Darius Miles has served his suspension already

[greenwise]

"Today marks the first game Miles is eligible to play after serving a 10-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policy.

Griz coach Marc Iavaroni was noncommittal as to whether Miles would be granted time.

"If the situation arises, yes. If we feel he's ready, yes," Iavaroni said when asked if Miles will play. "I don't rule it out. He's made progress. He's been somewhat surprising to me, which is a good sign. I'm optimistic."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/04/energetic-miles-eligible-to-compete/

I wonder if people are getting a little nervous in Oregon now...

[greenwise]

By the way, Marc Spears comments on several interesting aspects of Boston's free agent moves, including some details around the Mutombo case (we didn't really make an offer for him and he really wanted to come...) and also some potential activity for this week:

"The Celtics will keep an eye on what big men are waived by Saturday, when contracts become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Potential candidates include Memphis's Darius Miles, Chicago's Michael Ruffin, the Lakers' Josh Powell, Miami's Jamal Magliore, Milwaukee's Austin Croshere, New Orleans's Sean Marks, and Toronto's Jake Voskuhl."

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/04/help_wanted_but_theres_no_big_hurry/

Can you imagine the Celtics adding Marbury and Miles at the same time? That would really test the spirit of the team

[Roy Hobbs]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

[EJPLAYA]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

It sure gives you a feeling similar to when we put all our eggs in the Posey basket and ended up replacing him with TA... I personally feel that Mutombo isn't the answer as he has no offense and that is one of our biggest problems on the second unit. We need a guy who can actually be a little bit of a scoring threat. However, if we end up with no one it will be upsetting. I hope Danny knows something we can't see from the outside!

[Hoops]

"Today marks the first game Miles is eligible to play after serving a 10-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policy.

Griz coach Marc Iavaroni was noncommittal as to whether Miles would be granted time.

"If the situation arises, yes. If we feel he's ready, yes," Iavaroni said when asked if Miles will play. "I don't rule it out. He's made progress. He's been somewhat surprising to me, which is a good sign. I'm optimistic."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/04/energetic-miles-eligible-to-compete/

I wonder if people are getting a little nervous in Oregon now...

I live in Portland and while I only pay attention to the Blazers about 1/4 as much as the Celtics, I can say that most Portland fans don't seem to be all that worried about this. Sure, when you bring it up, they get all worried, but more out of principle (nobody would like getting hosed on something like this) than concern that it will prevent them from future success.

I think the general feeling in Portland is one of excitement where people think that they already more or less have all the pieces they need. And they might be right. Roy is a young superstar. Oden, Fernandez, Aldridge, etc. are all young studs with lots of room to grow. I could go on and on about their roster. But the point is that I think Portland fans believe that in 2-3 years with their current roster, they'll have a great shot at a title. So, the extra cap space they might lose because of Miles just isn't that big of a deal.

I'm not saying Portland fans are right about all of this, but it just illustrates that it's not really hanging over peoples' heads right now. Maybe it will later if it becomes a tangible reality.

Also, I think there's a little less concern about the Miles salary issue given that Paul Allen is the owner. Portland is obviously a small market, but Paul Allen is one of the richest people in the world. If Allen is in a good mood (i.e., the Blazers are good), then he'll spend the money when needed.

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

So basically, if we offered Mutombo a contract, he would be in green right now? either that was another crucial mistake or danny has other plans

[Chris]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

Mutombo is  an improvement over both Powe and especially BBD IMO...I know Powe is a fan favorite but he's an undersized below average talent who is very inconsistent, and BBD seems to have actually regressed from last season

[hwangjini_1]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

good points. as good as scouting talent as we are on this blog, i guess you just have to call me a blog-cynic since i trust ainge's judgement over ours. call me crazy.

mutumbo may not actually be better for the second unit than powe and bbd. what the bench really needs is a consistant scorer, or, someone who can pass the ball well and set up powe et al for easy shots.

[cdif911]

I still think teams should change their name if it doesn't fit when they relocate... the Memphis Grizzlies, it just isn't right... How bout the Memphis Flying Elvis's, now there's a team name

[KCattheStripe]

I still think teams should change their name if it doesn't fit when they relocate... the Memphis Grizzlies, it just isn't right... How bout the Memphis Flying Elvis's, now there's a team name

The Memphis Grace. The Memphis Spitcurls. The Memphis Hound Dogs. The Memphis We-Could-Be-Good-Some-Days. The Memphis Fire Sales. The Memphis Rib Shacks. The Memphis Volunteers.

I actually kinda like The Memphis Hound Dogs.

[Toine43]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

Mutombo is  an improvement over both Powe and especially BBD IMO...I know Powe is a fan favorite but he's an undersized below average talent who is very inconsistent, and BBD seems to have actually regressed from last season

I think Mutumbo would be an improvement over BBD, just because of the whole trustworthy vet thing, and because he's a legitimate center. Powe plays the power forward, and he will be the power forward off the bench for Boston for the forseeable future, and he's very good at his job. He's got great hands, he's a hussle guy, he gets to the foul line at a tremendous rate, and he's hands down one of the best charge takers in the league. For a power forward, he's really not that undersized, especially because his length makes up for his lack of height. So he really shouldn't be compared to Mutumbo, and below average and inconsistent are not adjectives that I think describe him.

If we signed Mutumbo, I'm not sure I buy that he'd be the 11th or 12th man. I think he'd play over BBD. Danny must have someone else in mind who he likes more, and who he's confident that he can grab ahold of down the road.

[Roy Hobbs]

Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.
...
"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

Ugh...  I hate hearing that stuff.  Mourning isn't coming, and if Smith gets bought out, I'll bet almost anything that he ends up in Cleveland.  Danny should have taken the sure thing, in my opinion. 

As for Miles being an option for Boston, I don't see that at all; we need an improvement over POB, not another project (and, more than anything, we could use somebody with legit size.)

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

I think Dikembe is a pretty healthy upgrade over BBD.  Compare last year's Mutumbo to this year's BBD.  On a per-36 minute basis, he averages almost double BBD's rebounds (11.6 to 6.6), obliterates him in blocks (2.8 vs. 0.4), has fewer turnovers (1.0 vs 1.2), significantly fewer personal fouls (3.2 vs. 6.2), and shoots a much better percentage (53.8% vs. 36.3%).  In terms of PER, Mutombo's was double BBD this year (14.5 as compared to an atrocious 7.0).

Obviously, Powe is a much better scorer that Mutumbo, and almost an equal rebounder.  All things considered, I can see why somebody would prefer Leon (as would I).  However, in terms of BBD vs. Mutumbo, I don't think it's even close; I'd much rather have Mutumbo.

[greenwise]

Darius Miles finally played 1:46 minutes for the Grizzlies 

"Miles' appearance Sunday afternoon was his first in a Grizzly uniform, and nine more with any NBA team would mean Miles' $9 million salary will be reinstated to the Portland Trail Blazers' payroll.

"It just feels good on be on the bench with a team," Miles said, chuckling at the notion that most observers are counting his games. "I thought I might get more playing time. But it is what it is. I'm hoping it works out here. I really like Memphis."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/05/miles-finally-playing/

[cordobes]

The problem is, even though Mutumbo is an improvement over POB, I don't think he is an improvement over BBD/Powe, which means he would still be a 11th-12th man, who only plays against the few teams (like Portland) who have multiple tall guys who actually play inside. 

What the C's want is someone who can actually step in as a rotation player, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. 

The C's are in a position where they can be picky.

I think Dikembe is a pretty healthy upgrade over BBD.  Compare last year's Mutumbo to this year's BBD.  On a per-36 minute basis, he averages almost double BBD's rebounds (11.6 to 6.6), obliterates him in blocks (2.8 vs. 0.4), has fewer turnovers (1.0 vs 1.2), significantly fewer personal fouls (3.2 vs. 6.2), and shoots a much better percentage (53.8% vs. 36.3%).  In terms of PER, Mutombo's was double BBD this year (14.5 as compared to an atrocious 7.0).

Obviously, Powe is a much better scorer that Mutumbo, and almost an equal rebounder.  All things considered, I can see why somebody would prefer Leon (as would I).  However, in terms of BBD vs. Mutumbo, I don't think it's even close; I'd much rather have Mutumbo.

Mutombo would have been an improvement over Powe and BBD. Very much like PJ, he'd have been the first big off the bench once the playoffs arrived.

Chris, you're severly underrating how good Mutombo was last season, especially on the defensive side. He was playing against starting centers and I don't remind him being outplayed once. Houston had the second best defense in the NBA and they were better when Mutombo was on the floor - more than 2 points per 100 possessions better. Not even Yao or Battier had this kind of impact. Unless he had mighty declined in these past couple of months, he's head and shoulders above both Powe and Davis overall, as long as you don't ask him to play more than 20 minutes.

Powe must improve defensively, otherwise it will be Big Baby the one playing PJ Brown role in this season playoffs. Scoring is nice, but Powe can't score every night against every matchup anyway, so the superior defense of BBD is a more needed and reliable skill.