Around the League: Week 15 2/2-2/8

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week.

Monday:
Tuesday: Miami @ Detroit 7:30PM EST NBATv, Utah @ Portland 10:00PM ESTNBATv
Wednesday: Chicago @ Houston 8:00PM EST ESPN, Dallas @ Golden State 10:30PM EST ESPN
Thursday: Phoenix @ Portland 10:30PM EST TNT, L.A. Clippers @ Cleveland 8:00PM EST TNT
Friday: L.A. Clippers @ Toronto 7:00PM EST ESPN, Miami @ San Antonio 9:30PM EST ESPN
Saturday: Chicago @ New Orleans 7:00PM EST ESPN
Sunday: L.A. Clippers @ OKC 1:00PM EST ABC, L.A. Lakers @ Cleveland 3:30PM EST ABC, San Antonio @ Toronto 7:00PM EST NBATv

NBA News.
John Feinstein suggests the NBA adopt a MLB style draft: LINK
How Korver perfects his jumper: LINK
Silver wants to increase All-Star roster size: LINK
Architect behind Hawks a mystery man: LINKS
Strong rumors Thibs will leave the Bulls at the end of the year: LINK
Robin Lopez is undefeated versus mascots: LINK

[ShelC]

I'll catch hell for this but...

Knicks are looking to dump Calderon. He's got 2 seasons left after this one, averaging about 7.5 per. Not looking to trade Dragic, but if we could get Calderon and a Knicks pick? Would love to get Acy as well if we can.

Now we have the option of starting Calderon (like Dragic) or bringing him off the bench and freeing up Bledsoe and clearing a bit of the logjam. Then Green and Tucker can start, Calderon can come off the bench and play off of IT3 and add a solid veteran presence in the lockerroom.

[specialsauce]

Change that for Thomas and you got yourself a deal

[ShelC]

Knicks wouldn't take Thomas.

[Mori Chu]

I like Calderon a lot, but I don't think I would want to take back that much money and years on his contract.

[carey]

Dion Waiters and overrating "rare" NBA skills: LINK

[Shabazz]

I'll catch hell for this but...

Knicks are looking to dump Calderon. He's got 2 seasons left after this one, averaging about 7.5 per. Not looking to trade Dragic, but if we could get Calderon and a Knicks pick? Would love to get Acy as well if we can.

Now we have the option of starting Calderon (like Dragic) or bringing him off the bench and freeing up Bledsoe and clearing a bit of the logjam. Then Green and Tucker can start, Calderon can come off the bench and play off of IT3 and add a solid veteran presence in the lockerroom.

No thanks. Calderon on the decline. Locking up another PG for 2 years just adds to the logjam as opposed to clearing it. Calderon can't defend so he can never share the court with IT or Gerald. And the Knicks are not dumping any picks.

[Indy]

Right. This only makes our log-jam worse.

[ShelC]

How would it be worse?

[Shabazz]

Because we're now locked in to 4 PGs for at least this year and two more. With Dragic, we're locked in to 3 PGS.

[Indy]

And we then have 4 PGs on contract for at least 2 more years... Right now we have 3 on contract for at least 2 more years.

[Indy]

Oh, what Bazz said. Sorry about that.

[ShelC]

Unless we were to re-sign him, then we're back to square 1. Either way, Calderon isn't a guy we'd be obligated to start or play 30+ minutes . He can come off the bench in a lesser role as a combo guard with or without IT3.

[Indy]

OK, but we still have at least 4 PGs under contract for 2 more years. Are you saying that because Calderon can play a little 2 that it makes it better? Dragic has been doing a pretty damn good job (offensively) of playing a 2 nearly full time, but it doesn't make our team better.

[Shabazz]

I'd rather give those minutes to Ennis than Calderon. Calderon can still shoot, but he's completely exposed defensively and just not that good anymore offensively. Why lock ourselves in to that?

[INFORMER]

I'm not understanding the proposal. Calderon can't play the 2 like Dragic can. He's a worse defender. And his contract is not palatable. So even in acquiescing to this recent ill-conceived movement to dump Dragic, this seems like a very poor way to do it. And this is coming from someone that really likes Quincy Acy.

[ShelC]

Ok, fine then!

[INFORMER]

We love ya, Shel.

[Indy]

So, INF, how again do we reboot the rebuild? Because I am beginning to see it as a 5-year plan to get us a potential 2nd round playoff exit if we are lucky. Basically the Jason Kidd all over again...

[INFORMER]

RealGM has a nice write-up on Rudy Gobert. I love that this guy is panning out:

In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz took a flyer on one of those prospects in Rudy Gobert. Similar uncertainty undoubtedly surrounded the French center, who, despite breaking combine records for both wingspan (7 feet 8 ½ inches) and standing reach (9 feet 7 inches), was selected 27th by the Denver Nuggets, and subsequently traded to Utah for the 46th pick and cash considerations.

Now, perhaps we’ll never know exactly why so many teams opted to pass on such upside. But what we do know is, just a year and a half later, the Cholet product once deemed a “project” is already blossoming into an elite defender.

Gobert’s rookie season under Ty Corbin was quiet yet encouraging. Playing less than 10 minutes per game, he posted the team’s highest Defensive Box Plus-Minus at 1.5 and came away with the best Defensive Rating at 104. But under rookie coach Quin Snyder this season, he’s emerged as a budding star on the defensive end. Gobert is holding opponents to a league-best 37.1 percent at the rim and the Jazz defense improves by 8.5 points per 100 possessions when the second-year center is on the floor.

http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/2 ... udy-Gobert