Lockout Doozies: Part 1

Without further ado, here’s the best and worst quotes of the offseason thus far.

I am confident, check that, I am certain more doozies will be forthcoming so look for Part 2 at the conclusion of the lockout. Let’s hope there’s no need for a Part 3 or 4.

“Talk to the owner. He gave me the deal. When it comes to contracts, the players aren’t sitting there negotiating that contract. I’m sitting at home and my agent calls me, saying, ‘I got a max on the table.’ I’m not going to sit there and say, ‘Naw, that’s too much. Go out there and negotiate $20 or $30 [million] less.’ “
- Washington’s Rashard Lewis.

He’s right.

“All Haters should catch full blown Aids and Die! Do the world a favor! and rid us of you all!”
- Kenyon Martin on Twitter, in response to some criticism over his lucrative Chinese deal.

K-Mart – you’re a bum.

“I wanted to display all of my shoes, so I had this 500-square-foot closet made. I just thought this would be a cool idea, and it would almost look like a museum. I had a fingerprint sensor put on the door to make sure I’m the only one who can get in here. I mostly wear Air Jordans. All of the Jordan guys are selected by Michael Jordan himself. It’s kind of hard to tell MJ no. I have 436 pairs of sneakers in here, and they’re mostly unworn. I’ll wear all of them eventually.”
- Atlanta’s Joe Johnson.

That’s perfectly reasonable.

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All-Head Case Team

The general rule of thumb is that an NBA roster can support only one head case. Exceed the limit and the job of coaching will resemble that of a highly paid baby sitter – just ask Flip Saunders or George Karl.

So I’ve always wondered; what if we rounded up the ten biggest lunatics in the NBA and stuck them on one team. How would they fare?

The results would be spectacular – in a train wreck sort of way. I imagine team chemistry would be similar to what you would find at a 10 year-olds pick-up game, with tantrums, blowups and a ‘whoever gets it shoots it’ strategy.

But it’s not like I am treading new ground here. Isiah Thomas had the same idea back in his New York days.

Here’s my All-Head Case line-up.

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Filling Holes In Free Agency

I am a positive thinker (not really I am just bored) so when the lockout ends sometime around mid January, the free agency period promises to be a pretty dull affair. It’s short on big names and teams with cash to spend. But like always, if you know where to look you can find what you need.

With that in mind I’ll examine the free agent market and identify two players that each team should target.

I’ve based my decisions on two criteria; 1) team needs, and 2) considering their current cap position, what they realistically can afford. I’ll say that again folks, what they REALISTICALLY can afford.

With a new CBA on the horizon things are gonna be a changin, so a fair bit of guess work was involved here. Therefore, I made the following assumptions:

1. The 2011/12 season will be operating under a similar cap figure to last year
($58m). Whilst there will be some big changes in the new CBA, the consensus is that these changes will be phased in over several years.

2. Although it will be more restrictive, the new CBA will not include a hard salary cap – the owners had already caved on this during the first round of talks. And there will be a similar mechanism in play that allows teams to retain their own players (Bird Rights and the right to match for restricted free agents).

3. The Mid-level Exception (MLE) as we know it will not exist in the new CBA. Under the MLE, once a year teams were able to sign a player to a contract averaging about $7m per year, even if the team was already over the cap. In the new CBA the MLE will either be eliminated, or replaced by a new version worth about $2-3m per year.

Note: The figure provided for each team is the amount of salary already committed for the 2011/12 season, excluding their rookie obligations.

*Free Agents (R – restricted; U – unrestricted; P – player option)

Atlanta Hawks ($65.8m)

1. Joel Przybilla (U) 2. Kwame Brown (U)

If you’re familiar with my work you’ll know my thoughts on Josh Smith; he’s the cancer on this team that needs to be removed. But assuming these dopes stand pat with the current group (likely) they’ll need some more beef upfront, and Przybilla or Brown offer defense and rebounding at the pivot, which would allow Horford to slide over to the four.

And as far as I am concerned Jamal Crawford can walk. He’s an overpaid chucker who is clueless on the defensive end.

Read more of my article at NBAMate

Trimming The Fat

The NBA’s new CBA will almost certainly include an “amnesty clause” – a one-time opportunity for teams to remove their worst contracts from the books. They will still have to pay the players guaranteed monies, but it will not count against the cap.

So here’s the deal. I am the owner, I’ve got deep pockets and I am looking to trim the fat.

For each team I identify the player that I would jettison under the amnesty clause.

Atlanta Hawks – Marvin Williams (three years, $23.3m)

Drafting Williams with the second pick in the 2005 draft (ahead of Chris Paul and Deron Williams) was bad enough, but then they compound the problem by giving him a $40 million extension in 2009. On what basis they made this decision I have no idea, because from what I’ve seen he’s not worth half that. And for the skills he has at his disposal you would be hard pressed to find a more passive player in the NBA. Let me know when you see him do anything other than take 18 foot jump shots.

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June In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. It’s All On LeBron

Dirk was legendary and the Dallas team was collectively brilliant, but let’s be realistic. If LeBron James shows up, or even just matches his averages, the Miami Heat bury the Mavs.

The stats don’t lie. LeBron averaged 17.8 ppg in the Finals (that’s an 8.9 ppg drop off from the regular season), attempted only 20 free throws and scored 18 fourth quarter points combined. I was pro LeBron all year but I can’t defend that; it was a meek performance, a meltdown, a good old-fashioned choke job. And quite honestly, his passivity in the clutch was one of the strangest things I’ve witnessed in sports.

Robd wrote a brilliant piece on LeBron’s performance so I won’t cover the same ground here. And I think we can all agree on this – he performed far below his capabilities and he’s got issues between the ears.

But the fact is the Miami Heat were two games shy of winning an NBA championship on their first go-round, so talk of blowing it up or predicting LeBron’s demise is premature to say the least.

The history of the NBA tells us this: you lose, you learn and if you’re good enough you eventually overcome. If LeBron James has one ounce of mental fortitude he will come back next year better and more determined and eventually win titles. However, if he’s not wired in this way and can’t become the ferocious competitor that’s required in order to win on this level (like Dirk evolved into), then he’s headed for heartbreak and endless ridicule.

I am betting on the former, but one thing’s for sure, it will be fascinating to watch going forward.

Read more of my article at NBAMate

JT's Playoff Diary

What’s it like to be an NBA sportswriter? Well, courtesy of NBAMate I had the chance to find out, by attending two games in Chicago and New York during the first round of the playoffs. As experiences go it was off the charts, a dream come true for a life long hoops fan. ‘Surreal’ is the best way to describe it.

I am not going to take you through the nuts and bolts of the game; that’s old news. What I will do is describe the experience of attending the playoffs as a member of the media. From walking into the stadium through the media entrance, to the post game press conference, I’ll lay it all out for you.

Before we proceed, a valuable tip. If you’re going to make this epic journey from Oz to realise your NBA dream, then don’t let your mother-in-law drive you to the airport. Let’s just say, if we cut it any finer ‘JT’s Playoff Odyssey’ would have been over before it started.

Read more of my article at NBAMate

March In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. Quotes Of The Month

“I don’t like Pau Gasol or Phil Jackson. Phil is arrogant. Pau is soft. Kobe tries to bring out his toughness, but he’s still soft.”

- Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins

Don’t hold back Perk, tell us how you really feel.

“I was just standing there, and I hoped he wasn’t going to crush my face.”

- Phoenix center Marcin Gortat, on the receiving end of a Blake Griffin monster jam (that was ruled an offensive foul)

Full marks for honesty.

“This is the system David Stern and his minions like. So that’s the system you have … I certainly can’t have an opinion because David Stern, like a lot of leaders we’ve seen in this world lately, don’t really tolerate other people’s opinion or free speech or anything. So I’m not really allowed to have an opinion.”

- Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy on Dwight Howard’s one-game suspension for exceeding the technical foul limit.

I am surprised that Stan still has two healthy knee caps after making this statement.

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February In The NBA

It’s that time again folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s NBA action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. Melo Did Good For Melo

He’s a one-trick pony and a very VERY bad liar, but you have to hand it to the guy. Through all this mess (that he created) he achieved the best possible outcome (for himself); a max extension with the New York Knicks. Notice the theme here? Melo’s all about Melo and always has been. But for the sake of the Knicks, let’s hope he grows up in a hurry because that mentality is going to be a problem in New York, where a first round exit will get you drawn and quartered.

The Billups acquisition was a masterstroke. He’ll be the glue that holds this thing together early and makes them a very good team from the get-go.

But as we all know defense wins championships, so let’s not delude ourselves here; as currently constructed they can’t seriously contend. The elephant in the room is Melo’s and Amar’es defense, if you can call it that (I love the way George Karl called him out on it).

And for those of you clinging to the Miami game and saying “but look, they can defend”, well sure they can, when the mood strikes them (rarely). But defense has to be a collective mindset and something you just do, not something you say you do. Remember, over the course of a seven-game playoff series weaknesses will always be exposed (by good teams).

For the New York Knicks to become championship quality, the following must happen: In the same way that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen became solid defensive players when the ‘Big 3’ came together in Boston, Melo and Amar’e must make a genuine commitment to improve at that end of the floor. I believe this is possible, but only after they get their tails handed to them in the playoffs and then come to that realisation. But with these two, it may take a while for the ‘penny to drop’.

They must be surrounded with rock-solid defensive types. Fields and Turiaf are a good start (I don’t understand the Brewer buyout), but a tough defensive center is key (Joel Przybilla would be a nice pick-up in the offseason if he comes back). And the addition of a third ‘star’ will be required to replace Billups in 2012 to tie this thing together (which I believe will happen).

Succeed on these fronts and the Knicks become a legit contender and perennial powerhouse.

Read more of my article at NBAMate

January In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s NBA action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. KG – Mr Cheap Shot

I am a Celtics guy so I don’t dislike Kevin Garnett. In fact, I love what he brings to the floor. But I can’t hold this back any longer; nobody does a cheap shot like KG.

It usually goes something like this. When he’s over excited from a dunk or an and-one play he’ll dish out a cheap shot, typically an elbow to the grill or mid-section (then again, he could just chop you in the balls after a jump shot; ask Channing Frye). When the guy comes at him to remonstrate, he’ll throw his arms up and back away as if he’s the innocent party. I suspect he does this because he doesn’t have the stomach for a real confrontation.

It does surprise me that very few players take him to task on it (although Bogut has on several occasions). Just once, can someone please call his bluff and snot him one because he thoroughly deserves it. And you know what; I reckon he’d go down like a sack of spuds.

Sure, you’d get suspended and fined a princely sum, but boy, wouldn’t it be worth it to see KG hit the pine. And I am sure there would be no shortage of players around the league offering to help pay the fine.
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December In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s NBA action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. Chris Bosh Needs To Get His Hands Dirty

For the Miami Heat to reach their enormous potential (complete domination) Chris Bosh will have to undergo the same transformation as Paul Gasol – that is, removing the softness from his game. Gasol is still a finesse player in style, but he’s added grunt to his play on both ends of the floor. I acknowledge Bosh’s strong play of late, but in a seven-game playoff series an aggressive team like Boston with a big front line will expose him, as they did to Gasol and Odom in 2008.

Let’s not sugar coat it; Chris Bosh is a powder puff, a 6-11 jump-shooter who shies away from physical contact. But he can adapt. Instead of taking stand-still jumpers from the top of the key, rebounding and establishing a presence down low must become his priority. As was the case with Gasol, until he can make this transformation the scrutiny will be immense and the criticism harsh.

The reality is that Miami would have been better served with David Lee as their power forward; his heart and hustle would have been the perfect complement to LeBron and Wade. The price tag would have been $20-30m less, which would have allowed them to sign another role player (ex. Raymond Felton).

I am not saying that Miami’s success depends on Chris Bosh, in fact, far from it. I think they will go as far as LeBron and Wade will take them. But if Bosh wants to assist the cause and make this team unbeatable, he needs to roll up his sleaves and get his hands dirty.
Read more of my article at NBAMate