in the NBA--but they'll win around 21 games instead of, what, 15-17 games? PLUS, hopefully a couple of those dudes will be worth keeping for 2003-04 (and thereafter), you know? I mean, why NOT audition some of these dudes at rock bottom prices, ESPECIALLY since you're so short on players at the moment? And wouldn't you rather be the worst team in the league in 2002-03 instead of one of the 4-5 worst teams in NBA HISTORY?
AS FOR THE COACHING SITUATION. I am a native of Kentucky, and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, so I can tell you for a FACT that Tubby Smith is SICK AND TIRED of all the retarded UK fans throwing a fit about not winning the NCAA championship EVERY SINGLE YEAR! The expectations down there are RIDICULOUS, the Rick Pitino legend is almost as overblown at this point as the Adolph Rupp legend, and do NOT underestimate how much the color of Tubby's skin has to do with how little patience UK fans have for him and his brand of basketball! The dude is a TERRIFIC coach, and I MEAN IT--but, for his sake, I'd like to see him move on, before he gets FIRED! UK fans will eventually look back and realize what a hell of a coach Tubby was, but it won't be until after he's gone. I keep reading that Tubby wants a shot at the NBA--well, jesus, GIVE IT TO HIM! Why would you want to get another one of these recycled Del Harris types? You know? GO GET TUBBY SMITH!
Right now, this is what Nuggets fans have to look forward to in 2002-03:
PG Mark Jackson--George McCloud--Lorinza Harrington (?)
SG James Posey--Predrag Savovic
SF Nickoloz Tskitishvili--Ryan Bowen--Vincent Yarbrough
PF Juwan Howard--Donnell Harvey
C Marcus Camby--Nene Hilario
Guys that have not been re-signed:
Kenny Satterfield
Voshon Lenard
Carlos Arroyo
Zendon Hamilton
Mengke Bateer
Chris Anderson (?)
NOW! Call me crazy, but are there not a TON of pretty decent free agents out there who can be had for next-to-nothing? The Nuggets still haven't used a penny of their $4.5 mil midcap exception--why not make a bunch of one year, $1.5 mil offers to these dudes? SURELY three of them will bite, simply because they KNOW that they are going to OBVIOUSLY get an OPPORTUNITY to play BIGTIME MINUTES in Denver next season, simply by DEFAULT, since the Nuggets have A MAJOR SHORTAGE OF PLAYERS!
So, here's a list of guys who are still available (the BEST guys, that is--but only those who aren't getting any play right now, guys who may not be able to do any better than a one year, $1.5 mil deal--which is why I have excluded guys like Keon Clark), guys who would ABSOLUTELY play around 20 minutes/game for this GODAWFUL Nuggets team, surely THREE of them will cave in and take a one year, $1.5 mil offer from Denver--they will get an opportunity to play in Denver, they can "showcase their talents," and re-enter the free agent fray NEXT summer, hopefully with a little more luck. Here's the list:
Rodney Rogers
Ricky Davis
Michael Redd
Jeff McInnis
Matt Harpring
Michael Doleac
Brian Skinner
Mark Blount
Travis Best
Troy Hudson
Erick Strickland
Eric Piatkowski
THEN there are the dudes who are RELATIVELY intriguing who could be had for even LESS than $1.5 mil, guys like:
Mitch Richmond
Bryon Russell
Dell Curry
Walt Williams
Kevin Willis
Carlos Rogers
Vladimir Stepania
Darvin Ham
Tyrone Nesby
Cal Bowdler
Willie Solomon
Eddie House
Scott Padgett
Rafer Alston
Loren Woods
Vonteego Cummings
William Avery
Dean Oliver
Lavor Postell
Antonis Fotsis
There are ALL KINDS of possibilities here, but let me make the FOLLOWING suggestion, how about the Nuggets sign the following for guys to what amounts to a one year, $4.5 mil contract (all the salaries combined, that is):
Brian Skinner (one year, $1.5 mil)
Mark Blount (one year, $1.5 mil)
Mitch Richmond (one year, $1.0 mil)
Rafer Alston (one year, $500,000)
RATIONALE: We all know that Marcus Camby is going to be able to play about 15-20 games TOPS for the Nuggets, and that, while developing Nene Hilario is obviously a major priority, the dude IS going to be in CONSTANT FOUL TROUBLE, and he is EXTREMELY RAW. So you're going to need some more big guys, and I happen to think that both Brian Skinner and Mark Blount are decent young centers, they should both stick around in this league for quite a while--they won't ever be STARS, but they will have relatively long careers in the NBA, which is saying SOMETHING, don't you think? Mitch Richmond is a guy with a chip on his shoulder, with something to prove--he was a TERRIBLE fit in L.A., he needs a shot at redemption--and PEOPLE, this guy was scoring over 16 points/game THE YEAR BEFORE LAST in Washington! The dude has a little bit left in the tank, and this team needs a backup SG, because this Predrag Savovic guy isn't going to get it done (he wasn't even DRAFTED!)! AS FOR RAFER ALSTON: All I hear around here is how Rafer Alston just needs a chance, how exciting he is to watch--well, fellers, you have Mark Jackson as yr point guard next year, who better to show this kid what it REALLY MEANS to be an NBA point guard than Jackson? AND, if Alston simply DOESN'T GET IT, well, you don't re-sign him after next season! If he goes out there and SUCKS, well, at LEAST it'll shut you guys up once and for all, right?
THE THING IS, even if the Nuggets are able to go out and get a top free agent next summer, even if Tskitishvili and Hilario develop really quickly, even if the Nuggets win the Lebron James sweepstakes--they are STILL going to need a supporting cast! So why not let these guys AUDITION for supporting roles NEXT SEASON? You know? Here's what Denver looks like next year after signing these four dudes:
PG Mark Jackson (24 minutes/game)
SG James Posey (20 minutes/game at SG, 8 minutes/game at SF)
SF Nikoloz Tskitishvili (24 minutes/game)
PF Juwan Howard (32 minutes/game)
C Marcus Camby (injured for most of the season, as usual)
Backups:
George McCloud (12 minutes/game at PG, 8 minutes/game at SG)
Rafer Alston (12 minutes/game, all at PG)
Mitch Richmond (20 minutes/game at SG)
Ryan Bowen (16 minutes/game at SF)
Donnell Harvey (8 minutes/game at PF)
Nene Hilario (8 minutes/game at PF, 8 minutes/game at C)
Brian Skinner (20 minutes/game at C, when Camby is out)
Mark Blount (20 minutes/game at C, when Camby is out)
Lorinza Harrington (whoever the hell THAT is!), Predrag Savovic, and Vincent Yarbrough can all be stashed on the IR until needed. And, if all 13 of the dudes above are healthy at the same time--which is HIGHLY UNLIKELY--one of them will need to be stashed on the IR, too. AND, of course, none of those bums who haven't been re-signed by Denver will be re-signed.
The thing is, the 2002-03 Nuggets team that I am proposing will STILL suck, a LOT--they will STILL almost CERTAINLY be the worst team in the NBA--but they'll win around 21 games instead of, what, 15-17 games? PLUS, hopefully a couple of those dudes will be worth keeping for 2003-04 (and thereafter), you know? I mean, why NOT audition some of these dudes at rock bottom prices, ESPECIALLY since you're so short on players at the moment? And wouldn't you rather be the worst team in the league in 2002-03 instead of one of the 4-5 worst teams in NBA HISTORY?
AS FOR THE COACHING SITUATION. I am a native of Kentucky, and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, so I can tell you for a FACT that Tubby Smith is SICK AND TIRED of all the retarded UK fans throwing a fit about not winning the NCAA championship EVERY SINGLE YEAR! The expectations down there are RIDICULOUS, the Rick Pitino legend is almost as overblown at this point as the Adolph Rupp legend, and do NOT underestimate how much the color of Tubby's skin has to do with how little patience UK fans have for him and his brand of basketball! The dude is a TERRIFIC coach, and I MEAN IT--but, for his sake, I'd like to see him move on, before he gets FIRED! UK fans will eventually look back and realize what a hell of a coach Tubby was, but it won't be until after he's gone. I keep reading that Tubby wants a shot at the NBA--well, jesus, GIVE IT TO HIM! Why would you want to get another one of these recycled Del Harris types? You know? GO GET TUBBY SMITH!