Sport Chit Chat

In other NBA news today the New Orleans Hornets signed glue guy and journeyman James Posey to a whopping four year $25 million dollar deal. Here’s the breakdown…

Championship Impact: Posey has been cited as one of the many reasons the Boston Celtics were able to capture the Championship this season. Posey played tenacious defense all playoffs and was impressive against Kobe Bryant in the finals. Posey now has two rings as he was also integral in the Miami Heat’s win a few years ago. For New Orleans this means and consistent starting shooting guard as last years starter, Morris Peterson proved unreliable and streaky at best. Adding some veteran leadership to a young team in New Orleans means this is a key signing for the club. Some may debate that this is a high price for Posey but contracts are inflated and Posey could mean big things if he can help bring the Hornets to the next level. As for Boston, this hurts their chances of repeating for sure. Posey was their defensive rock during the playoffs and can get hot from 3 point range at any moment. They will need to find a replacement for his defense and his 6th man capabilities. Rotoworld suggests a healthy Tony Allen will be needed while I believe this will have to be solved through free agency or a trade. There are few players available but Boston has been good with grabbing key guys like P.J. Brown and Eddie House.

Longterm Impact: As stated above this could mean big things for New Orleans. Keeping their core together will be important and with Posey around they have another piece to a possible championship puzzle now, or down the line in a year or two

Fantasy Impact: Posey is a fringe fantasy player at best, even in a really deep league. The only thing he offers is 3 pointer stats (made, attempted and %). Other than that, this signing is more for team chemistry and defense, things that don’t pop up on a fantasy stat line. Boston’s situation on the other hand is a bit different. With Posey gone this opens the window for someone like Tony Allen, Eddie House or a new guy to step in and eat these minutes. Allen can be a scorer at times so he could be worth a spot pick up at some point next season if an injury to another Celtic occurs. Also, this could open some extra playing time for budding youngster Leon “The Show” Powe who could get some extra minutes with Posey gone, one never knows when it comes to Doc Rivers!

-Sincerely, Maxmillien

P.S. Steve Alexander has released part 2 of his team overviews here. He gives starting line-ups and a sleeper for each team!