A LEGEND IS BORN II

[The X]

If it happens then the Bogut acquisition turns yo0 u from a 35 win team back to 50 win team. The Stealth were just not going to get better (or even replicate last season's performance) without adding a quality big.

[Fresh8]

So who did you trade for Durant? I hope it's KD, but you said you wouldn't trade him, right? Well, you should

No, Durant is staying.

There's always a catch in your chapters and i think it's the same this time.

Maybe I didn't get Bogut and maybe I did... who knows?

Mark Messier type captain

Who's that?

Sit is a naughty guy, trying to get his secretary drunk

I dont know if I ever mentioned it, but Durant is a dickhead

You have numerous times and even if you didn't, everyone else has!

If it happens then the Bogut acquisition turns yo0 u from a 35 win team back to 50 win team.

If we got him, we would definitely improve. Bogut > Brad Miller... however, not that much better according to the game. Virtual Bogut is not even averaging a double double... 9 ppg, 9 rpg I think...

[Fresh8]

Australian Andrew Bogut In Seattle

Nov 22, 2010

SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle Stealth announced a blockbuster deal one month into the regular season which is sure to grab the attention of the whole league. The team confirmed rumors that the Milwaukee Bucks would be sending Andrew Bogut and Felix Mendez to Seattle in exchange for Jamaal Magloire and Adam Morrison. It was also announced that Milwaukee’s 2011 first round draft pick would also be included in the swap.

With Seattle at 3-9 and Milwaukee at 3-10 for the season, both teams wanted to shuffle up their rosters. Seattle desperately needed a starting centre that would have their head in the game. Andrew Bogut’s time in Milwaukee was effectively over when the team drafted Jay Gray and also for the fact that the 2005 first overall draft pick has not found his feet in the Bucks’ system after a number of different head coaches and team mates.

Bogut, who stands at 7’ and 260 lbs, has been averaging 9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 2.5 apg this season. Those averages are down on his career averages of 10.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg. The Australian and former Utah Ute looked set to be an All-Star for Milwaukee but has not lived up to that billing. He will bring a good scoring touch, rebounding, and impressive passing skills to the Stealth.

“We are happy to welcome Andrew to Seattle,” Stealth GM Will Sit stated, “He should do well in our system. Andrew is more like Brad Miller than Jamaal Magloire is. I do wish Jamaal and Adam (Morrison) the best in Milwaukee.”

Milwaukee needed a player who could defer and compliment Jay Gray at centre and it looks likely that Magloire will get a starting role in Milwaukee. It also opens up more playing time for Charlie Villanueva. Adam Morrison has improved a lot since playing for Seattle; extending his jump shot to the NBA three point range and proving an important player in the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals last season. Milwaukee actively sought to have Morrison included in the trade and plan for him to be their sixth man.

Magloire was averaging 3.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 12 games while Morrison was scoring 7.0 ppg from off the bench. Felix Mendez, a 6’7” rookie from Argentina, was thrown into the deal to match salaries.

It is expected that Seattle is now hoping that having two first round picks may help them in their cause to draft Spain’s Ricky Rubio in the upcoming draft. Sit hinted, “Bogut was an excellent pickup for the team but the real prize will be in next year’s draft. I think that slowly we are building a great team.”

Bogut will wear the number 6 in Seattle and will suit up for his first game against the Bulls on Thanksgiving.

[The X]

Obviously the Bucks were looking to shed Bogut's contract. That seems to be the only reason for the trade. In addition to that, drafting of Taj Gray plus that other young big (forget his name) has probably made him expendable.

[Its_asdf]

Without looking at the statistics, you would assume that you had run away with this trade with Bogut being an up and coming big in the NBA while Magloire and Morrison are nobodies. If you look at how all of the players are doing statistically the trade seems to pan out with realism, and that's something that I think more dynasty-ers/assocation-ers (?) should adhere to.

[Skills]

Definitely a great trade on your part! You get a major upgrade at the 5 and a potential top five draft pick (?). It also makes sense for Milwaukee since they seem to be rebuilding around Jay Gray, so they're willing to let go of players like Bogut and probably Michael Redd.

[Lamrock]

A very necessary trade. Hate seeing AMMO go (he finally found a place where he belonged...), but the trade is well worth it. Can't wait to see how well you do with him.

[puttincomputers]

great trade!

[Alejandrov011]

Felix Mendez is the man

[Clutch]

top notch man the trade is uber for your Stealth so congrats on that

curious about something though... had to backtrack:

26. Milwaukee Bucks – Jay Gray comes onto a team that has the talent to win a lot of games but just has not performed up to scratch. Gray is expected to turn this franchise around but that pressure may not sit well with the rookie PF. Michael Redd’s time with the team may be over as Milwaukee looks forward to building a team around Gray and letting go of the veteran SG. – Read More…

what's Gray's overall rating? must be something fierce to overtake Bogut & Charlie V espec. as a rook; maybe i missed it but also curious about Michael Redd - still a Buck or different uni now?

[Fresh8]

Obviously the Bucks were looking to shed Bogut's contract. That seems to be the only reason for the trade. In addition to that, drafting of Taj Gray plus that other young big (forget his name) has probably made him expendable.

Taj Gray?

And yep, Jay Gray is younger, better, and cheaper.

Without looking at the statistics, you would assume that you had run away with this trade with Bogut being an up and coming big in the NBA while Magloire and Morrison are nobodies. If you look at how all of the players are doing statistically the trade seems to pan out with realism, and that's something that I think more dynasty-ers/assocation-ers (?) should adhere to.

Actually, Bogut is not an up and coming big in the NBA in this association unfortunately. And Lamrock stated, Morrison actually fit on my team really well. He was even a starter for a while but relegated to sixth man. I wasn't going to re-sign him but I did because his three point shot has really improved and as a player, he is better than Bogut. Magloire's rating is also just slightly lower than Bogut's. Magloire is just uber-mad at my front office... I think what makes this trade great is that I got the pick out of it which I was surprised was accepted. Mendez is the true nobody in this trade.

Definitely a great trade on your part! You get a major upgrade at the 5 and a potential top five draft pick (?). It also makes sense for Milwaukee since they seem to be rebuilding around Jay Gray, so they're willing to let go of players like Bogut and probably Michael Redd.

Both teams definitely got better as a result of this deal. I like it cause Bogut gets a chance on my team while Jay Gray can take over in Milwaukee. Having two potential lottery picks will be a great luxury. That's if Milwaukee doesn't make postseason!

A very necessary trade. Hate seeing AMMO go (he finally found a place where he belonged...), but the trade is well worth it. Can't wait to see how well you do with him.

Yep, it was either trade Jeff Green or Adam Morrison. They're both around the same rating but Morrison had the longer contract and I still love Green's athleticism from off the bench. Morrison was underrated... great sixth man. Saved my team a few times with his buzzer beaters... Happy he was a part of the start of this great team

great trade!

Thanks. How's the snow?

Felix Mendez is the man

Not really. I might waive him actually.

what's Gray's overall rating? must be something fierce to overtake Bogut & Charlie V espec. as a rook; maybe i missed it but also curious about Michael Redd - still a Buck or different uni now?

Redd is still a Buck.

And Gray is better than both Bogut and Charlie V. He leads the NBA in rebounds per game at the moment. Look back a few pages and you will see that he was widely considered the number 1 talent of this draft. New Jersey passed up on him only because they had no one at SG and already have Yi Jianlian at PF.

[Fresh8]

Difficulties Make Miracles
When all seemed to be lost, one move might turn the season around for Seattle

November 23, 2010


By Woody Hannes
ESPN.com Junior Writer

Kevin Durant and Jason Kidd were high fiving each other as the Seattle Stealth completed a stunning sweep of the 2008 NBA Champions and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Reshawn Tyson and David Lee had finally lived up to the hype that they brought along with them since being, respectively, drafted and signed by the team. Fast forward six months and you will find that the Stealth are at the very bottom of the NBA. Kevin Durant is scoring like a mad man but the wins aren’t coming. Seattle wasted a golden chance to snare the free agent signature of Joe Johnson and washed up Raja Bell is bricking open three after open three. David Lee looks like he’s happy to play in ‘first gear’ when he could go up a notch or two. Jason Kidd is struggling to stay on the court for 35 minutes a night while Reshawn Tyson is sulking on the bench. And then…

General Manager Will Sit knew that pulling off the trade he had in mind would be difficult. But he tried nonetheless. And he succeeded. The Seattle Stealth are at 3-10 and a few days ago, you could tell that the team was giving up. As one staff member secretly told me, “They’ve dug themselves into this really big hole and all of that confidence from last postseason is now gone.”

From the starters down to the end of the bench; the players had all seemed to have given up. Even Head Coach George Karl was accused of not caring. Did anyone try to get into any of their heads that the NBA season is 82 games long and anything could happen for the remainder of it? They’ve only played 13 games and it was heartbreaking to see such a young team show so little heart.

Sit knew he had to make a big change. And boy, this might not be like a Pau Gasol to Los Angeles deal back in 2007-08 but it ranks right up there. Sit pulled off one of the most improbable deals so far this season. Sit traded away veteran and expiring contract Jamaal Magloire and reliable but expendable sixth man Adam Morrison for Andrew Bogut. Yes, Andrew Bogut. Some might be saying that Andrew Bogut is a bust; he’s been struggling to average a double double and that’s bad if you are a former number one overall pick.

Just let me explain how and why this deal is big.

Jamaal Magloire was a total non-factor and the Stealth lost a lot when they let Brad Miller run off to Charlotte (Yes, Seattle did let Miller go because they did not want to pay him). Magloire, signed before the 2009-10 season, was angry about the way he was treated last season and was not playing hard despite being a starter. Wait - Jamaal Magloire not playing hard is an understatement; he was only around to collect his pay check. He did not jump for rebounds anymore, did not contest shots, and sometimes missed passes on purpose. Only George Karl would be stubborn enough to keep Magloire on the floor; Karl wanted to show that he was boss and would not let Magloire win mind games over him. Genius move Karl – Seattle are 3-10 because of it.

Adam Morrison’s departure was a bit unfortunate but getting Bogut in return is well worth it. Seattle, after all, still have Jeff Green and Trevor Ariza waiting in the wings to back up Kevin Durant at the SF position. Bogut brings what Brad Miller had given the team for one and a half solid seasons. A soft touch around the hoop, deft passing skills, and a hard working nature. Bogut is what Seattle needed more than anything.

And before anyone says that Bogut is not an All-Star talent, blame that on the Milwaukee organisation for dragging him down. He has never been the centrepiece of the franchise and although he signed a huge contract to stick around for the Bucks; he was never rewarded with a coach or system that revolved around him.

I’m not making any mistakes here because this is Durant’s team (provided he stops tripping opponents and punching team mates) but that does not mean that the offence can’t flow through Bogut. Coach Karl would be stupid not to get his team to pass into the post to Bogut who will either set you up with an open jumper or finish inside if he has a chance.

And even if Bogut still fails to gain his ‘star’ status that many of us want him to, Seattle still end up as big winners from this trade. Sit somehow conned the Bucks into giving him their first round pick for the next Draft. And who’s in the next draft? Ricky Rubio.

The Bogut to Seattle trade will definitely garner plenty of criticism from the rest of the NBA. That’s why Jay Gray had better be as good as the Bucks think he is because they did this to get him more touches, shots, and minutes.

And as for Seattle; hope just walked through the door along with their new starting centre.

[Valor]

tough losing Morrison in the deal, but Bogut+the 1st round pick were well worth it, and as Woody (he's still just a junior writer? come on ) said, you still got a load of players at the wing.

I expect the Stealth to bounce back and go above .500 soon

[Fresh8]

Valor, I guess Woody does deserve a promotion...

[kibaxx7]

Yep, Woody should be in a higher position in the ESPN staff Great trade acquiring Bogut man.

[XpLosibo]

i like the trade for bogut, a big boost come playoffs.. i still believe he can flourish in the nba and still incomparable to the former #1 draft bust kwame brown.. its an A+ for GM Sit

[Its_asdf]

A feel good piece of writing. I'm always a sucker for these types of articles... Keep it up.

[Fresh8]

Thanks guys! I'm sure hoping that Bogut will help my team get back to the top half of the Western Conference!

Bogut, Lee, Durant, Bell, Kidd

[Martti.]

Climbing out of a 3-10 hole is tough. But with your new and improved roster you should hit .500 I'd say with like 30-40 games into the season. Unless you win 7 in a row

[The X]

Very nice frontcourt. Once Tyson is ready to start at SG, even better. Although who's your PG of future? Kidd is old. Maybe a young playmaker. Maybe somebody who can defend & hit the trey?

[Valor]

Very nice frontcourt. Once Tyson is ready to start at SG, even better. Although who's your PG of future? Kidd is old. Maybe a young playmaker. Maybe somebody who can defend & hit the trey?

he's waiting for Rubio in the next draft with the Bucks first rounder

[Fresh8]

Originally I was banking on Bassy stepping up to the plate but with two first round choices, I am now focusing my sights on a rookie PG to fill in the void left by J Kidd.

[Fresh8]

Bulls Beat Stealth On Thanksgiving

Preview | Box Score | Recap


Derrick Rose dunks on the fast break

25 Nov, 2010

SEATTLE (AP) – Andrew Bogut played great in his debut game for the Seattle Stealth but that was not enough to prevent Seattle from their continuous freefall. The team lost their eleventh game of the season and it came on Thanksgiving. “We got our behinds whipped tonight,” Coach George Karl said, “Time to go home and have some turkey. Tomorrow is another day.”

Former Milwaukee Buck Bogut was happy to have played his first game for Seattle despite his disappointment over being traded away by the franchise that took him with the first overall pick in 2005. He noted that he is ready to justify to fans that he was worth being picked number one five years ago. “I loved Milwaukee and I wanted to retire as a Buck. But I wasn’t playing well in Milwaukee because we didn’t have the right system. I had to play behind Michael (Redd) so it’s great that I’ve come here and I can be the second or third scoring option on this team,” Bogut told press.

He continued, “Tonight we lost because of a lack of chemistry but what do you expect? I’ve only just turned up onto this team so it will take some time for everyone to adjust. I’m ready to help lead this team to bigger things.”

The Chicago Bulls they took control of the game from the start and dominated in the final quarter to take the honors. The finished the first quarter with a 10 point lead before extending that advantage to 21. Seattle’s Reshawn Tyson scored 13 second quarter points in a bid to keep his side in the game and the Stealth still trailed 60-46 at halftime. His efforts were not in vain as Seattle staged a vicious comeback in the third quarter.

The visitors came out and pushed their lead to 18 before Bogut made a tough hook shot over Marcus Camby and a Raja Bell three pointer cut the Bulls’ lead to 13 with 3:30 left in the third quarter. Kevin Durant had a three point play and back to back buckets from David Lee pulled Seattle within striking distance of Chicago.

Entering the final quarter and leading by a meager 8 points, the Bulls were roused by a spirited speech from Derrick Rose, and returned to the floor with no mercy for their opponents. Rose played with heart as he scored at will down the lane and finished with 10 fourth quarter points and added half a dozen assists as well. It was a foregone conclusion that Seattle had lost the plot as Chicago piled on the points and built an unassailable 16 point lead and finished by winning by 20.

“Derrick Rose really likes playing against us,” Coach Karl said, “He always plays great against us.”

Rose finished the game with 27 points, 18 assists, and 5 rebounds. He had plenty of help from backcourt partner Jamaal Crawford who had 24 points and 9 assists. Matt Barnes was a major factor off of the Bulls bench as he dropped 17 points on 7-7 shooting.

Bogut scored 18 points while NBA leading scorer Durant had just 15 points; his first game of the season scoring under 20. “I had a pretty bad game,” Durant stated, “I have to step my game up if we want to win.” Tyson finished with 17 from off the bench while David Lee scored 14 and Raja Bell added 10.

Notes: Rose hit an incredible buzzer beater to win a game against the Stealth during his rookie season… Bogut, an Australian native, was traded to Seattle along with Felix Mendez and a first round pick for Jamaal Magloire and Adam Morrison… Seattle were destroyed on the glass, a key reason for their loss…

Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score

Chicago (Away) 30 – 30 – 20 – 28 – 108
Seattle (Home) 20 – 26 – 26 – 16 – 88

Jordan Player of the Game

Derrick Rose
27 Points
18 Assists
5 Rebounds
1 Block
1 Steal
11-13 FG
5-6 FT

Key Performers

Chicago Bulls (8-6)

J Crawford 24 pt, 9 ast, 9-20 FG, 2-10 3PT, 4-4 FT
M Camby 15 pt, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk, 7-8 FG, 1-2 FT
L Deng 12 pt, 5-9 FG, 2-2 FT

Seattle Stealth (3-11)

A Bogut 18 pt, 3 reb, 2 ast, 9-14 FG
R Tyson 17 pt, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 6-12 FG, 5-7 FT
K Durant 15 pt, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 6-13 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-3 FT

[Martti.]

Ouch, Rose completely destroyed you. On a brighter note, nice debut from Bogut and a great game from Ty off the bench.

[homicide1550]

Whoah! Rose had a helluva game.. J-Kidd is no match for faster and younger players like him.. You are having a poor season but I really think you can turn it around in December especially with the acquisition of Bogut to man the middle..