THE CLIPPER DEAL:
Clippers get: Chris Paul
Hornets get: Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected first-round pick.
THE LAKER DEAL:
Lakers get: Chris Paul
Hornets get: Odom, Scola, Martin, Dragic, and the Knicks 1st rounder in 2012
_______________________________
I'm stunned that commissioner Stern is allowed to get away with this. The Laker deal is way better than the Clipper deal. I guess small-market teams are just tired of having the Lakers getting good deals.
I mean, Gordon and Kaman over Odom and Scola? And Al-Farouq Aminu over Martin and Dragic?
Plus, the Hornets already have a center in Okafor, so why do they need Kaman?
The Lakers have been robbed and royally screwed!
mike t.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Are the Lakers Rebuilding?
According to Lakers' GM Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers are pursuing "big deals" right now. I don't understand the logic because on one side of his neck he makes that statement, and on the other side of his neck he says this: "...that he expects the Lakers’ core of Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to be with the team all year..."
The Lakers intend to keep Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum all season long, but are still working on big deals? lol! Sorry, but I have to laugh because if the Lakers do intend to keep Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum; who else on their roster do they have to trade away in a "big deal"?
Has anyone, besides me, ever heard of the phrase: "he's talking out of the side of his neck?" Well, that is exactly what Mitch Kupchak is doing right now.
The Lakers dumped Lamar Odom in what is becoming clear to everyone as nothing more than a salary dump. Kobe Bryant is right to question the deal that send Odom to the Mavs, because the Lakers got nothing in return from the deal. All through Lakerville the question has to be asked: what the heck is going on?
With the new administration, it seems, in full power: Jim Buss is running this show, it might be an indication that the Lakers are simply blowing the team up. Think about it. Phil Jackson is gone. Daddy Buss is in the shadows. The power struggle between Jim and Jeanie Buss is over with Jim coming out on top. What are we to make of the Lakers right now?
Taking a look at the roster, and all we see is the Lakers' version of the big 3: Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum. Injury to anyone one of these players and the Lakers are looking like a middle of the pack team. And even with all three being healthy for the entire season; how far can they possibly go? Right now, against Dallas, it doesn't look too good. Dallas got rid of Chandler, but they still have 2 seven footers in Dirk Nowitzki and Brendon Haywood. Kind of like Gasol and Bynum. But the Mavs added Odom to their mix. Kind of like the Lakers used to have in their "big front line." That's, as Charles Barkley would say: very interesting. The versatile Odom, also, makes up for the Mavs loss of Caron Butler, with the Mavs adding Vince Carter, too?
All that to say what? What are the Lakers doing? What big deal is going to bring in the players to the Lakers that will match up with the defending champs the Dallas Mavericks? Dwight Howard? Dwight Howard and who else? Or better yet, how? Because if Howard does come to the Lakers, Gasol or Bynum are gone. Without Gasol or Bynum to trade away what else do the Lakers have trade away, except for Kobe Bryant?
Then signing Howard to a max extension would pretty much put the Lakers over the salary cap and well into the luxury tax. Again, what are the Lakers doing? Getting rid of Odom with nothing to show in return...could it be that without too much notice that the Lakers are simply rebuilding? If this is the case, Kobe Bryant is on the trading block, too.
With the new CBA and with Odom gone - a valuable trading piece - and with only the Lakers version of the big 3 to show: Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum...where is the wiggle room to do anything that brings the Lakers into contention for the upcoming season? Where is the future? Where is the logic? The logic in this scenario points to a rebuilding process because trading Odom without getting anything in return puts the Lakers in position to do what?
I wish I had more to write about the scenario, but, as I mentioned, I just don't see any wiggle room to do anything except to blow the team completely up and to rebuild.
Right now, it looks like the Clippers are better than the Lakers.
mike t.
The Lakers intend to keep Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum all season long, but are still working on big deals? lol! Sorry, but I have to laugh because if the Lakers do intend to keep Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum; who else on their roster do they have to trade away in a "big deal"?
Has anyone, besides me, ever heard of the phrase: "he's talking out of the side of his neck?" Well, that is exactly what Mitch Kupchak is doing right now.
The Lakers dumped Lamar Odom in what is becoming clear to everyone as nothing more than a salary dump. Kobe Bryant is right to question the deal that send Odom to the Mavs, because the Lakers got nothing in return from the deal. All through Lakerville the question has to be asked: what the heck is going on?
With the new administration, it seems, in full power: Jim Buss is running this show, it might be an indication that the Lakers are simply blowing the team up. Think about it. Phil Jackson is gone. Daddy Buss is in the shadows. The power struggle between Jim and Jeanie Buss is over with Jim coming out on top. What are we to make of the Lakers right now?
Taking a look at the roster, and all we see is the Lakers' version of the big 3: Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum. Injury to anyone one of these players and the Lakers are looking like a middle of the pack team. And even with all three being healthy for the entire season; how far can they possibly go? Right now, against Dallas, it doesn't look too good. Dallas got rid of Chandler, but they still have 2 seven footers in Dirk Nowitzki and Brendon Haywood. Kind of like Gasol and Bynum. But the Mavs added Odom to their mix. Kind of like the Lakers used to have in their "big front line." That's, as Charles Barkley would say: very interesting. The versatile Odom, also, makes up for the Mavs loss of Caron Butler, with the Mavs adding Vince Carter, too?
All that to say what? What are the Lakers doing? What big deal is going to bring in the players to the Lakers that will match up with the defending champs the Dallas Mavericks? Dwight Howard? Dwight Howard and who else? Or better yet, how? Because if Howard does come to the Lakers, Gasol or Bynum are gone. Without Gasol or Bynum to trade away what else do the Lakers have trade away, except for Kobe Bryant?
Then signing Howard to a max extension would pretty much put the Lakers over the salary cap and well into the luxury tax. Again, what are the Lakers doing? Getting rid of Odom with nothing to show in return...could it be that without too much notice that the Lakers are simply rebuilding? If this is the case, Kobe Bryant is on the trading block, too.
With the new CBA and with Odom gone - a valuable trading piece - and with only the Lakers version of the big 3 to show: Bryant, Gasol, and Bynum...where is the wiggle room to do anything that brings the Lakers into contention for the upcoming season? Where is the future? Where is the logic? The logic in this scenario points to a rebuilding process because trading Odom without getting anything in return puts the Lakers in position to do what?
I wish I had more to write about the scenario, but, as I mentioned, I just don't see any wiggle room to do anything except to blow the team completely up and to rebuild.
Right now, it looks like the Clippers are better than the Lakers.
mike t.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Pampered NBA Player II
Dwight Howard wants to be traded!
That's old new, sorry about that. The reason why I'm writing about it, again, is to build upon the point from my last post: The Pampered NBA Player:
In my last post I used Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol as examples of how out of touch the players are with what the NBA is all about. The NBA is a business and not some home sweet home away from home. In this post I want to bring out the idea a bit more with Dwight Howard as my example.
Dwight Howard is upset with Orlando, and wants to be traded. What surprised me was the reason he gave for wanting the trade. Let's take a look at a couple of tweets:
"Brian Schmitz: Dwight Howard is upset the Magic didn't sign some of players he wanted. Otis Smith said not at fit. Smith: "The tail can't wag the dog." Twitter
Josh Robbins: Otis Smith about Dwight's list: “We looked at some. Some we have. Some we don’t. So I’m not necessarily saying that he isn’t accurate. I think that there was a list. Some of them are duplicate talent, which is something you can’t do all the time." Twitter
So, let me get this straight. Dwight Howard is upset because the Magic didn't take his advice on some trade suggestions? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but did Dwight Howard go to college? I love the guy as a player, but I have to ask the question because he seems to think that he has the mentality to be the General Manager of the team. Again, this kid skipped college to go straight to the NBA and now, suddenly, he has the wherewithal be an NBA superstar player and General Manager, too?
Have the players of the NBA really gotten to the point, in their minds, that they actually believe that the tail can wag the dog? It's becoming clear now what the veto of the Chris Paul trade is really all about. The league, I believe, is trying to put things back in order. The players are too pampered, and think that they do run the league.
Once again, this all goes back to the LeBron James "decision." That was actually the final act of a conspiracy that brought James and Bosh to Miami to play with Wade. That's right! A conspiracy! They agreed to join forces way before the off-season came, and then played it out with the final act being the ESPN special "the decision." Come on, who's fooling who? That thing was planned way before it was announced.
Then during the season we had Carmelo Antony holding the Nuggets hostage to get a trade to New York. I mean, it's one thing to want a trade to New York, but it's another thing to get the trade and to get an extension, too. I mean, he held the Nuggets hostage and got the money, too. The tail wagging the dog!
Then we had the messy lock-out where the owners put their foot down, and made the players come down on almost every issue in the new CBA. I think it's clear that the league is sending a message to the players that things are not going to continue as they are. Awwwh, now I see the reason why commissioner Stern shot the Chris Paul trade down. Legally, with the NBA "owning" the Hornets, he has every right to shoot the deal down. Not because it wasn't a good deal, but because this is a special moment in NBA time. It was a chance to finally let the players know that they can't have their cake and eat it, too.
The players want to be traded, but they want to be traded to the teams of their choosing. And not only that, but to get the max amount of money, too. There is something wrong with this scenario, and I think the NBA, the league, is tired of it.
During the lock-out; if you went to the different Internet sports pages (blogs) you could see that the players didn't have the support of most of the fans. The owners had the fan support, the players had the support of the writers. And, if you read some of the comments on those blogs you heard everything from racial statement - to tattooed freaks - to uneducated players to describe the players.
Let's focus on the uneducated players. The fact of the matter is that most of these guys do lack an education, but somehow they - the tail - are trying to wag the dog. How has it gotten to this point? Clearly, they take their own headlines very serious. They believe everything the media says about them. They are "superstars." And that somehow equated to "power." That's OK! That's OK! But, when it gets to the point where the players are trying to dictate the terms of how the NBA operates...well, I think the league is finally saying: hold on, cowboy! Things aren't going to continue to go that way.
The problem with all that is this: the NBA system is flawed. Both Paul and Howard are using their "right" to walk out as free agents at the end of the season. The Magic and the Hornets have to do something or they'll lose those players without receiving anything in return. The teams, not willing to lose players without compensation, put them up for trade. The players use their "right" to sign an extension, or not, to determine what teams they're willing to be traded to. That's the flaw in the system, which the new CBA doesn't address. The question is this: is it possible to address the flaw in the system so that the players don't have that type of power?
The only way to address it is to punish luxury tax paying teams. The only way to punish luxury tax paying teams is to make the penalties harsher for going over the salary cap. But, the old CBA and the new CBA are full of loopholes to get past those harsh penalties. It's too late, but the only penalty that really mattered was to forbid luxury tax paying teams to sign MLE players. With that penalty on the table it would have been hard for big-market teams to fill out their rosters after stealing league superstars from small-market teams.
Anyway, the system is flawed to the point where the players just expect too much from every angle with no consideration for the overall health of the league. But, what makes matters worse is that the manipulation of the system is performed by kids who skipped college, and who think that they really can wag the dog. And they can because the system is flawed. And with a flawed system, we get the pampered players.
Commissioner Stern probably doesn't know what to do about it except to use strong armed tactics to stop the players from trying to wag the dog. The question is this: how long before the next superstar holds his current team hostage with a situation like Chris Paul? It won't take that long because the system is what it is. Will commissioner Stern resort to the same strong armed tactics as he did with Chris Paul when he was on his way to the Lakers? If he does; then instead of having the tail trying to wag the dog, we'll have the dog chasing it's own tail.
mike t.
That's old new, sorry about that. The reason why I'm writing about it, again, is to build upon the point from my last post: The Pampered NBA Player:
In my last post I used Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol as examples of how out of touch the players are with what the NBA is all about. The NBA is a business and not some home sweet home away from home. In this post I want to bring out the idea a bit more with Dwight Howard as my example.
Dwight Howard is upset with Orlando, and wants to be traded. What surprised me was the reason he gave for wanting the trade. Let's take a look at a couple of tweets:
"Brian Schmitz: Dwight Howard is upset the Magic didn't sign some of players he wanted. Otis Smith said not at fit. Smith: "The tail can't wag the dog." Twitter
Josh Robbins: Otis Smith about Dwight's list: “We looked at some. Some we have. Some we don’t. So I’m not necessarily saying that he isn’t accurate. I think that there was a list. Some of them are duplicate talent, which is something you can’t do all the time." Twitter
So, let me get this straight. Dwight Howard is upset because the Magic didn't take his advice on some trade suggestions? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but did Dwight Howard go to college? I love the guy as a player, but I have to ask the question because he seems to think that he has the mentality to be the General Manager of the team. Again, this kid skipped college to go straight to the NBA and now, suddenly, he has the wherewithal be an NBA superstar player and General Manager, too?
Have the players of the NBA really gotten to the point, in their minds, that they actually believe that the tail can wag the dog? It's becoming clear now what the veto of the Chris Paul trade is really all about. The league, I believe, is trying to put things back in order. The players are too pampered, and think that they do run the league.
Once again, this all goes back to the LeBron James "decision." That was actually the final act of a conspiracy that brought James and Bosh to Miami to play with Wade. That's right! A conspiracy! They agreed to join forces way before the off-season came, and then played it out with the final act being the ESPN special "the decision." Come on, who's fooling who? That thing was planned way before it was announced.
Then during the season we had Carmelo Antony holding the Nuggets hostage to get a trade to New York. I mean, it's one thing to want a trade to New York, but it's another thing to get the trade and to get an extension, too. I mean, he held the Nuggets hostage and got the money, too. The tail wagging the dog!
Then we had the messy lock-out where the owners put their foot down, and made the players come down on almost every issue in the new CBA. I think it's clear that the league is sending a message to the players that things are not going to continue as they are. Awwwh, now I see the reason why commissioner Stern shot the Chris Paul trade down. Legally, with the NBA "owning" the Hornets, he has every right to shoot the deal down. Not because it wasn't a good deal, but because this is a special moment in NBA time. It was a chance to finally let the players know that they can't have their cake and eat it, too.
The players want to be traded, but they want to be traded to the teams of their choosing. And not only that, but to get the max amount of money, too. There is something wrong with this scenario, and I think the NBA, the league, is tired of it.
During the lock-out; if you went to the different Internet sports pages (blogs) you could see that the players didn't have the support of most of the fans. The owners had the fan support, the players had the support of the writers. And, if you read some of the comments on those blogs you heard everything from racial statement - to tattooed freaks - to uneducated players to describe the players.
Let's focus on the uneducated players. The fact of the matter is that most of these guys do lack an education, but somehow they - the tail - are trying to wag the dog. How has it gotten to this point? Clearly, they take their own headlines very serious. They believe everything the media says about them. They are "superstars." And that somehow equated to "power." That's OK! That's OK! But, when it gets to the point where the players are trying to dictate the terms of how the NBA operates...well, I think the league is finally saying: hold on, cowboy! Things aren't going to continue to go that way.
The problem with all that is this: the NBA system is flawed. Both Paul and Howard are using their "right" to walk out as free agents at the end of the season. The Magic and the Hornets have to do something or they'll lose those players without receiving anything in return. The teams, not willing to lose players without compensation, put them up for trade. The players use their "right" to sign an extension, or not, to determine what teams they're willing to be traded to. That's the flaw in the system, which the new CBA doesn't address. The question is this: is it possible to address the flaw in the system so that the players don't have that type of power?
The only way to address it is to punish luxury tax paying teams. The only way to punish luxury tax paying teams is to make the penalties harsher for going over the salary cap. But, the old CBA and the new CBA are full of loopholes to get past those harsh penalties. It's too late, but the only penalty that really mattered was to forbid luxury tax paying teams to sign MLE players. With that penalty on the table it would have been hard for big-market teams to fill out their rosters after stealing league superstars from small-market teams.
Anyway, the system is flawed to the point where the players just expect too much from every angle with no consideration for the overall health of the league. But, what makes matters worse is that the manipulation of the system is performed by kids who skipped college, and who think that they really can wag the dog. And they can because the system is flawed. And with a flawed system, we get the pampered players.
Commissioner Stern probably doesn't know what to do about it except to use strong armed tactics to stop the players from trying to wag the dog. The question is this: how long before the next superstar holds his current team hostage with a situation like Chris Paul? It won't take that long because the system is what it is. Will commissioner Stern resort to the same strong armed tactics as he did with Chris Paul when he was on his way to the Lakers? If he does; then instead of having the tail trying to wag the dog, we'll have the dog chasing it's own tail.
mike t.
The Pampered NBA Player
This whole situation, here in Los Angeles, is a good example of what has become of the NBA. The NBA players are seriously pampered, and I can't really point to exactly how it has happened.
The trade of Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks brings an end to his time here in Los Angeles, where he was part of 2 NBA championships. He had a great run here in Los Angeles. But, it became clear that the Lakers needed to address the problems of being swept by the Mavericks in last season's playoffs. In a move to try to improve the team, they tried to trade Odom to the Hornets, twice, in a blockbuster deal that would have brought Chris Paul to Los Angeles. What, pray tell, is wrong with that?
Nothing is wrong with that except for the fact that Odom seems to think he was being betrayed by the team, and took it so personal that he requested a trade outside of the Hornets deal. I, personally, don't really believe that Odom was so upset with the idea of being traded from the Lakers, but rather from the city of Los Angeles. Everyone knows that Lamar is all caught up into the world of reality television. And everyone knows that his wife is part of the Kardashians reality machine. The trade probably threw a wrench into his cozy Los Angeles life style. The guy got so emotional that he requested a trade just to cut off his nose to spite his face.
What are we to make of these pampered NBA players? What do players like Odom expect? Does he expect for the Lakers to hold on to him until he just can't play anymore? That he should be allowed to retire a Los Angeles Laker? Where do these thoughts come from?
Then we have Pau Gasol with these thoughts:
"David Brickley: Gasol on possibility of being traded: "This has been a reality check." Twitter
David Brickley: Gasol: "it's becoming more of a business than a sport yet Im thankful to be here with the Lakers." Twitter
A reality check? It's "becoming more of a business..." Is the man serious? When has it been any other way?
Better yet, can someone tell me when the players lost perspective on the NBA as a business and somehow came to think it was something else?
mike t.
The trade of Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks brings an end to his time here in Los Angeles, where he was part of 2 NBA championships. He had a great run here in Los Angeles. But, it became clear that the Lakers needed to address the problems of being swept by the Mavericks in last season's playoffs. In a move to try to improve the team, they tried to trade Odom to the Hornets, twice, in a blockbuster deal that would have brought Chris Paul to Los Angeles. What, pray tell, is wrong with that?
Nothing is wrong with that except for the fact that Odom seems to think he was being betrayed by the team, and took it so personal that he requested a trade outside of the Hornets deal. I, personally, don't really believe that Odom was so upset with the idea of being traded from the Lakers, but rather from the city of Los Angeles. Everyone knows that Lamar is all caught up into the world of reality television. And everyone knows that his wife is part of the Kardashians reality machine. The trade probably threw a wrench into his cozy Los Angeles life style. The guy got so emotional that he requested a trade just to cut off his nose to spite his face.
What are we to make of these pampered NBA players? What do players like Odom expect? Does he expect for the Lakers to hold on to him until he just can't play anymore? That he should be allowed to retire a Los Angeles Laker? Where do these thoughts come from?
Then we have Pau Gasol with these thoughts:
"David Brickley: Gasol on possibility of being traded: "This has been a reality check." Twitter
David Brickley: Gasol: "it's becoming more of a business than a sport yet Im thankful to be here with the Lakers." Twitter
A reality check? It's "becoming more of a business..." Is the man serious? When has it been any other way?
Better yet, can someone tell me when the players lost perspective on the NBA as a business and somehow came to think it was something else?
mike t.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Latest...
The Lakers picked-up a 1st round draft pick from Dallas for Odom.
They say the talks for Chris Paul are off, but wasn't one of Sterns mandates that the Hornets get younger in the deal for Paul to the Lakers? Perhaps Stern didn't want Odom's age and contract on the Hornet's roster. I guess a deal can still get done for Paul without Odom in the package. I mean, if the deal were to go through as it was proposed (the 2nd deal) it would have looked a lot like the first deal.
If Stern allowed the second deal to go through, then he would come off looking like he did a foolish (he did look foolish) thing by shooting down the first deal because it was basically the same as the second deal. The man has to save face in all this madness. Eliminating Odom from the deal would make it look more legit if the Lakers included the trade exception they got from Dallas and the 1st rounder, too.
I mean, check out this tweet:
"John Hollinger tweets he is confused by the Lakers strategy if Howard is their target. "Any exception created by dealing Odom isn't big enough to take in Turkoglu. I'm not seeing LA's endgame here, nor why Dallas would help."
The end game probably still has Paul going to the Lakers, but without Odom going to the Hornets. That way the deal looks like it was really reworked. Everything, including the leak that talks between the Lakers, Hornets, and Rockets have broken off, has to look as if it went through the wringer with the league. Remember, first and foremost, David Stern is about marketing, and he and the product need to look good. Either that or Stern is way out of control.
mike t.
They say the talks for Chris Paul are off, but wasn't one of Sterns mandates that the Hornets get younger in the deal for Paul to the Lakers? Perhaps Stern didn't want Odom's age and contract on the Hornet's roster. I guess a deal can still get done for Paul without Odom in the package. I mean, if the deal were to go through as it was proposed (the 2nd deal) it would have looked a lot like the first deal.
If Stern allowed the second deal to go through, then he would come off looking like he did a foolish (he did look foolish) thing by shooting down the first deal because it was basically the same as the second deal. The man has to save face in all this madness. Eliminating Odom from the deal would make it look more legit if the Lakers included the trade exception they got from Dallas and the 1st rounder, too.
I mean, check out this tweet:
"John Hollinger tweets he is confused by the Lakers strategy if Howard is their target. "Any exception created by dealing Odom isn't big enough to take in Turkoglu. I'm not seeing LA's endgame here, nor why Dallas would help."
The end game probably still has Paul going to the Lakers, but without Odom going to the Hornets. That way the deal looks like it was really reworked. Everything, including the leak that talks between the Lakers, Hornets, and Rockets have broken off, has to look as if it went through the wringer with the league. Remember, first and foremost, David Stern is about marketing, and he and the product need to look good. Either that or Stern is way out of control.
mike t.
Just Got A Text Message from the Bleacher Report!
The Lakers have trade Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks?
The Lakers are out of the Chris Paul sweepstakes?
What the heck is going on? This sounds like Dwight Howard is on his way to Los Angeles.
After months of being on lock-out status, the NBA is exploding big time! I don't know what direction the Lakers are going in, but, I guess, you can say that Daddy Buss must have listened to Magic Johnson and decided to blow the team up.
What can possibly happen next? I told you: welcome the the drama that is the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA.
The report is that David Stern shot down the new proposal between the Hornets, Lakers, and the Rockets. The Lakers have moved on by trading Odom to Dallas. Now, if Dwight Howard does end up in Los Angeles, then I think we can say that the NBA is pretty close to being rigged. And if the Los Angeles comes out of this without either Paul or Howard, then we can say that David Stern is truly drunk with power.
With that thought in mind, the question now has to be this: how long will the Lakers stand by and let David Stern mandate their future? These manipulations against the Lakers, by Stern, might be enough to get the ball rolling on his ouster as the commissioner of the NBA.
Can anyone else say: wow?
Updates to come soon.
mike t
The Lakers are out of the Chris Paul sweepstakes?
What the heck is going on? This sounds like Dwight Howard is on his way to Los Angeles.
After months of being on lock-out status, the NBA is exploding big time! I don't know what direction the Lakers are going in, but, I guess, you can say that Daddy Buss must have listened to Magic Johnson and decided to blow the team up.
What can possibly happen next? I told you: welcome the the drama that is the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA.
The report is that David Stern shot down the new proposal between the Hornets, Lakers, and the Rockets. The Lakers have moved on by trading Odom to Dallas. Now, if Dwight Howard does end up in Los Angeles, then I think we can say that the NBA is pretty close to being rigged. And if the Los Angeles comes out of this without either Paul or Howard, then we can say that David Stern is truly drunk with power.
With that thought in mind, the question now has to be this: how long will the Lakers stand by and let David Stern mandate their future? These manipulations against the Lakers, by Stern, might be enough to get the ball rolling on his ouster as the commissioner of the NBA.
Can anyone else say: wow?
Updates to come soon.
mike t
What's in an NBA Player's Name? Ask the Knicks!
Carmelo Anthony. Amare Stoudemire. And now Tyson Chandler. The New York Knicks have 3 of the biggest names in the league, right now. But, does that equal a championship? That is the question that has to be asked about the Knicks players. Of course, what is behind an NBA name is a reputation.
Let's take a look at the Knicks:
CARMELO ANTHONY:
REPUTATION: Scoring small forward. One of the best in the league. Not a very good defender.
AMARE STOUDEMIRE:
REPUTATION: Scoring power forward. One of the best in the league. Electrifying! Not a very good defender.
TYSON CHANDLER:
REPUTATION: Defensive center. One of the best in the league? I don't know about that. If he truly is one of the best defensive centers in the league; Dallas would have found a way to have kept him. I mean, you just don't let legitimate defensive centers go. Not in this league, you don't.
Offensive skills? If the lane is open, he's good for the alley-oop for sure. Dunks, of course, come with the package. Other than that, well, he's called a defensive center for a reason. His stay in New Orleans and Charlotte didn't work out too well, and he found himself in Dallas who already had 2 seven-footers on the roster.
What does it mean? Well, we have to take a look at a couple of other names in the mix to figure that out.
COACH MIKE D'ANTONI:
REPUTATION: Run and gun offensive system. I didn't follow the Knicks too close last season. Is the run and gun still the philosophy that coach D'Antoni applies to his teams? All I have to go on is his reputation. If he's still running and gunning that could only spell trouble in N.Y., because in the NBA, it's a proven fact that defense wins championships.
With Anthony and Stoudemire lacking in the defensive department; how, pray tell, does N.Y. compete for a championship? This brings us to the player they just amnestied:
CHAUNCY BILLUPS:
REPUTATION: True point guard with true leadership abilities. Won a championship with Detroit. Turned the dysfunctional Denver Nuggets into contender with his on-court leadership. Excellent half-court offensive player. Understands the concept of team defense and fulfills his role in it. But, the N.Y. Knicks amnestied him? Why? Because they couldn't afford to hold on to him and pay Tyson Chandler, too.
All this to say what? That the Knicks overpaid for Chandler, and made a mistake by letting a true on-court leader, like Billups, go.
Now, if the Knicks had to cut Billups to make room for Chandler...what are they going to do with the rest of the roster? They had to get rid of Ronny Turiaf, too. Who do they sign to replace these players?
From what I understand the Knicks don't even have enough signed players to fill their roster. They have 3 big NBA names, along with their reputations, but after that, what do they have?
They have a mess with the salary cap and, I guess, a hope that some players will take less to play with the 3 big NBA names in N.Y.. But, isn't that the same position that the Heat are in, too? And the Celtics, too?
This is the perfect time for small-market teams to put balanced rosters together that will expose the holes that the N.Y's, Boston's, and Miami's have in their rosters.
What's in an NBA player's name like Tyson Chandler? I think we'll have to wait until the finals get here to see what two teams get there to know for sure.
In my 40 years of following basketball, I think I've formed an educated opinion on what it takes to win a championship. And my opinion is that the N.Y. Knicks are nowhere near being a championship caliber type team, because Tyson Chandler just isn't that good as a defensive center. But, do give Tyson Chandler his "props," because he did get his money.
mike t.
Let's take a look at the Knicks:
CARMELO ANTHONY:
REPUTATION: Scoring small forward. One of the best in the league. Not a very good defender.
AMARE STOUDEMIRE:
REPUTATION: Scoring power forward. One of the best in the league. Electrifying! Not a very good defender.
TYSON CHANDLER:
REPUTATION: Defensive center. One of the best in the league? I don't know about that. If he truly is one of the best defensive centers in the league; Dallas would have found a way to have kept him. I mean, you just don't let legitimate defensive centers go. Not in this league, you don't.
Offensive skills? If the lane is open, he's good for the alley-oop for sure. Dunks, of course, come with the package. Other than that, well, he's called a defensive center for a reason. His stay in New Orleans and Charlotte didn't work out too well, and he found himself in Dallas who already had 2 seven-footers on the roster.
What does it mean? Well, we have to take a look at a couple of other names in the mix to figure that out.
COACH MIKE D'ANTONI:
REPUTATION: Run and gun offensive system. I didn't follow the Knicks too close last season. Is the run and gun still the philosophy that coach D'Antoni applies to his teams? All I have to go on is his reputation. If he's still running and gunning that could only spell trouble in N.Y., because in the NBA, it's a proven fact that defense wins championships.
With Anthony and Stoudemire lacking in the defensive department; how, pray tell, does N.Y. compete for a championship? This brings us to the player they just amnestied:
CHAUNCY BILLUPS:
REPUTATION: True point guard with true leadership abilities. Won a championship with Detroit. Turned the dysfunctional Denver Nuggets into contender with his on-court leadership. Excellent half-court offensive player. Understands the concept of team defense and fulfills his role in it. But, the N.Y. Knicks amnestied him? Why? Because they couldn't afford to hold on to him and pay Tyson Chandler, too.
All this to say what? That the Knicks overpaid for Chandler, and made a mistake by letting a true on-court leader, like Billups, go.
Now, if the Knicks had to cut Billups to make room for Chandler...what are they going to do with the rest of the roster? They had to get rid of Ronny Turiaf, too. Who do they sign to replace these players?
From what I understand the Knicks don't even have enough signed players to fill their roster. They have 3 big NBA names, along with their reputations, but after that, what do they have?
They have a mess with the salary cap and, I guess, a hope that some players will take less to play with the 3 big NBA names in N.Y.. But, isn't that the same position that the Heat are in, too? And the Celtics, too?
This is the perfect time for small-market teams to put balanced rosters together that will expose the holes that the N.Y's, Boston's, and Miami's have in their rosters.
What's in an NBA player's name like Tyson Chandler? I think we'll have to wait until the finals get here to see what two teams get there to know for sure.
In my 40 years of following basketball, I think I've formed an educated opinion on what it takes to win a championship. And my opinion is that the N.Y. Knicks are nowhere near being a championship caliber type team, because Tyson Chandler just isn't that good as a defensive center. But, do give Tyson Chandler his "props," because he did get his money.
mike t.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)