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July 15, 2008 at 8:08 pm · Filed under NBA
by Paul Gartlan
The Denver Nuggets need to make a change and they need to do it now. The impressive on-paper lineup of Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Carter/J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby can not win in the post season, which has already been proven this last season when they were embarrassed by the Lakers in 4 games in the opening round of the playoffs. This team will give you great stats during the regular season when teams let up on defense and only play with intensity at times. None of these players can play a lick of defense, with the exception of maybe Marcus Camby, which does not help as much because the NBA in today’s age consists of wing players posing as the biggest scoring threats.
I realize the Nuggets are under some serious salary cap issues. The re-signing of Anthony Carter was the most important headline that the Nuggets have made all summer with the exception of the floundering trade talks of Carmelo Anthony to the Detroit Pistons. It is a shame Denver could not make anything of that. Both the Pistons and the Nuggets need a change in their lineup. The lineup that is now set in place for the Nuggets has shown that it is simply not NBA Finals material, or for that matter 2nd Round material.
This very same lineup is valuable in another way: trade value. You may not be able to trade Kenyon Martin and his awful contract, but its time to maybe do away with Iverson or Carmelo, or maybe even both. AT LEAST do something with J.R. Smith while he still has trade value, and before he turns into the next Ricky Davis. I still think they should call Joe Dumars again and try to work something out for Tayshaun Prince and get either Billups or Rip Hamilton involved.
The least the Nuggets can do is unload some cap space with some unbalanced trades that would bode in another teams favor, and then have the money sign someone in the 2010 off season, where a virtual buffet of young all-stars will be available (All-stars that can play DEFENSE, too). The old saying that defense wins championships has not changed, and the Nuggets are probably the farthest from that in the NBA. Scoring against mediocre defensive efforts in the regular season will only get you so far.
The bottom line is that there is way too much offensive talent on this team that is being put to waste. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are both in the top 5 in scoring, J.R. Smith could start for a lot of teams, and Marcus Camby is premier shot blocker and rebounder. Somebody has got to tell them that it’s not working. They should have recognized this when George Karl assigned Kenyon Martin the task of guarding Kobe Bryant during the NBA playoffs, and then got absolutely torched every time Kobe. Sorry I have to type that again: KENYON MARTIN GUARDING KOBE BRYANT IN THE PLAYOFFS. How ridiculous does that sound?
As lovely as Carmelo and Iverson together sounds, now is the perfect time to use them as trade bait since Carmelo is still young and Iverson still has some productive years left. It would be a good idea for them to go for a great on-the-ball defender, even if that means sacrificing some offense to do so. Just do something Denver, please.
July 14, 2008 at 8:14 am · Filed under NBA
A few months have gone by now since the end of the regular season. Though it was pointed out numerous times both during the season and after its conclusion, it is still hard to believe that Golden State did not make the playoffs with 48 wins. Is there a chance that any of the non-playoff teams can crack the top 8 this year in the West? Here are the four teams with the best chance to move up:
1. Golden State: The most logical choice, considering they finished #9 and only two games back. This choice is contingent ONLY if Monta Ellis returns. Let’s be honest, Ellis was every bit as good as Baron Davis in the second half of last season if not better. He did average 20.2 pts on 53% shooting…he is the real deal. Whatever leadership that may have been lost with the departure of Davis was restored with the signing of Corey Maggette. If Maggette can accept the fact that he can’t take 20 shots a night he will be the perfect fit for Don Nelson’s offense. Say what you want about Stephen Jackson’s off the court antics but he is loved by his teamates…and he averages 20 ppg. With Ellis penetrating Jackson & Magette should be able to sustain their high level of play from last year. The knock on the Warriors was their lack of toughness down low. Al Harrington and Andris Biedrins are both above average players for their position & for this offense but look for either second year player Brandon Wright or rookie first rounder Anthony Randolph to eventually start for Harrington by mid-season. If Ellis comes back and Maggette transitions smoothly to this offense I see no reason why the Warriors not only should make the playoffs but make some noise once they get there.
2. Portland: Did everyone forget about Greg Oden? Oden will be ready to play this year and he will make a difference. Portland was a team that had an 11 game improvement from 2006 to finish right at .500 last year without the #1 overall pick from two years ago. Start with Oden who should grab 10-13 boards, a couple of blocks, probably score around 10 ppg and will make a huge impact on the overall defense. Than add 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2007 All Star Brandon Roy and his 19ppg, 5 rbs, 5 assists per game. What makes this team truly intersting is the supporting cast. All LaMarcus Aldrige did was average 18 and 8 in his second full season. I see no reason, even with Oden in the mix, that his numbers will slip. The PG position was solified in the draft with the selection of Jarryd Bayless. Steve Blake will man the ship until Bayless is ready to run the offense. Throw in Martell Webster (coming off a career season), Sergio Rodriguez, Ike Diogu and Rudy Fernandez and you have a young, athletic team that will make an impact not only next year but for years to come.
3. Minnesota: I will admit I don’t see the T’Wolves contending for a playoff spot this year. But I do think that .500 is not out of the question, which considering they were 22-60 last year would be quite an accomplishment. I am of the opinion that Kevin Love will be a 15-18 point scorer with 10 rbs for the next 10 years. I don’t think his lack of quickness or ball handling will be much of a detriment at the next level. He did play in the Pac-10 and if you watched him play he made more 3 pointers as the year went on. He has excellent range and will grow into the the leader of that team. Say what you want about the KG trade but Al Jefferson did have an all-star type year averaging 21 ppg and 11 rbs. Jefferson and Love will make up a solid frontline for the next 5-10 years. Newly acquired Mike Miller (16.4) is a proven scorer & Rashad McCants had a breakout year (14.9). Randy Foye is ready to take the next step at PG. Corey Brewer was a top 10 pick who can contribute at both ends of the court. Add Craig Smith, Rodney Carney, Kirk Snyder and Ryan Gomes and you have a team that can defend and get up and down the court. Again, I can’t see them going all the way into the playoffs but I can see them making an improvement like Portland did this year setting them up for a playoff push in 2010.
4. Memphis: Stop laughing, I’m serious. OK, OK…they will not make the playoffs, I’m dumb but I’m not stupid, but like Memphis. I can see them making a 10+ win improvement over last year. Start with O.J Mayo who even at 3 may be the steal of the draft. He was forced to do it all for USC last year and was rountinely double and triple teamed. He is a proven scorer and a very underated passer. He will start on day one in Memphis. Michael Conley may get his chance to run the team, if he’s not traded to Portland first, and will thrive. I envision a 14 ppg and 7 assist year out of him. Rudy Gay is going into his 3rd year coming off a 20ppg season. Hakim Warrick is a steady 12 ppg and 5 rb guy. Kyle Lowry, Darko Milicic, Darrell Arthur, and even Kwame Brown make up a serviceable bench. Make no mistake about it: Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo will make a legit one-two combo that will sneak up on a few teams this year.
July 13, 2008 at 3:31 pm · Filed under NBA
By Alex of NBAtipoff
The LA Clippers have got a huge hole they need to fill (how many times has that been written?). I thought Elton Brand would come waltzing back, but now he’s gone East. Sure Josh Smith might be available if the right amount of money’s on the table, but they need someone down low (not Zach Randolph, please!). The best guy they can get is Emeka Okafor. So, I’ve come up with 5 ways they can nab him from the Bobcats.
5. Learn from the Elton Brand mistake. In order to get Elton Brand, the Sixers cleared cap space by trading Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth for a draft pick. Maybe they could deal Tim Thomas and some no name player. This would let them offer Emeka more than $10-12 million a year.
4. Offer large scale community outreach to Nigeria. The Clips would need to make Emeka feel really comfortable in LA and offering help to his parents’ homeland may be a way to do it. Kind of like how Baron Davis wants to help LA kids; maybe a special Clippers-only basketball without borders? They have to be willing to offer things outside of the box and in large scale.
3. Get an offensively gifted big man to work with him. I’m thinking something similar to the Kareem Abdul Jabbar-Andrew Bynum duo. Let’s face it, Emeka needs the most help on the offensive end. He’s got a career average of 14.3 PPG and his best offensive season was his rookie year (15.1 PPG). If only Wilt Chamberlain were around, he could really help him. I would bet there’s a good coach or former player who could work with the big men.
2. Let Mike Dunleavy get him every thing he wants-in a hurry. This is almost the same thing as learning from the Elton Brand mistake. After listening to some interviews from Dunleavy, I think he was basically the GM in the Brand negotiations. He got him what he needed, but it didn’t happen quick enough. Clippers owner Donald Sterling needs to always answer Mike’s calls and act. Since the Bobcats can match offers, the first offer has to be the best.
1. Make September 28th Emeka Okafor day! What can you give an NBA player? They seem to have everything, money, women, the whole nine yards. Declaring Emeka’s birthday a LA wide holiday would be hard to do, but a nice way to get him in LA!
Of course, none of this will happen unless there is a lot of money involved. I think they need to pay him $13-15 million a year to ensure that. As a team, I think Emeka gives them a greatly needed defensive presence. He probably plays D just as well, if not better than Elton Brand. I can envision a sweet block from Okafor leading to a nice outlet pass to Baron Davis who alley oops it to back to Okafor. Things could be looking up, Clippers’ fans!
July 8, 2008 at 6:51 pm · Filed under NBA
by Paul Gartlan
One of many unsung heroes last season for the Boston Celtics was James Posey. Overshadowed by the trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, James Posey never got the attention he deserved, and it is showing now in this year’s free agency period. Rather then re-sign Pierce, the Celtics seem preoccupied with offensive minded players such as Corey Maggette or Darius Miles, as if the Celtics offense was not potent enough. They also drafted J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, both capable of fulfilling any role that Posey assumed offensively, but defensively are no where close.
Don’t get me wrong, I thought picking Giddens was genius on the part of the Boston Celtics since he has the talent to be a top 15 pick and they would not have gotten much value with the last pick in the first round anyway. Bill Walker was the same kind of deal later in the second round. However, if the Celtics drafted these two so that James Posey became expendable, they have made a huge mistake. It was the Celtics’ tough, in-your-face defense that won them the title, and no Celtic was better at it this past season then James Posey.
The main issue that wins people over in the case for keeping Posey is his role as Paul Pierce’s backup. James Posey coming off the bench to give Paul Pierce a breather or to fill in with Pierce is in foul trouble is an ideal situation for any team. Posey is a great shooter and can help partially fulfill the offensive duties that Paul Pierce takes on when he is in the game. Even Paul Pierce spoke out when he heard that Posey might be going to another team. “He’s invaluable to me, and you could see it in these playoffs when I got into foul trouble. When I go out, he comes in and fills in so amazingly that I can sit out, and it doesn’t hurt us too bad….” At the very end of his statement, Paul Pierce also mentions James Posey’s defense, as if that was not his best attribute. James Posey is a better defender then Paul Pierce ever was hands down.
When James Posey was in the game during the playoffs and was matched up against the opposing team’s best player, he did a way better job then Pierce did. It is immeasurable statistically since Pierce played way more then Posey, but if you watched the games and actually noticed the job Posey did defensively, you would be left very impressed. Sure, Pierce frustrated LeBron the first few games against each other, but Posey did as well, and did even better against Joe Johnson, Tayshaun Prince, and Kobe Bryant. Pierce plays good D, but to have a bench player come in and replace an all-star and play better defense then him and help shut down the opposing team’s greatest scoring threat, you have a huge rarity in this league.
Ok, so they had Pierce, Allen, and KG. Three superstars who seemed bound for championship glory during the regular season. Rajon Rondo matured a ton over the season, and Kendrick Perkins improved tremendously. Would they still have won the whole thing if they did not have Posey? I’m not so sure. Judging by the way the Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals, the Celtics gave off a lasting impression of complete dominance the entire way. Many people forget that they were a finger roll away from losing to Cleveland, a few missed free throws away from losing to Detroit, and a repeat performance of Game 6 by the Hawks from losing to the Hawks in Game 7 in the first round.
Losing a superstar is one thing, as contract issues arise and superstars become very expensive to keep around sometimes, but when you have a 6th man with the defensive capabilities that James Posey has along with his shooting ability, you not only have a backup for Paul Pierce, you have a huge force off your bench that you simply could not fit into your starting lineup with the amount of all stars they have. You can’t let something like that go. Very few teams have something like that in this league, and if they do, they’re not as good as Posey.
Look at the Miami Heat when they had James Posey. The Heat became NBA champions two seasons ago when Dwyane Wade and Shaq led them through the playoffs. Who shut down the opposing team’s best player EVERY game for them? James Posey. Next season, the Heat lose Posey and they have the worst record in the league, along with being the worst defensive team in the league. Do the Heat win that championship without Posey? I do not think so. Without Posey, nobody would have been able to guard Dirk or Josh Howard in that series (Note: 7’0 tall Dirk Nowitzki and 6’5 Josh Howard, Posey guarded BOTH, even though Dirk was taller and Howard was quicker).
I’m not saying the Celtics will turn into the Miami Heat of next season at all, but defensively, they will take a huge hit that may go unnoticed. The Celtics were simply tougher then any team they faced in the playoffs this past season, and it showed in the playoffs the most as they were willing to get more physical on defense then any other team would. In his time on the floor, Posey was the most physical defender on that whole team.
J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker will probably be able to do what Posey did offensively, maybe even more so with their athleticism. Defensively however, there may not be a more underrated player in this league. When Paul Pierce gets in foul trouble next season against the Cavs in the playoffs, and the Celtics do not have James Posey to guard LeBron, expect the Celtics to suffer.
July 8, 2008 at 8:43 am · Filed under NBA
by Michael Spadaccino
Who are the four best teams in the East right now?
Obviously the Boston Celtics, followed by the Detroit Pistons. The Cleveland Cavaliers, based almost solely on the strength of Lebron, would have to be three. Who’s four and rising like a balloon you ask….the Philadelphia 76ers!
I know you can make a strong case for Orlando or even Toronto after getting O’Neal, but is there a more athletic team 1-8 on the roster than Philadelphia? Think about the fact that Philly had a stretch in the second half of the season where they went 19-5. They also were .500 against the West- the only teams better in the East were Boston, Det. & Cleveland. They had Detroit down 2-1 and 10 at the half before they froze up.
Oh and did we mention that they have cap space to lure either Josh Smith or Elton Brand? A starting five of Andre Miller (17.0), Willie Green (12.4), Iguodala (19.9), J Smith or E Brand (17.0) & S Dalembert (10.5) gives the team balanced scoring & athleticism at every position. Throw in up-and-comers Thaddeus Young (8.2), Louis Williams (11.5), and first round pick Marreese Speights and you have one of the deepest, most athletic teams in the East that can legitimately have 7 double digit scorers.
Obviously the key is locking up either Josh Smith or Brand to give the team rebounding help and much needed low post scoring. Sixer GM Ed Stefanski is pulling out all the stops in making a run a one of these two. To clear even extra cap space he just traded Rodney Carney & Calvin Booth and a future #1 pick to Minnesota now giving him a chance to offer $14 million a season to one of those two.
Maybe Boston has a post championship hangover and Ray Allen gets old overnight. Maybe Philly will finish the deal against Detroit if they get them in a series again. Are Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace & Delonte West really the help Lebron needs? Is Jermaine O’Neal really healthy? Has Orlando improved at all? Philly may be one PF away from making a serious run towards the top in the East. This year gave us some old school with Lakers/Celtics. How about an Eastern Conference Final of Sixers/Celtics?
July 7, 2008 at 3:46 pm · Filed under NBA
aka “Managing teams the NBA Live way”
If you’ve played NBA Live, or any of the related video games, for more than just a couple Dynasty-mode seasons, then you’ve probably already figured out the key to success. Acquire loads of cap space or trade up for 3-4 amazing young players, then fill the rest of your roster with a bunch of cheap players costing the minimum salary.
And in NBA Live, it works. Where else do you seem teams routinely go 82-0. In fact 96-0.
Case study #1: The 2003-2004 Los Angeles Lakers
After starting out the new millenium with a three-peat that cemented the Lakers as a dynasty, the Lakers didn’t advance to the Finals in 2003. Looking to make a return to the Finals, the team added aging legends Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Sure, nobody expected Malone and Payton to play to the same level as they once did in their prime, but the Lakers had high expectations heading into the 2003-04 season.
And the “experiment” worked at first, and for quite some time. Kobe Bryant and a still-impressive Shaquille O’Neal were able to return to the Finals.
We all know how the final outcome turned out. The Lakers got crushed, losing the series 1-4 to the Detroit Pistons. The key component was clearly team chemistry, not salaries or hall-of-famers. The Lakers collapsed — big-time — while the Pistons won a championship with hard work, physical defense, and team play.
Case study #2: Your NBA Champion 2007-08 Boston Celtics
As had been discussed many times these past few months, the Boston Celtics made the largest turnaround in NBA history. One of the largest in the history of all major American sports. The team won 42 more games than the season before, and won a championship a single-year after finished with the second-worst record in the league. Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers, who jobs had been threatened, have suddenly become a lot of more popular.
If you remember, at the beginning of this sudden turnaround, there was some concern about the depth of the Celtics. After all, the team traded nine players for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, including next year’s 2009 draft pick. And while depth still isn’t their strength, they had enough players step up to the challenge.
How to build a video game team in real-life
Here are some conclusions that can be made, when comparing the results of our two case studies and the rest of NBA history.
- You’ve got to be ready to pull the trigger. There’s got to be a high-turnover rate. No, not basketball turnovers. Make lots of moves. Only a handful of championship Celtics played on the team before last season.
- Your new building blocks can’t be on the verge of retirement. Sam Cassell hasn’t made much noise with the Celtics, has he? Karl Malone and Gary Payton couldn’t get it done. While Garnett and Allen may only have a couple high-caliber years left, they aren’t nursing tendonitis. Don’t look for “all-stars” looking to ride along for a championship.
- Let your team captain orchestrate the deals. After all, he’ll be one of the only players left with prior experience with the organization. Paul Pierce knew he couldn’t take all of the shots, nor would he be the team’s best player. But when Danny Ainge involved Paul Pierce in the trade market, “The Truth” became accountable for his team’s success.
- They filled in the gaps. Aside from a weak bench, one of the major knocks against the Celtics was that they were too weak defensively. Going with the cliché, “turn your weaknesses into strengths,” the Boston Celtics held their opponents to 90.3 points per game — second only to the Pistons.
- Every player found their niche. Kevin Garnett brought it on himself to fill that defensive gap to the best of his ability, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Aside from the leadership of Pierce and Allen, James Posey also found a nice role on the team. Notably, Rajon Rondo introduced a new phrase into the English language.
Those are five main components. Obviously, there’s no official blueprint to win a championship. As there can only be one champion, there’s a bit of “luck” involved, in terms of health and peaking at the right time.
Will Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers be able to bring another championship trophy to Boston? Which team will next take an extreme approach to rebuilding their roster?
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