Brian Colangelo Live Chat

[fordronken]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatNBA?event_id=9389

Why does it sound like he hadn't thought of that yet?

Noah (Santa Monica, CA): What is your strategy with what's left of the Joe Johnson trade exception? Do you want to wait and see what the team needs come the trading deadline?

Bryan Colangelo: You make an interesting point. Utilization of the exception does have a life of 12 months. By saving a majority of what is there, in terms of 3.6 million dollars, it gives up flexibility to add a player, as you point out, in the middle of a playoff race or after assessing our performance, we can address a need, whether short-term or long-term. Also, being able to get a player of that salary magnitude, it gives us the ability to facilitate trades with other clubs late in the season. Utah helped their cap flexibility in the past, and leveraged that scenario, and got us below the tax threshold and that helped future moves. Whether it's an acquisistion of a player or assets, it can be of help. If not, then in the next offseason, we have one more card to play, if we still have that exception.

 

[elindholm]

Did George Bush feed him that answer?

 

[Chaplin]

He's really talking up Raja Bell. Damage control for the JJ situation?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

He's really talking up Raja Bell. Damage control for the JJ situation?

My feeling is that even in his limited time scrimmaging with the other players, the brass has found he is even better offensivly than they thought. D'Antoni, JC, BC, Ced and Leander all made comments on Bell's underrated offense. I think they are going to be counting on him to step up and start.....

 

[JCSunsfan]

My feeling is that even in his limited time scrimmaging with the other players, the brass has found he is even better offensivly than they thought. D'Antoni, JC, BC, Ced and Leander all made comments on Bell's underrated offense. I think they are going to be counting on him to step up and start.....

It would be easy for a player's offense to be underrated in Utah. The scheme is so structured and slow and does not make use of Raja's speed.

It looks to me like Raja is a fiery, take no prisoners, type of player, in the mold of a Dan Majerle and Danny Ainge. That's exactly what this team was lacking.

He should help with the "soft" label.

 

[Neo]

It would be easy for a player's offense to be underrated in Utah. The scheme is so structured and slow and does not make use of Raja's speed.

It looks to me like Raja is a fiery, take no prisoners, type of player, in the mold of a Dan Majerle and Danny Ainge. That's exactly what this team was lacking.

He should help with the "soft" label.

I am fearful of guards and wings coming out of Utah, and expected to start reaching their potential. The names that come to mind include: Howard Eisley, Jacque Vaughn, Shandon Anderson, and Byron Russell. All of them looked pretty good at Utah, then sucked badly elsewhere.

 

[George O'Brien]

He's really talking up Raja Bell. Damage control for the JJ situation?

I think he was talking about the Googs deal. There is a chance that some team will simply unload a guy to get under the luxury tax.

 

[Chaplin]

I think he was talking about the Googs deal. There is a chance that some team will simply unload a guy to get under the luxury tax.

???

Bryan Colangelo: Most under-rated? I believe at the onset of his career, it would have to be Jeff Hornacek. He, early on, defied all odds and became a top player with limited physical abilities. To accomplish what he did, with some of the physical challenges and injuries he had, is something special. I'd also like to add Raja Bell to that list right now. I think he may be the under-rated free-agent signing of this season, based on what he can contribute to the success of our team.

I guess the question can be posed if it's for our team, or for the entire NBA?

 

[Errntknght]

Chap, it sounds like George didn't read the whole article... I wondered what you were talking about, too, until I went back and read it all.

Overall it was a good interview from Bryan - considerably less filled with tortured sentences than some of his earlier ones.

One thing I don't have any question about is him having given lots of thought to the use of JJ's remaining TE before the question was asked. I interpreted his line "You make an interesting point" to mean "thanks for asking a question I'm itching to talk about."

 

[George O'Brien]

I was responding to "Utah helped their cap flexibility in the past, and leveraged that scenario, and got us below the tax threshold and that helped future moves."

 

[Chaplin]

I was responding to "Utah helped their cap flexibility in the past, and leveraged that scenario, and got us below the tax threshold and that helped future moves."

I didn't quote any specific piece of the chat--I made that as a general comment--certainly not referring specifically to the Utah comment.