CW's NBA Thoughts

NBA Draft 2010 Projections

2010-06-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

All-stars: John Wall, Evan Turner

Top 3 on Champ: Derrick Favors Starter on Champ: DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Ed Davis, Xavier Henry, Ed Davis

Strong Reserve: Wes Johnson, Epke Udoh, Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, Darrington Hobson, Willie Warren, Gordon Heyward, Elliot Williams, Jordan Crawford

Deep reserve: Al-Farouq Aminu, Paul George, Larry Sanders, Luke Babbitt

Millsap

2010-04-09T07:35:00.001-07:00

Despite playing without Anrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Matt Harping, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams for an extended period of time so far this year, the Utah Jazz are 17-13 and only 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for first place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. A significant factor to the Jazz's success has been the development of power forward Paul Millsap.

Millsap is an undersized power forward, who fell to the seventeenth pick in the second round in 2006. The Jazz were hoping that Millsap would continue to dominate the glass once he arrived in the NBA, as he did during three seasons at Louisiana Tech. Millsap led the nation in total rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game in each season he played college basketball. However, Millsap has shown an ability to do much more than just rebound.

Millsap has been able to overcome his height disadvantage by using his wide body effectively and having unusual quickness for one with his great strength. The next important piece for him to develop will be an effective mid-range shot, which will allow him to stretch the defense. A main concern has been his propensity to foul, which has been an obstacle for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan in giving Millsap more playing time.

Rank Player Name Team Fouls Per Game Minutes Per Game PAR Per Game
1 Paul Millsap Uta 3.9 31.8 25.8
2 Andrew Bogut Mil 3.9 31.5 24
3 Danny Granger Ind 3.9 36.3 32.8
4 Andris Biedrins GS 3.8 32 28.5
5 Nene Hilario Den 3.6 33 23.1

At the beginning of the season, many still believed that Millsap is simply a glorified energy player. However, in Boozer's absence, Millsap has shown he is much more than just that. Since Boozer went out with an injured knee on November 19, Millsap has filled the starting power forward spot admirably:

Points/Game: 17.5
Rebounds/Game: 10.7
Assists/Game: 2.2
Blocks/Game: 1.2
FG Percentage: 58.5%

In fact, Millsap has joined the top echelon of power forwards this season, who average 15 or more points per game, 1 blocked shot per game, and 8 rebounds per game.

Rank Player Name Team Reb BS Pts
1t Al Jefferson Min 10.1 1.9 22.4
1t Amar'e Stoudemire Pho 8.9 1.1 22.4
3 Dwight Howard Orl 13.9 3.7 20.3
4 Tim Duncan SA 10.4 1.8 20.3
5 Yao Ming Hou 9.6 1.8 20.1
6 Kevin Garnett Bos 8.9 1.4 16.4
7 Paul Millsap Uta 9.0 1.3 15.0

The Jazz power forward has recorded a double-double in each of his last 15 games, including a league-leading 11 in the month of December. He also leads the Jazz in total points, rebounds and blocks on the season. Millsap is one of only six players in the NBA currently leading his team in all three categories. Only six players in the Western Conference have more than thirty blocks and thirty steals on the season. Both Millsap and teammate Andrei Kirilenko are apart of this group.

At the end of the season, Boozer will likely opt out of his current contract allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Millsap will also be an unrestricted free agent as his contract expires at year end. Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor will have a difficult decision whether to lock up both players long-term or to allow one of them to leave as a free agent. By the way Millsap has played this season, it will certainly be a critical choice for the Jazz franchise.

Manu

2010-04-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business on their home court Friday evening, closing out the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers averaging 29.2 points per game during the series and he shot 53.3% from the field. To me, however, the bottom line in the series was Manu Ginobili’s inability to get it going.

A combination of a sore ankle and terrific Lakers defense led to Ginobili’s struggles. Ginobili is a game-changing wing player, who relies on running, cutting and leaping to be effective. Swelling and chronic arthritis in the ankle has bothered Ginobili since late June, but he was able to work through it and play well at time. However, the Lakers defensive schemes against the Spurs guard cannot be understated. The Lakers emphasized forcing Ginobilli to the right and crowding his penetrations. They forced him to expend a great deal of energy on the defensive side of the ball by posting him up and forcing him to defend bigger players.

Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers decided to use several different players to defend Ginobilli one-on-one in an effort to make sure he did not get too comfortable playing against one specific defender. Both Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic took turns guarding Ginobilli throughout the series. In the five game series, Vujacic played 25.5 minutes per game, up from his regular season average of 17.8 minutes per game. Vujacic was able to use his quickness and size to shadow Ginobilli all over the court. Bryant, a 2007-08 NBA All-Defensive First Team member, had similar success slowing down Ginobilli's effectiveness for the Spurs.

In the four Spurs losses, Ginobilli really struggled mightily. He was only able to get to the free throw line sixteen times in the entire series. Additionally, Ginobilli was unable to create opportunities for the Spurs by getting into passing lanes and creating steals. During the regular season, Ginobili ranked seventeenth in the NBA in steals with 1.5 per game. In the entire series, Ginobilli had one steal, which occurred in game one. Here is a look at Ginobilli’s offensive production in the Spurs four losses:

Game # FG% FT Made Assists Points +/-
1 23% 2 3 10 -22
2 25% 3 2 7 -12
4 25% 2 1 7 +4
5 33% 2 7 9 +1

Game three was the one big night for Ginobilli. He showed no trace of his lingering ankle injury and single-handedly carried the Spurs offense when the game was still in the balance. Coach Popovich changed his teams’ offensive game plan to limit screen-and-rolls in favor of spreading the floor. By keeping the floor spread, the Spurs were able to create open spaces for Ginobilli and Parker to drive into. The spread of the offense also was beneficial because it did not allow the Lakers to double-team.

Ginobilli’s numbers in game three were stunningly opposite from the rest of the series. A direct relationship with his performance occurred in relation to the Spurs success against the Lakers. In game three, Ginobilli played well and the Spurs were able to win, 103-84.

Game # FG% FT Made Assists Points +/-
3 60% 7 1 30 +17

With Kurt Thomas, Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Damon Stoudamire all entering into free agency, it is likely that the Spurs will have changes to their roster. Youth on the perimeter, a reliable backup point guard and another big body inside will be atop of the Spurs needs. However, their top priority to me will be for a healthy and effective Ginobilli all the way through the playoffs. Without that third scorer next to Parker and Tim Duncan, the Spurs do not have enough to reach the NBA Finals.

Potential Bulls Trade

2009-06-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Chris Bosh 15,779,912
Reggie Evans 4,960,000 5,080,000
Kris Humphries 3,200,000 3,200,000
Joey Graham 3,441,104

27,381,016

Luol Deng 10,370,425 11,355,850 12,341,275 13,326,700 14,312,125
Jerome James 6,600,000
Tim Thomas 6,466,600
Tyrus Thomas 4,743,598 6,256,806

28,180,623

Bosh, Evans, K Humphries, Joey Graham for Luol, Jerome James (exp contact), Tim Thomas (exp contract), Tyrus, #16 pick. You in?

Chicago Bulls
PG Rose
SG Gordon Hinrich
C Noah Miller
PF Bosh Evans Humphries
SF Salmons Graham #26 pick

Toronto Raptors
PG Calderon Banks Ukic
SG #9
C Ty Thomas James
PF Bargnani #16
SF Deng Tim Thomas

NBA Draft Prospects

2009-06-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

All Stars
Blake Griffin
Tyreke Evans

Starters on Champions
James Harden
Terrance Williams
Hasheem Thabeet
Ricky Rubio
Johnny Flynn
DeMar DeRozan

Rotation Guys
Stephen Curry
Jrue Holliday
Gerald Henderson
Brandon Jennings
Jodie Meeks
Dante Cunningham
Dionte Christmas
Earl Clark
BJ Mullens
Jeff Teague
Tyler Hansborough
James Johnson
Patty Mills
Ty Lawson

Short Career
Jordan Hill
DeJuan Blair
Eric Maynor
Sam Young
Darren Collison
Chase Budinger
Austin Daye

Billups Leads Nuggets' Transformation

2009-04-22T12:09:00.001-07:00

Written December 16, 2008.

Billups Leads Nuggets' Transformation
Upon beating the Golden State Warriors this past Saturday night at home, the Denver Nuggets have now improved to a 16-7 record after 23 games. Even more impressively, they have now won 15 of their last 19 games, with their only losses being against the Cavaliers, Lakers, Hornets and Spurs - arguably four of the top teams in the NBA. Along the way, they have beaten the Celtics in Boston and took one off the Spurs beating them in San Antonio. The culprit behind this success? Chauncey Billups.

The Nuggets limped into the playoffs last season losing 4 of their last 9 games and then got swept by the Lakers in the first round, losing the first three games by 14 or more points. Before this season got underway, the Nuggets traded starting center Marcus Camby in a salary dump to the Los Angeles Clippers for a second round pick. They also allowed Eduardo Najera and Yakhouba Diawara to leave in free agency. NBA analysts predicted the Nuggets to fall out of the playoffs this year. As the season began, the Nuggets looked like they would be supporting this prediction, as they lost three of their first four games with their only win coming in overtime.

Since Billups arrived in a trade from Detroit for Allen Iverson, the Nuggets have transformed themselves from a shoot-happy, defenseless team into a ball controlled, tough-nosed defensive squad. A look at the numbers before and after Billups arrived certainly shows a vastly different squad:

Before After
Record 1-3 15-4
PPG 101.3 104.5
Opp PPG 104 96.9
FG Pct 45.40% 47.20%
3-Pt FG Pct 27.00% 36.90%

Billups brings stability at the point guard position and does a much better job of keeping his man in front of him, rather than constantly trying to get into passing lanes to create turnovers as Iverson so often attempted to do. The Nuggets have slowed down their pace and have become a strong defensive team. This has really shown through their ability to maintain leads going into the fourth quarter. The Nuggets are the only team in the league to not lose a game when leading after three quarters. The Celtics, Cavaliers and Lakers have lost once when winning after three, but the Nuggets stand alone undefeated with 11 wins.

Despite becoming a smarter and more conservative team with Billups running the show, they still have found opportunities to push the ball up the court and score in transition. They currently lead the league in fast break points per game, with 17.7 points scored.

Working with Coach George Karl and his staff, Billups has allowed Carmelo Anthony to simplify his decision making. Anthony can spend more time in the post because he does not have to concern himself with spacing the floor for Iverson, who needs room to create a scoring opportunity for himself. Billups has made Nene Hilario a more precise player and has gotten Kenyon Martin the ball in spots where he can be more productive.

Billups brings the Nuggets a player who always plays under control, rarely takes ill-advised shots and has won a championship before. Nuggets coach, George Karl, recently said, "I think the team and the coach and the organization and the city all feel that we can win every game. I don't think we were there even in our best moments. But now, even with San Antonio and the Lakers, on the road or at home, we feel, if we play at a good level, we can beat anybody. And that's a good feeling."

With Billups aboard, this certainly appears to be the case.

Chicago-Minnesota Trade Proposal

2008-12-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

The Trade:

Chicago trades Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Thabo Sefolosha to Minnesota for Mike Miller and Jason Collins.

The Breakdown:

Joakim Noah
Salary: $2,295,480 Years Remaining: 2

Kirk Hinrich
Salary: $10,000,000 Years Remaining: 4

Thabo Sefolosha
Salary: $1,931,160 Years Remaining: 2

Jason Collins
Salary: $6,200,000 Years Remaining: 1

Mike Miller
Salary: $9,028,575 Years Remaining: 2

The Case for Minnesota:
Randy Foye has shown two things so far in his NBA career: he can score and he's not a point guard. The Timberwolves would benefit from moving Foye off the ball and starting Hinrich at the point guard spot. Both Sefolosha and Noah are young, developing players who would fit in with the group Minnesota is building.

The Case for Chicago:
The Bulls rid themselves of two players who have failed to develop in Chicago: Sefolosha and Noah. Hinrich was signed to a long-term extension before Derrick Rose was drafted by the Bulls. Now that the Bulls have Rose, there is no longer a need for Hinrich. Acquiring Miller would give them a big guard, who can shoot with the best of them to play alongside Rose. Collins would likely fill Noah's spot in the rotation and his contract expires at year's end. Miller's contract expires before the summer of 2010, allowing them to either extend him if he meets expectations or to depart and create cap space to persue one of the top free agents available.

Rose Among NBA's Elite

2008-12-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

One month into the NBA season and Derrick Rose has already staked his claim as the top rookie selected this past June. Rose has clearly been the most consistent player on the Bulls, who finish this month with an 8-9 record, despite playing the last seven games on the road.

Coming into the league, it was obvious that Rose possesses great size and quickness along with a knack for finishing in traffic. His main knock coming out of the University of Memphis was that his jump shot is shaky. However, opponents have seen that Rose uses his speed while dribbling so well that when he accelerates and stops on a dime, his man is nowhere to be found. Rose can rise up and take a midrange jumper completely unguarded.

Rose’s next step in development will be to improve his shot off the catch and increase his range. These are both traits that fellow NBA star point guards, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, needed to develop to become what they are today. As analysts have tried to compare the Bulls rookie point guard these two guys are always the first mentioned. Taking Paul and Williams’ rookie season averages in comparison to Rose’s thus far, you see that Rose has them beat in many statistical categories:

Rose – 37.9 MPG, 48.7 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 85.2 FT%, 4.1 RPG,
6.0 APG, 1 SPG, 2.7 TO, 18.4 PPG

Paul – 36.0 MPG, 43.0 FG%, 28.2 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 5.1 RPG,
7.8 APG, 2.2 SPG, 2.3 TO, 16.1 PPG

Williams - 28.9 MPG, 42.1 FG%, 41.6 3P%, 70.4 FT%, 2.4 RPG,
4.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.8 TO, 10.8 PPG

Some may argue that Rose’s assist numbers are not nearly as high as they should be for a true point guard. However, this is a reflection of his teammates around him. The Bulls are currently 25th in the NBA in field goal percentage, shooting 43.4% from the floor. Chicago does not have a big man averaging over 14 points per game, which also hurts Rose's ability to rack up assists. In fact, two of the Bulls top big men, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomaas, are shooting only 40% and 33% respectively.

Since the ball tipped in the first game this season, Rose has not only been the most consistent player on the Bulls, but in the entire NBA. He has scored in double-digits every game, except on November 19 against Portland, where the Bulls lost 116-74 and Rose played just under 30 minutes. He also ranks 11th in the NBA in total minutes played and leads his team in assists.

Rose is one of only seven players to average more than 18 points per game, 4 rebounds per game and 5 assists per game.

1) Dwayne Wade – Heat, 28.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 7.6 APG
2) LeBron James – Cavs, 27.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.4 APG
3) Joe Johnson – Hawks, 22.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.4 APG
4) Stephen Jackson – Warriors, 21.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.4 APG
5) Brandon Roy – Blazers, 20.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.3 APG
6) Chris Paul – Hornets, 20.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 11.6 APG
7) Derrick Rose – Bulls, 18.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 6.0 APG

Most importantly, Rose has already gained respect from opposing players and coaches just 17 games into his professional career.

Warriors head coach Don Nelson said, “"We're big Rose fans here, love to watch him play, love to watch him as he gets better in games. Wow, second half, he put on a show, an incredibly talented point guard. He's right up there with the best of them, in a short period of time.”

Suns guard Raja Bell said, “He's obviously very explosive. He's a highlight reel waiting to happen,'' Bell said. "I'm excited to see where he goes from here. He's a really, really good player.''

Warriors forward Stephen Jackson said, "Rose is good, oh man. For a young guy to take over that game like that, regardless of who he's playing, that's real impressive. I'm definitely a Derrick Rose fan. I will have one of his jerseys up in my house."

Pacers head coach Jim O’Brien stated it best when he said, "That's a rookie that's going to blossom sooner than people think he is. He's going to be a great player, maybe as soon as the end of this year. When he's knocking down 3s, he's a very, very difficult guy to guard.''

Tyler Hansbrough/Mark Madsen

2008-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

As we move along in November, I feel it is now the perfect time to remind people of the truth behind everyone's favorite Caucasian, power forward with multiple All-American awards. Described by many to play with "sharp intensity" and a "real winner", he certainly is a high motor guy, who plays with great strength and toughness. Unfortunately for his future, he possesses minimal ball-handling skills and lacks any type of lateral quickness. Despite being a 6'9" power forward, he has no go-to post move beyond a quick turnaround jumper and certainly has no counter move to this.

His stats? He has been nearly a double-double guy in each of his three college seasons and has shot above 52% from the field each year. His shot blocking numbers show a lack of ability to protect the basket - never averaging over 1 block per game. His teams' success? Despite winning 23 or more games in each of his college seasons, and playing with multiple NBA players, the team has lost in the final four once and been upset early in their other two tournament appearances.

Nicknamed for his passionate play, Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen parlayed his senior season of college into becoming the 29th pick in the 2000 draft.

In the name of Joakim Noah, Bobby Hurley, Adam Morrison, and of course, J.J. Redick, enjoy your senior season of college basketball, Tyler Hansbrough. This is the last year you will be an impact player on a basketball team.

2008's Top 25, Under 25

2008-10-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

This year's top 25, under 25 sees two guys depart - Tony Parker and Gerald Wallace - because they have since turned 26. Additionally, Luol Deng, Andrea Bargnani, and Yi Jianlian have been removed from the list after disappointing seasons. In their place, rookies Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley have entered. Rudy Gay, Leandro Barbosa, and Devin Harris have all entered the list. Deron Williams certainly saw himself make a big leap into the top 7 as did Josh Smith, moving from 19 to 13. At this time next year, I certainly expect last years top picks - Kevin Durant and Greg Oden - to make a jump in the rankings.

1.) LeBron James
2.) Chris Paul
3.) Dwight Howard
4.) Dwyane Wade
5.) Carmelo Anthony
6.) Amare Stoudamire
7.) Deron Williams
8.) Al Jefferson
9.) Chris Bosh
10.) Kevin Durant
11.) Greg Oden
12.) Kevin Martin
13.) Brandon Roy
14.) Andrew Bynum
15.) Josh Smith
16.) Derrick Rose
17.) Danny Granger
18.) Monta Ellis
19.) LaMarcus Aldridge
20.) Devin Harris
21.) Al Horford
22.) Michael Beasley
23.) Andre Iguodala
24.) Rudy Gay
25.) Leandro Barbosa

Chris Paul Story

2008-10-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280212004
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280212004

Larry Hughes

2008-10-02T13:55:00.002-07:00

Larry Hughes
2008-09:
2009-10:

Kenyon Martin
Al Harrington
Darko Milicic
Bobby Simmons
Quentin Richardson
Joel Pryzbilla
Brad Miller
Kenny Thomas

Road to Redemption Episodes

2008-09-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikebasketball/en_US/athletes/redemption?episode_name=episode_1

Free Throw Disparity, Lamar Odom and Vladimar Radmanovic the Difference for the Lakers in Boston

2008-08-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped game two in Boston by six points. The Lakers now head back home without stealing a game at TD Banknorth Garden. If they lose tonight on their home floor, the series will essentially be over. So what do the Lakers need to do to in order to change the outcome of the game? Fixing the free throw disparity, getting Lamar Odom involved in the offense and changing the role of Vladimar Radmanovic should be the focus of the Lakers and their coaching staff.

The difference in free throw attempts between the teams in the first two games was staggering. After game two, all the Lakers - from the coaching staff to the players - complained about the officiating. In a few isolated incidents, the Lakers had something to gripe about. However, the real difference was the aggressiveness between the teams on the offensive end. The Celtics were forcing the action, while the Lakers offense was simply stagnant.

Game 1 FT
Lakers 21-28, 75%
Celtics 28-35, 80%

Game 2 FT
Lakers 10-10, 100%
Celtics 27-38, 71%

Total FT
Lakers 31-38, 81.6%
Celtics 55-73, 75.3%

To me, the problem starts with Kobe Bryant. In the first two games combined, Bryant shot 13 of 13 from the free throw line. In comparison, Bryant attempted nine free throws a game during the regular season and 9.3 free throws per game so far in the playoffs.

A share of the praise needs to go to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and James Posey for their outstanding defense in Boston on Bryant. The other share should go to Celtics coaches Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau for stressing to the team the importance of crowding Bryant and then coming with an extra defender as he readies to square-up and shoot.

If the Lakers are going to comeback in this series, Kobe Bryant needs to become more aggressive, draw contact and get to the free throw line at a greater rate. Settling for fifteen to eighteen foot jump shots will not help to get the Celtics into the bonus and the Lakers onto the free throw line.

Lamar Odom has really flourished as the third scoring option since the trade for Pau Gasol. Odom is a versatile, left handed scorer who is a tough matchup for the opposition. The only true matchup for the Celtics on Odom is Kevin Garnett. However, Garnett is busy defending Gasol. Therefore, Odom should be free to dominate his matchup. Unfortunately, Odom has had minimal impact in the series thus far.

Game 1:
FGM 6
FTA 11
Reb 6
Assists 1
Plus/Minus -8
Points 14

Game 2:
FGM 5
FTA 11
Reb 8
Assists 2
Plus/Minus -13
Points 10

Odom’s strength is his ability to put pressure on the opposing defense and get the big men in foul trouble. Instead, he has mainly settled for mid-range jump shots in the two games against the Celtics. When Odom has gotten into the paint so far in the series, he has botched layups and even missed a dunk in the third quarter of game two.

When defended by anyone besides Kevin Garnett, Odom needs to be put in a position where he can face-up at the high post and drive the ball to the basket. Odom is also effective in this spot when he forces the opposition to double-team or help on him, then passes out on the perimeter to one of the many effective shooters on the Lakers.

Lastly, by my estimation, the Lakers need to change their defensive matchups. Pierce has been the motor behind the Celtics offense in the first two games of the series. He has been defended mainly by Vladimir Radmanovic, who struggles mightily to keep Pierce in front of him. I would move Bryant over to defend Pierce and limit Radmanovic’s minutes altogether. From the start of the game, Radmanovic should be assigned to shadowing Ray Allen. In other situations where Radmanovic is in the game, he should be defending Kevin Garnett, who has spent most of the series shooting jump shots from around the key. Sasha Vujicic should receive more playing time and be assigned the task of chasing Allen around the perimeter. Although Radmanovic has produced from the perimeter on the offensive end, the Lakers can afford to play him less.

If the Lakers plan to turn around this series, they need to reverse the free throw disparity, get Lamar Odom more involved on offense and change their defensive assignments around in order to slow down the Celtics offense. If the Lakers fail to make these key adjustments during the day layoff, then I expect this series to be over by the end of the weekend.

Tim Duncan Leads the Spurs Past the Hornets

2008-08-19T08:54:00.005-07:00

A grueling seven game series between the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs wrapped up last Monday evening with a Spurs 91-82 win on the Hornets home floor. To me, the deciding factor of each game came down to how well the Hornets controlled ten time NBA All-Star, Tim Duncan.

Right from the start of game one, it was obvious that Hornets coach Byron Scott decided they were going to force the Spurs peripheral players to beat them. Every time Duncan caught the ball in the low post, he saw two Hornets defenders in his face. The Hornets wanted the Spurs to rely on Tony Parker's penetration into the paint and Manu Ginobili’s ability to knock down stand-still jumpers, rather than Duncan hitting turnaround jumpers. Not allowing the Spurs to get into any type of offensive flow was the goal. With some of the other Spurs players, such as Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley and Brent Barry, now past their prime, the Hornets wanted to force these guys to have to make shots for them to win.

In the three Spurs losses, they were really dominated by the Hornets in the paint. Duncan’s impact in the game was limited and the Hornets were able to come away with a victory.

Game # 1
Rebound Differential -8
Paint Points Differential -11
Duncan's Points 5

Game # 2
Rebound Differential -1
Paint Points Differential +15
Duncan's Points 18

Game # 5
Rebound Differential -9
Paint Points Differential -4
Duncan's Points 10

In the four San Antonio wins, Tim Duncan and the Spurs were able to really control the painted area. In the Spurs four wins, they held the Hornets to an average of 15.8 free throw attempts, compared to an average of 24 free throw attempts in games the Hornets won.

Game # 3
Rebound Differential +2
Paint Points Differential +16
Duncan's Points 16

Game # 4
Rebound Differential +9
Paint Points Differential +7
Duncan's Points 2

Game # 6
Rebound Differential +5
Paint Points Differential +2
Duncan's Points 20

Game # 7
Rebound Differential +9
Paint Points Differential -16
Duncan's Points 16

With Duncan double-teamed every time he touched the ball in the low post, the ability of the Spurs perimeter shooting became the true test in this series. He was forced to quickly pass out of the post and then his teammates would swing the ball to an open shooter on the perimeter. Therefore, the shooting ability of the Spurs from the perimeter became the key.

In the four games where the Spurs shot below 43% from the field, they went 1-3. Shooting above 43% meant the Spurs went undefeated. From the three point line, a similar trend occurred. In the four games the Spurs shot below 40% from the three point line, they went 1-3.

However, when the Spurs perimeter shooting was effective, the Hornets’ strategy was unsuccessful.

Game # 1
Spurs Lose, 82-101
SA FG%: 40.8%
SA 3PT%: 38.7%

Game #2
Spurs Lose, 84-102
SA FG%: 42.5%
SA 3PT%: 29.6%

Game #3
Spurs Win, 110-99
SA FG%: 48.2%
SA 3PT%: 44.0%

Game #4
Spurs Win, 100-80
SA FG%: 51.3%
SA 3PT%: 30.8%

Game #5
Spurs Lose, 79-101
SA FG%: 37.7%
SA 3PT%: 39.1%

Game #6
Spurs Win, 99-80
SA FG%: 49.4%
SA 3PT%: 52.4%

Game #7
Spurs Win, 91-82
SA FG%: 39.5%
SA 3PT%: 42.9%

Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, was effective in moving Duncan around and using him in different ways after the first two games - both Hornets wins. Placing Duncan at the free throw line, rather than in the low post, gave the Spurs a different look. Using Duncan in handoff-and-roll situations with Tony Parker also worked well for the Spurs.

For the Hornets, they had a terrific season, but in the end, they were beaten by the more talented, deeper team. The Hornets strategy was to dare the other Spurs outside of Duncan to beat them and four times they did just that.

Who Deserves NBA MVP?

2008-08-19T08:54:00.003-07:00

Since the 1955-56 season, the NBA has given out the Maurice Podoloff Trophy to the league’s Most Valuable Player. This year’s voting for the award will certainly be one of the closest ever. With LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett all considered for the award, the voters will have to consider what their criteria are and who is most deserving.

For me, the NBA MVP this season is Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. Paul joined the record books among the leagues greatest little guys. In the NBA’s history, only six times has someone played in at least 75 games, scored 20 points per game, handed out 10 assists per game, and had two steals per game.

Player
Team
Season
Games
PPG
APG
SPG
Chris Paul
NO
2007-08
80
21.1
11.6
2.7
Tim Hardaway
GS
1991-92
81
23.4
10.0
2.0
Kevin Johnson
Pho
1990-91
77
22.2
10.1
2.1
Isiah Thomas
Det
1985-86
77
20.9
10.8
2.2
Isiah Thomas
Det
1984-85
81
21.2
13.9
2.3
Isiah Thomas
Det
1983-84
82
21.3
11.1
2.5

Beyond just having a great offensive statistical season, Paul was the leader of this Hornets squad, who improved their record from 39-43 in 2006-07 to 56-26 this season. New Orleans had the second best record in the Western Conference, competing in the Southwest Division, which also featured three other 50 plus win teams - San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. Only the Lakers in the West and the Pistons and Celtics in the East won more games this season than New Orleans.

Paul also made those around him better. David West achieved career highs in points per game (20.6) and rebounds per game (8.9). Tyson Chandler reached a career high in points, averaging 11.8 per game. Peja Stojakovic shot a career best from behind the three point line (44.1%).
Paul didn’t just excel on the offensive side of the floor. He led the NBA in steals per game (2.7) and finished third in defensive rebounds per game amongst point guards (3.2). Upon trading point guard Bobby Jackson to the Houston Rockets on February 21, the Hornets played the rest of the season with no backup point guard to Paul. Playing with merely average defensive players in Morris Peterson and Stojakovic, Paul was forced to generally defend the other team’s best guard every night.

As a point guard, Paul also did an outstanding job taking care of the ball. Paul finished third in the league in assists to turnover ratio (4.60) and sixth in steals per turnover (1.08). Directing the Hornets offense, the team finished ninth in the NBA in fast break points with 13.6 per game and eighth in field goal attempts with 82.9 per game.

With a roster of players limited to scoring from the perimeter (Morris Peterson, Peja Stojakovic, Jannero Pargo) or from inside the paint (Tyson Chandler, Bonzi Wells, David West, Hilton Armstrong), Paul was really the only true playmaker on the squad.

Some telling statistics of Paul’s dominance and where he ranked within the NBA:

Category
Amount
NBA Rank
Double-Doubles
56
2
FTM/Game for Point Guards
4.2
2
Points+Assists+Rebounds/Game
36.6
3
3P% for Point Guards
36.9
13

Bottom line: Chris Paul really did it all this season. He excelled on the offensive side - scoring in all different ways, handling the ball and creating shots for his teammates. On defense, he created fast break opportunities and extra possessions by forcing steals. His team exceeded all expectations from the media and won seventeen more games than last season. Paul made his teammates better – evidenced by several of them having career years. The Hornets won the second most games in the Western Conference, and their point guard, Chris Paul, is the main reason for the teams’ success.

Thibodeau Top Candidate

2008-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

With the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and potentially others all looking for new head coaches this summer, Boston Celtics associate head coach, Tom Thibodeau should be at the top of teams’ lists.

Last summer, Thibodeau signed a one year agreement with the Celtics to work with Doc Rivers and his staff. As he finishes his eighteenth season in the NBA, Thibodeau has been a staple of success on NBA benches. This season with the Celtics will be the eleventh time he coaches in the postseason. Unlike his 1998-99 NBA Finals appearance with the Knicks, this time, Thibodeau hopes his Celtics squad ends the season as champions.

As you can see by the numbers, Thibodeau is seen around the league as a defensive mastermind, whose teams regularly finish in the top of the NBA in defensive field goal percentage and opponent’s points per game.

Year

Year Team Wins Losses FG% Rank PPG Rank
1992 San Antonio 49 33 4 9
1993 San Antonio 55 27 4 2
1994 Philadelphia 24 58 16 10
1995 Philadelphia 18 64 27 26
1996 New York 57 25 1 5
1997 New York 43 39 2 2
1998 New York 27 23 2 4
1999 New York 50 32 3 2
2000 New York 48 34 1 1
2001 New York 30 52 13 14
2002 New York 37 45 26 20
2003 Houston 45 37 2 5
2004 Houston 51 31 2 3
2005 Houston 34 48 2 4
2006 Houston 52 30 1 3
2007 Boston 66 16 1 2 2

Thibodeau stresses the importance of slowing opponents’ offensive transition and defending the post. This season, the Celtics led the league in defensive fast break points, allowing only 9.1 per game. Challenging opponents shots and team rebounding are other points that Thibodeau has been known to place great importance on. The Celtics finished second in the NBA this year in opponents rebounds, giving up 38.9 per game.

Player development is another area Thibodeau has received praise. During his career as an NBA assistant coach, Thibodeau has been credited with helping to incorporate Dennis Rodman into the Spurs team, being Jeff Van Gundy’s righthand man in New York and developing Yao Ming in Houston.

This season, he has received recognition for his work with rookie big man Glen Davis and second-year point guard Rajon Rondo. Davis and Rondo have been capable in pick-and-roll defense situations, as well as, their ability to limit their opponent’s offensive effectives. Because of this, both players are expected to play major roles in the Celtics championship run this season.

For teams looking for an accomplished coach to help improve team defense and skill development for their young players, Tom Thibodeau would be an excellent selection as a head coach. Rather than recycling a guys who have already had a chance in the league - such as Terry Porter, Scott Skiles, Rick Carlisle, or Larry Brown – Thibodeau is the one that should get the chance at the top jobs this summer.

port trade

2008-07-18T08:21:00.001-07:00

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/new_jersey.htm

http://www.nba.com/blazers/roster/

Lafrentz-13 fa, Frye-3, Sergio Rodriguez-1 for either wing scorer or veteran pg

wing
VC, g wallace, stack, melo, marion, redd

pg
billups, hinrich, andre miller

NBA Prospects Thoughts

2008-06-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Perennial All-Stars:
Derrick Rose
O.J. Mayo

Fringe All-Stars:
Michael Beasley

Starters on Champions:
Jerryd Bayless
Kevin Love
Danilo Gallinari
Anthony Randolph
Darrell Arthur
Brook Lopez
Brandon Rush
Mario Chalmers

Rotation Guys:
Russell Westbrook
Eric Gordon
Joe Alexander
Kosta Koufos
Donta Greene
Chris Douglas-Roberts
DJ White

Short Career:
Roy Hibbert
Robin Lopez
Marreese Speights
Joey Dorsey
JaVale McGee

"Russian Revolution"

2008-06-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Posted: Tuesday April 22, 2008 8:21AM; Updated: Thursday April 24, 2008 5:26PM
Ian Thomsen

"Russian Revolution"

The home of Stalin, Putin and Langdon -- Langdon? -- is trying to embrace American-style (read: capitalist) basketball . . . with a little Elvis thrown in.

The world's most elegant cheerleaders take the court like a troupe of ballerinas, dressed simply in lilac tops and low-rise black pants for their role as arm candy to the star of this brief show. The iconic main attraction is decked out in the telltale white body suit and has the familiar upswept hair. During his brief time on earth, the original Elvis Presley typified the Western entertainment that was banned by the Soviet Union as "tumors on the social organism." But in this incarnation he is belting out bastardized Russian-and-English lyrics to the tune of Blue Suede Shoes as the twirling ladies encircle him. "Come on, SESS-ka!" sings Elvis, leaning into the crook of his glittering elbow.

SESS-ka refers to CSKA, or Central Sports Army Club, the home team for this February basketball game in Moscow. The celebrated organization dates to the Soviet days of Stalin and Khrushchev and Brezhnev, who ruled the army generals and also, by chain of command, the gold medalists competing for CSKA. The Red Army athletes were the most intimidating of competitors: fundamentally disciplined basketball stars, ice hockey players and figure skaters who tormented the U.S. in the Olympic Games every fourth winter and summer.

Then in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, and soon the Soviet system collapsed. But the teams of CSKA Moscow have continued to thrive, though they bear little more than symbolic allegiance to the military. Instead, they answer to a former disc jockey.

It's true: CSKA is run by a deejay named Sergey Kushchenko, a genial, outgoing 46-year-old who was spinning LPs of the Beatles and bootlegging cassettes of the Rolling Stones even as Soviet coach Alexander Gomelsky and five CSKA players were leading the U.S.S.R. to an 82-76 win over the U.S. at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. That Sergey the deejay happened also to fall in love with basketball has resulted in his spectacularly unpredictable rise to president of CSKA. Sitting courtside in a dark suit and tie -- uncomfortable attire during his deejay days -- he watches the team that he has reinvented to become the best in the world outside the NBA.

Two decades ago Soviet stars such as Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis earned disposable income by selling athletic gear and black-market caviar out of their hotel rooms during international road trips. Now, the high-end clubs of the Russian Superleague have more money to spend than most of their European rivals. Russia's vast natural resources and the ambitions of president Vladimir Putin (who will move to the prime minister's office on May 7) have recast basketball as a metric of the nation's new identity -- even if that identity is often cast by foreigners. The coach of what is still commonly referred to as the Red Army team is Ettore Messina, an Italian. He yells at his three American players, two Greeks, a Slovenian, a Lithuanian, a Belgian, an Australian and a half-dozen Russians in English -- English! -- proof that the new Russia is competing for talent on a global scale.

Sergey the deejay is driving this revolutionary trend in Russian basketball. He is striving to create an open-market environment for the American-born sport within an old-world government of Russian secrecy (in which investigative journalists are routinely found murdered) and strong-arm politics (as manipulated by Putin, who prolonged his influence by handpicking his presidential successor in a March election that was free of viable opposition candidates). The NBA has recognized the ambitions of Kushchenko, and over the last three years he has patiently negotiated a unique relationship between his progressive club and the NBA. Commissioner David Stern usually prefers to marry himself to international federations or leagues, but so important is CSKA to all of basketball in Russia, and so visionary is Kushchenko, that in February the NBA was ready to sign a deal with CSKA that would open the Russian frontier to opportunities benefiting both sides.

On this afternoon the Superleague meeting between CSKA and visiting Khimki is tight into the fourth quarter as CSKA's cheerleaders return yet again to the court. Their elegance is part of Sergey the deejay's larger vision for basketball in the CSKA Universal Sports Hall, a steeply tiered arena of 5,500 seats built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. As the young women sweep gracefully onto the floor, they are met by dozens of colored lights spinning and strobing from the ceiling, another of Kushchenko's innovations. "Like disco," he explains.

An and-one drive by the visitors cuts CSKA's lead to 65-64 with 25 seconds remaining. Trajan Langdon, the former All-America guard at Duke who is one of CSKA's go-to scorers, responds with a free throw. Another drive by Khimki fails and CSKA seizes a 68-64 victory, one of 23 it will earn (against just one loss) domestically this season to claim first place in the Superleague.

Basketball is important to Russia because, in the beginning, it was important to the U.S. The Soviets embraced basketball after World War II for no other reason than to try to prove they could beat the U.S. at its own game, to demonstrate that their collective approach could overcome superior talent. They started by dominating the sport in the old world, dividing the first six European Champions Cups among ASK Riga, the army team of Latvia (winner of the first three titles, all coached by the legendary Gomelsky); Dinamo Tbilisi, the police-sponsored team from the Soviet republic of Georgia; and, of course, CSKA Moscow.

Today there are at least 1,500 Americans playing basketball professionally around the world, but this trend began in Europe when they were imported like mercenaries to repel the Soviets. In 1962 Real Madrid became the first Western European club to break into the finals of the Champions Cup (known today as the Euroleague) after its Hall of Fame coach, Pedro Ferràndiz, had traveled to Philadelphia to recruit 6' 8" power forward Wayne Hightower, an African-American who had left Kansas a year before he was eligible for the NBA draft. Europe had never seen an athlete like Hightower, and though he would return home to spend 11 years in the NBA and ABA, his one season in Europe created demand for more Americans to stand up to the Soviets.

The U.S.S.R. ratcheted up the standards of international competition by turning games into metaphorical life-and-death struggles with the free world. The common denominator for many of the nation's significant basketball victories was Gomelsky, who began an 11-year term as CSKA's coach in 1969 and later served as the team's president while guiding the Soviet national team on and off over three decades. "He was a wily little guy, politically shrewd, considered one of the 100 most powerful men in Russia, disliked by many, connected with higher-ups in the Politburo," says Dan Peterson, the expatriate American who coached in Italy during the Gomelsky era. "A ruthless winner, a brilliant guy."

Gomelsky's most important -- and final -- triumph was the 82-76 semifinal win over coach John Thompson's collegians in the '88 Games, which prompted USA Basketball to assemble the original Dream Team four years later. That last Soviet team, like the U.S.S.R. itself, was on the verge of splintering amid ethnic quarrels and demands for freedom, but Gomelsky achieved temporary unification in his locker room, according to Peterson, by persuading Mikhail Gorbachev to allow the players to sign with clubs outside the country provided they won the gold medal.

After the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, most of its famed basketball generation scattered throughout Europe and the NBA, for in the first tortured decade of independence there was little money for Russian hoops. The proud clubs of the former empire were unable to pay their bills -- CSKA included, though that did not stop the team from winning nine straight Superleague titles. Gomelsky's search for his eventual replacement as team president, someone capable of responding to the problems and opportunities of the new millennium, led him to the isolated Russian city of Perm, a former Soviet weapons-manufacturing base 800 miles east of Moscow that was closed to foreigners until 1989. Perm was home to a small start-up club known as Ural Great, which had dethroned CSKA to win the 2001 Russian championship and which was owned and operated by none other than Sergey Kushchenko. "I visited Perm in 2001," recalls Roy Kirkdorffer, an American financial adviser based in the south of France who represents European basketball players. "And I had breakfast with Gomelsky, who said of Kushchenko, 'He's our bright young hope.' "

Three things that illustrate the paradox of Russian basketball:

1. It is not run as a business. While the NBA exists to make money, there is no tradition for profitability throughout European basketball. The major clubs are funded by private financiers or parent sports clubs and exist simply to win games for their city, region and country -- red ink be damned.

2. Kushchenko wants to run it as a business. Kushchenko, who took over CSKA's basketball team in 2002, talks of creating a market for basketball, of eventually developing sources of revenue that will equal or exceed his club's budget of more than $40 million, which makes it among the richest in Europe. (The average NBA team's budget is more than $100 million.) Over the last three years he has made several trips to the U.S. with his CSKA employees, and together they have studied everything from the marketing to the merchandising to the administration of the NBA website in hopes of acquiring the perspectives of an organization that is built for profit. As foreign as this may be to his Russian colleagues, Kushchenko sees no other future for basketball in his country.

3. There is no compelling need to run it as a business. CSKA is funded by a billionaire oligarch, Mikhail Prokhorov, 42, who made his initial fortune in the 1980s by selling stone-washed jeans in the U.S.S.R. When the state-owned industries were privatized in the '90s by Boris Yeltsin, Prokhorov leveraged his chairmanship of a bank to acquire Norilsk Nickel, the world's leading producer of nickel and palladium. He has since relinquished his stake in Norilsk, though he retains control of sister company Polyus Gold, the largest gold producer in Russia.

Despite standing 6' 9" and having played basketball in grade school, Prokhorov has shown minimal interest in the team. It appears to Western observers that he is involved with CSKA because Putin has instructed billionaire oligarchs to invest heavily in basketball and other sports to raise Russia's profile around the world. As it is, Prokhorov, the 24th-richest person in the world according to Forbes (net worth: $19.5 billion), rarely attends hoops games, and he tends to be impressed neither by the spectacle nor by the American need to profit from the sport. During the NBA Europe Live exhibitions in Moscow in 2006, where the carnival of NBA sideshows was on display during timeouts, he turned to a few international guests and said, "This is all bulls---."

Prokhorov's passive interest has not prevented the team he bankrolls from becoming the most talented outside the NBA. CSKA has reached the Euroleague Final Four a record six consecutive times, and next week in Madrid the Russian power is favored to win the title for the second time in three seasons.

The leading scorer throughout the season (at just 13.4 points per game, befitting the club's balance) is 6' 11" center David Andersen, a 27-year-old Australian who plays on a Danish passport and is considering a move to the NBA next season. (The Atlanta Hawks drafted him in the second round in 2002.)

The point guard is a surprisingly talented player from Bucknell named J.R. Holden, 31. In his six years with CSKA he has become, according to coach Messina, the best point guard in Europe. The 6' 1" Holden's skills are so highly valued by the Russians that he was naturalized in 2003 -- despite not having met residency requirements -- so he could play for the national team. (A former national team general manager, Kushchenko helped persuade the government to grant Holden an exemption.) Last September, Holden hit a contested jump shot with 2.1 seconds left to give Russia a shocking 60-59 victory over Spain in the European championships, a victory that promised to maintain political interest and money in Russian basketball for years to come.

The CSKA roster is overloaded with renowned Europeans such as Theodoros Papaloukas, 30, recently named one of the 35 greatest players in the 50-year history of the Euroleague; his fellow Greek guard Nikos Zisis, 24; and Lithuanian forward Ramunas Siskauskas, 29, who chose to leave Euroleague champion Panathinaikos to move to Moscow this season. The 6' 8" forward Marcus Goree, who grew up playing with Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin in Dallas, is a 30-year-old who, according to Messina, "could be the European Ben Wallace." Messina himself was named one of the top 10 coaches in Euroleague history, and he views his team leaders as Holden and Langdon, who last season was the only American to make first-team all-Euroleague.

The man who put CSKA together, the open and sincere Kushchenko, is in every way the opposite of the stern, cold authoritarian whom one would expect to be presiding over the Red Army club. It helps that he doesn't particularly need basketball. He and some friends from Perm also cashed in on the privatization boom of the 1990s, and their ownership of Kam Kabel -- a manufacturer of electronic cables with 5,000 employees -- has made a millionaire of him. Today he lives with his wife, Svetlana, and their three children in a gated community outside Moscow, in a modern, four-story house with heated floors, a skylit penthouse and fixtures designed by Italian architects.

In 2006 Kushchenko was rewarded with a promotion to the presidency of all of CSKA and its 41 sports, which is a far more political position than simply managing the daily affairs of the basketball club. At All-Star weekend in New Orleans, he was welcomed by the NBA to finalize their long-sought partnership. The agreement appeared to be in place: CSKA would put up close to $10 million to serve as host of NBA events in Moscow, including the charitable youth event Basketball Without Borders and preseason exhibitions involving NBA teams. NBA and CSKA officials would work side by side in Moscow, enabling the Americans to grow their league in Russia while providing CSKA with expertise in transforming basketball into a market-based business. CSKA games would be broadcast in the U.S. on NBA TV. Left unsaid was the eventual possibility that CSKA might become an NBA franchise during the league's planned expansion to Europe over the decades ahead.

The meetings in New Orleans were expected to be a formality -- sign the papers, shake hands, bring in Stern for group photographs -- but Kushchenko unexpectedly revealed that he was unable to agree to the terms. He also was unable to explain why. He grabbed the arm of NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver and whispered, "Don't worry. We'll get that done."

The NBA isn't giving up on Kushchenko. "Russia remains an important market for the NBA," says Silver. "We are encouraged by the discussions we've had with Sergey and his colleagues. We remain hopeful that we're going to work out a long-term deal with him."

But something had changed, in spite of all of Kushchenko's successes in moving basketball forward in Russia. Was he unable to persuade the politicians to run the sport as a business? Were they, in spite of their reliance on foreign basketball talent, unwilling to form a partnership with the Americans? The story of Sergey the deejay, though it is not yet finished, is that Russia, for all of the promise of its new frontier, is still mired in its old ways.

Find this article at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/04/22/russian.revolution0428

2008-05-06T13:34:00.001-07:00

2007-08
38-33
reg season + playoffs without Arenas

Antawn Jamison
Caron Butler
DeShawn Stevenson
Brendan Haywood
Roger Mason
Andray Blatche
Antonio Daniels
Nick Young
Darius Songalia
Oleksiy Pecherov

U-FA Jamison, Mason
R-FA Arenas
Etan Thomas returning

Either bring back Arenas with a true pg and play Arenas at the 2
Or
Let Arenas go

-they were starting Arenas at pg and Stevenson at sg

"The Lakers' film star"

2008-04-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Smith column: The Lakers' film star

Chris Bodaken spends hours of time in the video room, helping to prepare the Lakers for their next opponent.

MARCIA C. SMITH
Register columnist
masmith@ocregister.com

TBD – to be determined – is like a curse phrase. It's the ugly, unnerving unknown and quite possibly the worst three letters anyone can tell Chris Bodaken.

As a Lakers scout and director of video services, Bodaken has to think ahead. He's the guy who sizes up the next opponent, considers the next contest, writes statistics-loaded scouting reports, strings together highlight footage for each player and coach and anticipates each one-on-one matchup, game situation and crunch-time scenario.

And with "TBD" as the Lakers first-round opponent in NBA playoffs for much of the last frenzied week in the wild, wild Western Conference, Bodaken has had to fight a panic that strikes like a medicine ball to the kidney.

"It's a crazy time, not knowing," said Bodaken, a 1990 USC grad who latched onto the Lakers 15 seasons ago as an intern. "The uncertainty of the playoffs is hard. When this happens at the end of season, I have to ask myself, 'Can I be a gambler? Can I wait until the last minute and pull an all-nighter?' "

A week ago, the Lakers' playoff picture was scrambled. As games played out and teams flip-flopped positions, there were four possible opponents, then three, and after the Lakers locked up the top seed with Tuesday night's regular-season-finale victory over Sacramento, two.

Bodaken had to wait until the final buzzer of the league's regular season sounded Wednesday night for the Lakers' first-round foe – TBD – to turn into either the Denver Nuggets or the Dallas Mavericks.

Denver or Dallas? Denver or Dallas? Denver or Dallas? The teams rattled in Bodaken's head and twisted his stomach for days.

He's the gambler he was a decade ago when he would wait to know the opponent, get the coffee pot going on a constant drip and spend 24 tense hours scanning through boxes of videotape.
He doesn't want that work stress anymore. He's 40 now. He has children.

So by Tuesday morning, Bodaken and his assistant, Patrick O'Keefe, had prepared for both the Nuggets and the Mavericks, knowing all along that they would ultimately have to chuck half their work into the trash.

"I'm afraid to guess how many days and hours of watching film it takes to get ready for the playoffs," said Bodaken, of Pasadena. "It's probably a scary number."

Bodaken and O'Keefe can pace themselves and even get ahead during the regular season because the next game and the next opponent are on the schedule. Playoffs usually kick their work into fast-forward.
Their workplaces at Staples Center and at the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo are cramped, chilly climate-controlled quarters with just enough room for two chairs, a video editing station, 10 TV screens, four TiVos, a couple VCRs, a DVD recorder, walls lined with thousands of hours of archived NBA footage, stacks of blank DVDs and a clock.

There are no windows. Only a timepiece tells Bodaken whether it's day or night in these rooms where it's always gametime.

"It's like a Vegas casino in here," he said. "You keep going, watching, working, not knowing what's happening outside."

Getting ready for the Nuggets and the Mavericks began with poring over the Lakers' games against both teams and meeting with the Lakers assistant coach assigned to study that team throughout the season.

The Lakers went 3-0 against the Nuggets, but they haven't faced Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony since a 116-99 victory on Jan. 21. So Bodaken had to pull footage from the Nuggets' more recent games to see how they're playing now against other teams.

The Lakers went 3-1 against the Mavericks in close contests with an average score of 107-106. Fortunately for Bodaken, the Lakers played the Mavericks on April 4 and won, 112-108.

Bodaken and O'Keefe also retrieved the fourth-quarter action of every close game the Nuggets and Mavericks played this season to see what the teams did in critical situations. They watched the game both teams played this week, checked injury reports and analyzed statistics from the minutes the star players played to the team's free-throw shooting percentage.

"About 98 percent of NBA games are on DirecTV, so it was just a matter of going back and finding the game," he said. "It was a lot harder before the days of digital TV and the Internet."

For each Lakers coach, Bodaken and O'Keefe made highlight DVDs – or in the case of some less tech-savvy assistants, VHS tapes – of game footage featuring both teams.

"Phil (Jackson) likes to see the flow of the game, so he won't get quick cuts but segments of action," said Bodaken of the Lakers coach's viewing preferences. "He watches more video than any coach I know."

For each Laker, they put together 15-20 minute DVDs featuring about 60 game scenes of the Nugget or Maverick player or players whom the Laker will be defending.

"It's all about finding the tendencies of the other player in the matchup, things like whether a guy dribbles twice to his left before pulling up and shooting," said Bodaken. "Knowing the details, especially for a student of the game like Kobe Bryant, really helps them get ready."

His eyes have burned from all the watching, scanning in fast-forward and focusing frame-by-frame in slow-motion. But Bodaken is at ease knowing he will be ready to hand the Lakers their customized DVDs and written scouting reports when they leave their first practice in preparation of the playoffs.

His job will be done – until the next gametime, when he will log Sunday's action live from his Staples Center workroom. His day could last 15 hours. His eyes could be tired. His hands could cramp, his back ache.

But Bodaken knows that the Lakers depend on him to leave as little as possible to TBD.

More on Tom Thibodeau

2008-04-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Outside of two seasons, the teams that Tom Thibodeau has been an assistant coach for have been very successful on the defensive side of the ball - thirteen times finish in the top ten in defensive points per game in the league.

Another Quick Mock Draft

2008-04-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

1.) Miami: Michael Beasley
2.) Seattle: Derrick Rose
3.) Memphis: Brook Lopez
4.) Minnesota: O.J. Mayo
5.) New York: Eric Gordon
6.) LA Clippers: Danilo Gallinari
7.) Milwaukee: Blake Griffin
8.) Charlotte: D.J. Augustin
9.) Chicago: Anthony Randolph
10.) Indiana: Jerryd Bayless
11.) New Jersey: Kevin Love
12.) Sacramento: Russell Westbrook
13.) Portland: Darren Collison

"Policies ensure futures"

2008-03-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Policies ensure futures
Insurance protects top college athletes

Robbi Pickeral, Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE - North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough doesn't worry about his NBA future despite being bruised, nicked, bloodied -- and sometimes broken -- by his aggressive style of play.

"I think it does concern my parents at times, though,'' he said.

Which is why the All-America is one of three Tar Heels starters, along with point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington, who has a special insurance policy that protects him in the case of a career-ending injury.

"I don't even want to think about, talk about, the possibility of him getting seriously hurt,'' said Gene Hansbrough, who first took out a policy on his son when Tyler was a senior in high school. "But it does give him some level of protection to fall back on, just in case."

The investment is expensive. Once they leave school, players get bills for premiums usually in the range of $20,000, although they can top $50,000. And the protection rarely pays off, mostly because of medical advances and the limited instances of devastating injuries.

Still, the insurance has become as standard as autograph requests and ESPN highlights for elite college athletes who stand to make millions in the pros.

Hansbrough, a junior, originally was insured by Lloyd's of London, but he switched to an NCAA-sponsored program during his freshman season, his father said. His policy is worth close to $4.4 million, the NCAA's current maximum for men's basketball players. Ellington and Lawson, both sophomores, also became eligible and signed up for policies through the NCAA during their freshman seasons. Their parents declined to disclose the amounts of their policies, but even players projected to be chosen near the bottom of the first round of the NBA Draft are eligible for $500,000 policies.

Eventually, UNC forwards Deon Thompson and Danny Green could be candidates. On top 10 teams, it's not unusual for multiple players to be insured, said Keith Lerner, an insurance underwriter and CEO of Total Planning in Gainesville, Fla.

"There won't be a player drafted in the first round this year that doesn't have insurance," predicted Lerner, who has been in business 20 years. "... These are guys who are going to be making millions in the NBA. So it makes business sense to protect that. ... The cost will come out of their first paycheck."

A variety of reasons

Insurance policies have been available through private underwriters for decades.
The NCAA launched its Exceptional Student-Athlete Disability Insurance program in 1990 for men's basketball and football players. Baseball was added in 1991, hockey in 1993 and women's basketball in 1998.

The reason for the program isn't to protect student-athletes' pro careers but to safeguard their college ones, said Juanita Sheely, the NCAA's manager of travel and insurance.

"Back in its original inception, the idea was to help get agents out of the mix," Sheely said.
"Agents would promise, 'I will get you this insurance coverage if you sign with me.' And immediately, if there was any kind of agreement there, the student-athlete lost his eligibility."

One company, HCC Specialty Underwriters of Wakefield, Mass., is the administrator of the program and also handles other insurance needs for the NCAA, including protecting its signature event of the year -- the men's basketball tournament -- in the case of disruptions, cancellations or other trouble.

Roughly 100 to 150 athletes per year have the insurance at any one time, Sheely said. And at certain points in the year, as many as 40 basketball players can be in the program, said Jeff Stanley, senior sports underwriter at HCC.

Eligibility and the amount of coverage are based on projected draft status.

Football players are eligible for up to $3 million of insurance if they are projected to go in the first three rounds. Men's basketball players can get up to $4.4 million if they have top-five potential.
Which players are eligible and for how much is determined in large part by several confidential scouting services.

"We try to base our coverage on 50 to 60 percent of their after-tax salary on their contract, only for the first two years,'' Sheely said. "We can't include any bonuses or endorsements, because we don't know exactly what those will be."

Projecting when, or whether, athletes will be drafted is not an exact science, however. UNC coach Roy Williams said that in September 2004, the school applied to get the insurance for center Sean May. The junior, who went on to become MVP of the Final Four, was denied.

"They wouldn't approve it because they weren't comfortable saying he was going to be a first-round draft choice,'' Williams said. "And then 10 months later, he was the [13th] pick in the draft. So it's also a deal where everyone's not perfect."

Security at a price

For those who are approved, NCAA premiums cost about $6,000 per year (plus interest), per $1 million of coverage.

UNC encourages Tar Heels who want insurance to go with the NCAA program, UNC senior associate athletic director Larry Gallo said, to make sure the players stay in compliance with NCAA rules. But it isn't required.

Players who choose to go with private insurance companies and banks outside the NCAA program must still check in with their school's compliance office to make sure their interest rates and payment schedules are within the rules. But there are benefits.

Through Lerner's company, Lloyd's of London offers policies worth up to $12.5 million for projected top NBA draft picks, almost three times more than the NCAA allows for basketball players. Those premiums cost more -- usually $8,000 to $10,000 per year for every $1 million of coverage. But for about double that bill, a rider can be added to the policy that also protects an athlete's draft status -- meaning that if he falls from his projected draft status because of injury, he still could be paid.

The NCAA's policy pays out only if an injury is so catastrophic it ends the athlete's chances at any pro career.

Either way, payouts are rare. Stanley, of HCC, estimated that only about five claims had been paid under the ESDI program in the past seven or eight years. Lerner's company has paid twice, to a football player and to a hockey player.

Buying peace of mind

But business is still booming. Only about 10 percent of Lerner's policy-holders are basketball players, but he said hoops interest has increased since the NBA passed the 19-and-under rule, eliminating almost all prep players from jumping straight to the NBA.

"I've gotten a lot more calls from parents, because they anticipate their son only being in college a year -- and they want him to be protected,'' said Lerner, who insures athletes throughout the ACC, SEC and Big East.

"There are even kids in high school [taking out policies],'' he added. "Those are still few and far between, ... but it's happening more than it used to."

Hansbrough was one of those kids who qualified for a private policy when he was a McDonald's All American at Poplar Bluff (Mo.) High.

Seeing the aggressive way he played and anticipating a possible pro future, his father had no qualms about insuring him then -- or now -- despite the expense.

Lawson's mother, Jackie, did not want to comment on her son's involvement in the insurance program. But Ellington's dad, Wayne Sr., lauded the opportunity to buy insurance as "a good business decision."

"It does help take the pressure off kids to come out early, or think that they should come out early, because they're scared that they may get hurt ... especially the kids with no financial pressures,'' he said.

Wayne Ellington Sr. said his son will evaluate all his options after this season. Meanwhile, Gene Hansbrough said he doesn't anticipate that having the policy will affect whether his son leaves school early for the NBA. Tyler Hansbrough has said the biggest factor will be whether UNC wins a national title.

To that end, No. 1 seed UNC will play fourth-seeded Washington State in the NCAA's round of 16 tonight.

"For Tyler, playing is not about the money,'' Gene Hansbrough said. "He's a pretty frugal guy; the most he spends on is food. He just wants to win.

"But it [the insurance] gives me a little bit of piece of mind. I love the way he plays, I love how hard he plays. But every time he goes down, I hold my breath till he gets back up."

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/unc/story/1014707.html

Hot Spots

2008-03-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.nba.com/hotspots/

Basketball Thoughts

2008-03-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

-Thursday, I watched the first half of the Kansas-Portland State blowout. I have always liked Brandon Rush, and he really shined in this game early on. Rush has always been very consistent in his three years with Kansas and can do a lot of things well. Rush finished with eighteen points in thirty minutes along with six rebounds. Rush also shot four for nine from behind the three point line. In terms of pro potential, I think Rush is a sleeper, similarly to what Tayshaun Prince's stock was like coming out of college. Both players were very consistent in their college career, played for big time universities, and had NBA bodies. Likewise, people wondered if they reached their ceiling early, and would not have much room to get better in the NBA. I love Rush's pro potential and think he can be a strong contributor. Along with great size and strength, he has a large wingspan and runs the floor well. Rush does a lot of things well, including rebounding efficiently for a guard, shooting range, and playing terrific perimeter defense. Rush's biggest weakness seems to be his ball handling, but I would assume this is a skill he will work on prior to individual team workouts.

-I've also spent some time watching Kevin Love of UCLA over the last few weeks. Love is an interesting prospect because he does not have the super athleticism that many young big men do today. He is more of a polished player, who does a lot of things well. For a pro team, if you are drafting him to be a top player within a franchise, I think you are making a mistake. However, if a team is looking for him to be their fifth player, I think he is a great fit.

Some interesting videos of Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TQkWr8tQ3Q
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JoVpjgj6GAo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dGLwJaayL0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wykfvQFtCkc

-I'm still concerned about the Celtics making it through the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. Boston beat the Pistons two-out-of-three in the regular season, but the Pistons guards have played excellent in the matchup. Down the stretch of games, if Doc Rivers feels the need to play Sam Cassell over Rajon Rondo because of the experience, I see Cassell as a huge liability on defense. Cassell cannot keep up with Richard Hamilton running off screens and will not be able to stay with Chauncey Billups' physical play. In a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, I would again be concerned with their defense on LeBron James. Boston split their four matchups with Cleveland this season and James scored 38, 33, DNP, and 26. I don't see Pierce being able to matchup with James for most of a playoff game and still able to produce at a high level on offense. James Posey appears to not have much left in his tank and Tony Allen is not big enough to defend James. The main benefit the Celtics do have on their side in a big defensive matchup is Kevin Garnett defending the basket and Tom Thibodeau creating defensive game plans.

Will Tom Thibodeau Get a Shot at the Bulls Head Coaching Job?

2008-03-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

Below are some notes on another great candidate to be the Chicago Bulls' next head coach:
-Currently serves as the Celtics associate head coach.
-Specializes in the establishment of Boston's team defense.
-Previously coached seventeen seasons in the NBA with Houston, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Seattle and Minnesota.
-During those seventeen seasons, his teams have finished among the top ten in fewer points allowed fourteen times.
-In 2000-01, the Knicks set an NBA record by holding opponents to fewer than 100 points in 33 consecutive games.
-In his first year in Houston, Thibodeau helped the Rockets set franchise records in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
-From New Britain, Connecticut.
-Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and a then a Master’s in Counseling from Salem State College. He lettered in four seasons at Salem State.
-Has worked under notable coaches such as: Bill Musselman, Jerry Tarkanian, John Lucas, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney
-Coming into this season, he has coached in 87 career NBA playoff games, including New York’s appearance in the 1999 NBA Finals.
-Worked closely with Yao ming in 2005-06.
-Has gone to China the past two summers to work with Yao on his individual skills.
-Before taking the Celtics job, Thibodeau interviewed for several head coaching jobs and agreed with Washington to be an assistant for the Wizards. He worked several days with the Wizards and then had a change of heart and didn’t sign the contract. Reports are that he was promised the head assistant position and then wasn’t given it and that is why he backed away from working with the Wizards.
-Signed a one year deal with the Celtics.

Articles about Thibodeau:
http://www.nba.com/celtics/roster/coaches/tom-thibodeau.html
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-28-299/Talking-to-Celtic-Assistant-Coach-Tom-Thibodeau.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2998331
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2007/11/01/thibodeau_is_celtics_minister_of_defense/?page=full

Dribble Drive Motion Diagrams

2008-03-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

Terry Porter: Next Bulls Coach?

2008-03-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Some notes on Terry Porter, who I hope gets a shot at becoming the Bulls head coach this summer:
-45 years old
-Born in Milwaukee and played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
-Played seventeen years in the NBA, mainly with Portland, and then Minnesota, Miami, and San Antonio.
-Played in two NBA All-Star games (90-91 & 92-93).
-Played in college for Dick Bennett, who later became the head coach at University of Wisconsin and later Washington State University.
-Named an NAIA First-Team All-American
-Holds a degree in communications and was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999.
-Drafted with the 24th pick.
-Won the 1993 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
-Has played for five the the top 36 coaches (games won) in NBA history.
-2002-03 season was an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings.
-2003-04 head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks (41-41 record and made the playoffs).
-Offseason of 2004, Bucks traded Tim Thomas to New York and chose not to resign Brian Skinner, who signed with Philadelphia. TJ Ford also missed the entire 2004-05 season with an injury.
-2004-05 season coached the Milwaukee Bucks (30-52) and then was fired after the season ended.
-Current Detroit Pistons assistant coach.

Articles about Tery Porter:
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-31-17/The-Playbook--Pistons-Assistant-Terry-Porter.html
http://hoopshype.com/interviews/porter_woelfel.htm
http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/stein_marc/1590459.html http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=132386
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-1-84/Terry-Porter.html
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/print_story.php?story_id=31223

Random Thoughts from the Week

2008-03-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

-The Bulls continue to run screen-and-roll with Ben Gordon at the top of the key at the end of games. For the last year of so, teams realize that the play off that is to double Gordon and trap him, so he cannot attack the basket. Often times, due to a lack of height, Gordon ends up getting trapped near the half court line and the Bulls do not get a shot up. The especially frutstrating part about this is that they use a non-perimeter player to set the screen, so he is not a threat when the opposition doubles the ball.

-Like Kobe Bryant does for the Lakers and Chris Paul does for the Hornets, during the Rockets twenty-two game winning streak, the entire offense ran through Tracy McGrady. Outside of an increase in points per game, by looking at the statistics, you can not see the impact McGrady truly made during the eleven games the Rockets won during Yao Ming's absence. However, by running their offense through McGrady, he was able to involve guys like Luis Scola, Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Bobby Jackson, and even Mike Harris to infuse the winning streak. Allowing Alston to play more off the ball and utilize his improved three point shooting is ideal for the Rockets. During the twenty-two game winning streak, Alston shot nearly fourty percent from behind the three point line, including three games where he hit four or more threes.

-In last night's game, Boston chose to put all their efforts into minimizing McGrady's impact. Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, and James Posey all took shots at defending McGrady, but it was really a team effort that forced the ball out of his hands. McGrady shot four for eleven from the field and only scored eight points. Although he still ended up having eight assists, McGrady's plus/minus ended at -27, and he basically sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Rockets were outscored 32 to 16 in the third.

-I'm guessing after last night's embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons, 136-120, the Nuggets are now really regretting not making a trade for Ron Artest. The Nuggets stand today one-and-a-half games out of the playoffs and average 109 points per game given up - third worst in the NBA. At this point, I do not think the Nuggets will make the playoffs. Their only capable defensive player appears to be Marcus Camby, but he cannot do it alone. Even if they do sneak into the playoffs, I would expect a very short stay.

Raptors suit against Spanish federation could top $14 million

2008-03-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

TheStar.com - Sports

Raptors suit against Spanish federation could top $14 million

LISA HORNAK/REUTERS

Raptors rookie Jorge Garbajosa broke his leg during a game in Boston on March 26, 2007.
March 17, 2008

RICK MATSUMOTO

Sports Reporter

The Toronto Raptors are suing the Spanish basketball federation for what could amount to more than $14 million (Canadian) the team says it is owed on an insurance claim involving injured forward Jorge Garbajosa.

The Raptors' parent company, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., filed a statement of claim against the Federacion Espanola de Baloncesto in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last Friday.

In the 19-page document, MLSE seeks 6 million Euros ($9,440,000 Canadian) in damages for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and negligence if Garbajosa has suffered permanent disability or 1.5 million Euros ($2,517,000 Canadian) for temporary disability.

Garbajosa, who earned $3,416,667 (U.S.) last season, is to earn $3,666,667 for the current NBA season and $3,916,666 for 2008-09.

"He was a hard-working player and a solid defender and his absence from the starting lineup is a significant loss to the team," the Raptors stated in their claim.

MLSE is also asking for $5 million (Canadian) in punitive damages.

Garbajosa injured his left leg last March that caused him to miss the final 12 games of the season as well as the playoffs. The Raptors wanted him to concentrate on rehabilitation rather than playing for Spain in last summer's European championships.

But when the Spanish Federation persisted in its request that the Raptors allow him to play, the team agreed only after the Spaniards took out a $1 million (U.S.) insurance policy against further injury to Garbajosa's leg, the claim states.

The suit states that the Federation advised the Raptors it had obtained permanent disability coverage in the amount of 6 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros for temporary disability. While the policy was written in Spanish, the Federation agreed to provide an accurate and certified translation, according to the Raptors' allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law.
While Garbajosa did not seem to re-injure his leg in the tournament, it was apparent he was having difficulty with it as the current NBA season began in November. In December, tests showed the fracture had not completely healed and he was also suffering from avascular necrosis of the left tibia, a potentially career-ending injury, according to doctors.

He underwent further surgery and has not returned to the Raptors' lineup, although he has started to work out with the team in practice.

The Raptors made a claim under the terms of the insurance policy, but it was denied by the insurance company.

In their suit, the Raptors say the translation of the Spanish insurance policy was inaccurate and incomplete and are now without coverage for the disability of Garbajosa.

"The Federation knew or ought to have known that it was of crucial importance that the translation be complete and accurate and that the Raptors would rely on the Federation's representation with respect to the certification exclusively," according to the claim.

"The Raptors have suffered significant damages as a result of the Federation's actions," the document goes on to state. The team is contractually bound to pay Garbajosa's salary, even if he never plays again, which is a distinct possibility.

"The defendant's action ... amounted to wanton and intentional disregard for the interests of the Raptors for its own benefit."

Raptors' general manager Bryan Colangelo is on a European scouting trip and he was expected to meet with Spanish Federation officials to discuss the lawsuit.

Inside the Front Office

2008-03-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Inside the Front Office
http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/inside-front-office.html

March 12 - How Trades Happen

This is the first in a regular series of articles answering fans' questions for the front office. If you have a question for the front office, send it to us here at Celtics.com. Our web staff will pick one question each month or so to forward to Mike Zarren, the team's Assistant Executive Director of Basketball Operations. We reserve the right to select whichever questions we feel like asking...

This month's question: What actually happens when a team wants to make a trade? How does it work?-Dorothy, Swampscott, MA

MZ: Trades are more complicated than most people think. In addition to finding players that each team wants to exchange, there are many things that each team must evaluate besides the players' performance on the court. As a result, each NBA trade requires a number of steps that fans at home don't often consider. I'll list most of them here, but keep in mind that during an actual trade, these things are often happening simultaneously.

1. Salary Cap Calculations. Most teams can't just exchange any players they want, due to the collectively-bargained salary cap rules. These rules are too complicated to explain here; you can find decent, though not necessarily always complete or correct, descriptions at the ESPN Trade Machine and Larry Coon's CBA FAQ. Each team must calculate (a) whether the trade works under the rules, and (b) how the trade will affect the team's future player salary and luxury tax plans. Further complications in these calculations may arise from factors such as trade bonuses (contractually required to be paid to certain players in the event of a trade).

2. Exchange of Medical Information. Each team is required to disclose in writing all medical information held by the team that might in any way relate to the relevant players' abilities to play basketball. (Yes, HIPAA lawyers, the players have validly consented to this.) Each team then scrutinizes this information, usually before agreeing to the deal. In addition to reading written descriptions of players' conditions, team doctors often examine MRIs, X-rays, EKGs, or other test results as part of this step.

3. Exchange of Insurance Information. Each team also must disclose any insurance policies that cover the relevant players' salaries. The receiving team for each player must then determine if it wishes to assume any such policies, and, if it's a mid-season trade, the teams must also agree on what portion of the policy premiums will be paid by each team. This step sometimes involves detailed consultation between teams' finance departments.

4. Bonus-Assumption Decisions. In mid-season trades, the teams must also agree on what portion each team will pay of any player's incentive bonuses if the player ends up qualifying (under the terms of his individual contract language) for bonus payments at the end of the year. A team acquiring a player in February might not want to pay all of a player's bonus when the player earned more than half of the bonus while playing for another team!

5. No-Trade Clauses / Trade-Bonus Reductions. In rare situations, a player may have the right to refuse a trade. In other situations, the trade might not work under the salary cap rules unless a player agrees to reduce a trade bonus that the acquiring team would owe him. If a player's consent is required (either to execute the trade or to reduce the trade bonus), the general manager of the player's current team often will hold lengthy discussions with the player's agent. In these cases, however, neither the sending nor the receiving team is allowed to offer a player any additional incentive for his consent -- the player is free to consent or not consent as he pleases.

6. Draft Considerations. If draft pick rights are part of the trade, the teams must specify exactly which picks are being exchanged. In some cases, it's as simple as "Boston's 2006 second round pick," or "The 2nd round pick Boston previously received from Phoenix in the Walter McCarty trade." However, in other cases the teams include "protection" against a pick being high in the draft, or they determine that Team A will not receive the draft pick of Team B until Team B receives or sends another, previously-traded, pick to or from Team C. Writing the language that governs exactly which pick(s) will be traded will often involve team and league legal counsel -- in the case of one heavily-protected pick traded from Minnesota to Boston in the Ricky Davis / Wally Szczerbiak trade, the language covered most of a page. (Amusingly, this pick was later traded back to Minnesota in the Kevin Garnett deal, and none of the language on the page -- which we spent several hours crafting -- ever took effect.)

7. Sign-and-Trade / Extend-and-Trade Deals. In some cases, one team will have the right to sign a player to a new contract of a certain size, but another team (which wants to acquire that player) will not have this right. The two teams can then agree to a trade in which the first team signs the player to a new contract that contains a clause saying the contract is only effective if the player is traded to the second team within 48 hours. This is called a "sign-and-trade" deal; in these deals, the first team grants the second team the right to talk to the relevant player. If the player and the second team agree to new contract terms, the first team signs the contract with the player and then trades him to the second team. These trades can take longer to complete: not only must the two teams negotiate the terms of a deal, but one of the teams also must make a deal with the player (involving even more salary calculations). Also, because new contracts can also have legal and tax consequences for both the team and the player, a player's lawyer or tax counsel may be involved, in addition to the player's agent, while payment schedules and other terms are discussed. The Kevin Garnett trade was the NBA's first "extend-and-trade," deal: KG signed a contract extension (that we had negotiated with him) with Minnesota, and then was immediately traded to Boston. (The extension contained a clause providing that the extension only took effect if the trade to Boston was completed.) Because it was the first deal of its kind, the collective bargaining agreement clauses governing this type of deal had never before been relevant to an actual transaction. Application of these rules by the league and the players' association for the first time added even more complexity to the deal.

8. The Trade Call. Once all of the things listed above have been considered and agreed upon for a particular trade, the teams draft an email detailing the terms of the trade, which each GM must then send to the league. And all this must be done before the trade deadline! Then representatives of each team, along with league lawyers, participate in a recorded conference call during which the terms of each player's contract, along with all other terms of the deal (including all of the details described above), are read aloud and agreed to by each team's representatives. Each team must also certify that there are no side deals or additional agreements, either between the teams or with any player, that were not disclosed in the trade email or on the trade call. Assuming that this all goes smoothly, the teams then agree upon a timeline for announcing the trade and holding press conferences. Sometimes, this timeline is short -- we completed a trade call with Seattle about 20 minutes after they selected Glen Davis at #35 in this past year's draft, and within 30 minutes of the trade call we held a press conference to announce the acquisitions of Davis and Ray Allen. Other times, teams want more time to draft press releases, etc., and the trade will not be announced for several hours or until the next day.

9. Reporting and Physicals. One final topic that's discussed on the trade call is how long each player has to report to his new team, and whether the trade will be dependent on each player passing a physical. The collective bargaining agreement gives players several days to report to their new team, but the teams may agree to provide even more time, especially over the summer. In any event, the trade is not officially complete, and no player may suit up for his new team in a game or practice, until all players report to their new teams and pass a physical exam. (Sometimes the teams agree to waive the physical exam requirement.) In addition, players near the ends of their contracts and those players' agents are required to sign forms certifying that there are no undisclosed "side deals" involving new contracts as part of the trade. As a result of the reporting deadlines and required physicals and certifications, a trade usually doesn't become "official" until long after it is announced at a press conference. For example, this past summer we traded for Kevin Garnett on July 31st. The trade call ended just before 1PM that afternoon, and Garnett immediately flew into town for a press conference that evening with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. However, the trade was not officially complete until nearly a week later, on August 7th, at 6:00 PM, when the league informed both teams that all conditions (including physicals and certifications) had been met.

So that's how a trade happens. Of course, in addition to all this stuff, there are the negotiations involved in setting up a deal. Each team is also constantly having internal discussions between owners, the GM, finance people, lawyers, coaches, scouts, and (sometimes) players about the players involved in any potential deal. Plus, we'll often be seeking information about players by contacting their former coaches and teammates, in addition to conducting detailed statistical and video-based analyses of how the addition or subtraction of any particular player might help (or hurt) our team. As you can see, trades are not always simple, and we have to take many of these steps even for potential trades that don't end up actually happening -- that's why the week of the trade deadline is often one of the busiest of the year.

Mike Zarren is the Celtics' Assistant Executive Director of Basketball Operations.

Telling Player Stats

2008-03-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I am taking a look at five players and stats for them that are truely telling.

Brian Randle
-In his senior season at Illinois, Brian Randle was expected to be one of the leaders this year. Standing at 6'8" and 220 pounds, Randle needed to have his best season in order for the Illini to have success.

Randle fouled out in 7 games this season, going into today's Big Ten tournament. In the seven games he fouled out, five of them were big games against likely NCAA Tournament teams (Arizona, Wisconsin, at Purdue, vs Purdue, Indiana). Illinois' record in these seven games 1-6, with the only win coming by one point against the Missouri Tigers.

Randle's four year numbers to date:
2003-04 32 GP, 9 GS, 11.1 MPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 PPG
2004-05 Out for Season with Injury
2005-06 32 GP, 32 GS, 26.7 MPG, 5.4 RPG, 8.5 PPG
2006-07 24 GP, 23 GS, 25.7 MPG, 5 RPG, 7.4 PPG
2007-08 29 GP, 28 GS, 24.6 MPG, 5.6 RPG, 9.2 PPG

Roy Hibbert
-Standing at 7'2" and 275 pounds, Roy Hibbert returned for his senior season expecting to contend for Player of the Year honors. With fellow star Jeff Green now in the NBA, Hibbert was expected to put up bigger numbers for the Hoyas.

This has not been the case for Hibbert. In only four games this season, Hibbert has pulled down double digit rebounds - at Old Dominion (10), at DePaul (11), at Pittsburgh (10), and at West Virginia.

Equally as troubling for Hibbert has been an inability to improve measurably over his last three years at Georgetown. His numbers:
2005-06 11.6 PPG 6.9 RPG 72.3 FT%
2006-07 12.9 PPG 6.9 RPG 68.6 FT%
2007-08 13.6 PPG 6.4 RPG 65.9 FT%

D.J. White
-One player who has come through in a big way this season has been Indiana power forward D.J. White. White clearly has improved his conditioning and off-the-ball defense, but most impressive has been his work on the boards. White has pulled down double-digit rebound totals in 20 of Indiana's 31 games this season. He currently stands seventeeth in the country in rebounds and first in the Big Ten in total rebounds and offensive rebounds. Earlier in the season, White even pulled down ten or more rebounds twelve times in a thirteen game stretch.

Excluding the 2005-06 season in which White only played in five games due to an injury, a steady increase in numbers can be seen in White's production.
2004-05: 28.1 MPG 13.3 PPG 4.9 RPG
2006-07: 31.8 MPG 13.8 PPG 7.3 RPG
2007-08: 33.2 MPG 17.1 PPG 10.3 RPG

Hedo Turkoglu
-If you take a look at the guys who are averaging 19 points per game or more and 6 rebounds a game or more this season in the NBA, you will see many names you would expect - LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, and Tim Duncan among others. Seventeen guys this year have reached this feat, but one that you would not have expected is Hedo Turkoglu.

In fact, if you limit this benchmark to Eastern Conference players, only five guys make this list, with Turkoglu being one of them. After several shaky seasons to start his career in Sacramento and then San Antonio, Turkoglu has really found his niche in Orlando. As someone who because of his size is able to create matchup problems, Turkoglu is able to beat slower defenders to the basket and shoot over shorter defenders from the perimeter.

Turkoglu currently ranks at thirty-eighth in the NBA in three point shooting percentage and sixth in the league in three pointers made.

Danny Granger
-Another guy I really like is Danny Granger. Although the Indiana Pacers are having another disappointing season, Granger has been a brightspot. He is a do-it-all type of wing player who has great length. On a true contender, I think Granger could be a team's second scorer and can defend multiple positions.

In his second season playing big-time minutes in the NBA, Granger has seen in increase in numbers in virtually every category. Getting to the free throw consistently is the one area Granger needs to improve on. In fourteen games where Granger has attempted at least seven free throws the Pacers have a 7-7 record, a far cry from their current 25-39 record. Granger currently stands at thirty-ninth in the league in free throws attempted, one spot behind teammate Mike Dunleavy.

2008-03-10T14:16:00.001-07:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1848196

Dan Gilbert Takes on Larger Payroll to Add Talent

2008-02-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Brian Windhorst's column:

Gilbert doesn't speak with the media often, but he did before Sunday's game to explain his thinking about giving the green light to expand his payroll and luxury tax bill to bring aboard the four new players, including Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace, who make a combined $27 million this season.

''I thought it was pretty important to do something,'' Gilbert said. ''We got to the Finals with this team, but the competition got harder and it was going to be a bigger challenge than last year.''
Gilbert said that he's not spending as much as people think. Because the Cavs are just responsible for paying the new players for the final 27 games of the season, he's only actually paying about $1.2 million more in the prorated salaries than he would have before the trade.

However, the Cavs will have to pay luxury tax on the entire additional $4.7 million added to their total payroll and that is a dollar-for-dollar penalty. The Cavs payroll is currently about $80.85 million — third in the NBA. The NBA's ''soft'' salary cap is $57.63 million and the luxury tax threshold is $67.865 million. That puts the current tax bill, the first-ever in franchise history, at a shade under $13 million.

''We are trying to build something here,'' Gilbert said. ''You pay $375 million for a franchise and then break even for a couple years. You can't start getting cheap now. It's a big commitment, but before we even look at money, we look at what is right basketball-wise first. If you do it money first, you may start getting (the front office) gun-shy even thinking of ideas.''

Dribble Drive Motion

2008-02-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl article on the offense: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/02/12/memphis0218/

The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcey:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22718226/
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=258992

CoachingBetterBall.com:
http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2007/10/small-ball-revolution-memphis-attack.html
http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2008/01/derrick-rose-fits-memphis-dribble-drive.html
http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2008/01/allen-iverson-fits-perfectly-in-nuggets.html
http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2008/02/celtics-dribble-drive-motion-offense.html

The Denver Post's Robert Sanchez:
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4574626

"The Vance Walberg Nation":
http://thevancewalbergnation.blogspot.com/

CBSsports.com's Gary Parrish:
http://wccsports.cstv.com/genrel/081406aaa.html

Quick Mock Draft

2008-02-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

1.) Miami PF Michael Beasley
2.) Minnesota C Brooke Lopez
3.) Seattle PG Derrick Rose
4.) Memphis C DeAndre Jordan
5.) New York PG OJ Mayo
6.) LA Clippers SG Eric Gordon
7.) Charlotte C DeAndre Jordan
8.) Milwaukee SG Nicolas Batum
9.) Indiana PF Darrell Arthur
10.) Chicago SF Donta Green
11.) Phoenix C Hasheem Thabeet
12.) Sacramento PG Jerryd Bayless
13.) Portland PG Darren Collison

Mitch Kupchak Makes the Lakers a Contender

2008-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

"Put up or shut up, Kobe"
February 5, 2008
Stan McNeal

Mitch Kupchak is too dignified to gloat. But when the Lakers became legitimate title contenders in one stunning move last week, no one would have blamed Kupchak if he'd dialed up Kobe Bryant and said, "OK, hotshot. Now it's your turn."

After all of his whining and trade demands, Kobe finally has what he has wanted for years: the chance to be the main man on a championship team. For that, he can thank Kupchak. As productive as Kobe has been on the court, the Lakers' general manager has been more valuable to the franchise off of it. Consider what he has done in the past year or so:

•He refused to trade Andrew Bynum before and after Kobe was caught saying, in a profanity-laced rant, the Lakers should ship the young center out.

•He found a way to bring back starting point guard and team stabilizer Derek Fisher.

•He assembled one of the best benches in the league, a unit comprised mainly of late first- round and second-round picks.

For his crowning achievement, Kupchak traded for 7-foot forward Pau Gasol last week. To get Gasol, a one-time All-Star who averaged 18.9 points for the Grizzlies this season, Kupchak did not have to give up a single one of the Lakers' top 10 players.

League execs from coast to coast were shaking their heads in amazement. "That came out of nowhere. Absolutely makes the Lakers a championship contender," said one. "What is Memphis thinking?" wondered another.

Although the defending champion Spurs still have to be considered the favorites, the Lakers are settling into the Western Conference high-rent district previously limited to the Spurs, Mavericks and Suns. The Lakers will do it their way, too.

At a time when the league is trending toward small ball, the Lakers are going tall. When Bynum returns from a knee injury next month, the Lakers will be able to start two 7-footers and 6-10 Lamar Odom.

Gasol and Bynum should complement each other, scouts say. Gasol is a finesse scorer who likes to operate from 15 feet and in. Bynum is a true center who prefers the low block and relies on power and size. The move should play well into the future, too: Bynum turned 20 in October, Gasol is 27, and Kobe is 29.

Give Kobe credit for appreciating the opportunity he has been given. Talking to reporters about the Gasol deal, Kobe praised Kupchak and owner Jerry Buss for showing "a great deal of commitment." Then Bryant added, "Now it's time to walk the walk."

Kupchak has to agree, regardless of whether he says so.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=347466

Sam Presti Pulls Off a Coup

2008-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

This past offseason, Sam Presti decided to allow the Orlando Magic to overpay Rashard Lewis. To do so, Seattle and Orlando agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that allowed them to gain an eight million dollar trade exception. Rather than holding onto that extra money, Presti did a masterful job of converting it into a handful of extra assets.

The first move, was to acquire veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns' first round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 for a conditional second round draft choice. Phoenix needed to clear Thomas from their payroll and Seattle was able to leverage their trade exception into multiple assets.

Then on Wednesday night, the Sonics traded Thomas to the Spurs for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson, and a 2009 first round draft pick. Both Barry and Elson are in their last year of their contracts and will fall off the payroll this summer.

Presti said after making the trade with the Spurs, "looking at the first-round pick, in combination with our other future picks, we have great flexibility to add to our core or acquire another impact player in the future. At the same time, Kurt is a tremendous person and player, and I appreciate his contributions this season and wish him success."

Seattle has 13 draft picks over the next three years, including six in the first round - two each season. After next season, Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Nick Collison, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Damien Wilkins, and Johan Petro are the only SuperSonics currently under contract. Presti has plenty of flexiblity and some intriguing young players to be big time players within the next few years.

2008-02-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=285~788~885~2992~1711~356~512~601~3030~831~2422&teams=25~5~5~4~4~4~25~25~4~5~5&te=&cash=

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3257159

Trade Deadline Day: My Top Ten Deals

2008-02-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

Indiana trades Jermaine O'Neal, David Harrison, and Jamaal Tinsley to Miami for Jason Williams, Ricky Davis, Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem, and Smush Parker.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2383~615~1024~193~2184~580~1823~933&teams=14~14~14~11~11~11~11~11&te=&cash=

Milwaukee trades Charlie Villanueva and Royal Ivey to Golden State for Patrick O'Bryant and Austin Croshere.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=167~3019~2387~2792&teams=15~15~9~9&te=&cash=

Cleveland trades Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal to Cleveland for Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, Shannon Brown, and Devin Brown.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=130~558~1858~2992~512~796&teams=5~5~29~29~29~29&te=&cash=

Charlotte trades Othella Harrington, Jermareo Davidson, Jason Richardson, and Ryan Hollins to New Jersey for Vince Carter.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=136~3199~307~3008~1018&teams=30~17~17~17~17&te=&cash=

Lakers get Mikki Moore, Ricky Davis, and Ron Artest; Sacramento gets Jason Williams, Trevor Ariza, and Smush Parker; Miami gets Lamar Odom.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2426~617~25~575~193~1823~933&teams=23~14~13~13~13~23~23&te=&cash=

Sacramento trades Mikki Moore and Ron Artest to Cleveland for Ira Newble, Shannon Brown, Drew Gooden, and Devin Brown.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=25~575~1858~2992~1711~601&teams=5~5~23~23~23~23&te=&cash=

Golden State trades Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus, Austin Croshere, and $9,999,999 Jason Richardson Trade Exception to Golden State for Sam Cassell and Corey Maggette.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=167~3019~2173~138&teams=12~12~12~9&te=497:9-1018&cash=

Sacramento gets Mickael Gelabale, Eduardo Najera, Linas Kleiza, and Denver's First Round Pick; Seattle gets Von Waker, Yakhouba Diawara, J.R. Smith; Denver gets Mouhamed Sene, Ron Artest, and Delonte West.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=25~2756~3029~2422~3048~2770~591~2444~2793&teams=7~23~7~7~25~23~23~25~25&te=&cash=

Phoenix trades Eric Piatkowski to Los Angeles Clippers for Dan Dickau and Quinton Ross.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=1706~2188~660&teams=21~21~12&te=&cash=

Seattle trades Chris Wilcox and Delonte West to Orlando for Pat Garrity, Adonal Foyle, Carlos Arroyo, and James Augustine.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2422~1731~1055~2985~254~264&teams=19~19~25~25~25~25&te=&cash=

New Jersey Ready to Move Vince Carter

2008-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

After officially trading Jason Kidd yesterday, it appears Rod Thorn's next move would be to trade Vince Carter. This will be difficult for them to do because he has another three years on his contract after this season for almost fifty million dollars. So who would be willing to trade for Carter? Isiah and the Knicks, of course.

New Jersey Gets:
*Jason Williams
Salary: $8,937,500 Years Remaining: 1
*Ricky Davis
Salary: $6,819,000 Years Remaining: 1

New York Gets:
*Dorell Wright
Salary: $2,040,746 Years Remaining: 1
*Vince Carter
Salary: $13,325,000 Years Remaining: 5
*Smush Parker
Salary: $2,250,000 Years Remaining: 1

Miami Gets:
*Randolph Morris
Salary: $810,000 Years Remaining: 1
*Nate Robinson
Salary: $1,268,160 Years Remaining: 2
*Eddy Curry
Salary: $8,947,543 Years Remaining: 3
*Fred Jones
Salary: $3,300,000 Years Remaining: 1

In this trade, the Nets are able to dump Vince Carter's long-term, expensive contract for two 2008 expiring contracts. It would allow the Nets to have cap room, while still maintaining a core of Richard Jefferson, Devin Harris, Nenad Krstic, Sean Williams, Marcus Williams, and Josh Boone. Perhaps, the Nets would also get another future draft pick in the trade on top of the one's they will receive from Dallas.

The Knicks would be receiving a legitimate perimeter scorer to pair with Jamal Crawford. A likely lineup would be Crawford, Carter, Jeffries, Lee, and Randolph. The Knicks would be in position to draft a point guard in this year's draft. Wright is also an intriguing player who becomes a restricted free agent after this season.

The Heat would pull in two rotation players and two expiring contracts. Robinson would be a spark off the bench for Miami and Curry would be the inside threat that would be missing. Coach Pat Riley has had success with big men in the past, and Miami would be a good fit for Curry. A lineup of Marcus Banks, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, and Eddy Curry with Daequan Cook, Nate Robinson, and Mark Blount off the bench would be strong. A point guard such as Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, or Darren Collison would be targeted.

"N.B.A.’s Rules Provide a Payday for the Unretired "

2008-02-20T07:18:00.001-08:00

February 20, 2008
N.B.A.’s Rules Provide a Payday for the Unretired
By HOWARD BECK

Keith Van Horn earned $4.3 million on Tuesday, for nothing more than a signature and a flight to New Jersey. Aaron McKie earned $750,000 a few weeks ago for a few pen strokes and a trip to Memphis.

Retirement from the N.B.A. has never been so profitable.

In a league with a salary cap, a luxury tax and a collective bargaining agreement as thick as a bank-vault door, general managers occasionally need extreme measures to make a trade. Two recent blockbuster deals illustrate the point.

The Dallas Mavericks could not have acquired Jason Kidd on Tuesday without Van Horn’s participation as a trading chip sent to the Nets to balance salaries, per N.B.A. rules. Van Horn last played in 2006. The Los Angeles Lakers could not have acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis on Feb. 1 without using McKie — who was working as a Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach — in a similar sign-and-trade arrangement.

McKie has yet to play a minute for the Grizzlies. It would be surprising if Van Horn plays for the Nets before his contract expires in June. They are virtual ghosts on their rosters, appearing in name only. (McKie’s official page on NBA.com still shows him in a Lakers jersey.)

To the general public, it looks like a shell game — a feat of economic gymnastics that has nothing to do with basketball or the wisdom of a particular trade. And that is essentially an accurate summation.

“It’s a legitimate method, allowed under the collective bargaining agreement,” said Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers’ general manager. “It’s been done for years. And it’s been done recently. So it’s not something that just came up.”

This is all made possible because of the N.B.A.’s arcane rules governing trades. Generally speaking, teams that are already over the salary cap have to balance salaries in a trade — taking back as much as they send away, give or take 25 percent.

McKie (a Laker from 2005 to 2007) and Van Horn (a Maverick from 2005 to 2006) became useful under another wrinkle. Neither ever filed retirement papers, and their respective teams never “renounced” their rights. That made them eligible to be used in sign-and-trade deals. The rules dictated they had to sign three-year deals, but only the first year is guaranteed, making them more like one-year deals. Or in this case, two-and-a-half-month deals.

N.B.A. officials were not thrilled with either trade. Before approving the deals, they sought assurances that McKie and Van Horn truly intended to resume their careers.

League officials were not available for comment, but Joel Litvin, the N.B.A.’s president of league and basketball operations, addressed the issue Saturday, saying: “You can’t discount players coming back.”

“Chris Webber came back midseason. It does happen,” Litvin said. “It has to be legit, it has to be a case where a player is really looking to resume his career. He might not expect to succeed in resuming his career. But at some point it doesn’t pass the smell test.”

But the smell test lacks specifics. How much time do McKie and Van Horn have to spend with their new teams before being waived? Do they have to play a game? N.B.A. officials have no easy answers to such questions, and acknowledge these situations are viewed the same way the Supremem Court views obscenity: it knows a salary-cap circumvention when it sees one.

“If the guy gets there and 20 seconds later he gets cut, and the guy is 55 years old, that’s not going to pass muster,” Litvin said.

The league could seek to close the loophole when the current labor deal expires. One possibility: a team’s right to a player could be automatically rescinded — removing the ability to do a sign-and-trade — after the player has been inactive and unsigned for a year.

But there is little incentive to draw up new rules. The loophole benefits general managers by giving them another tool to make complicated trades. It benefits players, their agents and the players association by putting more money in players’ hands.

And as one general manager said Tuesday, no one is hurt by the loophole, except maybe the league’s lawyers. Litvin verbally cringed at the suggestion of another rule.

“We have a C.B.A. that’s this thick, that is full of rules designed to address specific issues that come up and loopholes we decided to close,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/sports/basketball/20vanhorn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

Examining the 2008 Free Agent Class

2008-02-19T14:10:00.001-08:00

Below is a look at the free agent class for 2008. There a handful of valuable restricted free agents, however, those players rarely end up with other teams. The remaining players are all fringe-NBA end-of-the-bench type players.

Here is a breakdown of the upcoming free agents:

Opt-out Stars (Early Termination Option)
Allen Iverson
Baron Davis
Elton Brand
Jermaine O'Neal
Ron Artest
Shawn Marion

Other Opt-out Players (Early Termination Option)
Corey Maggette
Kenny Thomas
Raef Lafrentz
Stephon Marbury

Unrestricted Starter
Antawn Jamison

Fringe Unrestricted Starters
Beno Udrih
Chris Webber
DeSagana Diop
Jason Williams

Veteran Role Players
Bonzi Wells
Bostjan Nachbar
Carlos Arroyo
Chris Duhon
Eddie House
Eduardo Najera
Flip Murray
Gerald Green
Ira Newble
Jamaal Magliore
Jarvis Hayes
Keyon Dooling
Kurt Thomas
Kwame Brown
Lindsey Hunter
Matt Barnes
Maurice Evans
Mickael Pietrus
Ricky Davis
Tyrone Lue

Player Options to Become Unrestricted Free Agent
Adonal Foyle
Calvin Booth
Chris Mihm
Eddie Jones
Grant Hill
Jacque Vaughn
James Jones
James Posey
Jannero Pargo
Jason Hart
Keith Bogans
Melvin Ely
Rasho Nesterovic
Smush Parker
Steve Francis
Stromile Swift
Trevor Ariza

Free Agents Likely to Retire
Alonzo Mourning
Brent Barry
Damon Stoudamire
Darrell Armstrong
Darrick Martin
Dikembe Mutombo
Eric Piatkowski
Juwan Howard
Kevin Ollie
Michael Finley
Robert Horry
Sam Cassell

Scouting Report: Jordan Crawford

2008-02-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, I was in Bloomington, Indiana for the Michigan State-Indiana game. Indiana won by 19 points and Jordan Crawford came off the bench to score twelve points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists.

Player Name: Jordan Crawford
Current Team: -
NBA Position: SG
Drafted: -
Height/Weight: 6'4"/195
Birthdate: 10/23/88
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
College: Indiana University
Agent: -

Notes:
Atteneded high school at Communication and Media Arts High; Attended Hargrave Military Academy for Prep School; Was rated as the eleventh best player in 2007 by Scout.com; Leg injury forced him to miss his senior year in high school; Brother, Joe, plays for Kentucky; Considered North Carolina State, Tennesse, and Xavier before choosing Indiana; Suspended three games for violating team rules during his freshman season; Has had academic troubles in the past.

Strengths:
Can play both guard positions; Has range on his shot; Athleticism; Wingspan; Pull-up jumper;

Weaknesses:
Shot selection; Prefers to shoot off the dribble, but sometimes forces shots when doing so; Can disappear in games; Needs to improve upper body strength; Struggles to defend bigger guards;

Outlook:
Right now, Jordan Crawford reminds me of current Knicks guard Jamal Crawford (not related). Both are explosive combo guards who are streaky shooters. Both also have the problems of questionable shot selection, ability to defend bigger two guards, and a lack of bulk. Once Eric Gordon leaves Indiana, it will be interesting to see how Crawford develops and matures. He has the ability to be a first round pick if he can shore up the weaknesses in his game.

Video:

Hawks & Horford Have Bright Future

2008-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Since 1990-91, only nine rookies have finished their first season averaging ten or more rebounds per game. Al Horford is currently in that group and assuming he will average more minutes during the second half of the season, he will most likely be the tenth player in the group.

The nine past players include: Shaquille O'Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, Tim Duncan, Larry Johnson, Emeka Okafor, Alonzo Mourning, Derrick Coleman, Dwight Howard, and Elton Brand.

So with Horford, the Atlanta Hawks clearly have a great, young player to start with. Besides Horford, the Hawks have a variety of other players:

Scoring Star
Joe Johnson - wrapped up through 2009-10 season

Promising Young Players
Marvin Williams - Signed through the 2009-10 season
Acie Law - Signed through the 2011-12 season
Shelden Williams - Signed through 2010-11 season

Long-Term Veteran Contracts
Speedy Claxton - Signed through 2009-10 season
Zaza Pachulia - Signed through next season
Solomon Jones - Signed through next season

Restricted Free Agents After This Season
Josh Childress - $4,844,355 Qualifying Offer
Josh Smith - $3,167,882 Qualifying Offer

Expiring Contracts
Tyronn Lue
Lorenzen Wright
Anthony Johnson
Salim Stoudamire
Mario West

Standing second-to-last in the NBA in three point shooting, the Hawks badly need another shooter. Both Mike Miller and Wally Szczerbiak can be had for the Hawks' expiring contracts - around $12,000,000.

Childress has shown that he can be a reliable, versatile reserve, but is probably nothing more than that. Shelden Williams looks like a complete mistake of a pick being chosen fifth overall by Atlanta.

So what do the Hawks need to do to reach their short-term (playoffs) and long-term (championship) goals? First, trade all five of the Hawks expiring contracts and a future draft pick to Seattle for Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak. With a starting lineup of West, Johnson, Szczerbiak, Smith, Horford with Williams, Pachulia, Law, and Childress coming off the bench.

This upcoming offseason, the Hawks should look to bring back Childress and Smith, along with trying to deal Shelden Williams and Speedy Claxton. At the end of this season, the Hawks need to either resign the newly acquired Szczerbiak or bring in a similar type of perimeter score to space the ball in Atlanta.

Thoughts from 2/12/08 New Orleans Hornets at Chicago Bulls

2008-02-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night I went to the Bulls game and sat at center court in the second row. It was very really interesting to see the interactions between players, coaches, referees, and even players.

Some thoughts from the evening:
-Jannero Pargo is a great streak shooter and instant offense. However, when he is not making his shot, he is completely useless. He does not make the best choices with the ball in his hands, lacks size and strength, and is a mediocre defensive player. However, when he's got the hot hand, he's the ideal bench player.

-Aaron Gray played twelve minutes for the Bulls in the game and had three turnovers and four fouls. Tyrus Thomas only played eight minutes in the game. I would give all minutes of Gray's to Thomas.

-The Hornets lack the necessary depth to truly compete in the playoffs. Rasual Butler, Hilton Armstrong, Jannero Pargo, Bobby Jackson, and Ryan Bowen are their key contributors off their bench. None of these guys standout and the Hornets could use a boost off the bench, especially a big man.

-Chris Paul is just as valuable to his team as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash is to his team. The Hornets entire offense runs around and through Paul and when he is out of the game, they run their offense completely differently. This team will go as far as Paul takes them.

-Byron Scott seems like a pefect fit for this team. In the past, he was described as an ego-maniacal, long-winded coach with the Nets, but is not a hit with the Hornets.

-David West and Tyson Chandler have become great players in New Orleans, but I doubt they would have developed so nicely if Paul wasn't playing with them.

-Peja Stojakovic is still the best perimeter shooter when he is on. In this game against the Bulls, Paul spent most of the second half penetrating into the lane, drawing the defense, and kicking out to an open Stojakovic.

-The Bulls played a lineup featuring Chris Duhon, Thabo Sefolosha, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and Ben Wallace. The Hornets struggled to matchup and Sefolosha scored several times in the post.

-Why didn't Kirk Hinrich start? Why did he come in after several minutes? He clearly was healthy enough, shooting three for five from the three point line.

Box Score:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=AkDvHNgJ8pZJSsuCCKeO0QuQvLYF?gid=2008021204

Video:

Trade Restrictions for Recently Traded Players

2008-02-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

No Reacquiring:
Teams cannot reacquire a player that they traded during a given season (July 1- June 30) unless the player has been waived.

This rule was put in place to block teams from trading a player to make the salaries work with the understanding that the team would then release that player, so he could be resigned by his original team.

However, if a team waits thirty days, then they are able to reacquire that recently traded player. For instance, in the current proposed trade between the Nets and Mavericks, Jerry Stackhouse will immediately be bought out by the Nets, then will sit out for thirty days, and then will resign with the Mavericks.

On February 24, 2005, Alan Henderson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with Calvin Booth for Keith Van Horn. The Bucks then waived Henderson the following day. On March 1, 2005, he re-signed with the Mavericks.

This also occured in a situation with Gary Payton. Like Henderson, Payton was also traded on February 24, 2005 to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that brought former Celtic Antoine Walker back to Boston. The Hawks then waived Payton immediately following the trade, and he returned a week later to Boston as a free agent. Payton started all 77 games he played for the Celtics and they won the Atlantic Division before losing in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.

Trade/Claim:
If a team is over the cap and receives a player in a trade or claims a player off of waivers, they cannot trade the player in combination with other players for 2 months. The player can be traded by himself.

Some current examples of this include: Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal, Kwame Brown, Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, Stromile Swift, Jason Collins, Javaris Crittenton.

Devean George Blocks Trade to the Nets

2008-02-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

The trade proposal:
Dallas sends 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and swingman Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas will also send the Nets the league-maximum $3 million, the Mavs' first-round draft pick this June and a first-rounder in 2010.

The Rule:
-1-Year Bird: Must receive consent to trade players with a 1-year contract, excluding options, who will become Early Bird or Bird free agents at teh end of the contract, or players who have accepted a qualifying offer for a 5th season following the 4th option season on the Rookie Scale. If the player consents, he will lose his Bird rights and become a non-Bird free agent at the end of the contract.

-George's "early Bird rights,'' which come from being on his second one-year deal, mainly give him a chance to sign his next contract for more than the salary cap allows. However, he's unlikely to command that much anyway. Another benefit is the veto power that's also part of those rights, as per the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

-The Mavs have the right to sign Devean George, this offseason, even though they are over the salary cap. This means he has Bird Rights, named after a similar scenario that involved Larry Bird during Bird's playing days.

-Other 1-Year Bird players include: Derek Anderson, Jeff McInnis, Dwayne Jones, Anthony Carter, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Mihm, Earl Barron, Jannero Pargo, Sean Marks, Jacque Vaughn, Darrick Martin, C.J. Miles, and Roger Mason.

-Because George's current contract is for only one season, his rights are not transferable to another team (they would be transferable if his current contract were for more than one season). Since he would be losing those rights -- known as Early Bird Rights - he has to consent to the proposed Mavs-Nets trade.

The Block:
George's agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.com by phone: "We're not trying to block anything. The issue is that if he agrees to this deal, he has to give up his Bird rights. To lose that tool in today's world of free agency is a difficult thing to do. In this day and age, the sign-and-trade is a valuable tool that I don't want to lose for Devean. We're not trying to cause a problem. Teams have to do what's in their best interest. Sometimes players do, too. I hate to cause grief, but I have to do what's best for Devean. It's not a power play. My job is to protect him."

Video of George:

"The D-League: That's D as in Dreamers"

2008-02-13T14:56:00.001-08:00

The D-League: That's D as in Dreamers
It actually stands for 'development,' but for the players who toil in pro basketball's minor league, the faint hope of getting to the NBA is what keeps them going.

By Jonathan Abrams
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

February 13, 2008

BOISE, Idaho -- Spacing is a concern now, possibly more so than it is on the court.

There is no charter flight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers' Development League team. Abdoulaye N'Diaye and Jelani McCoy, both nearly seven feet tall, stake out a couple added inches of space by claiming front-row seats on the flight headed here for a two-game trip.

Their teammates scatter throughout the plane, most nodding to sleep as the sun seeps through the windows with no blinders.

This is a dream on a budget -- or life in the NBA D-League.

A budget that puts two players per hotel room, and offers a $30 per diem and salaries that top out at $26,000.

High school and college standouts are now tweeners and too-shorts, and the dream is maybe what gets players through trips -- be it here, Fort Wayne or Sioux Falls.

Some D-Fenders have played overseas, where the pay is more lucrative, but returned -- either subscribing to the out-of-sight, out-of-mind theory or weary of living far from home.

But the payoff of making it to the NBA with a minimum annual salary of $427,163 -- somewhat mystically referred to as "the league" -- outweighs any burden. Even a 10-day NBA contract almost matches the highest D-League salary.

So the dream trudges on.

The players shuffle off the plane. A fresh sheet of snow fell this Thursday morning, pushing a sunny Los Angeles day into the past.

The D-Fenders consist of McCoy (UCLA), N'Diaye (USC), Cecil Brown (Canoga Park High and UC Santa Barbara), Brian Chase (Virginia Tech), Errick Craven (USC), Stephane Lasme (Massachusetts), Sean Banks (Memphis), Brian Morrison (North Carolina and UCLA) and Wendell White (Redondo Union High and UNLV).

Some have attended an NBA training camp -- falling just short. Then there is McCoy, UCLA's all-time leader in blocked shots, who has 72 games of NBA experience spread among eight seasons.

The 14-team league, spearheaded by NBA Commissioner David Stern, is largely still searching for a way to manifest itself into a true feeder system for the NBA.

The D-Fenders are better off than most. They are owned by the Lakers and travel with a trainer and equipment manager.

There are some horror stories -- teams waiting for their jerseys to be washed -- all dependent on whether a reliable high school kid can be found.

Waiting for his luggage in Boise, N'Diaye talks of not having been home to Senegal in three years. Lasme, in Golden State Warriors gear retained from his six seconds of game action there, talks of seldom seeing his girlfriend. "It's tough, man. It's tough," Lasme says softly.

Most players are exhausted after a 6 a.m. roundup in Los Angeles.

Some grab food, a turkey sandwich from the hotel; the rest scatter for a quick nap. The shrieks of a fire alarm drill cut into it. Anyway, it's time for practice.

They shuttle off to Qwest Arena, a tiny downtown facility built with hockey in mind more than basketball.

The strategy is laid for the next day's game against the veteran Idaho Stampede. "If it's a pick-and-roll this side . . ." D-Fenders Coach Dan Panaggio begins.

"Then trap it," Chase finishes.

That's Chase -- a coach on the floor. The team's point guard and leader, he went to training camp with the Miami Heat and spent some time with the Utah Jazz last season. Listed generously at 5 feet 10, his size is an obstacle he's overcome at every stop -- college, the ABA, the CBA and here.

McCoy, 30, is first to enter the lobby for the trip to Friday's shoot-around. A maid mops around him.

Sometimes, when there are few fans in the arena for games, he imagines it packed.

An hour later, a lackadaisical shoot-around is stopped by Panaggio, a longtime coach who takes pride in having tutored at every level. He is part-time coach, part-time psychologist, full-time mentor.

"What kind of body language is this?" he asks his team, gathered at midcourt. "Am I asking too much? Do your jobs. If you don't want to be part of this, let me know."

These two games are a crossroads for his team. The Stampede is riding a 17-game win streak and has beaten the D-Fenders three times.

His players fall into five categories: Those who work hard, trying to reach the NBA. The talented player with character issues. The veteran in a holding tank waiting for his next call. And those either content to still be playing or simply not good enough for the NBA.

Meal. Nap. Ride to the arena. "Where's Abdoulaye?" Panaggio asks.

The center is running late and comes to the bus in sandals. "You are wearing sandals with no shoes," Panaggio says. "Do you know what the dress code is?"

He sends N'Diaye back to his room and tells him to take a cab to the game. The shuttle leaves.

"I hate to fine guys who can't afford it, but he is a repeat offender," Panaggio says.

N'Diaye is fined $25.

He arrives almost as soon as the shuttle does and heads to the court before requesting tickets. The trip is a semi-homecoming. He played at USC, but before that at the College of Southern Idaho.

"All right guys, let's get everybody together," Panaggio says. They gather in a cramped locker room. His game plan is scrawled on a whiteboard.

The D-Fenders stay close throughout the game, swapping leads before faltering late and losing by double digits.

"Get a nice hot shower, get a nice meal, get to bed and we are going to rally tomorrow," Panaggio says to his team, many with hands cupped on their chins and foreheads.

Shoot-around is canceled Saturday morning. Instead the team circles around a hotel conference room.

Panaggio lists areas of concern -- leadership, professionalism, dress code and cellphone usage among them. "It's a question of what's more important," he says.

Chase sees it as a personal knock against his leadership skills and asks for clarity. Others say the offenders should be approached one-on-one and not called out.

The coach wants to stem small issues before they grow. The players want to maintain their independence in a structured environment that provides little pay.

A couple of jokes are cracked. Some players only gaze downward. It is a difficult task, an attempt at stability in a league where players come and go.

Panaggio ends the discussion with a positive note, crediting Banks, Chase and McCoy for arriving early to Friday's game.

In the NBA, two buses leave for every away game -- the earlier one for players who want extra practice. If players want to arrive early for games in this league, they are on their own.

They finish with film and break. "We've got to get this one tonight," Chase says.

Before the game, the sun finally peeks out.

In the second quarter, Brown hits two quick three-pointers to push a growing lead. Brown, a smooth guard, considers himself lucky to be playing at all.

After leaving Canoga Park, he broke three vertebrae while lifting weights. He did not walk for five months and repeatedly was told his career was over.

The D-Fenders win convincingly. Banks, a former Conference USA freshman of the year, scores a team-record 42 points. They simultaneously end the Stampede's 18-game winning streak and their own long and sometimes frustrating weekend triumphantly.

The dreary faces a night earlier are now wide smiles. "It's crazy," Craven says. "We finally beat them."

There is a 4:30 a.m. roundup for the return plane to Los Angeles. Some don't bother trying to sleep. There is little time for this dream to rest.

Mike Miller On the Move

2008-02-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

With the recent trade of Pau Gasol to the Lakers, it appears the Memphis Grizzlies are in full rebuild mode. Miller is a 6'8" wing player, who at twenty-seven years of age, still has plenty of good years ahead of him. Miller has averaged double-digits every year of his career and is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. This season, he is averaging 17 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. He certainly can help any team looking for an additional scorer.

With Miller having value, this is the perfect opportunity for the Grizzlies to stick Brian Cardinal's contract on someone else. Likely, the Grizzlies will be asking for someone to take on Cardinal with any trade for Miller. Cardinal is scheduled to earn $5,850,000 and is locked in for three more years.

Here are the five top trades, sensible for both teams, that would send Miller out of Memphis:

1) Golden State is always interested in shooters and have plenty of assets to make a trade. By using their trade exception, the Warriors could trade two disgrunteled players, for two guys who could help in Don Nelson's playoff push.

Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 3 Years Remaining) and Brian Cardinal ($5,850,000, 3 Years Remaining) for Patrick O'Bryant ($2,216,400, 1 Year), Mickael Pietrus ($3,470,771, 1 Year Remaining), and $9,999,999 Trade Exception (Jason Richardson)

2.) The Orlando Magic could acquire Miller and Cardinal without giving up key parts. Cardinal would get significant playing time on a team short with size and Miller would be an upgrade over existing talent. Concerns over Hedo Turkoglu and Miller being too similar may arise, though I would think Miller's ability to play and defend multiple positions would be of interest to Orlando.

Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 3 Years Remaining) and Brian Cardinal ($5,850,000, 3 Years Remaining) for Pat Garrity ($3,818,750, 1 Year Remaining), Carlos Arroyo, $4,000,000, 1 Year Remaining), James Augustine ($687,456, 1 Year Remaining), J.J. Redick ($2,000,160, 2 Years Remaining), and Brian Cook ($3,500,000, 2 Years Remaining)

3.) The Cleveland Cavaliers badly need another scorer next to LeBron James and Miller would be a great fit. The Grizzlies would have to take on two mid-sized deals to make the trade work, but would certainly still save money. Additionally, both players are 34 years old and would consider retirement.

Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 3 Years Remaining) and Brian Cardinal ($5,850,000, 3 Years Remaining) for Eric Snow ($6,703,125, 2 Years Remaining), Donyell Marshall ($5,566,965, 2 Years Remaining), Shannon Brown ($1,044,120, 1 Year Remaining) and Dwayne Jones($770,610, 1 Year Remaining)

4.) The San Antonio Spurs would be a strong pairing to make this trade with the Grizzlies. However, they would not be in position to take on Brian Cardinal as well. Therefore, the trade below swaps Miller and little-used Andre Brown for two replaceable players.

Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 3 Years Remaining) and Andre Brown ($770,610, 1 Year Remaining) for Brent Barry ($5,544,370, 1 Year Remaining) and Francisco Elson ($3,000,000, 1 Year Remaining)

5.) Like the Cavaliers trade, the Houston Rockets would also be interested in acquiring Miller, but would the Grizzlies would have to take on some multi-year contracts.

Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 3 Years Remaining), Andre Brown ($770,610, 1 Year Remaining) and Brian Cardinal ($5,850,000, 3 Years Remaining) for Kirk Snyder ( $2,358,433, 1 Year Remaining), Mike James, ($5,926,893, 2 Years Remaining), Steve Francis ($2,439,333, 1 Year Remaining) and Luther Head, ($1,122,000, 2 Years Remaining)

Trade Restriction for Newly Signed Players

2008-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

The NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a provision saying that after a free agent signs with a team, he cannot be traded for 3 months or until December 15, whichever is later.

This is in place so a team cannot just sign a player off-the-street and then include them in a trade to make the numbers work.

Some current examples include: Earl Boykins, Damon Stoudamire, Chris Webber, and DJ Mbenga.

Trade restrictions for “Base Year Compensation” players

2008-02-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

If a team is over the salary cap and enters into a new player contract with a Bird or Early Bird free agent or an extension of a Rookie Scale Contract, that provides for a salary in the first year of the contract in excess of 120% of the player’s salary in the prior season, the player will be subject to a Base Year Compensation (BYC). If such a player is traded, his Base Year Compensation will be used instead of his salary for purposes of determining the amount of his Traded Player Exception. The player’s Base Year Compensation will equal the greater of the salary for the last season of his preceding contract, o 50% of the player’s then-current salary.

Some BYC players include:
Kendrick Perkins, Matt Carroll, Gerald Wallace, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, LeBron James, Sasha Pavlovic, Anderson Varejao, Josh Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Amir Johnson.

Scouting Report: Thabo Sefolosha

2008-02-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

Since taking over as the starting shooting guard in the Bulls lineup, Thabo Sefolosha has shown that he is ready to take on a bigger role with a team. Since entering the starting lineup on January 15, 2008, Sefolosha is averaging 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals. Sefolosha also has done a good job defending the other teams best wing player, especially Dwyane Wade and Richard Hamilton, both in Bulls wins.

Player Name: Thabo Sefolosha
Current Team: -
NBA Position: SG
Drafted: 13th (Philadelphia 76ers)
Height/Weight: 6'5"/215
Birthdate: 5/2/84
Hometown: Vevey, Switzerland
College: -
Agent: -

Notes:
Has lived in five countries; Speaks Italian, French, and English; Swiss mother and South African father; Began playing professionally at 17 with a team in Switzerland's top domestic league;

Strengths:
Great hands, Wingspan; Strong on-the-ball defender; Rebounding for his position; Attacks the basket; Gets into passing lanes well and creates turnovers; Great athleticism; Great hands;

Weaknesses:
Flat perimeter shot; Inconsistent from outside fifteen feet; Ball handling; Slow release from three point line;

Outlook:
Confidence is the key for Sefolosha.

Video:

Riley Reloads the Heat

2008-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

With the trade last week of Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion, Pat Riley has began to reload the Miami Heat in a short period of time.

Here is a look at the contracts:

Marcus Banks
2007-08 $3,888,000
2008-09 $4,176,000
2009-10 $4,464,000
2010-11 $4,752,000

Shawn Marion
2007-08 $16,440,000
2008-09 $17,180,000

Shaquille O'Neal
2007-08 $20,000,000
2008-09 $20,000,000
2009-10 $20,000,000

In 2007-08, Miami takes on $328,000 of additional salary and in 2008-09, they take on $356,000 of additional salary. However, in 2009-10, when Marion's current contract expires, the Heat will only be tied to two more minimal years of Banks contract. At the same time, the Suns will still be paying O'Neal $20,000,000 at the age of 38.

After this season, the Heat will be locked into Dwyane Wade, Mark Blount, Udonis Haslem, Daequan Cook, and then Marion and Banks' contracts. Additionally, they have a team option on Alexander Johnson ($687,456) and qualifying orders to Smush Parker ($2,400,000) and Dorrell Wright ($2,425,086). Likely, Parker will be freed to go elsewhere and they will likely offer Wright the qualifying offer.

So with a core of Marion, Wade, Haslem, Banks, and Wright, the Heat are in position to contend in the East next season with a few other moves.

The Heat have a handful of expiring contracts now that they can leverage into more talent. If I were Pat Riley, I would look to add a scoring post presence for the new-look Heat. Below is a three-team trade proposal that I think would benefit each team:

Knicks get:
Jason Smith $1,233,840, 2 Years Remaining
Kevin Ollie $3,441,900, 1 Year Remaining
Herbert Hill, $427,163, 1 Year Remaining
Samuel Dalembert, $10,251,435, 4 Years Remaining
Smush Parker $2,250,000, 1 Year Remaining
2009 Heat First Round Pick

76ers get:
Ricky Davis, $6,819,000, 1 Year Remaining
Randolph Morris, $810,000, 1 Year Remaining
Jerome James, $5,800,000, 2 Years Remaining
Mardy Collins, $967,320, 2 Years Remaining

Heat get:
Louis Amundson, $687,456, 1 Year Remaining
Eddy Curry, $8,947,543, 3 Years Remaining

In this trade, the Knicks would exchange Eddy Curry, an offensive-minded center, for Samuel Dalembert, a defensive-minded center. They would also free themselves of James' contract, who has been a huge disappointment in New York. The Knicks would also acquire 2007 first round pick, Jason Smith along with a 2009 Miami Heat first round pick. Although the pick should not be a lottery pick once the Heat rebuild their team in this offseason, it is still an asset. Dalembert starting next to Zach Randolph with David Lee being the third post player would be a nice fit. Dalembert and Randolph are opposite type players and would be able to work well together.

For the 76ers, the key to this deal would be exchanging Dalembert's contract for James' contract. In this exchange, Philadelphia is saving more than thirty million dollars. Additionally, the team would be receiving nearly eight million dollars in expiring contracts this season. This would give Philadelphia even more cap flexibility in their attempt to rebuild. Perhaps, they would have the ability to sign both Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand this summer.

The Heat would be acquiring the best player in this trade. Curry would be able to provide exactly what the Heat would be lacking: offensive post presence. He would fit nicely next to two defensive-minded forwards in Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion. In this trade, the Heat would be giving up expiring contracts and a first round pick the year after next. Ideally, the Heat will be very competitive by that time and that pick would not have much value.

After this trade, the Heat would be starting with Banks, Wade, Marion, Haslem, and Curry as its starters. Daequan Cook, Dorrell Wright, and Mark Blount would be keys off the bench for the Heat.

The key part of this is that the Heat are currently the worse team in the NBA, with a record of 9-39. Although their standing would likely improve, the Heat will still have one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. They would be in position to add either a point guard to compete with Banks and play next to Wade, or a big man to fit in with Haslem and Curry. This draft is loaded and both of these spots. The Heat would certainly consider Michael Beasley, DeAndre Jordan, Brooke Lopez, Hasheem Thabeet, Kevin Love, or Darrell Arthur. If they choose to go with a point guard, Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, and Darren Collison would all likely be possibilities.

Although the Heat have the worse record in the league right now, they have the ability to reload in a hurry. By this time next season, the Heat could be on the top of the Eastern Conference.

Scouting Report: Gerald Henderson

2008-02-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Player Name: Gerald Henderson, Jr.
Current Team: Duke University
NBA Position: SG
Drafted: -
Height/Weight: 6'4"/210
Birthdate: 12/9/87
Hometown: Merion, PA
College: Duke
Agent: -

Notes:
Attended high school at Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania, where he teamed up with current North Carolina Tar Heel Wayne Ellington; Son of former NBA player Gerald Henderson; Top 20 high school senior; Born in Caldwell, New Jersey; Wears number fifteen; Started ten games as a freshman; Led high school team to state championship as a senior; Two-time Gatorade state Player of the Year; Second team Parade all-American pick in 2006; Winner of the 2006 McDonald's all-American game Slam Dunk contest; Ranked eleventh overall by Rivals.com for his class; Lettered and earned all-league honors in golf as a freshman; League champion in the high jump and triple jump in track & field as a sophomore and junior; Both his parents are real estate agents; Played on the U.S. National Select team in 2006.

Strengths:
Finishing at the basket; Attitude; Top-flight athleticism; Score off the dribble; Body strength; Finishes well in traffic; Long arms; Basketball IQ; Unselfish; Great rebounder for his size.

Weaknesses:
About two inches shorter than he ideally would be; Can be inconsistent; Has asthma; Free throw shooting; Perimeter shooting; Ball handling; Hesitant to use left hand; Prefers to pull up with left hand and go to basket with right hand - needs to be able to do both, with both hands.

Outlook:
Henderson clearly is a raw player as he just turned 20 years old. Although maybe an inch or two shorter than most shooting guards, Henderson's large wingspan and great athleticism will make up for the lack of size. Perimeter shooting is clearly Henderson's weakness, but has a lot of key skills for him to succeed at the next level. I hope Henderson plays three years at Duke University, so he is a more developed player entering the draft. He needs to continue to stay involved in games when he does not have the hot hand, he is still playing at a high level. In the 2009 NBA draft, Henderson is a lottery pick with a bright NBA future.

Video:

Suns & Lakers Fire First Shots - What's Next?

2008-02-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

With word that Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks will be traded from Phoenix to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol being moved to the Lakers last week, the question is what do some of their competitors do next?

With Boston, Detroit, Utah, Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, and San Antonio seen as their biggest competition for the tile, let's take a look at how they can improve. In New York, the Knicks sit today with a 14-34 record and it appearing like Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry are too similar to play together. So, let's assume that Isiah Thomas and company are ready to move Curry.

First, here are the teams from this group that are unlikely to be interested or unable to trade for Curry:

*Boston - limited cap flexbility; Kendrick Perkins has been adaquete at center; biggest expiring contract is James Posey, but he is integral to the teams' success.

*Cleveland - already have a glut of big men; greater need is at the point guard spot.

*Detroit - Curry struggles to defend and rebound, which are two staples of the Pistons' success; would have to trade key players to make the trade work.

*New Orleans - Chandler and West having career years; Curry does not play well enough in up-tempo pace; limited cap flexiblity; Hornets not in position to take on big salaries.

*Utah - starting big man is not needed; limited cap flexiblity; would not fit.

Now, let's take a look at the remaining three teams on the list of true NBA finals competitors:

*Denver Nuggets

Nuggets get:
Wilson Chandler, $1,091,640, 2 Years Remaining
Eddy Curry, $8,947,543, 3 Years Remaining

Knicks get:
Von Waker, $770,610, 1 Year Remaining
Eduardo Najera, $4,952,380, 1 Year Remaining
Yakhouba Diawara, $687,456, 1 Year Remaining
J.R. Smith, $2,134,067, 1 Year Remaining
2008 1st Round Pick

The Nuggets would get some added interior scoring to go with Nene Hilario, Marcus Camby, and Kenyon Martin. Although the Nuggets already have legitimate big men, none of them can score like Curry can. Playing Curry next to a defensive star like Camby would also take some of the pressure off of Curry to rebound and defend, so he can focus more on scoring.

*Dallas Mavericks

Dallas gets:
Eddy Curry, $8,947,543, 3 Years Remaining
Randolph Morris, $810,000, 1 Year Remaining

New York gets:
DeSagana Diop, $2,146,000, 1 Year Remaining
Maurice Ager, $974,400, 2 Years Remaining
Devean George, $2,369,111, 1 Year Remaining
Eddie Jones, $1,830,000, 1 Year Remaining
Nick Fazekas, $427,163, 2 Year Remaining
2008 1st Round Pick

This trade would be attractive for Dallas because they would only have to give up one of their top eight players, Eddie Jones. Jones starts, but plays limited minutes after the first quarter. Curry would instantly become the top scoring post player they have had. He would also fit well with Erick Dampier, who is a defensive-minded center. Curry and Dampier would be a ying-yang type duo at the center position, which would have success in the playoffs. For the Knics, this trade would be attractive because they would basically get all expiring contracts outside of Fazekas and Ager's small rookie contracts.

*Orlando Magic

Magic get:
Eddy Curry, $8,947,543, 3 Years Remaining
Fred Jones, $3,300,000, 1 Year Remaining

Knicks get:
J.J. Redick, $2,000,160, 2 Years Remaining
James Augustine, $687,456, 1 Year Remaining
Adonal Foyle, $1,219,590, 1 Year Remaining
Pat Garrity, $3,818,750, 1 Year Remaining
Draft rights to Fran Vazquez
Future 1st Round Pick

With Dwight Howard playing center today and Rashard Lewis at power forward, this trade would allow the Magic to move both of these players to a more natural position. Also, the Magic would be able to bolster their bench by allowing Hedo Turkoglu, who is having a career year, to be their sixth man. The Magic would not give up any player currently in their rotation and would be able to acquire a starting center. The Magic would still have some problems at point guard and potentially shooting guard, but this trade would certainly be an upgrade in talent. In addition, Fred Jones, on an expiring contract, would bring some depth to the backcourt. This trade would also rid the Magic of the J.J. Redick and Fran Vazquez draft mistakes. The Knicks would receive all expiring contracts, except for Redick's rookie contract, plus a first round pick and a former first round pick in Vazquez.

*San Antonio Spurs

Spurs get:
Eddy Curry, $8,947,543, 3 Years Remaining

Knicks get:
Brent Barry, $5,544,370, 1 Year Remaining
Ian Mahinmi, $625,840, 2 Years Remaining
Francisco Elson, $3,000,000, 1 Year Remaining

Like the Mavericks deal, the Spurs would get Curry without giving up anyone of their players who logs more than twenty minutes a game. Also like the Mavericks trade, Curry would fit in nicely at the center spot with Fabricio Oberto, who is exclusively a defensive center, only scoring on offense off put-backs and dunks. Although it would be difficult to lose Barry's versatility and perimeter shooting, the Spurs have other guys who can step into that role. Curry would fit well when Duncan needs to rest because they would still have a post presence with him out of the game. The Knicks would get two large expiring contracts in return, plus a mid-level prospect in Mahinmi, who has shown flashes of potential.

2/2/08 Houston Rockets @ Milwaukee Bucks

2008-02-05T08:50:00.001-08:00

I went to the Rockets-Bucks game this past Saturday. It was supposedly viewed in China between 100-200 million people. There certainly were a great deal of Asian people at the game.

Some thoughts from the game:

-I still think the Bucks need to move to an up-tempo game. They have little depth, lack a big-time inside threat, and appear a bit soft. In a fast-paced game, they could take advantage of their guard play and versatility.

-After the game, I went on 82games.com and checked out the amount of time Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian have played together. Since the combination of the two of them has not made up one of the top twenty, five-man units for the Bucks, I was not able to figure this out. However, I'm guessing it is very minimal.

-I assume Luis Scola has been a disappointment for the Rockets in terms of ability to score. All his points basically come in putbacks or transition. He has virtually no post moves and no mid-range shot.

-I really like some of the sets that Rick Adelman runs for Tracy McGrady to get shots. He uses different types of screens and even includes one where the point guard passes and then screens for McGrady to curl into the lane.

-Royal Ivey is a fringe-NBA player. He just doesn't do enough out there to make a difference, especially on offense - same can be said for Carl Landry.

-At this point, if Yi Jianlian is not hitting his jump shots off pick-and-pop he is useless. He struggles to defend, is not quick enough to take his man off the dribble, and cannot score in the post beyond a fadeaway.

-I really like Aaron Brooks and think he has a lot of potential. However, at this point, he forces too many turnovers and is not as far along as I thought he would be.

-The Rockets need a true, veteran point guard who will be a distributor, knock down open three pointers, and play tough defense. At his best, Rafer Alston does the first two well. At his worse, Alston doesn't do any of these things and then the Rockets struggle to win games.

-The Bucks either need to make Villanueva fit into their offense or trade him. He shoots everytime he touches the ball and appears disgruntled with the team. Again, I would play Yi and Villanueva together and see how that goes. They can't be much worse off then they are today, sitting there with a record of 18-30.

-Houston has to be disappointed with the play of Mike James. James makes $5,632,200 this season, $6,049,400 in 2008-09, and has a player option of $6,466,600 in 2009-10. He's playing behind Alston and Brooks at the point guard spot and Tracy McGrady, Luther Head, and Bonzi Wells at shooting guard. He's averaging seventeen minutes per game and only 6.9 points per game. In the last twenty games, James has played in only four of them - his best performance coming in a 31-point win against Minnesota.

Video:

The Triangle Offense

2008-02-04T12:03:00.001-08:00

The triangle offense is well-described here step-by-step:

http://www.nba.com/step_up/lakers_diagram.html

Lakers & Magic Try to Add Final Piece, Kings Look to Dump Salary

2008-02-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

With the Magic and Lakers getting ready for a push to the top of their respective conferences and the Sacramento Kings seeing their top young players develop, it is time for a three-way trade.

Lakers get:
Adonal Foyle, $1,219,590, 1 Year Remaining
Ron Artest, $7,400,000, 2 Years Remaining

Magic get:
Mike Bibby, $13,500,000, 2 Years Remaining
Justin Williams, $862,456, 1 Year Remaining

Kings get:
Pat Garrity, $3,818,750, 1 Year Remaining
Sasha Vujacic, $1,756,951, 1 Year Remaining
Chris Mihm, $2,500,000, 1 Year Remaining
J.J. Redick, $2,000,160, 2 Years Remaining
Trevor Ariza, $3,100,000, 1 Year Remaining
Carlos Arroyo, $4,000,000, 1 Year Remaining
James Augustine, $687,456, 1 Year Remaining
Orlando's 2008 First Round Pick

Let's go team-by-team to take a look at how this would benefit each team.

Lakers: The Lakers would get the final piece to the puzzle to make them the favorite to win the championship. With a starting lineup of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and then Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, and Jordan Farmar off the bench, the Lakers would be loaded. Artest would be the perfect complement on the wing to Bryant and Odom's versatility off the bench would fit well. Adding Foyle in place of Mihm would be a slight downgrade, but Foyle does play strong defense in the post. The loss of Ariza would hurt, but he is simply a poor man's Artest. Vujacic has played well and is young, but to make this trade work, he would have to go.

Magic: Today, the Magic sit three games behind Detroit and seven games behind Boston in the East. More importantly, as currently constructed, Orlando most likely will not be able to beat either team in a seven game series. Orlando's biggest weakness thus far has been at the point guard spot. Both Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo have been given a shot, but neither has excelled. With a handful of expiring contracts for players that are not significant on the roster, Orlando has a chance to add a major player. J.J. Redick is a guard who has not fit in with the team and it would be a good opportunity to move him. In this trade, Arroyo would be the only impact player they would need to move. However, adding Bibby would create a situation with an extra point guard, so he could be moved.

Kings: Although the Kings would be giving up two of their most talented players, it would give them an opportunity to get out of long-term contracts that they are locked into. Sacramento would be getting six players whose contracts would expire after this season. A few of the players the Kings would be getting in this trade would be waived immediately. The Kings would also get a terrific shooter in J.J. Redick at a small salary, plus a first round pick of Orlando's next season. With Bibby and Artest moved, it would give Beno Udrih, Quincy Douby, Kevin Martin, John Salmons, and Francisco Garcia more playing time to continue to develop.

I would think only Orlando would have to consider not making this trade. They may not consider Bibby a great enough upgrade from Arroyo or Jameer Nelson to make this trade and take on a big salary for the 2008-09 season. I would think in an opportunity to dump both Bibby and Artest in one trade would be something they couldn't pass on. For the Lakers, to have an opportunity to add another major talent to their team would be a move they would make. Although they would be digging themselves even deeper into a luxury tax position, I would think they would make it for the chance to seriously contend for the title.

Scouting Report: Al Horford

2008-02-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

Player Name: Al Horford
Current Team: Atlanta Hawks
NBA Position: PF
Drafted: 3rd (Atlanta)
Height/Weight: 6'10"/245
Birthdate: 6/3/86
Hometown: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
College: Florida
Agent:

Notes:
Son of former NBA player Tito Horford and journalist Arelis Reynoso; Wears size 17 basketball shoes; Won back-to-back national championships at Florida; Named to the All-Tournament team in both national championship seasons; Third team All-American SEC Tournament MVP; Missed two games in college because of a high ankle sprain; Missed time during the 2007 NBA Summer League because of a sprained right ankle.

Strengths:
Physically and emotionally ahead of most his age; Long wingspan; Tough; Post defense; Shot blocker thanks to great timing; Above average ball handler; Leaping; Twelve to fifteen foot midrange jump shot; Rotates well; Help-side defense; Can defend both at the four and five spots; basketball IQ; Rebounding on both ends of the court; Go-to move at this point is a jump hook in the paint; Fights hard for post position; Finishes well at the basket; Runs well; Work ethic.

Weaknesses:
No game outside fifteen feet; Post moves are underdeveloped; No go-to move; Free throw shooting; Footwork; Needs to become more of an offensive threat in pick-and-pop and pick-and-roll situations; Tends to foul too frequently.

Outlook:
On defense, Horford is a terrific rebounder who works hard for loose balls. Although he is not the most athletic power forward, he has great instincts, which allow him to be a better shot blocker than his body should allow him to be. On offense, he needs to continue to work on his range, especially in pick-and-pop situations. Another major need is to increase the range of post moves. Although his mid-lane jump hook is strong, he still needs to develop countermoves off of it and additional movements that he can rely on. If Horford can develop into a reliable offensive threat, improve his footwork, and continue to add weight to his upper body, he will be one of the best, young post players in the league.

Video:

Portland-New Jersey Revised

2008-02-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

With the Nets-Grizzlies trade occuring today sending Jason Collins to Memphis for Stromile Swift, my Kidd-to-the-Blazers trade needs to be revised.

Here is the new version:

Nets receive:
Raef LaFrentz, $12,440,787, 2 Years Remaining
Jarrett Jack. $1,217,400, 2 Years Remaining
Channing Frye, $2,487,240, 2 Years Remaining
Sergio Rodriguez, $817,000, 2 Years Remaining
2008 First Round Pick

Portland receives:
Jason Kidd, $19,728,000, 2 Years Remaining
Malik Allen, $770,610, 1 Year Remaining
Darrell Armstrong, $770,610, 1 Year Remaining

Drafting Big Ten Talent for the NBA

2008-02-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Below is a list of each player drafted from a Big Ten school since the 2000 draft.

Northwestern and Penn State were the only schools that did not have a player selected in either round of the draft.

Trade Proposal: Cavs Add Talent, T'Wolves Dump Salaries

2008-01-29T07:52:00.001-08:00

As Minnesota lingers with the worse record in the NBA and Cleveland tries to jump into the top of the East, it looks like it may be time for both teams to make a trade. Minnesota is looking to rid itself of some of their veteran players with long-term contracts and Cleveland is simply looking to upgrade their talent.

Minnesota gets:
Ira Newble, $3,441,900, 1 Year Remaining
Eric Snow, $6,703,125, 2 Years Remaining
Donyell Marshall, $5,566,965, 2 Years Remaining
Shannon Brown, $1,044,120, 1 Year Remaining
2008 First Round Pick

Cleveland gets:
Gerald Green, $1,440,960, 1 Year Remaining
Antoine Walker, $8,329,640, 4 Years Remaining
Marko Jaric, $6,050,000, 4 Years Remaining

In this trade, Minnesota would be ridding themselves of two of their largest player contracts. Green has also expressed displeasure with his playing time and it appears he has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. At only 22 years old, and 6'8", Green certainly has potential to become a contributer in the NBA. The Timberwolves will receive two players whose contracts expire after this year. The other two - Snow and Marshall - have one more year after this upcoming season, but both may retire.

Cleveland would clearly be getting the better talent in this swap. Walker would immediately become the Cavaliers top big man-perimeter threat and could help take some of the scoring pressure off LeBron James. Jaric would compete for time with Larry Hughes, Daniel Gibson, and Devin Brown for time at either guard spot.

This trade would help both team achieve its current goals: Cleveland would add more talent, while Minnesota would improve their payroll flexibility for future seasons.

NBA/D-League Affiliation

2008-01-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

Under the affiliation system with the D-League, NBA teams can assign up to two players who are rookies or in their second season to their D-League affiliate. Players can stay with the D-League team for as long as the team wishes, and be recalled back to the NBA at any time. A player can only be sent to the D-League a maximum of three times during the season.

More information:
http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/season_primer.html

Breaking Up the Nets

2008-01-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

After 44 games, the New Jersey Nets and Portland Trail Blazers have opposite records to most people's suprise, 18-26 for the Nets and 26-18 for the Blazers. As Jason Kidd and Vince Carter get older, the Nets need to make sure to move these players before their value dips too low.

Portland has a great deal of depth and nice, young players, but to really make a run in the playoffs they need a veteran. Jason Kidd, with two years remaining on his contract, would be the perfect fit to lead Portland into a decade of potential dominance.

This trade would allow the Nets to rebuild quickly before they move to Brooklyn and Portland would immediately become a legitimate contender this season.

Nets receive:
Raef LaFrentz, $12,440,787, 2 Years Remaining
Channing Frye, $2,487,240, 2 Years Remaining
Darius Miles, $8,250,000, 3 Years Remaining
Sergio Rodriguez, $817,000, 2 Years Remaining
2008 First Round Pick

Portland receives:
Jason Collins, $6,100,000, 2 Years Remaining
Jason Kidd, $19,728,000, 2 Years Remaining
Malik Allen, $770,610, 1 Year Remaining

This trade would give Portland a starting lineup of Jason Kidd at point guard, Brandon Roy at shooting guard, Martell Webster at small forward, LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward, and Joel Pryzbilla at center. With this trade, Portland's bench would get even deeper with Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack at guard; James Jones, Travis Outlaw, and Josh McRoberts at forward; and Malik Allen and Jason Collins at center. Portland would be two deep at each position and with Greg Oden coming back next year, they would certainly be one of the favorites going into the 2008-09 season.

For the Nets, more big talent would be the benefit of this trade. With Marcus Williams waiting in the wings, Kidd may be expendable. Plus, Rodriguez at 21 years old, has shown some flashes of brilliance at the point guard. Additionally, Frye is only 24 and has shown an ability to stand-out on the defensive end. Miles is coming off an injuy and could be a factor off the bench for the Nets. LaFrentz has two years left in his contract, and after this season, his contract could potentially become an asset to add another player down the line.

Although the Nets clearly would not get equal value for their best player, Jason Kidd, they would be moving him out to the Western Conference and would give themselves some future flexibility. If the Nets wait any longer, all they will have is a player with less value and a team that struggles to even make the playoffs.

Scouting Report: Rajon Rondo

2008-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Player Name: Rajon Rondo
Current Team: Boston Celtics
NBA Position: PG
Drafted: 21st (Phoenix Suns)
Height/Weight: 6'1"/171
Birthdate: 2/22/86
Hometown: Louisville, KY
College: Kentucky
Agent:

Notes:
Went to Louisville's Eastern High School for three years and then transferred to Virginia's Oak Hill Academy for his senior year; Played in the 2004 McDonald's All-American Team Originally committed to Louisivlle, but then changed to Kentucky; Played for the 2005 USA Men's Under-21 World Championship Team; Traded on draft night from the Suns to the Celtics along with Brian Grant for the Cleveland Cavaliers' first-round draft pick in the 2007 draft and cash considerations

Strengths:
Explosive first step; Tough defender on small guards; Knack for stealing passes; Pressuring ball-handler; Getting into the paint; Quick leaper; Great deal of energy; Improving in catch-and-shoot situations; Big hands; Great rebounder for his size; Large wingspan.

Weaknesses:
Shooting is clearly his biggest fault - both from the perimeter and free throw line; Opposing teams do not challenge Rondo in screen-and-rolls; No interest in finishing in the paint with his left hand; Bigger point guards can take advantage of him on the low block.

Outlook:
Rajon Rondo is an emerging point guard in the mold of a Tony Parker-type. Rondo is one of the best defensive point guards in the league, even though he is on the small side. He provides terrific ball pressure and plays with a great deal of energy. The offensive side of the ball is where Rondo still needs to make some strides. He is not a big enough threat when he does not have the ball in his hands, and teams can afford to give him space when he does have the ball because he is not a strong enough shooter. Also, he often forces himself into more difficult shots than necessary because he does not want to finish at the basket with his left hand. If Rondo can shoot a higher percentage from the field, then it will allow him to use his quickness much better. He certainly has the talent to be one of the best, young point guards in the league, right after Deron Williams and Chris Paul.

Video:

Bulls Problem Defense, Not Offense

2008-01-24T14:39:00.001-08:00

This season, the Bulls are winless when they allow 100 or more points in a game. After Houston's win earlier this week over Seattle, 109-107, the Bulls became the only team in the NBA to not win a game when they give up 100 or more points. In all other games, the Bulls record is 17-7.

So, although many point out the struggles for the Bulls to score in the paint and their other offensive deficiency, perhaps it is the defense that is the root of the problem. The Bulls most impressive victories this season have come against Detroit. In games against the Pistons, the Bulls have held them to 93 points, 91 points, and 81 points.

Some key defensive categories and the Bulls current rankings:
Three Point Percentage, .382 (28th)
Free Throws Attempted, 1073 (13th)
Total Rebounds Per Game, 43.1 (21st)
Fast Break Points per game, 13.1 (23rd-tied)

Starting Thabo Sefolosha over Ben Gordon, giving Joakim Noah time over Ben Wallace, and playing Tyrus Thomas less, should help the defensive issues the Bulls have. Sefolosha especially, allows Kirk Hinrich to defend point guards rather than bigger, shooting guards.

Scouting Report: Rudy Gay

2008-01-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

As the Memphis Grizzlies continue to struggle this season, one bright spot has been the emergence of Rudy Gay. Gay started to come on last season after the all-star break and has continued to stay aggressive this season. Along with point guard Mike Conley, Gay is clearly the focus of the Grizzlies for years to come.

Player Name: Rudy Gay
Current Team: Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Position: SF
Drafted: 8th (Houston Rockets)
Height/Weight: 6'9"/220
Birthdate: 8/17/86
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
College: Connecticut
Agent: Octagon Sports

Notes:
Traded on draft night to Memphis with Stromile Swift for Shane Battier; As a sophomore, he was named an All-Big East First Team selection, and an NABC All-America First Team and Associated Press All-America Second Team member; 2006-07 NBA First All-Rookie Team

Strenghts:
Explosive; Long and athletic; Uses length on defense to force turnovers; Big-time scorer; High arching jump shot; Perimeter range; Finishes well in traffic; Prototypical NBA body; Vertical jump; Quick feet; Ball handling still needs to improve

Weaknesses:
Consistency is still somewhat of an issue; Struggles when he does not stay aggressive; Competitiveness on offense sometimes does not match on defense.

Outlook:
Gay has proven this year that he is a big-time scorer in the NBA. He will be one of the top thirty scorers in the league for a majority of his career. To get to the next tier of players, Gay needs to continue to stay aggressive and improve on the defensive end. As the Memphis Grizzlies grow and improve around Gay, Conley, and Milicic, Gay will by the key for this franchise to move up in the Western Conference.

Video:

NBA Agents

2008-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

BDA Sports Management
Bill Duffy, President
Other Agents: Calvin Andrews, Kevin Bradbury, Michael Conley, Sr.
Website: http://www.bdasports.com/
Top Players include: Carmelo Anthony, Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Leandro Barbosa

Octagon Sports
Jeff Austin, Senior Vice President
Other Agents: Chris Emens, Lance Young
Website: http://www.octagonbasketball.com/Default.aspx/Home
Top Players include: Rudy Gay, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, David West

Priority Sports & Entertainment
Mark Bartelstein, President
Website: http://www.prioritybasketball.biz/basketball/
Top Players include: Adam Morrison, Bobby Simmons, Mo Williams, Charlie Bell, Luther Head, Antoine Walker

Goodwin Sports
Aaron Goodwin, President
Other Agents: Eric Goodwin, Noah Croom
Website: http://www.goodwinsports.com/
Top Players include: Al Horford, Chris Webber, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Jamal Crawford

Fegan & Associates
Dan Fegan
Top Players include: Shawn Marion, Jason Richardson, Nene Hilario, Jason Terry, Stephen Jackson, Anderson Varejo

ASM Sports
Andy Miller, President
Other Agents: Justin Zanek
Website: http://www.asmsports.com/
Top Players include: Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Cuttino Mobley, Antonio McDyess, Stromile Swift, Sebastian Telfair

Pinnacle Sports
Marc Cornstein,
Website: http://www.pinnaclehoops.com/index.php
Top Players include: Samuel Dalembert, Darko Milicic, Nenad Krstic, Beno Udrih, Sasha Pavlovic

CSMG Sports
Henry Thomas, EVP of Basketball
Other Agents: Alex Saratsis, Marty McGlothan, Kim Hills
Website: http://www.csmgsports.com
Top Players include: Chris Bosh, Michael Finley, Devin Harris, Dwyane Wade, Shaun Livingston, Anthony Parker

Interperformances, Inc.
Herb Rudoy, President
Other Agents: Luciano Capichhioni
Website: http://www.interperformances.com/enter.phtml?sp=b
Top Players include: Mickael Pietrus, Raja Bell, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Arroyo, Sergio Rodriguez, Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Lina Kleiza

http://www.hoopshype.com/agents/andy_miller.htm

Memphis, Chicago & Orlando Up For a 3-Way Trade?

2008-01-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

With the Bulls floundering at seven games under .500 and Memphis looking to the future as they sit in last place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division, both teams look like they are ready to make a move. In Orlando, Stan Van Gundy has struggled to find an effective big man. So, here's a three-way trade that would get each team closer to their short-term and long-term goals.

Memphis gets:
PF Pat Garrity ($3,818,750, 1 Year Remaining)
C Adonal Foyle ($1,219,590, 1 Year Remaining)
PF Tyrus Thomas ($3,505,320, 2 Years Remaining)
C Ben Wallace ($15,500,000, 3 Years Remaining)
SG Ben Gordon ($4,881,669, 1 Year Remaining)
Future Orlando First Round Pick

Chicago gets:
SG/SF Mike Miller ($8,376,194, 2 Years Remaining)
C Pau Gasol ($13,735,000, 4 Years Remaining)
PF Andre Brown ($770,610, 1 Year Remaining)

Orlando gets:
PF/C Stromile Swift ($5,800,000, 1 Year Remaining)

In this trade, Memphis gets more young talent (Gordon, Thomas, first round pick), cap flexibility (Foyle, Garrity, and potentially Gordon), and veteran talent (Wallace). Adding Thomas and Gordon to the core in Memphis of Rudy Gay, Mike Conley Juan Carlos Navarro, Kyle Lowry, Darko Milicic, Hakim Warrkick gives general manager Chris Wallace a great start to turning this team around. With this trade, the Grizzlies would have just about forty million dollars for seven player - Milicic, Brian Cardinal, Damon Stoudamire, Gay, Lowry, Ben Wallace, and Tyrus Thomas. Even with the option of bringing back Ben Gordon long-term and eating into their payroll, the Grizzlies would still have a significant amount of cap room to bring in a veteran post player.

The Bulls would be able to re-make this team in a short period of time. Gasol clearly would fill the void the Bulls have had in the post since Eddy Curry was traded to the Knicks. Averaging 19 points per game and almost nine rebounds, Gasol would be the focal point of the Bulls offense. Mike Miller would also be a great addition to the team. Playing Miller (6-8) next to Luol Deng (6-9) on the wing would allow the Bulls to turn a negative (size at the wing) into a positive. Miller is also a veteran scorer that would take some pressure of Deng and Kirk Hinrich. With averages of 16.5 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, and 3.9 assists per game, Miller would be a perfect fit in the Bulls offense. Andre Brown is a young, power forward from Chicago, who the Bulls would get a half of a season to take a look at.

For Orlando, this trade would The Magic have had a great deal of success this season playing a smaller front line with Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis playing the forward spots. Off the bench, the Magic have gotten very little production from their big men - Brian Cook, Pat Garrity, Adonal Foyle, and James Augustine. Adding Stromile Swift to this Magic squad would give the team athleticism, shot blocking, and post defense off the bench. Swift has a player option after the 2007-08, but could become an unrestricted free agent. In this trade, Garrity and Foyle are little used big men who are free agents after this season.

Chicago Bulls: Style of Play Does Not Match Personnel

2008-01-17T07:44:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about what has gone wrong with the Chicago Bulls and why. Upon taking over, John Paxson made it very clear that he was going to build around players with winning backgrounds who will work hard and stay out of trouble. It was looked upon as an honorable thing to do, and everyone supported the idea from the start.

Although many believe that these players are too soft, I don't think this is the real problem for the Bulls. Paxson wants his teams to play tough perimeter defense and on offense execute in half court sets. This is where the flaw is: his players don't fit the style of play he wants. To play tough, active perimeter defense you need big, versatile guards that can defend on the perimeter. To execute in half court sets, you need either a big man that can score with his back to the basket or a wing player that can consistently score off the dribble. The Bulls have none of these things.

So as Chicago had varied success with this for three seasons, once the team tuned out Skiles and began to forget about the ideals they had stressed (toughness, high energy, execution), they began to fall apart. Although the players never fit the style Paxson and Skiles wanted to play, Skiles' superior coaching masked this problem. Once the players put Skiles aside and tried to play differently, it all came crashing down.

So now, either the Bulls need to change their style or vision of how they will play (keep the players) or keep these ideals and change the players to make it work.

Style of Play: Milwaukee Bucks

2008-01-14T08:33:00.001-08:00

I spent some time Friday night watching the Bucks-Lakers game and thinking about the type of team Milwaukee is. The Bucks have missed Michael Redd and Desmond Mason for a significant amount of time due to injury. However, they are twenty-third in the NBA in points per game. Though they lack some depth at the end of the bench, they do have a nice collection of young players who can score from outside.

Often times during TNT's studio show, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith talk about "what type of team are they?". This is referring to the Suns and Warriors being up-tempo teams, the Mavericks being a tough defensive team, the Nuggets having the ability to score a lot of points in bunches, the Spurs as a versatile type of team.

So the Bucks - what type of team are they? I think this identity needs to follow the Suns and Warriors into the fast break mode. With a group of talented guards (Charlie Bell, Mo Williams, Michael Redd), versatile big men (Yi Jianlian, Charlie Villanueva), and wings that can score in transition (Bobby Simmons, Desmond Mason) they seem to have some important pieces. Unlike the Suns, they are missing that big time post player that can get out and run, but I certainly think they would have more success if they began to push the tempo. As they are currently constructed, they play Yi and Villanueva interchangibly - I would play them together. A lineup of Williams, Bell, Redd, Villanueva, and Yi would certainly be able to score. This group would probably struggle to defend, especially in the post, but I doubt the dropoff from Andrew Bogut would be great. In fact, I would look to move Bogut in the offseason since he would no longer fit with the team's plan.

Kansas State freshman, Michael Beasley, would likely be the missing piece for the Bucks to really succeed in an up-tempo offense. Since the 2002-03 season ended with the departure of George Karl, the Bucks have been stuck in a funk trying to figure out their next move. Bringing in a coach that will push the offense and adding a big man with great athleticism would give the Bucks a new look, and likely, a successful one.

Scouting Report: Ronnie Brewer

2008-01-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

With Derek Fisher departing Utah for Los Angeles, Ronnie Brewer has stepped into the shooting guard spot and brought much-needed athleticism to their starting lineup. Although he has struggled with his shooting from the perimeter, Brewer has been one of the teams top scorers.

Player Name: Ronnie Brewer
Current Team: Utah Jazz
NBA Position: SG/SF
Drafted: 14th (Utah Jazz)
Height/Weight: 6'7"/223
Birthdate: 3/20/85
Hometown: Fayetteville, AR
College: Arkansas
Agent: Henry Thomas (CSMG Sports)

Notes:
Father (Ron Brewer) was drafted 7th in the 1978 NBA Draft

Strenghts:
Great versatility - can handle the ball if necessary at the point and also defend at both wing spots; Quick first step; Creates well off the dribble; Passing ability; Vision; Strong frame; Fast in open floor; Long arms and quick hands; Rebounding at the guard position; Anticipates passes well; Ball pressure; Mid-range shooting;

Weaknesses:
Three point shooting; Childhood water slide accident left him with a small bone protruding from his triceps area which has created an abnormal shooting form; Spot up shooting; Movement off the ball

Outlook:
Improving his perimeter shooting would force defenses to pick him up closer, allowing him to use his quickness and athleticism to get to the basket easier. Becoming a lockdown defender on the wing would also make him a more valuable player. I see Brewer's ceiling to be a do-it-all type, similar to Josh Howard - not great at one thing, but good at many. He will be a valuable player for the Jazz for years to come and fits in well on a team where he is not being pressured to score a great deal of points.

Video:

Scouting Report: Beno Udrih

2008-01-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

One year after having his 2007-2008 team option picked up by San Antonio, this past last October the Spurs traded Udrih to the Timberwolves for a 2008 second round draft pick and cash. That day, Minnesota waived Udrih allowing him to join the Sacramento Kings. With Mike Bibby sustaining a thumb injury at the start of the season, Udrih was installed as the teams point guard on November 14. Since then, he has been one of the few bright spots in a difficult year in Sacramento.

Player Name: Beno Udrih
Current Team: Sacramento Kings
Ideal Position: PG
Drafted: 28th (San Antonio Spurs)
Height/Weight: 6'3"/200
Birthdate: 7/5/82
Hometown: Celje, Yugoslavia
College: -
Agent: Marc Cornstein (Pinnacle Management Corp.)

Contract:
2004-05 $841,680
2005-06 $904,800
2006-07 $967,920
2007-08 $761,544

Notes:
Left handed; Made his professional debut with a brief stint in the Slovenian secondary league in 1997, followed by three seasons in that country's premier league.; Named the 2000 Slovenian League Rookie of the Year, and has played for the Slovenian National Team since that same year; Played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2002-2003 season, and split the 2003-2004 season among Avtodor Saratov (Russia) and Breil Milano (Italy); His father Silvo played for Lasko, and brother Samo is currently playing in Europe.

Strenghts:
Excels in transition; has shown the ability to run a team effectively; free throw shooting; always looking to push the ball ahead; likes to shoot off the dribble, especially pull-up jump shot; Ballhandling with both hands; Splits double teams effectively.

Weaknesses:
Committment to defense; Looks like he'll never be a top knotch lead guard but very competant, especially for a team looking to push the pace; Needs to look to create more frequently - more of a pass-first guard; Needs to gain some weight in his upper body; Has struggled in big-game situations in the past; Has struggled previously to play well consistently in big games; Shooting off the catch; Needs to be able to shoot more effectively in the screen-and-roll game.

Outlook:
Udrih has really made the most of an excellent opportunity with Sacramento. It looks like he never will be an excellent scorer, but he prefers to get his points in the flow of the offense. His ceiling appears to be the starting point guard on a team that is looking for more of a distributor than a scorer. His man-to-man defense is clearly his biggest weakness. He needs to make more of a committment to defense if he wants to lead a playoff contender.

Video:

The Life of an Advance Scout

2008-01-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-29-0/The-life-of-an-advance-scout.html
January 2, 2008 10:15 AM
Posted by Brian Windhorst

Pat Zipfel has one of the most demanding jobs in the NBA and his work directly affects the outcome of games. Yet you probably have never heard of him or most people like him. He's an advance scout for the Houston Rockets and, if you listen to his peers, one of the league's best. He's been "doing advance" as they say in the NBA for seven years now, also having worked for the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers. He's former point guard who fell in love with Xs and Os while playing at Cabrini College in Philadelphia. He's also been the head coach at Centenary College and an assistant at The Citadel. On a six-hour flight from Orlando to Seattle last week, Pat agreed to answer some questions for TrueHoop about the grueling yet fascinating nature of his job.

What exactly is an advance scout?
There are two types of scouts in the NBA. There are personnel scouts, who look at players and decide if they can play, fit their system and are the type of player that will be successful with the salary fitting. The advance scout is responsible for watching the opponent, diagramming all their plays, knowing their calls, knowing their side out of bounds plays and end of game plays. Then you report back to the coaching staff and suggest a game plan on how to win that game. The advance scout specializes in the knowledge of the game.

The job of advance scout is not just a job but a lifestyle. During the NBA season, it is a marathon of traveling and watching games and writing reports. Whether your team wins or loses you feel you played a part in preparing them for the game and are fully vested in every game.
So, you feel the highs and lows of winning and losing, even though you are already ahead working on the next opponent. The truth is that It can be a bit lonely when you play a game that you spent so much time helping prepare your coaching staff and you find yourself alone in a hotel room checking the scores online to see if your team won. No one is with you to celebrate victory or share defeat.

If being around the team and getting to know the players sounds great to you, then the job of advance scout is not for you. Most of our players wouldn't recognize me since they only see me a few times a year other than during training camp. Every game they read the reports and get prepared by the coaches but almost all are unaware of the process it took to get that information to them.

How many NBA games do you see in person during a season?
Last season, I saw 144 NBA games in person during the regular season. So far this season I have seen about 65 games. But coupled with the amount of games on tape, I can't actually count how many games I have seen. While it is a dream job if you love the game of basketball, it requires a level of commitment and work ethic during the season that is grueling.

So that includes lots of time in hotels and on airplanes?
Since training camp started, I've been in my own bed (outside Philadelphia) for eight nights. Typically, I fly every day of the week, this job requires at least 100,000 miles in the air every year. A large part of the daily routine of this job is logistics, getting from one city to the next. Getting all the flights, taxis, rental cars, hotels and the whole time trying to be budget conscious is a challenge. It's not easy, especially since most of the season happens in the winter. Once last season a game in New York went to overtime and I missed the last train out of the city and all the hotel rooms were booked. I ended up sleeping in Penn Station. Because I'm up late after games working on reports and then up early to catch flights, I get most of my sleep on planes.

So who does your laundry and have you every flown to the wrong city?
Most of the 30 advance scouts in the NBA could write a travel book on how to travel in and out of the 30 NBA cities. Most of us know which airlines have direct flights, what cities and airports are the best and worst to deal with, who has the friendliest cab drivers, and even where to get laundry/dry cleaning done on short notice in each city. We see the airport, the hotel and the arena, that's it.

Most scouts stay at Marriott hotels, because you know what you are going to get and it is dependable. But because the rooms all look the same, yes, you wake up sometimes and dont exactly know where you are.

How do you get the information to your team and how has technology helped?
Advance scouting in the NBA was originally done by Bill Bertka of the Los Angeles Lakers. He could be considered the godfather of advance scouting. He was the first person to go out and watch the opponent play and report back to his team his suggestions on how to beat the opponent. Over the years, the position went from pen and paper to laptops, e-mail, software and .pdf files. Back then and now the goal is the same: to know your opponent and try to find ways to beat them.

The process following every game is the scout will go back to his hotel and input all the plays in the software that were used on that night and write a report following the game that will prepare the coaching staff on the opposing teams. That includes personnel, tendencies, play calls, frequency, and even who to suggest to foul in a close game. This information is emailed to directly to the coaching staff. Just few years ago this meant lots of faxing and FedExing but the software now allows you to do it all electronically.

The Rockets are one of the most computer savvy teams in the league, how does it carry over to your job?
Having worked for three different NBA teams, the Rockets are cutting edge with their ability to marry technology and basketball. Aside from the standard personnel database that teams have started using the past few years, the statistical and analytical work of the Rockets' front office technology team gives the coaching staff and personnel department every possible advantage. This goes back to our (general manager) Daryl Morey and (vice president of basketball operations) Sam Hinkie, they are two of the best in the business at it.

How important is getting the play calls and signals?
For our team, Shane Battier is excellent at hearing opponents calls during the game and knowing what is going to happen before the opponent runs the play and letting our coaching staff know. That type of advantage could be the difference between 2-3 possessions a game and determine the outcome.

There are lots of players who make it a priority. If you sat close enough to the court of a Dallas Mavericks game, Dirk Nowitzki does a great job of calling out the other teams plays to their bench, as does Jarrett Jack of the Portland Trail Blazers for his team. If Mike Dunleavy of the Pacers knows the play, he will call it out in his teams term just to get a small edge.

How much of the job is technical (X and Os) and how much is intuitive?
The ability to watch a game and know where all 10 players are on the floor is invaluable for the job. Being able to draw up all the plays and where each player goes is important for the coaches when they see the report. But you also have to be able to suggest ways to counteract what the opponent does, which means you have that part of your mind working, too.

So after all that, do you like your job?
As a former NCAA head coach, I know the importance of knowing how to defend the other team. I have always felt this job was valuable since we are in the business of winning games and beating our opponents. So I know how important the job is and that's important to me.

Every day I hear from people what a great job it must be and even after 7 years, I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to be sitting front row every night in the NBA, the highest level of basketball in the world. Just last week, I saw Kobe, Carmelo, and LeBron play in person in a three-day span. And if you love the game of basketball, that sounds like a dream job.

Where Will Sam Cassell Be Playing in May?

2007-12-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

In fourteen season in the NBA, Sam Cassell has played in the playoffs ten times. Although at this point in his career, he can only be expected to play twenty minutes a night, he has great value to a team looking to add another piece for a playoff run. Unfortunately, his current team, the Clippers, are ten games under .500 right now and it appears that they will not be participating in the playoffs in the 2007-08 season.

With a favorable contract of $6,150,000 this season, the Clippers will likely look to move him to a contender in order to pick up some more assets that can be beneficial as the reload. Cassell's contract expires after this season, which may likely be his final year in the NBA.

Five teams currently in competition to make the playoffs could certainly use Cassell. Here is a look at those five ranked by how the need of Cassell and the likelihood of a trade working out:

1.) Orlando Magic
With only Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling available behind Jameer Nelson, the Magic could desperately use some backcourt punch. This trade is likely because the Magic currently have a handful of players with expiring contracts, plus young players that the Clippers may want to take a look at. An exchange of Cassell for Pat Garrity ($3,818,750), James Augustine ($687,456), and J.J. Redick ($2,000,160) would allow the trade to work. At the end of this season, Redick's contract has a team option, so the Clippers would get a good look at him before deciding whether to bring him back or not. Garrity likely would be released when this trade would be made.

2.) Golden State Warriors
With Troy Hudson likely out for the season, Don Nelson and the Warriors need a backup point guard to Baron Davis. With trade exceptions, multiple expiring contracts, and a collection of underused young players, the Warriors would have several ways to go about acquiring Cassell.

3.) Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is a team that has missed a quality, veteran point guard going back to the days of Mookie Blaylock. Though they may not have the experience to advance in the playoffs this season, they still should make a push for Cassell. A swap of Tyronn Lue ($3,500,000), Lorenzen Wright ($3,250,000) and either Salim Stoudamire ($783,000) or a future draft pick would allow the Hawks to bring in the veteran point guard. Unlike with the teams previously mentioned, Cassell would likely get the chance to start at point guard over incumbents Anthony Johnson, Acie Law, and Speedy Claxton.

4.) Los Angeles Lakers
A trade for Cassell would make a great deal of sense for the Lakers. With young players such as Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, and Javaris Crittenton playing behind starting point guard Derek Fisher, Cassell would bring a veteran prescence of the bench that is currently not there. The difficulty with this trade is that it would take some creativeness for it to work. Chris Mihm ($2,500,000) and Sasha Vujacic ($1,756,951) are the two most likely players the Lakers would include in a trade whose contracts expire at year end. However, Kwame Brown ($9,075,000) would also be a contestant to move to the Clippers in a trade netting Cassell. Brown has battled injury all year and appears to have completely fallen out of favor with the team. Adding Cassell to a group of smalls that include Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Farmar, and Trevor Ariza would make sense for the Lakers in their playoff pursuit.

5.) New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Led by the league's best young point guard in Chris Paul, the Hornets are an exciting team that could give anyone a tough run in the postseason. Beyond Chris Paul, Bobby Jackson, and Morris Peterson, the Hornets are very thin at the guard spots. The Hornets could put together a package of expiring contracts (Ryan Bowen, Melvin Ely, Bernard Robinson, Marcus Vinicius) or inexpensive young players (Adam Haluska, Hilton Armstrong) to acquire Cassell. He certainly would bring a big-shot type player to the squad.

Sports Agents Discuss Negotiating

2007-12-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

This Is Not a Game
Top sports agents share their negotiating secrets.
Alix Stuart, CFO Magazine
January 1, 2006

From the sidelines, professional athletes have leverage that corporate negotiators can only dream of. Endowed with unmatchable skills and advised by top agents, stars like Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James, and Maria Sharapova can just name their price, threaten to walk, and receive untold riches, right?

Not quite. For anyone who has followed the saga of Terrell Owens, All-Pro wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, it's clear that even a star needs to play by certain rules. When Owens's agent, Drew "The Shark" Rosenhaus, fumbled an attempt to secure a better contract for him, Owens vented his displeasure by insulting his teammates and was effectively terminated.
While Owens's situation is an extreme example of how aggressiveness can backfire, other top agents say they are just as restricted by basic negotiation principles as the next guy. "There has to be some resolute willingness to push the envelope," says sports agent Leigh Steinberg, head of Leigh Steinberg Enterprises and the inspiration for the character Jerry Maguire in the 1996 movie of the same name, but "you need to remember that all humans have ego and pride, so the key is to try and avoid confrontation."

Can the intricacies of sports negotiation offer any lessons for finance executives? Sure, signing All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens to another year is much more glamorous than brokering a better compensation package, selling off a business, or quelling employee dissatisfaction. But the similarities outweigh the differences. Deal-making in the corporate world involves "the same dynamics" as negotiating sports contracts, says Peter Carfagna, who oversaw contracts for the likes of Tiger Woods while he was chief legal officer at International Management Group and now teaches negotiation strategy at Case Western Reserve University. Even when you have a good deal of leverage, he adds, "you have to use it selectively, so you develop a reputation for being reasonable."

Make a List, Check It Twice
The first step, say many agents, is to catalog what you want. The longer and more varied your wish list, the better. "You should itemize a whole litany of requests, which become bargaining chips," says Bill Duffy, agent for National Basketball Association stars like Yao Ming and Drew Gooden. That strategy essentially means padding your must-haves with nice-to-haves and not disclosing which are which. "You may have things that you're willing to throw away, but your opponent doesn't know that," says Duffy.

Knowing the priorities ahead of time makes it easier to concentrate on the things that matter most to your client, says Lon S. Babby, agent for the NBA's Grant Hill and Ray Allen. He gives clients a list and asks them to rank about 15 criteria, from salaries and incentives to state income-tax considerations. Such lists are just as critical in corporate deals, although they may not appear until the later stages of a negotiation. "A lot of people think it's just about price, but it's often more subtle," says Peter Falvey, managing director at Revolution Partners, a Boston-based investment bank. In his experience, concerns like liquidity and employee provisions often take precedence.

The question then becomes whether to tackle the most or least important issue first — and how transparent to make the ranking. Carfagna says that while at IMG he used an "inside-out strategy," starting with the most-important issues, "because I wanted to know if we had a deal before getting to the peripheral issues." In the corporate world, some deal-makers, like John J. Leahy, CFO of Boston-based technology consultancy Keane Inc., believe in dealing with the low-hanging fruit first. "The more things you can agree to, the more psychological momentum you get, and the further along you are to getting the deal done," he says.

In most corporate deals, a letter of intent spells out core terms like price and time frame, so there is a defined starting point. Finance chiefs say that makes the process more efficient. Duffy, on the other hand, prefers to have the other side make the first offer, because "you certainly wouldn't want to underbid." Either way, the key to a successful deal is to engineer the back-and-forth so that "you get what you want, but you have the other side offer it," says Babby.
Head Games Once you know what you want, the next step is to "inhabit the reality" of the person with whom you are negotiating, says Steinberg. "You've got to understand what the pressures are on that person," he adds. His first step is to research the negotiation history of a team's general manager, running through questions like: Is this someone who will make a first offer and stick with it, or does he play a high-low negotiation game? Is this someone who has real authority, or will he need to run the deal by his boss?

Such due diligence, as CFOs would call it, is much like that advocated by negotiation guru Roger Fisher in his landmark book Getting to Yes, and it recently helped Steinberg land a giant salary for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. When Steinberg negotiated the first-round draft pick's initial contract with the Steelers in 2004, he knew the team was "philosophically opposed" to clauses known as escalators — incentives that enhance base salary in a deal's latter years. For his part, though, Roethlisberger wanted the opportunity to earn more for performance and to keep pace with other quarterbacks over time.

So Steinberg did some creative term-setting, and in the end Roethlisberger agreed to take the lowest possible base salary in his starting year in exchange for a $9 million signing bonus and a six-year contract filled with incentives based on playing time that could make it worth as much as $40 million over that time. "Had we insisted on an escalator, he might still be holding out," says Steinberg.

On the corporate side, Keane CFO Leahy has recognized that one of his first steps in deals with privately held, owner-run companies is to get sellers "past the emotional hurdle" of letting go. Since sellers are typically concerned with the fate of their customers and employees, Leahy says that he tries to make the case that merging with Keane will be best for all involved. Without promising too much, he tries to get owners comfortable with "the role current employees will play in the combined company, or demonstrate the type of investments we're willing to make."

Perception Is Reality
Of course, what both sides want ultimately ends up second to what the market will bear. Consequently, in sports negotiations — as in many CEO and CFO compensation contracts — a major component of external due diligence is a peer review. That often means making a case that a particular athlete exceeds the competition — as the agent defines it. "The question in these negotiations is often whose definition of performance and value will prevail," says Steinberg.

Setting such terms is especially important when marketing somewhat damaged goods. Last season, Tom O'Connell, head of Tampa-based Legends Management Group, represented a minor-league third baseman who was struggling after a "tremendous" previous season. By isolating the source of his poor performance — a switch to the American League after seven years in the National League — O'Connell could then go back to some of the National League teams that had courted him to "rekindle the fire." And in the end, O'Connell secured a deal in a more familiar environment; one that he believes offers the player a greater opportunity to make the majors. The trick, says O'Connell, is selling potential: "It's very easy to ride a thoroughbred, but Seabiscuit is a whole different animal," he explains.

Similarly, the jockeying Guidant recently did to rejuvenate its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson is a case study in emphasizing potential. When Guidant announced last fall that some of its pacemakers and defibrillators had been recalled, J&J tried to renege on its $25 billion offer, on the grounds that conditions had materially changed. Rather than rolling over and playing dead, however, Guidant filed a lawsuit against J&J for breach of contract, maintaining that its share price was still strong and that it would soon have the lawsuits behind it. Ultimately, the two parties agreed on a discounted price — about 15 percent below the original offer. (At press time, however, another suitor — Boston Scientific Corp. — had trumped the J&J bid for Guidant and the deal was uncertain.)

Some agents have struck gold for their clients by thinking outside the peer group. That was how former tennis player Anna Kournikova earned a reported $20 million in endorsements in 1999, more than any other female tennis player, even though she was hardly a top-ranked player. "We posited that the marketplace for Anna Kournikova was not the tennis marketplace, but the celebrity and entertainment marketplace," says Kournikova's agent at the time, Octagon's Phil de Picciotto. "Essentially the argument is, 'Yes, you're paying more than you ever thought you would. But we're going to deliver more than you could ever imagine.'"

Executive-compensation consultants are hard-pressed to name a CFO with that kind of star power, but there are ways to stand apart. "Some CFOs are more valuable than others, either because they have depth in a certain area of finance expertise or breadth in areas beyond finance," says Jan Koors, managing director of Pearl Meyer & Partners. One advantage enjoyed by those in the business world is that, unlike athletes, executives typically enhance their skills with age. An athlete, says Babby, may be "the nicest guy in the city, but if he can't play anymore, it's a cold business."

Resolve and Patience
Many athletes get the best deals when they have alternatives. That's why free agency, or being able to field offers from multiple teams, is so often at the heart of the deal in professional sports.

That fact was perfectly illustrated by Ray Allen's most recent negotiations with the Seattle SuperSonics, says Babby. The agent started by approaching the team a year ahead of the contract expiration to offer it first dibs on "a franchise icon," but found the team unwilling to pay. Not until a year later did the team re-sign Allen at the salary he wanted — after his contract expired and he had other offers. "We saw the market one way, they saw it another way, and ultimately we couldn't get it resolved until [Allen] could go out and prove his value," the agent says.

Still, for the ultimate alternative — walking away — to work, says Carfagna, "you have to be willing to make good on your threat." Such resolve is probably why the Minnesota Vikings' Bryant McKinnie eventually got a better deal than the team wanted to give. The seventh draft pick in 2002 asked to be paid more than the player ranked behind him, but the team refused to meet that condition. In response, McKinnie held out eight weeks into the regular season, losing out on any salary he would have been paid if he had been signed in a timely fashion. Finally, as the November 1 deadline by which Minnesota had to sign or lose him drew near, the team owners caved and paid McKinnie for a full five years, despite the half season he'd missed. "He was able to resist the temptation of signing an inferior deal," says McKinnie's agent, SFX Sports Group's Jim Steiner.

When such strong-arm tactics would be counterproductive, agents say that relying on performance-based contingencies — and patience — can be the best way to get a deal done. When the San Francisco 49ers released Jerry Rice in 2001 at age 39, for example, Steiner, his agent, admits that "we had only a certain amount of leverage, because there were only two teams interested, [the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions,] and Detroit was willing to go only so far." In that case, he and Rice accepted a relatively low seven-figure salary, and then renegotiated for a better deal after Rice exceeded expectations and went to the Pro Bowl.

Similarly, earnout structures used in deals when an unproven product is at stake can reward future value. Murraysville, Pennsylvania-based medical-device maker Respironics Inc., for example, agreed to buy a product line from SpectRx Inc. back in 2003 for $5 million in cash and an additional $6.25 million over the next two years, contingent on the business's performance. In November, SpectRx got the last of its checks from the buyer, ending up with a grand total of $9.5 million for the product line. Says CFO Dan Bevevino: Earnouts are "a good way to bridge any difference in valuation perspectives," while ensuring that the buyer pays only for what it gets.

Be Nice
In all negotiations, however, sports agents agree that the tenor must be professional, courteous, and ethical. As soft as it sounds, many agents say building good relationships is what is most critical to getting the best deals. "It's a small world, and what goes around comes around," says Duffy.

Such an attitude paid off in spades for agent Mark Bartelstein when client Darius Songaila's contract with the Sacramento Kings came up for renewal last year. Bartelstein could have secured a release by working up a three-year deal with another NBA team that the Kings could not have matched, but Songaila's preference was an offer the Kings easily could have topped — a shorter contract from the Chicago Bulls.

So, with nothing to offer, Bartelstein went to the King's operating chief, whom he considers a friend, and asked for a favor. "I went to Geoff[Petrie] and said, 'Would you do the right thing for Darius?'" Bartelstein recalls, at which point Petrie backed off the negotiations. Bartelstein believes the implicit agreement was that he would remember the goodwill in the future when it came to marketing the Kings to clients. "He knows I'm not going to forget he did something for me," says Bartelstein.

The ultimate prize for a CFO in any negotiation, however, may be the personal satisfaction that comes from a battle well fought, regardless of the final terms. If a CFO won't argue for what he really wants, says Steinberg, he will be consigned to "that great mass of people who walk through life with a terrible roiling sense in their gut, feeling underappreciated and trod on." And, of course, if you can show shareholders the money, you may just feel like a star.

Alix Nyberg Stuart is senior writer at CFO.

http://www.cfo.com/printable/article.cfm/5347948/c_5350503?f=options

Top 25, 25 or Under

2007-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

I went through the NBA and ranked the top 25 players that are 25 years older or younger. Rankings were based on the idea that salaries and teams do not matter - solely the value of that player. So for instance, right now, Andrea Bargnani is clearly not as good of a player as Gerald Wallace. However, because of potential, the Raptors would not trade him straight up for Wallace.

The top eleven or so picks were pretty easy, but the rest of the way was very difficult. At the end, I had sixteen or so guys for ten spots. I had to leave off: Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Leandro Barbosa, Al Horford, Monta Ellis, Rajon Rondo, T.J. Ford, Devin Harris, Chris Kaman, Mike Conley, and David Lee.

Here were my rankings:

1) LeBron James
2) Dwight Howard
3) Dwyane Wade
4) Chris Paul
5) Carmelo Anthony
6) Amare Stoudamire
7) Chris Bosh
8) Kevin Durant
9) Greg Oden
10) Al Jefferson
11) Deron Williams
12) Andrew Bynum
13) Kevin Martin
14) Tony Parker
15) Yi Jianlian
16) Brandon Roy
17) Andrea Bargnani
18) LaMarcus Aldridge
19) Josh Smith
20) Marvin Williams
21) Gerald Wallace
22) Luol Deng
23) Andre Iguodala
24) Danny Granger
25) Al Horford

Reaction from Bill Simmons' Annual Trade Value Column

2007-12-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the link for the column:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/071218

Some parts I really liked:

-When you strike the jackpot with a first-round pick in the 20s, it's like a double jackpot because you're locking up a young contributor at an obscenely low price. To wit: Rondo (No. 21 in 2006) and David Lee (No. 27 in 2005) make a combined $11 million total over the next three seasons.

This is a great point. Just looking at this years draft - Jeff Green was the fifth pick and Alando Tucker was the twenty-ninth pick. Green is scheduled to make $3,058,200 this year and more than fourteen million dollars over the first four years of his deal. Tucker stands to make $931,920 this year and less than six million dollars in the first four years of his deal. If Tucker becomes a significant player in their rotation, they are getting a guy who is wrapped up in a long-term deal for basically minimal money. Most likely, Green will play at or near contract level, but if he's a bust, then they are locked up in a long-term deal that could hamper their franchise. With Tucker, if he's bad, it makes a minor impact on the franchise.

-Andre Iguodala: This summer's Gerald Wallace, a quality supporting guy forced to become "The Guy" on a lottery team -- with bad results, of course -- who now wants to be overpaid because he was miscast for a few months as "The Guy." But wait, what would you have done without me. I carried us to 26 wins! Love that logic.

This is one point I often make when in discussions about players. If Andre Iguodala/Ron Artest/Luol Deng/Michael Redd/Gerald Wallace is your best player, you're probably not going to be a good team. Now of course, the exception is that you have a lot of players with equal talent level. However, this rule is generally correct.

Nevertheless, the point Simmons makes here is when a teams best player is looking for an extension and they are coming off a bad team, more logic needs to be used. Josh Smith in Atlanta, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon in Chicago, and Iguodala in Philadelphia are all up for extensions after this season. Each one of these four could be considered the best player on a potential non-playoff team. It'll be interesting to see how each general manager deals with the dilemma.

-25. Al Horford
His ceiling: Elton Brand with a better low-post game. I loved how he was traumatized by his inadvertent role in T.J. Ford's latest injury and spent most of the night with Ford at the hospital to make sure he was
24. Greg Oden
His ceiling: Patrick Ewing, only if Ewing had major wrist surgery and microfracture knee surgery before even playing an NBA game.
23. Josh Smith
His ceiling: Andrei Kirilenko with a better everything. Although the sourpuss worries me. Would you want to pay someone $75 million this summer when he always looks like he just finished watching that infamous Internet video that involves more than one girl and a cup?
22. Andrew Bynum
His ceiling: The NBA's best center not named "Dwight Howard" or "Yao Ming."
21. Al Jefferson
His ceiling: The next Kevin McHale, only if McHale couldn't guard anyone. Hey, did you enjoy how I broke the "don't compare white guys with black guys" media rule twice in the same section? I couldn't be prouder.

This is the main way I like to look at the NBA Draft. For a team like the Bulls who appeared to be ready to make a run for the championship, I was able to rationalize selecting a player with a low ceiling like Joakim Noah this year. They just needed to fill in some bench spots, so they selected a guy who would be ready immediately. The type of move I have a problem with is the type of decision Minnesota made in the 2005 draft.

Rather than selecting a guy with a higher ceiling like Danny Granger or Gerald Green, the Timberwolves chose Rashad McCants. McCants was an impact college player, who is clearly undersized and unable to standout in the NBA at the shooting position. He struggles to defend, had shown some selfishness, and isn't a great distributer.

The same arguement is there for the Hawks selection of Shelden Williams in the 2006 draft. Coming out of Duke, Williams was seen as a great rebounder, who worked hard. Most people though saw him to have a low ceiling because of a lack of athleticism and a knack for giving up big games to talented post players. He doesn't have a great deal of post moves and has passing ability had been questioned. The Hawks passed on two players with much higher ceilings - Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy. Both posses great size and athleticism and would fit well at the shooting guard or small forward spots in Atlanta.

Philadelphia Moving Andre Miller?

2007-12-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

Andre Miller is one of the most steady point guards in the NBA, averaging at least 13 points per game and 6 assists per game for every season since his second year in the league. Miller is stuck on a team that lacks talent and experience and most likely will not be participating in the playoffs this season. The 76ers have a handful of nice, young players, but are not ready to win yet.

With that in mind, it appears like Philadelphia will be looking to trade him before this years deadline. Miller is scheduled to make $9,366,666 in 2007-08 and $9,999,000 in 2008-09.

Here are a few teams that would be interested in him and have the assets to get him:

Orlando
Pat Garrity ($3,818,750, 1)
Carlos Arroyo ($4,000,000, 1
James Augustine ($687,456, 1)

Atlanta
Tyronn Lue ($3,500,000, 1)
Anthony Johnson ($2,860,000, 1)
Josh Childress ($3,631,449, 1)

Lakers
Trevor Ariza ($3,100,000, 1)
Javaris Crittenton ($1,285,200, 2)
Sasha Vujacic ($1,656,951, 1)
2008 first round pick

Denver
Anthony Carter ($770,610, 1)
Eduardo Najera ($4,952,380, 1)
J.R. Smith ($2,134,067, 1)
2008 first round pick

Cleveland
Miller & Louis Amundson ($687,456, 1)
for
Ira Newble ($3,441,900, 1)
Eric Snow ($6,703,125, 2)
Shannon Brown ($1,044,120, 1)

Each one of these trades would allow the 76ers to make a splash next season on the trade front of free agent market. Among the bigger names who will become restricted free agents next summer are Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala and Ben Gordon. Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest, Corey Maggette, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O'Neal, Baron Davis, and Elton Brand are all eligible to opt out of their contracts as well to become free agents.

With a season that looks like it could be a wash and Willie Green and Louis Williams currently in the fold and needing a legitimate look to be the point guard of the future, the 76ers should look to trade Andre Miller.

Charlotte and Detroit Swap

2007-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, the Detroit Pistons trade center Nazr Mohammed to the Charlotte Bobcats for forward Walter Hermann and center Primoz Brezec. My first reaction to this deal was: what is Charlotte thinking? Now that I have had two days to further consider the deal, my thought is: what is Charlotte thinking?

In this trade Detroit relieves themselves from Mohammed, who was a little used, overpaid big man that they clearly overpaid in July 2006 to replace Ben Wallace. Mohammed still has four years left on his deal with $5,632,200 in 2007-08, $6,049,400 in 2008-09, $6,466,600 in 2009-10, and $6,883,800 in 2010-11. Mohammed hasn't scored in double figures since the first half of 2004-05 when he played for the Knicks. Consistency has always been an issue with Mohammed who had a big 2000-01 with the Atlanta Hawks, but then never played at the same level for them again.

Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said, "We see this deal as a major improvement for the team. Not that we were down on Primoz and Walter, but we're trying to improve the Bobcats. We feel we've got a big guy that can come in and score in the post and help us with rebounding."

Unfortuantely, I doubt Mohammed will be the answer for Charlotte.

For Detroit, this trade was a no-brainer. Brezec will become the second big man off the bench for the Pistons playing behind Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, and Jason Maxiell. Brezec showed the ability to score nightly during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season. Herrmann also has shown an ability to score from both the small forward and power forward positions. In 2006-07, Herrmann played in 48 games for Charlotte, averaging 19.5 minutes per game, and 9.2 points per game. He can shoot the ball well from the perimeter, and defend well enough to play power forward. Herrmann brings a veteran leadership to a young Piston bench which includes: Arron Afflalo, Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and Cheick Samb.

Financially, this deal also made a great deal of sense for Detroit. Both Brezec and Hermann are in the final year of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents. Herrmann will make $1,944,000 this season and Brezec will earn $2,750,000. The Pistons will have the entire year to take a look at both players and see if they want to bring them back next season. In the meantime, they will bring further depth to a team who is looking to make a run in the playoffs.

In Mohammed, the Pistons will save more than $19,000,000 over the next three seasons. This factor is even bigger for Detroit than the talent upgrade they received in this trade. As key players like Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Lindsey Hunter, and Antonio McDyess get older, this will provide flexibility for Detroit to add key players down the road.

For Charlotte, I simply cannot understand this trade. At the time of the trade, the Bobcasts were 8-13 and had lost 2 of their last 10 games. Although they have some nice players, they are clearly not ready to compete for a playoff position. Furthermore, adding Nazr Mohammed and losing two potential key players is not a move I would have made. If Sam Vincent was unhappy with Brezec and Herrmann, then the Bobcats should have rode it out the rest of the year and then let the players leave in free agency. They would have saved close to $6,000,000 and been in position to add a player such as Antawn Jamison, who could score effectively in the post.

In my eyes, this trade allowed the rich to get richer, while the poor got poorer.

Bryan Colangelo Puts a Premium on Shooting

2007-12-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

Deep thoughts on how to succeed in the NBA
TheStar.com - Sports
December 05, 2007
Dave Feschuk

Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors general manager, got a phone call the other day. It was from an agent advertising the wares of a player possessed of qualities sorely missing from the Toronto roster this season, athleticism for one.

And though the GM wasn't interested for a list of reasons, the deal sealer, in some ways, was a simple truth: the free agent in question cannot shoot.

"If a guy can't shoot, I generally say ... `I'm not sure he can play with us,'" Colangelo said. "It's just the way the game has evolved."

Speaking of shooting, the league's 30 teams are on pace to take a record number of three-pointers this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Heading into last night's action, the average NBA game had seen the launch of about 36 three-point shots. That's two additional attempts per game over last season and about five more per game than in 2004-05, the season Steve Nash arrived in Phoenix and the Suns – who face the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre tonight – began popularizing the European-influenced drive-and-kick style that has since been embraced, to various degrees, by many other squads.

There's a good reason why the Suns – who are firing up about 23 three-pointers a game this season, third most in the league – have bred copycats. Shooting a lot of three-pointers appears to be good for the win-loss record.

This season, 12 teams, the Raptors among them, are averaging 20 three-point attempts per game when rounded to the nearest attempt. As of yesterday, those 12 teams had compiled a .603 winning percentage. The 12 teams taking the fewest three-pointers per game, in contrast, were a combined .401.

Maybe those numbers lie. But in a league rife with internationally bred marksmen, short on dominant post players and heavy on swarming help defence since zone coverage was legalized in 2001, perhaps it's not a stretch to suggest that if you don't shoot from deep, you'll be hard-pressed to compete.

Three-point accuracy is important, too. But the volume of three-point attempts seems to be a key factor in winning games. Even if a team shoots the current league average of 35.5 per cent from three-point range, that team would have to shoot 53.3 per cent on two-point attempts to produce the same number of points with the same number of shots. As of yesterday, the league average on two-point field goals was 47.8 per cent. So the three, if you're seeking bang for your chuck, is the more efficient option. The Raptors, who are shooting a league-best 43.3 per cent from behind the arc, would need to shoot 64.5 per cent from two-point range to get as much value per shot.

No team's success can be explained by one factor and you can't have an outside game without an inside game. The Suns and Raptors, like a lot of teams, rely on guard penetration to produce either an easy layup or a kick-out to an open gunner. And Toronto functions best when Chris Bosh becomes, as Colangelo terms it, "a magnet for the defense," drawing double coverage in the post.

"Then when you put three or four shooters (behind the three-point line) at any one time, the defence cannot guard everybody," Colangelo said. "You're going to get an open look."

The Raptors, bent on creating those open looks, don't suffer bricklayers gladly. Which is why Colangelo had some advice for the shooting-impaired client of the agent who called the other day. He suggested the guy go play in Europe so he could learn to play in the NBA.

"I told him, if he goes over to Europe, he can work on his skills," Colangelo said, "and he can come back more in tune with where the game is going."

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/282647

Dealing with Extensions

2007-12-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Inside Dish: Max money for the minimum number of players
Stan McNeal
The Sporting News
Posted: November 5, 2007

There were shockingly few contract extensions offered to the class of 2004 before last week's deadline--six in all and just one (Magic PF Dwight Howard) for max money. Left in the lurch were the likes of Bobcats PF Emeka Okafor, Bulls SG Ben Gordon, Bulls SF Luol Deng and 76ers SF Andre Iguodala. Those guys, and everyone else who did not get an extension, will become restricted free agents next summer. That means their current teams can match any offers they receive. "Teams approached it as, we can low-ball these guys now and still have complete control next summer," one agent says. "Why commit yourself to a big package now and leave yourself open to an injury when you can just do it next year?"

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=300268

Winning Now vs. Building for the Future

2007-11-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

After this summer's exile, which saw Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Juwan Howard, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson, Mike James, and Kevin Garnett all come-and-go, it was widely believed that Minnesota was ready to start fresh and rebuild with young, exciting players. Through six games, Minnesota stands at 1-5 with their only win taking place at home against the 2-6 Sacramento Kings.

Some may say it is too early for a team to throw in the towel on a season and begin exclusively playing young players. In Minnesota, I say it is time to do so. Attempt to package Theo Ratliff's $11,666,666 salary with Antoine Walker ($8,547,000 with one year after this remaining). Look to move Marko Jaric (about $27,000,000 over the next four years) to a team looking for scoring from the point guard position. If they cannot move Walker, then it is time to buy him out. Minnesota should target a young wing player who can score or a legitimate center that can help them in the future.

Among the team leaders in minutes played, Ratliff, Greg Buckner, and Marko Jaric all fall in the top seven. Why? Why is Walker getting more than 15 minutes per game? The Timberwolves have put together a nice, promising core that needs experience and growth. Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, and Gerald Green are all promising players all 25 years old or younger.

The coaches and management need to let these kids play together for extended time. This way, after the season, Kevin McHale and the rest of the management can accurately access what they have. Each one of these players have questions around them, but if they do not get extended time this year, then they will not be able to answer them:

Can Jefferson be a superstar or more of a second leading scorer?
Can Telfair run an NBA team
Is Gomes more than just a hustle player?
Is Foye a point guard or undersized shooting guard?
Will McCants ever be more than what he is today?
Can Brewer be counted on to score consistently in the NBA?
Do Smith's abilities extend beyond rebounding and post defense?
Is Green a potential 20 point per night guy?

However, if Minnesota continues to play some of their veterans significant minutes, then the team will not be able to determine what they have and what they need. This is an important season for Minnesota in the start of their rebuilding and they cannot waste it away.

Catching Up from the Weekend

2007-11-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

-I am happy to say I missed Saturday night's Bulls-Raptors blowout at the United Center. Apparently during the second half, fans started booing and then chanted "Ko-be, Ko-be". What a disaster.

-The rest of the month has the Bulls playing six road games and a home game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Suns, Clippers, Lakers, Nuggets, Knicks, and Raptors make up the Bulls longest roadtrip of the season. It certainly is likely the Bulls may end with something like a 3-10 November, which would seriously handicap their chances of winning the Eastern Conference.

-During the offseason and then preseason, we heard a lot that J.J. Redick would be playing significant minutes with the Magic under new coach Stan Van Gundy. Through seven Magic games, Redick has only appeared in two games and has not scored a point this season.

-At this point, I would say the five best teams are: Boston, San Antonio, Houston, Phoenix, and Utah. The bottom five teams are: Seattle, Golden State, Memphis, Miami, and Washington.

-Though it is still early, Rajon Rondo has done a great job at point guard for the Celtics. He has taken care of the ball on offense, forced turnovers on defense, and has scored more than ten points per game in a majority of games. However, the one close game the Celtics have played in this year against the Raptors, was Rondo's worse of the season by far. Rondo struggled to be effective and scored only two points and had two assists, while failing to score from the field and having five fouls. So it looks like, as Rondo goes, the Celtics will go this season.

-I caught the last five minutes of the Kings-Cavaliers game late Friday night. LeBron James completely took over and Cleveland pulled out the win. The big story in my mind was Sacramento’s execution down the stretch. With twelve seconds left to play and down two points, Sacramento’s top scoring option, Kevin Martin, was isolated in transition one-on-one on the left wing. Furthermore, there was only one other Cavalier defender within the three point line. Instead of letting Martin go at his defender and trying to send the game to overtime, Kings coach Reggie Theus called a time. Out of the timeout, Martin was defended by LeBron James, who did not bite on a pump fake and ultimately forced Martin into taking a forced three point attempt that fell short. Theus clearly cost his team a chance to pull out a victory by over-coaching the situation.

11/8/07 Bulls vs. Pistons

2007-11-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

I'll be leaving thoughts tonight here throughout the game. The Bulls are still looking for their first win and tonight they play the undefeated Detroit Pistons. Tonight's game is apart of a TNT doubleheader.

-In the pregame, Charles Barkley said that it is a "copout" to use distractions of the Kobe Bryant trade rumors as the reason for the Bulls' rough start. I couldn't agree more with Barkley on this.

-The Luol Deng-Tayshaun Prince matchup will be especially interesting. Both are long and versatile players who play tough defense. It will be important for Deng to start out the game strong and continue the momentum from his strong game Tuesday night against the Clippers.

-How come we haven't heard about Chris Webber's plans for this season? He is still a free agent and could be a great fit with the Pistons again this season. Webber brings the passing ability from the post that they do not have from any of their current big men. Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Antonio McDyess, Nazr Mohammed, and Rasheed Wallace is a nice collection of post players, but they lack that extra veteran that Webber would bring. Mohammed is signed to a long-term contract, but he brings very little to the team. The Pistons thought that Mohammed would bring rebounding and shot blocking, but they have not gotten any consistency in either area. Beyond Detroit, you would think Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston, New Jersey, Orlando, and the Lakers were have interest in bringing Webber in.

-Although he's had some character issues in the past and picks up way too many technical fouls, Rasheed Wallace has an incredibly high basketball IQ. He knows exactly how to play basketball and is great at identifying mismatches for himself and others. Wallace simply has a great feel for the game.

-Tyrus Thomas often gets too excited after he makes a great play and does too much. This happens most frequently when he'll steal the ball on one end and then try to bring the ball down himself and turn the ball right back over. Thomas needs to get the ball to a guard and continue down court and try to get rewarded with a dunk or easy basket.

-On a positive note for Thomas, he has shown some moves on offense tonight that he hasn't shown before. On one play early, Thomas recognized a slower defender on him, dribbled hard to the left and finished at the basket. On another play, Thomas caught the ball in the post, crab-dribbled twice and turned and scored on a baby hook. This is the type of offensive development the Bulls need to see from Thomas to become a legitimate starting power in the NBA.

-It is alarming to see the differences between an NBA game called on Comcast versus on TNT. Listening to Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins you actually learn things and they identify things you hadn't seen before. With Johnny "Red" Kerr, Tom Dore, and Stacey King, there is very little analysis and a lot of easy criticism. Everything they talk about is "energy" and "hustle" and basketball, especially in the NBA, is much more complex than that. The TNT broadcast is simply a higher level of thinking and analyzing than the regular Bulls Comcast broadcast.

-The Bulls defensively continue to struggle in doubling in the post and fronting post players. They are not rotating well and get burned on it continually. Tonight, Rasheed Wallace is single handidly carrying the Pistons. In previous games this year, Vince Carter and Michael Redd took advantage of small defenders and set themsevles up in the post and the Bulls struggled to handle this situations effectively.

-Doug Collins said he believes the Bulls' struggles are simply due to "missing shots" and "not finishing games". I couldn't agree with him more. He feels like they could have won three of the four games they've played this season and seems to be optimistic on his thoughts around the Bulls. Outside of the 76ers game where they were outscored in the second half by ten points, they have been right there at the end of each game. In New Jersey, the Bulls couldn't convert on a game winning possession. In Milwaukee, the Bulls were down five points with the ball with just under two minutes left. Against the Clippers, the Bulls were up by four with four minutes left, but then did not make another field goal the rest of the game. Although they are winless, they have not played as bad as some have made them out to have played.

-The Bulls are up six points right now with eight minutes left in the game. For Chicago to hold on and get their first win, they need to defend Rasheed Wallace effectively and rotate well off him. On offense, they need their big three of Hinrich, Gordon, and Deng need to stay aggressive.

-Andres Nocioni's three point attempts during his four years with the Bulls, coming into tonight: 2004-05 - 1.20
2005-06 - 2.90
2006-07 - 3.94
2007-09 - 5.00.
I question why he has become less aggressive going to the basket and has been settling for three point shots. I can understand taking a three off one of the guards' penetration, but a lot of his three point shots have been forced.

-Tonight was Luol Deng's best night scoring from the post position or low block. He has great balance and a large wingspan and really takes advantage of that. One problem thus far has been when the opposition sends a double team he does not recognize it well. This should be corrected as he and the rest of the team becomes more experienced with Deng in that spot. Another reason the Bulls have not had as much success with Deng in the post position is because of difficulty throwing the entry pass. This seems like a fundamental issue to me, but the Bulls have had a handful of turnovers trying to get Deng the ball on the block.

-With four minutes left in the game and the Bulls up five, it's interesting to see that Scott Skiles is going with Joe Smith over Ben Wallace. Smith has been the Bulls' most consistent big man this season and he has a hot hand tonight. Hopefully, he will continue to knock down the midrange shot in the next several minutes and the Bulls will come away with the victory.

-The Bulls came away tonight with the victory because they got big stops when they needed it. It really felt like a playoff atmosphere tonight at the United Center, and I am sure everyone within the organization is relieved to get their first win. However, they can't enjoy it for long because they have to come back and play Toronto on Saturday night before going on the road for six consecutive games.

Taking a Look Back to Draft Night

2007-11-08T08:47:00.001-08:00

After seeing Zach Randolph score 22 points and pull down 17 rebounds in a Knicks win over the Nuggets on Tuesday night, it certainly got me thinking. Perhaps after this awful start, John Paxson regrets not pulling the trigger to acquire Randolph on draft night this past summer.

At only 26, Randolph could have been the Bulls answer for a post man for the next ten years. Although he clearly has had some off the court issues previously, the Bulls today have a team with no players of questionable character. Maybe in a different situation and environment, Randolph would have been different.

During his last four seasons in Portland, Randolph averaged between 17-24 points per game, 8-11 rebounds per game, and around 2 assists per game. These type of numbers that Randolph has put up in the past is certainly consistency in the post that the Bulls have not had in a very long time. In fact, the Bulls have not gotten more than 20 points per game in a season from the power forward spot since 1985-86 from Orlando Woolridge.

The Knicks acquired Randolph in a package along with Dan Dickau, Fred Jones, and the draft right to Demetris Nichols. In the trade, New York gave Steve Francis, Chaning Frye, and a 2008 secound round draft pick to Portland. Without giving it much thought, I would think the Bulls could have swung together a package more attractive than what New York gave up. With the rights to P.J. Brown, the rights to the ninth pick in the draft, Chris Duhon, and several other trading pieces, you would think the opportunity to acquire Randolph would have been there.

Instead, Paxson and the Bulls wonder how a lineup of Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Zach Randolph, and Ben Wallace would have fared.

11/6/07 Bulls vs. Clippers

2007-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Last night the Bulls tried to get their first victory of the season when they hosted the undefeated Los Angeles Clippers. My thoughts before, during, and after the game:

-Early on, it looked like it would be the night for the Bulls to get their first win. On the first possesion, Luol Deng passed it into to Tyrus Thomas for a dunk. On the other end, Deng blocked a short jumper by Corey Maggette and then hit a midrange shot to give the Bulls a quick lead. Deng, Gordon, and Hinrich all looked good from the start and it appeared the Bulls would get the win. Unfortunately, Cuttino Mobley did not miss a shot in the first half (10-10) and the Bulls were down five points at halftime.

-I think the Bulls need to change up their starting lineup, if for nothing else, just to give a different look. I would pull Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas from the starting lineup and go with Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith. In the last two games, Smith has played 51 minutes, scored 31 points, and grabbed 17 rebounds. He has arguably been the best player on the team thus far. In Sefolosha, the Bulls would have more size in the backcourt, so that Hinrich does not have to defend the other team's best guard. It would allow Hinrich to avoid early foul trouble and get his offensive game back on track. Moving Thomas to the bench would allow them to bring more athleticism into the game later on and simply give another look. Gordon actually had a higher scoring average last season when coming off the bench, so clearly it is a role he is accustomed to. This is probably not a long-term solution, but with Detroit and Toronto coming up later this week and then a six game road trip, the Bulls need to turn around their November fortunes quickly.

-By my estimation, a majority of the Bulls problems have been on the offensive end, but as I have said, some of that is fueled by the defense. Hinrich has picked up the third most fouls in the league with 19, first among guards. This foul trouble has clearly affected him on the offensive end.

-In their four games, the Bulls have played a variety of different guards, but in nearly each case, they have had a better than average game. Part of this scoring efficiency for the opponents guards has been a great number of free throw attempts. If the Bulls want to start winning games, they need to limit the production of the opposing teams' guards. Below I posted a table I put together showing that only Mo Williams of the Bucks has not exceeded his 2006-07 averages when playing the Bulls this year:

(The italics show that the opponent's averages were tied in their game against the Bulls.)

-One of the bright spots last night was a great game by Luol Deng. Deng played almost 45 minutes and scored 22 points on 17 shots from the field. He went four for four from the free throw line, had eight rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocked shots. When Deng plays like this, it is understandable why Kobe Bryant has an interest in playing on the team with him.

-I'm not sure why the Bulls commentators didn't make a bigger deal out of this, but in the final four minutes of the game, the Bulls did not make a single field goal. Their only points in the last four minutes came on two free throws from Ben Gordon.

Other NBA thoughts from last night:

-It appears that Anderson Varejao is not willing to accept a one year deal for $5,000,000 from Cleveland. Reports have said that even if Varejao signed a contract today, he would not be ready to play as he has not maintained proper conditioning. The team has been getting good rebounding from Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, and LeBron James, but Varejao brings much needed post defense. Even if Varejao is not ready until midseason, they will need him for the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Boris Diaw, and Al Harrington have all had big games so far this year against Cleveland. With Varejao apart of the squad, Cleveland would have another big body to provide defensive resistance.

-The Nets look like they will contend for the Eastern Conference title this year. Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, and Jason Kidd continue to make a great trio, and Antoine Wright looks like he has really developed into an effective scorer off the bench. In a playoff series though, I still doubt they have enough inside, but for the regular season, I like their chances of finishing in the top four.

-The Heat are most likely going to force Dwyane Wade back early. After three games, they have not come away with a win, losing to Detroit, Indiana, and Charlote. Without Ricky Davis' 16 points per game, it really would be ugly thus far for the Heat. With the Spurs and Suns up next for the Heat, an 0-5 start is certainly likely. Shaquille O'Neal has picked up a great deal of fouls, Smush Parker looks like a mistake already, Anfernee Hardaway has not provided the scoring punch they hoped for, and Jason Williams has struggled mightily from the field.

Off Day NBA Thoughts

2007-11-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

On a Bulls off day and only one game occuring tonight, I wanted to record some random league thoughts I had:

-During Scott Skiles’ three full seasons as the Bulls head coach, the team has started off very slowly. It is probably impossible to determine if this is the fault of the players, coaches, management, scheduling or a combination of all, but it certainly is frustrating for everyone involved. In the 2004-05 season, the Bulls lost their first nine games and after 15 games they were only 2-13. In 2005-06, after ten games the teams record was 5-5. Last season, the Bulls were 3-7 after ten games and started the season with a 3-9 record before they turned things around. The Bulls have an important week ahead of them (Clippers, Pistons, Raptors) before they begin a six game road stand. They need to pickup their play very quickly, starting tomorrow night when they face the Clippers.

-Richard Jefferson certainly looks healthy for the first time in awhile after only playing in 55 regular season games last season. Jefferson scored 29 points in his first game against the Bulls, 27 against the Raptors, and 22 in his most recent game at Philadelphia.

-Kevin Durant has the chance to easily win the Rookie of the Year this season. With limited talent around him on Seattle's roster, Durant will be taking a great deal of shots and will play a lot of minutes. After three games, he has taken more than 19 shots more than the next player on his team.

-A key reason for the Wizards struggles so far this season is the amount of turnovers committed by their key players. Caron Butler leads the league in turnovers per game and Gilbert Arenas is in fifth in that category.

-Chris Paul looks like he's ready to take back the position of top rookie in the 2005 class from Deron Williams. Paul is fearless going to the basket and looks like he has improved his perimeter shooting. In addition, he has been getting to the free throw line a great deal.

-I don't want to hear anything more about the Bulls not playing with enough "energy". Their failures this season go much further than effort or energy concerns. Ben Wallace has not put up big rebounding numbers once this year, Tyrus Thomas continues to play inconsistently, Luol Deng has not shot the ball well from the field, Andres Nocioni is taking too many three point shots, Ben Gordon has not shown a sense of urgency until the second half, Kirk Hinrich has struggled from the field and picked up too many fouls, and Joe Smith appears to just be getting back into playing shape. They have not won a game yet this year because of a lack of energy, but because they have not executed well.

"Extreme Makeover"

2007-11-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

"Extreme Makeover"
By Ian Thomsen
Sports Illustrated
October 29, 2007

In a span of 33 days this summer Celtics G.M. Danny Ainge pulled off two megadeals that reversed the course of his stumbling franchise, bringing together three All-Stars who have Boston thinking championship again. Here's how he did it.

Available at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/10/23/extreme.makeover1029/index.html

John Paxson's Approach to Restricted Free Agents

2007-11-05T09:28:00.001-08:00

Since the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement took place, the idea of "restricted" free agents is one that I believe many teams have struggled to manage correctly. John Paxson, the Chicago Bulls general manager, clearly has a philosophy to this.

Here is a generic procedure to explain how a player evolves from being drafted to entering into the restricted free agent process:

Player A is drafted
Player A plays three NBA seasons
Before the first game of Player A's fourth season, they have the opportunity to sign an extension with the team.
Once the first game begins in Player A's fourth season, they cannot sign an extension until the end of that season.
After Player A's fourth season, he can either:
a) Accept his current teams' one-year qualifying offer
b) Sign a long-term extension with his current team
c) Sign an offer sheet with another NBA team (current team has 10 days to match the new NBA teams' offer, decline the offer sheet and allow him to sign with the new team, or work out a sign-and-trade between the teams)

Now, most teams once they become a restricted free agent after the third season look around, get impatient, and sign the player to a new contract - often for an exorbitant amount of money.

Paxson's approach is much more patient and sensible. After that third season, Paxson offers the player a long-term contract that is non-negotiable. The player and his agent must choose to simply take it or leave it. In the case of Kirk Hinrich, he took the long-term agreement. With Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, they decided against accepting the agreement.

Paxson's way of thinking is that if they accept it, then he probably is saving himself money on the backend. If they decline the first offer, then he has another season to evaluate that player before deciding whether to sign a long-term agreement. In addition, once the player finishes his fourth season, then he still holds their rights as a restricted free agent. This means that no matter what, he will not simply lose the asset.

Even if he decides that they are not worth the money they are looking for, he still holds that players' rights and can work out a trade to receive compensation. Additionally, he allows that player and their agent to find out if a better contract is out there from another team, but still has the ability to then match that offer and bring that player back. Now that Paxson's philosophy on this is known around the league, the player frequently does not receive any offers from another team because it is assumed that the Bulls will simply match the offer so that player is not worth their time and effort.

Ben Gordon stated his groups negotiation with Paxson and the Bulls best when he said, "It was never really a negotiation. It was kind of like take it or leave it. I didn't sign it, so I guess it's safe to say I never considered taking it."

Although this hardball-type stance may not be appreciated by some players, it is the most sensible financial and business stance.

11/3/07 - Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks

2007-11-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Milwaukee for the Bulls third game of the season. Coming in, both the Bulls and Bucks were 0-2. The game was the Bucks home opener and the Bulls were playing the backend of a back-to-back.

My Observations:
-The Bulls play with no sense of urgency until the fourth quarter. In thirteen quarters, they have a 5-8 quarter record. Though in the fourth quarter, the Bulls are 2-1, with their only fourth quarter loss being against the 76ers by one point.

-In his first season, if Yi Jianlian can master the pick-and-pop, he will be very valuable for the Bucks. Yi's best asset is clearly his mid-range jump shot. Running successful sets ending with Yi taking an open jump shot will give the Bucks another go-to beyond isolating Michael Redd.

-Charlie Villanueva appears to be the odd man odd out in Milwaukee. Villanueva really has never gotten a fair chance in Milwaukee and unless a major injury occurs, it looks like he won't get much of a chance again this year. He will be the primary backup behind Yi, but will not get a fair chance to get into the starting lineup.

-Michael Redd has really done a great job becoming a more well-rounded scorer. He now utilizes his superior size against his defenders to get the ball closer to the baseline in order to get a closer shot.

-Redd took Kirk Hinrich out of his game last night by his play on the offensive end. Hinrich was in foul trouble all night and after making his first two shots of the game, struggled to score the rest of the night. He ended with only six points and turned the ball over six times. Redd's ability to use his three inch size advantage to draw fouls on Hinrich changed the entire game for both teams.

-Luol Deng is still not playing his best so far this season. Maybe it is because of the distractions around a potential Kobe Bryant trade, but Deng has looked frustrated all season. This continued last night against the Bucks where he shot only 4 for 11 from the field and committed four fouls.

-Andres Nocioni is taking too many three pointers this year - five in the first game, eight in the second game, six in the third game. I have no problem taking the shots when he is open, but often times he is forcing shots up.

-Thabo Sefolosha has a great deal of potential, has great size and athleticism, and has shown the ability to be a great one-on-one defender. But at this point, unless he puts a lot of work into his shot, he won't be able to make that jump to the next level. His shot needs to be more fluid and may end up needing to be completely reworked.

-In his second stay with Milwaukee, the Bucks coaches and management clearly decided making Desmond Mason rework his free throw shot a priority. Before the game, he was working on his form and during the game, he went 3 for 4 from the free throw line.

-The Bucks have an odd roster. Their top nine players are fairly strong, but after that they have a huge dropoff. Guys like Royal Ivey, Michael Ruffin, David Noel, Avree Storey, Jake Voskuhl, and Ramon Sessions are all fringe NBA players.

Thoughts from Games on 11/2/07

2007-11-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched both the Celtics-Wizards and Bulls-76ers games. I was especially interested to see how the Celtics would play in their first game with Garnett and Allen. The Bulls played disappointingly in their first game against the Nets, so I was interested to see how they would play in their home debut against the 76ers.

My Observations:
-Tonight was certainly the best game of Tyrus Thomas' career. Although he still had a few defensive lapses and made some bad turnovers, he brought energy and athleticism to the team all night. He was active on the boards and had several mouth-opening blocked shots. It really looks like he has improved his jump shot, which will be pivotal in his development. If he can consistently knock down that mid-range shot, Thomas' potential is endless.

-Maybe it's because Thomas played so well, but I still expected the Bulls to get more offense from Joe Smith. I figured he could easily average ten points each game. It's early, but I'm already doubting my initial expectations.

-Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng really struggled tonight. For a perimeter shooter like Hinrich, his field goal percentage has never been as high as it needs to be. One reason may be because he has to exert so much on the defensive end, but long-term this is a concern. Especially in the first half, both struggled to get into any type of flow.

-Andre Miller has always been a real solid point guard. He probably has never gotten the credit he should get, but he is real steady and brings a lot to the table.

-Reggie Evans brings a nice dimension to the 76ers. He works hard on both ends of the court and is unselfish. On a team like the 76ers who have little experienced talent in the frontcourt, Evans could put up career highs in rebounds and points this season.

-If the Celtics can get the type of production they got tonight outside of the Big 3, they are going to be real tough to beat. Rajon Rando, Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, and Eddie House all gave them positive minutes. They don't need any of these guys to score a lot, just play hard and work on defense.

-What a night for Boston. It was truely a perfect start to the season as Garnett, Allen, and Pierce all played well and had the chemistry of a group that have played together for years. Garnett definitely started his MVP campaign on the right foot with this game line:
22 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

-Gilbert Arenas really struggled tonight to get into any kind of flow. He turned the ball over early and shot 5 for 20 from the field. The game ended with the Boston crowd chanting "Gilbert, Gilbert".

-The Celtics really dominated the Wizards in every aspect tonight. They lost by 20 points, shot 0 for 15 form the three-point line, only had 9 assists, and turned the ball over 19 times. Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood were the only Wizards to play effectively.

Articles on Daryl Morey

2007-11-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Below are two articles on Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey that I really enjoyed:

http://houstonpress.com/2007-11-01/news/rocket-science/full

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/ballz/2007/11/outtakes_daryl_morey_couldve_b.php

Battier's Contribution to His Team

2007-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Shane Battier by the Numbers
Beyond stats, there's stats
By Jason Friedman
Published: November 1, 2007

The Rockets are pouring a large amount of money into statistical analysis. Whether or not you think it's a wise investment probably depends upon your opinion of Shane Battier.

Battier enjoyed a wildly successful college career at Duke University, where he led the Blue Devils to one national championship and a pair of Final Four appearances. In 2001, Battier swept the major National Player of the Year awards on his way to becoming a Memphis Grizzly, when that team selected him with the sixth overall pick of the NBA draft.

Since then, Battier has averaged more than ten points a game only once, and that came in his rookie year. His career high per-game rebounding average also occurred during his first season in the league. To be sure, he is a versatile defender and a heady player, one who overcomes his lack of athleticism through discipline and hustle. You'd never label him a bust, but — in the traditional view — you'd never call him a special player either. A stat line of ten points, five boards and two assists doesn't exactly get the heart racing.

But the Rockets didn't care about those numbers. They were focused on something else entirely, something that most definitely made their blood pump a little faster. Here's a small glimpse at what they saw:

When Battier was on the court, his team

• Scored more

• Rebounded better

• Fouled less

• Allowed fewer points

• Shot better

• Decreased their opponent's shooting percentage

In other words, he was exactly the type of player the numbers said they had to have.

"He definitely stood out in all the methods we use," says Morey. "He's someone who creates a large margin over who he's guarding. In the NBA, it's not how many points you score, it's what you do with each time down the floor. And when Shane uses a possession, it's always a high number of points are scored. And when Shane's guarding someone, not many points are scored when the other team uses the possession on the other end of the floor. When he played versus not over his years in Memphis, the team was about eight points per game better, a very significant margin."

http://houstonpress.com/2007-11-01/news/shane-s-game/print

Thoughts from Last Night's NBA Games

2007-11-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the Bulls go on the road to play the Nets on my big TV with the Cavs-Mavericks and then Nuggets-Sonics on my small TV. Unlike the previous night with the Rockets-Lakers game, these games certainly had a first night feel to them.

My Observations:
-The Bulls certainly did not come out in the first half ready to play last night against the Nets. Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson were running all over the Bulls and they were showing very little resistance. The most disappointing thing about it was all the dunks and layups the Nets were getting.

-It seems like each time the Bulls play the Nets, not only do they lose, but they let one of their players outside of their big three score a handful of points. In the past it had been mediocre big men like Mikki Moore and last night it was Antoine Wright scoring 21 points.

-I think I was wrong about Josh Boone. I thought he would come in and bring a lot defensively and on the glass to the Nets. Instead, he looks lost and even airballed a free throw in last nights game.

-If the Bulls are going to have success with the team as currently orchestrated, they are going to need to get more from the power forward position. Tyrus Thomas and Joe Smith's combined line:
45 minutes, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 fouls, 10 points

-Thomas and Smith at the power forward position need to bring at least double the amount of points and more blocked shots and rebounds for the Bulls to really have this power forward-by-committee thing really work effectively.

-The Sonics are going to be a bad team this year. Damien Wilkins is a nice scorer and could be a sixth or seventh man on a championship team, but if he is your leading scorer, then you will be ending the season with a ton of lottery balls.

-It's interesting to see how quickly Luke Ridnour has fallen in Seattle's organization. Not long ago, he was a member of the U.S. National team. Last night, he got a "DNP-Coaches Decision". The team clearly played a lot better when Delonte West was in the game than when Earl Watson was directing the offense. West is a bigger guard who can do more things on the court than Watson. I would say that it won't be too much longer before West is playing the majority of the minutes at point guard for Seattle.

-Hubie Brown made a point about Chris Wilcox last night that he could be a 20-and-10 guy this year. Though this is probably a stretch, he did average 13.5 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. With a lack of talent and competition in Seattle, Wilcox should put up career highs this season.

-With Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson playing at their best, nobody can stop the Nuggets. Yakhouba Diawara also complements the duo well because of his size and defensive abilities. With two of the top scorers in the league in the backcourt there is no need for any scoring punch from the guy next to them. Therefore, Diawara is a great fit and could be a key compenent to Denver's success.

-With the Bulls game on, I wasn't able to focus much on the Cavaliers-Mavericks game, but from what I did see, the Cavaliers may really struggle at the start of the season. They looked completely lost on offense and LeBron James did not score in the first half. They played a little better in the third quarter, but by that point the game was already decided. Perhaps they miss the energy of Anderson Varejo, who is still in a contract dispute with the team. Sasha Pavlovic also did not play last night because he just signed his new contract. However, I doubt either of these teams will be the solution to Cleveland's offensive woes.

-I like the idea of playing Jason Terry as their sixth man, but I don't know long-term how realistic it is. At some point in the season, I would expect Jerry Stackhouse (32) and Eddie Jones (36) to show their age and begin to deteriorate. At that point, Terry would have to move back into the starting lineup.

Kobe-Bulls Update

2007-10-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Reports out of Chicago are saying that a three-team trade is on the table for Kobe Bryant to approve within the next 48 hours. The trade includes the Bulls and Lakers and now also the Sacramento Kings. With Kings point guard Mike Bibby out six to ten weeks with a left thumb ligament injury and a roster of players either past their prime or vastly inexperienced, the Kings most likely are looking to shake up their roster.

The reports only mention Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest as the primary members. So, I spent some time looking at possible three-way trades and here is the best that I could come up with:

Chicago gets: Kobe Bryant ($19,490,625) and Jordan Farmar ($1,009,560)
Sacramento gets: Ben Gordon ($4,881,669), Joakim Noah ($2,135,400), Viktor Khryapa ($1,928,598)
Los Angeles gets: Kirk Hinrich ($11,250,000), Ron Artest ($7,400,000), Adrian Griffin ($1,593,000), Chicago future first round pick.

With this trade the Bulls would automatically become a contender to win the championship. They would maintain a core of Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni, and add in Kobe Bryant. Role players such as Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith would also play a critical role. Although the Bulls currently constructed are a nice team that may compete for the Eastern conference title, this team post-Kobe trade would compete for the title. And as I always stress, each year your goal is exactly that -to compete for the championship.

In Sacramento and Los Angeles, this trade allows both teams to rebuild their roster without falling too hard. Sacramento gets another scorer to play next to Kevin Martin, another young big man in Noah, and cap flexiblity next season when Khryapa's contract expires. The Lakers acquire two starters and some flexibility for the future. Hinrich and Artest would team with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to create a nice core for the Lakers to build around.

Big Market Teams Utilizing Their Deap Pockets

2007-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a portion of a column that Bill Simmons wrote the other day after the Boston Red Sox won the world series. It touches on how franchises with large budgets should spend their money and how they have gone about it in the past. He makes a point that I never really thought about:

Not only are the people running professional sports teams getting smarter and smarter, but some franchises with deep pockets have figured out it's better to funnel that money into development and scouting instead of just overpaying veterans for splashy, "quick-fix" signings. After the NBA Draft in June, a friend who works for another team fretted that Portland had finally figured out how to spend Paul Allen's money: Instead of handing out lavish extensions to the likes of Darius Miles and Zach Randolph, the Blazers started buying extra first-round picks and even stashing prospects in Europe, with the long-term goal to maintain financial flexibility, build around young stars (Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden) and stockpile as many assets as possible. My friend was petrified of a Portland resurgence, pointing out it's one thing to have a significant financial advantage; it's another thing to know what you're doing with that significant financial advantage.

In the old days, big-market teams spent money like rappers happily spending record royalties, especially in baseball, where ludicrous contracts have been handed out for 31 years and counting (Barry Zito for $126 million???). Even if Boston GM Theo Epstein has a mixed record with free-agent signings (and that's being kind), his overall mindset hasn't wavered since 2003: build up the farm system, build up scouting, don't give away younger assets unless you're getting a blue-chipper back (such as Beckett), don't mortgage the future for one season. You can't argue with the 2007 results or the long-term outlook. I grew up watching Boston teams that threw money at the wrong guys, traded the wrong guys and never seemed to have more than a few blue-chipper prospects per decade. The only other time in my life when the Sox had a perfect blend of young guys and older guys was 1975 -- the World Series team that featured Freddie Lynn, Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk and Luis Tiant -- and the front office botched that situation within a few discouraging years.