The Nets just added former seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge to their gallery of decorated vets, prompting Alex Schiffer of The Athletic to examine how the power forward/center can fit on such a deep roster — especially one with a suddenly-crowded frontcourt. Aldridge figures to serve as a floor-stretching small ball center and a competent defender around the basket.
Meanwhile, Kevin Pelton of ESPN details why Aldridge may not be such a smooth fit on a club that may struggle to parse out minutes effectively among veterans like Aldridge, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, plus ascendant young big man Nicolas Claxton and even switchable forwards Kevin Durant and Joe Harris.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors team president Masai Ujiri has made plenty of incredible moves during his tenure with the club, but his failure to improve the team’s center rotation this season has to be considered one of his biggest oversights, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After losing big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol to star-studded Los Angeles teams in the 2020 offseason, Ujiri signed Aron Baynes and Alex Len as their primary replacements. The Raptors cut Len in January (he has since proved productive in a limited role with the Wizards), and have had trouble scoring with Baynes on the floor.
- Ahead of his arrival in Boston, new Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier had a false positive COVID-19 test, according to Tom Westerholm of Boston.com. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Fournier has remained relatively mum when it comes to addressing his future with the Celtics. “My focus right now is just to learn the plays, learn how to play with my teammate[s], and win games,” Fournier said. ” I like to stay in the present, stay in the moment.” Fournier is currently on an expiring $17.5MM contract.
- Trail Blazers shooting guard Norman Powell, a longtime Raptors fixture, penned an emotional goodbye to Toronto in the Players’ Tribune. “I kept it together for a while,” Powell said of hearing about the deal. “And then I saw Jama Mahlalela. Jama is one of our assistant coaches, and he was also my very first coach when I got to Toronto. He’s known me literally since Summer League, and I’ve spent a lot of time working with him super closely. And he came in to give me a hug, and, man … I just heard it in his voice… and that was it. After that, it was a wrap. It was straight-up waterworks. I started breaking down crying … all the memories that I’d been holding back for those last couple of days, they came rushing back in.”
The Magic really broke his spirit if he thinks it’s too forward to talk about winning
“… that’s too forward. I like to stay in the present, stay in the moment.”
That could be nature, Not that it’s for sure a good thing. I was going to post on this anyway. Very believable by Fournier, given his playing style, and he has been inscrutable to me (not a bad thing, so was Kobe. Probably just means raised elsewhere). Some people are like this… does it mean “broken”? Just getting by? Bunkered down? Coming off a bad game or enjoying a good one? Stat-stuffer or allstar force?
Finisher or activator? Fournier’s look may resemble Hayward’s, but it may be awhile before he contributes like Hayward. He may be used to a one-man game, which, is preferred by Tatum & Brown too.
Oversight ?????? WTF he let his two best bigs walk. Must be going blind, I guess.
Seems with Raptors money and cap is always an issue. They do develop their young talent. I guess they are looking to FA and draft. Lowry coming off the books.
Wonder if Celtics would resign Fournier. Seems he’s more for this yr.
I was hoping Knicks would of considered Fournier at the TD. Two second round picks from the Knicks would of been more enticing.
Not at this rate…Knicks could very well finish ahead of them.
The final score in Brooklyn tonight is very misleading, they were behind for almost the entire first 42 minutes of the game. But the Rockets need to lose to keep their top-4 pick, so they allowed themselves to be outscored 21-7 over the final 6 minutes.
Are you getting it finally. The tank.
Your robotic unrealistic confidence in Rox success is like the FO overconfidence that may have cost them in trading for Oladipo instead of Lavert & Allen. (read that angle in tAthletic, had to repeat it). Of course nobody here is a GM, just fans.
Speaking of tanks and fans… It may be said that the Cavs wound up 20/21 in a tank. Exactly when is guessing.
Yeah, I looked earlier and saw it was competitive. Surprised to see the final this morning.