Plan B

[Rondo2287]

The only thing about Ross is that he adds almost nothing offensively.  Our bench's biggest problem last year was scoring, and Ross doesn't help that.

I agree, but lets also consider Posey only scored 7 points a game last year. I thought the reason everybody wanted him back was mostly for his defense, and for his big shots, obviously its going to be tough to replace the great clutch shots, but his defense is replaceable

[Roy Hobbs]

The only thing about Ross is that he adds almost nothing offensively.  Our bench's biggest problem last year was scoring, and Ross doesn't help that.

I agree, but lets also consider Posey only scored 7 points a game last year. I thought the reason everybody wanted him back was mostly for his defense, and for his big shots, obviously its going to be tough to replace the great clutch shots, but his defense is replaceable

Well, Ross would be replacing House, right?  It's not as if we can ask him to defend SFs/PFs like Posey.

[Who]

The only thing about Ross is that he adds almost nothing offensively.  Our bench's biggest problem last year was scoring, and Ross doesn't help that.

I agree, but lets also consider Posey only scored 7 points a game last year. I thought the reason everybody wanted him back was mostly for his defense, and for his big shots, obviously its going to be tough to replace the great clutch shots, but his defense is replaceable

Posey was always a threat. He doesn't need to score to influence the game on the offensive end. His shooting ability creates space for the better players on the team. Just looking at ppg numbers doesn't give an accurate indication of his value offensively.

[Brickowski]

Unless Ainge can get an incredible bargain on a good, young player, "Plan B" will be to sign guys like Darius Miles to deals that are not longer than 2 years.

Please, let's say no to Matt Barnes.  Dirty player and a punk.  If they want scoring off the bench, go after Nachbar or Krstic.  If they want defense off the bench, there is always Tony Allen, who is a better player than Quinton Ross.  TA can slash and score. Ross is a complete zero offensively.

[Rondo2287]

Q-Ross is 6-6 and has guarded SG's and SF's for the clips his whole career, was there "Kobe Stopper".

[cordobes]

The only thing about Ross is that he adds almost nothing offensively.  Our bench's biggest problem last year was scoring, and Ross doesn't help that.

I agree, but lets also consider Posey only scored 7 points a game last year. I thought the reason everybody wanted him back was mostly for his defense, and for his big shots, obviously its going to be tough to replace the great clutch shots, but his defense is replaceable

Well, Ross would be replacing House, right?  It's not as if we can ask him to defend SFs/PFs like Posey.

Why not? Ross is the better SF defender available and it's not even close. The problem is clearly that he can't provide spacing and with Rondo as the pg we badly need it.

[Roy Hobbs]

The only thing about Ross is that he adds almost nothing offensively.  Our bench's biggest problem last year was scoring, and Ross doesn't help that.

I agree, but lets also consider Posey only scored 7 points a game last year. I thought the reason everybody wanted him back was mostly for his defense, and for his big shots, obviously its going to be tough to replace the great clutch shots, but his defense is replaceable

Well, Ross would be replacing House, right?  It's not as if we can ask him to defend SFs/PFs like Posey.

Why not? Ross is the better SF defender available and it's not even close. The problem is clearly that he can't provide spacing and with Rondo as the pg we badly need it.

I don't think so.  Ross played full-time at SG last year in the Clippers' system.  That doesn't mean he didn't switch on to small forwards on defense, but he's a SG.  His defensive numbers' were greatly inferior to Posey's, as well.

Posey was overrated as a defender on power forwards.  As a small forward, though, he was excellent (and again, was superior to Ross.)

[Cooldude5t5]

Isn't Patterson the closest thing to Posey left on the market? And since he did not have a job for most of last season he could be had for the minimum. Also Finley would be a good replacement for Posey's clutch shots. I would also like to see Bonzi Wells brought in here for cheap money.

[KungPoweChicken]

Unless Ainge can get an incredible bargain on a good, young player, "Plan B" will be to sign guys like Darius Miles to deals that are not longer than 2 years.

Please, let's say no to Matt Barnes.  Dirty player and a punk.  If they want scoring off the bench, go after Nachbar or Krstic.  If they want defense off the bench, there is always Tony Allen, who is a better player than Quinton Ross.  TA can slash and score. Ross is a complete zero offensively.

Matt Barnes is a dirty player and a punk? Brickowski, what evidence do you have to support those claims. Every time I have seen Barnes play basketball he plays with energy, hustle, and heart. This guy is certainly not dirty. If Barnes is dirty than so was Posey.

[paintitgreen]

If those two are in the books for another $6mil ($3mil each) in 09-10 then Danny probably can't spend the MLE nwxt summer. I'd rather passing on those two and spending the MLE next summer on serious quality.

By the way, I expect Barnes to be available for the minimum or close to it at the end of the day.

Only counts against the MLE the first year, so it won't affect our exception next season. Look at Scalabrine - he signed for 5 years using MLE money, but our exception was only diminished in the first year - the $3 mil + he makes this year does not count against our MLE.

I think the price tags being put on guys is too high. If we wouldn't "overpay" for Posey, why would we overpay for numerous unknowns?

I like Ross, but if he adds nothing offensively, I'm almost just as happy taking another year of Tony Allen, whom I don't even like. If it's one or the other, though, I'd prefer Ross. 2 years, $3 mil enough to get it done? I'm not into Barnes or Nachbar at all. I think the only unrestricted free agent I'd be happy to spend any MLE money on is Kurt Thomas - everybody else is pretty much a minimum contract player in my eyes. If we can't get Thomas, we should at least throw an offer at a restricted free agent like Childress, West or Azubuike. If it gets matched, whatever, at least we tried.

[Roy Hobbs]

Unless Ainge can get an incredible bargain on a good, young player, "Plan B" will be to sign guys like Darius Miles to deals that are not longer than 2 years.

Please, let's say no to Matt Barnes.  Dirty player and a punk.  If they want scoring off the bench, go after Nachbar or Krstic.  If they want defense off the bench, there is always Tony Allen, who is a better player than Quinton Ross.  TA can slash and score. Ross is a complete zero offensively.

Matt Barnes is a dirty player and a punk? Brickowski, what evidence do you have to support those claims. Every time I have seen Barnes play basketball he plays with energy, hustle, and heart. This guy is certainly not dirty. If Barnes is dirty than so was Posey.

I think Brick is probably referring to this play:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=F256m3T-qKE

Of course, as you mentioned, Posey has his own history:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DLnTdZb18oM http://youtube.com/watch?v=XxU3YXcRwV0

[Who]

If those two are in the books for another $6mil ($3mil each) in 09-10 then Danny probably can't spend the MLE nwxt summer. I'd rather passing on those two and spending the MLE next summer on serious quality.

By the way, I expect Barnes to be available for the minimum or close to it at the end of the day.

Only counts against the MLE the first year, so it won't affect our exception next season. Look at Scalabrine - he signed for 5 years using MLE money, but our exception was only diminished in the first year - the $3 mil + he makes this year does not count against our MLE.

I didn't mean the exception wouldn't be available. I meant the money is too large and it'll be difficult for Danny to spend the MLE on top of the $6mil he's already shelling out. Just because the MLE is available each year doesn't mean you can spend it each year, otherwise you end up with KG's Timberwolves. Joe Dumars has become far more frugal with the MLE over the past two offseasons because it was starting to cause his team problems in retooling. For Danny the problem will be the luxury tax and building a salary bill that's just too high.

I'm not sure he'd be able to spend it next season with $6mil more on the books.

[cordobes]

Bonzi Wells?? Bonzi is the kind of player who can singlehandedly put his own team out of the playoffs. Give him 10 minutes in an elimination game and there's a good chance that he'll kill you.

Except for the fact that he was a key reserve on a very good Hornets team that went to the second round.

He was such a key player that in the last games Byron Scott basically kept him in the doghouse. In the last 6 games vs. the Spurs he averaged 29 %FG, 0 %3pt, 0 %FT, 2ppg, 2rpg and more turnovers than assists in 10 mpg. And the stats make him look better than he actually was.  Wells has been quickly declining in the last couple of years and he's yet to acknowledge that fact. If he could play within his current limitations, he'd still be a valuable player. But suddenly he has a good game and he becomes a major liability for the following 10 games.

[New England Sports Blog]

Danny Ainge had James Posey walk right by him to New Orleans without flinching or giving himself a nasty case of whiplash!....GIVE THAT MAN A KLONDIKE! 

STOP!!  STOP RIGHT THERE!!!  Please nobody do the old jump off the nearest bridge or cliff thing!  Mark my words on this one, the long-term Banner winning days of the future will live long and prosper thanks to the gutsy and calculated decision making of our Front Office leader Danny Ainge!

Small Forwards/Swingmen Left:
   
Darius Miles
Ricky Davis
J.R. Smith
Chris Andersen
Ryan Gomes
Josh Childress
Bonzi Wells
Michael Finley
Shannon Brown
Matt Barnes
Tony Allen

[hpantazo]

Unless Ainge can get an incredible bargain on a good, young player, "Plan B" will be to sign guys like Darius Miles to deals that are not longer than 2 years.

Please, let's say no to Matt Barnes.  Dirty player and a punk.  If they want scoring off the bench, go after Nachbar or Krstic.  If they want defense off the bench, there is always Tony Allen, who is a better player than Quinton Ross.  TA can slash and score. Ross is a complete zero offensively.

Matt Barnes is a dirty player and a punk? Brickowski, what evidence do you have to support those claims. Every time I have seen Barnes play basketball he plays with energy, hustle, and heart. This guy is certainly not dirty. If Barnes is dirty than so was Posey.

those are the kind of guys we need. That's what posey was too, and danny even mentioned after we won the title that he felt they needed some toughness so he went and got posey for that reason.