Can Danny?

Apparently Detroit is a very religious team and doesn't believe working on the Sabbath. Five of their eight losses have come on Sunday games and they've been blown out a few times. In fact, they are the weekday warriors, 7 - 1 during the week. 4 - 6 from Friday to Sunday.

The Sixers are 5 - 2 when Andre Miller takes less than 10 shots. I truly believe that the Sixers problem isn't becoming a half court team (although it doesn't help that they don't have a real consistent shooter) but the fact that Miller handles the ball more in the halfcourt sets.

The Lakers are starting to get complacent in games and testy with one another. There will be stories of infighting this season.

The Blazers need a vocal leader. Oden's a goof, Roy is quiet, Aldridge is soft. Batum isn't going to do it and neither is Rudy. The team is uber-talented but they need a Garnett or even an Antoine Walker type to get the team fired up when they are down.

Denver seems to have made out in the Chauncey Billups deal. They got the leader they needed and now everyone is involved. Hopefully Chauncey's leadership abilities will rub off on Carmelo.

The Hornets are disappointing people but everyone on the team has pretty much reached their ceiling. Maybe Chris Paul can get better but everyone else seems that they are who they are. That's still a upper tier team but they need to shake things up if they are going to take the next step.

The Suns and the Mavs also need to shake things up but I doubt it will happen.

The injury problems might be the best thing to happen to the Jazz as their role players are getting a chance to step up and get some minutes. 

It's easy to dismiss the Nets as not being that good but when you look at a lot of team in the bottom half of the league, they aren't that good either. The Nets might be young but they have more talent than a lot of team. I don't think they'll finish the season over .500 but they really could surprise people and grab the 8th seed.

I really don't know if the Heat would win a game without Dwyane Wade. The team is working on defense but they are a bit of a mess on the offensive end.

San Antonio has weathered the storm and should be on their way to establishing themselves as a threat in the West.

Ben Gordon is playing well and Luol Deng seems to be snapping out of his disasterous 2007-8 season. Not sure if that will be enough to right the Bulls ship and get them sailing into the playoffs but the upgrade from Kirk Hinrich to Derrick Rose is huge. The Gordon/Rose backcourt can be exciting but they can't really defend anyone and Gordon will probably demand more money than he's worth next season as well. Not sure if anyone will be dumb enough to give him that cash but if someone gave Corey Maggette 10 million a year, I could see Gordon finding someone dumb enough to overpay him.

Sam Mitchell took the blame but Bryan Colangelo has built a lousy defensive squad. It won't be the fault of the coaches if this team doesn't make the playoffs.

When I said Luke Ridnour would be comeback player of the year, I meant to say he'd be the "Why is this guy still starting?" player of the year.

Mike Conley Jr. has been benched for Kyle Lowry. The Grizz really need to trade him before his value bottoms out.

Nobody's reputation is saving them more than Don Nelson. The Warriors are an outright disaster. Not that Chris Mullin is doing anything to save his job. I really don't know why they extended Stephen Jackson when they should have been looking to trade him. 

How long until Jared Jeffiries starts so the Knicks can try to find a suitor for his contract?

Indiana's made some noise with big wins but don't let it fool you, this is still a mediocre team at best.

The Wizards could be a good team if they had a point guard. Unfortunately, Gilbert Arenas isn't the point guard they need.

Minnesota, Charlotte, and the Clippers should be folded.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

7. Rajon Rondo - Rondo's improvement has been amazing and there's a definite possibility that he hasn't reached his ceiling yet. His shot is still getting better and if he could become even a capable three point shooter, he'd be almost unstoppable on the offensive end. Rondo is still inconsistent and seems to struggle against quicker guards but luckily for him, there aren't many guards quicker than him. Rose and Harris are currently ahead of him but I still expect Rondo to become an All-Star.

8. Monta Ellis - I hesitate to put Ellis in this list because he quite simply isn't a point guard. He might have had the chance to become a point guard but starting his career alongside Baron Davis and in Don Nelson's system basically quashed any chance of that. 

10. Raymond Felton - Felton's biggest sin is that he isn't Chris Paul or Deron Williams. His next biggest sin is that he's stuck on the Charlotte Bobcats. But as a player, Raymond Felton is a good point guard who can create for his teammates and also is seen as a leader. Many Bobcats called him the key to the team. Unfortunately, Felton isn't spectacular at anything and his shot leaves a lot to be desired. Still, teams could do worse than have Felton running the show.

13. Lou Williams - Lou Williams would have been in the top ten last year but a new class of PG's knocked him down and he's also been one of the more disappointing players in the league so far. He could easily work his way back into the top 10 and it should be interesting to see if the Sixers entrust him with the starting point guard position next season. I'd like to see him get the chance to get consistent minutes but if I was a Sixers fan, I might be more interested in getting someone else and keeping Lou as a sixth man combo guard.

14. George Hill - George Hill could be a flash in the pan but that was quite the flash. He held his own against Chauncey Billups and outdueled Derrick Rose. This guy is the second biggest unknown on the list. He could pan out to be better than Rodney Stuckey or a lifelong backup.

15. Chris Duhon - Duhon is what he is but what he is is a very steady point guard.  You can count on him to make the smart pass and he limits his turnovers. He's the epitome of the point guard who you wouldn't mind starting but you wouldn't be satisfied with. You'd always keep looking for an upgrade but would find it surprisingly difficult to find someone better.  

16. Jerryd Bayless - I definitely bought into the Bayless hype before the draft and am having some serious buyers remorse. Bayless seems tiny when he's on the floor and has a lot to learn about playing the point guard spot. I still think he could be a great complement to Brandon Roy but a lot depends on his defense. If he has any trade value, the Blazers may want to consider dealing him for a veteran leader to help the young squad.

17. Javaris Crittenton - This looks foolish now and couldn't look foolish forever but I still haven't given up hope on Crittenton. He's in a lousy situation in Memphis and I'm really not sure why more teams aren't looking to pry him away. I'm not sure he'll blossom as much as his former Georgia Tech teammate Thaddeus Young but he could be a player.

18. Mario Chalmers - Chalmers isn't a star but he'll be in the league as long as he shoots the three well and defends. That being said, he still needs to work on his shooting and get up to 40% to be anything more than a role player. He'll be in the league for years but whether he'll be a starter for all of those years depends on how much he improves. 

19. Jarrett Jack - I don't know what it is about former Yellowjacket point guards but I'm also a fan of Jarrett Jack. He's by no means an ideal point guard and might be better off as a backup but he's a legit NBA player. I think the Blazers would be better off with him than Steve Blake or Sergio Rodrguez. 

20. Kyle Lowry - Mike Conley Jr. might be a better prospect but I just like how Lowry handles himself on the court. He seems like a tough guy who leads by example and gives his teammates a boost of energy. Probably best suited as a backup PG but he can handle himself as a starter.

21. Jameer Nelson - I am just not a fan of Jameer Nelson. I think he's a regular season point guard who will always have problems once the playoffs come around. He just doesn't do enough to help his teammates, isn't a great scorer, and is questionable at best on defense. Jameer is better than some of the guys ahead of him but he's also older and makes way more money so I'd rather take the other guys on my roster both today and in the future.

22. Jordan Farmar - Farmar may never blossom into more than he is today but what he is is a pest. The kind of guy that frustrates other teams. He does the little things and never seems to make too many mistakes. It would be interesting to see him get the chance as a starting point guard but odds are he'll best serve his team by playing off the bench.

23. Mike Conley Jr. -While I'm not a fan of what Jameer Nelson brings to the table, it's more than Mike Conley Jr. has to offer. Conley could be a solid Nelson-like point guard but he doesn't seem like he has any business as a starting point guard and he has to improve in pretty much every area of the game. He's quick and could potentially become a player but right now, I wouldn't bet on him. I think Chris Wallace should be looking to get what he can for Conley while the kid still has value.

24. Beno Udrih - He's good enough, I guess, but he's nothing special and his teammate Bobby Brown might actually have more potential. He's not worth 5 million a year.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While the Rookie of the Year and MVP races might be more glamorous, the race for the Most Improved player of the year might be the most interesting race to follow. Just tonight another name surfaced in the race with Jose Juan Barea suddenly becoming a legit player in the race. It's still early for Barea (and he is coming off games against the Clippers and Suns, hardly defensive juggernauts) but he's looking like he could settle into the starting spot. Jason Terry is apparently set for the 6th Man spot, Jerry Stackhouse seems out of the loop, and Gerald Green is, well, Gerald Green. 

Barea may just be a flash in the pan but there are a number of other players who could be vying for the hardly prestigious title of Most Improved.

Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets: People questioned the Jason Kidd trade when it was made. Now they look at it as a downright disaster. For the Mavs. Devin Harris should be the starting PG for the Eastern Conference and is helping carry a lackluster squad to respectability. As well as Vince Carter has been playing this season. Harris could arguably be called the team's MVP.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers: It's a little unfair to include Young in this discussion because he was a 19 year old rookie last year so improvement was expected. Still, Young has gotten better faster than most people imagined and is starting to make some people wonder if he isn't the best young swingman on the Sixers. The scariest thing about Young is that I wouldn't be surprised if he improved even more next year.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics: Rondo is still inconsistent but when he's on, he's a force. He's gone from the Celtics' supposed weak link to a viable candidate for best point guard in the Eastern Conference. 

Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers: Granger was good last year but this year he's an All-Star. While most of the focus was on Andre Iguodala and Luol Deng, Granger has asserted himself as the best young SF in the East not named LeBron.

Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors: The growth of Biedrins last year was impressive and it's continue in 2008. He has a god awful free throw motion but he's a goddamned beast on the board. Teams are starting to respect him a bit which could hinder his numbers but the fact that he's someone teams have to game plan for is a sign of huge improvement.

Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers: Ariza is a super-sub who could, with a good playoff run, go from overlooked to overrated but he's a strong player who is finally get his shot. One reason for this might be because he's improved his own shot and is now a decent enough shooter. He's not consistent but you at least have to keep an eye on him. He's cooled down as of late but he's still a good defender and guy who can make you pay if you don't take him seriously.

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks: If Isiah could do one thing, it was find diamonds in the rough in the draft.  Ariza was drafted by the Knicks and Chandler looks like he could be even better than Trevor. He went from an interesting prospect to actual NBA starter in one season and he's only 21 years old. 

Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings: Like with Thad Young, it's a bit unfair to include Hawes in the race but the kid is improving. He went from a kid who looked like he had a chance of being the next Robert Swift to a legit piece of the Kings core for the future.

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors: Honestly, the only thing keeping him from winning this award is Don Nelson. Wright isn't close to reaching his potential but he could be a legit player and possible star in this league if he's given a chance. Of course, he probably will never get that chance so it's another year of praying for a trade or for Nellie to get fired for people who want to see a good amount of Wright.

Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz: The fun might be over when Carlos Boozer gets back but while he's out, Paul will show off his skills. Averaging 16 and 10, Millsap is making a little name for himself. I still don't think he's a starting PF in the league but someone might be silly enough to pay him like he is.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pacers have a good enough team but I really don't see them making much noise in the playoffs, if they even do make the playoffs. Danny Granger is a bonafide All-Star talent and TJ Ford is an underrated PG but I'm not sold on the rest of the squad. Marquis Daniels is nice but he screams "Sell High" now that he's playing well and has a team option on his contract next year. They also have Rasho Nesterovic's expiring deal and a couple of good but not great (and probably won't even be very good) rookie in Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush.

The Pacers might want to make a push for this season by making a couple of move:

1) Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Roy Hibbert for Chris Kaman

Dunleavy Jr. could be just what the doctor order for the Clippers on offense. He can run the offense (and I'm sure his dad would be happy to have him do that) which would allow Baron Davis to focus on scoring in the halfcourt sets. He also is a good enough shooter that if Zach Randolph ever does pass out of a double team, he could nail the trey. The Clippers also get a solid enough young backup center who'd be a decent addition to the young Clips Al Thornton and Eric Gordon. 

As for the Pacers, they get a very good big man who gives them a post threat that they don't really have right now. Also, Danny Granger becomes the definite go-to guy in the offense. I'm not a fan of the Dunleavy/Granger duo because both guys seem to operate best when they can have the ball in their hands.

2) Brandon Rush, Rasho Nesterovic, and Marquis Daniels for Michael Redd

Michael Redd is vastly overpaid but he could be a great second or third option for this Pacers team. Redd as a primary option doesn't work for me but if he's feeding off of Granger and Kaman, he'd be deadly. His contract is ugly but it only has a couple more years left (same as Troy Murphy) and it's not like the Pacers were really going to have much of any cap space anyway.

The Bucks do it because they aren't going anywhere with Redd and the Daniels/Rush duo might actually be a better fit with Scott Skiles's style. They are both steady defenders who would help the Bucks buckle down on defense. Also, this move might allow the offense to flow more through Andrew Bogut. I'm not a huge fan of Bogut but the Bucks are probably better off with the offense running through the post than Michael Redd.

The Pacers would end up with Ford, Redd, Granger, Murphy, and Kaman. It might not be a team that's going to contend for the title but it has a better chance of making it out of the first round than the current squad does. In fact, despite some great wins, the current team might not even make the playoffs. It's time for Larry Bird to roll the dice and swing for the fences. Sure, the ceiling might be more of a ground rule double than a home run but at least they'd be making an impact.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The axe finally fell on Sam Mitchell, a man who saved his job a couple of years ago by doing such a great job that he won Coach of the Year and made it impossible for his GM Bryan Colangelo to fire him. The Raptors took a step back, record-wise, last season and you would have thought that Mitchell would have been gone this past off-season. Perhaps Colangelo didn't get along with them but there were two former Suns coaches in Scott Skiles and Mike D'Antoni available then and now, well, who knows who is out there.

And while I know everyone is tired of 2010 talk, that has to weight heavily on the mind of Bryan as he looks to his next coach. He can't really get a task master who could possibly help make Chris Bosh's decision to bolt Toronto even easier. 

As for Mr. Mitchell, he should have no problem finding a new gig. The Timberwolves are currently employeeing the worst coach in the league and should be impressed by the job that Mitchell has done with Chris Bosh. The Thunder also are looking for a coach and Mitchell could be a good fit. 

Toronto's focus now has to move to Bryan Colangelo himself. Bargnani didn't exactly pan out (although he's showing signs of being a solid role player), he overpaid Kapono, and rolled the dice on Jermaine O'Neal. While the Raptors haven't exactly been playing consistent or all that well, the blame can't all be place on the shoulders of Sam Mitchell.

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still early but if I had to vote for an All-Star team so far, my ballot would look like this (and I included reserves in parenthesis even though I know you don't get to vote for them).

East:

C: Dwight Howard (Zydrunas Ilgauskas)

PF: Chris Bosh (Kevin Garnett)

SF: LeBron James (Paul Pierce, Danny Granger)

SG: Dwyane Wade (Vince Carter, Joe Johnson)

PG: Devin Harris (Jose Calderon)

Some tough choices and I could see dumping Ilgauskas from the lineup in favor of someone like Antawn Jamison but he's having a solid season and the Cavs have been dominant this year. Ray Allen was tough to leave off and I might put him over Granger or Joe Johnson but Joe is keeping the injured Hawks flying high while Granger is having a breakout year that nobody seems to be noticing since he's in Indiana and on a mediocre team.

Unfortuantely, the voting will probably be screwy and could keep Devin Harris out of the starting lineup (replaced by fan favorite Allen Iverson) and I wouldn't be stunned if Chris Bosh found himself on the wrong end of the Manchurian Candidate: Yi Jianlian. It sounds odd but I wouldn't be surprised if he was close one of the top vote getters in the East.

The West is a bit screwy because of the glut of PF's and lack of SF's.  I'd vote for Duncan and Amare as my starters but, for the sake of this post, I'll keep it to the actual positions. Amare gets the asterisk for being voed as starter but appearing on my bench.

West:

C: Yao Ming (Amare Stoudemire*)

PF: Tim Duncan (Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, Pau Gasol)

SF: Carmelo Anthony (Rudy Gay)

SG: Kobe Bryant (Brandon Roy)

PG: Chris Paul (Chauncey Billups)

I'm really not sold on either of my SF choices but I'll go with them for now. Tony Parker could edge out Rudy but right now he's just missed too many games. T-Mac has been banged up and hasn't done much, I can't in good faith put guys from the Clippers or Warriors on the All-Star team, and Nash has been down a bit this year. Odds are that, if push came to shove, I'd knock Rudy off the list but why not give one of the game's young stars a chance to shine? In fact, an argument could be made for OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose to make their respective All-Star squads. It's early but the kids are putting up some great games.

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Heat need to move Shawn Marion but there don't seem to be many deals that really make sense. The Heat desperately need a big man but the available big probably aren't what the Heat had in mind: Brad Miller, Anderson Varejao, Eddy Curry, etc. Chris Kaman makes sense but the Clips seem convinced that Al Thornton is their SF for the present and future. The Heat will probably have to wait until closer to the trade deadline to exit the Matrix.

Kevin Durant is quickly climbing up my list of least favorite players. He just doesn't seem to get "it". When he celebrates his buckets, he usually looks like a petulant child and, even worse, he celebrates by beating his chest even though his shot was probably made possible by a teammate. Most of Durant's buckets seem to be wide open jumpers off of kickouts. 

There's no better remedy for a team's struggles than seeing Golden State on the schedule. I'm starting to think that Don Nelson's ever-changing starting lineups are just a cover for the fact that he isn't really doing much of anything in terms of actual coaching.

Memphis really should be better than they are. Not much better but better still. Once New York fixes up the Marbury mess, the focus should move to Memphis ending Antoine Walker's purgatory (which should probably include the Grizz moving one of their point guards). Part of me hopes that they make a deal with Cleveland so we could have Antoine in on the Cleveland-Boston fun in the playoffs.

If OJ Mayo wasn't making Wolves fans feel bad enough, they now have to start wondering whether Brook Lopez isn't better than Kevin Love.

The Sacramento Kings are very close to building their very own poor man's Pistons. A team with no real superstars but with a lot of good players who could come together to be very successful. If Donte Greene pans out, they're just a PG away.

Brandon Rush is the perfect Pacer because both he and the team look like they could make a little noise but just aren't good enough to really matter. 

The Nets have made it onto the list of teams to watch. They are an interesting group of players, Vince Carter is having a first team All-NBA caliber season, and if I had to vote for All-Star starters right now, Devin Harris would be my starting PG in the East.

Chris Bosh is my early pick for player most likely to disappear in the playoffs. I'd like to see him beat up some of the better teams/bigs before agreeing that he's made a step to the next level.

Trevor Ariza is making himself a lot of money this year. 

Everything about the 76ers reminds me of the 'Dre/Brand Clippers squad. The only difference is that the Sixers locked up Iggy before the season whereas the Clippers didn't re-sign Lamar Odom (and lost him to Miami at the end of the year).  

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Baron Davis isn't panning out, Elton Brand looks a step slow, Corey Maggette is Corey Maggette. Quiet as kept, the most influential free agent move of the off-season could be Roger Mason Jr. leaving Washington for San Antonio.

Oh, and George Hill is looking pretty good. Maybe Sam Presti wasn't the key to the San Antonio front office.

Speaking of Presti, firing PJ was a lousy move. The problem isn't the coach, it's the team. The Sonics have a lot of expiring or short deals and should shake up their roster. Even adding a guy like Antoine Walker for Chris Wilcox could work as Walker, if nothing else, will give the Thunder some passion and attitude. The Thunder just have a lifeless group of players.

Eddie Jordan should be nervous because he might be next in the firing line. The Wizards simply aren't playing well. 

It should be interesting to see if Mike Dunleavy Sr. gets the same amount of rope than Elgin Baylor got. The Clippers are a complete mess and adding Zach Randolph isn't going to clean things up any.

The Bobcats have a team full of people who could go to a playoff team and make a difference but together they just make for a lousy squad. Even worse, the contracts that Michael Jordan and friends have doled out to these players make most of them untradable.

The Pacers are the little engine that could... but probably won't.

The Sixers are still struggling to click which is odd because they seem to run a very simple offense. Although I still think the culprit is Andre Miller.

Boston and LA are the class of the league. Everyone else is playing for third place. 

Deron Williams could get some MVP votes this season because, without him, the Utah Jazz are beyond inconsistent. 

The other player who could make a huge impact when he finally gets healthy is Shane Battier. The Rox could use him.

Vince Carter and the Nets are putting together a solid season and might just make a run at the playoffs. I wouldn't go crazy about them but Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez are looking decent.

Shaq is back. 'Melo, meanwhile, has yet to take it to the next level. As long as he stays on Denver and with George Karl, he might never do it. The comparisons to Big Dog Greg Robinson are getting scary.

While the Blazers are a fun team to watch, they need to start sorting out their roster and thinking about using some of their redundant young talent in a deal with Raef Lafrentz's expiring deal.

Donnie Walsh locked up executive of the year in this past week alone.

Posted by SoulHonky at 01:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I watched the Wolves/Celtics game, I really couldn't believe how quiet the crowd at the Target Center was. Then I remembered that in the last three years, the Wolves had traded Brandon Roy, Kevin Garnett, and OJ Mayo for Randy Foye, Al Jefferson, Kevin Love. That made me wonder why the Target Center had a crowd at all. And into the mix the fact that Minny took Rashard McCants over Danny Granger and Ndudi Ebi over Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, and Josh Howard and you have to think that David Stern might have been doing Kevin McHale a favor by stripping him of his first round picks because of the Joe Smith fiasco.

Of course, the Wolves haven't been alone in their draft night generosity. The Suns traded their #6 pick in 2004 for the Bulls first rounder in 2005, which turned out to be the 21st pick. If you think 6 to 21 is a downgrade, don't forget that they traded the #21 for the #54 pick and the opportunity to dump Quentin Richardson's contract. So they basically dealt Luol Deng for Nate Robinson for Dijon Thompson. 

That's when things really got ugly.

Because of luxury tax fears, the Suns just started selling their draft picks. In two years, they took cash for: Rajon Rondo, Sergio Rodriguez, and Rudy Fernandez.

And then there's the curse of the Knicks. The Knicks basically went two decades without a great first round pick and then started trading their first rounders like wildfire. The funny thing though is that whoever got their pick also ended up botching the draft.

The Eddy Curry deal was infamous of the recent Knicks deals but the Bulls completely screwed it up. They traded the #2 pick (LaMarcus Aldridge) for the bust that is Ty Thomas. The next year they got to switch picks and ended up with the #9 pick. They wasted it on Joakim Noah. Even worse, the player that the Knicks got with the Bulls pick was Wilson Chandler, who's currently having a better year than either Noah or Thomas.

The Knicks' 2001 pick ended up in the hands of the Houston Rockets. They made the disastrous three-for-one deal (one of the three being Richard Jefferson) for the tragic Eddie Griffin. The Nets, however, didn't fare much better with the pick, selecting Jason Collins over the likes of Tony Parker, Gilbert Arenas, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Sam Dalembert, and Mehmet Okur.

In 2002, the Nuggets were the ones who "benefited" in a deal from the Knicks when they dealt Antonio McDyess for the #7 pick Nene Hilario. Nene turned out to become one of the Nuggets overpaid big men and, oddly enough, some might argue that today in 2008, Antonio McDyess is a better role player than Nene. Oh, and it doesn't help that two picks after the Nuggets chose Nene, the Phoenix Suns selected Amare Stoudemire.

Speaking of the Suns, the Stephon Marbury trade handed Phoenix two first rounders. The combination of the Knicks Curse and the Suns aforementioned financial woes led to a disastrous deal; they traded the two NY picks, along with Tom Gugliotta, to the Jazz for Keon Clark. The Jazz are still owed a pick from the Knicks (inexplicably top 22 protected this year and then completely unprotected in 2010) but before Utah fans get excited about the prospect of a lotto pick in 2010, they should remember what they did with the first pick. With the 16th pick in the 2004 draft, the Jazz passed on Josh Smith, JR Smith, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and Kevin Martin in order to select Kirk Snyder, who isn't even in the NBA right now.

So as bad as the Knicks may be, they really haven't made any teams better while the Wolves are the ones who keep getting fleeced. So the Clippers should be happy as they own a future Wolves pick with limited (and always lessening protection).

And no, I don't really have a point but it's late and I can't sleep so I'm rambling.

Posted by SoulHonky at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are a lot of things I thought wouldn't happen. They were basically impossible. I didn't think you'd be able to find a GM worse than Elgin Baylor. I didn't think anyone would trade for Zach Randolph. I didn't think the Clippers had anywhere to go but up after last year's injury plagued season.

Then came Mike Dunleavy Sr's foray into being the lone wolf of the Clippers front office.

Mike Dunleavy the coach is controlling. He has his set expectations and doesn't like freestyling or improvisation. He has his plays and wants you to play his way. He couldn't handle Corey Maggette's free-wheeling style. So what does he do?

First, he gives a banged up, aging Baron Davis a max deal. There are few point guards who would be a worse fit with Dunleavy than the head-strong, do as he pleases Davis. Of course, it hasn't taken long for this to rear its obvious head; Dunleavy and Davis are already clashing about their mismatched style. 

Even worse, the guy that Dunleavy let go to get Baron was Elton Brand. Brand is almost the prototypical Dunleavy Sr. player: high hoops IQ, schooled in how to play system basketball, does what is asked of him, doesn't break plays, etc.

While those two moves looked like bad ideas (but could pan out), the latest venture by Senor Senior is combining the worst of those two moves. Zach Randolph is overpaid and is one of the most ridiculous players in the NBA. He's good for at least one jaw droppingly stupid play a month and is a power forward who somehow finds the time to dribble around to much and launch ill-advised threes. Even worse, Zach is leaving a team that actually let him bomb away and now has to somehow reel it back in to play with the overbearing Dunleavy Sr.. The odds of Z-Bo fitting in an LA are terrible. There are better odds of an actual bloody coup led by Z-Bo and his hoops fan entourage than Randolph playing to Dunleavy's system.

So while Elgin Baylor had his signature "Team full of potential that remains on fulfilled until the players go to another team", Mike Dunleavy now has a team that seems destined to be an utter disaster. The only thing left now is to deal Chris Kaman and filler to Chicago for Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon, and Ty Thomas to fullfill his plot to give himself a roster than is the worst possible fit for his own coaching style. (Or he could finally make a trade for his son, which he's been angling to do for years)

The old announcement of "The King is dead. Long Live the King!" always seemed odd but it fits perfectly with the Clippers. Los Angeles managed to remove the long standing leader of the bad GM brigade and replaced him with a man who fit the crown and shit all over the throne.

Save 'em a seat in Secaucus. The Clippers are once again lotto bound for years to come.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Warriors is a semi-famous entertaining b-movie. The Golden State Warriors are now a semi-pro but entertaining b-team. With their inexplicable trade of Al Harrington for Jamal Crawford, the Warriors have cemented themselves to the lottery, and their cap situation cements them there for a few years at least.

On one hand, Crawford does fit Don Nelson's style: he loves taking the first available shot. Of course, that's also his (and Nellie's system's) major flaw. Crawford doesn't seem to understand the concept of shot selection, let alone the concept of team basketball. He's not a good passer and he doesn't play a lick of defense. He is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a point guard.  All of those things make him, at best, a nice guy to put on your second unit but you can't really afford to do that since he makes 10 million dollars a year.

Even stranger for the Warriors, Crawford is an undersized 2-guard which makes him just like Golden State's big ticket item, Monta Ellis. Could this trade mark the end of the Ellis Era in Golden State? There are some reports that Monta could be on the move and this deal, to me, makes it seem more probable. Why add Crawford for double digit millions when you just signed Ellis and Maggette to big deals and recently extended Stephen Jackson?

Oh, and how about that backcourt? Crawford, Maggette, and Jackson? Even if you add Monta Ellis that is hardly anything but mediocre and is a group that will chuck more shots than a team of Antoine Walkers. There's almost no need to mention anyone else on the team because with Crawford and Maggette controlling the ball, will anyone else see it?

On the bright side, the Celtics might want to see if they could snag Kelenna Azubuike from the Warriors. I still think he the Warriors second best swingman in terms of all-around talent (SJax is #1).  I wouldn't be stunned if Veal and Big Baby might be able to get it done. Who knows with the state of the Warriors and their front office.

There are more rumblings surrounding both the Knicks and Warriors and their needs to be; both teams are in shambles and need some major moves to make their rosters look the least bit logical, nevermind good.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Sam Smith banished to Bulls.com and Peter Vescey losing steam, the mantle of brainless trade rumors seems to be up for grabs. Right now the top contender seems to be New Jersey's The Star-Ledger, led by Dave D'Allesandro, a writer who must realize that he's been writing too long to not have gotten some love from the ESPN talk shows. I imagine he feels the need to get his name some more pub so he's doing what many people do: toss out shit you know will stick even if you know it is shit. His latest gem?

The Nets continue to be in trade discussions with Charlotte, which is desperate for frontcourt help, but they don't have the expendable post player Larry Brown wants. The Bobcats are willing to part with Gerald Wallace for a player of consequence, but are more actively pushing Matt Carroll or Adam Morrison, mindful that the Nets are shooter-crazy these days.

So let's get this rumor straight:

A) The Bobcats are desperate for big men but aren't interested in any players the Nets have to offer.

B) The Bobcats are willing to part with two scrubs in Adam Morrison and Matt Carroll.

C) The Nets are trying to clear cap space and wouldn't be interested in either Carroll or Wallace since they are both inked to long term deals (and Carroll is overpaid).

So basically, one of the only options is the Bobcats giving up on top pick Adam Morrison in order to acquire Sean Williams, whom they apparently don't want.

Keep up the good work, Dave. Around the Horn will be calling in no time.

Posted by SoulHonky at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Knicks lost last night but at least they still have their manhood.

"They won the game," New York guard Quentin Richardson said, "but I think a few of those guys know that they can't just say anything to us."

Actually Q, because the Celtics won the game, they can say just anything to you. What are you going to do? Start a fight? What an absolute idiot Richardson is. He's so focused on being a tough guy that he forgot that being tough doesn't mean anything and, many time, runs counter to what one needs to do in order to win. Now, basketball requires some toughness or else you'll end up like former Knick Channing Frye but I think it's tougher to not let things get personal and let your team's actual play do the talking than to want to come right back an enact some personal revenge (be it a first or a one-on-one move).

Q also somehow tries to pull seniority, sounding like the old guy on the playground who keeps getting run off the court and complains that people don't play right anymore.

"I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say — until you do something, it really don't mean nothing. Some of those guys are woofing about, 'Get a ring.' You ain't been in the league long enough to talk like that to some people who's got as many years as we got over here. I don't got a lot of respect for that."

"Until you do something"? Something like win the NBA championship? And sorry Q but success trumps seniority. If someone has been in the league long enough to help your squad get a ring, they've been in the league long enough to brag about it.  Especially to a guy who got paid, got fat, and basically wasted what could have been a promising career. A promising career which started with him showboating as a youngster on the win nothing Clippers with his patented head bang.  

Of course, Scowling Wolf himself, Kendrick Perkins, looks just as dumb with his quote.

"They was doing all the trash-talking," he said. "They started everything that was going on. We really weren't talking noise. They started it."

They started it? What is Perk, 12? Even worse, I think it's a bit of bullshit because Perk has started emulating KG and is yapping all the time for no apparent reason. There was a hilarious moment in the Hawks game when Perk got fouled by Marvin Williams, starting talking shit, and Williams gave him this look like "Wait, why are you talking shit? It was a foul, get over it." That might be the worst part about Perk's quote. It actually makes Richardson's quote seem like it has a little merit because who wouldn't be annoyed with dopey Perk trying to talk smack.

Posted by SoulHonky at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As odd as it sounds, the much maligned Elgin Baylor might actually have been the guy who has been saving the Clippers these last few year. Ever since Mike Dunleavy Sr. essentially took over the personnel moves of the Clippers, he has acquired a number of players who essentially have one thing in common: they aren't player Mike Dunleavy Sr. would want to coach.

First, he takes Eric Gordon. Now I like Gordon's potential but he doesn't seem like the kind of player that Dunleavy's going to love. He's a volume shooter who is still learning the game. It might have made more sense to go after a deal like the Indiana Pacers got for Jerryd Bayless. Jarret Jack isn't the perfect fit for Dunleavey but he and Brandon Rush would seem to be a better fit and would have a chance to earn starting spots from day 1.

After grabbing Gordon, Dunleavy then risks losing Elton Brand in order to get Baron Davis. While Brand hasn't looked completely healed in Philly, he's far and away a player more suitable for Dunleavy's demanding coaching style. Brand is comfortable playing within a system and doesn't freelance much at all. Baron Davis, on the other hand, is his own man and plays the game at his pace. That pace is often frenetic and the complete opposite of what Dunleavy would want out of his PG.  The two have already struggled to connect and I really don't see this getting much better in the future.

Now, word is that the Clippers are going after Zach Randolph once again. It was bad enough when they were offering a second rounder for him but now they are going to move Chris Kaman for Zach (in, what would have to be, a three team deal)? How are you going to push Elgin Baylor out and then overpay Baron Davis and trade a solid young center for the overpaid headcase Zach Randolph? Aren't these exactly the kind of moves that you make when Elgin is still around so you can blame him when they don't work out?

The Clippers lost their best player and won 23 games last season. The way it is looking right now, they could be hard-pressed to make much of an improvement on that this year.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not really. But after years of reading crappy NBA coverage, I think I've figured out how to cover breaking news like professional writers Sam Smith or Peter Vecsey. It's a pretty easy job and can be pulled off in five easy steps.

Step 1: React to Rumblings - For weeks, Sean Williams of the Nets has been wanting to get out of Jersey. Now word is leaking out of Golden St. that Marco Bellineli might be getting trade to New Jersey. Perfect. We now have a trade rumor between Golden St. and New Jersey.

Step 2: Commotion over Common Sense: While the initial reaction to the aforementioned rumblings would be to think that Wiliams and Bellineli are getting traded for one another, that simply isn't the kind of deal that would get people fired up. It's not going to sell newspapers or get people to click on the article. And that, not actually reporting what's going on, is the purpose of most modern sports writing.

We need to find a marquee player to get people's attention. In this case, Vince Carter would seem to be the best bet. We can support our fictional report because everyone assumes that Vince is going to be on the move as the Nets are looking to get rid of his contract. Even better, Al Harrington is on the outs in Golden State and, whaddayaknow, his deal ends before the big 2010 free agent class. I love it when a plan comes together.

Step 3: RealGM > Real Journalism: Now we can do one of two things: call or e-mail someone in the Nets and Warriors front offices to get a comment OR we could just go to RealGm and make up a trade on our own. Most journalism would require some sort of legwork or confirmation but in sports you can just get away with slapping the "rumor" tag on any old BS and it's fit to print. Another way to make the story seem less trumped up is to open the article with a question. This covers up the fact that the entire story was basically conjured up out of thin air; we're not pulling it out of our ass, we're politely answering a question.

Step 4: Remember Your Purpose: Once at RealGM, most people's rational inclination is to find a deal that makes sense for both teams. That is wrong. The purpose you are trying to serve is the rumor and only the rumor. As long as you can find one single reason why a deal COULD happen, all of the other obvious or realistic reasons against it are null and void. After all, we're just passing along a rumor, right?

In this case, we have Vince on one side and Bellinelli and Al Harrington on the other. Now we have to make the salaries work. As luck would have it, Stephen Jackson has a deal that fits both the amount and years we need. Ignore the fact that Jackson is the leader of the Warriors team; the Warriors should want to bring in an All-Star like Carter. Who doesn't want an All-Star? So Jackson, Harrington, Bellineli for Vince Carter and Sean Williams.

We can do better than that though. Let's throw in Brandan Wright as well since he isn't getting a ton of playing time. Wright might not seem like a great addition because the Nets just acquired Yi Jianlian but... wait a second, aren't there a lot of Asians in the Bay Area? SOLD!

Step 5: Write it up: In this case, we don't want a catchy headline. The only time you need one of those is when you're reporting a story that every other paper/site has as well or when you need to be misleading in order to make a big deal about a non-story. Something like, "Are the Patriots no longer Brady's bunch?" as the lead to a story about how Kyle Brady won't be back with the Patriots this year. Also, it's always good to drop as many names in there as possible so that the article might pop up in Google searches. This also helps your fellow sportswriters make up their own trades as they can now say that the other players were "mentioned in trade rumors" even if said references were completely off hand and had nothing to do with the actual rumor that was being discussed.

So what did we end up with?

---

VINCE CARTER TO THE WARRIORS?

Is the Bay Area ready for Vinsanity? They might have to be. Trade rumors are swirling around the Warriors and Nets and a deal could be imminent. With the Nets looking to dump Vince Carter's contract and the Warriors holding two players (Al Harrington & Stephen Jackson) with deals that end before the 2010 offseason, it seems like a match made in Heaven. Carter gives the Warriors a superstar to replace the recently departed Baron Davis while Jackson and Harrington will help the Nets clear even more cap space so they can make a run at soon-to-be free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh.

Vince Carter might be the big name but he's not the only former first rounder that could be switching teams. The Warriors' Marco Bellinelli and Brandan Wright might be swapping jerseys with New Jersey's Yi Jianlian and Sean Williams as part of this blockbuster deal. Jianlian, countryman of Houston's Yao Ming, is better suited to Don Nelson's perimeter offense than Brandan Wright, who the Warriors acquired last year in a draft day deal for Jason Richardson. Bellineli was a summer league superstar but that success hasn't translated into regular season minutes. He has been looking for a way out, as had the frustrated Williams, who is no relation to Utah's Deron Williams, Philly's Louis Williams, Atlanta's Marvin Williams, Cleveland's Mo and Jawad Williams, or Golden State's Marcus Williams. (He also shouldn't be confused with Shawne Williams, currently a teammate of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd in Dallas).

The particulars of the deal are still being sorted out but don't be surprised if you hear something going down between these two teams as soon as next week.

---

And there you have it, this is how 90% of NBA rumors are born. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DeMarcus Nelson had the worst week but the Utah Jazz were a close second. Yes they beat the Sixers but they dropped games to the Knicks, Wizards, and Bobcats. Oh, and Deron Williams's comeback came to an abrupt halt. He played one game and was back out the next night, admitting that he probably tried to come back too soon.

Is there any chance in the world that the Thunder don't win the 2009 NBA lottery? Let's look at it: team that just moved, needs to solidify the fan base, and arguably the top prospect in the draft plays for Oklahoma University and was born and raised in Oklahoma City. Although maybe there will be some justice in this world; the Bobcats will win the lotto, take Griffin, and immediately move to Seattle.

You don't want to play Charlotte on a Friday night. They knocked off New Orleans and Utah the past two Fridays. They're 1 - 5 any other day of the week.

Greg Oden looks good. I think it's obvious why he was the #1 pick and got so much hype. That being said, I think he's going to get hurt every time he jumps. If they ever do make a sequel to Unbreakable, he could play Sam Jackson's father.

The Hawks desperately need to find another big man to help out Al Horford. With Josh Smith and now Zaza Pachulia banged up, he's getting swamped. Unless he gets to face more "big" men like Ty Thomas and Jo Noah, he could have a rough go of it until his mates heal up.

For all the noise that was made about Baron Davis and Elton Brand this past offseason, neither has looked great nor have they been that helpful. Corey Maggette meanwhile must feel like Nicole Kidman after getting free from Tom Cruise. And yes, that makes Baron Kate Holmes. And Dunleavy Sr. is L. Ron Hubbard (accent on the L).

Allen Iverson has brought new life to most of the Pistons but Rip Hamilton doesn't seem to be handling to loss of buddy Chauncey Billups too well. Since AI arrived, he's shooting Rip's shooting 28%.

The Heat are lucky they have two gifted individual scorers in Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley because their team offense is basically non-existant. As much as I like Beasley, I'm starting to question whether he and Wade really fit together. It's early, I know, but still...

Milwaukee's announcers must have gone to the Bob Uecker school of announcing. NOBODY drinks as much Kool-Aid as those two. Part of me thinks that they might actually get shocked if they say anything disparaging about the Bucks. This week's highlight was: The Bucks have a few second to run an inbounds play to win the game. The play turns out to be an utter disaster and ends with a three point running hook shot by Ramon Sessions. The commentary was: "Well, it wasn't a GREAT shot but it was close." They spend the rest of the time talking about how great it would have been had the shot gone in. Then against the Celtics, they have 6 or so second left, are down three, spend two minutes talking about how the Bucks need to take a three, and then, when the Bucks possession leads to a Dan Gadzuric awkward 7 foot jumper, start saying that it wasn't a bad shot and that going for the quick two made sense. It's just sad.   

Larry Hughes is back, Derrick Rose is clicking, the Bulls are .500. Enjoy it while it lasts because the Bulls are about the embark on a West coast swing that could bring them crashing back down to Earth.

With a friendly schedule coming up, the Spurs might actually not be in such bad shape when Parker and Manu come back. I really have no idea how they beat the Rockets.

My man Kelenna Azubuike is putting up numbers but he can't hit the three to save his life this season.

Don Nelson needs to work on his halftime speeches. In the last four games, the Warriors are -47 in the third quarter.

Besides the uniforms and two-tone court, the other thing making the Wolves unwatchable is the fact that they remind me of the 2006 Celtics. They are in most of their games (5 of their 7 losses have been by five points or less) but always blow it in the end.  As frustrating as the Celtics have been in the last few games, watching the Wolves reminds me of how bad we used to have it and helps me appreciate even the ugliest of wins.

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The opposite of the SoulHonky Brigade, here's the squad of players that I simply can't stand watching or, for some reason, just can't stand at all. The team is named after 20/10 and no playoffs superstar Shareef Abdur Rahim because I both disliked Rahim's game and also hated that he was vastly overrated. I especially disliked him because of a little rivalry that Hawks and C's fans had between him and Antoine Walker (clearly, nobody really won that battle).

Starters

C: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: I supported Tim Duncan for years out of respect for his talent and success but enough is enough. A guy as good as he is can't keep playing for fouls and whine all the time. (Although I have to admit, if he wasn't on the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins would get this spot. His constant pouting gets to me.)

PF: Zach Randolph, New York Knicks: Randolph got bashed so much last year that I almost took him off the team but he's still the prototypical good-for-stats/bad-for-team player. He also is good for at least one jaw droppingly stupid play a month. The fact that teams are keeping an eye on him and thinking about dealing for him still boggles my mind (although two of said GM's are John Paxson and Danny Ferry so I shouldn't be surprised.)

SF: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: Do something besides shoot. I usually don't let the hype get to me (unless it's ridiculously overdone ala Brett Favre) but Durant got so much love that nobody really noticed that he's a one dimensional player. He's this gangly guy who should be good but seems content with being a more awkward version of Rashard Lewis. Granted, Lewis did sucker someone into paying him 20 million dollars a year so maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.

SG: Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks: I don't like his game and he scores the most useless 20+ points in the league. He's the Zach Randolph of guards.

PG: Andre Miller, Philadelphia 76ers: I have never liked his game and have never thought he was as good of a point guard as people make him out to be. I don't think he makes any of his teammates better and he is constantly missing open men in favor of taking a shot himself. The Sixers should trade him because they'd be better off without him.

Reserves

C: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls: Shut up already, you're terrible.

PF: Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Bulls: When he tries, he can be fun to watch even though he really has no clue how to play the game of basketball. When he doesn't try, it's miserable seeing him waste his potential. Then again, when he thinks he's a small forward, it's hilarious because the guy is a comedy of errors. He's currently shooting 28% from the field and has a 1 to 3 A/TO ratio.

SF: Wally Szczerbiak, Cleveland Cavaliers: I never liked Wally and one of the reasons I started this site was because Ainge traded for him. And mind you, we were trading away Ricky Davis and Mark Blount so you know that I really must have hated Wally. The Man Called World is a poor man's Michael Redd (although his passing skills are better). He's also always got some miffed look about something. Even when his teammates score he seems a bit peeved. I have to imagine that Ray Allen hates playing Cleveland because he has to hear KG and Pierce go on and on about what a douchebag World is.

SG: Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats: It's not even that I don't like Morrison as much as I can't stand watching him run around the court. He makes me nervous. I can only imagine how Bobcats fans feel. Although, in order to do that, I guess I'd have to imagine there were actually Bobcats fans to begin with. Still, the people of Charlotte have to hate that while the Hornets are competing for a title, they are stuck watching Spazz, Fatty May, and the rest of the Bobcats.

PG: Steve Blake, Portland Trailblazers: Not that Sergio Rodriguez is any better but Blake is annoying to watch. He dribbles out the clock, drives to the lane and gets cut off and dribbles back out wasting even more of the clock, often picks up his dribble in terrible situations and gets trapped, and basically doesn't do much of anything that is helpful to his team. I really can't imagine there aren't at least a dozen of point guards sitting at home who couldn't do a better a job than this scrub. Why the Blazers gave him 4 million a year is baffling.

PG: Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers: One reason I can't stand Mo is because he was a guy that I rooted for but when he got his chance, he became a me-first point guard. Even worse, he got rewarded with a big paycheck while the Bucks got rid of one of the most underrated players in the league, TJ Ford. Add into the fact that he's now the supposed savior of LeBron and the Cavs and he's someone I don't think I'll ever find myself rooting for this season.

C/PF: The Nets Frontcourt: Yi is overrated, Sean Williams can't get his head on straight, Brook Lopez is a bust which should make Stromile Swift feel better, Ryan Anderson's game is as forgettable as his name, and Josh Boone is just funny looking. Although, I guess Eduardo Najera's not so bad so he's the exception.

C: Mark Blount, Miami Heat: Grade A punk. I don't see how any Celtics fan could not despise him.

Posted by SoulHonky at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm starting to think that Don Nelson is losing it. Chris Mullin might be facing the brunt of Nellie's insanity but DeMarcus Nelson has just experienced one of the worst weeks an NBA player could have.

On the 7th, DeMarcus starts (as he had all season) but only plays 10 minutes.

On the 9th, he is demoted but comes off the bench to log 25 minutes.

On the 11th, DeMarcus gets his first career DNP-CD.

On the 13th, Nelson gets a scant three minutes in the game.

On the 14th, DeMarcus Nelson, the Warriors starting PG just a week ago, is assigned to the D-League.

While the Warriors roster definitely leaves much to be desired, I can't help but thinking that they might be better off with someone who doesn't just let his players run wild on offense. The Nelson Era was fun but the owners might be better off completely cleaning house and firing both Mullin and Nelson.

UPDATE: Nelly is taking his distaste for set rotations to an new levels now. Brandan Wright went from starting, dropping 13/7 to getting a DNP-CD. CJ Watson won the starting spot from the aforementioned DeMarcus Nelson, only to lose it to Anthony Morrow (which makes Stephen Jackson the Warriors' starting PG) who is on fire against the Clippers with 37 point on 15 - 20 shooting (4 - 5 from three).

As for Chris Mullin, he might want to start dealing his lottery picks and just signing undrafted guys. Morrow has become the fourth undrafted players to start this year for the Warriors (Nelson, Watson, Morrow, and Kelenna Azuibuike). Andris Biedrins is the only first rounder who routinely starts. Monta Ellis, a second round pick, will likely take over the starting role when he comes back but Mullin's other picks are either struggling for consistent minutes (Wright, Anthony Randolph, Marco Bellineli) or gone (Ike Diogu, Patrick O'Bryant,  Chris Taft, Kosta Perovic). Granted, I think Wright has shown some talent and I like Randolph's skill set but they're never going to get consistent minutes with Nelson.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whether it is because I supported them before the draft or discovered them while clicking around various NBA games, there are a number of non-Celtics players that I find myself rooting for. They are usually guys who are kind of under the radar but seem to have some definite promise or are veterans who are overlooked. Some guys graduate out of the team (Josh Smith, for instance) when they reach prominence. This squad might change as the season goes on but so far this season, here's my team of interest.

The Starters

C: Javale Mcgee, Washington Wizards: Now I can see why the GM's were hyped up about this kid. He's basically like a tall Gerald Green; super athleticism, lots of energy, doesn't really know what he's doing. Luckily for McGee, he's a center so he can get away with his limited game sense more than a swingman can. I hope he has a better attitude than Green and is willing to work to become a player. I'm not sure if he'll ever blossom to be much more than a solid starting center but as of now, it's fun to watch a guy give it his all and bounce around the court with abandon.

PF: Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks: Zeke might have been a crappy GM and coach but he is one heck of a talent scout. Chandler was his latest find and he has absolutely blossomed in his second year. He showed flashes last year but I never expected him to become a legit starter in the league. He's doing so well at the PF spot right now that he might want to start working on a couple of post moves to balance out his game.

SF: Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers: Thad's game is still a work in progress but he has gotten much better this season and I love the fact that he is always running the floor. Whether it's to start a fast break or to get back on defense, Thad is always sprinting around the court. He seems like the kind of guy that everybody would want on their squad. I'd be surprised if Young (and possibly Chandler) don't graduate from the Brigade this season.

SG: Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State Warriors: Kelenna seems to think he's a big man at times as he simply refuses to let people dunk when he's around the paint. He goes after everyone when they approach and is refreshingly unafraid of possibly ending up on a poster. On the downside, his three point stroke has disappeared so far this season and he's gotten into the Warrior habit of forcing some shots but 'Buike is still my man and someone I wished the C's had signed this offseason.

PG: Kyle Lowry, Memphis Grizzlies: Lowry kind of has a weird gait; he kind of looks like a little school yard bully whenever he walks around. When he plays, he doesn't look much different. Lowry isn't afraid to go into the paint and is someone who fires up the team whenever he enters the game. I think he's better suited for the backup PG position but he's better than Mike Conley. If the Grizz aren't going to play OJ Mayo at the point, they might as well give Lowry a shot at the starting job.

The Bench

C: Brian Skinner, Los Angeles Clippers: Skinner's career is almost over but he never got the recognition that he deserved. He could have been a suitable starting center in the league but he never really ended up in the right situation. As it was, he's a lunchpail big man that does the dirty work and helps his teams.

PF: Mareese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers: I'm not sure why but for some reason I find myself rooting for Speights to pan out. Maybe I'm just tired of talented young big men wasting away their potential but there's something with Speights that I like.

SF: Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves: Brewer is the anti-Thad right now. He could play himself off the team in a bad way. I still think he has potential to be a solid swingman in the league but he has been pretty much a disaster in his first two seasons. I was thinking he could be a rich man's Bruce Bowen but would now be content if he panned out to be even a poor man's Bowen.

SG: J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets: I'm about to give up on J.R. but I still think he has All-Star potential. It's a shame that he didn't get any offers this off-season because staying in Denver isn't going to do anything for him. He's already behind Dahntay Jones and I have to imagine that it'll take a change of scenery/coach to wake him from his disappointing career.

PG: Javarris Crittenton, Memphis Grizzlies: While former college teammate and early entry Thad Young is ripping it up, Crittenton is riding pine. On Memphis. I don't get it. Hopefully the Grizz will move Conley Jr. and give Critt some more minutes but right now he seems as tied to the Memphis bench as Antoine Walker.

F: Brandan Wright/Anthony Randolph: Wright has made some definite improvements in his game but I'm really not sure how he and Randolph will ever really fit in the Golden State lineup. I have to imagine that these two picks are one of the many issues that has caused a rift between ownership and Chris Mullin.

PG: Bobby Brown, Sacramento Kings: I haven't seen a ton of Brown but what I've seen has been great. An exciting guard with a great shot.

C: DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers: He hasn't played much but I'm rooting for this kid to pan out.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I really like the Gary Payton and Chris Webber team on NBA TV. They basically sit around and talk like they are just hanging out with friends which is funny and strips down some of the pretense that other shows have. They basically take Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley's banter and strip away all actual profesionalism. It's fun to watch.

That being said, it also leads to some silly comments. Here is Gary Payton bemoaning Rajon Rondo's championship ring. This is a man who had to literally follow Shaq across the country to get his ring and he's complaining about Rondo? I'm not sure what Gary's issue is but it is funny to watch Webber egg him on and just laugh at him.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maybe losing that game to Indiana wasn't such a bad thing. It seems that loss is the difference between people not paying any attention to the 7 - 1 Celtics and going gaga over them being undefeated to start the season. It's pretty amazing how nobody is really talking about the Celtics even though they now have victories over some of the key contenders to their crown: Houston, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto.

If there's a trap game in the rest of this month's schedule, I'd say it's the Knicks who are a team that is good enough to beat anyone but who really shouldn't defeat any real contenders. Paul Pierce's heroics got some of the NBA spotlight back on Beantown but, honestly, I'd be more than happy to watch the C's steadily do their thing while everyone else goes gaga over some other NBA story. Unfortunately, that won't happen because of the schedule. By mid-December we can get ready for an onslaught of hype as the Lakers and Celtics are playing on Christmas Day. (Although it's nice to be back in the prime time).

Right now though I'll enjoy the C's being in the best situation: relevant but not overhyped. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Joe Dumars shook up the NBA with his deal for Allen Iverson but perhaps that move shouldn't be an isolated incident. There are a lot of teams looking to move some bodies and it doesn't make sense to wait until the trade deadline to do something you could accomplish today. So who else might be on finding themselves in a new zip code soon?

Raymond Felton & Gerald Wallace: It didn't take long for Felton to fall out of favor with Larry Brown while Wallace has been on thin ice since day one of the Brown Era. It's pretty obvious that the 'Cats are going to need to move both players but who can they get back that won't fall right into their spots in the doghouse? Al Harrington's name has been mentioned but I can't see that working out. Ditto for Travis Outlaw. David Lee could fit but the Knicks don't want Wallace's contract eating up their 2010 cap space. I keep coming back to a Wallace for Luol Deng deal but I can't imagine Paxson agreeing to that. A couple options for Wallace could be:

Wallace and Adam Morrison for Mike Miller and Ryan Gomes. Wallace helps out the Wolves on defense while Gomes and Miller could step in immediately to the Bobcats starting lineup. I'm not a huge fan of Gomes but he's a smart player and would be a decent enough complement to Emeka Okafor.

Wallace and Morrison (or filler) for Andrei Kirilenko: I'm not sure how Wallace fits with Jerry Sloan but personnel wise, this trade moves Wallace to the SF (where he'd rather play) while AK-47 gets to move back to PF in Charlotte (where he's better).

Wallace and Felton for Shane Battier, Luther Head, Carl Landry: Probably selling low on Felton here but Battier would be perfect for Larry Brown while Luther Head is a solid backup and Landry is a promising young PF. The Rox might have to give up a pick to make it happen but they'd also have to think about whether they want to move one of the steadier heads in Battier.

Wallace, Felton, Nazr Mohammed, and Matt Carroll for Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem: The Bobcats get a couple of veterans in Marion and Haslem and dump a couple of bad contracts in Mohammed and Carroll.  Miami probably doesn't do it, opting instead of go after someone in 2010 but this wouldn't be a bad haul for Marion.

Wallace and Felton for Antawn Jamison and Antonio Daniels: Another deal which will never happen but the Wizards desperatebly need to mix things up and this deal could help both squads.

Felton for Rajon Rondo and Brian Scalabrine: The biggest issue with this deal is defense. Felton's isn't much to write home about. While he's a much better offensive player, I'm not sure the difference on that end makes up for the difference on defense. Also, Felton is a free agent at the end of the year so the C's would have to know what he's asking for before they make the deal. As it is, while I still have some concerns about Rondo, he fits the Celtics, the Celtics are winning, and I wouldn't shake things up for someone who Rajon might actually be better than.

In the end, the move that definitely should happen is for Larry Brown to see if he can't woo Lindsay Hunter to Charlotte to mentor DJ Augustin. Not sure if Hunter wants another go-around with Larry but he could help the Bobcats.

Posted by SoulHonky at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another week, another prediction falls apart. My faith in the San Antonio Spurs looks about as misplaced as my fantasy football faith in Torry Holt. The Spurs were struggling with Tony Parker and now that he's going to out for a month, the Spurs are facing the very real possibility that they could be digging themselves into a hole they can't climb out of. While I wouldn't bet against them making the second season (they could reel off a winning streak when Manu comes back), they are going to struggle to get home court and will face a very tough road. Probably too tough of a road to get to the Finals.

The Knicks have been better than expected. Wilson Chandler is looking like he could run away with the Most Improved Player award. The big question is whether the Knicks look to move David Lee now that he's out of the starting lineup. Lee is looking for at least 10 million a year and I doubt the Knicks are going to be willing to agree to that. Perhaps Lee could hook back up with Larry Brown in a deal for Gerald Wallace?

The most disappointing team in the league are the Wizards. They looked good last year without Gilbert Arenas but this year has been awful. Even worse, I don't think Arenas's return will make things that much better. The team plays with no energy whatsoever. They look like a team playing out the string at the end of the year, not a team trying to establish themselves at the start of the season. The re-signing of Arenas, Jamison, and Butler seems more suspect with every passing game. If this keeps up, coach Eddie Jordan won't make it to the All-Star break.

On the bright side, Javale McGee looks like he definitely has some potential. He seems more like an energy guy off of the pine but if he puts on some weight and develops his shot, there's no reason he could be a Sam Dalembert type big man.

Many people thought the Knicks would take time to adapt to Mike D'Antoni (or that Donnie Walsh would take time to adapt the roster to D'Antoni's system) but the team that seems to be struggling with their big name addition is the Sixers. While Andre iguodala has been getting most of the blame, I think the real issue is that Andre Miller's weaknesses as a point guard are being exposed (just like they were the last time he and Brand teamed up with the Clippers). There's no excuse for Miller being the team leader in field goals attempted. I think it's time to try to move Miller or, at the very least, move him to the second unit (where he can be the primary scorer) and let Louis Williams take over the starting PG role. Williams isn't exactly a playmaker either but I think you can have Iggy run the offense more as Williams has more 2 guard skills than 'Dre.

The Golden State Warriors can make all sorts of threats about Monta Ellis and his contract but the bottom line is that the team isn't much of a threat to win without him.

I'm still not sold on Kevin Durant. An amazing scorer but he still hasn't expanded his game and doesn't make much use of his height. I'm not saying that I'd have taken Horford or Thad Young over him but I also wouldn't say that Durant is helping his team out more than a lot of guys in his class right now.

Flip Murray is having a great year so far. One oddity though is that whie his three point percentage has gone from a career 28% to an impressive 46% this year, his free throw percentage has fallen from 71% percent to 53%. Granted, it's early in the season but still... I also mention the free throws because it seems to me like I've seen more quality shooter bricking free throws this year. Paul Pierce especially has been a head scratching 67% this year. 

Gerald Green is at it again. Showing flashes of actual basketball ability but still being pretty dense and remaining the worst shooting supposed shooter in the league (which is impressive since Adam Morrison is also a shoddy shot despite his reputation).

Kirk Hinrich's injury is exactly the opening Ben Gordon has been waiting for. The Gordon/Rose backcourt could be impressive on the offensive end. Yes there are concerns on the defensive end but I think it's obvious that Thabo Sefalosha has no business getting more minutes than Ben.

The Rockets will be a completely different team (and a much better team) once they get Shane Battier back. 

The Hawks are proving that last year's playoffs weren't a fluke. Losing Josh Smith could hurt but they'll still be a team nobody wants to face in the first round. In fact, there's a chance they could take the division title from the listless Orlando Magic. 

Watching a Magic game is like watching an NBA LIVE game when the computer starts helping the losing team get back into the game. 

Brad Miller is quickly establishing himself as a possible trade deadline difference maker. Not only is he playing well but his contract runs out before the much hyped 2010 offseason. I also wouldn't put it past the Bobcats to overpay for his services.

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the mid-seventies, Nicky Barnes was one of the most notorious criminals in New York City, if not the entire United States. He was living the high life and nobody could stop him. He was so big that he made the cover of the New York Times magazine which dubbed him "Mr. Untouchable" because he beat so many cases.

Then in 1978, it all came crashing down. Barnes was arrested and went from the Crown Prince (or clown prince depending on who you believe) of the drug game to persona non grata as he snitched on over 100 of his former partners in crime.

30 years later, we might have someone who's lived up to the rise and fall of Nicky Barnes. That man is Luol Deng.

While Deng never committed larceny, many people claimed that the Bulls did when they acquired a #7 from the Suns for a future 1st rounder that would later end up being the #21 pick (a pick which the Suns then proceeded to trade for the 54th pick). Deng didn't take long to make his name and became a rising star in the league. The sky was the limit. In fact, he was so good that he became the Bulls' Mr. Untouchable. You name a player, John Paxson wouldn't deal Deng for them. Garnet, Gasol, Kobe, you name it (although some rumors said that Kobe nixed any Bulls deal involving Deng because he wouldn't go there if Deng wasn't there.)

While most of these rumors are probably Sam Smith style bull shit, the bottom line is that Jon Paxson wouldn't part with his golden child.

Then 2008 rolled around. The contract negotiations didn't go well and the season went worse. Just as Nicky Barnes snitched on his people, Deng and the Bulls quit on their coach. Scott Skiles was fired and Deng struggled. Now, just a couple of years when Paxson turned down deals for Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol because Deng was involved, Deng is barely involved in the Bulls offense. There's a new king of Chicago and Deng doesn't seem to fit in the new Derrick Rose-centric system.

So is it time for Chicago to say goodbye to Mr. Untouchable? With the Bobcats looking to unload Gerald Wallace, it might not be such a bad idea. I'm not sure if Deng's stock has dropped to the point that it would be a straight up trade but a draft pick or another player might not be a terrible deal. Perhaps Portland, with more youngster than they know what to do with, could make a move for him. The Clippers and Golden State also have youngsters to move that could help the Bulls transition to the new Rose era.

The bottom line is that, while Luol Deng is by no means done, he isn't going to fulfill his potential if he remains a Chicago Bull. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RealGm reports that Assistant GM Pete D'Allesandro was recently fired and the reason given to the Contra Costa Times is telling: "A source told the Contra Costa Times that D'Alessandro was fired for 'insubordination' and that he put the interests of agents and Mullin ahead of the franchise."

Wait, so someone was fired for listening to his boss, Chris Mullin? With the Monta Ellis situation possibly blowing up into Ellis demanding a trade, the Warriors are a mess and making matters worse is the fact that Chris Mullin is, according to the San Francisco Chronicle a "dead man walking".

League sources said that team president Robert Rowell fired D'Alessandro - the right-hand man of vice president Chris Mullin - on Thursday and will replace him with assistant coach Larry Riley.

It's a sudden move that undoubtedly antagonizes Mullin, whose own job is in jeopardy after a series of high-profile disagreements with Rowell since the summer.

The Warriors' top two executives have clashed over the would-be extension for Baron Davis, the looming-extension for Stephen Jackson and the punishment for Monta Ellis over the last few months.

After the draft, I thought it was odd that Chris Mullin didn't seem in line with his head coach. Neither Brandan Wright nor Anthony Randolph really seem like guys that Don Nelson would really love. Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed because Rowell just added someone with close ties to Nelson to the front office. Could it be long before Nellie himself is named GM?

I thought Mullin could be the next Ainge and it looks like he might not be given that one extra offseason to clean up his mess. The Warriors have movable contracts and loads of young talent. As we all know, suffering  through a terrible year that feels like one step sideways, two steps back is tough but it's what made the 2008 title possible. If the Warriors stayed as they are, Al Harrington would be an expiring contract and they'd likely have another lottery pick to play with when making deals.

The question becomes: Do you trust Chris Mullin to be the guy to use those assets? Yes, Chris Mullin has created a mess but Danny Ainge seemed like he might be on the outs and used that last year to get his plan to come together. The major difference, however, is that Ainge had the support of his owners and had a coach that was listening to him and whose job was probably tied to Ainge's. It's not like anyone thought that if Ainge was fired, Doc would be handed the keys to the front office.

It's a tough situation in Golden State and as Celtics fans who've suffered through the reigns of Pitino, Wallace, and the early Ainge years know, it's probably going  to get worse before it gets better.

Posted by SoulHonky at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've bashed Chris Wallace in the past but I have to give him his due: his Grizzles team is pretty fun to watch. Not only that but they are also winning some games. How'd this happen?

One of the main reasons is that his two much maligned trades have paid off. The first, which I and pretty much everyone, bashed was the Pau Gasol trade. As it turns out, it wasn't a bad deal at all. It dumped Pau's contract and brought over his talented (and tougher) brother Marc who has been solid so far. Marc has a nice offensive game and doesn't seem to wilt when the going gets tough ala Pau. Also, one of the picks helped bring in Darrell Arthur who has also been solid. It took him all of one game to win the starting spot over Darko Milicic. That's a nice honor but I think the Grizz might be better off with Arthur coming off of the pine. Still, that's two solid players for Pau and the Lakers still owe Memphis a pick in the future.

The other trade, which I liked but some hated, was getting OJ Mayo. Kevin Love has been better than I expected and should prove to be a good NBA starter but OJ Mayo has the potential to be a star. The funny thing about Mayo is that for all of the hype and whispers about his attitude, he isn't flashy and seems team oriented. He has better court awareness and passing skills than many gave him credit for but he definitely needs to work on his shot which isn't falling yet. Still, I think taking on Marko Jaric's contract was more than worth giving up Love (and Mike Miller, who hasn't exactly been lighting it up for Minny). 

Another key is the maturation of Rudy Gay. He's really taken to being the man on the team and is working well with Mayo. His defense has improved a bit but he still isn't anywhere near where he could (and should) be. 

The wild card could be the PG position. Mike Conley is solid but I don't think he warranted a #4 pick and he might be a back-up. I'm a huge fan of Kyle Lowry and think the Grizz could be better off selling high on Conley and trying to get a 2-guard in return. Mayo is good enough to run the point and the team could use a defender/3 point specialist at the shooting guard spot; someone who can feed off of Gasol, Gay, and Mayo while also handling the toughest assignments on D.

The most amazing thing though is that even some of his worst moments are coming up roses. The Darko Milicic signing was pretty terrible (as noted, it took him one game to get demoted), but since there are only two years left on the deal, Darko's contract comes off the books before the vaunted 2010 Free Agent Class so he has some trade value. With Antoine Walker's virtually expiring contract (he has a team option next year), Darko's deal, and some young talent like Conley, it's not beyond reason to think that Wallace could be adding a legit talent at the midseason trade deadline.

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

People were waiting for Joe Dumars to make his big move and he's done it. The question is: does this make Detroit more of a threat or does it make another move more necessary?

The first and most obvious change for the Pistons is defense; Iverson is nowhere near the defender Billups is. Whereas before they could count on Billups to curb the opposition's point of attack, Iverson isn't really stopping (or even slowing down) anyone. 

On the other hand, Iverson is going to prevent more of a problem for opposing PG's. I'm far more nervous about Rondo having to defend AI than Chauncey. Cleveland's addition of Mo Williams looks even dicier now that he's going to stuck on one of the best scorers in league history. 

But how does AI fit the offense? Will Rip still be effective running off screens when Iverson is running the point? Do you now look to move Rip for a shooting guard who might better complement AI? Do you try to make a Celtics-like All-Star squad by moving Rip in a deal for T-Mac or Vince? I'm not sure you do but it's going to be interesting to see how the Pistons' offense looks now.

For the future, AI's expiring deal (along with 'Sheed expiring deal) gives the Pistons a ton of cap space in the near future. The problem for me though is that I'm not a huge fan of their young guys. Stuckey is good and could be very good (but I don't see him ever being great) while Maxiell and Amir Johnson are solid but nothing special. 

As for the Nuggets, I think it's a great deal. They were never getting any cap space so losing AI's expiring deal for Billups's four years isn't an issue. Also, this is a deal that helps shore up their biggest weakness (defense) while letting others on the team expand their offense. AI is an amazing scorer but that was never what the Nuggets needed. If anything, I think he might have hurt 'Melo's offense and he most certainly didn't do much to help JR Smith on the court. A Billups/Smith/Melo backcourt is a much better fit and should help solidify the Nuggets spot in the playoffs. How far they'll go is up to 'Melo and JR. 

So judging the deal, the Nuggets just got better while the Pistons definitely got different; whether they are better or not is anyone's guess. 

Posted by SoulHonky at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To start, I have no idea why I picked Luke Ridnour as Comeback Player of the Year. It's one of those things that you look at an hour after writing and think, "Who wrote that? That's stupid." Not only will Luke not be that great but I'm not sure what he has ever done that he can comeback to. Just dumb. Then again, so is the fact that Luke is getting minutes over Ramon Sessions but that's happening so who knows...

The C's had a terrible loss against the Pacers. Hopefully it will wake them up and keep them from getting lax.

Speaking of teams that don't seem to give it their all every night, the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat both are disappointing so far. There is absolutely no life in the Heat and Orlando seems to play down to the level of their opponent (which is hard to do with the Kings but they managed it for three quarters). I'd be stunned if Marion wasn't deal soon. 

Memphis has looked pretty good. The Gasol trade wasn't THAT bad as Marc Gasol has proven to be a legit NBA center. Darrell Arther was also part of that deal and he's been looking good as well. The other man in that deal, Javarris Crittenton, is the odd man out in the point guard rotation and I wouldn't be upset if the C's made a run at him. I think Portland and Miami should both make a move for him as well.

The rookies are faring much better than last year's class. Rose has a lot to learn about playing PG but the kid is a player. Beasley, Mayo, and Love are also looking good. Danilo Gallinari? Well, there hasn't been anything to see but I still think this kid is a bust. Jason Thompson seems solid but I'm still not a fan of that pick.

While the point guard situation for many teams is shaky at best, the center position looks like it is going to be making a comeback in a few years. I doubt this new class is going to make anyone forget about the Dream, Admiral, Ewing, Shaq days but there are a number of up and coming pivot men: Andrew Bynum, Andris Biedrins, Spencer Hawes, Al Jefferson, etc. The two biggest question marks might be the two #1's: Oden and Bogut.

As for this year, the Warriors are fun to watch but I still don't see them winning a lot of games unless they make a trade for a legit PG (and Monta Ellis isn't a PG).  The Bucks are one of the hardest teams to watch, both because of their style of play and their crappy announcers. The Knicks are a lot more fun to watch this year and Gus Johnson/Clyde Frazier could be the best announcing team in basketball. Minnesota's uni's combined with their two-tone court gives me a headache. For some reason, I find the Clippers extremely unlikable this year.

Right now, the non-Celtics teams that I'm enjoying watching are: Golden State (always a good game), Memphis (fun to watch quality young guys grow), Miami (Wade's comeback + Beasley), Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers (checking on the hungry up and coming teams in the East).

Posted by SoulHonky at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by SoulHonky at 04:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

POWE!

Love Leon. He's looking steady in the sixth man role. Not sure about Tony Allen and Eddie House but at least we learned that the idea that the Celtics wouldn't be able to handle LeBron without Posey isn't the problem that many people assumed it would be. I'm not sure why Cleveland is kryptonite to Ray Allen but he just can't get it done against them. Hopefully he bounces back against the Bulls. A so-so night but they still got the win so I'm happy. Solid game from Rondo but a couple of dumb plays and Perk was pretty awful.

As for the Cavs, I love that they have Mo Williams because Mo's a scrub who can't defend his shadow. The Cavs better hope that they face the Magic in the first round this year because they don't want to go up against anyone with a guard who can score.

The Bucks/Bulls game was hard to watch. It should be interesting to see the Bulls on Friday. Derrick Rose is just fun to watch. The rest of the Bulls? Not so much. Ty Thomas looked like he had a little life but he still doesn't know how to play basketball. The Bucks just aren't good. Michael Redd is arguably the most overrated player in the league now that Zach Randolph has been downgraded after last season. Redd's got a great shot but he has no court vision and doesn't do anything to help his teams win.

The Lakers looked good. Bynum showed a couple of nice moves but looked rusty. Still, the Portland frontline is one of the few frontlines in the L that is softer than L.A. so we'll have to wait to see how they do against tougher competition. The Battle for Los Angeles tomorrow should be better: Kaman and Camby should put up more of a fight. Trevor Ariza seemed improved. if his 3pt stroke is as good as it looked, he's a legit sixth man and a kind of Bruce Bowen type stopper that the Lakers need.

The Blazers gave one of the worst offensive performances I've seen in years. Any offense that has Channing Frye tossing up long jumpers needs to be scrapped. The team has serious PG problems because Steve Blake and Sergio Rodriguez just don't seem to have it and Jerryd Bayless isn't ready. Brandon Roy looked like he was high for 3/4's of the game. I know people like Roy's poise but he needs to show SOME emotion out there. He makes Ray Allen seem animated. Nate McMillan was awful. When the Lakers went small, he stuck with his big lineup even though neither Aldridge nor Pryzbilla were taking advantage of the mismatch. Rudy Fernandez didn't look bad but this team needs to get Martell Webster back and they might miss Jarrett Jack more than anyone expected. Hopefully Oden isn't badly hurt but they should probably bring him off of the bench for a bit.

As for my rankings, I might have overrated the Bucks but neither they nor the Bulls seem like playoff caliber teams. The Blazers will battle the Warriors and Clippers and I might give the Clips the edge for the 9th spot (I don't see any of those three teams taking out the Nuggets). The Lakers and Cavs stay where they are.

Can't wait for tomorrow when there's a full slate of games.

Posted by SoulHonky at 05:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)