The 2011-2012 NBA season is barely two weeks old and already the machine is in full effect mode. League headlines have been an almost daily occurrence. The retirement of promising young Portland star Brandon Roy; Jeff Green’s season-ending, contract voiding heart ailment; Nets owner Mikhail Portokohov’s campaign presidency; Kobe’s divorce; Lamar Odom‘s dis; Dwight Howard’s free agent status; Chris Paul’s on again off again on again trade situation and the stench of collusion it stirred. Gone is the budding chatter about players forming a new league. All that remains of the ‘we stand together’ mantra that the Players Association successfully engineered and executed (yep, I said it) for nearly five months is the sporadic spatter of the sullen superstar here and there. Meanwhile, the owners have quietly retreated to their respective behind the scenes sanctums and resumed business as usual.
If pro leagues were valued purely on their capacity to produce drama, the NBA would be far and away the most profitable of all. Baseball seems to have weathered the steroids era rather nicely. Even the Barry Bonds blemish that was supposed to send the slugger to prison has faded to a suspended sentence. As for football, its new concussion policy has contained any conversation of major reform for the time being. For its part, the NBA hasn’t faced a health crisis since the cocaine ’80s. It’s last credibility scandal — the shady referee imbroglio starring Tim Donaghy — never really gained much ground in part because the main accuser was the NBA’s version of Jose Conseco, which is to say unlikeable and untrustworthy.
But what the NBA has lacked in genuine threats to the credibility of the game and health of its labor force, it has more than made up for in pure, unadulterated theater. Remember this time two years ago? Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittendon (who is now facing murder charges), a gambling debt, some guns. Remember the half-hearted investigation into the league’s culture it triggered? The “shocking” revelation of widespread gambling among filthy rich 20 something, egomaniacs with way too much time on their hands? And then came Lebron’s ill-advised “Decision” followed by a Finals performance that will now require James to essentially win a title each of his remaining years in the league to live down. But even before “The Choke”, Lebron had detonated his legacy. Remember Cleveland fans burning his jersey? Remember Dan Gilbert went nutzo and started calling him names? Remember Jesse Jackson weighed in with a quietly incisive plantation owner/runaway slave analogy that made everyone uncomfortable? Remember all of that? That all seems so long ago now that such juicy story lines are primed to play out over the next eight months, story lines that will no doubt provide a palliative for a fall in which 30 NBA owners held the game hostage and in doing so revealed the extent to which professional basketball mirrors organized crime.
The other night I watched NBA insiders David Aldridge and Mike Fratello defend David Stern‘s decision to void the New Orleans Hornets-Los Angeles Lakers trade. They both sat in their comfortable NBA TV studio chairs paid for by the league, looked viewers straight in the eyes and said David Stern made the right decision. Of course they acknowledged that he could have handled it better. They, like the rest of the orthodox basketball community, have to offer at least a pretense of objectivity. But that’s it. Once they’ve feigned journalistic integrity, they go on to trumpet the party line and say something empty but authoritative like, “The reality is” or “The bottom line is”, two classic signals that some jive is about to be offered as fact. The local media guys poured me another glass of kool-aid while I was watching the Nets and Knicks preseason game Saturday. Both Jim Breen and Ian Eagle, the Knicks and Nets respective color commentators offered their unsolicited thoughts on the trade situation. And in both instances they sided with the commissioner, urging Joe Sixpack to see the trade from the league’s standpoint. Stern was acting in “the best interests” of New Orleans. He was protecting the team from itself. And anyway, said Eagle, the deal had not been consummated so, really, Stern wasn’t voiding anything. He was merely performing the normal functions of an owner whose right it is to reject a deal, which, added Eagle, happens everyday in the league. By the end of his spiel I’d lost my appetite.
Sports reporting in our culture is by and large pathologically parochial and narrow. In politics there is at least a whiff of a progressive and conservative media — a left and a right — and an overarching system of accountability that encourages inquiry and ensures a diversity of viewpoints. The closest things the sports journalism establishment has to balance and perspective are Bryant Gumbel, William Roden, Dave Zirin, Bill Simmons and, every once in a while, Michael Wilbon. The rest of the MSM’s sports reporting establishment — and I’m sure I’ve missed a few names — either doesn’t care to expose or explore the broken fundamentals, is too cozy with the very people it’s supposed to be holding accountable — a running theme in our society, I might add — to do its job, or just doesn’t see the problem. Throughout the lockout I thought and continue to think the real issue with professional sports is that they’ve gotten too big to remain “leagues” unto themselves. They need to be de-monopolized. Whether its ticket sales or capital costs, they are an affront to their base and a drain on the public. And yet the public — not even elected officials — have a say so in these billionaire cliques. Unlike in Spain and Germany, the public can not buy an ownership stake in an enterprise that is so deeply intwined with our collective social and economic lives. We, the fans, can only sit idly by, watching, waiting, hoping.
The late sports chronicler, David Halberstam once characterized the the 1999 lockout as a “struggle between short millionaires and tall millionaires.” With at least 13 owners carrying net worths in excess of a billion dollars, this latest lockout demonstrated the growing divide between even the wealthy and super wealthy in our society. In a less lucrative pre-millennial league the players had enough power to strike a deal that was favorable to them. In the new NBA and despite what any of the sports reporting establishment insists, the new super-rich ownership class successfully rammed a deal down the players throats because they could afford to do so and they had the media in their pocket. In view of the prevailing economic and political principle under which we live — that is, me first, screw you and if I can’t have my way everyone suffers — justice was served. But in view of the disproportionate bargaining power between the parties — the average owner has major financial holdings and revenue sources independent of the NBA while the average player has a four-year career window and hundreds of new competitors each year — the chips were stacked heavily in the owner’s favor from the outset. And already the owners have used the league’s new amnesty provision to waive more than $170,000,000 in player contracts, slashing the so-called $300,000,000 2010-2011 deficit by more than half in one week. While the waived players are still paid their ridiculously large salaries, the teams can write their salaries off on their 2011 tax bill and still subsidize the loss through a higher ticket and concession costs. Go figure.
I want to hate the NBA. I want to be able to disregard its existence. I want to be able to organize an occupation against the greedy cabal holding the game I love captive. I also can’t wait for Christmas. I check ESPN compulsively. I devour everything having anything to do with the league. The contradiction is unbearable at times. I’m like a jilted lover who keeps circling my ex’s block, that or the broken hearted sap who takes his cheating partner back even though he knows nothing’s changed. I’m a sucker and I know it.
Just yesterday I found myself in a locker room surrounded by a junior high school basketball team. They were getting ready for their game. I was getting ready for a workout. The way they were talking about the trades you’d think they had money on the line. They couldn’t have been more than twelve yet they knew who was going where and for how much. When, out of nowhere, one kid yelled, “Son, if you don’t know who Dwight Howard plays for I don’t know you no more!”, I had to listen in.
The other kid — chubby and a little bashful looking — chuckled confidently. “I know who Dwight Howard is.”
“Who he play for then?”
For a moment I worried that the kid really didn’t know, that he was just bluffing.
“The Orlando Magic,” he shouted back.
I was relieved for him. But his inquisitor wasn’t finished. The test had only just begun. “What number does he wear?”
Shit, I thought. I couldn’t even recall Howard’s number on the spot. Too much pressure. No way Chubs would get it right.
“Twelve,” Chubs replied.
“Oh yeah?” said the now visibly frustrated inquisitor, “What’s his nickname?”
Chubs blinked. The Inquisitor pounced. “Superman! Son, you don’t even know Dwight Howard’s nickname!”
“You mean Superman Two, right?” I said. “Because he’s not the first.” I looked at the only other person over the age of 18 in the locker room, a middle-aged guy quietly changing in the corner. “Ain’t that right?”
He nodded affirmatively. “Shaq’s the original.”
Others on the team chimed in. Dwight Howard was a biter, one said. “He copied the foul line dunk from Julius Erving, too.”
I couldn’t help but smile. These New York City kids knew Dr. J by his “government” name. How ironic. As I was walking out of the locker room the conversation shifted to Blake Griffith, last year’s Rookie of the Year and Slam Dunk Champ.
“Yo, that dunk wasn’t even all that.”
“He shouldna won.”
“Mcgee shoulda won.”
I couldn’t contain myself. “That’s the same thing I said!”
They looked at me strangely. I’d overreached. I turned and walked out.
When I was a kid my friends and I argued over whether Michael Jordan really beat Dominique Wilkens in the 1988 dunk contest. After all, just as the 2011 contest was held in Blake Griffith’s hometown of Los Angeles, the ’88 contest was held in Chicago. As kids we knew Jordan got away with an extra step, Larry Bird a push off under the basket, Dennis Rodman rib shots. Still, we followed the game religiously. I suppose that is what it means to be in love. It’s not rational. It makes no sense. We put up with crap that under no other circumstances would we find acceptable. Year after year we come back hopeful and excited. And, in a way, it’s because, for some of us at least, the game signifies our childhood and the emotional residue that connects us to a time when the most important thing to know was your favorite player’s nickname.
My feelings of betrayal are bound up in a mix of nostalgia and idealism. I still approach the basketball season with the excitement of a kid. The NBA machine knows and exploits this–why else would it schedule its opening shebang on Christmas Day? In as much as the league relies on and rouses up my deep sense of loyalty, I believe I am entitled to rely on this one thing not being pure unadulterated bullshit. It’s one thing for Reggie Miller to push off to get an open shot; it’s something else when a group of filthy rich people use their influence to hold a season hostage and enlist an army of media minions to make their grievances look legitimate. That I should not have to abide.
Despite what any general manager says in a press release announcing a team’s latest transaction, sports are not purely business. They are social and emotional institutions that both benefit from and depend on public engagement and support. If they were pure businesses, the Knicks would have been bankrupt years ago. If they were pure businesses, individual jerseys would not hang from the rafters alongside championship banners. Sports belong to all of us. For any small group of wealthy elites to have the power to control access to and enjoyment of something so vital to so many people is fundamentally wrong. I will never believe otherwise. Even as I anxiously await the start of what is already looking to be the most interesting season to date on and off the court, I will continue to preach my gospel.
And with that, let the games begin.
Center play in the NBA now is at its lowest point in the last 30 years. Teams are in desperate need for Centers and because of that this group will be overvalued on Draft night. There are players with potential on this list, but most of them are projects who may take years to develop, if it all. You won’t see comparisons to Dwight Howard or Yao on this list. Most of these guys have an upside of serviceable Center. There are 1 or 2 jewels in the bunch though. Caveat emptor.
1. Donatas Motiejunas (Int’l) 7’0 225 NBA Comparison: Andrea Bargnani
Motiejunas is a highly skilled big man capable of doing many things. He shoots well from 12 feet out to 3 point land. He has a nice sweeping hook across the lane that would make George Mikan proud. He has great hands, good court vision and the ability to put the ball on the floor. he’s probably the best of the bunch at this position. He is a finesse center and not really a banger.
1. Jonas Valanciunas (Int’l) 6’11 240 NBA Comparison: Andris Biedrins
Valanciunas, like Motiejunas is from Lithuania. And that is where the similarities end between the two. Valanciunas is a solid big man. He runs the court well for his size, establishes defensive post position and clears out for rebounds. He’s also extremely long and a decent shot blocker. Offensively he has limited moves around the basket but his best move is the dunk. He plays under control and has decent agility. His size and length will make him a very valuable commodity in the draft. Perhaps a top 5 selection.
3. Lucas Riva Nogueira (Brazil) 7’0 225 NBA Comparison: JaVale McGee
Bebe as he is known (although he looks kinda like Ze Pequeno from City of God) is a raw talent. He is extraordinarily athletic for a 7-footer and runs the floor like a gazelle. He blocks shots easily and without body contact, due to his length. He’s a natural shot blocker. His offensive game is pretty limited, and you won’t see much more than dunks. Occaisionally he puts the ball on the floor and shows signs of ball handling. He’s a project who will need a few years to develop an all around game. His athleticism makes him a first round lock.
4. Nikola Vucevic (USC) 7’0 260 NBA Comparison: Mehmet Okur
*Sleeper Alert* Over the winter I was watching USC play UCLA so I could get a look at Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Instead, I was blown away by Vucevic. This kid has the goods. He has great size for a center at 260 lbs (only 6% body fat), an incredible 7’5 wingspan (2nd longest at the combine) and a standing 9’5 reach. On top of all of those numbers though, the kid has game. He has a bevy of offensive moves around the bucket, great feet, good hands and tremendous agility. He can handle the rock and has a solid face up game out to 3 point range (shot 35%). He’s a big time rebounder and a decent shot blocker. His stock is still rising and he could go late lottery.
5. Jon Leuer (Wisconsin) 6’11 225 NBA Comparison: Ryan Anderson
Leuer is a combo PF/C. He is highly skilled offensively and has a beautiful touch on his shot. He can take defenders away from the basket and shot over them, or use his crossover to get to the tin. He finishes extremely well and has nice ups and great agility. He shot 37% from deep last season for the Badgers and averaged 18 pts per game. If he can add 15-20 lbs to his frame, he can be a legit finesse big man in the league. Has a swagger about his game.
6. Keith Benson (Oakland) 6’11 215 NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby
*Sleeper Alert* This kid is no stiff. He put up ridiculous numbers over the past two years at Oakland. Last season he averaged 18 and 10 with 3.5 blocks per game. He is a game changer in the post defensively due to his length and timing as a shot blocker. Offensively, he is just as skilled. He has a great face up game and shot nearly 40% from deep last season. In the paint he is a high riser and can finish with the best of them. He is agile and has really good body control for a big man. He needs to add at least 20 lbs to play Center in the NBA but has the frame to do so easily. He should shoot up draft boards after individual workouts.
7. Jeremy Tyler (Int’l) 6’11 260 NBA Comparison: DeAndre Jordan
Remember Jeremy Tyler? He was supposed be the #1 high school player in the class of 2010. Then he skipped his senior season of high school to go pro. It all went downhill from there. Tyler may be the biggest of all projects in the Draft. He’s got incredible physical gifts including the longest wingspan at the combine. He’s an incredible leaper for his size and has good strength. The problem is none of that translates on the court. He looks lost at times, out of control at others (he loses his cool easily). It is clear he needs a lot of coaching, but the talent is there.
8. Greg Smith (Fresno St) 6’9 255 NBA Comparsion: Joey Dorsey
Smith is a physical specimen. He is chiseled and despite his weight of over 250 lbs, he carries less than 8% body fat. He has a long wingspan and is pretty athletic for a guy his size. Yet for all of that he didn’t dominate WAC competition. He average a mere 12 points and 8 boards. Smith lacks the height of a traditional center and may have to fight to become a rotation player in the NBA over the next few years.
9. Giorgi Shermadini (Int’l) 7’1 250 NBA Comparison: Hamed Haddadi
Giorgi has good size for an NBA big and has some skill. He has a soft touch on his outside shot and is not afraid to dunk over opponents. He displays solid offensive game in the post and displays soft hands and good athleticism. Defensively he lacks the lateral quickness to keep up when faced up. He blocks some shots but is not an enforcer in the middle by any stretch. He could develop into a serviceable backup center a la Zaza.
10. Rick Jackson (Syracuse) 6’9 240 NBA Comparison: D.J. White
Like Dexter Pittman from a year ago, Jackson improved his play over his career due to improved conditining. In his senior season at Syracuse, Jackson averaged 13, 10 and 2.5 blocks. Those are pretty good numbers in a power conference like the Big East. Jackson though is a 6’9 Center and lacks true athleticism (unlike Greg Smith). Still with his length and size, Jackson could intrigue teams in need of a big man in the 2nd round.
I think that the NBA Championship series this year will be one for the ages. I imagined Miami vs LA or even Boston vs LA, but who saw the Mavs coming? Dallas really opened a window this season that most of us believed to be shut completely. Dax and I talked Mavs on countless podcasts, only to surmise time and again that this team could not be taken seriously. (I prefer my crow pan seared with a honey glaze and couscous these days). We were all wrong about the Mavs and we have seen enough of this team now to realize that Dallas has a legit chance to win a ring.
I’ve decided to highlight some of the things that I will be looking out for when the series tips tonight.
1. Who will guard Chris Bosh? I think that Dallas has an advantage here because Bosh will likely have to check Dirk, but Dallas can rest Nowitzki defensively and have Tyson Chandler stick Bosh. Nowitzki can catch his breath while standing next to the offensively anemic Joel Anthony.
2. Who will guard LeBron? Despite Shawn Marion’s excellent play on both ends in the OKC series, do we really believe he has any chance to contain LeBron? LeBron will manhandle Marion on both ends in this series and the Mavs don’t really have anyone else capable of guarding LeBron if Marion gets in foul trouble. Or do they? The forgotten man in this series could be defensive specialist Corey Brewer who has not seen a lot of minutes this postseason. Still LBJ outweighs the kid by 70 lbs, so he’ll offer little resistance. Advantage Heat.
3. Whose bench will reign supreme? The Mavs had the reserve advantage over OKC and Miami has been chided all year for its lack of bench production. But if you look closely, the two benches are pretty similar. I don’t think Chalmers will struggle with J.J. Berea the way that others did. His length and lateral quickness will allow him to at least slow down J.J. Peja and Mike Miller will have about the same net effect. Haslem and Haywood should skate to a tie in terms of production. Jason Terry will outgun his Heat opposition off of the pine for Miami, but the JET is a reserve in name only. DeSahwn Stevenson is the one playing the reserve minutes and his playoff production equals that of James Jones. In the end, the benches are a wash. Whichever bench plays better could tilt this series.
4. Who will guard D. Wade? This is the question that to me defines the series. DeShawn Stevenson has made a name for himself as a defensive stopper but the reality is that he cannot stop a healthy D. Wade. But Wade isn’t healthy. No one would really say it until the end of the Chicago series, but Wade looked bad. He took tough shots and did not dominate while being guarded by Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer. If Wade has another performance like that in this series, Miami could be in trouble. But if he and the Heat can jump out to early leads and force J. Terry on the floor it is a win for them. That’s because the smaller Terry just can’t keep up with Wade.
5. What will happen at the point? Jason Kidd vs Mike Bibby will be an outstanding matchup. Kidd’s veteran chicanery worked against a trigger happy and overly aggressive young Russell Westbrook but will it have the same effect on an equally experienced player as himself such as Bibby? Like Kidd, Bibby has been in big moments too and come close to being a champion. Kidd is obviously the better of the two (and in my opinion the best point guard of the post Stockton era), but Bibby can make him work. This will be probably the greatest duel of the series. Especially for fans of pure point guard play.
I am interested to see how all of this plays out. My gut says Heat in 7, but at this point in the season with everything that we have seen nothing would shock me with the exception of a sweep either way. Like I said, I think this one is gonna be a masterpiece and will bring the spotlight back to the NBA. Now, if we could only prevent that lockout…
Make no mistake, the power forward position is the deepest and most talented group in the 2011 Draft. It is possible that this entire group below could be drafted in the 1st round of the draft. Individual and group workouts prior to the draft may be the key in establishing the order in which they will be selected, and I expect to see a lot of movement up and down this list before June 23rd.
1. Derrick Williams (Arizona) 6’8 250 NBA Comparison: David West
There is no question that Williams is a top 3 pick. The only question is at what position? Williams believes that he is a small forward, but at 250 lbs that is a stretch. He is able to shoot from the outside like a SF (he shot a jaw dropping 57% from beyond the arc in college), but I believe that he’ll have to play PF in the league. The kid can flat out score, runs the court well and is equally dangerous on the perimeter as he is in the paint. He has a very long wingspan which will help him on the next level. At times he showed athleticism at Arizona, but other times his post game was BTR (Below the Rim), which is dificult to translate into the NBA.
2. Enes Kanter 6’11 260 (Kentucky) NBA Comparison: Carlos Boozer
This kid is a beast. Had he played at Kentucky this past season, he may very well have played himself into the #1 overall selection. His game is that strong. He has really good fluidity for a guy his size and has a soft shooting touch. He has a nice spin move in the post and finishes well at the rim. He is very skilled offensively but he also loves to mix it up in the paint. At his size, he won’t lose a lot of those battles. Kanter could see time at Center as well in the NBA.
3. Tristan Thompson (Texas) 6’9 225 NBA Comparison: Al Horford
Thompson is unfinished, but not unpolished. His offensive game will grow and develop on the next level because he is skilled, has soft hands and has a solid work ethic. He has a 7’1 wingspan which made him a big time shot blocker in college (2.5 per game). His weight is deceptive, as he is physically strong and athletic. If and when he develops a face-up game, he could be dangerous as a pro.
4. Bismack Biyombo (International) 6’9 245 NBA Comparison: Ben Wallace
Biyombo is raw, but has scintilating athleticism. Though only 6’9 he could playeither the 4 or 5 due to his 7’7 wingspan. He did not play basketball until high school so he is limited offensively but shows some ability. He was a man amongst boys at the Nike Hoops Summit recording a triple-double (10 blocks) and plays full speed and above the rim. He at times can be out of control and foul prone, but could develop into a monster in the paint.
5. Markieff Morris (Kansas) 6′ 9 240 NBA Comparison: Big Baby Davis
Markieff is a power forward, unlike his twin brother Marcus who is more of a combo forward. Markieff is a banger. He loves to mix it up in the paint and was an effective rebounder at KU last season. He has a perimeter game and shot 42% from long range last year. Still he is most effective as a garbage man in the post, cleaning up misses and creating space.
6. Kenneth Faried (Morehead St) 6’7 225 NBA Comparison: Paul Millsap
*Sleeper Alert* Faried may have the build of a small forward, but his game is all power. He is a freakish athlete who finshes at the rim in Blake Griffin fashion. He averaged 17 and 15 last season at Morehead State, along with 2 blocks and 2 steals per game. He has a 7’0 wingspan and scouts are drooling over what he can do on the defensive end of the court. Offensively he is limited, but could make a living on put back dunks and alley oops. He’s a leaper.
7. Trey Thompkins (Georgia) 6’10 240 NBA Comparison: Troy Murphy
Thompkins is long, athletic and versatile. He is agile for a guy his size and exhibits good body control. He averaged nearly 2 blocks and a steal per game last season for the Bulldogs. Offensively he has nice touch out to 3 ponit range and finishes well at the basket. He’s not afraid to dunk over opponents. He is a scorer, averaging about 17 points a game in his last two seasons at UGA.
8. Tobias Harris (Tennessee) 6’8 225 NBA Comparison: Trevor Booker
Harris is the only combo forward on this list. He has the skills of a small forward but some feel he lacks the quicks to play quickside forward. He handles the ball well, is agile and athletic. His game is BTR and that will have to change on the next level and his nearly 40″ vertical should help him do that. He has nice post moves and uses the glass well. Scouts are most intrigued by his potential because he is only 18 and still growing into his frame.
9. JaJuan Johnson (Purdue) 6’10 220 NBA Comparison: Larry Sanders
*Sleeper Alert* Johnson is a very skilled offensive player who utilizes fundamental play. He has a nice face up game, and a sweet turnaround that he uses mid-post. He has range out to the college 3 and shows good athleticism and leaping ability. He has a 7’2 wingspan which helped him block over 2 shots per game last season at Purdue. He needs to bulk up for the NBA level, but will be a great value pick in the late first or early second round.
10. Jordan Williams (Maryland) 6’9 245 NBA Comparison: DeJuan Blair
Williams had a tremendous sophomore season at Maryland, averaging 17 and 12. He is a great rebounder and his size allows him to take up space in the pivot. In college, he showed a solid post game displaying soft hands and a nice touch. He is long and averaged 1.5 blocks last season as well. The big downside to Williams is his conditioning. He weighed in at slightly above 245 at the combine, significantly down from his playing weight of 260 which is a good sign. He labored up and down the court at Maryland and if he is not careful, he could have a short NBA career a la Mike Sweetney and Sean May.
The Small Forward class of the 2011 draft is probably the riskiest of the bunch. There are a lot of players here with boom or bust potential, and only a couple of locks to be decent NBA players. This is the most diverse group in terms of style of play, consisting of tweeners, slashers and scorers. GMs will have to determine which guy fits their team’s style the most and then pray he’s not a bust.
1. Jan Vesely (International) 6’11 230 NBA Comparison: Yi Jianlian
Vesely is a tweener that makes many think of Nowitzki. He can shoot lights out from 3, has great size for a small forward and from what I read dunks like a European Blake Griffin. Yet whenever you have a SF this tall you have to ask how they are going to deal with the athletic slashers in the NBA? Vesely lacks the lateral quickness to play defense on the wing, doesn’t rebound the ball or shoot free throws well and does the spectacular better than the mundane. He has huge potential but it may take years, or may never be realized.
2. Kawhi Leonard (San Diego St) 6’7 230 NBA Comparison: Jeff Green
Leonard has a rare combination of strength, length and athletucism, making him a unique talent. His tremendous 7’3 wingspan allows him to play bigger than his height and his quickness and agility may allow him to play either wing spot. He is the ultimate utility man because of he versatility. He is a terrific rebounder and a nice defender on the perimeter and post due to his length. Though he’ll only be 20 when the season rolls around, he is physically mature enough to play now.
3. Jordan Hamilton (Texas) 6’8 230 NBA Comparison: Caron Butler
*Sleeper Alert* I love this kid’s game. He has the size of the prototypical NBA small forward. He rebounds like a big man, has good accuracy from long range (39% last season) and can create his own offense. He has star potential on the next level. He needs to work on his defense but has the tools to be solid on that end as well. He made trmendous strides from his freshman to sophomore year at Texas and looks NBA ready.
4. Marcus Morris (Kansas) 6’9 230 NBA Comparison: Darrell Arthur
Morris had an amazing year at KU which could propel him into the lottery. He is tweener and not a slasher on the wing. He consistently shot well from deep in all 3 of his years at Kansas and last year shot a remarkable 57% from the field. He lacks the athleticism to play on the wing, and much of his post game in college was BTR (Beneath the Rim) which may not be effective on the next level. He might be best suited as a reserve, able to play either forward spot.
5. Chris Singleton (FSU) 6’9 230 NBA Comparison: Tyrus Thomas
If we’ve learned anything from watching the NBA, it’s that a player can earn his keep in the league as a specialist. Chris Singleton will likely do just that on the next level on the defensive side of the ball. Though he projects as a small forward, he lacks the agility of a wing offensively and is more of a combo forward. Defensively though, he can play the perimeter or the post. He averaged 1.5 blocks and 2 steals a game at FSU, while shooting 37% from 3 point range. He’ll fill a nice niche for someone.
6. Nikola Mirotic (International) 6’10 225 NBA Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu
Mirotic is the type of small forward you can imagine playing the point forward position. He runs the court well for a man his size and plays a skillful style of ball. He passes well, has a sweet stroke and finishes at the rim with some crafty moves. Defensively he can block shots every now and again but is more of a defender in a team concept than a good on ball defender.
7. Kyle Singler (Duke) 6’9 230 NBA Comparison: Gordon Hayward
Singler is just solid. Not overly athletic or quick, he relies on solid fundamentals to best his opponent. He showed on the collegiate level that he could score, rebound and shoot from distance. He is a system player and will be best suited as a rotation player on a team where his role is clearly defined and he plays within the team context.
8. Davis Bertans (International) 6’10 210 NBA Comparison: Austin Daye
Bertans is a point forward type like Mirotic. He loves to handle the rock and at times can be out of control with it. He has skills and when his shot is on it is a thing of beauty. Not super athletic, he relies on his length to block shots defensively. Rail thin, he will need to put on weight to compete on the NBA level.
9. Robin Benzing (International) 6’10 205 NBA Comparison: Mike Dunleavy
Benzing is not a point forward or a combo forward; he’s a legitimate wing at 6’10. He handles the ball well for a guy his size, so much so that watching him you may forget that he’s 6’10. He can beat defenders off the dribble or shoot it from deep. He is a good athlete (meaning he runs the floor well) but not an explosive one. He is a great value pick here but needs time to physically develop and add weight to his frame.
10. Jereme Richmond (Illinois) 6’7 210 NBA Comparison: Jeremy Evans
Richmond is not a great shooter or a big time scorer. The name of his game is athleticism and it is an above the rim game. He dunks with ease on the break as well as in traffic. He was rated the fastest player at the NBA combine which reinforces his superior athleticism. After only one year of college though, he is a project. He needs to develop more of an all around game if he wants to make it in the League.
The pool of talent at shooting guard in this draft is deeper than that of the point guards. There are a couple of intriguing prospects at shooting guard, and talent evaluators will have to sift through this bunch to see if there are any future stars to be had.
1. Alec Burks (Colorado) 6’6 195 NBA Comparison: DeMar DeRozan
Burks is widely considered as the best shooting guard of this draft class. He proved to be more of a scorer than a shooter in his 2nd season at Colorado, shooting less than 50% from the field and under 30% from deep. He is an athletic wing with prototypical size for a shooting guard. He has the ability to play either guard position and that versatility adds to his value. He is a high riser like DeRozan and rebounds well enough to earn minutes at the 3.
2. Klay Thompson (Washington State) 6’6 200 NBA Comparison: Brandon Roy
Thompson like Burks has good size for a shooting guard. Unlike Burks though he is a shooter. He shot 40% from long range at WSU for two of his three seasons there and is considered perhaps the second best shooter in this draft to Fredette. Thompson is not just a shooter though. His quick first step allows him to beat defenders off of the dribble and his long arms allow him to finish well around the rim. He is the son of former NBA big man Mychael Thompson which bodes well for being able to adjust to NBA life, but a late season arrest for marijuana possession may hurt him on draft night. The lack of depth at this position in the draft though will keep him in the top 20.
3. Tyler Honeycutt- (UCLA) 6’8 190 NBA Comparison: Nicholas Batum
Coach Ben Howland’s players have a reputation for being better pros than collegians. So scouts must be drooling over the pro potential of Honeycutt despite his less than stellar numbers at UCLA. He shot over 35% from distance, is incredibly long and skilled enough to play either wing position. He is slight and will have to add weight to his frame to be effective on the next level, but the tools are there. He runs the court well and can play above the rim. His biggest asset though may be his defense. He averaged 2 blocks per game which is stunning for a wing player and when he adds weight he has the ability to be an Ariza-like defender. If he lasts past the lottery, someone will be getting a steal.
4. Marshon Brooks (Providence) 6’5 190 NBA Comparison: Evan Turner
*Sleeper Alert* Marshon Brooks has been shooting up draft boards since the combine, where his wingspan was measured at an incredible 7’1. Because of his ridiculous reach, Brooks plays a lot bigger than 6’5. He blocks shots, he gets his hands on loose balls and rebounds tremendously well for a guard. Offensively, the kid is a shooter and a scorer. He’s got a silky smooth shot with a textbook follow through and lit up the Big East in his senior season, averaging nearly 25 points per game. He’s a stat sheet filler and may be more ready to contribute right away than the other prospects because of his 4 years of collegiate play.
5. DeAndre Liggins (Kentucky) 6’6 205 NBA Comparison: Thabo Sefolosha
You can make a nice chunk of change for years in the NBA by being a lock down perimeter defender who can hit the three. Liggins could be that. He has the ability to guard three positions and last year shot nearly 40% from deep. If he can translate those skills to the League, he will be around for a while.
6. Josh Selby (Kansas) 6’3 195 NBA Comparison: Elliot Williams
There’s not a lot to say about Selby because we just haven’t seen much of a body of work from him. He sat out 9 games due to suspension in his only year at Kansas and then missed a few more games due to injury. He shot well from beyond the arc, but poorly from inside 3. He is a classic tweener who measured under 6’2 at the combine without shoes. He would have definitely benefitted from returning to Kansas and will enter the NBA very raw. He will have to show teams that he is capable of playing within a system.
7. David Lighty (Ohio St.) 6’6 215 NBA Comparison: Daequan Cook
Lighty doesn’t blow you away with his numbers, other than shooting over 40% from 3 this past season. Yet he is a jack of all trades. He defends well, he can distribute the ball and he doesn’t turn it over. He seems very coachable and because he does a lot of things well, he could grow into a rotation player as a pro. He is a 5th year senior who doesn’t carry a lot of potential. He is what he is.
8. Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) 6’7 205 NBA Comparison: JR Smith
*Sleeper Alert* If I’m the GM of a contender, there’s no way I let this kid slide past me in the 1st Round. He’s got lottery talent. He can legitimately play the 2 at 6’7, shot almost 38% from deep and finishes at the hoop better than anyone in this class. He can create his own shot and it is buttery. He may be the best value pick in this draft for where he gets taken and talent-wise should be considered in the top 3 of this group.
9. Travis Leslie (Georgia) 6’4 205 NBA Comparison: Shannon Brown
Leslie is an athletic shooting guard with great lift. So much so that he is thought of as being able to play SF despite being only 6’4. He rebounds very well for a guard and is a fearless dunker. Though he is not tall he is able to guard taller opponents because of his strength and length (6’11 wingspan). Could grow into a rotation player if he is able to get minutes. Needs to improve shooting range.
10. Reggie Jackson (Boston College) 6’3 205 NBA Comparison: Willie Green
Jackson is another combo guard who I think projects better as a hybrid than a PG. Though he is only 6’3 his wingspan allows him to play much bigger than his height. He shot lights out from 3 point range this year at 42% and is an instant offense type of player. Defensively, his athleticism and arm length make him an above average performer and that may help him stick on a roster.
The point guard class this year is not too deep. Many of the players you will see ranked here are more combo guards than true point guards. Luckily due to the richness of point guard prospects taken over the past 6 years, few teams are in need of a starting point. That being said, here are the top point guard prospects for the 2011 Draft.
1. Kyrie Irving (Duke) 6’2 180 NBA Comparison: Steph Curry
Irving has the chance to be the Number 1 overall selection in the 2011 Draft, depending on who wins the Lottery. He shot lights out in his only season at Duke (46% from deep), and has a great first step which should translate to the NBA level. Like Steph Curry, he will have to transition into more of a distributor on the NBA level, but has all of the tools to do so. He is one of the only players in this draft with star potential.
2. Brandon Knight (Kentucky) 6’3 185 NBA Comparison: Mike Conley
Knight is more of a traditional NBA point guard than Irving. He has a solid mid-range game and is a strong guard who can penetrate, distribute and rebound. He is the next great Calipari coached PG to hit the league (D. Rose, Ty Evans, and John Wall) and has the potential to be a carry on the legacy.
3. Kemba Walker (UConn) 6’0 170 NBA Comparison: Ben Gordon
Walker led the surprising Huskies to the NCAA Championship and enjoyed incredible success at UConn this year, averaging 23 pts 5 assists and 5 boards per game. While I love his competitiveness, I don’t see him as a starter on the next level. He is more of a combo guard than a true point and his 6’0 stature hurts him. Like Ben Gordon or Jamal Crawford, Walker’s best role may be as a reserve. Yet on the right team, he could flourish in that role.
3. Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 6’2 170 NBA Comparison: Jason Terry
Fredette was the NCAA Player of the year and averaged 29 points a game for the Cougars last season. Jimmer has unlimited shooting range and seemed to improve by leaps and bounds in each of his 4 seasons at BYU. He is most likely a combo guard in the NBA because he lacks the size to play shooting guard. That means like Walker, he is probably best suited as a reserve. He could be an instant offense kind of player in the NBA, but may struggle to get his shot off at just 6’2.
5. Darius Morris (Michigan) 6’4 190 NBA Comparison: Jrue Holiday
Morris had quite a season at Michigan, averaging nearly 7 assists per game, which is outstanding for a collegian. Morris’ size will make him attractive to scouts, but his lack of consistency shooting from the perimeter will keep him out of the lottery. If he works on his outside shot, he has the chance to carve a nice niche for himself as a backup point guard.
6. Nolan Smith (Duke) 6’3 190 NBA C0mparison: Chris Duhon
Smith like Kemba Walker is a fierce competitor. He is a converted shooting guard who will likely have to play point on the next level. Smith is a kid who plays solid defense, and fully embraces the team concept. He should be able to be a rotation player by year 2 of his career due to the intangibles he brings to the court, and his ability to play where he is needed.
7. Shelvin Mack (Butler) 6’2 215 NBA Comparison: Derek Fisher
Mack is built like a fireplug and possesses strength that should help him finish strong at the rim in the NBA as well as defend smaller guards. He will be converted to point guard in the league and has good enough range to be a solid rotation player. If he goes to a contender with a stellar shooting guard, he could grow into a starter a la Fisher.
8. Cory Joseph (Texas) 6’3 180 NBA Comparison: Avery Bradley
Joseph, like Avery Bradley (the guy he replaced at Texas) is coming out too soon in my book. He was highly touted coming out of Findlay Prep but was underwhelming in his Freshman year. His stats are very similar to what Bradley produced in his only season at Texas, and Bradley sat for most of his NBA Rookie season. Joseph is a better shooter from deep and has good size for a point guard, but is likely too raw to contribute in his first year. If drafted late in the 1st round he will be given time to develop. If not he may become a draft casualty.
9. Norris Cole (Cleveland St) 6’2 185 NBA Comparison: Eric Bledsoe
*Sleeper Alert* Norris Cole is a natural point guard who plays a lot bigger than his 6’2 frame. He is a 4-year collegian who (like Jimmer) improved in each year of his tenure. Cole is a natural point guard, who rebounds like a big man. In one game this season, he registered 20 boards (along with 40 points and 9 dimes). He has the ability to be a plug and play guy because he is not as raw as some of the other guards in this draft. He is a guy who could pay immediate dividends like Eric Maynor, Darren Collison and George Hill.
10. Malcolm Lee (UCLA) 6’5 200 NBA Comparison: Manny Harris
Ben Howland coached point guards tend to perform better in the NBA than on the collegiate level. Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday and Jordan Farmar have all been solid NBA performers, and none of them were standouts at UCLA. Malcolm Lee will try to join that group as he converts to point guard in the NBA. He has great size which should help him, but he is raw and doesn’t seem to do any one thing extraodinarily well.
In two days from now, the lottery balls will be bouncing and fate will once again choose an NBA Logo. That can only mean the NBA Draft Lottery is here. I have been covering the draft unofficially for years, and this marks my second year of coverage on 3FromDeep. The reason I mentioned that is because I disagree with the common opinion that this will be possibly the weakest draft ever. I’ve seen some weaker drafts in the last 10 years, most recently last year. This draft lacks star power for sure, but is deep with serviceable NBA players. It reminds me most of the 2006 Draft; the year Bargnani was chosen number 1 overall. That is the last year in which multiple International players were chosen in the lottery and it was a boom or bust draft (it was also the year Adam Morrison was chosen number 3 overall). Like that draft, the 2011 draft should be full of gold mines and land mines. It is a draft in which there is no appreciable dropoff in talent from picks 20-45. So, like in 2006, there may be some above average prospects available in the 2nd Round. The 2006 Draft produced Paul Millsap, Leon Powe, Boobie Gibson, Craig Smith and Ryan Hollins in the 2nd Round. It also produced a myriad of busts before, after and around those selections. It was a crap shoot. This draft will be eerily similar, and if I were an NBA GM I would be loading up on 2nd Round picks for this one. Low risk, high reward potental.
This draft could’ve been even deeper and stronger at the top if Freshmen Jared Sullinger (Ohio St), Perry Jones (Baylor), Terrence Jones (Kentucky) and Harrison Barnes (UNC) hadn’t decided to return to school. All were projected to be top 10 picks. Instead, we will go into Tuesday’s Lottery with no concensus Number 1 pick and not a whole lot of name recognition. So in preparation for the June 23rd Draft, we will introduce some of the top players in the draft by position, so you can get to know their names and what we think of them.
Like any red-blooded basketball junkie I’m part of multiple e-mail chains. Work chains. Homeboy chains. Family chains. Heck, my mother and I even have aplayoff text chain. Seriously, this woman got off the plane from St. Thomas last night and immediately texted me to find out a) what happened to the Lakers and b) what was up with her Celtics. She’s a HUGE fan of the Big 3. Gotta love it when mom dukes is an rabid NBA fan. In any event, one of my chains is composed of a group of guys around the country, some of whom I’ve never physically met. This morning I wrote a long e-mail in response to the OKC-Memphis game the Dallas sweep. When I was finished — an hour later — I figured I’d throw it on the 3 From Deep blog. Why not, right? That is what it exists for. So here it is, typos and all. Enjoy!
Alrighty, I’ve been totally wack in my playoff participation. D.O. called me out weeks ago and I failed to actually respond. My apologies. I’ve definitely been watching and enjoying these playoffs. The youth movement has been absolutely incredible to watch. It just happened. I’ve thought Memphis had great pieces for a couple of years now but wow! I didn’t see this coming. What’s crazy is that the kid they signed to the long term deal and who they expect to be their franchise guy isn’t even playing!!! What does this say? To me, it means the game is about chemistry and buy in. The Grizzlies had the same problem a lot of young talented teams have. Too many young talented players who haven’t figured out their role and who want to the MAN. I have to also admit I was wrong about Mike Conley. I scratched my head and even laughed when the Grizz extended him mid season. I mean, really, I didn’t see anyone waiting in the wings to pick him up. Clearly I didn’t see the talent. Watching him reminds me of a young Kenny Anderson. They’re both left handed, yeah, but there’s also a craftiness and subtle quickness that’s different than the explosiveness of Westbrook but nonetheless effective. Speaking of Westbrook. He’s had a strangely uneven series. Yeah he dropped 40 last night, but that kid shoots it waaay too much, which explains why Eric Maynor is a quietly necessary piece to this team’s success. At times they need an actual point guard on the floor, not a knock off Derrick Rose, which is essentially what Westbrook is. As freakishly athletic as he is, he still seems, to me at least, like he’s learning the game. He depends on his youth so, so much and expends so much energy that I just wonder what his career arc look like. Which is to say youth be damned, there’s no time like the present to go on a legit run. There’s no guarantee that either of these teams will have this kind of success next year. In fact, if history is any indicator then, like the Nuggets, Magic and Hornets of a couple of years back, both of these teams could easily slip back into obscurity. Now, I know everyone is loving the Randolph-Gasol front line. And it is awesome. But the players who I think make a difference for the Grizz right now are Battier, Vasquez and Mayo. I love Vasquez’s gumption, Mayo’s temperance and Battier, well, he’s just a proven winner. As always his stat line is modest but his impact is huge. I’m a Battier believer. Sadly, I actually turned the game off toward the end of regulation when OKC when up 7 with a minute and some change left. I figured it was over. Fuck me. I was wrong. Again. It’s becoming a theme. Which is what the NBA needs. Someone on this thread said it best, the NBA Playoffs are starting to look like the so-called amateur tournament that disgusts me on principle but I can’t help loving out of sheer nostalgia. Now, about those Lakers. I’ve had a day to take it in and process what happened. This series was probably won in the second half of game one. Dallas was down 16 and came back to win that one. Up to that point L.A. really believed they were going to cake walk over Dallas. They just weren’t prepared for them to have that kind of fight in them. Everyone has been gushing profusely about Dirk’s play. I agree. Dude looks awesome. But wow, what about the rest of the squad? They must’ve shot like 60% for the series. Nobody missed. What I loved about the series was that it was like watching a bunch of expendables exact their revenge on the team that had owned each of them at various points in their careers. Think about it. Peja was on the Sacramento squad that got screwed in the ’02 playoffs. Chandler was on the ’08 Hornets squad that nearly pushed L.A. to the brink in the second round. Kidd was on the ’02 Nets team that got bitch slapped in the Finals by the Lakers. You can even through Marion in the mix even though his Phoenix team never lost to these Lakers. I think it was also a matter of match ups as well. Dallas essentially built its team to beat L.A. I mean, who but a team aiming for a title re-signs Brendon Hayward and brings in Tyson Chandler to start? Who but a team with championship designs adds a 6’10″ shooter when you’ve already got a 7′ shooter? And I know Dirk is great. But can Jason Terry get some love? This dude has been with Dallas for seven years. And all he’s done the entire time is get buckets. Off the bench. Starting. Three from the corner. Taking it to the rack. Injury free. Timely baskets. Only guy who showed up in ’06 when they folded after the 2-0 start in the Finals. Terry is what Jamal Crawford wishes he could be, what the Lakers have always wanted Lamar Odom to be, what James Harden and O.J. Mayo ought to aspire to be: the guy next to the guy. It should also be noted that had the Lakers won a third title they would have been the most curious threepeat case in history. This is a team that was never really dominant. They’ve had dominant moments, but if you look at their run, they consistently struggled. Remember the Houston series in ’09? Remember the OKC series in ’10? The Denver series in ’09? A passable argument can be made that Orlando threw the ’09 title away by bringing Jameer Nelson back when Rafer Alston had carried them to the Finals. A serious argument can be made that a healthy Kendrick Perkins in game 7 would have equaled a title for Boston. This Laker team has been seriously speed deficient since losing Trevor Ariza (who killed them last series) and it finally caught up to them against a Dallas team that is necessarily faster across the board but in key positions. Chandler was too quick for the Laker bigs. Nobody could stick Terry. And J.J. Barrea lit that ass up! Fisher has to go now. It’s official. He can’t even hit the big shots anymore. He pushed it one year too long. The Lakers need a real point guard. Last time I saw a dynastic team combust like this was Detroit a couple of years back. Remember that? They brought in Iverson and thought they could string together one last run. The turmoil wore them down. They just didn’t care by the end. I saw a Laker team that just didn’t care. They’d proven what they had to prove as a unit. The most telling moment of the series: Ron Artest’s pathetic dunk attempt in game 4. Dude is 6’7″ and literally barely reached the rim. I know he can’t jump, but come on. Come on, Ron! Guess he’s going to miss that ring he donated to charity after all. So what does this do to Phil’s legacy? Is it suddenly tarnished? In the immediate sense, yes. It has to be. Swept? Inexcusable. In the long view of history, no it doesn’t hurt his legacy. I think his system might’ve passed its prime. The league has evolved. It’s now undeniably a quick guard’s game. Triangle shmiangle. Who needs a triangle when you’ve got point guards who can create and score at will? What is the offense they run in Miami? Give it to Wade and clear out. Give it to Lebron and clear out. Pass to Bosh on the wing if you’re in trouble. That’s it. I genuinely think Phil wore his team out. I think they were all bored with each other. I think his Zen powers had lost their luster. You can only dog your guys publicly (he lit Gasol’s ass up the other day) or make surreptitious remarks about them so many times. My prediction. Dwight will be a Laker. It’s inevitable. The greats all wind up in L.A. at some point. It’s not like he can go anywhere else and he’s not staying in Orlando. He’s got too much personality for a small market. The other big market teams have their stars already. It just seems natural that he’d sign with L.A. Help Kobe get one more before his career winds down.
Phew, I’m done til next time.
DDR
Down but not out…
I knew that the Los Angeles Lakers was in trouble going into Game 3 last night in Dallas. First, they lost both of the 1st 2 games of the series at home. Then it was learned that Ron Artest would be suspended for Game 3 following a garbage time flagrant foul in the previous contest. Things looked looked bleak for sure. Yet I felt somehow that LA would go to Dallas and win Game 3. I felt that way for most of the game, especially when LA led by 6 points in the 4th quarter. Yet this surprising Mavs team was able to display a resiliency that perhaps it has never displayed and come out on top. As the game ended, I was ready to eulogize the Phil Jackson led Lakers. That is, until the post-game press conference in which Kobe made me believe that the series was still to be decided. “I might be sick in the head, or crazy” said Bryant, “cause I still think we’re gonna win this series”. I realized subsequently that even with a 3-0 deficit, you just can’t count out Kobe and Phil. The Lakers showed me last night the blueprint for their success in this series; dominating the paint. As much as I respect what the Mavs accomplished to this point (I mean, who really saw this coming?), Dallas is still a jump shooting team and still succeptable to being off. If LA somehow wins Game 4, I think you might see Dallas get stiffer and those jumpshots fall left or right of the hoop. I know LA is down but I can’t see the Zen Master and the Mamba going out without a blaze of glory. Maybe I’m sick in the head too, but LA is not done..
The Heat is on…
Sure Miami won the first two games of this series against the Celtics. As the favorite, Miami was supposed to win. In a 7-game series the team without homecourt advantage needs only to win one road game to win the series, if it can hold serve at home. That is why the pressure is on Miami. Tonight the Heat has to go for the goozle pipe. I think America has a love-hate relationship with the Heat, but ultimately would prefer to villify them more than laud them. When Miami is on top, everyone jumps on the bandwagon as Coach Erik Spoelstra told his squad earlier in the week. When the Heat lose though, people seem to revel in their misery. Tonight, Miami needs to come out and take Boston’s heart. Turn the game into an uptempo affair and run the old legs of the Celtics off the court. Because the more life Miami gives Boston, the more public opinion will sway toward the Celtics. Questions will be asked of LeBron’s character. Bosh’s toughness will be debated. The Heat bench will be called to task. All things that Miami wants to avoid at all costs. Miami needs to keep the Heat on Boston and win Game 3 on the road. Or else, it’s a series.
On their Grizzly…
Memphis? Is anyone else out there as astonished as I am that Memphis has the upperhand to reach the Western Conference Finals? This has been a spectacular run for Memphis, who is showing that effort and desire can trump talent. But for how long? I keep thinking that at some point reality will catch up with the Grizz and Memphis will realize the enormity of the moment and fold like chairs. It hasn’t happened yet, but it could happen on their home court. It is a lot easier to win when no one expects it. The city of Memphis though now expects the Grizz to win games 3 and 4. If OKC wins just one of the next two games, it will regain homecourt advantage and the edge in this series. That’s a lot of pressure on a Memphis team that does not have a great deal of postseason experience. While OKC does not have a lot of playoff experience either, I think that Durant and Westbrook learned to play on a stage this big last summer at the FIBA Championships. Add Kendrick Perkins’ playoff experience to the mix and I believe that the Thunder will regain control of this series in Memphis. I also thought that the Spurs would beat the Grizz though, so take my prediction with a grain of salt.
Bullies…
Last night the Bulls drubbed Atlanta. They took homecourt advantage back and reminded us all that this is Atlanta. I was shocked when Atlanta beat Orlando because the Hawks closed out the regular season in a horrid fashion. I was equally shocked when Atlanta won Game 1 of this series on the road in Chicago. But last night, I was reminded of why I didn’t give the Hawks a puncher’s chance in either series. Atlanta is too flawed of a team to be taken seriously. Joe Johnson is a solid player but not they type of guy that can be the leader on a serious contender. My friend Frank Hanrahan called Johnson Houdini last night for the way he magically disappeared. The Atlanta Hawks remind me of a deadbeat dad; every once in a while they can surprise you but in the end you just can’t depend on them. This is in no way an endorsement of the Bulls. Chicago is just the better team in this series. Chicago is equally flawed because D. Rose has to contribute so much offensively. For as spectacular as everyone thinks he is, your point guard can’t run the offense if he is the offense. I don’t expect Atlanta to come back in Game 4 and believe that this series, like this update, is a wrap.
The 2011-2012 NBA season is barely two weeks old and already the machine is in full effect mode. League headlines have been an almost daily occurrence. The retirement of promising young Portland star Brandon Roy; Jeff Green’s season-ending, contract voiding heart ailment; Nets owner Mikhail Portokohov’s campaign presidency; Kobe’s divorce; Lamar Odom‘s dis; Dwight Howard’s free agent status; Chris Paul’s on again off again on again trade situation and the stench of collusion it stirred. Gone is the budding chatter about players forming a new league. All that remains of the ‘we stand together’ mantra that the Players Association successfully engineered and executed (yep, I said it) for nearly five months is the sporadic spatter of the sullen superstar here and there. Meanwhile, the owners have quietly retreated to their respective behind the scenes sanctums and resumed business as usual.
If pro leagues were valued purely on their capacity to produce drama, the NBA would be far and away the most profitable of all. Baseball seems to have weathered the steroids era rather nicely. Even the Barry Bonds blemish that was supposed to send the slugger to prison has faded to a suspended sentence. As for football, its new concussion policy has contained any conversation of major reform for the time being. For its part, the NBA hasn’t faced a health crisis since the cocaine ’80s. It’s last credibility scandal — the shady referee imbroglio starring Tim Donaghy — never really gained much ground in part because the main accuser was the NBA’s version of Jose Conseco, which is to say unlikeable and untrustworthy.
But what the NBA has lacked in genuine threats to the credibility of the game and health of its labor force, it has more than made up for in pure, unadulterated theater. Remember this time two years ago? Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittendon (who is now facing murder charges), a gambling debt, some guns. Remember the half-hearted investigation into the league’s culture it triggered? The “shocking” revelation of widespread gambling among filthy rich 20 something, egomaniacs with way too much time on their hands? And then came Lebron’s ill-advised “Decision” followed by a Finals performance that will now require James to essentially win a title each of his remaining years in the league to live down. But even before “The Choke”, Lebron had detonated his legacy. Remember Cleveland fans burning his jersey? Remember Dan Gilbert went nutzo and started calling him names? Remember Jesse Jackson weighed in with a quietly incisive plantation owner/runaway slave analogy that made everyone uncomfortable? Remember all of that? That all seems so long ago now that such juicy story lines are primed to play out over the next eight months, story lines that will no doubt provide a palliative for a fall in which 30 NBA owners held the game hostage and in doing so revealed the extent to which professional basketball mirrors organized crime.
The other night I watched NBA insiders David Aldridge and Mike Fratello defend David Stern‘s decision to void the New Orleans Hornets-Los Angeles Lakers trade. They both sat in their comfortable NBA TV studio chairs paid for by the league, looked viewers straight in the eyes and said David Stern made the right decision. Of course they acknowledged that he could have handled it better. They, like the rest of the orthodox basketball community, have to offer at least a pretense of objectivity. But that’s it. Once they’ve feigned journalistic integrity, they go on to trumpet the party line and say something empty but authoritative like, “The reality is” or “The bottom line is”, two classic signals that some jive is about to be offered as fact. The local media guys poured me another glass of kool-aid while I was watching the Nets and Knicks preseason game Saturday. Both Jim Breen and Ian Eagle, the Knicks and Nets respective color commentators offered their unsolicited thoughts on the trade situation. And in both instances they sided with the commissioner, urging Joe Sixpack to see the trade from the league’s standpoint. Stern was acting in “the best interests” of New Orleans. He was protecting the team from itself. And anyway, said Eagle, the deal had not been consummated so, really, Stern wasn’t voiding anything. He was merely performing the normal functions of an owner whose right it is to reject a deal, which, added Eagle, happens everyday in the league. By the end of his spiel I’d lost my appetite.
Sports reporting in our culture is by and large pathologically parochial and narrow. In politics there is at least a whiff of a progressive and conservative media — a left and a right — and an overarching system of accountability that encourages inquiry and ensures a diversity of viewpoints. The closest things the sports journalism establishment has to balance and perspective are Bryant Gumbel, William Roden, Dave Zirin, Bill Simmons and, every once in a while, Michael Wilbon. The rest of the MSM’s sports reporting establishment — and I’m sure I’ve missed a few names — either doesn’t care to expose or explore the broken fundamentals, is too cozy with the very people it’s supposed to be holding accountable — a running theme in our society, I might add — to do its job, or just doesn’t see the problem. Throughout the lockout I thought and continue to think the real issue with professional sports is that they’ve gotten too big to remain “leagues” unto themselves. They need to be de-monopolized. Whether its ticket sales or capital costs, they are an affront to their base and a drain on the public. And yet the public — not even elected officials — have a say so in these billionaire cliques. Unlike in Spain and Germany, the public can not buy an ownership stake in an enterprise that is so deeply intwined with our collective social and economic lives. We, the fans, can only sit idly by, watching, waiting, hoping.
The late sports chronicler, David Halberstam once characterized the the 1999 lockout as a “struggle between short millionaires and tall millionaires.” With at least 13 owners carrying net worths in excess of a billion dollars, this latest lockout demonstrated the growing divide between even the wealthy and super wealthy in our society. In a less lucrative pre-millennial league the players had enough power to strike a deal that was favorable to them. In the new NBA and despite what any of the sports reporting establishment insists, the new super-rich ownership class successfully rammed a deal down the players throats because they could afford to do so and they had the media in their pocket. In view of the prevailing economic and political principle under which we live — that is, me first, screw you and if I can’t have my way everyone suffers — justice was served. But in view of the disproportionate bargaining power between the parties — the average owner has major financial holdings and revenue sources independent of the NBA while the average player has a four-year career window and hundreds of new competitors each year — the chips were stacked heavily in the owner’s favor from the outset. And already the owners have used the league’s new amnesty provision to waive more than $170,000,000 in player contracts, slashing the so-called $300,000,000 2010-2011 deficit by more than half in one week. While the waived players are still paid their ridiculously large salaries, the teams can write their salaries off on their 2011 tax bill and still subsidize the loss through a higher ticket and concession costs. Go figure.
I want to hate the NBA. I want to be able to disregard its existence. I want to be able to organize an occupation against the greedy cabal holding the game I love captive. I also can’t wait for Christmas. I check ESPN compulsively. I devour everything having anything to do with the league. The contradiction is unbearable at times. I’m like a jilted lover who keeps circling my ex’s block, that or the broken hearted sap who takes his cheating partner back even though he knows nothing’s changed. I’m a sucker and I know it.
Just yesterday I found myself in a locker room surrounded by a junior high school basketball team. They were getting ready for their game. I was getting ready for a workout. The way they were talking about the trades you’d think they had money on the line. They couldn’t have been more than twelve yet they knew who was going where and for how much. When, out of nowhere, one kid yelled, “Son, if you don’t know who Dwight Howard plays for I don’t know you no more!”, I had to listen in.
The other kid — chubby and a little bashful looking — chuckled confidently. “I know who Dwight Howard is.”
“Who he play for then?”
For a moment I worried that the kid really didn’t know, that he was just bluffing.
“The Orlando Magic,” he shouted back.
I was relieved for him. But his inquisitor wasn’t finished. The test had only just begun. “What number does he wear?”
Shit, I thought. I couldn’t even recall Howard’s number on the spot. Too much pressure. No way Chubs would get it right.
“Twelve,” Chubs replied.
“Oh yeah?” said the now visibly frustrated inquisitor, “What’s his nickname?”
Chubs blinked. The Inquisitor pounced. “Superman! Son, you don’t even know Dwight Howard’s nickname!”
“You mean Superman Two, right?” I said. “Because he’s not the first.” I looked at the only other person over the age of 18 in the locker room, a middle-aged guy quietly changing in the corner. “Ain’t that right?”
He nodded affirmatively. “Shaq’s the original.”
Others on the team chimed in. Dwight Howard was a biter, one said. “He copied the foul line dunk from Julius Erving, too.”
I couldn’t help but smile. These New York City kids knew Dr. J by his “government” name. How ironic. As I was walking out of the locker room the conversation shifted to Blake Griffith, last year’s Rookie of the Year and Slam Dunk Champ.
“Yo, that dunk wasn’t even all that.”
“He shouldna won.”
“Mcgee shoulda won.”
I couldn’t contain myself. “That’s the same thing I said!”
They looked at me strangely. I’d overreached. I turned and walked out.
When I was a kid my friends and I argued over whether Michael Jordan really beat Dominique Wilkens in the 1988 dunk contest. After all, just as the 2011 contest was held in Blake Griffith’s hometown of Los Angeles, the ’88 contest was held in Chicago. As kids we knew Jordan got away with an extra step, Larry Bird a push off under the basket, Dennis Rodman rib shots. Still, we followed the game religiously. I suppose that is what it means to be in love. It’s not rational. It makes no sense. We put up with crap that under no other circumstances would we find acceptable. Year after year we come back hopeful and excited. And, in a way, it’s because, for some of us at least, the game signifies our childhood and the emotional residue that connects us to a time when the most important thing to know was your favorite player’s nickname.
My feelings of betrayal are bound up in a mix of nostalgia and idealism. I still approach the basketball season with the excitement of a kid. The NBA machine knows and exploits this–why else would it schedule its opening shebang on Christmas Day? In as much as the league relies on and rouses up my deep sense of loyalty, I believe I am entitled to rely on this one thing not being pure unadulterated bullshit. It’s one thing for Reggie Miller to push off to get an open shot; it’s something else when a group of filthy rich people use their influence to hold a season hostage and enlist an army of media minions to make their grievances look legitimate. That I should not have to abide.
Despite what any general manager says in a press release announcing a team’s latest transaction, sports are not purely business. They are social and emotional institutions that both benefit from and depend on public engagement and support. If they were pure businesses, the Knicks would have been bankrupt years ago. If they were pure businesses, individual jerseys would not hang from the rafters alongside championship banners. Sports belong to all of us. For any small group of wealthy elites to have the power to control access to and enjoyment of something so vital to so many people is fundamentally wrong. I will never believe otherwise. Even as I anxiously await the start of what is already looking to be the most interesting season to date on and off the court, I will continue to preach my gospel.
And with that, let the games begin.
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