Stojakovic asks Kings to trade him

[George O'Brien]

Webber is a shadow of his former self. When he first came up with Golden State, he was like Amare only he as a vastly better ball handler. He was strong, athletic, and big enough to play center most of his rookie year.

I lost my respect for Webber when he forced the Warriors to trade him in an ill fated deal for Googs just because he didn't like Don Nelson. I'm not sure the Warriors have been in the playoffs since. But his play in Washington was so bad the Wizzards traded him for an over the hill Mitch Richmond.

Webber in Sacramento had been moderately successful before getting injured, but he was never a leader and rarely clutch. Webber could have been great, but IMHO he lacks the character for it.

 

[PhxGametime]

I'm the only member on this board that doesn't want Peja? Suns will go after him then - I wanted Diaw (Cabarkapa) and Iguodala (trade). IMO Peja does nothing but shoot and well he hasn't stepped up IMO as well. I'd prefer a solid all-around performers (defense, rebound, steals, blocks, athleticism, post-ups, etc) that can shoot .34 and .35 from 3PT (Marion 1.1 made and Richardson 1.8 made) than a jump shooter... IMO Joe Johnson will get back his 3PT shot as well.

I do like Nash but if he wasn't such a great penetrator, passer, pressure full court and only was shooter with no athleticism (Barbosa has athleticism and is factor on steals) - then I wouldn't have been in favor of him as well. Suns might not have a shooter quite as good as Peja but all add more to game (other than Jacobsen) - Lampe at least has size. Peja might deserve to be an All-star based on what he does but I'm not too high on him...

 

[Gaddabout]

I do not believe the Kings will honor Peja's request for a trade. Not only is he integral to the Kings' fading chances for glory, he'd be hard trade and get return value (salary, age), and he represents an important demographic for the Kings they would like to keep -- the large Serbian contingent in Sacramento Valley.

I think the Kings would *love* to trade Webber. In fact, Webber and Bobby Jackson were offered to the Lakers in a long-shot hope of landing Shaq. I think if you ask most knowledge NBA people, Bobby Jackson was the more enticing of those two. That's how far Webber has fallen due to injury and his inability to fully recover. He's a stiff, like those kind they grow in the suburbs.

If the Kings had a healthy Webber and Jackson (who was given clearance to return before the playoffs but chose to sit out), they would've beaten the Lakers in the WC Finals.

 

[sly fly]

I'm the only member on this board that doesn't want Peja? Suns will go after him then - I wanted Diaw (Cabarkapa) and Iguodala (trade). IMO Peja does nothing but shoot and well he hasn't stepped up IMO as well. I'd prefer a solid all-around performers (defense, rebound, steals, blocks, athleticism, post-ups, etc) that can shoot .34 and .35 from 3PT (Marion 1.1 made and Richardson 1.8 made) than a jump shooter... IMO Joe Johnson will get back his 3PT shot as well.

I do like Nash but if he wasn't such a great penetrator, passer, pressure full court and only was shooter with no athleticism (Barbosa has athleticism and is factor on steals) - then I wouldn't have been in favor of him as well. Suns might not have a shooter quite as good as Peja but all add more to game (other than Jacobsen) - Lampe at least has size. Peja might deserve to be an All-star based on what he does but I'm not too high on him...

Those are some truly amazing viewpoints. Peja does nothing but shoot? Have you seen him play?

The guy is a relentless worker off the ball. He often gets easy hoops cutting to the hoop, after rubbing his guy off the high pick.

How many 6'10" pure shooters are in the league besides Dirk and Peja?

Comparing Lampe to Peja is comical.

If there is a way to add Peja without disrupting the core of your team... you do it. I don't care how... just find a way.

 

[George O'Brien]

I'd love to have a shooter like Peja and he is not going to become a Sun. I'm sure the Suns hope that Zarko can become that kind of player, but that is neither here nor there.

The dispute between Peja and Webber is pretty simple. Webber can no longer run well, so he is strictly a low post offensive guy. To use him effectively means slowing down the offense, but slowing down the offense means Peja is not getting as many open looks in the early offense. Peja relies on movement without the ball to get open, but throwing it into Webber is not getting him the ball.

 

[Errntknght]

Peja is a great shooter and I have seen him slashing to the hoop for easy shots. But last year in the playoffs it seemed that he and the Kings forgot about the slashing stuff and built the offense around his long range shots - which weren't falling. No doubt the playoff pressure got to him though Hassell did a good job of harrassing him on top of it.
I'd still trade Marion straight up for Peja, because Marion has become as almost as much of a perimeter player as the latter and he's not as good at it - and it totally irritates me. Of course, there'd be the danger that the Suns would come to rely too much on Peja's long range shooting but with Amare being such a threat down low we might come to a nice balance.

Incidentally, George, Webber played much less in the low post than he did in the high post last season - unlike when he was younger. With Vlade gone they may well move him down low more next season but IMO he's lost his taste for banging around the hoop and it's Ostertag and Miller we'll see there.

I don't expect the Kings to try hard to trade Peja despite the fact that he'd like to try his fortunes elsewhere. They'd probably seriously consider Peja + filler for Marion if they have some appropriate salaries they'd like to shed, figuring a happy Shawn is better than an unhappy Peja. For Peja and Miller I think they'd laugh at anything less than Shawn and Amare from the Suns.

 

[PhxGametime]

I didn't compare Lampe and Peja - I meant Peja is nothing more than a shooter/scorer that lives by outside shooting... I'd rather have Marion guard PF's or SF's regardless of how tall Peja is (SG's and PG's as well). Marion also rebounds, steals, blocks, has athleticism, is actually better passer, (Marion also shot better from 3PT just 2002-03 season, etc. Peja doesn't suck or I wouldn't call him an All-star but he's overrated IMO.

I'm not too high on Dirk but at least he is a big and rebounds, Nash passes, Barry passes and is factor on defense, etc. If Marion averaged 14 rebounds and did nothing else - I wouldn't be as high on him. I'd rather have a team ala Pistons than if Suns start trading: Stoudemire, Marion, Johnson, Richardson, and Barbosa for jump shooters with fundamentals.

 

[Joe Mama]

If the Phoenix Suns could afford Chris Webber's contract I would probably trade Shawn Marion for him. Everybody is saying that he is a stiff. Well, he has only played about a quarter season after returning from a knee surgery. I'll bet he looks a whole lot better this season. He did not play well and the Sacramento Kings did not play well when he returned, but he is still a very good player.

That said, the New York Knicks are the only team I could see that would be willing to take his contract.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Joe, you realize he had the same kind of surgery as Penny right? It wasn't just a simple knee surgery that he returned to quickly from.

 

[Joe Mama]

Joe, you realize he had the same kind of surgery as Penny right? It wasn't just a simple knee surgery that he returned to quickly from.

are you sure he had the microfracture surgery? I thought he tore his ACL. Even still, I would give him more than just a few months back to declare him a total stiff.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

Webber was the main offensive threat of the Kings during the playoffs, so he was hardly a "stiff". The problem was that he couldn't run the floor.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

are you sure he had the microfracture surgery?
Joe Mama

The Suns traded Jason Kidd once upon a time, and one reason was that they knew Kidd would be a free agent and demand a maximum contract. They worried that he would be 36 by the end of the deal.

It looks as if that was a good call, because Kidd is breaking down.

He underwent microfracture knee surgery Thursday. Remember Andre Wadsworth, Eric Swann, Penny Hardaway, Chris Webber? They've all had microfracture surgery.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cheapseats/0702p2main0702.html

This is the first thing I noticed on google about it, but its all over I think.

Penny even said publically Webber shouldn't have returned so fast, because he knows first hand how hard it can be.


Personally, I am going with my instinct and will say he will be an effective player, but never what he was. He will most likely hurt himself by trying to prove his health when he isn't ready, pushing back his recovery even more. There will be a lot of pressure on him after calling out his teammates.

He could prove me wrong though, but I am just glad I am not a Sac fan.