The 19 Interesting NBA Free Agents...

I know better know. Basketball rankings in terms of NBA Hoop is just something I cannot do. So you know what? There's going to be 19 players I'm going to list. No particular order. Why? Because I'm starting with Mike Bibby. He's not #1 at anything.

Mike Bibby: (Bibby is the sort of guy who can fall through the tracks. His last contract was back when he was a stellar lead guard. Now? He's a better than average starter. Who may not have a team in August.)
Zaza Pachulia: (You want a stealth energy guy to get you 8 boards a game on the low post who will be cheaper than Marcin Gortat? You go get Magilla Gorilla here.)
Ben Gordon: (He's going to have to go to a team that doesn't know what it's doing. Why? Because he's Vinnie Johnson skilled, with a starters mentality.)
Jason Kidd: (Because he is at once a great teammate and a horrible person.)
Allen Iverson: (It's decision time. Do you want to be the man or do you want to win the title? Because you're going to have to be a 6th man to do it.)
Rasheed Wallace: (His presence reenforces the culture of a team. A team with good intangibles gets better with Sheed. But if the culutre breaks bad? So will he.)
Ron Artest: (Come on. We know why.)
Lamar Odom: The jack of all trades with the most childlike of all vices. If he ever gets off Vitamin S? He's gonna be more than a rich man's Tim Thomas.)
Ramon Sessions: (How often do you get a 23 year old starter with excellent distributorial skills who will likely hit the market?)
Charlie Villanueva: (He's 24 and already threatening 17-8. You get the next contract, and you have a shot at a nice run of 20-10.)
Hedo Turkugolu: (He was always a very nice point forward. But with his performance in this playoffs? He's going to make bank. Some team's gonna love him. Unless he keeps with the Turkish Nick Anderson.)
Andre Miller: (Sure, he's past 30. But he's an excellent distributor and he's an iron man. He saved Philly last season.)
Drew Gooden: (Frontcourt Bibby.)
Shawn Marion: (The most underrated 15 million dollar man in hoops. Still gets many boards. Still defends like an ace. Sill can score 15-20 in a game.)
Mehmet Okur: (He's a great shooter. In fact? Let's call him low post Turkogulu.)
Carlos Boozer: (Because he's injury prone. And kind of lazy. He's going to Elton Brand the team that signs him.)
Paul Millsap: (He is the brawny Paper towel guy. He's what DeJuan Blair wishes he would be.)
Anderson Varejao: (Not to belabor the point? But 6 million dollars was left on the table. He's not even going to come close. He's losing millions.)
Kobe Bryant: (With Andrew Bynum becoming an albatross, and 52 million being spent on 3 guys, plus either Ariza or Odom going if he stays? There is a better than you think chance he may opt out. He's still a dick, we've just kind of accepted it.)

Yes. More on Game 4. Which I hate the NBA for making me miss part of Norm McDonald and Jim Gaffigan.

I'm going to say something crazy...

Considering my homeristic love of the great Seven Seconds or Less era. Considering my love of basketball versatility. I would be want to say an ill-considered statement. But I am going to say this.

On paper, sure. The Cavaliers would be an instant title contender. And people would not be wrong. A triad of quality can get you far in the NBA. However? Do we know if Shawn Marion wouldn't rather be the man? No.

Anybody who's read McCallum's book as much as I have? You know that Shawn Marion was mercurial during the peak of SSOL. He was not happy being the second banana or third wheel. And in Cleveland? He cannot be the man.

So he might not flourish.

But you know what, as deals go, with Kidd-Harris as a 1 and the Boston purchases as a 10? This would be a 7. It's like having three of a kind versus a straight and flush draw with one card to come. You make the move? And no one hates it.

The 30 in 30 for the Heat?

Michael Beasley makes Shawn Marion obsolete. And that is why the Heat cannot contend this year.

Wade is injury prone, and every other star is flaky and mercurial.

But when Hasheem Thabeet and Lamar Odom come to play? They will be swagger and boom. So come back next year. That's when they rise up and kick a little ass in the USA.

I was tinkering with the ESPN Trade Machine...

And I hit upon a deal, genius in its simplicity, that would help both teams involved. Yes it is a thought exercise. But it's noble thoughts. It's from the heart. I want to see the deal succeed.

The only question? Do you believe Vinny Del Negro can get creative?

See, the move that is the smart move, at least for one team, is for the Miami Heat to call up the Bulls and ask for Hinrich and Nocioni for Shawn Marion. See, why this deal works so well is that you're able to add two solid pieces to the puzzle if you're the Miami Heat. You can build a team that, in the Eastern conference? Can be a playoff team.

A 1-4 of Hinrich/Wade/Nocioni/Beasley can do a lot of things. If the #2 stays healthy. In the East? You could put the immortal Paul Mokeski at center and still come up with a 7 seed.

But as for the Bulls? The Matrix is a stickier wicket. The Matrix is a stud who can be beneficial at three positions. But do the Bulls really want the Matrix as a full time four?

Yeah, probably not.

BYE!