The Association

Grading Trades and Acquisitions... So Far

By Craig Kwasniewski

 
Why bother wasting time talking about the impacts of all the summer trades and free agent signings? After all LeBron, Wade and especially Bosh are all mortal locks for the next 6 NBA championships, a World Cup title in 2014, finding the cure for AIDS and solving the "Is the Hills real or not?" crises. There's no competition these three guys will win EVERYTHING. Pack it up fellas, you're either with the Heat or against mankind.

Okay let's keep the defense honest and pretend that there's actually a season to be played and actual competition out there. One week into the free agent signing period, here are my thoughts so far:

Drew Gooden and John Salmons signing 5-year contracts with Milwaukee: One guy's been on nine teams in nine years, the other is a ballhog. N-I-N-E! Maybe Drew's a great guy and maybe he finally gets it, but something tells me that if he's anything decent one of the other eight (E-I-G-H-T) teams would have kept him. John Salmons is your prototypical ball stopper. Yes he had a good run in the 2009 playoff with Chicago, but he wasn't good enough to stick around. People suddenly made Milwaukee an instant contender. Why? And why five years for these guys? F-I-V-E! Who's else wants them for even two? Grade: D

Steve Blake signs with the Lakers: Three words: I LOVE IT! The money's good at $16 mil over four years, he's a good defender, a good spot-up shooter (perfect for the Triangle) and a willing learner (he said he's coming off the bench behind Fisher). The Lakers were chasing several mid-level point guards and landed their number one option. His age is the only downfall but Jerry Buss is going all in on the Kobe Bryant era so why not. Grade: A

Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes & Brian Cook sign with the Clippers: First off, I like Gomes.  He has a decent baseline jumper and plays hard every night.  Foye?  Ehhhh... DC took a chance on him after being a bust in Miny and he really hasn't panned out.  His claim to fame is NOT being Brandon Roy.  But as a backup not much will be expected and maybe he'll fit.  BUT... Brian Cook for two years?  T-W-O???  What the hell?  This guy shouldn't be in the league and really he wouldn't be if the Clippers didn't sign him.  But why the two years? Who else is offering more than a 10-day contract?  Grade: F (sorry but the stink of Brian Cook knocks a B- down to a solid F... HE SUCKS!)

Golden State trades for David Lee:  Turiaf, Randolph and Azubuike for Lee? The blogosphere LOVES Randolph! I keep hearing (for what feels like decades) that he's a sick talent waiting to break out. To me, the Dubs (BTW - are they still that? can you really have a cool nickname if your team is annually back in lottery-land?) gave up very little to get what is a slightly upgraded version of Andris Biedrins, an active offense-first C/F. He'll fit Nellie's No Defense, No Problem system perfectly and put up some sick offensive numbers. It's just that Golden State won't stop anyone on D.... EVER. Grade: B

Jermaine O'Neal signs with the Celtics:  Make no mistake, this is a great deal for the Celtics! (And yes, I was just looking to utter my second most favorite ex-athlete-on-TV cliches.)  People are knocking O'Neal's playoff numbers against the C's this year, but they're not acquiring him to put up #2 or #3 option numbers.  His job is to fill in for Perkins until he returns and then play 10 to 15 minutes as the first C/F off the bench.  Plus, the hope is that one last shot at a title and KG's leadership will be enough to motivate the guy.  Mix this deal with Ray Allen returning and IN MY OPINION the Celtics are still the top team in the east.  I know that's just crazy to think the defending Eastern Conference Champions actually have a shot despite having veteran leadership, a great defense, team chemistry and quality size up front.  I feel guilty for actually thinking they're better than the Heat, should I go into hiding like Salmon Rushdie?  Grade: A-

Phoenix trades for Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick: Lose Amar'e to free agency and get back LENGTH.  Not a bad deal for a team that lost their marquee players for absolutely nothing. Wait, who knocked out the Suns in the playoffs?  The taller and longer Lakers.  So the Suns counter with length and handles.  Hedu has something to prove after the Toronto disaster and with Nash and co. he'll get a lot of healthy looks.  Childress was a little overrated this summer, the Suns basically got Joe Smith 2.0.  Still that's not a bad thing with this system.  The best part about Hakim Warrick will be listening to Lakers PA guy Lawrence Tanter botch his name.  Warrick is his albatross... It's unfair to compare these guys directly to Stat's impact in 2009-10, given the situation I think the Suns did a hell of a job here. Grade: B+

Dallas extends Brendan Haywood and trades for Tyson Chandler:  I see what Dallas is doing here and it may work, but in reality they're probably going to end up like the 2000 Portland Trailblazers.  They went for height to counter the Lakers but in the end they may have too many players to choose from.  Kidd, Terry, Haywood, Chandler, Marion, Butler and Nowitzki... that's a talented top 7 but can Carlisle find the right rotation?  He didn't last spring and they fell to the Spurs in the first round.  Still, I like the effort by the Mavs and can't fault them for what I think might happen.  Grade: B

Al Jefferson to the Jazz:  Here's another blogoshpere favorite.  The Jazz did what they needed to do, find a replacement for Boozer and continue on with the 50+ wins and second round elimination gameplan (which actually isn't bad for a small market team).  Jefferson is a slight upgrade but not as dramatic an improvement as others claim.  His overall winning percentage is LOW, he's injury prone and his defense is suspect.  The low winning percentage is one that I can't let go.  If he's as good as people claim, shouldn't he have some kind of impact on the overall team record?  Is he possibly one of those good-guy-on-a-bad-team type of players?  Anyway, Utah did EXACTLY what they needed to do and for that... Grade: A-

Bulls sign Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver: As of now, rumors are the Magic will match the offer sheet to JJ Redick, so we're only talking about the ex-Jazz guys. The Bulls were shooting for LeBron or Wade and ended up with Boozer.  Funny how the joke was that the Knicks would probably end up with Rudy Gay and Boozer after missing out on LeBron. Now that the Bulls got Boozer, people forgot the joke and instantly made them a top 3 contender in the east. You gotta love July hype!  I do think Boozer is a good signing and as long as he's not facing the Lakers he'll be fine.  His health has been a concern the past few years, but maybe playing in the #3 market with a strong up-and-coming team will keep him on the floor.  Redick would have been a better signing than Korver, who's clearly lost a step last year, but it never hurts to get a few quality outside shooters.  Plus the REAL key acquisition for the Bulls was Tom Thibodeau.  Grade: B-

Jordan Farmar to the Nets:  Farmar asked for a starting role with an offence that caters to his talents. Instead he gets to back up Devin Harris for the Clippers East who just hired NBA retread Billy King as their GM.  Have fun big guy! Two years ago the Lakers basically structured their roster for Farmar to take over and start after the 2010 season.  Fisher's contract was expiring, Farmar needed an extension... the keys to a fine tuned Lamborghini were his. Instead he regressed and both parties went their own ways. Sad... Grade: D

Amar'e Stoudemire to the Knicks:  Quite simply the NBA is a better league with the Knicks as playoff contenders.  It's basketball mecca... nuff said.  Mix in all the other pieces from the David Lee trade and the Raymond Felton signing and you might have enough for a playoff run.  If anything Amar'e has created a buzz not felt since the Ewing era (they sold out season tickets for the 2010-11 season).  God I hope the Isiah Thomas rumors are just BS, because there's actually hope for the Knicks, not band aid work with a bunch of overrated veterans but actual hope with potential down the rode hope.  Grade A-

Did I miss anything?

LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Miller and Ilgauskus to the Heat:  Message to the blogosphere:  can't you just let things organically happen?  Seriously... as soon as this deal went down all you talked about were multiple titles and legacy.  Sprinkle in the anti-hate "unique" point of view (which wasn't unique at all)... you know, the whole, hey LeBron is NOT a bad guy here and I'm tired of the hate (BTW - all two hours of hate, because HOW DARE WE actually criticize THE KING!!!!) angle and I'm already tired of reading about this deal.  Can't we just enjoy the experience before calling them the greatest ever?  As Phil Jackson has always said, it's all about the journey not the destination.  Before handing over the next 25 NBA titles, let's enjoy watching this team grow together,  work together through tough situations and experience two superstars combining for one cause.

That said, Bosh is an All-Star not a superstar, Miller is on the downside of his career and Ilgauskus averaged less that 2 points and 2 rebounds in the 2010 playoffs.  (That was the most disturbing thing of them all, Z was brought back to the Cavs after the Jamison trade as a final piece to an eventual NBA title.  He was lost and didn't contribute a damn thing.  So how is it now literally months later, he's back to becoming an All-Star?) There's still work to do roster-wise and even though everyone not named LeBron or Wade will get clean looks, they still have to ALL play defense. And they still have to get by the Celtics and Lakers.  People completely forgot the concept of veteran experience, defensive continuity, team chemistry and in the case of both the Lakers and Celtics, quality size.  You gotta stop KG, Perkins, Bynum, Gasol and Odom... and that won't happen in 2010.  Grade A+ but they're not winning a title next year!

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Could A Storybook Ending Motivate Phil Jackson for One More Year?

By Craig Kwasniewski
We all agree that the greatest non-ending of a professional career was Jordan's game winner over Utah in the '98 Finals. The follow-thru, the crowd with "OH NO!!!" looks on their faces... the championship. Simply the perfect ending... if only the DC years didn't exist. 

So what's the perfect ending to a coaching legend that has literally done it all? Phil Jackson has 11 titles, is the franchise leader in coaching titles for TWO franchises, is the only coach to ever take two franchises to threepeats, has finally won one over the storied Boston Celtics and has finally cliched a title in a Game 7. Except for a shot an an unprecedented quad threepeat, seriously what's left for Phil Jackson to do?

Maybe win title number 12 over LeBron and the Chicago Bulls? 

Look, if the rumors are true and LeBron James and Chris Bosh are headed to Chicago (and it's a big if because NOBODY knows where LeBron is headed), with that talent and coaching the Bulls become the odds on favorite to win the East. And if LA re-signs Fisher and finds a suitable back-up point guard the Lakers are the favorites to win the West. What better way to end a magnificent career than to lead Kobe and the Lakers over LeBron James your former team? The series alone finally signifies a passing (or denial) of the torch to the next generation. And anyone who's read about or knows Phil Jackson understands his competitive fire. Beneath the many layers of Zen Buddha is a will to win just like all the other greats. He just hides it better that most... but he still wants to win just as much as Jordan, Kobe, Bird, Magic, Riley, Daly, Auerbach, etc. 

(Plus let's be honest here, I'm absolutely dreading the prospect of Byron Scott taking the reins of the defending champs. They're too good to be driven into the ground by a twice fired, in-way-over-his-head, one-dimensional coach. I'm looking for any angle here... Phil has to stay, he just does. If not for himself, for me dammit!) 

Anyway, the chance is there for the rare perfect ending for a coach that has done it all. Ride towards Montana with a title in hand after vanquishing LeBron and the Bulls... 

PERFECT!

Ring number 13 against Chicago would be nice! 

Thanks to the NBA for Rendering the Rookie Game Pointless

By Craig Kwasniewski

Hey thanks for letting Derrick Rose out of the Rookie Game. No seriously, thanks for allowing a 21-year old to rest up on a Friday of All-Star Weekend instead of playing all of two exhibition games and a dribble contest over a span of three days. Gosh, I had no idea the amount of physical stress playing over All-Star Weekend is on a well-conditioned professional athlete. Hey thanks for confirming what most people already knew: The Rookie Game is pointless!

Here's my problem with that... I bought tickets to your damn Rookie Game!!!

Yep, in a bad economy not everyone is able to bankroll the $500 to see All-Star Saturday Night or $1,000 for good seats for the All-Star Game on Sunday. Some of us just want to catch what they can afford over All-Star Weekend and the Rookie Game at $35 per seat was just that event.

Last year I praised the NBA for coming up with so many affordable alternative (BTW - not "alternative" as in Prop. 8 "alternative" but alternative as in not as expensive) events. I was able to catch the Rookie Game on Friday night for $35 and the All-Star Practice the next morning for $55. Not bad if you just want to get a feel for the whole All-Star experience. I thought it was genius that the NBA was able to create so many events to allow fans to capture the essence of All-Star Weekend.

Now... well now, I'm a tad pissed off. I'm making a cost-effective (read: using mileage for a free flight from LA) trip to Big D for All-Star Weekend. I spent a grand total of $100 on tickets to the Celebrity Game, All-Star Practice and the Rookie Game... not a bad deal at all.  Just like last season, it's all about catching a feel for the whole All-Star experience.  Sure it's not the big boy events, but on a scale of 1 to 10, I still totaled a *10*...just two 3's and a 4.  But instead of getting a chance to see Rose, a superstar in the making I get Anthony Morrow and a reminder of something that I already knew in the back of my mind... that the Rookie Game is pointless.

Yao did it in 2004 - Letting Rose skip out is completely breaking precedent.  Yao Ming in 2004 played in both the Rookie Game (6 points & 5 boards in 15 minutes) and the All Star Game (16 points & 4 boards in 18 minutes) the same weekend.  Maybe Rockets fans can blame all of his countless injuries on that grueling 33 minutes over 3 days... and who wouldn't?  It's a freakin' exhibition weekend for the true NBA fans... Rose should play on Friday!

Celebrity Game Horror - I'm already regretting the money I spent on the "Celebrity" Game.  FOUR Globetrotters, Nancy Lieberman... Chris Tucker???  We're really using the term Celebrity loosely here.  Seriously, for the right price, and I'm talking $100 cash, they'll show up to your kid's Bar Mitzvah even if you're not Jewish.  You mean they couldn't find a random Dallas Cowboy to slowly dribble the ball up court?  Danny White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman... Michael Irvin, none of these guys were willing show up?  Money NOT well spent!

A Look Back at the Playoff Preseason (First Round) - Eastern Conference

By Craig Kwasniewski 

Three weekends later and the first round is finally over.... finally! 

Remember the times when the first round was 5 games and was over by April 25th? Remember when the second round started as soon as the opponents were set?  Remember the excitement of 2 or 3 games a day no matter what with practically every game having some sort of meaning? Take away the ultra competitive Bulls - Celtics series and we were left with a bunch of yawners in the first round. I know the NBA will never reduce playoff games, but the first round looks more like a playoff preseason, even finishing behind the NHL in excitement. And the NBA should NEVER take a back seat to playoff hockey!!! 

Anyway, let's take a quick look back at all eight series in the newly christened Playoff Preseason: 

Cleveland beats Detroit 4-0: YAWN! (And that was from Piston fans who didn't sell their seats to Cavs fans.) If we're claiming the Bulls-Celtics series one of the greatest ever... ever...ever (echo-echo-echo) and making lists proclaiming it as such then let's to a list of the worst ever call this what it was: an abortion! Basically this was the worst playoff series since the Celtics-Pacers in 2004.  

The Pistons gave up on the season way back in November when Joe Dumars hired Michael "I'm afraid to stand up to my veterans" Curry and shipped their leader, their heart and their soul in Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson's expiring contract. You gotta hand it to Joe Dumars, he not only killed one of the most successful teams in professional sports but he also ripped the heart out of Iverson and offered it to Kali Ma like that dude in Temple of Doom. The end result is collision of a team on a mission against a team mailing it in. I'm guessing Stern didn't consider this when expanding the Playoff Preseason to 7 games.  

Orlando beats Philadelphia 4-2: If these teams actually had fans this might have been a little more exciting. Instead the only entertainment factor was watching the TNT crew rip the Magic apart for their offense, their coach, their star players, their role players, their fans, their city... everything. When did the Orlando Magic become the Terrell Owens of the NBA? I get that their offense is bland and uninspiring and that Dwight Howard is not yet at the level of playoff superhero but take it easy fellas. The Magic CLEARLY aren't in the same category of the Lakers, Cavs or Celtics but just a level below with Denver (thanks to their GM Joe Dumars).  I feel they're headed in the right direction. I just think Orlando like NOLA last year benefited playing the role of upstart team and stole a few W's here and there (hello Lakers!). We'll see what happens next year when they play all season with a HUGE target on their back. 

Atlanta beats Miami 4-3: Again since we're now all about absolutes, is this the worst 7-game series ever? The closest game was 10 points! Even worse, those loud 4-letter bombs you hear are coming from the ABC and TNT offices after missing out on the ratings winfall of LeBron vs. Wade. How did David Stern let this pass? The 2006 Stern would give Wade 30 to 40 freethows, the 2006 Stern would have fouled out Mike Bibby AND Joe Johnson, the 2006 Stern would have had Joe Crawford give the Hawks three tech's... oh he did?... well it least he got that right.  The 2006 Stern would have found a way to make LeBron vs. Wade happen.    

Anyway, the only other thing I got from this series is Mike Woodson's "who just farted?" face. Call me crazy but if your coach looks confused, panicked and annoyed AT THE SAME TIME... well I'm not feeling too confident unless I have a ghost writer coach like Tom Thibodeau.

Boston beats Chicago 4-3:  The greatest series ever!  The greatest clutch-ness ever!  The greatest fans ever!  The greatest coaching ever!  (SCREEECH-CRASH!!!)

Okay stop right there!  This definitely was one of the most competitive series ever.  Five of the seven games went down to the last possession with each team showing extreme cantaloupe-sized balls.  But let's take a pause before rating this as the greatest ever.  As the TNT crew said, this series was close because of parity.  If Boston had KG this goes maybe 5 and we're all talking about how boring the 2009 Playoff Preseason was.   If Chicago had a head coach they win in 5 (seriously, how many times will Ray Allen be single-guarded with the C's down three?  And how many games did Del Negro lose because he ran out of TO's?).  If Derrick Rose actually knew how to play defense the Bulls win in 6.  If Paul Pierce wasn't so run down from carrying the Celtics to 60 wins, the Celtics win in 5.  But none of that happened and instead we witnessed easily the most competitive in the Playoff Preseason since the league expanded to 7 games.  But to call it the best playoff series ever is absolutely insane. 

The best ever are filled with drama, with stars, with destiny and a feeling of importance.  Take the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals between Celtics-76ers, you have the drama (five games decided by 2 or less), the stars (Dr. J near the end of his prime and Bird coming into his own) and you have the importance (playing for a Finals appearance).  Remember last year's Suns-Spurs Game 1?  At the time people were calling it the greatest playoff game ever, basically erasing 60 plus years of NBA history along the way.  But in the end the series fizzled in 5 with neither team having any relevance in the NBA title hunt last year.  Now Game 1 is just a 30 second commercial and nothing else. 

Let's see how Boston does for the rest of the playoffs before we rank this series in history.  If they somehow find a way to compete with Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals then we're talking a heroic effort along the likes of the 1987 Celtics, who fought tooth, nail and broken ankles through to the NBA Finals.  BTW - one of my favorite teams in NBA history and a true lesson on how to properly defend a title (2006 Miami Heat I'm talking to you!).  However, if they get bounced easily by Orlando, then the Bull-Celtics series will be easily replaced by whatever close 7-game series happens next year.  

One final note about this series:  Rondo was great, but not THAT great.  What I'm sayin' is that he's put together some very impressive numbers against ZERO defense.  The Bulls focused on shutting down Paul Pierce and sagged far away from Rondo, giving him a slew of WIDE OPEN jumpers.  Also, early in the series Derrick Rose played matador defense and leaked out for fastbreak opportunities.  We heard Doc Rivers pointing that out during a timeout and Rondo took advantage to the tune of a near triple-double average.  Before we start comparing Rondo to Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson or even Chris Paul let's see what he does with defenses actually focused on him.  But WIDE OPEN is still WIDE OPEN and Rondo made the Bulls pay for not defending him one iota... so I guess he's got that going for him. 

One more final note:  Will Boston drop a banner and throw a parade for eliminating a 7-seed at home?

Monday Morning Point Guard

By Craig Kwasniewski 

March Madness eat your heart out! One weekend down and there were several upsets, a few stinkers and a couple expected results. As much as I love the whole one and done March Madness thing, you don't get the physical play, the adjustments and strategy that a 7-game series offers. Here are a few thoughts with one game down in each series: 

Boston vs. Chicago - Is there room on the Derrick Rose bandwagon? The Bulls were the one team I regret not seeing in person this year. Anyone with an eye for hoops can appreciate the full range this rookie brings to the Bulls but what I didn't notice until Saturday is Rose's quick and explosive LAST step. Most players have that quick first step to blow by defenders but Rose explodes right at the rim at his last step. Also, his extremely calm nature works well with the youthful Bulls. Game 1 against the defending champs and he has the heart rate of a librarian and it's contagious as the Bulls weren't phased at all. I still think Boston wins, but the Bulls should make Rose the GM, coach and owner and build around him for the next 12 years. 

Cleveland vs. Detroit - Are we done yet? Are we done yet? Are we done yet? SWEEP! 

San Antonio vs. Dallas - One quarter in, Duncan had springy legs and looked very 2007, I was on the brink of writing a "Mavs should have kept Maquis Daniels instead of Josh Howard" piece and Nowitzki was in foul trouble... basically it didn't look good for Dallas. I left home, went out thinking the Spurs would win easily and I caught the last few seconds at a bar as Dallas... PULLED AWAY FOR A W??? What the hell happened? Suddenly Dallas looks like a very legit Western Conference finalist and San Antonio looks old.    

Portland vs. Houston - This really looks like a match-up problem for Portland more than anything else. Maybe their inexperience cost them a W as they didn't have that fifth gear or maybe they're just happy to be there.  All I know is Yao played the best playoff game of his life and showed EVERYONE that the problem was always T-MAC. 

Los Angeles vs. Utah - No Okur, no chance for Utah... it's just that simple. But the real story is the referees killing the entire second half of the game. It's no surprise that Joey Crawford was the lead ref in the worst called game of the weekend. Does the NBA pay him by the fouls? Does he really think the fans pay to see him ref? Is he out to single-handedly ruin professional hoops?  There were SIXTEEN fouls in the 3rd quarter alone and a free-flowing game became a possession-by-possession freethrow festival. Terrible! 

Orlando vs. Philadelphia - I've said this all year, Orlando doesn't have the go to guy necessary to make a deep run in the playoffs. C-Webb pretty much blew a gasket ripping on the Magic not riding Dwight Howard all game. But does Superman really want to be "that guy" with the Magic or is he content with monster numbers, monster dunks and showmanship? NBA Champions all have the definitive alpha dog and an understood chain of command. The Celtics heart lies with KG but crunchtime went Pierce first and Sugar Ray second. The early 00's Lakers had Shaq for 3 1/2 quarters with Kobe as the closer... what about Orlando? 

Atlanta vs. Miami - The Hawks put together a Special Edition Double-DVD set of highlights on the Heat on Sunday. Instead of 2006 Kobe and the Lakers with their near upset of the #2 seeded Phoenix Suns, the Heat resembled the 2007 edition and the very one-sided 4-1 loss to Phoenix. But we'll see what kind of road playoff team Atlanta is in games 3 & 4. 

Denver vs. New Orleans - Denver put together a sick 21-0 run late in the 3rd early in the 4th to put away what was a close and very physical game. Chauncey Billups went retro looking like a 2005 version going 8 of 9 from three on his way to 36 points. NOLA basically gave up at the end of the 3rd quarter so this blowout doesn't really mean the Nuggets will sweep. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if NOLA steals game 2. This really feels like a very bitter and very physical seven game series.

Stan Albeck's Amazing Perm and Other Thoughts While Watching the 1st Half of Jordan's 63

By Craig Kwasniewski 

Killing time on a slow news day, I thought I'd pop in a dvd of Michael Jordans famous 63 against the 1986 Celtics. We're talking video gold! Not simply because Jordan broke the playoff scoring record against arguably the greatest team ever (which was VERY impressive when you see the roster disparity between the teams), but because of all the OTHER things like Stan Albeck's perm, George Gervin snorting Gatoraide, John Paxon's porn stache... like I said, video gold. 

Here are a few observations after catching the first half: 

-BOTH teams ran the 7 seconds or less offense. It's funny how times have changed. Literally both teams were going back-and-forth jacking up shots early in the shot clock HOWEVER the announcers were NOT making anything out of it. No "woah, these guys play fast!" remarks. 

-George Gervin was on the Bulls. This is HIGH-larious because Sam Smith references Jordan's early years in the NBA and how half of the team was hopped up on cocaine (including the iceman, possibly DURING the game). NBA TV should have a "Cocaine or Not Cocaine" game using NBA clips from the 80's. 

(White Lines) Vision dreams of passion... (Blowin’ through my mind) and all the while I think of you...

-John Paxson's OG porn stache... nuff said! Heinsohn talked about how the Bulls consider him being a better Kyle Macy.... I think EVERYONE'S better than Kyle Macy! 

-A rookie Charles Oakley bringing the ball up... and the predictable terrible shot! Stan Albeck's perm couldn't distract us from his terrible coaching. 

-And by the way, can someone please explain the whole white coach with a perm trend that ran rampant in the 80's? Stan Albeck, Doug Collins, Jimmy Rodgers (actually had a fro), Mike Fratello, Hubie Brown and Kevin Loughery all sported them FOR THE ENTIRE DECADE. Were they trying to relate to the players, was this all unfinished leftovers from the 70's, did they not have mirrors??? The best/worst part of it all was watching these guys "de-perm" their hair in the 90's. They just didn't come off as confident once they lost the perm. Admit it, today Fratello still looks a little off without the perm. 

-Tommy Heinsohn during the pregame talk with Dick Stockton with a "MY Celtics are fucking good!!!!" smugness. I loved the guy during the 80's but I forgot just how much of a Celtics homer he was. 

-The Bulls were an absolutely terrible team! They won 30 games and made the playoffs!!!! They played Gene Banks and Orlando Woolridge heavy minutes... these guy's shot selection rivals Ronald Flip Murray's during the Rookie Game in 2004. 

-The Boston Garden was 70% full by the opening tip. Obviously the late arriving crown weren't up for a first round game against a 30-win 8 seed... yet LA always gets crap for arriving late... just sayin'. 

-The Celtics went early to a whitewash with Ainge, Sichting, Bird, McHale and Walton with Scott Wedman as a whitewash 6th man. Damn that was an ugly team! 

I only caught the first half, but Jordan had something like 23 and the Bulls led most of the way DESPITE their horrific shot selection.  Video gold!

Monday Morning Point Guard

By Craig Kwasniewski

Just a few thoughts from the past weekend in the NBA... 

Losses by the Celtics and Lakers just add to the 1996 Bulls mystique: 

Brace yourself for this "brilliant" remark... winnin' 70 ain't easy. Seriously, can we finally stop with the 70-win predictions? Every single year by Christmas the media piles on some talented team that flies out of the gate, throwing out 70-win predictions as often as Nadia Sulaman squirts out a kid and every year that team du jour loses game number 13 by March. The NBA season is too long and players are simply not motivated enough (Lamar Odom I'm speaking to you!) to drive through a six month regular season to get to 70 wins. Back in 1996 I remember the media undercutting the Bulls achievements all season long: the league was watered down, the players are not as fundamentally sound, Jordan isn't facing a Bird or Magic. All may be true, but the Bulls were driven enough to avoid too many upset losses by clearly inferior teams (unlike the Celtics against the Clippers and as the Lakers in Sunday's loss to Phoenix). 

Anyway, here is my formula to winning 70: 

1 - You need a visionary coach. Someone like Gregg Popovich or Phil Jackson who coaches with the entire season in mind and not game-to-game. Basically you want to avoid the 1999 Minnesota Vikings and 2006 New England Patriots syndrome of having a record-setting regular season but no title. After all, as Shaq said, it's all about the globes. 

2 - You need SEVERAL driven players. This is why the Lakers aren't winning 70, because Kobe's competitive drive alone isn't enough to pull the Lakers through the entire season. Michael Jordan comes to mind as the only person capable, but it also helped that he had an almost equally driven teammate in Scottie Pippen. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (fresh off turtle-ing against KG and Kendrick Perkins in the Finals) aren't these type of guys. In fact, right after winning NBA Player of the Week, Gasol was talking about being fatigued and resting during games... which was obvious in the past two Lakers losses. You never heard that from Jordan or Pippen. 

3 - You need some luck. Injuries are a part of the game and KG and Andrew Bynum going down all but ended any chance at 70. Outside of Dennis Rodman's suspension for head-butting a referee, much of the Bulls key players were healthy the entire season. 

4 - The team needs a sense of history. This excludes the 1986 Celtics, who quite possibly could have gone for 70 wins except that it wasn't considered an achievement back then. The NBA in the 1980's was all about getting 50-wins and preparing for the playoffs. The 1986 Celtics were, in my mind, were the only team in the past 35-years with the best shot at 70, but it didn't matter.  

5 - Talent. OBVIOUSLY!!!  You can't even smell 70 without at least 2 or 3 All-Stars on your team (legit ones that command defensive double-teams and not political All-Star selections like David West because the NBA is keen on promoting Chris Paul). 

With all that in mind, people really need to truly understand and appreciate the 1996 Bulls achievement of 72-10 (and 69-13 the following season for that matter).  

BTW - Let me add that I too underestimated the challenge of 70-wins.  I took a look at this Lakers team and emailed anyone who would listen (which wasn't really anyone, but alas) that they are 70-win capable.  As always, I am an idiot!

Back to the rest of MMPG: 

Lamar Odom... buyer beware: Remember Lamar Odom plowing through Boston and Cleveland with dominant double-doubles? Remember Lamar Odom with 74 rebounds in 4 games? Well you also need to know 6, 5 and 4... those were his rebounds, assists and points before he fouled out in the Lakers loss to Phoenix on Sunday. Odom is a free agent this summer and will command interest from several teams. So fare thee be warned, this is his 10th season in the NBA, so one of my favorite phrases applies here: you are what you are. And with Odom, he's always been "that guy" with tremendous potential, yet VERY inconsistent. 

Starbury to the Celtics: God I hate this deal! As a Lakers fan, this does not bode well. Instead of matching the Celtics and grabbing up a much-needed big until Bynum returns, the Lakers traded to dump salary. Meanwhile, the Celtics improved a non-existent bench by grabbing Steph and Mikki Moore. Neither guy is going to lock down LeBron and at first I was like "big deal, they still won't pass Cleveland." But the more I think about it, Steph and Mikki are more about getting the top seed in the east and avoiding BOTH Cleveland and Orlando in the post-season. I see them both injecting confidence and pushing the C's to the top record in the NBA. 

Here's my question to Celtics fans: does having the league's biggest cancer on your team take anything away from the title or is it "just win baby?" 

Utah... For Real: Racked by injuries all season and barely holding on to the 8th spot, the Jazz are finally healthy and have run off 8-straight wins (including two impressive W's against Boston and LA). The Jazz have the talent, the depth and the coaching to put a real scare come playoff time. Plus they have that extra emotional motivation with the recent passing of owner Larry Miller. This team has the potential to put together the same type of run as in 2007 when they lost to San Antonio in Western Conference Finals. They sit 1.5 games out of 4th place in the west with 23 games left. Only 9 of those 23 are home, so the Jazz need to fix their road woes to make a move... and I think they will. 

Houston... NOT for Real: The Rockets are putting together a similar run as Utah but I really don't see them as a threat out West (despite Jeff Van Gundy's continued beliefs). First off, aren't we due for the annual Yao Ming injury? He's one game away from playing the most games since 2004-05. Unlike T-Mac, Yao actually gives a crap about his team and winning... it's just that his body can't keep up. Also, with T-Mac gone, who's going to shoulder the offensive load on the perimeter?  Ron Artest's perimiter game is inconsistent and they depend on a rookie (a very talented rookie, but a rookie none the less) at the point guard spot.  As always, I see Houston not getting past the first round in the playoffs.  

61 Is Impressive but Remember the Double Nickel!

By Craig Kwasniewski 

Kobe Bryant's 61-point outburst at MSG surpasses Michael Jordan's infamous double nickel from 1995. Not to take anything away from Kobe's feat but Jordan's 55 will always have a place in my heart and was more impressive.   Don't get me wrong, the Lakers literally just found out that their best shot at beating the Celtics and Cavs for an NBA title is gone for the season (8-12 week recovery for a torn knee on a 7-foot frame is VERY optimistic... he's done for the year) so Kobe needed to make a statement: it's still my team and the Lakers are still the favorites in 08-09!  And no better place to make a statement but in basketball mecca, Madison Square Garden.  So a big tip of the hat for a very impressive and very needed 61 (in ONLY 37 minutes!!!) from the reigning MVP.

However, the '95 Knicks were waaaaaayyyy better defensively, the '95 Bulls weren't as good as the '09 Lakers and needed every point out of MJ that night, double-nickel is one of the greatest nicknames ever, the game-winning hoop was by Bill Wennington off a pass from MJ... oh and by the by it was Jordan's fifth game back from a 18-month retirement... simply ridiculous!!!  Anyway, here's a good review from Jordan's 55 back in March, 1995:

 

Ben Gordon Has Plenty Of Shoes

by Brett Edwards

One of the coolest things about being a pro baller -- besides the cash and groupies of course -- is the unlimited amount of gear that you have access to. Check out Ben Gordon showing off his insane shoe collection, which I'm sure is in no way unique among NBA players.

[via Jen's Free Throws]

A Few Links To Get You Caught Up

by Brett Edwards

To get you caught up coming out of the holidays, here's a sampling of what's been going on around the Association:

Kobe Bryant is considering a new type of surgery. Personally, I hope he doesn't try it, I think he's good the way he is.

Charlie Bell is having the worst season in NBA history. On the bright side, the Bucks only lost by 45 to the Pistons, so it's not all bad. Oh wait...

Lamar Odom received a one-game suspension for the flagrant on Ray Allen. Feel free to rest your starters there, Doc.

Chris Bosh going used car salesman to beg for All-Star votes. Funny? Sure. Will it work? Probably not.

Scottie Pippen is mouthing off in hopes of getting the Bulls head coaching gig. Yeah, I'm sure "obnoxious" is the first quality that the organization is looking for in their next coach.