One day in the land of twitter an account was made. Matt Turner was his name. While nobody knew it yet this account was one day going to be a great twitter account. It was going to be a twitter account that would protect the innocent from the evil trolls and fill the hate filled internet with kindness in his tweets of "Hi" and "Weeeeeeeeeeeeee". They say he slayed a dragon and killed 50 zombies with one tweet. They say he came from this strange land of "Tennessee". This land was filled with evil. He watched as friends and family were reduced to tears by endless trolling. He couldn't take anymore. One day he vanished and nobody knew where he had gone. Little did they know he ventured off into the lands of the smokey mountains. It was there he honed his skills. He took on the trolls there and bested them at their own games. He would trick them into believing they had won the battle but at one last moment...one last tweet they would be quickly vanquished by the mighty tweeter. Matt Turner returned to his home...but he was different...stronger. He came home as COACH MATT TURNER! Coach Matt Turner was feared among the land of Tennessee and quickly the trolls were driven out and peace had been brought to the land Coach Matt Turner moved on to a new land known as Basketball Twitter. It was hear he found new enemies to slay and new friends to protect. All was well in basketball and there was peace. Until one day a dark...evil twitter account was born...some fear to say his name. They fear saying it will utter his appearance in your mentions...Donuts was born. Quickly Donut spread fear through the land of basketball twitter. Nobody was safe from his trolling. All tweets that were once posted without a thought had 2nd guessing to them "Will this attract the beast?" they would say. "If it did I will surely parish"...but one twitter account stood alone. One twitter account was willing to take on the beast. It was Coach Matt Turner of course. The battle raged for months...some say years. Then one day in an effort to draw out the beast Coach Matt Turner informed twitter of a youtube video that he was in. Donut immediately sprung on the tweet saying he will find it. For what purpose? We don't know. Maybe he wanted to show the world as to embarrass the mighty warrior? Or maybe it was for his own sick reasons...whatever the reason he went out to find it. Never had Donut been so determined to find this video. But he couldn't...he posted a video about Teen Sex at Franklin High School (It was disturbing) and Coach Matt Turner just shook his head no. "I GIVE UP!" yelled Donut. Victory was Coach Matt Turners! Basketball Twitter was safe once more. If ever a twitter account calls out for help Coach Matt Turner will be there. If a troll thinks they can troll the innocent Coach Matt Turner will stop them. Coach Matt Turner. A hero.
If you want to follow either of the twitter accounts mentioned above they are @CoachMattTurner and @2Rollz
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Goodbye Dwight
Goodbye Dwight Howard. The relationship is finally over. Superman is on his way to LA and out of Orlando. I want to say this is bitter sweet. I want to say that I'm gonna miss the good times with Dwight and that I wish we could rekindle the relationship. But I can't bring myself to it. Dwight getting out of town is a relief that I've been awaiting for what feels like years but in reality has only been months. We had good times with Dwight but all of that is meaningless now. I have never seen a player burn down an entire team on his way out but Dwight managed to do it.
Dwight was drafted in 2004 as the number one overall pick. The team had just come off one of the worst seasons in team history. Us Magic fans had just gotten over a nasty break up with Tracy McGrady who was fed up with management and wanted out. The pick of Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor was largely criticized. How could the Magic take a high schooler over a college player? Well that's what Orlando did and it was a great decision. Nothing against Okafor who is a fine player but Dwight is lightyears better than him. With T-Mac out and Dwight in the future had begun. After some rough years with different coaches Dwight steadily rose as one of the best centers in the league. His dunks dazzled us and his defense impressed us. After 2007 in which the Magic were quickly ousted by Detroit in their first playoff appearance since 2003 Brian Hill was fired and Stan Van Gundy was brought in to which Dwight claimed "Basketball will be fun again" and fun it was. 2008 saw the Magic and Dwight explode. Dwight even competed in the dunk contest that year. This happened.
SUPERMAN WAS BORN! Magic fans went crazy and we reached the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since the 90's on the back of our young superstar rising center. Some were saying he might be the best center in the league. He certainly had a nickname now.
2009. My favorite year as a Magic fan. Nobody had the Magic in the Finals that year. But they reached the Finals. Largely behind the great play of Hedo and Rashard but also largely because of the defense and dunks of Dwight Howard and had the ball rolled the other way a few times this post might have looked a little different. The year after the finals Dwight was on a mission. His offense had improved a little but he was still the dominating defensive player he was. The Magic rode him and dominated all the way to the ECF where they were soundly defeated by the Celtics. While many of us didn't know it then. This was the end of the good times for the Magic and Dwight Howard.
2011 Dwight came out with an offensive flurry proving that he had the offensive game many wondered about him. He carried this team. It wasn't enough. An awful mid season trade lead to a team that was a shell of it's former self and lead to a first round exit. The Magic managed to go backwards every year since 2009 and that was it. The fun was over.
Coming out of the lockout Dwight demanded a trade. "Dwight why do you want to leave?" we asked! We never really got an answer. A season of strangeness and rumors emerged as Dwight played. Where will he go? The Lakers? The Mavericks? THE NETS!? YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NETS!? WHY THE NETS!? We all screamed confused as to of all teams why Dwight wanted to go to the Nets. Then it hit me. This wasn't about winning. This was about his brand and his market. It was about him wanting to go to a large market. In a way I understood it. I didn't like it but I understood it. But then you signed a clause that would keep you in Orlando for another year? "Maybe he will stay" we said. "There's hope" If only we knew what you would do I would have been screaming my head off that they trade you right then and there.
In one famous moment Stan Van Gundy, diet pepsi in hand, ousted Dwight for the team killer he was. Dwight demanded Stan be fired. It was out. Stan knew it. Dwight knew it. We knew it. Things were going to change. After another first round exit where Dwight was injured it was time for changes. Alex Martins gave Dwight his wish and fired Stan Van Gundy. "Well maybe now that they did that he'll want to stay?" No he demanded another trade the minute the Finals ended. We were done with it. At that moment any liking for Dwight left in the Magic fan base was gone. He was nothing to us. Dwight had singlehandedly destroyed an entire team in one season. He asked for people to be fired and yet he still wanted a trade. There was obviously no "loyalty" here. It was an overgrown baby destroying his old toy so he could go to his shiny new one.
We all know the story by now. An offseason of "where will Dwight go next" took place and Dwight was finally traded. Dwight, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark, and Jason Richardson are all being traded to the Lakers/Sixers (J-Rich). The Magic will be recieving Aaron Aflallo, Al Harrington, draft picks and some other players in the trade. I'm okay with the trade. A lot of people have problems with it but I'm just relieved to be done with this. No longer will we have to listen to the latest Dwight rumor. The team can finally start to rebuild. We can finally look towards the future.
Dwight was drafted in 2004 as the number one overall pick. The team had just come off one of the worst seasons in team history. Us Magic fans had just gotten over a nasty break up with Tracy McGrady who was fed up with management and wanted out. The pick of Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor was largely criticized. How could the Magic take a high schooler over a college player? Well that's what Orlando did and it was a great decision. Nothing against Okafor who is a fine player but Dwight is lightyears better than him. With T-Mac out and Dwight in the future had begun. After some rough years with different coaches Dwight steadily rose as one of the best centers in the league. His dunks dazzled us and his defense impressed us. After 2007 in which the Magic were quickly ousted by Detroit in their first playoff appearance since 2003 Brian Hill was fired and Stan Van Gundy was brought in to which Dwight claimed "Basketball will be fun again" and fun it was. 2008 saw the Magic and Dwight explode. Dwight even competed in the dunk contest that year. This happened.
SUPERMAN WAS BORN! Magic fans went crazy and we reached the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since the 90's on the back of our young superstar rising center. Some were saying he might be the best center in the league. He certainly had a nickname now.
2009. My favorite year as a Magic fan. Nobody had the Magic in the Finals that year. But they reached the Finals. Largely behind the great play of Hedo and Rashard but also largely because of the defense and dunks of Dwight Howard and had the ball rolled the other way a few times this post might have looked a little different. The year after the finals Dwight was on a mission. His offense had improved a little but he was still the dominating defensive player he was. The Magic rode him and dominated all the way to the ECF where they were soundly defeated by the Celtics. While many of us didn't know it then. This was the end of the good times for the Magic and Dwight Howard.
2011 Dwight came out with an offensive flurry proving that he had the offensive game many wondered about him. He carried this team. It wasn't enough. An awful mid season trade lead to a team that was a shell of it's former self and lead to a first round exit. The Magic managed to go backwards every year since 2009 and that was it. The fun was over.
Coming out of the lockout Dwight demanded a trade. "Dwight why do you want to leave?" we asked! We never really got an answer. A season of strangeness and rumors emerged as Dwight played. Where will he go? The Lakers? The Mavericks? THE NETS!? YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NETS!? WHY THE NETS!? We all screamed confused as to of all teams why Dwight wanted to go to the Nets. Then it hit me. This wasn't about winning. This was about his brand and his market. It was about him wanting to go to a large market. In a way I understood it. I didn't like it but I understood it. But then you signed a clause that would keep you in Orlando for another year? "Maybe he will stay" we said. "There's hope" If only we knew what you would do I would have been screaming my head off that they trade you right then and there.
In one famous moment Stan Van Gundy, diet pepsi in hand, ousted Dwight for the team killer he was. Dwight demanded Stan be fired. It was out. Stan knew it. Dwight knew it. We knew it. Things were going to change. After another first round exit where Dwight was injured it was time for changes. Alex Martins gave Dwight his wish and fired Stan Van Gundy. "Well maybe now that they did that he'll want to stay?" No he demanded another trade the minute the Finals ended. We were done with it. At that moment any liking for Dwight left in the Magic fan base was gone. He was nothing to us. Dwight had singlehandedly destroyed an entire team in one season. He asked for people to be fired and yet he still wanted a trade. There was obviously no "loyalty" here. It was an overgrown baby destroying his old toy so he could go to his shiny new one.
We all know the story by now. An offseason of "where will Dwight go next" took place and Dwight was finally traded. Dwight, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark, and Jason Richardson are all being traded to the Lakers/Sixers (J-Rich). The Magic will be recieving Aaron Aflallo, Al Harrington, draft picks and some other players in the trade. I'm okay with the trade. A lot of people have problems with it but I'm just relieved to be done with this. No longer will we have to listen to the latest Dwight rumor. The team can finally start to rebuild. We can finally look towards the future.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
30 for 30
Last night on Twitter I asked if you could make a 30 for 30 what you would do it on. The response was overwhelming. I'm gonna put down all the topics I was given and I'll be sure to mention which one are my favorites.
Bears-Packers
So much history here. This would be a great 30 for 30.
2010 Saints
I think instead of just the 2010 Saints they should do one on Katrina and how the team's return was embraced and the path that lead to the Super Bowl.
Barry Sanders story
This could be good
Curtis Martin
Interesting guy with an interesting story. Could be done well.
The Heart and Hustle Magic. Shaq and Penny. The departure of Shaq and the fall of the Magic.
This team fascinates me. I would love a 30 for 30 on them. Shaq leaving Orlando and how it destroyed the team for a decade. Penny's injuries. If any of these could have a 30 for 30 or just one big 30 for 30 on the team from the 90's up to the early-mid 2000's I would love it.
The 2004 Olympic Basketball Team
This could be a really good one. There's a lot of interest that comes with this team.
The 90's cowboys
Very popular for a reason.
Mawse and Jason Williams as HS teammates
Don't know much about these guys but a lot of people mentioned them.
John Thompson and Georgetown
College sports have a place in all our hearts.
Griffey Jr
Ken Griffey Jr was supposed to be an all time great. Injuries plagued him. I'd like to see one about him.
Lakers/Kings, Game 6 WCF 2002
A lot of people got excited when this one got mentioned. If done right could be great. I would love to see them buildup the greatness of the two teams at the beginning of it.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Maybe elaborate it to Sports and Video Games? Could be fun.
Malice at the palace
I think many of us have been asking for this one already. I still remember watching it happen live on TV.
The 99 Bulls
How does a team go from championship to nothing in one offseason? When MJ retires and other circumstances happen not even this sounds so crazy.
The ABA/NBA merger
I want this one. The ABA was so important to the NBA we have today.
The battle of lebron and carmelo back in their rookie years
If done right this could be fun.
Jordan's Flu Game
We all know about the famous flu game.
Summer of 98: Sosa & McGwire HR Race
This one you would have to get into Balco and Steroids. Could good if done well.
Kenny Anderson
Another one that could be really good.
I think what this makes obvious is that sports has tons of stories that we want to be told. There's a reason we love sports and the 30 for 30's show why we love sports. If you have any more suggestions leave them in the comments. I'd love to know what stories you want to have told.
Bears-Packers
So much history here. This would be a great 30 for 30.
2010 Saints
I think instead of just the 2010 Saints they should do one on Katrina and how the team's return was embraced and the path that lead to the Super Bowl.
Barry Sanders story
This could be good
Curtis Martin
Interesting guy with an interesting story. Could be done well.
The Heart and Hustle Magic. Shaq and Penny. The departure of Shaq and the fall of the Magic.
This team fascinates me. I would love a 30 for 30 on them. Shaq leaving Orlando and how it destroyed the team for a decade. Penny's injuries. If any of these could have a 30 for 30 or just one big 30 for 30 on the team from the 90's up to the early-mid 2000's I would love it.
The 2004 Olympic Basketball Team
This could be a really good one. There's a lot of interest that comes with this team.
The 90's cowboys
Very popular for a reason.
Mawse and Jason Williams as HS teammates
Don't know much about these guys but a lot of people mentioned them.
John Thompson and Georgetown
College sports have a place in all our hearts.
Griffey Jr
Ken Griffey Jr was supposed to be an all time great. Injuries plagued him. I'd like to see one about him.
Lakers/Kings, Game 6 WCF 2002
A lot of people got excited when this one got mentioned. If done right could be great. I would love to see them buildup the greatness of the two teams at the beginning of it.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Maybe elaborate it to Sports and Video Games? Could be fun.
Malice at the palace
I think many of us have been asking for this one already. I still remember watching it happen live on TV.
The 99 Bulls
How does a team go from championship to nothing in one offseason? When MJ retires and other circumstances happen not even this sounds so crazy.
The ABA/NBA merger
I want this one. The ABA was so important to the NBA we have today.
The battle of lebron and carmelo back in their rookie years
If done right this could be fun.
Jordan's Flu Game
We all know about the famous flu game.
This one you would have to get into Balco and Steroids. Could good if done well.
Kenny Anderson
Another one that could be really good.
I think what this makes obvious is that sports has tons of stories that we want to be told. There's a reason we love sports and the 30 for 30's show why we love sports. If you have any more suggestions leave them in the comments. I'd love to know what stories you want to have told.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
I know this isn't basketball related...
This has nothing to do with basketball. If you don't want to read it that's fine I don't expect you to. But it's the offseason and I felt like this would be cool to write about. I really wanted to get my thoughts on this somewhere out there.
Space
I've always lived 20 minutes away from NASA my entire life. So I'm used to space and it's many mysteries. Of course that doesn't make it any less cool. I'm used to watching shuttles exit the atmosphere. These shuttles performed amazing feats that had me in awe. My entire house would shake. I would walk out my front door and the shuttle is already gone. Amazingly fast. A fireball going through the sky. This is during the day of course. A night launch can only be described as the sun rising early. A shuttle launched at night lights up the whole sky. It's an experience that at one point I used to tell everyone they had to see once in their life. This unfortunately can not be anymore as former President Bush started during his term and President Obama finished during his the shutting down of the Shuttle Program. This made me angry. People in the area were laid off. I was wondering if I would ever get to watch something enter space ever again. I know we've landed a rover on mars before but I feel this is the first step to something more. Something big. I know I'm going to watch something light up the night sky as it enters space but this time it will be heading to Mars.
Space
I've always lived 20 minutes away from NASA my entire life. So I'm used to space and it's many mysteries. Of course that doesn't make it any less cool. I'm used to watching shuttles exit the atmosphere. These shuttles performed amazing feats that had me in awe. My entire house would shake. I would walk out my front door and the shuttle is already gone. Amazingly fast. A fireball going through the sky. This is during the day of course. A night launch can only be described as the sun rising early. A shuttle launched at night lights up the whole sky. It's an experience that at one point I used to tell everyone they had to see once in their life. This unfortunately can not be anymore as former President Bush started during his term and President Obama finished during his the shutting down of the Shuttle Program. This made me angry. People in the area were laid off. I was wondering if I would ever get to watch something enter space ever again. I know we've landed a rover on mars before but I feel this is the first step to something more. Something big. I know I'm going to watch something light up the night sky as it enters space but this time it will be heading to Mars.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Small Market. New coach. New GM.
The Orlando Magic, after what has felt half a year for Magic fans, have finally hired a new coach in Jacque Vaughn. I'm going to have to learn how to spell that correctly very soon. Quick question, who is Jacque Vaughn? Well....he used to be an NBA player. He even played for the Magic at one point during the Heart and Hustle days of the early 2000's when contracts were coming in and out and it always felt like a new face was on the roster. But the reason I think he was hired and the reason I like this hire is because he was an assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Magic are a small market. Orlando is not Miami, it's not New York, and it's not L.A. Despite that the Magic have had a history of being able to lure free agents to Orlando. Horace Grant, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, almost Tim Duncan, and Rashard Lewis. All guys who had offers from multiple teams (Horace Grant from a team that had just won a championship in the Bulls) and they chose Orlando. The Magic however are currently losing Dwight Howard because they are a small market. So when you're a small market who has a history of signing free agents but can't hold onto your superstars because you're a small market what do you do? You copy the other small markets in the Association.
I love the hires of Rob Hennigan, from Oklahoma City, as GM and Jacque Vaughn, as head coach, from San Antonio. Alex Martins, who I strongly criticized for firing Stan Van Gundy, wisely hired a GM from the current best team in the Western Conference in OKC, and then that GM turned right around and hired a guy from the 2nd most successful team that same conference who is the model of consistency in the NBA. Both teams happen to be small markets. If there are two small markets in the NBA you want to be like it's OKC and SA.
With these hires it looks like Orlando wants to copy OKC and SA but I don't think that's what they're going to do. FA's don't usually go to SA and are unlikely to want to go to OKC. This separates Orlando from these two franchises because of it's history of being able to nab FA's. With Orlando following the OKC/SA formula and having the ability to sign FA's I'm very interested to see if they create their own style that other small markets are going to want to copy in the future. Time will tell and I can easily say I'm excited to see what that future beholds.
The Magic are a small market. Orlando is not Miami, it's not New York, and it's not L.A. Despite that the Magic have had a history of being able to lure free agents to Orlando. Horace Grant, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, almost Tim Duncan, and Rashard Lewis. All guys who had offers from multiple teams (Horace Grant from a team that had just won a championship in the Bulls) and they chose Orlando. The Magic however are currently losing Dwight Howard because they are a small market. So when you're a small market who has a history of signing free agents but can't hold onto your superstars because you're a small market what do you do? You copy the other small markets in the Association.
I love the hires of Rob Hennigan, from Oklahoma City, as GM and Jacque Vaughn, as head coach, from San Antonio. Alex Martins, who I strongly criticized for firing Stan Van Gundy, wisely hired a GM from the current best team in the Western Conference in OKC, and then that GM turned right around and hired a guy from the 2nd most successful team that same conference who is the model of consistency in the NBA. Both teams happen to be small markets. If there are two small markets in the NBA you want to be like it's OKC and SA.
With these hires it looks like Orlando wants to copy OKC and SA but I don't think that's what they're going to do. FA's don't usually go to SA and are unlikely to want to go to OKC. This separates Orlando from these two franchises because of it's history of being able to nab FA's. With Orlando following the OKC/SA formula and having the ability to sign FA's I'm very interested to see if they create their own style that other small markets are going to want to copy in the future. Time will tell and I can easily say I'm excited to see what that future beholds.
Stats on Stats on Stats
(David Becker/Getty Images)
By Demarcus 'Doc' Robinson
Everyone is excited about Anthony Davis for reason or another. Long arms, a trademark unibrow, blocked shots, mysterious offensive potential, etc. But I'm interested in something different, but familiar since it will involve all of his skill sets.
5x5 stat lines y'all!
For the more casual readers a 5x5 is when a player racks up five in five categories - points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks. Technically turnovers would count, but that's the bad kind. This is the funnest of all the stat occurrences. It's not only the one that puts the biggest smile on my face, it's also amongst the rarest. Many casual fans are familiar with double-doubles and triple-doubles, and are awed by the display of either. Triple-doubles, in particular, hold a sort of lore with more seasoned fans at times even. Oscar Robertson, Jason Kidd, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo have all progressed the fondness of the episode through repeated displays. Conversely, the 5x5 has lived mostly in the shadow while only displaying its greatness ever so often.
There are only 14 5x5 games to date in NBA history, and of those one man is responsible for nearly half of them. Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon. Dream is responsible for six of the mystifying anomalies. His 5x5s weren't just that, they were other worldly. This is saying something when the accomplishment itself is very rare. One of Olajuwon's 5x5s looked like this: 38 points, 17 rebounds, 12 blocks, seven steals and six assists. Another registered as such: 29 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks, five steals and nine assists. Take a second and let that marinate.
The other eight entries belong to the following players: Andrei Kirilenko (3x), David Robinson, Derrick Coleman, Vlade Divac, Jamal Tinsley and Marcus Camby. Look at that list, there's no Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, LeBron James or etc on that list. Tons of great players who, at first thought, you would assume had at least one such game. You would especially assume a guy like KG would have racked up one during his long and amazing career. Nope. There have been a number of close calls with players falling one short in one or two categories, but close doesn't cut it with the 5x5.
There are currently veteran players who could add the accomplishment to their long list of accolades, but we're not here for them. I just want 5x5s from Davis, he of the unibrow. He stands 6'10.5" (in shoes), has a 7'5.5" wingspan, and a 9' reach. Combine those physical measurements with his obvious athletic skill. He's not running around tripping over his own two feet, but instead he's very coordinated and knows what to do with his abilities. He's a great shot blocker because of his body, but more so because he knows how to anticipate. He just has a feel for that and defense. He grabs rebounds as well. With those long limbs he should be able to pester passing lanes as well to snatch away lazy passes. He'll also anticipate good passes and take those away as well.
On the flip side there's offense, and he's not really hurting in that department. Davis can score, and doesn't feel uncomfortable with the ball like some big men. This can be attributed to him being a guard before his defining growth spurt. I'm not sure how adept he is at passing, but a player of his level can certainly stumble into five assists. It's not like he's Nick Young or anything.
I won't say Davis gets a 5x5 his rookie season, but I'll go ahead and say there's a good chance he notches one this upcoming season. Going forward as he hones his skills and picks up on little nuances within the game he may be able to challenge the six put up by Dream. Ambitious on my part? Absolutely, but it's a fun stat and I want to see it. There's the saddening possibility that Davis comes up short in
I just hope Davis doesn't donate his humiliated bones to the graveyard as well. If he did it would be a true Sadderday.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
When is it okay to change teams?
So this Jeremy Lin thing sure has gotten out of hand huh? Every time I think Dwight Howard has created more news and headlines than anybody possibly can James Dolan manages to out do him. Maybe Dolan loves the spotlight? I don't know but the Knicks have done a good job this season creating headlines but this one has sent Knicks fans into a fury. Their fans are just straight up done with James Dolan. They're sick of him and some are even considering going over to the dark side and becoming Brooklyn Nets fans. Some Knicks fans are calling these people traitors but I say, why not? If you hate the owner enough then go ahead and switch teams but no flip flopping. Nobody likes flip flopping. Just ask Magic fans. That said though. This notion that somebody isn't allowed to change allegiances to a team is kind of silly. You should be able to be a fan of whoever you want to be a fan of. It's dumb to say somebody isn't allowed to change the team they like. If you want to stop cheering for your current team and cheer for somebody else just because you think the uniforms are cooler then you go right ahead. Nobody should tell you otherwise. However if the team you're cheering for is losing and the team you left for is winning the fans of the team you left are allowed to poke fun at you. Sorry it comes with the switch.
When you change teams you can come off looking bad in the eyes of other sports fans. You can't be a "die hard" OKC fan or Miami fan next season without looking like a bandwagoner. You won't be able to avoid it. But this is easily negated. If you were a fan of Washington or Sacramento and you're fed up with constant losing and bad management/ownership then it's okay to start cheering for one of the winning teams but to avoid being seen as the bandwagoner you have to stick with that team. No switching over when that team starts losing and another team starts to win. Stick with the team you pick and ride it out.
When you change teams you can come off looking bad in the eyes of other sports fans. You can't be a "die hard" OKC fan or Miami fan next season without looking like a bandwagoner. You won't be able to avoid it. But this is easily negated. If you were a fan of Washington or Sacramento and you're fed up with constant losing and bad management/ownership then it's okay to start cheering for one of the winning teams but to avoid being seen as the bandwagoner you have to stick with that team. No switching over when that team starts losing and another team starts to win. Stick with the team you pick and ride it out.
Fan switches happen all the time it's not really that rare and I'm sure some fans feel like someone is a "traitor" if they would ever leave the team and become a fan somewhere else but what if ownership is terrible? These Knicks fans who want to become Brooklyn fans aren't doing it because of Jay-Z, the Russian owner who's name I have a really hard time spelling, and the black and white logo. No they're switching over cause they are sick of James Dolan running their favorite team into the ground all the time. If these fans want to switch that's fine by me. If you ever want to switch teams it's fine by me. You are allowed to cheer for whoever you want for whatever reason you want. Just have a better reason than the colors.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The "I'm not happy" Demand
GM's expect it. Fans of the team fear it. Fans of potential destinations such as New York or Los Angeles want it. The dreaded "I'm not happy" or "We need to get better soon", or even worse "I want to be traded", demand from the superstar of your favorite team. As a Magic fan I know this all too well dealing with Dwight Howard and T-Mac in my short lifespan. I guess you can say this is a part of the NBA and all you need to do is win to prevent it. But I'm not so sure that's the case.
Kevin Love has informed the Minnesota Timberwolves and the world that he is tired of losing in Minnesota and that they need to fix that problem now. An understandable complaint that anybody should be able to understand. Kevin Love is a fantastic player and he's never got to experience much winning in his career. I have to ask this though. Is announcing this really going to make your team better Kevin? Especially when most people already knew you felt this way. Your General Manager David Kahn has not shown in his past to be a very good or competent GM. Did you take into consideration that hearing this news and the shortness of your contract that Kahn, who surprisingly has made some very good strides this offseason to make the team better, will instead panic and make moves to win as soon as possible that will end up backfiring and leading to your eventual departure? This is almost something to be expected now. Keep paying attention to the headlines because it's very likely that Kahn will make a panic move.
I make this case because there are two GM's in particular that I can think of that when they realized their superstar might be on the outs they panicked and made questionable moves. Danny Ferry of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Otis Smith of the Orlando Magic. I obviously know more about the Magic so I'll start there.
Otis Smith in my eyes was not the awful GM everybody made him out to be. Orlando was coming off its first taste of the playoffs in a long time after getting the 8 seed and being swept in the first round. Otis Smith then made the move to fire coach Brian Hill, hire Stan Van Gundy, and offered Rashard Lewis so much money there was no way he wouldn't come to Orlando. He also decided to keep the inconsistent Hedo Turkoglu around. The 2008 season was the most successful season for the team since the Shaq and Penny days. They got out of the first round and were again beat by the Detroit Pistons. He then drafted Courtney Lee and signed Mickael Pietrus. Turk had a breakout season in 2009 and with a huge playoff performance by Pietrus and the defense of Courtney Lee the Magic reached the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers. Otis Smith then traded Courtney Lee and other Magic players for Vince Carter and Otis matched the offer for Marcin Gortat. The 2010 Orlando Magic were born and boy were they dominant. The Magic lost in the ECF that year and Otis Smith never made another right move ever again. He over paid players and made an awful trade in the middle of the 2011 season. Dwight asked for a trade at the beginning of the 2012 season which only made Otis panic more. He resigned Jason Richardson to a big unnecessary contract and he signed for Glen "Big Baby" Davis to another big contract. Otis resigned at the end of the 2012 season (many believed he was going to be fired) and this left the team in shambles. Even if Dwight did want to come back he would be coming back to an awful team of players who are being paid way too much.
This now leads me to Danny Ferry and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I had to ask FeartheSword writer Conrad Kaczmarek for help on this one and he directed me to this article.
http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2012/6/25/3116259/danny-ferry-hawks-gm-reaction
I really suggest you go read that. It explains the whole Cleveland Cavaliers situation with Lebron and Danny Ferry and some of the mistakes they made when Ferry panicked.
Kevin Love has informed the Minnesota Timberwolves and the world that he is tired of losing in Minnesota and that they need to fix that problem now. An understandable complaint that anybody should be able to understand. Kevin Love is a fantastic player and he's never got to experience much winning in his career. I have to ask this though. Is announcing this really going to make your team better Kevin? Especially when most people already knew you felt this way. Your General Manager David Kahn has not shown in his past to be a very good or competent GM. Did you take into consideration that hearing this news and the shortness of your contract that Kahn, who surprisingly has made some very good strides this offseason to make the team better, will instead panic and make moves to win as soon as possible that will end up backfiring and leading to your eventual departure? This is almost something to be expected now. Keep paying attention to the headlines because it's very likely that Kahn will make a panic move.
I make this case because there are two GM's in particular that I can think of that when they realized their superstar might be on the outs they panicked and made questionable moves. Danny Ferry of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Otis Smith of the Orlando Magic. I obviously know more about the Magic so I'll start there.
Otis Smith in my eyes was not the awful GM everybody made him out to be. Orlando was coming off its first taste of the playoffs in a long time after getting the 8 seed and being swept in the first round. Otis Smith then made the move to fire coach Brian Hill, hire Stan Van Gundy, and offered Rashard Lewis so much money there was no way he wouldn't come to Orlando. He also decided to keep the inconsistent Hedo Turkoglu around. The 2008 season was the most successful season for the team since the Shaq and Penny days. They got out of the first round and were again beat by the Detroit Pistons. He then drafted Courtney Lee and signed Mickael Pietrus. Turk had a breakout season in 2009 and with a huge playoff performance by Pietrus and the defense of Courtney Lee the Magic reached the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers. Otis Smith then traded Courtney Lee and other Magic players for Vince Carter and Otis matched the offer for Marcin Gortat. The 2010 Orlando Magic were born and boy were they dominant. The Magic lost in the ECF that year and Otis Smith never made another right move ever again. He over paid players and made an awful trade in the middle of the 2011 season. Dwight asked for a trade at the beginning of the 2012 season which only made Otis panic more. He resigned Jason Richardson to a big unnecessary contract and he signed for Glen "Big Baby" Davis to another big contract. Otis resigned at the end of the 2012 season (many believed he was going to be fired) and this left the team in shambles. Even if Dwight did want to come back he would be coming back to an awful team of players who are being paid way too much.
This now leads me to Danny Ferry and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I had to ask FeartheSword writer Conrad Kaczmarek for help on this one and he directed me to this article.
http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2012/6/25/3116259/danny-ferry-hawks-gm-reaction
I really suggest you go read that. It explains the whole Cleveland Cavaliers situation with Lebron and Danny Ferry and some of the mistakes they made when Ferry panicked.
Now obviously GM's should be able to handle this pressure. Danny Ferry should have been able to handle the fact that Lebron wants to leave and still made smart moves. Otis Smith also panicked at the thought of losing Dwight and this lead to his eventual resignation from the team. I'm not saying it's Lebron or Dwight's fault that their GM's panicked and made the wrong moves. It is the job of the GM to make the right moves under any circumstances. This is just evidence to Kevin Love and any future superstars that telling your GM's so early into your contract that you "want to win now" can lead to unnecessary panic earlier than it should be. Of course the best GM's don't panic but those are a rarity in the NBA. Let the GM do their job and you do yours.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Trolled by a Canadian
There's no time like Showtime someone that's not famous once said. Last season there was Show(ish)time in the Staples Center, but all of the hoopla belonged to CP3 and his merry band of dunkers. While the Clippers had obvious holes, they were at least fun to watch at times. The Lakers on the other hand had holes galore and weren't really fun to watch. One of the main reasons for the lack of fun was the lack of a noteworthy point-guard.
Independence Day certainly brought fireworks to the lives ofKobe Lakers' fans. The purple & gold swathed front office was able to turn four future draft picks into an elite passer & shooter with the skills to pull the Lakers' offense out of the doldrums. The monetary cost of Nash will be a three year, $25 million or more contract. This puts the team miles over the salary cap, but that's the price of winning when you have Kobe Bryant on the books. As a fan of the Bulls I really don't care about their salary situation or that they can outspend most teams. I care about seeing Nash try to accomplish a few things.
Firstly, I want to see how well Kobe & Nash will mesh together. I actually think they'll play together better than a lot of people are predicting. Yes Kobe loves to have the ball in his hands, yes he loves to chuck contested 22 footers and yes he loves to operate in a way that makes Pau Gasol's talents negligible. But Kobe has shown he can be quite deadly when scoring after finding space without the ball. Nash pulling the strings should give the man of a thousand glares plenty of opportunities to free himself on screens for uncontested shots. Kobe, in my opinion, will relish the opportunity to score in easier ways and in more creative ways.
Just imagine Nash bringing the ball up while playing conductor at the top of the key. He uses an initial screen to weave his way into the lane, and meanwhile Kobe has just found himself open for a 18 foot jumper. Nash gets all the way to the basket only to shoot a laser beam to an open Mamba. Swish (I hope). So that's one area where the offense could vastly improve in comparison to this past season.
Another area would be consistent involvement of the Lakers' duo of Bynum and Gasol. Everyone wanted more offense to be funneled through these guys, but many nights those cries fell on deaf ears. Sometimes it was the fault of the seven footers, and other times the blame laid on the uncreative shoulders of Mike Brown. Then there were plenty of times when Kobe just forgot about them in the second half. Even if they were rolling in the first half he'd start gunning as the game wore on.
I want to see an obscene amount of Pau/Nash pick & rolls. Gasol moves well enough to make this a fantastic situation. He can also be affective from outside of the paint. The thing that could present a problem for Nash's effectiveness is spacing. The Lakers can crowd open lanes which is a detriment to the dazzling Canadian.
Outside of superb distribution Nash will provide reliable shooting from all zones on the floor. The most obvious plus will be the three point shooting of the sharpshooting Nash. I fully expect him to shoot 40 percent or a little above from three during the upcoming season. Defenses will have a lot to worry about with Kobe, Pau and Gasol on the floor. There will be times Nash will be the forgotten man or plenty of other times his man will be late rotating back to him after some ball movement. As trigger happy as Kobe is, he's an adept passer who will find Nash on the parameter after drawing defenders. Gasol is a very capable passer in his own right as well. Unlike Bynum, Gasol knows how to recognize and pass out of a double-team. More chances for Nash. If the defense becomes befuddled enough it could lead to Gasol finishing around the rim with less opposition.
Now let's assume for a second that L.A. has just traded Bynum for Dwight. The offense can be sped up a bit more to suit Nash's tastes. It won't resemble a seven seconds or less offense, but it would probably look more spry than one including the plodding behemoth Bynum. The defense would would also improve in this scenario. I won't go into what that means for Nash/Westbrook match-ups or any of that stuff, because there was no one on the Lakers stopping Russ last year anyways. There are going to be guards that beat Nash, it's the way nature works in the NBA. Nash lessens that by opening up the offensive attack of the Lakers.
I think all of these things are surely attainable with a PG like Nash running the team. What remains to be seen is if Mike Brown will put the players around Nash and Kobe in better positions to utilize all of this. Allow Steve Nash to do what he has done the past eight years in Phoenix, and things can go smoothly. He doesn't have to be a world beater to make this work, but he does need plenty of rope with the team. Kobe should be salivating at the chance to still score and chuck it, but be in a position where he's not draped with defenders every time.
The most important thing for Steve Nash might be putting this behind him:
Independence Day certainly brought fireworks to the lives of
Firstly, I want to see how well Kobe & Nash will mesh together. I actually think they'll play together better than a lot of people are predicting. Yes Kobe loves to have the ball in his hands, yes he loves to chuck contested 22 footers and yes he loves to operate in a way that makes Pau Gasol's talents negligible. But Kobe has shown he can be quite deadly when scoring after finding space without the ball. Nash pulling the strings should give the man of a thousand glares plenty of opportunities to free himself on screens for uncontested shots. Kobe, in my opinion, will relish the opportunity to score in easier ways and in more creative ways.
Just imagine Nash bringing the ball up while playing conductor at the top of the key. He uses an initial screen to weave his way into the lane, and meanwhile Kobe has just found himself open for a 18 foot jumper. Nash gets all the way to the basket only to shoot a laser beam to an open Mamba. Swish (I hope). So that's one area where the offense could vastly improve in comparison to this past season.
Another area would be consistent involvement of the Lakers' duo of Bynum and Gasol. Everyone wanted more offense to be funneled through these guys, but many nights those cries fell on deaf ears. Sometimes it was the fault of the seven footers, and other times the blame laid on the uncreative shoulders of Mike Brown. Then there were plenty of times when Kobe just forgot about them in the second half. Even if they were rolling in the first half he'd start gunning as the game wore on.
I want to see an obscene amount of Pau/Nash pick & rolls. Gasol moves well enough to make this a fantastic situation. He can also be affective from outside of the paint. The thing that could present a problem for Nash's effectiveness is spacing. The Lakers can crowd open lanes which is a detriment to the dazzling Canadian.
Outside of superb distribution Nash will provide reliable shooting from all zones on the floor. The most obvious plus will be the three point shooting of the sharpshooting Nash. I fully expect him to shoot 40 percent or a little above from three during the upcoming season. Defenses will have a lot to worry about with Kobe, Pau and Gasol on the floor. There will be times Nash will be the forgotten man or plenty of other times his man will be late rotating back to him after some ball movement. As trigger happy as Kobe is, he's an adept passer who will find Nash on the parameter after drawing defenders. Gasol is a very capable passer in his own right as well. Unlike Bynum, Gasol knows how to recognize and pass out of a double-team. More chances for Nash. If the defense becomes befuddled enough it could lead to Gasol finishing around the rim with less opposition.
Now let's assume for a second that L.A. has just traded Bynum for Dwight. The offense can be sped up a bit more to suit Nash's tastes. It won't resemble a seven seconds or less offense, but it would probably look more spry than one including the plodding behemoth Bynum. The defense would would also improve in this scenario. I won't go into what that means for Nash/Westbrook match-ups or any of that stuff, because there was no one on the Lakers stopping Russ last year anyways. There are going to be guards that beat Nash, it's the way nature works in the NBA. Nash lessens that by opening up the offensive attack of the Lakers.
I think all of these things are surely attainable with a PG like Nash running the team. What remains to be seen is if Mike Brown will put the players around Nash and Kobe in better positions to utilize all of this. Allow Steve Nash to do what he has done the past eight years in Phoenix, and things can go smoothly. He doesn't have to be a world beater to make this work, but he does need plenty of rope with the team. Kobe should be salivating at the chance to still score and chuck it, but be in a position where he's not draped with defenders every time.
The most important thing for Steve Nash might be putting this behind him:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
When should a jersey be retired?
When should you retire a jersey? What are the qualifications for retiring a jersey? Should the guy be a fan favorite? Do they have to be an all time great? Did they need to win a championship? These are all questions that any fan, player, or team must ask themselves if a jersey is to be retired. This came up the other day while I was talking to fellow ClutchJeans writer Bo Churney about Joe Johnson. He believes Johnson's number 2 jersey should be hanging from the rafters one day. I disagreed saying Dominique set a bar that Joe hasn't even come close to achieving. Of course I am not a fan of the Hawks so I can't really give a great view point. I can however give one on the Magic. A team that has never retired a jersey for a player. They have retired the number 6 in honor of the fans being the sixth man. But some people believe that the Magic have players who's numbers should be retired. I will go over each player's case and decide if their number should be retired or not. I will judge them based on many factors but I will point out two key moments of each players career. A notorious moment that hurts them and a great achievement.
Nick Anderson-SG-#25
Most Notorious moment-Missed 4 consecutive free throws in the 95 Finals.
Greatest Achievement-Stole the ball from Michael Jordan in the 95 Eastern Semis
Mr.Magic himself Nick Anderson. This guy has been around since the very start and fans love him. He was the 3rd guy on those great Magic teams in the mid 90's behind Penny and Shaq. Now he works in the Orlando front office. A prime candidate for a retired jersey.
I am one of those who believe Nick should have his jersey retired because of everything he's done for Orlando. He was their first draft pick, he was a huge factor for the team in the 90's, and now he's in the front office. He may as well come full circle and be our first retired jersey.
Penny Hardaway-PG-#1
Most Notorious moment-Led a player coup and got Brian Hill fired
Greatest Achievement-His entire career up to the 95-96 season
Penny Hardaway the posterboy of "what could have been" spent a huge majority of his career dealing with injuries to his ankle. Penny was shot in the ankle by a stray bullet his freshman year of college and many believe this is why he had ankle injuries throughout his career. While with Orlando he regularly averaged over 20 points a game and led them to many winning seasons. He was the right hand man to Shaq and was a national icon. It's sad to think how great he would have been if the injuries hadn't happened.
Penny shouldn't have his jersey retired. As much as I hate to say it he only spent 6 years with Orlando (6 great years) but he did a lot of bad in the coup of Brian Hill and he just wasn't a factor after Shaq left because of the injuries. We can revisit this later but I don't see this changing.
Shaquille O'Neal-C-#32
Most Notorious moment-Left Orlando for LA
Greatest Achievement-Well...this should be enough
Shaq arguably the greatest player to ever play in Orlando. He was the number one overall pick in 1992 and the years he was there he was THE GUY. After they put Penny next to him a championship seemed assured. At least it was assured till Shaq left for LA and became public enemy number 1 in the eyes of Orlando. With every championship he won and every dominant performance he had Orlando fans got angrier because "that could have been us" they screamed and of course Shaq didn't make it any better burning down every bridge he could.
No Shaq's number should not be required. Yes he's probably the best player who ever played in Orlando and yes he was dominant but when he really made a name for himself when everybody knew he was going to be an all time great was in LA not in Orlando. Sorry Shaq ask again in 5 years and maybe my mind will be changed.
Tracy Mcgrady-#1-SG
Most Notorious moment-Ugh. I could put so much here but this defines it all
Greatest Moment-Can I use the same video twice? No? Okay. Carrying Orlando to the playoffs in 2003
Tracy was amazing. One can only imagine how good those Orlando teams would have been if Grant Hill had been healthy and management had put good players around him. Instead they did things like trade away Mike Miller after he won rookie of the year and sign old washed up veterans such as Shawn Kemp and Patrick Ewing. Tracy did so many amazing things for Orlando on offense and defense with the help of coach Doc Rivers of course. Go look at the rosters Tracy played with from 2000-2004. Look at the numbers he put up and everything he did for the team. He gave everything to Orlando and they gave nothing back.
Unfortunately as much as it pains me to say it I don't think Tracy will ever have his number retired in Orlando. 4 amazing years were spent in Orlando but that's it. Only 4. In that time Tracy put up amazing numbers but at the same time he said things like "It feels good to be in the 2nd round" after going up 3-1 against the top seeded Pistons and then not closing it out. See the video again. Tracy also burned some bridges when he left but time heals all wounds. I just don't see it happening nor can I really support it.
Dwight Howard-C-12
No...just no. Not even gonna bother. Ask me in like 10 years.
So I only said Nick Anderson should have his number retired and he wasn't even the Magic's best player. Well you can make a case for why Nick shouldn't have his number retired for that reason. But as you see the 4 best players to ever play for Orlando Tracy, Shaq, Penny and Dwight. 3 of them burned bridges on their way out (one is burning the whole team as I write this) and the other was injured half the time. So you can see why Orlando has no retired numbers. But what should be the requirements on any team for a retired number? However I think it's safe to say that the star player who leads Orlando to that first illusive championship will have their number retired. This also might open it up for more retired numbers. For now though that number 6 for the fans will remain lonely.
Nick Anderson-SG-#25
Most Notorious moment-Missed 4 consecutive free throws in the 95 Finals.
Greatest Achievement-Stole the ball from Michael Jordan in the 95 Eastern Semis
Mr.Magic himself Nick Anderson. This guy has been around since the very start and fans love him. He was the 3rd guy on those great Magic teams in the mid 90's behind Penny and Shaq. Now he works in the Orlando front office. A prime candidate for a retired jersey.
I am one of those who believe Nick should have his jersey retired because of everything he's done for Orlando. He was their first draft pick, he was a huge factor for the team in the 90's, and now he's in the front office. He may as well come full circle and be our first retired jersey.
Penny Hardaway-PG-#1
Most Notorious moment-Led a player coup and got Brian Hill fired
Greatest Achievement-His entire career up to the 95-96 season
Penny Hardaway the posterboy of "what could have been" spent a huge majority of his career dealing with injuries to his ankle. Penny was shot in the ankle by a stray bullet his freshman year of college and many believe this is why he had ankle injuries throughout his career. While with Orlando he regularly averaged over 20 points a game and led them to many winning seasons. He was the right hand man to Shaq and was a national icon. It's sad to think how great he would have been if the injuries hadn't happened.
Penny shouldn't have his jersey retired. As much as I hate to say it he only spent 6 years with Orlando (6 great years) but he did a lot of bad in the coup of Brian Hill and he just wasn't a factor after Shaq left because of the injuries. We can revisit this later but I don't see this changing.
Shaquille O'Neal-C-#32
Most Notorious moment-Left Orlando for LA
Greatest Achievement-Well...this should be enough
Shaq arguably the greatest player to ever play in Orlando. He was the number one overall pick in 1992 and the years he was there he was THE GUY. After they put Penny next to him a championship seemed assured. At least it was assured till Shaq left for LA and became public enemy number 1 in the eyes of Orlando. With every championship he won and every dominant performance he had Orlando fans got angrier because "that could have been us" they screamed and of course Shaq didn't make it any better burning down every bridge he could.
No Shaq's number should not be required. Yes he's probably the best player who ever played in Orlando and yes he was dominant but when he really made a name for himself when everybody knew he was going to be an all time great was in LA not in Orlando. Sorry Shaq ask again in 5 years and maybe my mind will be changed.
Tracy Mcgrady-#1-SG
Most Notorious moment-Ugh. I could put so much here but this defines it all
Tracy was amazing. One can only imagine how good those Orlando teams would have been if Grant Hill had been healthy and management had put good players around him. Instead they did things like trade away Mike Miller after he won rookie of the year and sign old washed up veterans such as Shawn Kemp and Patrick Ewing. Tracy did so many amazing things for Orlando on offense and defense with the help of coach Doc Rivers of course. Go look at the rosters Tracy played with from 2000-2004. Look at the numbers he put up and everything he did for the team. He gave everything to Orlando and they gave nothing back.
Unfortunately as much as it pains me to say it I don't think Tracy will ever have his number retired in Orlando. 4 amazing years were spent in Orlando but that's it. Only 4. In that time Tracy put up amazing numbers but at the same time he said things like "It feels good to be in the 2nd round" after going up 3-1 against the top seeded Pistons and then not closing it out. See the video again. Tracy also burned some bridges when he left but time heals all wounds. I just don't see it happening nor can I really support it.
Dwight Howard-C-12
No...just no. Not even gonna bother. Ask me in like 10 years.
So I only said Nick Anderson should have his number retired and he wasn't even the Magic's best player. Well you can make a case for why Nick shouldn't have his number retired for that reason. But as you see the 4 best players to ever play for Orlando Tracy, Shaq, Penny and Dwight. 3 of them burned bridges on their way out (one is burning the whole team as I write this) and the other was injured half the time. So you can see why Orlando has no retired numbers. But what should be the requirements on any team for a retired number? However I think it's safe to say that the star player who leads Orlando to that first illusive championship will have their number retired. This also might open it up for more retired numbers. For now though that number 6 for the fans will remain lonely.
Nets Gonna Net
As I imagine you may have heard, The Brooklyn Nets recently made a trade that sent Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, and DeShawn Stevenson, and a lottery protected first round pick to Atlanta for the talented, but wildly overpaid Joe Johnson. For Atlanta, I liked the deal well enough. They got an eventual first round pick, and they were able to dump the huge mistake of a signing that was Joe Johnson. Not that they shouldn't have tried to get him back, but not for the biggest deal in the league. For a guy that is (was?) unaffectionately known as "Iso-Joe" throughout the Atlanta area, making him the highest paid guy in the league isn't really the desired outcome. But, with new GM Danny Ferry in charge, they were able to dump that contract, get some cap room, and also nab a first round pick to help rebuild in the future. Good for them.
But, for the Nets, I (for whatever you think my opinion is worth) am not exactly fond of the deal. From a purely basketball perspective, it makes sense. Joe Johnson is a good scorer, and is a top 7 SG in the league. He can create for himself off the dribble as well as shoot the ball fairly well. After you get past his scoring ability, he can become pretty one-dimensional though.
But, unfortunately for the Nets, this deal cannot be viewed from only a basketball perspective. It has to also be viewed from a look at the salary cap. The acquisition of Joe Johnson puts Brooklyn over the cap, and pretty much takes away their ability to take on any other free agents (other than re-signing Deron Williams, someone for a $1.9 million exception, and whatever they want for a vet's minimum) for at least this year. Being cap-locked is never a good situation to be in as a team, but it's even worse considering the situation they are currently in also.
You see, they are the leading team on Dwight Howard's wish list. For those of you living under a rock the past few days, after waffling more than Eggo, opting into the last year of his contract, and getting his coach fired in the process (not to mention making many Magic fans hate him), Dwight Howard has requested a trade, and various sources around the league have come out and said that the Brooklyn Nets are the only team on his list that he wants to play for.
The problem with this, is that the Nets are really in no position to make a great deal for Howard at this time. The best thing they can offer consists of Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and several future first round draft picks. However, Lopez and Humphries would have to agree to sign-and-trade deals, and on top of that, due to the cap reasons, they would have to have a third team involved to make the trade work. It's all very speculative right now, and if you're the Brooklyn Nets right now, you cannot be happy with the current situation. What is even worse is that if the Nets hadn't traded for Johnson, they could not only put together a package for Dwight Howard (they would also have to take Hedo Turkoglu's contract, which is also more unlikely after the Johnson deal), but, if Orlando decides not to move Howard, they would still have enough cap room to give him a great deal in next year's free agency.
But since they rushed to trade for Johnson, they have lost all leverage in the deal, and it's now in Orlando's favor. Brooklyn could have waited to make sure that the Dwight deal got done, then used whatever other assets it had to get Johnson after that deal was done. In fact, none of the assets used for the Johnson deal were ever talked about for Howard, so it's very possible that they could have done the same deal, just later on in the calendar year.
But, alas, even though they have changed geographically, the Nets' mindset is still the same, led by their fearless GM, Billy King. In a classic Nets move, they were worried that Deron Williams would not come back to the team (he still could leave, which could leave them even worse off), so they panic-traded for an overpaid former All-Star who is known as "Iso-Joe". They should have been more patient, told Williams that they were working their butts off to get him a new toy in Howard, and that they could probably also gotten Joe. If the deal for Howard didn't get done in a timely matter, then they could have gone this route as a "Plan B" type option.
However, the Nets went with the contingency plan instead, and guaranteed themselves a lesser upgrade in Johnson, but they may have very well screwed themselves out of getting the best center currently in the league. But now the Magic hold all the cards. It's still possible that the Nets get Howard, but it's not more likely than any other option. The Magic could keep the Nets from becoming a contender in a couple of ways. They can either trade Howard to another team, if they feel they have a better offer (as of this writing their target seems to be Andrew Bynum). They could also just make Howard play out the year, and then due to the salary cap, the Nets wouldn't have enough money to get him.
For now though, it seems as though Howard won't be in Brooklyn any time soon. But, we shall wait and see. Anything is possible, but, as always, Nets fans shouldn't get their hopes up. I just hope that for their own sake the Nets figure out that patience is a virtue and that they learn to exhaust all of their best options before panicking and moving on to a contingency plan.
But, for the Nets, I (for whatever you think my opinion is worth) am not exactly fond of the deal. From a purely basketball perspective, it makes sense. Joe Johnson is a good scorer, and is a top 7 SG in the league. He can create for himself off the dribble as well as shoot the ball fairly well. After you get past his scoring ability, he can become pretty one-dimensional though.
But, unfortunately for the Nets, this deal cannot be viewed from only a basketball perspective. It has to also be viewed from a look at the salary cap. The acquisition of Joe Johnson puts Brooklyn over the cap, and pretty much takes away their ability to take on any other free agents (other than re-signing Deron Williams, someone for a $1.9 million exception, and whatever they want for a vet's minimum) for at least this year. Being cap-locked is never a good situation to be in as a team, but it's even worse considering the situation they are currently in also.
You see, they are the leading team on Dwight Howard's wish list. For those of you living under a rock the past few days, after waffling more than Eggo, opting into the last year of his contract, and getting his coach fired in the process (not to mention making many Magic fans hate him), Dwight Howard has requested a trade, and various sources around the league have come out and said that the Brooklyn Nets are the only team on his list that he wants to play for.
The problem with this, is that the Nets are really in no position to make a great deal for Howard at this time. The best thing they can offer consists of Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and several future first round draft picks. However, Lopez and Humphries would have to agree to sign-and-trade deals, and on top of that, due to the cap reasons, they would have to have a third team involved to make the trade work. It's all very speculative right now, and if you're the Brooklyn Nets right now, you cannot be happy with the current situation. What is even worse is that if the Nets hadn't traded for Johnson, they could not only put together a package for Dwight Howard (they would also have to take Hedo Turkoglu's contract, which is also more unlikely after the Johnson deal), but, if Orlando decides not to move Howard, they would still have enough cap room to give him a great deal in next year's free agency.
But since they rushed to trade for Johnson, they have lost all leverage in the deal, and it's now in Orlando's favor. Brooklyn could have waited to make sure that the Dwight deal got done, then used whatever other assets it had to get Johnson after that deal was done. In fact, none of the assets used for the Johnson deal were ever talked about for Howard, so it's very possible that they could have done the same deal, just later on in the calendar year.
But, alas, even though they have changed geographically, the Nets' mindset is still the same, led by their fearless GM, Billy King. In a classic Nets move, they were worried that Deron Williams would not come back to the team (he still could leave, which could leave them even worse off), so they panic-traded for an overpaid former All-Star who is known as "Iso-Joe". They should have been more patient, told Williams that they were working their butts off to get him a new toy in Howard, and that they could probably also gotten Joe. If the deal for Howard didn't get done in a timely matter, then they could have gone this route as a "Plan B" type option.
However, the Nets went with the contingency plan instead, and guaranteed themselves a lesser upgrade in Johnson, but they may have very well screwed themselves out of getting the best center currently in the league. But now the Magic hold all the cards. It's still possible that the Nets get Howard, but it's not more likely than any other option. The Magic could keep the Nets from becoming a contender in a couple of ways. They can either trade Howard to another team, if they feel they have a better offer (as of this writing their target seems to be Andrew Bynum). They could also just make Howard play out the year, and then due to the salary cap, the Nets wouldn't have enough money to get him.
For now though, it seems as though Howard won't be in Brooklyn any time soon. But, we shall wait and see. Anything is possible, but, as always, Nets fans shouldn't get their hopes up. I just hope that for their own sake the Nets figure out that patience is a virtue and that they learn to exhaust all of their best options before panicking and moving on to a contingency plan.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Disappointment and Anger with Dwight Howard
(Yes I know that the blackmail claims have been dismissed by Dwight and that's it very possible that part wasn't true but this post isn't about the blackmail it's about my frustration and disappointment with Dwight)
Dwight...how could you do this to the Magic? How could you do this to your fans? How could you do this to me? This post isn't going to be a rant about how you're a loser for wanting to leave or about how you can't win one on your own. I'm not going to give you the Lebron treatment. I'm going to say why I'm disappointed with you and why I'm angry at you. I remember the happiness I had when the Magic picked you. I remember the joy of experiencing the Finals in 2009. I remember the anger of losing in the first round of 2011. Of course I also remember the first time you requested a trade...
I'm disappointed in Dwight because he didn't want to stay with the Magic. He wants to go somewhere with bigger lights and bigger cities. It has nothing to do with popularity, or "loyalty", or even money. It's just what you want to do. As much as it disappoints me that you want to leave I can understand it to an extent. It's your career and you can do what you wish with it. But the way you're choosing to reach this goal fills me with anger.
Dwight...how could you do this to the Magic? How could you do this to your fans? How could you do this to me? This post isn't going to be a rant about how you're a loser for wanting to leave or about how you can't win one on your own. I'm not going to give you the Lebron treatment. I'm going to say why I'm disappointed with you and why I'm angry at you. I remember the happiness I had when the Magic picked you. I remember the joy of experiencing the Finals in 2009. I remember the anger of losing in the first round of 2011. Of course I also remember the first time you requested a trade...
I'm disappointed in Dwight because he didn't want to stay with the Magic. He wants to go somewhere with bigger lights and bigger cities. It has nothing to do with popularity, or "loyalty", or even money. It's just what you want to do. As much as it disappoints me that you want to leave I can understand it to an extent. It's your career and you can do what you wish with it. But the way you're choosing to reach this goal fills me with anger.
Blackmail. According to Webster's online dictionary Blackmail is an extortion or "coercion by threats especially of public exposure or criminal prosecution" So the Magic apparently "blackmailed" you by telling you that if you didn't opt in to your contract they would trade you somewhere else besides the Nets. Dwight this isn't blackmail. It's the NBA. It is the goal of the team to make a trade that is in the best interest of the team. I'm sorry if this doesn't help you get what you want but tough luck that's the way it goes. The Magic did not blackmail you. You signed the opt in that you didn't have to sign and then you went to a press conference and talked about loyalty. Loyalty? The same loyalty that you showed your coach when you demanded that he be fired? The same loyalty you showed Jameer as you threw him under the bus? The same loyalty that very likely lead to Otis Smith's resignation? Then you know what the team did? They fired that coach, the best coach in team history, Stan Van Gundy, got fired because you wanted it and then you accuse this team of blackmailing you? This fills me with all kinds of anger. So please Dwight, go. While you leave I have some advice for you. Fire your PR team. You have done nothing right in this situation and you have come off like an overgrown baby. I hope you learn from this experience. I hope you learn what the real meaning of blackmail is as well.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Orlando Magic draft night.
So as many of you know the NBA Draft was Thursday. As some of you know I'm an Orlando Magic fan. So how did they do Thursday Night?
1st round 19th Pick-Andrew Nicholson
I don't really know anything about this guy. From what I was able to look up he's a very efficient forward/big man. He's 6'9 so he's a PF/Undersized center. If the Magic use him right he could be a nice guy coming off the bench and maybe even a starter. That's all I can really tell. If the Magic re-sign Ryan Anderson I don't see Nicholson starting any time soon.
2nd Round 49th pick-Kyle O' Quinn
The first thing I said about this guy was "HE'S 6'10!" Kind of a silly reaction till you remember that since Orlando traded away Marcin Gortat they've been playing undersized centers behind Dwight. This usually ended up with being out rebounded and being beaten in the paint. I'm hoping Kyle can help on defense on the inside. I asked DDL Host Zach Harper about him. "Pretty solid big man. PF/C type guy. Can rebound the ball, block shots, has a good offensive assortment. But he is kind of a bad decision-maker. Doesn't handle double teams well." Sounds like he could use some work but I like this pick for a 2nd round guy.
What did you guys think about the draft? Did your team make you happy? (Cavs fans I doubt you're happy.) Oh and I saw the Maloofs managed to continue proving they're broke by trading the 2nd round pick for cash. Way to go Maloofs. For me, it was meh. Not as exciting as I was hoping but still had fun. See ya next time!
1st round 19th Pick-Andrew Nicholson
I don't really know anything about this guy. From what I was able to look up he's a very efficient forward/big man. He's 6'9 so he's a PF/Undersized center. If the Magic use him right he could be a nice guy coming off the bench and maybe even a starter. That's all I can really tell. If the Magic re-sign Ryan Anderson I don't see Nicholson starting any time soon.
2nd Round 49th pick-Kyle O' Quinn
The first thing I said about this guy was "HE'S 6'10!" Kind of a silly reaction till you remember that since Orlando traded away Marcin Gortat they've been playing undersized centers behind Dwight. This usually ended up with being out rebounded and being beaten in the paint. I'm hoping Kyle can help on defense on the inside. I asked DDL Host Zach Harper about him. "Pretty solid big man. PF/C type guy. Can rebound the ball, block shots, has a good offensive assortment. But he is kind of a bad decision-maker. Doesn't handle double teams well." Sounds like he could use some work but I like this pick for a 2nd round guy.
What did you guys think about the draft? Did your team make you happy? (Cavs fans I doubt you're happy.) Oh and I saw the Maloofs managed to continue proving they're broke by trading the 2nd round pick for cash. Way to go Maloofs. For me, it was meh. Not as exciting as I was hoping but still had fun. See ya next time!
Who should the Hawks draft?
This year's draft really is the first time in a couple of years that the Hawks have a pick that they actually might get something good with. Of course, that doesn't exactly mean that they will get something good with it...
However, in this deep of a draft, and with a GM that has the assurance that this pick won't make or break his tenure (he just signed a 6-year deal), I think Atlanta might actually have a shot at something here if they hold on to the 23rd pick.
The good thing about this pick is that we essentially have extreme flexibility; we can take a player at any position and give that him some quality backup minutes immediately if we want to. We can also afford to send that player to the D-League for a month or two to help their development, and then bring them up at a time where they can possibly make an impact off the bench. With that in mind, here's who I think the Hawks should look at:
Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State
A lot of people don't really agree with me on this pick, but I like the idea of drafting a guy that could probably replace Marvin Williams. Even if he can't, maybe it will light a fire under Marvin if he comes to the realization that the team really wants to be rid of him. Of course, this could easily backfire and cause the 8th year forward out of UNC to just mope around the court the whole time.
Royce White, PF, Iowa State
Another midwest player. With the possibility that Smoove may traded or walk at the end of the season, the team needs to start looking at possible replacements in the draft. While there is no doubting White's skills, he does have some disciplinary issues that may cause the Hawks to balk on another needy player. All of that aside, he was the other D-I player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks last season. That alone should pique GM Danny Ferry's interest in the guy.
Quincy Miller, SF-PF, Baylor
As a Hawks fan and NBA observer, I'm obviously have concerns about drafting a tweener forward. (see: Williams, Marvin, and Beasley, Michael) While those two positions are something we could need depth at, depending on how future transactions play out, we would obviously need Miller to make a hard commitment to one position during his rookie year. As with Green, he would be best suited to be a potential Marvin replacement.
Tony Wroten Jr., PG, Washington
If this guy is available, I want him. While I think Teague has the ability to be a very reliable starting PG in the NBA, Wroten would bring a size element that would make a very formidable backcourt with Joe Johnson. Either way, with Hinrich gone, the Hawks need a backup point guard, and I think Wroten would be a guy that could make an immediate impact. I would even go so far to say that the Hawks should trade up a couple of spots if they have to. Make it happen, Ferry!
Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
If the Hawks are going to trade Smoove, I wouldn't mind picking Melo up a couple of spots before he likely would go. He may need some time in the D-League to season, but I think he would make a great 4th guy if the Hawks go to a Horford/Zaza/Ivan frontline. If we do keep Smoove, then I wouldn't really want him, because he'll either get glued to the bench behind Zaza and Horford, or will force Josh to move to the three where he is less effective as a player on both ends of the court. The last thing the Hawks need is for another draftee to be wasted on the bench.
The good thing about this pick is that we essentially have extreme flexibility; we can take a player at any position and give that him some quality backup minutes immediately if we want to. We can also afford to send that player to the D-League for a month or two to help their development, and then bring them up at a time where they can possibly make an impact off the bench. With that in mind, here's who I think the Hawks should look at:
Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State
A lot of people don't really agree with me on this pick, but I like the idea of drafting a guy that could probably replace Marvin Williams. Even if he can't, maybe it will light a fire under Marvin if he comes to the realization that the team really wants to be rid of him. Of course, this could easily backfire and cause the 8th year forward out of UNC to just mope around the court the whole time.
Royce White, PF, Iowa State
Another midwest player. With the possibility that Smoove may traded or walk at the end of the season, the team needs to start looking at possible replacements in the draft. While there is no doubting White's skills, he does have some disciplinary issues that may cause the Hawks to balk on another needy player. All of that aside, he was the other D-I player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks last season. That alone should pique GM Danny Ferry's interest in the guy.
Quincy Miller, SF-PF, Baylor
As a Hawks fan and NBA observer, I'm obviously have concerns about drafting a tweener forward. (see: Williams, Marvin, and Beasley, Michael) While those two positions are something we could need depth at, depending on how future transactions play out, we would obviously need Miller to make a hard commitment to one position during his rookie year. As with Green, he would be best suited to be a potential Marvin replacement.
Tony Wroten Jr., PG, Washington
If this guy is available, I want him. While I think Teague has the ability to be a very reliable starting PG in the NBA, Wroten would bring a size element that would make a very formidable backcourt with Joe Johnson. Either way, with Hinrich gone, the Hawks need a backup point guard, and I think Wroten would be a guy that could make an immediate impact. I would even go so far to say that the Hawks should trade up a couple of spots if they have to. Make it happen, Ferry!
Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
If the Hawks are going to trade Smoove, I wouldn't mind picking Melo up a couple of spots before he likely would go. He may need some time in the D-League to season, but I think he would make a great 4th guy if the Hawks go to a Horford/Zaza/Ivan frontline. If we do keep Smoove, then I wouldn't really want him, because he'll either get glued to the bench behind Zaza and Horford, or will force Josh to move to the three where he is less effective as a player on both ends of the court. The last thing the Hawks need is for another draftee to be wasted on the bench.
Don't Just COUNT DA RINGZZZ!!!!!
This argument is one of my biggest pet peeves. This argument is more annoying to me than some sort of crazy banshee screaming it's lungs out. It's worse than every single girl on Facebook posing with a "duckface". The act in question is done while arguing about whether or not one basketball player is better than another (Which is already annoying enough). The most annoying argument in the world that people try to use is the good-old-fashioned "COUNT DA RINGZZZ" argument (Translation: "Player X has been on more championship teams than player Y"). It goes something like this (We'll use the LeBron James/Kobe Bryant argument to keep things relevant to what is happening currently):
Logical Debater #1: This season, LeBron had a PER of 30.8, a FG% of 53%, and is averaging a line of 27.1 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 7.9 RPG (Not to mention winning that first coveted title). Kobe, had a PER of 21.9, a FG% of 43%, and is averaging a line of 27.9 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 5.4 RPG. So, while Kobe has a slightly better PPG average, LeBron is scoring at a much more effective rate, and LeBron is also having a better all around game this year. Due to this evidence, it can be said that LeBron has surpassed Kobe as the best player in the NBA on a nightly basis.
Kobe Fanboy: KOBE GOT FIVE MORE RINGZ THAN BRON BRON. COUNT DA RINGZZZ BOIIII!!!!!!!!!!!
And this argument proceeds to annoy the living shit out of me.
After hearing this argument a few too many times, I feel like I am qualified enough to identify who uses this argument, and also why they use it. Most times, someone is arguing in favor of an aging star who has lost some of his thunder, and they are usually arguing against someone who is, both by the box score and by using advanced stats, better than the aging star. They know that their argument doesn't hold any water, so they proceed to take the "RINGZZZ" argument until you either:
A) Blow up in their faces and tell them to stop being a dumb person and think of a logical basketball argument.
B) Walk away to avoid blowing up in their faces and telling them to stop being a dumb person and think of a logical basketball argument.
My point is, if you use the "RINGZZZ" argument then you are a dumb person and are incapable of thinking of a logical basketball argument. There are so many wrong things about the "RINGZZZ", but I will try to keep this short and relatively sweet.
Those who use the argument are usually speaking of Kobe Bryant whenever they are valiantly defending his place at the top of the NBA. Other debaters will come up with arguments using stats and reasoning, but those will unfortunately be blindly rejected, as the Kobe fanboy will yell at the top of his lungs: "COUNT DA RINGZZZ!!!! KOBE IZ DA BEST EVER!!!!". But, what the fanboy doesn't realize is that by his math, there are several players better than Kobe. Some of those include the names of greats like Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, and Robert Horry.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Wait a minute...Robert Horry? He was a good role player and made a lot of tough shots, but there is no way he is a better player than Kobe."
And that line of thinking is exactly correct. Because of this, the "RINGZZZ" argument should be thrown out. Furthermore, using the "RINGZZZ reasoning would also lead you to believe that Derek Fisher is on the same level of greatness as Kobe Bryant, and is a better player than Tim Duncan. In related news, it was incredibly hard for me to complete that last sentence without doubling over in laughter.
Another thing that is interesting is that fans do not seem to realize that just because you have been on more championship teams doesn't necessarily mean that you are a better individual player than anyone else. It just means that over the course of your career, you have had a better combination of teammates, coaches, and luck than the other person in question. No single player wins any game by himself, as much as some people may want to believe it. It's like the old cliche goes: There is no "I" in the word "TEAM".
And I know that to some of you reading, this whole post may seem idiotic and obvious, but trust me, they are a lot of people who use the "RINGZZZ" point a lot, and they all have one common factor about them. They are all dumb people who are incapable of thinking of a logical basketball argument.
The "Magic" of the Draft
I’ve never been someone who gets excited for the draft. In my
eyes it’s been nothing more than graduation. Names being called and people you
don’t know walking across the stage. Maybe that’s my fault for not paying more
attention to college basketball. It also has something to do with growing up as
a Magic fan and always being right in the middle as a mediocre team. We would
draft a guy who would inevitably do nothing and then he would be gone or worse
he would be good and then we would trade him away after his rookie season (bye
Mike Miller). Then there was 2005
drafting Fran Vazquez. The Magic were going to put him next to Dwight Howard,
whom we had just drafted the year before, and we would have a dominating front
court. Well Vazquez has yet to play a game in a Magic uniform. He hasn’t even
played a minute in the NBA because he decided to stay in Europe. We still have
his draft rights and I know the minute the Magic trade them Vazquez will come
to the NBA and be the next Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki.
So with the upcoming draft sitting at 19 and Dwight Howard
wanting to bolt I should be pessimistic right? Not at all. In fact this is the
most excited I’ve ever been for the draft. I discovered something at the trade
deadline this year called Daily Dime Live. A bunch of people who obsess over basketball
and talk about it all the time and I became hooked. They’ve shown me the fun of
the draft and now I’m really excited for a night that’s probably not going to
have anything big happen (Maybe a Dwight Howard trade!?) but I digress. Tonight
rather than be pessimistic about the future of the Magic I’m going to laugh
along with others on twitter and DDL as the Cavs and Kings potentially ruin everything
and the Rockets try to come up with some crazy deal to get Dwight Howard. Should
be fun and I hope to see you all there.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Humble Coronation of A King
I'm a New York Knicks fan.
Let's get that out of the way early, because some humble pie is deserved on my plate. Growing up a Knicks and Buffalo Bills fan, I was taught to despise everything Miami. So LeBron bolts from Cleveland, and the greatest player of my lifetime happened to join the team I cant stand. Maybe it was jealousy, or immaturity, but I used this to knock him down a few pegs on my all time greats list. But not any longer, he is easily top 10, if not higher. The way he casually rolled through my Knicks, the amount of leadership against the Pacers and Celtics, and the incredible play during the Finals, I was in awe. So, congratulations LeBron James, the crown is yours...let's hope we can have some great rivalry games for years to come.
Let's get that out of the way early, because some humble pie is deserved on my plate. Growing up a Knicks and Buffalo Bills fan, I was taught to despise everything Miami. So LeBron bolts from Cleveland, and the greatest player of my lifetime happened to join the team I cant stand. Maybe it was jealousy, or immaturity, but I used this to knock him down a few pegs on my all time greats list. But not any longer, he is easily top 10, if not higher. The way he casually rolled through my Knicks, the amount of leadership against the Pacers and Celtics, and the incredible play during the Finals, I was in awe. So, congratulations LeBron James, the crown is yours...let's hope we can have some great rivalry games for years to come.
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