I saw Larry Hughes and Chris Mihm at the LAX airport today. They're tall.
(.... although I didn't think Mihm was a true 7 footer. But I'm bad at judging age, height, and such. I would fail miserably at that carnival game where you guess things.)
(And I guess they had nothing to do during the all star break, i.e. actually going to the game. But I don't blame them.... this weekend could be crazy. Hell, they could probably go to the worst parts of Mexico and still be safer and cleaner than in Vegas. Cabo is a nice bet.)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
RETRO: proposed trades in 2007
Normally, I would have a whole mid season NBA report ready. It's always nice to examine things during the all-star break. But with the trade deadline just 10 days away, and with me being away during the weekend, I'm holding off until I know for certain where teams are headed.But I will give you the teams that have surprised me, good and bad:
BETTER THAN I THOUGHT
Magic (but falling), Jazz, Lakers, Wizards, Bulls, Raptors, Blazers
DISAPPOINTING
Sixers, Sixers, Sixers, Nets, Clippers (but starting to do okay), Hornets (same), Celtics
Honestly, if the Sixers don't get one of the top two spots in the draft, they might be the most disappointing team in pro sports in the past decade.I'll wait until trades are finalized, but here are some trades that need to happen:
CLIPPERS trade
Corey Magette, Daniel Ewing, and Yaroslav Koralev to
PACERS for
Mike Dunleavy, David Harrison, Oriene Greene
The Clips need to move Magette and they need shooting. If Dunleavy can accept playing for his own dad, he'll give them that. Magette gives Indiana more athleticism at the two and a scorer who can help Jermaine O'Neal. Harrison and Ewing add depth to each team.
CAVS trade Damon Jones and Shannon Brown to PISTONS
PISTONS trade Nazr Mohammed to TIMBERWOLVES
TIMBERWOLVES trade Mike James to CAVS
This is a thee-way deal that would help every team and player. Jones and Brown add shooting and depth to the Pistons. Mohammed is unhappy in Detroit, but the Wolves would give him minutes (you can't go with Mark Blount all year). James, who's not living up to his contract, needs to go to make room for Randy Foye. He'll be the shooting point Cleveland wants.
GRIZZLIES trade Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal to
BULLS for Tyrus Thomas, Loul Deng, P.J. Brown, and a draft pick
---OR---
GRIZZLIES trade Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal to
CELTICS for Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and a draft pick
The Grizz can trade Gasol, rebuild, and get some good prospects in the exchange. Either trade would help them and help the other teams. The question is if the Celtics want to keep sucking and get in the lottery, or start winning again now. It's a tough choice, as they gamble with a lottery while Gasol is a proven scorer down low. I think the Bulls' offer makes sense, and would make them possibly the best team in the East, but I'm holding out hope for the Celtics, because that improves them immediately and gives the Sixers a better shot of being the worst team.
KNICKS trade Steve Francis and Mardy Collins to
LAKERS for Brian Cook, Aaron McKie, Smush Parker, and a draft pick
This seems one-sided, but the Knicks need to get rid of Stevie Franchise any way they can, and the Lakers want another big-time guard to help Kobe. Francis might just fit in their system, and Collins is a big point who can't get time. The Knicks get cap relief by dumping Francis and picking up McKie, and Cook and Parker give them a little depth.
Also, the Blazers can unload Jamaal Magliorre for something, and the Bobcats can do the same for Brevin Knight. They should get draft picks out of contenders that need them.
I've been hearing rumors that New Jersey and Sacramento are ready to give up and start trading away everyone. Sacramento may have a point - if they can't win with Artest and Bibby playing well, Kevin Martin stepping it up, and a decent collection of post guys, there's not much more they can do. New Jersey, though, might want to rethink this. They've been disappointing, but that's because they have a lot of injuries. A key addition or two plus some health and they're a contender in this wide-open Eastern race.
BETTER THAN I THOUGHT
Magic (but falling), Jazz, Lakers, Wizards, Bulls, Raptors, Blazers
DISAPPOINTING
Sixers, Sixers, Sixers, Nets, Clippers (but starting to do okay), Hornets (same), Celtics
Honestly, if the Sixers don't get one of the top two spots in the draft, they might be the most disappointing team in pro sports in the past decade.I'll wait until trades are finalized, but here are some trades that need to happen:
CLIPPERS trade
Corey Magette, Daniel Ewing, and Yaroslav Koralev to
PACERS for
Mike Dunleavy, David Harrison, Oriene Greene
The Clips need to move Magette and they need shooting. If Dunleavy can accept playing for his own dad, he'll give them that. Magette gives Indiana more athleticism at the two and a scorer who can help Jermaine O'Neal. Harrison and Ewing add depth to each team.
CAVS trade Damon Jones and Shannon Brown to PISTONS
PISTONS trade Nazr Mohammed to TIMBERWOLVES
TIMBERWOLVES trade Mike James to CAVS
This is a thee-way deal that would help every team and player. Jones and Brown add shooting and depth to the Pistons. Mohammed is unhappy in Detroit, but the Wolves would give him minutes (you can't go with Mark Blount all year). James, who's not living up to his contract, needs to go to make room for Randy Foye. He'll be the shooting point Cleveland wants.
GRIZZLIES trade Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal to
BULLS for Tyrus Thomas, Loul Deng, P.J. Brown, and a draft pick
---OR---
GRIZZLIES trade Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal to
CELTICS for Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and a draft pick
The Grizz can trade Gasol, rebuild, and get some good prospects in the exchange. Either trade would help them and help the other teams. The question is if the Celtics want to keep sucking and get in the lottery, or start winning again now. It's a tough choice, as they gamble with a lottery while Gasol is a proven scorer down low. I think the Bulls' offer makes sense, and would make them possibly the best team in the East, but I'm holding out hope for the Celtics, because that improves them immediately and gives the Sixers a better shot of being the worst team.
KNICKS trade Steve Francis and Mardy Collins to
LAKERS for Brian Cook, Aaron McKie, Smush Parker, and a draft pick
This seems one-sided, but the Knicks need to get rid of Stevie Franchise any way they can, and the Lakers want another big-time guard to help Kobe. Francis might just fit in their system, and Collins is a big point who can't get time. The Knicks get cap relief by dumping Francis and picking up McKie, and Cook and Parker give them a little depth.
Also, the Blazers can unload Jamaal Magliorre for something, and the Bobcats can do the same for Brevin Knight. They should get draft picks out of contenders that need them.
I've been hearing rumors that New Jersey and Sacramento are ready to give up and start trading away everyone. Sacramento may have a point - if they can't win with Artest and Bibby playing well, Kevin Martin stepping it up, and a decent collection of post guys, there's not much more they can do. New Jersey, though, might want to rethink this. They've been disappointing, but that's because they have a lot of injuries. A key addition or two plus some health and they're a contender in this wide-open Eastern race.
Friday, February 2, 2007
RETRO: all star picks for '07
I know, again, that no one reading this probably cares, but I have my own selections for the NBA All-Star game in Vegas. I think the starters were all deserving, so that's nice. I hate to see the fans pick VINCE someone CARTER who hasn't really VINCECARTER! been playing that well, or that much. Shaq actually falls into that category now, but then, he did win the title, he's fun to watch at these events, and there aren't any great big men in the East who will be denied spots because of him. And who knows if he'll even play.
WEST:
Starters (determined by fan voting): Kobe, McGrady, Duncan, Yao (out), Garnett
Definites: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Carlos Boozer (likely out), Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson
Injury Replacements and Wild Cards: Elton Brand, Zach Randolph, Baron Davis
Just Missed Out: Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Amare Stoudemire, Josh Howard
The first five or six of these were easy, but the last couple spots were tough. It helps that Boozer, a sure pick, is going to be out. I think both Carmelo and AI deserve to be there - their numbers are just too much to ignore, despite the fact that neither has played a whole lot in Denver. I'll go with Brand and Randolph as my injury replacements. The Clippers are getting better and he's holding them together despite constant trade rumors. Randolph has been great coming back, and even though his team sucks, they're better than I thought. Davis wins the last spot by a slim margin over Ray, because the Warriors still have a playoff shot and he's upped his assists. They're both gunners, so it's tough to decide. But Ray missed a few games, and his team is crap, so that seals it. Stoudemire has made an amazing comeback, but he's still inconsistent. Hard to fit him in with Nash and Marion. Parker and Howard are the second best players on great teams, but it's not quite enough individually.
UPDATE: The coaches saw differently. Parker's good... Carmelo should be in... Stoudemire? Meh.
EAST:
Starters: Shaq (maybe out), Wade, Arenas, LeBron, Bosh
Definites: Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal
I guess: Vince Carter, Michael Redd, Jason Kidd, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon
Very close: Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce (would be a shoe-in if he wasn't hurt)
This was tough because there aren't any guarantees, except for Howard and Jermaine, because they're keeping teams in playoff races by themselves. Carter, Redd, Hamilton, Johnson, and Gordon are all scorers who don't do much else. Kidd doesn't score, but he's been amazing in every other category this year. Butler and Jamison have nearly identical numbers for the Wizards, who are good enough to warrant maybe two stars but not three. They'll split votes. Billups, Pierce, and Redd have also missed time with injuries.I decided to take both Carter (as much as I hate him - he made like three of these he never deserved to) and Kidd for having such good individual seasons, even though the Nets are disappointing. They're coming on a little bit now, and they don't have any post players to help out. Hamilton carried the Pistons with Billups missing time and 'Sheed sucking it up. Gordon is the only offensive creator on a team full of defenders. Their teams are doing too well to ignore. Pierce's great season ended too early, and now the Celtics are awful. Hopefully not as awful as the Sixers.
Redd gets the last spot by a hair over Joey Jo-Jo. His big scoring is too much to ignore, and while he's been hurt, and his team is falling, they were doing well when he was playing. He's one of the most valuable players in the conference. Johnson is scoring but isn't doing as much of the other things as the Hawks expected of him... and they still suck. It's not fair that Butler and Jamison are in the same position. If they were on separate teams, they might both make it. For stepping up, I think Butler has the advantage. He should be the injury pick if Shaq sits. If anyone else sits, it goes to Johnson. And if Vince doesn't make it, I will shed no tears (but he is playing great now).
UPDATE: Surprised to see Chauncey, but I have no major quarrels with their picks.
[And yes, that means I would pick the Heat, Nets, and Nuggets to have two players, despite their mediocrity, while the mighty Spurs and Mavs have just one each. It's not fair, but All Star games are never an exact science. By the way, I like the rosters for the rookie-sophomore challenge, and I have no idea if there will be a dunk contest, but even if no one important shows up, it can be fun. Maybe Iggy can come back and they'll just give it to him for being robbed last year.]
WEST:
Starters (determined by fan voting): Kobe, McGrady, Duncan, Yao (out), Garnett
Definites: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Carlos Boozer (likely out), Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson
Injury Replacements and Wild Cards: Elton Brand, Zach Randolph, Baron Davis
Just Missed Out: Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Amare Stoudemire, Josh Howard
The first five or six of these were easy, but the last couple spots were tough. It helps that Boozer, a sure pick, is going to be out. I think both Carmelo and AI deserve to be there - their numbers are just too much to ignore, despite the fact that neither has played a whole lot in Denver. I'll go with Brand and Randolph as my injury replacements. The Clippers are getting better and he's holding them together despite constant trade rumors. Randolph has been great coming back, and even though his team sucks, they're better than I thought. Davis wins the last spot by a slim margin over Ray, because the Warriors still have a playoff shot and he's upped his assists. They're both gunners, so it's tough to decide. But Ray missed a few games, and his team is crap, so that seals it. Stoudemire has made an amazing comeback, but he's still inconsistent. Hard to fit him in with Nash and Marion. Parker and Howard are the second best players on great teams, but it's not quite enough individually.
UPDATE: The coaches saw differently. Parker's good... Carmelo should be in... Stoudemire? Meh.
EAST:
Starters: Shaq (maybe out), Wade, Arenas, LeBron, Bosh
Definites: Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal
I guess: Vince Carter, Michael Redd, Jason Kidd, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon
Very close: Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce (would be a shoe-in if he wasn't hurt)
This was tough because there aren't any guarantees, except for Howard and Jermaine, because they're keeping teams in playoff races by themselves. Carter, Redd, Hamilton, Johnson, and Gordon are all scorers who don't do much else. Kidd doesn't score, but he's been amazing in every other category this year. Butler and Jamison have nearly identical numbers for the Wizards, who are good enough to warrant maybe two stars but not three. They'll split votes. Billups, Pierce, and Redd have also missed time with injuries.I decided to take both Carter (as much as I hate him - he made like three of these he never deserved to) and Kidd for having such good individual seasons, even though the Nets are disappointing. They're coming on a little bit now, and they don't have any post players to help out. Hamilton carried the Pistons with Billups missing time and 'Sheed sucking it up. Gordon is the only offensive creator on a team full of defenders. Their teams are doing too well to ignore. Pierce's great season ended too early, and now the Celtics are awful. Hopefully not as awful as the Sixers.
Redd gets the last spot by a hair over Joey Jo-Jo. His big scoring is too much to ignore, and while he's been hurt, and his team is falling, they were doing well when he was playing. He's one of the most valuable players in the conference. Johnson is scoring but isn't doing as much of the other things as the Hawks expected of him... and they still suck. It's not fair that Butler and Jamison are in the same position. If they were on separate teams, they might both make it. For stepping up, I think Butler has the advantage. He should be the injury pick if Shaq sits. If anyone else sits, it goes to Johnson. And if Vince doesn't make it, I will shed no tears (but he is playing great now).
UPDATE: Surprised to see Chauncey, but I have no major quarrels with their picks.
[And yes, that means I would pick the Heat, Nets, and Nuggets to have two players, despite their mediocrity, while the mighty Spurs and Mavs have just one each. It's not fair, but All Star games are never an exact science. By the way, I like the rosters for the rookie-sophomore challenge, and I have no idea if there will be a dunk contest, but even if no one important shows up, it can be fun. Maybe Iggy can come back and they'll just give it to him for being robbed last year.]
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