Freshmen Headlines

Thursday night was a night filled with immense headlines and changes for the League. After soaking in all of the decisions by each team for several hours, I felt I couldn’t pick a better time to write this up ’til after the following blockbuster trade which took place a little pass 1 a.m.

T’Wolves receive Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins from the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner.

After all the lights were turned off at MSG, Wolves GM Kevin McHale rolled up his sleeves and made the moves necessary to bring more skill to the front court, along with a stronger perimeter shooter in Mike Miller. The Grizzlies finally bring home the desired O.J. Mayo to create a congested backcourt with guards, Kyle Lowry, Javaris Crittenton and Mike Conley. The deal turns out to work for both teams equally.

The Grizzlies back court will face tension in the minutes that are to be spread from the guards. The loss of Juan Carlos Navarro, with his decision to leave the team and play overseas and Mike Miller’s departure due to the trade help out the cause. The production from the back court is not the factor to worry about for Memphis now,

the back court does become the question though. With the loss of Pau Gasol in their infamous trade, Memphis is left with Darko Milicic (7ppg., 6rpg.), Hakim Warrick (11ppg., 4rpg.), Kwame Brown. The execution to get Mayo define GM, Chris Wallace’s obsession to have Mayo on the roster. It is now up to Wallace to put forth one or two moves to add help to the front court.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand are a developing team with a healthy line-up. O.J. Mayo would’ve done nothing but give this teams a solid 10 to 15 more wins then last season. But the acquirement of Kevin Love helps stretch the length of this young team. Alongside, Al Jefferson (21ppg., 11rpg., 1.5bpg.) and Ryan Gomes (12.6ppg., 5.8rpg.), and Craig Smith (9.4ppg., 4.6rpg.), Kevin Love is surrounded by plenty of young big-men that have been in his position not too long ago, to help relate. Love fell into a comfortable spot to express his game for this team that’s exploding with potential. The guard position wasn’t hurt either Thursday night, even after losing Mayo. With Foye and Telfair coming back, along with the selection of Mario Chalmers, McHale is upgrading smoothly after the loss of KG.

With the #1 Draft pick, the Chicago Bulls select guard, Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.

Not a soul was a surprised with this pick. The only reason this pick drew questions was due to Chicago’s mass amount of effective guards. The list includes, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Thabo Sefolosha, JamesOn Curry, and Shannon Brown. There is no mystery as to why the Bulls chose Rose, the best guard in the draft. But, passing on Michael Beasley, the best player in the draft causes talk. Derrick Rose’s playmaking ability will be Chicago’s reasoning throughout the season as many will compare the two. Rose has a tremendous amount of pressure in his rookie season, anything less than stellar will be held against him and the organization’s decision-making. Derrick Rose’s talents are unexplainable for his position, his career will be put to the test right off the bat in his hometown. Many will think the Bulls are senseless in drafting another guard, but they see elements in Rose that most don’t understand. It is still extremely early in the off-season to assume this will be the final roster for Chicago. With their amusing stack of guards, expect their chase after a big time player down low. Rose’s presence will help turn this franchise around in a matter of 1-3 years, if you’re a Bulls fan, prepare for a set of grateful years ahead.

Miami overcomes all the rumors and selects Michael Beasley with their second pick.

Everyone was fed with abundant talks of Riley desperately trying to nab an explosive guard from the draft or a big time player like Elton Brand. It is still questionable whether Pat Riley and the Heat will stick through with this decision of Beasley and not push for a trade. It is still obvious the Heat want to make another significant push for a guard this off-season. Miami fans can only hope it doesn’t involve Beasley. Drafting Michael Beasley masked Miami as one of the smartest teams in the Draft by not letting Beasley drop on Minnesota or Seattle’s lap.

It’s been said many times on this page and it’ll be repeated, Michael Beasley is the best player in this Draft. Michael Beasley brings forth size, strength, jumping ability, quickness and scoring. His left-handed stroke is the essence of his shooting ability. He can pretty much get by defenders at will with his strong triple-step jab moves. Accompany that with an unbelievably soft touch around the basket with both hands and you have yourself a prime time scorer. It is only a matter of time before his name is mentioned in the same category as Carmelo, McGrady and Pierce.

New York Knicks draft Danilo Gallinari with their 6th overall pick in the Draft.

This decision has D’Antoni written all over it from top to bottom. The 6′9”, 212 pound Italian will be sporting a Knicks jersey to being his career in the US, with a great deal of pressure behind him. Gallinari is only 19 years of age but is said to contain all the maturity. Though his body is steps away from being on the NBA level, Gallanari is a consistent shooter with plenty of range. Danilo can become a scoring threat for the Knicks a few years from now with his numerous intangibles. Scouts also say the Italian is a crafty shooter with a knack for scoring the basketball, while also being able to sell a foul call like Ginobili. Danilo Gallinari may not be the perfect for the Knicks just yet, but as the years go through he’ll become a fan favorite once his weapons expand along with his age.

Sacramento makes the bold move in selecting Jason Thompson with their 12th pick.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, hence the words on the last entry,

“…and please don’t sleep on Jason Thompson. Just don’t.”

I wasn’t at all surprised with Sacramento’s decision to grab what they feel is the right player for the team. Jason Thompson, a 6′11”, 21-year old power forward from Rider University was the best kept secret in the draft. The late bloomer has great fluidity in his footwork and a nice set of low post moves. He’s also a quality defender, something necessary for Sacramento to help Artest.

After drafting Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, Indiana trades away Bayless and Diogu for Portland’s Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

This column has extreme love for Jerryd Bayless. So when the news struck that Bayless was traded to Portland, this immediately turned into a headline. It would’ve certainly been nice to see Bayless turn into a quick NBA start and plump his stats in the traditional basketball place of Indiana, but teaming up with Brandon Roy isn’t bad for an NBA career. Bayless has one of the best pull up jumpers in the game, along with amazing body control, it will be a treat for Portland fans to see this team blossum with Oden coming back next season. The following trade for Indiana made it evident that their primary guard, Jamaal Tinsley is going to be shipped out of Indiana.

New Jersey Nets draft Brook Lopez, eying LeBron, Wade or Bosh in their Brooklyn future?

After trading away a fundamentally skilled Richard Jefferson, the New Jersey Nets received Bobby Simmons, Yi Jianlian and the Bucks draft pick which turned out to be an obvious steal with the acquisition of Brook Lopez. The key theory of this trade for the Nets isn’t focused towards Yi Jianlian’s potential, but the amount of salary cap relief he’ll bring to the Nets in 2010, which is when DWade, ‘Bron and Bosh might be available. The main attraction for the Nets organization would be bringing LeBron to Brooklyn. Such a move would explode the Nets fan base for several years.

Philadelphia drafts Marreese Speights from the University of Florida.

Philadelphia’s choice of Speights was no surprise. I’m incredibly proud of Philadelphia’s decision this year with this one. It looks like Stefanski is a GM with a head on his shoulders, who’s trying to work this team out to be completely successful in every area. The 6′10”, 250 pound forward has a wingspan that could potentially allow him to be a situational center for the Sixers. Speights has a good offensive attack, can work beautifully off pick-and-rolls and brings the adrenaline of Joakim Noah or Reggie Evans, whom the Sixers already posses. Adding another player like this only upgrades the bangers down low for Philly to get dirty.

Off The Wall

The 2008 NBA Draft is only two days away and the mock drafts are mostly in dead set print. Though the top 3 picks are nowhere close to being 100% accurately reassuring, most expert analysts are sticking close to what they already have, which reads, Derrick Rose to Chicago, Michael Beasley to Miami and O.J. Mayo to Minnesota. But let’s spice things up a bit and fall deep into the black hole of NBA rumors that evolve daily.

Feeling the Heat?

The first batch of news that struck my eye effectively was from Miami. It appears as though Shawn Marion will end up being a Miami Heat for the 08-09 season which remains as a huge athletic plus for the Heat. After a pathetic season, resulting in a 15-67 record and a 2nd overall draft pick for Thursday, it appears as though Pat Riley is willing to give away his 2nd draft pick to teams such as the Grizzlies, Clippers, Sonics and the Timberwolves. Apparently the Heat are trying to land a young guard or some sort of a big man with a presence. Something you can’t blame the Heat for, with players like Mark Blount, Chris Quinn and vets like Jason Williams, ‘Zo Mourning who don’t have an assuring time line on how long they’ll be sporting the red and black.

What puzzles me is the near possible chance of Riley’s Miami Heat passing on Michael Beasley, the best player in the 2008 Draft. Yeah, it will take a few, 20 games or so before Beasley gets his feet wet in the NBA, but Michael Beasley has unrealistic intangibles and is a unique player many GM’s would drool over. The mix of athleticism mashed together between Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley could become unmatchable. Players will be able to spread the floor and score the ball more efficiently and quickly than average NBA teams. Yeah, the ironing out of a true point guard to run this squad is a task that would come into affect but it’s a case that’s easier to solve than trying to find another legit big-man in the NBA.

With the league runned by quick, explosive guards and swingmen, it would only be good vibrations for Miami to settle down with the pick they earned after canning the rest of the season with Dwyane getting “fit for the Olympics.” Sure, there’s a brief understanding as to why Riley craved Rose in the Draft but trading away the 2nd pick (aka Beasley) isn’t the best answer. Again, sources include Miami is making the 2nd pick availible to teams with high picks to bring home a young solid guard, along with a 3rd, 4th or 5th pick, to then grab a big guy. All of this, which has its own understanding to it, but doesn’t fall under gaping nor relevant success.

Jermaine O’Neal & Chris Bosh for ‘09?

Chris Bosh already headlines the Toronto Raptors after gripping on the to the leadership role that VC left vacant a few years ago. But the strong rumors screaming J.O. could positively end up in Toronto alongside C4 are eye-gazing. Two, lost-post bangers with all the tools needed down low. And for all those saying, J.O. lost it, you lost your mind. After pulling through eight years in Indiana, 29-year-old, Jermaine O’Neal hasn’t missed a beat in his game and a season in Toronto can help prove this fact.

If this trade were to go through as implied, T.J. Ford and Nesterovic would both be shipped to the Pacers, leaving Toronto with Calderon, who’s proven-out to be a much better overall point guard than T.J. Ford will ever be. Calderon, a 26-year-old guard from Spain has a much better sense of the game, carries vision and perimeter shooting over Ford. While humbly obeying the sequence of time before getting the rotation and expressing his skill, Calderon simply out-balled T.J. Ford out of Toronto. This resulted in Ford’s refusal to play back-up for the Raps, leaving his future elsewhere in the League.

Game Changers

Out of the 60 ball players to be chosen Thursday night, there will only be a set few who will make a definite difference for teams in their rookie year. It’s evident that the first three picks, consisting of Rose, Beasley and Mayo will have their own respectable impact for their struggling teams, but let’s turn face towards other names that will keep the league buzzing.

Whether he’s top 5 or top 10, Jerryd Bayless has the proper tools to make a difference for whatever team he plays for. Top quality for this dude is boldly his scoring presence. Bayless also brings forth an NBA body figure (no homo) to keep himself above water when being matched up with other defensive stoppers.

Secondly, Brook Lopez is one of the few big-men in this draft that has a good-set of moves down low while carrying his 7 foot size. Lopez carries a great understanding of the game and what he has to do to get the ball in the basket for a forty minutes. There are many teams in the league in need of a big man like Lopez, and most likely it’ll have Lopez in good position to have a notable affect on whichever team he plays for.

Another player that have scouts raving is the swingman from West Virginia, Joe Alexander. The 6′8” forward plays the game with high intensity while being able to shoot the ball well. Alexander has the ability to do many things on the floor and his height is only an added feature to what this guy can already bring to the court.

Danilo Gallinari from Italy is said to be a lengthy 6′9” forward version of a Many Ginobili. That’s probably saying too much obviously, but his workouts have yet to prove comparisons wrong. It’s been said that Gallinari has been getting his over in Italy and now it’s time to mix it up with what the NBA has to offer. Other names I don’t want to leave include, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and please don’t sleep on Jason Thompson. Just don’t.

Certified

 

“It all started in Rome,” is what most Celtic players will tell say, when asked where this jubilant journey began. But really, it all started once Garnett finally got the call to become a player for one of the most historically successful organizations in the world of sports. From that moment on, the city of Boston had a new face when it came to basketball. Danny Ainge finally decided to pick up the gun to aim fire at the NBA glory that this city once captivated. After the acquisition of Ray Allen, it was eminent that he wasn’t shooting for tomorrow, but for today. Giving away a young, promising future for the Celtics, with a prolific, 22 year-old Al Jefferson down low, along with a premature deadly Delonte West, to accompany a fifth overall pick exposed Ainge’s obvious impatient gameplan. The Toronto Raptors then got their first lick of the new Celtics in their first preseason game. The result was a promising sign of the beginning for what was to be memorable season for the Boston Celtics. Garnett netted 19 points along with 16 boards to completely shred Andrea Bargnani’s homecoming game in Italy. Once the regular season kicked off, the Celtics bloomed victoriously, going 8-0 before losing by two points to the Orlando Magic. The rare amounts of losses only spawned winning streaks throughout the season for the Celtics. Garnett, Pierce and Allen surpassed all the expectations put in front of them by the time the season came into a close. The Celtics closed the season by taking the division title with a conquering 66-16 record, while being the number one ranked defensive team in the league. Kevin Garnett then was finally awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award after making the All-Defensive team for seven years straight.

Once the 2008 Playoffs rolled in, the substantial amount of pressure kicked in for Boston. While being the number one seed, the Celtics faced their first test against an explosive Atlanta Hawks squad with adrenaline oozing off of their underdog status. The fact that the Celtics were put up against the wall in a series that went to seven, most counted the Celtics out of the Finals. In the Semifinals, it didn’t get any easier. LeBron James and Co. also pushed the Celtics to seven games. The series boiled down to Pierce’s late game heroics to overcome LBJ’s late surge that had Boston fans nearly biting off their fingers. The C’s gained respected recognition in the post season once they beat the Detroit Pistons 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals to send them to the big stage.

While all this was taking place, the Los Angeles Lakers were squashing western heavyweights one-by-one behind the combination of the 2008 MVP, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. After sweeping the Nuggets, sliding past Deron’s Jazz and busting the previous Champs Spurs 4-1, the Lakers appeared to be physically and mentally untouchable by any team in the League. That is, until Boston walked into the same court.

The sight of the NBA Finals seemed too picture perfect, as though some may fall into theories that this league rigged to snag more attention. Anyhow, it all worked out for David Stern. The rivalry was renewed. The TV ratings soared, surpassing last years disgusting playoffs match-up between LeBron and the Spurs. Kind of disappointing that San Antonio and Detroit receive the lowest, due to the failure to have sexy, one or two man teams that rely on isolated destruction. Back to what relates though, Impossible is nothing is Garnett’s headline, and tonight it shined.

 

 

 

In a Finals fueled by emotional and unexplainable comebacks, the Boston Celtics slapped all the critics in the face and took home the glory they promised each other to have since day 1. Many rooted for Bryant’s dispatch from Shaquille O’Neal’s victorious shadow, but Bryant ran into a suffocating defense that left people like me baffled. This is a guy that has staggered teams with 50-point nights, a player that appeared to have full control of any game. This wasn’t on Bryant’s shoulders though, Lamar Odom helped put the lid on the Lakers missing offense in Game 6 before getting eliminated. Odom’s tendencies of recklessly taking the ball down and popping cross overs before getting cleanly robbed twice by Rondo did nothing but pour salt on the open wound. The Lakers defense once again didn’t show up and the Celtics expansion of their offense help break the Celtics lead to 30 during the third quarter. Rondo was slicing through defenders for layups, Allen was raining treys, Garnett was Garnett and Pierce played better than any other player in the series.

Going back to how this all began, KB24 began Game 6 with three 3-pointers to temporarily settle down the crowd before the rampage commenced. Then, just like most games in the series, Bryant disappeared. The C’s continued to run their constant and effective offense, quickly opening the lead before their fans. Once the lead broke pass twenty, it became too late. The crowd felt the championship confetti already flourishing against their heads. The chants for “MVP!” came roaring through the TD Banknorth Garden every time the original star, Paul Pierce grasped on to the ball. It’s hard to deny the satisfaction towards Pierce and Garnett after countless seasons of banging the ball into the bank of the rim nightly for their weak team.

Garnett’s kissing of the Celtics logo on the hardwood is the perfect picture for the Boston Celtics conclusion of their 2007-2008 season. Allen’s barrage of three-pointers while having a pink eye expressed their desire to play hard until the final buzzer. Lastly, Paul Pierce’s raising of the NBA Finals MVP Trophy capped off his well-earned respect after staying loyal to Boston. The Celtics completed one of the most successful and perfect seasons of the NBA.

Dragging Conclusion

The amount of high screens set by Garnett to Pierce on Sunday night added another page to chapter of absence by certain Celtics. Significantly Ray Allen, who shot 4/13 for 16 points before fouling out of Game 5. Ray Allen’s performance hasn’t been horrendous, like it was in the Detroit series but considering Danny Ainge shipped out a young guard with potential (Delonte West), a disappointing shooter (Szczerbiak) and the fifth overall pick in a deep draft, Boston wouldn’t mind a little sharper shooting from Allen for at least one more night to take home the hardware.

Even though the win wasn’t too encouraging, the Lakers did what they had to do by napping a win at home. There future tasks are tougher than anyone can imagine, trying to defeat a team that has is currently 48-7 at home this season isn’t short of being impossible. Kobe Bryant’s legacy carries heavily on the next game(s) he plays. It won’t put a horrific stain in his purple and most importantly Gold career, but it will remain a feat he could never capture. One day when we look back KB24’s illustrious career in retrospect, the storyline of the Lakers and himself overcoming the odds against Boston would be one that would standout as one of the finest moments of his NBA career. It’s not all on Kobe Bryant for the rest of this series, as for veterans such as Fisher, Gasol and Odom need to punch in their desire stamps also.

The final moments of Game 5 were gripping of course, but both teams grew desperate to finish on a good note. The fact that Boston’s offense was narrowed down to high screens when taking the ball down court became nauseating. Not due it’s case of overwhelming repetitiveness, but the fact that the Lakers defense couldn’t bare to stop it, nor slow it down. But of course, the game came into its pivotal climax when Kobe Bryant stuck his hand out for his fifth steal, off Paul Pierce, as he tried to come off his 22nd high screen of the night. That key defensive play by Bryant sealed the win needed by a desperate Los Angeles. Though many believe Bryant needs to pass the 30-point milestone for him to be considered to of taken part in the victory, filling the stat sheet with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists is all Los Angeles needs to bring home wins on the offensive side. The defensive side of the Lakers is what is keeping California hopefuls to believe the comeback is there. Boston’s simple onslaught of the Lakers defense can be seen in many different scenarios when watching this series. Whether, it’s Garnett’s 20-foot jumper, Pierce’s penetrationg, Posey’s unexpected treys, or Ray Allen’s distant jumpers, the Lakers can’t do nothing but hide their face when watching film.

Many would believe the Lakers would’ve learned their lesson after losing the 24-point lead against Boston, but it feels like that game never surfaced into Phil Jackson’s defensive gameplan. Though, we must believe it has, the Lakers were nearly slapped again with a comeback victory to give the spoiled area of Boston another parade. We must not never forget, these are two heavyweight organizations that carry individuals on each side that have seen it all when it comes to the game of basketball. Los Angeles’ method of taking it one game at a time isn’t anything new to their players. Boston’s position in the drivers seat couldn’t be any more frustrating for the organization. The series has boiled down to two hungrier players from Boston, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

The “Boston Three Party” is only a past nickname that has completely vanished. Pierce’s 38-point night helped magnify Paul’s desire to just get this thing over with. Garnett’s control over the boards for Boston have helped them tremendously, Kevin hasn’t had less than 11 rebounds this series. One of the main reasons this series is still alive is because of Garnett’s foul trouble in Game 5, which limited him to only 11 shots on Sunday, after averaging 19 shots a game this series. Unfortunately for Kobe Bryant, solid performances from both Garnett and Pierce is enough to end this season tonight. This is the script Bryant needs, the lights are on, the legacy relies on his shoulders. On the other side of the ball, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have the biggest opportunity of their career in front of them, this game can be the final conclusion to the aspirational season Boston has given its fans

“It Ain’t Over.”

Promising and powerful words that KB24 flushed to the press Saturday afternoon, and there’s no doubt in my head that these NBA Finals are anywhere close to being over. Blowing a 24-point lead and letting the Boston Celtics take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Lakers isn’t nothing to crack jokes about while being a Laker fan, but with the League’s best player on your side, feel free to smash on Kobe’s comical “A lot of wine, beer and ‘couple of shots” response to his solution to bouncing back from the Game 4 loss. The loss is definitely a punch in the gut for Laker lovers across the world, but the degree of pressure on Los Angeles’ side isn’t frightening yet. I found myself slowing losing interest in Game 4 after slowing watching the Lakers league expand throughout the game. Even then, when Boston quietly began to cut the lead down to 10 points in the fourth quarter, the amount of excitement wasn’t there. This isn’t because I’m not a fan of either of the teams, but it’s because when you watch the Los Angeles Lakers play, Bryant seems to have an everlasting grip on the game. This whole bias paragraph may seem too ridiculous to swallow in one gulp, but a “couple of shots” aren’t any easier

I had no hesitation in allowing this blog to have a train wreck beginning with these assumptions. Only because we’re dealing with a future Hall of Famer that draws abundant comparisons to MJ every time he dominates in a series of games. In Game 4, Kobe drew even with his scorers with just 17 points. He decided to spread the stat sheet by adding 4 rebounds, 10 assits and 4 steals. His will to score wasn’t expressed until it was too late, which has been the scenario for the Lakers in this series (without counting Game 3, where he scored 36 for a W). The Lakers seem to be on cruise control throughout the first three quarters of each game, while the Celtics penetrate their star-studded offense to an unexplainable lead. In the fourth quarter, it basically the same story line, until it’s under 4 minutes and the gun is put to K24’s neck to take over. So far, when being in those situations, Bryant has failed to squeeze them out zero times out of the three.

This opportunity for Los Angeles has become something they’re losing control over, Boston has seized their chance at gold in these Finals. In an extensively dramatic playoff journey for Boston, orchestrated by story lines from Ray Allen’s slumps, Pierce’s toughness, to Garnett’s leadership. Boston has become the cover art for a book about devotion, desire and heart. These qualities are absent to many teams around in the League, so when it comes to which team is more deserving, Boston leads the line. This storybook ending could only be spoiled by Kobe Bryant, but thankfully for Boston, it hasn’t been anywhere close. All of those raging potentials carried by the Lakers have been tamed with organized defense and showing up for when it counts in the fourth quarter.

With Boston’s confidence flaring, expect Game 5 tonight to be something to savor. Of course, I’ll be at work, absent to the greatest case for must-watch basketball in years. Thankfully, I’ll be able to catch the game during the 3rd quarter, unless I die in a freak accident on the way. Expect this game to be everything you expected, but with more extras than you could ever imagine. Emotions will become more apparent, dunks, shot selections, passes will become more enthused, and K24 will not disappoint.