Who gets cut? Who stays?

[blackbird]

If they want to keep Lasme around, they should waive Harangody.

I kind of think they should waive Harangody anyway. I haven't seen anything NBA worthy from him.

[Chris]

If they want to keep Lasme around, they should waive Harangody.

I kind of think they should waive Harangody anyway. I haven't seen anything NBA worthy from him.

Guys like Harangody usually take a few months to get used to the league, but generally produce quickly after that.  It is clear to me that he is a very smart player, who understands the intricacies of the game, and works very hard.  However, the speed and size of the guys he is going against presents a problem that he needs to learn a way around. 

We saw the same thing with Gomes and Davis when they came into the league.  While they had a tremendous BBIQ, and understood things like positioning and spacing better than most very early, it took them a while to learn how to be affective now that they are always playing against guys bigger and more athletic than them. 

Once Harangody learns how to sneak his shots up without rushing them, and learns what he can and can't get away with, I think he will quickly become a useful utility guy at the end of the bench.

[clover]

Wafer has looked terrible so far.  I thought he had the roster spot locked up, but I'm not as sure any more.  I don't think Mario West will make the team -- I think Avery Bradley duplicates his defense and can play better offense -- but I could see the team going with Lasme or keeping the roster spot open.

Agreed with your take.  I think there's a decent possibility that the spot remains open.  With JO out with injury, Perk out with injury, are the Cs confident enough in Erden going into the season?  I don't know.  I wouldn't be surprised if they try to bring in another big...  That seems to me to be a bigger priority than the wing and guard spots.  Especially with the emphasis on keeping the old guys mins down (Shaq and KG).

Semih seems safe and solid from what we've seen--and what the players and Doc and Danny are saying.

[clover]

Final roster:

Rondo, Nate
Ray, Delonte, Bradley
PP, Daniels, West
KG, Baby, Gody
Shaq, JO, Eden. Perk

wafer gets waived, lasme to D league

I just don't see Mario making it.  To me it's either Lasme or 14 out of camp.

[Chris]

Wafer has looked terrible so far.  I thought he had the roster spot locked up, but I'm not as sure any more.  I don't think Mario West will make the team -- I think Avery Bradley duplicates his defense and can play better offense -- but I could see the team going with Lasme or keeping the roster spot open.

Agreed with your take.  I think there's a decent possibility that the spot remains open.  With JO out with injury, Perk out with injury, are the Cs confident enough in Erden going into the season?  I don't know.  I wouldn't be surprised if they try to bring in another big...  That seems to me to be a bigger priority than the wing and guard spots.  Especially with the emphasis on keeping the old guys mins down (Shaq and KG).

Semih seems safe and solid from what we've seen--and what the players and Doc and Danny are saying.

Yeah, I think a big part of why they have been playing Semih so many minutes the first few preseason games was to determine whether they needed to bring in another veteran big, or whether he could hold down the fort.  Luckily, it seems like he has embraced that challenge, and is doing everything he can to convince them he can handle the role.

[libermaniac]

If they want to keep Lasme around, they should waive Harangody.

I kind of think they should waive Harangody anyway. I haven't seen anything NBA worthy from him.

I don't know.  I watched the Sixers game, and Luke was always in the right place ... his shots just weren't falling.  But, he was around the boards, and getting open looks on offense.  His shots will fall.

[kozlodoev]

wafer gets waived, lasme to D league

I don't see a scenario in which Lasme will go to the D-league. If he's waived, I imagine he's going back to Europe. The guy is 27, and he can play.

[Who]

Erden played 49 minutes over the first two games and grabbed a total of 9 rebounds. One every 5.44 minutes. A very poor figure.

Erden has looked good offensively though and has looked better than I expected defensively.

[Chris]

Erden played 49 minutes over the first two games and grabbed a total of 9 rebounds. One every 5.44 minutes. A very poor figure.

Erden has looked good offensively though and has looked better than I expected defensively.

Well, he tipped out probably another 6-7 balls to teammates.  Maybe its not good that he isn't going up and grabbing the balls in traffic, but he has actually done a very good job of getting the ball in his teams hands.

[Chris]

wafer gets waived, lasme to D league

I don't see a scenario in which Lasme will go to the D-league. If he's waived, I imagine he's going back to Europe. The guy is 27, and he can play.

That's a good point.  If he does not get an NBA contract, he will probably look to get paid in Europe.

[jdpapa3]

Erden played 49 minutes over the first two games and grabbed a total of 9 rebounds. One every 5.44 minutes. A very poor figure.

Erden has looked good offensively though and has looked better than I expected defensively.

Well, he tipped out probably another 6-7 balls to teammates.  Maybe its not good that he isn't going up and grabbing the balls in traffic, but he has actually done a very good job of getting the ball in his teams hands.

I agree with you on this one. He gets his hand on a lot of rebounds. He doesn't seem to hold his position well when he is going for a board and I think that's a strength issue, but is most often the longest player in the area. This is something that will be interesting to monitor. He might be getting lucky now that those tips are going to teammates, or it might turn into the TREND category, if that makes sense.

[jdpapa3]

I attribute Harangody's early struggles to sitting on the bench for so long. He's always been THE go to guy on his team(even in Summer league) so this is a significant adjustment. I know he played off the bench for the end part of his last season of Notre Dame, but he was inserted into the game so early that it was negligible. In these preseason games, he is sitting on the bench and getting cold for 2 hours and doing things that I have never seen him do like missing layups.

I think he earned his spot in the summer league personally. And I think he did for Danny too when you consider the contract.

[Chris]

Erden played 49 minutes over the first two games and grabbed a total of 9 rebounds. One every 5.44 minutes. A very poor figure.

Erden has looked good offensively though and has looked better than I expected defensively.

Well, he tipped out probably another 6-7 balls to teammates.  Maybe its not good that he isn't going up and grabbing the balls in traffic, but he has actually done a very good job of getting the ball in his teams hands.

I agree with you on this one. He gets his hand on a lot of rebounds. He doesn't seem to hold his position well when he is going for a board and I think that's a strength issue, but is most often the longest player in the area. This is something that will be interesting to monitor. He might be getting lucky now that those tips are going to teammates, or it might turn into the TREND category, if that makes sense.

Or maybe he just has been watching a lot of Pau Gasol.  He seemed to make a living off of tipping rebounds out to teammates.  For a really tall player, it is not a bad strategy if you are aware enough.  We will just have to wait and see how it plays out.

[xmuscularghandix]

If they want to keep Lasme around, they should waive Harangody.

they don’t have to.

[LooseCannon]

wafer gets waived, lasme to D league

I don't see a scenario in which Lasme will go to the D-league. If he's waived, I imagine he's going back to Europe. The guy is 27, and he can play.

Some players go to the D-League when they can make more money overseas because they are willing to gamble that they can earn a call-up to the NBA.

Lasme is fighting for a spot with Von Wafer and Mario West.  Neither is on a fully guaranteed contract, so there is a chance they get waived by midseason if either makes the team.  Especially if he signed with Maine, he would be on the fast track as a potential replacement because he would be familiar, at least, with the Boston system.  Additionally, a strong preseason could have him on the list of the D-Leaguers most likely to get a ten-day contract.