The Economy and the NBA Volume II

Lamar Odom just resigned with the Lakers and it seems as if most of the major pieces are falling into place for the upcoming season. Today I take a look at two similar teams in the West who are willing to spend money but haven’t used it wisely.

The Dallas Mavericks

Off-Season Moves- If nothing else I think that Mark Cuban has proved that this recession doesn’t affect the super rich. Cuban has long vowed to be active in the 2009 free agent market in the hope that he would catch other teams sleeping, and he has lived up to his word. Dallas has committed over $80 million towards their roster for next season, including resigning Jason Kidd, and saving the artist once known as Shawn Marion from oblivion. They also inked Quiton Rosss, and what at this point must be the disembodied voice of Tim Thomas (somewhere Derrick Coleman saw that deal and paused for just a second.) But perhaps the biggest splash the Mavericks made was the one that got away, in Marcin Gortat.

Projected Lineup

PG- Jason Kidd

SG- Josh Howard

SF- Shawn Marion

PF- Dirk Nowitzki

C- Eric Dampier

Bench- Terry, and Barea.

What This Means For The Fans- Well Cuban was good to his word, but I don’t understand the Marion signing. Did Marion’s agent burn every tape of him playing the last 2 years? Marion’s game is based almost completely on athleticism, and he has really lost a step or two or twelve. Also is this team ready to bench Dampier for good? Obviously their best lineup would be with Howard and Marion on the wings, Terry and Kidd in the backcourt, and Dirk at center. But playing Dirk at the 5 basically concedes that every team will be allowed to get the rim, while the Mavs try to get it back on the other end. That strategy may work with a coach like Don Nelson or Mike D’Antoni, but Rick Carlisle has always been known as a defensive oriented coach. Not exactly an ideal situation.

For all the money that Cuban spent this off-season, the team is still really weak off the bench. Does Carlisle really intend to float Tim Thomas’ corpse out there? I should hope not. That means his frontcourt options are down to Kris Humphries, Shawne Williams and Ryan Hollins. Yikes. I think I was one of the few people who liked the Gortat signing for Dallas. Gortat is mobile and athletic enough to protect the rim on defense, while finishing alley-oops from Kidd on the offense. Basically he’s everything that Dampier is not. For the mid-level exception I thought that was a great move.

Verdict- Well at least Cuban is trying, but for all the money spent the Mavs still don’t belong among the West’s elite. That flushing sound you hear is another year of Dirk’s prime circling down the drain.

The New Orleans Hornets

Off-Season Moves- After their surprising run in 2007-2008 the Hornets took a major step backwards last year. Every article I see about this team is that they’re hemorrhaging money and just barely hanging on in New Orleans. Obviously the big trade they made this off-season was swapping out Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor in a move that was aimed more at saving $2 million than winning a championship. Other than that they watched Jannero Pargo, their spark off the bench in 2008 return . . . to the Bulls, and picked up the always disappointing and undersized Ike Diogu. Not exactly stellar work.

In the draft they ended up with Darren Collison who I think is this years Mario Chalmers, an underappreciated winner in college who is solid enough to run the show in the NBA.

Projected Lineup

PG- Chris Paul

SG- Morris Peterson

SF- Peja Stojacovich

PF- David West

C- Emeka Okafor

Bench- Posey, Butler, Armstrong, Collison.

What This Means For The Fans- I think it means that the Hornets won’t be helping anyone forget about Hurricane Katrina this winter. If you still don’t have plaster on your walls, then I doubt this team will provide an extended run through the playoffs to take your mind off it. It’s frustrating because Chris Paul can be dominant, but not when he’s paired with Morris Peterson in the backcourt. Hell, I don’t even know if Mo Pete will play this year. I just threw that one out there because they don’t really have any other pure SGs on the roster, but the guy sucks. You know who else sucks? Peja, he looked completely washed up last year. But at least David West is one of the most unde. . . oh wait, nope he just became overrated. Posey’s intangibles really only help when he can be the 6 or 7^th guy on a team. When he’s your 4^th best player you’re in for trouble. The Hornets have some pieces but not the right ones. With Peja and Peterson due over $42 million for the next two years while basically just filling the line at the team buffet, this will probably be a lost season for the Hornets. Maybe they can flip those 2 expiring contracts next year for a shooting guard with a pulse.

Verdict- Who knows how long this team will be able to stick in NO. Their payroll is almost $80 million next year, but most of it is dead weight. Like the Mavs they’re in limbo out West; not good enough to contend for the title, and not bad enough to land a decent lottery pick.

-Jesse

Next Up Spurs and Bucks.

The Economy and the NBA Volume I

What a long strange trip this off-season has been (yeah I’m a hack I know. I embrace it.) Many teams are stuck in limbo as they try to avoid the luxury tax and shed contracts in hope of making a push next year during the summer of LeBron. This has led to more than a few teams simply throwing in the towel on the upcoming season, and hope that their fans are satiated with talk of Wade, Bosh or LeBron. However a few organizations have realized that the 2009-2010 season still counts and are making a push to build a championship contender.

So for the next couple of days, or until I get bored, I’m going to break down the off-season so-far for one team trying to win now, and one content to just tread water.

The Philadelphia 76ers

Off-Season Moves- In the last 3 years Philly fans have seen their team trade one the most popular players in franchise history (AI,) reemerge as a competitive team who runs the floor, hiccup when they signed Elton Brand, and then reestablish themselves on the fast break once Brand got injured. This off-season however the Sixers have been unable to sustain the momentum they built after Brand went down. Arguably the most important piece of the Sixers running attack was point guard Andre Miller. He was the guy who made everything go, and Philly’s brass decided he wasn’t worth more than a one-year deal.

This means that for better or worse the Louis Williams era is now. One of the last guys to slip into the draft before Stern enacted the age limit, Williams has shown flashes, and was at times spectacular off the bench last year. However his game is scoring, not facilitating. Same goes for his apparent backup in the rookie out of UCLA Jrue Holliday.

Projected Lineup

PG- Louis Williams

SG- Andre Igoudala

SF- Thaddeus Young

PF- Elton Brand

C- Sam Dalembert

Bench- Kapono, Holliday, Speights

What this means for the fans- If you put Miller back on this team, this is a squad that can compete in the East. It is asking a lot of Williams to go from a SG off the bench to running the show on a team trying to win an NBA championship. I mean that’s the goal right? I guess not in Philly. With under $60 million committed to the payroll this season, and other teams afraid to pull the trigger before the free agent bonanza of 2010, this could have been a big year for Philly. Instead the fans will be stuck watching a rudder-less ship as Elton Brand lumbers up and down the court.

Verdict- Their head is above water for now, but losing Miller hurts, and losses won’t increase ticket sales. I bet Philly has a whole team of interns manning ESPN’s trade machine trying to find a scenario in which they can rid themselves of Brand.

The Portland Trailblazers

Off-Season Moves- Yikes! This team has come such a long way from the jailblazers squad that terrorized the Pacific Northwest. Quick, guess how much the Blazers have committed against the cap this year . . . $55 freaking million. Quick, guess who is their highest paid player . . . Darius freaking Miles. That’s right Miles finally comes off the books after this year, as do most of the players on the payroll. Next year the Blazers have only committed to around $19 million in contracts, not including very team friendly options for Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, and Nic Batum. Meaning that they are going to be able to resign Roy, plus Aldridge and still be HUGE players in the most exciting free agent pool of my life-time.

But all this flexibility in the future hasn’t come at the cost of winning now. The Blazer’s biggest move so far has been to lock up the aforementioned Andre Miller at $7 million for 2 years with a team option for a third year. You can’t tell me that teams out West aren’t shaking in their boots at the thought of Miller replacing Steve Blake. Yeah that’s right Steve Blake. Unless you were Steve Blake’s mom, or his agent I bet you didn’t realize that last year he was getting major minutes on a playoff team.

Projected Lineup

PG- Andre Miller

SG- Brandon Roy

SF- Martell Webster (Although Batum may push him)

PF- LaMarcus Aldridge

C- Greg Oden

Bench- Pryzbilla, Fernandez, Batum, Outlaw, Bayless.

What This Means For The Fans- Geez, that team is deep. They can bring in wave after wave of athletic wing players who can all shoot. The turn around this team has made is shocking, and even in a down economy they have handled the salary cap well enough that they were in a position to address their biggest need (a legitimate pg) while other teams were forced to stand pat or shed salary. Fans will be treated to an exciting team full of characters (in a good way for once,) that will be in a position to be contenders for years to come.

Verdict- Blazer’s owner Paul Allen is one of the richest men on the planet, but he hasn’t spent recklessly, and it should pay off as the Blazers are poised for a nice little run the next few years. For $7 million dollars Blazers fans will be treated to a player in Miller with a true pg skill set, hopefully he’ll throw in the hilariously bad corn rows for free. Cross your fingers.

-Jesse

Next Up: Dallas, and New Orleans

An Ode To Powe

With the Celtics’ signing of Rasheed Wallace and tendering an offer to Glen Big Baby Davis making him restricted free agent, it has become obvious that there was no longer a place on the payroll for Leon Powe. However unlike the roster, the space Leon occupied in my heart will not be so easily filled. The scrappy 2^nd round draft pick out of California was beloved in Boston for his physicality, work ethic, and stubborn belief that the only way to finish a drop step was with a hammer dunk. Even though the back-rimmed dunks may have outnumbered the made lay-ups, Boston fans were treated to a player who played his heart out every time he stepped on the floor. Leon’s season in 2009 was curtailed by knee injuries, and Big Baby’s emergence in the playoffs paved the way for Boston and Leon to part ways. Although Powe’s reign lasted only 3 short years, the man whom KG confused for a security guard when he first joined the Celtics will not be forgotten. So, as I often do in times of sadness and confusion, I turn to the ancient art of haiku to help soothe my scorched soul. Enjoy . . .

Leon, although six points a game was all you averaged

The Tommy points flowed towards you like a magnet to true north, and

No Celtic fan will forget the Walton you ravaged

Yes I realize that the haiku wasn’t in traditional 5-7-5 format. It’s called free form son! Look it up. It’s still better than J.J.’s work.

Jesse

Artest v. Kobe: Battle of the Crazy

It’s been almost a month since I wrote a post ridiculing Kobe Bryant. That’s far too long. Since Ron Artest signed with the Lakers last week I’ve noticed a whole lot of “If Ron-Ron can keep his head glued on straight the Lakers should cruise to the finals.” It seems that no one can mention Artest’s name without including the fact that he’s crazy. Yeah, yeah we get it, he went into the stands in Detroit and rolled some scared white folks. But that was four years ago, does Ron really still deserve this reputation as a head case? Kobe Bryant on the other hand just won his first solo championship and is riding the highest crest of his career. When discussing the Lakers chances in 2010 I’ve yet to hear one “If Kobe can stay out of trouble this year the Lakers will probably cruise to the finals.” But this is Kobe we’re talking about, just because he hasn’t waded into the stands doesn’t mean he isn’t seriously disturbed. So, let’s break it down, who is crazier Kobe or Ron Ron?

On the Court

Kobe- 2009 was a renaissance of sorts for Kobe. This year saw the release of “Kobe: Doin’ Work” and saw his reputation change from malignant tumor to team leader/coach on the floor. But let’s not forget the other Kobe Bryant, the one who forced the Lakers to ship off Shaq so he could be “the man.” The guy who when the team struggled, demanded to be traded, only to nix a potential deal to Chicago because they would have had to gut their roster to complete the trade. Kobe spent the entire post-Shaq, pre-Pau period sulking, taking bad shots, not passing, and yelling at Kwame Brown (well we can forgive him for that last one.)

Perhaps the most egregious example of Kobe’s attitude during this era came during the first round of the 2006 playoffs against the Sun. The Lakers jumped out to a 3-1 lead on an undermanned Phoenix squad who because of injuries had been forced to rely heavily on the immortal Tim Thomas. In game 7 with the Lakers in full choke mode, Kobe spent the entire second half not shooting in an apparent effort to prove to his detractors that the team can’t win without him taking 40 shots, ending with Bryant pouting on the bench.

Ron Ron- On the court Artest is known as a bully, who uses his reputation and physical largess to intimidate opponents. This reputation stems in large part from his storming of the stands in Detroit in 2004. But let’s not forget, that incident was instigated when Artest was doused with a drink after being separated from Ben Wallace. Ron snapped, and went looking for the guy who threw the Diet Pepsi at him, the beating wasn’t exactly unprovoked.

After the Brawl Artest has been a model citizen on the court in both Sacramento and Houston. Anyone who watched the playoffs this year could tell that he was the heart and soul of a scrappy Rockets squad.

Bottom Line: I’ll take emotional, but dedicated over petulant and sensitive every day.

Advantage Ron Ron

Off the Court

Kobe- The events that went down in 2003 in Colorado are the dark cloud that will forever hang over Kobe Bryant’s career. At best Kobe is guilty of adultery, at worst rape. Since then Kobe and his handlers have been painstakingly rehabbing his image into that of a dedicated father and husband. I don’t remember seeing footage of any other superstar’s wife and children greeting him in the tunnel after every home playoff game. Kobe went from being the bright young face of the league to the “Black Mamba,” a calculated villain, who cares more about his reputation than he does his team.

Ron Ron- While with Sacramento in 2007 Artest was convicted of domestic abuse, and spent 10 days in jail.

Bottom Line: I refuse to decide which is worse, they’re both disgusting. My general rule in life is that ties go against Kobe, but both of these are too deplorable to be judged.

Advantage Push

Both men are clearly unstable, but Artest’s on-court behavior has been less of a drag on the team. The fortunes of the 2010 Lakers rest more squarely on the whims of Bryant than Artest. Ron Ron is nothing if not a good soldier on the floor, and fans under the delusion that the relationship will work because Kobe will keep Artest in line must have slept through the past six years. So let me be the first, if Kobe Bryant can control his undeniable sociopathic bent, the Lakers will go through the Western Conference like a hot Ron Artest through a cold crowd.

-Jesse