The Junkyard Mailbag: Friday Edition
June 12, 2009
I enjoy your columns, but I disagree with your assessment of both Josh Childress and Rasheed Wallace as potential Cavs.
You are completely overrating Childress: I've watched the guy play for years and he is average at best.
If there was a way for the Cavs to get him for $4-5 million a year (mid-level) I'd consider it. But it would be crazy to do so for the $7-8 million you suggest.
Childress is rail-thin, mediocre offensively, can’t shoot from the outside and rarely creates his own shot.
Sure, he would provide defensive length, but not enough to deserve the Cavs contract you suggest. If he was so valuable, Atlanta would have never let him go to Greece.
I’d much prefer the Cavs pursue Matt Barnes, Hakim Warrick or Brandon Bass (all of whom would be more affordable and effective than Childress).
Regarding your opposition to the Cavs pursuing Wallace, I think signing him at a reasonable price is a good idea.
Did he quit during the recent playoff series against the Cavs? Yes.
But, for years, Wallace was part of a dominating Detroit Pistons team and he was never a problem. If Wallace can get his head on straight for one year as a Cav, I think he’s worth a $6 to $8 million contract.
Tarik
Junkyard replies:
Tarik, thanks for your well-stated points.
First, we do like your suggestion that the Cavs pursue Matt Barnes. We think he’d be a great option B if the Cavs couldn't land Childress.
But we still think Childress should be the Cavs’ main target. And we offer three reasons why he’d be a signing coup for Cleveland:
1. Childress would, as you acknowledge, add valuable length and versatility as a defender. The guy can legitimately defend small forwards, point guard and shooting guards - and he’s a solid rebounder.
(Think a Mickael Pietrus would fancy having a 6-8, Inspector Gadget-like guy like Childress draped over him - rather than a 6-2 defender like Delonte West vainly waving a hand in his face while he’s draining 3-point shots like a machine?)
2. Chidress would bring a lot of nice intangibles to the Cavs, as this article on an Atlanta Hawks blog - written after he bolted that team for Greece last summer - suggests.
Intangibles like a high basketball IQ.
A willingness to be team-oriented and unselfish.
And, clearly, a sense of professionalism that many NBA players lack: for gosh sakes, Childress felt secure and confident enough to leave the States during the prime of his career to live and work in a totally different environment.
And in a foreign country that’s not the easiest place to play pro ball, either.
You can’t tell us the Cavs couldn’t use a player with those valuable intangibles - and one who is clearly talented, too.
3. Signing Childress would give the Cavs cover to move one of their smallish guards (West, Daniel Gibson).
Or dump a young big man who may not have the maturity needed to be an impact NBA player (JJ Hickson).
Or cut ties with overrated veterans (Sasha Pavlovic, Joe Smith).
Regarding Wallace joining the Cavs, sorry, but we still say, “No thanks, no way.”
As you freely admit, Wallace DID quit on his team during the Cavs-Pistons series. That’s enough for us.
Also, we’d slightly disagree with your position that Wallace never caused any problems during his time in Detroit (as productive as he was, on the court).
He clearly played a role in helping Flip Saunders get fired as Pistons head coach - even though Saunders had a 170-70 record leading Detroit.
And he obviously hasn't given his all - all the time - for current Pistons head coach Michael Curry, either.
Frankly, we think the LAST thing Cavs head Mike Brown needs - especially with all the unfair abuse he’s now taking - is having a slow-working poison like Wallace on his team.
-Wanna leave a Junkyard comment? Sure! Leave it below. You can also e-mail junkyard@sportstimeohio.com.
-Posted at 1: 15 p.m.
