Editor's Note: This was actually written over a week ago, but it's still worth reading.
James Posey has the ability to take over games. Several times this season
the 6' 8" shooting guard would get a big rebound, dribble up the floor and
either finish with a dunk in traffic or dish to an open teammate for two
points. He was always around the ball and has a nose for where rebounds
will come off the rim. He was the second leading scorer on the team and
most of the time was the team leader on the floor. He definitely was the
only Nugget able to get off a make able shot without help from teammates.
Knowing all of this Kiki traded Posey to Houston on Wednesday.
The reason Posey was traded was because of the player he was when he was not
taking over games. The Nuggets need a consistent scorer from the perimeter.
Posey shot just over 37% from the floor. He went through a six game stretch
that saw him go 1-14 from three-point range. As versatile as he is there
were five games where his points, rebounds and assists did not add up to
ten. That is 20% of his games this year. Over his three and a quarter
years in Denver Posey had too many games like that. There were spectacular
20 point 15 rebound games that grabbed your attention but there were far to
many of those sub ten stat games.
Posey was drafted eighteenth overall in the 1999 draft. He was perhaps the
best draft pick the Nuggets had in the nineties as far as value goes. Look
at some of the names that surrounded him in that draft: Langdon, Avery,
Bowdler, Quincy Lewis and of course the infamous Frederic Weis. Under his
rookie contract Posey was eligible for an extension before this season. We
all know the Nuggets' plan for next year is to horde draft picks and cap
space. Signing Posey would have taken a bite into that cap space before the
year and even with his inconsistencies signing him after the season ended
would have chewed up even more of that space thanks to his production. The
Nuggets were then faced with the decision of watching him walk or trying to
get something, anything, in return. Throw in another first round draft
pick.
Of course in today's NBA every trade needs to match up salary wise. In
order to do that the Nuggets accepted Art Long and Mark Bryant. Before you
ask why Kiki would want those guys think about what the Nuggets are trying
to stockpile...draft picks and salary cap money. Guess when those two
contracts expire? You better believe they are over at the end of the year
because Kiki would not take them if they lasted one second longer. One
team's garbage is another team's cap space.
I have not mentioned the second round pick they get from Houston (the Rocky
Mountain News claimed they received two more second round picks in 2008 and
2009 but that has not been corroborated) because usually second round picks
are useless. However, as talent in Europe is better scouted you can get
steals in the second round now. Those are not just throwaway picks anymore.
Nabbing a Gordan Giricek, Emmanuel Ginobili, Marco Jaric, Mehmet Okur or
Milos Vujanic is a nice proposition anymore.
It will be interesting to see how Posey fits in the rotation for Houston.
He goes from frequently being the number one option to being a sixth man who
will be the third or fourth option many times on the floor. I have always
thought his defense was overrated as he struggles at times to stay in front
of his man. I believe the biggest benefit to Houston is it clears time for
Eddie Griffin to grow into a bigger role with the team at the four spot.
Meanwhile in what may be one of the best tear down and rebuild jobs ever
Kiki keeps nabbing as many draft picks and cap space as possible. If anyone
is wondering what he might be up to next Marcus Camby counts $6.5 million
against the Nuggets' cap next year. If he can come back healthy and play
well for a month and a half before the trading deadline Camby will be out
there. The Nuggets have enough young front line talent to replace him and
without him they can sign two max contracts and maybe even two guys for just
over the midlevel exception. I cannot wait to see what Kiki does next.
Maybe he could call Seattle about a Kenny Anderson for Camby swap. I know I
would.
Jeremy Wagner is a freelance writer that covers the Nuggets for InsideHoops.com and ESPN.com
