NBA Fantasy Draft is tonight…just another year of chump smackdowns…
This quick Q & A reveals why the commish is the Man:
ESPN: Have you polled the players about their reactions to the new ball?
Stern: We have a pretty good idea of what the reaction would be whenever you do something different. We don't do polling. That's not leadership.
Wow…and I quote: “We don’t do polling. That’s not leadership.” I think that’s my new personal slogan…
Fantasy note: Andre Miller reported to Training Camp weighing around 220 lbs., about 15-20 lbs. over his playing weight…Suns PG Leandro Barbosa may have a case of “turf toe” which will probably bother him all season…Kings PG Mike Bibby has a badly sprained thumb, out 2 weeks at a minimum…
1) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his weekly 10 things:
Lakers will likely get off to slow start
As is always the case in Hollywood, regardless of the validity, the soap opera that is the Los Angeles Lakers always enters an NBA season with great expectations. This one is no different. Make that was no different.
1. Item: The Lakers' woes started with Kobe Bryant's lingering recovery from off-season knee surgery, were followed by center Chris Mihm's slow-healing ankle and now include the shoulder problems of Kwame Brown. And that's not to mention coach Phil Jackson's limited availability due to recent hip surgery. What this really means: For all the expectations coming into this season on the heels of nearly knocking off the Suns in the first round, it's going to be slow going coming out of the blocks for the Lakers. Lamar Odom must establish himself as a leader even more now than ever before, something that may prove difficult in the wake of his infant son's tragic death during the off-season. And then there is Jackson, who is expected back opening night. He unequivocally runs the show and knows this is a very long season that must be based on continued growth. They've added Vladimir Radmanovic for his perimeter shooting, and that should help. And they've got Aaron McKie for leadership. Obviously, they are limited until Bryant comes back, and somewhere along the line, they'll develop young 7-footer Andrew Bynum while figuring out what to do with the underachieving Mihm and Brown. If one of them comes around, then they've got a shot at the playoffs and then with Bryant there, anything is possible. But don't count on it. If their nickname didn't happen to be the Lakers, nobody would be talking about them at all.
2. Item: The NBA office has taken on a zero tolerance approach to excessive protests from players toward officials and will fine them $5,000 for every indiscretion, while accruing further penalties from multiple technical fouls. What this really means: It's about time. The histrionics that have gone on for way too long do nothing but detract from the game and the public's perception of the players — which always needs work. Of course, Rasheed Wallace would say it's targeting him. He's been symptomatic of the problem forever. If he can't control himself and quit acting like an 8-year-old, then he doesn't belong out there anyway. Let's face it, the officials have an impossible job. They are wrong plenty. They are right most of the time. And if guys think they are getting picked on because they moan and groan ... they're probably right. Guys who whine all the time have earned the right to get picked on by officials. Now, if they would just act like adults and play the game, it would be better for everybody. Occasional indiscretions on bad calls will probably be worth the fine — but this complaining on virtually every call has to stop and it has to stop now. Grow up.
3. Item: The road to stardom is always filled with obstacles and Toronto Raptors young star forward Chris Bosh has just met another one — plantar fasciitis. What this really means: All the excitement surrounding the start of the Bryan Colangelo era in Toronto — from the acquisition of T.J. Ford to winning the lottery and using that pick to draft Andrea Bargnani — is great. The additions of Kris Humphries, Fred Jones and Anthony Parker should help too. But if Bosh has a foot problem that drags out the entire season, they've got no shot at raising their level of play. Even with him healthy, they're still a long shot to make the playoffs. This is about the big picture. Sure, Colangelo wants to win now and build. He learned how to do it from one of the best — his dad Jerry — who did just that so often in Phoenix with the Suns. But when your team is so limited in the first place, it's imperative your star is healthy and after seeing what Tim Duncan went through last season, Bosh must take it very slow and consider the big picture — for both the final five months of the season and the rest of his career.
4. Item: Often times it's amazing what one special season can do to the value of a player. Evidently, one season as a key component made Boris Diaw worth a five-year, $45 million extension to the Phoenix Suns. What this really means: It is really rare that a young player — only 24 — has two dormant seasons, then has one outstanding year and is rewarded with a huge contract. But the Suns are banking literally and figuratively on the 6-8, 230-pound native of France to provide the kind of versatility and productivity that made him the surprise Most Improved Player in 2005 after coming over from Atlanta in the controversial Joe Johnson deal. Just because Diaw averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists doesn't justify the money, even if he did crank it up in the playoffs — particularly with his unknown role following the return of Amare Stoudemire. Then again, his age and talent are captivating and the teams that keep their players together the longest have the best chance of maintaining success. And keeping Diaw in the fold is at the heart of that matter for the Suns.
5. Item: This time it's the Doctor putting together the big bucks to buy an NBA franchise. Julius Erving, 56, has organized a group to buy the Philadelphia 76ers from Comcast for what reportedly could be a league-record $450 million. What this really means: The Sixers need a revival of some form, and who better to do it than their most popular player of all time, Dr. J? Whether he can rally enough money is one issue. Whether the Sixers are actually worth anywhere close to those numbers is quite something else. It was only five years ago that Larry Brown coached Philly to the NBA Finals, starring Allen Iverson, but it's been downhill ever since. They invested huge amounts of money in mediocre players and adding the enormous contract of a broken-down Chris Webber hasn't helped either. That's not to blame all of this on the team Billy King built around Iverson, but if they fail to make the playoffs for the third year in a row, they'll clearly have to blow up the team and start over. Erving is the perfect name to throw into the mix as a key ingredient in the reconstruction.
6. Item: The list of long-term deals handed out by Mark Cuban as owner of the Dallas Mavericks continues to grow. But as he closes the loop for now and the future, it was imperative he not get into the regular season without attending to the contract extension of Josh Howard. What this really means: Cuban is so focused and pragmatic about what needs to get done to win, nothing could have juiced him more than for the Mavs to win the West, have control of the finals against the Heat, then blow it. It would be a 50-50 shot to assume Cuban knows his own big mouth and profile when the Mavs went up 2-0 played a role in the team losing focus. So this time around, he understands his role even better. The key to all of it is what he understands best about business — prioritizing products. He re-signed Jason Terry, extended Dirk Nowitzki, extended coach Avery Johnson and has now extended Howard, the most versatile of all the players. All that did is guarantee they've got a great shot at competing for the title over the next four years — and that's something the Mavs have never had before.
7. Item: The story of Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman's arrest over the weekend for DUI was disturbing on a lot of levels, and it begins with what he sensed looking in the mirror after the nightmare of early Saturday a.m. What this really means: To be fair, anybody who has any inclination to celebrate on occasion has had too much drink at least a few times, and maybe even driven their car when they should know better. And they didn't get caught. That's not to justify Musselman's actions — just a reminder for the holier-than-thou set. Now for the reality check. Musselman is an unparalleled worker and lover of the game — just like his late father Bill. He's committed to success and making his players perform at the highest level. But he and his family had a rough time when he was (prematurely) fired at Golden State. It produced a divorce, upset his relationship with his two sons and forced him to battle to stay in the game via broadcast or the bench of the Memphis Grizzlies. And for him to be given this shot with such a successful organization as the Kings was exciting for those who know him. How he could have such a lapse in judgment isn't quite clear, but here's hoping the arrest and the embarrassment will get him to clean up whatever issues there are once and for all. He's much too talented and smart to blow this chance.
8. Item: The beauty of Pat Riley to those who have been around him so long is not about the success he achieves. It's more about the manner in which he goes about it, and last week he was back at it again, explaining to his Miami Heat the approach they should take in defense of their first NBA title. What this really means: Riley is not only gifted in his understanding of basketball, but in the pop psychology of motivation. His perception of what it means to come back after a title has been discussed forever. He has the marketing wizardry to come up with the concept "three-peat" when he was coaching the Lakers — even if his guarantee prompted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to literally stuff a sock in his coach's mouth. But this time around, the coach out-did himself for this group. With 14 of the 15 players from last year's roster returning, his penchant for loyalty and staying on task was very clear. So with the need of one more point guard still apparent, he left his players with this bit of wisdom: "You can either defend the championship or disgrace." One thing is certain in Pat Riley's life it is still dominated by either winning or misery.
9. Item: The plot continues to thicken around the Los Angeles Clippers. Sure, they have Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley signed long-term. Sam Cassell is locked up too, and young Shaun Livingston is one of the most exciting young players in the league. However, life is never dull on a roster whose contracts are controlled by owner Donald Sterling. What this really means: One of the caveats to coach Mike Dunleavy signing his extension was extending young center Chris Kaman, who has been offered a five-year, $50-million extension. It's a fair offer and really right where it should be for Kaman. But the stupid $63-million contract signed by Tyson Chandler and $64-million deal for Samuel Dalembert are lingering over this offer, especially when you consider Kaman is better than both of them. And then there is Dunleavy, who is eradicating the losing culture so embedded in the Clippers organization. A five-year, $30-million deal for Dunleavy is a huge commitment and a lot of money for somebody who hasn't taken his team to the finals in 15 years. But he has done such a masterful job and helped so much in the judgment of talent, it's tough to fathom they wouldn't give him whatever he wants. Of course, this is presuming we're talking about the "New Donald," as opposed to the old one.
10. Item: Whither Jeff McInnis ... the New Jersey Nets point guard whose attitude was so disturbing to the team last season after returning from knee surgery that he has not even been a consideration for coach Lawrence Frank for either the rotation or as a member of the roster. What this really means: Nets president Rod Thorn is doing everything he can to buy McInnis out of the $3.6-million contract he has this season. They've offered McInnis $2 million and he reportedly wants $3.4 million. It sounds ridiculous, then again, why should McInnis give up $1.6 million? The bigger question is why McInnis can't see himself for what he is — a selfish and disruptive force. It's a shame because he does have talent and has been productive from time to time in his career. But he's just one of those guys who at some point in time will always revert to form the way he did in Denver, Cleveland, Portland and with the Clippers. It's gotten so bad that you have to wonder if anybody will even sign him for the minimum if they do buy him out. Then again, what would you expect from the guy who was at the root of the class that caused Dean Smith to retire at North Carolina?
2) Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle reports on Robert Horry getting sentimental about Clutch City:
Horry won't forget Rockets - Return to city gives NBA veteran mixed emotions
Robert Horry was going through the layup line when the video screen began to role out the highlight reel of those championship seasons in Houston and he didn't know whether to feel young or old, achy or spry, happy to be looking back or sad to have to squint to see so far. Life is like that. One moment, you're a 20-something kid who can seemingly run forever and the next you're 36 and always looking for an ice pack. "To be honest, it seems like ages ago," said Horry as he continued preparing for his 15th NBA with Sunday night's 93-72 Spurs loss to the Rockets at Toyota Center. "All those years. All those miles. You've got to love the game. "But it's definitely a little harder now. Because you can't bounce back from the injuries as easy." Horry has six championship rings and still burns to add another bauble or two. Which is why in the quiet on the day after the Spurs were eliminated by Dallas in Game 7 of their epic second-round playoff series last spring, he was the one who stood in the locker room and talked to the team. "No big speech or anything," Horry said. "I just told everybody to just take care of themselves, spend time with their families and then go at it harder.
"It comes from being the veteran guy. But also it comes from realizing that we let a golden opportunity slip through our hands. I feel like we have some of the best talent in the league. We all know in our hearts that we should have gone a little bit further than we did."
Horry has constructed an amazing legacy by being willing to be a soldier rather than a general, a role player instead of a star. "That's how Robert's built," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. "He's very willing to handle a role on a team. But what people don't understand about him, is behind the scenes, in his own way, without the glare of the public, he's a mentor for a lot of guys. Just very quietly on his own." Quiet until the playoffs, when everything gets loud and crazy and he usually steps up. Except for last year, when age and the years maybe caught up and he had the worst shooting season of his career. Which is why he rededicated himself this summer to turning back the clock. Just maybe not as far as on the video screen. "All the time I'm meeting people who say, 'Rob, you're always gonna be a Rocket,' " he said. "I tell them I only played four years here. I played seven years in L.A. Then I go out there they show all that (championship) stuff up on the (video) board ... It brings it all back. "I guess I could understand it more if I played in this building. That would probably make it different. But there ain't nothing like The Summit. Notice I said The Summit. Not Compaq Center. It's all different now." Robert Horry smiles, looking back and still looking ahead.
3) Ric Bucher of ESPN.com thinks the Warriors are figuring it out under Nellie:
Warriors feeling golden with Nellie at the helm
The body language is loud and clear, even from the vantage of the second-floor observation balcony and to the Warriors on the farthest of their three practice courts. Just as loud and clear as it was last year. It's the message that is starkly different. Then, coach Mike Montgomery had the demeanor of a captain nervously peering through the fog, one eye searching for a landmark to steer by, the other on his crew, checking for signs of a possible mutiny. Now, Don Nelson watches from the sideline as if there's a blueprint overlay on the floor and a mere glance tells him who among the 10 players scrimmaging is in the right place and who isn't. And rest assured, whoever isn't will be put in his place. "It couldn't be more different," says forward Mike Dunleavy. "The main thing is, there is no BS. If he sees something, he's going to tell you. Everything is put out on the table." As with most players desperate to prove they're better than years of failed expectations, the Warriors are eating it up and asking for more. “A person in my position," says point guard Baron Davis, "just wants to be coached and pushed to a higher level. Coach Nelson, one of the sharpest X-and-O's minds with 1,100 victories, a Hall of Famer, you don't even question that he can do that." The Warriors, collectively, questioned Montgomery's capability of doing that from the day he arrived. For good reason. The belief that a life-long college coach can step into the NBA and push all the right buttons is so naïve that it's still hard to fathom VP Chris Mullin, not owner Chris Cohan, made the choice, as Mullin insists was the case. That said, there isn't anyone more suited for the task at hand than Nelson. He's never been able to push a team to the highest level, but that's not the challenge with the league's longest-reigning bottom feeders -- 12 years and counting of lottery trips to Secaucus being their postseason highlight. So what if his last turn at Golden State, as coach and GM, laid the groundwork for that stretch of futility? This is the NBA, where memories are short and who you know is as important as what you know. And while Nelson's coaching style is as direct as ever, watching neophyte coach Avery Johnson do what Nelson has never done (take a team to the Finals), waiting a year for an offer and being under a former player has tempered some of the megalomania that has led to his downfall everywhere he's been. No one's catching him on the team bus poring over the blueprints for his house in Maui, as the Knicks did, or abusing his owner's largesse by hiring a hundred assistant coaches, as he did in Dallas. Now he can be found hunched, all alone, in front of a big screen with a remote control, as he was before Tuesday's overtime exhibition win against the Blazers, freeze-framing and studying Portland's offensive sets. "He's more into it and sharper than he was when I was last around him," says Mullin. "Getting away is always healthy. Coming to the right place helps, too." Right place, right time. For whatever reason, Nelson never had much interest in stressing the hard-nosed defense or mundane post-up offense that won championships in the '80s and '90s. With the defensive rule changes and the crackdown on hand checking, that no longer matters. Offense sells and the league office, noticing an uptick in interest after years of decline, has taken note, so expect more of the same. Small ball, Nelson's forte, is all the rage.
"What the league is going to now, he's been doing for years," Mullin says. The players know it. When a set goes awry, Nelson doesn't even blow his whistle half the time. He just walks onto the court, explaining who needed to go where and when. Every player turns to watch and listen. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," says one team official. "It's so nice to see it around here again." He also knows how to get the most bang for his bark. When Troy Murphy is late closing out on Matt Barnes' 3-point attempt from the left corner, Nelson doesn't focus on the slow rotation. Instead, he tells Murphy that if he's going to lunge at Barnes, he should at least keep going toward midcourt, so that the Warriors can snatch the rebound or immediately throw a three-quarter pass and hit him for a breakaway layup.
Or when young forward/center Andris Biedrins lobs an ill-advised pass for second-year guard Monta Ellis and Keith McLeod picks it off and starts a fast break the other way, Nelson doesn't say a word to Biedrins. Instead, he gets after Ellis for not slapping the ball away immediately from McLeod to stop the counterattack. Biedrins knows he screwed up and is doubly chagrined that a teammate is being chastised for not cleaning up his mess. Nothing being said, in this case, is both better and worse than being chewed out. Better because Biedrins' focus is on making up for the error instead of bumming out about the tongue-lashing. Worse because he got someone else in trouble. Ellis, meanwhile, learns not to give up and the importance of covering for a teammate. "I learned stuff here and there over the last four years," says Dunleavy. "But it doesn't compare to what I've learned in the last two weeks." Nelson, also having played in the league, understands what makes an NBA player tick. Asking Murphy to play center and Dunleavy to play power forward means taking a lot of physical punishment under the boards. The tradeoff Nelson offers is that bigs are free to put the ball on the floor and dribble up the court if they're not under pressure -- and there isn't a player in the league who doesn't relish the chance to lead a break or at least show he has a handle. "Letting Murphy handle the ball has him going to chase down rebounds, rather than just rebounding his area," says Mullin. In other words, guys will do more of what he wants because he lets them do more of what they want. Conversely, if they don't do what he wants, however subtle, he'll let them know. "He doesn't miss anything," Dunleavy says.
No doubt. As reporters gathered for a post-practice chat on Monday, Nelson gave the once-over to a certain ESPN The Magazine senior writer with whom he hasn't always had the best of relationships. "Your fly's open," he said.
4) Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal thinks the Cavs may have it:
Cavs hope stability will translate into championship
The Cavaliers have been an epic coming-of-age film over the last several years, with you-know-who playing the leading man-child.
Back in 2003, it was as if they'd just gotten their driver's license and the keys to a brand-new muscle car named LeBron James. Of course they didn't exactly know what to do with it. The high jinks and growing pains followed. Three years later the organization feels like an NBA grown-up. And like any newly minted rebuilding graduate, they want to quickly enter the real world of contenders. The chart of progress has been steady. In James' first season, the Cavs won 20 more games than the sickly, lottery-winning outfit from the year before. In Year 2, they put up 42 wins for their first winning season in seven years, but lost a tiebreaker for the last playoff spot.
That made last season the official breakout as James flourished into one of the league's ultra-elite players while pulling his team along. He was named first team All-NBA, All-Star Game MVP and finished second in the MVP voting at the end of the season. The Cavs won 50 games, grabbed their first playoff spot in eight years and won their first playoff series in 13 years. Now they're all back and, as any clichéd movie script would read, looking for more. "I think we can get to the Finals, I think we can win it all," James said. "That's what's on my mind right now, trying to win the whole thing. You shouldn't be in the NBA if you don't want to." You can make a case for it being a realistic cause and for it being foolhardy hubris. But in a town that hasn't won a major professional sports title since 1964 and has a famous self-loathing attitude when it comes to its plight, being able to seriously believe is a major step. Just a season ago, the Cavs were hoping just to get into the postseason. Considering more than half of the NBA's 30 teams make it, that didn't seem like such a heady goal after all this time. But the strong taste of success in April and May, especially the oh-so-close upset of the Pistons in the second round -- be it true or not, most Clevelanders now say they were "a rebound away in Game 6" -- has given everyone wings.
"Last year they just wanted us to make the playoffs, this year they want us to win a championship," said guard Eric Snow, who is James' co-captain and the only player on the Cavs' roster to have played a significant role on a Finals team in his career. "It doesn't sound like much, but that's a major difference. That's what you want, that should be the goal." The Cavs' plan to do it, for the moment, is simple. Not unlike the reigning champs in Miami or the San Antonio model to which general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown subscribe, the offseason goal was to achieve stability. In his first three seasons, James had three head coaches and a constantly changing lineup. Last season there were eight new players in training camp; the season before there were seven. This summer the Cavs locked up James through 2010 and Drew Gooden through 2009, assuring the same starting lineup will be back. The only free-agent signing expected to be in the rotation is veteran backup guard David Wesley. The aim is for a closer-knit group that has a familiarity with each other and the system. The early season result has been an expansion of James' role as leader. Feeling as comfortable as ever and building off the experience as the co-captain of Team USA over the summer, James has shifted into a new gear. In the early workouts he led the Cavs in wind sprints. He's the one leading the end-of-practice and pregame huddles. All of which dovetails with his already commanding presence on the sideline during games. He's not been afraid to make suggestions to Brown on which plays to run and even what personnel to use in various game situations. "Ultimately when your best player becomes your best example, the better team you will be," said Snow, who played in the same backcourt with Allen Iverson. "It actually makes it easier for the head coach because he's demanding things be done the right way." Or at least that is the plan. The rub is that the lofty expectations could become a weight to the still-developing Cavs. It is hard to believe James can carry any more burden than he did a year ago, when Larry Hughes missed 46 games with two finger surgeries, and free-agent pickups Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones had off years shooting the ball. Even the steady Zydrunas Ilgauskas let down in the playoffs, leaving James to do all the heavy lifting.
James won two games on last-second shots against the Wizards in the first round, when he averaged 35 points and nearly 48 minutes a game. When the Cavs' painfully basic pick-and-roll offense wheezed in Game 7 against the Pistons, James had 27 points and the rest of the team netted a whimpering 34. Brown has installed some new wrinkles into the offense, Jones and Marshall reported to camp in better shape, Hughes has proclaimed himself healthy, and precautions are being taken and promises made to not overplay James. All of that needs to fall in line if the Cavs genuinely expect to contend for an Eastern Conference crown. "We owe it to ourselves to work to help LeBron out and try to get the best out of him, because winning a championship is our goal," said Brown, who won a title as a Spurs assistant. "If we can do that, I like our chances."
This quick Q & A reveals why the commish is the Man:
ESPN: Have you polled the players about their reactions to the new ball?
Stern: We have a pretty good idea of what the reaction would be whenever you do something different. We don't do polling. That's not leadership.
Wow…and I quote: “We don’t do polling. That’s not leadership.” I think that’s my new personal slogan…
Fantasy note: Andre Miller reported to Training Camp weighing around 220 lbs., about 15-20 lbs. over his playing weight…Suns PG Leandro Barbosa may have a case of “turf toe” which will probably bother him all season…Kings PG Mike Bibby has a badly sprained thumb, out 2 weeks at a minimum…
1) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his weekly 10 things:
Lakers will likely get off to slow start
As is always the case in Hollywood, regardless of the validity, the soap opera that is the Los Angeles Lakers always enters an NBA season with great expectations. This one is no different. Make that was no different.
1. Item: The Lakers' woes started with Kobe Bryant's lingering recovery from off-season knee surgery, were followed by center Chris Mihm's slow-healing ankle and now include the shoulder problems of Kwame Brown. And that's not to mention coach Phil Jackson's limited availability due to recent hip surgery. What this really means: For all the expectations coming into this season on the heels of nearly knocking off the Suns in the first round, it's going to be slow going coming out of the blocks for the Lakers. Lamar Odom must establish himself as a leader even more now than ever before, something that may prove difficult in the wake of his infant son's tragic death during the off-season. And then there is Jackson, who is expected back opening night. He unequivocally runs the show and knows this is a very long season that must be based on continued growth. They've added Vladimir Radmanovic for his perimeter shooting, and that should help. And they've got Aaron McKie for leadership. Obviously, they are limited until Bryant comes back, and somewhere along the line, they'll develop young 7-footer Andrew Bynum while figuring out what to do with the underachieving Mihm and Brown. If one of them comes around, then they've got a shot at the playoffs and then with Bryant there, anything is possible. But don't count on it. If their nickname didn't happen to be the Lakers, nobody would be talking about them at all.
2. Item: The NBA office has taken on a zero tolerance approach to excessive protests from players toward officials and will fine them $5,000 for every indiscretion, while accruing further penalties from multiple technical fouls. What this really means: It's about time. The histrionics that have gone on for way too long do nothing but detract from the game and the public's perception of the players — which always needs work. Of course, Rasheed Wallace would say it's targeting him. He's been symptomatic of the problem forever. If he can't control himself and quit acting like an 8-year-old, then he doesn't belong out there anyway. Let's face it, the officials have an impossible job. They are wrong plenty. They are right most of the time. And if guys think they are getting picked on because they moan and groan ... they're probably right. Guys who whine all the time have earned the right to get picked on by officials. Now, if they would just act like adults and play the game, it would be better for everybody. Occasional indiscretions on bad calls will probably be worth the fine — but this complaining on virtually every call has to stop and it has to stop now. Grow up.
3. Item: The road to stardom is always filled with obstacles and Toronto Raptors young star forward Chris Bosh has just met another one — plantar fasciitis. What this really means: All the excitement surrounding the start of the Bryan Colangelo era in Toronto — from the acquisition of T.J. Ford to winning the lottery and using that pick to draft Andrea Bargnani — is great. The additions of Kris Humphries, Fred Jones and Anthony Parker should help too. But if Bosh has a foot problem that drags out the entire season, they've got no shot at raising their level of play. Even with him healthy, they're still a long shot to make the playoffs. This is about the big picture. Sure, Colangelo wants to win now and build. He learned how to do it from one of the best — his dad Jerry — who did just that so often in Phoenix with the Suns. But when your team is so limited in the first place, it's imperative your star is healthy and after seeing what Tim Duncan went through last season, Bosh must take it very slow and consider the big picture — for both the final five months of the season and the rest of his career.
4. Item: Often times it's amazing what one special season can do to the value of a player. Evidently, one season as a key component made Boris Diaw worth a five-year, $45 million extension to the Phoenix Suns. What this really means: It is really rare that a young player — only 24 — has two dormant seasons, then has one outstanding year and is rewarded with a huge contract. But the Suns are banking literally and figuratively on the 6-8, 230-pound native of France to provide the kind of versatility and productivity that made him the surprise Most Improved Player in 2005 after coming over from Atlanta in the controversial Joe Johnson deal. Just because Diaw averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists doesn't justify the money, even if he did crank it up in the playoffs — particularly with his unknown role following the return of Amare Stoudemire. Then again, his age and talent are captivating and the teams that keep their players together the longest have the best chance of maintaining success. And keeping Diaw in the fold is at the heart of that matter for the Suns.
5. Item: This time it's the Doctor putting together the big bucks to buy an NBA franchise. Julius Erving, 56, has organized a group to buy the Philadelphia 76ers from Comcast for what reportedly could be a league-record $450 million. What this really means: The Sixers need a revival of some form, and who better to do it than their most popular player of all time, Dr. J? Whether he can rally enough money is one issue. Whether the Sixers are actually worth anywhere close to those numbers is quite something else. It was only five years ago that Larry Brown coached Philly to the NBA Finals, starring Allen Iverson, but it's been downhill ever since. They invested huge amounts of money in mediocre players and adding the enormous contract of a broken-down Chris Webber hasn't helped either. That's not to blame all of this on the team Billy King built around Iverson, but if they fail to make the playoffs for the third year in a row, they'll clearly have to blow up the team and start over. Erving is the perfect name to throw into the mix as a key ingredient in the reconstruction.
6. Item: The list of long-term deals handed out by Mark Cuban as owner of the Dallas Mavericks continues to grow. But as he closes the loop for now and the future, it was imperative he not get into the regular season without attending to the contract extension of Josh Howard. What this really means: Cuban is so focused and pragmatic about what needs to get done to win, nothing could have juiced him more than for the Mavs to win the West, have control of the finals against the Heat, then blow it. It would be a 50-50 shot to assume Cuban knows his own big mouth and profile when the Mavs went up 2-0 played a role in the team losing focus. So this time around, he understands his role even better. The key to all of it is what he understands best about business — prioritizing products. He re-signed Jason Terry, extended Dirk Nowitzki, extended coach Avery Johnson and has now extended Howard, the most versatile of all the players. All that did is guarantee they've got a great shot at competing for the title over the next four years — and that's something the Mavs have never had before.
7. Item: The story of Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman's arrest over the weekend for DUI was disturbing on a lot of levels, and it begins with what he sensed looking in the mirror after the nightmare of early Saturday a.m. What this really means: To be fair, anybody who has any inclination to celebrate on occasion has had too much drink at least a few times, and maybe even driven their car when they should know better. And they didn't get caught. That's not to justify Musselman's actions — just a reminder for the holier-than-thou set. Now for the reality check. Musselman is an unparalleled worker and lover of the game — just like his late father Bill. He's committed to success and making his players perform at the highest level. But he and his family had a rough time when he was (prematurely) fired at Golden State. It produced a divorce, upset his relationship with his two sons and forced him to battle to stay in the game via broadcast or the bench of the Memphis Grizzlies. And for him to be given this shot with such a successful organization as the Kings was exciting for those who know him. How he could have such a lapse in judgment isn't quite clear, but here's hoping the arrest and the embarrassment will get him to clean up whatever issues there are once and for all. He's much too talented and smart to blow this chance.
8. Item: The beauty of Pat Riley to those who have been around him so long is not about the success he achieves. It's more about the manner in which he goes about it, and last week he was back at it again, explaining to his Miami Heat the approach they should take in defense of their first NBA title. What this really means: Riley is not only gifted in his understanding of basketball, but in the pop psychology of motivation. His perception of what it means to come back after a title has been discussed forever. He has the marketing wizardry to come up with the concept "three-peat" when he was coaching the Lakers — even if his guarantee prompted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to literally stuff a sock in his coach's mouth. But this time around, the coach out-did himself for this group. With 14 of the 15 players from last year's roster returning, his penchant for loyalty and staying on task was very clear. So with the need of one more point guard still apparent, he left his players with this bit of wisdom: "You can either defend the championship or disgrace." One thing is certain in Pat Riley's life it is still dominated by either winning or misery.
9. Item: The plot continues to thicken around the Los Angeles Clippers. Sure, they have Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley signed long-term. Sam Cassell is locked up too, and young Shaun Livingston is one of the most exciting young players in the league. However, life is never dull on a roster whose contracts are controlled by owner Donald Sterling. What this really means: One of the caveats to coach Mike Dunleavy signing his extension was extending young center Chris Kaman, who has been offered a five-year, $50-million extension. It's a fair offer and really right where it should be for Kaman. But the stupid $63-million contract signed by Tyson Chandler and $64-million deal for Samuel Dalembert are lingering over this offer, especially when you consider Kaman is better than both of them. And then there is Dunleavy, who is eradicating the losing culture so embedded in the Clippers organization. A five-year, $30-million deal for Dunleavy is a huge commitment and a lot of money for somebody who hasn't taken his team to the finals in 15 years. But he has done such a masterful job and helped so much in the judgment of talent, it's tough to fathom they wouldn't give him whatever he wants. Of course, this is presuming we're talking about the "New Donald," as opposed to the old one.
10. Item: Whither Jeff McInnis ... the New Jersey Nets point guard whose attitude was so disturbing to the team last season after returning from knee surgery that he has not even been a consideration for coach Lawrence Frank for either the rotation or as a member of the roster. What this really means: Nets president Rod Thorn is doing everything he can to buy McInnis out of the $3.6-million contract he has this season. They've offered McInnis $2 million and he reportedly wants $3.4 million. It sounds ridiculous, then again, why should McInnis give up $1.6 million? The bigger question is why McInnis can't see himself for what he is — a selfish and disruptive force. It's a shame because he does have talent and has been productive from time to time in his career. But he's just one of those guys who at some point in time will always revert to form the way he did in Denver, Cleveland, Portland and with the Clippers. It's gotten so bad that you have to wonder if anybody will even sign him for the minimum if they do buy him out. Then again, what would you expect from the guy who was at the root of the class that caused Dean Smith to retire at North Carolina?
2) Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle reports on Robert Horry getting sentimental about Clutch City:
Horry won't forget Rockets - Return to city gives NBA veteran mixed emotions
Robert Horry was going through the layup line when the video screen began to role out the highlight reel of those championship seasons in Houston and he didn't know whether to feel young or old, achy or spry, happy to be looking back or sad to have to squint to see so far. Life is like that. One moment, you're a 20-something kid who can seemingly run forever and the next you're 36 and always looking for an ice pack. "To be honest, it seems like ages ago," said Horry as he continued preparing for his 15th NBA with Sunday night's 93-72 Spurs loss to the Rockets at Toyota Center. "All those years. All those miles. You've got to love the game. "But it's definitely a little harder now. Because you can't bounce back from the injuries as easy." Horry has six championship rings and still burns to add another bauble or two. Which is why in the quiet on the day after the Spurs were eliminated by Dallas in Game 7 of their epic second-round playoff series last spring, he was the one who stood in the locker room and talked to the team. "No big speech or anything," Horry said. "I just told everybody to just take care of themselves, spend time with their families and then go at it harder.
"It comes from being the veteran guy. But also it comes from realizing that we let a golden opportunity slip through our hands. I feel like we have some of the best talent in the league. We all know in our hearts that we should have gone a little bit further than we did."
Horry has constructed an amazing legacy by being willing to be a soldier rather than a general, a role player instead of a star. "That's how Robert's built," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. "He's very willing to handle a role on a team. But what people don't understand about him, is behind the scenes, in his own way, without the glare of the public, he's a mentor for a lot of guys. Just very quietly on his own." Quiet until the playoffs, when everything gets loud and crazy and he usually steps up. Except for last year, when age and the years maybe caught up and he had the worst shooting season of his career. Which is why he rededicated himself this summer to turning back the clock. Just maybe not as far as on the video screen. "All the time I'm meeting people who say, 'Rob, you're always gonna be a Rocket,' " he said. "I tell them I only played four years here. I played seven years in L.A. Then I go out there they show all that (championship) stuff up on the (video) board ... It brings it all back. "I guess I could understand it more if I played in this building. That would probably make it different. But there ain't nothing like The Summit. Notice I said The Summit. Not Compaq Center. It's all different now." Robert Horry smiles, looking back and still looking ahead.
3) Ric Bucher of ESPN.com thinks the Warriors are figuring it out under Nellie:
Warriors feeling golden with Nellie at the helm
The body language is loud and clear, even from the vantage of the second-floor observation balcony and to the Warriors on the farthest of their three practice courts. Just as loud and clear as it was last year. It's the message that is starkly different. Then, coach Mike Montgomery had the demeanor of a captain nervously peering through the fog, one eye searching for a landmark to steer by, the other on his crew, checking for signs of a possible mutiny. Now, Don Nelson watches from the sideline as if there's a blueprint overlay on the floor and a mere glance tells him who among the 10 players scrimmaging is in the right place and who isn't. And rest assured, whoever isn't will be put in his place. "It couldn't be more different," says forward Mike Dunleavy. "The main thing is, there is no BS. If he sees something, he's going to tell you. Everything is put out on the table." As with most players desperate to prove they're better than years of failed expectations, the Warriors are eating it up and asking for more. “A person in my position," says point guard Baron Davis, "just wants to be coached and pushed to a higher level. Coach Nelson, one of the sharpest X-and-O's minds with 1,100 victories, a Hall of Famer, you don't even question that he can do that." The Warriors, collectively, questioned Montgomery's capability of doing that from the day he arrived. For good reason. The belief that a life-long college coach can step into the NBA and push all the right buttons is so naïve that it's still hard to fathom VP Chris Mullin, not owner Chris Cohan, made the choice, as Mullin insists was the case. That said, there isn't anyone more suited for the task at hand than Nelson. He's never been able to push a team to the highest level, but that's not the challenge with the league's longest-reigning bottom feeders -- 12 years and counting of lottery trips to Secaucus being their postseason highlight. So what if his last turn at Golden State, as coach and GM, laid the groundwork for that stretch of futility? This is the NBA, where memories are short and who you know is as important as what you know. And while Nelson's coaching style is as direct as ever, watching neophyte coach Avery Johnson do what Nelson has never done (take a team to the Finals), waiting a year for an offer and being under a former player has tempered some of the megalomania that has led to his downfall everywhere he's been. No one's catching him on the team bus poring over the blueprints for his house in Maui, as the Knicks did, or abusing his owner's largesse by hiring a hundred assistant coaches, as he did in Dallas. Now he can be found hunched, all alone, in front of a big screen with a remote control, as he was before Tuesday's overtime exhibition win against the Blazers, freeze-framing and studying Portland's offensive sets. "He's more into it and sharper than he was when I was last around him," says Mullin. "Getting away is always healthy. Coming to the right place helps, too." Right place, right time. For whatever reason, Nelson never had much interest in stressing the hard-nosed defense or mundane post-up offense that won championships in the '80s and '90s. With the defensive rule changes and the crackdown on hand checking, that no longer matters. Offense sells and the league office, noticing an uptick in interest after years of decline, has taken note, so expect more of the same. Small ball, Nelson's forte, is all the rage.
"What the league is going to now, he's been doing for years," Mullin says. The players know it. When a set goes awry, Nelson doesn't even blow his whistle half the time. He just walks onto the court, explaining who needed to go where and when. Every player turns to watch and listen. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," says one team official. "It's so nice to see it around here again." He also knows how to get the most bang for his bark. When Troy Murphy is late closing out on Matt Barnes' 3-point attempt from the left corner, Nelson doesn't focus on the slow rotation. Instead, he tells Murphy that if he's going to lunge at Barnes, he should at least keep going toward midcourt, so that the Warriors can snatch the rebound or immediately throw a three-quarter pass and hit him for a breakaway layup.
Or when young forward/center Andris Biedrins lobs an ill-advised pass for second-year guard Monta Ellis and Keith McLeod picks it off and starts a fast break the other way, Nelson doesn't say a word to Biedrins. Instead, he gets after Ellis for not slapping the ball away immediately from McLeod to stop the counterattack. Biedrins knows he screwed up and is doubly chagrined that a teammate is being chastised for not cleaning up his mess. Nothing being said, in this case, is both better and worse than being chewed out. Better because Biedrins' focus is on making up for the error instead of bumming out about the tongue-lashing. Worse because he got someone else in trouble. Ellis, meanwhile, learns not to give up and the importance of covering for a teammate. "I learned stuff here and there over the last four years," says Dunleavy. "But it doesn't compare to what I've learned in the last two weeks." Nelson, also having played in the league, understands what makes an NBA player tick. Asking Murphy to play center and Dunleavy to play power forward means taking a lot of physical punishment under the boards. The tradeoff Nelson offers is that bigs are free to put the ball on the floor and dribble up the court if they're not under pressure -- and there isn't a player in the league who doesn't relish the chance to lead a break or at least show he has a handle. "Letting Murphy handle the ball has him going to chase down rebounds, rather than just rebounding his area," says Mullin. In other words, guys will do more of what he wants because he lets them do more of what they want. Conversely, if they don't do what he wants, however subtle, he'll let them know. "He doesn't miss anything," Dunleavy says.
No doubt. As reporters gathered for a post-practice chat on Monday, Nelson gave the once-over to a certain ESPN The Magazine senior writer with whom he hasn't always had the best of relationships. "Your fly's open," he said.
4) Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal thinks the Cavs may have it:
Cavs hope stability will translate into championship
The Cavaliers have been an epic coming-of-age film over the last several years, with you-know-who playing the leading man-child.
Back in 2003, it was as if they'd just gotten their driver's license and the keys to a brand-new muscle car named LeBron James. Of course they didn't exactly know what to do with it. The high jinks and growing pains followed. Three years later the organization feels like an NBA grown-up. And like any newly minted rebuilding graduate, they want to quickly enter the real world of contenders. The chart of progress has been steady. In James' first season, the Cavs won 20 more games than the sickly, lottery-winning outfit from the year before. In Year 2, they put up 42 wins for their first winning season in seven years, but lost a tiebreaker for the last playoff spot.
That made last season the official breakout as James flourished into one of the league's ultra-elite players while pulling his team along. He was named first team All-NBA, All-Star Game MVP and finished second in the MVP voting at the end of the season. The Cavs won 50 games, grabbed their first playoff spot in eight years and won their first playoff series in 13 years. Now they're all back and, as any clichéd movie script would read, looking for more. "I think we can get to the Finals, I think we can win it all," James said. "That's what's on my mind right now, trying to win the whole thing. You shouldn't be in the NBA if you don't want to." You can make a case for it being a realistic cause and for it being foolhardy hubris. But in a town that hasn't won a major professional sports title since 1964 and has a famous self-loathing attitude when it comes to its plight, being able to seriously believe is a major step. Just a season ago, the Cavs were hoping just to get into the postseason. Considering more than half of the NBA's 30 teams make it, that didn't seem like such a heady goal after all this time. But the strong taste of success in April and May, especially the oh-so-close upset of the Pistons in the second round -- be it true or not, most Clevelanders now say they were "a rebound away in Game 6" -- has given everyone wings.
"Last year they just wanted us to make the playoffs, this year they want us to win a championship," said guard Eric Snow, who is James' co-captain and the only player on the Cavs' roster to have played a significant role on a Finals team in his career. "It doesn't sound like much, but that's a major difference. That's what you want, that should be the goal." The Cavs' plan to do it, for the moment, is simple. Not unlike the reigning champs in Miami or the San Antonio model to which general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown subscribe, the offseason goal was to achieve stability. In his first three seasons, James had three head coaches and a constantly changing lineup. Last season there were eight new players in training camp; the season before there were seven. This summer the Cavs locked up James through 2010 and Drew Gooden through 2009, assuring the same starting lineup will be back. The only free-agent signing expected to be in the rotation is veteran backup guard David Wesley. The aim is for a closer-knit group that has a familiarity with each other and the system. The early season result has been an expansion of James' role as leader. Feeling as comfortable as ever and building off the experience as the co-captain of Team USA over the summer, James has shifted into a new gear. In the early workouts he led the Cavs in wind sprints. He's the one leading the end-of-practice and pregame huddles. All of which dovetails with his already commanding presence on the sideline during games. He's not been afraid to make suggestions to Brown on which plays to run and even what personnel to use in various game situations. "Ultimately when your best player becomes your best example, the better team you will be," said Snow, who played in the same backcourt with Allen Iverson. "It actually makes it easier for the head coach because he's demanding things be done the right way." Or at least that is the plan. The rub is that the lofty expectations could become a weight to the still-developing Cavs. It is hard to believe James can carry any more burden than he did a year ago, when Larry Hughes missed 46 games with two finger surgeries, and free-agent pickups Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones had off years shooting the ball. Even the steady Zydrunas Ilgauskas let down in the playoffs, leaving James to do all the heavy lifting.
James won two games on last-second shots against the Wizards in the first round, when he averaged 35 points and nearly 48 minutes a game. When the Cavs' painfully basic pick-and-roll offense wheezed in Game 7 against the Pistons, James had 27 points and the rest of the team netted a whimpering 34. Brown has installed some new wrinkles into the offense, Jones and Marshall reported to camp in better shape, Hughes has proclaimed himself healthy, and precautions are being taken and promises made to not overplay James. All of that needs to fall in line if the Cavs genuinely expect to contend for an Eastern Conference crown. "We owe it to ourselves to work to help LeBron out and try to get the best out of him, because winning a championship is our goal," said Brown, who won a title as a Spurs assistant. "If we can do that, I like our chances."
posted by Cornback at
9:17 a.m.
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