Suicide Watch in Effect for City of Portland

My NFL playoff predictions article will be cancelled simply because I don't feel like writing anymore NFL preview articles. I have the Baltimore Ravens over the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. The following article is set to appear in my school's newspaper.

The 2007 NBA Draft involved two names, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. The lucky winner of the lottery would have there chance to select either future superstar; that lucky team was the Portland Trailblazers. On the night of June 28th, Portland decided to select center Greg Oden over small forward Kevin Durant simply because it is so hard to come by a 7-foot big man these days. Oden’s skill has been compared to the great Shaquille O’Neal since his high school days, and his likeability has been compared to… well… Shaquille O’Neal. The city of Portland was in heaven as a trio of young stars was set to dominant the NBA for the next 10-15 years. Greg Oden would take up the center role, 2006 2nd overall pick LaMarcus Aldridge would take up the power forward spot, and 2006 6th overall pick and NBA Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy would take up the shooting guard spot.

The citizens of Portland’s dreams quickly turned into nightmares of past when it was announced that Oden underwent microfracture surgery after cartilage damage was found in the knee on September 13th, and as a result will most likely miss the entire 2007-2008 season. Portland’s heavenly dream ended abruptly as Oden’s fragile body betrayed him once again. While attended Ohio State University, Oden missed the first seven games of the season because of a wrist injury. He returned to the court with a brace and shot left-handed. Even with the brace, Oden’s dominance was felt throughout the college basketball world as he averaged 15.7 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, and 3.3 blocks per game. Now, this all doesn’t seem to matter as Oden will sit on the bench and watch his team get thrown into the lion den that is the Western Conference.

This feeling isn’t very new to Portland. The team that is known for making the biggest draft mistake in the history of the NBA, once again made their fans suffer in 1984 when they decided to draft Sam Bowie, a center out of the University of Kentucky over a young man named Michael Jordan out of the University of North Carolina. Sam Bowie was a 7’1” center that averaged 13.4 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 2.3 blocks per game in his five years at Kentucky. Why five years? Bowie missed two entire seasons due to leg injuries. Apparently this didn’t scare the Trailblazers too much into settling for Michael Jordan, and it was understood at the time. The previous year the Trailblazers selected shooting guard and hall-of-famer Clyde Drexler in the first round; the need for another shooting guard was unnecessary. The selection haunted Trailblazer fans for the next 14 years as Jordan went on to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls and Bowie managed to stay in Portland for a total of four years playing only 139 games out of a possible 328 games.

Perhaps Oden’s injury problems should have been taken into consideration more as 7-footer’s throughout history have had their fair share of run-in’s with injuries. To list a few examples, there’s Wilt Chamberlain (knee), Vlade Divac (back), Patrick Ewing (Achilles, wrist), Pau Gasol (foot), Dikembe Mutombo (wrist), Shaquille O’Neal (ankle, foot, and knee to name a few), David Robinson (back, foot, wrist), Arvydas Sabonis (Achilles, knee), Rik Smits (foot), and Yao Ming (foot). All of these guys have had injuries that have caused them to miss significant portions of a season; sometimes seasons where their team was favored to win the championship.

With Greg Oden not having played one NBA game yet, his future looks as grim as Sam Bowie’s. Portland fans are in grief as they read headlines and will go to games only to see Oden sitting on the bench sulking. Maybe this injury isn’t a big deal and Oden will comeback in the 2008-2009 season. Maybe he will dominate opposing teams with spectacular dunks and block shots with authority. Maybe he will lead his team to go on and win multiple championships the way Shaq has done. Maybe he will go down as one of the greatest centers of all time and get inducted into the hall-of-fame. But maybe, he doesn’t. Maybe his career with Portland is cut short as he is traded to another team willing to give him a second chance. Maybe Portland is haunted by another Sam Bowie. Worst of all, maybe Kevin Durant becomes the next Michael Jordan. Maybe the Portland Trailblazers’ history with bad luck never ends. Time will tell as citizens of Portland pray to see Greg Oden’s cheerful smile in front of cameras once again.

Sports Moment of the Week

The Denver Broncos had one of the greatest finishes to their game as they defeated the Buffalo Bills 15-14. Down 14-12 with no timeouts and 14 seconds left on the clock, the Broncos kicking team rushed out on the field and successfully kicked the field goal as time winded down. Normally it takes a kicking team 20 seconds to get setup for a field goal kick.

The Pittsburgh Pirates of the NBA

With the NBA Draft dawning on us in three days, perhaps the most intriguing story is not whether Greg Oden or Kevin Durant gets picked first, but what the Atlanta Hawks do with their draft picks. Stepping away from just an ordinary team-by-team draft analysis, I decided to dedicate my entire blog post on the team that needs the most help, the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks have had a history of losing. The history is so long that they are among the teams that at the beginning of each season, everyone can confidently assume they won’t be contenders. They go in that category along with the Charlotte Bobcats, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns. Having a losing record for the 9th straight season, they desperately need help everywhere. The Hawks are the worst team in points per game and three-point percentage, 33%. They are also the third worst in field goal percentage with 44.4%. Their defense is not as horrific but still pretty bad. They are ranked 15th in points allowed and 22nd overall in rebounds per game, 40.1. While their offensive rebounding is good thanks to guys like Josh Smith and Josh Childress, 9th overall; their defensive rebounding is awful, 28th overall.

Before I go into what they should do in the upcoming draft and off-season, let’s take a look at what they have and what they need. Their small forward position is excellent with Josh Smith and Josh Childress as a backup; the last thing they need is another small forward. They also have an excellent shooting guard in Joe Johnson. He was out for a significant portion of the season which can explain why they were the worst team from beyond the arch. They can use a cheap quality backup at this position if Johnson continues to struggle with injuries. Their center, Zaza Pachulia is decent despite what his stats show. His presence is felt but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade here. As far as their power forwards are concerned, both Marvin Williams and Shelden Williams are both young and thus have not been huge contributing factors. However, they were both drafted the past two years so the Hawks do not need to pull a “Detriot Lions” and try and draft at this position for a third straight year. That leads us to the point guard position which is on life support. Currently, an overpaid Speedy Claxton and a mediocre Tyronn Lue occupy the spot. The team cannot setup a play for the life of themselves which is why their field goal percentage is one of the worst in the league. They have to address this position, now.

Now to look at how they can improve these positions… The Atlanta Hawks have had a recent history of bad drafts. The highlights include passing on Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Luol Deng. This needs to be stopped and Thursday would be an excellent time to do so with a loaded draft. The Hawks have two picks this year, both of them being lottery picks, the 3rd and 11th. The big debate is whether they should draft a power forward like Al Horford or Brandon Wright with the 3rd pick or go for a lower ranking player that would allow them to finally choose a point guard like Mike Conley Jr. I personally think this is a no-brainer; go for the point guard, but some feel differently. Here’s what can happen with each scenario.

With the 3rd pick, the Hawks could draft Al Horford (who looks to be favored over Brandon Wright at this point). Then, with the 11th pick they can either draft a point guard, or draft another player and find a point guard via free agency. I have been preaching Acie Law since the first time I saw him and I’m not going to stop now. Law is a terrific combo guard who will no question be an all-star and will be an absolute steal for any team that gets him. I’m talking Iverson skills with the Kobe clutch shot. This is definite possibility at the 11th pick since it doesn’t look like anyone will draft Law beforehand. If they decide to pursue a point guard in the market, they can draft C Sean Williams, C Spencer Hawes, or SG Nick Young. PF Joakim Noah and PF Yi Jianlian would be a stretch at the 11th position, but if they are available, they would be great picks at 11.

If the Hawks decide to learn from past mistakes and draft Mike Conley Jr. with the 3rd pick, they can pursue the people mentioned above with the 11th. This would guarantee them an upgrade at the point guard position as well as a quality extra. That way they don’t have to aggressively pursue players in the free agent market. The problem with picking Mike Conley Jr. here is that they would be neglecting what looks to be a promising big man in Al Horford. However, the consequences are greater in choosing him. They would not only have a lot of work ahead of them in free agency, but they would also be sending the message that they pretty much wasted draft picks with Marvin and Shelden Williams and they provide little use to the organization. Like I said, drafting Mike Conley Jr. is a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, either scenario does not greatly improve the Hawks for the next two seasons. They have to get involved with veteran players whether it be trades or free agent signings. The Hawks have a huge advantage here because they are one of the few teams that are significantly under the salary cap. They will be 6.6 million dollars under the cap after contracts expire July 1st. This leaves a lot of room to sign a player who can help out now. One option that sticks out like a sore thumb is Chauncey Billups who just announced today they he will opt out of his contract with the Pistons and enter the free agent market. If the Hawks decide to take Horford, Billups would make it all okay. An excellent player who can run the court, Billups not only provides leadership but also scoring as he can shoot the jumper or drive through the lane.

Other names include Rashard Lewis and Darko Milicic. Lewis can provide a three-point shooter which they desperately need being last in the category but is unlikely due to their depth at the small forward position. Milicic, age 22, is a more likely candidate as he has shown significant improvement as a rebounder and shot blocker. He can be a cheap improvement in the defensive rebounding area which the Hawks are terrible in. Another upgrade option at the center position includes defensive player of the year, Marcus Camby. The Denver Nuggets may be looking to trade a few players, namely at center since they have both Camby and Nene. Camby could provide the rebounding and shot blocker skills the Hawks need as well as veteran leadership.

Recently, the Atlanta Hawks released new jerseys and a new logo design to change the look of their team. This may be a sign of a change in winds in Atlanta. This off-season can be huge for the team if they execute the right moves and deals. Losing has to stop eventually, just look at the Golden State Warriors who were a joke not too long ago. If they can compete in the Western Conference, the Hawks can definitely win an Eastern Conference Championship a few years from now.

References: NBA.com, ESPN.com

Sports Moment of the Week

Juan Pablo Montoya won the Toyota/Save Mart 350, winning his first Nextel Cup race. He has now won a race in three of the major racing sports: NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy Cars.

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.