So You Wanna Play in the NBA?

Method 1, (“Prep to Pro”): Get drafted out of high school à-la Lebron James. In 2005, the NBA Players’ Union outlawed Method 1. Now, a player must be 19 years or older, and at least one year removed from high school in order to enter the NBA Draft. So until another change is made, this method is out. But was this a good call by the union? Think about this for a second: the past two times the first pick in the NBA Draft has been a player coming straight out of high school was LeBron James in 2003 and Dwight Howard in 2004. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’d say they’re doing alright for themselves in the NBA.

Method 2, (“One and Done”): Declare for Draft after freshman year at college, “attend” being a relative term, as the whole “student-athlete” thing is nothing more than a travesty. I’m pretty sure Derrick Rose to a maximum of two classes during his one year at Memphis, and rumor has it Kentucky head coach John Calipari wore a mask into a testing center to take the SATs for his pride and joy, John Wall. Secondly, what’s the point of recruiting the heck out of guys like Kevin Love and OJ Mayo just so they can come to school for a year for little more than parties and basketball? Not only is it a waste of time and money on behalf of Athletic Departments, it’s also doing a disservice to these nineteen and twenty year olds who are, for the first time, away from their families. All the special treatment they receive and all the babying they get doesn’t do anything to prepare them for the NBA.

Method 3, (“Trans-Atlantic Antics”): Spend the required one year removed from high school playing basketball for a European professional team such as Panathinaikos Athens. I think these guys wanted to get a jump start on their 401K. Why go to college and play for free when you can be making serious euros playing basketball matches in Barcelona? In all serious, these international teams are getting pretty good. U.S. Basketball really got a wake-up call at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when they got beat out by both Argentina and Italy. Where do you think Milwaukee Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings was when he showed up late to the NBA Draft?

FINAL WORD: Play European ball. To play basketball at a big name school like USC or Ohio State is to live in a bubble where everything is handed to you, where you can breeze through your classes that you don’t even show up for, and where your coaches and Athletic Directors will cover up all your tracks. Come on, you’re not fooling anyone. While it’s not impossible to keep a strong work ethic throughout college, most freshmen getting tons of attention from the ladies, the agents, and boosters will inevitably get distracted and lose the drive that they had relied on to get to this point in their careers. I’d even say play oversees over the prep-to-pro move, had it stayed legal. Experiencing other cultures and ways of life has a lot to offer. And, sometimes, the lead from high school senior to professional baller is too much. Kwame Brown was drafted first overall in 2001 by the Washington Wizards, and has by no means lived up to the hype.

Thunderstorms in OKC

Now, I know I just sang the praises of one expansion team, the Texans (introduced in 2002). But let me sing the praises of one more.

I know the Oklahoma City Thunder is not really an expansion team; the Seattle SuperSonics just relocated to Oklahoma City, and changed their name and jerseys. But it does feel like a whole new team. In the three seasons from the ‘05-06 to ‘07-08, the SuperSonics compiled a record of 86-160 and failed to make the playoffs once—which you almost have to try to do in the NBA. After averaging a little over 15,000 fan attendance from 2002 to 2008, the SuperSonics moved to OKC, where attendance now hovers around 18,000 per game, which is good enough for 11th in the NBA. This season, the Thunder have a winning record, and, should the season end today, they would be in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Such a turnaround has certainly been unexpected. Look at some of the previous relocations in professional sports: Montreal Expos became the Nationals in 2005, who have yet to have a winning season or make the playoffs; the Washington Senators moved to Dallas to become to Rangers in 1972, and didn’t make the playoffs for their first 24 years in Texas, and still have only won one playoff game ever.

The move to OKC feels a different, though. For the first time ever, Oklahoma houses a major professional sports team, and the fans have welcomed the Thunder as well as they possibly could have. Personally, I'm not surprised; college football draws a huge crowd there, and I don't see why no pro team has ventured there before the Thunder. Regardless, the team has reacted to the support accordingly. Kevin Durant is becoming one of the most electrifying players in all of basketball, currently fourth in the NBA with 28.5 PPG (he just broke a 37-year-old franchise record, scoring 30 points in his 6th straight game). He leads an extraordinarily young team with tons of potential: the average years of experience on the roster is 2.8, including four rookies. The team's 18-14 record is a 14-game improvement from where it was at this time last season, and the Thunder have had some big wins, including against the Magic, Suns, Spurs, and Heat. I also have to give them credit for two losses against the Lakers by a combined six points.

So check your city’s forecast, and make sure there are no eminent thunderstorms. This might be The Inconvenient Truth talking, but something tells me that thunderstorms are growing more powerful every year.

SOTD: Large Market Teams

There are 39 professional sports teams in NY/NJ, LA, BOS, CHI, DET, Pennsylvania, and Texas, across the four major sports of NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL. There are a total of 122 professional sports teams in those four leagues. Since 1990, there has been a total of 76 championships, and one of those 39 teams have appeared in 60 of them (79%). In addition, they have a combined 78 appearances in the championships between them. The 39 teams lucky enough to be in such a large market account for 31.9% of all the professional teams in America. However, at the same time, they have more appearances in league championships than the other 83 teams do combined. WHat does this mean? The influx of money in professional sports, and the concentration of that money into major markets have left small market teams in the dust. Teams in Kansas City, Florida, New Orleans, or anywhere in the West outside of LA don't stand a chance anymore. Sure, they may have a run once in a while thanks to a bit of luck and a great star (Saints, Colts, Marlins, Lightning, Rays, and Rockies), but in the long run, they won't really make a dent in their respective sports. The Royals (Kansas City), Seahawks (Seattle), Grizzlies (Memphis), and Wild (Minnesota) will continue to be the punching bag of bigger and better teams, a game on the schedule they will always be able to mark down as a win before the season even starts.

The Minnesota Wild actually proves this best. Minnesota and the Northern part of America is hockey town: the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Wisconsin Badgers, and Michigan Wolverines are always contendors for the NCAA hockey championship. Why? Because kids grow up playing hockey there, and want to go to school close to home. Youth and high school hockey is HUGE up there, and the high school stars go play for the school they've rooted for throughout their childhood: usually the ones closest to their home. But as soon as money enters the picture, the story changes. If we were to follow the same pattern, the Minnesota college stars would want to play for the Minnesota Wild or the Winnipeg Jets: close to home. But how have these teams fared? Well, The Wild haven't been the Stanley Cup since their inception in 2000, and the Winnipeg Jets were forced to relocate to Phoenix. Big money teams like Detroit and Chicago can pay players more because they can sell more tickets, sell more merchandise, and attract more sponsers.

And until the leagues make some major revenue sharing moves or something else extraodinary, this will continue to be the case. Its been 12 years since we've had a World Series between two teams not from Chicago, Boston, Philly, or NYC. Its been six years for the NFL, three for the NHL; and if you throw in Texas, the NBA has NEVER had a finals between two small market teams.

No Ring For the King with Shaq

So LeBron and Shaq had some good chemistry at last year’s All-Star game, but I don’t think Shaq will get LeBron his championship when they play together this season, and here’s why. When Shaq has won championships, he’s had Kobe in LA (6-6, 205 lbs.), and he’s had D-Wade in Miami (6-4, 216 lbs.) Both are guards who prefer to take perimeter jump shots than drive the lane. Their style of play is what Shaq complements best. Not that of a forward like LeBron James (6-8, 250 lbs). Here’s what happens with Shaq under the rim: defenses need to double-team Shaq, or else he’ll swallow up every pass and use his post-up play to score basket after basket. With so many men down low, Kobe/Wade were left open—or at least under single-coverage, which is basically open, for them—so they could bury the their jump shots easily. In Kobe Bryant’s 13 NBA seasons, he has had better than 46.3% field goal shooting five times. All but one of those times he owes to Shaq. In the 2005-2006 season, the Heat won their first NBA championship with Shaq, and Dwayne Wade shot 49.5% from the field. He has never shot so well in his career, even last year when he led the NBA in PPG. But in Phoenix, Shaq wasn’t able to make a huge difference because the big stud he was supposed to play alongside was Amare Stoudemire, who looks more like a LeBron than Kobe or D-Wade. Stoudemire is a 6-10 and 250 lbs foward. Granted, LeBron is a more of a shooter than Stoudemire, but King James’s dominion is just as much in the paint as on the perimeter. With Shaq drawing so many defenders under the rim, where is LeBron supposed to go? If he tries to drive the lane, he’ll find that Shaq creates more traffic than NYC rush hour. Zdrunas Ilgauskas was happy to take passes further away from the rim and take a step-back two-pointer, leaving space for LeBron under the rim. Now, if the Cavs got Shaq as an answer to Dwight Howard, they did a good job. O’Neal will be able to stop Superman (#2) more effectively than Ilguaskas, as he is much more of a defensive force. However, he will also be an encumbrance to LeBron on the offensive side of court. Looking at the stars Shaq has played with, Lebron falls somewhere between Stoudemire and Dwayne Wade. So, look for the 2009-2010 Cavaliers to have a season that is more successful than the 2008-2009 Phoenix Suns, but not as successful as the 2005-2006 Miami Heat.

NBA Free Agency '09

The free agents of 2009 were free to begin negotiations with any NBA team on July 1st. Although free agents can’t actually sign with any team until July 8th, several free agents have agreed to sign with a particular team, once that date rolls around. The big names that have already signed are Ron Artest with the Lakers (3-year), Hedo Turkoglu with the Raptors, Trevor Ariza with the Rockets (5-year), Charlie Villanueva with the Pistons (5-year), Ben Gordon with the Pistons (5-year), and yesterday’s reports are that Rasheed Wallace is heading to Boston for a two-year contract.

Before I talk about this deal for the Celts, I’d like remind y’all that there is a salary cap in the NBA. However, unlike the “hard” cap of the NFL and NHL, the NBA features a “loose” cap. Whereas in the NFL teams can exceed the cap in only the rarest of circumstances, the NBA offers a variety of exceptions by which teams can exceeds the salary cap. One exception that you have probably heard mentioned this offseason is the mid-level exception (MLE). It allows a team already over the cap to sign a player with a single year’s pay that is equal to the league’s average salary. Another common exception is the Larry Bird exception (named because the Celtics were the first team to implement this rule when they re-signed Larry Bird), which allows a team to resign their own free agent for the league’s maximum salary if the so-called “Bird free agent” has played for one team for at least three years in a row, without being waived.*

Rasheed Wallace, who can play both forward and center, will make Boston one of the most experienced teams in the NBA. He is a great two-way threat with plenty of experience, and will make a great addition to the Celtics lineup. Between Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Wallace, the Celtics have an unprecedented 53 years of NBA experience. With the addition of Shaq, Boston’s Eastern Conference rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers projected starting five will have a combined 38 years of experience. Last year, ‘Sheed had his lowest PPG since his rookie year with the Washington Bullets, scoring only 12.0 points a game; yet his 7.4 rebounds per game was 2.6 above the league average and higher than his own career average. Since his career is on the decline at age 34, Wallace will probably come off the bench for the Celtics, serving as a backup for Kevin Garnett. His willingness to accept a two-year contract worth over $1 million less than his 2008-2009 single-year salary, in addition to his readiness to play fewer minutes is a testament to Rasheed’s desire to win his second championship ring.

Another rumor that has been circulating throughout the media is that Boston is actively pursuing Suns’ free agent Grant Hill, instead of Glen Big Baby Davis, who could be headed to the Spurs. Grant Hill is even older than Sheed, and at age 36, this will be his 15th season in the NBA. While Hill is undoubtedly more proven than Davis, we saw Big Baby’s potential in this year’s playoffs, where he scored 15.8 points and averaged 5.6 rebounds per game while filling in for KG; who knows when he’ll come into his own? 2008-2009 was only his second year in the NBA, and Ainge could probably sign Davis for a less costly contract than he will be forced to pay 7-time All Star Grant Hill.

Looking at Boston’s projected starting lineup, Boston has some of the most proven stars in all of the NBA. Here are some stats between Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Grant Hill:
• Pierce was selected 10th in the 1998 NBA Draft, the lowest out of any of the five players (Allen: 5th, Garnett: 5th, Wallace: 4th, Hill: 3rd
• Together, they have appeared in 40 NBA All Star games
• 5-player averages: 19.50 PPG, 7.06 RPG, 3.72 APG
• Combined 4,606 reg. season games (56 82-game seasons), 402 playoff games
And don’t forget, Boston still has Rajon Rondo prepared to play his 4th season with the Celtics. In this year’s playoffs, he was .3 rebounds and .2 assists short of averaging a triple-double.

Other free agents that have yet to commit to a team include: Dikembe Mutombo, Lamar Odom, Nate Robinson, Marcin Gortat, Andre Miller, Ime Udoka, Mike Bibby, and Shawn Marion, as well as the Celtics’ Leon Powe, Mikki Moore, Stephon Marbury.

*The MLB’s version of a salary cap is the called a “payroll threshold”. Instead of being penalized with the loss of draft picks or millions of dollars (as in the NBA), teams that exceed the salary cap pay a small “luxury tax” that goes to baseball’s “industry-growth fund”. Although the luxury is sometimes called the “competitive balance tax”, the tax money does not redistribute the money to poorer teams. Instead, the MLB uses this fund to promote baseball around the world and for player benefits.

Which Laker I Could See In Beantown

The LA Lakers claim that they will not resign Trevor Ariza, now that free agent signing season has begun. The Celtics ought to take a look at this guy. Out of UCLA, he's only 24 years old, and can give the Celtic's defense a huge boost. His offensive game has room for improvement, but with his athleticism and Boston's phenomenal supporting cast, it wouldn't be unheard of for him to score 12+ points a game. In the 2009 playoffs, he shot almost 50% in FG% and from three point range, allthewhile scoring over 11 points per game. It would be new for him to be able to actually carry some responsibility on offense after playing with Kobe for the past two seasons. After suffering a broken foot in the 2007-2008 season, he played all 82 games for the Lakers last year, and after last year, we need some reliable starters. It doesn't look like Leon Powe will return with the Celtics, and with Cleveland's acquisition of Shaq, Jason Kidd going to Orlando, and the Piston's offseason overhaul, the Celts must be looking for a possible deal this offseason. Other big(ger) names that are being thrown around are Rasheed Wallace and Amare Stoudemire. While these would be great pickups, they'd probably cost the Celtics a lot more than an unproven Trevor Ariza. Plus, there would be no better way to stick it to the Lakers next season than beating them with a player they were too cheap and potential-blind to sign.

One Big Cactus in Cleveland

Shaq was traded to the Cavaliers to join LeBron James in Cleveland yesterday. The deal that will put two of the biggest stars in the game on the same court was finalized around the time of the 2009 draft. Here’s the deal: Shaq will play the 2009-10 season for the Cavs, whereupon his contract will expire. The Phoenix Suns will receive second-string center Ben Wallace and backup forward Aleksandar Pavlovic, who, together averaged only 10.5 minutes a game, along with a 2010 second round draft choice and half a million dollars. Cleveland had tried to make a similar deal for O’Neal least season before the February deadline, and the failure to do so could have cost them a trip to the NBA finals when Zydrunas Ilgauskas could not hang with Dwight Howard in the Conference Finals. Cleveland was unwilling to let that happen again. For Phoenix, the deal was an attempt to get younger with 26-year old Pavlovic and an extra draft pick next year, but it also functioned as a salary dump. Shaq was costing them a lot of money ($20 million a year), and apparently the Suns have been hit pretty hard by the economic crisis.

For Cleveland, the purpose of the deal was a little more conspicuous: keep LeBron a Cav when his contract is up after this season. James has made it clear he would like to remain a Cavalier after this season, but no one would be surprised if he pulled a classic superstar move and signed a contract with a team that could afford to pay him a little more money—say, the Knicks? But if Cleveland could give Lebron an NBA title next season, the Akron native might be a little more tempted to stay in Cleveland. Shaq is 37 years old and is about to play his 17th year in the NBA. Cleveland is hoping he still has enough (diesel) gas in the tank to get Cleveland past the Celtics and Magic, by whom they have been eliminated in the playoffs the past two years. The Cavliers brass might be on to something too: O’Neal already has 4 rings, and there is something to be said for someone who has proven himself a champion. Even if the Cavs don’t bring home a title, this moves at least lets LeBron know that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get LeBron what he needs to win a championship. However, Cleveland does have one number off in the “Shaq + x = NBA champs” formula. In LA, there was Shaq, Kobe, and Phil Jackson; in Miami, there was Shaq, D-Wade, and Pat Riley. In Cleveland, there will be Shaq, LeBron, and…Mike Brown. He has the grade-A point guard that has helped him win championships in the past, but he doesn’t quite have the grade-A coach. (More like a grade-B rown coach).

One thing I know I’m looking forward too is watching Shaq join one of the most fun-loving teams in the NBA. He thinks there will be “a lot of fun, a lot of just having a good time and a lot of smiling, and a lot of winning.” Putting aside the winning part, I can’t imagine what Shaq will bring to the pre-game photo shoots and human bowling of the Cavs. Who can forget the 2007 All-Star game dance-off Shaq initiated between Dwight Howard, LeBron, and himself? To see the dance-off, click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfHeeQJhVQ. If nothing else, LeBron will have a fun season putting on a show for the fans of Cleveland playing alongside the biggest personality in all of sports, Shaquille O’Neal. Another thing we can count on: the Cavalier offense will no longer be get the ball to LeBron, and watch him do his thing. James’s numbers might drop off a bit with the addition of a 15-time All Star, but I don’t think he’ll care if it gets him a ring.

Guarding the Garden

When the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett after the 2006-2007 season, they traded away their first round draft pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. So, the Celtics had but one pick in this year's draft: the 58th overall, third to last in the whole draft. They picked senior shooting guard Lester Hudson out of Tennessee-Martin. Almost 25 years old, he was oldest player selected in this year's draft. (It's too bad that college prospects get penalized for staying in college for four years, e.g. Tyler Hansbrough: ACC's all-time leading scorer, dropped to the Pacers at the 13th pick. In the past three drafts, 17 seniors went in the first round, compared to 22 freshmen. This year, we saw the first American player to sidestep the new rule requiring one year of college before entering the draft by playing professionally in Europe: 10th overall pick, Brandon Jennings.) The UT Martin Skyhawks led the Ohio Valley Conference (D-1) with 22 wins last season. Lester Hudson made headlines last year as a junior when he recorded the OVC's first ever quadruple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds 10 assists, 10 steals). A talented all-around player, Hudson was the only player in the nation to average 5+ points, 4+ rebounds, 4+ assists, and 2+ steals per game. He led the OVC in scoring with 27.5 points per game, which was good enough for second-best in the nation, behind Davidson's Stephen Curry (7th overall in the Draft). During his two years at UT Martin, he received a number of significant honors: two-time AP All-American Honorable Mention, back-to-back OVC Player of the Year, 7-time OVC Player of the Week (single-season record). Flying under the radar in a conference that has seen only one player get drafted to the NBA since 2004, Hudson was projected by ESPN to go in the late first round to early second-round. He had good numbers in college, but he's already older than Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins, and I don't know how much better this guy is going to get. Furthermore, the Celtics still have two young guards, J.R. Giddens and Gabe Pruitt, waiting for their chance to play at the Garden. Giddens and Pruitt (2008 and 2007 draft picks, respectively) have a team option for next season. Drafting another guard could be Danny Ainge's way of telling them that they better work their tails off, or this newcomer is going to take their spot. Or, maybe Ainge really likes the athleticism and maturity of Hudson and expects him to get a little bit of playing time next season. Regardless, it's nice to see a kid who actually graduated from college get drafted to the NBA.

Anything's Possible, Like a '10 Title for the Celts

Recently, the Big Ticket himself, Kevin Garnett told the fans to buy tickets, all to watch the Celtics' journey to a "guaranteed" title. Well, it has common sense lately to buy a ticket to a Celtics game, a franchise drenched with winning and culture. But Garnett has guaranteed a title for 2010. This is a huge possibility for a Celtics team with a healthy Garnett, a now-experienced Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, a fit Paul Pierce, and a healthy Ray Allen. Wait, did I just say "healthy" Ray Allen? Yes, I did. He actually admitted to the Boston Globe that he did indeed have a hamstring injury in the Conference semifinals against the Magic. He did not feel it was neccessarry to release the information because he did not think it was that serious. But he did say that it was something he, "had to deal with." And, when asked by the Globe if the injury hindered his performance in the sreies, Allen replied with a typical humble superstar statement, saying, "It wasn't anything that was going to keep me from playing." If you look back to the Celtics' championship team in '08, we were absurdly fortunate to have practically no injuries all season. This year, a battered Celtics team that faced injury after injury, especially late in the season, were one of three NBA teams to finish the season with more than 60 wins.

With everyone back and healthy in 2010, the Celtics have a great chance to win the NBA Finals, and according to Las Vegas, they have a 5-1 chance of winning, in 3rd place just behind Cleveland (2nd place with 3-1 odds) and Los Angeles Lakers (1st place with 5-2 odds).

I'd Rather Have Doc

Have you been watching Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson these playoffs? It’s pretty hard to catch a glimpse of him actually coaching. It seems like Kobe Bryant has mutinied the LA team, becoming the one in the middle of huddles, the one yelling at refs, the one telling his teammates where to be, and what to do. So what has Phil Jackson been doing? Apparently I’m the only one seeing him take a back-seat role to the self-proclaimed coach and basketball genius, Kobe Bryant; in yesterday’s SportsNation poll on ESPN, Phil Jackson won “greatest NBA coach of all time”, defeating Red Auerbach and Pat Reilly like brushing dirt off his shoulder. Since he started coaching in 1989, he’s made the playoffs every single year, and he’s won ten championships, in only 18 years. Without question, if you look solely at the numbers, Jackson has to be the greatest NBA coach of all time. But is he really?

Jackson got the head coaching job of the Chicago Bulls in 1989. That was Michael Jordan’s fifth year in the NBA: the prime of his life. It was also Scotty Pippen’s second year in the NBA, just long enough for him to get the hang of hanging with the stars of the NBA. One of the greatest dynamic duos of all time fell into Jackson’s lap, and he was able to lead (sit on the bench and watch MJ dominate) the Bulls to a three-peat from 1991-1993. Michael Jordan retired after the third finals victory, surprising Jackson and the rest of the NBA. Not surprisingly, however, Jackson was unable to continue winning without the team’s MVP: during Jordan’s short-lived baseball career, the Bulls had their worst two seasons ever while under Phil Jackson. Fortunately for the Bulls’ frustrated coach, Jordan came back and started the 1995 season, along with new acquisition, Dennis Rodman, winner of the past four rebounding titles. These three stars led the Bulls to another three consecutive NBA Finals victories from 1996-1998, with Jackson serving as the designated time-out-caller, as Jordan his three all-stars walked over competition, giants among men. Then, when Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman didn’t return to the Bulls during the ’98 offseason, neither did Phil Jackson. Possibly realizing his inability to coach a team that lacks the ridiculous talent he enjoyed throughout his tenure in Chicago, Jackson did not show any desire to continue coaching the franchise, and took a year off from basketball. Since the departure of Jackson, but more impmortantly the departure of that trio, Chicago Bulls are championship-less since 1998.

Meanwhile, in LA, the makings of a dynasty were in motion. In 1996, the Lakers acquired three talented young players, 4-year veteran Shaquille O’Neal along with rookies Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher. Phil Jackson wound up the coach of this absurdly talented Laker team in 1999, as both Kobe and Shaq were entering their prime. Can you guess what happened next? With another of the best dynamic duos of all time, the Lakers went back-to-back-to-back, winning three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002. Phil Jackson happened to be the coach at the time. Starting the following season, Shaq and Kobe showed signs of disunion, and the team struggled, and Jackson could not bring his team together. That year, the Lakers did not advance in the postseason further than the Conference Semifinals. Then, there was another year of Shaq-Kobe feuding, another year of Phil Jackson feeding off the talent of his superstars, another year without a championship. Faced with intra-team problems that Jackson could do nothing about, he did not return as the Lakers head coach in 2004. When he returned after a one-year “sabbatical”, for the first time in his career, Phil Jackson had to do some work of his own, as he was faced with the task of developing some young talent. He was so used to it being handed to him. I guess you could say he did a fine job, since he took his team to the NBA Finals this year and last year.

Jackson is unquestionably a good coach. Even when given all the talent in the world, it does take some ability to keep a team together (let’s forget about LA from 2003-2004 for a minute), and it does take some basketball knowledge to formulate a decent strategy, and it does take some suaveness to be NBA champions 10 times during an 18 year career. I’m just saying, you put Terry Francona in Phil Jackson’s shoes, and I bet he’d win a few titles. I don’t know how he’d respond to having to wear a suit though.

Why Kobe Blew Game 3

Last night, the Magic were able to secure their first NBA Finals victory in franchise history not because of Dwight Howard’s 20th double-double in 21 playoff games, not because five Magic players scored at least eighteen points (the Lakers had two such players), but because of Kobe Bryant’s foolish play in the second half. He had a ridiculous first-quarter, scoring 17 points (7-10 shooting), and accounting for 23 of the Lakers’ 31 points. From then on, Kobe planned on continuing his first quarter barrage for the remaining 36 minutes; he was on-pace to score 68 points, 5 better than Jordan’s playoff record of 63. He tried to split double-teams, go right at Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, take threes with hands in his face, and he rarely passed the ball to his deserving teammates. Too often, double-teamed Kobe drove the lane, drew the entire Magic defense, and left wide-open Ariza, Farmar, or Fisher wondering why Kobe was trying to maneuver through the 33 feet and 1000 pounds that is the Magic starting lineup. Let’s look at what Kobe did after the first quarter: 4-15 field goals, 4 personal fouls, 4-9 free throw shooting, 3 turnovers, and a +/- of -7. In the fourth quarter, Kobe really blew it for the Lakers. Trying to be the hero he was in the first quarter, over-aggressive Kobe Bryant missed three 3-pointers in the final two minutes. Then, in a one-possession game with less than thirty seconds left, he tried to split yet another double-team, and got stripped by Mickael Pietrus, who went on to put the Magic up by five with two free-throws. But what really gets me is Kobe’s attitude on the court. After every Laker mishap, Bryant makes it out to be an astronomical cataclysm that won’t happen again on his watch. He comes off as an overly-didactic know-it-all, getting on his teammates’ case for something that either wasn’t their fault, or that they already understand how to correct. He’s not the coach. Phil Jackson is one of the most accomplished coaches in NBA history (most playoff wins, highest regular season winning percentage); he doesn’t need Kobe doing his job. Bryant is the best player on the Lakers hands-down, but he’s not the only player on the team. His supporting cast is far better than LeBron’s Cavs or Dwayne Wade’s Heat, and he should take advantage of that. I know he’s eager to prove he’s one of the NBA’s all-time best, that he doesn’t need Shaq to win a championship, but selfish play—no matter how spectacular—isn’t the way to do it.

Stat of the Day: Lakers vs. Celtics

Since the NBA’s first season in 1946, the Celtics have reached the NBA finals 20 times, and have more titles than any other franchise: 17 (85% winning percentage). The LA Lakers, on the other hand, have been to the NBA finals a whopping 30 times, but have managed only 15 titles, a mere 50% winning percentage. LA’s longest drought of not reaching the finals is seven years (1973-1980), compared to the Celtic’s twenty years from 1987 to 2008. Thus, the Lakers have been consistently good since their first NBA championship in 1949; they won their division at least twice in every decade, whereas the Celtics have created a pattern of dominant eras, followed by lackluster ones. They won eight NBA championships back-to-back from 1959to 1966, but went to the finals only twice in the 70s. Then, they played for the NBA championship in four consecutive years from 1984 to 1987, followed by a dry spell of twenty years, which ended only last year in 2008. The Celtics are better head-to-head in the finals, winning 9 of the 11 times.

Conference titles:
Celtics: 20
Lakers: 30

NBA titles
Celtics: 17
Lakers: 15

Win % in finals
Celtics: 85%
Lakers: 50%

Longest time without reaching finals
Celtics: 20 years (1987-2008)
Lakers: 7 years (1973-1980)

Most titles back-to-back
Celtics: 8 (1959-1966)
Lakers: 3 (1952-1954, 2000-2002)

Head-to-head wins in finals
Celtics: 9
Lakers: 2

NBA Finals: No Need for Nelson

As the Orlando Magic and LA Lakers suit up for game two of this seven-game series of the NBA finals, I hope Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has learned his lesson from game one. Don’t play Jameer Nelson. Now, I know my esteemed colleague, Rob Costello, predicted Nelson would be the key to the Magic’s success in these finals, I just don’t see it. I know, Nelson is an All-Star point guard who was second in the NBA in 3-point shooting this season, but he just recovered from shoulder surgery. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you kind of need your shoulders at full strength in order to play professional basketball. And the finals should not be his rehab assignment! The surgery on his torn labrum was predicted to be season-ending. Why would the Magic rush him back and play him, when what they have now, with big men All-Stars Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard has been working throughout the playoffs. They also have 2008’s Most Improved Player in Forward Hedo Turkoglu, as well as former Streetballer Rafer Austin. So people thought Jameer Nelson would ruin Orlando’s hopes because they can’t shoot from beyond the arc without him? In the postseason, they’re shooting 36% from 3-point range, barely off from their 39% mark that they got with Nelson (and that’s against much weaker defenses than the 76ers, Celtics, and Cavaliers they’ve faced in the playoffs). In game one of the finals, Nelson shot zero 3-pointers in 23 minutes. If anything, Nelson brought the team down a notch. The Magic were thinking too much about his presence, and not playing the type of basketball that has got them through the playoffs. They only scored 75 points against the Lakers, who gave up 99 points per game in the regular season! (The Magic have averaged 97 points per game in these playoffs.) I can’t believe Van Gundy would make Nelson play so soon after surgery, with no game-type situations to play off of (no pun intended). Ideally Nelson would come off the bench, starting with just few minutes per game, and increasing the number every game. But the Magic don’t have that kind of time, and were forced to play Nelson for more than 20 minutes in game one the NBA finals. We’ll see what they do in game two tonight, which starts at 8:00 in LA, but if I were Stan Van Gundy, I’d rely on Dwight Howard to play great defense and, likely facing the double-team, draw in the Laker defense, and get the ball to his more-than-decent supporting cast.

He's Back?

There is a vicious rumor circling through the bowels of the NBA that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson will return for the finals. Though he himself and the majority of the Magic's brass remain publicly pessimistic about his return, many of his teammates are banking on him playing in the organization's first finals appearance since 1995. The former St. Joseph's standout practice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing supposedly season ending shoulder surgery after tearing his labrum on February 2nd. If Jameer returns, he will bring a dynamic offensive game with deadly range from the land of three (he ranks second in 3-point percentage shooting). There isn't really even a weakness to his offensive game; he penetrates well and can draw in the defense, thus taking it himself or dumping it down to the other-worldly Dwight Howard. Oh and did I mention he can play defense? This possible late cameo for Nelson will take a tremendous amount of pressure of Orlando's big three of Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Now, my prediction for the finals:

With a healthy Jameer Nelson who is somewhat near his early season form; I like the Magic in six. Dwight Howard will present far too much of a problem for the Lakers bigs. And at the same time, not too much attention can be focused on Dwight because of the Magic's three point shooting ability. Every member of their starting lineup is a bona-fide threat whom the Lakers will have to respect. With Jameer Nelson active, the Magic are just far too deep. However, without Jameer, I will have to take the Lakers in seven. I feel that, if the sometimes shaky Rafer Alston has to shoulder the load at point guard, seasoned veteran Derek Fisher will destroy him. Barring the unforseen, Kobe is a lock average 35+ ppg in the series, and the only real question is, will his supporting cast step up? Kobe Bryant better hope so. This year he continues his unfinished business of trying to win that elusive championship without Shaquille O'Neal.

Well Jameer Nelson, it looks like the fate of your team and the devoted fans of the city of Orlando rests in your hands. What's it gonna be?

LeBron's "Apology"

Well, LeBron came forward with a statement on his failure to congratulate Orlando after they defeated the Cavaliers 4-2 in the conference finals. But it wasn’t the apology you usually hear after an athlete’s misconduct; he basically justified his actions. He compared it to a fight: if you're a competitor, and you lose a fight, you don’t congratulate the person who just beat you up. So what is LeBron saying about Carmello Anthony, Ray Allen, or Dwayne Wade? Since they shook hands with their opponents when they lost in the playoffs, they're not competitors? Also, the playoffs aren't really the same thing as a fight. It’s a game. It’s entertainment for all of America, and superstars like LeBron need to set a better example. Kids see LeBron walk off the court and think that that’s okay to do, when it’s not. In hockey, from Mites to the NHL level, teams line up at center ice, and shake each other’s hands, one by one. This should be the case in all professional sports, as it sets an example for Americans, and shows them proper way to behave, not just in sports, but in all realms of life: “You got into a better school than I did, good for you.” “Your apple pie won first prize, I’ll look forward to beating you next year, but nice job today.” That sounds a whole lot better to me than bitterly walking away after a disappointing loss.

LeBron: A Little Too Cavalier

Last night, the Cavs dropped Game 6 to the Orlando Magic, losing the conference finals. It’s customary for the leaders of each team to congratulate each other on a great series, say something. But LeBron didn’t. He didn’t say anything to Dwight Howard, or anyone on the Magic. As the game ended, he stomped off the court, seemingly disgusted with the way he and his teammates played. ESPN’s Rachel Nichols asked Howard about it, and Howard said he was surprised, but “he was probably upset, probably hurt, and I understand that, respect it.” But come on, LeBron. You’re not just LeBron James out there, you represent the city of Cleveland; you are the Cavs. You have to set a good example. Basically the spokesperson for the entire NBA, he should know by now that all his actions are going to show up sometime on ESPN; I’m sure James will at least apologize for his misconduct; but next year, LeBron better show some better sportsmanship. Remember, LeBron, we are all witnesses.