Diabeticwonder
Bench
For what it's worth.
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 14 minutes ago // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none';
Here's my take on the latest deadline wheelings and dealings:
Webber to the Sixers
Chris Webber to Philadelphia
It's no longer a secret that Webber has been a toxic and overly dominant presence on the court and in Sacramento's locker room. He wants to be in the middle of every possession, but he shuns the paint where the serious banging happens. He's decried his teammates' softness (remarks indirectly aimed at Peja Stojakovic) when he's Mr. Charmin himself. He's lied to grand juries, choked in the clutch, and has always been reluctant to play defense. Sure, he can pass like a point guard, and hit mid-range jumpers with anybody, but he's also a misstep away from totaling his knee.
It's understandable that Allen Iverson is looking forward to teaming with a high-post player with Webber's slick skills. But if AI thought that Glenn Robinson was a loser, wait 'til he gets a close-up look at Webber.
For Sacramento, Webber's absence has a huge impact: The most important being that Stojakovic no longer has any excuses for his periodic vanishing acts.
Matt Barnes to Philadelphia
He's a second-year player with the requisite jumping, running and quickness skills. Defense, execution and hustle are his priorities for the present, and he needs to develop his left hand. He can also rebound and is a solid open shooter with 18-foot range, but will launch 3-balls if he's wide open. Barnes is the kind of player who can be given a short rotation (five minutes, or so) when his team is stagnant in hopes that his effort can energize everyone. A good 11th or 12th man with a promising, if limited, future as a role player.
Michael Bradley to Philadelphia
A 6-foot-10 small forward, Bradley is strictly a jump shooter. Otherwise, he's soft, slow and a poor rebounder who can occasionally block a shot. Roster-fill.
Kenny Thomas to Sacramento
An active player with a scorer's mentality, Thomas seems to be a smallish (6-foot-7, 245) power forward, but has the skills and the work ethic to be very effective. He's an excellent rebounder (especially on offense), has legitimate 3-point range, plays well off teammates' penetration, and can post on both blocks with jump hooks and a variety of spin-back moves. While not a particularly effective defender, Thomas never backs down from any confrontation. A terrific scorer off the bench.
Corliss Williamson to Sacramento
Let him go 1-on-1 in the left box or along the left baseline and Williamson is as nasty as ever. Another aggressive, nearly unstoppable power forward, but a defensive liability against quicker players.
Brian Skinner to Sacramento
This guy has 18-foot face-up range, can run the floor, and bang the boards. He can also be effective in the low post with jump hooks, turnaround jumpers, and an inside reverse pivot on the left box. If his defense is only average, Skinner is an accomplished shot-blocker. A solid presence at both power slots.
Who got the best of the deal?
Philadelphia got a finesse player who can work and play well with AI at the expense of sacrificing front-court depth and power. Sacramento got rid of a loud-mouthed phony and a pair of spare parts in exchange for a trio of big-chested, hard-working bigs. In the short run, the advantage goes to Philadelphia. In the long run, Sacramento has the edge.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3418918
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 14 minutes ago // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none';
Here's my take on the latest deadline wheelings and dealings:
Webber to the Sixers
Chris Webber to Philadelphia
It's no longer a secret that Webber has been a toxic and overly dominant presence on the court and in Sacramento's locker room. He wants to be in the middle of every possession, but he shuns the paint where the serious banging happens. He's decried his teammates' softness (remarks indirectly aimed at Peja Stojakovic) when he's Mr. Charmin himself. He's lied to grand juries, choked in the clutch, and has always been reluctant to play defense. Sure, he can pass like a point guard, and hit mid-range jumpers with anybody, but he's also a misstep away from totaling his knee.
It's understandable that Allen Iverson is looking forward to teaming with a high-post player with Webber's slick skills. But if AI thought that Glenn Robinson was a loser, wait 'til he gets a close-up look at Webber.
For Sacramento, Webber's absence has a huge impact: The most important being that Stojakovic no longer has any excuses for his periodic vanishing acts.
Matt Barnes to Philadelphia
He's a second-year player with the requisite jumping, running and quickness skills. Defense, execution and hustle are his priorities for the present, and he needs to develop his left hand. He can also rebound and is a solid open shooter with 18-foot range, but will launch 3-balls if he's wide open. Barnes is the kind of player who can be given a short rotation (five minutes, or so) when his team is stagnant in hopes that his effort can energize everyone. A good 11th or 12th man with a promising, if limited, future as a role player.
Michael Bradley to Philadelphia
A 6-foot-10 small forward, Bradley is strictly a jump shooter. Otherwise, he's soft, slow and a poor rebounder who can occasionally block a shot. Roster-fill.
Kenny Thomas to Sacramento
An active player with a scorer's mentality, Thomas seems to be a smallish (6-foot-7, 245) power forward, but has the skills and the work ethic to be very effective. He's an excellent rebounder (especially on offense), has legitimate 3-point range, plays well off teammates' penetration, and can post on both blocks with jump hooks and a variety of spin-back moves. While not a particularly effective defender, Thomas never backs down from any confrontation. A terrific scorer off the bench.
Corliss Williamson to Sacramento
Let him go 1-on-1 in the left box or along the left baseline and Williamson is as nasty as ever. Another aggressive, nearly unstoppable power forward, but a defensive liability against quicker players.
Brian Skinner to Sacramento
This guy has 18-foot face-up range, can run the floor, and bang the boards. He can also be effective in the low post with jump hooks, turnaround jumpers, and an inside reverse pivot on the left box. If his defense is only average, Skinner is an accomplished shot-blocker. A solid presence at both power slots.
Who got the best of the deal?
Philadelphia got a finesse player who can work and play well with AI at the expense of sacrificing front-court depth and power. Sacramento got rid of a loud-mouthed phony and a pair of spare parts in exchange for a trio of big-chested, hard-working bigs. In the short run, the advantage goes to Philadelphia. In the long run, Sacramento has the edge.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3418918
