Now, none of us really expected the Iverson situation to go smoothly, now did we? As usual, any mention of Allen Iverson these days is coupled with a discussion of the problems he has. After missing time with his partially torn hamstring, he saw his first action coming off of the bench Nov. 2nd against the Sacramento Kings. I knew he was coming off the bench, you knew he was coming off the bench, the coaching staff knew he was coming off the bench, and deep down, I truly believe that Iverson knew he was coming off the bench. It was NOT a secret. Iverson had 11 points in 18 minutes, which is pretty good for an old geezer. Still, instead of shutting his mouth and being happy about getting an NBA contract this summer, he instead insisted that everyone check his resume and see that he’s not a bench player. Well A.I., the last time I saw you playing for Detroit, you were a bench player — a bench player that a struggling team thought they’d be better off without. Still, if that’s how you feel, fine.
Iverson continued to play and come off the bench, and he didn’t do too poorly. SIDEBAR: Notice that NBA.com didn’t even bother to update his player photo…this is even before the haircut. As a matter of fact, his 57.7% shooting was much better than the Grizzlies were getting from Mike Conley (41%). He lasted for two more games, then last Saturday Iverson asked Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley for a leave of absence to go home to Atlanta and tend to some personal matters. My first thought was that Iverson was going to see a specialist to take care of those splinters in his ass — those can cause infections, ya know. However, Heisley insists that Iverson’s issues are a personal family matter that has “nothing to do with the other stuff”, referring to chemistry problems with Head Coach Lionel Hollins.
I do hope that Iverson can take care of his family issues, and I don’t necessarily doubt that these issues don’t exist. I do still believe that Iverson is having trouble adjusting to his new situation, to the point that Iverson may not return to the team. People are already suspecting as much, and no one has any answers. I’ve seen Iverson play through some painful injuries, but his Achillies’ heel might be his pride. Iverson was miserable during the offseason as team after team passed on his services, and perhaps the realization that not even the Memphis Grizzlies want to play him in a feature role is too much to bear. On the flip side, perhaps the Grizzlies no longer even want him in a limited role. The longer this leave of absence goes on, the more people will speculate, and the more likely it is that the Grizzlies will seek to trade or waive Iverson. Still, wasting $3 million is not an easy pill to swallow, especially for a franchise constantly struggling to gain support. I would love to see Iverson come back and earn a starting role and some respect. Seriously, is Mike Conley really an insurmountable obstacle? Not by a long shot. Still, something tells me (my brain, context clues, a Magic 8-ball, tarot cards, you name it) that nothing will change. If Iverson comes back, it will be with the same attitude he has played with his entire career.
I love a good comeback story. I can’t help but root for a person that has fallen on hard times, but gets things together and makes a return to greatness, even if only for a brief moment. Acting, music, sports – almost any form of entertainment you can think of has people who fit this description. The superstars-turned-underdogs I root for are usually never people I didn’t care for before the going got tough (Michael Richards, R. Kelly, Roger Clemens, etc.), but I’ll ignore any personal issues I may have with the following NBA players to discuss who is poised to make a serious comeback this season.
Gilbert Arenas was once one of the most exciting and captivating players to take an NBA court any given night. More recently however, the Hibachi has been broken. Gil has missed the majority of the past two seasons, yet managed to sign a new six-year contract for $111 million. While that guaranteed that he had plenty of cash coming in as he regularly flirted with a return to the court, it did nothing but frustrate his fans. While the Eastern Conference has improved over the last few seasons, it’s still quite common to earn a playoff spot with a .500 record. This Washington team wants to win now; new head coach Flip Saunders is solid, and the team traded away the 5th pick and pieces to Minnesota for Randy Foye and Mike Miller in hopes of making a deep postseason run. A healthy Wizards team with a healthy Arenas can surely manage to notch 41 wins in the East, right? RIGHT?!? Well, I think so, but Antawn Jamison’s shoulder issues aren’t helping the cause. Originally said to be out 3-5 weeks, he could resume shooting this week.
Tracy McGrady, you sly fox. You hobbled around and grimaced and said all the wrong things to alienate yourself from the Rockets faithful. Then what do you do? Go get a real trainer and actually work hard in the offseason. Tim Grover claims to have fixed the perpetually-broken McGrady, even said he could be ready for the start of the season. Nice bluff Tracy, but Daryl Morey and the front office chose to be cautious and hold you out until December at the earliest. McGrady even changed his jersey number from #1 to #3. His reason: to bring attention to his 3 Points documentary (a very nice cause). However, I see straight through you, Mr. McGrady. The real reason? Steve Francis and Bobby Sura, two fan-favorites here in Houston, recently wore #3 before him and now you’re looking for acceptance by association. And to top it all off, you just so happen to vacate the #1 jersey and stick the new guy with it, when I’m sure he would have been perfectly happy in the #3 he wore as a champion last year (I admit, I saw Ariza miss a shot in the preseason, and yelled “dammit, T-MAC!” out of pure force of habit). Ulterior motives aside, this situation sets up nicely for T-Mac, because if he proves himself to be in tip-top shape and can be effective on the court, he just might get re-signed by Houston, or find some money and a role elsewhere. As desperate of a situation as the Rockets are in, T-Mac (and the Rockets) can be the huge winner. But what will we see?
The old T-Mac…
or the old T-Mac?
Elton Brand was supposed to help the Philadelphia 76ers return to prominence in a stronger Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, the Sixers didn’t quite get a positive return on their investment. A decline in numbers seemed to be caused by Brand finding difficulty fitting into the 76ers movement-based offense. Brand is a post player first and a jump shooter second, so without the chance to settle in the post and get fed like he did with the Clippers, Brand seemed lost at times. With his past two seasons cut short by major injuries, Brand has to prove his worth and return to All-Star form. Brand doesn’t have to be the main guy in Philly with Iguodala there, but he certainly has to do better than last year.
Allen Iverson is a future Hall-of-Famer, and that’s not up for debate. Well, you can argue against that, but you’d lose. I’m not a huge fan of Iverson’s game, but he has made it work for him. The problem comes with coaches making his game work for the team. Iverson was alright in Denver, but Chauncey Billups was unquestionably better. Iverson was awful in Detroit, as Iverson fought unsuccessfully for minutes behind Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey. After being excused from the team early, Iverson’s value in the free agent market plummeted. Iverson landed in Memphis with a one-year deal for cheap money ($3.5M), and now has to figure out how to show the league he can still play without stunting the growth of O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley in the Grizzlies’ backcourt. AI has yet to play with his new teammates after a partial hamstring tear, andadmitted that he doesn’t know the plays. He won’t play in the opener, but it has already been stated that he will come off the bench for Memphis. But…wasn’t that a problem last season? This reminds me of the overused plot line in which a high schooler has to return to elementary school with the little kids because of some missed graduation requirements. Hopefully, Iverson doesn’t wind up embarrassing himself.
I HATE the second half of the NBA offseason. You know, the part after the big-name free agents sign deals and…well, next week. While we’re technically in the preseason right now, the preseason still isn’t very fun. I like to see how teams look, but that doesn’t really mean much. Teams are busying themselves trying to see who the last man on the bench will be and who will be cut, traded, or sent to the D-league to grow (skills-wise or physically). This doesn’t help me figure out how PF minutes will be given to both Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap, but I’ll find out soon enough.
In case you didn’t notice from my lack of posts, the part of my brain meant for basketball stuff took a break for a few months and offered help to its neighbors. The competitive part of my brain reminded the basketball part that our fantasy basketball draft is this weekend, a mere few days from now. I’ve definitely thought about basketball the entire time, but I haven’t given it a good long thought. This is probably just a by-product of the Rockets having less of a chance for a title this year than the usual long shot chance (see: not gonna happen). Still, there are a few questions that a fan of the NBA-at-large like me has on his mind.
Which teams improved after the trade/free agency arms race? Which teams actually got worse with their attempts to get better?
A lot of major players went to teams already in good shape to contend for the championship. Rasheed Wallace being a big help in Boston is one thing I’m fairly sure of. Adding an extra veteran big man who knows what it takes to win a title to a team not-so-far removed from winning a title seems like a win-win to me. If Doc can control the technical fest that’s bound to break out (‘Sheed and Garnett should amass about 25 techs between them…I’ll set the over/under at 22), he could have another title run on his hands. With next year’s salary cap concerns, will the Celtics look to deal Ray Allen as rumored this past offseason to inject some youth into the roster? This year could be the last legitimate run for these Celtics before another wave of mediocrity and self-loathing in Boston.
Orlando will have a healthy Jameer Nelson back that was a certified All-Star before his shoulder injury last season, and adding Vince Carter will make for an explosive backcourt. Carter will make Turkoglu’s departure easier to stomach for the Magic because I really don’t think Turkoglu does anything that Vince cannot (unless Turk can win in Toronto, of course). I did like Courtney Lee in the Magic offense though, and I wouldn’t bank on Matt Barnes filling in as easily. For their sake, I hope Brandon Bass can log effective minutes at power forward, relieving the pressure Rashard Lewis has on him to play bigger (and be bigger).
The Cleveland Cavaliers is the best team with the most questions surrounding it. How will Shaq fit into the offense? Will LeBron stay if they don’t win the title? Can Shaq stay healthy? Will Delonte West take his medication? Who will get traded next? Did any of these moves make them better against Orlando? I mean, Shaq didn’t exactly have his best moments against Dwight Howard last year. Will LeBron banish more non-NBA athletes from his kingdom? Did Delonte ever get his chicken wings (NSFW)?!? For a team that was favored by many to win the title a mere six months ago, that’s a lot of question marks.
In the West, the San Antonio Spurs seem to be flying under the radar as usual. Unlike in years past, this is likely due to the fact that the team looked really old late last season (and not in the distinguished Sidney Poitier sort of way). They moved in slow-motion, the play was sloppy, Manu hobbled off of screens, and Tim Duncan had trouble banking turnaround jumpers off the glass while leaning on a walker. Gregg Popovich will likely use extreme caution with his stars during the year to keep them as fresh as possible for the playoffs. Rookie DeJuan Blair looked great in the preseason, and could be able to play more minutes than he’ll probably get from the start. The addition of Richard Jefferson will be a nice breath of fresh air, especially given the fact that he doesn’t miss games very often. Jefferson has played all 82 games the past two seasons. Antonio McDyess should aid in keeping Duncan fresh also, and he doesn’t miss many games, either (remember, he missed time last season after sitting out after being traded, cut, and re-signing with Detroit).
The Dallas Mavericks made a valiant effort to get Marcin Gortat from Orlando, even using Brandon Bass as a distraction. Well, that didn’t turn out well for them, so they settled for…Shawn Marion? I wasn’t a huge fan of this more because more than anything else the Mavericks need help at center, not on the wing. Unless they finally decide to deal Josh Howard for a big man, I’m not completely sure what that move accomplished. I suppose they could say “hey, F it, let’s run Dirk at center and score a bunch of points,” but that type of basketball doesn’t translate well to the playoffs.
Still, the team to beat in my eyes is still the Lakers. NO, I’m not just saying that because they won the title, I’m saying it because they won the title (in decisive fashion) and got better. They kept the squad together, have a healthy Andrew Bynum to start the year, and essentially traded Trevor Ariva for Ron Artest. All things considered, the Ron Artest experiment was a success in Houston (Rockets fans, send your hate mail to flagrantfoulsATgmailDOTcom), and Artest is a better offensive player than Ariza is. The one player that seemed to get to Artest this season in Kobe Bryant is now his teammate, so he should be fine, right? RIGHT? I suppose we’ll see on that one. Also, I hope Lamar Odom can focus on his primary job after his recent marriage to a reality star. That really seems to be working out well for Hank Baskett, right? Reggie Bush, take notes; I know you’re with the fine one, but tread lightly, young brotha.
I have some more questions looming in my head, and I’ll roll a few of them out here as we approach the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season. Have a question that’s sticking with you about the upcoming season? Shoot me an email or leave a comment, and we’ll discuss.
With the shrinking salary cap and slumping economy, free agency is more painful for owners and players than in years past. Lots of team owners are less willing to spend big money on players, and many are still holding out hope to strike it big in the summer of 2010. Still, this summer seems to be a time for teams to capitalize on the financial woes of other franchises and load up on talent for a chance to win a title this upcoming season. No matter how well-intentioned, some teams end up looking foolish when things don’t go according to plan.
The Dallas Mavericks were practically dancing a dosey doe after inking center Marcin Gortat to a 5-year mid-level exception deal. Gortat was giddy at the prospect of competing with the underwhelming and overpaid Erick Damiper for a starting job. Magic GM Otis Smith said several times that the MLE is simply too much to pay a backup center, which is what Gortat would be if they matched the offer to retain the restricted free agent. As such, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Gortat was a Maverick. However, Smith didn’t show his hand and was able to pluck promising young PF Brandon Bass from the Mavericks starting at $4M a year. Thinking this would mean they would not match Gortat, they let Bass go as a consolation prize. Unfortunately for them, the Magic pulled a fast one and matched Gortat, suddenly leaving the Mavs’ frontcourt slim. Mavs GM Donnie Nelson cannot be happy with this situation, no matter how he spins it. Gortat is under too much demand to just let him walk, so the Magic could look to trade him when he is eligible in December. I bet that there will soon be a few GMs talking to the Magic to make their interest known for Gortat if they haven’t already done so.
The Portland Trailblazers are having a rough offseason. They have money to spend, but can’t seem to find a taker. Priority number one was Hedo Turkoglu, who agreed to terms on a 5-year, $50M deal. Portland was excited to get their man, but…they didn’t. Hedo ran to the Raptors for a bigger contract, which will happen from time-to-time. Still, the Blazers turned their focus to Jazz restricted FA Paul Millsap. This time, to improve their chances, the Trailblazers front-loaded the contract (signing bonus plus most of the first-year salary in a lump sum) so that Millsap will be paid over $10M after the seven-day matching period, no matter where he goes. Utah is still considering the offer, but the Blazers will be okay if the Jazz do match. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has to be the starter, and that’s a lot of cash to pay a player that will enter a frontcourt already crowded with Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden. Millsap would add some grit to their frontline, but it seems like Portland is spending money for the sake of spending money, all while not finding an explosive playmaker at the point…I guess Jerryd Bayless is their man. Meanwhile, they seem reluctant to extend Brandon Roy in a max deal that he deserves, which is a no-brainer in m book.
On the flip side, the Utah Jazz are already over the luxury tax before making a decision on Millsap. The Jazz didn’t expect to be in this position last year, as Carlos Boozer repeatedly said that he would explore his options in free agency this summer. Instead, Boozer unexpectedly joined Kyle Korver and Mehmet Okur in exercising player options to stay with the team, anticipating a cold free agent market. The Jazz were quietly willing to let Boozer walk and promote Millsap to the starting PF position, but it’s not as simple of a process now. The Jazz brass has told Boozer that they will look to deal him, which spells trouble for the Blazers. Matching Millsap will put the Jazz well over the cap, and the push to trade Boozer will intensify. There would be several takers for his expiring deal, including the Blazers. The Jazz could look to trade with a team currently under the cap (Thunder perhaps?) to lighten their salary load, or net some valuable assets in return. I don’t see the Jazz basically giving Boozer away a la Marcus Camby, so if the Jazz match he could head to Detroit or perhaps Chicago. Detroit may have more to offer the Jazz, as the Pistons are shaking things up as much as possible, even if it means overpaying for players (that’d be you Charlie V). Richard Hamilton would make the Jazz extremely dangerous offensively at every spot on the floor. More likely than not, the Jazz are going to be big spenders in 2009-10, whether they like it or not.
So, Trevor Ariza gave a verbal agreement to the Houston Rockets to sign a 5-year deal. The problem with verbal agreements is that they aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. Until an actual contract is signed, nothing is set in stone. So Ben Gordon to the Pistons? Nope. Ron Artest to the Lakers? Not quite. As was evidenced by Turkoglu’s decision to go with Toronto instead of Portland, who thought they had a deal, players are free to change their minds. Until the free agent moratorium ends on July 8th, players, owners and coaches are free to influence free agents to break those verbal agreements and join a different team.
Let’s travel back to 2004, back when Carlos Boozer wasn’t the perpetually-injured player that he is now. This is also back before the economy was in the toilet, when teams threw money around in the giant strip club that was free agency. Boozer broke his verbal agreement and went with the Utah Jazz for more money than they could match, and the Cavaliers were pissed. Fast-forward to the present, and the Cavs seem eager to do unto the Rockets what has been done unto them with Ariza at stake.
As teams are loading up for next season, LeBron James has taken recruiting upon himself. He didn’t quite make that connection with Ron Artest, and he has most recently shifted his focus to Ariza. In a conversation with Ariza, LeBron was asked if he would be in Cleveland after this coming season. LeBron’s response? “I’ll be there.” Is there any truth to it? LeBron says no. Ariza wisely didn’t buy it, likely thinking that until a contract extension is signed, all LeBron did was enter into another verbal agreement…and he really didn’t even get that far with it. Word is that Ariza will stick with Houston, where he will have a chance to start and have a featured role in the offense. That’s a smart move for Ariza career-wise in my opinion. Ariza already has a ring, which is a great achievement. Now if he wants to increase his earning potential past age 30, he needs to prove that he can be more than a role player. The 2009-10 Rockets are a team essentially full of role players, so Ariza has a chance to shine. In Cleveland, not only will LeBron outshine him every night, Ariza would have to risk being overshadowed by Shaq and Mo Williams on any given night, and a starting spot isn’t a sure thing with Delonte West in the backcourt. Plus, if things don’t end in at least a Finals appearance for Cleveland, LeBron James could easily pout and leave. Adding more uncertainty to the Cleveland situation is assistant coach John Keuster reportedly being named the new Pistons coach; this after drawing up the plays for the offensively-inept Mike Brown, who should have cut his Coach of the Year trophy in half.
I definitely not saying that the Rockets will be a better team than Cleveland with Ariza. I am saying that the better situation for Ariza as a player is in Houston. I really hope he keeps his word to the Rockets like he claims he will, because they are in dire straits at the moment. Plus, when I think of Ariza for at least the remainder of the summer, I want to envision that LeBron’s begging was met with Ariza’s best Tony Montana impression:
And if Ariza decides to break his word, I will simply note that Ariza definitely has the balls to make that call. NOTE: Scarface is a pretty bad movie, but it has great quotes…more of a testament to the character and Al Pacino than the movie as a whole.
You can forget all that talk about Artest wanting to remain in a Rockets’ uniform, because he signed a three-year deal with the Lakers. To be fair, Houston only reportedly offered Ron a one-year deal, which sounds like Houston’s polite way of saying “thanks for the great times this past year, now leave us alone.” So, what has been going through Artest’s mind during this free agency period? Luckily for us, Ron puts his blog before his wife’s, agent’s and his own privacy. This first entry talks a little bit about Houston’s tough situation with the Yao Ming injury uncertainty and how that played into his decision. Unfortunately at the 4:37 mark, some asshole pushing car magazines interrupts Artest’s phone call wth his agent David Bauman. He drops a few N-words, and I would hope that you weren’t watching YouTube videos at work, anyway (reading my blog is fine with me though).
Do you think Ron told Bauman he was recording that conversation? Probably not, but I’m glad he decided to share it with us anyway. It’s refreshing to see that even an agent has no clue what’s going on with free agents that he’s not managing; Bauman had Turkoglu going to Portland like a lot of people, while I had Toronto winning the bidding war, which ended up happening.
Ron has blessed us with another post, this time after meeting with Jerry Buss. He also blessed us with a little of his new music at the beginning of the video, piggy-backing off of Jay-Z’s stance against the use of autotune.
Sure, while the second post is not quite as interesting as the first, it’s good to see athletes using the web as a means to let the fans into their lives. I would definitely like to see a post with Ron explaining why he felt is necessary to hop in the shower with Kobe after the Lakers’ Finals loss to the Boston Celtics about a year ago. I am not making this up; Phil spilled the beans about the shower buddies in a radio interview. Artest was simply offering Kobe and Phil his services (on the court). While that definitely makes an impression, it’s just more evidence that Artest is an interesting character and definitely “an unknown” as Phil put it. Let’s just hope for their sake that Artest respects the bounds of the triangle offense and defensive schemes more than Kobe’s privacy.
Free agency is a lot like a single guy hitting on girls in a club. The free agents (girls) make it known to the room that they’re available. Some girls are looking for a great guy (team) they can enter into a long-term relationship with, some just want a quick fling, and others want to use the club to make their current men jealous (restricted free agency). Of course, I must acknowledge that some women are just after the money. Every guy in the club is looking for different things, but some girls are definitely more attractive than others. The only difference here is that no one is going to be intimidated by beauty and shy away. NBA teams do this once a year, and they spend the rest of the season trying to target players for the next foray out into the free agent waters. As such, they’re well-prepared: they know what they have going for them and their mack game is strong. Another main difference: if you snooze, you lose. Waiting around and checking out the room is a great way to end up sad and alone at the end of the night. There are some key free agents I’ll address, as well as one team in particular that now may be looking for love. So without further ado, who’s at the club tonight?
Hedo Turkoglu has been threatening to leave the Magic for a solid year now, and it appears that the Magic didn’t want to be left high and dry. Dealing for Vince Carter now makes it difficult to keep Turk financially. If Turkoglu wants to stay, he’ll have to do it for cheap. The Detroit Pistons and Portland Trailblazers will be courting Hedo hard, and the Magic may not fight too hard to get him to stay.
Now that Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur have decided to stay in Utah, restricted free agent Paul Millsap may be too expensive for the Jazz to keep. Teams looking for a young power forward may be able to easily price Millsap out of the Jazz’s spending range (much like Turkoglu). The Pistons and Thunder have eyes for Millsap and have plenty of money to flash. However, don’t rule out the possibility of Utah overpaying to match the offer sheet and making a push to trade Boozer during the season to save them some money and protect against his impending free agency next offseason.
Ben Gordon played hardball with Chicago last offseason, and will likely be seeking his money again. This time however, it seems like the Bulls are willing to give it to him. However, the Detroit Pistons are determined to come away with a few big signings this summer, and are interested in the high-scoring SG. If Gordon decides to go, look for Chicago to get Ben to hook them up with some friends (sign-and-trade).
Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are tag-teaming the club tonight, and they are heading out with the old rule in mind: we came together, we go home together (to the Lakers). However, the duo may find that Ariza gets a lot more suitors than older friend Odom, and the Lakers could be forced to make a choice. Ariza is desired by almost any team with money, with Portland, Toronto and Detroit all being very interested. If I had to guess, Odom will be easier to sign, but the Lakers definitely want both. If either of them is lost, look for the Lakers to pursue Ron Artest.
Andre Miller is one of the best PGs available this offseason, and the Sizers know it. With a solid team, don’t expect them to simply allow Miller to walk to his most-likely destination, the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers are determined to go home with a new starting PG, and could send Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw in a sign-and-trade to ease the pain.
Jason Kidd knows he is loved and wanted in Dallas, but he just can’t resist heading to the club. He’s reportedly going to chat with New York and Portland, but it could just be harmless flirting (harmless to Kidd that is). When the club closes though, I expect the Mavericks to hang onto Kidd, even if they have to overspend to do it.
Charlie Villanueva was essentially told by the Bucks that it’s time for them to see other people by not picking up his team option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Don’t cry for Charlie V., though, because he has a crush on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The feeling seems to be mutual, and Cleveland is looking to spend.
Rasheed Wallace has had some nasty breakups, but that doesn’t keep him from playing the field. Any contender seems to be interested in kickin; it with Sheed, with the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers likely first in line. The Orlando Magic could have interest, but that might make Dwight Howard jealous, as he wants to handle the ball down low more often….ahem, that is, receive the ball in the paint so he can score. Well, he’s working on his moves so…let’s just move on.
Mike Bibby will be looking around for a new home, but Atlanta wants him back. If Portland comes up short on Miller and Kidd, they may approach Bibby at the end of the night. I expect the Hawks to keep him, as Jeff Teague isn’t ready to run the point, and Jamal Crawford isn’t really a point guard at all.
Shawn Marion isn’t as sexy as he used to be, but can still contribute. The key is determining his value; Marion likely feels like he’s worth more than he is, so he may have to stay on the market for a little while before he is signed. I do expect the Raptors to work a deal out with him though.
David Lee is new to the night scene, and is up for his first large payday. Some teams looking for frontcourt depth (Thunder?) could throw an offer his way, but the Knicks want to keep him around. Nate Robinson will be cheaper, and depending on the action Lee gets, Robinson could leave, possibly for the Lakers or Kings.
Ron Artest and the Rockets are in a strange situation. The Rockets and Artest had a wonderful time during the playoffs this year, and even turned some heads as the hot new couple. They seemed to be in love, with Artest wanting to “grow together” with the team. However, Yao Ming’s recovery from a foot fracture is slow, likely requiring most of next season to heal. This is a true test to see where Ron’s heart lies. Artest says he wants to make it work with Houston, with or without Yao. But will the Rockets be willing to commit? I know they have eyes for Marcin Gortat, but so does San Antonio, Dallas, and several other teams looking for center help. The Rockets’ strategy to manage their roster will likely be revealed once the Artest saga unfolds.
I’m not sure about you guys, but I’m looking forward to watching all of this develop in the coming months. I’m not much of a club guy anymore now that I’m in a committed relationship with my girlfriend whom I love very much, but I still like to step out and watch guys saunter up to a woman at a bar, drop a line or two, and fail miserably. Sometimes though, one guy has enough game to get any woman he wants. Will anything like that happen this offseason with these and the rest of the free agents? Stay tuned to Flagrant Fouls as I keep you posted on the league transactions throughout the summer.
Well, that was boring. If you watched the 2009 NBA Draft like I did, I’m sure you can empathize. No cap-swapping, no jaw-dropping surprises, and no offensive suits. While Hasheem Thabeet’s suit was the shiniest thing New York has seen since P. Diddy was just Puff Daddy, it wasn’t THAT ugly…definitely worse when the lights hit it. I just think a man that tall should tone it down just a tad. Austin Daye looked worse with that sweater vest. I’m not a sweater vest guy, and whether or not he knows it, Austin Daye isn’t either. You can head over to Ball Don’t Lie and check out their best and worst picks.
I definitely liked the moves of a few teams in particular. The Oklahoma City Thunder may have won over a new fan in me, despite the stupid team choice. James Harden will be great at the SG spot, and getting a center of the future in BJ Mullens from the Dallas Mavericks (who could also use a center) was brilliant. Their young core and smart roster decisions of late have made me look forward to the free agency period to see what they can pull off. Danny Green will be a good piece in Cleveland, and will be a great addition along with Charlie Villanueva; it looks like Ramon Sessions is the keeper for the Bucks. The New York Knicks appear to actually be doing something right, as drafting Jordan Hill and trading for Toney Douglas and Darko Milicic were great calls.
The Indiana Pacers made what I think was the biggest miscue of the evening in selecting Tyler Hansbrough that early. I personally felt he was a late 1st-rounder, but taking him at 13 was curious to me, essentially ignoring the future of their backcourt. I didn’t like the selection of Austin Daye for Detroit, who at 6′11″ and 190 pounds looks like a Tayshaun Prince caricature (6′9″, 215). It looks like Tayshaun will either be on his way out, or the veterans will haze Daye by forcing him to follow Prince around all day, mimicking his every move.
The highlight of the evening for me was the late arrival of Brandon Jennings and his subsequent dismissal of David Stern. Notice that he doesn’t even look in Stern’s direction…
Coming up tomorrow, I’ll touch upon a few things on the eve of free agency. Teams can begin talking with teams at the stroke of midnight Wednesday July 1st (12:00 ET), but teams won’t be able to sign until a week later. There’s a lot of action ahead of us, and a lot of teams looking to retool and prepare for a title run. One team in particular, the Houston Rockets, have to come up with a new strategy on the fly. I’ll comment on Yao’s foot and other league happenings tomorrow.
The NBA’s Southeast Division is the Eastern Conference’s best division top to bottom. With the signings, trades and draft picks made this offseason, all the teams in this division could be poised to vie for playoff positions. Which moves will actually improve these teams, and which ones are merely lateral moves? Will any moves actually make any of these teams worse? History says yes…
The Magic’s preseason goal was to win an NBA Championship. They surprised a lot of people and dominated the Cavaliers to reach the Finals. Perhaps the most important player to their success is small forward Hedo Turkoglu. Turkoglu negotiated with the Magic last summer, looking for a deal paying him $10M a year. The Magic wouldn’t bite, and Hedo declared that he would be exercising his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent, no matter the outcome of the 2008-09 season. Turkoglu was true to his word and opted out just days after losing to the Lakers in the Finals. Turkoglu did nothing but help his stock with his clutch performances in the playoffs, and multiple teams will be after him. GM Otis Smith did indicate that he did not want to overpay to keep him, but work passed down from ownership has given him the green light to exceed the salary cap to keep him. Assuming they choose to do so, a team in need of a center may send an offer to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat. The negotiations with Turkoglu could prevent them from keeping Gortat, meaning the Magic should be in the market for a new backup center. One way they could acquire one would be to ship out PG Rafer Alston, who seemed to have an issue with his role after the premature return of Jameer Nelson. Rafer’s expiring deal isn’t fully guaranteed, which makes him an even more attractive commodity. PG Anthony Johnson can choose to stay with the team an additional year, which would be a relief for Orlando, as he is a cheaper (and less volatile) option and would free the Magic to trade Alston. With no draft picks, if the Magic keep Turkoglu they won’t have much cash to build their bench. The recently traded Fabricio Oberto and Etan Thomas could become free agents and would be cheap options to back up Dwight Howard. Unless they are willing to ship out Tony Battie and another contract to make a big splash, the Magic may be mostly the same when next season begins.
Atlanta Hawks, 47-35, 2nd in Southeast, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semifinals Hawks salaries at HoopsHype
The Altanta Hawks are a young and athletic bunch, but more is needed to turn them into a serious competitor. There is a current rumor that the Hawks will send Speedy Claxton and Acie Law to the Warriors for Jamal Crawford. As this isn’t yet official, let’s deal with the Hawks’ current issues. One thing this potential trade shows is that the Hawks and Coach Mike Woodson are willing to shake up the roster. Mike Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, Flip Murray and Marvin Williams are all free agents this offseason and will likely be unable to keep them all. Even if they retain Mike Bibby (hopefully for less than the $15M he made last season), I see the Hawks picking a point guard with the 19th pick. Acie Law hasn’t worked out, and the trade on the table is evidence of this. The Hawks should have their choice of Eric Maynor or Jeff Teague, with Teague likely being drafted if there. Tyler Hansbrough could be the pick here to settle into the PF spot. UConn PG AJ Price could be there for them to take at 49 if they don’t select a PG early. The Hawks aren’t in the best financial shape, and overpaying for Josh Smith isn’t helping matters. Injecting cheap youngsters that can contribute now would be ideal, and keeping Bibby, Pachulia and Murray in that order will likely push them to their limit. A sign-and-trade of Marvin Williams could be in order, particularly if Hansbrough is selected Thursday.
The Miami Heat are in a tough spot. They are good enough now to be a playoff team (not by much), but are unlikely to do anything major to retool the roster until Dwyane Wade’s future has been decided. Wade can opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season and become a free agent and leave the Heat with a gaping hole in their roster. Wade is willing to talk this summer, so Pat Riley should get on that ASAP. If Jermaine O’Neal (player option exercised) and Udonis Haslem can stay healthy this year, they would have a solid start to build a contender, given Wade stays. Swingman Yakhouba Diawara has exercised his player option and will stay with the team. The Heat will likely look to retain free agent Jamario Moon, and a team option on James Jones could be exercised to keep some depth at SF. Joel Anthony should be affordable to keep around to shore up the bench. As far as the draft is concerned, late second-round picks (43 and 60) won’t offer much help this year, but a decent player or two could be discovered here. UNC’s Danny Green or Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks could be much better than their draft projections would indicate and could develop this year behind Wade.
Larry Brown seemed to bring some life into the Bobcats this season, and they actually got out and competed on a regular basis. They even managed to sweep the eventual NBA Champs last season. That really meant nothing, as Charlotte still has plenty of work to do to improve their chances of making the playoffs in 2009-10. Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Boris Diaw are locked up long term and shouldn’t be going anywhere. DJ Augustin performed moderately well this past season, but I can definitely see the team exercising their team option to keep Raymond Felton to man the point. Sean May isn’t as fortunate as the Bobcats declined his option, making him an unrestricted free agent. They could re-sign him, but only if it were dirt-cheap (that’s all he deserves, if that). Raja Bell played well in Brown’s system as well, but depth at that position is needed. Their 12th pick will like help fill that need, with Duke SG Gerald Henderson and Louisville’s Terrence Williams both expected to get a look. Their second-round picks (40, 54) could help land some size in the frontcourt or an additional shooter. The Bobcats could be open to trading Bell to land a better scorer. The Bobcats were a Gerald Wallace lung away from making the playoffs last season, and next year could result in their first playoff berth.
The Washington Wizards have already started their quest to return to the playoffs, acquiring Mike Miller and Randy Foye for the #5 pick, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. Veterans Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler believe this team can make a real playoff run if they’re healthy and pushed for management to deal the draft pick. While you could argue that the #5 pick could have turned into a great player, you must agree that the Wizards organization must win basketball games now, and doing so with proven commodities in Miller and Foye is safer than relying upon a rookie. The Wizards have enough youth in Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Andray Blatche…that was enough for them. Mike James has exercised his player option for next season, and his $6.5M could be dealt, or kept for a little cap relief for next summer when he comes off the books. The success of the Wizards is tied to their health, specifically that of Gilbert Arenas. Arenas has been an expensive cheerleader ($14.65M last year), and the hope is that he can return to his All-Star form alongside Jamison and Butler. Though they may be reluctant to spend more money, they could use a backup big man now, especially since they traded Songaila and Thomas away. Some cheap options could be had this summer, including Chris Wilcox, Jason Collins and Francisco Elson. Starting center Brendan Haywood was injured for the bulk of last year, and his solid interior play is also vital to the Wizards team finally reaping the benefits of their huge payroll.
Well that concludes the team overviews as we apporach the 2009 NBA Draft. I’m looking forward to more trades, surprise selections, and horrible fashion decisions. Check back with me this weekend with my draft thoughts.
I absolutely love trades. LOVE THEM. Like a person.
Trades let you know what’s going on in a team’s front office. When teams acquire certain players, either they see something that the other team doesn’t, teams are trying to adjust their roster for a deep playoff run, or are trading to set up an even bigger deal. Unfortunately, often times a team in a deal is capitalizing on the misfortunes of a struggling franchise experiencing either on-the-court woes or financial troubles. Depending on how you look at it, some or all of these things happened today. Let’s begin, shall we?
Early today, the San Antonio Spurs shook off a first-round playoff exit by acquiring Richard Jefferson and sending Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Spurs needed to make a big move to remain competitive. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili’s injury problems were becoming a recurring issue and was jeopardizing their chances of remaining relevant. Instead of letting the anticipated annual injuries choke the life out of the city (I’m looking at YOU, Rockets), they made a gutsy move and added RJ. As I wrote in yesterday’s Central Division Needs, the Bucks are a little too far from winning to spend big this summer. With this in mind, they sent off perhaps their best (and healthiest) player in Jefferson. Oberto, Bowen and Thomas are all expiring contracts, so the Bucks look poised to give next year’s free agent crop a nice long look. This deal was only about money for the Bucks. The fact of the matter is that Richard Jefferson could have helped them make the playoffs, but it was far from a guarantee. So instead, they will create more playing time for Joe Alexander and the rookie they’ll get in the draft at 10 and 41 and really see what they have to work with from here on out. San Antonio gives up the opportunity to play with next summer’s free agents, but getting a good player NOW while other teams wait patiently means that they don’t come up empty handed like some teams are bound to next summer. Plus, if Manu gets hurt again, they can still deal him at the deadline, or let him walk next summer. This is why it’s good to be a San Antonio fan, because the city’s only major sports franchise is willing to shell out the loot to look like a contender every year. Compare that to a team like the Clippers, that until recently refused to spend any cash on anyone. This is a move we could look back on in awe if the Spurs make some noise in the 2010 Playoffs.
This evening, the Milwaukee Bucks shipped C Fabricio Oberto to the Detroit Pistons for PF Amir Johnson. The Pistons plan to buy out the contract of Oberto, making him a free agent. This is a smart move by Detroit as they attempt to free up as much cap space as possible for this summer. The Bucks could use Johnson’s wide body on the block and give him some playing time to see if he’s a real player. They could still look for DeJuan Blair at 10, but today’s deals open the possibilities for their draft, as they may look at Stephen Curry, James Johnson or Terrence Williams.
The last trade of the busy Wednesday had the Minnesota Timberwolves acquire a fourth first-round draft pick by sending Mike Miller and Randy Foye to the Washington Wizards for the #5 pick, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. The Washington Wizards (players and front office alike) made it widely known that their #5 pick was available. When healthy, the Wizards have enough veteran weapons to compete amongst the best teams in the East…or at least they used to, since they haven’t been healthy in two years. Foye has the ability to score, and can start next to Gilbert Arenas at the two or come off the bench at the PG spot. Mike Miller had a bad season, but he still has some game left, and the opportunity to play with such potent offensive weapons could give him plenty of open looks. The Timberwolves now own the 5th, 6th, 18th, 28th, 45th AND 47th picks in Thursday’s draft. Minnesota is not done by a longshot. Six draft picks means they could move up to snag Rubio or James Harden, trade for more talent, or offer up picks to teams looking to buy into the first or second rounds. Etan Thomas could use his early termination option and become a free agent next week, and Pecherov can be cut loose next summer. This sets Minnesota up to mold their team in almost any way they wish around Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. They have good talent and are young, so I actually like this deal for both teams involved.
This is surely not the end of the trades, folks. Other teams will be forced to react to these moves that have popped up today. What moves do you expect these and other teams to make between now and the end of the draft? Hit the comments and let me know.
