May 8
Denver Nuggets
A couple of suggestions for the offseason. It is not all bad if Denver brings back the same basic crew: Smith, Iverson, Camby, and Carmelo. If that's the case, here is the deal. #1: the top priority is to get a 3-point shooter. Period. Not someone that can shoot triples, someone that only shoots triples. A spot-up shooter. Great teams have this. It's not about needing the scoring. It's about having 1 reliable guy in the corner to hit the daggers. 2) Since you have plenty of scoring (Iverson, etc) and a tall, long-armed (but skinny) center, go out and get a bruising, defender 3-4. Basically, go get a Paxson and a Rodman.
May 6
NBA Technology
In the NBA time can stand still, in 2008. With TV's all around, three NBA officials huddled. Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said they estimated a play (where the clock didn't run) took "about four or five seconds"... call it 4.5 and the basket counts. Meanwhile, folks watching TNT replays, with modern technology, could see the play took at least 5.2 seconds... and the basket should not have counted. More thoughts here. The Orlando Sentinel calls it a "shot-clock glitch" here. The final score ended up 100-93, so counting or not counting at first glance isn't a big deal. However, it was 100-93 due to free throws in the last 11 seconds of the game. Detroit was up by 3 with 49 seconds to go.. and that would have been a tie game. Play-by-play here. Anyway, all that said, the Magic will need to step it up in Game 3: Turkoglu needs to start playing with some poise and confidence. And the Magic need a little better defense to win. Detroit is just flat out playing better ball so far in the series.
May 4
Phil and Kobe
Most of the media attention centered on an offseason tirade by Kobe Bryant: demanding that the Lakers management get some better talent around him to compete for a title. Kobe definitely was making some noise. But what about Phil? Well, coach Phil Jackson was pretty much silent. But we wonder now whether Kobe was not just speaking for himself. Was Bryant also doing Jackson's bidding? Jackson is a legendary coach, and one rich enough and successful enough that he's retired before and threatened to retire again. If the Lakers keep advancing in the playoffs you will start hearing that Phil is the one chasing records. Sure, we all know Kobe wants to win a championship to prove he can do it without Shaq around. But, Jackson also wants another ring to break his tie with Celtics legendary coach Red Auerbach (both have coached 9 NBA Champions). So, you have to wonder: Did Phil ask Kobe to increase the decibel level in the offseason?
April 29
Jason Kidd
Well, Kidd wanted (so, sooo bad) to play for a competitor. Thanks to Mavs owner, Mark Cuban, Kidd got his wish. Look, Kidd can play. But let this be a lesson that the grass is never greener on the other side. If you can't make things work where you are, if you can't make the most of your current opportunities... you can't just run away and make it better somewhere else. Life is what you make of it. Jason Kidd always thought there was something better out there. Now he got a first round exit courtesy of CP3. Game 5 box score here (CP3's triple double: 24 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds).
April 19
Mavs-Hornets
All that can be said is: Jason Kidd was taken to school. Chris Paul made a statement in Game 1: 35 points, 10 assists, 4 steals, and the 'W'. Box score and coverage here.
Suns-Spurs
Was the best game of the entire playoffs played on the first day? It's no suprise that this game lived up to the hype. Suns fans have been waiting for revenge. And Phoenix came out with early control. But the Spurs clawed their way back into the game-- sending it to OT on a Michael Finley triple. At the end of OT, the Spurs found themselves down 3 again.. this time it seemed by design that Tim Duncan got the ball to launch.. and make... his first 3-pointer of the year-- tying the game for Double-OT (in a post game interview Duncan said the play wasn't designed for him... hmm?). The tables turned a little in the 2nd OT. The Suns, down 3, got an absolutely incredible 3-pointer by Steve Nash to tie the game with a few seconds left. But Manu Ginobili (strong throughout the game) delivered with a game winning drive and leaner. Recap of the 117-115 2-OT thriller here and blow-by-blow account here.
April 10
NBA MVP
Who even deserves consideration? Dwight Howard? Kevin Garnett definitely. LeBron James of course. Kobe Bryant. And, Chris Paul. SLAM Online says here LeBron over Kobe... for 2nd Place. He says Chris Paul all day because Paul is "the best player, on the best team in the best conference in the league"
Sporting News compares Paul to Steve Nash here. This is a reminder that MVP is a journalists award.. and so long as that is the case Steve Nash will somehow be in the mix again.
The L.A. Times says it will be Paul or Kobe based on which team finishes higher in the standings. Story.And this link says emphatically that CP3 "will win the MVP".
Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports says here that while "Kobe hasn't always been the best person" or even the best teammate... "Still, Bryant is an MVP". He says informal polling shows the race for MVP is between Kobe and Paul.
HoopsWorld agrees here that it is "Bryant versus Paul" ("The Black Mamba against CP3"). And HoopsWorld says a lot hangs in the balance Friday night in L.A (game time 10:30 ET, no national tv, schedule).
April 2
Joe Dumars
We're a big fan of proving your ability year-after-year. And, if we were to name a 2007-2008 NBA Executive of the Year it would be the Detroit Pistons Joe Dumars. Dumars was a Piston player for every one of his 14 NBA seasons (stats) after Detroit drafted him in the first round in 1985. And, since 2000, Dumars has been Detroit's President of Basketball Operations. Dumars was named Executive of the Year in 2002-2003 before winning the 2004 NBA Championship. Regarding his draft picks. His 2003 draft pick of Darko Milicic instead of Anthony, Wade, Bosh, or Kaman (or David West or Josh Howard for that matter) is a huge mistake, but among the few he has made. With the 2007 draft he recovered with the strategic picks of Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo. And, speaking of strategic picks, Dumars drafted Mehmet Okur 38th overall in 2001 and Tayshaun Prince 23rd overall in 2002.
On to the 2007-2008 season, why does Dumars deserve GM of the year? The Pistons have won over 50 games this season, stamping another positive mark of legitimacy to the quality of the roster that Dumars has assembled. And it goes beyond the starting 5 (Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, Prince, and McDyess). The bench includes talented, solid players that can easily fill any of the voids. Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Jason Maxiell, Theo Ratliff, and Amir Johnson are high energy, high impact role players.
While Isiah Thomas is scrambling to figure out a line-up worth playing in game 72 of his 4th full season as President of the team; Dumars has guided the Pistons to their 7th straight 50 win season under Dumar's watch. Some former players now how to run a team. Some former players know how to coach a team. And some former players don't know how to do either. Joe Dumars is one of them that has without question figured out how to run a team.
Isiah Thomas and Pat Riley
We are brainstorming for solutions to the NBA's Isiah Thomas and Pat Riley. We believe it is against the nature of competitive basketball to decide not to play your best line-ups. There are cases where teams earn a well-deserved night off. For example, the Detroit Pistons have locked up #2 in the conference; they've won over 50 games this season; and they can't slip and fall to 3rd place. So, Flip Saunders and Joe Dumars decided to give 3 of their top players the night off. However, racing to last place, night-after-night is not such a situation. Isiah Thomas has now watched 2 leads slip away in the 4th quarter while his best player Zach Randolph is benched. This is not to mention the games that Zach is not even playing in so that Isiah can evaluate D-Leaguers.
The upside to Isiah's behavior is that there were a lot of happy Bucks fans in the stands last night as Milwaukee roared from behind in the 4th quarter and won in OT. But what Isiah has done to the Knicks franchise, and now to the game itself, has made a mockery of the NBA game itself. So what solutions are there? Well, they could just randomize the draft order for all teams that don't make the playoffs. This would mean there is no reward for finishing last. Another solution is to start naming a "Worst Coach of the Year" and "Worst Executive of the Year". This way, maybe Riley and Thomas would start thinking a little more about competing.
March 30
Jason Kidd
If your looking for a different perspective than what is posted on this page, here you go: "Kidd deserves better than the mess in Dallas. Kidd has always had the resolve. It's nothing short of disturbing, just lately, to see him so powerless." Two thoughts: 1) you could only hope that the Nets were so smart as to send the big pain in their side (Kidd) into a messy situation, or 2) maybe Kidd is a washed-up, winer like we say. And Dallas is a mess because of Kidd.
March 29
The Race for the Bottom
It's starting to become a mainstream issue-- AP's Brian Mahoney writes here about how the Heat and Knicks might be "losing games on purpose". We always thought this could be the case for teams looking to score the #1 pick in the NBA Draft. However, Isiah Thomas and Pat Riley have taken it out in the open-- in a blatant last season "tank". It may seem cute for Isiah and Riley. However, the NBA may want to take notice and think about the fans that are wondering about the quality of the game. This may become a larger problem.
March 27
Jason Kidd
Make that 0-9 against teams with a winning record since Kidd arrived in Dallas. Nice. Quite the winner Kidd is. To top it off, could Dallas end up being the odd team out in the Western Conference playoffs? Standings.
Conditioning or Complacency
The NBA has a developing problem this season more than season's past. A number of players are disappearing for 3, 4, 10 games. Is it poor conditioning? Hamilton, Roy, Gasol, Dirk, Wallace from time to time, Aldridge is in and out, Bynum, Turkoglu, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal, . And then you have the extended (let's just be super-duper safe) layoffs for Arenas and Brand. And there's your Wade's of the world that are just shutdown cause the team is shutting for the #1 pick. Or is part of it complacency? Is this rich players content to take mini-vacations? Is the Shaq mentality (taking a few games off here and there) breaking out around the league? And what is it with teams like the Heat just shutting several players down and conducting tryouts for D-Leaguers during the end of the season? If the NBA doesn't wake up fast they are going to see fans start scratching their heads about the quality of the game they are watching. Once gone, it's hard to reclaim credibility. And the NBA just might be tinkering on the edge.
March 22
The Spurs and Robert Horry
With a little less than a month to go the Spurs are no lock to make the playoffs, even though they are 46-23. Yet at the same time San Antonio is just 2 games out of first place in the West (standings here). Presuming they make the playoffs, Robert Horry will be gunning for his 8th NBA World Championship ring (the dude has 7, seven rings). Robert's bio here. That may be tough for the Spurs to attain this year. However, if they do, San Antonio will have won 5 of the last 10 NBA Championships (they have won 4 times since 1999). See NBA World Champions list. Perhaps more obtainable... if the Spurs make it to the 2nd Round, Horry will be a lock to become the NBA player to have played in the most NBA Playoff games ever-- passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 237 playoff games record. Horry is up to 229. Five minutes of Horry highlights here. Horry's "The Shot" vs Sacramento in 2002 here.
March 21
Dallas Mavericks
As Yahoo's Johnny Ludden points out here, the Mavericks are 0-7 against winning teams since adding Jason Kidd. We're not surprised. And what is Kidd's comment? To blame the coach calling the plays. We will say it again... if Kidd couldn't make the Nets (with Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter) a decent playoff contender... in the East, why should we think he's a lock to make Dallas better?
March 10
Pat Riley and the #1 Pick
An NBA legend doing everything he can in his final couple years to erase a legend that took decades to build. If I'm a Heat season ticket holder I want a partial refund. If the team is deliberately shutting things down for the season, then why should anyone have to pay for it? And where is the NBA in all of this? Can teams just shut down in March and take home the #1 draft pick? Riley is taking low to a whole new level. And he's decided to leave the bench and head out on the road scouting... for that #1 pick-- first stop Eric Gordon (story). This is an example of why the NBA may need to change the draft order process. No longer should a bad team get more balls in the bucket for finishing last. And the change should start right now-- telling Riley to head back to Miami, you ain't picking first. Riley can claim credit for one thing-- gaming the system. And one has to wonder about his coaching career (here)-- has it always been about gaming the system? Or just now..
Phoenix Suns
Should we expect the schizophrenic press coverage to continue? Probably. Last week, the Suns were forever hopelessly lost... because of the addition of Shaquille O'Neal (ESPN: Why the Shaq Trade Isn't Working Out, here). Today, after yesterday's nationally-televised win over the Spurs, the Suns might just win a championship... because of Shaq (column here). Today's press is probably a little closer to the truth. Yet, the earlier version may still make a comeback before the end of the season. The reason-- growing pains. Adding Diesel is a complete change of direction for the Suns. They have to learn a new style.. a new way. So, we expect them to hae more ups-and-downs this season and into the playoffs. But we also believe that, at the end of the day, the Suns of Sunday (recap) will be tough to beat in the playoffs. As we said below, "With Shaq, they will, or should, or could, turn into a 50-50 team the rest of the way. It will take adjusting. But to get through the West, and get to the NBA Finals, and win the NBA Finals (for those who don't just think it would take 1 correct call from the refs) they need a different type team. They need to battle in the paint a little."
February 16
(Seattle) Supersonics
In a lengthy press conference today (covering all NBA subject matters), NBA Commissioner David Stern said it is "inevitable" that the Sonics will be moving. Story.
Jason Kidd
Stuck in New Jersey? Because of Devean George? (comments inspired by Dime here) If Kidd can't at least make the Nets (with Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson) into a legitimate contender, why does he think he puts a team like Dallas over the top to win himself a ring? ... wonder if the trade ends up going through a minute after the All-Star game ends?
2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest
There was Michael Jordan vs Dominique Wilkins in 1988 (watch it here). And there was Vince Carter in 2000 (video here). This year's Slam Dunk Contest can be thrown in that category. It will be one of the most remembered. Dwight Howard stole the show from the opening bell, throwing down a dunk from behind the basket after tossing the ball against the backside of the board. That got the crowd behind him. It didn't matter that Gerald Green blew out a candle on a cupcake while dunking, because Dwight came back with a Super Man cape to, literally, throw the ball threw the hoop. Get the story here and here.
February 7
Suns Trade for Shaq
How much does the addition of Shaq impact the public infatuation with the Phoenix Suns? Can they still be America's team? How will the trade for Shaquille O'Neal work out for the Suns? Well, first, the goal isn't the regular season. This trade is all about trying to win a championship. The Suns have been-there, and done-that in terms of winning 60 games in the regular season. Everyone knows they can do.. that. They won 62 games in 04-05, 54 the year after that, 61 last year (Suns win track record here), and they're on pace again at 34-15 as of deal time this year. With Shaq, they will, or should, or could, turn into a 50-50 team the rest of the way. It will take adjusting. But to get through the West, and get to the NBA Finals, and win the NBA Finals (for those who don't just think it would take 1 correct call from the refs) they need a different type team. They need to battle in the paint a little in the 4th quarter in the playoffs. They need to bruise up Bynum, Duncan, and, now, Pau Gasol (and probably oughta include Diop and Dampier). The status quo would have guaranteed another 60 wins this year and next year, but would it win a championship. Would they beat the Lakers in the playoffs without a legit big man? Shaq doesn't solve the problem entirely, and he could end up as the problem-- how do Diaw and Amare slash to the hoop for the dunk on the pass from Nash when Shaq's big frame is standing in the way? And, what about Shawn Marion? The MVP voters never, ever gave him an ounce of credit. But he's the player besides Nash that has consistenly been with the team (played just about every single game over the span) during this impressive 4-year run of wins. Was his impact larger than the sports writers ever game him credit for? Nash led the team in assists all these years, but Marion has led in many other categories- rebounds, steals, defense. Bottom line: This trade is about the playoffs for the Suns. For that, Phoenix unquestionably did the right thing. And, Miami got the best value they could for Shaq. A balanced, win-win trade (in our opinion).
February 1
All-Star Game 2008
Here are the final rosters. The weekend is set for New Orleans beginning Friday, February 15 with the Rookie-Sophmore Challenge and the Celebrity Game. On Saturday, the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout, the PlayStation Skills Challenge, and the D-League All-Star Game. The big game is Sunday (we'll start watching again when they can get the game back on a major channel, TNT? Even the NHL is playing on NBC. Of David Stern's decisions, this one we will never understand.). Official NBA All-Star web site here.
Chicago Bulls
A golden opportunity-- in front of them for over a year-- has now slipped away. Pau Gasol. Last year, the Bulls could have obtained the 7-foot super star for their playoff run. This year, they could have used his tall-guy offense to save their season. In any regard, Bulls fans must be wondering why the Bulls passed on Gasol when all it took was Kwame Brown and some draft picks.
Jason Kidd
Kidd will fit right in with Mark Cuban if he does end up in Dallas. Both are egotistical and self-centered. Actually, both are whiners too. For Cuban, it's well documented. On the flip side, there is little doubt that both Kidd and Cuban are great at what they do. Cuban is a phenomenal business man with a laundry list of accomplishments. Kidd's statistics speak for themselves. A deserving All-Star. Now, focusing just on Jason Kidd, here's the rub. You have the pieces in New Jersey. Sure, maybe it would be tough to win a championship. But, if you we're any kind of leader, there are enough pieces on the New Jersey Nets roster to inspire quite a few wins. The Nets, with Kidd leading the way, should be a playoff team, plus. Well, they are just barely in with the 8th spot (NBA standings here) if the season ended today. But if Kidd is so good (and were not talking about statistics) then the Nets should be a 4-5 type team. If Kidd knew how to lead a team than Carter, Jefferson, Boone, and company (with Jason Kidd) should be a team that could get to the Eastern Conference Finals and roll the dice. The Wizards are winning games, even without Agent Zero. It just takes the proper attitude and desire. If Kidd goes to Dallas or Cleveland as a player to put a team over the top, it won't be because of Kidd they are over the top. It's just that with his statistics on the team, the team can't help but be a little better. Players like Karl Malone worked hard and inspired their team. He's a guy that deserved a championship. Kidd doesn't deserve it in that same way. Dwight Howard has gone out every night and earned it. He doesn't complain about being in Orlando with Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson. If your really good, you can make the pieces around you work to your advantage. Bottom line: Kidd is just a whiner. Period.
January 7
Sacramento Kings
The Kings have a dismal 12-20 record right now. However, Sacramento is sitting on tons of talent. They need to make the right trades and re-equip the team with parts that will fit together. For example, the injuries to Artest, Martin, and Bibby this season have allowed the team to learn about the value of guys like John Salmons and Beno Udrih. Perhaps, Francisco Garcia and Quincy Douby should be further along in development, but their still talented. And the Kings are sitting on Brad Miller and Mikki Moore-- two more-than-capable post players. So who will the Kings move? Well the logical choices are Mike Bibby and Ron Artest. Artest has made clear his wish to head to New York City and fix the Knicks (story). Bibby has gone from being a savior of the Heat (which may no longer be savable) to the final piece for the drifting 17-17 Cavaliers. Will it take something as big as Drew Gooden to grab Bibby? Or, has Bibby's value fallen too far due to injury and rumors that he is a locker room problem? Story. And this piece says Bibby fits well with the Cavs. NBA Standings here.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets are 17-17 (NBA Standings). Not good. As Magic Johnson has pointed out, McGrady and Yao Ming just don't click. They don't play well together. When Yao's out, the Rockets do well with T-Mac. And when T-Mac's out (like right now), Houston goes on a win streak, led by Yao Ming and good team ball. This thread's been covered here. The problem is, what to do about it. Trading McGrady is the easier route to go. Plus, Yao's red jersey sells so well in China.... And, teams don't walk away disappointed after getting rid of McGrady story.
December 28
Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero's blog has some good stuff. 00 puts it all out there. In one post he says "you don't turn down $12 million", questioning the decision by Luol Deng and others to insist on bigger contracts. Read Gilbert's blog here.
November 28
Tinsley to New York
Jamaal Tinsley has always had some of the best raw, street-ball talent. In college, he led the Iowa State Cyclones to a #2 seed in the tourney his senior year. But then fell victim to Howard in one of the NCAA Tournaments few 15-beats-2 upsets (story). That has been Tinsley's downside. He non-chalants it a lot of times. He's an under achiever. Anyways, his pure, raw talent is what has always attracted one big admirer-- former NBA superstar point guard Isiah Thomas. 'Zeke loves Tinsley and sees a bit of himself watching him play. Plus Isiah has had run-ins with his current PG, Marbury. For his part, Marbury was drawn to the Knicks because his nickname is Starbury. He thought, what better place then New York to raise his profile? Time for a change.
November 27
NBA MVP
Who's MVP? Weighing in on the subject for ESPN is Kiki Vandeweghe: read here. Note that the Clippers big surprise this year, C Chris Kaman, gets a nod at the bottom. Kiki picks Garnett over LeBron. It would be a shame if LeBron loses out again on an MVP.
November 22
NBA Season
Underperformers: Chicago Bulls-
October 20
Fantasy Hoops
Must sees: NBA.com Draft Kit here. RotoWorld player news here. ESPN player rankings here. Yahoo! Position-by-position rankings here. And our top Fantasy NBA player rankings (plus branch from there to position rankings).
Kobe Bryant in MSG?
New York's Newsday is drooling at the prospect. How it could work (in their eyes) here. The logic: with Kobe gone, L.A. would be able to go after Flash or LeBron when they become free agents in 2010.
Dwyane Wade
Keep in mind: Wade is expected to be cleared for contact on November 15. Reality is that he may not be in uniform and on the court until December. Story here. Flash may be injured, but that's not stopping his partying and dating life. See here.
September 26
NBA Fantasy Hoops
Over at NBA.com, Rotowire's fantasy basketball rankings for Shooting Guards is now posted here. They have Iguodala ranked 2nd, ahead of Flash. And Tracy McGrady is all the way down at #9. NBA.com also has a Top 150 posted here. All of their fantasy basketball rankings, including other positions, are found starting here.
September 11
NBA Roster Rule Change
A rule change with notable fantasy impacts. Basically: now, each team has a 15-man roster (12 active and 3 in-active). Players can be swapped from active to in-active up to 1 hour before game time. This means an injured player no longer needs to be placed on the I.L. for 5 games. Great for NBA team owners, but kind of a nightmare for managing a fantasy team. Official NBA statement here.
September 8
Garnett Sweepstakes
It was a replay of the classic Lakers-Celtics battles of the 1980's: Magic and Worthy vs Bird and McHale. As the 2007 summer approached, both the Lakers and Celtics wanted KG. But Kevin McHale held the keys and he shipped KG off to his former team. If Magic Johnson was GM in Minnesota, it likely would have went the other way-- KG and Kobe could have led a Laker revival. As Magic tells the story, the Lakers just about had the deal closed for Garnett before the Celtics changed McHale's mind. Story.
August 9
Kevin McHale
Yesterday, Kevin McHale presented the new faces on the roster-- the Boston Celtics developmental team. Story and T-Wolves roster here. It looks like veterans Juwan Howard and Theo Ratliff will be watching over all the young guys. McHale has now gutted the T-Wolves roster and replaced them with Celtics. An unusual strategy only from the standpoint of why would you want the entire roster of a mediocre Eastern Conference team. But a completely justified change when you consider it just took a couple trades with his former Celtics teammate. CNNSI asks What's going on?
July 31
Kevin McHale
ESPN's Bill Simmons is asking the question. Which team is McHale trading on behalf of? Read it here. McHale "was a great Celtic" and "maybe he still is". For the T-Wolves now its time to figure out which 12 of their 18 mediocore players listed here are the ones they want to roll with this season. A complete reaction round-up is here. Boston's got the "Big Ticket" now (here).
McHale and Ainge
Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge played several years together for the Boston Celtics during the Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson era. Now, the 2 former teammates are General Managers. McHale for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Ainge for his former team, the Celtics. So, will we ever get the story of how they struck this mega deal? Two former Celtic's striking a deal that makes Boston an instant championship contender.
July 30
Kevin Garnett
A match made in heaven. Rarely is a perfect trade crafted. This maybe is as close as it gets. The Boston Celtics have nabbed KG (story). The Celtics will pair the 31-year old, 10-time All-Star, 6-11 Forward (career stats here) with Paul Pierce. Two superstars in need of each other. The goal for the Celtics-- go past the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time in 6 years. And, lets not forget the Ray Allen addition, which could (should) make a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals a done deal. As for the T-Wolves, they needed to make some kind of move. Garnett just couldn't get it done with the pieces they had. Trading KG for just anything wouldn't have solved any problems though, because Minnesota is a relatively small market team and there needs to be some draw for the fans. Rebuilding from scratch wasn't going to be an option. And this trade accomplishes nearly exactly what Minnesota needed to do. They got Al Jefferson-- one of the league's best up-and-coming Forwards (career stats here). Jefferson 'broke out' last season with 16 PPG and 11 RPG. He's only 22-years old and landing in Minnesota should be a great opportunity for him, and keep the T-Wolves exciting and respectable.
July 24
Stern Reacts and Suns-Spurs Game 3
Watch the video for Suns-Spurs Game 3 (the current poster child for NBA conspiracy claims) here. If anything its a classic example of announcers playing to their viewing audience. At one point the announcer says "you don't actually have to have your feet set"-- What! Are those the rules for Steve Nash? And that's the whole point here. Everyone loves Steve Nash and Phoenix has been America's team. So, why in the world would the NBA have a conspiracy to keep the Suns out of the NBA Finals? Watch the video. The rational conclusion is, what's the fuss? It's a cherry picked video trying to find all of the worst examples from a Phoenix Suns fans perspective. It's not really that jaw dropping. The one play every ESPN journalist has been ranting about is the late call for Ginobili. It's the first play on the video here. Look at the clock during the play. Its 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter-- thought it was supposed to be some big late-in-the-game, game-changing call. But, granted, what is Donaghy doing making that call from half court (watch). So, lets see if ESPN's Simmons and the Suns fans get their day. Will the FBI dig up some deeper dish of NBA fixing? Cause somethings gonna give from all this. Either Stern is WAY WRONG when he says 'nothing else to see here so please go away'-- our translation of "I'll say it again, I understand that this is an isolated case" (complete transcript from NBA Commissioner David Stern here. Or ESPN's Bill Simmons, and the NBA conspiracy artists are wrong. Yes, there are bad calls. Yes, there are a lot of bad calls. And, yes, bad calls do sometimes affect the outcome. But that's part of the game and the sport. It ain't perfect. Maybe its just time that some fans have to come to grips with that unpleasant reality. But we don't condone this.
July 23
NBA Officiating
We'll see what NBA Commissioner David Stern has to say about Donaghy tomorrow. But the more important question is how much he talks about improving officiating, in general. Here, we aren't really worked up about conspiracies, etc. Maybe cause our team allegiances are thin. NBA games are tough to referee-- especially to everyone's satisfaction. It's not something that can be made perfect. But changes can be made. And for the sake of the game... for the perception of the game... changes need to be made.
More Tim Donaghy
You almost couldn't make this stuff up. Story. This is going to make a real, real good book. This might be the story that gets TV-watching sports fans (like us here) to actually read a big book.
Tim Donaghy
Yep, this story ain't gonna just go away. And its not just a sports story. This is front page stuff. This is TV news channel stuff. It's the mafia. It's fixed games. And, when the first rumors broke that some ref was involved as ESPN's Bill Simmons says, NBA fans "were thinking 'which one was it?" not, how could this happen. Simmons column is lengthy, but worth a read here. And Simmons has been at this before, here.
July 22
Tim Donaghy
David Stern speaks here at NBA.com (owning up to the situation if only by posting this short press release).
July 21
Tim Donaghy
Probably going to be a lot of summer reading about this guy. Much more new developments starting here.
July 20
State of the NBA
If you thought the NBA must be close to a public relations bottom... think again. This is the story to top all stories. Read down to the description of the Heat-Knicks game that point-shaving referee Tim Donaghy was involved in. Lots more coverage at ESPN. Start here. The face of a cheater:
Check out what people are saying here.
July 11
NBA Summer Camp
Here is a look at who's up and who's down.
July 3
NBA Draft
NBA Draft (1. Oden, 2. Durant). Big Trade Night
June 2
Cleveland
Finally, the city of Cleveland has reached the NBA Finals. No more dwelling on Jordan's hanging jumper or what could have been last year. And, LeBron James, in just his 4th NBA season has led the Cavs there. It took Michael Jordan 7 seasons to get to the NBA Finals. And, 11 years into his career, Steve Nash has yet to lead a team to the NBA Finals.
LeBron James
We put a challenge out to James a couple days back, and he must have been reading. 25 straight points to end a double-OT playoff game.. on the road (box score, glog, and recap-- plus this and "unforgettable"). There really is no 'but' to attach to that kind of play. There are two notes to make. 1) No matter what LeBron does, he still has his critics. Part of this may be that LeBron, as young as he is now, is compared to everything Jordan was throughout his career. Michael Jordan's career stats here, and compare to LeBron here. The King just finished up his 4th season in the NBA. Jordan didn't punch through into the NBA Finals until his 7th season. Air Jordan's stats were much better at this point in his career, but the playoff results are similar. This brings us to point 2) LeBron hasn't been to the Finals yet. Last year, the Cavs had a 3-2 series edge and the Pistons still won. So, LeBron may need to win this series to shake off some more skeptics. If he does, next year, perhaps, the sports writers can move off the Steve Nash love fest, and LeBron James can get some MVP props-- if not the award itself. Is it the beginning of a new era? Story.
May 30
Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been this playoffs best story. Few expected Utah in the Western Conference Finals. But after knocking out Houston and Golden State, here they are. And it is in no small part due to the coaching ability of Jerry Sloan. But just what are Sloan and Utah expecting now. Why the temper tantrums after such a great season and great run (that isn't quite over yet)? Story.
May 25
The Cavs, LeBron, and MJ
The Cleveland Cavaliers are down 2 games to none. It didn't have to be this way. It's not all LeBron's fault, nor does it mean no one else on the Cavs can play. It's Detoit's defense. The Pistons are a great team. But it does make you wonder. The Cavs had their chances in both games. Could close games on the road mean the Cavs can turn this series around easily? The conventional NBA playoff logic is that 'teams that lose the close games lose the series'. And, like it or not, it's been LeBron with the ball at the end not getting it done. Will there never be another Michael Jordan? We watch the Cavs down the stretch because we think we are going to see LeBron grow up right before our eyes-- making the big play, and taking the big step to the next level. But maybe LeBron's not Michael. Maybe no one ever will be. Kobe needed Shaq. And now what does LeBron need. He's still young. Jordan needed some tough early years in the playoffs (ironically getting beat by the Pistons) before MJ was able to break through (versus the Cavs). Maybe LeBron needs another year. Or maybe this series ain't over yet. After years and years of tough luck, will it ever be Cleveland's year-- in any sport?
Detroit Pistons
The simple fact is that Detroit knows how to play defense. And its not just that they can play D, it's that they have the right pieces. They have big guards (Billups and Hamilton) and a small forward (Prince) with super long arms. The Bulls were able to beat Miami because the team was built to avenge last year's playoff loss. They brought in Ben Wallace to disrupt Shaq and their speedy, young trio (Gordon, Hinrich, and Deng) can handle an older roster like Miami's. But Chicago was no match for Detroit. Against Detroit, Deng is neutralized and Gordon and Hinrich are small. The secret to Detroit's defensive success is actually out front-- the Pistons guards slow down opposing offenses and make it very difficult to get an outside game going. Making matters worse for the Bulls was the fact that they have no inside scoring presence. Grabbing Gasol-- when they had the chance-- could have solved that problem. So, who can beat Detroit in the East. Do teams in the East have to reorganize their rosters with bigger guards and some inside scoring in order to have a chance at taking down the Pistons?
May 19
Phoenix Suns
You don't win championships without overcoming some adversity. As just one example, but a good one, in 1980 rookie Magic Johnson played Center (he's just 6-9) because the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The game was on the road. Magic and the Lakers won. Series over. There is w-a-y t-o-o m-u-c-h whining in basketball these days. The Suns didn't get it done. Steve Nash didn't get it done. The story this season could have been 'even without Amare for Game 5, Steve Nash got it done', or 'Full Roster of Suns Take it to Spurs in Game 6'. It didn't happen.
May 18
Spurs-Suns Suspensions (more)
Time for our opinion. This series will likely go down as the best 2nd round series in NBA playoff history-- or certainly, at least the most memorable. It's not just the suspensions. It's Game 1, with Nash's bloody nose. Anyways, time for some views on the suspensions. We've watched the tape. And we've checked the NBA rule book. Regarding the Horry/Nash foul, an altercation definitely began. Multiple players, unrelated to the play, were involved in stare-downs, etc. In this analysis, the word "altercation" is the key word, as will be explained. Next, Amare Stoudemire got up, agressively, running toward the incident. The video (links below) shows him taking many steps toward the incident. The official NBA rules say "During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of the bench". In this case, Amare's multiple steps toward the altercation do seem to be a violation of the rule. Regarding Boris Diaw, the tapes we've seen don't show too much. But in any event, the incident was definitely an 'altercation' involving many players. Next, several journalists have jumped on the argument that Duncan and Bowen should have been suspended for walking onto the court earlier in the game. Several points to make here (and the video link is below and here for you to see for yourself). 1) Watch it carefully a few times (maybe even hit pause) and you will see that Duncan gets off his seat before Elson falls to the ground. It was a big dunk by a player not always known for making statements. The bench reacts by standing up to cheer. 2) There was never an altercation. Elson falls to the floor really hard but Jones is running down the floor a second later. Elson looks up at the refs for a foul call but never really makes a move toward Jones. There is no altercation. 3) Duncan never even so much as looks at Jones who's already way down the court. Duncan seems to be concerned at whether Elson is all right from the hard fall (note, not foul, not altercation, fall). 4) The NBA rules do not say 'steps on the court' they say "immediate vicinity of the bench". A step on to the court doesn't really violate the letter of the law here. 5) The notion that Bowen should be suspended (only regarding this particular event) is not even worth addressing. When Steve Kerr says Duncan and Bowen should be suspended, we wonder if he ever watched the tape, but more importantly, we wonder if he has read the NBA rules. The rules say "during an altercation" and "immediate vicinity of the bench". Neither of those apply in this situation. Now, none of our analysis takes on the matter of whether the NBA did the right thing. We think our analysis here will make many fans really mad, since everyone is very pro-Suns. And, by making rulings against the NBA's favorite team and favorite player, the NBA may have made a bad business decision. Link to relevant portion of NBA rules here (Section VII-c).
May 18
More Spurs-Suns
One thing we try to do at this site is to just reign in journalist onslaughts. The journalists want ratings and they want to be popular with readers. They know most readers love the Suns-- hence, time for lots of pro-Suns analysis. Plus, they all adore their beloved Steve Nash. This is a recipe for one-sided analysis-- ripping apart the Spurs, a team once considered an honored champion. Anyways, here's some more videos for you to decide. Robert Horry's Foul: The 2 game suspension is definitely related to the fact that Horry throws an elbow in the ensuing altercation. Two things about the foul itself on Nash. 1) Different angles show different things. Some angles seem to indicate Horry putting his shoulder into it. 2) The Spurs had to foul in that situation with the shot clock off, so Horry could have simply reached in and a foul would have been called.
here. Bowen/Nash Knee Incident: The 'live' action happens so fast that it could hardly seem intentional. It seems to be a typical, pivot foot clear out by any player. In this case, Steve Nash may have been flopping a bit, and playing the issue.
here. Moreover, it appears Steve Nash is no saint in this regard. Objectively, after watching this video, the only conclusion is that Nash himself is no stranger to strategically using his leg to clear some space.here.
Bowen's Kick to Amare: Finally, this video showing the Bruce Bowen, Amare Stoudemire incident. The folks out there whipping up these videos can't seem to agree on which kick is 'the' kick. There's this incident, which seems to be a stretch. here. And then there is this incident, which is the actual incident that had people worked up. here. The moral to the story here seems to be that Bowen may have a bit of a 'foot fetish'. It seems that he likes to use his feet around the basket in ways that could be potentially very damaging to other players.
May 18
More Spurs-Suns Suspensions
ESPN Experts Roundup here.
May 17
Spurs-Suns Suspensions
Here's the video. You decide. Here is a long video from the game showing the Horry-Nash incident which led to the scuffle that resulted in the Spurs Robert Horry's 2-game suspension, and 1-game suspensions for 2 Phoenix Suns players, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. And, then, there have been numerous complaints (such as from Steve Kerr here) that the Spurs Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen should have also been suspended for leaving the bench much earlier in the ball game. Check it out for yourself here.
May 16
San Antonio Spurs
Meet the media's latest punching bag. It's always got to be something to moan about. Now, it's the "dirty Spurs." America has a new favorite team, the Phoenix Suns. And, all it took was a couple words from Amare to get the media going. Throw in last night's controversial foul by Robert Horry, and the suspensions, and the media are ready to spew out endless hate pieces about the Spurs. Don't mess with their beloved darling Steve Nash.
May 14
TNT Halftime
Will Charles Barkley's halftime reign at TNT end? That's the hope behind a new petition here. Well, TNT's deal expires after next season (link). But the NBA is already in negotiations again with TNT (story).
"Dirty Basketball"
We won't even get into the debate about the Spurs, for now (see here; and take the survey here). But let's just take "dirty basketball" on the surface. What definitely has not changed is "dirty basketball". For as long as the NBA has been around there has been tough defense and unnecessary roughness-- especially in the playoffs. For just one example, think 1980's Detroit Pistons with Bill Laimbeer (Spurs-Suns dirty and physical? See video). Is "dirty basketball" even the right term? Or is "tough basketball" more approriate? And is tough basketball part of what playoff hoops are all about?
May 7
Shaquille O'Neal
Could baseball's Roger Clemens start a new trend? For the 2nd year in a row, Clemens is joining a major league baseball team a couple months into the season. This way he conserves his energy. This way the 44-year old star pitcher can contribute to a team for the remainder of the season, and, in the perfect plan, for the playoffs too. So, what does this have to do with Shaquille O'Neal? Well, is Roger Clemens setting a new precedent for older super star players? Already, Shaq is known for taking his time off during the regular season to save up for the playoffs. But could Shaq take it a step further and literally start joining teams in January? Probably not Shaq, since he's got 3 year's left on a $100 million deal (story, but other older players may want to consider conserving energy and using the Roger Clemens sign-late model.
May 4
Mark Cuban
A double whammy for Cuban. The former coach for his Mavericks, Don Nelson, is now the coach for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors knocked the Mav's out of the playoffs much earlier than expected. Plus, the Mavericks still owe Nelson about $6 million according to his contract when he used to coach in Dallas.
April 28
Miami Heat
The defending NBA World Champions are down 3 games to nothing in the opening round of the playoffs. Granted they are playing a great, young team, but 3-0? Regarding game 3 the bottom line is that the Heat have no one to blame but themselves. They missed 19 free throws. That's the game right there. Just make 5 of those and your within a basket down the stretch. Wade shooting 12 of 27 doesn't help (Miami Heat - Chicago Bulls Game 3 box score here). And the fact that he needs to shoot 27 times is worse, because no one else on the team can shoot. Counting Shaq out, even now, seems pre-mature. Wait to watch it happen. But if the Heat did come back to win, the NBA would probably lose many Bulls fans for a while. A lot of Bulls fans (brought up in the Michael Jordan era) expect to win. And it would be a Shaq conspiracy if the Heat did pull off an NBA first (no team has ever come back from down 0-3).
April 26
NBA Awards
Why does the NBA use sports writers for their official awards? Why is the Associated Press considered the final say on major awards like Most Valuable Player and Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year?
April 22
2007 NBA Playoffs
An excellent slate of first-round games for the NBA Playoffs (and it better be-- at least until they decide to go back to 5 games for the first round. There are just too many NBA playoff games. They either need to tighten up the schedule and get some of the playoffs done faster, or make more, not less, 5 game series. the regular season takes 5.5 months and the playoffs are 2 months by themselves).
Full coverage of the playoffs at NBA.com here.
Re-matches:
Three replay match-ups from last year (and all of them would have been great if it weren't for the injury to Gilbert Arenas). Let's start by looking at the re-matches.
Bulls-Heat: The Heat fans are thinking, 'great, we took Chicago last year and we can do it again'. And Bulls fans are thinking, 'what a disaster, we lost the #2 seed and now we get the Heat, Pistons, and Cavaliers on the road to the Finals'. But, this match-up is much different for 3 reasons. 1) Both teams are a year older; this helps the Bulls since Gordon and Deng are much improved, 2) the Bulls have Ben Wallace this year, 3) the Bulls have Tyrus Thomas this year. So, it might be a good chance for the Bulls. Vegas thinks so. But we will stick with some of our logic. Bet on Shaq until proven wrong.
Suns-Lakers: The media darling Steve Nash and his Suns have a repeat of last year's 7-game first round match-up. Conventional wisdom says it will be all Phoenix. So, it's Kobe vs the world. The concern for L.A. is that no one on the Lakers really stepped up this season to be consistent enough for Kobe (and Odom) to rely on in big games. So, for the Suns, the only way they go down is via Kobe's determination. Side note: did you see Amare played all 82 games this year (see it).
Wizards-Cavaliers: The injury depleted Wizards really don't stand much of a chance. It would rank among the NBA's biggest upsets ever if the Wizards won this series. Bulls fans are thinking it could have been us on the easy side of the Eastern Conference bracket. Instead LeBron can basically punch his ticket to the 2nd round. Too bad Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler won't be around. It would have made things more than interesting for the always underachieving Cavaliers.
Can they win?
This year's Kevin Garnett award goes to Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. Both could use the 2007 playoffs to shed the label of cracking under pressure. We give the advantage to Vince Carter since he is a) playing so well at the end of the year, and b) may just now have the right combination of age and experience to succeed in the playoffs.
Rockets-Jazz:
McGrady has an easier road to respect. All he has to do is get his Rockets to the 2nd round. Standing in his way is Jerry Sloan. If the Jazz can get the win here, it would begin long discussions about Sloan's place in NBA coaching history. It's not that the Jazz don't have a good team. They have a lot of talented players. Yet, still, Sloan makes it work. Who will win? McGrady will have to do something he rarely (ever?) does-- show some determination and desire.
Nets-Raptors:
The Raptors not only made the playoffs, but they have home court advantage on top of it. This series kind of represents new NBA vs old NBA. Can the fun and excitement of the Raptors beat yester-year's Jason Kidd and his Nets? And the Vince Carter can he win storyline is only intensified by the fact he is playing his former team (3 years removed).
David vs Goliath
Three series feature the NBA's best teams (Mavericks, Spurs, and Pistons) vs up-and-coming franchises looking to break through (Warriors, Nuggets, and Magic).
Magic-Pistons:
Dwight Howard would like to make this a more difficult series than expected. But after going 0-4 vs the Pistons in the regular season, its kind of hard to go against the Pistons. So, if your looking for an out-of-nowhere upset of a big team, this is where to look.
Spurs-Nuggets:
The Nuggets have a vastly improved team with Nene Hilario and Allen Iverson around. And, we always note that Carmelo Anthony won an NCAA Championship as a freshman at Syracuse so he knows how to win. But, its the Spurs. It's Tim Duncan. It's Michael Finley. And, it's Robert Horry. Nuggets fans may be wishing they were playing in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Mavericks-Warriors: Don Nelson will lead the Warriors against the team he used to coach. And, in this series, the Mavericks may have something to be worried about. Golden State beat Dallas every single time they played this season. Their 4-0 against Dirk and the Mavs. Stephen Jackson has been playing well, and the Warriors have plenty of fire power.
April 20
NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoff schedules and match-ups are here.
April 8
NBA Awards
Great article from ESPN laying out 20 names for "Most Improved Player" here. The concept of "most improved" can mean many things. First, it is not the "comeback" player award-- that discussion can include Nene Hilario, Amare Stoudemire and Anthony Parker. But then, it probably should be parsed a little more, kind of like the ESPN article breaks it into 5 groups. But that kind of over does it. The best way to simplify the debate is to look at the statistics. And fantasy value per game is a great way to parse that. Our fantasy value per game gives 1 point for each point scored, 1.5 points per rebound, -2 for turnovers, and 3 for a block or steal. By comparing this season's fantasy values to last seasons you can get a quick list of most improved contenders.
| Name | Team | GP | Min | Reb | Ast | TO | Stl | Blk | PPG | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | Change |
| Al Jefferson | BOS | 66 | 33.4 | 10.9 | 1.2 | 2 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 15.8 | 37.15 | 18.25 | 18.9 |
| Andris Biedrins | GS | 76 | 29.9 | 9.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 10 | 31.1 | 12.9 | 18.2 |
| David Lee | NY | 57 | 30.3 | 10.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 10.9 | 30.8 | 13.95 | 16.85 |
| Monta Ellis | GS | 71 | 34.2 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 16.8 | 29.75 | 13.45 | 16.3 |
| Andrew Bynum | LAL | 76 | 22.3 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 7.7 | 21.55 | 5.55 | 16 |
| Deron Williams | UTA | 73 | 37.3 | 3.3 | 9.5 | 3 | 1 | 0.2 | 16.6 | 38.15 | 22.8 | 15.35 |
| Matt Barnes | GS | 70 | 23.7 | 4.4 | 2 | 1.4 | 1 | 0.6 | 9.6 | 22.2 | 7.9 | 14.3 |
| Hakim Warrick | MEM | 77 | 26.2 | 5 | 0.9 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.7 | 20.7 | 7.95 | 12.75 |
| Kevin Martin | SAC | 74 | 35.5 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 20.6 | 31.95 | 19.5 | 12.45 |
| Luke Walton | LAL | 54 | 33.2 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 2 | 1 | 0.4 | 11.5 | 27.5 | 15.2 | 12.3 |
On the surface, we would select either Kevin Martin or Deron Williams. When it comes to their team's staying competitive and each of them being instrumental in the success, we believe Martin and Williams are the best candidates. But the stats show much differently. Off the raw data, Al Jefferson is most improved. David Lee has missed too much time. Monta Ellis has been solid, but not really leading the team to a big season like Williams and Martin. Bynum is just about a rookie when it comes to comparing this season to last. And Biedrins should go in a category like "Biggest Surprise of the Year"-- which could include David Lee. Andris Biedrins is this year's Boris Diaw. Biedrins and Diaw just kind of came out of nowhere.
April 7
No Offense?
Three candidates for the 2007 Can't Score Award (CSA)-- invented by Fanbay.net Sports. a) DeSagana Diop has played in just about every Mavericks game (74 games) and is averaging just 2.2 points per game in over 17 minutes of playing time per game. b) Mark Madsen has played in 50 games for the T-Wolves and has scored 49 points-- just shy of 1 ppg. Madsen is averaging 8 minutes of playing time per game. c) Jason Collins has averaged 23 minutes on the court in the 73 games he has played in. He's averagind 2.3 points per game for the Nets.
March 5
Kobe Bryant
Through all the injuries, the Lakers are well positioned to make the playoffs-- currently theywould be the #6 seed, and they are 3.5 games up on the closest competition (NBA Standings here). Kobe has played in 56 of the Lakers 60 games, averaging a, relatively, modest 29.0 points per game while leading the team in assists. The downside? The Lakers are 3-1 in the games he has not played. But he is shooting free throws at the best clip (87%) of his career, and his field goal percentage is the best since the 2001-2002 season. Also, last year he took 27.2 shoots per game, this year he is moving the ball around more (even with an injured roster), shooting just 20.6 times a game. Career stats here.
March 2
Diesel
With Wade out, the spot light shifts back to Shaquille O'Neal. Ian Thomsen writes about Shaq at SI.com here. He's got 3 more years (after this one) left on his monster $20 million per year contract. So he isn't going anywhere soon. And he also says he ain't changing: "When I've got 2 or 3 guys holding on to me, finesse isn't going to do it." No one wants to hear it, but its the truth. Shaq was born bigger than other people. He could have scored so many more points back in his day if the refs didn't have to appease the fans and act like Vlade Divac was his equal.
Wade and Shaq
The news for D-Wade still isn't good (read here). Speaking of MVP, what about Shaq? What if he can rally the Heat into the playoffs? Not likely considering his poor stat line this season. For the first time in his 15-year NBA career it looks like he won't average over 20 points per game. Last year was the first time he didn't average 20 and 10 rebounds. An amazing career, stats here.
NBA MVP
Shawn Marion for MVP? Read Maurice Brooks via NBA.com here.
February 21
State of the NBA
The NBA says: please pay attention to John Amechi (you know that player you rarely ever heard of, who is.. drumroll.. gay-- which is getting coverage everywhere) and please pay attention to the apology from Tim Hardaway (which has apparently helped the NBA). Whatever you do, don't read this, or this. But it is Vegas after all. Here's a lighter spin-- just rapping the whole Maloof-move-the-Kings-to-Vegas schtick. The Mayor (who is lobbying very hard to get the team) teamed up with the Sheriff to talk about "our success in handling" the NBA All-Star Weekend.
February 18
2007 All-Star Game
Full coverage here. Game starts at 9 PM Eastern which is a nice nod to the West Coast. However, what it really does is highlight the NBA's problems. They don't want to go up against NASCAR. The NBA All-Star Game has become a second-rate event. We have belabored this before-- the NBA made a big mistake putting the game on TNT. A professional league like the NBA should have their big mid-season showcase on a major network. So, what does it say about the state of the NBA? It is a league much more worried about the words of a retired player, than the actions of say, Ron Artest-- who is welcomed by the NBA to hang out in Vegas. Back in the day, the NBA All-Star game meant something. Bill Sammons of ESPN explains here.
February 2
The new Ming
China said you can have him. And no one, but a small team from the American Basketball Association (ABA) (site) wanted him. But's he 7 feet 9 inches tall. And he's now playing for the Maryland Nighthawks (team home page here). His name: Sun Ming Ming. His number: "79" (story). He just finished filming a scene for Rush Hour 3 (story).
January 20
Andrei Kirilenko
Kirilenko ranks at the top of the list of biggest fantasy hoops disappointments so far this season. It's not clear whether its his fault, or the owners (story). But one thing is clear, he had proven he could play some decent NBA ball.. before this season. Kirilenko's game log here.
John Stockton and the future of NBA awards
John Stockton-- 2 trips to the NBA Finals. Stockton had a career 51.54% field goal percentage. Nash didn't top this in either of his MVP years and has a 47.66% career field goal percentage. Assists? In Nash's first 10 seasons his highs are 11.5 and 10.5 assists per game (his MVP years). In 7 out of 10 of Stockton's first years, his assists per game were much higher-- averaging 13.96 assists per game for 5 straight seasons (Stockton's career stats here, and Steve Nash here). Nash gets free reign to dribble around in circles in Mike D'Antoni's genius run-and-gun offense. And yet, even now, his assists aren't better than Stockton's. Go ahead, journalists-- just give it to Nash again. It's all fun now. Twenty years later, we won't be comparing Nash to Larry Bird. We will wonder why we ever had journalists voting on awards (and college football championships for that matter).
NBA MVP
As usual, our media has it all figured out already. No need for debate. And certainly, no one else apply. It's their favorites- Nash or Nowitzki. Marc Stein leads his media buddies in the annual Nash-love-fest here. Amare being back isn't a sign of less impact by Nash, it's a clear sign of how well Nash does integrating a team filled with so much talent. The glass is always half full for Nash-- plenty of writers with votes already in the mail. This would be 3 in a row for Nash, joining Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, and Larry Bird. A note for voters: Russell won the NBA Championship each year of his MVP's, and Wilt got one, and Larry got two (and played in the other one). But even with this arguement we are fighting an uphill battle against the Nash MVP avalanche (read here). To this we say: Mike D'Antoni's offense in Phoenix vs Nash in Dallas the year before (with Nowitzki).
January 15
Gilbert Arenas
There's a new Mr. Clutch in the NBA. Arenas nailed a game winning triple, at the buzzer, today (story and video here and here. The Assasin has hit several buzzer beaters this season. And Zero was the NBA's player of the month in December (turned 25, in style, with Diddy, on January 5th) and he left the court today to MVP chants (is he a legit MVP contender?-- that's not the only place asking the question). Arenas is 2nd in the NBA in scoring.
January 11
C-Webb
The Philadelphia Sixers have turned around Allen Iverson (trade recap here) and Chris Webber in less than a month. So, where will Webber end up? Lots of talk (here) about heading 'home' to Detroit, Michigan (remember the Fab 5 and this). But, this makes so much more sense. Webb's wish list at ESPN here.
2007 All-Star Game
The 56th NBA All-Star Game will be in Vegas, Sunday, February 18th. Full coverage here. The Maloof brothers will be there (focusing on the future of night life on the Strip) and wondering how long before their Sacramento Kings can move there. You can read about the Maloof family here. And vote on the All-Stars here.
January 3
NBA Trades
A must read regarding a list of big-name players that could be changing locations here (3 pages). The Magic have Grant Hill's expiring contract for sale.
Miami Heat
It says a lot that ESPN is even asking the question: "Will the Miami Heat make the playoffs?". It says even more that 34% of fans think they won't.
December 19
Iverson Trade
Nuggets fans are voting with their wallets. They like the deal. Story.
Iverson Deal
Allen Iverson's comments on the trade here: "I'm very happy about the trade. Denver's style of play fits my strengths. I'm looking forward to playing with Carmelo, the rest of the Denver Nuggets, and for George Karl, who is a proven winner. I'd like to thank my fans in Philadelphia. They've been with me every step of the way, through all the ups and downs. I will always be grateful to the 76ers organization, and I wish them the very best."
The 'Melo Melee
Everyone's got an opinion about the brawl, and they should. Lupica calls it "The Garden of Evil" here. Another story, about the Knicks, says "All that embarassment, all that disdain, should be aimed inward, not at the Denver Nuggets -- or anyone else for that matter" (read here). And here, both "Isiah, Karl get a pass from sheriff Stern." And Karl wanted revenge here. Who's fault from a coaching perspective? Karl or Isiah? Stein lays it out here. And some facts from this story here: this wasn't Mardy Collins first hard foul of the year, and it's not the first time Isiah has complained about other teams running up the score against him. And, no NBA fan can forget, Isiah was part of the "Bad Boys" in Detroit (column here). The game play-by-play is here and full game recap here. There was a timeout with 2:01 to play and the Nuggets up 17. Common sense might suggest taking out your star players so they don't get injured (on this Isiah does have a point). But, even if your running up the score, its hard to say, 'yeah, we hit the guys 'cause it just wasn't fair to lose by that much'. The Knicks have dished out 3 20-point losses this season, so Thomas should be able to take it. Anthony and J.R. Smith were playing in front of their high school and hometown friends. If any of us made it to the NBA and could do a reverse dunk in Madison Square Garden for our friends, we'd do it? The NBA is entertainment.
Denver Nuggets
Is it time to buy those powder blue (logo history here) jerseys here? Have the Denver Nuggets gone from barely a playoff team, to a wasted season, to NBA Championship contender, all in just 4 days? The Nuggets official site says "The Answer is Here". Iverson's best season in Philly was 2000-2001, when the Sixers made it to the NBA Finals. That team had Dikembe Mutombo and Theo Ratliff down low (team stats here). Finally, Iverson will have a good, active Center to play with (Marcus Camby) in Denver-- and you throw in the NBA's leading scorer (Carmelo Anthony) and you have a possible championship in Denver. But, now, they just need to make the playoffs.
"The 'Melo Melee"
Another perspective, from Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports!, blaming George Karl. Read it here. It basically leans in the direction we jokingly mentioned below-- that fighting (tough fouls, revenge, etc) should be embraced by the NBA.
December 17
"The Brawl at the Garden"
It's big news everywhere, except.. not surprisingly.. NBA.com (fight? what fight?).
NBA Fights
The natural stance, which will be covered later, is that the NBA has big problems. This brawl, even though it's clearly no Pistons-Pacers thing, highlights some NBA problems. But (tongue-in-cheek), with hockey trying to clean up fights, maybe there needs to be a sport with some fights. As long as they ring a big chained fence around the court, maybe more fights is a direction the NBA should just embrace.
"The Brawl at the Garden"
As Knicks Coach/GM Isiah Thomas said, the Nuggets were up 20, with a minute to go, but all their stars were still in the game, and putting on a show. Knicks back-up, back-up guard Mardy Collins (just into the game since it was a huge blow-out) locked up J.R. Smith on a breakaway so he couldn't dunk. It was a tough foul. But then a huge fight broke out-- involving the Nuggets big stars (which shouldn't have even been in the game at the time, as Isiah Thomas said). Marcus Camby and NBA leading scorer Carmelo Anthony (who will surely get the worst suspension) are likely to see big suspensions. Looks like the Nuggets need Iverson, immediately. And, we don't think Iverson's bad reputation is all earned, cause he's a great competitor. But, your average NBA spectator would say Iverson would fit right in with the Nuggets brawlers. Nuggets-Knicks: box score, story, video at ESPN NBA.
December 16
Allen Iverson
First, Denver said no way. Now, it's looking like they have the right pieces to make a deal work-- like 2 bad contracts: Nene's horrible deal (why Denver paid him so much before he ever truly proved himself will be one of those all-time questions) and Joe Smith's. Story.
East vs West
Eastern Conference fans can talk all day about how Miami won the NBA Finals and therefore the East is still competitive in the NBA. However, the numbers this season are a reality check. 6 of the 7 teams that do not make the playoffs in the Western Conference would make the playoffs in the East. And when you hear the name's of the teams that are out of the playoffs in the West, you can see why they would be competitive in the East (Sacramento, the Clippers, the Sonics, Hornets, T-Wolves, and Blazers). The best record in the East (Cleveland at 14-8) would be 6th in the Western Conference. Statistically, there is simply no comparison: the East is 2nd class. NBA standings here.
November 28
Andris Biedrins
In terms of fantasy basketball, Biedrins is this year's Boris Diaw (the surprise, solid player).
October 27
Fantasy Hoops
Two things to check out here: NBA Depth Chart and Top Fantasy NBA Players Rankings (including sleepers, stats, and commentary).
Andrew Bynum
The Lakers just-turned 19-year old (today), 7-foot project center will be the starter to open the season (because Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm are hurt). If your league goes deep, he's worth adding. It's possible he could earn/keep the job.
October 19
Stephon Marbury
"Starbury" is starting to earn the name. He's all over the media lately-- latest.
NBA.com
The NBA.com website got a makeover. It's a nice improvement- clean look.
October 18
2006 NBA Season
Getting ready for the season? Check out our conference previews and predictions: NBA Eastern Conference Prediction and NBA Western Conference Prediction. In the East, we think, by default (since Miami won't try) the Nets end up with the best record. We think the Sixers make the playoffs. In the West, Golden State has a winning season for the first time since 1993-94 and they (barely) make the playoffs. Houston and the Lakers probably battle for the other last slot.
October 14
Gerald Wallace
Pretty strong words in today's post over at Rotoworld: Gerald Wallace "could be the fantasy MVP" (link).
Archive of all previous comments posted on the NBA Speculation- rumors and insights page
|
