NBA 2011-12 Season Update

Posted on February 20, 2012 by patrickmaeng

It’s been a couple months into the 2011-2012 NBA season and I have yet to write a post about any of fascinating subplots of the year. Here we go:

  • Ricky Rubio is an absolute beast: Minnesota’s 21 year old point guard is a terror in the open court and his defensive ability has been greatly under appreciated. So far, he has recorded three or more steals SEVENTEEN times. Throw in the fact that he rebounds well for his position and he is a triple double threat (plus multiple steals) waiting to happen every single night. Rubio has squashed all of the doubters out there, as well as resurrected David Kahn’s NBA executive career.
  • Chauncey Billups is washed up: Yes, “Mr. Big Shot” hit a game winner a few weeks ago. Yes, he provided a veteran punch to a relatively young Clippers core. However, it may have been a blessing that the former All-Star is now unable to perform. Mo Williams has consistently outplayed Billups this year and now with the minutes available, will continue to shine as the offensive punch off the bench.
  • San Antonio is still winning: Somehow the San Antonio Senior Citizens have the second best record in the league. Tim Duncan is 35, Manu Ginobili has played in nine games, and they don’t have a player averaging 20+ points per game… How are they doing this? With the ultimate team basketball. Greg Poppovich is orchestrating an almost “college-like” offense where everyone on the court receives an equal amount of touches. The sum of this formula? Six players averaging nine or more points (seven if you count Ginobili).
  • Boston is NOT winning: The Celtics are a team that held on too long. With many of their big contracts coming off the books after this year, the team needs to completely revamp their roster. Look for Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Jermaine O’Neal to sign with contenders next season to fill a specific role. Paul Pierce, on the other hand, is one of the most beloved Celtics ever and has three years left on his contract. I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Ainge kept the Pierce/Rondo tandem intact, but then I wouldn’t be surprised if he traded P-squared for youth either. Stay tuned.
  • Pau Gasol trade rumors: With all the rumors swirling around since before the season, Gasol is more than likely on his way out. If I had to put my money on it, I’d wager that the Lakers will trade the 31 year old for a younger player or more depth; both things the team currently lacks. There have been grumblings about a Gasol for Kevin Love swap or a Gasol for Carlos Boozer deal. As Kobe Bryant publicly stated yesterday, it’s in the best interest of the team for the front office to make a decision quickly.
  • Paul George can play D: George was always known for his offensive ability, but in addition to scoring points, the Indiana Pacer is playing LOCKDOWN DEFENSE. He’s helping out on rotations by blocking shots and starting fast breaks with his ability to fill passing lanes and swiping errant passes. Being a long 6’9″ shooting guard definitely helps. The kid is going to be a star.
  • Dwight Howard trade rumors: As well as D12 is playing, the Magic still have no choice but to trade their superstar. The best deal out there for them is still a package built around budding star Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers. They replace the best center in the league with the second best center and will also receive additional players and picks. Not bad compensation for losing your star player. With Lamar Odom’s trade exception in hand, the Lakers can also absorb Hedo Turkoglu’s ugly contract as well.
  • J.R. Smith is a baller: The addition of the Chinese league import added an offensive boost to an already explosive New York Knicks team. In his first game with the team, Smith put up 15 points and was definitely not shy shooting the basketball. J.R. provides instant offense off the bench (a la JJ Barea for the Mavericks last year), something the team sorely needed. Great pickup for the Knicks.
  • The Miami Heat are still the favorites: Lost in the chaos of this years stories, have been the Miami Heat. Quietly (if thats possible), the Heat have put together the best record in the NBA. Lebron, Wade and Co. will make some noise when the playoffs start. Their superior athleticism and overall talent should reign supreme. They are the favorites to win the championship, although after last night’s performance from KD, Westbrook, and Ibaka, the OKC Thunder are also looking like legitimate threats.
  • Jeremy Lin: There’s nothing I can say about the New York Knick phenom that hasn’t already been reported, repeated, and beaten to death by the media… So I’ll just say this: Jeremy Lin is really good.
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Lob City!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by patrickmaeng

So it’s official. Chris Paul found his way to Los Angeles but not to the Lakers. Blake Griffin’s Clippers managed to convince David Stern and his cronies that their package was suitable for the All-World point guard. As a joyous Griffin exclaimed after news of the trade, “Lob City” is here! And Lob City it will be, with DeAndre Jordan and Griffin throwing down ferocious slams from the cleanest passer the NBA has seen since Magic Johnson.

Former foes are now the Lob City Duo!

Let’s review the trade: New Orleans received Eric Gordon, Al Farouq-Aminu, Chris Kaman, and Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 #1 pick for Paul. Did the Clippers give up too much in the deal? Possibly, but they ended up with the best player in his prime, which is always a trade you have to make. Yes, Paul has had issues with his knees in the past, but as he proved in the first round of the playoffs last year, he still has the elite talent to be the best PG in the game. Of course LA would’ve preferred to hang onto Gordon, but it would’ve been an absolute robbery if the Clips were able to work a trade without including ‘the next great shooting guard’.

As it stands, the Clippers lineup this year will look something like this:

C: DeAndre Jordan (Trey Thompkins)

PF: Blake Griffin (Free Agent Big Man)

SF: Caron Butler (Ryan Gomes)

SG: Chauncey Billups (Randy Foye)

PG: Chris Paul (Eric Bledsoe/Mo Williams)

Many have presumed that the Clippers are far from done in their roster transactions. Trading one of their guards (That’s you, Mo Williams) for a solid PF/C type player is absolutely vital for this team to really contend in the West. The other obvious route, is to sign a free agent big. A Kris Humphries type banger with a decent jumpshot would be the ideal fit.

When the Clippers initially signed Caron Butler, I thought it was a horrible signing. The man has had major injuries multiple times in his career, and his past his prime at this point. However, after they were able to pull of the Paul trade, it looks to have been an essential move to provide Griffin and CP3 with a third scorer. When they claimed the amnestied Chauncey Billups off waivers, it provided the Clippers with a fourth option on offense and a veteran, championship caliber presence, as well as someone to lead the floor when Paul rests. Add in the defensive anchor that Jordan will provide, and at this point, this team is no joke.

Caron will play a pivotal role in this teams success.

From what I’ve been reading and seeing in the media, no one wants to give this team a real chance to contend this year. I’ll say it first, THE CLIPPERS WILL WIN THE PACIFIC DIVISION IN 2011-12. If you cancel out Phoenix, Sacramento, and Golden State (three teams with a “No Way in Hell” chance of winning the division), that leaves the Lakers as the only competition for the crown. This story has been killed by the media already, but the entire Lakers organization is in turmoil. After being unable to acquire Paul or Dwight Howard, alienating Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in a  failed trade, being forced to trade an offended Odom, pissing off Kobe with their terrible offseason, having to rely on Andrew Bynum’s fragile body, being an older team playing 66 games in a shortened season… things are not looking good for this squad. Unfortunately for Kobe, his window may have completely shut with the way things have played out the past few weeks; a stark contrast to the potential Super Team of Dwight, CP3, and Kobe that was rumored. I truly believe (and I am a Lakers fanatic), that it is an end of an era. Such a shame considering “what could’ve been”, without Satan Stern’s influence…

It might be all over, Kobe...

A friend of mine was asking who I like in this years NBA Finals; the first teams that came to mind? The Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat. That’s not necessarily what realistically will happen, but the fact that the Clippers even crossed my mind at all, shows how much things have changed overnight for this tortured franchise. Congratulations to the new Kings of LA.

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Lakers Dream Team

Posted on December 6, 2011 by patrickmaeng

Although the paperwork formalities for the lockout have not been finalized, teams and players have been in discussions about both parties’ futures.

The Los Angeles Lakers are attacking the trade block, as opposed to signing high profile free agents. Their current salaries would prohibit them from signing any major player anyway.

Who exactly are the Lakers targeting through trades? Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Yikes.

Paul, currently of the New Orleans Hornets, was said to have met with his team, but left the meeting leaving the team more determined to move the guard before the season starts.

Howard, currently of the Orlando Magic, has yet to sit down with his general manager and owner, but sources are indicating that he too is likely to be traded before the Christmas Day opener.

Both predicaments are only an added bonus for the Lakers pursuit of these two stars. With Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom available to mix and match in these trades, this dream team is actually extremely feasible.

The Lakers opening day roster could look something like this:

C: Dwight Howard

PF: FA Veteran Big

SF: Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest)

SG: Kobe Bryant

PG: Chris Paul

6th: Derek Fisher

7th: Jason Kapono (currently in talks with the team)

8th: FA Veteran Big

9th: Matt Barnes

10th: Steve Blake

There’s an obvious lack of big men on the roster, which could be easily filled with free agent transactions. Looking at the list of available free agents, guys like, let’s say, Troy Murphy and Kurt Thomas realistically could sign with the team to chase a championship.

Murphy is an undervalued stretch four, who has 3-point range and attacks the glass when given the minutes. Every year Troy has played 30+ minutes a game, he has averaged a double double; more than adequate for this team. Thomas, in the twilight of his career, could provide spot minutes at the 4 or 5 and bring veteran leadership to the bench. Metta World Peace is also big enough to log minutes at power forward as well.

While some of my diehard Lakers fan buddies are questioning these potential moves, I’m crossing my fingers hoping that the deal goes through ASAP. Not only will Kobe Bryant have a realistic shot at 3-4 more titles, but the Lakers will be set for the next decade as well. When you’re getting the better player(s) in the deal, you always make the trade. Period.

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NBA Lockout Over!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by patrickmaeng

While some of the major online sports sites have a larger following, I tend to find that Chris Sheridan and his writers at www.SheridanHoops.com provide better insight on current basketball related issues. This was the case for news of the NBA Lockout finally being over. Tentatively.

According to the former ESPN and AP basketball writer, the league and players association have come to an agreement after 149 days of tumultuous negotiation. The final step in assuring a season that would start on Christmas day, would be a majority vote from both the owners and players. The players vote is a little trickier due to the union recently being disbanded. The NBA Player’s Association would have to rejoin together and then vote on the ratified deal as a whole.

While both sides are expected to approve the agreement, both leaders (David Stern and Billy Hunter) do not expect a unanimous vote from either group. As one veteran player texted, “We (bleeping) caved“, not everyone is happy with the concessions of the deal.

Outline of the Details:

  • 49% – 51% of the revenue split for the players depending on annual growth.
  • Sign and trade deals are still allowed (aka The Carmelo Anthony Rule).
  • Teams above the salary cap will still be allowed a full mid-level exception.
  • Teams under the salary cap, who become over the cap due to free agency signings, are granted an additional, smaller exception.
  • Rookie salaries and veteran minimums stay the same.
  • Improvement on qualifying offers for restricted free agents.
  • Either side can opt out of the current agreement in 6 years (10 year deal).
  • Finally, an amnesty clause allows each team to cut a player from their roster, thereby partially negating that players salary from the salary cap/luxury tax.
The most interesting part of this deal was the amnesty clause. While the players would still receive their full salary, teams who were over the cap, may now be able to sign marquee free agents. Which players would each team cut? Some obvious names come to mind (Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis), however, Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops, wrote a great article for his amnesty cut predictions.

After a rough, pro basketball-less month of November, welcome back NBA! I will never take you for granted again!

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Aftermath of the CBA Proposal Rejection

Posted on November 17, 2011 by patrickmaeng

In wake of the current CBA proposal by the league and owners being rejected by the NBA Player’s Association, a tidal wave of news has come pouring through the ranks.

First, the players are (verbally) no longer part of a union and have made steps towards the process of decertification. By taking this direction, the players will have the opportunity to have the negotiation process heard by the courts. Their hope is that the judges will overrule the proposal by the owners and aid the players in obtaining a more favorable deal.

Second, there have been grumblings about certain players and teams who were for the accepting the latest deal. The names that have been thrown around are Steve Blake, Kevin Martin, Glen Davis, Chris Duhon, and several more. It seems that these are guys who failed to save a little nest egg in case of a situation like this. Either that, or they just don’t see the value in $400 million over the course of the new deal.

Finally, with the lockout officially being extended, and an end to the debacle nowhere in sight, many players have expressed more interest in playing overseas. The biggest name? Dwayne Wade. The Miami Heat guard has publicly stated that he hopes for NBA games by Christmas, but acknowledges that the chances are slim. Wade and his agent are listening to offers from international teams if the NBA season were to completely wipe out.

Coming soon to a league near you?

Other big name players that are interested in heading abroad are Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls and free agent guard Jamal Crawford. Crawford is actually being recruited by the Xinjian Flying Tigers from the Chinese Basketball Association; the same team that signed Kenyon Martin earlier this fall.

One player who isn’t interested in playing overseas is Wade’s teammate, Chris Bosh. Although he keeps the option open with a “wait and see” approach.

The players are fortunate to have the opportunity to play internationally for significant salaries, something the players in the last lockout (1998) weren’t afforded the luxury of having.

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NBA Players Set to Decertify Union

Posted on November 14, 2011 by patrickmaeng

In a stunning move today, the NBA Player’s Association rejected the owner’s and league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal for a final time. As NBA commissioner David Stern had warned, the next offer that is presented to the player’s will be significantly reduced in value and would be much more favorable to the teams.

The next step for the NBPA? According to this article by ESPN.com, they will move to have their union decertified and take the dispute with the league to court.

My take? Good luck, guys. The world is in an economic turmoil, and you’re fighting to be paid more millions of dollars to play a game. I can’t see a judge ruling in favor of the talent, over the financial risk taker’s in the business.

As much as I love the sport, the greed of both parties involved is getting annoying… As well as their surprising ignorance. An entire NBA season is about to be lost, with a total revenue that is much higher than the 1% ($400 million) that both sides are fighting over. You would think wealthy people in these positions would have a better legal team and more competent advisors directing them.

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Shaq Uncut

Posted on November 13, 2011 by patrickmaeng

Shaquille O’Neal has never been one to shy away from controversy. The free speaking big man was known during his career in the NBA for his bold statements and hilarious commentary.

In his tell all book, Shaq Uncut, O’Neal tells stories painting Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Pat Riley, and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an unflattering light. In this excerpt from ESPN.com, Shaq explains how he “punched his ticket out of Miami“.

While the verbal attacks on Kobe were almost a given, it wasn’t surprising to hear that Shaq had issues with Lebron, as well. It was, however, interesting to hear that Kareem and Riley were being assaulted by O’Neal’s words in his new book.

Shaq was unsatisfied with the lack of leadership and direction that Kareem provided him, when he was still a young center with the Lakers. Kareem responded to the book with this post on his personal Facebook page: “If I had any idea that Shaq wanted to learn from me, I would have been happy to have worked with him, but all indications that I had received was that he felt he was doing fine and he didn’t need or want my help…”

I’m looking forward to grabbing the new book and reading what the Big Fella has to say about Phil Jackson, Penny Hardaway, Steve Nash, Dwayne Wade, and his last run with the Boston Celtics. Shaquille the Entertainer lives on!

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Clocked Stopped in NBA Lockout

Posted on November 10, 2011 by patrickmaeng

They’ve stopped the clock, literally and figuratively, in the NBA lockout discussions. According to www.SheridanHoops.com, both the player’s association and the owners agreed to disperse at 1:00am EST and reconvene at noon on Thursday, November 10th.

With quotes like, “Nothing was worked out today,” coming from the mouth of league commissioner David Stern, one has to wonder what they exactly sit and talk about for 12 hours at a time. It seems like the only cog blocking any progress is determining the BRI split. How is something like that negotiated for multiple hours, in multiple days, in multiple weeks?

I’m being narcissistic. I understand the severity of even losing half of a percent to either side. But as someone who is tired of reading and hearing about the lockout, can we just get this over with already? There are millions of fans, such as myself, who just want to see these guys battling on the court for a championship, and not in a courtroom to determine their income.

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The MVP Debate: Steve Nash

Posted on November 10, 2011 by patrickmaeng

What defines “The Most Valuable Player in the NBA” each year? The criteria seems to vary annually, which has led to severe confusion for the fans. Even the hand picked sportswriters who cast the votes for the award, can’t pinpoint what makes an MVP.

Is the best overall talent in the league awarded? That seems to be the case in some seasons; in the 1980′s, Michael Jordan won the award on a subpar Chicago Bulls team, but led the league in scoring and excitement. Is the MVP the best player on the best team? Last year was a perfect example of a such an instance; Derrick Rose, another Bulls player, won the award despite shooting a low percentage and not leading the league in any major category. So how do we determine who the MVP is in any given year?

If Jordan was able to win the award in the 1987-88 season on a middle of the road Bulls team, then Kobe Bryant should have been the league MVP in 2005-06, when he led the league in scoring (it wasn’t even close) and dropped 81 on the Toronto Raptors, right? That seems to be the logical assumption, however, that year Steve Nash took home the prize.

Playing with guys like Smush Parker and Chris Mihm couldn't even stop Kobe from his historical 81.

Steve Nash was and still is a great competitor in the NBA. He was the epitome of a late bloomer as he transformed his game from role player, to starter, to All-Star, to MVP in successive stages of his career. Nash was always a fan favorite, and amongst his peers, he was loved with his unselfish brand of basketball. Did Steve Nash deserve to be a two-time Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association? Some of you may cringe, but my answer is a resounding ‘NO’.

Before we get into further detail, let’s look at a list of the MVP’s of the 1980′s:

1980-81: Julius Erving
1981-82: Moses Malone
1982-83: Moses Malone
1983-84: Larry Bird
1984-85: Larry Bird
1985-86: Larry Bird
1986-87: Magic Johnson
1987-88: Michael Jordan
1988-89: Magic Johnson
1989-90: Magic Johnson

The stability of the league MVP’s in this decade is apparent. In a 10 year stretch, there were only five different winners of the award, with three guys taking home eight of them. It was known who the best players in the league were, and fortunately for the voters, the best players generally played on the best teams. Jordan was the exception.

The NBA MVP’s of the 1990′s:

1990-91: Michael Jordan
1991-92: Michael Jordan
1992-93: Charles Barkley
1993-94: Hakeem Olajuwon
1994-95: David Robinson
1995-96: Michael Jordan
1996-97: Karl Malone
1997-98: Michael Jordan
1998-99: Karl Malone
1999-00: Shaquille O’Neal

The 90′s also proved to be fairly stable as Michael Jordan reigned supreme, taking home four awards. However, take away Jordan, and what’s left is five different winners in six years. While, MJ was the clearcut “best player in the NBA on a great team”, it was almost like the voters were tired of seeing the repetitiveness of seeing him win every year. Barkley’s MVP trophy and Malone’s first award should be Jordan’s; Olajuwon and Robinson won by default when Michael decided he wanted to play baseball. This decade easily could have looked like: Jordan – 8, Malone – 1, O’Neal – 1.

Jordan could've possibly won eight MVP trophies in the 1990's.

Moving along to the 2000′s:

2000-01: Allen Iverson
2001-02: Tim Duncan
2002-03: Tim Duncan
2003-04: Kevin Garnett
2004-05: Steve Nash
2005-06: Steve Nash
2006-07: Dirk Nowitzki
2007-08: Kobe Bryant
2008-09: Lebron James
2009-10: Lebron James

If I were the sole voter and only my opinion mattered, this is who the naughts MVP’s would’ve been, starting from 2000-01: Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Lebron James. Essentially, I agree with the voters except for the middle two years when the Phoenix Suns point guard won back to back awards.

Did Shaq deserve the MVP in 2004-05 when he led the Miami Heat to 59 wins in his first year with the team? Yes. He was the backbone of the team with a young up and coming star still developing (Dwayne Wade), a la what Kareem Abdul Jabbar was to the Lakers in the 1979-80 season with a young Magic Johnson. The voting that year came down to two players: fresh, new, exciting Nash and old, tired story Shaquille. Guess who the panel voted for?

Steve Nash’s second MVP was the same year that Kobe Bryant exploded for 81 points in a single game; the second highest total by one player ever! The Black Mamba went on to average a ridiculous 35.4 points per game and singlehandedly led his Lakers to the playoffs. Guys like Chris Mihm, Smush Parker, and Kwame Brown graced the hardwood for the Lakers. The fact that this JV team made the postseason is a testament to the greatness of Kobe. Do those facts deserve MVP consideration? In my world, yes. The best way to show relevance is to play the old “switch-a-roo” game. If you put Steve Nash on the Lakers and Kobe Bryant on the Suns, would either player make their new team better that year? The Lakers would definitely lose more games and miss the playoffs without an elite superstar to shoulder the burden of such a weak squad. The Suns would be better, as they still would have a solid foundation with a healthy Amare Stoudemire and a young Shawn Marion to share the court with Bryant. Case closed. (Iverson, Garnett, and Nowitzki were deserving of their awards in the naughts because they were the clearcut best players on great teams. Based off statistics and team records alone, these guys were worthy MVP’s. Consider them, the Julius Erving and Karl Malone of the 2000′s.)

Now looking solely at MVP awards, Steve Nash is the superior player in NBA history to Bryant and O’Neal. How the two former foes only have one apiece is mind boggling. These are two of the ten best players ever to step on a basketball court with a mere two MVP trophies combined. This is not right.

In my recalculation, Shaq would’ve had two total awards, which is still low for someone as dominant as The Diesel was, but much more acceptable than one. Kobe would’ve won two, with the potential to still win a third. Steve Nash would have zero. Is that disrespectful to Nash? No, it’s not. Nash is a great player, but not all great players are MVP’s of the league. During any given season during Nash’s career, if you asked “Who are the top five players in the NBA today?”, Steve Nash would never make the cut. He is the only player in NBA history who has been the Most Valuable Player of the league, who can’t say he was ever one of the five best active players in any season of his career. I think that speaks volumes.

During any given season during Nash's career, if you asked "Who are the top five players in the NBA today?", Steve Nash would never make the cut.

Basically, Steve Nash is a second tier superstar. He’s not among the elite’s of the game (Magic, Bird, Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, Russell, Kareem, Wilt, Lebron, Duncan), but he’s on par with John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Isiah Thomas, Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, Dwayne Wade. None of these guys have ever won an MVP award, and they shouldn’t have. They’re great players, but they’re not elite.

The Steve Nash era stole away part of Shaq and Kobe’s legacies, forever altering the way history will view them. It goes to show that awarding the best player on the best team, doesn’t always work. The MVP of the league should be the best player in the league. That’s how every level of the game (AAU, high school, college) determines the winner of the award, except for the NBA. It’s time for the pro’s to adopt that philosophy as well. If that means Lebron goes on a run of five straight MVP’s, then so be it. Jordan could’ve went on a streak of eight. In the 1980′s the league rewarded their superstars. Let’s get back to the basics of what an MVP should be.

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Kevin Durant & Lebron James Working Out Together

Posted on November 9, 2011 by patrickmaeng

In what appears to be a publicity stunt organized by the department heads over at Nike, video footage of Kevin Durant and Lebron James working out together has surfaced during the lockout. The segment is filmed at the University of Akron, James’ hometown.

Could the two of them have worked out together without knowing the video cameras that were present would soon have the film uploaded to YouTube? Possibly, but probably not. At the end of the footage there is a very Nike-esque saying: Basketball Never Stops. Like the Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade commercial where they travel around the globe in search of any basketball games they can find, this feels eerily gimmicky as well. Although, not as apparent as the Jordan Brand commercial, if there ever was a viral video, this is it.

Check it out for yourself and be the judge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GNE9JLNJPg&feature=player_embedded

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