Man, today there was this crazy thought rolling through my head. What if the Pistons had kept Chauncey Billups and Iverson had stayed on the Nuggets?

Nowhere to go with that thought, so how about taking a look at how some of this player movement and coaching movement is working out?

Chauncey Billups from Detroit to Denver
Denver is 7 – 3 in their last 10 games and in 1st place

Allen Iverson from Denver to Detroit
Detroit is 4 – 6 and in second place.

Ron Artest from everywhere to Houston
Houston is 7 – 3 and in 1st place

Jermaine O’Neal from Indiana to Toronto
Toronto is 3 – 7 and dead last in the Atlantic Division

Rick Carlisle to coach Dallas
Dallas is 8 – 2 but only in 4th place in the Southwest

Terry Porter to coach Phoenix
Phoenix is 5 -5 and in second place behind the Lakers

Mike D’Antoni to coach the Knicks
3 – 7 and 4th place in the same division as the Celtics

Mo Williams to Cleveland
9 – 1 in the last 10 and first place over the Pistons

This is a fun one
Elton Brand from L.A. Clippers to Philadelphia
Baron Davis from Golden State to L.A. Clippers
Corey Maggette from L.A. Clippers to Golden State

76er’s 4 -6 3rd place
Clip’s 2 – 8 5th place
Warriors 1 – 9 but still in 3rd place

Which just begs the question, what if Chauncey Billups had never left the Pistons?
Photo source Newscom

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Ronny Turiaf says “Oh yeah, no more purple outfits”

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The Lakers reluctantly did not match the offer of the Golden State Warriors for Ronny Turiaf. He was a restricted free agent and the Lakers had the rights to match any offer.

The Warriors signed Turiaf, a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $17 million offer sheet last week. By rule, the Lakers had seven days to decide whether to match it. The three-year veteran from Gonzaga averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 78 games with the Western Conference champions last season, making 21 starts.

The Lakers played much of last season without starting center Andrew Bynum, giving Turiaf the opportunity for more playing time than he would have had otherwise. But, Kupchak said, Bynum is expected to be healthy when training camp begins in early October, and Turiaf’s opportunities figured to be diminished significantly.

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Even without Ronny Turiaf, with Andrew Bynum coming back the Lakers are loaded, including Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

The Golden State Warriors lost Baron Davis to the San Diego Clippers, but signed Corey Maggette from the Clippers for what many are calling a draw.

Turiaf should see a lot of playing time with the Warriors.

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Marcus Camby screams “All right, it is the Clippers!”

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You lose an Elton Brand and what do you do?

Marcus Camby, you go get a Marcus Camby. He may not score like Elton, but he rebounds and blocks shots like mad!

Camby led the NBA in blocked shots with 3.61 per game last season, only the second player in league history to do so in three straight seasons.

He averaged 9.1 points and 13.1 rebounds playing a career-best 34.9 minutes per game for the Nuggets. Camby was the league’s defensive player of the year in 2006-07.

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The Clippers had to do something with Corey Maggette leaving and only Baron Davis coming in.

So it must be pretty obvious how Camby fits in.

Camby will be counted on to help replace the 20 points and 10 rebounds that Brand has averaged from the power forward spot in his nine-year career. Camby will join center Chris Kaman, who had by far his best season, but was limited to 56 games by several injuries.

“I love this acquisition for the current makeup of our team,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We are getting a consummate pro who is maybe the best team defender in the league and who has 60 playoff games under his belt.”

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It is the Clippers.

It is the Clippers, still.

Yes, Baron Davis, one of my favorite players to watch has come to town, but it is still the Clippers.

Baron Davis shooting over Andrew Bynum of the Lakers

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Clippers fans have to be bumming. They lost Elton Brand to the 76ers, because the Clippers upset his manager, David Falk. They lost Corey Maggette to the Golden State Warriors, can’t remember why. Maybe money.

Anyway, even with the signing of Baron Davis the Clippers will suck. Baron cannot carry them on his back all by himself.

It sucks to be a Clippers fan when the Lakers are just across town. Just off the top of my head the Lakers in my lifetime have had Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.

The Clippers in my lifetime have had…the Clippers have had…well, uhh..oh..Elgin Baylor! Not as a player, though, but it still counts doesn’t it? Elgin is vice-president of basketball operations and very good at his job.

NBA Elgin Baylor factoid – From the 1960-61 to the 1962-63 seasons, Baylor averaged 34.8, 38.3 and 34.0 points per game, respectively. His 38.3 point per game season average is the highest for any player other than Wilt Chamberlain. Baylor, a United States Army Reservist, was called to active duty during that season, and being stationed in Washington state, he could play for the Lakers only when on a weekend pass. However, despite playing only 48 games on the season, he still managed to score over 1,800 points.

The 71 points Baylor scored on November 15, 1960 was a record at the time. The 61 points he scored in game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1962 is still an NBA Finals record. An underrated rebounder, Baylor averaged 13.5 rebounds per game during his career, including a remarkable 19.8 rebounds per game during the 1960-61 season — a season average exceeded by only five other players in NBA history. Baylor was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and went to the NBA All-Star Game 11 times.source

Baron Davis

Baron is one of the great penetrating guards of today. Somehow he can muscle inside or move fluidly inside for easy baskets, but he will miss big Elton Brand.

“Before you ask, there was never an underground handshake with Baron Davis,” Brand said Wednesday, addressing speculation that he’d given Davis some kind of commitment to return to the Clippers.

Today, we’ll find out if Davis feels the same way.

Davis is a two-time NBA All-Star (2002 and 2004). He averaged 21.8 points (12th in the NBA), 7.6 assists (6th in the NBA), 4.7 rebounds and 2.33 steals (3rd in the NBA) while playing in all 82 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2007-08 season. Davis was just one of four players in the league last season to average 20+ points and seven+ assists (Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Chris Paul) per game.

Entering his tenth NBA season, Davis brings career averages of 17.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.95 steals and 35.5 minutes per game.

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Could Ronny Turiaf be the newest Golden State Warrior?

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The Laker machine is just as stable as ever, but they may have to lose a player or two. Don’t count the Lakers and Kobe Bryant out just yet.

The Golden State Warriors on Thursday signed Los Angeles Lakers forward and restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf to an offer sheet.

According to a report on the Los Angeles Times’ web site, the Warriors offered a four-year, $17 million contract to Turiaf, who averaged career highs in points (6.6), rebounds (3.9) and minutes (18.7) last season.

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Give a hand to the Warriors. They lost team leader Baron Davis to the Clippers. Baron wanted to play with Elton Brand, but he skipped out and went to the 76ers on advice of his agent, David Falk.

The Warriors then signed Corey Maggette from the Clippers to a five year contract and now they are after Ronny Turiaf of the Lakers.

The Lakers still have the right to match the deal and keep Turiaf, but they are way over the Luxury Tax level and will want to keep Sasha Vujacic for his 3 point shooting. They stand to lose either Vujacic or Turiaf, unless something else happens.

For those Laker fans that are worried, remember that Andrew Bynum returns this coming season.

The Clippers will be…well, the Clippers, what else?

Meanwhile, Golden State will just as crazy a team as ever!

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Joe Dumars admits it is not a big year for free agents.

“With all due respect to the free agents out there, this is not one of the stronger classes,” Dumars said earlier this month. “So that’s why I’d emphasize more trade now than any other time.”

This unrestricted class is highlighted by Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison and guard Gilbert Arenas, and includes Boston Celtics forward James Posey, New Jersey center DeSagana Diop, Clippers guard Corey Maggette and center Elton Brand, and Sacramento forward Ron Artest. Some of those players are still deciding whether to opt out of the final years of their deals. They have until Monday to make the call.

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Out of that group, who would belong in a Pistons uniform? Posey, maybe? Brand, maybe? Both would cost too much for what they bring.

Undersized but hard to stop Elton Brand shoots over Jermaine O’Neal, the newest Toronto Raptor

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And what about the Pistons free agents?

The Pistons have five free agents from last season’s roster — small forwards Hayes and Walter Herrmann, guards Juan Dixon and Lindsey Hunter and center Theo Ratliff — to possibly negotiate with.

The Walter Sharpe draft pick means Hayes or Herrmann or both are gone. Dixon never proved out. Hunter was fantastic in the playoffs and is talking one more year, before taking a seat in the front office. Ratliff is a great cheap big body for games like playing Dwight Howard and the Magic.

Joe D is looking to shake up the team with a trade and not try to sign a free agent.

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