Chris Paul to Clippers! (Also, Odom to Mavericks)

[benji]

They aren't looking for "longevity" to sell the team. (Whatever that means.)

Do you want a team with tons of costs on the books that will probably not be making the playoffs and stuck in purgatory for at least two or three years as you dump contracts or a flexible team that you can build in your image as you wait to move it in two years?

Would the Thunder have been better off winning 35-40 games every year for the last four trying to build around Lewis-Durant-Allen through the MLE and late lottery than they were dumping everything using three high lottery picks to build their current perimeter lineup and using their cap space to to gather assets they could flip into modern things. Letting Lewis go for example opened up the space to absorb Kurt Thomas' contract when the Suns wanted to dump him which they got two first rounders as payment one of whom became Ibaka. They later used that space to also absorb Brent Barry, Wally Sczerbiak, Desmond Mason, Joe Smith and Donyell Marshall's overpriced contracts in order to get other picks and pieces at the same time.

Except for a few knees this was the same strategy that would have put the Blazers in the Finals. They blew it all up and after three years came back with a much stronger team, Oden-Aldridge-Roy (all high lottery picks) plus lots of young depth was far better (and even with the failure of two of those guys) than trying to keep adding pieces to the Randolph-uhhh foundation they could have kept throwing overpriced veterans into and winning enough to be close to the playoffs.

Look at the "Lost Decade" of the Knicks. They kept trying to shuffle in whatever pieces they could get to come close to the playoffs as they won 30-40 games every year and thought they were "close, we just need McDyess/Marbury/Francis/Tim Thomas/Jamal Crawford/Eddy Curry/etc." How much more attractive were they this year when, after just two years of Walsh's gutting everything, they had one star they signed with cap space in Amare, more cap space to use in the future and a bunch of young talent? Sure they wasted it by dealing all the talent for Melo and then spending the max on Chandler. But still.

In two years who is going to want and come play for a 35 win team with Luis Scola and Emeka Okafor as its top pieces taking up 40% of the cap along with anything else they overpaid since to just get try and get back to the playoffs again every year? But a 30 win team in Las Vegas with Eric Gordon, three more lottery picks at minimum, and gobs of cap space and future picks?

[NovU]

Billups claim could pave way for CP3 deal
I posted this previously in other thread, but it seemed like this was coming sooner or later. Billups is going to sit and watch from the bench while he's very capable of playing at a high level.

[Cleveland wins]

NovU, we all know now that Billups is going to start along side Chris Paul, Chauncey is going to make a very good starting shooting guard. We all know that he's one of today's top three point shooters in the league. Wow imagine the scenarios that Chris Paul is going to have now.

If Blake Griffin isn't open down low, Paul can look to Chauncey Billups from mid-range or behind the three point line and give Billups the ball. And vice versa, and now Blake Griffin has improved in his jump shot, from 10 to 15 feet and he'll be a jump shooting big man, instead of just being a dunker?!?!?!? I say the Clippers finishes at least 2nd in the pacific and will probably draw some lakers fans towards the clippers.

I know this may upset some laker fans, but if the clippers end up being a good team this coming season, i say about 20-25% of La Laker fans will become La Clipper fans. But we still can't say that the clippers will be an instant success, or even successful at all. Look at some other "dream teams" that have formed, that wasn't an instant success.

The new clipper players are going to have to learn to work together and gel as a team, and they're going to have to learn how to share the ball. Chris Paul is going to be a great help in sharing the ball and should get even more assists per game than he did last season. I say Chris Paul will be the best assist man in any position next season, if all things work well for the clippers.

I still think the clippers still need a little bit more to be a great team this season. I say, they need a little bit more offensive and defensive rebounding, a lot more shot blocking although they get that with their two starting bigs, and that's probably all they need now. Hopefully, this won't be one of those "Dream Team Busts" with the clippers, putting a bunch of stars together and it turns out to be a complete failure, we'll just have to wait and see. Its going to be exciting to watch how many alley oops Chris Paul is going to toss up to Blake Griffin.

Who knows, we may see two La Clipper all-stars this year. How about Chauncey Billups in the three point shoot out? I think the clippers will have a huge turn around this season and finish around 10 games or so above 500 and finish in 2nd place in the pacific and could be last years Oklahoma City Thunder.

[shadowgrin]

Its going to be exciting to watch how many alley oops Chris Paul is going to toss up to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Fixed.

[NovU]

Cleveland Wins,

I know this move made the Clippers a better team. GOD They just GOD ChrisT Paul ofc they GOT betta. But no reason for me to bandwagon the Clippers and Sterling.

I am just not a fan of how things went down in the league, all shits revolving Christ Paul, including Chunsey not ending up with a contender despite nearing the end of his time. Wasn't arguing he's a bad pick up or anything. In fact, he's a GREAT fucking pick up for only 2 mil to NYK. And that ultimately got them ChrisT Paul too, whom actually should have been a Laker.

[Patr1ck]

Billups claim could pave way for CP3 deal
I posted this previously in other thread, but it seemed like this was coming sooner or later. Billups is going to sit and watch from the bench while he's very capable of playing at a high level.

Probably not. Chris Paul's knees will break and Chauncey will get the spot light. Just because they've landed some players doesn't mean the Clippers will all of a sudden be healthy. I wouldn't be surprised if Eric Gordon became a very healthy player now that he is on another team.

The curse is ready. It took care of Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Sam Cassell, Danny Manning, Charles Smith and more. It sent a warning to Blake Griffin, but it was ignored. It doesn't like being ignored.

[air gordon]

what kind of luck Vinny Del Negro has! First he got to coach Rose, then Griffen, and now Chris Paul! I think i will start the "Del Negro will be fired watch"

[Andrew]

It just clicked why this trade was made as I read an email from the Clippers asking me to buy Chris Paul gear. Money. Ticket sales and apparel revenue. Eric Gordon doesn't sell tickets or jerseys.
I wonder if Sterling actually cares about winning. If the 3 new guys play more than 60 games each, we will probably see a nice first round exit.

At least with some of the pieces they have in place, they have an opportunity to do both. Not win it all of course, that's a stretch to say the least, but as you said at least a playoff appearance. Depending on whether Paul is interested in sticking around perhaps they could string together a few competitive seasons rather than the occasional token playoff appearance between lottery bound years.

[Patr1ck]

Apparently Chris Paul said he would sign an extension after the season.

[Phil89]

[Nick]

The curse is ready. It took care of Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Sam Cassell, Danny Manning, Charles Smith and more. It sent a warning to Blake Griffin, but it was ignored. It doesn't like being ignored.

[[Q]]

the curse already ran its course on Blake. people seem to forget his real rookie season

[Vendetta13]

is billups' smile fake or not?haha lol

[Mavs4Life]

Hey I'd be happy if the team I was on actually had a good chance of winning well this season. And apparently Kobe wants to demand a trade. Didn't he do this before they got Gasol aswell?

[Andrew]

Yeah, I'd say the prospect of playing for the Clippers is a lot more appealing to Billups right now.

As for Kobe demanding a trade, I haven't read that and I kind of doubt he'd make a serious trade demand. When he did in 2007, the Lakers were in much rougher shape than they are right now, even after giving up Odom for a trade exception. I'm sure he's miffed at the moment but I doubt he's looking to get out.

[Kenny]

Are the Clippers going to start Chauncey at shooting guard?

Because it'd be interesting to see them run a 3 guard rotation.

[NovU]

I don't like the idea of starting Billups at 2. He's will have to guard bigger and stronger players constantly. Not sure his body will hold or he will like it.

[Vendetta13]

billups was playing 2 guard in team USA. dont underestimate mr.bigshot

[c0nr4d]

Was so excited about the Clips getting CP, that I put these little guys together:



*click above for t-shirt links*

[Patr1ck]

For $20, that shirt looks awful thin on that model at the bottom. Otherwise, I would snatch a couple and give them out as Christmas presents.

[c0nr4d]

For $20, that shirt looks awful thin on that model at the bottom. Otherwise, I would snatch a couple and give them out as Christmas presents.

how do you mean "thin"? I can edit the material if need be (with a small uptick in price, of course)...

[Patr1ck]

It looks see through. You know, thin, like an undershirt or something, but only on the photos of the model in the generic white tee.

[[Q]]

yeah it looks like one of those american apparel shirts

dammit i want the second red lob city shirt. i managed to hold off when i saw the super dunk bros shirt earlier this year. no discounts for nlsc members?

[Patr1ck]

Bulk discount? Designer buddy discount? SUM TEAM MEMBER DISCOUNT?

won't ban you discount?

[Andrew]

I don't like the idea of starting Billups at 2. He's will have to guard bigger and stronger players constantly. Not sure his body will hold or he will like it.

I think he'll be fine, he has spent some time at shooting guard earlier in his career. Eric Gordon is about the same size anyway, so they'd arguably be in the same situation if he were still around.