More on the new kids in town, and other fun stuff

Well, the new kids are in town and like Jay said:

“They come in and it’s like the start of a new school year for them.”

I guess it’s only natural that both of them handled the situation the way they did.

Bayless was uber-excited about the prospects of getting out there and running with a young group.

Peja was a bit less effusive but still sees this as a chance to show he’s got something left in the tank and if he plays here the rest of the year, great; if he’s a two-month rental, well, that’s the way the world works.

But the one thing I got is that neither is in any way going to be remotely disruptive, they are clearly aware of what they are here to provide and expect to be given the chance to provide it.

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The question of Peja and where – or if – he fits into the rotation is quite an interesting one to me.

There is no doubt he gives them something they don’t have – a legitimate three-point threat on a team that’s dead last in the NBA in three-point shooting – but if he plays a lot, at whose expense does it come? I guess one way they could get around the issue is to have either he or Kleiza move over and play some four, a move I’d support. That would allow them to stay with the same wing rotation and go back to four guys up front until Ed Davis is ready to play even a few minutes and contribute.

I do think the best thing they can do is run Peja out there a fair amount, see what he’s got and hope that he’s still got enough of it to attract some attention later this year from teams needing a shooter late in the season and see what they can parlay him into.

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I feel a small sense of accomplishment in backing the DWTS winner.

Through all the nonsense (Brandy, most significantly) they got it right with Jennifer Grey.

Now I feel compelled to go out and rent Dirty Dancing.

Can’t want for next season.

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Don’t forget.

Noon.

Here.

Questions.

Answers.

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Right at the end of little scrum – make that bigger than little because there were all kinds of interlopers and non-regulars crowded around yesterday – Jerryd Bayless dropped one on us that made me think even more of him.

Guess just before or right after he was traded, he called an old Portland teammate and good friend to find out what the city was like and got a glowing report.

The good friend? Marcus Camby.

And, as you know, I think quite highly of Marcus as a guy and as a player and Bayless counts him among his friends, that’s all right with me.

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Let’s get this out of the mail

Q: Just curious - I think its been asked but not sure been directly answered - what is the reaction of Demar, Sonny, Amir about the departure of Jack? It seemed like last year he was looked at like an 'older brother' and mentor to them, wondering how they are handling his departure? I don't follow twitter, but checked each of their sites to see if there was reaction there, but there was nothing? Team censor or just indifference?

Brad M, Barrie

A: DeMar was asked about it Sunday and he said he’d talked to Jarrrett – about music and videos.

These guys all know this is a business first and foremost and guys come and go.

I absolutely don’t think it’ll have any impact on how hard they try and how well they play; and I think the whole “mentoring” thing was a tad blown out of proportion in some circles.

Yes, they were friends; yes, they remain friends. They just aren’t teammates any more.

I’ll give you Bryan’s answer from Sunday to that same question:

“I can’t say that any one person has really stepped up. What the perception might be and what the reality is are two different things.

We see the locker room every day, I’m not worried about that. With respect to some of the other guys who have stepped in and done some things, Reggie’s been a vocal leader in some respects, he’s really laying it out there every day in there.

 

“Again, we’re a young team, I don’t think there’s one guy who’s identified himself yet as that true leader. And that’s part of the process of the growth from where we are.”

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Jerryd told us he’s staying at a hotel close to the arena and was somewhat taken aback by the crush of humanity that was headed into the arena to take in the pucks game the other night.

He knows nothing about the sport but said:

“I know it’s a really, really big deal and I’m going to catch on to it real quick.”

The people might like him.

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Here’s what they’re reporting about the Sixers, who spat one up last night like cats spit up fur balls.

And we won’t know for sure until sometime this afternoon about Elton Brand’s availability. The league will review his flagrant two ejection and decide whether it needs to be downgraded or whether he’ll be suspended for tonight.

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Speaking of mail.

Point.

Click.

Send.

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Okay, here’s a bit of a tease and technology is the only reason I can’t give you all the details yet.

Be sure to check back later this morning or even this afternoon; we’re putting together a really nifty contest for Sunday’s game that I know you’ll want to enter.

That’s all I can say at the moment but there will be more.

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Comments

[JHK]

Two very distinctively different reaction from the two new acquisitions:
Peja, who is on the final year of his last big contract most likely, was very mono and non-excited it seems. Talked more about 'not knowing what's going to happen' in the future.
Bayless, who is much younger and still has some of that draft potential left, was much more excited and colorful in terms of commenting. He also knows that this is the perfect city to build up his rep and extend his life in NBA, perhaps earning a big contract.
Peja surely has to go...

[AT]

Doug, how does Jay get enough minutes for 10 guys (or 11 when Davis gets back)? Do you think BC is going to wait til February to do something? Just seems that the more guys sit, the more their value goes down.

Blogger's note: He played 10 early in the year to mixed results. And I know Bryan's going to let the dust settle from this one and see what happens before doing anything else.

[Mike D.]

Is it a contest to write the best Joey Dorsey story?

Blogger's note: We'd be flooded with too many entries

[Matt M]

The masses will love Jerryd Bayless. The less he plays the better they will assume he is. When he becomes a starter is when I fear they will turn on him. Especially if he stays at point guard.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning Doug,
Hoping Mr. Bayless has game to match his personality: eminently likeable kid, isn't he? Peja just might be the silent assassin these guys need when those 'situational' moments crop up. Even if only as a rental, this is a guy who has never lost his stroke. With the Philly's coming off a back-to-back in OT, tonight's as good a night as any to notch four of a kind, as in W's. Cheers. Go Raps!

[Jean-Marie]

This is out of a Nola blog on our new PG:

"... Second, Bayless’ defense has been awful. Really, really awful. He’s struggled to stay in front of every assignment presented him. I’d say he’s been far and away our worst defender. Obviously, that’s not something that was going to fly under Monty Williams"

So now, this is the presentation for Jerryd, out of people that had the time to know him better than us.

And that's how you spoke about him couple of days ago:

“... more of a combo guard than a true point guard but his biggest asset is not his ability to score but rather his ability to stop others from scoring".

Not quite the same.

Why nobody wonder "Since the Hornets had just given up a future first round for Bayless, how come they were so quick to kick him out of town?

To the posterity the arduous sentence.

[Nick M]

5 wings...

There was not enough minutes for the four wings and the 3 big rotation seems to work really well when they stay out of foul trouble.

Having a guy (Peja) that needs to get playing time just to move him again is not the way to build a young team. These are the types of situations that get coaches fired!!!

And I'm not sold on this team needing more immobile three point shooters-that reminds me of the old 'no motion float outside the arc(NMFOA)' Raps. This team needs to stay focussed on athleticism. Having 2 and sometimes 3 of Bargs, Kleiza, Jose and the Blur is enough 3 point shooting.

Good Luck Jay!

[Cory]

Will you be doing a follow up on Davis's time with the Bayhawks? I would be interested in hearing what the experience was like for him.

Blogger's note: Sure, but let him play a game or two down there.

[Ryan M. in Ottawa]

Because speculation is super fun AND productive, let's throw a name out there: Jeff Green. We need a 3, OKC needs to clear some space for Westbrook and Harden and the owners have voiced their desire to stay out of luxury tax territory...

[Lorie]

Hi Doug,
The last contest run around here was limited by proximity to the GTA (or some sort of geographical nonsense) and therefore all kinds of us who come here were (unfairly!) prevented from entering (yeah, yeah, I'm almost over the disappointment). So, in the spirit of fair play - and making amends - can you have this contest restricted to Irregulars Far And Wide??? (And please make spelling count. A lot. Okay?)

Blogger's note: Done and done. Except the spelling part, it's more of a random draw.

[sam]

Let's not read too much into how a guy reacts during his first interview session on a new team and in a new city. A whirlwind of activity took place for Peja and Bayless. Peja can help the HOTH in a lot of ways - Jay and the coaches need to find thier footing with this guy. The guy can flat out score - Why wouldn't you want that on your team, and at 33 he isn't ready to pack it in....
BC and Jay are following the wait and see policy - and rightfully so -
It will be interesting to see how they both perform in thier new enviroment tonight..

[Nick]

Great blog as usual but I have to ask, where's Grunt TV? It's been quite some time since we last saw the last episode.

Blogger's note: Yes, it has been. Gotta try to find the time in busy days.

[Lawrs]

Didn't Marcus Camby want to get traded because he didn't like the city? Strange...

Blogger's note: On the contrary, Marcus wanted no part of the trade when it happened.

[Dadeo]

Agree with Doug on the Marcus trade....as I recall he was pissed about the trade because he had been told they were going to build around him and then bam he's traded.

[Juan]

@Jean Marie
You're putting forward some dude's comments from a blog? Why not let him play a game or two before jumping to conclusions. The guy is a first rounder and part of the USA Olympic program, and for some reason I'll take their opinion on his value and potential over a blogger with a 10 cent opinion anyday.

[Tree]

This trade has upped my excitement for this season (which was quite low). The reason is simple: it appears as though BC actually does have a plan. I hope Peja can be parlayed into a piece for the rebuild, but regardless, his expiring contract is a great asset heading into the potential lockout / CBA uncertainty.

Bayless - wasn't too sure about him. He's shown flashes of great talent in the past, so I hope this is the right situation for him. Watching him in the press scrum was refreshing - nice to see a guy that wants to be here and is excited at the opportunity presented. Whether it works out or not, in a Jack vs. Bayless context, I'll take Bayless. Jack is what he is - nothing bad to say about him - but he's not what this team needs.

If Bargs can just figure out how to consistently play the third and fourth quarters the way he plays the first and second, this team might make some noise (among the teams fighting for 8th ... but still, better than most anticipated). That said, my sole source of frustration watching these guys is the lack of consistency from Bargs; when he wants to, he can be a force out there ... he just needs to want if from q1 to q4 of game 1 to game 82.

[The J]

You said in the Pre-Game Q&A:
"And they are better placed to make major moves this year or in the summer than maybe they ever have been "
- Do you think they are in better position than say the year BCo took over and there was a lot of cap space? How about before last season when he had the money to go after a big free agent like Hedo? Or are you factoring in having more tradeable assets?

Blogger's note: Tradeable assets and the total picture.

[kelsey]

Elton should be suspended for that foul, no need for in the air push..Very dangerous.

Bayless has good energy..Hopefully he can contribute. Peja whatever as long as weems mins dont get cut. Also Wright still needs to factor in on the defense side of things.. His offense limited but defensive energy strong

Lets go Raptors!!!

[painsev]

BC should stick with this group till the off-season. I don't think that getting a high first rounder is out of the question. They need a bruiser and scoring threat inside. Evans growing with these guys is a good option. Davis may end up that missing piece but we cannot talk about him until he suits up and has atleast 10 games with 20 mins playing time each game. Jay's job is tough though when I come to think about it. BC has not made his job easy and I don't think as of the last few games they performed like they want Jay as their coach. Can't ask for more on the coaching front from the team.

Blogger's note: If they haven't "performed like they want Jay as their coach" and have won three straight, what's that say about them?

[doug]

people are talking about Peja like he is a re-tread or something...the guy can play, he is what the all-time 4th leading 3-point shooter in NBA history...plus he is smart, knows his role and will be a fine team guy...plus don't take anything from comments players make, peja's a vet, and he was in fact telling the truth, he doesn't know what the future holds...I remember a couple games in particular when Barbosa jacked up a 3 at game's end...now we have a legit threat at games end....you need legitimate 3-point shooters to keep teams honest both during the game and at the end...

[J]

@ Jean Marie, who asked, 'Why nobody wonder "Since the Hornets had just given up a future first round for Bayless, how come they were so quick to kick him out of town?'

Because nobody thinks Bayless is better than Jack for the Hornets in the short-run? It's clear that if a team wants to win now, Jack brings more to a team, and that's why the deal made sense for the Hornets.

As for us, the only things we should matter to us for the time being are: 1) he wasn't bad defensively in college, and 2) his potential. Obviously defending players in college is different from defending NBA players, but everyone makes the same transition. Had he already made the transition successfully by now, the issue would be moot since no team would trade him away so easily. Aside from his wingspan, he has the tools to be a good defensive PG; let's see how he develops (or doesn't) on a team that doesn't need him to produce immediately (unlike Portland and New Orleans) before crucifying him already.

[Richard]

Note to Jarryd

Hockey is kinda like basketball
Five on Five - oh and goaltending is allowed
Fast paced - It's a transition game so you gotta get back on D
Lots of turnovers - at times you just shoot it in and hope one of your teammates gets to it first
You can substitute on the fly (no need to wait for a break in play)
Contact is allowed and actually encouraged.
Only the most flagrant fouls will be penalized.