Do we still have trust in Masai?

[golden]

Hansbro available.

For backup big depth .... why not?

[3inthekeon]

Motiejunas strikes me as a guy who is good in theory but it doesn't translate to actual games, for whatever reason.

The other issue I have with a lot of the names being thrown around is this: after JV, my concern (more than shooting or spacing or WS48) is the toughness level up front. Patterson is solid but he isn't a physical presence, which was highlighted in the playoffs, and then we're into Poeltl (rookie), Bebe (meh) and ???????. And, toughness, wearing opponents down, dominating the glass, winning the paint battles night in and night out, was key for the Raps last year.

Everyone gets caught up in the player models and adjusted +/- numbers and "impact vs. production" stats but lacking a physically imposing frontcourt hurts you in actual games when you need to get key defensive rebounds, contest shots, fight through screens, bump cutters, commit hard fouls, set screens, crash the offensive glass, finish through contact, etc. Look no further than GSW signing West and Zaza and the Spurs with Pau.

Hansbro available.

[3inthekeon]

van Gundy was going to give up a 1st rounder (only top 8 protected) for DMo, so his basketball skills have value.

[Mess]

He's more of a do-everything sort than a shooter, but he has potential as a shooter (shot 37% from 3 his most recent healthy season - ie the season before last). His performance is nothing special so far, but he has a lot of tools. For the MLE he's a good pickup to platoon with PP.

That sounds like a guy D'Atoni would love though. But I guess not much Morey has done this offseason makes sense.

[DanH]

So was there ever any truth to Detroit flagging his back as a potential injury hazard, or was that merely smoke and mirrors? I like Motiejunas, but I can understand if Masai wants to steer clear of him for that alone.

I know Motiejunas was furious because he felt that DET basically made that up because they got cold feet about the trade. Who knows what the truth is. He does have a history of back injuries, so you wouldn't want to be expecting 36 minutes a night from the guy.

[slaw]

Isn't he one of those shooters that can't shoot though? I haven't paid a ton of attention to him but just glancing at his stats now and they are underwhelming. (shouts to Sloan)

Motiejunas strikes me as a guy who is good in theory but it doesn't translate to actual games, for whatever reason.

The other issue I have with a lot of the names being thrown around is this: after JV, my concern (more than shooting or spacing or WS48) is the toughness level up front. Patterson is solid but he isn't a physical presence, which was highlighted in the playoffs, and then we're into Poeltl (rookie), Bebe (meh) and ???????. And, toughness, wearing opponents down, dominating the glass, winning the paint battles night in and night out, was key for the Raps last year.

Everyone gets caught up in the player models and adjusted +/- numbers and "impact vs. production" stats but lacking a physically imposing frontcourt hurts you in actual games when you need to get key defensive rebounds, contest shots, fight through screens, bump cutters, commit hard fouls, set screens, crash the offensive glass, finish through contact, etc. Look no further than GSW signing West and Zaza and the Spurs with Pau.

[Sinbad]

He's more of a do-everything sort than a shooter, but he has potential as a shooter (shot 37% from 3 his most recent healthy season - ie the season before last). His performance is nothing special so far, but he has a lot of tools. For the MLE he's a good pickup to platoon with PP.

So was there ever any truth to Detroit flagging his back as a potential injury hazard, or was that merely smoke and mirrors? I like Motiejunas, but I can understand if Masai wants to steer clear of him for that alone.

[DanH]

Isn't he one of those shooters that can't shoot though? I haven't paid a ton of attention to him but just glancing at his stats now and they are underwhelming. (shouts to Sloan)

He's more of a do-everything sort than a shooter, but he has potential as a shooter (shot 37% from 3 his most recent healthy season - ie the season before last). His performance is nothing special so far, but he has a lot of tools. For the MLE he's a good pickup to platoon with PP.

[Mess]

Man alive I would love it if Motie ended up in the MLE market.

Isn't he one of those shooters that can't shoot though? I haven't paid a ton of attention to him but just glancing at his stats now and they are underwhelming. (shouts to Sloan)

[DanH]

Man alive I would love it if Motie ended up in the MLE market.

[3inthekeon]

Here is Kevin Pelton on the rockets signing Nene.

I've bolded a couple of areas that have implications for the Raptors.

At first, taking a one-year deal for $2.9 million looks like the kind of move a veteran such as Nenê would make to join a contender. In this case, though, on paper, the 2016-17 Rockets don't look that promising.

However, when you look around, there aren't that many teams that both need a veterancenter and could have offered Nenê more money. The San Antonio Spurs were a reasonable fit, but their room exception might be earmarked for re-signing restricted free agent Boban Marjanovic to back up Pau Gasol. The Miami Heat might have qualified, given the potential loss of Dwyane Wade.

Otherwise, this probably was Nenê's best option, which shows the merit of waiting out an overheated market for centers.

A prime Nenê would have been an amazing fit in Mike D'Antoni's system. The current, slower version isn't as much of a pick-and-roll threat. According to Synergy Sports tracking, Nenê scored just 88 points as a roll man in 57 games last season. Still, he remains a good finisher of dump-offs around the basket. His history of injury trouble shouldn't be a huge problem for the Rockets, who have Montrezl Harrell and possibly second-round pick Chinanu Onuaku as additional options behind presumptive starter Clint Capela.

Houston can sign Nenê to this contract using its room exception, which gives the Rockets about $9 million in cap space to work with, an amount they can increase to almost $15 million by renouncing the rights to restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas. It's unclear whether the addition of Nenê makes Motiejunas -- probably a center and not a power forward in D'Antoni's system -- expendable.

The first bold is clearcut. Waiting is a smart move, if you don't have a ton of space to get the ideal fit. You wait to get the best deal/player possible once the unsigned players in your range (and their agents) realize the market for their services is drying up as teams either use up their cap space or fill their needs at their position. This is how MU got Bismack for $3 million 9 days after signings could officially start last year.

The second bold is less clearcut. Jared Sullinger is still out there with a potential salary in the Rockets range IF they renounce DMo. So the Sullinger market may affect us. Maybe with Houston freeing up DMo. Maybe with Boston resigning him, but letting Jerebko and/or Amir walk. Or some other location for Sullinger that will cause another team to let someone walk, sort of how MU picked up Cory Joseph last year.

[big boi]

Ha, my bad.

Cool brother.

[DanH]

Poeltl is more like KAT than Porzingis(even though I think he will evetually be a center). Centers that can guard on the perimeter. I really hope Raps don't try to turn him into something he's not. His college coach(who played in the NBA) thinks his center. He said he's quite similar to JV but faster.

Yeah, he's more like KAT, a PF/C, a guy who can play both positions. KAT and Dieng are basically two PF/C's for Minny who switch in transition and pick up whoever because they can both guard both positions.

[Miekenstien]

Casey never said that.

paraphrased man prefaced with "i think" and no quotes.

[Chr1s1anL]

Poeltl is more like KAT than Porzingis(even though I think he will evetually be a center). Centers that can guard on the perimeter. I really hope Raps don't try to turn him into something he's not. His college coach(who played in the NBA) thinks his center. He said he's quite similar to JV but faster.