Why isn’t John Salmons used as a defensive guy for a playoff team?  Well…because his Sixers and and Kings teams sucked and weren’t ever in the playoffs (except for the ’05 Sixers…and possibly 02-03 Sixers if that was his rookie year).   I’m can’t provide individual statistical analysis for him on defense, because I don’t feel defense for an individual can be successfully measured through mathmatics.  So all I’ll say is…watch him.  I’m not saying right now he’s an all-NBA defender…but it’s in his potential to be there. 

Dan:  Your trade idea of Iguodala to the TWolves is probably the first realistic trade brainstorm I’ve ever heard on this forum. Usually people throw out “lets give them our garbage for…their all star!”  But the T-Wolves could definitely use an athletic, versatile, both-sides of the court SF to add some scoring punch, defense, passing.  Especially since Brewer is injured and not panning out as expected…and they clearly don’t like Carney.  And we obviously could use a young PG that can shoot the rock, and Mike Miller…a 6’8 scorer and 3 point machine…would be a great addition. 

I wouldn’t pull the trigger though. Why?  Because I don’t trust Foye yet at all…far too injured, inconsistent, and honestly I never really thought he was an ideal NBA starter (for the future, obviously he’d back up A-Miller for now)…and Mike Miller is a HORRIBLE defender.  And honestly, I just can’t see a Foye, Miller, Thad, Brand, D-Bear combo putting us in the top of the East.  Still, that’s a real creative idea, I like the thinking behind it.  

Bski: Nice post.  And the comments you heard about why Bucks brass like Ridnour over Sessions…is exactly why I’d love to have Sessions on our team.  Ridnour is a pretty good player, but he’s not nearly as effective in the halfcourt.  If people are standing around and he has the ball, he’s not generally going to be creative enough to slide through the defense and create opportunities for others. 

Sessions has a great halfcourt game…I mean damn, watching him with Kemp and Fazekas at Nevada, they had GREAT chemistry.  He knows when to get the ball down low, vs to the wing, when the team needs him to score a basket vs. distribute, and he’s a great cutter off the ball…just a smart, heady player.  And he’s perfectly capable of running the break too. 

Phoenix/Portland: I hope people were able to catch this one late last night…it was one hell of a game.  Playoff atmosphere, players were chippy and real into it, high scoring, both teams shot well, back and forth the whole game with several mini comebacks, both teams put on nice offensive displays at different points.  Games like this are why I love basketball.

It really is time (a little late, IMO) to find out exactly what we have in some of these guys.  Now that DiLeo is going to implement “our system”, we need to know a) Who can play well in it. b) Who can play with whom. c) Who we will be keeping going forward. d) What we still need.  

I have read several times that the philosophy is to establish our uptempo style of play and then to let Brand figure out where to fit in when he gets back.  If that is indeed our plan, then we had better get to it.  If we can answer some (hopefully all) of these questions while Brand is out, I’ll be happy.

We have a couple months (before the trade deadline) to sort this out.  Before we make any deals, I’d like us to have a clear idea of what we are doing and where we are going.

We have to establish something (a system, a style, an identity, a philosophy, a core group of players) solid to build around first and then go from there.  Otherwise we will continue to spin our wheels indefinitely wondering whether it’s the system, the coach, or the players who are letting us down.

No clue what Toronto was thinking taking Bargnani at number 1.  People too obsessed with foreign players as usual.  Jordan made his second draft blunder taking Adam Morrison over Roy and Rudy Gay.