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Archive for June, 2007
June 25, 2007 at 3:09 pm · Filed under NBA
Clips Nation blogger Steve Perrin provided Daily Basketball with this 1,800-word epic preview of the Los Angeles Clippers. Obviously, Steve has a lot to say about a team that normally doesn’t get much when compared to their counterparts across the locker room.
After a 2005-2006 season in which the Clippers set records for wins and road wins, in which Elton Brand was named an All-Star and Second Team All-NBA, in which Sam Cassell found the Fountain of Youth in Playa Vista, and the team came within one win (3 seconds really) of advancing to the Western Conference Finals, expectations were sky high for the 2006-2007 season. Unfortunately, a 40-42 finish, missing the playoffs by a single game, has NBA writers wearing out the thesaurus looking for creative ways to say disappointing (the season was certainly substandard, unrewarding and unsatisfactory if not exactly decomposed and rancid).
The Clippers now find themselves in a very strange position. They are more or less the exact same team they were a year ago at this time: swap Tim Thomas for Vladimir Radmanovic and the top 8 players in minutes played and total points are identical. But in June 2006 they were a young team on the rise, supposedly in need of nothing more in the off-season than further development in their youngest players (specifically Shaun Livingston and Chris Kaman) in order to take another step forward. Instead, the step was backwards (and a giant step at that), and in June 2007, it’s now clear that something must be done in order to keep up in the ever-improving Western Conference. I mean, seriously, other than the Lakers and the Kings, what Western team isn’t going to be as good or better next season?
But what are the Clippers needs? Unlike many teams, there’s no single thing that really jumps out.
The point guard position is a definite issue, at least in the short term. But even there, it’s a strange, crowded field. Cassell was the second leading scorer and clear team leader two seasons ago when he defied his 36 years and played in 78 games, 34 minutes per, and averaged over 17 points. But at 37, those numbers slipped to 58 games, 24 minutes and 12 points. The good news, if indeed there is any, is that Cassell has defied the odds before - his stat line from his final year in Minnesota looks eerily like last season, and everyone wrote him off as too old at that point. Sam is working hard in Houston to get into shape for one more season, and rest-assured he intends to bounce back once again. But is it even possible for a man who will be 38 in November?
Meanwhile, Shaun Livingston has been the starter-in-waiting for 3 seasons, ever since he was taken straight from high school with the 4th pick in the 2003 draft. But tentative play and injuries have delayed his ascension to full-time starter, culminating in the ghastly knee injury suffered on February 26. (In a Clipperian twist, he had played his best game as a pro two days earlier, and had taken over the fourth quarter of a game in late January. Just when it was really looking like he was putting it all together, his knee blew up. That’s life in ClipsNation.) Successful reconstructive surgery in March has been followed by a rehab program, and the Clippers have their fingers crossed that he could play in January. That’s as good as you could possibly hope for after exploding three major ligaments, but let’s face it - it was unclear if Livingston was ever going to be a legitimate NBA point guard before the injury, and it’s less clear now. Read the rest of this entry »
June 21, 2007 at 6:45 pm · Filed under NBA
It’s been a while since our last draft preview, but Pradamaster of Bullets Forever provided Daily Basketball with this NBA draft preview of the Washington Wizards.
Record: 41-41
This Year’s Picks: #16 and #47 (for the moment)
After a poor November, the Wizards raced to the top of the Eastern Conference by going 12-4 in December. Early-season wins included victories over Phoenix, Dallas, and the Lakers. Gilbert Arenas was doing his Hibachi routine, Caron Butler was coming into his own as an all-star caliber player, and the clubhouse was as goofy as ever. Everything seemed to be going well.
Then, injuries derailed the end of the season, relegating the team to a mediocre 41-41 finish and a four-game sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Wizards held the top spot in the conference past the all-star break, but the writing was on the wall, even before the injuries to Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and Gilbert Arenas.
A leaky defense got even worse as the season went along, and although Arenas continued to hit memorable game-winning shots, he fell into a shooting slump. Butler suffered a bruised knee shortly after the all-star break and was never the same player. Jamison sprained his knee against Detroit and missed a month. The team’s lead over Miami in the Southeast dwindled by the day. Michael Ruffin threw the ball up into the sky instead of letting the clock run out, leading to a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Raptors. Then, in a perfect storm of events, Butler and Arenas suffered season-ending injuries in the last week in March, leaving an undermanned team in their place. Jamison performed admirably trying to carry a wounded squad, and every game was close, but the Wizards simply lacked the firepower to finish off games.
The injuries muddle the long-term picture significantly. On the one hand, when healthy, this team was much improved over the previous two seasons. On the other hand, they were starting to fall off even before everyone got hurt, and it’s unclear whether they were as good as Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, or even Toronto.
This offseason will be incredibly important, as eight Wizards are set to be restricted or unrestricted free agents. Next year, Arenas will be a free agent after announcing his intention to opt out of his current contract, and Jamison will also be looking for a new deal. The team’s course of action this offseason determines their direction next year.
Of the eight free agents, only three are really significant. Andray Blatche, the talented young forward, is a restricted free agent, and it has been reported that he may command as much as 4 million dollars per season on the open market. Based solely on his upside, the Wizards will likely match any offer, but that eats into their salary cap more than expected. DeShawn Stevenson, the starting shooting guard stolen from the Orlando Magic for the veteran’s minimum, is an unrestricted free agent. When the Big 3 of Arenas, Jamison, and Butler were in the lineup, Stevenson was an excellent role player, but once Arenas and Butler went down, Stevenson struggled mightily. That might end up being a blessing in disguise, as it will drive Stevenson’s market value down. If possible, the Wizards should re-sign him to a contract similar to the 3 year/10 million dollar deal he turned down last offseason. The other key free agent is backup small forward Jarvis Hayes, who has yet to capitalize on being selected 10th overall in the 2003 draft. It’s probably time for him to move on.
The biggest needs for the Wizards are to find better defense and to upgrade the surrounding bench. Don’t be surprised if general manager Ernie Grunfeld trades away either the disgruntled Brendan Haywood or the overpaid Antonio Daniels and Etan Thomas to acquire another late first-round pick. Defense has to be the number 1 priority for this team, no matter where they go in the draft. Ideally, the Wizards would draft a promising young shot-blocking big man like Joakim Noah or Al Horford, but neither will be around by the 16th pick. Instead, expect the Wizards to look for depth on the wing. Arenas, Butler, and Daniels are the only players under contract at the 1, 2, and 3 spots, and Daniels may be traded. If USC’s Nick Young is available by the 16th pick, that’s probably where they will go. Otherwise, it could be Vanderbilt’s Derrick Byars, Georgia Tech’s Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton, Rice’s Morris Almond, or a complete wildcard. If they decide to go big anyway, Colorado State’s Jason Smith or Brazil’s Tiago Splitter are possibilities. Also, don’t count out trading down, especially if Nick Young is off the board.
With their second-round pick, the Wizards could use another perimeter stopper, so guys like Virginia Tech’s Zabian Dowdell or Maryland’s D.J. Strawberry make sense. If they don’t go big in the first round, UMass’s Stephen Lasme or LSU’s Glen Davis are possibilities. However, you never know what GM Ernie Grunfeld is up to, so don’t be surprised if they go in a completely different direction.
I’d bet on at least one of the Haywood/Thomas/Daniels trio to be traded away on draft day, and if not then, definitely in the offseason. Because of Jamison’s 16 million dollar expiring contract, the Wizards have been popping up in trade rumors involving guys like Shawn Marion and Zach Randolph. I doubt either of those comes anywhere near happening. More likely, the Big 3 will remain, but they’ll be surrounded by a number of different characters, preferably ones with a defense-first mindset. If the team struggles out of the gate next season, then we can discuss trading one of the Big 3, but until then, they’ll probably stick around, albeit potentially with a very different set of surrounding characters.
To read more from Wizards’ talk from Pradamaster, visit Bullets Forever.
On a side note: Tweens have recently been indulging more in golf and tennis to some extent in spite of the fact that lacrosse equipment is more easier to get their hands on.
June 19, 2007 at 7:31 pm · Filed under NBA, Other
SportsAgentBlog.com hosted the most recent edition of the Carnival of the NBA. If you aren’t already familiar with Carnivals, it’s a collection of links from around the blogosphere — usually presented in some unique manner. This edition is titled, The Final Draft, and that’s what this edition is all about.
The Los Angeles Lakers may not want to lose the face of their franchise, but Kobe Bryant looks like he’s on his way to another big market. Although the Lakers hope to repair the damaged relationship, Bryant doesn’t want to return. The team apparently talked with the Chicago Bulls about a trade likely involving a combination of Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, and Luol Deng.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have shopped Kevin Garnett around this summer, to the Boston Celtics among others. Also, the team may have talked with the Phoenix Suns about a trade for Amare Stoudemire.
Rashard Lewis may lose out on millions after a contract error could keep the small forward from opting out of his contract with the Seattle Sonics. Lewis’ agent may have mishandled the paperwork, which may keep him from opting out.
Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan thinks the team will keep Andrei Kirilenko. The disgruntled Russian expressed a lot of concern about getting the ball and budding star Deron Williams during an interview with a Russian website. While players rarely win against Sloan, he’s softened up over the past couple years and doesn’t want to blow up the situation.
Our NBA Draft Preview section has covered about one-third of the NBA teams owning a draft pick, but that still leaves plenty of teams not covered by their respective bloggers. If you’re team is in the Southwest division or one of the teams not yet covered, please contact Daily Basketball if you’re interested in contributing. Visit the preview section for more details.
June 12, 2007 at 5:40 pm · Filed under NBA
This preview is provided by Brian Ward of Depressed Fan. I’ll leave it to that get on to the Philadelphia Sixers previews.
Previous season record: 35–47
Picks held by the team: #12, #21, #30, #38
Position needs: Center or Power Forward, Small Forward or Shooting Guard
The ‘06-’07 season started out great for the Sixers. They jumped out to a 3-0 start, winning games over Atlanta, Orlando and Miami. From there, things went straight downhill. On December 18, the Sixers shipped Allen Iverson to Denver for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and what would become the #’s 21 and 30 picks in the upcoming draft. A few weeks later Chris Webber was cut loose, mercifully for any Sixers fan who’d been forced to watch him dog it in Philly the entire season.
Once Iverson and Webber were out of town, and Miller and Smith settled in, the Sixers gelled as a team. After starting the season 5–19, the Sixers finished 30–28. With Miller running the show and Andre Iguodala asserting himself as the team’s leader and go-to-guy, the Sixers eschewed a tank job for a chance at Greg Oden in favor of developing their young roster and creating a winning atmosphere around their budding superstar.
The Sixers, as constructed, are a playoff team in ‘07-’08. Miller is a prototypical pass-first point guard. He gets everyone involved in the offense, and gets them the ball exactly where they need it, at the right time to convert. Iguodala can do it all. He’s a great distributor, on-the-ball defender, rebounder and this year he proved that he can shoulder the scoring load as well. Those two positions are set going forward, at least for this year.
Samuel Dalembert is a quality piece of the puzzle. He’s a shot-blocking, long, athletic big who can get you a double-double on any given night, and erase mistakes made by perimeter players. You don’t want to run your offense through him, but he has a nice touch on his mid-range jumper, and runs the floor like a deer. Willie Green and Stephen Hunter, the other two starters, need to be upgraded. Both could find a spot at the end of the rotation, but neither deserves the extended minutes he got this year.
Off the bench, the Sixers have Kyle Korver, an assassin from downtown, and a key part of the rotation. Lou Williams, a small, quick, combo guard who showed the ability to back up Miller down the stretch last year, and provide a change-of-pace and open floor presence for the second team. Joe Smith may or may not be back. If he is, he gives the Sixers a tough presence in the front court, and a nice option on the pick and pop for Miller or Iguodala. It remains to be seen where last year’s first-rounder (acquired via trade) Rodney Carney fits in, long-term.
The Sixers need to upgrade the PF/C position (either one, if a viable center is added, Dalembert moves to the 4) and the SG/SF position (same thing, if a starter-caliber 3 is added, Iguodala moves to the 2 and doesn’t skip a beat.) They really don’t have room to add 4 players to the roster, so either multiple picks are going to have to be packaged to move up, or they’re going to look for a project (or two) to stash in the NBADL, or a foreign player who will be left overseas for a year or two.
The Iverson trade set the Sixers up with two extra picks, and they also picked up an early second-round pick from Utah (originally the Knicks pick.) All of these picks in Billy King’s hands means a draft-day trade is a virtual certainty. He’s going to move one way or the other. All signs seem to point toward moving up to get Jeff Green, if he stays in the draft.
Ideally, the Sixers would use their first pick to get a big body. Unfortunately, only Greg Oden and Al Horford fit this bill at the top of the draft (I hope the Sixers don’t value Noah highly, I certainly don’t. Brandan Wright is under-sized to be a true 4 in the NBA, in my opinion). Oden is out of the question, Horford would probably have to fall to the 6–8 range before the Sixers would think about moving up to get him. This leaves Green as the best option. He can play the 3 or the 4, he’s an excellent defender with a decent mid-range game, and the ball handling skills to be a point-forward.
Other names floating around at #12 include Al Thornton, Julian Wright, Nick Young and possibly Jason Smith. Read the rest of this entry »
June 11, 2007 at 10:22 pm · Filed under NBA
Here’s an NBA draft preview for the Golden State Warriors, written by Warriors superfan Anton Miller. Ignoring the currently completed teams and those without drafts picks, about half of the teams still need a representative to preview them. On to the preview…
Previous season record: 42-40
Draft Picks Held: #18, 36, 46
The Warriors enter the off-season on a high note, having made the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Don Nelson, who had coached the team from 1988 to 1994, returned this year to sign a three-year deal. His unique brand of basketball, “Nellie Ball,” took this team to a whole new level. And while he has made noise about retirement from the rigors of the game, in all likelihood he will return for another year.
GM Chris Mullin engineered the league’s biggest trade at the deadline, dealing Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and Keith Mcleod for Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington, which helped Nellie. Not only did the Warriors gain cap space, but they shed the underachieving Dunleavy and Murphy and the little used Diogu and Mcleod for two quality players. Both Jackson and Harrington stepped right in, started and excelled. The new additions, along with developing young stars Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis and healthy Baron Davis and Jason Richardson pushed the Warriors into the playoffs. In one of the biggest upsets in playoff history, the Warriors defeated the #1 seeded Mavericks who had gone to the Finals the previous year.
The Warriors enter the draft with many options. They are over the salary cap and the thinking is that Jason Richardson is the most likely to be dealt, considering moving his large, long-term contract would give some cap flexibility. He could be moved for a draft pick and an expiring contract. Extensions need to be given at some point in the near future to Biedrins, Ellis and Davis and with J-Rich’s contract that will be tough to do.
Adonal Foyle has the third highest pay rate on the team, yet is barely ever used and impossible to trade, so a buyout could occur at some point. The Warriors free agents are Josh Powell, Kelenna Azubuike, Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes. Pietrus and Barnes are key role players, and Barnes became a coach’s favorite. They are both expected to test the open market and receive decent amounts of money. The Warriors have made noise about resigning one or both of them and could use their mid level exception to keep one. Azubuike and Powell did not play much, but are both young and can be retained at a small price.
Since it is unlikely that both Pietrus and Barnes will be kept, one need in the draft is a small forward or a shooting guard to fill the gap. Another need that was painfully exposed in their second round defeat to the Utah Jazz is the need for a rebounder. Since these can be found later in the draft (see Udonis Haslem, David Lee and Paul Millsap), the thought is that this will be addressed with one or both of their second round picks. Picking at 18th in the first round, there are a plethora of options. There are few big men options, but the available ones are Jason Smith, Josh McRoberts, and Tiago Splitter.
Since Nellie-Ball does not use big men much and the Warriors big men draft choice last year languished in the D-League, Mullin will be more prone to drafting someone who can contribute right away. None of the aforementioned are very good rebounders and tough players who can bang down low. Their game is more perimeter and offensive oriented for big men and less built on strength. The post game is a bit lacking for all three as well as their respective defensive presences.
The SG/SF options available are Derrick Byars, Nick Young, Thaddeus Young, Rudy Fernandez, Marco Bellini, Rodney Stuckey and Daequan Cook. Fernandez and Bellini are athletic international shooters with highly refined perimeter game. The two Youngs are the most athletic of the bunch and are thought to have the highest potential. If they fall, it would seem likely that the Warriors would snap them up. Stuckey and Cook are scorers who can put points up on the board in bunches and Byars is a very complete prospect who can do everything well.
With the 36th pick, the Warriors could take a swingman like Marcus Williams, Alando Tucker, Morris Almond, Jared Dudley or Demetris Nichols, or instead go for a big man such as Ali Traore, Carl Landry, or Sean Williams — with Williams being the most likely due to his incredible athleticism (although he has had some behavioral issues). The 46th pick is a tossup, and the Warriors will most likely take the best player available at that point.
Warriors GM Chris Mullin went all the way to China to view the prospect Yi Jianlian, a 7-0 with great size and offensive skills. His compares favorably to Yao Ming in mobility, but scouts disagree as to whether his skill set will translate well to the league. Mullin’s visit seemingly does not make sense, since Jianlian will probably not last past the 5th pick. This suggest a trade could be in the works.
The Warriors have quite a few pieces to deal with, and could look to move up in the draft to grab a better prospect or alternatively, trade away their pick along with some players for a superstar such as Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol. This off-season should be extremely busy for the Warriors as they have multiple avenues they may take to attempt and improve on their past successful season. The Draft is one of the prime opportunities to enhance the team.
June 11, 2007 at 9:42 am · Filed under NBA
This week we continue our NBA draft previews, and we still need bloggers for over a dozen teams. If you’d like to contribute, feel free to contact Daily Basketball. Today, the New York Knicks, as previewed by Stop Mike Lupica.
previous season record: 33-49
picks held by the team: #23
position needs: Shot-blocking Power Forward, outside shooting SG/SF
The Knicks struggled to open the season last year, starting off 4-9 before turning the corner and going 22-22 over the next three months. After having positioned themselves in the race for the Eastern Conference’s #8 playoff seed, the Knicks were decimated by injuries to key players - first Jamal Crawford and David Lee went down, and soon after Quentin Richardson joined them on the bench, and finally Stephon Marbury and Renaldo Balkman also got injured, leaving the Knicks crawling to a 7-18 finish.
Having established that, when healthy, this team can be .500, the Knicks will likely look to address one of their two prime needs in the draft - either a shot-blocking/rebounding power forward to play alongside center Eddy Curry, or a deadly outside shooting swingman. Of course, the Knicks might try to address the latter need via a trade with Seattle Sonics for Rashard Lewis, but for now the players the Knicks have been working out seem to fit the two categories. The Knicks have worked out shooters Demetris Nichols, Derrick Byars, Morris Almond, Daequan Cook, and Nick Young. They have also looked at power forwards like Curtis Sumpter, Stephane Lasme, and have talked about bringing in Sean Williams for a workout. They have not looked at any centers, and have only looked at very few point guards.
Most mock drafts have the Knicks taking Marcus WIlliams at the #23 spot, a SG from Arizona with good fundamentals, a nice mid-range game, passing and ball handling skills (a need on the Knicks), but who is a weak defender and has to work on his range, as he shoots poorly from behind the arc. It would be a surprise to see the Knicks go this route, especially if deadlier shooters such as Demetris Nichols or Morris Almond are still on the board.
Most Knicks fans would like to see Isiah Thomas address the shot-blocker need at the draft, and have been getting excited over the potential of Sean Williams, who averaged 5 bpg and was a good rebounder at Boston College before being suspended for failing a drug test. He comes with a bit of a risk, since the NBA conducts five drug tests a year. Also, he seems to have no interest in working out for the Knicks, perhaps because a higher-drafting team has already “promised” to pick him. However, if he is on the board when the Knicks pick, expect Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden to start chanting for him. Similarly, one mock draft I saw has Rodney Stuckey going to the Knicks, even though reports are that the Pistons might take him at #15.
Italian player Marco Belinelli, another deadly shooter with range, has been mentioned as a possible choice by the Knicks. It’s worth mentioning that in their history, the Knicks have yet to have a foreign-born player of any significance. Only Frederic Weis and Maciel Lampe come to mind, and neither played significant minutes for the Knicks. Isiah Thomas, in fact, hasn’t had too much experience in drafting foreign players (in Toronto or NY), or coaching them (Indiana or NY). He and the organization might be xenophobic.
However, Isiah has said that he might “take a flier” and gamble with this pick, since the Knicks consider it their “second pick” in this draft, having already scored with the clever signing of a lottery-level talent in Randolph Morris at the end of last season, thanks to a loophole that allowed him to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky while being eligible to be signed as a NBA free agent.
“I feel it’s my second pick in the draft,” Thomas said last week at Orlando’s pre-draft camp. “Having [claimed] one pick in this draft, I could be more riskier with the second pick. I’m could take some chances, take a flier on maybe somebody people aren’t expecting you to pick.”
“The guy we pick at 23, I’d be surprised if he cracked the playing rotation next year,” Thomas added. “We can afford to draft a guy and maybe look at a two-year window and wait on him.”
And with that it has been suggested that Thomas might roll the dice and take a guy like 6′11 Spaniard Tiago Splitter, whose contract may need to be bought out, and whom the Knicks may let play overseas for a year before bringing him into camp the following season.
Whoever he picks, Knicks fans would be smart to keep an open mind about it, as all of Thomas’ previous picks - David Lee, Renaldo Balkman, Channing Frye, and even Nate Robinson - have all turned out to be productive players in the NBA who were really good picks for where they were drafted.
If you hope to avoid the dullest sportswriting, visit Stop Mike Lupica for all your Knicks news.
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