Thursday, September 07, 2006

Transactions, News, Notes Finally Sputters To a Conclusion

Toronto Raptors

Bryan Colangelo has certainly made a successful first step toward constructing an unrelentingly up-tempo attack. I think the Raptors lack the shooters to score a lot at this point but they should still be interesting to watch for the following reasons.
  • Kris Humphries' odd brand of selfish finesse play and rebounding might actually succeed in a wide-open attack featuring lots of missed shots.
  • The multi-faceted non-finesse of PJ Tucker's game rendering Joey Graham unnecessary.
  • Early indications as to whether or not Tucker is a better basketball player than Andrea Bargnani.
There, I said it.

PJ Tucker will be a big presence on Hoopinion for the next 9 months.


Utah Jazz

The Jazz will reap the benefits of Orlando, New Orleans/OKC, and Philadelphia inexplicably passing up on Ronnie Brewer. The crowded backcourt situation (Question for Jazz partisans: Does trading for Derek Fisher at all undermine your desire to believe that Deron Williams is the equal of Chris Paul?) will likely impede Brewer's Rookie of the Year campaign but less violently than Brewer will impede CJ Miles' professional basketball career.

Dee Brown undoubtedly has a place as a good bench player in the NBA. I seriously doubt that that place is on Jerry Sloan's bench. Free Dee Brown!

Washington Wizards

The Wizards will be decent again and Gilbert Arenas sublime. Not much has changed. Darius Songaila has been brought aboard to make some 18-footers and match Jared Jeffries' near-total lack of rebounding for a man of his size. DeShawn Stevenson and His Amazingly Improved SAT Score will improve on Jeffries' performance as the guy who doesn't score, rebound, or pile up assists so he must be a defensive stopper. Unlike Jeffries, Stevenson (at times) actually is a defensive stopper.

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