West Side to the East Side?

This is a bit of an obvious topic (the basketball world is not exactly on fire with news right now), but I think its one that's worthy of a little discussion time/maddeningly circular argumentation: namely, which nba conference -- the east or the west -- is currently posed to pop in the next, say, three to five years, foisting on the other conference the shame of having its fifth playoff seed ranked below the superior conference's ninth seed (or some similar embarrassment)? I think that there is a general folk feeling out there that the east's time in the sun is fast approaching. After all, last year saw the east capturing two of the three best records in the league (and that was with an injured Garnett), the emergence of the Cavaliers and LeBron's continued growth, the playoff birth of the Bulls and the Magic (or at least the birth of national media attention), and from what we've learned so far about trades and trade rumors several eastern teams (Boston, Miami, Orlando, Cavaliers?) are on the verge of building basketball machines with exactly the right fitting parts.

I'll give you the Celtics. As far as the Cavs go, I think the playoffs revealed their true colors. Mike Brown's coaching (which was, apparently, last year's best) seems to depend on LeBron playing one on five in every possession. The non LeBron squad melts away at the slightest hint of difficulty and the go to play, both in times of desperation and when the game's on the line, is to give LeBron the ball and have him run as fast as he can into anyone on defense. How Jordan like is that? Then there's the weakest flank of all, the Cavs' front office, who think that throwing an aging Shaq into the mix will save them (they weren't even beat by Dwight Howard, they were beat by threes, grrr). Moving on, you've got the Magic whose performance against the Lakers confirmed my longtime suspicion that they are no better than the Jazz of the east (perhaps worse). Ultimately they're just a team that got really hot in a couple of series (see also Warriors, '07). No one else from the east strikes me as worthy of mention (maybe we'll see what the Bulls do). Heat? Hawks? Sixers? Pistons? Wizards? They might as well all be the Knicks (see also Wariors, '09).

The west, on the other hand, has a ton of teams who are quite solid and suffered unpredictable injuries last year. Last year also witnessed the rise of the Blazers, the Rockets taking the Lakers to seven games while methodically shedding an all-star player a game, and Chauncey Billups exerting his calming influence on the Nuggets (without his presence this would be one of the above mentioned unmentionable east coast teams; even with his presence look how they fell apart in game 6). The West has the experience, the coaching, and the required Kobe blockers on each team. Though the Suns and Hornets may be falling apart, one gets the feeling that the Spurs and Rockets are so well run they'll be in the playoffs at least until the Nets move.

Its impossible to know what'll happen in the rest of the off season, let alone in three to five years. I probably haven't made my arguments with enough force and I've left a lot out. Nevertheless, I know in my heart of hearts that teams in the west know how to run basketball clubs and will always land on their feet. The fans demand it of them. In New York you can go to a broadway show, eat the food of any country, and dazzle yourself silly with any and every "entertainment" known to man. What is there to do in San Antonio, besides watch some ball? And when basketball is your only social outlet (as it is in many a western town) you better be ok.

Boozer Blues

It's time for an update on Carlos Boozer. Certainly for Utah fans, but perhaps for other basketball followers as well, this story is developing into one of the bigger ones of the summer. First there was speculation that there would be some sort of blockbuster trade with Chicago, Utah, and Portland. Then, there was the idea that the Jazz would frantically trade Boozer to Miami for nothing more that Udonis Haslem (!) and a maybe one or two more mediocre players. David Aldridge quickly squashed these ideas, and simultaneously made me realize that he is incredibly well connected in the N.B.A. so that when he talks, it is generally wise to listen.

After trade rumor after trade rumor died and others rose from obscurity to replace the older ones, I am left wondering what will happen with Boozer. At first, I was eager to see him go. The more I have followed the situation, though, I realize that he is probably a top five power forward in the league, and thus worth something. He will never take Utah to a finals appearance, and maybe this is why fans are so upset. He will consistently take them to playoff appearances, however, and perhaps he will do it better than anyone that they can get. So the Jazz are essentially stuck it the mud , damned if they do, damned if they do not. They will constantly be close enough to smell true greatness (all puns intended), but never quite taste it. This will be the case at least until the Boozer era comes to a close.

My favorite option is a trade for Michael Beasley. As Shoals points out, this is truly investing in the future. The Jazz also have that juicy first round pick from New York for next year, meaning they can do some serious rebuilding. Sloan has yet to fail me when coaching a player, so even though Beasley seems lost now, he may find new life in Utah. But before (and if ever) this happens, we will be stuck with good offense, bad defense, and many nearly reached dreams of glory.

Are we there yet? (Portland Trail Blazers and Free Agency)

It appears that the Portland Trail Blazers' free agent odyssey may be coming to an end today. According to various sources, and confirmed by his agent, Andre Miller has agreed in principle to don Blazer colors next year. The 3 year deal would guarantee somewhere between the mid-level exception and $7 million/year for two years with the third being a team option. Although Pritchard claims that "as of now no deal is done", this is likely just a hedge considering recent free agent luck.

If the Blazers were out of the picture, Miller would likely have gone to a team at the $5.85 million mid-level exception for a multiple year deal. Or he could even have stayed with Phily for their one year offer of the same before they withdrew it today. Portland was one of only 2 teams that could offer more, but insofar as they wanted to do so to differentiate themselves and assure a pick-up, I am not completely opposed to the idea. Personally, I have already expressed my support for a reserved off-season with no major moves but I feel this is somewhat of a compromise. It is certainly nowhere near the $50+ million 5-year contract that was offered to Turkoglu.

Yes, Miller is 3 years older than Hedo but I feel that with both being over 30, the shorter contract accomplishes nearly the same thing but with more flexibility. And although I would have preferred Millsap, this deal seams fairly realistic in comparison with his $32 million 4-year offer. (It's important to note that the Millsap offer also helped significantly change the division landscape, keeping the Jazz from retaining both Boozer and Millsap). Again, I would have chosen youth first but I suppose there are advantages to adding a veteran to the squad. It would certainly fill the Blazers' desire for a veteran point gaurd that has led them to pursue everyone from Kidd to Hinrich over the last couple years. I have to say I'm glad to see JKidd safely back in Dallas...

Although he's older, Miller is durable and has missed only 3 games over his 11 seasons. And for a little perspective, some other NBA players of comparable age (I'll say 32+) or older include Duncan, O'Neal, Nash, R. Allen, Garnett, Carter, A. Jamison, and Billups. Regardless of matching up talent-wise, at least we see that players still contribute significantly at that age. In terms of age, I feel relatively unpassionate either way on this issue.

As a side note, if the contract were any longer it would have subjected the team to the "over 36" contract provision that allows players who turn 36 during their contract to have the last year's pay treated as deferred compensation and distributed over earlier years of the contract. This could potentially create problems for the team financially, however if it indeed became an issue the 3rd year team option should provide relief.

Just like the financial and age sides, I am similarly lukewarm (but positive) regarding the skillset that Miller offers the Blazers. On one hand, he is a veteran who for the last two years helped coach his team to the playoffs despite significant injuries. He is a physical, post-up guard who has good slashing/passing skills and he would also be an upgrade as far as pick & roll offense and midrange scoring/efficiency. Perhaps even more importantly, he would be an addition that, like Turkoglu, would relieve pressure for Roy to create the majority of offense.

That said, Miller is a liability from 3-point range. There is really no other way to put it as he is one season removed from consecutively averaging 5.3 and 8.8 percent from behind the arc. Even though these numbers are outliers, for his carrer he comes in at a whopping 21 percent. Let's put it this way, even Kevin Garnett shoots significantly better from 3.

In the end, I would probably have favored the Blazers to keep their cap space and look for more options as other teams try to slim down for the Lebron/DWade/Bosh/etc free agent class of 2010. However, depending on the final contract numbers I don't mind this move that much and remain relatively excited about the prospective results next season.

Lebron Dunk

So I know it's been bouncing around for a while but now that the footage of Jordan Crawford dunking on Lebron has finally surfaced I figured I'd give it a mention. Does anyone else think that the most embarrassing part of all this is actually the ensuing possession when James looks more like a wounded crab as he drives the lane and completes some sort of strange, odom-like assist? Personally, I don't mind the slow rotation or the dunk so much. I mean, the guy who dunked on him is a great athelete not some middle-aged ceo... John Rodgers anyone? But hey, you be the judge. I'm still not sure what the big deal was about any of this. Like Jordan said, we all get embarrassed sometimes.

Movers and Shakers

I have to admit that I've been surprised by the flurry of off-season moves taking place this year. More importantly, I've been impressed by their significance. Maybe I wasn't attentive enough in earlier years but it seems like this has been a year of an especially large number of significant moves. When I say significant I mean that they affect the top tier or at least have some importance beyond the usual salary, contract, and ticket sale posturing that drags you down as you watch team after team go through the motions (And no I'm not 'talkin about practice').

You might look at the recent past which saw the Suns pick up Shaq, the Lakers add Gasol, Ben Wallace to Cavs, and what Kidd did to the Mavs, or the Minnesota fire sale that propelled Boston's 2008 championship, but what interests me this year is the broad range of significant movement rather than a couple teams filling the summers' main news or even the.

I won't belabor it by going through every transaction but I think it is telling to look at the conference finals teams for a barometer. We have the Lakers, coming off a championship yet still adding the realest man in the hood, Ron Artest. As a Portland fan, I have to say that I felt the safest in our 2009 playoff series with Houston when they ran their offense through Artest, but the dynamic in LA will be different. There will be a significant benefit from his no holds barred defense as well as an environment that won't likely result in the same offensive stagnation.

Next, there's the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic. First and foremost they picked up Vince Carter. Again, despite his reputation, Carter will certainly be able to help a championship contender who isn't limited to his choice of fade-away jumpers or lack of enthusiasm. His 20-5-5 will surely fall but that's not a bad thing as the shot selection will improve. Aside from Carter, the Magic also added a unpredictably explosive Matt Barnes, a 'power duo' of Ryan Anderson (surprise #2) and Brandon Bass, and even retained surprise #1 back-up center Marcin Gortat. With Jameer Nelson potentially returning to All-Star form, this could be quite a season. Even if Nelson doesn't develop any new moves, an aging Carter continues to favor his jumper, or the complementary pieces remain merely solidly complementary, the Magic truly impressed this off-season.

The last time the Boston Celtics were healthy, they won a championship. Even though this was only a year ago, the Celtics beefed up last year's front-line with Rasheed Wallace. Again, a player with an interesting reputation, but I'll always remember a quote from one of his Piston teammates; Essentially, Rasheed and plenty of other people in the league talk a lot of shit but the difference is that sheed has the ability to back it up. That's pretty much how I feel about him as well. When he has the desire, he can post big. Even though he's getting older too, I watched him for years in Portland and beyond and feel fairly confident that the past year was an example of a lack of effort rather than a decline in skill from his Detroit years. It will be very interesting to see how a move for another immediate title attempt will affect his game.

Then there's Denver, the only member of the quartet that so far seems content to sit this one out. If we replace Denver with San Antonio, who was a more anticipated power in the West, the arms race continues as they picked up the now available Richard Jefferson. The Spurs probably wanted Sheed but still strengthened their front a bit with the addition of Antonio McDyess. With a hopefully recovered Ginobili, the Spurs made a already strong team that little bit better and should make some noise next season.

Finally, despite an early exit to the post season, it would obviously be incomplete to overlook the Caverliers. Although you might be thinking that Shaq doesn't have enough diesel left in the tank partner with yet another team's young superstar en route to a championship, we might be in for a surprise. It's true that O'Neal failed to bring Phoenix to the promised land when they acquired him in a last ditch effort but, at least pre-season, this year's move is a bigger deal. Keep in mind that at that time Shaq was stuck in Miami, labeled a contract liability that wouldn't move, as well as sporting injuries that kept him out of over 60 games during the past two seasons. Regardless of your feelings about his age or fitness, it's apparent that it is a different world today as Shaq just finished a season of 75 games while posting his best stats since 2005/06 (or was it 1995/96?). The Cavs also picked up Jamario Moon, who should fit in nicely with his wicked athleticism.

So why do these moves matter? Well, for one they fall outside of the realm of revolving door transactions like those of Zach Randolph and Quentin Richardson who will combine for a total of at least 5 trades in a year. Also, they have the opportunity to make an impact beyond contributing another 20 and 10 performance in a lottery-bound season. In the end, there is the chance that the course of the season may not be meaningfully defined by these moves, but I feel that they will add a great deal of much needed intrigue this year. I respect the gamesmanship that is displayed in each of the above cases, whether they are fiscally responsible or not. They are attempts at victory, whether they achieve it or not.

Even on teams that are still figuring it out (and sometimes especially in these cases), there is just something inside that takes more cheer from a newly restructured Pistons' core of Gordon, Villanueva, and Stuckey to go with Hamilton and Prince as oppose to the suggestion of an overpaid Iverson stealing minutes from the Clippers' or Grizzlies' youth in a blatant sacrifice for ticket sales.

As a final note, I would like to thank the Raptors for blocking the Trail Blazers attempt to tie up more cash per year in Hedo Turkoglu than the combined 2009 salaries of Roy and Aldridge. It was a big move for Toronto and I'm glad they did it but I'm not quite sure yet what they're looking to build. Kind of falls in the Marion to Dallas category, although I am much more interested to see how that will work out. Hedo's skill set and ball handling would have added a lot to the Blazers in the short term but, when it comes down to it, I would rather keep the bulk of the minutes where they are rather than paying through the nose to keep developing players on the bench. I would also like to thank KPritchard for not pursuing Lamar Odom so far. I actually find every player on our roster truly likable. That's fairly rare, I love it and would be pretty inconsolable if Odom crossed that line. New blog topic, file it under most disliked NBA players...

How to buy a championship

I watched Kobe Doin' Work last night, the documentary shot and produced by Spike Lee about the basketball star. I am a Utah Jazz fan, so my opinions about Kobe are pretty extreme and pretty rigid. The movie did not do a whole lot to change these opinions. Two things were very illuminating to me, however. First, I was surprised at the disconnect between Kobe's on-court actions and statements, and his off-court explanations of these same actions a year later. Second, I was surprised at what the Lakers organization has given up to Kobe in order to win a championship. It seemed to cost a lot, and not just in dollars.
Throughout the film (which, if you haven't seen it, revolves around a game that takes place in April, with the Lakers hosting the Manu-less Spurs), Bryant constantly is telling refs how to do their job, telling players which plays to make, and talking general smack to his opponents. This is assuredly the status quo for most N.B.A. stars, but what made it interesting was hearing basketball Kobe vs. street-clothes Kobe as they dissected the game together. For example, basketball Kobe would run up to a ref and angrily complain about a foul that was not called and street-clothes Kobe would laugh and say something like The refs always try their hardest and they want to do the best job possible, so I just try to help them out. At other times, he would be talking shit to a whole number of different Spurs players, and most of them (excluding Bowen) did not seem pleased to hear it. Street-clothes Kobe laughed again and told us how much fun all these players were having. The divide between what the public hears Bryant say after when he is not on the court and when he is on it is not only evident in this film, but gaping. It made me wonder whether he saw this difference and was completely full of shit or whether he didn't.
The smack talking did not only affect the other team. Kobe constantly told his teammates what to do and where to be and basically how to play. While on the court, they seemed to be annoyed, but tolerant. When the game was over, they seemed to be more friendly. Even while Phil Jackson tried to make a point during a timeout or the halftime break, Kobe always talked over him and tried to explain it to the team. I couldn't help but remember the book that Phil wrote, saying Kobe was obnoxious and couldn't be coached. It assuredly seemed to be the case in the film. This lack of enthusiasm from the players when Kobe told them what to do and the lack of assertion from the coach made me wonder: is this team buying a championship from Kobe with their dignity? Are they willing to be bossed and pushed around at every turn to win that ring? Certainly it worked out this year, and certainly Kobe can deliver a championship. After watching this movie though, I began to think that the Lakers are paying for it in more ways than one.

True Greatness

I wanted to make a blog about basketball just for fun and I wanted one with smart people saying interesting things.
The name comes from a "Hot Rod Hundley" quote about Bill Russell:

“If we played Boston four on four, without Russell, we probably would have won every series. The guy killed us. He's the one who prevented us from acheiving true greatness.”