Staying put

14 total trades. 4 Blockbusters. 24 teams adquired new players somehow. Yeap, there were lots of movement around the league. For a more complete analysis go read Holllinger's piece about all those 14 trades.

There's always the other side of the coin. Those teams that didn't make any real moves, those players that didn't get a fresh start and that all are looking for next summer to a needed "shake up". Here are some of those teams and players




Mike Miller:Heat, Spurs, Rockets, Hornets, Magic, etc. They all were trying to get Miller. He's a great shooter, can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot and has a decent contract. As we all know Memphis is cutting lose of every contract they can but they were asking for high draft picks and most of the teams looking to get Miller were contenders, hence, low draft picks.


Ron Artest: Apparently the trade to Denver didn't went through 'cause the Nuggets didn't want to give Linas Kleiza. Why would Denver go after Artest? What's the point? The guy is crazy. He really is out there. Any team the appreciates locker room peace and chemistry and stuff like that should stay apart of Artest. For real. You know what, I'd really like to see Artest on New York. Don't know why. It would be fun.


Sam Cassell: Trade him! Buy him out! Do something with this guy. Why would the Clippers keep him? They could easily get at least a draft pick. They maybe holding him for next year when Livingston and Brand get back, but it will be far cheaper for them to sign a cheap back up for Livingston that having Cassell around.


Vince Carter: Are the Nets in rebuilding mode 'cause they traded their franchise player? I don't think so, Kidd wanted out all year long and one of the reason was Vince Carter. When the guy is not motivated (Because millions of dollars doesn't motivate him) he can really be a pain to his team and teammates. This is the reason why the Nets are trying to trade him to anywhere. Rumored deals to New York and Indiana never got rolling.


Jermaine O'neal: It is me or JO have like 2 more seasons in the tank. Seriously, since the brawl neither Jermaine nor the Pacers have been the same. Any team trading for O'neal have to had a Boston-Celtics-win-now approach.


Al Harrington and Mickael Pietrus: Both of this poor souls are in Don Nelson's doghouse since his comeback to Golden State. They are good players and should be quite effective in the right scheme. Harrington was linked to Chicago, Cleveland and New Jersey among other. Pietrus was courted by San Antonio, the Lakers, Rockets and Mavs.


New York Knicks: They had to do something. They needed to separte Randolph and Curry. They needed to get a real point guard. They needed to decide what to do with Quentin Richardson. Isiah Thomas is pretty sure that if they "keep working hard" everything would be a'right and the championship would surely follow them


Orlando Magic: They still need a enforcer to play alongside Howard and a veteran point guard never hurts. JJ Redick have been crying for a while to get traded and he could be useful for a team that actually plays him.


Toronto Raptors: Perhaps the biggest looser of the trading frenzy. They practically did nothing and their closer competitor, Lebron, got lot's of help. The team doesn't look hungry enough to make some real noice

The Knicks and the Bulls

They woke up this morning with a combined 7 -20 record with a 1-14 away record. They are both big disappointments in this young NBA season, specially Chicago they we're called to be a contender for the East title and the Knicks were expected to make at least a decent push to get into the playoffs. I never thought I would be writing a blog where I compare the Knicks to the Bulls, last year the Bulls were a perfect example of a team with great chemistry, a team with heart, a team fight each possession and that could defeat any team any given night. The Knicks in the other hand were the opposite: a team with bad chemistry, bad locker room influences and without a true identity as a team. This year they are awfully similar and their histories are linked together far before this season.


In 1984 Jerry Krause drafted a high scoring, electric shooting guard from North Carolina. We know what happened to this kid, he ended up reigning the league for an entire decade. In this reign he became the mayor obstacle for a lot of players and franchises in their way to the promised land, one of this franchises were the New York Knicks. In 1985 they got the prize of the year: a 3 time All-American 7'0 feet Jamaican center from Georgetown. Ewing was called the guy who was going to take one of the most important franchises in the league back to their hey days. The Bulls and the Knicks battled for the better part of the early 90's producing one of the best rivalries of that decade and some of the most physical games (Part II) in recent history. True be told, there was lots of hate between those two (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C , just head to YouTube and look for all the videos from the 92 and 93 playoffs series between Knicks and Bulls)





Rivalry aside, they also have helped each other. In June, 1988 the Bulls traded one of their most popular players, Charles Oakley, to the Knicks for 31 year old Bill Cartwright to have someone who can score in the middle but the main objective was to have a big body to defend the likes of Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone. The Knicks got a though defender, a mean guy if you want and helped the Knicks build that defensive and physical identity that took them to the upper scheledon in the Pat Riley era. As the nineties finished so did the rivalry, MJ retired for a second time, Scottie was shipped to Houston and the Knicks retooled to fight with the new breed of Eastern powerhouses: Indiana, Miami and Orlando.



New York went to finals in 1999 and to the Conference Finals the next year. After that they faded while Scott Layden started to economically dismantle the franchise highlighted by the trade of Patrick Ewing, their franchise player, to the Sonics. While Chicago was playing guys like Marco Fizer, Dalibor Bagaric and John Starks (couldn't find a picture if somebody have one of Starks in a Bulls uniform please, please send it to me).

Both teams went to a dark era at the start of this decade but the Bulls were the first team to see the light with a management crew lead by GM John Paxson and Coach Scott Skiles. They built a team filled with character players coming from either winning college programs or European teams, they built a team identity of defense, hustle and team work and in a matter of 4 years they were called contenders. Meanwhile the Knicks seems to like the dark era, they went from Scott Layden to the Isiah Thomas (how came from declaring CBA's bankruptcy) darker era. Deals like the aforementioned Ewing Trade, the Jerome James deal, tons of buyouts (Larry Johnson, Jalen Rose) and bad acquisitions (Marbury, Steve Francis, Glen Rice) had defined Thomas tenure in New York.



Among those senseless moves the Knicks found Chicago as a trade partner twice. First in the Jamaal Crawford trade and later with the Eddy Curry trade which, eventually, almost landed KG in the Windy City. These trades may seem ok and even fair on paper but the Bulls got rid of two defensive liabilities that didn't match with the team culture, let's not mention Curry's heart, while the Knicks haven´t been able to mesh as a team.




A year ago the Bulls went to win 49 games, defeat an half-powered Miami Heat team and lost to the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks have won 56 games the last two years combined and had mixed their on court failures with off court embarrassments. This year things seems to even out for these teams as the Bulls have "regressed in their progress" for whatever reason you might wanna think - Kobe's trade, contract extensions or they are just tired of Skiles - the true is they are not winning and they're not even close to do it. The Knicks had a nice offseason adquiring Zach Randolph from the Trail Blazers creating a more than decent frontcourt for Eastern Conference standards of Curry and Randolph. This is a team with a lot of talent and offensive firepower but as their record( 4 - 10) and their last game shows they haven't found a winning formula... in over 7 years.



In the NBA there's always somebody to blame and this franchises need something drastic to change their fortunes if they want to live up to their offseason expectations, expect some firing or trading coming from this teams, probably the earliest. In the other, they both look like they're going to have a great chance to get OJ Mayo. Go Knicks! Go Bulls!

It's been awhile

Long time no see.

I really lost interest in the NBA after mid September, I wasn't even checking the sites or other blogs, I really didn't wanted to read about Kobe trades, the Isiah trial, Miami's injuries or how ready are the Mavs for the next season. So, those were my reasons and I'm happy I get away for a month or so, I look younger and happier, maybe the NBA is not good for me, but that ship have sailed.

So, tip off is tomorrow night, and I having the feeling that's going to be a cool start of the season. We are going to have Kobe trade scenarios until the actual trade goes down. We are going to have articles and pieces about the Miami Heat and how Pat Riley is trying to turn the team around and Wade is working his butt off to turn around the then awful Miami Season.

Knicks, Magic, Nuggets and Rockets are expected to have a good or maybe great season. Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago and Cleveland are hoping to be the last one standing at the end. Boston is going to be the team to follow, the Big Three -version 21 Century- are not expected to gel right out of the gate, but they are expected to make a strong playoff push.

And we have the good ol' Spurs, are the going to win it again or continue their reluctance to repeat? Is Tony Parker 20 pounds lighter after a "busy" summer? Is Manu balder?

There's a lot stuff happening and thank God they all generate news to follow

All-Time Teams: Coaches

Every great team needs a great coach, so when can leave our teams without a coach. You know it was coming! First of all, all the coache's stats, I took them from here

First Team Coach: Phil Jackson

Regular Season Record: 919 – 939 (.700)
Playoff Record: 179 – 77 (.699)
9 Titles: 1991 – 1993, 1996- 1998, 2000 -2002

Every shot against Phil Jackson is based on the argument that he can’t win unless he's coaching the best players have the best players, well if we give him the 1^st All Time team, what do you think it would happen?

Second Team Coach: Pat Riley

Regular Season Record: 1182 – 618 (.657)
Playoff Record: 171 – 111 (.606)
5 Titles: 1982, 1985,1987,1988,2006

I’m not a fan of Pat Riley, but you have to give credit where credit’s due. This guy can turn a good team into an inmediate contender, he got a way to squeeze the best of a team, not only of every individual, of the entire team as a unit. There’s lot of squeezing to do in the 2^nd team

Third Team Coach: Red Auerbach

Regular Season Record: 938 – 479 (.662)
Playoff Record: 99 – 69 (.589)
9 Titles: (1957, 1959 – 1966)

Red Auerbach coaching a team where no Celtic plays? I didn’t think so either, that’s way I didn’t put him in front of the second team. This guy knew so much about basketball, about his players and the other team players that he resembled more a betting Donaghy type of guy instead of a coach. He won eight straight titles, against teams like the Lakers, Sixers and Knicks of the 60’s, different eras my ass, I want to see somebody achieving that in any era.

And no, I’m not doing assistant coaches, trainers, mop boys and/or video coordinators. It’s over, let it go, It's over.

Evil Agendas

We are back to the slow days. There’s little something new to report. I was checking some news, USA basketball lost both Hinrich and Battier, as a Bulls fan, this is good news, ‘cause Hinrich was terrible the first half of last season, his shooting sucked and he always looked tired. This Olympic qualifying thing could be a bitch for the Bulls, Deng and Gordon can play for England, I think Deng is going to, apparently, Noah can play for half of Europe. Those are 3 starters and one key (I hope) member of the bench. I say, the less the merrier.

Another note about the Bulls, remember last year at the All Star break when Scottie said that he wanted to return and help a contender, and the same time a story comes out saying that Scotties owes like $5 million to a bank. Now, everybody is returning, Penny has a contract, Reggie is thinking about it and now Scottie is saying "I am not looking forward" to playing again. Did Michael lend you the money, Scottie? Just rambling here, but I find funny this situation, because it makes you think, to what point veterans continue to play for the love of the game, instead of playing for the love of the money

My second favorite team, the Spurs, is about to make a great acquisition in Ime Udoka, although, I’d prefer Michael Pietrus, but he’s staying in Golden State. Udoka has a nice reputation as a “hard worker and tireless defender”. He’s 30, not so young, but he’ll do. In Pop we trust

Kupchak looks pretty happy with his team. Is he insane? Is he making a run for Billy Knight’s money?

Pat Riley’s returning for 3 more years, somebody a this interview asked him if it was a coincidence that those 3 years match with Shaq’s last year and Wade’s player option to opt out:

No, it's purely coincidental; I never tied my contracts to theirs. It really is purely coincidental, but that may be the run, the life, for this particular team. Obviously we are going to want to sign Dwyane to an extension somewhere, we hope. And also, as we have planned, like we have done in the past, is that this is going to be a huge room team for us. And we hope that over the next three years of Shaq's tenure here and Dwyane's really in the prime of his life that we are going to be a contender and then after that, we will re-evaluate the whole situation from the draft to free agency and be a room team.

Yeah right, because you want to coach a team without Shaq and Wade. Good luck drawing plays for Smush Parker

I don't know why, but every time I talk about Pat Riley, the timing-o-meter comes to my mind. Is Pat Riley's timing the reason of this "greatness" ?

The kids aren't alright. The 96 Draft Class. Part II

Let's continue

6. Boston: Antoine Walker (18.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg)

Good Stuff:

• 2006 NBA Champ,
• 3 Time All Star

Bad Stuff:

• He got so fat, that even Pat Riley doesn't play him (He plays Shaq, though)

• He is no very brave

• His last year statline and salary

7. Clippers: Lorenzen Wright (8.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.0 PFpg)

Good Stuff:

Bad Stuff:

• (8.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.0 PFpg)

• You might don't know this, but he's crazy too. In 2005, He allegedly confronted his wife and friends with a gun, doing a lot of yelling and cursing in the process

8. Nets: Kerry Kittles (14.1 ppg, .378 3PFG% )

Good Stuff:

Bad Stuff:

• Around 6 right knee operations.

• In 2004, he was traded to the Clippers for a bag of potatos and some chopped liver second round pick

9. Dallas: Samaki Walker (5.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Good Stuff:

• 2002 NBA Champ
• Played 24 mpg in a Championship Team

Bad Stuff:

• Played 24 mpg in a Championship Team

10. Indiana: Erick Dampier (8.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 3.1 PFpg)

Good Stuff:

Bad Stuff:

• He has a super high self-confidence and is picking a fight against Shaq

• This is not his fault, but, somebody or something created a very concerning and weird forum about him. Let's just hope this is not his own doing.

11. Warriors: Todd Fuller. Who?

12. Cavs: Vitaly Potapenko (6.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Good Stuf:

• Ukrainians love him

Bad Stuff:

• Why was the previous article in English?

13. Hornets: Kobe Bryant (24.6 ppg , 5,2 rpg, 2.9 TOpg , .838 FT% )

Good Stuff:

• 3 Time NBA Champ (2000-2002)
• 9 Time All Star,
• 7 Time All Defense (5 Time First All Defense),
• 9 Time All NBA (5 Time First All NBA)
• 2 Time Scoring Champ

Bad Stuff:

• In 1998, at his first all star game, he disrespected Karl Malone waving off a screen he politly set for him. It was the third quater, around 9 minutes left in the quater (5:10 mark on the video below) . This is not a big deal, but Malone didn’t like it, and true be told, he was 19 years old, you cannot say “move, bitch” to Karl Malone when you have 2 years in the league and cannot even drink legally. Somebody missed the signs, we all did.

• The Shaq-Kobe feud. This thing has to be the more stupid “bad stuff” of all this couple of posts: an ego driven feud between two superstars that broke a dynasty. This Lakers teams were relatively young, with a lot left in their tank and the could maybe squeeze one more title or two.
  

They actually never saw each other eye to eye, once Kobe started to develop you could see the hunger of the kid, and this hunger made him appear kinda selfish and self centered. When you have a player like that it doesn't matter, if his talent is worth it, you can build your team around him, but when that player has to share the court, the spotlight and the playbook with a presence like Shaq, it’s just a recipe for disaster. I thought that Phil Jackson could keep this situation (Kobe) on check, but I might underestimated Kobe power in LA.

Everything started to get really bad around 2003, when Kobe returned to the Lakers after recovering from knee surgery (we all know he did a little more than take care of his knee on that summer. More of his coming ahead). Here's a stract from a nice overview of this

When Bryant joined the Lakers in camp, O'Neal told reporters Bryant should look to be more of a passer than a scorer until Bryant's knee was fully healed. Bryant took offense, and fired back that he did not appreciate unsolicited advice from O'Neal on how to play the guard position.

O'Neal then responded that he would voice his opinions as he saw fit because the Lakers were his team. He said that if Bryant, who would be a free agent at the season's end, didn't like what O'Neal had to say, Bryant should just leave the team.

This interview in October, 2003 with Jim Gray, just blew things up, Kobe critized Shaq as a person, as a leader and as a player. Everything went downhill after that, Shaq got traded to Miami, won a championsip thanks to the DWade Free Throw Parade and Kobe has won 3 playoff games since then. Studid, Stupid stuff.

• In 2003, he was charged with sexual assault against a 19-year-old woman the charges were dropped, after Kobe pay a ton of money

• In 2004, he accused Karl Malone of making a pass to his wife, he defended her after cheating on her, THAT IS A MAN, YEAH!

• On May 30th, 2007, he went to Steven A. Smith radio show demanding the Lakers to trade him

I would like to be traded

3 hours later he told Dan Patrick that he wants to die as a Laker

I want to be a Laker. I want to be here for the rest of my career.

5 hours after that he told Mike Bresnahan from the LA Times that he wants to be traded, but it didn't have any open choise

All of this happen, apparently, because Kobe was frustrated by his team inability of getting quality talent to play along his side. The boiling point came when a day earlier a report came out blaming the Shaq departure entirely on kobe.

..as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess.

• This same year, he starred in the kobevideo.

This delicate art piece takes place in the beautiful surrounding of a parking lot. Our beloved character, a grocery shopping Kobe, played genially by Kobe Bryant, talked with two evil opportunists. They trick Kobe, shamelessly and without any hesitation, to speak his mind. He being a innocent and direct individual talked in a candid and friendly way with this gentlemen, the result would amaze you, it would change the way you see life and the way you see yourself on the mirror day after day. Two basketball gods' thumbs up.

Bad Timing

A'right, I know this a very very bad moment to start an NBA blog, because well... NBA sucks right now! We are coming from an horrible NBA season in which among others thing,we were fortunate to saw:

1.Pat Riley getting off basketball Olympus when he decided to have surgery when Shaq and Wade were in the shell, aka "when his team needed him the most."
2. Spurs games where the highlights were Eva Longoria's cheers
3. Lebron James giving a Gooden's ass about the first half of the season
4. Danny Ainge running a basketball team and Doc Rivers coaching it
5. Dirk Nowitzki smiling at his MVP trophy presentation.
6. Kevin Mchale ruining a basketball career. Actually this is more of a continuation of the last 8 to 9 seasons

I'm sure I forgot some other forgettable golden moments. After the "Nessie Revenge" and the "Big Body Check Rob" in the playoffs, the finals worked as a great debate stage about who's better: Oden or Durant. And then, at some point in game 2, about the Spurs' place in history. After that the draft came and gone with a lot of noise and "rumors", pretty much nothing worth reading about really happened. Next step, the offseason, wich featured two former 19 year old rookies getting heavily overpaid.

So, here we are, what I'm going to write about it's anybody guess, it will probably be a lot of complains and bitching and more complaining.