Raptors 2014 Free Agency: non-Raptors thread

[JawsGT]

The Heat's success this year will be coming down to what Wade can do. I see them failing due to his health. If he stays on the court all year then they're a legit threat for the finals with Deng in the mix.

Depth will be an issue too, especially given Wade's health. They have alot of roster spots to fill, it's gonna be interesting seeing what they with the rest of the offseason. But I agree, Wade's production will be vital. If they actually Bledsoe, that could help alot.

[white men can't jump]

Porter and glen rice jr certainly made a statement after the ariza news yesterday.

Between pierce and those two the wiz will be fine I think.

They dodged a bullet in my opinion on an ariza extension.

Fact remains, the Wiz seriously lack depth there. I mean, can Porter or Rice actually contribute? Neither has done anything to suggest they're ready to be part of a playoff-calibre rotation. At the very least it will take them a long time to adjust if they even become contributores, and it's possible neither gives them any real on-court value next year.

They will really miss Webster if he starts the season on the injured reserve. Especially defensively, with Ariza gone, Pierce can't guard wings at all at this point.

[GLF]

Looks like I'm the only one not feeling the whole Pierce thing for Washington. Ariza is the better player at this point in their careers. Also one of the things that made Pierce so good last year was because he was playing power forward. On Washington he is going back to small forward. He can't guard those guys. He can post them up on the offensive end but I'm not as afraid of Paul offensively anymore. Also if you guys think Porter and Rice are going to make some big contributions you guys are crazy. Martell Webster even fell off a bit last year as well as Andre Miller. Washington is still going to be good don't get me wrong but I feel they could be a tad worse next season. Maybe I'm wrong though

[raptors999]

Looks like I'm the only one not feeling the whole Pierce thing for Washington. Ariza is the better player at this point in their careers. Also one of the things that made Pierce so good last year was because he was playing power forward. On Washington he is going back to small forward. He can't guard those guys. He can post them up on the offensive end but I'm not as afraid of Paul offensively anymore. Also if you guys think Porter and Rice are going to make some big contributions you guys are crazy. Martell Webster even fell off a bit last year as well as Andre Miller. Washington is still going to be good don't get me wrong but I feel they could be a tad worse next season. Maybe I'm wrong though

Outside of people spinning everybody knows this is a big blow. People are also saying replacing LeBron with Deng isn't crippling. MU creating stabilty was a great move. The uncertainty surrounding almost every Eastern team vaults Toronto up from third seed IMHO. Nobody in the East improved except Toronto and Cleveland and they sucked last year.

[white men can't jump]

Pierce doesn't necessarily make them a better team, but it gives them someone who'll at least make an impact. And part of the reason he worked last year was definitely the move to PF, but it gives Washington that option too, which they didn't have last year at all, to put a small ball lineup out there. If Webster comes back healthy, they can put a lineup with Wall and Nene/Gortat with 3 shooters (Pierce, Webster, Beal) around them. That could be pretty potent offensively.

But they do lost something on D in general with Pierce instead of Ariza...although given Ariza's price the Pierce signing might be better for their long-term outlook since Ariza has hardly been consistent from year to year. And they have huge issues at the big spots where they basically have nobody at all behind Gortat and Nene.

[Apollo]

Looks like I'm the only one not feeling the whole Pierce thing for Washington. Ariza is the better player at this point in their careers. Also one of the things that made Pierce so good last year was because he was playing power forward. On Washington he is going back to small forward. He can't guard those guys. He can post them up on the offensive end but I'm not as afraid of Paul offensively anymore. Also if you guys think Porter and Rice are going to make some big contributions you guys are crazy. Martell Webster even fell off a bit last year as well as Andre Miller. Washington is still going to be good don't get me wrong but I feel they could be a tad worse next season. Maybe I'm wrong though

Ariza's deal wouldn't have been high value for them. I'm personally not a big Ariza fan though...

[GLF]

Pierce doesn't necessarily make them a better team, but it gives them someone who'll at least make an impact. And part of the reason he worked last year was definitely the move to PF, but it gives Washington that option too, which they didn't have last year at all, to put a small ball lineup out there. If Webster comes back healthy, they can put a lineup with Wall and Nene/Gortat with 3 shooters (Pierce, Webster, Beal) around them. That could be pretty potent offensively.

But they do lost something on D in general with Pierce instead of Ariza...although given Ariza's price the Pierce signing might be better for their long-term outlook since Ariza has hardly been consistent from year to year. And they have huge issues at the big spots where they basically have nobody at all behind Gortat and Nene.

Yea the Pierce signing is definitely better for Wizards in the long haul. I just don't think they become much better with this signing the way some people seem to think. But you do make a very good point in them being able to use a small lineup now. That lineup with be hard to stop for sure. They're still a good team though just not all that. Wizards don't scare me with Paul Pierce is pretty much what I'm trying to say. Right now only Cleveland and Chicago are for sure better than us in my eyes. Everyone else is either on our level or worse than us right now. Maybe you can say Indiana as well just because they deserve that respect still until they're knocked off.

[GLF]

Ariza's deal wouldn't have been high value for them. I'm personally not a big Ariza fan though...

No you are right. I get why they didn't resign him. I just think it the short term they will be SLIGHTLY worse for it. But free agency isn't over so maybe they made a couple good moves to improve their bench. Because right now their bench doesn't impress me. But their starting lineup is going to be great when healthy.

[Apollo]

Maybe they will be for the worse for it right now but two years time this looks like the better route in my mind. They can make up for any lost production with a couple good moves later in the year or at the deadline. GM's who pay a ransom to make sure they don't take any step back typically stunt their teams growth and lose their jobs. See Bryan Colangelo.

Sometimes addition really comes from subtraction.

Like you said, they can still round things out in the summer. A couple smart vet signings would go a long way.

[GLF]

Maybe they will be for the worse for it right now but two years time this looks like the better route in my mind. They can make up for any lost production with a couple good moves later in the year or at the deadline. GM's who pay a ransom to make sure they don't take any step back typically stunt their teams growth and lose their jobs. See Bryan Colangelo.

Sometimes addition really comes from subtraction.

Like you said, they can still round things out in the summer. A couple smart vet signings would go a long way.

I'm all for what they did. It's good that they looked toward the future. My point is more being made to the people who are acting like the Wizards are so good now because they signed Paul Pierce. To me they are the same or worse. Also they have like no bench. Only martell webster is reliable and that's only if he's healthy. I don't think signing a couple of veteran minimum guys will improve that bench much. And you need a good bench to be successful in this league nowadays.

[GLF]

Maybe they will be for the worse for it right now but two years time this looks like the better route in my mind. They can make up for any lost production with a couple good moves later in the year or at the deadline. GM's who pay a ransom to make sure they don't take any step back typically stunt their teams growth and lose their jobs. See Bryan Colangelo.

Sometimes addition really comes from subtraction.

Like you said, they can still round things out in the summer. A couple smart vet signings would go a long way.

In the future they will be fine.

[Apollo]

I'm all for what they did. It's good that they looked toward the future. My point is more being made to the people who are acting like the Wizards are so good now because they signed Paul Pierce. To me they are the same or worse. Also they have like no bench. Only martell webster is reliable and that's only if he's healthy. I don't think signing a couple of veteran minimum guys will improve that bench much. And you need a good bench to be successful in this league nowadays.

Well, in the playoffs is where this move really pays off. Pierce has a lot to share with the young guys and you can also count on him showing up and giving them valuable minutes no matter the pressure.

I agree that this single move won't put them over the top.

[ceez]

Pierce signing shocked me but I like it for the Wiz. Good vet presence. Definitely a top 3-4 team in the east.

[ceez]

Ariza to Houston kills me. Wasn't it the rockets who gave him his last big deal?

Sometimes i just don't know about Morey

[JordanMariam14]

Johnny Manizel's last instagram post ahah (sorry didn't know where to post this)

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