No. Where are they going to move it to? Boise, Idaho? I don’t see how it was a failure. Celebrities can go anywhere they want. Because of Pac Man Jones? That guy could ruin your grandparents 50th year Wedding Anniversary Celebration. Maybe other reasons I’m not thinking? But I think a lot of positives went on in Las Vegas as well. I see no reason to move it from New Orleans.
I agree that the answer is no, especially with the adversity that the city has overcome, but this year’s all star game wasn’t really a success. They held it as the same time as Chinese New Year which created an even bigger logjam for patrons of the all-star game. Clubs were overcrowded, taxi’s were overbooked, and hotel rooms were hard to come by. So the NBA should definately make sure that the weekend doesn’t coincide with Mardi Gras. Not to mention that it was hard for the common fan to get a ticket since they had to buy it through specific brokers.
To say it was a failure might be a little overdoing it, but to say it was a success is would be an overstatement.
A couple of suggestions I do have:
1. Take a page out of Major League Baseball’s book and make the NBA Dunk Contest mean something. By this I mean have each player assigned to a person from New Orleans who was affected by Katrina. If their player wins they get a new house built for them courtesy of whatever sponsor steps up to the plate.
2. Since NBA players are showing less and less interest in the skills competitions why not add the winners from the NBADL and/or the CBA skills competitions to give a little added incentive. No NBA player will want to lose to an “inferior talent.”
3. Instead of having the rookies play the sophomores, have the rookies play a collegiate all-star team. I know this is really difficult on a lot of levels, but c’mon how fun would it be?
Just a couple of ideas to spice up the events and maybe benefit the city.
Wells, way to change the question on us making our answers look horrible.
Such a tough question, especially involving past or present. I find it almost impossible to go against Jordan. When you factor in that NBA games will probably be close and the winner will need to make big shots in the final 5 minutes, Jordan has to be your guy. Any of the top 5 Centers, Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Hakeem, and Shaq would be solid choices. In today’s game, I’d still probably pick LeBron over Wade, because I have more faith in myself than Danny Ferry in surrounding LeBron with good talent (although Varejao would definitely be involved!). Wade has to be in the mix and a younger Kobe, Duncan, KG, or Dirk would be legit. Magic would probably be the only PG that I’d consider.
I’d build my team around Michael Jordan; Jordan is the best player of all time and it doesn’t seem to matter who you put him with…he’s gonna win anyway!
Magic Johnson. This guy was unbelievable and had the ability to creat mismatches at the PG position. He was the hybrid player before the hybrid player and could do things with the basketball like no other. He produced immediately and made the Lakers the premier team in the NBA as soon as he put on the Gold and Purple.
Great question- its hard to go against MJ but there is another one who could compete. Give Kobe a moderate 2nd man (jordan had Pippen) and there will be more titles for the Lakers. Kobe can get a legitament look at the bucket every time. he can score at will
Can’t forget about Nash either but he needs a supporting cast to dish the ball off to
Not sure if LeBron’s mentality has changed, but I do know that he is still throwing up bricks as time expires with the game on the line, as he did against Charlotte a few nights ago. Cleveland does indeed have a real shot at winning the East, but they will need LeBron to make these shots when the opportunities arise in order to do so. Clutch shots and performances are what separates the good players and teams from the all-time greats, so now is as good of a time as any for LeBron and the Cavs to become great.
I also don’t think LeBron’s mentality, if it changed or not, had anything to do with DWade’s injury. I wanted to post on this question because I heard a few interesting stats recently.
Two things you always hear about LeBron is how he is terrible at the end of the game and is terrible at FT’s at the end of the game.
I saw a stat that showed LeBron is 11-29 from the floor and 0-12 from 3 point range in the last 2 (i believe it was 2) minutes of the game. He also shot 72% FT’s in the 4th quarter and 69% overall.
11-29 sounds horrible until you subtract the 12 3 point attempts he’s suddenly 11-17 from inside the arc, or 65%. LeBron is big, strong, and athletic. WHY IS HE SETTLING FOR THREES?!?!? When he gets to the hoops, good things happen. When he bombs threes, good things do not happen. I can picture him not only firing a three at the end, but an off-balanced one. I think he needs to learn to play to his strengths and will improve as an end of the game type of player immediately.
The foul shooting was interesting and basically tells me the guy just needs to improve overall. He’s going to get to the line an incredible amount. He should be shooting over 80% overall, or at least 75+%.
NBA MVP will probably be Dirk or Nash, with Dirk more than likely winning out because his team will finish with the better record. I, personally, think that LeBron and Kobe have a case, but I don’t think either will win.
MVP is so tough this year. I really think my MVP could be Kobe Bryant. The guy has been an absolute rock. His supporting cast is decent but they had so many injuries this past season. On pace to play 76 games he logs 41 minutes a game and leads the league in scoring. When the going gets tough Kobe only gets better. He’s averaged 37-38 ppg since the All-Star break. His clutch performances and ability to win ballgames singlehandedly are remarkable. He averages 5.5 apg and 5.5 rpg. He’s first team all defense. His obvious downfall is the Lakers are a .500 team and the 7th seed in the West.
I think LeBron James would be the choice if he was just a tad better in the clutch. I think his end of game performances have left a bad taste in too many people’s mouths to actually be considered the MVP. When you simply look at things on paper, I think LeBron is your man. He has BY FAR the worst supporting cast of any candidate in the top five. He averages 27.5 ppg, 7 rpg and 6 apg. For as bad as people thinks he shoots he’s shooting 47% from the floor and 70% from the line. His team is on pace for 48-50 wins. And for anyone out there that thinks his team success is because he plays in the east, take a look at this.
Cavs vs the East-28-21 (.571)
Cavs vs the West-19-11 (.633)
Lakers vs the East-14-13 (.519)
Lakers vs the West-26-23 (.531)
I agree with Raible it will most likely be Dirk or Nash. Or these two guys I’m a STRONG proponent of Dirk. I hate to say anything negative towards Steve Nash because the things he does seriously boggles the mind, however I just don’t like him as an MVP candidate. I feel like he’s just simply the best point guard in the NBA. I don’t think that should make for an MVP candidate unless it’s a year where there aren’t other bonafide candidates. His supporting cast is ridiculous. Now the Suns record without Nash (don’t have the stats but I know it’s not good) is a major reason I think he gets so much credit (and it is a telling sign). However, back to a reason against, the guy is a defensive liability. I was watching a few weeks ago and the Warriors plan was to pound Baron Davis in the low post. Tonight’s game the announcers actually thought it was a good plan to send Smush Parker to the low post. The MVP should be able to defend Smush f’n Parker. Once again, I hate to take away from Nash as if he’s not a great candidate. He is clutch at the end of a ballgame which enhances his MVP value at Point Guard. But, I’ll move on to Dirk.
Dallas is going to win almost 70 games and Dirk is their best player. That’s almost enough right there to say case closed. He averages 25 ppg and 9 rpg. As good as his supporting cast is, there is absolutely no argument that can be made that he isn’t by far the man on that team. In addition, there’s nothing sweeter than Dirk getting a defensive rebound and pushing the ball like a mad-man. That has to count for something!
The bottom line is these four guys make up four amazing candidates for the MVP.
I don’t have an informed opinion on this but I can say that Kobe is unstoppable and amazingly underrated. If Jordan put together a run like this I wonder if there’s even a debate.
Dean, you’re probably right that Kobe might not get the credit he deserves. Here’s what I would say to your statement though.
Jordan actually had his highest scoring average in 1986-1987 (37.1 PPG) and didn’t win MVP. The Bulls went 40-42 that year. The next season Jordan won his first MVP award of five. The Bulls went 50-32. In the rest of Jordan’s career the lowest amount of wins they had was 47. It was 88-89 and he didn’t win MVP. Look at the four other times Jordan won MVP.
1991 (61-21)
1992 (67-15)
1996 (72-10)
1998 (62-20)
I’m not saying anyone doesn’t realize but basically I’m just pointing out that once Jordan’s career really got going, you can’t even relate, compare or imagine his team not doing well.
I think if the Lakers had 50 of more wins this season, Kobe would be the MVP. It’s also obvious that Jordan’s supporting cast is a lot better but that’s just simply part of an MVP race and ballot.
I like this response. This is the kind of argument I like to read both as a commentary on Jordan and as an explanation of the MVP voter thought process.
No question the NBA MVP is affected big time by supporting cast, and the whole best vs. most valuable debate can go on and on and is purely a matter of personal opinion.
From what I’ve seen I would say that Kobe is equal to or better than the other elite scorers in the league. Do you guys:
1. Agree with that statement?
2. Agree that if he replaced Dirk or Wade those teams would have equaled last year’s peformance? Exceeded?
3. Agree that if he replaced McGrady the Rockets would be more likely, maybe much more likely, to win the title?
I always found myself slighting Kobe out of love for Jordan. I am not an NBA expert or even close to it, but I think Kobe is unstoppable. Literally. When would you guys take the rapist in a start from scratch draft, meaning you would be able to surround him with appropriate players the rest of the draft?
I really think that Kobe is the Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association. From a purely value standpoint, I think that Kobe means more to the Lakers than any other player does to any other team. As I mentioned, I fully expect either Dirk or Nash to win it (probably Dirk), but I think that Kobe SHOULD win it.
Speaking of value, how about Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. Keep in mind that this is a Pittsburgh guy talking when I say that it would be a crying shame if Brodeur didn’t win the Hart Trophy in the National Hockey League this year. The New Jersey backstop put together a career season and added to his legacy by capturing the record for wins in a season with 48. The guy had 12 freaking shutouts for crying out loud, with a 2.18 GAA and .922 SV %, both of which were superior to Roberto Luongo.
Wow, I will be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the NBA, and think that the Eastern conference is a joke. However, I am watching Dallas- GS right now and have enjoyed every second of this game. The two teams have see-sawed back and forth all night and Golden State is relentless and fun to watch. I would kill to see the Warriors and Suns square off because every game would probably be in the 130’s. The other thing I noticed, and Shaq pointed it out…DIRK is this team’s best player, one of the games elite, but he’s just not clutch, he’s missing a lot of open looks and when he is out of rhythm it’s not pretty.(OF COURSE AS IM TYPING HE HITS 2 HUGE 40 FOOT 3′S)
And what about the fact that if Baron Davis could stay healthy he could feasibly be considered the best player in the game.(not just this game, the actual NBA) He is like a more athletic Jason Kidd with a better shot, and a little less in the creativity of passing dept.
Anyway, I Love this Game. LETS GO G-STATE. Man this team can ball.
We have sat on here for about a week and said how much we like the NBA Playoffs set-up, but have failed to mention one fatal (in my opinion) flaw:
The league doesn’t re-seed after the 1st round of the Playoffs. What does this mean? Consider…
(1) Detroit vs (4) Chicago
(2) Cleveland vs (6) New Jersey
(2) Phoenix vs (3) San Antonio
(4)/(5) Houston/Utah vs (8) Golden State
This is how the 2nd Round will look under the current system. If the NBA wanted to avoid San Antonio-Dallas in the 2nd Round, as we had last season, then surely they will be upset that Phoenix and San Antonio will be playing this year (and, hopefully, will fix this hiccup before next season).
If re-seeding occured…
(1) Detroit vs (6) New Jersey
(2) Cleveland vs (4) Chicago
(2) Phoenix vs (8) Golden State
(3) San Antonio vs (4)/(5) Houston/Utah
Not only are these matchups more fair, but how amazing are those 2 Western Conference series?
Anyway, I figured I would just bring this to everyone’s attention as something to chew on…Cheers!
Wow, what a mess. I never noticed that the NBA doesn’t re-seed before.
I was hoping to see the old school Detroit-Chicago matchup in the EC finals, not that it was a lock, but it’s OK to get it now. On the other hand, we’re really getting robbed out west. I love the Jazz and like Rockets and Spurs and think that could have been a fine matchup opposite GS-PHX.
I almost never watch hoops but my scalper-neighbor was hyping up last night’s game so I checked it out. The crowd was awesome and when GS was nailing threes late in the 1st it felt like a college team was in the process of knocking off Duke. I switched channels and missed the halfcourter and fell asleep before the end, but that was a great game.
I hope it’s enough to keep me interested the rest of the way. The NBA needs games/teams like this to suck people like me back in.
These are all reasons why the NFL is the greatest sport on earth. I prefer the NFL and the MLB playoff systems to the NBA and NHL. If anyone would have commented on my NHL playoff seedings post I was prepared to highlight some of the best attributes to the NFL’s playoff system.
I greatly prefer MLB’s 8 teams and NFL’s 12 teams making tha playoffs to the NHL and NBA’s 16 teams. Golden State’s a great story right now but they shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. Dallas has an incredible regular season and what are they rewarded with? Nothing.
It was talked about on the other thread how the NHL puts the 3rd division winner as the 3rd seed regardless of record. I really don’t mind this because I like divisions to matter. The ultimate goal is the championship so I often think it’s overblown who is matched up early on. The only team guaranteed to have home field advantage the entire playoffs is the best team in the conference and after that, well, you weren’t the best team in your conference.
But my main point to that is that in the NFL with 6 teams, the top two division winners get byes. I love byes. The third division winner still plays a first round game. Just as an example off of Raible’s hatred for the NHL this year, if the NFL rules were in effect the top two teams in the east would be rewarded with byes. Then the Thrashers, who didn’t have as good of a record, would be the third seed but still play in the first round. Sure the 4-5 teams in the NFL can be better than the 3rd seed, but cmon, these are the 3rd through the 6th best teams in the conference. I really don’t care if it’s set up perfectly or not.
And of course, the best thing about the NFL, and Raible’s point to what the NBA (or NHL) doesn’t have, is re-seeding. The NFL re-seeds. I can understand why the NCAA Tournament doesn’t re-seed. But EVERY other sport played on Earth should re-seed. It’s that simple.
I like divisions mattering. I like the regular season having a heavy emphasis. I love byes. I love re-seeding.
If I was in charge of the NHL or NBA, the first two things I’d do would be
1. Change playoffs to NFL format
2. Hire Hoss as my agent.
I agree that the NFL’s system is tremendous, but the MLB has the best, in my opinion. Major League Baseball has 30 teams and only 8 make the playoffs, whereas 12/32 make the NFL and 16/30 make the NBA/NHL playoffs. MLB, more than any other league, truly values the regular season. I would, however, like to see MLB make that 1st round series a Best of 7 rather than a Best of 5; a Best of 7 leaves less room for an upset, which I prefer.
I agree that the Mavs had the best record all season long but “didn’t get anything for it.” But if you get beat by a team 4 out of 7 times, and I don’t care if it’s Norwin High School beating the Dream Team, then you got beat, and that’s exactly what is happening to Dallas in front of our eyes.
My only problem with giving byes in NBA/NHL is the fact that a team would then be “off” for like 2 weeks before it plays its first playoff game. I think that the bye works in football because it is such a vicious sport; the bye allows the team to rest while its next opponent is forced to play a game. I don’t think that byes would work in the MLB, NBA, or NHL with their series format. The NCAA Tournament, meanwhile (and what should be the NCAA Football Playoffs), are a totally different animal because of the extremely large amount of teams participating and the use of the bracket.
My ideal Playoff Scenarios:
MLB: Move 1st round to Best of 7 and keep everything else (maybe make the World Series homefield advantage determined by best record as opposed to All Star Game winer)
NFL: Perfect
NBA: Simply Re-Seed after the 1st round and it appears that you have a winner
NHL: Originally seed the teams as the NBA does, then re-seed after Round 1 as the NHL currently does.
Of course, across the pond, you win your league by amassing the most total points through the course of the year. I am talking about soccer and how a team wins its domestic championship (the Champs League, UEFA Cup, World Cup, etc. are structured more like American sports). While this removes the excitement of playoffs, which automatically makes it impossible to implement in the USA, this method probably rewards the most deserving team as its champion. I mean, if Manchester United is the best team in England throughout the course of the year, from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, then it’s only fair that they are the champs.
An interesting debate, no doubt, but one that I think will continue to be scrutinized and examined. As I mentioned, I can’t imagine that David Stern is going to be pleased when his #2 and #3 seeds in the Western Conference go head to head while his #4/5 and #8 seeds match up.
Points taken. Wells said a lot of similar things to me and I understand it’s a good argument and I’m probably in the minority. Some things I didn’t totally think of and am glad they were pointed out but still don’t agree. My arguments would be as follows.
1. No matter how much the Mavericks should beat the Warriors 4 out of 7 and it’s their fault they don’t, my point is the Warriors shouldn’t even have the opportunity to play them.
2. Time off and rest for the 1 and 2 seeds? I say Good! Reward them with rest. I’m totally fine with that.
3. I just feel like most of the reasons “why not” to do what I’d like are company answers. I don’t like company answers. By company answers I mean no matter how wrong something is, it’s defended because it’s in place and must be right. An example would be a bad call in a football game and the announcers agreeing because they can’t disagree with the refs. That’s a company answer.
4. I love byes.
5. In the current format, I’d be all for the top seeds getting 5 home games. Hell, I wouldn’t mind the 1 seed getting 7 home games, 2 seed 6 home games, 3 seed 5 home games and 4 seed 4 home games.
6. In the current format, not that it’s one or the other, but I think re-seeding after the first round is a much bigger need than the difference between the way the NBA and NHL seeds. I see positives and negatives to both ways the leagues seed. I don’t see any positives to not re-seeding.
I think the best way to emphasize regular seasons without ruining the playoffs is to tilt the post-season playing field in favor of the successful regular season teams. A lot of my ideas in this area have gotten bashed by other people I argue with, and I understand and sympathize with the overwhelming fear of change that paralyzes some people. Just kidding, but I totally agree that people sometimes support the status quo only because it’s the status quo. When I try to come up with a way to change something I don’t like, I like to start from scratch and pretend that I’m not actually replacing anything. I never buy the argument that a new way of doing something is just “too different.” If the current way sucks, scrap it and completely start over.
If you believe that the NFL system is perfect, then you are OK with the following principles, at least in theory:
1. It’s OK for some teams to play less games than others, which also leads to more time to rest and prepare.
2. It’s OK for some teams to face their opponent entirely on the opponents home field. (I realize this is hard, though not impossible, to avoid in the NFL, but not elsewhere.)
3. It’s OK for not all division winners to receive anything close to equal treatment.
Using these principles it should be easy to develop playoff systems that accomplish these two goals.
1. Make the regular season matter. A lot. To the point of teams never, ever resting players because they don’t care what seed they get.
2. Keep the playoffs exciting and somewhat fair. In my opinion, it would be bad if the regular season champ was simply expected to win, and it wasn’t a huge accomplishment when they did.
With multi-game series there is a lot of flexibility. It’s easy to reward good teams and stack the deck against lower seeds. I would personally want the conference finals to be fairly even, but I see nothing wrong with making a lower seed: play more, or even entirely on the road; have to win more games than the opponent; or have other seemingly unfair advantages. In the NFL we basically have 8 seeds with an auto-forfeit for 7 and 8. If you look at it that way, the lower seeds in the NBA and NHL, or the ones we would add to baseball, are playing with house money just by being allowed to compete.
I’ll add some actual solutions later, but I’m hungry.
But here’s a couple things I think:
1. The Super Bowl should be on someone’s home field.
2. MLB best-of-five is terrible, and baseball is the game with the most game-to-game variance.
I just wanted to clarify: I believe that the NFL’s system is perfect for the NFL but that it wouldn’t translate to other leagues. I don’t think that byes would work in leagues that employ a series format, just as I don’t think that a series format translates to the NFL.
I’m in the same boat as Raible, I just don’t think that other leagues could do what the NFL does. Football is one game a week and since rest/fatigue and weather all come in to play it puts a premium on getting the bye.
MLB you couldn’t do it because of pitching matchups, and the amount of rest a team would get so the 4 team system is sweet.
Now I agree that they need to put more emphasis on the regular season in NBA and NHL, but you can’t give bye’s because it not like football where its a week, most series go about 2 weeks. Therefore, I think the 8 team system in these leagues work beautifully. I wouldn’t want to see them drop it to 4, so I think it’s fine just how it is(except for re-seeding which we’ve discussed)
Also, Haver, if you did your #1 seed gets 7 home games, 6 to 2nd, etc there would be no parody and I would definitely not watch.
“You can’t give bye’s because it’s not like football where it’s a week, most series go about 2 weeks.”
It’s answers like those that I think they are in place so they become “Right.”
I think the natural answers to reasons why not to do what I’d like are my “company answers”
“A 1 seed SHOULD beat an 8 seed.”
-Ok, yes, but still don’t see why the 8 even should have the chance.
“A team (top 2 seeded team by the way) shouldn’t have 2 weeks off”
-Why not? Reward em baby!
I don’t think this debate/argument is going anywhere and respect other’s thoughts and opinions, but I personally would kick out the 7 and 8 seeds in the NBA and NHL playoffs if I could and personally haven’t read good answers why not to.
Well I guess if a team goes 16-5 down the stretch, and beats the top seed 4 times in one year they should have no chance to play because they have the #8 next to their name.
Why not just drop seeds 13-16 in the NCAA tourney?
Most every year other than this yr and the Nuggets upset in the 90’s the #1 and 2 seeds get the advantage of playing the worst teams. I have to be honest this is the only series I’ve watched in the playoffs and if the NBA didn’t have this parody I’m not sure I’d watch at all. The Eastern Conference Sucks and after Dallas, Phoenix and SA I can’t see a team that could contend right now in the West.(That was my thinking before this series) Now I feel like, “sweet Golden State could really shake things up instead of watching Dallas win 4-2 in the next series over Houston or the Jazz.” What this would also do is make the NBA Execs realize they have a prob if GS wins and plays the 4/5 seed instead of the 2…So something good could come of it…
What makes the NFL/NCAA tourney great is it’s parody year in and year out. The NHL has that, but so many of their good teams right now are from small markets, or Canada.
I just think that if you can’t beat the 8 seed who’s to say you could beat the team who wins the series when you are on bye? Dallas was real good all year, but they havent shown me starting with last year’s finals, that they can deal with adversity.
Also, the NBA is so lopsided that instead of a 6 team system I’d vote for 4 team if I had the choice. I mean the 5/6 teams are really not that much better than the 7th/8th if u dissect it…OK other than maybe Houston who was better than the 4
Wells you probably wanna have 50 teams in the NBA make the playoffs and play best of 6 series. Cmon, come up with something better than that last piece of junk excuse for a post.
1. A bye is not going to work in the NBA, NHL, or MLB. No team that plays up to 3 or 4 times per week for 82 games (or, in baseball’s case, 6 or 7 times per week for 162 games) is going to want to sit by and watch for 2 weeks. What are the Mavs going to do for 2 weeks, twiddle their thumbs? Furthermore, more teams in the playoffs means more revenue for the league, more TV exposure for non-elite teams (see Warriors, Golden State), and more excitement in more cities around the league as the playoffs draw closer.
2. As I said before, if you can’t beat a team 4 out 7 times, then you don’t deserve to advance. I actually think that if you can’t beat a team 2 out of 3 times, then who’s to say that you should advance? If 10 amazing guys decide to get together on, oh say 07/07/07, to play a little hoops and one side wins, then the natural first reaction is to call for a rematch. But if that same team wins again, then, really, what’s the point of playing a 3rd game? If the other side wins, then a rubber match is a only natural reaction to determine the better team. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t buy the argument that Dallas is getting screwed at all for having this great regular season but being unable to advance past Golden State in the Playoffs by losing, potentially, 4 of 7 games to the team, 4 of which could potentially be in Dallas. If you want to talk about teams that have a great regular season but get screwed in the Playoffs, then let’s talk NFL, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball because in these 3 sports, one loss and you are done; at least in the NBA, NHL, and MLB, you get the opportunity to lose up to 4 times before being eliminated. Lastly, I also think that there is something to be said for “turning it on” in the Playoffs; who cares if you can win 60 games in the regular season, 40 of which are probably relatively meaningless. Bring it in the Playoffs, win 16 games, and be crowned the champion. That’s what I think it’s all about.
I totally disagree. That’s your opinion. I have mine. I stated that the argument is going nowhere. It still isn’t. I stated my thoughts were my personal thoughts and no one can tell me I’m wrong, just like I can’t tell anyone their personal thoughts are wrong. We, personally, completely disagree. Can we please move on or should I repeat the exact things I’ve said, followed by someone else repeating the exact things they’ve already said?
Here’s my last thoughts on the subject (hopefully):
1. You CAN have byes in any sport. You, or me, or someone else may not think it’s the best idea. But you CAN do it.
(Lower seeded baseball teams would have their pitching order messed up? Yes. Is this unreasonable? That’s a matter of opinion.)
2. If the NFL had an 8 team structure like the other leagues, and someone suggested going to 6 with a bye, I think you’d hear a lot of people say that “they can’t do that.” Things that already “are” generally seem natural and commonsensical.
3. There is no “correct” amount of teams in any tournament. You could reduce the NBA/NHL to 6 or to 4 if you wanted to. Whether the last team out/in “deserves” to be there is pure opinion. The status quo will always feel correct to some people, no matter what it is.
4. We all seem to agree with the NFL system, and while that doesn’t mean every league should follow suit, it does mean that we accept certain inequalities in sports. By supporting the NFL system, we are all in effect saying that we take no *fundamental* issue with a severely tilted playing field. The #3 seed has to win an extra round for the right to go on the road to play a rested #2 see. Yet the NFL playoffs remain compelling and watchable despite this structure, which is unfair by definition.
We all have our own opinions of which inequalities we think are “reasonable”, and which ones are not. But they are opinions in the purest sense.
Because the 2nd Round Series may begin before the 1st Round series are even over, it’s PREDICTION TIME (and I think everyone knows how ACCURATE my predictions always are!):
Chicago over Detroit in 6 games
San Antonio over Phoenix in 6 games
I think, as Dylan predicted, that there is a changing of the guard in the East, where a young Bulls squad is hungry to prove that they are the better TEAM than the Pistons. Out West, I just can’t see Duncan and Co. losing this early again; if Dallas loses to Golden State, this series could very well be for the NBA Championship…which, considering it is in the 2nd Round, is retarded, as I have stated time and again.
I think that the Cavs are going to beat either the Nets or Raptors (I actually expect the Nets to close out the series in Game 6), but I think that the Warriors/Mavs vs Rockets/Jazz is completely up for grabs. Nevertheless, it should continue to be interesting for all of us!
Now that the series is official, I’ve got Cavs over Nets in 7 games. I think that the Nets are gonna give the Cavs all they can handle, and might even spring the upset. In the end, however, it will be King James leading his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
This years MVP is so tough and close that i am sure the outcome of the playoffs will determine it. Kobe is the best player in the league right now. Nash is winning ball games. i feel it woulda been dirk but with the surprise of golden state, i think thats a wrap for him. it will come down to nash or lebron. if the cavs do something great in this postseason than LeBron will have the MVP rep
I’ll be honest if it weren’t for the Warriors upset , I probably wouldn’t have seen any of the first round. So, yes I think it was huge for the NBA.
I think that G-State has been in both games against Utah and came up short. If they can get two back at home I think they have a realistic chance. If not, sianora(def not spelled correctly) cinderella.
I, too, think that the Warriors’ upset was good for the Playoffs…especially if the teams would have been reseeded after the 1st Round!!!
In any case, I think that the Warriors play an exciting style of basketball, which brings the casual fan to the game. Secondly, America loves underdogs, and the Warriors, as a #8 seed, clearly fit the bill. In addition, the home crowds at Golden State have been, in my opinion, the most raucous crowds among any of the teams playing in the NBA Playoffs. Finally, another series means more chances to watch Baron Davis, who, when healthy, is among the top PG in the league.
I think that Golden State can come back from the 0-2 deficit it faces against Utah, but the 2 home games are a must.
Great to see GSW make it past the Mavs. I don’t think there was any downside to the upset for anyone outside of Dallas.
The Jazz are the team I decided to adopt to root for as part of my attempt to get back into pro basketball. Sloan is the king of the NBA. I love their pinball in the paint style style. Deron reminds me of a better Mark Jackson from the Pacers, with the post moves, passing, and general style. As much as I love Kirelenko as a uniquely versatile defensive weapon, I think an offseason trade for a scoring wing might make sense. I’d prefer they added without losing AK though.
Focusing on this year, I think GSW are done. Boozer and Okur are too good and Harpring and Millsap are effective off the bench. Look for Milsap to emerge even more next year, along with Dee Brown. What I’m interested in seeing is a Jazz-Suns WCF. Jazz-Spurs would be terrific hard core hoops, but the Suns would make a more compelling style constrast. Some might argue that the Jazz are a lesser Spurs but I’d disagree. I think Utah can win it all.
Anyone know where to find a FA list for next year?
Trying to keep this real short…but the NBA has really seemed to screw up the Phoenix-San Antonio series. The reffing has been abismal, and to top it off, Amare and Diaw get suspended for leaving their bench by a few feet?!? Outrageous. The NBA really needs to re-examine the rule. Players leave the bench all the time when celebrating after a play. It’s playoff time for christ’s sake. Let them play.
Why wasn’t Bowen suspended for his kneeing of Amare and Nash?
Why wasn’t Duncan and Bowen suspended for leaving the bench in the 2nd?
This is totally an unbiased argument, as I am not a diehard fan of either team. I’d prefer the Suns win just because the Spurs are about as fun to watch as melting ice.
I agree with Jeff’s sentiments: I, much like Sir Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith, think that the NBA needed to look closely at its rule of leaving the bench=suspension and rule in favor of the Suns in this one. How can Bob Horry, who it should be noted is a well-respected NBA veteran that was visibly frustrated and was simply trying to foul Steve Nash and take out his frustration at the same time, be the “bad guy” in this whole deal, yet it is the Suns that find themselves more “empty-handed” than the Spurs in this incident?
The counter-argument here is that the Suns know the rule, so they shouldn’t have broken it; if Sidney Crosby knows he is going to get 5-minutes for fighting yet is too stupid not to skate away from Tie Domi, then Crosby deserves to pay the price of the crime. I suppose, in this respect, that the Suns are guilty.
But the rule itself is what is stupid; Amare and Diaw left the bench, sure, but had nothing to do with what transpired at the end of Game 4. Simply leaving the bench should not, in my opinion, automatically result in a suspension unless that player becomes involved in the altercation.
I understand why the NBA did what they did, but it really is a shame. Nevertheless, here’s hoping that the league takes a closer look at its rule, if for no other reason than because Sir Charles and Stephen A. said to. And, you can bet that the Association will be without 1 big-time viewer for Game 5…you don’t actually think that Haver is gonna watch this game if BORIS DIAW ain’t playing, do you?
I totally agree with Jeff. Thing is, I didn’t see it during the game because I was on a real bender for my birthday, but I did see the replay this morning. Not only is it ridiculous that they suspended Stoudemire AND Diaw, but Duncan not getting suspended, because it wasn’t during an altercation is just down right horse manure.
Listen you can’t suspend one without the other, but I thought if the Suns JUST lost Stoudemire they may be able to manage. DIAW could have stepped right in like he did last year and filled in for the Suns for one game and I think they’d have a legitimate chance, now it’s a foggy picture.
Marion and Nash will have to carry the load and someone will have to shut down Parker now that Marion will porobably guard the 4.
Anyway, how bout tose Bulls? Can’t believe they have a legit chance to drive this to 7 games now. It’s good to see a young team face some adversity and battle back and if they end up somehow winning Game 6 and this series, they have to be the team to beat in the east.
I have to say, as much as I hate the fact that both stoudemire and diaw were suspended, this is a RULE and rules have to be followed. During that mele, there was 14 players on the bench and the only 2 that broke the rule was stoudemire and diaw.
I completely agree that the rule has to be changed or at least looked at after the playoffs but thats neither here nor there. I’m glad David Stern held strong and eventhough this suspension is prob gonna have a serious impact on the rest of the matchup, its nobodys fault but stoudemire and diaw’s (and their coaches for letting it happen) for leaving the bench.
9 times outta 10 the star player gets to bend or break all the rules. Because Amare is a star, the NBA is just suppose to forget about the rule? Its a stupid rule, but its a rule thats the main point. If this was Jalen Rose and Boris Diaw nobody would be saying shit against it and everybody would be saying, well a rules a rule.
If a precedent was set by suspending dirty Bruce Bowen earlier for any of the shit he’s done, maybe it wouldn’t of gotten to this point. If Amare was allowed to play tonight, whats to stop ANYONE from questioned every single rule in the nba when someone gets suspended or fined by the league? Amare and Diaw both should know the rule and should of followed the rule, but they didn’t and now they are paying the price.
I hate that these guys r suspended, but sucks, this is retarded rule and it hurts the suns in every way imaginable but until this rule is abolished or changed this is a good reminder to all nba players that when a fight breaks out, they gotta keep their asses on the bench.
And one more thing. I have stephen A smith, hes a loud mouth piece of shit who is so unreasonably biased on all his stupid opinions. But I fucking love charles barkey. He said it best….after bruce bowen kneed nash in the nuts and stepped on amare’s ankle, barkey said phoenix should of sent a scrub in and show bowen and the spurs that their star players r not to be fucked with. Just like in baseball, you hit my guy, I’m gonna hit yours. Simple as that, in my mind, thats how you counteract a dirty player on the opposing team.
Just imagine it the spurs were playing the bad boys of Detroit back in the day and this shit happened to Isiah Thomas. I think Bruce Bowen might of been killed on the court.
1. Duncan or Malone?
2. Nash or Stockton?
3. Flummer or Zimmer?
4. Dirk or Pippen?
5. Baron Davis or Tim Hardaway?
6. Parker or Cassell?
7. Reggie Miller or Kobe Bryant?
8. Marion or Elliott?
9. Stoudemire or Kemp?
10. Sheed or Horry (prime)
What player from ITS past would each contender love to get back via time machine most?
Jazz: Hornacek
Warriors: Rick Barry
Suns: Charles Barkley
Spurs: Elliott
Rockets: Cassell
Bulls: Scottie Pippen
Pistons: Bill Laimbeer
Cavs: Brad Daugherty
Nets: Coleman
Heat: Glen Rice
Jazz: Miller
Warriors: David Robinson
Suns: Rodman
Spurs: Pippen
Rockets: Jason Kidd
Bulls: Karl Malone
Pistons: Patrick Ewing
Cavs: Shaq
Nets: Hakeem Olajuwon
Heat: Ray Allen
While watching the Cavs-Nets game tonight, I couldn’t help but start thinking about the Hornets for next year (I know, I’m crazy…but, like Beyonce, I am so Crazy in Love with the Hornets!). The Hornets have yet to make the Playoffs since moving to New Orleans and the Western Conference, but I am optimistic heading into the 2007-2008 season. For starters, they have one of the best young PG in the league in Chris Paul. Secondly, they have one of the most ferocious big men in the league, a complete man-beast when it comes to rebounds and defense, in Tyson Chandler. They also have a guy in Peja Stojakovic who is as good of a shooter as anyone in the league, when healthy. But, most importantly, the Hornets possess a stud PF in David West; yes, you read that correct, I think that David West is a stud!
West was one of those great college basketball players while at Xavier, a guy who stayed in school all 4 years. The Hornets, who were picking in the middle of the 1st Round, were fortunate enough to pick up West when they did, figuring that at the very least he would be able to eventually slide into the role that was being held by P.J. Brown. But it has become apparent to me that West is no P.J.; somehow, he is even better! And if you don’t believe me, well then ask Elton Brand, considered to be one of the top PF in the game and a guy who was completely schooled by West and his Hornets teammates in the final game of the Regular Season, a game which the Clippers needed in order to make the Playoffs (speaking of which, how much different might these NBA Playoffs look if it were the Clippers and not the Warriors that captured the 8th seed out West?).
While relaxing on my porcelain throne, I was trying to decide where West fits in terms of Best PF in the NBA. My thoughts:
There are 3 that I believe are heads and shoulders above everyone else: Tim Duncan (#1), Dirk Nowitzki (#2), and Kevin Garnett (#3). From there, I believe that there are another 3 who are on the cusp of greatness: Carlos Boozer (#4), Chris Bosh (#5), Elton Brand (#6). #7 on my list of the top PF in the league is held by a guy who is as talented as anyone but has suffered through a slew of recent injuries: Jermaine O’Neal. Coming in at #8 is a guy who goes largely unnoticed to everyone not named Brad Wright, who found a great article on the man here: http://www.oregonlive.com/pdfs/blazers/zach_memo092006.pdf; that man, of course, is Zach Randolph. #9 is a guy who plays, perhaps, 3rd fiddle on his own team, but nevertheless gets the slight nod over my main man David West because he has tasted the Playoffs already: Antawn Jamison. Rounding out the Top 10 is West, who I have slotted in right above Rasheed Wallace, who is clearly on the downside of what has been a solid NBA career.
A recap of my PF Rankings:
1. Duncan
2. Nowitzki
3. Garnett
4. Boozer
5. Bosh
6. Brand
7. O’Neal
8. Randolph
9. Jamison
10. West
11. Wallace
The beauty of West is the fact that he theoretically is only getting better, which should push him up the list quicker than having him fall farther down. You figure that Jamison is, at best, the 2nd best player on his team (Gil, of course, is #1), and Randolph is just such a “Canadian” that you know he will never live up to his potential (although a change of scenery did Rasheed mighty good). J-O’Neal seems to be heading on the downside of his career, and I have clearly stated how West dominated Brand in the Regular Season Finale (West, you may recall, went for 32 and 9 while Brand managed only 11 and 5 in a must-win).
The point that I am trying to make in all of this is that David West, in my opinion, is capable of becoming a Top 5 PF in the NBA, which should definitely be good enough to get my Hornets back into the Playoffs, where they belong. Who knows? Maybe Paul and West will lead the Hornets next year, as Williams and Boozer have led the Jazz this year, the whole way to the Western Conference Finals?!?!
-great rankings
-I disagree on only a few- Stockon over Nash, Elliott over Marion and Cassell over Parker.
-I hate Steven A. Smith. It’s like he needs to prove how intelligent he is with every sentence. “See I know big words and use them in context!!!!!”
-Love Barkley
-Love Bowen
-Like the Hornets
Predictions: I really want to see LeBron be the man, step up, and beat the Pistons. But I don’t see it happening…I echo Dean’s sentiments with PISTONS IN FIVE. As for the West, it’s so hard to pick against the Spurs. But something tells me that the Jazz are a team of destiny, and as much as I hate to admit it, I once again am in agreement with Dean: JAZZ IN SEVEN.
It’s been awhile but I’m back. Great NBA discussions. I’ll try not to dwell on anything but just make my comments.
Joey stated my favorite point from the entire Amare-Diaw argument. 14 players on bench, 2 left.
Just as Raible gave the example of Sidney Crosby and Tie Domi, it also comes to mind in NFL when one bozo does something stupid but instead of letting it go, a bozo from the opposing team breaks a rule in reacting. Both are penalized.
People that point to Amare and Diaw stopping immediately. Do they realize absolutely nothing happened other than a hard foul? Horry didn’t even react. He wasn’t tryign to fight anyone. If someone 6′10 260 lbs runs into someone 6′0 160 lbs, they’re probably going to go flying. I don’t even think Horry’s foul was that bad. We’ll never know, but if a fight broke out, Amare and Diaw might not have stopped (and Diaw would have killed a lot of people with his bare-hands)
Just as something different, does anyone have any thoughts on suspensions in the playoffs not being enforced until the following regular season? Just thinking out loud, so I’d like opinions. But it’s kind of a middle ground. Someone breaks a rule, they are penalized. But it doesn’t change anything in a pivotal playoff series.
Hakeem, Thorpe and Horry is definitely the best of those frontcourts! Cmon Raibs! THIRD? Hakeem is by far the best of anyone in that list. While Larry Johnson statistically might have been the best PF, I think Oakley or Thorpe’s size and defense would have outplayed Johnson in a series (And LJ was my boy!). Horry at SF was just as good as Mason and better than Gill.
Dean, loved the Zimmer, Flummer and Markovich references.
I’m gonna tie in my previous point about Thorpe or Oakley vs LJ, Raible’s obsession with David West, and PF’s in general. I think with any position you must look deeper than just stats. Of course there is nothing better than a Tim Duncan or Karl Malone. The elite PF’s are clearly better than any other PF. It’s like stating 6 is greatest than 2. But after that top group, in a lot of circumstances I’d rather take the solid pf over the poor man’s superstar. When I think solid PF I think of Oakley, Ho Grant, Thorpe, Rasheed Wallace. When I think of poor man’s superstar i think of Antoine Walker (in Boston), Kenyon Martin (in NJ) and Zach Randolph. I feel like sure Zach Randolph can give you 20 and 10, but he’s also giving up 30 and 15. He can’t pass and he’s not a winner. If you want a guy to lead your Lottery team in scoring, take Randolph. If you want a guy that averages 15 but plays big D, can hit the big shot and make the smart pass, take Rasheed. Sure, Rasheed is my boy, but I’d much rather have the latter. It’s like Raja Bell bein better than Larry Hughes at SG or Tayshaun Prince bein better than Paul Pierce at SF. I’m still not sure where David West fits. I don’t think he does anything wrong, so I’m not putting him in a category with Toine, Kenyon or Randolph. Udonis Haslem comes to mind as a solid pf but he’s a little undersized himself. Until proven otherwise I’d have to give West the benefit of the doubt there. I think West willl have better regular season stats than Sheed, but would he outplay Sheed in a playoff series? That I can’t say Yes to.
I wish I would have commented before the series but I really thought the Cavs would make this a better series than people were giving them credit for. The reasons? I love the 4 man combination of Z, Varejao, Gooden and Donyell. And I love the big backcourt of Sasha and Hughes. A huge difference than starting Eric Snow. Billups usually has a size advantage at PG but will not in this series. Tayshaun is as tough a defender as anyone and will make things tough on LeBron. I don’t like predicting things as I could see a sweetp but 4 close games or the Cavs winning in 7, but I just think it’s going to be a good series.
I also favor the Spurs over the Jazz but think it’s going to be a great series.
Anyone realize how HUGE the Lottery is tomorrow? You can talk about building a great team until your blue in the face but is there really anything better than simply getting lucky in the lottery? Not even saying the number 1 pick, but just an absolute superstar. Look at the past 20 years.
-Heat (Wade and Shaq)
-Spurs (Duncan and Robinson)
-Lakers (Shaq and Kobe)
-Bulls (Jordan)
-Rockets (Hakeem)
-Pistons of 80s (Isiah)
-Lakers (Magic)
-Celtics (Bird)
Those teams account for every championship in the past 23 years but one, the 2004 Detroit Pistons. That’s it. That’s the only team in the past 23 years that has won a championship without a top 5 player in the game (Maybe Isiah is stretching it, but he was good and I was young). What this leads me to, is this year’s draft has TWO players that each COULD be a TOP 5 player in the NBA. It’s like Sidney Crosby to the Pens. LeBron to the Cavs. The two teams that get the top two picks this year will affect the landscape of the NBA for the next 15 years (sound Walton-like?!?!?)
Here’s another thing that really pisses me off about the Jazz-Spurs series. I’m driving home from Baltimore and texting The Frankus about the game. He says Duncan is abusing Collins. I ask, “No Boozer on Duncan?” He says, “No, don’t wanna get in foul trouble.” Does anyone else question the fouling out concept in basketball? This would be like Denver playing Carolina in the Super Bowl and not having Champ Bailey guard Steve Smith, because of Champ gets a few touch penalties, he’ll be out of the game. I think in college basketball and pro basketball foul trouble hurts the game more than it helps it. How many games did Oden, Hibbert, Horford, and Joakim play 20 minutes because of touch fouls? And now we’re in the NBA playoffs and Boozer can’t guard Duncan because of foul trouble? Cmon! I think college should look into at least 6 fouls. And with NBA, I don’t know if you hand out technicals with someone’s 7th foul and so on. Or give the ball back, or something. But I just think when you look into no other sport ejecting someone due to penalties (not including soccer), this could be something to make the game better. Isn’t it funny in general how different all sports treat a penalty?
At least I didn’t dwell on anything! Hopin for huge, open-minded but opinionated replies including questions back to me if you disagree or agree! I hated how the NBA playoffs discussion turned. Let’s be civil!
Well, you hit on one of the biggest myths that plagues the analysis and discussion of the game of basketball. The one that says you can measure a player by how much he scores.
Look at the olympic team. How can we lose? Every guy can put up 30! We’ll score 210 points per game!!! Wait, one problem, there’s only one ball.
Imagine baseball, except you could determine which of your players performed which roles. You could bat Barry Bonds every AB, and position Omar Visquel to get all the groundballs. That’s an exaggerrated version of what happens in basketball. Sure, the defense or the situation can force other players to take shots and fight for rebounds, but the point is that competent coaches can put players with unique talents and shortcomings in positions to succeed, and keep them away from spots where they will be exposed.
How many players do you honestly think could score 25 points tomorrow if they and their team wanted them to? Well over half the league by my estimation. That’s not what wins games. In baseball you need as many hitters as you can to be offensively productive because they all bat proportionally. But if you could “pass” to whoever you wanted to, you might just want a guy like Freddy Sanchez, a guy like Manny Ramirez, and a bunch of Ozzie Smiths and Jose Linds. In basketball it doesn’t help you to stockpile as many versatile scorers as you can, like that Blazers team that everyone hated. You get a shooter, a scorer, and some guys to play defense, rebound, and get the ball up the court.
The funny thing about this whole joke is that NBA executives don’t even get it. Do you think the Suns and Spurs would trade Bell or Bowen for Antoine Walker? Of course not. They have experienced the benefit of such role players and realize that it’s a lot easier to dig up a guy to score a fifth of their points on a fourth of your shots than it is to find an on-ball defender. Yet in free agency, where teams truely demonstrate how much they value players, Walker ($7,773,000) was given only slightly less (about 5%) than Bell ($4,500,000) and Bowen ($3,750,000) combined.
When you look at the teams that win championships you’ll see the fusion of two concepts that were just brought up- this one regarding role players, and the superstar component. That second part really is the trick, but once you have it, the first part becomes as easy as it is important. Good role players want to play with superstars, and the low price tag that they come with represents the inefficiency, or the moneyball concept, of professional basketball.
The recipie for the two teams lucky enough to get Oden and Durant is pretty simple. It may not happen over night, or in the order you’d like, but you have a few years until your superstar peaks anyway. Look for that perfect sidekick and jump on him when you find him. Then go get those role players. Don’t be afraid to tie up most of your payroll on your two big guns, but make sure they are the right ones. After all Marbury has a player option for $20M next year which is enough to pay for Bowen, Shane Battier, PJ Brown and Steve Blake.
*Interesting point about the best not gurding each other. After some consideration I still like the foul outs but its an interesting dilema. Do we think that is the only, or main thing stopping stars from getting tough defensive assignments?
**Is the draft lotto tonight?
***Is Sasha that dud that looks like an eastern euro hitman?
****It is pretty obvious that the Rockets frontcourt tops that list in my book, but the Knicks were pretty hardcore as well. The Hornets were nice but were the worst defensively.
*****Considering the tone of this conversation, which players do would compose the team you would send to play a team of aliens in hoops, assuming they must be from the 90s or later.
With only so many shots, defense has to be at a premium.
My 5:
PG Stockton
SG Jordan
SF Pippen
PF Duncan
C Hakeem
I take it that we are only really talking about guys from our lifetime, so here goes nothing…
PG: Billups
SG: Jordan
SF: Pippen
PF: Rodman
C: Mourning
Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman played well enough together that their team won more regular season games than any team in history. Give me Zo at the 5 for his defense and intensity. As for my PG, remember the fact that Jordan never really played with a good one, and the fact that the guys he did play with (Armstrong, Kerr, etc.) all could shoot the 3. With that said, I’d go with Billups as my PG because he clearly doesn’t mind playing on a team where he isn’t necessarily the main option. Furthermore, Chauncey always seems to hit the big shot, which I like.
Two things I thought you brought up that were interesting were the suspensions and foul outs.
First, I kind of like the idea of suspensions not being enforced until the following regular season, but I think that it takes away any harshness of a penalty. I mean how is a team really penalized if a player is suspended for a game or two during game one or two of the following year. Hell players sit out all the time, so I think that a suspension needs to be served contigent of when it occurs. Now one thing you could do though is multiply the suspension by 5 if you wanted to do it the following year. So a 1 game suspension becomes a 5 gamer, a 2 becomes a 10 gamer and so on and so forth.
As for the topic of foul outs I definitely think the college game could do good by looking in to 6 fouls before you are out, however I think that the NBA is fine. The way I look at it is if they went to unlimited fouls with a penalty what would stop the Hack a Shaq theory? Even if the other team got two shots and the ball it might cancel out if Shaq or Big Ben doesn’t hit from the charity stripe. Moreover, in recent memory how many top flight players have fouled out of a big game? Just a question, but everytime I watch the NBA game it seems to me that they are a little more lax in calling fouls against their “STARS,” which kind of plays into my whole NBA consipracy theory that the referees dictate the game until the last half of the 4th quarter to try to keep it close if they can. Seriously, I feel like I don’t have to watch much more of an NBA game than that to pick up the excitement. Now your foul out idea was in lue of a comment about Duncan not guarding Boozer, but if there were unlimited fouls, do you think he’d be guarding him anyway? I think more than just fouls go into it. Think about the fatigue that would factor in if Kobe had to guard Rip Hamilton, or Duncan had to guard Dirk, and so on and so forth. I understand it would be sweet to see two titans matchup, but why neutralize your best player? I think it goes deeper than foul trouble.
You’re probably right about the suspensions. I’m not sure if I feel like my postponing til the following season is a slam dunk or not. I’ve also wondered if the player changed teams and things like that. It’d still be penalizing the actual player but nonetheless has an odd feel to it. Making a playoff penalty harsher but postponing it til the following season would be good. I guess the bottom line is whether it’s a justified suspension or not, just as I hate injuries in the playoffs, I also hate suspensions. In the playoffs I like one team’s best 12 vs the other teams best 12.
To the foul outs. You bring up a lot of valid points. I honestly don’t think any of us can really answer if stars would guard stars more often because we don’t actually know the reasons they don’t. No star in the world might EVER guard Richard Hamilton! BUT, if 50% of the time the marquee matchup doesn’t happen because of fatigue and the other 50% of the time it’s because of foul trouble, then we’d get a lot of better matchups. While the numbers are estimates, the theory is not. It COULDN’T get worse. If it EVER goes into consideration, it wouldn’t anymore.
My other thing is while you might be accurate questioning how often a star player even fouls out, I think it goes far more into just the foul out. It’s the quick 2 fouls in the first minute of the game that leads to the next 23 minutes on the bench. That player might not foul out, but he missed a lot of time for the fear of the foul out. While it might be his fault for fouling, it might also be the refs.
Also, is it really right for a star player not to get a foul called on him because the ref wants him in the game? Without foul outs, the refs might be more fair.
If you awarded 2 foul shots and the ball on a players 7th foul and beyond, I see no way, shape, or form a team would think it’s a good strategy to foul Shaq. He’d go to the line, maybe make 1-2 for a free point and then they’d get the ball again for 24 more seconds. Even if he made zero, a player on the opposite team would get a foul, a team foul would be added, and Shaq’s team would have the ball right back where they started.
It wouldn’t necessary be a slam dunk to continue playing a player with more than 6 fouls. A coach might not feel it’s justified risking it, so it’s not like Danny Fortson would be out there playing 40 minutes with 22 fouls.
I think you made good arguments but looking forward to seeing what you think of my rebuttals?
I like Raible’s East but will make two changes. Dwade over Vince. I don’t think Vince is a winner. Plus I feel the Dwade and LeBron combo is ideal and let’s LeBron play to his strengths. Kidd gets the nod over Billups. His ability to dictate the game and be nine steps ahead of the other team is incredible. I love how Tayshaun fits a team but can’t put him over LeBron. Sheed is my hero and my ideal PF for a team like this. Dwight Howard is a manchild but I’m goin with the Diesel. Shaq’s days are numbered and DHoward’s are clearly ahead of him, but there’s still no one in the game like Shaq. On a team like this I feel like he can be a presence unlike any other. For one series and a 4th/5th option, I’ll still take The Diesel. Plus, it was close so might as well go with something different.
PG Jason Kidd
SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James
PF Rasheed Wallace
C Shaquille O’Neal
Now the West, I was just about to put out the following lineup out
PG Deron Williams
SG Raja Bell
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Kevin Garnett
C Tim Duncan
But then realized KG wouldn’t be eligible. I think he’s one of the keys to making that lineup work so without him I don’t know if I can simply replace him with a Yao, Amare or Boozer. I really like it though.
I feel like Steve Nash is the Michael Vick of the NBA. Before anyone defends Nash, I simply mean that when you take one of these guys as your signal callers, you’re commiting yourself to a totally different style of play. I don’t want to play the run and gun style and want at least a little defense out of my PG. Therefore I pass on Nash. Real quick on Nash, I almost feel like if I take him, I keep Bell, Marion, and Amare and replace Diaw with a Duncan, Kobe, or TMac and just say bring it!
I was so hooked on my original lineup I’m not sure where to go from here. I’m thinking gotta have Duncan and Kobe. I still like Deron as my PG. Tony Parker would be my second choice.
For the two final spots we’ll talk about the big men first. I love Boozer beside Duncan but still tryin to think if they’re too similar. Amare and Duncan would be great compliments. Yao and Duncan would be dominating but perhaps too slow? I understand Raible’s idea of Okur and Duncan but I want more defense than Okur gives. I think in the end I’m going with Boozer. I think Boozer could be a workman like PF that does all the dirty work but shine when needed.
At SF, I love Lamar Odom but I’m not sure if I’m convinced he’s done enough in his career to have proven he can be the West’s Rasheed. Carmelo is tempting but I just really don’t like him. Bowen is always an option for me and could always guard the opponents top defender. Thought about my boy Raja Bell with Kobe at SF but think there’s too many good options to be trying something like that. TMac and Kobe would be sick but not sure how they would mesh. Battier is another perfect fit besides Kobe. Diaw and Marion are also both great options for the SF position. Josh Howard can’t be forgotten. Man, so many good fits. I guess you simply cannot go wrong. I want to go with Bowen just because I think he’s the perfect fit. But I also wonder if any of these guys, if not all of these guys, would be even better fits, but just aren’t on the Spurs so we aren’t sure of that.
Finally
PG Deron Williams
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Carlos Boozer
C Tim Duncan
Why Bowen? It’s one playoffs and he’s just too proven. And because Raible just called me and needs help in his bathroom and I must hurry to his house.
One quick note. Notice three teams that stand out with by far the most players that were candidates for these teams? Detroit, San Antonio and Phoenix.
I was going to throw out the same western lineup as Haver’s final choice. With Kobe on the team there’s no need to replace Bowen with a better scorer. Duncan and Boozer would be a matchup nightmare that I don’t think could possibly be stopped- and they don’t sacrifice an inch on the boards or on defense. Deron Williams is my favorite PG in the league right now. Kobe, Duncan and Bowen are all awesome on-ball defenders, and Kobe, Duncan, Boozer, and Williams would all cause a matchup problem at the other end. I’m sure there are decent arguments for other players but this is my lineup 100%.
In the east I think the Pistons would beat an all-star team of the rest of the conference.
Earlier I brought up role players and Dean followed with some great points that I couldn’t have agreed with any more. It really is exactly like Money Ball where other stats are valued more for contracts and you can find some great bargains in the NBA for great role players.
I think one great thing to do is to look at players that have great role playing potential but aren’t on a team to show it. Shane Battier was of no use on a poor Grizzlies team and the Rockets went and got him (although not cheap it still looks worth it). Derek Fisher was a great player for the Lakers for so many years. Went to the Warriors and was non-existent. A great move by the Jazz to get him as their backup point guard. I’ve mentioned Raja Bell to the Suns before but also what an eye for talent to include Boris Diaw in the Joe Johnson trade. Anyway, I could list a few other guys but I want to mention some free agents that I think could be great fits for cheap.
-DeShawn Stevenson-Great defender. 40% from 3 in 07. 26 years old. I actually like him with all those other scorers on the Wizards but think he could be a Raja Bell type of player on another team as well.
-Luke Walton-Knows what it’s like to be on bigtime teams and in the spotlight. Smart player and great passer. 27 years-old.
-Desmond Mason-Constantly thought of as undersized but constantly produces. Absolutely horrible shooter, but on the right team with a shooting point guard and/or shooting small forward, I think he provides a nice role.
-Steve Blake-A guy Dean previously mentioned. Good size, smart, pass-first player. Like him for a team that needs direction or even a team with a shoot first PG that Blake can not only backup but let slide to the 2 for a little.
-Matt Barnes-He played well enough in the playoffs that you gotta watchif his salary rises. Also have to worry about a player from a run and gun system fitting into a regular scheme. But, he’s young, athletic, very aggressive and a nice shooter.
-Ruben Patterson-Had no idea he averaged 15 a game last season, a career high. Works hard, aggressive, doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore. Can’t shoot but same thing as Mason applies, nice fit on a team with other shooters. Will be 32 but a cheap 2-3 year contract might not be bad.
-Mikki Moore-I always feel like when a guy like Moore finally finds a home it’s stupid to leave that home and once again risk sucking. I think Moore needs to stay in New Jersey where he knows he fits.
-Gerald Wallace-Could actually get a huge contract so he doesn’t exactly fit into this category but he fits the bill of a player on a horrible team that could be a wonderful fit on a good one. Will only turn 25 this Summer.
-Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao are actually both restricted free agents. Reminds me of Barbosa and Diaw last year. Don’t want to overpay but might have to to keep two integral parts of the puzzle. Could another team fall in love with one of these guys and do the overpaying? Yes. And while I love both players, have to be careful of the contract.
If I were a GM I would do whatever I could to get a franchise big man. Brand or Boozer would be fine although Duncan or Howard would be lovely. Then I’d look to add a top young point guard, ideally Chris Paul or Deron Williams.
Then I would fill out my roster from players from this list, depending on scheme and availability. I especially liked the role you described for Steve Blake. One of my favorite strategies is using a secondary PG or a Pippen-style point-forward to free up my star guard to make plays. I’ve always felt that using the PG bring the ball up hinders many offenses. I’d rather position him to receive the first pass in a spot to work the two-man game with my featured post player, run a pick and roll from the wing, or drive/post up Mark Jackson-style. Naturally some teams would be better served doing something different, but this would be my preference if my roster allowed.
Every team also needs grunts on the perimeter and in the paint. I’d want exactly Bruce Bowen and Dennis Rodman in those roles in my dream scenario.
In a perfect world you would compliment your Bowen with a scorer at either the two or the three. However, filling out a roster with the traditional point guard, shooting guard, small fwd, ect. is overrated. If Bowen guards your point guard and plays on the wing on offense, what position does he play? The real question is- why does it matter? A bigger issue- is the collection of players you put out there capable of matching up defensively with the other team’s talent? Still, if you could have an Alan Houston/Latrell Sprewell-type shooting guard it would be nice.
Assuming you have Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, or Chris Paul and Elton Brand, you need to add a grinding power forward/center, a shutdown perimeter player, and a shooter/slasher. For the olympic team I think this is exactly how you’d want it- Williams, Redd, Battier, Brand, Duncan. To be more realistic, let’s exclude the top tier role players, such as Bell, Bowen, and Battier, and eliminate the possibility of a third all-star player. I’m definitely taking Steve Blake to perform the role Haver outlined. Derek Fisher would be nice too if you have the money to spend.
From there who do you guys want on the team? Would it change if the point guard is Paul or Williams? What about if the forward is Duncan or Howard instead of Boozer or Brand?
Also…
-The Pistons comment was meant as a joke obviously, but the funny thing is that they could probably keep it close against just about any team, although winning is another story. Not sure how they would fare against those three lineups- what do you guys think?
-Does anyone else think Barbosa-to-the-Lakers is perfect for both sides?
-This decade looks like the reverse of the last, with the Duke pro players outplaying the Duke college players. Boozer, Brand, and Battier were all mentioned as awesome players in this post.
Dean those are great thoughts and it is funny how the tides have turned at Duke. But I’m gonna change gears a little. On our fantasy baseball site Raible and I have had some great discussions on NBA trades. I’m starting to think we’re boring most of the people in the league and that that type of factual information and talk should done be on this site. We obviously still can discuss the ongoing NBA…
1. Spurs-Wow
2. LeBron-Wow
3. Jazz-Still love your future
4. Pistons-If they win I’ll almost be more upset at them than if they lose. Seems like they always need a kick in the ass to perform.
…….but I’d like to discuss trade rumors on this site.
My new idea.
Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Started thinking of this after the KG and Jermaine O’Neal rumors. Obviously KG is the head of that class but who you value more, O’Neal or Gasol, could go either way. I still like my Pacers trades that I came up with but I’m gonna throw out one for Gasol. Instead of starting with a small deal and then building up, I’m gonna hit you with a knockout punch right off the bat.
LAKERS GET
Pau Gasol (4 yrs 63 mil left)
Damon Stoudamire (2 yrs 9 mil left)
Brian Cardinal (3 yrs 19 mil left)
2007 1st round pick (4th overall)
GRIZZLIES GET
Lamar Odom (2 yrs 28 mil left)
Andrew Bynum (3 yrs 9 mil left)
Kwame Brown (1 yr 9 mil left)
Sasha Vujacic (2 yrs 4 mil left)
BAM!
WHY THE LAKERS DO IT……
PG Damon Stoudamire, Jordan Farmar
SG Kobe Bryant, Maurice Evans
SF Luke Walton (IF THEY RESIGN HIM), Vlad Radmanovic
PF Ronny Turiaf, Brian Cardinal
C Pau Gasol, Brian Cook
Plus the 4th overall pick. I love a few options here.
a. Al Horford-Could be a 20 and 10 staple. I think he could start immediately and draw the tougher defensive assignment. He, along with the next two Gators I’ll talk about are winners.
b. Corey Brewer-Could there be a better compliment to Kobe playing Small Forward?
c. Joakim Noah-Could do all of the little things next to Gasol and could compliment Gasol better than Horford does.
d. Mike Conley-Hello point guard for the next 12 years!
e. Brandan Wright-Probably my last option, just because if you trade Andrew Bynum away, I think you want a guy more ready. But Wright’s ceiling is as high as anyone’s and could run, block shots, and fit into the team game as well as anyone.
The Lakers might handicap themselves a little bit with the salaries they are taking in compared to the ones they are giving away. However, you can also look at them now being a complete team and saying, “Here ya go Kobe, this is the team that you’ll have for the prime of your career. We think it’s enough to get it done. Show us what you got.”
WHY THE GRIZZLIES DO IT
PG Kyle Lowry, Sasha Vujacic
SG Mike Miller, Tarence Kinsey
SF Rudy Gay, Dahntay Jones
PF Lamar Odom, Hakim Warrick, Stromile Swift
C Andrew Bynum, Kwame Brown, Alexander Johnson
Odom and Miller are the two oldest players at 27 yrs of age. Mike Miller would be the only player on the team signed for more than 2 years that makes over 4 million a year. The youth and flexibility they would have because of this trade would be incredible. They are so young that giving up the 4th overall pick wouldn’t be a big deal and you could look at it as drafting Bynum anyway.
I tend to think the deal is a slam dunk for the Grizzlies. I think if you look at the Lakers lineup at first glance you might not think it’s enough, but after you add the 4th and 19th picks to the roster it completely changes things. Giving up Bynum is tough, but I feel like it’s Darko on the Pistons all over again. A project is taken by a team that simply can’t afford to wait the 5 years necessary to develop. Whoever the Lakers took at #4 could instantly fit better into their current plans.
Funny I called that a slam dunk for the Grizzlies but a few of the people I discussed it with thought the Grizz weren’t getting enough in return. I probably shouldn’t have said slam dunk, but if that is the case, what about the Lakers throwing in their first round pick this year as well?
ANOTHER TRADE IDEA (THAT WORKS!!!!!)
PISTONS GET
Shawn Marion (2 yrs 33 mil left)
Marcus Banks (4 yrs 17 mil left)
Suns first round pick (24th OR 29th overall)
SUNS GET
Rasheed Wallace (2 yrs 26 mil left)
Lindsey Hunter (1 yr 2 mil left)
Carlos Delfino (2 yr 5 mil left)
Amir Johnson (resigned for a 1 yr deal for 800k)
BAM! (I really feel like Emerill!)
I’d say the main reason this trade would happen is if both teams wanted to simply change things up. The Pistons especially seem like they need to make some kind of change. The Suns still haven’t had a completely normal playoffs (2005-Joe Johnson hurt, 2006-Amare out, 2007-Nash’s nose f’d up in game 1 and the Amare/Diaw suspensions) but nonetheless could start to press. You also seem to constantly hear that they want to cut payroll. You might not think the Pistons should be getting the first round pick in this deal, but I think that’s how much the Suns would like to give up Marcus Banks.
I know Raible loves Shawn Marion on the Suns but trading for Sheed makes sense. You hate to gear up for one team but Sheed would guard Duncan and add toughness and size. He can shoot the 3 ball and be a nice compliment to Amare. He takes a little flash away from the Suns but the Suns might want that. Hunter could actually be a nice backup to Nash and is in the last year of his deal. Delfino is an athletic player that could fit a lot better into the Suns plans than the Pistons. They’d still keep one of their first rounders.
PG-Nash, Hunter
SG-Bell, Barbosa
SF-Diaw, Delfino, J Jones
PF-Sheed, A Johnson
C-Amare, K Thomas
After watching game 6 of the Eastern conference finals I think it’s easy to see why the Pistons would want to trade Sheed. Marion is 3 years younger than Sheed and gives the Pistons a shot in the arm, providing a different look than basically anyone in the game. He might not be your typical Eastern conference PF, but who in the East do they really need a big PF to match up against? Marcus Banks should be every bit as good as Hunter and it could be worth taking on his salary to add a 2nd first round pick in this draft.
PG-Billups (i’ll assume they resign him), Banks
SG-Rip, F Murray
SF-Prince, Dupree
PF-Marion, Maxiell
C-Webber, McDyess, Nazr
They look thin but do they really look any worse? Don’t forget they’d add 2 first rounders to this lineup.
I like this trade for both sides (of course I do, I made it up!!!!)
One thing before I go, I don’t follow the NBA that much, so I might be off base sometimes because I don’t know how good/bad/expensive/injuy-prone some fringe might be.
I have a friend whose philoshophy is drafting polished players from winning programs. The best example right now is in Chicago with Hinrich, Gordon, Duhon and Deng. The idea being that they are coachable, have been one of many options before, and know how to execute well in conditions similar to the NBA playoffs- Duke-UNC, Syracuse-UConn, etc. As I’ve said before I think the easiest basketball commodity to find is what I call non-situational scoring- in other words all the points that somehow get put up during the game without much strategy or drama. The truely important jobs are guarding the big man, spelling the point guard, and hitting the three off the designed play at the end game.
I think this philoshophy makes even more sense when you analyze a team that already has its framework. On a team that has no framework you don’t really have roles so you feel pressured to simply acquire talent in any form. This is a tough situation to perform well in. When you have Jordan and Pippen or Stockton and Malone you have framework. The offensive strategy is already in place and the bulk of the scoring is already accounted for. As a player you know what your job is- hit the open three, guard the PF opposite Malone, or run the offense so the PG can move to the 2.
On a team like Memphis there aren’t ready-made slots to plug in established role players. The offensive strategy hasn’t been finalized and the bulk of the scoring hasn’t been accounted for. Management is still looking for the faces of the team, the guys who will make the Grizzlies the Grizzlies.
A team with at least partial framework, like the Lakers, is looking for different guys. The guys who established themselves at major college programs also established what their strenghts are and what niche they can fill. It isn’t as painless to pass on a high ceiling prospect for a nice grunt when you have 35 points a game in the bank. You can focus instead on what’s missing- a distributor, a shooter, a brusier, a point forward. And since you know how you’re going to try to win- by running, the pick and roll, the triangle- you know what you want those pieces to look like.
For that reason I liked the LA-Memphis trade proposal at first glance. All those Florida guys sounded great in LA even though they might not be all that exciting for Memphis. I don’t really like Gasol there for some reason, but I’m not really sure why.
Like it or not Kobe Bryant is basically Michael Jordan. He’s an unstopable scorer from anywhere, he’s a tenacious defender, and he’s driven to be legendary. He may or may not have whatever it is that made Jordan Jordan, but he’s got enough that you can try to duplicate Michael’s supporting cast and run with it. The guys that helped Jordan most were Pippen and Grant/Rodman. They always had someone to nail the late jumper too, but those guys are very easy to sign when you are a contender.
With that in mind I can understand why the Lakers are trying to make Odom work. But I don’t think Bynum and Brown are fits for them at all. This team needs projects less than anyone. Right now I think LA needs to get a power forward that can do all the things good power forwards do- rebound, defend and bang a few buckets. I’m not that worried about the point guard. It would have been nice to line up Kidd or Bibby, but I think that’s a luxury.
So………..I think every Laker is disposible (although I think Walton is part of the solution). I also think they need a well rounded power forward first and foremost, ideally a Pippen clone next, and eventually someone to stroke the late jumper when they triple team Kobe.
Lakers must do something. They have arguably the best player in the game and in are in freakin Los Angeles. Recreating the 1990s Chicago Bulls could be tough but they must make some moves. I feel they are in the position to make a few things happen. I didn’t like the Radmanovic signing last year but I don’t really mind him as a player. I just also like Lamar Odom and Luke Walton at SF. Since Radman’s contract basically means he’ll be on the team (unless he’s a throw in in a big deal) they need to start to do one of three things here
1. Move Odom to PF
2. Trade Odom
3. Don’t resign Walton
A 2nd (not in any order) move they must do is with Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. They are both centers. They need one of them at the most, maybe neither. Even if you hate Kwame, he’s appealing in a trade because he’s in the last year of his deal that pays 9 mil. They might want to keep Bynum, but as I’ve stated before, this is a team that simply cannot wait. The thing about trading Bynum is his stock is so high, you’re basically getting value back as if he already does average 17 and 10.
Thirdly, they CANT resign Smush Parker. That is addition by subtraction right there.
A package of Odom, Kwame and Bynum really should get something real big in return. Joneal, Gasol, even KG. Maybe someone not ever mentioned. In this situation you resign Walton and go with him and Radman at SF. Probably don’t have enough other pieces to make a splash for someone else.
I don’t have an exact player in mind, but Kwame, Bynum and a first rounder should be able to get an established center in return. Could resign Walton and play Odom at the 4 beside the new center.
I’ve actually seen rumors of Kwame for Marcus Camby. Camby is a center, plays defense, rebounds and can hit the 18 footer. Could be a great fit. If the trade goes down that way, the Lakers could stay as is, or would still have Odom, Bynum and their first round pick to make another trade.
Besides trading for a big man, I think an intriguing player here is Shawn Marion. I think it’d have to be a 3 team deal with Odom going to that 3rd team and the Suns getting someone pretty good in return. Raible made an interesting comparison of Marion to Pippen one day. At first I thought it couldn’t be any further off, but the more I thought, the more I can see Marion as a new age type of Pippen. Or at least some similarities. Marion could theoretically be a top 10 player in the NBA but MUST be the 2nd fiddle. He can do a lot of things to compliment a star, especially a star at shooting guard like Kobe.
One more thing I’ll mention is with the NBA Finals being the Cavs vs the Spurs, it means that once again, the NBA title will be won by a team with a top 5 player in the game on it. This was a point I made a little earlier and it now means that 23 of the past 24 champions have had a top 5 player on it.
Back to trade talk. Talk about HUGE names being thrown around. Kobe, KG, Marion, Joneal, even Amare are just a handful of the names that have been rumored in trades. I’m gonna talk about a few I’ve heard lately and what I think. I’ll start off one that looks absolutely beautiful.
CELTICS GET
KG
TWOLVES GET
Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Theo Ratliff
Sebastian Telfair
2007 First round pick
F’n love this for both squads. For the Celtics you’re left with
PG Rondo, West, A Ray
SG Pierce, T Allen
SF Wally
PF KG, Gomes, Powe, Scalabrine
C Perkins
I think that’s enough to get it done in the East. Also, when you look at what they give up the only player that really was part of their rotation was Jefferson.
Twolves would have a young foursome of Foye, McCants, Green and Jefferson. They’d have the 5th and 7th picks. I think right there is enough reason to do the trade. Some of their players, such as Hassell and Juwan, would be nice guys to have with all of their youngsters. Some others would just slowly go away.
Only downfalls I can see to this trade is the Celtics needing to have an extension in place with KG or the Twolves having about 18 guys on their roster. I’ve also heard Wally going to the Twolves and in return the Celtics get Troy Hudson and someone else.
The KG for Amare trades are interesting and I see reasons why but I just don’t see it happening.
My favorite Kobe deal still involves the Hawks giving up Johnson, #3 pick and Marvin/Childress. I liked a three way deal I heard the other day involving Kobe to Bulls, Gilbert Arenas and first round pick to Lakers and Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and PJ Brown to Wizards. Other than the endlessly annoying Kobe and Jordan comparisons and maybe a few pieces added here and there I think it makes sense.
Marion will be very interesting to follow and I know I’ve talked about him before but so many of the rumors you hear are for far less than fair value. Last one I heard was Luke Walton, Kwame Brown and a first round pick. Absolute slam dunk for the Lakers. I’ve thought one step ahead and realized they might still have the ammo for Joneal if they packaged Odom and Bynum. Kobe, Marion, and Joneal all together. That’d be sweet.
So KG turns down a trade to the Celtics. KG’s a bitch. Him and Pierce would have been the best 1-2 punch in the East. And I don’t care what Bill Simmons or anyone said, the Celtics would have had enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
Anyway, what to do now?
-Suns or bust for KG. How hard do the Suns go after KG? Do they offer Amare and a pick? Amare for KG and a pick comin their way? Amare and Diaw for KG and the 7th pick? Should the Suns get a bad contract in return or should the Twolves get the bad contract? Marion apparently doesn’t want to play in Minnesota but what else would it take along with Marion? Diaw? Barbosa? Hawks pick?
-What next for the Celtics? Should they trade Pierce and just go 100% future? Lots of people seem to say that “no one” with the 5th pick will help the Celtics. I refuse to believe that. Joakim or Hawes wouldn’t look nice next to Jefferson? Brewer and Pierce (and eventually GGreen) wouldn’t make a nice duo? What now with Ratliff’s contract? Will they waste it ala the Bulls and PJ Brown? Simmons suggests Kirilenko. Who else is out there that a team might want to dump? What about the 5th pick and Ratliff for Rashard Lewis?
I don’t understand why this whole draft process is such a waste of time for the Cs either. Brewer, Horford and Conley all help them in my opinion. What’s the problem?
What are your thoughts on a mixed playoffs for the NBA where a west team could play another west team in the finals?
I really don’t like this idea as it pretty much completely defeats the purpose of conferences. If the “real” NBA Finals was indeed San Antonio vs Phoenix, and this happened in the Western Conference Semifinals, then so be it.
I also HATE this. To me, this is a perfect example of panicing. MAYBE it would have been better this year, but who cares? For the most part, the playoffs are perfectly fine the way they are. Hell, Dallas was the #1 seed and got knocked out in the first round. Last year, Dwade Dwaded his was to the finals and beyond. We’ve seen how big matchups are. Maybe if the Cavs played a team other than the Spurs they would have won it all. My point is you really don’t know how things are going to play out until after the playoffs and I hope NBA execs don’t panic and change anything. EAST VS WEST. Keep it that way!
Anyone ever think about byes in the NBA playoffs???? (LOL!!!)
Surprisingly I was talking on the phone with The Frankus and even more surprisingly NBA trades came up.
3 Team Trade
Celtics get
Zach Randolph
Jason Richardson
Warriors get
5th pick from Boston (Yi)
Theo Raliff
Portland gets
Wally Szczerbiak
18th pick from Golden State
Rumors say Golden State would like to trade up to draft Yi, dangling their pick and JRich. Basically they trade JRich and the 18th pick to Boston for the 5th pick and Ratliff’s contract. Boston then knows they might be able to get Zach Randolph for less than market value. They give up a guy they’d like to give up in Wally, who would actually be a perfect fit as a veteran shooting small forward in Portland. Boston already gives up the pick they just received from GS.
Boston’s lineup
PG Rondo, West
SG JRich, T Allen
SF Pierce, G Green
PF Randolph, Gomes
C Jefferson, Perkins
Portland’s lineup (Plus the 18th pick and 4 2nd rounders)
PG Jack, Sergio Rodriguez
SG Roy, Webster
SF Wally, Miles, Outlaw
PF Aldridge, Freeland
C Oden, Pryzbilla
Golden State
PG Baron, Jasikevecius
SG Ellis, Azuibuike
SF S Jackson, Barnes
PF Harrington, Yi Jialian
C Biedrins, OBryant
Another trade rumor involves Zach Randolph for Richard Jefferson. If Vince Carter resigns this deal would make sense. Portland could plug Jefferson in at SF and the Nets could get a consistent 20 and 10 guy and select a SF in the draft.
Saw a Jazz-Celts trade rumors. 5th pick, Gerald Green, Delonte West and Theo Ratliff for Andrei Kirilenko and 25th pick. If that was on the table I think the Jazz would accept the second they picked themselves up off the ground. Would be horrible for the Celts. I think a deal involving Ratliff and Wally for Kirilenko and Giricek makes more sense. Celts get better players back but also worse contracts. With big contracts already in place for Mehmet and Boozer and one coming for Deron Williams, I think the Jazz could be tempted by a trade like this and Wally would be a good fit at SF.
Still think the Lakers should look at Kwame for Marcus Camby.
On the Mock Draft Page i proposed Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, PJ Brown and 2008 First Round pick for Kobe.
Chris Duhon, Jose Calderon and Steve Blake are all nice, young, cheap PG’s that can be a starter on a good team I think. Can you say Jon Frank’s Miami Heat?!?!?
Raible, I think Mickael “Justin” Pietrus could get a great mid-level signing for the Hornets if they can afford him. Not great offensively the 6′6 25-year-old is like a SF on offense and SG on defense. Basically a younger Desmond Mason. I also think their ideal draft is Thaddeus Young and DJ Strawberry. If Nick Young is their 1st round pick, the ideal 2nd rounder becomes Reyshawn Terry or Jared Dudley. No matter which Young is selected in the 1st I’d also look at Alando Tucker if he falls to #43.
I’d like to see the Jazz stay put. If they decide to dump Kirilenko for financial reasons I’m not…..oh wait I just realized that the 5th pick was included. Are you kidding? That can’t be anywhere close to on the table. Anyway I don’t like Gerald Green, although West certainly fits in with the general team ugliness of the Jazz. Speaking of ugly Jazz players just wait until I pick at #25.
P.S.
Dickie Jeff on the Blazers sounds good. Get the paperwork going.
Quick rant (that won’t be quick nor short) on the rumored 4 team blockbuster trade.
Admittedly I’d want to see just about any type of 4 team trade executed but I really think this makes sense for every team involved.
Boston gets a stud big man in Joneal to pair with vets Pierce and Wally and still has enough young talent in Rondo, West, Allen, Gomes, Perkings and most importantly Al Jefferson to not worry about giving up both the 5th pick and Gerald Green. They must parlay Ratliff’s contract into something unlike the Bulls holding on to PJ Brown and getting rid of Sebastian Telfair is addition by subtraction.
Pacers need to continue their makeover and Odom could be every bit as good as Joneal. They also receive Andrew Bynum.
Lakers get Kevin Garnett and Marko Jaric. Earlier today when the rumor came out, Jon Frank and I (if you think I just sit around and discuss NBA trades with anyone that will listen you’re basically correct) were talking about how much we liked the Pacers, Celtics and Twolves side when I said, “Jonny, Kobe and K F’n G.” Might not be a better thing to happen to Kobe, to KG and to the NBA than these two pairing up. Absorbing Jaric’s contract is a no brainer.
Twolves get the 5th pick and 19th pick in addition to their 7th pick. They get Gerald Green in addition to McCants and Foye. Ratliff and Kwame’s contract combine for $20 million, will both come off the books next Summer and at least one of them could be a serviceable player this season. Telfair is Telfair.
Jonny Frank came up with a wonderful idea if the above trade happened. Ron Artest to the Lakers for Luke Walton (in a sign and trade), Jordan Farmer and/or Future 1st round pick. The Kings are able to start their overhauling and there’s really no analyzation needed other than imagining Kobe, Artest and KG play defense together.
It appears the Celtics are the team backing out. I’ve of course thought of some alternatives to get this dag thing done. It pains me to subtract one of these teams to make it a measly 3 team deal but what about eliminating the Pacers from the deal? Send Odom and Bynum to the Celtics. Jermaine O’Neal was the only player they had involved so they don’t have any contracts or picks as integral parts to the deal. I’ve obviously tried this trade on the Trade Machine and it obviously works. Celtics could have an inside duo of Bynum and Jefferson for the future and pair Odom and Pierce right now. The rest of the trade stays the exact same.
If you saw the 4 team trade rumor and DIDNT think about me, we’re no longer friends!
I think the Lakers should be hungry for a deal like this. Who cares about Bynum? It also sounds like they could simply take O’Neal for Odom/Bynum if the others back out, is that correct?
The Celtics might want to make a move for a real player just to get the fans back and tide them over until Piece can move on and Jefferson can develop. I don’t give a shit about Green, but the 5th pick is tough to trade. Would the Kings trade Artest for Green and Ratliff? That might not be good for the Cs, I don’t know, but I would do it and then do the Walton/Farmar deal.
The Wolves blow, I’m not interested in addressing them.
The Pacers……yeah why not take Odom/Bynum for O’Neal while you can I guess.
The Lakers need to do something the most in my opinion. Then again I know nothing about the NBA.
I love any deal for the Lakers that has Kobe staying in LA and adding a big man, preferably KG over O’Neal. I have stated that I would love to see Kobe with the Hawks, but I don’t think that it’s gonna happen. With that said, I would rather see Kobe stay in LA than go to, say, Chicago.
Having KG go from Minnesota to LA would be amazing, too, especially if the T-Wolves are then able to rebuild through the acquired young talent and draft picks that the trade would bring them.
One of my favorite parts of any deal is seeing Lamar Odom going somewhere else and starting over. Not more than a few years ago, Odom was the best player on a young and up-and-coming Heat team. I would welcome the chance to see him revive his career, perhaps in Indiana. It should be noted that it’s not as if Odom has been a disappoinment in LA, but I feel like his talents would be better served somewhere else.
If I am LA, I keep Kobe and add either KG or O’Neal ASAP.
BRAD MILLER (3 yrs 33 mil )FOR THEO RATLIFF (1 yr 12 mil). Seriously, how perfect is this trade?
Boston could either wait out Ratliff’s contract and let it come off the books or trade him now to a team looking to dump a salary. At first I thought it was a no brainer that he must be traded. It seems like the Bulls screwed up in this exact situation last year with PJ Brown. But the more I thought it, you might not want to simply add a player to your team that has 3-5 years left on his contract. The Bulls letting PJ walk this Summer creates additional cap space and the same would happen for Boston next year if they kept Ratliff. I’ve heard Andrei Kirilenko’s name and he’s the perfect example of something that sounds better than it is. Kirilenko for Ratliff? Hell yes, you might say. But Ak-47 has 4 years 62 mil left on his deal. With Allen, Pierce and Jefferson in the lineup, Kirilenko would either have to come off the bench or move Jefferson to Center. If Boston feels they can move Jefferson to Center they would have to think about it but it’s a big contract to take on. This leads me to Miller.
Miller is a pure Center. He can pass, play smart, rebound, and hit the 18 footer. 3 years 32 million seems a lot easier to swallow than a contract like Kirilenko’s. Miller would be a great compliment to Jefferson, a rising star in this league. Miller isn’t great defensively but they still have The Frankus’s boy Kendrick Perkins off the bench. Acquiring Ray Allen shows the Celtics want to compete immediately. Miller would help this and once again they wouldn’t be getting rid of any of their youth in this deal. Miller’s production fell last season but just turned 31 and will have a full offseason to rest.
Why do the Kings do it? Just to start a change. The Kings aren’t going anywhere. The West is loaded. Why keep the team they have and win 35 games? They just drafted Spencer Hawes. Let him battle with the big boys. I think it’s in the best interest to rid themselves of Miller, Bibby and Artest and start over. The Kings would be worse without Miller next year but I’d rather win 20 games and guarantee a top 5 pick without him than 30 with him.
They could also trade Ron Artest to Miami for Jason Williams (1 yr 9 mil) and Bibby for a few contracts and a first rounder and officially be the worst team in the NBA…..but have a much brighter future.
There’s been some talk on the Kings on the Mock NBA Draft page in regards to Spencer Hawes, I discussed a few scenarios above and they are Wells’s favorite team. I’m always thinking about possible trades and whether it’s the Celtics and Frankus, Hornets and Raible or Kings and Wells, I like taking an interest in a friend’s team because I know a good discussion could come of it. Today I’d like to give my plan for the Kings if I was Geoff Petrie.
I’ve already discussed about half of my plans.
Brad Miller to the Celtics for Theo Ratliff
Ron Artest to the Heat for Jason Williams
Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Magic for Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Pat Garrity, James Augustine and a 1st round pick.
Total Salaries Gone-9 years and 88 million
Total Salaries Received-6 years and 33 million
Miller to Boston is perfect. Might be able to get a 2nd rounder in addition.
Artest to Miami is perfect. Should be able to get a 2nd rounder or two in addition.
The Bibby trade I haven’t discussed. The Magic should be major players this offseason. If they resign Darko and sign Rashard Lewis they probably can’t do this trade. Real quick on the Magic, I’m not sure if a loaded frontcourt of Lewis, Darko and Howard with a subpar backcourt can get it done. If Lewis signs elsewhere I like adding Bibby, resigning Darko and then filling SG and SF with athletes and shooters (similar structure to New Orleans). If Lewis signs and they let Darko walk, Abdur-Rahim can help fill the 4 spot and Bibby can solidify the point. Don’t want to get too off topic but had to give reason why it’s good for the Magic. As for the Kings, the best parts are the first rounder and getting rid of Abdur-Rahim’s salary.
The new look Kings
PG Jason Williams, Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling
SG Kevin Martin, Fernando Garcia, Quincy Douby
SF John Salmons, Pat Garrity
PF Kenny Thomas, James Augustine
C Spencer Hawes, Theo Ratliff
If that doesn’t look like the worst team in the NBA I don’t know what does. But here’s the real story….
Salaries
-6 players in the last year of their deals
-4 more players in rookie contracts
-Kenny Thomas 3 years left.
-John Salmons 4 years left.
I’m also going to disagree with Raible and state why I think Hawes was the right pick.
-Seems like the Kings have taken SG’s and SF’s in the first round every year for the last 5 years.
-PG’s and Center’s are harder to come by.
-None of the SF’s were really slam dunks. Like when the Hawks took Marvin over Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Obviously it didn’t work out because Paul and Deron are stars. But don’t you think it looks even worse because they didn’t take a position of need? My point is if you’re going to miss, you might as well miss with a position of need unless someone just looks too good to pass up.
-Small Forward’s will just about always have the most talent in the draft.
-I think Raible just hates Hawes and is completely open about it. If I thought someone sucked and would be a complete bust I wouldn’t take him either.
That is my plan for the Kings. They should get about 3 straight top 5 picks and be ready to dominate the world in 2010-11.
Hornets Update: The team is in talks to re-sign Desmond Mason, Devin Brown, and Jannero Pargo. The Hornets have also expressed an interest in Morris Peterson.
Wow, Rashard Lewis to the Magic…is this the second coming of T-Mac?
-Hornets signing Morris Peterson
-Celtics trading for Ray Allen
-Nets re-signing Vince Carter
-Magic extending the contract of Dwight Howard
-Blazers/Sonics drafting Greg Oden/Kevin Durant
Least Favorite Offseason Moves:
-Kings signing Mikki Moore and drafting Spencer Hawes
-Bobcats waiving Brevin Knight
-Bucks drafting Yi Jianlian
Moves That I Would Like to See Happen:
-Kings trading Mike Bibby or Ron Artest or Both
-Cavs re-signing Anderson Varejao
Top 5 Offseason Teams:
1. Portland – starting fresh with Oden
2. Seattle – starting fresh with Durant
3. Orlando – extend Howard, sign Lewis, Stan Van Gundy!
4. Boston – didn’t have to mortgage the future for Allen
5. Memphis – Gasol and Darko together is dangerous
Bottom 5 Offseason Teams:
1. Milwaukee – The Yi pick looks worse and worse
2. Minnesota – Are they content with mediocrity?
3. L.A. Lakers – Shit or get off the pot with Kobe
4. Sacramento – Need to rebuild, not reload
5. Charlotte – Release Knight and re-sign Wallace?
The best move of the offseason was Houston acquiring Luis Scola and Jackie Butler for Vassilis Spanoulis, cash and a 2009 2nd Round pick. The Rockets offseason had worried me up until this point and then this move made it all come together. It was reminiscent of the Steelers taking Lamarr Woodley in the 2nd round, making me like their 1st round pick, Lawrence Timmons, more than I originally did. I was worried the Rockets would stand pat this offseason and they have done anything but. Mike James, Scola, Butler, Aaron Brooks and Steve Francis have all been added and only Spanoulis and Juwan Howard subtracted. Scola should start at PF. Rafer Alston needs to be traded but I’m confident new GM Daryl Morey knows what he’s doing.
Second best move of the offseason was the Grizzlies signing Darko. While I biasedly am a Darko fan, I was worried that a team would offer him 5 years at 10 mil a year and he’d have absolutely no motivation to improve. But the Grizzlies were smart, saw the market and didn’t overpay. 3 years at 7 mil per year is the perfect deal for him. I love him beside Pau and with the addition of Mike Conley Jr and new coach Mike Iavoroni, I think this is a team on the rise.
Couple more I liked
-For the first time in a long time The New York Knicks roster is shaping up.
-Liked the Ray Allen move for Boston and as Raible said, didn’t mortgage their future.
-Grant Hill to the Suns is a wonderful move for both Hill and the Suns
-Hawks didnt do anything special in the draft, but like the Knicks, their roster is also shaping up quite nicely with Horford and Law.
Worst move
-The Magic signing Rashard Lewis to the maximum is by far the worst move of the offseason. This proves some GM’s still don’t get it and they paid Lewis about twice as much as they should have, ruining their future in the process. Not only is he not a max player but for no reason they gave the Sonics a 2nd round pick to pay Lewis even more money.
-I think a common theme of the remaining offseason teams that had offseason teams weren’t necessarily ones that made bad moves, but ones that made no moves at all (Lakers, Twolves, Kings, Pacers, Cavs.
Questionable decisions
-While I don’t mind the Bobcats decision to trade for a proven player in JRich for an unproven player in Brandan Wright, there are a few reasons that make me question this. In theory, I don’t like trading a rookie salaried big man when you need big men for a high paid veteran swingman when you have a bunch of swingmen (Wallace, Morrison, Dudley, Herrman and Carroll). Also, JRich is getting paid 48 mil over 4 years. North Carolina native Vince Carter signed for 61 mil over 4 years with the Nets. Could the Bobcats have thrown 65 mil at Carter and kept BWright?
-Blazers offseason has been wonderful. But can they please stop adding players to their roster? James Jones and Steve Blake give them about a 20 man roster. Now maybe Jones will be a perfect bench fit on Portland and perhaps the Blazers don’t like Jarrett Jack as much as we think, but I’d like to see the Blazers just go with what they’ve got and all grow together. Having 12 players or more on your roster that need minutes could hurt development.
I’d like to see
-Kings blow up. Bibby, Artest and Miller could be such nice players on good teams. The rumored Gooden and Damon Jones for Bibby trade would’ve been a masterpiece for the Cavs.
-Heat get active. My favorite fits here are Jannero Pargo and Mickael Pietrus. Raible might want Pargo to resign with Hornets, but cmon, backup Paul for the next 5 years or start for the Heat?!? I think he could be a low salaried player that would be a perfect fit. Pietrus is a top defender that won’t disrupt the offense and also shot close to 40% from 3 point range. He’s also 25 and French.
And like that, we have a new contender for “Best move of the offseason.”
Can this Kurt Thomas trade really be true? Thomas to the Sonics for a 2009 2nd Round pick and a trade exception. Oh, and Phoenix also gives up their 1st round picks in 2008 and 2010. What a steal for Seattle. The best part is it’s not like Thomas has 5 years left on his contract. He’s got 1. Seattle drafts Durant and Jeff Green this year and lets Rashard walk signaling a full blown rebuilding stage. This trade is unbelievable for them. I’ve said in the past I love the idea of Seattle being horrible to handpick the perfect players around Durant. Now they’ll have late round picks as well.
As for the Suns, I guess you can try to look positive and think it means they won’t have to give away Marion, Diaw or Barbosa for less than market value. And you can factor in that they have the Hawks first rounder in 2008 so they’ll really only be without a 1st rounder in 2010, but wow. You mean to tell me they couldn’t have told teams this deal was on the table and got another one to bite for the exact same but only one 1st rounder?
4 Joe Johnson F 6-8 Atlanta
5 Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 Chicago
6 LeBron James F 6-9 Cleveland
7 Antawn Jamison F 6-9 Washington
8 Shane Battier F 6-8 Memphis
9 Dwyane Wade G 6-4 Miami
13 Brad Miller C 6-11 Sacramento
14 Elton Brand F 6-8 L.A. Clippers
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 Denver
16 Chris Bosh F 6-11 Toronto
17 Dwight Howard F 6-10 Orlando
18 Chris Paul G 6-0 New Orleans
My Team USA for 2007 FIBA Americas:
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Carmelo Anthony
C-Amare Stoudemire
G-Deron Williams
G-Chauncey Billups (I have changed my mind)
G-Michael Redd
F-Mike Miller
F-Kevin Durant
F-Chris Bosh
C-Dwight Howard
Players left off: Battier, Chandler, Hinrich, Prince, Redick
My Team USA for 2008 Olympic Games (current guys only):
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Carmelo Anthony
C-Amare Stoudemire
G-Chris Paul
G-Chauncey Billups
G-Dwyane Wade
G-Michael Redd
F-Shawn Marion
F-Chris Bosh
C-Dwight Howard
Players left off: Battier, Chandler, Durant, Hinrich, M. Miller, Prince, Redick, Williams, Arenas, Boozer, Bowen, Brand, Jamison, Johnson, B. Miller, Morrison, Oden, Odom, Pierce, and Ridnour.
My Team USA for 2008 Olympic Games (all guys available):
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Kevin Garnett
C-Tim Duncan
G-Chris Paul
G-Dwyane Wade
G-Ray Allen
G-Michael Redd
F-Tracy McGrady
C-Amare Stoudemire
C-Shaquille O’Neal
For this team, I had a hard time keeping guys like Marion, Bosh, and Howard off the squad. Melo should probably be considered, too, but I am not a fan of his…so screw him.
I’m really looking forward to the responses to this question.
For your ‘07 FIBA’s, I would take Prince over Durant and leave the rest of your roster the same. I just feel like the U.S. is getting beat by more complete teams and I think a guy like Prince brings too many intangibles to the court to not take him. With that said, Durant is going to be a stud, but I’d like to have our most proven team out there. I’, sick of watching TEAM USA plays as a bunch of individuals and think we need to pick more towards the team as a whole.
I’d also start Bosh over Melo on that squad because I feel like he is more of a natural 4. Melo would be our best scoring option off the bench and could play the 3 and 4.
Therefore my starting 5 would look like:
PG- Kidd
SG- Kobe
SF- LeBron
PF- Bosh
C- Amare
I also wouldn’t be opposed to starting D. Howard and Amare down low and just watch them manhandle guys inside. If that was the case I’d probably surround them with our 3 best shooters:
PG- Billups
SG- Kobe
SF- Miller
PF- Amare
C- Howard
I’d even venture off to say that you could throw Redd in for Kobe and that would be sweet as shit.
2008 Olympics(Current):
I’d drop Billups and pick up Boozer. I like Billups, but you’d already have Paul and D-Wade that could play the point if necessary behind Kidd. You need another big body down low to bang and nobody’s frontcourt game was more dominant in this year’s playoffs than Carlos Boozer. The guy is a beast.
2008 Olympics (everyone):
My only thoughts here are that you don’t need to have Ray Allen and Michael Redd, it’s just a waste of a roster spot. Therefore, I’d add Bosh behind Garnett and probably replace Redd, just because Jesus Shuttlesworth has to be on the team. Both Bosh and Garnett can post up or stretch the D with their Jumpers and would be great compliments to Shaq, Duncan and Amare.
That’s all I’ve got for you right now….Talk amongst yourselves
As always, good points. I’d like to see Durant go so that he can gain some much valued International experience. Additionally, with Kobe now on the team, I feel like you don’t need a defensive stopper a la Prince or Battier.
I, too, like Bosh more than Melo…but you can’t argue with the success Melo has had on the International level the last 2 years.
As for the Olympics team, I want guys that can shoot…thus Billups over Boozer and both Allen and Redd on my dream team.
In any case, I think we can both agree that there isn’t any reason that the USA shouldn’t regain its place as the #1 basketball playing country in the world in 2008!
Well either me and Raible sat and watched the game together this Sunday or we must have watched about about 17 years worth of basketball together because my team is almost identical of his. Instead of nitpicking some minor changes I’ll explain my thought process.
I first thought who I HAD to have. I thought of three players
1. Kidd
2. Kobe
3. LeBron
I then thought of anyone that just absolutely belong. I thought of one player that truly just couldn’t cut it
17. J.J. Redick
That left me with nine spots left out of 13 players. I tried to think based on the positions. With only four big men on the team, I think all four make the cut to at least last a little longer through the process. I then thought one of the PG’s HAD to go with one on and three left, but after I thought about it, since all four have nice size, you theoretically could keep all four and play two of them together an awful lot. I then turned to the swingmen, or anyone really, that impressed me particularly well.
4. Melo
5. Durant
Right on par with Raible. Melo also impresses me in international ball, plays with toughness and gets to the hoop at will is counted on to score. I love both Melo and Durant for the 3 or 4 on this team. Durant looked so long the other night and showed in college he can rebound. I think Durant is the perfect player for this team. When thinking about the entire team, 12 players is a lot. You’re almost tempted to have B or C level players at the 11 and 12 spots just to have two guys less to play. I think Durant is a perfect 12th guy. He’s such a calm, young kid; I think he just enjoys being there. He won’t complain about minutes but can actually be a dominant scorer when called on.
I then just really ended up thinking all four big men should stay on. Might as well have all four behemoths.
6. Howard
7. Amare
8. Bosh
9. Chandler
I think three total point guards is enough and thought I’d keep
10. Deron
11. Hinrich
and cut
15. Billups, but this can go any way.
With one spot left I particularly liked
12. Mike Miller
the best on Sunday night so it’s either a great call or basing it too much off of one game. I’m fine with any of the remaining players here;
16. Prince
15. Battier
14. Redd
13. Billups
but I think Miller gives you the best combo of 3 point shooting and all around scoring.
Kidd, Deron, Billups and Hinrich are all similarly built. I think
1. Kidd is a must on the roster but I’d then add
2. Chris Paul as my second. One of the other three would have a chance to make the final roster. You need a guy faster than the other teams fastest player. Paul fills my biggest weakness.
Other than that I’d like to keep my same top foursome as reasons stated above.
3. Kobe
4. LeBron
5. Melo
6. Durant
Ideally these guys say yes…….
7. Wade
8. KG
9. Duncan
10. Shaq
Seems like my team needs one shooter and one big man. Can go any way either and can pick the best shooter and best of the big men when the time comes.
Haver and I were talking last night, and we both seem to be in agreement that Mike Miller might not be the best choice for Team USA at the 2007 FIBA Americas. Let’s take a look at the team, with comments for each dude:
Starting PG: Jason Kidd
-Kidd is the only player on Team USA that has an Olympic gold medal and a perfect record wearing the red, white and blue for the senior national men’s team.
Starting SG: Kobe Bryant
-Kobe is the best player in the world and the no doubt #1 scoring option on this team.
Starting SF: LeBron James
-As good as LeBron is, I think he will be deferring to both Kobe and Melo as the main scoring options. His unselfish play should shine on a team this good.
Starting PF: Carmelo Anthony
-I don’t partiuclarly like this guy, but, man, does he turn it up a notch on the International level.
Starting C: Amare Stoudemire
-Gets my nod over Dwight Howard due to his success at running the pick and roll (maybe not as good as me and Mroz, but good nonetheless).
Second String PG: Deron Williams
-Has really come into his own over the last year and has been adopted by Kidd to be the next great American PG.
Second String SG: Michael Redd
-Might have misfired a few on Sunday night, but he gets the nod over Mike Miller here. As good of a shooter that exists for this team.
Second String SF: Tayshaun Prince
-The ultimate glue guy, Prince replaces Mike Miller on my roster.
Second String PF: Chris Bosh
-To be able to bring Chris Bosh off the bench is sick.
Second String C: Dwight Howard
-See above.
11th Man: Chauncey Billups
-Simply a winner, I’m taking Chauncey over Kirk Hinrich here. I really don’t think that there’s anyway that Chauncey doesn’t make the squad.
12th Man: Kevin Durant
-I hate to take him and not Oden because I think that both could use the International experience, but I think Durant earned himself a spot on the team on Sunday night. This kid wants to be great, and I see no reason why he shouldn’t at least be the 12th man on the team.
Guys Left Off:
Mike Miller – Had a big game on Sunday, but this is Mike Miller we are talking about here folks, not Mike Jordan. To boot, how much time do you really think he’s gonna get on this team full of stars. Durant can score as much at will as Miller and would greatly benefit from the experience gained.
Kirk Hinrich – It’s gonna come down to he, Williams, and Billups for 2 spots. I think it would be a shame if Williams didn’t make it, and I can’t see Coach K leaving Billups off the team. As a result, Hinrich is the odd man out.
Shane Battier – I definitely don’t think you need 2 glue guys, and I think that Tayshuan is a bit more glue-ier than Battier.
Tyson Chandler – I hate to not take him, but I feel like the USA doesn’t need many big men, and Chandler isn’t as good as Melo, Amare, Bosh, or Howard.
J.J. Redick – Pretty much no shot, although his game might actually translate relatively well to the International stage.
Nick Collison – I don’t know if he’s eligible or not, but he won’t make the team anyway. He and Hinrich can watch together from Kansas.
Greg Oden – Not sure about his eligibility, either, but I don’t see Oden making the squad, either. The bad tonsils aren’t helping his cause, neither is the fact that the USA seems set in the frontcourt. This guy won’t be on the sidelines for long, though.
Yeah I brought this up to Raible and said, “If Mike Miller’s on the team, he’s the 12th player. So that means if he’s in the game, there’s something wrong with the first 11 players. Mike Miller’s role would be shooting/scoring. Do you really think if there’s a problem with the first 11 guys it’s going to be scoring the basketball? No, it’s most likely going to be passing, defensive, or intangibles but not scoring.” I think my final spot would then down to Prince or Battier and really could go either way.
Raible left Chandler off of his team and I kept him on mine but I think this is pretty simple. If Team USA feels completely comfortable playing Durant, Melo and Prince/Battier at the PF I think you can leave off Chandler. If they’d rather keep those guys playing the SF mainly, then I think you have to consider Chandler. Even more important to me might be if Chandler is left off, I’m slightly worried carrying only Amare, Howard and Bosh. What if one of them gets injured? What about foul trouble? What about playing a team with some big Greeks? You might never actually “Need” a 4th big man, but I’d hate to be in a crucial game and have some injuries or foul trouble and get beaten up inside. If I didn’t include Chandler, my replacement would be Redd or Mike Miller.
I kind of like the idea of 3 Point Guards, 4 Big men, and 5 swingmen. My only downfall is that it’d probably be nice to include a designated shooter (Redd or Miller) and a designated team player (Battier or Prince) on the team. But with Kobe, LeBron, Melo and Durant being musts on my team, that formula doesn’t allow for both the shooter and team player roles. If I decided these two roles were too important not to have, I’d either drop a big man, drop Durant or Melo, or drop a point guard.
I was gonna get into Hinrich vs Billups but it will have to wait til later.
It’s not as though I don’t like Billups for this or even in general and like Raible said, if Billups wants to be on the team it might be automatic, but I like Kirk Hinrich more in this spot and on this team.
Hinrich made 140 3s on 42%
Billups 109 3s on 34%
Deron 82 3s on 32%
Kidd 124 3s on 34%
Paul 50 3s on 35%
I don’t have a shooting specialist on my team and I think Hinrich could fill that spot while also bein the 3rd PG. He shoots the best percentage and could be a designated shooter in some situations. I think he could knock down the slightly closer international three-point line with ease.
Hinrich was a 2 guard in college and still plays off the ball when he and Duhon are in the lineup together. I think Hinrich would be great as the point guard or beside any of the other points. I love his scrappy style and hustle. I think he has less of an ego and would play any role given to him.
Billups of course has a championship, experience on great teams and has hit so many big shots over the year so it’s easy to see why you’d want him as well.
I actually think when I look at this team the main missing link is Chris Paul. Kidd, Deron, Billups and Hinrich are all tremendous options. But they’re all similarly built. You have to be able to have the fastest player on the court and you can’t afford to get beaten by another team’s fast point guard. Kidd is the top PG choice but after him Paul is a necessity. I like Hinrich for reasons given above as the 3rd PG/Shooter/SG.
Also on the 2008 team I was thinkin about big men. Raible originally put Duncan, KG and Shaq on his team but now I’m thinkin he did that based on everyone but they’re not really candidates for the team. I’m just gonna assume right now even if they’re on the team they all say no. I was thinking that we’ll need three or four big men. Then thought about this group; Amare, DHoward, Bosh, Chandler, Oden, Boozer and Brand and thought about good the best foursome of these players will be by next Summer.
Hey, nobody likes the man-beast that is Tyson Chandler more than me. However, I feel like Team USA will be OK going with Melo, Amare, Bosh, and Howard as their 4 frontcourt players, especially because Melo plays more of a PF in the International game anyway.
As for the Billups vs Hinrich argument, I think Haver hit the nail on the head. Billups, essentially, is going to make the team because he is Chauncey Billups, even though Hinrich might seem like the more logical choice (and, if you recall from the Fantasy Message Board, was indeed my choice over Billups).
I feel like my Starting Five, and I’m not sure if Haver agrees with me on Kidd, Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and Amare (I know Wells likes Bosh more than Melo), is obviously solid. Then, I have a pure shooter in Redd and a pure PG in Williams coming off the bench, along with Bosh and Howard down low. I think me and Haver are in agreement that Durant simply has to be on this team, which leaves me 2 spots.
Fighting for 2 spots on the team are Billups, Prince, Battier, Chandler, Redick, Miller, and Hinrich. I just see Coach K going with winners like Billups and Prince, although I also wouldn’t be all that shocked if he went Duke with Battier and Redick.
No matter what happens, there is no reason that Team USA shouldn’t walk away with a title in the FIBA Americas this year and a gold medal in the Olympics next year!
1. I still take Prince over Miller. You have way too many shooters already and come on if it comes down to Miller or Redd, I’m going to take Redd. But that’s not why I pick Prince. People undervalue a guy like Prince because he doesn’t post 30 points a night. But his length really makes him a unique player on both sides of the ball and when needed he would be a great complement to Kobe as far as locking down opponents. He also relieves Kobe from guarding the best player so Bryant doesn’t wear down throughout the game.
2. The more I think about it, the more I had to look further into the stats of Billups to Hinrich. I examined their assist/turnover ratio and Billups is slightly better at 3.5/1 while Hinrich is at 2.6/1 in addition to shooting better from the charity stripe at 88.3% to Hunrich’s 83.5%. However, I loved Haver’s comment that Hinrich is a great combo guard, not to mention I love his size and defensive abilities. Finally and you may not agree, but I think Billups peaked a coupled of years ago while Hinrich is budding into a star and if you want to build towards the future of this team I like taking Hinrich.
Therefore my roster looks like
PG: Kidd, D. Williams, Hinrich
SG: Kobe, M. Redd
SF: Lebron, Prince, Durant
PF: Bosh, Melo
C: Stoudemire, Howard
Starters are listed 1st. Again, you can sit here and argue the Bosh/Melo spot, and it’s really just a matter of opinion because I don’t think we go wrong either way.
My next 5 choices would be:
1. Chandler
2. Battier
3. Miller
4. Billups(only because they have 3 PG’s already; I Guess he’s really more like #1/2)
5. Collison
6. Redick (Why is he even here?)
I start Amare and Dwight with Bosh and Chandler off the bench but we’re really nitpicking here. I’m completely fine with taking only three big men, but for my reasons given above, I’m sticking with four. I really believe as long as Redick isn’t on your team, then any combination makes sense. All of our reasons on “Why to have so and so” are pretty much on the money. Wells, a little carried away saying either of our teams (especially mine) have “way too many shooters already.” Who any of us leave off is just a matter of opinion.
I was thinkin about next year’s team and had a crazy idea. It leaves off Dwade, Melo, Deron and Billups to name a few. So obviously it won’t happen. But here’s what I was thinking.
First off, I pick my ideal starting five, comprised of the best players in the game that are eligible and mesh well together.
PG Kidd
SG Kobe
SF LeBron
PF Amare
C Howard
No explanations needed for above. But my bench is where it gets a little funky. I’m filling it with roles I don’t have.
-Chris Paul. Main role I want is a small, quick point guard. Paul off the bench for Kidd is perfect.
-Mike Miller. Need a shooter. I think Redd is a little more one dimensional than Miller. I suppose I’m only looking for one dimension here so it can go either way, but I’m going with the size.
-Tayshaun Prince. Glue guy. As Wells noted, his length and style is ridiculous. He’s used to playing with an all-star cast and he’s used to winning. Also love Battier in this role.
-Carlos Boozer. He’s like a solid star. As strong as anyone and has really developed his outside shot. I prefer Boozer to Bosh and Brand.
-Kirk Hinrich. Shooting point guard. As much as I love the Kidd/Paul combo I think you have to have a PG that can hit the three. Also, with Miller making the team over Redd, a backup shooting guard is needed. Hinrich is perfect for this role.
-Kevin Durant. Has star potential. Has 12th man attitude. Super versatile.
-Greg Oden. I want a 4th big man and I want a 7 footer. This comes down to Oden and Chandler and Oden gets the nod. As Raible has stated previously, it’d be great to get both Oden and Durant international experience. Plus, I feel being humble, minutes aren’t an issue. The international rule of taking the ball off the cylinder will be huge for Oden.
Here’s how the team breaks down:
PG Kidd, Paul
SG Kobe, Hinrich
SF LeBron, Miller, Prince, Durant
PF Amare, Boozer
C Howard, Oden
Look how perfect those roles are. You have a clear cut starting five. You have a clear cut 6th and 7th men in Paul and Boozer. You have two guys in Durant and Oden that will love being there but able to dominate when called upon. You have every role and lineup possible.
Just read ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan’s column. He picked his team for this Summer. I figured I’d post it to compare to masterminds that are Thav, Wells and Raibs.
“Here is my early pick for what the 12-man roster will look like: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant, Tyson Chandler, Kirk Hinrich, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kidd, Mike Miller, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh and Michael Redd.”
PG Kidd, Billups, Hinrich
SG Kobe, Redd
SF LeBron, Melo, Miller
PF Amare, Bosh
C Howard, Chandler
“If you exclude the players who missed last weekend’s minicamp, that means I’m picking Shane Battier, Kevin Durant, Tayshaun Prince, J.J. Redick and Deron Williams to be cut.”
Also, from his chat today………
“Matt Seattle, Wa: What do you think the probable starting lineup for the team will be once all is said and done?
Chris Sheridan: For Beijing: Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony, Brand/Howard.”
Greg Oden is leaning toward skipping U.S. training camp next month, possibly ending his chances of playing in the 2008 Olympics.
Oden, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, had a tonsillectomy July 14 and was forced to miss the Americans’ minicamp last weekend in Las Vegas. He has an invitation to join the team when it reconvenes for training camp on Aug. 15, but said Friday he probably wouldn’t be there.
“I don’t think I am because of my tonsils,” Oden told The Associated Press.
Oden was in New York for the rookie photo shoot, where most of next season’s incoming class of players donned their uniforms for the first time for their pictures that will be used on Topps and Upper Deck trading cards.
Oden was here last month for the draft and flew that night to Portland to be introduced the next day. He’s had multiple trips to New York and Oregon, plus trips to Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas since his college career ended. He struggled through two games of the Las Vegas summer league before shutting down for the surgery.
“It was a lot of traveling, but just had to do it,” Oden said. “I never got worn out traveling until this summer. It was a lot.”
Oden said he would soon begin working out back home in Indianapolis, joined by Trail Blazers assistant Bill Bayno.
Oden was invited to practice with the Americans last summer but couldn’t play because of his broken wrist. He is unlikely to be a candidate for the roster in Beijing without playing either of the two previous summers.
“Those who have missed two years in a row, the odds are against them,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
USA Basketball hasn’t heard from Oden one way or the other, but Colangelo has been kept aware of Oden’s situation from Portland coach Nate McMillan, an assistant with the U.S. team.
With Oden and Shane Battier probably out, J.J. Redick likely being moved to the practice squad that will scrimmage against the Americans next month, and Nick Collison joining the team at that time, the U.S. roster should be at 16 when camp reopens. The roster has to be down to 12 the day before the FIBA Americas tournament starts on Aug. 22.
Kevin Durant is still hoping to be on it.
The Seattle rookie was outstanding in last week’s intrasquad game, scoring 16 of his 22 points in the second half. Durant helped the blue team, featuring Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, rally from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the white.
When Colangelo added Durant to the roster in May, it was thought that was preparation for the future. Durant hopes he won’t have to wait.
“Anything can happen. Hopefully I make the team, I want to be a part of a great team, hopefully win a gold medal,” Durant said. “I went in with the mind-set that hopefully I could make the ‘07 team. I know it’s going to be hard with all the great NBA players there. I’m just a young rookie. But hopefully I make the team, hopefully I become part of something good.”
Along with Redick, Colangelo said Boston’s Al Jefferson, New York’s David Lee, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Golden State’s Monta Ellis will be part of the training opposition, with a few more names coming next week. Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy was scheduled to be on it, but will be unavailable.
With all of this talk about the U.S. Senior Team, no one has mentioned anything about the U-19 team competing in the Pan-Am Games. While the squad, featuring college players, stumbled to an 0-2 start, Team USA bounced back in a big way in Game #3, defeating previously unbeaten Argentina.
The U.S. is the youngest squad competing in the Games, but hopefully some valuable experience has been gained by players such as Roy Hibbert, D.J. White, Scottie Reynolds, Drew Neitzel, Joey Dorsey, etc.
The following is the link to the Argentina Game Recap:
I love that I post a couple blurbs from insider espn.com articles that perhaps people may or may not have access to and Raible follows it up with an entire story from the AP. So Raible.
With Oden out, Chandler replaces him on my 2008 team I posted most recently.
BY FAR THE WORST MOVE OF THE OFFSEASON-Miami Heat signing Smush Parker. Why why why why why why why would they do that?!?!?!?!?!?
I like to look at the theory behind a trade. This was a Western Team rebuilding and an Eastern team going for now. When you look at the NBA the trade makes perfect sense from both aspects. I think it was an absolute slam dunk for the Wolves. Celtics just had to get KG. Allen, Pierce and KG is exciting to think about. I think Rondo could be a big surprise. Before I’m ready to call the Celts the favorite in the East I want to wait and see what free agents they bring in to round out their roster. They certainly are legit contenders, though. My realistic perfect threesome to bring in is Brevin Knight, Ime Udoka and Dale Davis. While you hear “2″ First round picks, they really are only giving one of theirs up and it’s not til 2009. That means this have this season and then a draft pick to add the missing ingredient to the recipe before they actually lose the pick.
I think 2nd round picks Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby really made this possible. If they weren’t as comfortable with their picks or got some guys goin overseas, this trade would have been even tougher to make. But how bout Danny Ainge bein able to get rid of Wally all while keeping Theo’s contract and acquiring Ray Allen.
For what it’s worth, Wolves passed up Deng, Chandler and last year #2 pick just 13 months ago.
Wolves having Jefferson, Brewer, Green, McCants and Foye is a great, young nuclues. They still have some guys with bad contracts but no doubt are in much better shape now.
East is down? DWade, The Diesel, LeBron, Dhoward, Bosh, Arenas, the Bulls/Pistons and the resurrected Knicks/Celtics all reside in the East and all mean business.
I love that the lower teams in the West all made huge pushes towards the future. The Blazers, Sonics and Wolves all took steps backwards (Randolph, Lewis, Allen, and KG) but their futures look brighter than they have in a long time. The Grizzlies also took a gigantic leap for the future drafting Conley and signing Darko.
Several eastern teams seized the day. Celtics of course. Knicks add Randolph. Magic break the bank for Rashard. Raptors make finishing touch like moves in Delfino, Kapono and Baston.
Can we please get some love for my Hornets? The team is back in New Orleans full-time this season, one removed from a year in which they found themselves as a playoff contender in the mighty Western Conference until the final week (this despite injuries to Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic, and David West…among others).
Look at what Head Coach Byron Scott (a true ass beater, by the way) has to work with as of today:
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Morris Peterson
SF: Peja Stojakovic
PF: David West
C: Tyson Chandler (speaking of ass beaters!)
Backup G: Jannero Pargo
Backup G: Bobby Jackson
Backup G: Adam Haluska (I wonder if he likes cabbage?)
Backup F: Julian Wright
Backup F: Rasual Butler
Backup F: Cedric Simmons
Backup C: Hilton Armstrong
Call me crazy, but I think that this team has the makings of a playoff squad!
Hornets look spectacular. Seven teams should be slam dunks for Western Playoffs
1. Spurs
2. Suns
3. Mavs
4. Jazz
5. Rockets
6. Nuggets
7. Lakers
I think every team has a legitimate chance after that. Hornets, Warriors, and Clippers are right there and Grizzlies, Sonics, TWolves, and Blazers have enough young talent that anything can happen. And the Kings? As bad as they are when you have Bibby, Artest, Martin, Miller, Hawes, and Mikki you never know what can happen.
The key here could be injuries. Between injuries and surprises really, any of those 7 “slam dunks” could be as bad as anyone. Just like in years past it looks like there are more than 8 deserving teams but only 8 will make it. Hornets will have a great chance. They, and some of the other teams on the outside, could easily have better records than any of the top 7 i listed (Lakers and Nuggets especially). With health and their young guys still improving they could make a big jump.
Pat Riley should be fired for signing Smush Parker over Jannero Pargo.
I’m lovin the JCN to the Grizzlies rumors. I told Jonny Frank a long time ago my ideal trade was JCN and Etan for Stromile and a lottery protected first rounder. It could end up bein just JCN for the first but I’d like it nonetheless. It keeps Pau happy and suddenly the Grizz have great guard play with Conley, Lowry and JCN. I’m hoping JCN can play some 2 guard. I love Etan as a bench presence behind Pau and Darko. I think the Grizzlies have assembled enough young talent that by the time they get out of the lottery, they’ll be ready to roll and giving up a pick won’t matter.
I was thinking recently how close we were to perhaps the biggest dynasty in NBA history. I noticed when I was writing about my 2008 Dream Team, that it included both Battier and Mike Miller. If Memphis would have got the first pick and taken LeBron, how sweet would a nucleus of LeBron, Pau, Battier and Miller been? LeBron at point, Miller, Battier, Pau and another big man. A point guard, Miller, LeBron, Battier at the 4 and Pau at the 5. So sweet.
I was so pumped for Reyshawn Terry on the Mavs thinking Devean George definitely wouldn’t be back and Stackhouse might not be. What do the Mavs do? Resign both AND sign Eddie Jones. F that!
The KG trade was the greatest thing to happen to the NBA since Shaq was traded to Miami. There is nothing quite like a big name moving from one team to another (especially from one conference to another), completely changing the face of each franchise involved in the process.
Boston immediately becomes my pick to win the Eastern Conference. With Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, there is no reason to believe that the Celtics shouldn’t at least contend for the conference crown, no matter who they add as additional pieces to the puzzle (lost out on Brevin Knight, though, which I think was a mistake). I see usual suspects Miami and Detroit being Boston’s stiffest competition, with Cleveland and Chicago hoping to duplicate impressive runs from a season ago.
As for Minnesota, you have gotta like all the pieces and draft picks that they have added. This team is going to have to make some decisions, however, simply due to the sheer number of players they have added. Nevertheless, the T-Wolves have completely revamped their lineup and should be solid moving forward, maybe even contending for a playoff spot this year.
If I were Minnesota, I would start the following:
G: Randy Foye
G: Ricky Davis
F: Gerald Green
F: Ryan Gomes
C: Al Jefferson
I’d go a little smaller with Gomes at the 4 and Jefferson at the 5, opting to sit Mark Blount on the pine. I’d rather see the T-Wolves go a little younger and in a different direction than they have in the past. Off the bench, you would have the following:
G: Sebastian Telfair
G: Rashad McCants
G: Marko Jaric
F: Corey Brewer
F: Chris Richard
F: Craig Smith
C: Mark Blount
Now, obviously, this excludes guys like Trenton Hassell, Juwan Howard, and Mark Madsen. But the team is going to have to do something as they won’t be able to keep all of these guys. Theo Ratliff’s contract expires after the upcoming season, as do the contracts for Ricky Davis (who can and should be replaced by Rashad McCants), Ryan Gomes, and Craig Smith. Hassell is signed through ‘08-’09, with a player option for ‘09-’10; Howard is signed through this upcoming season with a player option to follow, and Madsen is signed for the next 3 seasons at a reasonable $2.5 million per season or so.
In any case, I am extremely interested to see what Minnesota does with its roster.
Reading Raible’s latest thoughts gets me so pumped up. Man I love that trade. Love seeing two teams doing exactly what they should do. I’m glad the Wolves bought out Troy Hudson and wish they could do the same with Marko Jaric. I actually really like Hassell, Howard and Madsen as solid veterans around all of the young talent.
Looking at the Wolves I wonder if they could trade Ricky Davis to a contending team for another expiring contract and a first rounder. Say something like Jason Williams and a first rounder. Just thinkin out loud here. Bottom line is I don’t think Davis fits into their long term plans.
LOVED the Eddie House move for the Celts. It’s importtant they round out their roster with some key pieces but most of those pieces will not be scorers. Starters Rondo and Perkins might be lucky to average a combined 15PPG. The Celtics will need to get scoring from outside of the big 3 or they could struggle at times. I think House is the perfect player that can score 20 points in 10 minutes, 10 points in 5 minutes, or simply zero points in zero minutes. Celtics also signed Jackie Manuel, starting SF for North Carolina’s most recent championship team. Obviously pumped. He’s an active defender that has a chance to stick on and play a great role……or get cut immediately. I like PJ Brown here but I really like him in Orlando. Still think Dale Davis or Calvin Booth would be nice fits here. Still lovin Ime Udoka here as well, but just like the Manuel signing, it could be easiest to find 6′6-6′7 young guys that can run and jump. Fellow Eers, what about Gansey and Pittsnogle here? Why not bring them to camp if possible!?!?!?
Speaking of two teams doing exactly what they should do, I wish the Pacers and Lakers could make a deal happen. Lakers are apparently offering Bynum and Kwame for Joneal. I really think the Pacers should do this. I’ve said earlier that a West team should blow up and an East team should go for it. But these teams are different. Lakers have Kobe. Pacers have dogshit. Kobe, Odom and Joneal would be a pretty sweet threesome. Pacers might even be able to get a first rounder in the deal, could get rid of Joneal’s contract, could let Kwame walk after this season, and get a potential force in Bynum.
My favorite in the East is the Chicago Bulls. Could easily be the Celts in another week but waiting for their roster fillers. I feel people are sleeping on the Bulls. They think they haven’t added much or done much with their team. The key is their main players, Hinrich, Gordon and Deng, are all still on the rise. Tyrus Thomas could take a big jump this season and I like Duhon and Sefolosha off the bench. Lost Pj Brown but added Joakim, Joe Smith and AARON GRAY down low. I should note, I’m sayin the Bulls are my favorite for the top seed. I think teams like the Bulls and Raptors could finish at the top of the standings but the Celtics and Heat could be more dangerous come playoff time.
“The key here could be injuries. Between injuries and surprises really, any of those 7 “slam dunks” could be as bad as anyone. Just like in years past it looks like there are more than 8 deserving teams but only 8 will make it.”
That was Tim Haver just a few days ago. In a measure of foreshadowing, Haver’s intuition came to fruition with the following headline:
“Clippers’ Brand ruptures Achilles during workout”
And, just like that, the Clippers can no longer be considered a playoffs threat. Brand is expected to undergo surgery next week and joins teammate Shaun Livingston on the list of long-term injury victims for the Clippers. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports that the Clippers have received a preliminary medical indication that Brand will be sidelined only six months. If so, Brand would be in line for a comeback in February.
But, by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, the Clippers could find themselves too far out of the mix. Livingston, meanwhile, has a career-threating injury and is out indefinitely. This leaves the Clippers with a predicted starting 5 of:
PG: Sam Cassell
SG: Cuttino Mobley
SF: Corey Maggette
PF: Tim Thomas
C: Chris Kaman
The bench would be led by the likes of Brevin Knight and Al Thornton. Call me crazy, but this could be the worst team in the NBA.
Also recently announced was the NBA schedule, which is broken down quite nicely by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein here:
Oct. 30: Portland at San Antonio (TNT)
Welcome to the NBA, kid. Greg Oden makes his debut against a certain Tim Duncan. Also on the schedule: Utah at Golden State in a playoff rematch and Houston at Kobe Bryant’s (we think) Los Angeles Lakers on TNT.
Nov. 2: Washington at Boston (ESPN)
The Celts and their new star trio have to wait until the fourth night of the season to play their opener. Yes: We’re already worried about KG (and Bill Simmons) holding out that long.
Dec. 25: Merry Christmas on ABC/ESPN
The NBA will be dark on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive year, but how ’bout a snowy tripleheader to make up for it? Game 1: Heat at Cavs (ABC). Game 2: Suns at Lakers (ABC). Game 3: Sonics at Blazers in the first-ever Durant versus Oden showdown (ESPN).
Jan. 27: ABC’s Sunday schedule tips off
And with a very good doubleheader: Phoenix at Chicago, followed by LeBron’s Cavs at Kobe’s Lakers.
Feb. 8: Boston at Minnesota (ESPN)
The Wolves (or what’s left of them) play 47 games before playing host to Garnett for the first time. Care to guesstimate how many games under .500 they will be at that point? (For the record, Boston hosts Minnesota on Jan. 25.)
A few additional interesting tidbits about the NBA schedule:
-Boston makes 10 national TV appearances
-Cleveland makes 22 national TV appearances
-Miami makes 23 national TV appearances
-L.A. Lakers make 24 national TV appearances
-New Orleans makes all of 2 national TV appearances
-The schedule concludes on Wednesday, April 16, with the playoffs set to begin on Saturday, April 19 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAIBLE!!!)
In regards to the NBA schedule, I really wish ESPN would try something different. I’d love to see one night a week, or at least one half of a double-header a week specifically for the bottom of the barrel teams. Why would you want to see the worst teams in the NBA on TV? Because so much young talent are found on these teams. On a Wednesday evening at 8:00, would you rather watch Cleveland-Detroit for the 8th time in the past 6 days or Memphis-Atlanta and see what these teams were really made out of? Look at the teams projected to not make the playoffs this year. Bobcats, Bucks, Knicks, Twolves, Sonics, Blazers, and the aforementioned Grizzlies and Hawks. Even borderline teams like the Hornets are only on twice this year and I’d guess similar teams like the Warriors and Magic are in the same boat. I’m not asking for every televised game to involve these teams, but there’s so much NBA basketball on TV that I think they could afford once a week to show a matchup of the teams I’ve mentioned. A casual fan like Wells, who can’t stomach yet another Pistons-Heat matchup, might look forward to these types of matchups. An avid fan will watch no matter what. I also love it for teams that make surprise runs and are as good as anyone. They aren’t on a regular schedule because no one thought they’d be good. With this schedule in place they’d be on more often. My example would be last year’s Jazz. I remember two years ago being at a house with the NBA package and the thing I remember most about it was being able to watch the Hornets and see how fast and impressive Chris Paul was. I’m not saying to just put any two teams on. Pacers-Sixers might not even be watched by their family members. But exciting teams with young talent would make for fantastic television. I think this would be great.
MIAMI HEAT-Please trade Jason Williams to the Warriors for Mickael Pietrus and then trade Michael Doleac to the Rockets for Rafer Alston. They make sense all the way around. Heat basically swaps Doleac for Pietrus, as JWill and Alston cancel each other out. Warriors upgrade their backup PG position with a player that fits their style perfectly and only has one year left on his contract. The Rockets get rid of one of their 18 PG’s for a player with one year left on his contract.
Looks like O.J. Mayo could be staying in California with that Clippers lineup! I think the Brand injury should send a signal to the Clippers to trade Maggette for draft picks and anything else that can benefit their future.
So I can’t believe how huge the NBA talk has been between the two of you guys and I know I can’t address it all in length, so I’d love to attack a couple of points:
1. The KG trade was great. I agree with you guys that both teams made out with exactly what they wanted and I can’t believe how well it turned out.
If you look at the Celtics, you could make the point that they mortgaged the future, but they didn’t give up that many draft picks, and I believe KG is the type of player that will be productive for another 7 years and not just 3-4. However, the shelf-life of the dynasty has to be somewhere in the vicinity of 3 years tops. Anyone else hear the Reggie Miller rumors to the C’s?
In Minnesota, I love that they loaded up on young talent, but as mentioned need to unload some of it before the start of the season. I too would like to see Ricky Davis gone and think they need to definitely dump some of these wasted moves.
2. As for the season schedule I couldn’t agree with Haver more. I’d love to see a variety of games on so that I can follow guys not named LeBron, Dwade or Melo. As much as I love these players, I had no idea how good and fun the Golden State team was to watch last year. Not to mention it’s hard for me to truly follow my Kings from the East Coast. C’mon, who doesn’t want to see Mike Conley vs. Chris Paul, or who who find out the fuck that Walter Hermann guy is?
3. Tough luck for the Clippers, but Haver hit the nail on the head. START thinking towards the future. Brand is obviously the centerpiece, but start unloading the dead weight starting with Maggette. The contracts are up on Aaron Williams and Cassell after this season and if you can unload Maggette and Mobley and start fresh I think this team could be right back in the thick of things.
4. Just deal O’Neal. The guy still has star qualities but needs to be on a team where he’s not leaned so heavily on (i.e. Indiana) I’d love to see him go to a contender (Cleveland for Ira Newble, Eric Snow, Drew Gooden and pick(s)?)
As for the Kings, I know I keep saying that I want them to reload, but I don’t want them to just DUMP: Bibby, Miller and
Artest because with these guys all healthy they are still a damn solid team. Problem is they play in the West. In fact, I believe with this year’s draft and free agency moves we aren’t going to be able to move Bibby, or most attractive piece, anywhere.
My Thoughts on the Kings:
- Didn’t like the Mikki Moore move unless they honestly think he can help them WIN right now, and let’s be honest that’s not happening.
1. We need to get rid of Shareef as fast as we can. Didn’t like this move from the get go, but they need to rid themselves of him probably in a package with one of the aforementioned names.
2. Bibby could go to just about any contender in need of a cold blooded PG. However, as I mentioned, I really don’t think we can move him right now.
3. Miller- He has 3 years left on his current contract, and it’s for big bucks. Team I could see him going too?
LA- We ship Miller and Abdur Rahim for Kwame, Vlad Rad, Maurice Evans and a 2008 1st rd pick.
Their lineup looks like:
PG- Farmar/Crittento/Fisher
SG- Kobe
SF- Odom
PF- Miller
C- Bynum
Bench-
Walton, Cook, Mihm, Turiaf, Vujacic
Now maybe I am setting the bar too high for Miller, but to get two expiring contracts out of 3 bench players I think the Lakers are making out well. Shareef might be a no-go, but he makes the contracts work and for Miller, I think we deserve a 1st rounder especially because with that squad it will be relatively low.
With Chris Bosh pulling out of Team USA camp, USA Basketball is down to 15 players that must be trimmed to 12 before the FIBA Americas next week. Two who almost certainly won’t make the squad are Nick Collison and J.J. Redick. The 12th spot on the team, in my opinion, will come down to Kevin Durant and Mike Miller. Here’s hoping that Coach K gives the kid from Texas a shot and puts Durant on the team!
Kevin Durant will have to wait to wear the red, white and blue in international play.
The Seattle rookie was one of two players cut Monday night as the United States got down to the 12-player limit for the Olympic qualifying tournament that begins Wednesday.
SuperSonics teammate Nick Collison also was dropped when the Americans announced their decisions about two hours after practicing at the Thomas & Mack Center. The final roster needs to be submitted Tuesday, a day before the U.S. opens the FIBA Americas tournament against Venezuela.
As expected, Michael Redd and Mike Miller had nothing to worry about. The Americans have gone too long without a reliable perimeter threat, so they weren’t going to send home two of the NBA’s best.
Posey to Celtics is unbelievable. Bench player that has won a championship, 30 years old, and can play beside Allen or Pierce. You can now look at their trade with the Twolves as Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and 2 first round picks for Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Jackie Manuel, James Posey and Scot Pollard. It’s tough not to place the Celtics as the Eastern Conference favorites.
I’m praying for a Cavs-Kings trade involving Mike Bibby and Drew Gooden and then the Cavs replacing Gooden with Charles Oakley.
What a tough break for Greg Oden and the Blazers. Before he even gets to play in a game he is ruled out for the season. What I don’t get, though, is how everyone is ready to jump down Portland’s throats for selecting Oden over Durant, comparing it to selecting Bowie over MJ.
Let’s not jump ship on Oden just yet, people. Hey, maybe this is like the Spurs the year David Robinson got hurt and they drafted Tim Duncan #1 in the draft. Seriously, think about that for a second: What if Portland gets a Top 3 pick again next year? Add someone like O.J. Mayo to Oden and the other young talent already in Portland?!?!
I’m not trying to say that it is a good thing that Oden got hurt (that would be just plain stupid). But I will say that I don’t think that this is as big of a deal as the media is portraying it to be. Furthermore, I don’t think you can blame Portland, at least not yet, for passing on Durant in favor of Oden.
-You can’t help but feel bad for the TB’s, but I think Raible brings up a great point. They were probably a year away anyway. It’ll be nice to see some of these youngs players develop even further like Aldridge, Roy and Jack.
- How about Russia upsetting Spain to win the FIBA Euro’s?
I like that spots are still up for grabs.
-Bibby for Gooden would be great, but I wish we could get some more value for him.
Ya I obviously thought draft immediately, too. I looked at it two ways. They really might not be that much worse without him. Still can start Aldridge and Frye in the frontcourt and have the likes of Przybilla, LaFrentz, McBoberts, and Outlaw off the bench. Jack, Roy, etc in the backcourt. However, even with Oden, the West is so stacked this team might have been at the bottom of the barrel. I don’t think they’ll finish much different but it certainly won’t help. A star point guard or small forward in the top 5 of next year’s draft could make this team a dynasty.
Charlie Bell to the Heat. The Heat need this. Then trade Jason Williams and something for Mickael Pietrus. It’s not that I want this, it’s that Jonny Dwade wants it. NUFF SAID.
Nice quiet, little moves by the Cavs this week. Signed G/F Devin Brown from the Hornets and also acquired 2006 1st round pick Cedric Simmons from the Hornets in exchange for David Wesley. For the money, Brown could be a real nice piece to put beside LeBron. Have to like getting rid of an old, short, fat guard for a young big man that still has 4 years left on his rookie contract. As for the Hornets, the trade seemed stupid, but looks like they’ll cut Wesley. If they can turn that roster spot into PJ Brown, I think you gotta love it.
CBS Sports.com recently ran a string of articles indicating who they thought to be the best PG (Nash), SG (Kobe), SF (LeBron), PF (Duncan), and C (Amare) in the NBA.
I want to tackle this issue from a different perspective:
If you could field a legitimate starting 5 of any NBA players (and I use the word legitimate in that you can’t have something like the 5 guys mentioned above on the same team), who would you choose? Using the articles as a basis, let’s say that you can have 1 player in the Top 5 at his position, 1 player in the 6-10 range at his position, 1 player in the 11-15 range at his position, 1 player in the 16-20 range at his position, and 1 player in the “also considered” range at his position.
My starting 5 looks like…
PG: Mike Conley Jr. (“Also Considered” PG) – Having LeBron on the team, I didn’t want to “waste” a high selection on a PG to run the show. With that in mind, I need to find a guy who can help distribute the rock and also hit the open jumper. Conley hit 30% of his 3-point attempts at Ohio State while amassing a 2.8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. I think he’ll fit the bill, edging out T.J. Ford, Raymond Felton, and Luke Ridnour.
SG: Raja Bell (#16 SG) – Bell has the ability to hit the open jumper, a must for playing with LeBron, while also being able to d-up on the opposing team’s #1 option. His fiery temper would be welcome on a team with LeBron, who sometimes seems like he isn’t sure how to act in a tight circumstance (biting his nails, etc.).
SF: LeBron James (#1 SF) – If I am building a NBA team, LeBron is my first choice…whether it’s for next year or the next 10 years. His unselfish play combined with his ability to take over a game (remember the playoffs against the Pistons?) makes him a shoo-in for my team.
PF: Elton Brand (#15 PF) – OK, this is a little like cheating in that Brand would probably be ranked higher on the list if he were healthy. But, since I made these fake rules, then I’m going to take advantage of them.
C: Tyson Chandler (#7 C) – I know that I probably could have used my second choice on a better player, but I feel like Chandler is a great option here. The guy is a freakin’ beast, grabbing boards and swatting shots at will.
That’s a solid squad. I think my thought process would be very similar.
1. Start with LeBron
2. Go with best value, clearly Brand at 3rd tier.
3. Go with ultimate role player/compliment to LeBron, Raja Bell.
4. Evaluate which unranked player I like the best of PG or C. Whilte I love 4 of the PGs 6-10 (Billups, Deron, Paul, and Hinrich) I don’t think I’d want to be left with a complete stiff at Center. PG unranked would be Conley, DFisher or Ridnour. Center unranked would be Darko, OBVIOUSLY. I like the Chandler choice but also tough to go against my boy Rasheed.
With all of that said, I’ll try to pick a team that involves no one Raible took. More fun that way.
PG: Ray Felton (#17 PG) – I like his high assist (6.99 apg) and 3 point totals (103 made in 78 games). Not a great defender but at 6′1 200lbs he’s big enough to hold his own.
SG: Kobe Bryant (#1 SG) – If I’m not taking LeBron, I’m taking Kobe or DWade and have to give the edge to Kobe. Possibly the best defender and best clutch shooter in the game. I’ll take that combo any day of the week (am I obligated to say “and twice on Sunday”?!?)
SF: Josh Smith (#12 SF) – For The Cat. I love the idea of him running and jumping next to Kobe. Battier is tough to pass up here but I think I’m getting a steal in Smith.
PF: Anderson Varejao (Unranked PF) – I thought the most talent at a position was PF so I decided to get my unranked player from this position. Leave the scoring to the other guys. Give me a guy that will do all the little things.
C: Rasheed Wallace (#7 C) – I love Sheed. Not only am I biased, but I’ll gladly take a guy 6′11″ that can not only do the things you expect…great on ball defense, smart team play, turnaround jumpber, but also drain a 3-pointer with ease.
That was kinda fun. I’m doing a 2nd team, with players not used by Raible or on my 1st team.
PG: Mike Bibby (#15 PG) – I hated Bibby in college and hated him in his good days Sacramento. Somehow that has caused me to be a huge Bibby fan. Really thought I was gonna get a PG in the 6-10 range, but thought Bibby was too good value to pass up. Love having a shooter here.
SG: Andre Iguodala (#10 SG) – So athletic. Great defender. Might not shoot great but I think since I have Bibby at PG I can afford to do this.
SF: Andres Nocioni (Unranked SF) – Such a warrior. Tough, gritty gutty and one of the best unranked players out there.
PF: Tim Duncan (#1 PF) – The guy wins. He might have been the best player in the NBA the majority of the last 10 years and somehow he’s still kinda underrated.
C: Brad Miller (#18 C) – Wow, 2 Kings on this team. What a waste of nice players there. Anyway, since I have Duncan and should have shooters around him but don’t other than Bibby, I thought Miller was the perfect Center. Also a great passer.
If you could have any NBA coach, who would you select? Being the homer that I am, I would choose Byron Scott to lead the squad that I have created. Not only did Scott play PG as a pro, but he has already had success grooming a young PG (Chris Paul); the development of Conley would be imperative for my team. Additionally, Scott had great success in New Jersey when given good players, and his methods clearly worked wonders for Chandler in real life…why mess with a good thing.
Guys like Pops, Riles, Jackson, etc. are probably all more talented coaches. But Scott is a little younger, would seem to gel better with my team, and is the current coach of the Hornets…which makes him sweet!
PG Leandro Barbosa (#14)
SG Manu Ginobli (#8)
SF Andrei Kirilenko (#16)
PF Joakim Noah (AC)
C Amare Stoudamire (#1)
When Barbosa heats up he can trigger a full-scale explosion. He sets a pace that makes it clear which side controls the texture and tempo of the game. Ginobli should be a nice running mate. On defense Kirilenko should take pressure off Amare and Noah down low. He can also slide down to the block when Noah comes to the bench to beat his chest at the crowd. We should win plenty of loose balls, which will be important because some nights we won’t have anyone to consistently hit from the outside.
Bench: We’ll need a reliable, versatile veteran to back up both guard spots. He’ll allow Barbosa to spend some time off-ball, run the offense in certain late-game half-court situations, and nail shots when no one else can. Derek Fisher (AC) sounds good. Our forwards will be expending plenty of energy so a dependable backup forward will be important too.
Toughest Decision: I considered Warrick, Wilcox and others in place of Noah, and also going a different direction with a shooter. Al Horford would probably give the team a higher ceiling but I decided to stick with grit and energy.
Pacific Division
1) x-Phoenix
2) x-Lakers
3) Golden State
4) Sacramento
5) Clippers
MVP-Kevin Garnett
Rookie of the Year-Kevin Durant
Coach of the Year-Marc Iavaroni
Scoring Champ-Carmelo Anthony
Defensive Player of the Year-Tyson Chandler
Comeback Player of the Year-Kenyon Martin (Because Wells drafted him)
Biggest Monster of the Year-Dwight Howard
6th Man of the Year-Leandro Barbosa
-Northwest Division is by far the best in the NBA. I doubt all 5 can make playoffs but I’m still predicting it.
-I’m still mad Lakers didnt trade Bynum and Kwame for Joneal
-Atlanta, Memphis and Milwaukee are my sleeper teams so I gotta pick them high. Probably stupid to leave out some teams that I did (Nuggets, Heat, Raptors) but oh well
Lottery Order
1. Clippers
2. Pacers
3. Twolves
4. Blazers
5. Sonics
6. Philadelphia
7. Bobcats
8. New Jersey
9. Orlando
10. Sacramento
11. Golden State
12. Heat
13. Raptors
14. Nuggets
Playoffs
East
1. Boston over Wizards
2. Chicago over New York
3. Milwaukee over Atlanta
4. Cleveland over Detroit
1. Boston over Cleveland
2. Chicago over Milwaukee
1. Boston over 2. Chicago
WEST
1. Houston over 8. New Orleans
2. Phoenix over 7. Lakers
6. Grizzlies over 3. Jazz
5. Spurs over 4. Mavericks
1. Houston over 5. Spurs
6. Grizzlies over 2. Suns
Pacific Division
1) x-Phoenix
2) x-Lakers
3) Golden State
4) Sacramento
5) Clippers
MVP-LeBron James
Rookie of the Year-Kevin Durant
Coach of the Year-Eddie Jordan
Scoring Champ-Kobe Bryant
Defensive Player of the Year-Tim Duncan
Comeback Player of the Year-Nenad Krstic
Biggest Monster of the Year-Tyson Chandler
6th Man of the Year-Leandro Barbosa
Ya know, the Kings are slowing beginning to remind me of another team I root for… The Dolphins.
Geoff Petrie did such a great job a shakin and baking in the early part of this decade to put together a squad that should have won an NBA Title.( I still hate Horry)
Now, much like the Dolphins, they refuse to move forward and have done little in the draft to fill the holes they need. They have aging stars, with contracts that are going to be hard to unload. Moreover, they are going to sit on Bibby, Artest and Miller too long that they are going to get no value in return(if that time hasn’t come)
I am not saying they need to slash and burn, but just look at the TWOLVES. They were contenders until they essentially ran their star player out of town with poor offseasons. Now they have to start from scratch and who knows how long it will take them to get backnear the cream of the Western Conference crop.
Wells’ posting performance today has definitely caused me to re-think “The Big Three” idea. I think “The Four Horsemen” is much more applicable. Picking who is each member proves to be a tad more difficult…
Ric Flair: Matt Wells
-Flair always seemed to be the ring leader of the Horsemen, if for no other reason than he was the best wrestler of the four. This is Wells’ site, so I think it’s only fitting that he wear the title.
Arn Anderson: Tim Haver
-Arn always seemed to be the 2nd most important guy in the Horsemen, if for no other reason than he was the 2nd best wrestler in the group. Haver seems to fit this bill the best. Flair and Arn are the constant members of the Horsemen; without Wells and Haver, this fake faction that I am creating doesn’t exist.
Ole Anderson: Ben Raible
-Arn and Ole were a Tag Team before joining the Horsemen; clearly, of the four of us, Raible and Haver would be the tag team. Ole was best known for his tag team prowess; Raible loves himself some tag team wrestling. I found this tidbit of information about Ole: “The people who know him, know that Ole is never hesitant to speak his mind.” Sounds appropriate.
Tully Blanchard: Tim Dean
-Eventually tagged with Arn in the WWF; Haver and Dean are destined to destroy something together at some point in their lives. Blanchard was the last to join the original Horsemen. Blanchard was tightest with Flair, which makes sense since Dean and Haver are pretty much best buds.
Because of the Ricky Davis trade, and the biggest addition by the subtraction in world history (Toine) I switch the Heat and the Wizards in everything.
NBA Draft.net has the Hornets taking Joey Dorsey in the 2nd round in their latest mock draft. Needless to say, I’m psyched. I think I would pay money to watch Tyson Chandler and Dorsey battle everyday in practice.
Free NBA PPV preview has been sweet. Watched the Celtics-Raptors yesterday (RAY ALLEN!), then tuned in to see my undefeated Hornets go into Denver and come away with an impressive victory (Tyson Chandler vs. Marcus Camby was amazing!).
Dean: Another option, if you are trying to get back into the NBA, would be to check out NBA Coast to Coast on ESPN 2 each Tuesday night. I think the start time changes, but the principle remains the same: ESPN shows live coverage of games across the league, with analysis and insight provided by their “experts.” It’s pretty solid, though not as good as TNT’s Inside the NBA.
Interesting debate on CBS Sports.com today…Which decade in the NBA is the best: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s?
The ’80s brought us the great Celtics, Lakers, and Sixers teams. The Sports Guy would argue that the ’80s were the premier time for the NBA, although I am sure that is heavily influenced by the fact that he is a diehard Celtics fan. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the ’80s, while Magic and Bird starred in the decade. Jordan burst onto the scene in the decade of hair bands, as did guys like Karl Malone and Sir Charles. Dr. J. was still around, along with Isiah Thomas. Much like Joe Montana in football, the ’80s seem to have this aura around them, which probably has something to do with the fact that we were kids then; as a kid, everything and everyone seem so much larger than life. The NBA in the 1980s seem like this to me.
Today’s NBA probably features more athletic players than at any time in the league’s history. LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, the foreign invasion, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, high-schoolers going pro, etc. The Lakers dominated the first part of this decade, while the Spurs have taken its turn as the decade’s kings toward the middle and end.
The 1990s, though, are my pick as the premier deacde in NBA history. Two words: Michael Jordan! Jordan’s prime occurred in the ’90s, when the Bulls won 6 NBA Championships. Sprinkled in between the Bulls’ two runs was a solid 2-year reign for Hakeem and the Rockets. Which brings me to my 2nd point about the ’90s: the big men. Ewing, Shaq, Robinson, Olajuwon, Mourning, the beginning of Duncan, etc. But, the main point is this: If you consider Jordan to be the best player of all-time, which many do, and if you consider his Bulls teams to be some of the best of all-time, which many do, then how can’t the ’90s be the best?
I would rank them:
1. 1990s
2. 1980s (by a hair)
3. 2000s
This, my friends, is why the Hornets gave big money to Peja:
Peja Stojakovic made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers, and Chris Paul established another Hornets team mark with 21 assists Tuesday night in New Orleans’ 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Stojakovic missed just three of 13 shots from behind the arc and finished with 36 points. He was just 2-of-8 shooting two-pointers. The Hornets went 14-of-25 on 3-pointers.
On the last night that I had the free NBA PPV (I think), I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Hornets-Lakers contest last night. Lots of offense, lots of ass beaters (Chandler, West, Bynum), lots of a star (Kobe), lots of an emerging star (Paul), and lots of Hollywood, of course (Nicholson, Willis, etc.). I know that my Hornets started 4-0 last season and missed the Playoffs, but 4-0 is 4-0…Go Hornets!!!
As far as the decades go I could see someone viewing the Bulls/Jordan dominance as a reason to like the ’80s better. Not sure what I think, but all else equal I’d like to see a few top contenders rather than a team in a tier to itself. I think total parity is worse though. I’m putting the 00s last mainly because of the poor team defense and effort I see too often when I tune in. I’ve said before that I think the character guys are in place to bring it (old school hoops) back, but the 00s have been a little too much about immature assholes trying to look cool for my taste.
NBA Sweet 16 through games played on November 6th:
1. Boston (2-0): So far, so good for the new-look Celtics. Sunday’s win at Toronto was big in establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Atlantic.
2. San Antonio (3-1): You could really take your pick here among the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, and Rockets. The Spurs, despite a loss to Houston, gets my choice as the best of the 4.
3. Dallas (3-1): Dallas beat Houston, but lost to The Cat’s Atlanta Hawks. The race in the Southwest, especially if New Orleans decides to get involved, is going to be amazing.
4. Houston (4-1): Beat the Spurs, but lost to the Mavs. Beating the Jazz helped to exact some revenge on their loss to Utah in last year’s Playoffs.
5. Phoenix (3-1): Winning games, as expected, but without Amare at 100%. This team isn’t going anywhere without a completely healthy Amare, folks.
6. Detroit (3-0): Weathered the early season storm without the complete services of Rip Hamilton. 2 solid road wins (at Miami and at Orlando) started the year off right.
7. New Jersey (3-1): Always one of my favorite picks, the Nets are clicking on nearly all cylniders early in the season. Jefferson looks great, but the team needs Krstic to work his way back to pre-injury form.
8. New Orleans (4-0): My boys did what they had to do in beating Sacramento and Portland at home. Going on the road to beat Denver and the Lakers, however, was rather impressive. Chris Paul continues to play like a star.
9. Orlando (3-1): The new-look Magic look good so far. If they can get the kind of play that have received from Hedo so far, then this team is going to be tough to beat.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (2-2): Have played solid in each of their 4 games, losing at the end to Houston and to a red-hot Peja. Kobe leads the league in scoring, while the bench play, led by Andrew Bynum, has been superb.
11. Utah (2-2): 2-0 against Golden State; 0-2 against everyone else. Going back to last year’s playoffs, the Jazz simply own the Warriors. Boozer has been as good as anyone thus far.
12. Denver (2-2): Despite a loss in their return game to MSG, I still think that the Nuggs, as I like to call them, are a strong contender. Especially since Stephen A. Smith said so!
13. Toronto (2-2): The Raptors gave Boston everything they wanted and more on Sunday. Bosh is obviously amazing, but how about the strong start from T.J. Ford!?!?
14. Cleveland (2-2): LeBron needs some help. Can someone help LeBron?
15. Indiana (3-0): I’m not trying to discount what the Pacers have done so far, but I just don’t think they are that good, at least not yet. A battle that no one saw coming against the Clips this week should be interesting.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (3-0): If this team can stay somewhat afloat until Brand comes back, if he does at all, then the Clippers could be dangerous down the stretch.
MVP: Kobe Bryant
ROY: Kevin Durant
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
MIP: Danny Granger
6th Man: Jason Terry
COY: Byron Scott
Celtics sure look good. Can’t believe the Bulls look so bad. The Pistons are 7-2 and have proven to be a great team. I think they’ll be able to keep up with the Celtics. The Magic are playing some awesome ball but it’s tough to say they’ll keep up what they’re doing. Could be another team to emerge but the Celts being the cream of the crop appears to be an understatement.
I think it’s too early to say they’ll dominate the NBA. They’ve only played one Western team, the Nuggers. Don’t get me wrong they absolutely dominated them and have looked great in every game thus far. But I want to see how they survive their first west coast trip or play the Spurs and Mavs on back to back nights and situations similar to that.
NBA Sweet 16 through games played on November 19th:
1. Boston: The Celtics even managed to show how good they are in a loss to Orlando, coming back from a huge deficit to almost win the game. Like Haver says, though, let’s see how they do when they head West.
2. San Antonio: The defending champs are rolling right along at 8-2. There’s really not a whole lot more to say about the Spurs.
3. Phoenix: Another team that just seems to be rolling along at 8-2. Grant Hill has certainly been a nice pickup, posting averages of 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG.
4. Dallas: Do we see a trend here? The Big Three is the theme, starting with the Celtics’ trio and following up with the 3 best teams in the West. For Dallas, though, it all comes down to how they play come April-June.
5. Denver: Stephen A. Smith’s pick to win it all has really turned it on lately, winning 5 in a row. The battle vs. Utah for the Northwest crown should be a dandy all year long.
6. Utah: An 8-4 record is a nice start to last year’s surprise Western Conference finalist. Boozer is averaging a double-double…he’s simply a beast!
7. Orlando: Back-to-back wins over Boston and New Orleans was impressive for the Magic. Hedo has been huge so far: 17.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.6 APG.
8. New Orleans: 9-3 start for my Hornets as us fans completely prematurely thinking Playoffs. Like Haver said, though, who’s to say that the Hornets can’t be as good as the Jazz? Minor injuries to Paul and Chandler need to heal ASAP, though, for this team to have a shot.
9. L.A. Lakers: Maybe Kobe should re-think his trade demands. The Lakers have been solid during the early part of the season, posting a 6-3 record while Kobe puts up MVP-type numbers: 26.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.0 APG. Bynum is averaging nearly a double-double off the bench!
10. Houston: The Rockets have lost 4 in a row, thanks in large part to the injury sustained by T-Mac. This team is as good as any when healthy…staying healthy, though, seems to be a problem.
11. Detroit: I get the feeling that this team is going to be Boston’s chief competition come Playoff time. The Pistons are doing what they always do, though in my opinion, they aren’t as good as they have been in recent years.
12. Cleveland: LeBron is being LeBron (29.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 8.0 APG), but the Cavs just seem to need more. Underachiever Larry Hughes, averaging only 6.8 PPG, finds his ass back on the IR. Shocking!
13. Toronto: In my opinion, there’s no reason why Chris Bosh should only be averaging 16.2 PPG. He’s a star and needs to start playing like one.
14. Washington: Their Big Three are keeping them in the Playoff hunt in the East, which can’t be the same thing said for teams like Chicago and Miami.
15. New Jersey: 6 losses in a row?!?! Think this team needs Vince Carter?
16. Charlotte: Let’s give some love to the 6-4 Bobcats. Ray Felton has been great (16.6 PPG, 7.3 APG), while the acquisition of J-Rich has proven to be a good one, at least to this point.
MVP: LeBron James
ROY: Kevin Durant
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
MIP: Rudy Gay
6th Man: Jason Terry
COY: Byron Scott
Baron gets the nod over Chris Paul at PG because he’s been my boy for longer. Ray is probably my favorite player of all-time, while I simply love the game that Caron has. At PF, I almost went with David West, but realized that I wanted to see if I could go with no Hornets on my team since they are my favorite; I love the Matrix’s game. Camby has been my boy for years, and ironically, he seems to be getting better with age.
With my backups, I tried to pick guys who are actually backups on their own teams. To me, Brevin Knight is what a PG should be…always look to pass first! Afflalo is a Howland-disciple who can get after it on the defensive end, Carney is an athletic freak who played under my boy Calipari, and Millsap is just a monster. Zo is clearly the heart and soul (and kidney) of my team.
With my final 2 picks, I wanted to take a couple of rookies who will never play but have characteristics that I like, particularly the fact that both are proven winners.
For my Head Coach, I really wanted to go with Mike D’Antoni or Don Nelson since they play an up tempo game, but I just couldn’t go away from my boy, Byron Scott.
PG Ray Felton
SG Tracy McGrady
SF Boris Diaw
PF Rasheed Wallace
C Dwight Howard
Bench
PG/SG Rashad McCants
SF Antawn Jamison
PF Pau Gasol
PF Big Baby Davis
C Desagana Diop
C Anderson Varejao
C Darko Milicic
C Joakim Noah
How obvious is it that I love big men?!? I really do rarely like guards. If only Felipe Lopez would have panned out like I had hoped and dreamed. Loved the Felton and McCants combo at UNC. For some reason I never took a liking to Stackhouse or Vince Carter as they entered the NBA and out of Kobe, Pierce, TMac, etc I’ve always had a thing for McGrady. Now to where it’s at…THE FRONTCOURT! Diaw is the master of all trades and will play back up PG as well. Sheed has always been my boy and it’s kind of incredible to think about the player he has developed into. About 10 years and 75 pounds ago all he could do was run and jump. Now he has the smoothest three point stroke in the game. Dwight Howard is just simply a monster!
As for the bench, I had to go with a roster of 13. First off Gasol and Jamison lead the way. Have always loved Gasol’s game and how can I not love a metrosexual spaniard? Jamison is one of my top 3 favorite Tar Heels and his crazy inside shots are near and dear to my heart. Then you have greatness. Go ahead and try to outhustle Diop, Varejao and Joakim. I can’t get enough of the roles those guys play on a team. Big Baby is so big and so smooth and for some unknown reason I’ve always loved Darko.
Coach–Rudy Tomjanovich!
Last 6 out…Brendan Haywood, Marvin Williams, Yao Ming, Shawn Marion, Luke Walton and Tyson Chandler
Some comments, or dare I say opinions, of the Simmons list that I love and no one else in the world does. Oh and !!!!
Tough to imagine Emeka not bein top 50.
Not even a mention of Marvin Williams???? Cmon!
Just when I’m ready to flip that I’d much rather have Kevin Martin that Monta Ellis I do think twice about the contracts they each have. Still not sure if I’m willing to put Ellis in the top 50 just because he has a great contract. Not to mention I don’t think he has many years left on it which means you’ll have to resign him to big money soon.
Maybe Raymond Felton shouldn’t be in the top 50, but by the end of the year he better be.
Tayshaun Prince really is so solid.
Still can’t believe Boozer and Redd could be on Cleveland with Varejao (and LeBron). And Diop could be there, too!
Simmons gotta talk more about Chandler. Cmon. If you see the words “Tyson Chandler” the following paragraph should include at least one of the following. Beast. Animal. Monster. Rock. Mountain. Badass.
I think Iverson is too high.
Chris Kaman at 35 seems ridiculous and then you realize 18.6, 14.2 and 2.7 blocks. Wow.
I could be wrong, but I feel like Chandler (40th) should be higher than David West (29th).
I know Billups is PERFECT for the Pistons and he did say how close it was, but I think the Pistons consider Arenas for Billups more than the Wizards do.
The 5 man group of Horford, Oden, JSmoove, Bynum and Al Jefferson really is sweet. So up and coming. I feel like tons of people make jokes about how Kevin McHale should be GM of the Year….for the Celtics for GIVING them KG and a title shot. I don’t think any of those people are paying attention to Al Jefferson’s stats right now (21 and 12). In about 2 years when the Wolves are able to clean house, let the kids grow and add a few more lottery picks to the mix they should be ready to rumble.
If Bynum and Kwame for Joneal was really on the table for the Pacers and the Pacers held out for a first round pick they should be ashamed of themselves.
I’d have Parker over Manu. Those two seem too high, but the success of the Spurs is tough to argue.
Baron Davis really is high. Not sure if I’d trust him enough. But it really is nice to see him playing like he is and like Simmons mentioned.
Kobe at 10 seems low. I mean, do the Hornets really not trade Paul straight up for Kobe? Jazz and Deron? Maybe I’m wrong. Kobe at 10 just seems low.
I think I’d have Yao lower than 9th. But the whole China thing probably does make his value higher than if he wasn’t Chinese.
Was shocked with Paul and Deron at 4 and 5 but they really are the future at point guard.
I can’t argue with the top 3 at all. Would have exact same.
PG Felipe Lopez
SG Ron Mercer
SF Glenn Robinson
PF Tyler Hansbrough
C Hakeem Olajuwon
SF Jamal Mashburn
PF Larry Johnson
PF Rasheed Wallace
PF Corliss Williamson
PF Joakim Noah
PF Antawn Jamison
SF Tim Thomas
So tough to pick a starting lineup. Because of the lack of guards I’ve ever liked Lopez and Mercer automatically get the starting nods. More could be added as I think of them but right now these are the 12.
PG: Baron Davis
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Danny Fortson
C: Marcus Camby
PG: Brandin Knight
PG: Bobby Hurley
PG: Tyus Edney
PG: Sean Miller
SG: Tom Pipkins
PF: Chevon Troutman
PF: DeJuan Blair
Wow, tough to try and pick a team. Some guys I left off include: Jeff Capel, Charles Smith, Ricardo Greer, Richard Hamilton, Ricky Moore, Lou Roe. Just as Haver loves big men, I, apparently, am somehow completely enamored with guards.
I think one of the most underrated players of the era is officially finished.
I was a gigantic fan of the Charles Oakley-led Knicks teams of the 90s who were always in battle with Indiana and especially Miami. Following the 95 season Pat Riley left the Knicks to become President and HC of the Heat, and immediately traded for Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning. By the next season (96-97)they were surrounded by Voshon Lenard, PJ Brown, Jamal Mashburn, and Dan Majarle. I hated them, especially after they dethroned the Knicks in the Atlantic and fell behind 3-1 in the playoffs right before PJ Brown slammed Charlie Ward and half the Knicks got suspended (Starks, Houston, LJ, Ewing, Ward). The Heat won the series and got beat by a Bulls team that the Knicks were ready to crush (in my opinion). The Heat won the division again the next year (97-98), but the Knicks beat them in 5 in the 1st round (without Ewing), including the game 4 LJ-Mourning fight. The next year (98-99) the Heat landed the #1 seed, and also another 5-game series against the Knicks, who had a weird up-and-down season. Allan Houston’s series winner in game 5 was the greatest moment of my NBA life. Next year (99-00) the Knicks finished them in 7 in round 2. After the 2000 olympics Mourning’s kidney ailment was discovered.
Between 1997 and 2000 the Knick and Heat faced off in 4 consecutive playoff series with each going to a decisive final game, the only such occurance in NBA history. In my opinion those 24 games were the most physical, intense, and agonizing wars of the 90s. I can’t imagine a stretch of games between two team, including the regular season ones, possibly being any closer. Tons of comebacks, constant 4th quarter lead changes, and hellacious defense and brutal fouling the entire time. I don’t think 100 points were ever scored and they were usually in the 80s or less. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knicks-Heat_rivalry).
Anyway, throughout this time I despised the Heat, particularly Hardaway and Mourning. But because they played the Knicks constantly, and I watched every single game, I’ve seen them play a million times. Usually when your team eliminates another from the playoffs every time they meet you stop hating/fearing them as much. But that never happened, in fact in hindsight I barely remember that the Knicks wiped them out 3 stright years. And the main reason is that Mourning is a fucking animal. Not only is he a competent center, which is rare, but he was one of the few players who actually lived up to the cliche- “willed his team to victory.” Feroucious rebounding and defense combined with respectable offensive skill that definitely seemed more a result of effort than talent. Also the veins in his head were always about to explode which was a plus. While I’m on the topic it should also be noted that Hardaway was more of a thorn in the Knicks side than any player is to any team in the league today 100 times over. But this is about Mourning. That Miami team never quite got enough done to be remembered today by the casual fan (mainly because of the Knicks), but in my mind is one of the greatest, toughest teams of the era, and Mourning was its identity. If he were in his prime right now he’d eat every big man in the league. Maybe not shut them down, but he’d maul them physically and mentally until they faked a knee injury. Then he’d box out his replacement into the first row.
So to summarize:
1. I’m a huge closet Knicks fan. I have Knicks jersies, I’ve gotten Knicks tickets for Christmas, I pretended to be Oakley in high school basketball practice, etc.
What’s up Galdi? Scotty Linn: You’re the man! Hey Czabe (http://www.czabe.com/): My Man Crush is on Tyson Chandler. How can’t you have a crush on him? I mean, I want to buy him a can of Orange Crush just so he knows how much I like him. He is such a Hoss under the boards. He rebounds everything, especially on the offensive glass. He plays Tenacious D, and he loves alley-oops. Yes, I have a Man Crush on Tyson Chandler and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it!
I am so done with the Detroit Pistons. This may be a dumb question, but Why did the Bulls sign Ben Wallace and trade away Tyson Chandler? Lock it up: The Hornets are going to the Playoffs! Lock and load, baby, LOCK AND LOAD!
Haver
November 14, 2009
No. Where are they going to move it to? Boise, Idaho? I don’t see how it was a failure. Celebrities can go anywhere they want. Because of Pac Man Jones? That guy could ruin your grandparents 50th year Wedding Anniversary Celebration. Maybe other reasons I’m not thinking? But I think a lot of positives went on in Las Vegas as well. I see no reason to move it from New Orleans.
Haver
February 28, 2007
I agree that the answer is no, especially with the adversity that the city has overcome, but this year’s all star game wasn’t really a success. They held it as the same time as Chinese New Year which created an even bigger logjam for patrons of the all-star game. Clubs were overcrowded, taxi’s were overbooked, and hotel rooms were hard to come by. So the NBA should definately make sure that the weekend doesn’t coincide with Mardi Gras. Not to mention that it was hard for the common fan to get a ticket since they had to buy it through specific brokers.
To say it was a failure might be a little overdoing it, but to say it was a success is would be an overstatement.
A couple of suggestions I do have:
1. Take a page out of Major League Baseball’s book and make the NBA Dunk Contest mean something. By this I mean have each player assigned to a person from New Orleans who was affected by Katrina. If their player wins they get a new house built for them courtesy of whatever sponsor steps up to the plate.
2. Since NBA players are showing less and less interest in the skills competitions why not add the winners from the NBADL and/or the CBA skills competitions to give a little added incentive. No NBA player will want to lose to an “inferior talent.”
3. Instead of having the rookies play the sophomores, have the rookies play a collegiate all-star team. I know this is really difficult on a lot of levels, but c’mon how fun would it be?
Just a couple of ideas to spice up the events and maybe benefit the city.
Wells
February 28, 2007
There’s no need to move the game out of New Orleans for next year, especially when that city is going to be home to the 2008 NBA Champions!
Raible
March 3, 2007
Wells, way to change the question on us making our answers look horrible.
Such a tough question, especially involving past or present. I find it almost impossible to go against Jordan. When you factor in that NBA games will probably be close and the winner will need to make big shots in the final 5 minutes, Jordan has to be your guy. Any of the top 5 Centers, Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Hakeem, and Shaq would be solid choices. In today’s game, I’d still probably pick LeBron over Wade, because I have more faith in myself than Danny Ferry in surrounding LeBron with good talent (although Varejao would definitely be involved!). Wade has to be in the mix and a younger Kobe, Duncan, KG, or Dirk would be legit. Magic would probably be the only PG that I’d consider.
Haver
March 3, 2007
I’d build my team around Michael Jordan; Jordan is the best player of all time and it doesn’t seem to matter who you put him with…he’s gonna win anyway!
Raible
March 5, 2007
Magic Johnson. This guy was unbelievable and had the ability to creat mismatches at the PG position. He was the hybrid player before the hybrid player and could do things with the basketball like no other. He produced immediately and made the Lakers the premier team in the NBA as soon as he put on the Gold and Purple.
Wells
March 8, 2007
Great question- its hard to go against MJ but there is another one who could compete. Give Kobe a moderate 2nd man (jordan had Pippen) and there will be more titles for the Lakers. Kobe can get a legitament look at the bucket every time. he can score at will
Can’t forget about Nash either but he needs a supporting cast to dish the ball off to
ryan
March 23, 2007
Not sure if LeBron’s mentality has changed, but I do know that he is still throwing up bricks as time expires with the game on the line, as he did against Charlotte a few nights ago. Cleveland does indeed have a real shot at winning the East, but they will need LeBron to make these shots when the opportunities arise in order to do so. Clutch shots and performances are what separates the good players and teams from the all-time greats, so now is as good of a time as any for LeBron and the Cavs to become great.
Raible
March 25, 2007
I also don’t think LeBron’s mentality, if it changed or not, had anything to do with DWade’s injury. I wanted to post on this question because I heard a few interesting stats recently.
Two things you always hear about LeBron is how he is terrible at the end of the game and is terrible at FT’s at the end of the game.
I saw a stat that showed LeBron is 11-29 from the floor and 0-12 from 3 point range in the last 2 (i believe it was 2) minutes of the game. He also shot 72% FT’s in the 4th quarter and 69% overall.
11-29 sounds horrible until you subtract the 12 3 point attempts he’s suddenly 11-17 from inside the arc, or 65%. LeBron is big, strong, and athletic. WHY IS HE SETTLING FOR THREES?!?!? When he gets to the hoops, good things happen. When he bombs threes, good things do not happen. I can picture him not only firing a three at the end, but an off-balanced one. I think he needs to learn to play to his strengths and will improve as an end of the game type of player immediately.
The foul shooting was interesting and basically tells me the guy just needs to improve overall. He’s going to get to the line an incredible amount. He should be shooting over 80% overall, or at least 75+%.
Haver
April 10, 2007
NBA MVP will probably be Dirk or Nash, with Dirk more than likely winning out because his team will finish with the better record. I, personally, think that LeBron and Kobe have a case, but I don’t think either will win.
Raible
April 13, 2007
MVP is so tough this year. I really think my MVP could be Kobe Bryant. The guy has been an absolute rock. His supporting cast is decent but they had so many injuries this past season. On pace to play 76 games he logs 41 minutes a game and leads the league in scoring. When the going gets tough Kobe only gets better. He’s averaged 37-38 ppg since the All-Star break. His clutch performances and ability to win ballgames singlehandedly are remarkable. He averages 5.5 apg and 5.5 rpg. He’s first team all defense. His obvious downfall is the Lakers are a .500 team and the 7th seed in the West.
I think LeBron James would be the choice if he was just a tad better in the clutch. I think his end of game performances have left a bad taste in too many people’s mouths to actually be considered the MVP. When you simply look at things on paper, I think LeBron is your man. He has BY FAR the worst supporting cast of any candidate in the top five. He averages 27.5 ppg, 7 rpg and 6 apg. For as bad as people thinks he shoots he’s shooting 47% from the floor and 70% from the line. His team is on pace for 48-50 wins. And for anyone out there that thinks his team success is because he plays in the east, take a look at this.
Cavs vs the East-28-21 (.571)
Cavs vs the West-19-11 (.633)
Lakers vs the East-14-13 (.519)
Lakers vs the West-26-23 (.531)
I agree with Raible it will most likely be Dirk or Nash. Or these two guys I’m a STRONG proponent of Dirk. I hate to say anything negative towards Steve Nash because the things he does seriously boggles the mind, however I just don’t like him as an MVP candidate. I feel like he’s just simply the best point guard in the NBA. I don’t think that should make for an MVP candidate unless it’s a year where there aren’t other bonafide candidates. His supporting cast is ridiculous. Now the Suns record without Nash (don’t have the stats but I know it’s not good) is a major reason I think he gets so much credit (and it is a telling sign). However, back to a reason against, the guy is a defensive liability. I was watching a few weeks ago and the Warriors plan was to pound Baron Davis in the low post. Tonight’s game the announcers actually thought it was a good plan to send Smush Parker to the low post. The MVP should be able to defend Smush f’n Parker. Once again, I hate to take away from Nash as if he’s not a great candidate. He is clutch at the end of a ballgame which enhances his MVP value at Point Guard. But, I’ll move on to Dirk.
Dallas is going to win almost 70 games and Dirk is their best player. That’s almost enough right there to say case closed. He averages 25 ppg and 9 rpg. As good as his supporting cast is, there is absolutely no argument that can be made that he isn’t by far the man on that team. In addition, there’s nothing sweeter than Dirk getting a defensive rebound and pushing the ball like a mad-man. That has to count for something!
The bottom line is these four guys make up four amazing candidates for the MVP.
Haver
April 14, 2007
I don’t have an informed opinion on this but I can say that Kobe is unstoppable and amazingly underrated. If Jordan put together a run like this I wonder if there’s even a debate.
thegreatawakening
April 14, 2007
Dean, you’re probably right that Kobe might not get the credit he deserves. Here’s what I would say to your statement though.
Jordan actually had his highest scoring average in 1986-1987 (37.1 PPG) and didn’t win MVP. The Bulls went 40-42 that year. The next season Jordan won his first MVP award of five. The Bulls went 50-32. In the rest of Jordan’s career the lowest amount of wins they had was 47. It was 88-89 and he didn’t win MVP. Look at the four other times Jordan won MVP.
1991 (61-21)
1992 (67-15)
1996 (72-10)
1998 (62-20)
I’m not saying anyone doesn’t realize but basically I’m just pointing out that once Jordan’s career really got going, you can’t even relate, compare or imagine his team not doing well.
I think if the Lakers had 50 of more wins this season, Kobe would be the MVP. It’s also obvious that Jordan’s supporting cast is a lot better but that’s just simply part of an MVP race and ballot.
Haver
April 14, 2007
I like this response. This is the kind of argument I like to read both as a commentary on Jordan and as an explanation of the MVP voter thought process.
No question the NBA MVP is affected big time by supporting cast, and the whole best vs. most valuable debate can go on and on and is purely a matter of personal opinion.
From what I’ve seen I would say that Kobe is equal to or better than the other elite scorers in the league. Do you guys:
1. Agree with that statement?
2. Agree that if he replaced Dirk or Wade those teams would have equaled last year’s peformance? Exceeded?
3. Agree that if he replaced McGrady the Rockets would be more likely, maybe much more likely, to win the title?
I always found myself slighting Kobe out of love for Jordan. I am not an NBA expert or even close to it, but I think Kobe is unstoppable. Literally. When would you guys take the rapist in a start from scratch draft, meaning you would be able to surround him with appropriate players the rest of the draft?
thegreatawakening
April 15, 2007
I really think that Kobe is the Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association. From a purely value standpoint, I think that Kobe means more to the Lakers than any other player does to any other team. As I mentioned, I fully expect either Dirk or Nash to win it (probably Dirk), but I think that Kobe SHOULD win it.
Speaking of value, how about Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. Keep in mind that this is a Pittsburgh guy talking when I say that it would be a crying shame if Brodeur didn’t win the Hart Trophy in the National Hockey League this year. The New Jersey backstop put together a career season and added to his legacy by capturing the record for wins in a season with 48. The guy had 12 freaking shutouts for crying out loud, with a 2.18 GAA and .922 SV %, both of which were superior to Roberto Luongo.
Raible
April 27, 2007
Wow, I will be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the NBA, and think that the Eastern conference is a joke. However, I am watching Dallas- GS right now and have enjoyed every second of this game. The two teams have see-sawed back and forth all night and Golden State is relentless and fun to watch. I would kill to see the Warriors and Suns square off because every game would probably be in the 130’s. The other thing I noticed, and Shaq pointed it out…DIRK is this team’s best player, one of the games elite, but he’s just not clutch, he’s missing a lot of open looks and when he is out of rhythm it’s not pretty.(OF COURSE AS IM TYPING HE HITS 2 HUGE 40 FOOT 3′S)
And what about the fact that if Baron Davis could stay healthy he could feasibly be considered the best player in the game.(not just this game, the actual NBA) He is like a more athletic Jason Kidd with a better shot, and a little less in the creativity of passing dept.
Anyway, I Love this Game. LETS GO G-STATE. Man this team can ball.
Wells
April 30, 2007
We have sat on here for about a week and said how much we like the NBA Playoffs set-up, but have failed to mention one fatal (in my opinion) flaw:
The league doesn’t re-seed after the 1st round of the Playoffs. What does this mean? Consider…
(1) Detroit vs (4) Chicago
(2) Cleveland vs (6) New Jersey
(2) Phoenix vs (3) San Antonio
(4)/(5) Houston/Utah vs (8) Golden State
This is how the 2nd Round will look under the current system. If the NBA wanted to avoid San Antonio-Dallas in the 2nd Round, as we had last season, then surely they will be upset that Phoenix and San Antonio will be playing this year (and, hopefully, will fix this hiccup before next season).
If re-seeding occured…
(1) Detroit vs (6) New Jersey
(2) Cleveland vs (4) Chicago
(2) Phoenix vs (8) Golden State
(3) San Antonio vs (4)/(5) Houston/Utah
Not only are these matchups more fair, but how amazing are those 2 Western Conference series?
Anyway, I figured I would just bring this to everyone’s attention as something to chew on…Cheers!
Raible
April 30, 2007
Wow, what a mess. I never noticed that the NBA doesn’t re-seed before.
I was hoping to see the old school Detroit-Chicago matchup in the EC finals, not that it was a lock, but it’s OK to get it now. On the other hand, we’re really getting robbed out west. I love the Jazz and like Rockets and Spurs and think that could have been a fine matchup opposite GS-PHX.
I almost never watch hoops but my scalper-neighbor was hyping up last night’s game so I checked it out. The crowd was awesome and when GS was nailing threes late in the 1st it felt like a college team was in the process of knocking off Duke. I switched channels and missed the halfcourter and fell asleep before the end, but that was a great game.
I hope it’s enough to keep me interested the rest of the way. The NBA needs games/teams like this to suck people like me back in.
thegreatawakening
April 30, 2007
These are all reasons why the NFL is the greatest sport on earth. I prefer the NFL and the MLB playoff systems to the NBA and NHL. If anyone would have commented on my NHL playoff seedings post I was prepared to highlight some of the best attributes to the NFL’s playoff system.
I greatly prefer MLB’s 8 teams and NFL’s 12 teams making tha playoffs to the NHL and NBA’s 16 teams. Golden State’s a great story right now but they shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. Dallas has an incredible regular season and what are they rewarded with? Nothing.
It was talked about on the other thread how the NHL puts the 3rd division winner as the 3rd seed regardless of record. I really don’t mind this because I like divisions to matter. The ultimate goal is the championship so I often think it’s overblown who is matched up early on. The only team guaranteed to have home field advantage the entire playoffs is the best team in the conference and after that, well, you weren’t the best team in your conference.
But my main point to that is that in the NFL with 6 teams, the top two division winners get byes. I love byes. The third division winner still plays a first round game. Just as an example off of Raible’s hatred for the NHL this year, if the NFL rules were in effect the top two teams in the east would be rewarded with byes. Then the Thrashers, who didn’t have as good of a record, would be the third seed but still play in the first round. Sure the 4-5 teams in the NFL can be better than the 3rd seed, but cmon, these are the 3rd through the 6th best teams in the conference. I really don’t care if it’s set up perfectly or not.
And of course, the best thing about the NFL, and Raible’s point to what the NBA (or NHL) doesn’t have, is re-seeding. The NFL re-seeds. I can understand why the NCAA Tournament doesn’t re-seed. But EVERY other sport played on Earth should re-seed. It’s that simple.
I like divisions mattering. I like the regular season having a heavy emphasis. I love byes. I love re-seeding.
If I was in charge of the NHL or NBA, the first two things I’d do would be
1. Change playoffs to NFL format
2. Hire Hoss as my agent.
Haver
April 30, 2007
I agree that the NFL’s system is tremendous, but the MLB has the best, in my opinion. Major League Baseball has 30 teams and only 8 make the playoffs, whereas 12/32 make the NFL and 16/30 make the NBA/NHL playoffs. MLB, more than any other league, truly values the regular season. I would, however, like to see MLB make that 1st round series a Best of 7 rather than a Best of 5; a Best of 7 leaves less room for an upset, which I prefer.
I agree that the Mavs had the best record all season long but “didn’t get anything for it.” But if you get beat by a team 4 out of 7 times, and I don’t care if it’s Norwin High School beating the Dream Team, then you got beat, and that’s exactly what is happening to Dallas in front of our eyes.
My only problem with giving byes in NBA/NHL is the fact that a team would then be “off” for like 2 weeks before it plays its first playoff game. I think that the bye works in football because it is such a vicious sport; the bye allows the team to rest while its next opponent is forced to play a game. I don’t think that byes would work in the MLB, NBA, or NHL with their series format. The NCAA Tournament, meanwhile (and what should be the NCAA Football Playoffs), are a totally different animal because of the extremely large amount of teams participating and the use of the bracket.
My ideal Playoff Scenarios:
MLB: Move 1st round to Best of 7 and keep everything else (maybe make the World Series homefield advantage determined by best record as opposed to All Star Game winer)
NFL: Perfect
NBA: Simply Re-Seed after the 1st round and it appears that you have a winner
NHL: Originally seed the teams as the NBA does, then re-seed after Round 1 as the NHL currently does.
Of course, across the pond, you win your league by amassing the most total points through the course of the year. I am talking about soccer and how a team wins its domestic championship (the Champs League, UEFA Cup, World Cup, etc. are structured more like American sports). While this removes the excitement of playoffs, which automatically makes it impossible to implement in the USA, this method probably rewards the most deserving team as its champion. I mean, if Manchester United is the best team in England throughout the course of the year, from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, then it’s only fair that they are the champs.
An interesting debate, no doubt, but one that I think will continue to be scrutinized and examined. As I mentioned, I can’t imagine that David Stern is going to be pleased when his #2 and #3 seeds in the Western Conference go head to head while his #4/5 and #8 seeds match up.
Raible
May 1, 2007
Points taken. Wells said a lot of similar things to me and I understand it’s a good argument and I’m probably in the minority. Some things I didn’t totally think of and am glad they were pointed out but still don’t agree. My arguments would be as follows.
1. No matter how much the Mavericks should beat the Warriors 4 out of 7 and it’s their fault they don’t, my point is the Warriors shouldn’t even have the opportunity to play them.
2. Time off and rest for the 1 and 2 seeds? I say Good! Reward them with rest. I’m totally fine with that.
3. I just feel like most of the reasons “why not” to do what I’d like are company answers. I don’t like company answers. By company answers I mean no matter how wrong something is, it’s defended because it’s in place and must be right. An example would be a bad call in a football game and the announcers agreeing because they can’t disagree with the refs. That’s a company answer.
4. I love byes.
5. In the current format, I’d be all for the top seeds getting 5 home games. Hell, I wouldn’t mind the 1 seed getting 7 home games, 2 seed 6 home games, 3 seed 5 home games and 4 seed 4 home games.
6. In the current format, not that it’s one or the other, but I think re-seeding after the first round is a much bigger need than the difference between the way the NBA and NHL seeds. I see positives and negatives to both ways the leagues seed. I don’t see any positives to not re-seeding.
7. MLB is great, no doubt.
Haver
May 1, 2007
I think the best way to emphasize regular seasons without ruining the playoffs is to tilt the post-season playing field in favor of the successful regular season teams. A lot of my ideas in this area have gotten bashed by other people I argue with, and I understand and sympathize with the overwhelming fear of change that paralyzes some people. Just kidding, but I totally agree that people sometimes support the status quo only because it’s the status quo. When I try to come up with a way to change something I don’t like, I like to start from scratch and pretend that I’m not actually replacing anything. I never buy the argument that a new way of doing something is just “too different.” If the current way sucks, scrap it and completely start over.
If you believe that the NFL system is perfect, then you are OK with the following principles, at least in theory:
1. It’s OK for some teams to play less games than others, which also leads to more time to rest and prepare.
2. It’s OK for some teams to face their opponent entirely on the opponents home field. (I realize this is hard, though not impossible, to avoid in the NFL, but not elsewhere.)
3. It’s OK for not all division winners to receive anything close to equal treatment.
Using these principles it should be easy to develop playoff systems that accomplish these two goals.
1. Make the regular season matter. A lot. To the point of teams never, ever resting players because they don’t care what seed they get.
2. Keep the playoffs exciting and somewhat fair. In my opinion, it would be bad if the regular season champ was simply expected to win, and it wasn’t a huge accomplishment when they did.
With multi-game series there is a lot of flexibility. It’s easy to reward good teams and stack the deck against lower seeds. I would personally want the conference finals to be fairly even, but I see nothing wrong with making a lower seed: play more, or even entirely on the road; have to win more games than the opponent; or have other seemingly unfair advantages. In the NFL we basically have 8 seeds with an auto-forfeit for 7 and 8. If you look at it that way, the lower seeds in the NBA and NHL, or the ones we would add to baseball, are playing with house money just by being allowed to compete.
I’ll add some actual solutions later, but I’m hungry.
But here’s a couple things I think:
1. The Super Bowl should be on someone’s home field.
2. MLB best-of-five is terrible, and baseball is the game with the most game-to-game variance.
thegreatawakening
May 1, 2007
I just wanted to clarify: I believe that the NFL’s system is perfect for the NFL but that it wouldn’t translate to other leagues. I don’t think that byes would work in leagues that employ a series format, just as I don’t think that a series format translates to the NFL.
Raible
May 2, 2007
I’m in the same boat as Raible, I just don’t think that other leagues could do what the NFL does. Football is one game a week and since rest/fatigue and weather all come in to play it puts a premium on getting the bye.
MLB you couldn’t do it because of pitching matchups, and the amount of rest a team would get so the 4 team system is sweet.
Now I agree that they need to put more emphasis on the regular season in NBA and NHL, but you can’t give bye’s because it not like football where its a week, most series go about 2 weeks. Therefore, I think the 8 team system in these leagues work beautifully. I wouldn’t want to see them drop it to 4, so I think it’s fine just how it is(except for re-seeding which we’ve discussed)
Also, Haver, if you did your #1 seed gets 7 home games, 6 to 2nd, etc there would be no parody and I would definitely not watch.
Wells
May 2, 2007
“You can’t give bye’s because it’s not like football where it’s a week, most series go about 2 weeks.”
It’s answers like those that I think they are in place so they become “Right.”
I think the natural answers to reasons why not to do what I’d like are my “company answers”
“A 1 seed SHOULD beat an 8 seed.”
-Ok, yes, but still don’t see why the 8 even should have the chance.
“A team (top 2 seeded team by the way) shouldn’t have 2 weeks off”
-Why not? Reward em baby!
I don’t think this debate/argument is going anywhere and respect other’s thoughts and opinions, but I personally would kick out the 7 and 8 seeds in the NBA and NHL playoffs if I could and personally haven’t read good answers why not to.
Haver
May 2, 2007
Well I guess if a team goes 16-5 down the stretch, and beats the top seed 4 times in one year they should have no chance to play because they have the #8 next to their name.
Why not just drop seeds 13-16 in the NCAA tourney?
Most every year other than this yr and the Nuggets upset in the 90’s the #1 and 2 seeds get the advantage of playing the worst teams. I have to be honest this is the only series I’ve watched in the playoffs and if the NBA didn’t have this parody I’m not sure I’d watch at all. The Eastern Conference Sucks and after Dallas, Phoenix and SA I can’t see a team that could contend right now in the West.(That was my thinking before this series) Now I feel like, “sweet Golden State could really shake things up instead of watching Dallas win 4-2 in the next series over Houston or the Jazz.” What this would also do is make the NBA Execs realize they have a prob if GS wins and plays the 4/5 seed instead of the 2…So something good could come of it…
What makes the NFL/NCAA tourney great is it’s parody year in and year out. The NHL has that, but so many of their good teams right now are from small markets, or Canada.
I just think that if you can’t beat the 8 seed who’s to say you could beat the team who wins the series when you are on bye? Dallas was real good all year, but they havent shown me starting with last year’s finals, that they can deal with adversity.
Also, the NBA is so lopsided that instead of a 6 team system I’d vote for 4 team if I had the choice. I mean the 5/6 teams are really not that much better than the 7th/8th if u dissect it…OK other than maybe Houston who was better than the 4
Wells
May 2, 2007
Wells you probably wanna have 50 teams in the NBA make the playoffs and play best of 6 series. Cmon, come up with something better than that last piece of junk excuse for a post.
Haver
May 2, 2007
I, personally, stand firmly behind 2 points:
1. A bye is not going to work in the NBA, NHL, or MLB. No team that plays up to 3 or 4 times per week for 82 games (or, in baseball’s case, 6 or 7 times per week for 162 games) is going to want to sit by and watch for 2 weeks. What are the Mavs going to do for 2 weeks, twiddle their thumbs? Furthermore, more teams in the playoffs means more revenue for the league, more TV exposure for non-elite teams (see Warriors, Golden State), and more excitement in more cities around the league as the playoffs draw closer.
2. As I said before, if you can’t beat a team 4 out 7 times, then you don’t deserve to advance. I actually think that if you can’t beat a team 2 out of 3 times, then who’s to say that you should advance? If 10 amazing guys decide to get together on, oh say 07/07/07, to play a little hoops and one side wins, then the natural first reaction is to call for a rematch. But if that same team wins again, then, really, what’s the point of playing a 3rd game? If the other side wins, then a rubber match is a only natural reaction to determine the better team. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t buy the argument that Dallas is getting screwed at all for having this great regular season but being unable to advance past Golden State in the Playoffs by losing, potentially, 4 of 7 games to the team, 4 of which could potentially be in Dallas. If you want to talk about teams that have a great regular season but get screwed in the Playoffs, then let’s talk NFL, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball because in these 3 sports, one loss and you are done; at least in the NBA, NHL, and MLB, you get the opportunity to lose up to 4 times before being eliminated. Lastly, I also think that there is something to be said for “turning it on” in the Playoffs; who cares if you can win 60 games in the regular season, 40 of which are probably relatively meaningless. Bring it in the Playoffs, win 16 games, and be crowned the champion. That’s what I think it’s all about.
Raible
May 2, 2007
I totally disagree. That’s your opinion. I have mine. I stated that the argument is going nowhere. It still isn’t. I stated my thoughts were my personal thoughts and no one can tell me I’m wrong, just like I can’t tell anyone their personal thoughts are wrong. We, personally, completely disagree. Can we please move on or should I repeat the exact things I’ve said, followed by someone else repeating the exact things they’ve already said?
Haver
May 2, 2007
No, I think it’s fair to say that we can move on.
Raible
May 2, 2007
Here’s my last thoughts on the subject (hopefully):
1. You CAN have byes in any sport. You, or me, or someone else may not think it’s the best idea. But you CAN do it.
(Lower seeded baseball teams would have their pitching order messed up? Yes. Is this unreasonable? That’s a matter of opinion.)
2. If the NFL had an 8 team structure like the other leagues, and someone suggested going to 6 with a bye, I think you’d hear a lot of people say that “they can’t do that.” Things that already “are” generally seem natural and commonsensical.
3. There is no “correct” amount of teams in any tournament. You could reduce the NBA/NHL to 6 or to 4 if you wanted to. Whether the last team out/in “deserves” to be there is pure opinion. The status quo will always feel correct to some people, no matter what it is.
4. We all seem to agree with the NFL system, and while that doesn’t mean every league should follow suit, it does mean that we accept certain inequalities in sports. By supporting the NFL system, we are all in effect saying that we take no *fundamental* issue with a severely tilted playing field. The #3 seed has to win an extra round for the right to go on the road to play a rested #2 see. Yet the NFL playoffs remain compelling and watchable despite this structure, which is unfair by definition.
We all have our own opinions of which inequalities we think are “reasonable”, and which ones are not. But they are opinions in the purest sense.
thegreatawakening
May 3, 2007
Because the 2nd Round Series may begin before the 1st Round series are even over, it’s PREDICTION TIME (and I think everyone knows how ACCURATE my predictions always are!):
Chicago over Detroit in 6 games
San Antonio over Phoenix in 6 games
I think, as Dylan predicted, that there is a changing of the guard in the East, where a young Bulls squad is hungry to prove that they are the better TEAM than the Pistons. Out West, I just can’t see Duncan and Co. losing this early again; if Dallas loses to Golden State, this series could very well be for the NBA Championship…which, considering it is in the 2nd Round, is retarded, as I have stated time and again.
I think that the Cavs are going to beat either the Nets or Raptors (I actually expect the Nets to close out the series in Game 6), but I think that the Warriors/Mavs vs Rockets/Jazz is completely up for grabs. Nevertheless, it should continue to be interesting for all of us!
Raible
May 3, 2007
Now that the series is official, I’ve got Cavs over Nets in 7 games. I think that the Nets are gonna give the Cavs all they can handle, and might even spring the upset. In the end, however, it will be King James leading his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Raible
May 5, 2007
In the final Conference Semifinal series, I’ve got the Warriors beating the Jazz in six. A recap:
Chicago over Detroit in 6 games (ouch!)
San Antonio over Phoenix in 6 games
Cleveland over New Jersey in 7 games
Golden State over Utah in 6 games
Cheers!
Raible
May 7, 2007
This years MVP is so tough and close that i am sure the outcome of the playoffs will determine it. Kobe is the best player in the league right now. Nash is winning ball games. i feel it woulda been dirk but with the surprise of golden state, i think thats a wrap for him. it will come down to nash or lebron. if the cavs do something great in this postseason than LeBron will have the MVP rep
ryan
May 7, 2007
I’ll be honest if it weren’t for the Warriors upset , I probably wouldn’t have seen any of the first round. So, yes I think it was huge for the NBA.
I think that G-State has been in both games against Utah and came up short. If they can get two back at home I think they have a realistic chance. If not, sianora(def not spelled correctly) cinderella.
Wells
May 10, 2007
I, too, think that the Warriors’ upset was good for the Playoffs…especially if the teams would have been reseeded after the 1st Round!!!
In any case, I think that the Warriors play an exciting style of basketball, which brings the casual fan to the game. Secondly, America loves underdogs, and the Warriors, as a #8 seed, clearly fit the bill. In addition, the home crowds at Golden State have been, in my opinion, the most raucous crowds among any of the teams playing in the NBA Playoffs. Finally, another series means more chances to watch Baron Davis, who, when healthy, is among the top PG in the league.
I think that Golden State can come back from the 0-2 deficit it faces against Utah, but the 2 home games are a must.
Raible
May 11, 2007
Great to see GSW make it past the Mavs. I don’t think there was any downside to the upset for anyone outside of Dallas.
The Jazz are the team I decided to adopt to root for as part of my attempt to get back into pro basketball. Sloan is the king of the NBA. I love their pinball in the paint style style. Deron reminds me of a better Mark Jackson from the Pacers, with the post moves, passing, and general style. As much as I love Kirelenko as a uniquely versatile defensive weapon, I think an offseason trade for a scoring wing might make sense. I’d prefer they added without losing AK though.
Focusing on this year, I think GSW are done. Boozer and Okur are too good and Harpring and Millsap are effective off the bench. Look for Milsap to emerge even more next year, along with Dee Brown. What I’m interested in seeing is a Jazz-Suns WCF. Jazz-Spurs would be terrific hard core hoops, but the Suns would make a more compelling style constrast. Some might argue that the Jazz are a lesser Spurs but I’d disagree. I think Utah can win it all.
Anyone know where to find a FA list for next year?
thegreatawakening
May 11, 2007
Trying to keep this real short…but the NBA has really seemed to screw up the Phoenix-San Antonio series. The reffing has been abismal, and to top it off, Amare and Diaw get suspended for leaving their bench by a few feet?!? Outrageous. The NBA really needs to re-examine the rule. Players leave the bench all the time when celebrating after a play. It’s playoff time for christ’s sake. Let them play.
Why wasn’t Bowen suspended for his kneeing of Amare and Nash?
Why wasn’t Duncan and Bowen suspended for leaving the bench in the 2nd?
This is totally an unbiased argument, as I am not a diehard fan of either team. I’d prefer the Suns win just because the Spurs are about as fun to watch as melting ice.
Sickening.
Jeff
May 16, 2007
I agree with Jeff’s sentiments: I, much like Sir Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith, think that the NBA needed to look closely at its rule of leaving the bench=suspension and rule in favor of the Suns in this one. How can Bob Horry, who it should be noted is a well-respected NBA veteran that was visibly frustrated and was simply trying to foul Steve Nash and take out his frustration at the same time, be the “bad guy” in this whole deal, yet it is the Suns that find themselves more “empty-handed” than the Spurs in this incident?
The counter-argument here is that the Suns know the rule, so they shouldn’t have broken it; if Sidney Crosby knows he is going to get 5-minutes for fighting yet is too stupid not to skate away from Tie Domi, then Crosby deserves to pay the price of the crime. I suppose, in this respect, that the Suns are guilty.
But the rule itself is what is stupid; Amare and Diaw left the bench, sure, but had nothing to do with what transpired at the end of Game 4. Simply leaving the bench should not, in my opinion, automatically result in a suspension unless that player becomes involved in the altercation.
I understand why the NBA did what they did, but it really is a shame. Nevertheless, here’s hoping that the league takes a closer look at its rule, if for no other reason than because Sir Charles and Stephen A. said to. And, you can bet that the Association will be without 1 big-time viewer for Game 5…you don’t actually think that Haver is gonna watch this game if BORIS DIAW ain’t playing, do you?
Raible
May 16, 2007
I totally agree with Jeff. Thing is, I didn’t see it during the game because I was on a real bender for my birthday, but I did see the replay this morning. Not only is it ridiculous that they suspended Stoudemire AND Diaw, but Duncan not getting suspended, because it wasn’t during an altercation is just down right horse manure.
Listen you can’t suspend one without the other, but I thought if the Suns JUST lost Stoudemire they may be able to manage. DIAW could have stepped right in like he did last year and filled in for the Suns for one game and I think they’d have a legitimate chance, now it’s a foggy picture.
Marion and Nash will have to carry the load and someone will have to shut down Parker now that Marion will porobably guard the 4.
Anyway, how bout tose Bulls? Can’t believe they have a legit chance to drive this to 7 games now. It’s good to see a young team face some adversity and battle back and if they end up somehow winning Game 6 and this series, they have to be the team to beat in the east.
Wells
May 16, 2007
I have to say, as much as I hate the fact that both stoudemire and diaw were suspended, this is a RULE and rules have to be followed. During that mele, there was 14 players on the bench and the only 2 that broke the rule was stoudemire and diaw.
I completely agree that the rule has to be changed or at least looked at after the playoffs but thats neither here nor there. I’m glad David Stern held strong and eventhough this suspension is prob gonna have a serious impact on the rest of the matchup, its nobodys fault but stoudemire and diaw’s (and their coaches for letting it happen) for leaving the bench.
9 times outta 10 the star player gets to bend or break all the rules. Because Amare is a star, the NBA is just suppose to forget about the rule? Its a stupid rule, but its a rule thats the main point. If this was Jalen Rose and Boris Diaw nobody would be saying shit against it and everybody would be saying, well a rules a rule.
If a precedent was set by suspending dirty Bruce Bowen earlier for any of the shit he’s done, maybe it wouldn’t of gotten to this point. If Amare was allowed to play tonight, whats to stop ANYONE from questioned every single rule in the nba when someone gets suspended or fined by the league? Amare and Diaw both should know the rule and should of followed the rule, but they didn’t and now they are paying the price.
I hate that these guys r suspended, but sucks, this is retarded rule and it hurts the suns in every way imaginable but until this rule is abolished or changed this is a good reminder to all nba players that when a fight breaks out, they gotta keep their asses on the bench.
And one more thing. I have stephen A smith, hes a loud mouth piece of shit who is so unreasonably biased on all his stupid opinions. But I fucking love charles barkey. He said it best….after bruce bowen kneed nash in the nuts and stepped on amare’s ankle, barkey said phoenix should of sent a scrub in and show bowen and the spurs that their star players r not to be fucked with. Just like in baseball, you hit my guy, I’m gonna hit yours. Simple as that, in my mind, thats how you counteract a dirty player on the opposing team.
Just imagine it the spurs were playing the bad boys of Detroit back in the day and this shit happened to Isiah Thomas. I think Bruce Bowen might of been killed on the court.
JD
May 17, 2007
Who’s better:
1. Duncan or Malone?
2. Nash or Stockton?
3. Flummer or Zimmer?
4. Dirk or Pippen?
5. Baron Davis or Tim Hardaway?
6. Parker or Cassell?
7. Reggie Miller or Kobe Bryant?
8. Marion or Elliott?
9. Stoudemire or Kemp?
10. Sheed or Horry (prime)
What player from ITS past would each contender love to get back via time machine most?
My picks: Jazz-Hornacek, Warriors-Guigliotta, Suns-Chambers, Spurs-Elliott, Rockets-Cassell, Bulls-Rodman, Pistons-Rodman, Cavs-Price, Nets-Coleman, Heat-Hardaway
What player from THE past would each team want most?
My picks: Jazz-Reggie Miller, Warriors-Rodman, Suns-Rodman, Spurs-Pippen, Rockets-T. Hardaway, Bulls-Rodman, Cavs-Barkley, Pistons-Rodman, Heat-Pippen
Rank these two groups?
A. ‘94 Rockets, ‘99 Spurs, ‘01 Lakers: NBA Championship teams.
B. ‘92 Trail Blazers, ‘93 Suns, ‘96 SuperSonics, ‘97 Jazz: NBA Finals teams.
Sweetest frontcourt?
A. Dream, Thorpe, Big Shot
B. Ewing, Oakley, Mason
C. Duckworth, Buck, Cliff
D. Mourning, LJ, Gill
E. Flummer, Zimmer, Markovich
thegreatawakening
May 17, 2007
1. Duncan
2. Nash
3. ???
4. Pippen
5. Baron
6. Parker
7. Kobe
8. Marion
9. Stoudemire
10. Horry
Jazz: Hornacek
Warriors: Rick Barry
Suns: Charles Barkley
Spurs: Elliott
Rockets: Cassell
Bulls: Scottie Pippen
Pistons: Bill Laimbeer
Cavs: Brad Daugherty
Nets: Coleman
Heat: Glen Rice
Jazz: Miller
Warriors: David Robinson
Suns: Rodman
Spurs: Pippen
Rockets: Jason Kidd
Bulls: Karl Malone
Pistons: Patrick Ewing
Cavs: Shaq
Nets: Hakeem Olajuwon
Heat: Ray Allen
1. ‘01 Lakers
2. ‘99 Spurs
3. ‘94 Rockets
1. ‘93 Suns
2. ‘96 SuperSonics
3. ‘92 Trail Blazers
4. ‘97 Jazz
1. Zo, LJ, Gill
2. Ewing, Oakley, Mason
3. Dream, Thorpe, Bob
4. Duck, Buck, Cliff
5. Flummer, Zimmer, Markovich
Raible
May 17, 2007
While watching the Cavs-Nets game tonight, I couldn’t help but start thinking about the Hornets for next year (I know, I’m crazy…but, like Beyonce, I am so Crazy in Love with the Hornets!). The Hornets have yet to make the Playoffs since moving to New Orleans and the Western Conference, but I am optimistic heading into the 2007-2008 season. For starters, they have one of the best young PG in the league in Chris Paul. Secondly, they have one of the most ferocious big men in the league, a complete man-beast when it comes to rebounds and defense, in Tyson Chandler. They also have a guy in Peja Stojakovic who is as good of a shooter as anyone in the league, when healthy. But, most importantly, the Hornets possess a stud PF in David West; yes, you read that correct, I think that David West is a stud!
West was one of those great college basketball players while at Xavier, a guy who stayed in school all 4 years. The Hornets, who were picking in the middle of the 1st Round, were fortunate enough to pick up West when they did, figuring that at the very least he would be able to eventually slide into the role that was being held by P.J. Brown. But it has become apparent to me that West is no P.J.; somehow, he is even better! And if you don’t believe me, well then ask Elton Brand, considered to be one of the top PF in the game and a guy who was completely schooled by West and his Hornets teammates in the final game of the Regular Season, a game which the Clippers needed in order to make the Playoffs (speaking of which, how much different might these NBA Playoffs look if it were the Clippers and not the Warriors that captured the 8th seed out West?).
While relaxing on my porcelain throne, I was trying to decide where West fits in terms of Best PF in the NBA. My thoughts:
There are 3 that I believe are heads and shoulders above everyone else: Tim Duncan (#1), Dirk Nowitzki (#2), and Kevin Garnett (#3). From there, I believe that there are another 3 who are on the cusp of greatness: Carlos Boozer (#4), Chris Bosh (#5), Elton Brand (#6). #7 on my list of the top PF in the league is held by a guy who is as talented as anyone but has suffered through a slew of recent injuries: Jermaine O’Neal. Coming in at #8 is a guy who goes largely unnoticed to everyone not named Brad Wright, who found a great article on the man here: http://www.oregonlive.com/pdfs/blazers/zach_memo092006.pdf; that man, of course, is Zach Randolph. #9 is a guy who plays, perhaps, 3rd fiddle on his own team, but nevertheless gets the slight nod over my main man David West because he has tasted the Playoffs already: Antawn Jamison. Rounding out the Top 10 is West, who I have slotted in right above Rasheed Wallace, who is clearly on the downside of what has been a solid NBA career.
A recap of my PF Rankings:
1. Duncan
2. Nowitzki
3. Garnett
4. Boozer
5. Bosh
6. Brand
7. O’Neal
8. Randolph
9. Jamison
10. West
11. Wallace
The beauty of West is the fact that he theoretically is only getting better, which should push him up the list quicker than having him fall farther down. You figure that Jamison is, at best, the 2nd best player on his team (Gil, of course, is #1), and Randolph is just such a “Canadian” that you know he will never live up to his potential (although a change of scenery did Rasheed mighty good). J-O’Neal seems to be heading on the downside of his career, and I have clearly stated how West dominated Brand in the Regular Season Finale (West, you may recall, went for 32 and 9 while Brand managed only 11 and 5 in a must-win).
The point that I am trying to make in all of this is that David West, in my opinion, is capable of becoming a Top 5 PF in the NBA, which should definitely be good enough to get my Hornets back into the Playoffs, where they belong. Who knows? Maybe Paul and West will lead the Hornets next year, as Williams and Boozer have led the Jazz this year, the whole way to the Western Conference Finals?!?!
Raible
May 19, 2007
-great rankings
-I disagree on only a few- Stockon over Nash, Elliott over Marion and Cassell over Parker.
-I hate Steven A. Smith. It’s like he needs to prove how intelligent he is with every sentence. “See I know big words and use them in context!!!!!”
-Love Barkley
-Love Bowen
-Like the Hornets
Pistons over Cavs in 5, Jazz over Spurs in 7.
thegreatawakening
May 20, 2007
Predictions: I really want to see LeBron be the man, step up, and beat the Pistons. But I don’t see it happening…I echo Dean’s sentiments with PISTONS IN FIVE. As for the West, it’s so hard to pick against the Spurs. But something tells me that the Jazz are a team of destiny, and as much as I hate to admit it, I once again am in agreement with Dean: JAZZ IN SEVEN.
Raible
May 20, 2007
It’s been awhile but I’m back. Great NBA discussions. I’ll try not to dwell on anything but just make my comments.
Joey stated my favorite point from the entire Amare-Diaw argument. 14 players on bench, 2 left.
Just as Raible gave the example of Sidney Crosby and Tie Domi, it also comes to mind in NFL when one bozo does something stupid but instead of letting it go, a bozo from the opposing team breaks a rule in reacting. Both are penalized.
People that point to Amare and Diaw stopping immediately. Do they realize absolutely nothing happened other than a hard foul? Horry didn’t even react. He wasn’t tryign to fight anyone. If someone 6′10 260 lbs runs into someone 6′0 160 lbs, they’re probably going to go flying. I don’t even think Horry’s foul was that bad. We’ll never know, but if a fight broke out, Amare and Diaw might not have stopped (and Diaw would have killed a lot of people with his bare-hands)
Just as something different, does anyone have any thoughts on suspensions in the playoffs not being enforced until the following regular season? Just thinking out loud, so I’d like opinions. But it’s kind of a middle ground. Someone breaks a rule, they are penalized. But it doesn’t change anything in a pivotal playoff series.
Hakeem, Thorpe and Horry is definitely the best of those frontcourts! Cmon Raibs! THIRD? Hakeem is by far the best of anyone in that list. While Larry Johnson statistically might have been the best PF, I think Oakley or Thorpe’s size and defense would have outplayed Johnson in a series (And LJ was my boy!). Horry at SF was just as good as Mason and better than Gill.
Dean, loved the Zimmer, Flummer and Markovich references.
I’m gonna tie in my previous point about Thorpe or Oakley vs LJ, Raible’s obsession with David West, and PF’s in general. I think with any position you must look deeper than just stats. Of course there is nothing better than a Tim Duncan or Karl Malone. The elite PF’s are clearly better than any other PF. It’s like stating 6 is greatest than 2. But after that top group, in a lot of circumstances I’d rather take the solid pf over the poor man’s superstar. When I think solid PF I think of Oakley, Ho Grant, Thorpe, Rasheed Wallace. When I think of poor man’s superstar i think of Antoine Walker (in Boston), Kenyon Martin (in NJ) and Zach Randolph. I feel like sure Zach Randolph can give you 20 and 10, but he’s also giving up 30 and 15. He can’t pass and he’s not a winner. If you want a guy to lead your Lottery team in scoring, take Randolph. If you want a guy that averages 15 but plays big D, can hit the big shot and make the smart pass, take Rasheed. Sure, Rasheed is my boy, but I’d much rather have the latter. It’s like Raja Bell bein better than Larry Hughes at SG or Tayshaun Prince bein better than Paul Pierce at SF. I’m still not sure where David West fits. I don’t think he does anything wrong, so I’m not putting him in a category with Toine, Kenyon or Randolph. Udonis Haslem comes to mind as a solid pf but he’s a little undersized himself. Until proven otherwise I’d have to give West the benefit of the doubt there. I think West willl have better regular season stats than Sheed, but would he outplay Sheed in a playoff series? That I can’t say Yes to.
I wish I would have commented before the series but I really thought the Cavs would make this a better series than people were giving them credit for. The reasons? I love the 4 man combination of Z, Varejao, Gooden and Donyell. And I love the big backcourt of Sasha and Hughes. A huge difference than starting Eric Snow. Billups usually has a size advantage at PG but will not in this series. Tayshaun is as tough a defender as anyone and will make things tough on LeBron. I don’t like predicting things as I could see a sweetp but 4 close games or the Cavs winning in 7, but I just think it’s going to be a good series.
I also favor the Spurs over the Jazz but think it’s going to be a great series.
Anyone realize how HUGE the Lottery is tomorrow? You can talk about building a great team until your blue in the face but is there really anything better than simply getting lucky in the lottery? Not even saying the number 1 pick, but just an absolute superstar. Look at the past 20 years.
-Heat (Wade and Shaq)
-Spurs (Duncan and Robinson)
-Lakers (Shaq and Kobe)
-Bulls (Jordan)
-Rockets (Hakeem)
-Pistons of 80s (Isiah)
-Lakers (Magic)
-Celtics (Bird)
Those teams account for every championship in the past 23 years but one, the 2004 Detroit Pistons. That’s it. That’s the only team in the past 23 years that has won a championship without a top 5 player in the game (Maybe Isiah is stretching it, but he was good and I was young). What this leads me to, is this year’s draft has TWO players that each COULD be a TOP 5 player in the NBA. It’s like Sidney Crosby to the Pens. LeBron to the Cavs. The two teams that get the top two picks this year will affect the landscape of the NBA for the next 15 years (sound Walton-like?!?!?)
Here’s another thing that really pisses me off about the Jazz-Spurs series. I’m driving home from Baltimore and texting The Frankus about the game. He says Duncan is abusing Collins. I ask, “No Boozer on Duncan?” He says, “No, don’t wanna get in foul trouble.” Does anyone else question the fouling out concept in basketball? This would be like Denver playing Carolina in the Super Bowl and not having Champ Bailey guard Steve Smith, because of Champ gets a few touch penalties, he’ll be out of the game. I think in college basketball and pro basketball foul trouble hurts the game more than it helps it. How many games did Oden, Hibbert, Horford, and Joakim play 20 minutes because of touch fouls? And now we’re in the NBA playoffs and Boozer can’t guard Duncan because of foul trouble? Cmon! I think college should look into at least 6 fouls. And with NBA, I don’t know if you hand out technicals with someone’s 7th foul and so on. Or give the ball back, or something. But I just think when you look into no other sport ejecting someone due to penalties (not including soccer), this could be something to make the game better. Isn’t it funny in general how different all sports treat a penalty?
At least I didn’t dwell on anything! Hopin for huge, open-minded but opinionated replies including questions back to me if you disagree or agree! I hated how the NBA playoffs discussion turned. Let’s be civil!
Haver
May 22, 2007
Well, you hit on one of the biggest myths that plagues the analysis and discussion of the game of basketball. The one that says you can measure a player by how much he scores.
Look at the olympic team. How can we lose? Every guy can put up 30! We’ll score 210 points per game!!! Wait, one problem, there’s only one ball.
Imagine baseball, except you could determine which of your players performed which roles. You could bat Barry Bonds every AB, and position Omar Visquel to get all the groundballs. That’s an exaggerrated version of what happens in basketball. Sure, the defense or the situation can force other players to take shots and fight for rebounds, but the point is that competent coaches can put players with unique talents and shortcomings in positions to succeed, and keep them away from spots where they will be exposed.
How many players do you honestly think could score 25 points tomorrow if they and their team wanted them to? Well over half the league by my estimation. That’s not what wins games. In baseball you need as many hitters as you can to be offensively productive because they all bat proportionally. But if you could “pass” to whoever you wanted to, you might just want a guy like Freddy Sanchez, a guy like Manny Ramirez, and a bunch of Ozzie Smiths and Jose Linds. In basketball it doesn’t help you to stockpile as many versatile scorers as you can, like that Blazers team that everyone hated. You get a shooter, a scorer, and some guys to play defense, rebound, and get the ball up the court.
The funny thing about this whole joke is that NBA executives don’t even get it. Do you think the Suns and Spurs would trade Bell or Bowen for Antoine Walker? Of course not. They have experienced the benefit of such role players and realize that it’s a lot easier to dig up a guy to score a fifth of their points on a fourth of your shots than it is to find an on-ball defender. Yet in free agency, where teams truely demonstrate how much they value players, Walker ($7,773,000) was given only slightly less (about 5%) than Bell ($4,500,000) and Bowen ($3,750,000) combined.
When you look at the teams that win championships you’ll see the fusion of two concepts that were just brought up- this one regarding role players, and the superstar component. That second part really is the trick, but once you have it, the first part becomes as easy as it is important. Good role players want to play with superstars, and the low price tag that they come with represents the inefficiency, or the moneyball concept, of professional basketball.
The recipie for the two teams lucky enough to get Oden and Durant is pretty simple. It may not happen over night, or in the order you’d like, but you have a few years until your superstar peaks anyway. Look for that perfect sidekick and jump on him when you find him. Then go get those role players. Don’t be afraid to tie up most of your payroll on your two big guns, but make sure they are the right ones. After all Marbury has a player option for $20M next year which is enough to pay for Bowen, Shane Battier, PJ Brown and Steve Blake.
*Interesting point about the best not gurding each other. After some consideration I still like the foul outs but its an interesting dilema. Do we think that is the only, or main thing stopping stars from getting tough defensive assignments?
**Is the draft lotto tonight?
***Is Sasha that dud that looks like an eastern euro hitman?
****It is pretty obvious that the Rockets frontcourt tops that list in my book, but the Knicks were pretty hardcore as well. The Hornets were nice but were the worst defensively.
*****Considering the tone of this conversation, which players do would compose the team you would send to play a team of aliens in hoops, assuming they must be from the 90s or later.
With only so many shots, defense has to be at a premium.
My 5:
PG Stockton
SG Jordan
SF Pippen
PF Duncan
C Hakeem
Bench: Rodman, Miller
Thoughts??
thegreatawakening
May 22, 2007
I take it that we are only really talking about guys from our lifetime, so here goes nothing…
PG: Billups
SG: Jordan
SF: Pippen
PF: Rodman
C: Mourning
Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman played well enough together that their team won more regular season games than any team in history. Give me Zo at the 5 for his defense and intensity. As for my PG, remember the fact that Jordan never really played with a good one, and the fact that the guys he did play with (Armstrong, Kerr, etc.) all could shoot the 3. With that said, I’d go with Billups as my PG because he clearly doesn’t mind playing on a team where he isn’t necessarily the main option. Furthermore, Chauncey always seems to hit the big shot, which I like.
Raible
May 23, 2007
Haver-
Two things I thought you brought up that were interesting were the suspensions and foul outs.
First, I kind of like the idea of suspensions not being enforced until the following regular season, but I think that it takes away any harshness of a penalty. I mean how is a team really penalized if a player is suspended for a game or two during game one or two of the following year. Hell players sit out all the time, so I think that a suspension needs to be served contigent of when it occurs. Now one thing you could do though is multiply the suspension by 5 if you wanted to do it the following year. So a 1 game suspension becomes a 5 gamer, a 2 becomes a 10 gamer and so on and so forth.
As for the topic of foul outs I definitely think the college game could do good by looking in to 6 fouls before you are out, however I think that the NBA is fine. The way I look at it is if they went to unlimited fouls with a penalty what would stop the Hack a Shaq theory? Even if the other team got two shots and the ball it might cancel out if Shaq or Big Ben doesn’t hit from the charity stripe. Moreover, in recent memory how many top flight players have fouled out of a big game? Just a question, but everytime I watch the NBA game it seems to me that they are a little more lax in calling fouls against their “STARS,” which kind of plays into my whole NBA consipracy theory that the referees dictate the game until the last half of the 4th quarter to try to keep it close if they can. Seriously, I feel like I don’t have to watch much more of an NBA game than that to pick up the excitement. Now your foul out idea was in lue of a comment about Duncan not guarding Boozer, but if there were unlimited fouls, do you think he’d be guarding him anyway? I think more than just fouls go into it. Think about the fatigue that would factor in if Kobe had to guard Rip Hamilton, or Duncan had to guard Dirk, and so on and so forth. I understand it would be sweet to see two titans matchup, but why neutralize your best player? I think it goes deeper than foul trouble.
Anyone else have any thoughts on his comments?
Wells
May 23, 2007
MVP’s for the Final Four teams:
Cleveland – LeBron James
Detroit – Richard Hamilton
Utah – Carlos Boozer
San Antonio – Tim Duncan
Ultimate starting 5 for each conference:
East
PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Vince Carter
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rasheed Wallace
C: Dwight Howard
West
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Mehmet Okur
Raible
May 24, 2007
Wells, udaman.
My responses.
You’re probably right about the suspensions. I’m not sure if I feel like my postponing til the following season is a slam dunk or not. I’ve also wondered if the player changed teams and things like that. It’d still be penalizing the actual player but nonetheless has an odd feel to it. Making a playoff penalty harsher but postponing it til the following season would be good. I guess the bottom line is whether it’s a justified suspension or not, just as I hate injuries in the playoffs, I also hate suspensions. In the playoffs I like one team’s best 12 vs the other teams best 12.
To the foul outs. You bring up a lot of valid points. I honestly don’t think any of us can really answer if stars would guard stars more often because we don’t actually know the reasons they don’t. No star in the world might EVER guard Richard Hamilton! BUT, if 50% of the time the marquee matchup doesn’t happen because of fatigue and the other 50% of the time it’s because of foul trouble, then we’d get a lot of better matchups. While the numbers are estimates, the theory is not. It COULDN’T get worse. If it EVER goes into consideration, it wouldn’t anymore.
My other thing is while you might be accurate questioning how often a star player even fouls out, I think it goes far more into just the foul out. It’s the quick 2 fouls in the first minute of the game that leads to the next 23 minutes on the bench. That player might not foul out, but he missed a lot of time for the fear of the foul out. While it might be his fault for fouling, it might also be the refs.
Also, is it really right for a star player not to get a foul called on him because the ref wants him in the game? Without foul outs, the refs might be more fair.
If you awarded 2 foul shots and the ball on a players 7th foul and beyond, I see no way, shape, or form a team would think it’s a good strategy to foul Shaq. He’d go to the line, maybe make 1-2 for a free point and then they’d get the ball again for 24 more seconds. Even if he made zero, a player on the opposite team would get a foul, a team foul would be added, and Shaq’s team would have the ball right back where they started.
It wouldn’t necessary be a slam dunk to continue playing a player with more than 6 fouls. A coach might not feel it’s justified risking it, so it’s not like Danny Fortson would be out there playing 40 minutes with 22 fouls.
I think you made good arguments but looking forward to seeing what you think of my rebuttals?
Haver
May 25, 2007
In regards to playoff starting 5’s…..
I like Raible’s East but will make two changes. Dwade over Vince. I don’t think Vince is a winner. Plus I feel the Dwade and LeBron combo is ideal and let’s LeBron play to his strengths. Kidd gets the nod over Billups. His ability to dictate the game and be nine steps ahead of the other team is incredible. I love how Tayshaun fits a team but can’t put him over LeBron. Sheed is my hero and my ideal PF for a team like this. Dwight Howard is a manchild but I’m goin with the Diesel. Shaq’s days are numbered and DHoward’s are clearly ahead of him, but there’s still no one in the game like Shaq. On a team like this I feel like he can be a presence unlike any other. For one series and a 4th/5th option, I’ll still take The Diesel. Plus, it was close so might as well go with something different.
PG Jason Kidd
SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James
PF Rasheed Wallace
C Shaquille O’Neal
Now the West, I was just about to put out the following lineup out
PG Deron Williams
SG Raja Bell
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Kevin Garnett
C Tim Duncan
But then realized KG wouldn’t be eligible. I think he’s one of the keys to making that lineup work so without him I don’t know if I can simply replace him with a Yao, Amare or Boozer. I really like it though.
I feel like Steve Nash is the Michael Vick of the NBA. Before anyone defends Nash, I simply mean that when you take one of these guys as your signal callers, you’re commiting yourself to a totally different style of play. I don’t want to play the run and gun style and want at least a little defense out of my PG. Therefore I pass on Nash. Real quick on Nash, I almost feel like if I take him, I keep Bell, Marion, and Amare and replace Diaw with a Duncan, Kobe, or TMac and just say bring it!
I was so hooked on my original lineup I’m not sure where to go from here. I’m thinking gotta have Duncan and Kobe. I still like Deron as my PG. Tony Parker would be my second choice.
For the two final spots we’ll talk about the big men first. I love Boozer beside Duncan but still tryin to think if they’re too similar. Amare and Duncan would be great compliments. Yao and Duncan would be dominating but perhaps too slow? I understand Raible’s idea of Okur and Duncan but I want more defense than Okur gives. I think in the end I’m going with Boozer. I think Boozer could be a workman like PF that does all the dirty work but shine when needed.
At SF, I love Lamar Odom but I’m not sure if I’m convinced he’s done enough in his career to have proven he can be the West’s Rasheed. Carmelo is tempting but I just really don’t like him. Bowen is always an option for me and could always guard the opponents top defender. Thought about my boy Raja Bell with Kobe at SF but think there’s too many good options to be trying something like that. TMac and Kobe would be sick but not sure how they would mesh. Battier is another perfect fit besides Kobe. Diaw and Marion are also both great options for the SF position. Josh Howard can’t be forgotten. Man, so many good fits. I guess you simply cannot go wrong. I want to go with Bowen just because I think he’s the perfect fit. But I also wonder if any of these guys, if not all of these guys, would be even better fits, but just aren’t on the Spurs so we aren’t sure of that.
Finally
PG Deron Williams
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Carlos Boozer
C Tim Duncan
Why Bowen? It’s one playoffs and he’s just too proven. And because Raible just called me and needs help in his bathroom and I must hurry to his house.
One quick note. Notice three teams that stand out with by far the most players that were candidates for these teams? Detroit, San Antonio and Phoenix.
Haver
May 26, 2007
I was going to throw out the same western lineup as Haver’s final choice. With Kobe on the team there’s no need to replace Bowen with a better scorer. Duncan and Boozer would be a matchup nightmare that I don’t think could possibly be stopped- and they don’t sacrifice an inch on the boards or on defense. Deron Williams is my favorite PG in the league right now. Kobe, Duncan and Bowen are all awesome on-ball defenders, and Kobe, Duncan, Boozer, and Williams would all cause a matchup problem at the other end. I’m sure there are decent arguments for other players but this is my lineup 100%.
In the east I think the Pistons would beat an all-star team of the rest of the conference.
thegreatawakening
May 26, 2007
Do the Pistons beat……..
PG Kidd
SG Wade
SF LeBron
PF Bosh
C Varejao
What about……….
PG Arenas
SG Gordon
SF Deng
PF Howard
C Shaq
And finally…….
PG Hinrich
SG Carter
SF Caron
PF Jamison
C Ben Wallace
Haver
May 27, 2007
Earlier I brought up role players and Dean followed with some great points that I couldn’t have agreed with any more. It really is exactly like Money Ball where other stats are valued more for contracts and you can find some great bargains in the NBA for great role players.
I think one great thing to do is to look at players that have great role playing potential but aren’t on a team to show it. Shane Battier was of no use on a poor Grizzlies team and the Rockets went and got him (although not cheap it still looks worth it). Derek Fisher was a great player for the Lakers for so many years. Went to the Warriors and was non-existent. A great move by the Jazz to get him as their backup point guard. I’ve mentioned Raja Bell to the Suns before but also what an eye for talent to include Boris Diaw in the Joe Johnson trade. Anyway, I could list a few other guys but I want to mention some free agents that I think could be great fits for cheap.
-DeShawn Stevenson-Great defender. 40% from 3 in 07. 26 years old. I actually like him with all those other scorers on the Wizards but think he could be a Raja Bell type of player on another team as well.
-Luke Walton-Knows what it’s like to be on bigtime teams and in the spotlight. Smart player and great passer. 27 years-old.
-Desmond Mason-Constantly thought of as undersized but constantly produces. Absolutely horrible shooter, but on the right team with a shooting point guard and/or shooting small forward, I think he provides a nice role.
-Steve Blake-A guy Dean previously mentioned. Good size, smart, pass-first player. Like him for a team that needs direction or even a team with a shoot first PG that Blake can not only backup but let slide to the 2 for a little.
-Matt Barnes-He played well enough in the playoffs that you gotta watchif his salary rises. Also have to worry about a player from a run and gun system fitting into a regular scheme. But, he’s young, athletic, very aggressive and a nice shooter.
-Ruben Patterson-Had no idea he averaged 15 a game last season, a career high. Works hard, aggressive, doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore. Can’t shoot but same thing as Mason applies, nice fit on a team with other shooters. Will be 32 but a cheap 2-3 year contract might not be bad.
-Mikki Moore-I always feel like when a guy like Moore finally finds a home it’s stupid to leave that home and once again risk sucking. I think Moore needs to stay in New Jersey where he knows he fits.
-Gerald Wallace-Could actually get a huge contract so he doesn’t exactly fit into this category but he fits the bill of a player on a horrible team that could be a wonderful fit on a good one. Will only turn 25 this Summer.
-Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao are actually both restricted free agents. Reminds me of Barbosa and Diaw last year. Don’t want to overpay but might have to to keep two integral parts of the puzzle. Could another team fall in love with one of these guys and do the overpaying? Yes. And while I love both players, have to be careful of the contract.
Haver
May 28, 2007
I like pretty much all those guys.
If I were a GM I would do whatever I could to get a franchise big man. Brand or Boozer would be fine although Duncan or Howard would be lovely. Then I’d look to add a top young point guard, ideally Chris Paul or Deron Williams.
Then I would fill out my roster from players from this list, depending on scheme and availability. I especially liked the role you described for Steve Blake. One of my favorite strategies is using a secondary PG or a Pippen-style point-forward to free up my star guard to make plays. I’ve always felt that using the PG bring the ball up hinders many offenses. I’d rather position him to receive the first pass in a spot to work the two-man game with my featured post player, run a pick and roll from the wing, or drive/post up Mark Jackson-style. Naturally some teams would be better served doing something different, but this would be my preference if my roster allowed.
Every team also needs grunts on the perimeter and in the paint. I’d want exactly Bruce Bowen and Dennis Rodman in those roles in my dream scenario.
In a perfect world you would compliment your Bowen with a scorer at either the two or the three. However, filling out a roster with the traditional point guard, shooting guard, small fwd, ect. is overrated. If Bowen guards your point guard and plays on the wing on offense, what position does he play? The real question is- why does it matter? A bigger issue- is the collection of players you put out there capable of matching up defensively with the other team’s talent? Still, if you could have an Alan Houston/Latrell Sprewell-type shooting guard it would be nice.
Assuming you have Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, or Chris Paul and Elton Brand, you need to add a grinding power forward/center, a shutdown perimeter player, and a shooter/slasher. For the olympic team I think this is exactly how you’d want it- Williams, Redd, Battier, Brand, Duncan. To be more realistic, let’s exclude the top tier role players, such as Bell, Bowen, and Battier, and eliminate the possibility of a third all-star player. I’m definitely taking Steve Blake to perform the role Haver outlined. Derek Fisher would be nice too if you have the money to spend.
From there who do you guys want on the team? Would it change if the point guard is Paul or Williams? What about if the forward is Duncan or Howard instead of Boozer or Brand?
Also…
-The Pistons comment was meant as a joke obviously, but the funny thing is that they could probably keep it close against just about any team, although winning is another story. Not sure how they would fare against those three lineups- what do you guys think?
-Does anyone else think Barbosa-to-the-Lakers is perfect for both sides?
-This decade looks like the reverse of the last, with the Duke pro players outplaying the Duke college players. Boozer, Brand, and Battier were all mentioned as awesome players in this post.
thegreatawakening
May 29, 2007
Dean those are great thoughts and it is funny how the tides have turned at Duke. But I’m gonna change gears a little. On our fantasy baseball site Raible and I have had some great discussions on NBA trades. I’m starting to think we’re boring most of the people in the league and that that type of factual information and talk should done be on this site. We obviously still can discuss the ongoing NBA…
1. Spurs-Wow
2. LeBron-Wow
3. Jazz-Still love your future
4. Pistons-If they win I’ll almost be more upset at them than if they lose. Seems like they always need a kick in the ass to perform.
…….but I’d like to discuss trade rumors on this site.
My new idea.
Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Started thinking of this after the KG and Jermaine O’Neal rumors. Obviously KG is the head of that class but who you value more, O’Neal or Gasol, could go either way. I still like my Pacers trades that I came up with but I’m gonna throw out one for Gasol. Instead of starting with a small deal and then building up, I’m gonna hit you with a knockout punch right off the bat.
LAKERS GET
Pau Gasol (4 yrs 63 mil left)
Damon Stoudamire (2 yrs 9 mil left)
Brian Cardinal (3 yrs 19 mil left)
2007 1st round pick (4th overall)
GRIZZLIES GET
Lamar Odom (2 yrs 28 mil left)
Andrew Bynum (3 yrs 9 mil left)
Kwame Brown (1 yr 9 mil left)
Sasha Vujacic (2 yrs 4 mil left)
BAM!
WHY THE LAKERS DO IT……
PG Damon Stoudamire, Jordan Farmar
SG Kobe Bryant, Maurice Evans
SF Luke Walton (IF THEY RESIGN HIM), Vlad Radmanovic
PF Ronny Turiaf, Brian Cardinal
C Pau Gasol, Brian Cook
Plus the 4th overall pick. I love a few options here.
a. Al Horford-Could be a 20 and 10 staple. I think he could start immediately and draw the tougher defensive assignment. He, along with the next two Gators I’ll talk about are winners.
b. Corey Brewer-Could there be a better compliment to Kobe playing Small Forward?
c. Joakim Noah-Could do all of the little things next to Gasol and could compliment Gasol better than Horford does.
d. Mike Conley-Hello point guard for the next 12 years!
e. Brandan Wright-Probably my last option, just because if you trade Andrew Bynum away, I think you want a guy more ready. But Wright’s ceiling is as high as anyone’s and could run, block shots, and fit into the team game as well as anyone.
The Lakers might handicap themselves a little bit with the salaries they are taking in compared to the ones they are giving away. However, you can also look at them now being a complete team and saying, “Here ya go Kobe, this is the team that you’ll have for the prime of your career. We think it’s enough to get it done. Show us what you got.”
WHY THE GRIZZLIES DO IT
PG Kyle Lowry, Sasha Vujacic
SG Mike Miller, Tarence Kinsey
SF Rudy Gay, Dahntay Jones
PF Lamar Odom, Hakim Warrick, Stromile Swift
C Andrew Bynum, Kwame Brown, Alexander Johnson
Odom and Miller are the two oldest players at 27 yrs of age. Mike Miller would be the only player on the team signed for more than 2 years that makes over 4 million a year. The youth and flexibility they would have because of this trade would be incredible. They are so young that giving up the 4th overall pick wouldn’t be a big deal and you could look at it as drafting Bynum anyway.
I tend to think the deal is a slam dunk for the Grizzlies. I think if you look at the Lakers lineup at first glance you might not think it’s enough, but after you add the 4th and 19th picks to the roster it completely changes things. Giving up Bynum is tough, but I feel like it’s Darko on the Pistons all over again. A project is taken by a team that simply can’t afford to wait the 5 years necessary to develop. Whoever the Lakers took at #4 could instantly fit better into their current plans.
I like this deal for both sides.
Haver
June 2, 2007
Funny I called that a slam dunk for the Grizzlies but a few of the people I discussed it with thought the Grizz weren’t getting enough in return. I probably shouldn’t have said slam dunk, but if that is the case, what about the Lakers throwing in their first round pick this year as well?
ANOTHER TRADE IDEA (THAT WORKS!!!!!)
PISTONS GET
Shawn Marion (2 yrs 33 mil left)
Marcus Banks (4 yrs 17 mil left)
Suns first round pick (24th OR 29th overall)
SUNS GET
Rasheed Wallace (2 yrs 26 mil left)
Lindsey Hunter (1 yr 2 mil left)
Carlos Delfino (2 yr 5 mil left)
Amir Johnson (resigned for a 1 yr deal for 800k)
BAM! (I really feel like Emerill!)
I’d say the main reason this trade would happen is if both teams wanted to simply change things up. The Pistons especially seem like they need to make some kind of change. The Suns still haven’t had a completely normal playoffs (2005-Joe Johnson hurt, 2006-Amare out, 2007-Nash’s nose f’d up in game 1 and the Amare/Diaw suspensions) but nonetheless could start to press. You also seem to constantly hear that they want to cut payroll. You might not think the Pistons should be getting the first round pick in this deal, but I think that’s how much the Suns would like to give up Marcus Banks.
I know Raible loves Shawn Marion on the Suns but trading for Sheed makes sense. You hate to gear up for one team but Sheed would guard Duncan and add toughness and size. He can shoot the 3 ball and be a nice compliment to Amare. He takes a little flash away from the Suns but the Suns might want that. Hunter could actually be a nice backup to Nash and is in the last year of his deal. Delfino is an athletic player that could fit a lot better into the Suns plans than the Pistons. They’d still keep one of their first rounders.
PG-Nash, Hunter
SG-Bell, Barbosa
SF-Diaw, Delfino, J Jones
PF-Sheed, A Johnson
C-Amare, K Thomas
After watching game 6 of the Eastern conference finals I think it’s easy to see why the Pistons would want to trade Sheed. Marion is 3 years younger than Sheed and gives the Pistons a shot in the arm, providing a different look than basically anyone in the game. He might not be your typical Eastern conference PF, but who in the East do they really need a big PF to match up against? Marcus Banks should be every bit as good as Hunter and it could be worth taking on his salary to add a 2nd first round pick in this draft.
PG-Billups (i’ll assume they resign him), Banks
SG-Rip, F Murray
SF-Prince, Dupree
PF-Marion, Maxiell
C-Webber, McDyess, Nazr
They look thin but do they really look any worse? Don’t forget they’d add 2 first rounders to this lineup.
I like this trade for both sides (of course I do, I made it up!!!!)
Haver
June 5, 2007
One thing before I go, I don’t follow the NBA that much, so I might be off base sometimes because I don’t know how good/bad/expensive/injuy-prone some fringe might be.
I have a friend whose philoshophy is drafting polished players from winning programs. The best example right now is in Chicago with Hinrich, Gordon, Duhon and Deng. The idea being that they are coachable, have been one of many options before, and know how to execute well in conditions similar to the NBA playoffs- Duke-UNC, Syracuse-UConn, etc. As I’ve said before I think the easiest basketball commodity to find is what I call non-situational scoring- in other words all the points that somehow get put up during the game without much strategy or drama. The truely important jobs are guarding the big man, spelling the point guard, and hitting the three off the designed play at the end game.
I think this philoshophy makes even more sense when you analyze a team that already has its framework. On a team that has no framework you don’t really have roles so you feel pressured to simply acquire talent in any form. This is a tough situation to perform well in. When you have Jordan and Pippen or Stockton and Malone you have framework. The offensive strategy is already in place and the bulk of the scoring is already accounted for. As a player you know what your job is- hit the open three, guard the PF opposite Malone, or run the offense so the PG can move to the 2.
On a team like Memphis there aren’t ready-made slots to plug in established role players. The offensive strategy hasn’t been finalized and the bulk of the scoring hasn’t been accounted for. Management is still looking for the faces of the team, the guys who will make the Grizzlies the Grizzlies.
A team with at least partial framework, like the Lakers, is looking for different guys. The guys who established themselves at major college programs also established what their strenghts are and what niche they can fill. It isn’t as painless to pass on a high ceiling prospect for a nice grunt when you have 35 points a game in the bank. You can focus instead on what’s missing- a distributor, a shooter, a brusier, a point forward. And since you know how you’re going to try to win- by running, the pick and roll, the triangle- you know what you want those pieces to look like.
For that reason I liked the LA-Memphis trade proposal at first glance. All those Florida guys sounded great in LA even though they might not be all that exciting for Memphis. I don’t really like Gasol there for some reason, but I’m not really sure why.
Like it or not Kobe Bryant is basically Michael Jordan. He’s an unstopable scorer from anywhere, he’s a tenacious defender, and he’s driven to be legendary. He may or may not have whatever it is that made Jordan Jordan, but he’s got enough that you can try to duplicate Michael’s supporting cast and run with it. The guys that helped Jordan most were Pippen and Grant/Rodman. They always had someone to nail the late jumper too, but those guys are very easy to sign when you are a contender.
With that in mind I can understand why the Lakers are trying to make Odom work. But I don’t think Bynum and Brown are fits for them at all. This team needs projects less than anyone. Right now I think LA needs to get a power forward that can do all the things good power forwards do- rebound, defend and bang a few buckets. I’m not that worried about the point guard. It would have been nice to line up Kidd or Bibby, but I think that’s a luxury.
So………..I think every Laker is disposible (although I think Walton is part of the solution). I also think they need a well rounded power forward first and foremost, ideally a Pippen clone next, and eventually someone to stroke the late jumper when they triple team Kobe.
Anyone have a deal for me???
thegreatawakening
June 6, 2007
Lakers must do something. They have arguably the best player in the game and in are in freakin Los Angeles. Recreating the 1990s Chicago Bulls could be tough but they must make some moves. I feel they are in the position to make a few things happen. I didn’t like the Radmanovic signing last year but I don’t really mind him as a player. I just also like Lamar Odom and Luke Walton at SF. Since Radman’s contract basically means he’ll be on the team (unless he’s a throw in in a big deal) they need to start to do one of three things here
1. Move Odom to PF
2. Trade Odom
3. Don’t resign Walton
A 2nd (not in any order) move they must do is with Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. They are both centers. They need one of them at the most, maybe neither. Even if you hate Kwame, he’s appealing in a trade because he’s in the last year of his deal that pays 9 mil. They might want to keep Bynum, but as I’ve stated before, this is a team that simply cannot wait. The thing about trading Bynum is his stock is so high, you’re basically getting value back as if he already does average 17 and 10.
Thirdly, they CANT resign Smush Parker. That is addition by subtraction right there.
A package of Odom, Kwame and Bynum really should get something real big in return. Joneal, Gasol, even KG. Maybe someone not ever mentioned. In this situation you resign Walton and go with him and Radman at SF. Probably don’t have enough other pieces to make a splash for someone else.
I don’t have an exact player in mind, but Kwame, Bynum and a first rounder should be able to get an established center in return. Could resign Walton and play Odom at the 4 beside the new center.
I’ve actually seen rumors of Kwame for Marcus Camby. Camby is a center, plays defense, rebounds and can hit the 18 footer. Could be a great fit. If the trade goes down that way, the Lakers could stay as is, or would still have Odom, Bynum and their first round pick to make another trade.
Besides trading for a big man, I think an intriguing player here is Shawn Marion. I think it’d have to be a 3 team deal with Odom going to that 3rd team and the Suns getting someone pretty good in return. Raible made an interesting comparison of Marion to Pippen one day. At first I thought it couldn’t be any further off, but the more I thought, the more I can see Marion as a new age type of Pippen. Or at least some similarities. Marion could theoretically be a top 10 player in the NBA but MUST be the 2nd fiddle. He can do a lot of things to compliment a star, especially a star at shooting guard like Kobe.
One more thing I’ll mention is with the NBA Finals being the Cavs vs the Spurs, it means that once again, the NBA title will be won by a team with a top 5 player in the game on it. This was a point I made a little earlier and it now means that 23 of the past 24 champions have had a top 5 player on it.
Haver
June 7, 2007
Back to trade talk. Talk about HUGE names being thrown around. Kobe, KG, Marion, Joneal, even Amare are just a handful of the names that have been rumored in trades. I’m gonna talk about a few I’ve heard lately and what I think. I’ll start off one that looks absolutely beautiful.
CELTICS GET
KG
TWOLVES GET
Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Theo Ratliff
Sebastian Telfair
2007 First round pick
F’n love this for both squads. For the Celtics you’re left with
PG Rondo, West, A Ray
SG Pierce, T Allen
SF Wally
PF KG, Gomes, Powe, Scalabrine
C Perkins
I think that’s enough to get it done in the East. Also, when you look at what they give up the only player that really was part of their rotation was Jefferson.
Twolves would have a young foursome of Foye, McCants, Green and Jefferson. They’d have the 5th and 7th picks. I think right there is enough reason to do the trade. Some of their players, such as Hassell and Juwan, would be nice guys to have with all of their youngsters. Some others would just slowly go away.
Only downfalls I can see to this trade is the Celtics needing to have an extension in place with KG or the Twolves having about 18 guys on their roster. I’ve also heard Wally going to the Twolves and in return the Celtics get Troy Hudson and someone else.
The KG for Amare trades are interesting and I see reasons why but I just don’t see it happening.
My favorite Kobe deal still involves the Hawks giving up Johnson, #3 pick and Marvin/Childress. I liked a three way deal I heard the other day involving Kobe to Bulls, Gilbert Arenas and first round pick to Lakers and Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and PJ Brown to Wizards. Other than the endlessly annoying Kobe and Jordan comparisons and maybe a few pieces added here and there I think it makes sense.
Marion will be very interesting to follow and I know I’ve talked about him before but so many of the rumors you hear are for far less than fair value. Last one I heard was Luke Walton, Kwame Brown and a first round pick. Absolute slam dunk for the Lakers. I’ve thought one step ahead and realized they might still have the ammo for Joneal if they packaged Odom and Bynum. Kobe, Marion, and Joneal all together. That’d be sweet.
Haver
June 20, 2007
So KG turns down a trade to the Celtics. KG’s a bitch. Him and Pierce would have been the best 1-2 punch in the East. And I don’t care what Bill Simmons or anyone said, the Celtics would have had enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
Anyway, what to do now?
-Suns or bust for KG. How hard do the Suns go after KG? Do they offer Amare and a pick? Amare for KG and a pick comin their way? Amare and Diaw for KG and the 7th pick? Should the Suns get a bad contract in return or should the Twolves get the bad contract? Marion apparently doesn’t want to play in Minnesota but what else would it take along with Marion? Diaw? Barbosa? Hawks pick?
-What next for the Celtics? Should they trade Pierce and just go 100% future? Lots of people seem to say that “no one” with the 5th pick will help the Celtics. I refuse to believe that. Joakim or Hawes wouldn’t look nice next to Jefferson? Brewer and Pierce (and eventually GGreen) wouldn’t make a nice duo? What now with Ratliff’s contract? Will they waste it ala the Bulls and PJ Brown? Simmons suggests Kirilenko. Who else is out there that a team might want to dump? What about the 5th pick and Ratliff for Rashard Lewis?
I love the NBA offseason!!!!!
Haver
June 22, 2007
I don’t understand why this whole draft process is such a waste of time for the Cs either. Brewer, Horford and Conley all help them in my opinion. What’s the problem?
thegreatawakening
June 23, 2007
What are your thoughts on a mixed playoffs for the NBA where a west team could play another west team in the finals?
I really don’t like this idea as it pretty much completely defeats the purpose of conferences. If the “real” NBA Finals was indeed San Antonio vs Phoenix, and this happened in the Western Conference Semifinals, then so be it.
Raible
June 23, 2007
I also HATE this. To me, this is a perfect example of panicing. MAYBE it would have been better this year, but who cares? For the most part, the playoffs are perfectly fine the way they are. Hell, Dallas was the #1 seed and got knocked out in the first round. Last year, Dwade Dwaded his was to the finals and beyond. We’ve seen how big matchups are. Maybe if the Cavs played a team other than the Spurs they would have won it all. My point is you really don’t know how things are going to play out until after the playoffs and I hope NBA execs don’t panic and change anything. EAST VS WEST. Keep it that way!
Anyone ever think about byes in the NBA playoffs???? (LOL!!!)
Haver
June 23, 2007
Surprisingly I was talking on the phone with The Frankus and even more surprisingly NBA trades came up.
3 Team Trade
Celtics get
Zach Randolph
Jason Richardson
Warriors get
5th pick from Boston (Yi)
Theo Raliff
Portland gets
Wally Szczerbiak
18th pick from Golden State
Rumors say Golden State would like to trade up to draft Yi, dangling their pick and JRich. Basically they trade JRich and the 18th pick to Boston for the 5th pick and Ratliff’s contract. Boston then knows they might be able to get Zach Randolph for less than market value. They give up a guy they’d like to give up in Wally, who would actually be a perfect fit as a veteran shooting small forward in Portland. Boston already gives up the pick they just received from GS.
Boston’s lineup
PG Rondo, West
SG JRich, T Allen
SF Pierce, G Green
PF Randolph, Gomes
C Jefferson, Perkins
Portland’s lineup (Plus the 18th pick and 4 2nd rounders)
PG Jack, Sergio Rodriguez
SG Roy, Webster
SF Wally, Miles, Outlaw
PF Aldridge, Freeland
C Oden, Pryzbilla
Golden State
PG Baron, Jasikevecius
SG Ellis, Azuibuike
SF S Jackson, Barnes
PF Harrington, Yi Jialian
C Biedrins, OBryant
Another trade rumor involves Zach Randolph for Richard Jefferson. If Vince Carter resigns this deal would make sense. Portland could plug Jefferson in at SF and the Nets could get a consistent 20 and 10 guy and select a SF in the draft.
Saw a Jazz-Celts trade rumors. 5th pick, Gerald Green, Delonte West and Theo Ratliff for Andrei Kirilenko and 25th pick. If that was on the table I think the Jazz would accept the second they picked themselves up off the ground. Would be horrible for the Celts. I think a deal involving Ratliff and Wally for Kirilenko and Giricek makes more sense. Celts get better players back but also worse contracts. With big contracts already in place for Mehmet and Boozer and one coming for Deron Williams, I think the Jazz could be tempted by a trade like this and Wally would be a good fit at SF.
Still think the Lakers should look at Kwame for Marcus Camby.
On the Mock Draft Page i proposed Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, PJ Brown and 2008 First Round pick for Kobe.
Chris Duhon, Jose Calderon and Steve Blake are all nice, young, cheap PG’s that can be a starter on a good team I think. Can you say Jon Frank’s Miami Heat?!?!?
Raible, I think Mickael “Justin” Pietrus could get a great mid-level signing for the Hornets if they can afford him. Not great offensively the 6′6 25-year-old is like a SF on offense and SG on defense. Basically a younger Desmond Mason. I also think their ideal draft is Thaddeus Young and DJ Strawberry. If Nick Young is their 1st round pick, the ideal 2nd rounder becomes Reyshawn Terry or Jared Dudley. No matter which Young is selected in the 1st I’d also look at Alando Tucker if he falls to #43.
Haver
June 24, 2007
And you know how I feel about Tucker, so I would most definitely welcome that selection in the 2nd Round!
Keep raining in Philly, baby, keep raining!
Raible
June 24, 2007
Re: The Jazz
I’d like to see the Jazz stay put. If they decide to dump Kirilenko for financial reasons I’m not…..oh wait I just realized that the 5th pick was included. Are you kidding? That can’t be anywhere close to on the table. Anyway I don’t like Gerald Green, although West certainly fits in with the general team ugliness of the Jazz. Speaking of ugly Jazz players just wait until I pick at #25.
P.S.
Dickie Jeff on the Blazers sounds good. Get the paperwork going.
thegreatawakening
June 24, 2007
Quick rant (that won’t be quick nor short) on the rumored 4 team blockbuster trade.
Admittedly I’d want to see just about any type of 4 team trade executed but I really think this makes sense for every team involved.
Boston gets a stud big man in Joneal to pair with vets Pierce and Wally and still has enough young talent in Rondo, West, Allen, Gomes, Perkings and most importantly Al Jefferson to not worry about giving up both the 5th pick and Gerald Green. They must parlay Ratliff’s contract into something unlike the Bulls holding on to PJ Brown and getting rid of Sebastian Telfair is addition by subtraction.
Pacers need to continue their makeover and Odom could be every bit as good as Joneal. They also receive Andrew Bynum.
Lakers get Kevin Garnett and Marko Jaric. Earlier today when the rumor came out, Jon Frank and I (if you think I just sit around and discuss NBA trades with anyone that will listen you’re basically correct) were talking about how much we liked the Pacers, Celtics and Twolves side when I said, “Jonny, Kobe and K F’n G.” Might not be a better thing to happen to Kobe, to KG and to the NBA than these two pairing up. Absorbing Jaric’s contract is a no brainer.
Twolves get the 5th pick and 19th pick in addition to their 7th pick. They get Gerald Green in addition to McCants and Foye. Ratliff and Kwame’s contract combine for $20 million, will both come off the books next Summer and at least one of them could be a serviceable player this season. Telfair is Telfair.
Jonny Frank came up with a wonderful idea if the above trade happened. Ron Artest to the Lakers for Luke Walton (in a sign and trade), Jordan Farmer and/or Future 1st round pick. The Kings are able to start their overhauling and there’s really no analyzation needed other than imagining Kobe, Artest and KG play defense together.
It appears the Celtics are the team backing out. I’ve of course thought of some alternatives to get this dag thing done. It pains me to subtract one of these teams to make it a measly 3 team deal but what about eliminating the Pacers from the deal? Send Odom and Bynum to the Celtics. Jermaine O’Neal was the only player they had involved so they don’t have any contracts or picks as integral parts to the deal. I’ve obviously tried this trade on the Trade Machine and it obviously works. Celtics could have an inside duo of Bynum and Jefferson for the future and pair Odom and Pierce right now. The rest of the trade stays the exact same.
If you saw the 4 team trade rumor and DIDNT think about me, we’re no longer friends!
Haver
June 26, 2007
I think the Lakers should be hungry for a deal like this. Who cares about Bynum? It also sounds like they could simply take O’Neal for Odom/Bynum if the others back out, is that correct?
The Celtics might want to make a move for a real player just to get the fans back and tide them over until Piece can move on and Jefferson can develop. I don’t give a shit about Green, but the 5th pick is tough to trade. Would the Kings trade Artest for Green and Ratliff? That might not be good for the Cs, I don’t know, but I would do it and then do the Walton/Farmar deal.
The Wolves blow, I’m not interested in addressing them.
The Pacers……yeah why not take Odom/Bynum for O’Neal while you can I guess.
The Lakers need to do something the most in my opinion. Then again I know nothing about the NBA.
thegreatawakening
June 26, 2007
I love any deal for the Lakers that has Kobe staying in LA and adding a big man, preferably KG over O’Neal. I have stated that I would love to see Kobe with the Hawks, but I don’t think that it’s gonna happen. With that said, I would rather see Kobe stay in LA than go to, say, Chicago.
Having KG go from Minnesota to LA would be amazing, too, especially if the T-Wolves are then able to rebuild through the acquired young talent and draft picks that the trade would bring them.
One of my favorite parts of any deal is seeing Lamar Odom going somewhere else and starting over. Not more than a few years ago, Odom was the best player on a young and up-and-coming Heat team. I would welcome the chance to see him revive his career, perhaps in Indiana. It should be noted that it’s not as if Odom has been a disappoinment in LA, but I feel like his talents would be better served somewhere else.
If I am LA, I keep Kobe and add either KG or O’Neal ASAP.
Raible
June 26, 2007
BRAD MILLER (3 yrs 33 mil )FOR THEO RATLIFF (1 yr 12 mil). Seriously, how perfect is this trade?
Boston could either wait out Ratliff’s contract and let it come off the books or trade him now to a team looking to dump a salary. At first I thought it was a no brainer that he must be traded. It seems like the Bulls screwed up in this exact situation last year with PJ Brown. But the more I thought it, you might not want to simply add a player to your team that has 3-5 years left on his contract. The Bulls letting PJ walk this Summer creates additional cap space and the same would happen for Boston next year if they kept Ratliff. I’ve heard Andrei Kirilenko’s name and he’s the perfect example of something that sounds better than it is. Kirilenko for Ratliff? Hell yes, you might say. But Ak-47 has 4 years 62 mil left on his deal. With Allen, Pierce and Jefferson in the lineup, Kirilenko would either have to come off the bench or move Jefferson to Center. If Boston feels they can move Jefferson to Center they would have to think about it but it’s a big contract to take on. This leads me to Miller.
Miller is a pure Center. He can pass, play smart, rebound, and hit the 18 footer. 3 years 32 million seems a lot easier to swallow than a contract like Kirilenko’s. Miller would be a great compliment to Jefferson, a rising star in this league. Miller isn’t great defensively but they still have The Frankus’s boy Kendrick Perkins off the bench. Acquiring Ray Allen shows the Celtics want to compete immediately. Miller would help this and once again they wouldn’t be getting rid of any of their youth in this deal. Miller’s production fell last season but just turned 31 and will have a full offseason to rest.
Why do the Kings do it? Just to start a change. The Kings aren’t going anywhere. The West is loaded. Why keep the team they have and win 35 games? They just drafted Spencer Hawes. Let him battle with the big boys. I think it’s in the best interest to rid themselves of Miller, Bibby and Artest and start over. The Kings would be worse without Miller next year but I’d rather win 20 games and guarantee a top 5 pick without him than 30 with him.
They could also trade Ron Artest to Miami for Jason Williams (1 yr 9 mil) and Bibby for a few contracts and a first rounder and officially be the worst team in the NBA…..but have a much brighter future.
Haver
July 2, 2007
THE SACRAMENTO KINGS
There’s been some talk on the Kings on the Mock NBA Draft page in regards to Spencer Hawes, I discussed a few scenarios above and they are Wells’s favorite team. I’m always thinking about possible trades and whether it’s the Celtics and Frankus, Hornets and Raible or Kings and Wells, I like taking an interest in a friend’s team because I know a good discussion could come of it. Today I’d like to give my plan for the Kings if I was Geoff Petrie.
I’ve already discussed about half of my plans.
Brad Miller to the Celtics for Theo Ratliff
Ron Artest to the Heat for Jason Williams
Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Magic for Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Pat Garrity, James Augustine and a 1st round pick.
Total Salaries Gone-9 years and 88 million
Total Salaries Received-6 years and 33 million
Miller to Boston is perfect. Might be able to get a 2nd rounder in addition.
Artest to Miami is perfect. Should be able to get a 2nd rounder or two in addition.
The Bibby trade I haven’t discussed. The Magic should be major players this offseason. If they resign Darko and sign Rashard Lewis they probably can’t do this trade. Real quick on the Magic, I’m not sure if a loaded frontcourt of Lewis, Darko and Howard with a subpar backcourt can get it done. If Lewis signs elsewhere I like adding Bibby, resigning Darko and then filling SG and SF with athletes and shooters (similar structure to New Orleans). If Lewis signs and they let Darko walk, Abdur-Rahim can help fill the 4 spot and Bibby can solidify the point. Don’t want to get too off topic but had to give reason why it’s good for the Magic. As for the Kings, the best parts are the first rounder and getting rid of Abdur-Rahim’s salary.
The new look Kings
PG Jason Williams, Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling
SG Kevin Martin, Fernando Garcia, Quincy Douby
SF John Salmons, Pat Garrity
PF Kenny Thomas, James Augustine
C Spencer Hawes, Theo Ratliff
If that doesn’t look like the worst team in the NBA I don’t know what does. But here’s the real story….
Additional picks
-One 1st rounder
-Two 2nd rounders
Salaries
-6 players in the last year of their deals
-4 more players in rookie contracts
-Kenny Thomas 3 years left.
-John Salmons 4 years left.
I’m also going to disagree with Raible and state why I think Hawes was the right pick.
-Seems like the Kings have taken SG’s and SF’s in the first round every year for the last 5 years.
-PG’s and Center’s are harder to come by.
-None of the SF’s were really slam dunks. Like when the Hawks took Marvin over Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Obviously it didn’t work out because Paul and Deron are stars. But don’t you think it looks even worse because they didn’t take a position of need? My point is if you’re going to miss, you might as well miss with a position of need unless someone just looks too good to pass up.
-Small Forward’s will just about always have the most talent in the draft.
-I think Raible just hates Hawes and is completely open about it. If I thought someone sucked and would be a complete bust I wouldn’t take him either.
That is my plan for the Kings. They should get about 3 straight top 5 picks and be ready to dominate the world in 2010-11.
Wells? Anybody?
Haver
July 3, 2007
Hornets Update: The team is in talks to re-sign Desmond Mason, Devin Brown, and Jannero Pargo. The Hornets have also expressed an interest in Morris Peterson.
Wow, Rashard Lewis to the Magic…is this the second coming of T-Mac?
Raible
July 3, 2007
Most Favorite Offseason Moves:
-Hornets signing Morris Peterson
-Celtics trading for Ray Allen
-Nets re-signing Vince Carter
-Magic extending the contract of Dwight Howard
-Blazers/Sonics drafting Greg Oden/Kevin Durant
Least Favorite Offseason Moves:
-Kings signing Mikki Moore and drafting Spencer Hawes
-Bobcats waiving Brevin Knight
-Bucks drafting Yi Jianlian
Moves That I Would Like to See Happen:
-Kings trading Mike Bibby or Ron Artest or Both
-Cavs re-signing Anderson Varejao
Top 5 Offseason Teams:
1. Portland – starting fresh with Oden
2. Seattle – starting fresh with Durant
3. Orlando – extend Howard, sign Lewis, Stan Van Gundy!
4. Boston – didn’t have to mortgage the future for Allen
5. Memphis – Gasol and Darko together is dangerous
Bottom 5 Offseason Teams:
1. Milwaukee – The Yi pick looks worse and worse
2. Minnesota – Are they content with mediocrity?
3. L.A. Lakers – Shit or get off the pot with Kobe
4. Sacramento – Need to rebuild, not reload
5. Charlotte – Release Knight and re-sign Wallace?
Raible
July 19, 2007
The best move of the offseason was Houston acquiring Luis Scola and Jackie Butler for Vassilis Spanoulis, cash and a 2009 2nd Round pick. The Rockets offseason had worried me up until this point and then this move made it all come together. It was reminiscent of the Steelers taking Lamarr Woodley in the 2nd round, making me like their 1st round pick, Lawrence Timmons, more than I originally did. I was worried the Rockets would stand pat this offseason and they have done anything but. Mike James, Scola, Butler, Aaron Brooks and Steve Francis have all been added and only Spanoulis and Juwan Howard subtracted. Scola should start at PF. Rafer Alston needs to be traded but I’m confident new GM Daryl Morey knows what he’s doing.
Second best move of the offseason was the Grizzlies signing Darko. While I biasedly am a Darko fan, I was worried that a team would offer him 5 years at 10 mil a year and he’d have absolutely no motivation to improve. But the Grizzlies were smart, saw the market and didn’t overpay. 3 years at 7 mil per year is the perfect deal for him. I love him beside Pau and with the addition of Mike Conley Jr and new coach Mike Iavoroni, I think this is a team on the rise.
Couple more I liked
-For the first time in a long time The New York Knicks roster is shaping up.
-Liked the Ray Allen move for Boston and as Raible said, didn’t mortgage their future.
-Grant Hill to the Suns is a wonderful move for both Hill and the Suns
-Hawks didnt do anything special in the draft, but like the Knicks, their roster is also shaping up quite nicely with Horford and Law.
Worst move
-The Magic signing Rashard Lewis to the maximum is by far the worst move of the offseason. This proves some GM’s still don’t get it and they paid Lewis about twice as much as they should have, ruining their future in the process. Not only is he not a max player but for no reason they gave the Sonics a 2nd round pick to pay Lewis even more money.
-I think a common theme of the remaining offseason teams that had offseason teams weren’t necessarily ones that made bad moves, but ones that made no moves at all (Lakers, Twolves, Kings, Pacers, Cavs.
Questionable decisions
-While I don’t mind the Bobcats decision to trade for a proven player in JRich for an unproven player in Brandan Wright, there are a few reasons that make me question this. In theory, I don’t like trading a rookie salaried big man when you need big men for a high paid veteran swingman when you have a bunch of swingmen (Wallace, Morrison, Dudley, Herrman and Carroll). Also, JRich is getting paid 48 mil over 4 years. North Carolina native Vince Carter signed for 61 mil over 4 years with the Nets. Could the Bobcats have thrown 65 mil at Carter and kept BWright?
-Blazers offseason has been wonderful. But can they please stop adding players to their roster? James Jones and Steve Blake give them about a 20 man roster. Now maybe Jones will be a perfect bench fit on Portland and perhaps the Blazers don’t like Jarrett Jack as much as we think, but I’d like to see the Blazers just go with what they’ve got and all grow together. Having 12 players or more on your roster that need minutes could hurt development.
I’d like to see
-Kings blow up. Bibby, Artest and Miller could be such nice players on good teams. The rumored Gooden and Damon Jones for Bibby trade would’ve been a masterpiece for the Cavs.
-Heat get active. My favorite fits here are Jannero Pargo and Mickael Pietrus. Raible might want Pargo to resign with Hornets, but cmon, backup Paul for the next 5 years or start for the Heat?!? I think he could be a low salaried player that would be a perfect fit. Pietrus is a top defender that won’t disrupt the offense and also shot close to 40% from 3 point range. He’s also 25 and French.
Haver
July 20, 2007
And like that, we have a new contender for “Best move of the offseason.”
Can this Kurt Thomas trade really be true? Thomas to the Sonics for a 2009 2nd Round pick and a trade exception. Oh, and Phoenix also gives up their 1st round picks in 2008 and 2010. What a steal for Seattle. The best part is it’s not like Thomas has 5 years left on his contract. He’s got 1. Seattle drafts Durant and Jeff Green this year and lets Rashard walk signaling a full blown rebuilding stage. This trade is unbelievable for them. I’ve said in the past I love the idea of Seattle being horrible to handpick the perfect players around Durant. Now they’ll have late round picks as well.
As for the Suns, I guess you can try to look positive and think it means they won’t have to give away Marion, Diaw or Barbosa for less than market value. And you can factor in that they have the Hawks first rounder in 2008 so they’ll really only be without a 1st rounder in 2010, but wow. You mean to tell me they couldn’t have told teams this deal was on the table and got another one to bite for the exact same but only one 1st rounder?
Haver
July 20, 2007
2006 World Championships Roster:
4 Joe Johnson F 6-8 Atlanta
5 Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 Chicago
6 LeBron James F 6-9 Cleveland
7 Antawn Jamison F 6-9 Washington
8 Shane Battier F 6-8 Memphis
9 Dwyane Wade G 6-4 Miami
13 Brad Miller C 6-11 Sacramento
14 Elton Brand F 6-8 L.A. Clippers
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 Denver
16 Chris Bosh F 6-11 Toronto
17 Dwight Howard F 6-10 Orlando
18 Chris Paul G 6-0 New Orleans
My Team USA for 2007 FIBA Americas:
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Carmelo Anthony
C-Amare Stoudemire
G-Deron Williams
G-Chauncey Billups (I have changed my mind)
G-Michael Redd
F-Mike Miller
F-Kevin Durant
F-Chris Bosh
C-Dwight Howard
Players left off: Battier, Chandler, Hinrich, Prince, Redick
My Team USA for 2008 Olympic Games (current guys only):
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Carmelo Anthony
C-Amare Stoudemire
G-Chris Paul
G-Chauncey Billups
G-Dwyane Wade
G-Michael Redd
F-Shawn Marion
F-Chris Bosh
C-Dwight Howard
Players left off: Battier, Chandler, Durant, Hinrich, M. Miller, Prince, Redick, Williams, Arenas, Boozer, Bowen, Brand, Jamison, Johnson, B. Miller, Morrison, Oden, Odom, Pierce, and Ridnour.
My Team USA for 2008 Olympic Games (all guys available):
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-LeBron James
PF-Kevin Garnett
C-Tim Duncan
G-Chris Paul
G-Dwyane Wade
G-Ray Allen
G-Michael Redd
F-Tracy McGrady
C-Amare Stoudemire
C-Shaquille O’Neal
For this team, I had a hard time keeping guys like Marion, Bosh, and Howard off the squad. Melo should probably be considered, too, but I am not a fan of his…so screw him.
I’m really looking forward to the responses to this question.
Raible
July 24, 2007
Raible,
For your ‘07 FIBA’s, I would take Prince over Durant and leave the rest of your roster the same. I just feel like the U.S. is getting beat by more complete teams and I think a guy like Prince brings too many intangibles to the court to not take him. With that said, Durant is going to be a stud, but I’d like to have our most proven team out there. I’, sick of watching TEAM USA plays as a bunch of individuals and think we need to pick more towards the team as a whole.
I’d also start Bosh over Melo on that squad because I feel like he is more of a natural 4. Melo would be our best scoring option off the bench and could play the 3 and 4.
Therefore my starting 5 would look like:
PG- Kidd
SG- Kobe
SF- LeBron
PF- Bosh
C- Amare
I also wouldn’t be opposed to starting D. Howard and Amare down low and just watch them manhandle guys inside. If that was the case I’d probably surround them with our 3 best shooters:
PG- Billups
SG- Kobe
SF- Miller
PF- Amare
C- Howard
I’d even venture off to say that you could throw Redd in for Kobe and that would be sweet as shit.
2008 Olympics(Current):
I’d drop Billups and pick up Boozer. I like Billups, but you’d already have Paul and D-Wade that could play the point if necessary behind Kidd. You need another big body down low to bang and nobody’s frontcourt game was more dominant in this year’s playoffs than Carlos Boozer. The guy is a beast.
2008 Olympics (everyone):
My only thoughts here are that you don’t need to have Ray Allen and Michael Redd, it’s just a waste of a roster spot. Therefore, I’d add Bosh behind Garnett and probably replace Redd, just because Jesus Shuttlesworth has to be on the team. Both Bosh and Garnett can post up or stretch the D with their Jumpers and would be great compliments to Shaq, Duncan and Amare.
That’s all I’ve got for you right now….Talk amongst yourselves
Wells
July 24, 2007
Wells,
As always, good points. I’d like to see Durant go so that he can gain some much valued International experience. Additionally, with Kobe now on the team, I feel like you don’t need a defensive stopper a la Prince or Battier.
I, too, like Bosh more than Melo…but you can’t argue with the success Melo has had on the International level the last 2 years.
As for the Olympics team, I want guys that can shoot…thus Billups over Boozer and both Allen and Redd on my dream team.
In any case, I think we can both agree that there isn’t any reason that the USA shouldn’t regain its place as the #1 basketball playing country in the world in 2008!
Raible
July 24, 2007
Well either me and Raible sat and watched the game together this Sunday or we must have watched about about 17 years worth of basketball together because my team is almost identical of his. Instead of nitpicking some minor changes I’ll explain my thought process.
I first thought who I HAD to have. I thought of three players
1. Kidd
2. Kobe
3. LeBron
I then thought of anyone that just absolutely belong. I thought of one player that truly just couldn’t cut it
17. J.J. Redick
That left me with nine spots left out of 13 players. I tried to think based on the positions. With only four big men on the team, I think all four make the cut to at least last a little longer through the process. I then thought one of the PG’s HAD to go with one on and three left, but after I thought about it, since all four have nice size, you theoretically could keep all four and play two of them together an awful lot. I then turned to the swingmen, or anyone really, that impressed me particularly well.
4. Melo
5. Durant
Right on par with Raible. Melo also impresses me in international ball, plays with toughness and gets to the hoop at will is counted on to score. I love both Melo and Durant for the 3 or 4 on this team. Durant looked so long the other night and showed in college he can rebound. I think Durant is the perfect player for this team. When thinking about the entire team, 12 players is a lot. You’re almost tempted to have B or C level players at the 11 and 12 spots just to have two guys less to play. I think Durant is a perfect 12th guy. He’s such a calm, young kid; I think he just enjoys being there. He won’t complain about minutes but can actually be a dominant scorer when called on.
I then just really ended up thinking all four big men should stay on. Might as well have all four behemoths.
6. Howard
7. Amare
8. Bosh
9. Chandler
I think three total point guards is enough and thought I’d keep
10. Deron
11. Hinrich
and cut
15. Billups, but this can go any way.
With one spot left I particularly liked
12. Mike Miller
the best on Sunday night so it’s either a great call or basing it too much off of one game. I’m fine with any of the remaining players here;
16. Prince
15. Battier
14. Redd
13. Billups
but I think Miller gives you the best combo of 3 point shooting and all around scoring.
Haver
July 25, 2007
As for looking forward towards 2008
I think there’s one role that stands out missing
-A small, quick, fast point guard.
Kidd, Deron, Billups and Hinrich are all similarly built. I think
1. Kidd is a must on the roster but I’d then add
2. Chris Paul as my second. One of the other three would have a chance to make the final roster. You need a guy faster than the other teams fastest player. Paul fills my biggest weakness.
Other than that I’d like to keep my same top foursome as reasons stated above.
3. Kobe
4. LeBron
5. Melo
6. Durant
Ideally these guys say yes…….
7. Wade
8. KG
9. Duncan
10. Shaq
Seems like my team needs one shooter and one big man. Can go any way either and can pick the best shooter and best of the big men when the time comes.
Haver
July 25, 2007
Haver and I were talking last night, and we both seem to be in agreement that Mike Miller might not be the best choice for Team USA at the 2007 FIBA Americas. Let’s take a look at the team, with comments for each dude:
Starting PG: Jason Kidd
-Kidd is the only player on Team USA that has an Olympic gold medal and a perfect record wearing the red, white and blue for the senior national men’s team.
Starting SG: Kobe Bryant
-Kobe is the best player in the world and the no doubt #1 scoring option on this team.
Starting SF: LeBron James
-As good as LeBron is, I think he will be deferring to both Kobe and Melo as the main scoring options. His unselfish play should shine on a team this good.
Starting PF: Carmelo Anthony
-I don’t partiuclarly like this guy, but, man, does he turn it up a notch on the International level.
Starting C: Amare Stoudemire
-Gets my nod over Dwight Howard due to his success at running the pick and roll (maybe not as good as me and Mroz, but good nonetheless).
Second String PG: Deron Williams
-Has really come into his own over the last year and has been adopted by Kidd to be the next great American PG.
Second String SG: Michael Redd
-Might have misfired a few on Sunday night, but he gets the nod over Mike Miller here. As good of a shooter that exists for this team.
Second String SF: Tayshaun Prince
-The ultimate glue guy, Prince replaces Mike Miller on my roster.
Second String PF: Chris Bosh
-To be able to bring Chris Bosh off the bench is sick.
Second String C: Dwight Howard
-See above.
11th Man: Chauncey Billups
-Simply a winner, I’m taking Chauncey over Kirk Hinrich here. I really don’t think that there’s anyway that Chauncey doesn’t make the squad.
12th Man: Kevin Durant
-I hate to take him and not Oden because I think that both could use the International experience, but I think Durant earned himself a spot on the team on Sunday night. This kid wants to be great, and I see no reason why he shouldn’t at least be the 12th man on the team.
Guys Left Off:
Mike Miller – Had a big game on Sunday, but this is Mike Miller we are talking about here folks, not Mike Jordan. To boot, how much time do you really think he’s gonna get on this team full of stars. Durant can score as much at will as Miller and would greatly benefit from the experience gained.
Kirk Hinrich – It’s gonna come down to he, Williams, and Billups for 2 spots. I think it would be a shame if Williams didn’t make it, and I can’t see Coach K leaving Billups off the team. As a result, Hinrich is the odd man out.
Shane Battier – I definitely don’t think you need 2 glue guys, and I think that Tayshuan is a bit more glue-ier than Battier.
Tyson Chandler – I hate to not take him, but I feel like the USA doesn’t need many big men, and Chandler isn’t as good as Melo, Amare, Bosh, or Howard.
J.J. Redick – Pretty much no shot, although his game might actually translate relatively well to the International stage.
Nick Collison – I don’t know if he’s eligible or not, but he won’t make the team anyway. He and Hinrich can watch together from Kansas.
Greg Oden – Not sure about his eligibility, either, but I don’t see Oden making the squad, either. The bad tonsils aren’t helping his cause, neither is the fact that the USA seems set in the frontcourt. This guy won’t be on the sidelines for long, though.
Raible
July 26, 2007
Yeah I brought this up to Raible and said, “If Mike Miller’s on the team, he’s the 12th player. So that means if he’s in the game, there’s something wrong with the first 11 players. Mike Miller’s role would be shooting/scoring. Do you really think if there’s a problem with the first 11 guys it’s going to be scoring the basketball? No, it’s most likely going to be passing, defensive, or intangibles but not scoring.” I think my final spot would then down to Prince or Battier and really could go either way.
Raible left Chandler off of his team and I kept him on mine but I think this is pretty simple. If Team USA feels completely comfortable playing Durant, Melo and Prince/Battier at the PF I think you can leave off Chandler. If they’d rather keep those guys playing the SF mainly, then I think you have to consider Chandler. Even more important to me might be if Chandler is left off, I’m slightly worried carrying only Amare, Howard and Bosh. What if one of them gets injured? What about foul trouble? What about playing a team with some big Greeks? You might never actually “Need” a 4th big man, but I’d hate to be in a crucial game and have some injuries or foul trouble and get beaten up inside. If I didn’t include Chandler, my replacement would be Redd or Mike Miller.
I kind of like the idea of 3 Point Guards, 4 Big men, and 5 swingmen. My only downfall is that it’d probably be nice to include a designated shooter (Redd or Miller) and a designated team player (Battier or Prince) on the team. But with Kobe, LeBron, Melo and Durant being musts on my team, that formula doesn’t allow for both the shooter and team player roles. If I decided these two roles were too important not to have, I’d either drop a big man, drop Durant or Melo, or drop a point guard.
I was gonna get into Hinrich vs Billups but it will have to wait til later.
Haver
July 26, 2007
It’s not as though I don’t like Billups for this or even in general and like Raible said, if Billups wants to be on the team it might be automatic, but I like Kirk Hinrich more in this spot and on this team.
Hinrich made 140 3s on 42%
Billups 109 3s on 34%
Deron 82 3s on 32%
Kidd 124 3s on 34%
Paul 50 3s on 35%
I don’t have a shooting specialist on my team and I think Hinrich could fill that spot while also bein the 3rd PG. He shoots the best percentage and could be a designated shooter in some situations. I think he could knock down the slightly closer international three-point line with ease.
Hinrich was a 2 guard in college and still plays off the ball when he and Duhon are in the lineup together. I think Hinrich would be great as the point guard or beside any of the other points. I love his scrappy style and hustle. I think he has less of an ego and would play any role given to him.
Billups of course has a championship, experience on great teams and has hit so many big shots over the year so it’s easy to see why you’d want him as well.
I actually think when I look at this team the main missing link is Chris Paul. Kidd, Deron, Billups and Hinrich are all tremendous options. But they’re all similarly built. You have to be able to have the fastest player on the court and you can’t afford to get beaten by another team’s fast point guard. Kidd is the top PG choice but after him Paul is a necessity. I like Hinrich for reasons given above as the 3rd PG/Shooter/SG.
Also on the 2008 team I was thinkin about big men. Raible originally put Duncan, KG and Shaq on his team but now I’m thinkin he did that based on everyone but they’re not really candidates for the team. I’m just gonna assume right now even if they’re on the team they all say no. I was thinking that we’ll need three or four big men. Then thought about this group; Amare, DHoward, Bosh, Chandler, Oden, Boozer and Brand and thought about good the best foursome of these players will be by next Summer.
Haver
July 27, 2007
Hey, nobody likes the man-beast that is Tyson Chandler more than me. However, I feel like Team USA will be OK going with Melo, Amare, Bosh, and Howard as their 4 frontcourt players, especially because Melo plays more of a PF in the International game anyway.
As for the Billups vs Hinrich argument, I think Haver hit the nail on the head. Billups, essentially, is going to make the team because he is Chauncey Billups, even though Hinrich might seem like the more logical choice (and, if you recall from the Fantasy Message Board, was indeed my choice over Billups).
I feel like my Starting Five, and I’m not sure if Haver agrees with me on Kidd, Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and Amare (I know Wells likes Bosh more than Melo), is obviously solid. Then, I have a pure shooter in Redd and a pure PG in Williams coming off the bench, along with Bosh and Howard down low. I think me and Haver are in agreement that Durant simply has to be on this team, which leaves me 2 spots.
Fighting for 2 spots on the team are Billups, Prince, Battier, Chandler, Redick, Miller, and Hinrich. I just see Coach K going with winners like Billups and Prince, although I also wouldn’t be all that shocked if he went Duke with Battier and Redick.
No matter what happens, there is no reason that Team USA shouldn’t walk away with a title in the FIBA Americas this year and a gold medal in the Olympics next year!
Raible
July 27, 2007
Ok if we are talking about the choice between:
Miller or Prince
and
Hinrich or Billups
I have similar thoughts and new developments….
1. I still take Prince over Miller. You have way too many shooters already and come on if it comes down to Miller or Redd, I’m going to take Redd. But that’s not why I pick Prince. People undervalue a guy like Prince because he doesn’t post 30 points a night. But his length really makes him a unique player on both sides of the ball and when needed he would be a great complement to Kobe as far as locking down opponents. He also relieves Kobe from guarding the best player so Bryant doesn’t wear down throughout the game.
2. The more I think about it, the more I had to look further into the stats of Billups to Hinrich. I examined their assist/turnover ratio and Billups is slightly better at 3.5/1 while Hinrich is at 2.6/1 in addition to shooting better from the charity stripe at 88.3% to Hunrich’s 83.5%. However, I loved Haver’s comment that Hinrich is a great combo guard, not to mention I love his size and defensive abilities. Finally and you may not agree, but I think Billups peaked a coupled of years ago while Hinrich is budding into a star and if you want to build towards the future of this team I like taking Hinrich.
Therefore my roster looks like
PG: Kidd, D. Williams, Hinrich
SG: Kobe, M. Redd
SF: Lebron, Prince, Durant
PF: Bosh, Melo
C: Stoudemire, Howard
Starters are listed 1st. Again, you can sit here and argue the Bosh/Melo spot, and it’s really just a matter of opinion because I don’t think we go wrong either way.
My next 5 choices would be:
1. Chandler
2. Battier
3. Miller
4. Billups(only because they have 3 PG’s already; I Guess he’s really more like #1/2)
5. Collison
6. Redick (Why is he even here?)
Wells
July 27, 2007
I start Amare and Dwight with Bosh and Chandler off the bench but we’re really nitpicking here. I’m completely fine with taking only three big men, but for my reasons given above, I’m sticking with four. I really believe as long as Redick isn’t on your team, then any combination makes sense. All of our reasons on “Why to have so and so” are pretty much on the money. Wells, a little carried away saying either of our teams (especially mine) have “way too many shooters already.” Who any of us leave off is just a matter of opinion.
I was thinkin about next year’s team and had a crazy idea. It leaves off Dwade, Melo, Deron and Billups to name a few. So obviously it won’t happen. But here’s what I was thinking.
First off, I pick my ideal starting five, comprised of the best players in the game that are eligible and mesh well together.
PG Kidd
SG Kobe
SF LeBron
PF Amare
C Howard
No explanations needed for above. But my bench is where it gets a little funky. I’m filling it with roles I don’t have.
-Chris Paul. Main role I want is a small, quick point guard. Paul off the bench for Kidd is perfect.
-Mike Miller. Need a shooter. I think Redd is a little more one dimensional than Miller. I suppose I’m only looking for one dimension here so it can go either way, but I’m going with the size.
-Tayshaun Prince. Glue guy. As Wells noted, his length and style is ridiculous. He’s used to playing with an all-star cast and he’s used to winning. Also love Battier in this role.
-Carlos Boozer. He’s like a solid star. As strong as anyone and has really developed his outside shot. I prefer Boozer to Bosh and Brand.
-Kirk Hinrich. Shooting point guard. As much as I love the Kidd/Paul combo I think you have to have a PG that can hit the three. Also, with Miller making the team over Redd, a backup shooting guard is needed. Hinrich is perfect for this role.
-Kevin Durant. Has star potential. Has 12th man attitude. Super versatile.
-Greg Oden. I want a 4th big man and I want a 7 footer. This comes down to Oden and Chandler and Oden gets the nod. As Raible has stated previously, it’d be great to get both Oden and Durant international experience. Plus, I feel being humble, minutes aren’t an issue. The international rule of taking the ball off the cylinder will be huge for Oden.
Here’s how the team breaks down:
PG Kidd, Paul
SG Kobe, Hinrich
SF LeBron, Miller, Prince, Durant
PF Amare, Boozer
C Howard, Oden
Look how perfect those roles are. You have a clear cut starting five. You have a clear cut 6th and 7th men in Paul and Boozer. You have two guys in Durant and Oden that will love being there but able to dominate when called upon. You have every role and lineup possible.
What can I say, I was bored at work!
Haver
July 27, 2007
Just read ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan’s column. He picked his team for this Summer. I figured I’d post it to compare to masterminds that are Thav, Wells and Raibs.
“Here is my early pick for what the 12-man roster will look like: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant, Tyson Chandler, Kirk Hinrich, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kidd, Mike Miller, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh and Michael Redd.”
PG Kidd, Billups, Hinrich
SG Kobe, Redd
SF LeBron, Melo, Miller
PF Amare, Bosh
C Howard, Chandler
“If you exclude the players who missed last weekend’s minicamp, that means I’m picking Shane Battier, Kevin Durant, Tayshaun Prince, J.J. Redick and Deron Williams to be cut.”
Also, from his chat today………
“Matt Seattle, Wa: What do you think the probable starting lineup for the team will be once all is said and done?
Chris Sheridan: For Beijing: Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony, Brand/Howard.”
Haver
July 27, 2007
More news, this from the AP:
Greg Oden is leaning toward skipping U.S. training camp next month, possibly ending his chances of playing in the 2008 Olympics.
Oden, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, had a tonsillectomy July 14 and was forced to miss the Americans’ minicamp last weekend in Las Vegas. He has an invitation to join the team when it reconvenes for training camp on Aug. 15, but said Friday he probably wouldn’t be there.
“I don’t think I am because of my tonsils,” Oden told The Associated Press.
Oden was in New York for the rookie photo shoot, where most of next season’s incoming class of players donned their uniforms for the first time for their pictures that will be used on Topps and Upper Deck trading cards.
Oden was here last month for the draft and flew that night to Portland to be introduced the next day. He’s had multiple trips to New York and Oregon, plus trips to Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas since his college career ended. He struggled through two games of the Las Vegas summer league before shutting down for the surgery.
“It was a lot of traveling, but just had to do it,” Oden said. “I never got worn out traveling until this summer. It was a lot.”
Oden said he would soon begin working out back home in Indianapolis, joined by Trail Blazers assistant Bill Bayno.
Oden was invited to practice with the Americans last summer but couldn’t play because of his broken wrist. He is unlikely to be a candidate for the roster in Beijing without playing either of the two previous summers.
“Those who have missed two years in a row, the odds are against them,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
USA Basketball hasn’t heard from Oden one way or the other, but Colangelo has been kept aware of Oden’s situation from Portland coach Nate McMillan, an assistant with the U.S. team.
With Oden and Shane Battier probably out, J.J. Redick likely being moved to the practice squad that will scrimmage against the Americans next month, and Nick Collison joining the team at that time, the U.S. roster should be at 16 when camp reopens. The roster has to be down to 12 the day before the FIBA Americas tournament starts on Aug. 22.
Kevin Durant is still hoping to be on it.
The Seattle rookie was outstanding in last week’s intrasquad game, scoring 16 of his 22 points in the second half. Durant helped the blue team, featuring Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, rally from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the white.
When Colangelo added Durant to the roster in May, it was thought that was preparation for the future. Durant hopes he won’t have to wait.
“Anything can happen. Hopefully I make the team, I want to be a part of a great team, hopefully win a gold medal,” Durant said. “I went in with the mind-set that hopefully I could make the ‘07 team. I know it’s going to be hard with all the great NBA players there. I’m just a young rookie. But hopefully I make the team, hopefully I become part of something good.”
Along with Redick, Colangelo said Boston’s Al Jefferson, New York’s David Lee, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Golden State’s Monta Ellis will be part of the training opposition, with a few more names coming next week. Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy was scheduled to be on it, but will be unavailable.
Raible
July 28, 2007
With all of this talk about the U.S. Senior Team, no one has mentioned anything about the U-19 team competing in the Pan-Am Games. While the squad, featuring college players, stumbled to an 0-2 start, Team USA bounced back in a big way in Game #3, defeating previously unbeaten Argentina.
The U.S. is the youngest squad competing in the Games, but hopefully some valuable experience has been gained by players such as Roy Hibbert, D.J. White, Scottie Reynolds, Drew Neitzel, Joey Dorsey, etc.
The following is the link to the Argentina Game Recap:
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_mpag_game_03_story
Cheers!
Raible
July 28, 2007
I love that I post a couple blurbs from insider espn.com articles that perhaps people may or may not have access to and Raible follows it up with an entire story from the AP. So Raible.
With Oden out, Chandler replaces him on my 2008 team I posted most recently.
BY FAR THE WORST MOVE OF THE OFFSEASON-Miami Heat signing Smush Parker. Why why why why why why why would they do that?!?!?!?!?!?
Haver
July 28, 2007
KG TRADE IS MASSIVE.
I like to look at the theory behind a trade. This was a Western Team rebuilding and an Eastern team going for now. When you look at the NBA the trade makes perfect sense from both aspects. I think it was an absolute slam dunk for the Wolves. Celtics just had to get KG. Allen, Pierce and KG is exciting to think about. I think Rondo could be a big surprise. Before I’m ready to call the Celts the favorite in the East I want to wait and see what free agents they bring in to round out their roster. They certainly are legit contenders, though. My realistic perfect threesome to bring in is Brevin Knight, Ime Udoka and Dale Davis. While you hear “2″ First round picks, they really are only giving one of theirs up and it’s not til 2009. That means this have this season and then a draft pick to add the missing ingredient to the recipe before they actually lose the pick.
I think 2nd round picks Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby really made this possible. If they weren’t as comfortable with their picks or got some guys goin overseas, this trade would have been even tougher to make. But how bout Danny Ainge bein able to get rid of Wally all while keeping Theo’s contract and acquiring Ray Allen.
For what it’s worth, Wolves passed up Deng, Chandler and last year #2 pick just 13 months ago.
Wolves having Jefferson, Brewer, Green, McCants and Foye is a great, young nuclues. They still have some guys with bad contracts but no doubt are in much better shape now.
East is down? DWade, The Diesel, LeBron, Dhoward, Bosh, Arenas, the Bulls/Pistons and the resurrected Knicks/Celtics all reside in the East and all mean business.
I love that the lower teams in the West all made huge pushes towards the future. The Blazers, Sonics and Wolves all took steps backwards (Randolph, Lewis, Allen, and KG) but their futures look brighter than they have in a long time. The Grizzlies also took a gigantic leap for the future drafting Conley and signing Darko.
Several eastern teams seized the day. Celtics of course. Knicks add Randolph. Magic break the bank for Rashard. Raptors make finishing touch like moves in Delfino, Kapono and Baston.
This offseason has been fantastic.
Haver
August 1, 2007
Can we please get some love for my Hornets? The team is back in New Orleans full-time this season, one removed from a year in which they found themselves as a playoff contender in the mighty Western Conference until the final week (this despite injuries to Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic, and David West…among others).
Look at what Head Coach Byron Scott (a true ass beater, by the way) has to work with as of today:
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Morris Peterson
SF: Peja Stojakovic
PF: David West
C: Tyson Chandler (speaking of ass beaters!)
Backup G: Jannero Pargo
Backup G: Bobby Jackson
Backup G: Adam Haluska (I wonder if he likes cabbage?)
Backup F: Julian Wright
Backup F: Rasual Butler
Backup F: Cedric Simmons
Backup C: Hilton Armstrong
Call me crazy, but I think that this team has the makings of a playoff squad!
Raible
August 3, 2007
Hornets look spectacular. Seven teams should be slam dunks for Western Playoffs
1. Spurs
2. Suns
3. Mavs
4. Jazz
5. Rockets
6. Nuggets
7. Lakers
I think every team has a legitimate chance after that. Hornets, Warriors, and Clippers are right there and Grizzlies, Sonics, TWolves, and Blazers have enough young talent that anything can happen. And the Kings? As bad as they are when you have Bibby, Artest, Martin, Miller, Hawes, and Mikki you never know what can happen.
The key here could be injuries. Between injuries and surprises really, any of those 7 “slam dunks” could be as bad as anyone. Just like in years past it looks like there are more than 8 deserving teams but only 8 will make it. Hornets will have a great chance. They, and some of the other teams on the outside, could easily have better records than any of the top 7 i listed (Lakers and Nuggets especially). With health and their young guys still improving they could make a big jump.
Pat Riley should be fired for signing Smush Parker over Jannero Pargo.
I’m lovin the JCN to the Grizzlies rumors. I told Jonny Frank a long time ago my ideal trade was JCN and Etan for Stromile and a lottery protected first rounder. It could end up bein just JCN for the first but I’d like it nonetheless. It keeps Pau happy and suddenly the Grizz have great guard play with Conley, Lowry and JCN. I’m hoping JCN can play some 2 guard. I love Etan as a bench presence behind Pau and Darko. I think the Grizzlies have assembled enough young talent that by the time they get out of the lottery, they’ll be ready to roll and giving up a pick won’t matter.
I was thinking recently how close we were to perhaps the biggest dynasty in NBA history. I noticed when I was writing about my 2008 Dream Team, that it included both Battier and Mike Miller. If Memphis would have got the first pick and taken LeBron, how sweet would a nucleus of LeBron, Pau, Battier and Miller been? LeBron at point, Miller, Battier, Pau and another big man. A point guard, Miller, LeBron, Battier at the 4 and Pau at the 5. So sweet.
I was so pumped for Reyshawn Terry on the Mavs thinking Devean George definitely wouldn’t be back and Stackhouse might not be. What do the Mavs do? Resign both AND sign Eddie Jones. F that!
Haver
August 3, 2007
The KG trade was the greatest thing to happen to the NBA since Shaq was traded to Miami. There is nothing quite like a big name moving from one team to another (especially from one conference to another), completely changing the face of each franchise involved in the process.
Boston immediately becomes my pick to win the Eastern Conference. With Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, there is no reason to believe that the Celtics shouldn’t at least contend for the conference crown, no matter who they add as additional pieces to the puzzle (lost out on Brevin Knight, though, which I think was a mistake). I see usual suspects Miami and Detroit being Boston’s stiffest competition, with Cleveland and Chicago hoping to duplicate impressive runs from a season ago.
As for Minnesota, you have gotta like all the pieces and draft picks that they have added. This team is going to have to make some decisions, however, simply due to the sheer number of players they have added. Nevertheless, the T-Wolves have completely revamped their lineup and should be solid moving forward, maybe even contending for a playoff spot this year.
If I were Minnesota, I would start the following:
G: Randy Foye
G: Ricky Davis
F: Gerald Green
F: Ryan Gomes
C: Al Jefferson
I’d go a little smaller with Gomes at the 4 and Jefferson at the 5, opting to sit Mark Blount on the pine. I’d rather see the T-Wolves go a little younger and in a different direction than they have in the past. Off the bench, you would have the following:
G: Sebastian Telfair
G: Rashad McCants
G: Marko Jaric
F: Corey Brewer
F: Chris Richard
F: Craig Smith
C: Mark Blount
Now, obviously, this excludes guys like Trenton Hassell, Juwan Howard, and Mark Madsen. But the team is going to have to do something as they won’t be able to keep all of these guys. Theo Ratliff’s contract expires after the upcoming season, as do the contracts for Ricky Davis (who can and should be replaced by Rashad McCants), Ryan Gomes, and Craig Smith. Hassell is signed through ‘08-’09, with a player option for ‘09-’10; Howard is signed through this upcoming season with a player option to follow, and Madsen is signed for the next 3 seasons at a reasonable $2.5 million per season or so.
In any case, I am extremely interested to see what Minnesota does with its roster.
Raible
August 4, 2007
Reading Raible’s latest thoughts gets me so pumped up. Man I love that trade. Love seeing two teams doing exactly what they should do. I’m glad the Wolves bought out Troy Hudson and wish they could do the same with Marko Jaric. I actually really like Hassell, Howard and Madsen as solid veterans around all of the young talent.
Looking at the Wolves I wonder if they could trade Ricky Davis to a contending team for another expiring contract and a first rounder. Say something like Jason Williams and a first rounder. Just thinkin out loud here. Bottom line is I don’t think Davis fits into their long term plans.
LOVED the Eddie House move for the Celts. It’s importtant they round out their roster with some key pieces but most of those pieces will not be scorers. Starters Rondo and Perkins might be lucky to average a combined 15PPG. The Celtics will need to get scoring from outside of the big 3 or they could struggle at times. I think House is the perfect player that can score 20 points in 10 minutes, 10 points in 5 minutes, or simply zero points in zero minutes. Celtics also signed Jackie Manuel, starting SF for North Carolina’s most recent championship team. Obviously pumped. He’s an active defender that has a chance to stick on and play a great role……or get cut immediately. I like PJ Brown here but I really like him in Orlando. Still think Dale Davis or Calvin Booth would be nice fits here. Still lovin Ime Udoka here as well, but just like the Manuel signing, it could be easiest to find 6′6-6′7 young guys that can run and jump. Fellow Eers, what about Gansey and Pittsnogle here? Why not bring them to camp if possible!?!?!?
Speaking of two teams doing exactly what they should do, I wish the Pacers and Lakers could make a deal happen. Lakers are apparently offering Bynum and Kwame for Joneal. I really think the Pacers should do this. I’ve said earlier that a West team should blow up and an East team should go for it. But these teams are different. Lakers have Kobe. Pacers have dogshit. Kobe, Odom and Joneal would be a pretty sweet threesome. Pacers might even be able to get a first rounder in the deal, could get rid of Joneal’s contract, could let Kwame walk after this season, and get a potential force in Bynum.
My favorite in the East is the Chicago Bulls. Could easily be the Celts in another week but waiting for their roster fillers. I feel people are sleeping on the Bulls. They think they haven’t added much or done much with their team. The key is their main players, Hinrich, Gordon and Deng, are all still on the rise. Tyrus Thomas could take a big jump this season and I like Duhon and Sefolosha off the bench. Lost Pj Brown but added Joakim, Joe Smith and AARON GRAY down low. I should note, I’m sayin the Bulls are my favorite for the top seed. I think teams like the Bulls and Raptors could finish at the top of the standings but the Celtics and Heat could be more dangerous come playoff time.
Haver
August 4, 2007
“The key here could be injuries. Between injuries and surprises really, any of those 7 “slam dunks” could be as bad as anyone. Just like in years past it looks like there are more than 8 deserving teams but only 8 will make it.”
That was Tim Haver just a few days ago. In a measure of foreshadowing, Haver’s intuition came to fruition with the following headline:
“Clippers’ Brand ruptures Achilles during workout”
And, just like that, the Clippers can no longer be considered a playoffs threat. Brand is expected to undergo surgery next week and joins teammate Shaun Livingston on the list of long-term injury victims for the Clippers. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports that the Clippers have received a preliminary medical indication that Brand will be sidelined only six months. If so, Brand would be in line for a comeback in February.
But, by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, the Clippers could find themselves too far out of the mix. Livingston, meanwhile, has a career-threating injury and is out indefinitely. This leaves the Clippers with a predicted starting 5 of:
PG: Sam Cassell
SG: Cuttino Mobley
SF: Corey Maggette
PF: Tim Thomas
C: Chris Kaman
The bench would be led by the likes of Brevin Knight and Al Thornton. Call me crazy, but this could be the worst team in the NBA.
Also recently announced was the NBA schedule, which is broken down quite nicely by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=ScheduleHighlights&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1
5 days I wish to point out:
Oct. 30: Portland at San Antonio (TNT)
Welcome to the NBA, kid. Greg Oden makes his debut against a certain Tim Duncan. Also on the schedule: Utah at Golden State in a playoff rematch and Houston at Kobe Bryant’s (we think) Los Angeles Lakers on TNT.
Nov. 2: Washington at Boston (ESPN)
The Celts and their new star trio have to wait until the fourth night of the season to play their opener. Yes: We’re already worried about KG (and Bill Simmons) holding out that long.
Dec. 25: Merry Christmas on ABC/ESPN
The NBA will be dark on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive year, but how ’bout a snowy tripleheader to make up for it? Game 1: Heat at Cavs (ABC). Game 2: Suns at Lakers (ABC). Game 3: Sonics at Blazers in the first-ever Durant versus Oden showdown (ESPN).
Jan. 27: ABC’s Sunday schedule tips off
And with a very good doubleheader: Phoenix at Chicago, followed by LeBron’s Cavs at Kobe’s Lakers.
Feb. 8: Boston at Minnesota (ESPN)
The Wolves (or what’s left of them) play 47 games before playing host to Garnett for the first time. Care to guesstimate how many games under .500 they will be at that point? (For the record, Boston hosts Minnesota on Jan. 25.)
A few additional interesting tidbits about the NBA schedule:
-Boston makes 10 national TV appearances
-Cleveland makes 22 national TV appearances
-Miami makes 23 national TV appearances
-L.A. Lakers make 24 national TV appearances
-New Orleans makes all of 2 national TV appearances
-The schedule concludes on Wednesday, April 16, with the playoffs set to begin on Saturday, April 19 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAIBLE!!!)
Raible
August 4, 2007
In regards to the NBA schedule, I really wish ESPN would try something different. I’d love to see one night a week, or at least one half of a double-header a week specifically for the bottom of the barrel teams. Why would you want to see the worst teams in the NBA on TV? Because so much young talent are found on these teams. On a Wednesday evening at 8:00, would you rather watch Cleveland-Detroit for the 8th time in the past 6 days or Memphis-Atlanta and see what these teams were really made out of? Look at the teams projected to not make the playoffs this year. Bobcats, Bucks, Knicks, Twolves, Sonics, Blazers, and the aforementioned Grizzlies and Hawks. Even borderline teams like the Hornets are only on twice this year and I’d guess similar teams like the Warriors and Magic are in the same boat. I’m not asking for every televised game to involve these teams, but there’s so much NBA basketball on TV that I think they could afford once a week to show a matchup of the teams I’ve mentioned. A casual fan like Wells, who can’t stomach yet another Pistons-Heat matchup, might look forward to these types of matchups. An avid fan will watch no matter what. I also love it for teams that make surprise runs and are as good as anyone. They aren’t on a regular schedule because no one thought they’d be good. With this schedule in place they’d be on more often. My example would be last year’s Jazz. I remember two years ago being at a house with the NBA package and the thing I remember most about it was being able to watch the Hornets and see how fast and impressive Chris Paul was. I’m not saying to just put any two teams on. Pacers-Sixers might not even be watched by their family members. But exciting teams with young talent would make for fantastic television. I think this would be great.
MIAMI HEAT-Please trade Jason Williams to the Warriors for Mickael Pietrus and then trade Michael Doleac to the Rockets for Rafer Alston. They make sense all the way around. Heat basically swaps Doleac for Pietrus, as JWill and Alston cancel each other out. Warriors upgrade their backup PG position with a player that fits their style perfectly and only has one year left on his contract. The Rockets get rid of one of their 18 PG’s for a player with one year left on his contract.
Looks like O.J. Mayo could be staying in California with that Clippers lineup! I think the Brand injury should send a signal to the Clippers to trade Maggette for draft picks and anything else that can benefit their future.
Haver
August 5, 2007
So I can’t believe how huge the NBA talk has been between the two of you guys and I know I can’t address it all in length, so I’d love to attack a couple of points:
1. The KG trade was great. I agree with you guys that both teams made out with exactly what they wanted and I can’t believe how well it turned out.
If you look at the Celtics, you could make the point that they mortgaged the future, but they didn’t give up that many draft picks, and I believe KG is the type of player that will be productive for another 7 years and not just 3-4. However, the shelf-life of the dynasty has to be somewhere in the vicinity of 3 years tops. Anyone else hear the Reggie Miller rumors to the C’s?
In Minnesota, I love that they loaded up on young talent, but as mentioned need to unload some of it before the start of the season. I too would like to see Ricky Davis gone and think they need to definitely dump some of these wasted moves.
2. As for the season schedule I couldn’t agree with Haver more. I’d love to see a variety of games on so that I can follow guys not named LeBron, Dwade or Melo. As much as I love these players, I had no idea how good and fun the Golden State team was to watch last year. Not to mention it’s hard for me to truly follow my Kings from the East Coast. C’mon, who doesn’t want to see Mike Conley vs. Chris Paul, or who who find out the fuck that Walter Hermann guy is?
3. Tough luck for the Clippers, but Haver hit the nail on the head. START thinking towards the future. Brand is obviously the centerpiece, but start unloading the dead weight starting with Maggette. The contracts are up on Aaron Williams and Cassell after this season and if you can unload Maggette and Mobley and start fresh I think this team could be right back in the thick of things.
4. Just deal O’Neal. The guy still has star qualities but needs to be on a team where he’s not leaned so heavily on (i.e. Indiana) I’d love to see him go to a contender (Cleveland for Ira Newble, Eric Snow, Drew Gooden and pick(s)?)
As for the Kings, I know I keep saying that I want them to reload, but I don’t want them to just DUMP: Bibby, Miller and
Artest because with these guys all healthy they are still a damn solid team. Problem is they play in the West. In fact, I believe with this year’s draft and free agency moves we aren’t going to be able to move Bibby, or most attractive piece, anywhere.
My Thoughts on the Kings:
- Didn’t like the Mikki Moore move unless they honestly think he can help them WIN right now, and let’s be honest that’s not happening.
1. We need to get rid of Shareef as fast as we can. Didn’t like this move from the get go, but they need to rid themselves of him probably in a package with one of the aforementioned names.
2. Bibby could go to just about any contender in need of a cold blooded PG. However, as I mentioned, I really don’t think we can move him right now.
3. Miller- He has 3 years left on his current contract, and it’s for big bucks. Team I could see him going too?
LA- We ship Miller and Abdur Rahim for Kwame, Vlad Rad, Maurice Evans and a 2008 1st rd pick.
Their lineup looks like:
PG- Farmar/Crittento/Fisher
SG- Kobe
SF- Odom
PF- Miller
C- Bynum
Bench-
Walton, Cook, Mihm, Turiaf, Vujacic
Now maybe I am setting the bar too high for Miller, but to get two expiring contracts out of 3 bench players I think the Lakers are making out well. Shareef might be a no-go, but he makes the contracts work and for Miller, I think we deserve a 1st rounder especially because with that squad it will be relatively low.
4. Artest- TBC…
Wells
August 9, 2007
With Chris Bosh pulling out of Team USA camp, USA Basketball is down to 15 players that must be trimmed to 12 before the FIBA Americas next week. Two who almost certainly won’t make the squad are Nick Collison and J.J. Redick. The 12th spot on the team, in my opinion, will come down to Kevin Durant and Mike Miller. Here’s hoping that Coach K gives the kid from Texas a shot and puts Durant on the team!
Raible
August 17, 2007
It’s Official…
Kevin Durant will have to wait to wear the red, white and blue in international play.
The Seattle rookie was one of two players cut Monday night as the United States got down to the 12-player limit for the Olympic qualifying tournament that begins Wednesday.
SuperSonics teammate Nick Collison also was dropped when the Americans announced their decisions about two hours after practicing at the Thomas & Mack Center. The final roster needs to be submitted Tuesday, a day before the U.S. opens the FIBA Americas tournament against Venezuela.
As expected, Michael Redd and Mike Miller had nothing to worry about. The Americans have gone too long without a reliable perimeter threat, so they weren’t going to send home two of the NBA’s best.
Raible
August 21, 2007
Dwight Howard is such a beast
thav916
August 23, 2007
Link to sweet article that basically talks about everything that we talk about on this site:
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10315272
Raible
August 25, 2007
Posey to Celtics is unbelievable. Bench player that has won a championship, 30 years old, and can play beside Allen or Pierce. You can now look at their trade with the Twolves as Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and 2 first round picks for Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Jackie Manuel, James Posey and Scot Pollard. It’s tough not to place the Celtics as the Eastern Conference favorites.
I’m praying for a Cavs-Kings trade involving Mike Bibby and Drew Gooden and then the Cavs replacing Gooden with Charles Oakley.
thav916
August 26, 2007
What a tough break for Greg Oden and the Blazers. Before he even gets to play in a game he is ruled out for the season. What I don’t get, though, is how everyone is ready to jump down Portland’s throats for selecting Oden over Durant, comparing it to selecting Bowie over MJ.
Let’s not jump ship on Oden just yet, people. Hey, maybe this is like the Spurs the year David Robinson got hurt and they drafted Tim Duncan #1 in the draft. Seriously, think about that for a second: What if Portland gets a Top 3 pick again next year? Add someone like O.J. Mayo to Oden and the other young talent already in Portland?!?!
I’m not trying to say that it is a good thing that Oden got hurt (that would be just plain stupid). But I will say that I don’t think that this is as big of a deal as the media is portraying it to be. Furthermore, I don’t think you can blame Portland, at least not yet, for passing on Durant in favor of Oden.
Raible
September 14, 2007
-You can’t help but feel bad for the TB’s, but I think Raible brings up a great point. They were probably a year away anyway. It’ll be nice to see some of these youngs players develop even further like Aldridge, Roy and Jack.
- How about Russia upsetting Spain to win the FIBA Euro’s?
I like that spots are still up for grabs.
-Bibby for Gooden would be great, but I wish we could get some more value for him.
Wells
September 18, 2007
Ya I obviously thought draft immediately, too. I looked at it two ways. They really might not be that much worse without him. Still can start Aldridge and Frye in the frontcourt and have the likes of Przybilla, LaFrentz, McBoberts, and Outlaw off the bench. Jack, Roy, etc in the backcourt. However, even with Oden, the West is so stacked this team might have been at the bottom of the barrel. I don’t think they’ll finish much different but it certainly won’t help. A star point guard or small forward in the top 5 of next year’s draft could make this team a dynasty.
Charlie Bell to the Heat. The Heat need this. Then trade Jason Williams and something for Mickael Pietrus. It’s not that I want this, it’s that Jonny Dwade wants it. NUFF SAID.
thav916
September 18, 2007
Nice quiet, little moves by the Cavs this week. Signed G/F Devin Brown from the Hornets and also acquired 2006 1st round pick Cedric Simmons from the Hornets in exchange for David Wesley. For the money, Brown could be a real nice piece to put beside LeBron. Have to like getting rid of an old, short, fat guard for a young big man that still has 4 years left on his rookie contract. As for the Hornets, the trade seemed stupid, but looks like they’ll cut Wesley. If they can turn that roster spot into PJ Brown, I think you gotta love it.
thav916
September 30, 2007
CBS Sports.com recently ran a string of articles indicating who they thought to be the best PG (Nash), SG (Kobe), SF (LeBron), PF (Duncan), and C (Amare) in the NBA.
The article and the additional links to each position can be found here: http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10369601
I want to tackle this issue from a different perspective:
If you could field a legitimate starting 5 of any NBA players (and I use the word legitimate in that you can’t have something like the 5 guys mentioned above on the same team), who would you choose? Using the articles as a basis, let’s say that you can have 1 player in the Top 5 at his position, 1 player in the 6-10 range at his position, 1 player in the 11-15 range at his position, 1 player in the 16-20 range at his position, and 1 player in the “also considered” range at his position.
My starting 5 looks like…
PG: Mike Conley Jr. (“Also Considered” PG) – Having LeBron on the team, I didn’t want to “waste” a high selection on a PG to run the show. With that in mind, I need to find a guy who can help distribute the rock and also hit the open jumper. Conley hit 30% of his 3-point attempts at Ohio State while amassing a 2.8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. I think he’ll fit the bill, edging out T.J. Ford, Raymond Felton, and Luke Ridnour.
SG: Raja Bell (#16 SG) – Bell has the ability to hit the open jumper, a must for playing with LeBron, while also being able to d-up on the opposing team’s #1 option. His fiery temper would be welcome on a team with LeBron, who sometimes seems like he isn’t sure how to act in a tight circumstance (biting his nails, etc.).
SF: LeBron James (#1 SF) – If I am building a NBA team, LeBron is my first choice…whether it’s for next year or the next 10 years. His unselfish play combined with his ability to take over a game (remember the playoffs against the Pistons?) makes him a shoo-in for my team.
PF: Elton Brand (#15 PF) – OK, this is a little like cheating in that Brand would probably be ranked higher on the list if he were healthy. But, since I made these fake rules, then I’m going to take advantage of them.
C: Tyson Chandler (#7 C) – I know that I probably could have used my second choice on a better player, but I feel like Chandler is a great option here. The guy is a freakin’ beast, grabbing boards and swatting shots at will.
Raible
October 1, 2007
That’s a solid squad. I think my thought process would be very similar.
1. Start with LeBron
2. Go with best value, clearly Brand at 3rd tier.
3. Go with ultimate role player/compliment to LeBron, Raja Bell.
4. Evaluate which unranked player I like the best of PG or C. Whilte I love 4 of the PGs 6-10 (Billups, Deron, Paul, and Hinrich) I don’t think I’d want to be left with a complete stiff at Center. PG unranked would be Conley, DFisher or Ridnour. Center unranked would be Darko, OBVIOUSLY. I like the Chandler choice but also tough to go against my boy Rasheed.
With all of that said, I’ll try to pick a team that involves no one Raible took. More fun that way.
PG: Ray Felton (#17 PG) – I like his high assist (6.99 apg) and 3 point totals (103 made in 78 games). Not a great defender but at 6′1 200lbs he’s big enough to hold his own.
SG: Kobe Bryant (#1 SG) – If I’m not taking LeBron, I’m taking Kobe or DWade and have to give the edge to Kobe. Possibly the best defender and best clutch shooter in the game. I’ll take that combo any day of the week (am I obligated to say “and twice on Sunday”?!?)
SF: Josh Smith (#12 SF) – For The Cat. I love the idea of him running and jumping next to Kobe. Battier is tough to pass up here but I think I’m getting a steal in Smith.
PF: Anderson Varejao (Unranked PF) – I thought the most talent at a position was PF so I decided to get my unranked player from this position. Leave the scoring to the other guys. Give me a guy that will do all the little things.
C: Rasheed Wallace (#7 C) – I love Sheed. Not only am I biased, but I’ll gladly take a guy 6′11″ that can not only do the things you expect…great on ball defense, smart team play, turnaround jumpber, but also drain a 3-pointer with ease.
That was kinda fun. I’m doing a 2nd team, with players not used by Raible or on my 1st team.
PG: Mike Bibby (#15 PG) – I hated Bibby in college and hated him in his good days Sacramento. Somehow that has caused me to be a huge Bibby fan. Really thought I was gonna get a PG in the 6-10 range, but thought Bibby was too good value to pass up. Love having a shooter here.
SG: Andre Iguodala (#10 SG) – So athletic. Great defender. Might not shoot great but I think since I have Bibby at PG I can afford to do this.
SF: Andres Nocioni (Unranked SF) – Such a warrior. Tough, gritty gutty and one of the best unranked players out there.
PF: Tim Duncan (#1 PF) – The guy wins. He might have been the best player in the NBA the majority of the last 10 years and somehow he’s still kinda underrated.
C: Brad Miller (#18 C) – Wow, 2 Kings on this team. What a waste of nice players there. Anyway, since I have Duncan and should have shooters around him but don’t other than Bibby, I thought Miller was the perfect Center. Also a great passer.
thav916
October 2, 2007
http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10390464
If you could have any NBA coach, who would you select? Being the homer that I am, I would choose Byron Scott to lead the squad that I have created. Not only did Scott play PG as a pro, but he has already had success grooming a young PG (Chris Paul); the development of Conley would be imperative for my team. Additionally, Scott had great success in New Jersey when given good players, and his methods clearly worked wonders for Chandler in real life…why mess with a good thing.
Guys like Pops, Riles, Jackson, etc. are probably all more talented coaches. But Scott is a little younger, would seem to gel better with my team, and is the current coach of the Hornets…which makes him sweet!
Raible
October 7, 2007
It wouldn’t be Reggie Theus, that’s for damn sure
Wells
October 8, 2007
I think I’ll do a couple teams too.
Team A will be coached by Steve Spurrier:
PG Leandro Barbosa (#14)
SG Manu Ginobli (#8)
SF Andrei Kirilenko (#16)
PF Joakim Noah (AC)
C Amare Stoudamire (#1)
When Barbosa heats up he can trigger a full-scale explosion. He sets a pace that makes it clear which side controls the texture and tempo of the game. Ginobli should be a nice running mate. On defense Kirilenko should take pressure off Amare and Noah down low. He can also slide down to the block when Noah comes to the bench to beat his chest at the crowd. We should win plenty of loose balls, which will be important because some nights we won’t have anyone to consistently hit from the outside.
Bench: We’ll need a reliable, versatile veteran to back up both guard spots. He’ll allow Barbosa to spend some time off-ball, run the offense in certain late-game half-court situations, and nail shots when no one else can. Derek Fisher (AC) sounds good. Our forwards will be expending plenty of energy so a dependable backup forward will be important too.
Toughest Decision: I considered Warrick, Wilcox and others in place of Noah, and also going a different direction with a shooter. Al Horford would probably give the team a higher ceiling but I decided to stick with grit and energy.
thegreatawakening
October 9, 2007
Beating Raible to the punch……
NBA PREDICTIONS!
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1) x-Boston
2) x-New York
3) Toronto
4) New Jersey
5) Philadelphia
Central Division
1) x-Chicago
2) x-Cleveland
3) x-Milwaukee
4) x-Detroit
5) Indiana
Southeast Division
1) x-Atlanta
2) x-Washington
3) Miami (Sorry Jonny)
4) Orlando
5) Charlotte
Western Conference
Southwest Division
1) x-Houston
2) x-Dallas
3) x-San Antonio
4) x-Memphis
5) x-New Orleans
Northwest Division
1) x-Utah
2) Denver
3) Seattle
4) Portland
5) Minnesota
Pacific Division
1) x-Phoenix
2) x-Lakers
3) Golden State
4) Sacramento
5) Clippers
MVP-Kevin Garnett
Rookie of the Year-Kevin Durant
Coach of the Year-Marc Iavaroni
Scoring Champ-Carmelo Anthony
Defensive Player of the Year-Tyson Chandler
Comeback Player of the Year-Kenyon Martin (Because Wells drafted him)
Biggest Monster of the Year-Dwight Howard
6th Man of the Year-Leandro Barbosa
-Northwest Division is by far the best in the NBA. I doubt all 5 can make playoffs but I’m still predicting it.
-I’m still mad Lakers didnt trade Bynum and Kwame for Joneal
-Atlanta, Memphis and Milwaukee are my sleeper teams so I gotta pick them high. Probably stupid to leave out some teams that I did (Nuggets, Heat, Raptors) but oh well
Lottery Order
1. Clippers
2. Pacers
3. Twolves
4. Blazers
5. Sonics
6. Philadelphia
7. Bobcats
8. New Jersey
9. Orlando
10. Sacramento
11. Golden State
12. Heat
13. Raptors
14. Nuggets
Playoffs
East
1. Boston over Wizards
2. Chicago over New York
3. Milwaukee over Atlanta
4. Cleveland over Detroit
1. Boston over Cleveland
2. Chicago over Milwaukee
1. Boston over 2. Chicago
WEST
1. Houston over 8. New Orleans
2. Phoenix over 7. Lakers
6. Grizzlies over 3. Jazz
5. Spurs over 4. Mavericks
1. Houston over 5. Spurs
6. Grizzlies over 2. Suns
1. Houston over 6. Grizzlies
NBA FINALS
1. Houston over 1. Boston in 7 games
thav916
October 24, 2007
RAIBLE’S NBA PREDICTIONS:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1) x-Boston
2) x-New Jersey
3) Toronto
4) New York
5) Philadelphia
Central Division
1) x-Chicago
2) x-Cleveland
3) x-Detroit
4) Milwaukee
5) Indiana
Southeast Division
1) x-Washington
2) x-Miami
3) x-Orlando
4) Atlanta
5) Charlotte
Western Conference
Southwest Division
1) x-Dallas
2) x-San Antonio
3) x-Houston
4) x-New Orleans
5) Memphis
Northwest Division
1) x-Utah
2) x-Denver
3) Seattle
4) Minnesota
5) Portland
Pacific Division
1) x-Phoenix
2) x-Lakers
3) Golden State
4) Sacramento
5) Clippers
MVP-LeBron James
Rookie of the Year-Kevin Durant
Coach of the Year-Eddie Jordan
Scoring Champ-Kobe Bryant
Defensive Player of the Year-Tim Duncan
Comeback Player of the Year-Nenad Krstic
Biggest Monster of the Year-Tyson Chandler
6th Man of the Year-Leandro Barbosa
Lottery Order
1. Blazers
2. Clippers
3. Timberwolves
4. Bobcats
5. Kings
6. 76ers
7. Pacers
8. Bucks
9. Knicks
10. Sonics
11. Hawks
12. Raptors
13. Grizzlies
14. Warriors
Playoffs –
EAST
1. Boston over 8. Orlando
7. Miami over 2. Washington
3. Chicago over 6. Detroit
4. New Jersey over 5. Cleveland
1. Boston over 4. New Jersey
7. Miami over 3. Chicago
1. Boston over 7. Miami
WEST
1. Phoenix over 8. New Orleans
2. Dallas over 7. Lakers
3. San Antonio over 6. Houston
4. Utah over 5. Denver
1. Phoenix over 4. Utah
3. San Antonio over 2. Dallas
3. San Antonio over 1. Phoenix
NBA FINALS
1. Boston over 3. San Antonio
Raible
October 24, 2007
Ya know, the Kings are slowing beginning to remind me of another team I root for… The Dolphins.
Geoff Petrie did such a great job a shakin and baking in the early part of this decade to put together a squad that should have won an NBA Title.( I still hate Horry)
Now, much like the Dolphins, they refuse to move forward and have done little in the draft to fill the holes they need. They have aging stars, with contracts that are going to be hard to unload. Moreover, they are going to sit on Bibby, Artest and Miller too long that they are going to get no value in return(if that time hasn’t come)
I am not saying they need to slash and burn, but just look at the TWOLVES. They were contenders until they essentially ran their star player out of town with poor offseasons. Now they have to start from scratch and who knows how long it will take them to get backnear the cream of the Western Conference crop.
MAKE THE MOVES WHILE YOU STILL CAN
Wells
October 25, 2007
Wells’ posting performance today has definitely caused me to re-think “The Big Three” idea. I think “The Four Horsemen” is much more applicable. Picking who is each member proves to be a tad more difficult…
Ric Flair: Matt Wells
-Flair always seemed to be the ring leader of the Horsemen, if for no other reason than he was the best wrestler of the four. This is Wells’ site, so I think it’s only fitting that he wear the title.
Arn Anderson: Tim Haver
-Arn always seemed to be the 2nd most important guy in the Horsemen, if for no other reason than he was the 2nd best wrestler in the group. Haver seems to fit this bill the best. Flair and Arn are the constant members of the Horsemen; without Wells and Haver, this fake faction that I am creating doesn’t exist.
Ole Anderson: Ben Raible
-Arn and Ole were a Tag Team before joining the Horsemen; clearly, of the four of us, Raible and Haver would be the tag team. Ole was best known for his tag team prowess; Raible loves himself some tag team wrestling. I found this tidbit of information about Ole: “The people who know him, know that Ole is never hesitant to speak his mind.” Sounds appropriate.
Tully Blanchard: Tim Dean
-Eventually tagged with Arn in the WWF; Haver and Dean are destined to destroy something together at some point in their lives. Blanchard was the last to join the original Horsemen. Blanchard was tightest with Flair, which makes sense since Dean and Haver are pretty much best buds.
Raible
October 25, 2007
Raible all I can say is :
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Wells
October 25, 2007
Because of the Ricky Davis trade, and the biggest addition by the subtraction in world history (Toine) I switch the Heat and the Wizards in everything.
thav916
October 25, 2007
By the way, we’ve already established that Rich Rod and Matt Holliday read Watercoolers and I think it’s safe to say we can add a third.
PAT RILEY
Is there any doubt that Riles reads WCG and knew he had to make a after reading my predictions, which left the Heat out of the playoffs?!?!
thav916
October 26, 2007
I love to give credit where credit is due and that Horseman stuff is great
thav916
October 26, 2007
NBA Draft.net has the Hornets taking Joey Dorsey in the 2nd round in their latest mock draft. Needless to say, I’m psyched. I think I would pay money to watch Tyson Chandler and Dorsey battle everyday in practice.
Raible
November 3, 2007
Houston Rockets 3-0. 79 to go.
thav916
November 4, 2007
Is Joey Dorsey the first player that both me and Raible have loved?
thav916
November 4, 2007
Actually Chandler, too while I’m thinkin about it.
thav916
November 5, 2007
Free NBA PPV preview has been sweet. Watched the Celtics-Raptors yesterday (RAY ALLEN!), then tuned in to see my undefeated Hornets go into Denver and come away with an impressive victory (Tyson Chandler vs. Marcus Camby was amazing!).
Raible
November 5, 2007
Can you give me some details on this free NBA PPV preview? I’m desperately trying to love the NBA again and I think that sounds rad.
thegreatawakening
November 5, 2007
If you get Comcast, go to Channel like 755 and you can watch any of the PPV NBA games for free until Tuesday, I think.
Raible
November 6, 2007
Dean: Another option, if you are trying to get back into the NBA, would be to check out NBA Coast to Coast on ESPN 2 each Tuesday night. I think the start time changes, but the principle remains the same: ESPN shows live coverage of games across the league, with analysis and insight provided by their “experts.” It’s pretty solid, though not as good as TNT’s Inside the NBA.
Raible
November 6, 2007
Interesting debate on CBS Sports.com today…Which decade in the NBA is the best: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s?
The ’80s brought us the great Celtics, Lakers, and Sixers teams. The Sports Guy would argue that the ’80s were the premier time for the NBA, although I am sure that is heavily influenced by the fact that he is a diehard Celtics fan. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the ’80s, while Magic and Bird starred in the decade. Jordan burst onto the scene in the decade of hair bands, as did guys like Karl Malone and Sir Charles. Dr. J. was still around, along with Isiah Thomas. Much like Joe Montana in football, the ’80s seem to have this aura around them, which probably has something to do with the fact that we were kids then; as a kid, everything and everyone seem so much larger than life. The NBA in the 1980s seem like this to me.
Today’s NBA probably features more athletic players than at any time in the league’s history. LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, the foreign invasion, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, high-schoolers going pro, etc. The Lakers dominated the first part of this decade, while the Spurs have taken its turn as the decade’s kings toward the middle and end.
The 1990s, though, are my pick as the premier deacde in NBA history. Two words: Michael Jordan! Jordan’s prime occurred in the ’90s, when the Bulls won 6 NBA Championships. Sprinkled in between the Bulls’ two runs was a solid 2-year reign for Hakeem and the Rockets. Which brings me to my 2nd point about the ’90s: the big men. Ewing, Shaq, Robinson, Olajuwon, Mourning, the beginning of Duncan, etc. But, the main point is this: If you consider Jordan to be the best player of all-time, which many do, and if you consider his Bulls teams to be some of the best of all-time, which many do, then how can’t the ’90s be the best?
I would rank them:
1. 1990s
2. 1980s (by a hair)
3. 2000s
Thoughts?
Raible
November 6, 2007
This, my friends, is why the Hornets gave big money to Peja:
Peja Stojakovic made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers, and Chris Paul established another Hornets team mark with 21 assists Tuesday night in New Orleans’ 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Stojakovic missed just three of 13 shots from behind the arc and finished with 36 points. He was just 2-of-8 shooting two-pointers. The Hornets went 14-of-25 on 3-pointers.
On the last night that I had the free NBA PPV (I think), I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Hornets-Lakers contest last night. Lots of offense, lots of ass beaters (Chandler, West, Bynum), lots of a star (Kobe), lots of an emerging star (Paul), and lots of Hollywood, of course (Nicholson, Willis, etc.). I know that my Hornets started 4-0 last season and missed the Playoffs, but 4-0 is 4-0…Go Hornets!!!
Raible
November 7, 2007
As far as the decades go I could see someone viewing the Bulls/Jordan dominance as a reason to like the ’80s better. Not sure what I think, but all else equal I’d like to see a few top contenders rather than a team in a tier to itself. I think total parity is worse though. I’m putting the 00s last mainly because of the poor team defense and effort I see too often when I tune in. I’ve said before that I think the character guys are in place to bring it (old school hoops) back, but the 00s have been a little too much about immature assholes trying to look cool for my taste.
thegreatawakening
November 7, 2007
NBA Sweet 16 through games played on November 6th:
1. Boston (2-0): So far, so good for the new-look Celtics. Sunday’s win at Toronto was big in establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Atlantic.
2. San Antonio (3-1): You could really take your pick here among the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, and Rockets. The Spurs, despite a loss to Houston, gets my choice as the best of the 4.
3. Dallas (3-1): Dallas beat Houston, but lost to The Cat’s Atlanta Hawks. The race in the Southwest, especially if New Orleans decides to get involved, is going to be amazing.
4. Houston (4-1): Beat the Spurs, but lost to the Mavs. Beating the Jazz helped to exact some revenge on their loss to Utah in last year’s Playoffs.
5. Phoenix (3-1): Winning games, as expected, but without Amare at 100%. This team isn’t going anywhere without a completely healthy Amare, folks.
6. Detroit (3-0): Weathered the early season storm without the complete services of Rip Hamilton. 2 solid road wins (at Miami and at Orlando) started the year off right.
7. New Jersey (3-1): Always one of my favorite picks, the Nets are clicking on nearly all cylniders early in the season. Jefferson looks great, but the team needs Krstic to work his way back to pre-injury form.
8. New Orleans (4-0): My boys did what they had to do in beating Sacramento and Portland at home. Going on the road to beat Denver and the Lakers, however, was rather impressive. Chris Paul continues to play like a star.
9. Orlando (3-1): The new-look Magic look good so far. If they can get the kind of play that have received from Hedo so far, then this team is going to be tough to beat.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (2-2): Have played solid in each of their 4 games, losing at the end to Houston and to a red-hot Peja. Kobe leads the league in scoring, while the bench play, led by Andrew Bynum, has been superb.
11. Utah (2-2): 2-0 against Golden State; 0-2 against everyone else. Going back to last year’s playoffs, the Jazz simply own the Warriors. Boozer has been as good as anyone thus far.
12. Denver (2-2): Despite a loss in their return game to MSG, I still think that the Nuggs, as I like to call them, are a strong contender. Especially since Stephen A. Smith said so!
13. Toronto (2-2): The Raptors gave Boston everything they wanted and more on Sunday. Bosh is obviously amazing, but how about the strong start from T.J. Ford!?!?
14. Cleveland (2-2): LeBron needs some help. Can someone help LeBron?
15. Indiana (3-0): I’m not trying to discount what the Pacers have done so far, but I just don’t think they are that good, at least not yet. A battle that no one saw coming against the Clips this week should be interesting.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (3-0): If this team can stay somewhat afloat until Brand comes back, if he does at all, then the Clippers could be dangerous down the stretch.
MVP: Kobe Bryant
ROY: Kevin Durant
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
MIP: Danny Granger
6th Man: Jason Terry
COY: Byron Scott
Raible
November 7, 2007
Bonzi is back!!!
thav916
November 8, 2007
Celtics sure look good. Can’t believe the Bulls look so bad. The Pistons are 7-2 and have proven to be a great team. I think they’ll be able to keep up with the Celtics. The Magic are playing some awesome ball but it’s tough to say they’ll keep up what they’re doing. Could be another team to emerge but the Celts being the cream of the crop appears to be an understatement.
I think it’s too early to say they’ll dominate the NBA. They’ve only played one Western team, the Nuggers. Don’t get me wrong they absolutely dominated them and have looked great in every game thus far. But I want to see how they survive their first west coast trip or play the Spurs and Mavs on back to back nights and situations similar to that.
thav916
November 16, 2007
Go Hornets! Hornets vs Celtics in the NBA Title!
Raible
November 16, 2007
Watched the end of a game the other night that was announced by one of my favorite coaches, Jeff Van Gundy. I thought he did a good job.
thegreatawakening
November 17, 2007
NBA Sweet 16 through games played on November 19th:
1. Boston: The Celtics even managed to show how good they are in a loss to Orlando, coming back from a huge deficit to almost win the game. Like Haver says, though, let’s see how they do when they head West.
2. San Antonio: The defending champs are rolling right along at 8-2. There’s really not a whole lot more to say about the Spurs.
3. Phoenix: Another team that just seems to be rolling along at 8-2. Grant Hill has certainly been a nice pickup, posting averages of 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG.
4. Dallas: Do we see a trend here? The Big Three is the theme, starting with the Celtics’ trio and following up with the 3 best teams in the West. For Dallas, though, it all comes down to how they play come April-June.
5. Denver: Stephen A. Smith’s pick to win it all has really turned it on lately, winning 5 in a row. The battle vs. Utah for the Northwest crown should be a dandy all year long.
6. Utah: An 8-4 record is a nice start to last year’s surprise Western Conference finalist. Boozer is averaging a double-double…he’s simply a beast!
7. Orlando: Back-to-back wins over Boston and New Orleans was impressive for the Magic. Hedo has been huge so far: 17.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.6 APG.
8. New Orleans: 9-3 start for my Hornets as us fans completely prematurely thinking Playoffs. Like Haver said, though, who’s to say that the Hornets can’t be as good as the Jazz? Minor injuries to Paul and Chandler need to heal ASAP, though, for this team to have a shot.
9. L.A. Lakers: Maybe Kobe should re-think his trade demands. The Lakers have been solid during the early part of the season, posting a 6-3 record while Kobe puts up MVP-type numbers: 26.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.0 APG. Bynum is averaging nearly a double-double off the bench!
10. Houston: The Rockets have lost 4 in a row, thanks in large part to the injury sustained by T-Mac. This team is as good as any when healthy…staying healthy, though, seems to be a problem.
11. Detroit: I get the feeling that this team is going to be Boston’s chief competition come Playoff time. The Pistons are doing what they always do, though in my opinion, they aren’t as good as they have been in recent years.
12. Cleveland: LeBron is being LeBron (29.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 8.0 APG), but the Cavs just seem to need more. Underachiever Larry Hughes, averaging only 6.8 PPG, finds his ass back on the IR. Shocking!
13. Toronto: In my opinion, there’s no reason why Chris Bosh should only be averaging 16.2 PPG. He’s a star and needs to start playing like one.
14. Washington: Their Big Three are keeping them in the Playoff hunt in the East, which can’t be the same thing said for teams like Chicago and Miami.
15. New Jersey: 6 losses in a row?!?! Think this team needs Vince Carter?
16. Charlotte: Let’s give some love to the 6-4 Bobcats. Ray Felton has been great (16.6 PPG, 7.3 APG), while the acquisition of J-Rich has proven to be a good one, at least to this point.
MVP: LeBron James
ROY: Kevin Durant
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
MIP: Rudy Gay
6th Man: Jason Terry
COY: Byron Scott
Raible
November 20, 2007
I enjoyed the teams that we selected in the NFL, so why not do something similar for the NBA?
All-Raible –
PG: Baron Davis
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Shawn Marion
C: Marcus Camby
PG: Brevin Knight
SG: Aaron Afflalo
SF: Rodney Carney
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Alonzo Mourning
PG: Taurean Green
SF: Alando Tucker
Head Coach: Byron Scott
Baron gets the nod over Chris Paul at PG because he’s been my boy for longer. Ray is probably my favorite player of all-time, while I simply love the game that Caron has. At PF, I almost went with David West, but realized that I wanted to see if I could go with no Hornets on my team since they are my favorite; I love the Matrix’s game. Camby has been my boy for years, and ironically, he seems to be getting better with age.
With my backups, I tried to pick guys who are actually backups on their own teams. To me, Brevin Knight is what a PG should be…always look to pass first! Afflalo is a Howland-disciple who can get after it on the defensive end, Carney is an athletic freak who played under my boy Calipari, and Millsap is just a monster. Zo is clearly the heart and soul (and kidney) of my team.
With my final 2 picks, I wanted to take a couple of rookies who will never play but have characteristics that I like, particularly the fact that both are proven winners.
For my Head Coach, I really wanted to go with Mike D’Antoni or Don Nelson since they play an up tempo game, but I just couldn’t go away from my boy, Byron Scott.
Raible
December 6, 2007
All T-Hav
PG Ray Felton
SG Tracy McGrady
SF Boris Diaw
PF Rasheed Wallace
C Dwight Howard
Bench
PG/SG Rashad McCants
SF Antawn Jamison
PF Pau Gasol
PF Big Baby Davis
C Desagana Diop
C Anderson Varejao
C Darko Milicic
C Joakim Noah
How obvious is it that I love big men?!? I really do rarely like guards. If only Felipe Lopez would have panned out like I had hoped and dreamed. Loved the Felton and McCants combo at UNC. For some reason I never took a liking to Stackhouse or Vince Carter as they entered the NBA and out of Kobe, Pierce, TMac, etc I’ve always had a thing for McGrady. Now to where it’s at…THE FRONTCOURT! Diaw is the master of all trades and will play back up PG as well. Sheed has always been my boy and it’s kind of incredible to think about the player he has developed into. About 10 years and 75 pounds ago all he could do was run and jump. Now he has the smoothest three point stroke in the game. Dwight Howard is just simply a monster!
As for the bench, I had to go with a roster of 13. First off Gasol and Jamison lead the way. Have always loved Gasol’s game and how can I not love a metrosexual spaniard? Jamison is one of my top 3 favorite Tar Heels and his crazy inside shots are near and dear to my heart. Then you have greatness. Go ahead and try to outhustle Diop, Varejao and Joakim. I can’t get enough of the roles those guys play on a team. Big Baby is so big and so smooth and for some unknown reason I’ve always loved Darko.
Coach–Rudy Tomjanovich!
Last 6 out…Brendan Haywood, Marvin Williams, Yao Ming, Shawn Marion, Luke Walton and Tyson Chandler
thav916
December 8, 2007
Celtics-Pistons and Suns-Mavs tonight on ESPN. NBA Action…It’s FAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTASTIC!
Raible
December 19, 2007
My favorite Simmons column of the year….
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/071218
thav916
December 20, 2007
Some comments, or dare I say opinions, of the Simmons list that I love and no one else in the world does. Oh and
!!!!
Tough to imagine Emeka not bein top 50.
Not even a mention of Marvin Williams???? Cmon!
Just when I’m ready to flip that I’d much rather have Kevin Martin that Monta Ellis I do think twice about the contracts they each have. Still not sure if I’m willing to put Ellis in the top 50 just because he has a great contract. Not to mention I don’t think he has many years left on it which means you’ll have to resign him to big money soon.
Maybe Raymond Felton shouldn’t be in the top 50, but by the end of the year he better be.
Tayshaun Prince really is so solid.
Still can’t believe Boozer and Redd could be on Cleveland with Varejao (and LeBron). And Diop could be there, too!
Simmons gotta talk more about Chandler. Cmon. If you see the words “Tyson Chandler” the following paragraph should include at least one of the following. Beast. Animal. Monster. Rock. Mountain. Badass.
I think Iverson is too high.
Chris Kaman at 35 seems ridiculous and then you realize 18.6, 14.2 and 2.7 blocks. Wow.
I could be wrong, but I feel like Chandler (40th) should be higher than David West (29th).
I know Billups is PERFECT for the Pistons and he did say how close it was, but I think the Pistons consider Arenas for Billups more than the Wizards do.
The 5 man group of Horford, Oden, JSmoove, Bynum and Al Jefferson really is sweet. So up and coming. I feel like tons of people make jokes about how Kevin McHale should be GM of the Year….for the Celtics for GIVING them KG and a title shot. I don’t think any of those people are paying attention to Al Jefferson’s stats right now (21 and 12). In about 2 years when the Wolves are able to clean house, let the kids grow and add a few more lottery picks to the mix they should be ready to rumble.
If Bynum and Kwame for Joneal was really on the table for the Pacers and the Pacers held out for a first round pick they should be ashamed of themselves.
I’d have Parker over Manu. Those two seem too high, but the success of the Spurs is tough to argue.
Baron Davis really is high. Not sure if I’d trust him enough. But it really is nice to see him playing like he is and like Simmons mentioned.
Kobe at 10 seems low. I mean, do the Hornets really not trade Paul straight up for Kobe? Jazz and Deron? Maybe I’m wrong. Kobe at 10 just seems low.
I think I’d have Yao lower than 9th. But the whole China thing probably does make his value higher than if he wasn’t Chinese.
Was shocked with Paul and Deron at 4 and 5 but they really are the future at point guard.
I can’t argue with the top 3 at all. Would have exact same.
thav916
December 22, 2007
My Boy Hall of Fame
PG Felipe Lopez
SG Ron Mercer
SF Glenn Robinson
PF Tyler Hansbrough
C Hakeem Olajuwon
SF Jamal Mashburn
PF Larry Johnson
PF Rasheed Wallace
PF Corliss Williamson
PF Joakim Noah
PF Antawn Jamison
SF Tim Thomas
So tough to pick a starting lineup. Because of the lack of guards I’ve ever liked Lopez and Mercer automatically get the starting nods. More could be added as I think of them but right now these are the 12.
thav916
December 22, 2007
My Boy Hall of Fame:
PG: Baron Davis
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Danny Fortson
C: Marcus Camby
PG: Brandin Knight
PG: Bobby Hurley
PG: Tyus Edney
PG: Sean Miller
SG: Tom Pipkins
PF: Chevon Troutman
PF: DeJuan Blair
Wow, tough to try and pick a team. Some guys I left off include: Jeff Capel, Charles Smith, Ricardo Greer, Richard Hamilton, Ricky Moore, Lou Roe. Just as Haver loves big men, I, apparently, am somehow completely enamored with guards.
Raible
December 23, 2007
Simmons article was great. Did you listen to the accompanying podcast where he formulates the list with his buddy? Pretty good.
thegreatawakening
December 25, 2007
Simmons is really hung up on Gilbert not being a good teammate. In any kind of rankings or discussion he will be disrespected. I like Gilbert.
thegreatawakening
December 27, 2007
I think one of the most underrated players of the era is officially finished.
I was a gigantic fan of the Charles Oakley-led Knicks teams of the 90s who were always in battle with Indiana and especially Miami. Following the 95 season Pat Riley left the Knicks to become President and HC of the Heat, and immediately traded for Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning. By the next season (96-97)they were surrounded by Voshon Lenard, PJ Brown, Jamal Mashburn, and Dan Majarle. I hated them, especially after they dethroned the Knicks in the Atlantic and fell behind 3-1 in the playoffs right before PJ Brown slammed Charlie Ward and half the Knicks got suspended (Starks, Houston, LJ, Ewing, Ward). The Heat won the series and got beat by a Bulls team that the Knicks were ready to crush (in my opinion). The Heat won the division again the next year (97-98), but the Knicks beat them in 5 in the 1st round (without Ewing), including the game 4 LJ-Mourning fight. The next year (98-99) the Heat landed the #1 seed, and also another 5-game series against the Knicks, who had a weird up-and-down season. Allan Houston’s series winner in game 5 was the greatest moment of my NBA life. Next year (99-00) the Knicks finished them in 7 in round 2. After the 2000 olympics Mourning’s kidney ailment was discovered.
Between 1997 and 2000 the Knick and Heat faced off in 4 consecutive playoff series with each going to a decisive final game, the only such occurance in NBA history. In my opinion those 24 games were the most physical, intense, and agonizing wars of the 90s. I can’t imagine a stretch of games between two team, including the regular season ones, possibly being any closer. Tons of comebacks, constant 4th quarter lead changes, and hellacious defense and brutal fouling the entire time. I don’t think 100 points were ever scored and they were usually in the 80s or less. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knicks-Heat_rivalry).
Anyway, throughout this time I despised the Heat, particularly Hardaway and Mourning. But because they played the Knicks constantly, and I watched every single game, I’ve seen them play a million times. Usually when your team eliminates another from the playoffs every time they meet you stop hating/fearing them as much. But that never happened, in fact in hindsight I barely remember that the Knicks wiped them out 3 stright years. And the main reason is that Mourning is a fucking animal. Not only is he a competent center, which is rare, but he was one of the few players who actually lived up to the cliche- “willed his team to victory.” Feroucious rebounding and defense combined with respectable offensive skill that definitely seemed more a result of effort than talent. Also the veins in his head were always about to explode which was a plus. While I’m on the topic it should also be noted that Hardaway was more of a thorn in the Knicks side than any player is to any team in the league today 100 times over. But this is about Mourning. That Miami team never quite got enough done to be remembered today by the casual fan (mainly because of the Knicks), but in my mind is one of the greatest, toughest teams of the era, and Mourning was its identity. If he were in his prime right now he’d eat every big man in the league. Maybe not shut them down, but he’d maul them physically and mentally until they faked a knee injury. Then he’d box out his replacement into the first row.
So to summarize:
1. I’m a huge closet Knicks fan. I have Knicks jersies, I’ve gotten Knicks tickets for Christmas, I pretended to be Oakley in high school basketball practice, etc.
2. Mourning is the man.
thegreatawakening
December 28, 2007
-Portland…wow, holy crap!
-Lakers in the short shorts was hot. Bynum putting up a stinker against the Celtics, despite f-ing up KG, was not.
-T-Mac loves to be healthy.
-Miami…wow, holy crap!
-Mehmet Okur needs to go away for good. I have a disease, and the only cure is MORE MILLSAP!
-70+ points at halftime the other night for the Nuggs against Baron and Company. LOTS of defense being played there.
-Love how the Spurs just motor along…so quiet, yet so good.
-Go Hornets!
-Cat’s Hawks are looking pretty solid. Joe Johnson is the man.
-Aaron Gray sighting recently…that’s scary if you’re a Bulls fan.
-Can’t get enough of the Celtics. The Boston Three Party is sweet. That tackle last night of Sweet Baby Ray Ray was sour, though.
Raible
December 31, 2007
What’s up Galdi? Scotty Linn: You’re the man! Hey Czabe (http://www.czabe.com/): My Man Crush is on Tyson Chandler. How can’t you have a crush on him? I mean, I want to buy him a can of Orange Crush just so he knows how much I like him. He is such a Hoss under the boards. He rebounds everything, especially on the offensive glass. He plays Tenacious D, and he loves alley-oops. Yes, I have a Man Crush on Tyson Chandler and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it!
I am so done with the Detroit Pistons. This may be a dumb question, but Why did the Bulls sign Ben Wallace and trade away Tyson Chandler? Lock it up: The Hornets are going to the Playoffs! Lock and load, baby, LOCK AND LOAD!
Raible
January 25, 2008