Can Danny?

Be it the savvy draft picks like Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo or the big moves (Ratliff, Ray Allen) that led to the biggest move, Danny's plan has really come together and the C's are back where they belong. And the fact that the Lakers had some great talent fall in their lap and are joining the C's in the Finals makes it all the sweeter.

Kudos to Danny and the C's. I've been an all-or-nothing, Championship or Bust type guy but I have to say that this run has been sweet, no matter what happens in the NBA Finals. 

That being said...

BEAT LA 

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the Atlanta Hawks finally get rid of Billy Knight and who do they replace him with? Rick Sund, the man who helped destroy the Seattle Supersonics. He made a solid deal in getting Ray Allen for an aging Gary Payton but other than that, he was pretty terrible. His draft picks started with Vlad Radmanovic (one pick before Richard Jefferson), Nick Collison (over David West), and Luke Ridnour. After that, he then fell in love with project big men, taking Robert Swift (over Al Jefferson), Johan Petro (over Jason Maxiell and David Lee, nevermind Monta Ellis), and Saer Sene.

I'm not sure how these guys keep getting hired or why it's so hard for fresh blood to get their shot at a GM gig but it's ridiculous how the same piss poor GM's always seem to get rehired. And it's not even like Sund has been out of the league that long or took a step back to better learn his job; he was let go just last year. The Hawks are in a precarious position with Josh Smith needing to be re-signed and the team could be one move away from really contending in the East yet they've added a guy who found it completely impossible to build around Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. I just don't get it.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While I can just sit back and enjoy the Celtics right now, let's see how other teams might be faring come draft day. 

1. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose
The last few drafts, Jon Paxson has drafted athletic big men who can run the floor. Wouldn't it make sense to finally add the point guard that can help them get going rather than adding yet another athletic big man? The Bulls core is the homegrown Rose and Deng with Ty Thomas getting one more chance. Paxson's next move should be to look to move the rest of his rag-tag crew to build around this unit.

2. Miami Heat: Michael Beasley
Pat Riley doesn't get his man but he gets a perfect complement to Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion (if he can get Marion to stay). If Marion opts out, Beasley simply takes over his spot. In the end, no one pick is going to salvage the Heat this year. Next year, however, the Heat will have cap space and two expiring deals to work with in the offseason.

3. Denver Nuggets (via Minny): OJ Mayo
Honestly, I'm not a fan of Denver dealing 'Melo but this could be the way it happens. The Nuggets give up 'Melo, JR Smith, and Marcus Camby to New Jersey and get back Richard Jefferson, #3 pick, Sean Williams and Marko Jaric (or Antoine Walker's expiring deal - he has a team option after next year). Minnesota gets J.R. Smith in a sign & trade, the #7 and #21 picks.

- Jaric is overpaid but he's a solid defender and I actually think he's a perfect complement to AI in the backcourt. AI, Jaric, Jefferson, K-Mart, Nene with OJ Mayo and Sean Williams off the pine. In the end, I'd still stick with 'Melo but this is the team that improves defensively and is perfectly suited to feed off of Iverson.

- The Nets get 'Melo and Camby to go with Devin Harris, Vince Carter, and Nenad Krstic.

- The Wolves pick up 2 picks and a shooting guard with a load of potential who should be able to light it up when teams double-team Big Al Jefferson. 

4. Seattle Supersonics: Jerryd Bayless
I'm not sure if Bayless is really the type of point guard that Seattle needs but he'll help keep some of the pressure off of Kevin Durant. 

5. Memphis Grizzlies: Brook Lopez
They are hoping to get the next Pau Gasol but they might just be getting the new Darko Milicic. 

6. Milwaukee Bucks (via NY): Danilo Gallinari
Mike D'Antoni wants to win now and he makes his first big move by dealing Stephon Marbury, #8 pick, and David Lee for Michael Redd and Mo Williams.  It's the first of many moves by GM Donnie Walsh.

7. LA Clippers: Russell Westbrook
If the 'Melo deal doesn't happen, I woudn't be stunned to see the Clips make a run at OJ Mayo. I considered trades for Baron Davis or Gil Arenas but the odds of a contract negotiation working out with either of those two and Donald Sterling doesn't seem like a great bet.  The Clippers opt for the local collegian Westbrook who can take over the point or handle the 2-guard spot should Shaun Livingston make it back.

8. Milwaukee Bucks:  Eric Gordon
With Gallinari, Jianlian, and Bogut making up the frontcourt of the future, the Bucks add a scoring option at the 2 with Eric Gordon.

9. Detroit Pistons (from Charlotte): Anthony Randolph
In a stunning move, the Pistons decide, after getting knocked off by the Celtics, that it is time to reload. They strike a deal with the main players being Chauncey Billups and #29 to the Bobcats for Raymond Felton and the #8 pick, where they take Randolph. 

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (from NJ): Kevin Love
McHale gets the big white guy to team alongside Big Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer, J.R. Smith and Randy Foye.

11. Indiana Pacers: D.J. Augustin
When Jamaal Tinsley and Travis Diener are your PG's, you really need to start investing draft picks in the position. 

12. Sacramento Kings:  Donte Greene
With Ron Artest on the way out, the Kings add their SF of the future in Donte Greene. 

13. Portland Trailblazers: Chase Buddinger
Chase's problems are defense and aggressiveness. But with Oden behind him and the tons of young talent around him, those weaknesses shouldn't be all that troubling in Portland. 

14. Golden St. Warriors: Joe Alexander
They add a shooter to the future core of Ellis, Wright, and Biedrins. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

if there's one thing this team doesn't need it's Sam Cassell's been there, done that attitude. While it seemed like, earlier in the season, that what this team needed was a steady veteran presence, it now seems like this team is too steady for their own good. The lack of energy that the team showed in the third quarter of game seven was astonishing and is an example of the lax attitude that has killed this team on the road. They seem to have bought into their press clippings a little too much or are just a little too confident in themselves. The best thing possibly for this team is Eddie House and the chip on his shoulder. He'll go out every play and try to keep his spot. I'm a fan of Cassell but he looked beyond slow in the Cavs series and I don't think moving from Boobie Gibson and Delonte West to Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey is going to make things any better.

And say a prayer for Ray Allen's shot. Because without it, I don't think the Celtics have one against the Pistons.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...until they lose a home game. Every time these guys play on the road, it just doesn't seem like they are into the game 100%. It's not that they aren't trying but they lack a sense of urgency. Honestly, the worst thing that could have happened was the Hawks series in which they blew out the Hawks at the Garden and their lack of focus on the road didn't really do anything but make the fans nervous.

Right now, the only possible remedy I could see would be to get Eddie House some minutes. The last thing this team really needs on the road is Sam Cassell's calming presence. I think we need Eddie's fire and attitude to get this team going when the series heads back to Cleveland.  

It might not always be fun but at least it's interesting and dramatic and has nothing to do with praying about ping pong balls.  

Posted by SoulHonky at 03:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Note from Self: Yeah it's a little late for that.

I've never been the biggest believer in Chad Ford and his Euro-lust has made me laugh but recently that has subsided and he's gone in the opposite direction. If Chad Ford decides he doesn't like a Euro, Chad Ford is going to take shots at him whenever he can. So while Ford was hyping up Darko years after most people had given up on him, he's quick to throw others under the bus.  In a recent article, he discussed the dropping enthusiasm surrounding European players and said part of the reason was "backlash from a number of seemingly high-profile Euro busts, including Darko Milicic, Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli."

OK, it's nice to see that Chad is off of the Darko train and I agree that Bargnani has a LOT to prove if he wants to seem like a worthwhile top 5 pick, let alone #1, but Marco Belinelli? The 18th pick who played for a coach who isn't exactly fond of giving minutes to rookies is a bust? Unfortunately for Marco, Chad Ford was never particularly high on him. He thought he was a late first/second round talent and thought he was equal to guys like Derrick Byars, Nick Fazekas, Taurean Green, and Marcus Williams.

Now while Marco certainly didn't live up to the hype that he built up after the summer league, it's a little early to dismiss the guy. It's especially early if you're an NBA writer who's still copping pleas for Pavel Podkolzine.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This picture is worth a thousand words, 42 wins, and hopefully one banner. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)