July 3, 2009

The NBA Free Agency period is official underway. The Pistons were the first to make noise with the signings of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. The Lakers have made perhaps the biggest splash of the week, with Ron Artest apparently headed to Los Angeles. With things just beginning to unfold, the 3-man weave team will take a closer look at all the Free Agent signings next week. This week they take a look back at the draft and all the trades that preceded Free Agency.

Joining Alvin Brooks and Bobby Dwyer is the head coach of The Citadel, Ed Conroy.

It was a monumental season at The Citadel, one of the best in the program’s history. The Bulldogs won 20 games this past season and were made their first-ever trip to postseason, excepting a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

In his third year as head coach of the Bulldogs, Conroy racked up a list of honors after leading his team to the most magical season in program history. Locally, he was named the 2009 Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the media and the coaches after recording a 20-13 record. Nationally, he was named the 2009 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 22 Coach of the Year and was one of 10 finalists for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award. CollegeInsider.com named him the Southern Conference Coach of the Year.

The Bulldogs recorded the best improvement nationally in regular season record, winning 14 more games than last season. He led the Bulldogs to the program’s first-ever postseason appearance when they participated in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. With Conroy at the helm, the Bulldogs recorded the program’s second 20-win season and they claimed the most conference victories in the program history with a 15-5 conference record. Along with those 20 victories, his team won the most Division I games in school history. Conroy’s team posted the largest one-year turnaround in Southern Conference and program history.


Aside from Blake Griffin, which draftee will make the most immediate impact?

ED CONROY: I like guys like Jordan Hill, Stephen Curry, and James Harden. With guys like Hill and Curry I think their talent will mesh early with their coaches' style of play. Hill is the type of ‘athletic big’ (such as David Lee) that has done well in Mike D'Antoni's system. I think Curry will be the type of guard that scores in bunches for Coach Don Nelson. Nellie's style of play could really suit Stephen well. I like James Harden's ability to make an early impact because of his size and strength. I think he is a bit like OJ Mayo in that he has a well-rounded game to go along with NBA level size, strength, and athletic ability. He will also be going to a team that needs him to produce.

ALVIN BROKS III: I agree with Coach Conroy, regarding James Harden (Oklahoma City). Harden has a NBA ready body and was one of the best one on one scorer's in the draft. He will be very effective due to a lot of attention going to Kevin Durant.

BOB DWYER: As far as immediate impact I'd say Stephen Curry will make a quick transition. Having a Father that played in the League is an invaluable resource. As Alvin said, James Harden has an NBA body and can do a bit of everything. Long term I like Wayne Ellington and my pre-draft sleeper Chase Budinger.


Will Ricky Rubio play in Minnesota, Spain, New York or some place else?

ED CONROY: I think this will be an interesting situation to monitor. I think at the end of the day Minnesota couldn't pass on Rubio's talent, hype and reputation. The Wolves need a star and this was probability the player with the most upside outside Griffin.

BOB DWYER: I don't think he'll play in Minnesota anytime soon. Word is the Knicks, specifically D'Antoni like the flashy point guard. My gut tells me he will play another year or two in Spain before matching up with the big boys.

ALVIN BROOKS III: Who knows? (Laughing). The way it appears so far, he will not be in the NBA next year because his buyout is close to 5 million dollars. I say he goes back to Spain.


Biggest surprise of the Draft?

ED CONROY: DeJuan Blair going to the Spurs with the 37th pick of the draft. I am sure the Spurs organization is excited to get him that late in the draft. Prior to the draft I thought he was a sure first round guy, I think he will do very well with the Spurs. He reminds me of a Malik Rose type player that did so well for their franchise.

ALVIN BROOKS III: The biggest surprise was when the Timberwolves' drafted Rubio and Flynn. Drafting two point guards back-to-back was very questionable. They said they want them to play together, but I do not see that happening. Flynn will end up being their point guard due to Rubio controversy.

BOB DWYER: To stay consistent I'm going with my guy Chase Buddinger. I am still surprised he fell so far in the draft.


Trades were the news of the day. Did the acquisition of Shaq make Cleveland the team to beat in the East?

ED CONROY: I think if Shaq stays healthy Cleveland will be improved. Over the course of the regular season I think the Cavs will have the best record, but if the Celtics are healthy, I think they have the best overall team and are best suited to navigate the playoffs.

ALVIN BROOKS III: Coach Conroy is right. The move only improved Cleveland. It didn’t make them the team to beat. Although getting Shaq makes Cleveland better, they still need one or maybe even two more players to be the team to beat in the East.

BOB DWYER: Shaq to Cleveland definitely improved the Cavs. He is a step or two slower sure, but he is still 7-foot and 300lbs-plus, meaning he occupies a lot of space and can still dominate at times.


Does the addition of Richard Jefferson make San Antonio the team to beat in the West?

ED CONROY: No, I still believe it is the Lakers Conference. I think the Lakers found another higher level of play in the Conference Finals and NBA Finals. I don't think the Jefferson move alone can swing the balance of power in the Spurs favor.

BOB DWYER: I love the move the Spurs made getting Jefferson for absolutely nothing at all. If Manu Ginobli is healthy, and I realize that is a big if, the Lakers will certainly have company. Jefferson is a perfect fit for San Antonio. And ya' gotta love how the first time anyone, reported anything on this trade was when it was a done deal. The Spurs are an extremely well run organization, from top to bottom. Of course the Lakers had a pretty good response, with the potential signing of Ron Artest.

ALVIN BROOKS III: In my opinion, it all depends on the health of the Spurs. If the Big 3 and Jefferson are healthy, they will be the team to beat.


What impact will Vince Carter have on the defending Eastern Conference Champions?

ED CONROY: What happens with Turkoglu is important. The size, skill, and versatility of Turkoglu made him a great compliment to Howard, Lewis, Nelson and the other players Orlando had on the roster. I think the key with Carter is that he is able to stay healthy. Putting Carter with Lewis and Turkoglu will allow the Magic to exploit some mismatches and isolations because of all three players ability to shoot, drive, and post. If Turkoglu leaves then Carter's ability to score becomes even more important. It’s probably unlikely they would be able to resign Turkoglu. It looks like Portland and Toronto are very interested.

BOB DWYER: As Coach Conroy noted it is unlikely Turkoglu will return to Orlando. If Orlando is able to resign Hedo Turkoglu, after acquiring Vince Carter from the Nets, combined with a healthy Jameer Nelson, they will be better than the team that beat the Cavs last year in the Eastern Conference Finals. But they have to find a way to resign Hedo and I don’t see that happening.

ALVIN BROOKS III: Vince Carter gives the Magic a huge improvement at the shooting guard position. Carter is not at the level he was a couple years ago but he is still a major threat. According to John Hollinger's PER, Anderson had a better rookie season than Lee did. In my opinion, Anderson is a good fit for Orlando system.


How much better is Atlanta with the arrival of Jamal Crawford?

ED CONROY: I love Atlanta's young talent. I think Jeff Teague was a nice choice in the recent draft. I am not sure that the Crawford move will serve the Hawks well. If Bibby is on the way out, as has been rumored, I would have liked to see the Hawks pickup a veteran PG with playoff experience

ALVIN BROOKS III: Atlanta is a lot better offensively with the addition of Crawford.
Crawford averaged 19.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds last season. The problem to adding Crawford only, defense wins championships! They will have to re-sign Bibby or Murray.

BOB DWYER: Jamal Crawford is a very talented player, but bottom line -- throughout his career he has been a losing player. I loved him when he played for my beloved Knicks. He can score on anyone, but his shot selection at times, is questionable at best. Coming off the bench as a combo guard though, I'd have to think he could help the Hawks.


Most analysts are only looking at the benefits to Orlando and Atlanta, but both New Jersey and Golden State received young talent in return.

ED CONROY: New Jersey has one of my favorite point guards in Devin Harris. I think the more young talent you can surround him with the better. I like the way they have drafted and built a nice foundation. Courtney Lee has a bright future playing in New Jersey. Golden State is young and athletic and you can never underestimate what a Don Nelson team can do.

ALVIN BROOKS: New Jersey and Golden State both picked up good talent that will help them in the future. In my opinion, New Jersey helped themselves the most by picking up Courtney Lee. With Lee and Harris in the backcourt, that will be a really good young backcourt.

BOB DWYER: I think Acie Law will flourish in Don Nelson’s system. He never really got a chance to prove his worth in Atlanta. Golden State is the perfect spot for him to work his trade. I agree with AB3 on Courtney Lee. I don’t think he will ever be an All-Star, but he will be a heck of a compliment to Devin Harris. And remember the name Ryan Anderson. He also went from New Jersey to Orlando with Carter. He has a chance to be a nice player in Orlando’s rotation down the road.


Assuming Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood are healthy, do the additions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye make Washington a real threat in the East?

ED CONROY: I think those additions, along with the Coach Flip Saunders bringing new energy to the organization; will make the Wizards a playoff team. I don't think they will be at the Cavs, Magic or Celtics level, but they could easily finish in the next tier of teams. The East is beginning to remind me of the West a few years ago were you had 2-3 tops teams and then a great deal of parity among good teams. The West to me has become the Lakers and then everyone else is now playing catch up.

ALVIN BROOKS: The addition of Foye and Miller does make the Wizards wanted to be serious contenders right away in the East. The problem is the East will be very tough next year.

BOB DWYER: Mike Miller is a real nice player, does a little bit of everything and is an exceptional shooter. Randy Foye has proven he belongs in the league and offers a nice insurance policy for the often-injured Arenas. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are still playing at a very high level, but this team will only go as far as Arena takes them. If he is healthy, he needs the ball in his hand a lot to be effective; it's a matter of how his teammates adjust. They could be that team that takes down one of the favorites in the playoffs, but I don’t think they could do it three times to reach the NBA Finals.

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