(One of the reasons I started these Saturday morning video posts was to give a pseudo open thread for folks to stop by and visit about anything going on with the team. Some have been treating them as such already, but feel free to ramble on about whatever within. And in the meantime, maybe enjoy a random video that I thought was worthy of showing you.)
This video has been around for over a year, but I just saw it for the first time last week via TrueHoop. It’s just an awesome street ball video featuring one of those very near and dear to our heart. Kevin Durant is playing with others in the Goodman League and he goes all Rookie/Sophomore game on them. He dropped 62 points during the game and basically decided he was going to score at will, especially down the stretch. KD returned and played in the league again late last night, but results haven’t been posted yet. In the meantime, enjoy Kid Delicious absolutely dominating last year’s game.
That trade for Randolph was always a dumb idea. Exactly who was willing to pay a career underachiever in Randolph that kind of money? Playing the way he did this past year was his destiny. Also, was signing B. Davis to that ridiculously long contract bad luck for them as well? He had plenty of red flags flying. So many that no other teams were going to compete with that offer.
@MartzMimic
To be fair, most of the Clippers blunders have only come to realization after the fact. Randolph was actually playing well when they first got him for nothing. It wasn't until everyone on the team quit that it became SO dumb. When they buy or trade for players, normally those players have shown something good, they just nosedive when they get to LA.
So we can't just try to think crazy in order to figure out what the Clips will do. If anything, it will look a little confusing at first, but not terrible. It will just end up terrible when everyone they send out becomes great (or better than when they were there) and everyone they take back becomes a stiff.
I doubt there will be either, but why else would Presti even be considering either of those guys? You're using common sense. The Clippers haven't been known for having a lot of that.
MartzMimic :
OK, so we all agree about Kaman/Camby, but more to my original question, would it be worth taking one of them as part of a deal to get the first pick?
Of the two, Camby is the more desirable. He has an expiring contract at 7.6 million, just a million more than Earl Watson. Kaman on the other hand has about 35 mil owed over three more.
But, from everything I've read, the three contracts they really want to move are Kaman, Zach Randolph and Baron Davis. Those three contracts have them hamstrung. Their aim would obviously be to get us to take one of those. I don't see any way that Presti would do that. I've read where if they can get someone to take Kaman's or Randolphs contract off of them, they would take Griffin and be happy. But if not, if they can get somebody to take Baron Davis off their hands, then they would consider trading Blake Griffin if they could get Rubio to replace Baron.
Either scenario has the trading partner taking on a bad contract. So the Camby thing is something different altogether. It would be completely out of character for Presti to take on one of those terrible contracts.
There will be no deal to get the first pick. End of discussion.
OK, so we all agree about Kaman/Camby, but more to my original question, would it be worth taking one of them as part of a deal to get the first pick?
I would ask Golden State about Biedrins. I'd make them this offer:
Warriors receive:
Rights to Serge Ibaka
Earl Watson
Damien Wilkins
15th pick (We would do the Amir Johnson salary dump with Detroit first.)
Rights to Devon Hardin
Maybe another pick or Livingston/Weaver/Halperin.
Thunder receive:
Andris Biedrins
what Vega said . . .
Kaman used to be good, but he's too injury prone now. Just say no to both of them, Presti.
Kaman is horrible, and I think Camby(age) won't be worth his salary in 2009 . . .
Camby? Why the heck would we want that geezer? He should be sent to Cleveland. He would really help them, but he is too old to help us.
@Vega
Ric Bucher tweeted that Clips - OKC talks about Kaman were dead, but not Camby.
@MartzMimic
OKC is talking with the Clips about Kaman?
About these supposed discussions with the Clippers regarding Kaman, now Camby, do you guys think the No. 1 pick also has to be a part of those discussions?
Crow :
The raw data here might be what you are after
http://www.dougstats.com/08-09.html
the previous data button allows you to get the data thru any date. pull two runs and you can compute the net data for that timeperiod.
That is a pretty good resource. Thanks!
The Thabeet drama gets comical . . .
he has done NOTHING since the end of the season that we know of(no testing, no workouts) except say "I'm 7-3". Compare Blake Griffin's activity this offseason (certain to go #1 regardless) to Thabeet's . . .
@daniel "One other note. It’s seems strange to me, but of all the times I’ve seen pics of Scott or watched interviews with him, I’ve never noticed the bracelets."
He wore them on draft lottery night for sure. Thanks for the link.
The raw data here might be what you are after
http://www.dougstats.com/08-09.html
the previous data button allows you to get the data thru any date. pull two runs and you can compute the net data for that timeperiod.
oh, and since no one else has mentioned it, Jenni has a nice Father's Day write up on Scott Brooks.
http://newsok.com/jenni-carlson-every-day-is-fathers-day-for-thunder-coach-scott-brooks/article/3379487?custom_click=lead_story_title
Nice read about Scottie's personal background. Ok, it gets a little sappy here and there, but I can live with that. One thing is for sure, Scottie is one heckuva guy. Dudes out there: have your wives, girlfriends, sisters (whatever) read that article -- they'll fall in love with Brooks for sure.
One other note. It's seems strange to me, but of all the times I've seen pics of Scott or watched interviews with him, I've never noticed the bracelets.
@Crow
"There is continuously updated and downloadable play by play available at basketballvalue.com and basketballgeek.com"
Thanks, I'll take a look. Although I'm much more interested in general stats on players and teams than the play-by-play stuff.
Patricia is a long-time Mavericks and NBA fan.
She just does it as a hobby and though she still updates salaries it is not cutting edge anymore do that.
Her roster list are good for tracking assistant coaches / potential head coaches though and nobody else does that.
There is continuously updated and downloadable play by play available at basketballvalue.com and basketballgeek.com.
@Crow
"Patricia B. has done a lot of useful compiling over the years with only occasional brief thank yous."
Who is she?
It would be awesome if someone had a database of constantly updated stats available through an online server. You could write scripts that would download the info and use it to generate charts, graphs, etc. All kinds of neato stuff. But that doesn't seem likely - it takes of lot of work to compile the stuff, so whoever does it would want some compensation. The only thing that I can think of (along that line) is 'stats.com' and they definitely want payment for their info.
daniel :oops, that’s was supposed to be for ThunderMonkey, obviously
sorry, Evan (but who knows, maybe you’re crazy too!)
LMAO!
ah... less than a full "inch" low on standing reach
for an average SG
though these marks may be low for starters and especially at SG because of combo guards
Westbrook is long for a PG and only a fraction of an inch low on wingspan and less than a full low on standing reach...
for a SG
In general Presti has gone for length. Green is the exception- if he stays at PF. Collison's game probably makes him safe this season. If he eventually gets moved it will be back to PF full-time (unlikely here except as a 15-20 minute guy) or out because he isn't long enough.
Daniel. Patricia B. has done a lot of useful compiling over the years with only occasional brief thank yous. With time there are more databases, especially now on salaries, but she was one the first if not the first and that was helpful earlier. I guess she has cut back a bit, on the height, weights.
When I said weighted by who plays I should have clarified doing it by total minutes played for the season. That should a standard that most people can agree to. You could give even more special, separate attention to the starting lineup if you want.
You might find this interesting if you haven't seen it before
http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=avepos&year=All
the other sheet for average wingspan for each height is useful in being clear who is "long" for their height period but the page I linked is straight forward for seeing who is long (on wingspan and standing reach), short or average for a position. Westbrook is long for a PG and only a fraction of an inch low on wingspan and less than a full low on standing reach. Durant is long enough on wingspan and standing reach to be an above center. Green's measurements have always raised questions as his wingspan is average for a PF but his standing reach is below average for a SF. Maybe his shoulders don't flex up as much as normal or maybe one of his measurements was off.
Collison is in between the average PF and C in real length
oops, just backed up to the parent URL to notice that the 'p' in pbender stands for Patricia. So it's a lady, not a guy, who did the calculations. My bad assumption. She also did ages:
http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/bball/misc/bdays4-16-08.txt
@Joe
"daniel: send a few of the best ones here. We would put them on here some way or another. That would be very cool."
I definitely will, if I can make it. I was thinking of using photobucket.com, like Cpt. C-Note mentioned, as a holding place. But we can decide that later. First, we'll have to see if I manage to get any pics to post!
Thabeet cancels workout with Grizz....the plot thickens
@Crow
"Daniel, the average team height was a little over 6-7 in 07-08."
Interesting. That was a great doc. Essentially what I was thinking of creating, except that after spending over half an hour gathering the info on our team and making the calculation, I didn't feel the desire to repeat it 29 more times. Dude also compared weights, something else I was thinking about checking:
http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/bball/misc/weights4-16-08.txt
"But for these stats to be more meaning you need to check average height weighted by who plays."
Agreed. But that would be a lot more work. Also, you could devise many (probably slightly) different ways to do the weighting. Without a standard, agreed upon method, you'd have apples-to-oranges comparisons leading people to feel that the numbers were being fudged to make a particular team look more or less impressive. A non-weighted median of heights of the current roster is a simple and indisputable stat, at least.
The other thing that I take away from that guy's sheet is that the spread is pretty narrow. Even just one player changed might move you up or down by several slots.
guess it didn/t work. any help, Royce!?
@daniel@Joe
and
If you upload them to www.photobucket.com then get the htmp code and post in the comment section. (it works on myspace and facebook, it should also work here.
example:
(my baby girl!)
Happy Father's Day gang. I've slept on it and I still hope we draft Rubio. :P
daniel :
Seriously dudes (and dudettes, if that applies), I am definitey going to that MidFirst bank thingy next week if it all possible. And if it is possible, I’ll bring along a camera and snap me some pics — I’ll find some place online to post them. Betcha there’ll be good size crowd there too - a least a couple of hundred. Who knows, maybe a thousand people will show up. Looks like a real event.
daniel: send a few of the best ones here. We would put them on here some way or another. That would be very cool.
Thanks
Ordinarily teams have up to 3 PGs, 5-6 wings and 6-7 bigs. Some may go 1 lower somewhere.
Your list was 3-6-6 with Green considered a big.
meaning"ful"
Daniel, the average team height was a little over 6-7 in 07-08. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/bball/misc/heights4-16-08.txt
Your caculation is only a fraction of an inch lower and may not mean much- especially with roster decisions still coming- but 6' 6/7 inches would probably put them in bottom 5-10 on height.
Wait n see who Presti adds and subtracts.
In 07-08 they started out one of the leagues five tallest teams on average. Even a fraction of an inch can reveal to some extent Presti's thinking or at least actions especially if a trend developed over several years.
But for these stats to be more meaning you need to check average height weighted by who plays.
Seriously dudes (and dudettes, if that applies), I am definitey going to that MidFirst bank thingy next week if it all possible. And if it is possible, I'll bring along a camera and snap me some pics -- I'll find some place online to post them. Betcha there'll be good size crowd there too - a least a couple of hundred. Who knows, maybe a thousand people will show up. Looks like a real event.
@ThunderMonkey
you can call me Al.
@Evan
Crazy like a Fox and Daniel I'll be Frank and you can be Shirley. :P
can I be frank?
oops, that's was supposed to be for ThunderMonkey, obviously
sorry, Evan (but who knows, maybe you're crazy too!)
@Evan
"Call me crazy..."
ok, YOU'RE CRAZY!!!
@ThunderMonkey
you're crazy. :)
Call me crazy but I'm sold on Rubio. Draft that dude.
I still think that Memphis takes him and trades him - dont know why todays events would change that . . .
as long as he doesn't draft Thabeet . . .
thanks for the updates . . .
Sorry to keep posting, but little tidbits keep popping up:
Ricky Rubio meets with OKC Thunder
Just as the notion of Ricky Rubio in a Kings uniform is seeming less likely by the day, there is this unsurprising news: he is moving on.
A source with knowledge of the situation said Rubio was visited in Los Angeles today by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the No. 3 pick in the June 25 draft. This matters mostly because Rubio's visit in Sacramento this week came with unspoken terms, an understanding of sorts that a Rubio promise on the Kings' part could have stopped his American tour with just one concert. But that clearly never happened, and certainly not only because Rubio was unable to get on the floor Thursday when he fell ill.
So he continues to interview away, certainly hoping to not fall below the fourth spot if only because that $6.6 million buyout has to be paid for somehow. There has been talk of a second Sacramento visit, but I'm not sure that's plausible now since he is believed to be headed back to Spain on Sunday. - Sam Amick Kings blog.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sports/kings/archives/2009/06/ricky-rubio-mee.html
It doesn't look like Rubio got a promise from Sacto, so he is busy selling himself to OKC.....? Or is Presti just doing his due diligence and trying to get a feel for the kid?
@okcnba
Oh, I doubt your stupid, to me it just implies that if Thabeet doesn't workout for Memphis, it becomes less likely that Memphis would select him. And since that link suggests that the only team that has met with him or might have worked him out is OKC....it scares me to think that perhaps MR. Presti has more than casual interest in Thabeet; which to me is not good.