GSoM friend Preetom Bhattacharya thinks the Warriors are interested in Smush Parker and today's Miami Herald notes the Heat and Warriors have been talking:
There appears to be no shortage of potential destinations for Parker, who Riley confirmed has been shopped in trades in recent weeks.
Cleveland, Boston, Houston and Golden State are believed to be among the teams the Heat has talked with regarding a deal. Parker has missed the past 18 games since his Nov. 27 altercation with a female valet attendant at a Miami condo.
Smush won't give up the rock easily.
Some smushness after the jump...
Aside from one or two games in the Lakers- Suns first round series in the 2006 NBA Playoffs (disclaimer: Steve Nash and his unsightly defense were attempting to guard him), I've never really been all that impressed with Smush. Most of the time it seems like he's either just making some silly mistake or upsetting his head coach. Who knows if he'll be another great Nellie reclamation project success, but is he worth the gamble?
Check out ESPN's John Hollinger's scouting report on Smush:
2006-07 season: Parker's 2005-06 emergence seemed too good to be true, and it turned out it was. He clashed with Phil Jackson in the second half of the season and lost his starting job just before the playoffs, as his numbers turned south in the final two months of the season and his defense became increasingly lackluster.
For the season, Parker's shooting numbers hardly changed -- it was a steep decline in assist ratio that brought his player efficiency rating down. His mark was the fourth-worst among point guards, and it was accompanied by an increase in turnovers. Meanwhile, his free-throw shooting sunk to new depths. Parker made only 64.6 percent from the stripe, a shameful performance for a guy who is a decent outside shooter.
Scouting report: At 6-4 with limited court vision, Parker is hardly your prototypical point guard. The reason he can function in a superstar system like L.A.'s or Miami's is that he'll knock down some long jumpers (36.6 percent on 3-pointers the past two seasons, 40.5 percent on long 2s last year) and is also a strong finisher at the rim, especially in transition.
Parker didn't shoot as well on close-range shots last season, but a year earlier had converted 62.4 percent in the immediate basket area. With his size and leaping ability, he dunks as often as any point guard in the game.
Parker's defense was subpar two years ago; last year it was shameful. He gambles a lot and gets plenty of steals, but in between those plays he was absolutely torched -- a major reason he lost his job at the end of the year. L.A. gave up 5.2 points more per 48 minutes with Parker on the floor.
Smush doesn't seem to fit the role of the backup distributor or defender the Warriors desperately need, but he can help the team score a little more. It's highly debatable whether another scoring guard is what this team needs though. I'd pass.
Do you think Smush Parker would be a good addition to this Warriors' roster?
Also see:
- Warriors Interested in Smush? (Pree)
- Four Most Likely Moved [Hoopsworld]
99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!