Around the League
August 30, 2008
With the Olympics ending and the major free agent signing period over with, it’s a boring time of year for NBA fans as we await training camp, but there were a few stories that caught my eye this week:
- Ginobili To Have Surgery - The Spurs did not want Manu to play in the Olympics. He played. He hurt himself. He’s going to be out six weeks after getting surgery done. So should Manu have sat? I don’t think so. If you consider he got hurt on such minimal contact, he was bound to get hurt in the pre-season or early in the regular season so the timing actually works in the Spurs favor. Manu’s not going to miss much game action and the Spurs don’t seem to mind that Tim Duncan doesn’t wake up until March anyways so Manu should be no different. Don’t be surprised to see the Spurs hovering around .500 for a while though.
- Monta Ellis Out 3 Months - Sorry, Warriors, fans. Not a good summer for you. First, Baron Davis bolts for the Clippers of all teams and now your most exciting player is out. At least you got Corey Maggette, though. If he can carry the load for a while and you get some guys to step up, you could still be in playoff contention when Ellis returns.
- Grizzlies Sign Hamed Haddadi - Haddadi will be the first Iranian player in the NBA. He did well in Beijing, but some scouts don’t think he’s ready. The competition in the Iranian league is, well, softer than a marshmallow so we’ll take a wait-and-see approach on this guy. Just don’t expect the next Yao Ming.
Don’t hold your breath, September won’t be much more exciting.
By the way, it’s never to early to sign up for fantasy basketball. Click here to sign up.
Shawn Kemp to Italy?!?
August 17, 2008
Yes, this is happening. I swear I’m not making this up. ESPN just flashed the news and it is official. Shawn Kemp is going to play in Italy. I don’t even know where to begin. Here, we’ve got an overweight 40-year old “former” crackhead and he’s going to be playing professional basketball. Is Italy that desperate for talent? Well, they are probably just marketing the league with this crazy move. Will Kemp even be able to get up and down the floor? Maybe we’ll have the first halfcourt player in Italian basketball history.
What are your thoughts on the Reign Man’s return to pro basketball?
Update: USA Today link
4 NBA Players Obama Should Consider for VP
August 15, 2008
Pretty soon Barack Obama will be announcing his running mate and, from what we hear, he hasn’t made up his mind yet so HoopsAvenue wanted to toss a few NBA names in Obama’s direction. Ball Don’t Lie ran down Obama’s ‘NBA Dream Team’ cabinet 2 months ago and suggested Tim Duncan as Vice President, but we’ve got some other names to throw in the hat:
- Dikembe Mutombo - Mutombo brings a boatload of experience to Obama, which would be a big boost for the senator. Additionally, Mutombo is known to be strong on defense which would appeal to a lot of voters, but his connection with President Bush could be a detriment to the campaign.
- Bruce Bowen - Bowen’s reputation for strong defense makes him a natural choice to be Obama’s VP, but he’s also a very polarizing figure, unpopular in LA, Phoenix, and many other cities around the country, which could cost Obama votes.
- Antawn Jamison - Jamison is experienced, professional, and well-liked. He looks like a perfect choice to be VP, but Obama’s message of change might not resonate if he chooses a Washington-insider like Jamison.
- Dwight Howard - He’s from the southeast, a region where Obama struggles, and is now very popular in the swing-state of Florida, but does Dwight Howard have the experience to be VP? Howard would be a risky pick so maybe he should wait until 2012.
Players Not to Consider
- Gilbert Arenas - His recent blog post where he said, “There’s another reason I don’t vote – I don’t want jury duty. If you’re not registered to vote, you can’t get jury duty. I know that campaign Diddy had a couple years ago, “Vote or Die,” yeah if the alternative is jury duty, I’m going to die. I’m not going to get in one of these cases where they blow the jury members’ houses up to get out of the trial, I’m cool. I’ve seen too many movies,” kinda makes it difficult for him to enter into politics. Plus, he’s busy building a really cool pool.
- Rasheed Wallace - Wallace would definitely resonate with Obama’s message of change, but he’s a bit too outspoken. When his Pistons won the 2004 NBA championship and had to meet President Bush the next year, he said, “”I’m not going to say (expletive) to him. I didn’t vote for him. This is just something we have to do.”
Mo Williams Trade Huge for the Cavs
August 14, 2008
A lot of people didn’t pay much attention to Mo Williams last season and that’s understandable since he was playing in Milwaukee and in the shadow of Michael Redd and even Andrew Bogut, but that is all going to change this season now that he’s in Cleveland. This trade is huge for Cleveland. It’s just what the doctor ordered if that doctor is Lebron James. Mo Williams, in case you had forgotten, brings an average of 17 points and 6 dimes to the Cavs, taking a whole lot of pressure off The King. No more Sasha Pavlovic at point guard, no more Damon Jones pouting on the bench. Larry Hughes couldn’t deliver as Lebron’s sidekick a few years ago, but Mo Williams will.
This puts the Cavs right in the mix in the East. They are serious contenders to the Celtics and Pistons. Given that the Celtics will be a year older and less motivated, the door is wide open for Lebron James. For the first time in his career, he’ll be able to trust that his teammates can get it done when he needs a breather. I’m not ready to call the Cavs the East champions, but I’m getting close.
2008-2009 NBA Schedule Released
August 6, 2008
The 2008-2009 NBA Schedule was released this afternoon and we’ve got it posted for you. Click here for the NBA Schedule.
Here are some games of interest:
- October 28th - The defending champion Celtics begin their title defense against Lebron James and the Cavs.
- October 29th - Not the most exciting way to start a franchise, but Oklahoma City starts their season hosting the Milwaukee Bucks.
- November 5th - Mark your calendars. Gilbert Arenas, who recently blogged, “Because every player hates Milwaukee. Nobody wants to live in Milwaukee. I’m sorry, Milwaukee, to come down hard on you, but no one in the NBA wants to play in Milwaukee,” takes his Wizards to Milwaukee to hear the boos.
- December 25th - The NBA is amping it up this season with five games on Christmas Day, highlighted by a Finals rematch between the Lakers and Celtics. The Wizards and Cavs will renew their rivalry as well.
- December 31st - Elton Brand returns to LA as the Sixers take on the Clippers.
- January 16th - Jermaine O’Neal makes his first trip back to Indiana as a member of the Raptors.
I’ll definitely be watching those games.
NBA Exodus - Is Lebron Leaving for Europe?
August 6, 2008
When I first heard the rumors that the Greek team Olympiakos was going to make a run at Lebron in 2010, I didn’t take it seriously at all. I figured they had no chance at luring James away who makes enough money to feed even Latrell Sprewell’s family here in the USA, but now I’m having second thoughts. ESPN is reporting Lebron would seriously consider leaving if he were offered $50 million per year! He couldn’t even make $20 million a year here (poor soul) given the NBA salary cap so maybe Lebron is thinking about it? I have to admit it’s hard to turn down $50 million…and the opportunity to make history.
According to “sources close to Lebron,” he’d view it as an opportunity to popularize himself overseas and become rich enough to build a statue of himself so large that it can be seen from anywhere on the planet, or even from space. Lebron also would like to see David Stern down on his knees begging him to come back while Jay-Z raps his new hit “The League is Mine.” Ok, I’m getting carried away…
But, seriously, can the Greek team pay that much and would Lebron accept? I don’t know if we have the answer right now (any Euro basketball experts out there?). The fact that this is even a possibility should be a bit troubling to the NBA. We’ve already seen numerous players leave for foreign leagues this year so its clear the NBA is no longer the only business in town. The NBA sees these players as replaceable, and they are right now, but you can only lose so many players before your product begins to decline. A lot of people would claim the league is already watered down and it’s not going to get any better if you’re losing players to other leagues on a regular basis.
The only problem for the NBA here is there ain’t much they can do about it. You either let the free market rule and scrap the salary cap, letting Lebron make $50 million here. But, that’d turn the NBA into MLB and the Knicks would actually be good, meeting the Lakers in the Finals every year. Or, you work with the foreign leagues and add some of their teams to the NBA, creating a logistical nightmare. Neither of those options are any good so the NBA needs to find a middle ground and at least do something. Either that or they can sit on their hands like they did with the referee crisis and risk going the way of the ABA.
So, where will Lebron be in 2010? Cleveland? Brooklyn? Greece?
Amare Stoudemire for Tim Duncan?
August 4, 2008
Ok, calm down, this trade has not happened and probably won’t, but I was thinking the other day about what the Spurs should do to get back to the Finals and I came up with this biggie. While it doesn’t seem to make sense that the Spurs should trade away their franchise player, I’m not sure that Tim Duncan is the best fit in San Antonio anymore (Spurs fans gasp here). He’s been slowing down the last few seasons and plays mostly in the half court making his own shots and kicking it out to perimeter shooters. But, the thing is, neither Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker is a spot up shooter. Brent Barry is gone as well. Bruce Bowen can still knock down shots as can Michael Finley, but they aren’t exactly young either. Maybe it’s time the Spurs make a move for the current and the future, and go all-in with a new, up-tempo style? If Gregg Popovich could accept the trade without having a heart attack, it makes a lot of sense.
The Suns, on the other hand, gave up some young, athletic talent in Shawn Marion to get the lumbering Shaquille O’Neal. Time is not exactly on Shaq’s side and how nice would it be to see him paired with his former nemesis? The Suns didn’t win a title with their up-tempo style and now that Shaq is there and D’antoni is gone, why not give up Amare and transform into a veteran, half-court team? Nash likes to run, but I’m sure he won’t exactly have a problem getting easy buckets for the big men in the halfcourt either. And, Shaq and Duncan still both command double teams so it’s be a shooter’s paradise in Phoenix. Not to mention, Phoenix would have the best interior defense in the league.
I went over to RealGM’s trade checker to see if the deal works and it doesn’t when you make the trade straight-up because of Timmy’s salary, but the Suns would just have to add one more player, perhaps their draft pick Robin Lopez.
So, what do you think? Do you want to see the run-and-gun Spurs vs. the boring Suns next season?
Is Artest the Answer for the Rockets?
July 31, 2008
On paper, the Rockets look like championship contenders, but, then again, this is Tracy McGrady’s Rockets and not Hakeem Olajuwon’s. With the addition of Ron Artest yesterday, the Rockets undoubtedly have one of the best trios in the league. Artest-McGrady-Yao, when healthy, probably only falls behind the Celtics trio of Allen-Garnett-Pierce. The Wizards, Lakers, and Spurs all have decent arguments, but whatever your opinion, the Rockets are going to be right up there. The supporting cast is not bad either with Rafer Alston at the point, and the up-and-coming Luis Scola at power forward. Then, you’ve got a great defender and role player in Shane Battier off the bench. Brent Barry and Luther Head can come in and hit some shots, too.
All the pieces are there and Rick Adelman is a good, experienced coach, but I’m not putting my money on the Rockets to win it all. You’ve got to worry about the fact that T-Mac is probably going to miss a fair chunk of games, same goes with Yao, and then even if they do get to the playoffs healthy, T-Mac has never gotten out of the first round!
No question this is an intriguing move and the Rockets could have a magical season, but Rockets fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
What do you think? Can McGrady finally do it?
Will Kwame Brown Blossom in Detroit?
July 29, 2008
Seven years ago, he was drafted #1 overall straight out of high school. Three teams later, he’s the butt of many NBA jokes, especially in the Washington area. Make no mistake about it, Kwame Brown is not half-bad as far as NBA centers go, but he’s certainly never met even the most modest expectations. Although his scenery has changed several times, it’s always been the same story with Kwame. Just like pre-2004 Red Sox fans, Kwame apologists keep on saying, “just wait, this is gonna be the year.”
After arriving in DC, Wizards fans couldn’t wait to see this athletic 6′11″ big man paired with MJ. It didn’t take long, though, before Kwame was driven out of town by the pressure and his own lack of effort. If you think his stock had hit rock bottom after failing in DC, the Lakers proved that theory wrong by offering up Caron Butler for Brown. It was hoped that playing alongside Kobe, Kwame could flourish in an A-list city where he could just as well be anonymous. But, it didn’t work out in L.A. either. His time there was plagued by injuries and, then, the emergence of Andrew Bynum dimmed any chance he had at the limelight in a Lakers jersey. So, now he’s been in the league over 6 years and done hardly anything…he’s worthless right? Well, not to the Grizzlies who were willing to part with all-star Pau Gasol for Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and some draft picks.
Now, after just half a season in a Grizzlies uniform, Brown is leaving for Detroit. He could have signed with a lot of teams and not raised an eyebrow, but Detroit doesn’t just sign anybody. They try to sign pieces to their championship puzzle. And, when you consider that the Pistons haven’t been able to replace Ben Wallace, maybe they are looking at Kwame to fulfill this role? Like Brown, Wallace struggled early in his career in Washington, and was uncoveted when he arrived in Detroit. The two have similar physiques (although Kwame is a bit taller) as well. Kwame’s strength’s are his defense and rebounding, which is all they are going to ask him to do in Detroit. He won’t need to touch the ball on offense and he’s surrounded by veterans with a ring on their fingers who lead by example rather than words. Kwame’s not going to have anybody screaming at him in the Motor City. They’d just bury him at the end of the bench if he doesn’t want to play. At 26 years old, Kwame still has time to become a high caliber player, and maybe, just maybe, he’s finally landed in the right situation.
Comparing the NBA and MLB All Star Games
July 16, 2008
With the MLB All-Star Game having taken place last night, I thought it would be a good time to compare it to the NBA’s All-Star Game and the All-Star festivities in general. Being a huge NBA fan, it’s hard to look at this objectively, but let’s do our best to compare the two:
MLB All-Star Futures Game vs. NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game
Advantage: MLB. This game is a dream come true for hardcore MLB fans as they get a chance to see their team’s heralded minor league prospects, imagining them leading their team to a World Series one day. Minor leaguers are generally players that you’ve heard about, but never actually seen, giving them a mysterious quality which is unveiled in the Futures game. The NBA, without a developed farm system, doesn’t have this option. Instead, it produces an entertaining game usually with some good highlights and dunks, but these are all players we’ve seen during the season so we mostly tune in to see the highlights. It’s interesting to see who plays well and there is a good, healthy competition for the MVP award sometimes, but the game doesn’t quite have the intrigue of the MLB game.
MLB Home Run Derby vs. NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Advantage: NBA. This was a tough one. Both contests are very exciting and had fallen on hard times earlier in the decade, baseball with its steroid issues and the dunk contest with its lack of originality. The major advantage the NBA has here is the creativity element of the dunk contest. Both contests have the awe factor (whether its the awing power or hops), but the dunk contest allows, and actually requires, you combine that ability with creativity. You’re always wondering, “what’s he gonna do? what’s he gonna do?” before a player does his dunk. The home run derby is nice when you’ve got 1, or preferably 2, players putting up big numbers, but I’ll take the dunk contest.
MLB All-Star Game vs. NBA All-Star Game
Advantage: NBA. This is where being a huge NBA fan really shows its bias, but I think if you compare the NBA All-Star Game to an NBA regular season game, and do the same for baseball, the NBA has the more amped up event. The MLB All-Star game basically needs a close game for it to have much excitement. You might see some nice home runs or fielding plays, but not nearly the volume of highlights you’ll see in an NBA All-Star Game. I basically don’t want to take my eyes off the NBA game because you might miss a spectacular dunk, pass, etc. One advantage the MLB game does have though is that it now has more meaning to it now with the World Series home advantage. I wouldn’t say players don’t care at all about winning the NBA game, but let’s just say winning MVP is probably just a bit more important.
Overall
Advantage: NBA. So, taking 2 out of 3, the NBA gets the nod as having the better All-Star game. Of course those aren’t all the events. To make it a fair comparison, I had to leave out the 3-point shootout and Skills challenge so the NBA would probably win by an even wider margin. We could probably do without the Shooting Stars competition, but the NBA is doing pretty good when it comes to All-Star weekend. MLB isn’t doing bad either, certainly a lot better than the NFL’s Pro Bowl (does anybody watch?)
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