Keith Langlois has a decent article about Walter Sharpe over at True Blue Pistons. Unfortunately, he also made the same mistake I’ve seen just about everybody make when talking about Sharpe:
Sharpe’s college career consisted of 18 games, or roughly half of one of the four seasons Prince put in at Kentucky while playing in 135 games over his college career.
Krista Jahnke made the same mistake for the Free Press:
Sharpe, who transferred after one season at Mississippi State, played in 12 games last season for UAB before he was suspended.
Sharpe played two years at Mississippi State, not one. I already clarified this twice before — here’s what I wrote last night:
Walter Sharpe’s collegiate career spans 40 games, not 18, as some outlets have mistakenly reported. He played 22 as a freshman with Mississippi State in 2004-05, six as a sophomore, sat out his third year and played 12 last year after transferring to UAB. Everyone seems to be latching on to the idea that his entire career is 18 games long because ESPN and Yahoo and the like are only showing three years on their player profile pages, but he’s from the high school class of 2004, the same as Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, J.R. Smith, Boobie Gibson, Shaun Livingston, Arron Afflalo, DJ White …)
I’m not picking on Langlois or Jahnke — everyone in the media has overlooked those first 22 games. Granted, they weren’t exactly memorable — he wasn’t a starter and averaged just 2.4 points in 8.9 minutes — but he did play them.
Can we nickname Walter “Sandman” or “The Sandman”?
@Aaron: Yes, Yes, Yes.
That has to work since Big Z is already taken.
I know I’m going to get told to lighten up but the sleep and sleeper jokes aren’t all that funny. If Sharpe had diabetes nobody would think to call him ‘Sweet Walter’ or ‘Sugar’ as a nickname. Sharpe has probably been called stupid and lazy and a malcontent thousands of times by the very people in authority who are supposed to be supporting him as a kid because of misunderstood symptoms related to his undiagnosed illness.
From med.stanford.edu: “Narcolepsy is a very disabling and underdiagnosed illness: the effect of narcolepsy on its victims is devastating. Studies have shown that even treated narcoleptic patients are often markedly psychosocially impaired in the area of work, leisure, interpersonal relations, and are more prone to accidents. These effects are even more severe than the well-documented deleterious effects of epilepsy when similar criteria are used for comparison.
The large majority of narcoleptic patients in this country are still undiagnosed, and narcoleptic subjects are most often diagnosed only after many years of struggle. In one recent study, the mean number of years between the onset of symptoms and correct diagnosis was 14 years. Since the symptoms of narcolepsy usually appear during adolescence, this means that most narcoleptic patients are diagnosed too late to prevent the dramatic impact of the disease on their personal and professional development.”
One very serious symptom of narcolepsy is cataplaxy or “a striking, sudden episode of muscle weakness triggered by emotions. Typically, the patient’s knees buckle and may give way upon laughing, elation, surprise or anger.” Sounds like the kind of thing that can get a teenager in a LOT of trouble, maybe even a bar fight.
Like all Pistons picks I hope this kid is a great person and a Hall-of-Fame baller but even if he’s a career benchwarmer Walter Sharpe can accomplish a lot for other people with narcolepsy. I’ll be rooting for [insert nickname here] Walter [or here] Sharpe.
I had a narcoleptic housemate in college. He would get sleepy if he started laughing. So if anyone said anything funny and we noticed him laugh, we would pounce and start seeing if we could get him to fall asleep. Kind of a douche-y thing to do, I know.
We would find him asleep in the weirdest positions and places sometimes.
That’s hilarious… yet so wrong at the same time.
If the team keeps Herrmann and Sharpe makes the team, wouldn’t that be the best reality TV show ever.
One guy is a young, misunderstood McDonald’s All-American who has narcolepsy and has been shot. The other is a foreign player who speaks very little English and may not know much about the culture. Put them in the same house and watch the hilarity ensue.
I call it, “D’s two Walters”
Narcolepsy aside, Sharpe was getting buzz as an early/mid second rounder and I generally trust Dumars draft skills for late firsts/second rounders. Im probably in the minority in saying that this is a very good draft for Detroit- they got more depth at their weakest positions (SF and C) and both Sharpe and Plaisted have high upside.
Detroits future core looks like this, for a perrenial championship contender that is a very good collection of youth
Combo Guards
Rodney Stuckey-6′5′
Alex Acker-6′6
Swings
Arron Afflalo 6′6″
Deron Washington 6′7″
Forwards
Walter Sharpe 6′9″ SF
Jason Maxiell 6′7″ PF
Amir Johnson 6′11″ PF/C (if he adds muscle)
Centers
Trent Plaisted 6′11″
Cheick Samb 7′1″
Count me as one person who actually thinks the Plaisted pick was a good one. I remember reading about him and thinking he’d make a nice second round flier.
I don’t see him becoming a starter but I think he definitely has the potential to be a rotation player from what I’ve seen and read.
@joejoejoe
Fred’s wife here. I strongly agree with you, and I don’t appreciate the jokes either, I feel that the level of inmaturity here speaks for itself, and is just another example of how disabled individuals are made fun of on a constant basis, and frankly BOYS……some of you need to grow up into MEN. This is a wake-up call for all you out there who need it. I guess silliness is so pervasive in society that people do not have the attention span for seriousness anymore or compassion.
At any rate I have to be serious with two disabled boys in my household and the discrimination they face constantly is real and unfortunate.
So my suggestion would be to donate to a children’s charity say one who caters to disabled individuals so that youcan right your wrongs in life…you’ll feel better and maybe have a deeper understanding of these individuals to be treated the same way that YOU would like to be treated…as a HUMANBEING who has feelings and suffers just like everyone else does. The Foundation for Children with Down Syndrome is good start. You can go to http://www.volunteermatch.org and punch in the name and then go directly to :make a donation, it’s that simple and easy, right online…then maybe you will sleep better at night.
I know I will sleep better knowing that my voice is being heard on behalf of all the disabled youth in this country.
Aleta Capel
@Aleta & others,
I respect your humility and voice for those who may be misunderstood. Judging someone based on a physical ailment is NOT our way. However, I think Sandman could be one heck of a player anyway.
I can understand the call to rein in some of the cruder jokes. If I may say, I agree with Mike Payne that this is not a mean spirited or nasty site by any means. I am confident that I and all the other forum regulars are very supportive of people with disabilities and when calle upon can behave with the correct amount of decorum. Any nickname given out such as Sandman, should be seen as us providing a branding of the player as a Detroit Piston.
Aleta Capel - I agree that it’s good to be as informed and aware as possible and treat people with respect. My experience with the commenters here at DBB is they are definitely good people with open minds who show respect. I was just trying to add a bit of information about narcolepsy to the discussion. I like medicine and added some medical comments when Rodney Stuckey broke the three bones in his hand too.
I know Matt W. has been very supportive of Children’s Hospital of Detroit in the past with posts and comments whenever there is some kind of event. DBB commenters helped Natalie @ Need4Sheed win a ‘fun center’ built at CHoD by voting again and again in a contest to help kids so people here are good.
People aren’t always going to be on the same page in blog comments and people don’t have to agree about everything but my experience with DBB is that the commenters are good people and the odd joke or coarse slam isn’t enough to change my opinion about anybody. That said, I liked your comment Alita and I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on DBB.
joejoejoe
Re: “The Sandman”
I’m not completely insensitive. I had definite thoughts about how the nickname could be making light of a serious condition. I concluded with thinking that Walter Sharpe could really kick some butt in the NBA. The nickname could give him a sense of empowerment.
I understand if it seems too inapproriate and we can forget the whole thing. Either way, I am excited to see what Sharpe can do.
AaronN - That’s cool.
I’m not the Nickname Czar or anything. I just was offering my own opinion. I know that people of good will have different views on everything from narcolepsy to Flip Saunders and everything in between. Maybe Walter Sharpe already has a nickname that we don’t know about or will change his name to World B. Sharpe. The future is unclear.
We, as a DBB community, prove our mettle by our actions collective. To extrapolate one act of admitted immaturity (not to be confused with wrongdoing) and conclude that we don’t respect adult behavior and have both capacity and tendency to exhibit said adult behavior is false or misleading.
Until Walter Sharpe conveys that he has been personally offended, it’s a no harm, no foul situation, period. Making a joke about a person’s struggle doesn’t inherently mean you are insensitive to a their plight. Making a joke about a person struggle in spite of their pleas for you to stop, that’s insensitive. While I may be a stickler for manners in one-on-one interaction, this is different. When Walter Sharpe tells me (us) that it bothers him, that’s when it’s not cool and I stop without a moment’s hesitation. Until then, sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight.
I think everyone at the DBB community thanks Aleta for not putting her post in ALL CAPS like her husband does.
As I said before, I had a narcoleptic housemate. I’m not sure if Sharpe has different symptoms or has it to a different degree but I find it strange that no one diagnosed it sooner.
“sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight”
Yeah, I meant “The Sandman” to be in the absolute baddest of asses way.
nice Metallica nugget there
This article should put all the CDR chatter to bed. He didn’t want to be a Piston and Sharpe did…
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2008/06/blowing_off_workouts_not_a_goo.html
ya, screw CDR, I hope Sharpe becomes a real bad ass.
Wow, that’s awesome that teams gave him the shaft like that. But at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter a whole lot — he’ll either perform on the court or he won’t. I hope he sucks though after being so arrogant.
“If Sharpe had diabetes nobody would think to call him ‘Sweet Walter’ or ‘Sugar’ as a nickname. ”
Oh hell yes we would.
@Kevin S:
+1. When we agree, its a beautiful thing.
I´m on the sharpe bandwagon.
if he produces, he´ll be a fan favorite in a minute..
give the kid a chance.
i’m actually thinking about going out to vegas the weekend of the 12th-13th to see these cats play. watson, have fanhouse comp yr ass in vega$$ for summer league! especially if you can get a per diem for yr drunk/broke friend jack!
Are other fans this excited about their summer league teams? We must be the biggest basketball nerds ever.
Wow, I don’t feel sorry for CDR anymore. The kid’s got to grow up. You don’t spit in the face of teams that want to bring you in for a workout.
garrett: we are the greatest basketball fans in the world. unbiased opinion.
@Garrett, JackDutch:
I’ll be pissed, PISSED if I miss a single summer league game this season. I missed two last year because I was traveling, but it was fun as hell to see our youth play.
My prediction: Rodney Stuckey or Amir Johnson will be named the Summer League MVP.
As I said on the other thread, let’s hope the camera work is taken a little more seriously this summer…
Michael Rosenberg usually puts out good stuff in my opinion. This is no exception:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/SPORTS03/306280013/1051/SPORTS03
One thing to note, DJ played out of his mind when Kelvin Sampson was coach, not when Davis was coach. So Davis probably didn’t see DJ at his best through in-game situations. Considering Davis spent so much effort recruiting the 2004 Rivals150’s #15 recruit (For example: Rondo was 25, Boobie Gibson was 29 and guess who was 44? Walter Sharpe), he must have seen something that impressive in him. Davis is a horrible Xs and Os coach but he is an absolute stud recruiter (see: Fisher, Steve). Hell, Davis got a commitment from Josh Smith (#3 recruit tht year behind Dwight Howard and Shaun Livingston) before Smith declared for the draft AND from DJ White in the same year.
Enough about Davis, the deal is that DJ is so similar to Maxiell, with Dice and Amir also on our roster he just doesn’t have a spot. Sharpe sounds like Tay in training. I’m excited, and I hope he makes everyone pay for their doubting.
JD: Perhaps we’ll make a trek to Vegas? Anyway, your opinion has carry a lesser level than most of us since you don’t have any actual connection to Detroit beyond the Pistons. You sought the Pistons out, not the other way around, so that says something to me.
What if he’s called “The Sandman” not because of his narcolepsy but because his game is so smoooooth it makes it seem like anyone guarding him is sleepwalking…or maybe “The Sandman” because he’s so quick its like anyone guarding him is playing in sand.
Calling him “The Sandman” is really no different than people coining Darko as “The Serbian Gangster,” which in a way is making light of all of the bloodshed and war that has occurred in Serbia Montegnegro.
Hell Jason Maxiell being called a baby eater makes light of cannibals everywhere and we all know cannibalism is not something that should be made light of, being one myself, I find it somewhat offensive.
It is a tragedy whey someone becomes disabled and has trouble doing things that the rest of us do.
Shape however, is not disabled. He is a medical problem that is being controlled with medication. This will enable him to become a millionaire.
I don’t consider Sharpe disabled at all. He has a health issue that is controllable allowing him to function and become your everyday millionaire NBA player.
Corr. for typos
It is a tragedy when someone becomes disabled and has trouble doing things that the rest of us do.
Shape however, is not disabled. He has a medical problem that is being controlled with medication. This will enable him to become a millionaire.
I don’t consider Sharpe disabled at all. He has a health issue that is controllable with medication allowing him to function normally and become your everyday millionaire NBA player.
I have obstructive sleep apnea, and if you guys want to call me Snorlax or something I’m fine with that. Now if only I had a million dollar contract to go with my affliction……
JD: That earlier post was supposed to read “has to carry a lesser level of bias” … Since your choice to root for the Pistons is not rooted in any geographic attachment, it strikes me that you would carry less bias than most of us on matters of Pistons’ fandom intelligence.
Garrett: Snorlax? Is “No Air” Gar (pronounced like air with a g at the beginning) acceptable? When are we getting those leather jackets?!?! I don’t even remember what they were regarding anymore!
@Garrett: I know of that quite well, actually– my soon-to-be mother-in-law has it. Mind if I borrow “Snorlax” for her?
Actually, now that I think about it, since she wears the sleep mask, I could call her Rip…
Normally I would say not to make narcolepsy jokes as it can be a very tough illness to deal with, but when you are going to make a living playing a game and probably earn a couple million dollars over the next few years, I think that he’ll get over it.
We could call Adam Morrison the blood sugar ATTACK!
But since he can’t attack the basket and doesn’t score any points, it would wind up as a mean reference to his diabetes.
So we make fun of his moustache instead.
LawyerBoy: Hmm. They were those lame 8-ball leather jackets, but I have no idea what they were for. Since it was DBB, it had to be something cool though. And “No Air Gar” would fit pretty well for my sleep apnea AND my lack of vertical. My game is more like Jeff Hornacek than Shawn Kemp, that’s for sure.
Mike Payne: I’m one step away from getting the Rip mask myself! And if you need a wedding photographer, I can hook you up! Special Pistons discount! Just, um, fly me out to where ever you are and stuff.
Speaking of nicknames, I used to get called Wombat by girl guides. Not as cool as Jaguar or Lightning Tiger eh?
A friend also nicknamed me ‘Spalding’ because I’m going bald and love basketball. The worst nickname I ever got was Plastic Man, but thats another story.
Walter “Looking” Sharpe?
Walter Sharpe “As a tack”?
Walter “Herrmann v2.0″ Sharpe?
Walter Sharpe “Cheddar”?
Walter Sharpe “Shooter”?
Walter “Matthau” Sharpe?
Just throwing those out there…..
@Quick Darshan
Your praise of Mrs. Capel getting the CAPS button fixed made me laugh out loud in my office
Free Agents this summer:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents-080629
outside of the “big trade” the Pistons hope to make… there’s a few guys i’d like to see targeted.
Mickael Pietrus (or however you spell his first name)
Antoine Wright
Hey, I got Mickael right!
I’ve always loved Childress too….
I would love for the Pistons to get Childress or Pietrus. I don’t know if it will happen, though.
Childress is the only free agent who would possibly consider the MLE that I’d be willing to use the whole MLE for. He’d be a perfect 6th man. Pietrus would also be a good back up SF and he would cost less too. If we are to sign one of these guys it wouldn’t be until late in the summer after Joe has looked at trade opportunities and to see if Walter makes enough of an impact in the summer leagues to show he deserves minutes as a back up SF.
If we’re talking free agents, since the MLE is all we have to work with outside of Bird Rights, I don’t expect much. I am surprised that a lot of you are STILL talking SF when it seems Joe has put an end to that talk. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again for free agents … DeSagana Diop. The guy has zero skills on offense, but he hits the glass hard when he’s on the floor. He’s got seven seasons experience but he’s only 26. He’s a legitimate seven footer who doesn’t dare step outside the paint and isn’t built like a stick figure.
The only thing that scares me, is there are rumors that at least one team (Mavericks) is willing to give him the full MLE. That’s quite pricey for a guy who just finished a three-year/$6.48 million deal putting up the same numbers he has all career. Joe wouldn’t dare give the entire MLE to anyone, let alone Diop. Of course, I’m talking in fantasy since the Pistons apparently won’t go for free agents anyway, only core-shattering trades.
you Aussies are crazy people sometimes… “Lightning tiger”??? c’mon man…
a lot of these SFs could back-up the 2 spot also…. which will be a concern if after a trade we only have two between STuckey/Hamilton/Billups.
I agree that a Diop kind of guy is also needed.
Guess it’s all difficult to discuss till any trades get done.
I’m not sure what Joe has done, exactly, to “put an end to” talk of a backup SF. Drafting a second round project does not reassure me much, even though I do like Sandman’s upside.
Dumars may make a trade that brings in a backup SF (or if Tayshaun is traded, a starting SF and a backup), but the Pistons roster as currently constituted lacks a great option to backup Prince. I don’t mind a three guard look on occasion, since Rip and Afflalo both have good size for shooting guards. But it would be nice to have other alternatives to playing Prince 48 minutes a game.
What does Diop really bring that Amir doesn’t? Other than a marginally lower foul rate, I would prefer Amir’s offensive tools in those minutes.
Well, Diop would be a better defender against slower, heavier centers. Amir is tall but not huge, so he could get pushed around some. Other than that, I’m not sure Diop would bring much more. I’m guessing he wants a chance to start, not fill an Elden Campbell role.
umm, unless Sandman is the starter in case Tayshaun gets hurt then he has not solved the SF issue.
We would need another Jarvis Hayes type to come in and hold us over until Sandman blossoms.
Hayes to Phoenix?
Maybe Joe is planning to hang onto Herrmann?
I would like to see a strong SG/SF off the bench… unless the Sandman proves an alternative is not needed.
but for all we know, Prince won’t be here next season.
hard to imagine.
I think Afflalo can handle smaller SFs and Hermann can handle bigger ones until Sharpe develops.
As far as I can tell, Dumars prizes two things above all: toughness and versatility. Hermann beats out Hayes in both categories so I think he’s more likely to come back.
As for Center options, I think Dumars should take a look at Kwame Brown who can probably be had for pennies for one year (as he tries to prove to the league he’s worth a bigger contract).
I know Kwame envies Big Ben’s offensive skills, but he’s actually a great post defender and sets great picks. If he’s sick of being the laughingstock of the NBA and shows that he wants to shut people up, he could be a great one-year value.
JoeD does a good job of determining if someone’s got a chip on their shoulder. He should check to see if Kwame does.
kevin: Seriously? You’re seriously asking that? Try about 3 inches (I refuse to agree that Amir is 6′11 and not 6′10) and 50 pounds. That’s what he brings. Amir isn’t strong at all. He’s a hell of an athlete, but he can’t body up a guy like Perkins. Diop can and would matchup quite favorably. Diop is about as good as Perkins all things considered.
Birdman: Sharpe will be on the roster next year. Perhaps Hayes or Herrmann will be back. I don’t like us looking for SFs when we have a way greater need at C. Hell, is there any chance Jamaal Magloire can find some reserves in his tank? We need a guy 6′11 or bigger who weighs about 250+ and plays that way.
Boney: There’s an old saying of, “If my grandma had balls she’d be my grandpa”. You don’t construct a Pistons’ roster contingent on Tayshaun getting injured. If he gets injured, we’re screwed. We’d be screwed if Rasheed got hurt as well. Sharpe + the winner of the Hayes/Herrmann battle or Sharpe + player to be traded for later are gonna be the backup SFs, and that’s just fine.
Hell, he may be one of the worst #1 overall picks ever, but I’d be at least curious as to see what Kwame Brown costs on the open market, echoing what QD says. Maybe Earl Barron is on our radar. He had a real nice season last year. Though he’s a little frail, he’s a legit seven footer with post presence and a decent jump shot (a young Mark Blount perhaps).
There’s a handful of big Cs out there.
Francisco Elson, Adonal Foyle… I’m pretty sure we can get someone for fairly cheap.
Isn’t Hayes all but gone already? Think i heard something about Herrmann having an offer to play in Europe? I could see Herrmann being a Curry kind of guy though.
So let me get this straight, the only certainty we have right now is:
PG/SG: Stuckey
SF: Afflalo, Sharpe (2nd or 3rd option, hopefully)
PF: Maxiell, Amir
??????
Billups might be traded
Hamilton might be traded
Hunter might be back for another
Dixon probably gone
Prince might be traded
Hayes probably gone
Herrmann might be back
McDyess probably back?
wallace might be traded
Ratliff probably back?
I am getting extremely anxious, next season is such a blur.
Freep: “Michael Curry to coach Pistons summer league”
I don’t think the banner will go in the rafters but I predict the Detroit Pistons will be crowned champion of the Vegas Summer League.
re: Diop– I’m just fine with giving Ratliff the veteran’s minimum as our backup 5. If we get a 5, I’d prefer an upgrade at the starter position, like Biedrins. We don’t need a backup 5 so much. When was the last time the Zoo Crew had problems with another team’s backup 5?
(via TrueHoop) NYT: ‘Teaching by Doing in the N.B.A.’
“Not having the degree was a void that I simply had to fill,” Dumars wrote in an e-mail message. “My wife has her master’s in education, and we’ve always stressed the importance of education to our two teenage kids. I just felt if I was going to stress the importance of education, I had to show them exactly how important it was.”
So he completed the work. And last month his name was called along with more than 700 other graduates at McNeese State University’s spring commencement ceremony.”
Congrats to Joe Dumars! A guy with his resume could teach management at Wharton or MIT but he’s still doing things the right way and not taking any shortcuts.
Mike Payne - I liked Ratliff’s play too this year. I hope he’s around in ‘08-09 but I still think the Pistons will add a bigger center. The Pistons may see Cheikh Samb as that guy internally but who knows. A lot depends on how the salaries pan out in any trade and what’s available for the MLE.
Note: Here’s the link to the NYT story on Dumars.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/sports/basketball/29rhoden.html
@JoeJoeJoe:
If only he played for their college hoops team…
This is from Keith Langlois at Pistons.com. Boy do I love this article. Joe D. is the man.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sharpe’s stock soared as NBA draft neared
The Pistons traded down three spots and out of the first round to draft Walter Sharpe. If the NBA draft had been this week instead of last, chances are they would have had to trade up to get him. That’s how quickly the stock of perhaps the biggest surprise of NBA draft ’08 was rising.
“As of the first of June, all he had been doing for months was trying to get eligible” to come back and play at Alabama-Birmingham as a senior, Sharpe’s agent, Danny Servick, told me. “He had not been training. He was doing classroom work. He was 252, 253 pounds at that point. It was like, could I even get a workout with anybody? When he worked out for the Pistons (last Tuesday and Wednesday), he was 232 pounds. That shows you how quickly he got going.”
Sharpe’s workout schedule got crowded pretty quickly in the three weeks leading up to the draft. The Celtics, fresh off their first NBA title in 21 years, tried to get him in on the morning of the draft. Sharpe wound up working out for eight teams and in most of those workouts, he was going up against a group consisting of some or all of Darrell Arthur of Kansas, Anthony Randolph of LSU and Donte Green of Syracuse – all first-rounders that many had pegged going in the lottery.
“I would say, at a minimum, he held his own against all of those guys – at a minimum,” Servick said. “When he worked out for the Pistons, I think they had Jason Thompson, who went 12th; J.J. Hickson, I believe, who went 19th; and J.R. Giddens, who went 30th. The second workout (with the Pistons) was Serge Ibaka and Nathan Jawai. I think it’s safe to draw assumptions about what the Pistons saw.”
Servick said that when news began spreading on the NBA grapevine that the Pistons had held Sharpe over for a second day of workouts, everybody’s eyebrows arched a little higher.
“When people found out he spent two days in Detroit right before the draft, everybody kind of follows the Pistons as validation of guys,” he said. “The Celtics tried to get him in the day of the draft. The Lakers squeezed in a workout. Teams were scrambling.
“He’s just one of those special talents. When people saw him at all the workouts, they were like, ‘Wow.’ Everybody had somebody in the organization who was aware of him, but because there was so little to go on from only having played 18 games the last three years, there were others in the organization who’d say let’s move on to the next guy. We were joking on draft night that they had more footage of some guys from Russia or Eastern Europe and had nothing on Walter. It was funny watching (ESPN analyst) Jay Bilas stumble. It caught everybody completely off-guard.”
Servick said Sharpe put his name in the draft at the urging of UAB coach Mike Davis as a hedge against the possibility the NCAA would reject his appeal of its ruling him ineligible. The appeal was based on Sharpe’s diagnosis of narcolepsy, which he contended should qualify him for special consideration. But as the June 16 deadline approached for removing one’s name from the draft and Sharpe’s academic standing was still unresolved, he and Servick decided to stay in the draft.
Davis requested Servick come in as Sharpe’s agent. Though Servick, a Huntsville, Ala., resident, was well aware of Sharpe’s talents as an Alabama schoolboy, he was at first skeptical of representing him because of the red flags on Sharpe’s record – from his academic missteps at Mississippi State and UAB, to the disorderly conduct charges, since dismissed, against him for a nightclub incident, to being shot two years ago as an innocent bystander.
“I’d been very familiar with him as a talent,” Servick said. “Mike Davis is a friend of mine. He asked me to come down at the end of December. My initial reaction when he told me about Walter … he had a lot of problems going to class, he was shot. But when he told me the story about him as a person and he explained the whole story of his narcolepsy, that’s when I was like, wow. That was judging somebody before knowing him. You’re going to see, once you get around him and come to know Walter, he’s an incredibly likeable person and he’s thrilled to be coming to Detroit to play for coach (Michael) Curry and Joe Dumars and his whole organization.”
Servick said the Pistons are getting a highly skilled player who, had he been able to play a full college season, would have never been available to the Pistons at the top of the second round.
“He is a first-round talent and a lot of scouts told me that had he played more and more people been able to see him, he had lottery-type talent and potential. I think he’ll be a real surprise. You’re getting a 6-9, incredibly skilled player. Handling and passing are two of his greatest abilities. He’s athletic. He really knows the game.”
When Servick got the go-ahead from Sharpe and Davis just a little more than three weeks before the draft to start aggressively soliciting workouts from NBA teams, he wrote a letter to all NBA teams explaining the situation.
“I said he was essentially a first-round talent,” Servick said. “I really thought someone in the second round would take him, but I was just hoping he’d get drafted. I didn’t know what point that would be. But to find somebody at 6-9 with his skills and his athleticism, I just thought he was a steal. And that’s what it was.
“His workouts got better and better as he started getting in better shape. If there was another two weeks before the draft, there’s no telling where he would have gone. All these other guys he was going up against in his workouts had played a full season, the NCAA tournament and then immediately began training for the draft. A lot of guys put off their classwork to do that. He came right out of playing for a week or two, so when he’s going toe to toe against these guys, you kind of start scratching your head.”
By draft day, Servick had a pretty good sense Sharpe would be taken and hoped it would be the Pistons.
“I was hopeful Detroit would be interested in him,” he said. “I was hoping the Pistons would be the bookends for him (with their picks) at 29 and 59. I had a lot of teams calling me with picks in the middle of the second round saying they were trying to move up to get him, but you don’t ever know. I wasn’t sure. Walt really clicked with the whole staff when he was up there in his interviews – coach Curry and his whole staff, Mr. Dumars, Scott Perry, George David. He really felt comfortable.
“I was joking with Walt after the first day, he said this is where I would like to be and I said, ‘This isn’t like going to college – they have to pick you,’ ” Servick said. “In the end, I’m so happy it was the Pistons. Detroit’s got a history of success with Mr. Dumars taking guys that a lot of people thought were taken too high. Some thought (Rodney) Stuckey went too high and when Tayshaun (Prince) was selected or Amir (Johnson). All those guys were set up to have success.
“Once the public starts to see him, he won’t be such a secret any more. My hope is one day they’ll laugh about how they didn’t have any video of him on draft night.”
http://truebluepistons.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html
GREAT article, mike.
qd-i was thinking about kwame brown too. a one-year deal? what’s the worst that could happen?
lb-i am 50-50 on vega$. i’ll let you know what i figure out.
Really good article.
I’ve done a complete 180 with my opinion on Sharpe since the moment his name was called on draft night. I can’t wait to see him play now.
Um, is Gilbert Arenas worth 100mil over 6 years?
Thats like (1,4,8,3 er…) at least 20 bucks a year.
I know Sharpe will be on the roster next season, but Hayes is a free agent and I believe that Herrmann is a restricted free agent with rumors of Europe. I would feel better having someone with more NBA experience than Sharpe as Tayshaun’s primary backup.
I am intrigued by Kwame Brown, a little. I feel dirty now.
Re: Josh Childress
(Via TrueHoop) Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sekou Smith reports that “Josh Childress is going to be the target of at least three different veteran-stocked playoff teams that are over the salary cap, meaning they’ll use their mid-level exception to try and steal him away while the Hawks are busy figuring out what they’ll do with (Josh) Smith.”
Could the Pistons be one of those teams?
What will the Pistons roster be in ‘08-09?
PG - Billups, Stuckey
SG - Hamilton, Afflalo
SF - Prince, Sharpe
PF - McDyess, Maxiell, Amir
C - Rasheed, Samb
That’s 11 players. That’s still 4 roster slots for some combination of free agents and/or trade chips that come back in any deal. What players are people looking at as moderate to cheap FAs?
Note: Baron Davis opted out of his $17M+ deal. He’s a free agent.
I’m officially on the Walter Sharpe bandwagon. I’ve been slowly warming to the pick. Every time I read something, I can’t help but get excited for this year.
Man, I hope we get Childress, him and Stuckey coming off the bench with Max and Amir would be nuts! Here’s the question, if there’s no deal out there for Joe D to make, you have to roll the dice, throw the full MLE at Childress and know that you now have the best team in the league 1-12, right? That 9 man rotation would be disgusting. And what if Sharpe pans out? You go 10 deep? What about Afflalo? Insanity. Please let it happen.
Also, Boom opting out is a big mistake, he’s not getting anywhere near $17 million from anybody for next year.
both davis and brand leaving a ton of money on the table for ??????
seems kind of crazy, but i guess it’s better to negotiate a longterm deal a year younger.
Brand opted out as well. I could see Joe trying for a sign and trade with the Clippers.
If Baron stays healthy next year and is motivated and gets his numbers, he makes $17 million and increases his value. He broke down at the end of last season a little bit. He leaves $17 mil on the table to make the same kind of coin Chauncey’s getting? The same kind of deal could be had next year when the FA class is arguably as bad. It just seems like a bad idea to leave that much $$ on the table. I wonder if there’s something more to it.
The real question, though, is how much does Childress improve us? And where do enougj minutes come from for 9-10 guys?
*enough
I’m still adjusting to my new laptop…
Birdman: I’d imagine we’d have some legit interest in Childress. It would certainly spell the end for ol’ Stretch Armstrong though.
From McCosky in the Detroit News today, with his unintentionally humorous version of: One of these things is not like the other …
“Joe Dumars said he most likely wouldn’t be looking to use the full mid-level exception, so that takes the Pistons out of the running for some of the bigger names on the market (Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand, Ron Artest and DeSagana Diop, to name just a few).”
DeSagana Diop is the fifth one that came to mind McCosky, really? Technically he will apparently command the full MLE, but he shouldn’t be uttered in the same breath about free agency as those other guys.
The article can be found here and McCosky does make a good point about Joe D. not dipping too far into free agency as to conserve money for a Maxiell extension:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080630/SPORTS0102/806300345/1127
Then again, McCosky is all about speculation. That being said, to tack onto what joejoejoe is saying … The T-Wolves declined to extend Sebastian Telfair and Kirk Snyder qualifying offers making them unrestricted. I’d say Snyder ought to be on our radar.
I’m anxious to see how things shape up in Detroit as well as the whole NBA as we descend upon free agency. If we gave serious thought to Stuckey at the 2 (something I’m more fond of than most people I discuss the subject with) and using our full MLE, I think we’d want to give a look to Chris Duhon, who is unrestricted and won’t be back with the Bulls. Duhon is an excellent backup PG with very good decision-making skill. Of course, this is how I would play armchair GM, not how Joe D. will actually make decisions.
yeesh. it’d be nice to make a run at josh smith, please:
“In his fourth NBA season, Smith joined all-time greats David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon, one of his basketball tutors last summer, as the only players in league history to average 17-plus points, 8-plus rebounds, 3-plus assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in a season.”
Has anyone seen a lot of Patrick O’Bryant of Golden State? He seems like he’s worth a fraction of the MLE as a big man (7′0, 260). He was the 9th pick of the draft in ‘06 and shoots a high %. Bigs don’t exactly flourish under Don Nelson and this kid is still only 23.
@LB:
Twice in one day, in one thread, i’m gonna have to disagree with you. Still friends?
Ask 10 Bulls fans what they think of Chris Duhon, you’ll have 11 people cursing you out. Granted, this past season EVEN I could have played better ball than Kirk Hinrich, Duhon is still a bum. Sure, 6 points and 4 assists per game isn’t bad for a bench player– but in 22-and-a-half minutes? That’s 10 points and 7 assists in 40 minutes. That’s not even as good as Sebastian Telfair (ouch!)
Second, I cannot see Joe ever moving Stuckey to the 2. Sure, he could do it– and do it well (think my boy Monta Ellis). But the best part about Joe D. is that he doesn’t believe in rebuilding, he believes in reloading. Right now, we’re working to make Stuckey the PG of the future. We’re working to give him the keys to the team. Joe would not sacrifice that for anything, just like he stated after the season came to the end. If we pick up another point guard, it will not be to move Stuckey out of that position, but to back him up as a starter (which would mean Chauncey is gone) (and for the record, i don’t want chauncey going anywhere)
How about a sign and trade with Sheed (and probably another) for Brand?
Preserves the Clippers cap room after next year while giving them a character and all around player to complement Kaman and Thornton, and gets Brand into the veteran and playoff tested environment he craves.
Pistons get a consistent low-post monster who sounds HUNGRY.
Clippers may get some better offers, however, so not sure if its realistic.
Clarification: by “character” i meant a guy who is interesting, not necessarily a stand up guy—though i admit Sheed is misunderstood quite a bit.
No way the Pistons have a shot at Josh Smith. He’s restricted, so Atlanta would just match what little the Pistons could throw at him.
@joejoejoe:
I was looking at him earlier today, actually– I think it might be worth exploring, only if it comes on the cheap. If we can tweak our roster to be even more championship eligible this coming season, I’d probably prefer Ratliff. If we’re a year away, O’Bryant might be worth taking a look at.
@DetUMICH:
At this point, I don’t think we have a chance or would give up what the Clips would want for Brand. Chances are, they’re letting Maggette go, which means they’ll have more money for Brand. I don’t think it would happen– and if it did, it would likely mean we’d have to move Chauncey, as they’re hungry for a solid PG.
@Birdman:
It has been suggested that Atlanta does not want to pay Smith what he’s asking for: $11 million. We might be able to swing that, only if we can dump some salary somewhere, not resign any of our FAs, etc. However, a sign-and-trade is possible. We talked about this at length here on DBB, some said Tay+Chauncey for Smith, which I think is looney tunes. Tay+Maxiell would work for us, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Atlanta take that. They sign Smith to $11+ million, they get Tay and Maxiell. (although since the discussions here, there has been talk of Maxiell negotiating and extension with DET)
I read on a Knicks blog (I forget where) that D’Antoni doesn’t like David Lee in his system and was exploring trades. Tayshaun Prince was one name that came up. Prince for Lee+Malik Rose and Prince for Curry+Lee both work in terms of salary on RealGM. I’m not advocating either of these deals (Tay is the last Piston I’d deal), I’m just saying it’s “out there”.
My guess is that Maggette will go to Orlando and Brand will go to Chicago (sign and trade) or Philadelphia. Josh Smith isn’t going anywhere.
MPayne:
Good points–especially that they want a starting PG.
The only thing i take issue with is the significance of them having more money for Brand by letting Maggette go. From the interview with Brand’s agent, it really looks like Brand wouldn’t want to come back to the Clippers unless they went out and upgraded the rest of their roster. So if they lose Maggette, I really don’t see Brand signing a monster deal with the Clips, unless they acquire that legit starting PG on the cheap–and I admittedly don’t know the prospects out there.
I don’t know if I want to deal Chauncey either, but I think if you did this deal and then either traded one of the younger bigs for a legit backup point or signed a cheap backup point, you might have an improved team next year–contingent on Stuckey breaking out of course.
@DetUMICH:
Good point about Brand wanting to be on a contender, and how letting Maggette go would inhibit that.
@JoeJoeJoe:
I really like David Lee a lot, I think he is a solid player, would be a great fit as a Piston. I don’t think we could play him at the 5 though. He’s too undersized, he can’t block shots, can’t be the anchor of a front court.
As a PF, he’s a great rebounder and an effective shooter. My problem, however, is that we don’t have room for another PF in our lineup. I want Joe to shed some room at PF– be it Dyess or Maxiell (or Sheed if it brings us a starting C in return, i.e. biedrins). I just want Amir to have his shot. Bringing in David Lee would suggest that we’re passing on Amir Johnson, unless we moved two power forwards to get Lee (dyess and maxiell). In that case, Dyess and Maxiell for Lee and Malik Rose works. The nice part is that Rose’s ugly contract of $7mil/per expires in time for the 2010 FA market.
I’m not suggesting Maxiell/Dyess for Lee/Rose, but I’d certainly consider it.
Why am I not suggesting that trade? Even after reading my own post, I’m already second guessing it… Lee is a statistical improvement over Maxiell (on offense, anyway), Rose is a bum compared to McDyess, and Dyess’s heart CANNOT be quantified by any statistic in the world.
(too soon to make a joke about quantifying Eddy Curry’s heart with statistics?)
(sandman!)
I don’t think McDyess is going anywhere. He was the team’s best player in the playoffs.
@joejoejoe:
I’m with you, I don’t want him going anywhere. Man, the more this off-season goes on, I really don’t want anyone going anywhere. We could actually be just one coach away from a championship… one who knows what our strong suit is– our BENCH.
(i remember vividly that against boston, we closed gaps, took leads and held advantages when our zoo crew was on the floor. that bench advantage was entirely ignored in Flip’s playbook)
@Mike - Great article from earlier. It’s been a while since I’ve given any thought to IU’s former coach Mike Davis, but I just like the guy. He wasn’t a very good coach, but there’s a reason his players would walk off a building for him.
I’m agreeing with the talk on Lee and wondering who else is out there along the same mold. There’s Foster, but it would take more pieces to get him here and there’s not much on the Pacers worth taking. Luis Scola could do the job and might have the size to play the 5. I’m thinking he could be the cheapest, the best fit, and the easiest to acquire.
Brand opted out, Davis opted out.
I know Davis has already been discussed extensively, but think they will both play for the Clips?
Or can the Pistons make a play for Brand?
Rip/Maxiell for a Brand pkg?
That gives the Clips a decent all-around team if they sign Davis.
Important question, do the Clippers want to be good?
Aaron…I’d imagine the Clips would want Chauncey instead of Rip in that package since they desperately need a PG and just drafted Eric Gordon who’s a SG. I could see them possibly wanting Sheed as well with his expiring contract. They could just let his contract run out and clear 13 million in cap space next summer or they could look to move Sheed to a contender at the trading deadline for some assetts. Now I’m not sure any of this interests the Clippers…you never really know what they are up to.
I was throwing that out there if the Clips ended up acquiring Davis…
Maybe Wallace/Rip for Brand/Mobley? They can bring Gordon off the bench then, have Wallace’s expiring contract, and get rid of Mobley. Seems like Wallace would be a good pairing with Kaman.
I envision a Billups, Stuckey, Prince, Brand core. Pick-up a defensive big C (or keep McDyess at the 5) and go with it.
A brief Walter Sharpe video highlight package:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT3wxFmJBI8
Not much to go on for shooting range or rebounding, but it’s pretty clear that he is not an undersized power forward trying to pass for a 3.
Lots of fun on the 1st of July.
I think Brand and B. Davis opting out are related. I can see Brand along with Davis taking 12-14 from the Clips. I don’t think the Clips extended a qualifying offer to Livingston so he’s unrestricted (I believe). I don’t think GS is going to be able to resign Davis and I also think they lost his Bird rights. Nelson is only signed for this year and that was after pulling teeth from GS last year to get a two year deal done, plus he’s gone to arbitration with Cuban and I think B. Davis is tired of playing in GS, they don’t have an opportunity to win it all right now so why not play in LA for a little bit less cash, be THE MAN, be closer to home…videos (FWIW) and with Brand the Clips starting 5 is better than what GS will have. Ellis is going to be the face of that franchise and get the headlines, which I think would eat at B. Davis. Plus, Davis is from Crossroads HS in Santa Monica, Brand would be willing to take a backseat to Davis as the face of the Clips.
I also read where Brand was in Boston during the playoffs and got to see the trio and was intrigued by guys taking less to get more. So you’ve got Kaman, Brand & Davis, not exactly KG, Pierce, Allen or Duncan, Parker, Ginoblli but for the Clips, that’s as good as it’s ever going to get, period. Throw in Thorton and Eric Gordon and you’ve got some potential there, even in the west.
The Magic don’t have any pieces the Clips want nor do they have the cash for Maggette unless he’s willing to take a pay cut from what he could get, and I don’t think he’s willing to sign a one-year MLE, so I don’t know where he’s going. Atlanta and Philly at the end of last year raised some eyebrows, but not enough for any of the FA’s out there to take a paycut.
As for the Pistons, I agree with most here that our pressing need is some bulk in the middle for defense. I can see alot of athletes Joe has assembled running up and down the court in the future: Max, Amir, Stuck, Sharpe, Prince and a body or two in the middle to get it started. Throw in the other two picks this year if they pan out and that’s alot of athletes.
I don’t think Joe D trades McDyess unless it’s a blow your socks off deal. I just think there’s been a nod between the two that Joe D will do everything to get McDyess a ring, particularly after watching him rehab before joining the Pistons, as the last renewal I think McDyess could have gone elsewhere but out of loyalty (somewhat) stayed with the Pistons and vice-versa. It’s a good fit and unless it’s a jaw dropping deal, Dyess stays before Sheed…IMO
I’ve said this before, but I think Joe D. trades Billups. I remember in game 5 when the pistons were up ten in the 2nd quarter, the celts trim it to 4, Pierce hits a three in the corner to cut it to 1. Billups brings the ball up court and due to switching or something, ends up with KG on him and Rondo is down in the paint trying to guard either Sheed or McDyess. Billups launches a 3 from 27 feet with KG on him with 8 seconds left on the clock and Allen goes down and hits a 3 and from there it just gets worse. I firmily believe at that point Joe D said to himself, Chauncy doesn’t get it, particularly having just given up a 10 point lead and knowing how much Joe values possessions in the playoffs. I think at that point Joe D. was looking for a different type of leadership and if your PG is jacking up a 27 foot three with KG on him in game 5 of the ECF and you just gave up a 10 point lead, how is he going to direct anyone else (Sheed!) on the value of possessions, and for God’s sake, he’s got Rondo on Sheed in the freakin’ paint. And Billups dribbled away 5 seconds before launching the 3!! Yes, I’m still bitter at that play and at Chauncy!!
All else being equal, I think Diop signs with the Mavs becasue of familiarity. In trades, Curry (NY) just doesn’t get it and Randolph is a non issue because we’ve got enough 4’s, though he’d be a great low post option. Plus, our entire offense (half court set) with either Sheed or Dyess at the 5 is predicated on being able to hit the 12-17 footer if you’re the 4 or 5. How about trying to sign away Krestic (sp) from the Nets? Is he restricted or still signed?
Also, with the exchange rates I think there’s alot of FA’s who will look to Europe, but I think Herrman might stay if he’s allowed to compete for a spot. However, we’ve got a 7-8 rotation now without adding anyone. If we add someone, we’ve got to lose someone because I don’t think too many guys are going to take the MLE to be 9 or 10 in the rotation, nor do I think Joe D is going to eat a whole in the MLE for a 9 or 10 rotation guy.
Finally, after reading some of these postings, comments and articles, I’m stoked about Sharpe. Amazing what the right meds will do for ya. And I think he’s so gitty about finally being diagnosed right he’s got a chip on his shoulder. And after trying to get his school work in order after being declared academically ineligible to play at UAB when I think it’s apparent he could’ve signed in Europe, I think he’s shown something before even stepping onto the court.
I could kind of see Billups and Stuckey maybe being co-facilitators, and ideally Stuckey becomes the lead-man on an attacking perimeter game.
I’m just not convinced Elton Brand’s hopes for the Clippers franchise matches up with the ideals of Clipper management.
“I was throwing that out there if the Clips ended up acquiring Davis…”
I missed that originally. I just think if the Clips sign Baron then they’ll definitely re-sign Brand as well.
Shinons: You were class of ‘05 and you like Mike Davis? I’m sure he’s a nice guy and all but, really?!?!? He’s the guy that was so awful as a coach that he forced the administration to panic and hire Sampson. If only he hadn’t taken the Hoosiers to the NCAA Finals in 2002 he’d never have gotten an extension and they wouldn’t be in this K Hole.
MarkButter: You know what’s not fun on this July 1st? This new hands-free cell phone/driving law in California. That’s not fun.
The Clips w/Baron and Brand are light years better than the Clips w/Maggette and Brand. The Clips have no problem starting Mobley at SG and Quinton Ross (a general defensive stopper) at SF. Maggette tended to be a sixth man for them in most situations anyway. If they sign Baron & Brand their starting lineup presumably becomes: Baron, Mobley, Q Ross, Thornton and Brand. Their bench has guys like: Eric Gordon (stud in training), DeAndre Jordan and Tim Thomas. It’s tough to make the playoffs not to mention succeed in the playoffs in the West, but that could be a roster that sneaks in. That could also be a clincher for me to give the most serious of thoughts to some sort of season tickets package.
LawyerBoy: Kaman gotta start and Q ross sits. They’d get killed on the boards. But you’re right, they’re light years ahead from last year. Do you think someone takes a flyer on Livingston? He’s gotta come cheap and if the Clips sign B. Davis and have B. Knight, wha’t Livingston gonna do for 6 months but sit and re-hab. Plus, he’s not replacing Davis no matter how well he rehabs if the Clips sign Davis.
PHONE: I now have a reason NOT to answer my cell phonewhile in the car. By your screen name, I assume you’re on it constantly (no offense). But as a motorcycle rider, I’m even more happy. There have been countless times cagers have their left hand wrapped around a phone and don’t even look in the mirror let alone turn their head around to see if anyone is in the lane next to them. As an added bonus, my 17 yr old can’t use it, with or without hands free either. I hit the trifecta baby!!
Now, just to decided whether to go to LV for a couple of summer league games. With that line up, it just might be worth the drive. They play the Lakers and Clips the 11th & 13th. Hmmm…..
LB, don’t you mean “Eric Gordon (bust in waiting)?”
Decent FA article on Mlive today.
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2008/07/pistons_dumars_plans_to_be_car.html
SFs listed include Posey, J. Jones, Childress, Ariza, Finley, R. Davis (!)….
Hoping to get a 3rd string PG too.
Mark: Regarding the phone, I’m on it constantly simply by being a socialized twenty-something. It’s a catch-22 for me, because I wish I could have your “screw it” attitude toward the cell phone but I just can’t bring myself to it, especially with the nature of LA. But remember Mark, I’m from Detroit, as I imagine you are too. Just like I think there are some reckless motorcyclists, there are some “cagers” living in Southern California who know how to drive. If I grew up learning to drive on black ice with no visibility, I can drive while on a cell phone. It’s the California natives and their sheer inability to drive competently that is the impetus for this law.
Regarding the Clippers, I honestly completely forgot they had Kaman (note I didn’t even mention him being on their bench in my previous post). Ironic, because I wanted us to acquire him. Damn, signing Baron and re-signing Brand would be much better than dealing with Maggette at all. I hope the Clippers snag Baron and keep Brand. Since Corey exercised his opt-out they should absolutely cut him loose like they did w/Livingston (they never gave Livingston a qualifying offer so he’s officially unrestricted now). I imagine Shaun’s as good as gone because some team will probably risk the MLE on him. The only way Livingston comes back is if no one wants to take a chance on him, and that’s highly unlikely.
If the Clips move Thornton to SF (not only reasonable, probably a more natural position for him), their presumed starting lineup is ridiculous with: Baron, Mobley (only weak link), Thornton, Brand and Kaman. A bench of Tim Thomas, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Q Ross as a defensive stopper is not only nothing to sneeze at (it’s probably a 5-seed in the East), it’s pretty much a guarantee I’m at least buying a quarter-season package. If that’s their team next season and it stays healthy, they’re probably taking Denver’s playoff spot, while Dallas’s playoff spot will go to Portland. Not to mention, Eric Gordon should be ready to comfortably step into the starting lineup after Mobley’s contract expires in ‘09-’10. I’m shocked to say this, but Elgin Baylor has actually made some really good draft picks lately. It’s like something finally clicked a couple years ago after two decades of general ineptitude.
As for the Summer League, JackDutch and I have been weighing it as well. It’s coming up real soon.
LawyerBoy - see, I’m envious of that twenty-something schtick…forty-something here!! On the cell phone issue, it’s not really a matter of saying screw it, though I sorta do. Unless you’re a traveling salesperson or something of the sort, I truly believe 80% of the people on the cell in their car are just talking sh!t to their friends. Nothing really important and if needed, my company and my corp hq in Denver never have a problem locating me.
Yeah, black ice is alot trickier and I think it’s mostly the natives here in Cali for the law. But I’ve got a cycle forum I ping and cellphones and cagers are universally condemned. There are good and bad in each class, just the outcome is non-correlated.
As for Livingston, I can’t see someone taking a full MLE for him unless he improves alot in the next month or two. The last 10-15% is the hardest to get back with that knee, even more so due to the damage and there’s probably a reason the Clips didn’t even extend him a qualifying offer just to have the right to match, but I think that would have cut their money available for whatever they decide to do. Given how bad Donald S. is, if Davis and Brand end up with the clips (basically in their laps with a perfect storm), something about that karma doesn’t seem right to me…
Originally from Grand Rapids for the first 20 years and I don’t miss the ice…whether it was black, white or charcoal exhaust smoke grey with bits of salt thrown in for good measure.
I saw where Turiaff might be pursued by Charlotte. He’s an LB kinida guy and the Lakers sure can’t give him the full MLE with Bynum due up this year, and for sure next year if it doesn’t get done this year. Now we have until Feb trade deadline for the Lamar/Artest trade. Both teams should pull the trigger sooner rather than later. Lamar is a tough match up at the 3, but I can’t see him sticking with some of the quicker 3’s and him posting up every time down the court ignores Kobe, Pau & Bynum (who doesn’t have the game yet to take his guy outside the paint).
Regarding the ticket package, I’ve given it some thought also…but alas, need the wife’s buy-in….literally (not to mention her money)!! lol
@LB - Yeah, I know I’m not supposed to like him (and that I’m about to go waaaay off topic on a Pistons board). Here’s my thing about him: IU was his first coaching stint, he had some terrible games coaching but was at least a good recruiter, and ou