Empty the Bench

We’re quite fond of Philadelphia 76ers restricted free agent Andre Iguodala ‘round here. You might even say that we harbor somewhat of a man crush on this hulkster.

Measuring 6-6 and 207 pounds and built in the mold of LeBron, capable of playing both small forward and shooting guard, plays the passing lanes as well as any defender, nearly unstoppable when he takes the rock to the basket, bone-shattering dunker—there’s a whole helluva lot to like about this 24-year-old veteran of four NBA seasons.

And, yet, like fellow ETB favorite Josh Smith, Iguodala remains in the lurch as far as his contract status goes. His incumbent franchise, the Sixers, have been slow to move on a new deal for their rising star having spent the first half of their offseason stealing Elton Brand from the Clippers, resigning G Lou Williams to a new five-year deal, and picking up free agents Kareem Rush and Royal Ivey. We can’t necessarily quibble with GM Ed Stefanski’s priorities thus far—after all, they can match any deal sent Iguodala’s way—but the time has come for the team to make a move one way or the other.

Andre Iguodala Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Either lock Andre Iguodala up to a five- or six-year deal or start exploring sign-and-trade opportunities. Situations like this can only drag on so long before getting ugly, and though Smith and guys like Ben Gordon (overrated!) remain in limbo many of the league’s premier restricted FAs are starting to fall like dominos (see Luol Deng, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Williams, etc.)

Kelly Dwyer recently weighed in on the Andre Iguodala situation for Ball Don’t Lie, raising what he thinks would be an intriguing option for Stefanski and the Sixers should they choose to part ways with Iguodala: swap him to the Dallas Mavericks for Josh Howard.

So why not give Iggy his 12-million per year, ship him to Dallas with Willie Green, and take Howard on? The Mavs get a Richard Jefferson-esque oop partner for Jason Kidd, someone to run enough with to dupe media types into thinking that Dallas is a fast-break team (like Kidd and Jefferson did in New Jersey), backcourt depth in Green, and they cut ties with Howard for a player almost four years younger.

Philly gets a smoother shooter who can create, defend, and knows how to contribute when the looks aren’t there, or the looks aren’t falling. Better yet, at two more years for 20 million and then a team option for 11 more, the 76ers stay in contract control. Also, Willie Green stinks.

It’s an interesting thought, though our love for Iguodala and general disdain for the long-term future of the Mavericks make us hope such a scenario does not come to fruition. The Sixers do need some consistent outside shooting, and I’m not sure Howard necessarily fills that role.

What about a sign-and-trade with the Detroit Pistons in a package chiefly involving Richard Hamilton? The Philly native is coming off one of his best overall seasons and remains one of the league’s best, most consistent mid-range shooters who has also added the three-point shot to his game in recent years. God knows the Pistons would be scary by pairing the slashing, defensive-minded Iguodala with second-year PG Rodney Stuckey in the backcourt. (Chauncey Billups, of course, remains the starter at PG in Detroit… for now.)

We anxiously await a resolution to Andre Iguodala’s restricted free agency.

Related:

- A Love Letter to Josh Smith from Your New Biggest Fan
- The New-Look Los Angeles Clippers vs. the New-Look Golden State Warriors – Who Do You Like Better?
- Thanks for the Memories, ‘Sheed, But It’s Time to Move On – Five Trade Ideas Involving the Detroit Pistons and Rasheed Wallace

Greg Oden Photo Credit: Icon SMI

The latest installment of ETB’s Scribes of the NBA series features one Ryne Nelson, a man you likely know as “Odenized.” Last season the name of his blog became synonymous with the human side NBA video capture. His daily assortment of humor, drama, novelty, interview and fisticuffs clips from the previous evening’s action became a staple of nearly every NBA-related blog on the internet – including ETB.

His YouTube channel has 375 videos, many of them with well over 100,000 views and dozens of links. If you follow the NBA on the blogosphere at all then you’ve seen his work.

Ryne has also recently signed on to be an online editor for SLAMonline, making his love of the NBA a full-time gig. He was gracious enough to sit down and respond to ten questions from ETB, and the responses range from the future of Odenized.com to the future of the NBA’s online video presence, touching on Charles Barkley, Dikembe “Cookie Monster” Mutombo, Kobe Bryant and Julian Wright in between.

Enjoy.

Empty the Bench: How do you do it? During the regular season I’m watching the NBA all night almost every night, and you manage to capture just about every piece of drama I see. What’s your technical setup and process like?

Ryne Nelson: First off, thanks for having me.

I watch every minute of every game… all at once.

People who don’t know me think Odenized is run by multiple authors (they also think I’m Greg Oden, and they’re wrong on that as well).

Also, people who do know me think I don’t know the NBA when I say things like Monta Ellis is a Top 25 player… but I’ve watched every game since the middle of January 2008 until Game 6 of the Playoffs – I’ve seen plenty of Monta Ellis and plenty of everyone else.

Also know I didn’t buy anything but cable internet to run Odenized. So… anyone with the time, passion and eye for key moments can do what I did. Basically, you need to find a live stream (this is the hardest part) and capture the parts you deem most important. For me, getting the goods was easy.

You have to be careful whenever you find a live stream because they’re often in a foreign language (more on this in another question) and/or the quality sucks. I always scour the net until I find the best available stream.

Overall, it’s a true NBA fan’s dream – I watch every game and interact with other NBA fans from around the globe!

The origin of “Odenized” and the future of SLAMonline and NBA video after the jump…

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As ETB’s Scribes of the NBA Interview Series rolls on, we’re thrilled to next feature Mr. Ron Hitley, one of the brainchilds behind the most accomplished New Orleans Hornets blog out there today. Ron can be found dishing on anything and everything Hornets at Hornets 24/7… and this isn’t the first time he’s lent his expert Hornets analysis to Empty the Bench. Back in January he also shouldered part of the load in breaking down then-rookie Julian Wright for Untapped Potential: Ten NBA Players We Want to See on the Court More Often.

Clearly, we’re fast becoming in debt to this gentleman.

Ron’s bio of sorts pretty much confirms that he lives and breathes his Hornets: “The three essentials of happiness: Something to love, something to do, and something to hope for. I love the Hornets, I blog the Hornets, and I hope to hell they at least get past the second round of the playoffs before I die.”

Something tells us there’s a good chance of that happening, Ron–and soon. Without further ado, we give you 10 questions with Ron Hitley of Hornets 24/7.

ETB: What’s the timetable for New Orleans? Are they ready to legitimately compete for a title next season?

Ron Hitley: Absolutely. I think all the pieces are there for the Hornets, especially since they signed James Posey last week. The fact that the Hornets overpaid a little for Posey and sold their draft pick last month–Byron didn’t want to spend time nursing young talent–shows that the team is focused on making a serious run sooner rather than later.

Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler are the young nucleus that should keep the Hornets competitive for a long time, but with guys like Posey, Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic all in their 30′s, there’s no better time than the present for the Hornets to win it all.

ETB: You only got 13 games out of Peja Stojakovic in 2006-07, and then last year he disappeared in the decisive series with the Spurs. Does this guy need to go or can he be part of the winning formula?

Hitley: I think he’s a vital piece of the puzzle. He did indeed pull a Houdini against the Spurs, but that’s just how it goes sometimes when you’re facing a lockdown defender in Bruce Bowen and the opposing coach is a diabolical mastermind. We all saw Kobe Bryant struggle against the Celtics in the Finals, but nobody is questioning his value to the Lakers.

My biggest concern with Peja is definitely his durability, but he bounced back from that back injury to play 77 games last season (plus all 12 in the playoffs), so my faith in his health has been restored somewhat. As long as he isn’t counted on to carry the offense every single night, he should be fine for another few years.

Chris Paul Photo Credit: Icon SMI

And here’s the thing about Peja: He can go 2-of-14 through the first 47 minutes of a ballgame, but if you’re in it to win it in that final minute, you want him pulling the trigger. He won numerous close games for us last season with dagger threes and clutch free throws, and there’s only a handful of guys in the NBA as deadly as he is down the stretch.

ETB: James Posey was one of the most in-demand unrestricted free agents available until signing a somewhat lucrative four-year deal with the Hornets. He could open the season as the team’s starting shooting guard. What are your thoughts on both his contract and his possible starting status?

Hitley: His contract is a bit heavy, but that’s the price you have to pay if you want to challenge for that ‘ship. The general consensus among Hornets fans seems to be this: If Posey contributes well these next two seasons, the deal will have been worth it. Beyond that his game may be worthless but his expiring contract should be useful.

As regards to his place in the rotation, I don’t think he should start and I don’t think he will start. Morris Peterson was the weak link in the Hornets starting unit last season, but that probably says more about the quality of the other four starters than it does about Mo Pete. He usually guarded the best opposing swingman and held his own, while also managing to keep the floor nicely spaced on the other end and drop in the odd corner three.

Posey can do pretty much the same thing, but he has the ability to guard bigger guys and he’s more reliable in the clutch. I can see Byron Scott starting Peterson but limiting him to the same 20 minutes a night he was getting last season. Posey will probably get the bulk of his PT in the second half, and he’ll be expected to give the Hornets defensive-minded reserves a much needed scoring punch.

More on the Hornets from Ron Hitley of Hornets 24/7 after the jump…

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