Dein erstes Forum » proven goalie who is going to cost them

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons put on a full-court press to recruit Josh Smith when they figured the top two free agents, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, wouldnt be interested in playing in the Motor City. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars met with Smith for five hours in Los Angeles on July 1 when the NBAs free agency period began. "I was selling, selling hard," Dumars said. And, Smith was buying. The Pistons signed Smith to a $54 million, four-year contract Wednesday, when he raved at a news conference about his long talk with Dumars last week. "I felt comfortable, thats why the meeting lasted so long," Smith said. Smith is the only NBA player to average at least 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal per game since blocks and steals became an official league statistic four decades ago, according to STATS LLC. "Josh was the No. 1 guy we went after in free agency," said Dumars, who also acknowledged talking to free agent Andre Iguodala. "The primary reason for Josh being the No. 1 guy was because of his versatility. Hes a 6-9, athletic forward who can play both positions and at both ends of the floor." Detroit desperately needed to sign one of the top free agents because the franchise is mired in a four-year post-season drought, its longest since missing six straight from 1978 through 1983. Smith expects the Pistons will snap the streak next season. "I feel like we can definitely be a playoff team, and a contender," he said. Dumars, though, isnt ready to say his rebuilding project is complete. "Knowing a little bit about building championships, you know its a long road and you need multiple talented pieces and we just got one talented piece," said Dumars, who won two titles in Detroit as a shooting guard and led the franchise to a third championship from the front office. "By no means are we even remotely proclaiming (were a) championship contender." Next week, the Pistons plan to add depth by signing Italian forward Luigi Datome and re-signing backup point guard Will Bynum. "Well still have about $4 million of cap space left, so well keep working," Dumars said. The Pistons also confirmed Rasheed Wallace has rejoined the team as a first-year assistant coach on Maurice Cheeks staff. "Hes going to motivate guys, hes going to push guys and challenge guys," Dumars said of Wallace, a key player on Detroits 2004 NBA championship team. "We thought that would be great for our young bigs." The Pistons will likely start the 27-year-old Smith in their frontcourt with 23-year-old power forward Greg Monroe and centre Andre Drummond, who turns 20 next in August. The backcourt will include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft. "I feel like we can be an elite basketball team," Smith said. Smith led Atlanta with 17.5 points per game last season, averaging 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals. He has played only for his hometown Hawks, who drafted him No. 17 overall out of high school in 2004, but he was ready to move on. "When I first met with Joe, he had me sold from the word go," Smith recalled. "This is an organization that is a successful organization. Ive always wanted to be part of a good organization that has a lot of die-hard fans." Discount Nike Vapormax .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Wholesale Vapormax . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. https://www.cheapvapormaxoutlet.com/ . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Cheap Vapormax . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Vapormax From China . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. During one of the most eventful offseasons in recent memory, several teams appeared determined to shake things up. That meant shuffling their rosters and instituting new team philosophies.Whether it was the Edmonton Oilers christening their new $600 million arena by naming Connor McDavid the youngest captain in NHL history or the Tampa Bay Lightning maneuvering for months to retain their young core by re-signing Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov, there has been no shortage of intrigue these past few months.When it came to real roster reconstruction, our teams -- one from each division -- truly pivoted. Have those drastic changes positioned them for a Stanley Cup run??Atlantic DivisionMontreal Canadiens: No move was discussed more over the course of this wild summer than the one-for-one swap of All-Star defensemen P.K. Subban and Shea Weber on June 29. The deal sent shockwaves through the hockey world and left outraged Canadiens fans mourning the loss of Subban, a charismatic showman who had quickly become one of the most popular players in the teams lengthy history.The trade personified what general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien wanted to do with the club that started 9-0-0 last season before heading into freefall after franchise goalie Carey Price was lost to a knee injury in November. The Canadiens clearly wanted to get tougher and be more intimidating, and the acquisition of Weber certainly helped serve that purpose. Add the trade that brought hard-nosed forward Andrew Shaw from the Chicago Blackhawks as well as the signing of 6-foot-1 KHL star Alexander Radulov,?and the Canadiens have become a far more difficult matchup.I just think its a better team in the true sense of the word. At least on paper, said former Canadiens player and current broadcaster Chris Nilan. I truly believe the guys they brought in -- Weber and Shaw -- come as advertised. They are good character guys and good team players and they know how to win.Metropolitan DivisionNew York Rangers: A variety of teams in the Metro Division made intriguing alterations to their rosters -- the lone exceptions being the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, two teams with no intentions of messing with success. The Rangers, on the other hand, made wholesale changes to a roster that was teeming with talent before being dominated by the Penguins in the opening round of the playoffs. Just over a year after becoming the Rangers general manager, Jeff Gorton has clearly put his fingerprints on this team.You see the change in management. Jeff Gorton now has the team to himself. Thats a big thing, said former Rangers GM Neil Smith. The Rangers are doing what a lot of teams are doing. Theyre trying to bring in young players who will eventually be their upper-echelon players.Despite going four years without a first-round pick, the Rangers still managed to get younger. It started with signing Jimmy Vesey, the free agent who won the Hobey Baker last season as the best player in Division I hockey.dddddddddddd Coming on the heels of signing?Kevin Hayes last season, it marked the second straight year the Rangers have reeled in college hockeys top free agent. Between Vesey, rookie Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for veteran center Derick Brassard, the Rangers top six forwards could feature three new players aged 23 or younger.Central DivisionSt. Louis Blues: Long a picture of consistency built around a reliable veteran core, the Blues decided to shake things up in the summer. The first major change came courtesy of longtime captain David Backes, who was not brought back before signing as a free agent with the Boston Bruins. Other veteran forwards who left in free agency included?Troy Brouwer and Steve Ott, essentially turning that unit over to dynamic young players Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Robby Fabbri and the recently acquired Nail Yakupov. But the biggest change in St. Louis might have been the trade of goaltender Brian Elliott to the Calgary Flames, leaving the crease to 26-year-old Jake Allen. With that, Allen officially becomes the undisputed No. 1 after splitting duties with Elliott the past two seasons.They feel that he is ready to carry the load for them. They obviously have the confidence in him, said former Blue Ron Sutter, who currently serves as the Flames director of player development. Its not a negative to Brian Elliott. Youre just getting a younger, proven goalie who is going to cost them a lot less money.Pacific DivisionArizona Coyotes: The Coyotes got the offseason buzzing early when they made 26-year-old John Chayka the youngest general manager in NHL history. The front office wasnt the only area where the Coyotes got younger. A year after rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair officially kicked off the teams youth movement, Chayka and the Coyotes continued to follow that trend. Gone are veterans Antoine Vermette, Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon and Nicklas Grossmann. Theyve effectively been replaced by four rookies in Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. Dvorak, 20, is the oldest of the group.The Coyotes also added much-needed veteran help through free agency by signing Alex Goligoski, Radim Vrbata, Jamie McGinn, Ryan White and Luke Schenn. At age 40, captain Shane Doan will remain an important source of leadership. But theres one star on the blue line who could prove just as invaluable if the new-look Coyotes want to take the next step.Oliver Ekman-Larsson?is an elite player, said Sutter. I think its just a matter of surrounding those young guys with more of the middle-age guys. Ekman-Larsson is moving into that middle age group now. Hes certainly a great role model for the young kids on that team. ' ' '