Random Basketball Thoughts

Now that I’ve had some time to dwell on the NBA Finals and a few other topics that have come up, I’m ready to discuss them with a clear mind.

The San Antonio Spurs

Let me just start off by praising the San Antonio Spurs and what they have accomplished. Many people don’t give credit to the team and it is understood. They didn’t win in style and finished the playoffs with two horrible performances. However one must not forget that they defeated tough competition which included a Nuggets team that had won 10 of their last 11 heading into the playoffs; a Suns team that a lot of people had winning the championship; and a Jazz team that had demolished the scorching hot Warriors. It’s true that they didn’t put on a show, but the bottom line is they got the job done. At the end of the day, they won the championship becoming a team that NBA fans will always remember. Are they a dynasty? This question will constantly be debated for years to come. I personally don’t think so because the bar was set so high by the 1950-1960’s Celtics who won 10 championships in 11 years. That said, I believe they deserve as much respect as the 80’s Celtics and Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers looked absolutely terrible during the Finals; this is no news. The fact that the Finals were boring and had few viewers is also not news. The reason why the Finals were boring should be discussed. Many believe it’s the style of the play of the Spurs. This is absolutely false. All fault should be pointed at LeBron who was expected to play like a superstar. After game 5 of the Pistons series, LeBron had a turning point in his career; at least that’s what we all thought. Scoring 48 points, and 29 of the last 30 Cavalier points, the public was shocked. We all were witnesses as Nike billboards around the country put it. We all expected him to continue that stardom play in the Finals. The Finals passed and we were left with that empty feeling, like we spent big bucks to go to a boxing match only to have it end in the 1st round.

LeBron did not step up even when the Spurs were at their worst, shooting 41% from the field in game 3 and 43% from the field in game 4. Part of that should be credited to the San Antonio defense. However, part of it should be credited to LeBron. Game 5 should have been a lesson to him that true superstars take over the game at the end. They do not look to pass to a guy like Varejao to make some crazy spinning lay-up. LeBron will most likely learn from this embarrassing experience and take over the game accordingly in the future. At least, that’s what we all hope. Before he does that, the Cavs need to get a few things done in the off-season.

The good news about the Cavs, is that their defense is respectable. The bad news is that their offense is dreadful. During the finals, the Cavaliers shot 43% from the field in game 1, 41% in game 2, 37% in game 3, and 38% in game 4. The obvious answer would be to find shooters. However, the obvious answer can sometimes be wrong. The Cavs have a good squad with the exception of one key piece, a true point guard. The team currently has four point guards: Larry Hughes, Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, and Damon Jones. Larry Hughes is not a point guard, he just tries to act like one. Daniel Gibson could turn out to be a great point guard and he could turn out to be a bench player who plays very well during certain games. Relying on him is a gamble. Eric Snow is old, and Damon Jones is not starter quality.

We saw how important the point guard position is with the Cavs. LeBron had to take on the role of being the superstar as well as setting up the plays. This doesn’t work because all the opposite team has to do is double-team LeBron causing turnovers and missed shots. The good news is that there are a few respectable point guards they can acquire in the off-season. However, with the Cavs’ salary cap issues (9.9 million over the cap), it won’t be so easy to resolve. The ideal choice of Chauncey Billups seems unlikely because of this problem. Other choices include Mike Bibby who has an early termination option in his contract and Mo Williams who is 24 years old averaging over 6 assists per game. Jason Kidd is another option through trade if the Nets decide to clear house.

The next thing the Cavs have to take care of is resigning Sasha Pavlovic and Andersen Varejao who are both restricted free agents. They are one of the main reasons why the Cavaliers defense was so successful. In order to do this, rumor has it, they are shopping Drew Gooden. They also need to get rid of the worst player on their team, Donyell Marshall, who shot 31% from the field and 18% from three point range, including missed wide-open three’s.

A lot of people think that head coach, Mike Brown, who coached very bad games not only in the Finals, but also in the playoffs, should be fired. They have good reason to think so; anyone who benches their superstar for an entire quarter in the Finals because of two fouls isn’t the greatest decision maker. However, the firing is unlikely to happen so there is no point talking about. LeBron has to simply listen to the coach for the first three quarters and takeover for the final quarter.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant has reiterated his demand to be traded over the last few days. With this, I’ve been hearing a few places that he could end up: Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York. I’m going to go ahead and eliminate Dallas and Phoenix from the discussion simply because I don’t believe the Lakers want to trade him to a western conference team, leaving Chicago and New York. These two organizations are completely different. Chicago is a good young basketball team that has made it in the playoffs with good draft picks. They also like to build slow and concentrate on role players. New York on the other hand is a really bad team who hasn’t had a winning season for quite some time now. They like to constantly make erratic trades creating chaos for newspapers across the country. I think you know where I’m going with this.

The chance the Chicago gives up several of their key players including Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and draft picks is unlikely. Of course they’ve expressed interest. You have to when you’re dealing with the best player in basketball; otherwise you’d lose your job. This also raises Kobe’s price for other teams. The Knicks meanwhile, are drooling all over Kobe and are ready to give up everyone besides Eddy Curry; general manager, Isiah Thomas has clearly stated this. I personally believe that neither team will get Kobe although it is more likely that New York grabs him over Chicago. Instead, Kobe will stay a Laker and the organization will somehow piece together a plan that involves either Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, or Vince Carter. Rumor has it that Kobe was caught on video disgusted that the Lakers would not acquire Jason Kidd because they would have to part with Andrew Bynum. The way Kobe allegedly states his opinion makes it sound like he could care less whether Bynum is on the team or not. This could play a significant role in the entire process, if these rumors are true.

The NBA Draft

The draft is getting closer, and more information is arising everyday. Apparently, now Al Horford and Brandon Wright are jockeying for the third spot for most impressive prospect behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. With Atlanta picking third, I would find it very comical if they once again neglect the point guard position. The catch this year is that the Hawks get to pick again with the 11th pick. At this point, Acie Law might still be available. I’ve been following the Big XII very closely this past season and I’m very high on Acie Law. Although he’s not a pure point guard, he reminds me a lot of Kobe Bryant. He has made a lot of clutch shots at the end of games, and was in the run for the Naismith Trophy until the very end. The fact that scouts have dropped him that far has baffled my mind. The Atlanta Hawks could gamble picking either Horford or Wright with the third pick hoping that Law is still available with the 11th pick, but I believe that have to go with Mike Conley Jr. especially after they passed up Chris Paul a few years ago.

There has been a lot of talk involving the Celtics and their 5th pick. The organization seems like they are upset with the pick and rumors have come out that they maybe looking to trade it. Two possible trades include grabbing either Kevin Garnett or Shawn Marion. They have also been linked to taking part of a three-team deal involving Kobe and the Bulls. Whatever they decide to do, the worst possible decision according to Celtics fans would be to draft Yi Jianlian.

The draft seems as crazy as ever this year. Creating more hype than the NBA Finals, the suits at the NBA need to figure out a way of helping the NBA bring in more viewers. Whether they alter the format of the playoffs or do absolutely nothing, the issue will be discussed. Who knows what could come out of the meetings.

Reference: ESPN.com

Sports Moment of the Week

The San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers winning their 4th championship in 9 years.