All teams (except the Knicks, who aren't even remotely believable) put themselves in better positions. Denver gets Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans, who might be distractions after a while, but for now, will give them solid D at spots they need.
Seattle gets rid of Flip Murray and Evans, and brings in Earl Watson. I'm glad they didn't go crazy with trades. They actually have a potentially great foundation for the next few years. It all depends on if the young big guys (Wilcox, Swift, Petro) and whomever they get this year can develop.
Cleveland adds some temporary help for LeBron, with Larry Hughes out for a while, with Murray.
Portland gets rid of Patterson, who wanted out bad, and gains post depth in Brian Skinner.
Sacramento gets another young swingman, Sergei Monia, to test out. They have quite a few as it is.
In other trades, Houston basically moved Derek Anderson for Keith Bogans, which I guess is an improvement. They need a definitive sidekick on the perimeter for McGrady, and they haven't found it yet. They'll be sending scouts to look at Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay, and even J. J. Redick for the rest of the season.
The Clippers brought back Vin Baker from the local soup kitchen for reasons unknown, other than they're the Clippers and it just wouldn't feel right if all their moves this year were fruitful.
Nokla Orle-city adds post depth in Marc Jackson, though what do the Nets have now off the bench down low?
Several teams expected to be dealers, like Atlanta, Minnesota and the Lakers, were silent. Hawks apparently will let Harrington walk and use his money on a true post player… or another small forward. Lakers were rumored to get several people but didn't pull anything. Wolves needed another piece and didn't get it.
None of these trades change my predictions all that much from the midseason report. In fact, I think Denver and Cleveland and a few others solidified themselves and now I won't have to worry about picking them to finish high. But as I said, Detroit needed to pick up some depth, and they didn't, while San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, and Miami have a lot of options (Miami picked up Derek Anderson for almost nothing, by the way). This might have me leaning towards them not going all the way. Those other teams just need health; they have depth. Maybe it would've been better for both parties if Orlando kept that draft pick they traded for Darko and tried to give the Pistons Keyon Dooling or Pat Garrity. I know Detroit wanted to save on contracts, but they need people. Maybe they'll reach out to Latrell Sprewell, the only visible free agent left.
Also, without any progress, I think the Lakers are in serious danger with that last playoff spot. Sacramento and Utah have gotten people back from injury and are starting to catch on a little.
And I think the Knicks could actually go on a little winning streak, honestly, until they realize what a terrible mess this is and beat each other to death, during a game, around Smarch.
That is all.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
RETRO: Zeke the Zore loser
No...
really...
what the hell is Isiah Thomas doing now? He's no longer a person but a running joke, a human episode of Mr. Bean, where we know exactly what dumb moves he'll do and can still laugh when he pulls them off. Unless he plans to make more trades, putting Franchise and Starbury together is a really, really, really bad idea. There couldn't be a worse backcourt pairing. Maybe he thinks it will be the next coming of himself and Joe Dumars. It won't. I have a feeling he's not done, but even if he traded for Francis to get rid of Marbury, isn't that a push? Why make the deal then and give up on Ariza and the cap relief for Penny? He's increasing the payroll and killing their cap while actually making the team MORE dysfunctional! Unless he plans to bring in Lamar Odom (with the Lakers holding out earlier because the Magic didn't want him) for one of these guys, he's creating the worst chemistry combination in a long time, and having one of the most demanding coaches on it. Unbelievable…..
Speaking of this, the Magic honchos don't get any rewards either. Francis was the main cog of the Tracy McGrady deal, along with his old sidekick Cuttino Mobely, whom they stupidly dealt last year. Now he's gone for cap relief and a guy who might be good, but hasn't shown anything sustained yet. So, in essence, they traded away a guy who was clearly one of the best 5 to 10 players (when healthy) in the league for…. almost nothing. If they hadn't drafted Dwight Howard, they would be where the Knicks are now (only at much less cost). But I guess they have a shot to come out of it okay, if they use that money to bring in a big-name outside threat to complement DH, and yes, they do have promising young guys at every spot. Still, they might have gotten more draft picks out of these deals, instead of giving them up (for Darko last week).
At least they won't be challenging the Sixers for a playoff spot anymore. It's Chicago for the last seed and that's it.
really...
what the hell is Isiah Thomas doing now? He's no longer a person but a running joke, a human episode of Mr. Bean, where we know exactly what dumb moves he'll do and can still laugh when he pulls them off. Unless he plans to make more trades, putting Franchise and Starbury together is a really, really, really bad idea. There couldn't be a worse backcourt pairing. Maybe he thinks it will be the next coming of himself and Joe Dumars. It won't. I have a feeling he's not done, but even if he traded for Francis to get rid of Marbury, isn't that a push? Why make the deal then and give up on Ariza and the cap relief for Penny? He's increasing the payroll and killing their cap while actually making the team MORE dysfunctional! Unless he plans to bring in Lamar Odom (with the Lakers holding out earlier because the Magic didn't want him) for one of these guys, he's creating the worst chemistry combination in a long time, and having one of the most demanding coaches on it. Unbelievable…..
Speaking of this, the Magic honchos don't get any rewards either. Francis was the main cog of the Tracy McGrady deal, along with his old sidekick Cuttino Mobely, whom they stupidly dealt last year. Now he's gone for cap relief and a guy who might be good, but hasn't shown anything sustained yet. So, in essence, they traded away a guy who was clearly one of the best 5 to 10 players (when healthy) in the league for…. almost nothing. If they hadn't drafted Dwight Howard, they would be where the Knicks are now (only at much less cost). But I guess they have a shot to come out of it okay, if they use that money to bring in a big-name outside threat to complement DH, and yes, they do have promising young guys at every spot. Still, they might have gotten more draft picks out of these deals, instead of giving them up (for Darko last week).
At least they won't be challenging the Sixers for a playoff spot anymore. It's Chicago for the last seed and that's it.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
RETRO: midseason repore
Has the NBA reached midseason already? Actually, it's more than that. There have been 50 games for most teams and there are about only 30 left. And the showcase is today, a game I haven't missed in nearly 15 years. I don't know why. Unlike baseball (well, they kinda have this problem too), it's not a classic that means a whole lot to anyone besides marketing. At least it's more exciting/relevant than the damn Pro Bowl, but what isn't?
In any case, I'm here again, watching it. And this is a good time for my midseason report, since I spent so much time on the preseason. That's on the older archive way back….. way back. A lot could change in the next week or so with trades, but here's how things shape up for me, as far as all teams are doing.
Atlanta (shouldn't have passed on Chris Paul or even Deron Williams) lottery
Boston (is Pierce playing so good because he wants to be traded, or is it because he wants to stay? If the latter, why?) lottery
Charlotte (solid foundation, but there's no real star yet) lottery
Chicago (yes, they really miss Eddy Curry, believe it or not) lottery
Cleveland (they won't have that big second half slide this year because no one else is good enough) second round of playoffs
Dallas (tougher, balanced, and deep… maybe they can hang with the Spurs) should be conference finals, but the playoff system is dumb... see notes****
Denver (need trade to shake things up, but still should win weak division without problem) first round of playoffs
Detroit (the favorites, but they might want some depth) finals
Golden State (depth and dumb contracts hold them down…. but they're close) lottery
Houston (too many injuries… if they landed Adam Morrison, they'd be in good shape) lottery
Indiana (interesting to see if they can hold on… have enough to make playoffs, but then what?) first round of playoffs****
Los Angeles Clippers (may slide, but too much talent to lose now) first or second round**** pending on matchups ****
Los Angeles Lakers (actually, I'm not impressed; Dallas this year and the 2001 Sixers had final worthy teams built around one good offensive player. You can do better, Phil. I'm not kissing your ass) first round of playoffs
Memphis (solid, again, to make playoffs, but not do anything…. which is better than they were a few years ago. Nice for Gasol to play today) first round of playoffs****
Miami (coasting till playoffs, but can they get it together then? maybe) conference finals
Milwaukee (easy schedule and enough pieces to make playoffs without trouble) first or second round of playoffs***
Minnesota (need another piece to add; hurting now) lottery (unless major trade goes down)
New Jersey (not impressed; winning suck division easily but could be better) first or second round of playoffs****
New Orleans/Oklahoma City (the most impressive surprise team so far; Chris Paul is great, and they've even won a few without him, so I can believe….and don't forget super sub Rasual Butler…. the feel good story of the year) first round of playoffs
New York (………..…. suck.) lottery
Orlando (if they never made that Cuttino Mobely trade last year, they would've made playoffs and would have good base now…. but now Francis is angry and they need to find another piece outside to complement Dwight Howard, who will be great, and Darko, who still has a chance) lottery
Philadelphia (weird roster balance, no depth, and they almost traded their only big man off the bench….. I'm confused) first round of playoffs
Phoenix (Nash impresses me more this year than last, because he's got no Amare or Joe Johnson to feed…. And once Amare comes back, they'll be tough) conference finals**
Portland (shedding problems, but have a long way to go) lottery
Sacramento (Artest rejuvenates them, but something is wrong with this team…. They can't get things going much anymore) lottery
San Antonio (once again, only injuries can stop them… but these injuries have been holding them back, so watch for that) finals
Seattle (fading back, but may have good base after recent and upcoming trades) lottery
Toronto (actually doing better recently, but that Araujo pick will be mocked for years… need to figure out point guard and wing issues, but Bosh is solid foundation) lottery
Utah (they're close, but injuries and bad choices holding them back…. Deron Williams may not be good fit) lottery
Washington (enough offense to make playoffs, nto enough d to go anywhere) first round of playoffs
So, you might notice a series of asterisks **** and some uncertainty in playoff predictions. There's a really bad problem right now with how to playoffs are being seeded, and it's infuriating to watch. David Stern did address this recently, so they might do something about it. Here's the scenario: teams winning divisions are seeded 1-3 by record amongst just them, then the rest of the conference gets the rest. So, if the top two teams in the conference are in the same division (like this year), the better one gets the top overall seed, but the second one gets the 4th seed, even if they are much better than the other division winners. That means these teams will face each other in the second round, not the conference finals. And if the 3 seed is really weak, then they get a round at home against much lesser competition. Fair? I'd say no. Look at how the Western Conference could work out this season:
Actual standings Playoff seedings
1. Dallas 61 wins 1. Dallas
2. San Antonio 60 2. Phoenix
3. Phoenix 53 3. Denver
4. LA Clippers 48 4. San Antonio
5. Memphis 46 5. LA Clippers
6. Denver 43 6. Memphis
7. NO/OKC 42 7. NO/OKC
8. LA Lakers 40 8. LA Lakers
So, as it goes, 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, and so forth, and 1-8 meets 4-5 in the second round. Denver thus gets to play a team actually a few games better than them in the first round. Dallas and San Antonio have to battle it out in the second round, when they should be in the conference finals. And wouldn't the Clippers try to start losing games on purpose to get that sixth seed? If they get fifth place, they have to face the powerful Spurs in the first round. If the get sixth, they face the Nuggets, who have less wins. Wouldn't they and Memphis battle it out to NOT get fifth? Doesn't this create more problems? I don't think the commissioner wants to have teams bailing to get positioning. Then you have a lame matchup in the first round. The 4-5 series is great and the 3-6 is awful.
This happened last year. Houston came on really strong towards the end of the season, and they could've made it far in the playoffs. But they got a tough match with Dallas, who had a better record than Seattle but less than the Spurs. Meanwhile, the Kings got Seattle and could've taken them if they weren't banged up so much. The Rockets actually won too much and got a worse match up for it. Not a good way to reward teams, is it? Hopefully they change this. I think division winners should get something, like a berth or maybe the lowest of the top four seeds, but right now it's unbalanced. And earlier in the season, the three top teams were all in the same division. This means that the top team would play, in the second round, the winner of the second and third team matchup, while the other half of the bracket would suck big time. They can't have this. When it was only two divisions, it worked out because if the top 2 teams were in one division, they didn't have to face each other until the conference finals. They even made it so the 3 seed could have home court advantage over the 2 seed if they had a better record. But creating three divisions means that there will usually be one winner who's far behind the other two.
So what's the solution? Going back to two divisions might help, but they like this three format with 30 teams. Maybe seeding everyone just according to conference would help, but division winners should get something even if their division sucks. Maybe a first round home berth. What if they took the division winners plus the top wild card and re-seeded them. Let's try this method out:
Dallas
San Antonio
Phoenix
Denver
LA Clippers
Memphis
NO/OKC
LA Lakers
See, in this scenario, it works better. Denver and San Antonio won't have to face each other so soon. Denver would get home court over the Clippers, but that would encourage them to win more so they could get an easier opponent. Now they and Memphis are fighting for good. And the rest of the teams fall into line as they did. This won't create as much turmoil. And since there's a small chance of it working perfectly for the NBA so that the three best teams are in different divisions, they need to change it. Soon.
So yes, I am picking another San Antonio-Detroit final. Detroit has been hot and they're the prohibitive favorites right now, but they haven't changed much in personnel from last year. Meanwhile, the Spurs went out and added two veterans who could help them. If they meet again, will Detroit be able to handle that depth? They've looked more vulnerable in recent weeks. The Spurs aren't running away with the conference right now, but they are doing well despite some nagging injuries. They usually do much better in the second half, too. So unless Tim Duncan misses a ton of games (like last year) they should be able to get the top seed. Dallas and Phoenix (with Amare Stoudemire back) are interesting and will give them a battle. The fact that the Spurs could have to battle Dallas, then Phoenix, then Detroit might wear them out, but they have depth. In the East, Detriot and Miami shouldn't have any problem meeting again. Miami has talent but Detroit solved that last year. Still, if Shaq and Wade had been healthy, they could've won.
So, it's a tough call. I could see Detriot cruising to the title but I could also see them losing to Miami in a series where Pat Riley lets his two stars take over. I don't know how much a change in attitude and style can help a team over adding people. If Detroit was still playing at a 70 win pace and breaking in young people, they'd convince me. But giving up Darko and Arroyo last week means they don't have many bench options outside of Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter, both of whom have seen better days. Mayeb in the second half, after they nail down their top seed, they will relax, rest the starters, and get some experience for the subs. Otherwise, they might be surprised when Miami can throw Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, and Antoine Walker against their second unit.
I'm going to go with my old edict: if the Spurs are healthy, they're tough to beat. Another seven game series with the Pistons is possible. Let me reiterate that the trade deadline is coming up and that could affect a few things, as Steve Francis, several people on the Knicks, Sonics, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, and a host of others are all likely to be moved.
And no, I don't think there's any chance the Sixers will trade Iverson, as has been speculated, though if the Sonics could offer Ray Allen , I'd consider it (need to find a point somewhere then).
50 point Awards:
MVP: Chauncey Billups (I like Steve Nash a lot, actually, but he won it last year when he shouldn't have, so let's give Billups his due) 2nd: Nash 3rd: Dirk Nowitzki 4th: LeBron James 5th: Tim Duncan (with a shout-out to Elton Brand) (btw, this is my all NBA team)
DEFENSE: Tim Duncan (he's won everything else, but he hasn't gotten recognized for this, and he should) 2nd: Samuel Dalembert 3rd: Alonzo Mourning
COACH: Byron Scott (remarkable job with unknown roster) 2nd: Mike Dunleavy 3rd: Mike D'Antoni 4th: Avery Johnson 5th: Flip Saunders
ROOKIE: Chris Paul (I called it, but he's been even better than I thought… and no one else is even close) 2nd: (no chance for these) Channing Frye 3rd: Charlie Villanueva 4th: Andrew Bogut 5th: tie between Raymond Felton and Deron Williams (tough call, and right behind them, there are a lot of guards, too) second tier: Saruanas Jaskievicus, Luther Head, Nate Robinson, Salim Stoudamire, Danny Granger)
SIXTH MAN: Jerry Stackhouse (deep team, big scorer) 2nd: Michael Finely 3rd: Boris Diaw (though I think he starts now) 4th: Maurice Williams 5th: Bobby Jackson
MOST IMPROVED: tie for David West and Boris Diaw (tough to pick between these two major striders) 3rd: Mike James 4th: Jameer Nelson 5th: Mehmet Okur
My all-star teams:
East: STARTERS (Jermaine O'Neal, Shaq, Billups, LeBron, Richard Hamilton) BENCH (Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Ben Wallace, Chris Bosh) (and I'd have Vince Carter as my injury replacement… and he should not start this game… he started a bunch he didn't deserve to)
West: STARTERS (Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kobe, Elton Brand) BENCH (Yao Ming [fuck it, it's his day], Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Tony Parker) (I know that's not enough guards, but it should be the top seven regardless, and Carmelo should be here)
In any case, I'm here again, watching it. And this is a good time for my midseason report, since I spent so much time on the preseason. That's on the older archive way back….. way back. A lot could change in the next week or so with trades, but here's how things shape up for me, as far as all teams are doing.
Atlanta (shouldn't have passed on Chris Paul or even Deron Williams) lottery
Boston (is Pierce playing so good because he wants to be traded, or is it because he wants to stay? If the latter, why?) lottery
Charlotte (solid foundation, but there's no real star yet) lottery
Chicago (yes, they really miss Eddy Curry, believe it or not) lottery
Cleveland (they won't have that big second half slide this year because no one else is good enough) second round of playoffs
Dallas (tougher, balanced, and deep… maybe they can hang with the Spurs) should be conference finals, but the playoff system is dumb... see notes****
Denver (need trade to shake things up, but still should win weak division without problem) first round of playoffs
Detroit (the favorites, but they might want some depth) finals
Golden State (depth and dumb contracts hold them down…. but they're close) lottery
Houston (too many injuries… if they landed Adam Morrison, they'd be in good shape) lottery
Indiana (interesting to see if they can hold on… have enough to make playoffs, but then what?) first round of playoffs****
Los Angeles Clippers (may slide, but too much talent to lose now) first or second round**** pending on matchups ****
Los Angeles Lakers (actually, I'm not impressed; Dallas this year and the 2001 Sixers had final worthy teams built around one good offensive player. You can do better, Phil. I'm not kissing your ass) first round of playoffs
Memphis (solid, again, to make playoffs, but not do anything…. which is better than they were a few years ago. Nice for Gasol to play today) first round of playoffs****
Miami (coasting till playoffs, but can they get it together then? maybe) conference finals
Milwaukee (easy schedule and enough pieces to make playoffs without trouble) first or second round of playoffs***
Minnesota (need another piece to add; hurting now) lottery (unless major trade goes down)
New Jersey (not impressed; winning suck division easily but could be better) first or second round of playoffs****
New Orleans/Oklahoma City (the most impressive surprise team so far; Chris Paul is great, and they've even won a few without him, so I can believe….and don't forget super sub Rasual Butler…. the feel good story of the year) first round of playoffs
New York (………..…. suck.) lottery
Orlando (if they never made that Cuttino Mobely trade last year, they would've made playoffs and would have good base now…. but now Francis is angry and they need to find another piece outside to complement Dwight Howard, who will be great, and Darko, who still has a chance) lottery
Philadelphia (weird roster balance, no depth, and they almost traded their only big man off the bench….. I'm confused) first round of playoffs
Phoenix (Nash impresses me more this year than last, because he's got no Amare or Joe Johnson to feed…. And once Amare comes back, they'll be tough) conference finals**
Portland (shedding problems, but have a long way to go) lottery
Sacramento (Artest rejuvenates them, but something is wrong with this team…. They can't get things going much anymore) lottery
San Antonio (once again, only injuries can stop them… but these injuries have been holding them back, so watch for that) finals
Seattle (fading back, but may have good base after recent and upcoming trades) lottery
Toronto (actually doing better recently, but that Araujo pick will be mocked for years… need to figure out point guard and wing issues, but Bosh is solid foundation) lottery
Utah (they're close, but injuries and bad choices holding them back…. Deron Williams may not be good fit) lottery
Washington (enough offense to make playoffs, nto enough d to go anywhere) first round of playoffs
So, you might notice a series of asterisks **** and some uncertainty in playoff predictions. There's a really bad problem right now with how to playoffs are being seeded, and it's infuriating to watch. David Stern did address this recently, so they might do something about it. Here's the scenario: teams winning divisions are seeded 1-3 by record amongst just them, then the rest of the conference gets the rest. So, if the top two teams in the conference are in the same division (like this year), the better one gets the top overall seed, but the second one gets the 4th seed, even if they are much better than the other division winners. That means these teams will face each other in the second round, not the conference finals. And if the 3 seed is really weak, then they get a round at home against much lesser competition. Fair? I'd say no. Look at how the Western Conference could work out this season:
Actual standings Playoff seedings
1. Dallas 61 wins 1. Dallas
2. San Antonio 60 2. Phoenix
3. Phoenix 53 3. Denver
4. LA Clippers 48 4. San Antonio
5. Memphis 46 5. LA Clippers
6. Denver 43 6. Memphis
7. NO/OKC 42 7. NO/OKC
8. LA Lakers 40 8. LA Lakers
So, as it goes, 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, and so forth, and 1-8 meets 4-5 in the second round. Denver thus gets to play a team actually a few games better than them in the first round. Dallas and San Antonio have to battle it out in the second round, when they should be in the conference finals. And wouldn't the Clippers try to start losing games on purpose to get that sixth seed? If they get fifth place, they have to face the powerful Spurs in the first round. If the get sixth, they face the Nuggets, who have less wins. Wouldn't they and Memphis battle it out to NOT get fifth? Doesn't this create more problems? I don't think the commissioner wants to have teams bailing to get positioning. Then you have a lame matchup in the first round. The 4-5 series is great and the 3-6 is awful.
This happened last year. Houston came on really strong towards the end of the season, and they could've made it far in the playoffs. But they got a tough match with Dallas, who had a better record than Seattle but less than the Spurs. Meanwhile, the Kings got Seattle and could've taken them if they weren't banged up so much. The Rockets actually won too much and got a worse match up for it. Not a good way to reward teams, is it? Hopefully they change this. I think division winners should get something, like a berth or maybe the lowest of the top four seeds, but right now it's unbalanced. And earlier in the season, the three top teams were all in the same division. This means that the top team would play, in the second round, the winner of the second and third team matchup, while the other half of the bracket would suck big time. They can't have this. When it was only two divisions, it worked out because if the top 2 teams were in one division, they didn't have to face each other until the conference finals. They even made it so the 3 seed could have home court advantage over the 2 seed if they had a better record. But creating three divisions means that there will usually be one winner who's far behind the other two.
So what's the solution? Going back to two divisions might help, but they like this three format with 30 teams. Maybe seeding everyone just according to conference would help, but division winners should get something even if their division sucks. Maybe a first round home berth. What if they took the division winners plus the top wild card and re-seeded them. Let's try this method out:
Dallas
San Antonio
Phoenix
Denver
LA Clippers
Memphis
NO/OKC
LA Lakers
See, in this scenario, it works better. Denver and San Antonio won't have to face each other so soon. Denver would get home court over the Clippers, but that would encourage them to win more so they could get an easier opponent. Now they and Memphis are fighting for good. And the rest of the teams fall into line as they did. This won't create as much turmoil. And since there's a small chance of it working perfectly for the NBA so that the three best teams are in different divisions, they need to change it. Soon.
So yes, I am picking another San Antonio-Detroit final. Detroit has been hot and they're the prohibitive favorites right now, but they haven't changed much in personnel from last year. Meanwhile, the Spurs went out and added two veterans who could help them. If they meet again, will Detroit be able to handle that depth? They've looked more vulnerable in recent weeks. The Spurs aren't running away with the conference right now, but they are doing well despite some nagging injuries. They usually do much better in the second half, too. So unless Tim Duncan misses a ton of games (like last year) they should be able to get the top seed. Dallas and Phoenix (with Amare Stoudemire back) are interesting and will give them a battle. The fact that the Spurs could have to battle Dallas, then Phoenix, then Detroit might wear them out, but they have depth. In the East, Detriot and Miami shouldn't have any problem meeting again. Miami has talent but Detroit solved that last year. Still, if Shaq and Wade had been healthy, they could've won.
So, it's a tough call. I could see Detriot cruising to the title but I could also see them losing to Miami in a series where Pat Riley lets his two stars take over. I don't know how much a change in attitude and style can help a team over adding people. If Detroit was still playing at a 70 win pace and breaking in young people, they'd convince me. But giving up Darko and Arroyo last week means they don't have many bench options outside of Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter, both of whom have seen better days. Mayeb in the second half, after they nail down their top seed, they will relax, rest the starters, and get some experience for the subs. Otherwise, they might be surprised when Miami can throw Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, and Antoine Walker against their second unit.
I'm going to go with my old edict: if the Spurs are healthy, they're tough to beat. Another seven game series with the Pistons is possible. Let me reiterate that the trade deadline is coming up and that could affect a few things, as Steve Francis, several people on the Knicks, Sonics, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, and a host of others are all likely to be moved.
And no, I don't think there's any chance the Sixers will trade Iverson, as has been speculated, though if the Sonics could offer Ray Allen , I'd consider it (need to find a point somewhere then).
50 point Awards:
MVP: Chauncey Billups (I like Steve Nash a lot, actually, but he won it last year when he shouldn't have, so let's give Billups his due) 2nd: Nash 3rd: Dirk Nowitzki 4th: LeBron James 5th: Tim Duncan (with a shout-out to Elton Brand) (btw, this is my all NBA team)
DEFENSE: Tim Duncan (he's won everything else, but he hasn't gotten recognized for this, and he should) 2nd: Samuel Dalembert 3rd: Alonzo Mourning
COACH: Byron Scott (remarkable job with unknown roster) 2nd: Mike Dunleavy 3rd: Mike D'Antoni 4th: Avery Johnson 5th: Flip Saunders
ROOKIE: Chris Paul (I called it, but he's been even better than I thought… and no one else is even close) 2nd: (no chance for these) Channing Frye 3rd: Charlie Villanueva 4th: Andrew Bogut 5th: tie between Raymond Felton and Deron Williams (tough call, and right behind them, there are a lot of guards, too) second tier: Saruanas Jaskievicus, Luther Head, Nate Robinson, Salim Stoudamire, Danny Granger)
SIXTH MAN: Jerry Stackhouse (deep team, big scorer) 2nd: Michael Finely 3rd: Boris Diaw (though I think he starts now) 4th: Maurice Williams 5th: Bobby Jackson
MOST IMPROVED: tie for David West and Boris Diaw (tough to pick between these two major striders) 3rd: Mike James 4th: Jameer Nelson 5th: Mehmet Okur
My all-star teams:
East: STARTERS (Jermaine O'Neal, Shaq, Billups, LeBron, Richard Hamilton) BENCH (Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Ben Wallace, Chris Bosh) (and I'd have Vince Carter as my injury replacement… and he should not start this game… he started a bunch he didn't deserve to)
West: STARTERS (Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kobe, Elton Brand) BENCH (Yao Ming [fuck it, it's his day], Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Tony Parker) (I know that's not enough guards, but it should be the top seven regardless, and Carmelo should be here)
Thursday, February 16, 2006
RETRO: respect for the alma mater
Speaking of sexual predators (honestly, I didn't plan on there being so many transitions tonight, I swear, but it works so nice!) I have to give a shout out or whatever for my old school and first love of education, La Salle. Their men's basketball team is finally coming together. If you didn't know (which means you are from Cali; otherwise forget this paragraph) they lost two of their top players and their coach a few years ago over rape allegations. This couldn't have come at a worse time, because it was after an initial glimpse of hope. The coach was a new hire, the recruits were coming in, and it seemed just as they were building a great foundation for the future, the rug was yanked out from under them. Of course, that stuff should never be taken lightly and I don't fault the school for taking action. There was a big mess, the school got a huge black eye and tons of negative publicity, and everyone trashed them. They had to start the search for a coach right away, two years after they thought they solved it, and recruits surely stayed away. Last year, they struggled.
But this year, they've made a lot of progress. One of the big recruits the old coach had that stayed, Steve Smith, has been the key player on the team from his first game. He got some recognition last year for playing through all the adversity and was even named Co-Player of the year in the Atlantic Ten. He thought about leaving school for the draft, and was considered a borderline first round pick (nowadays, getting into the first round is extremely important because it guarantees you a contract). Few thought he would stay in a messy situation, but he did, and now his stock has to be rising. I think his numbers are about the same but he's impressing more people with winning. As of tonight, La Salle is 16-7 overall, with a 8-4 conference record. They'd be third (or tied for third or even second, once everyone catches up) in the entire conference (which is ironically 14 teams, not 10).
Now, that's not going to be nearly enough to get them into the big dance, the NCAA tournament. I'll admit very clearly that their schedule has been pretty weak and that the conference is not having a good year at all (outside of George Washington). But… this is an absolutely incredible change from the teams that I watched the past ten years. They hadn't made any tournament, not even the NIT, since the early 1990's. Year after year they lost, even though they could get good recruits here and there from Philly. Even in Rasual Butler's last year, when they made a big run at the end of the season and in the conference tournament, they couldn't crack the .500 mark. But now, when Smith is their only major player and they have a short team without a lot of firepower, they are winning. They beat Temple and Xavier, usually beasts of the conference. They got killed by Villanova, but they might be the best team in the country right now. Even though the conference is down, they did add two teams who usually have a good shot of postseason play, Charlotte and St. Louis.
Let me put it this way: my senior year, they couldn't finish any better than maybe ninth in the conference. The only teams they could beat were perennial bottom-feeders like Duquesne and St. Bonaventure (after their own troubles). Now they're above St. Joseph's and Richmond and Temple and Dayton and Xavier, teams that used to toy with them. They used to win maybe 4 conference games a year, maybe 11 in the whole season. Now look at them. They'll be over .500 at the end of the season and poised to go to the NIT, which invites almost all the teams with winning records from major conferences (they're mid-major, but if they can finish in the top five in conference standings they'll most likely be in). This will be the first playoff game of any kind in nearly 15 years, and I wish I could be there for it. My guess is that they'll be matched up in the first round with another of the Big Five Philly schools (or Drexel) and the campus will be rocking. I hope it's rocking. We got a packed house to see them beat St. Joe's my freshman year… and that was the only good thing they did. You kids better do something, even if you hate sports (Drewskitis, I'm looking at you).
I used to wonder if they made a mistake by joining the A-10. They were able to take advantage of the Metro league before that. You see, 15-20 years ago, La Salle was exactly like what Gonzaga is now: a small Catholic school in a forgotten conference that still managed to get national attention and recruits, and play with the big boys. Just as Dan Dickau and Adam Morrison can make player of the year candidacies for Gonzaga, La Salle had consensus player fo the year Lionel Simmons in 1989. When I went there, I couldn't believe that they had such a good program ten years earlier. It seemed like an entirely different school. But now, they're winning a conference that, yes, is having a down year, but has stronger schools in it than it has had in a long time. Charlotte and Richmond, recent additions, have been to the NCAA tourney a lot. Temple and St. Joe's were always tough, and Xavier had probably been the top threat for a couple years. La Salle never finished higher than second to last in their division. Now that they know they can compete in this conference, it's a whole new world. Recruits won't be scared to go there.
I'm disappointed that ESPN and other networks aren't picking up on this more as a feel good story, mostly because it was the fault of the coach and suspicion of players. But, hey, they're giving love to Baylor after what they went through (which was much, much, much worse, but still). Maybe they will get some pub now that they've got a streak going. I know Smith, who was on the list of underrated and mid-major players to watch by many publications, is going to get some accolades. But I'm really proud and really happy for the old school. Wish I could've seen that when I was there. And I wish my spring break didn't come so damn late so I could be at that NIT game. Maybe by some miracle they'll match them up in the first round at one of the numerous Cal State schools, although they usually keep things regional in the first.
Respeck, La Salle. You've earned it.
And the NBA all-star game is coming up soon, so I'll have to devote a whole blog on that too. But later.
But this year, they've made a lot of progress. One of the big recruits the old coach had that stayed, Steve Smith, has been the key player on the team from his first game. He got some recognition last year for playing through all the adversity and was even named Co-Player of the year in the Atlantic Ten. He thought about leaving school for the draft, and was considered a borderline first round pick (nowadays, getting into the first round is extremely important because it guarantees you a contract). Few thought he would stay in a messy situation, but he did, and now his stock has to be rising. I think his numbers are about the same but he's impressing more people with winning. As of tonight, La Salle is 16-7 overall, with a 8-4 conference record. They'd be third (or tied for third or even second, once everyone catches up) in the entire conference (which is ironically 14 teams, not 10).
Now, that's not going to be nearly enough to get them into the big dance, the NCAA tournament. I'll admit very clearly that their schedule has been pretty weak and that the conference is not having a good year at all (outside of George Washington). But… this is an absolutely incredible change from the teams that I watched the past ten years. They hadn't made any tournament, not even the NIT, since the early 1990's. Year after year they lost, even though they could get good recruits here and there from Philly. Even in Rasual Butler's last year, when they made a big run at the end of the season and in the conference tournament, they couldn't crack the .500 mark. But now, when Smith is their only major player and they have a short team without a lot of firepower, they are winning. They beat Temple and Xavier, usually beasts of the conference. They got killed by Villanova, but they might be the best team in the country right now. Even though the conference is down, they did add two teams who usually have a good shot of postseason play, Charlotte and St. Louis.
Let me put it this way: my senior year, they couldn't finish any better than maybe ninth in the conference. The only teams they could beat were perennial bottom-feeders like Duquesne and St. Bonaventure (after their own troubles). Now they're above St. Joseph's and Richmond and Temple and Dayton and Xavier, teams that used to toy with them. They used to win maybe 4 conference games a year, maybe 11 in the whole season. Now look at them. They'll be over .500 at the end of the season and poised to go to the NIT, which invites almost all the teams with winning records from major conferences (they're mid-major, but if they can finish in the top five in conference standings they'll most likely be in). This will be the first playoff game of any kind in nearly 15 years, and I wish I could be there for it. My guess is that they'll be matched up in the first round with another of the Big Five Philly schools (or Drexel) and the campus will be rocking. I hope it's rocking. We got a packed house to see them beat St. Joe's my freshman year… and that was the only good thing they did. You kids better do something, even if you hate sports (Drewskitis, I'm looking at you).
I used to wonder if they made a mistake by joining the A-10. They were able to take advantage of the Metro league before that. You see, 15-20 years ago, La Salle was exactly like what Gonzaga is now: a small Catholic school in a forgotten conference that still managed to get national attention and recruits, and play with the big boys. Just as Dan Dickau and Adam Morrison can make player of the year candidacies for Gonzaga, La Salle had consensus player fo the year Lionel Simmons in 1989. When I went there, I couldn't believe that they had such a good program ten years earlier. It seemed like an entirely different school. But now, they're winning a conference that, yes, is having a down year, but has stronger schools in it than it has had in a long time. Charlotte and Richmond, recent additions, have been to the NCAA tourney a lot. Temple and St. Joe's were always tough, and Xavier had probably been the top threat for a couple years. La Salle never finished higher than second to last in their division. Now that they know they can compete in this conference, it's a whole new world. Recruits won't be scared to go there.
I'm disappointed that ESPN and other networks aren't picking up on this more as a feel good story, mostly because it was the fault of the coach and suspicion of players. But, hey, they're giving love to Baylor after what they went through (which was much, much, much worse, but still). Maybe they will get some pub now that they've got a streak going. I know Smith, who was on the list of underrated and mid-major players to watch by many publications, is going to get some accolades. But I'm really proud and really happy for the old school. Wish I could've seen that when I was there. And I wish my spring break didn't come so damn late so I could be at that NIT game. Maybe by some miracle they'll match them up in the first round at one of the numerous Cal State schools, although they usually keep things regional in the first.
Respeck, La Salle. You've earned it.
And the NBA all-star game is coming up soon, so I'll have to devote a whole blog on that too. But later.
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