We shouldn't be planning for Kobe, we need to be thinking about Durant, Melo and Lebron ... I doubt Pondexter can hang with either guy as a rookie (or maybe ever?) but he's dang tough, rangy and really understands team defense.
You're right though, veterans are probably more important than adding rookies, but there's only so much we'll be able to do with the MLE, and smart, talented players are still smart talented players even if they are rookies.
Sorry, was thinking more of yesterday's game with Kobe, and I guess could insert whoever in place of Kobe for that role. Similar to what Houston did(ineffectively) against Roy last season. Battier(Batum) comes out on him and plays technically sound defense, and makes you work to get open and get around him and get shots up. Artest(Martell) comes in and just beats you up physically, while also playing good D. Then, switch back to Battier(Batum), and a more tired, physically beat up player might lose the ball more against a rangy defender, make a lazier pass, a lazier shot attempt that would be blocked, etc. I think we have our rangy defender, in Batum, and if Martell isn't going to be it, we'd need that physical defender. Maybe Cunningham works on his speed to play some there. But I think Pondexter would fit more in the Batum mold than Martell, and for a pair, would prefer varying defensive styles.
As for the offseason, I think there's a decent amount we might be able to do, with little. For one, re-signing Camby, we'd still have our MLE. We have the Bi-Annual Exception to use, which is estimated to be a starting salary of right around 2 million dollars. The MLE, at close to 6(sorry to, I believe, BGrantFan, you said 6 in a different topic, and I think I said that seemed high, but have now seen 6 elsewhere), and then the vet minimum, at, what, 1.3 roughly? I can see us using all 3 of those in some form or another.
