OK, so the NBA Draft isn’t until June 24, 2010. Oh well, it’s never too early for a mock draft. Here are our very early predictions for the first round, with the order based on the current NBA standings:

1. New Jersey Nets- Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech

2. Minnesota Timberwolves- Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

3. Philadelphia 76′ers- John Wall, PG, Kentucky

4. New York Knicks- Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina

5. Golden State Warriors- Al Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forest

6. Indiana Pacers- Willie Warren, PG, Oklahoma

7. Detroit Pistons-Xavier Henry, SG, Kansas

8. Chicago Bulls- Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse

9. Washington Wizards- Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas

10. Memphis Grizzlies-Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown

11. Toronto Raptors- Devin Ebanks, SF, West Virginia

12. New Orleans Hornets- Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky

13. Charlotte Bobcats- Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State

14. Los Angeles Clippers- Jan Vesely, C, Czech Republic

15. Sacramento Kings- Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech

16. Milwaukee Bucks- Jordan Hamilton, SF, Texas

17. Oklahoma City Thunder-Donatas Motiejunas, PF/C, Lithuania

18. Miami Heat- Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt

19. San Antonio Spurs-Terrico White, SG, Mississippi

20. Houston Rockets- Durrell Summers, SG, Michigan State

21. Utah Jazz- Kyle Singler, SF, Duke

22. Portland Trail Blazers- Larry Sanders, PF, Virginia Commonwealth

23. Dallas Mavericks- Avery Bradley, SG, Texas

24. Atlanta Hawks- Brandon Paul, SG, Illinois

25. Cleveland Cavaliers- John Henson, PF, North Carolina

26. Phoenix Suns- Jarvis Varnado, PF, Mississippi State

27. Denver Nuggets- Stanley Robinson, SF, Connecticut

28. Boston Celtics- Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa

29. Orlando Magic- Quincy Pondexter, SF, Washington

30. Los Angeles Lakers- Malcolm Lee, PG, UCLA

We honor the best players who also skipped college, but did it in those carefree days (before the 2006 draft), when you could hop from your senior prom to the NBA draft and live your dream of becoming an NBA star/bench warmer.

Source:
http://sportige.com/nba-best-high-school/

Over the past several years, the New York Knicks have consistently been losing and consistently in the NBA draft lottery.  That should seem like a good thing for the Knicks to help rebuild their team, right? Well not so much, the Knicks have a tendency to trade away picks.  In the 2006 draft the Knicks traded away the number 2 overall pick, and followed that up in 2007 by swapping the 9th overall with the 23rd.  The Knicks recieved Eddy Curry and Wilson Chandler, instead of maybe Lamarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, and they passed on Andrew Bynum, not too smart.  The Knicks drafted Jordan Hill this past year, but really wanted Stephen Curry and the bad draft blues continued for the Knicks.  This year however it should be better right?

In a trade that is too complicated to even try to explain, and goes back to 2004.  The Utah Jazz have the Knicks first round pick this year.  The Jazz traded Keon Clark, and Ben Handgloten (shown at top) to the Phoenix Suns for that Knicks first round pick and Tom Tom Gugliotta. With Handgloten and Keon Clark not being huge household names across the country I think the Jazz now will look back and see that they made a good trade.

With the Knicks struggling this season, bolstering a 1-9 record, and with the Eastern Conference getting tougher each year, the Knicks will have a good chance at not only a lottery pick, but the number 1 overall.  The New Jersey Nets are 0-11 on the season, but with Devin Harris coming back, things do look promising for them.  And as a Jazz fan myself, I will be cheering against the New York Knicks, and tuning into the draft lottery for probably the first time ever.  Obviously Handgloten, was a star in this league so hopefully we can get someone just as high of caliber.  It would be disheartening if the Knicks finally got the first round pick but then had to trade it away. Well disheartening to Knicks fans, not me.  I just would like to thank Handgloten for everything he has done.

1980
Boston Celtics trade #1 Pick Joe Barry Carroll and #13 Pick Rickey Brown
to
Golden State Warriors for #3 Pick Kevin McHale and Robert Parish

1987
Seattle Supersonics Trade Scottie Pippen and a 1989 1st round draft pick (Jeff Sanders) to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice, a 1988 2nd round draft pick (Sylvester Gray) and a 1989 1st round draft pick (B.J. Armstrong).

Orlando Magic trade Chirs Webber to the Golden State Warriors for Anfernee Hardaway, a 1996 1st round draft pick (Todd Fuller), a 1998 1st round draft pick (Vince Carter) and a 2000 1st round draft pick (Mike Miller)

McDyess Traded by the Los Angeles Clippers with Randy Woods to the Denver Nuggets for Brent Barry and Rodney Rogers.

Milwaukee Bucks trade Stephon Marbury to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ray Allen and a 1998 1st round draft pick (Rasho Nesterovic)

1998
Toronto Raptors trade Antawn Jamison to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter and cash

Milwaukee Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki with Pat Garrity to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Traylor

2000
Chicago Bulls trade Chris Mihm to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jamal Crawford and cash.

2001
Los Angeles Clippers trade tyson Chandler with Brian Skinner to the Chicago Bulls for Elton Brand.

Atlanta Hawks trade Pau Gasol with Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright to the Vancouver Grizzlies for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamaal Tinsley.

New Jersey Nets trade Eddie Griffin to the Houston Rockets for Brandon Armstrong, Jason Collins and Richard Jefferson.

2002
New York Knicks trade Nene with Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson to the Denver Nuggets for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams and a 2003 2nd round draft pick (Maciej Lampe).
Winner: Denver Reason: New York got 95 games out of there players. Nene has played 370 with the Nuggets so far, and has missed almost a complete season due to Cancer.

2003
Memphis Grizzlies Kendrick Perkins with Marcus Banks to the Boston Celtics for Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones.

2004
Washington Wizards  trade Devin Harris with Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison.

This past Saturday night Milwaukee Bucks rookie guard Brandon Jennings went for 55 points against the Golden State Warriors. This cat is unreal! Can he go or what? (Let’s not forget he dropped 32 on the Denver Nuggets)

I’m so mad at myself for not taking Bucks veteran guard Charlie Bell up on his offer of inviting me to come out to Milwaukee to observe pre-season workouts!  Here’s Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports with a solid piece on Jennings.

When Under Armour hired Stone to get into the basketball endorsement game, all he did was bank his career, his credibility, on a skinny lefty kid who everyone feared would be broken overseas and an afterthought in the 2009 draft. Only, Stone always believed he had a deeper understanding of Jennings.

To Stone, there’s one story that tells it all. There’s a reference to which he always returns. Three years ago, Jennings had come to New York as a high school junior to play in the Elite 24 all-star game that Stone had started, and he won the MVP over players like Michael Beasley(notes) andKevin Love(notes). The next morning, it was Stone’s job to drive over to the Westin Hotel in Times Square and make sure the kids were awake by 8 a.m. on the way to LaGuardia for flights home. So, Stone walked into the hotel lobby at 6, the elevator doors opened and there was a vision that brought him back to his days growing up in the Bay Area.

“And here comes Brandon walking out with a basketball under his arm, a T-shirt and shorts,” Stone said. “He had just achieved his greatest accomplishment as a high school player, and he’s running out the door to go work out with Ben Gordon(notes). That always stuck with me.”

I’m learning more and more about Jennings, and I like what I am hearing especially the things he says about his performance. This guy “gets it.”

“The shots kept going in, and after a while the rim kept getting bigger and bigger and I just felt like I couldn’t miss,” Jennings said. “I guess I was in that zone, you know? But that doesn’t happen without [Andrew] Bogut down low, scoring in the post and opening things up for me. I’m not doing this alone here.”

Teammates giving each other credit-that’s playing the right way. I’ve seen players put up big numbers and not give anyone credit; “I could’ve had more if coach put me in earlier.” is what I once heard a player say at the press conference. Jennings has a new follower in this blogger/coach. I will follow his progress a lot closer.

How about his comments on the Knicks passing on him in the draft. This quote is for Herb Welling…

“I feel like I understand why teams like the Knicks passed on me, because I didn’t put up big numbers in Italy last year,” he said. “But you needed to see me in the practices, and the workouts, to see how I was coming along there. Hey, I’m a gym rat. You had to know that about me.”

A gym rat! I love it…End of story!

P.S.

If any of the Under Armour people read this entry, I would love to have my team endorse their basketball product!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

This is Harrison Barnes. If you haven’t heard of him by now, you probably have by now. The consensus top high school recruit in the country chose North Carolina today over Duke, UCLA, Oklahoma and Kansas.

It’ll be a one-and-done, but what a one that might be.

From ESPN.com’s Chad Ford:

If prep players were eligible for the NBA draft this year, Barnes would be a serious contender for the No. 1 spot. In 2011, I think he’s a lock barring some sort of major injury. A number of scouts who have seen him play think he has a Kobe-esque quality to his game. From the tape I’ve seen of him, I understand why they feel that way.

According to ESPN Scouts Inc., Barnes is a good athlete with deceptive speed and quickness off the dribble. He’s likely to play either the No. 2 or No. 3 spot. His offensive game is polished, with a deadly mid-range jumper and step-back fall-away jumper. Overall, on the offensive end, Barnes isn’t flashy, but his efficiency and production are high-level. He’s also expected to be a defensive boost.

“He’s the most complete offensive player in the country,” Scouts Inc.’s national recruiting director, Paul Biancardi, said.

And from me:

Barnes is as polished as Barack Obama, and there were a few clues leading up to his Skype announcement that he would likely be headed to UNC. He’s as smooth an offensive player there is, but he’s also a guy who wants to play 94 feet. Right away, you have to imagine that that eliminated Duke and UCLA. The spread-the-floor, halfcourt style of basketball doesn’t attract kids like Barnes anymore. He knows by going to Chapel Hill that he will get an opportunity to score, and score often. He would’ve had the same opportunity at Kansas.

But listen to the kid. Really listen to him. And then read about him. He’s learning to play golf because he knows it’s the game of business giants. He’s already thinking about what to do with the money he’ll earn — most likely in two years once he declares of the 2011 NBA Draft — and as articulate and poised as he is, when he brings up the academic side of things, you actually believe him. While this probably kept Duke in the running, UNC’s high-ranked business school had to play a big part. At least it’s nice to think so.

One other thing. Barnes’ arrival comes on the day the Heels’ also signed point guard Kendall Marshall. Sure, Duke may have a higher-rated point guard in the same class with Kyrie Irving, but Marshall is considered the best passer in high school in the country. He’s a facilitator, and scorers who run the floor like that. A lot.

And let’s not kid ourselves what sells here. The North Carolina Tar Heels are the New York Yankees of college basketball. The Heels hold the top brand in the sport, have two national titles in the last five years and send player after player into the top 20 of the NBA Draft. The program sells itself, but coach Roy Williams is also the land’s top recruiter. Put those two things together, and it’s easy to see why the Heels are ranked sixth this season — in what is supposed to be a rebuilding year.

The rich definitely got richer today. In fact, the better way to put it may be that the richest got richer.

Now the pressure is on.

It looks like the Clippers #1 draft pick curse has struck again.

Danny Manning, 1988 #1 pick, torn ACL

Michael Olowokandi, 1998 #1 pick, no comment

Blake Griffin, 2009 #1 pick, broken kneecap

This is just the hard luck you get when you go to the Los Angeles Clippers, at least with Danny Manning, he had some decent years in LA, and had a long NBA career. Olowokandi never lived up to the hype in a draft that included guys like Nowitzki, Pierce, Jamison, Bibby, Carter. Griffin is going to have a decent NBA career, but this is not the start he or the Clippers or anybody envisioned. Aside from his concussion last year at Oklahoma, he has been in great shape. It’s a tough break, especially since he was the best player available in the draft. We have seen that the Clippers learned to get the best player available, and they did. How they perform though in the next six weeks while Griffin heals his injury is going to remain to be seen.

Are the Clippers going to be a contender overnight? No, but to beat their cross-arena rivals on opening night would be a heck of a boost. The question is when Griffin gets back how quickly will he get into the offense, and will he be a starter or come off the bench? If the Clippers can weather the storm for the next six weeks, Blake will have more of an impact. Time will only tell, but one thing is definitely for sure:

The Clippers #1 pick curse has not changed. Typical Clippers.

Found an impressive review of Wayne’s summer play with the T’Wolves. It’s great to see an NBA writer giving such solid praise to a guy we all know to be a highly versatile and skilled player. He goes as far as to say that “His intelligence and productivity on the court will surprise several teams who passed on him during the June draft.” Damn right.

And the man is still looking smooth.

Starting Five:

-          Mario Chalmers

-          Dwyane Wade

-          Michael Beasley

-          Udonis Haslem

-          Jermaine O’Neal

Key Reserves:

-         Jamaal Magloire

-         Daequan Cook

-         Quentin Richardson

-         Carlos Arroyo

-         Yakhouba Diawara

Significant Off-Season Additions:

-         Acquired Quentin Richardson from Timberwolves

-         Signed Free-Agent guard Carlos Arroyo

Significant Off-Season Losses:

-         Lost Jamario Moon to the Cavaliers

Man on the Hot Seat: Michael Beasley

The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is in the hottest of seats this season. Coming off the lowest point in his life during the summer at rehab, Beasley is ready to prove the doubters wrong. Beasley averaged 14 points in 25 minutes of play last season as a rookie sixth man. That doesn’t seem like a lot but not many players in the league can produce that much in such a limited role. No matter what people say, Beasley is an enormous part of the Heat and hopefully he can get his act together on and off the court.

Biggest Question:

Can Dwyane Wade produce another MVP type season alone and stay in Miami after this season if that’s the case?

I believe Wade has the power to produce another type of season like last season. The problem this time around is will he want to do it alone? This year Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers are not rookies anymore and Wade should be expecting more help from them. The fact that Beasley was the second overall pick in the 08 Draft makes him a target for success.

Wade has already been public about wanting more help in Miami or else he will bail on them at the end of the season. What will Pat Riley do? Trade for talent? Tell Wade to navigate to storm alone for one more season and help will be on the way? If you listened to Wade over the off-season, he is really serious about this, he is in the prime of his career and he doesn’t want to waste it in a team that will not go back to the Finals. As of right now, The Miami Heat might as well be called the Miami Wade until we see if the rest of the team can help the One Man Band.

09/10 Record: 48-34 (4^th East, 2^nd Southeast Division)

Playoffs: Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

[As the Knicks draw ever so closer to the Sanctified date indicated by the 2010 Plan Cult Holy Trinity, resident blogger Orange and Blue throws some lime in that 2010 koolaid and dares to question the logic of the Holy Trinity Franchise Orthodoxy!]

Hang Ten at the Tides Crest . . . or a Wipe Out at the Tsunami on the Horizon?

Three is the Magic Number and Good Things Come in Threes, heck if you use numerology to size up what number the sacred day 2010 produces, … ta da it produces the number 3! Hey if you spell out the names of the three members of the Knicks 2010 Plan Cult Holy Trilogy: Donnie Walsh (11); Lebron James (11); and Alan Hahn (8) you get 11+11+8=30 but in numerology is actually 3. Whoa! This ain’t coincidence people, … there are magical forces at work in the universe beyond our control fating the fortunes of Walsh, Hahn and James together in a cosmological equation beyond our understanding. No Doubt about it! The 2010 date as day of jubilee is indeed on its way!

“THE PLAN,” getting ready to Hang Ten at the Tides Crest…?

OBTW “The Plan” = 7 + “Tatoo” = 5… 7+5 = 12 = a numerological … 3!

Ain’t the Plan Lovely?…

Back to reality and some spiking of that 2010 Koolaid with a dose of questions and some unheeded reality. As noted previously, the 2010 Plan Cult Holy Trinity represents a shifting of the tide for the Knicks organization. However, does that tide in and of itself usher in a whole different set of imbalances detrimental to the building of a contending NBA Franchise. Currently the Franchise’s actions, or lack thereof, indicate that management may have key free agents expire when their contracts are up without possibly obtaining anything in return. Additionally, the Franchise option not to secure an up and coming buck to address the team’s need at point guard, where such a move may have provided the organization with an additional value added asset when exposed to the current system of play. Lastly, the current head coach’s, failure to address the need for adequate coaching on the defensive side of the ball, while insisting on a style of play that devolves into an overreliance on three point shooting and long jumpers is a model that has consistently failed to succeed against more defensively oriented coaching models. More importantly is the understated nature of the gamble at play in 2010 and the great stakes for the Franchise should 2010 not materialize as ideally expected. At stake in the latest “Win Now” gamble, and make no mistake 2010 is “Win Now” on a studder step, may very well be the slow but steadily replenished cupboard of talent nursed to fruition over the span of time after the Scott Layden regime. What may be deduced from assessing the possible flaws, actual miscues and high stakes gamble at play resulting from management’s dogged stated fixation with “the plan,” suggest that the organization might just as easily Wipe Out as it just may Hang Ten when the 2010 Tsunami of inflated expectations comes to the shores of Knicks Fate.

Maybe NOT!…

Maybe NOT!!!

Squandering Assets and opportunities?

I. LoveLee hand, DeadLee hand, drifting Nates and fleeting fates

The contract plights of RFAs David Lee and Nate Robinson, in which both waited till the week before the beginning of the 2009-10 training camp to secure one year offers beyond the qualifying minimum[1], could result in a scenario whereby the Franchise may fail to retain either player when they join the pool of unrestricted free agents in 2010. The Franchise’s failure to secure both players in a manner which may have provided them fuller trade possibilities, namely by resigning either or both in the summer of 2008, may prove to be an important miscue when one considers the importance of young capable talent in today’s NBA. It is important to remember that an absence of talented trade assets is a situation experienced by the Knicks in it’s recent past under the Scott Layden Regime[2] and addressed, in part, by the succeeding Isiah Thomas Regime. Although Thomas’ efforts to cycle limited and undesirable players for questionable young talent via trades that stripped the Knicks of draft prospects in 2007 and 2010 failed, Thomas’ drafting acumen did yield the Franchise several popular and capable talents in the trio of Lee, Robinson and Chandler. Back to the point. Young capable talent, when acquired at a relatively reasonable cost, are important assets in the league because they may be used as resources that facilitate sound trades to acquire talent in return. By sound I mean not the lopsided variety entered into by Isiah Thomas in his wayward trade efforts to revitalize the barren talent cupboard left to him by Scott Layden.

A valid question then is Could David Lee and or Nate Robinson have been resigned in the summer of 2008 when their value, prior to heavy minutes in the “[ ]”Antoni system, was still low and conjectural[3] instead of inflated and debatable? [4] The resigning of Lee and possibly Nate when their value was conjectural rather than debatable would have allowed the franchise to have either or both available and as preserved trade assets. Perhaps a contract offers at a more reasonable price scale with increases prior to 2010 and a decrease in salary for 2010 coupled with a team option in the 3rd year and a player option in the 4th year would have preserved the Franchise’s option to exercise a trade of either one or both Lee or Robinson without the required permission that must accompany one year contracts of players acquiring Larry Bird or Early Bird Rights.[5] Such an arrangement could also have allowed all parties better options long term to test and use value as new outside free agent streams opened up in succeeding years beyond 2010. It should not be forgotten that much discussion of both David Lee and Nate Robinson has continued to be inextricably tied to possible cap reducing moves for the summer of 2010 and in particular as trade inducements to help facilitate trades with current Knicks’ undesirables Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies. Additionally the retention of Lee and Robinson would have given the Franchise additional trade assets for the purposes of acquiring outside talent in return, since very few upper tier talents just leave their franchises without that franchise obtaining something in return, should the 2010 pool have dried up or not flowed as expected. Lastly despite the many articles written in the NY Press regarding Robinson’s supposed immaturity and Lee’s player limitations both have shown the professionalism lacking from franchise Albatrosses Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury. Namely, both Lee and Robinson have consistently shown improvement to their overall games by addressing voids in therein. Moreover, Robinson’s relentless offensive abandon for a player his size and Lee’s willingness to play out of position on defense, contribute to making both players far less gambles had they been resigned in the summer of 2008 than either Curry or Marbury were due to both players histories with their prior teams. With all that said did Walsh’s failure to secure Lee and Nate in the summer of 2008 signal the squandering of a Lovelee hand potentially turned Deadlee should Nate and Lee exit the franchise for nothing in return?

II. Penny Wise Pound Foolish? A buck stopped but not here as common sense yields to timid purse strings

As the summer of 2009 developed, it became increasingly clear to the Knicks and many amongst their fan base that the current solution at point guard was insufficient. The organization indicated as such through their pursuit of various point guards available in the 2009 summer free agent market- e.g., Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Ramon Sessions-and the drafting of rookie point guard Toney Douglass. As Jason Kidd, thankfully, decided to spurn the Knicks and Andre Miller secured a deal with the Trailblazers, Ramon Sessions reportedly remained the main point guard in the Knicks cross hairs. As articulated by Tommy Beer of Hoopsworld, Ramon Sessions presented the Knicks a point guard prospects with a good combination of height, strength and upside.[6] Also as Beer points out, while not fully seasoned, Ramon Sessions’ two year stint in the NBA with the Bucks clearly demonstrated the young pure point guard’s upside- e.g., Sessions 15.1 PPG, 7.6 assists, 4.2 boards, and 1.3 steals per game average as a starter in 37 games for the Bucks. Additionally Ramon Sessions per 36 minutes per game production, in the half court oriented Bucks offense, in terms of assist and scoring exceeded[7] that of Chris Duhon’s whose production benefited from exposure to the “[ ]”Antoni up tempo style of play. [8]

As the summer sailed along numerous reports emerged of Walsh’s mythical patience at play, craftily waiting out Sessions. During the summer of 2009 the Bucks organization made offseason moves that pointed to their lukewarm interest in matching offers made to Sessions above the qualifying minimum. As the New York Sports Daily’s continued their boisterous speculation that the Master Turtle, like an apex predator was awaiting the perfect time to pounce over the free agent point guard, Sessions services were snatched up by Walsh protégé, David Kahn, who signed the RFA to a contract offer totaling 16 million dollars over four years, which the Bucks failed to match.[9] The moment which many NY Sports reporters, and fan boys, so brazenly claimed was Walsh’ for the taking in which Walsh supposedly had the up an coming and relatively inexpensive point guard where Walsh wanted him, became just more hot air.  Because Sessions was secured to manageable contract, which the Knicks easily could have exceeded, Sessions’ services and possible value increase while in the “[ ]”’Antoni  offense was squandered. For a team, such as the Knicks seeking a point guard capable of better directing the “[ ]”’Antoni offense, and with a skeleton crew possibly entering into the summer of 2010, the failure to sign an affordable and talented player with a combination of physical tools and potential to address an important aspect of the team’s offensive scheme may just result to be another Penny Wise Pound Foolish Move on the part of the 2010 Cap Space Cult.

III. Lost in a mess of Seven Seconds or Less and the 2010 Cap Space Cult Tunnel Vision: the unheeded overtures of Defense wins Championships and No Rebounds no Rings

As opportunities are lost and assets possibly squandered in the dream world tunnel vision that is the 2010 Plan, often neglected are the possible limitations with the Knicks’ current style of play. As previously noted the acquisition of Mike “[ ]”Antoni at the coaching helm is a move that was a significant improvement in many ways from the former listless coaching tenure of the Isaiah Thomas era. However, if the ultimate goal for the franchise is to eventually contend for and win an NBA Championship, then the current style of play, with its nonchalant approach to the defensive side of the ball, and apparent failure to bolster coaching on that end, may well prevent the franchise from its stated objective. During the 2008-09 season the Knicks were ranked 28th out of 30 teams in scoring defense, yielding 107.8 points per game, and 28th out of 30 teams in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to connect on 47.98% of their shot attempts.[10] Certainly the absence of a presence in the middle of the paint to anchor the defense would help but the problems affecting the Knicks defense may be as much philosophical as they are a reflection of the franchise’s absence of an interior presence. The current approach towards the defense is exemplified in  “[ ]”Antoni’s simplistic player personnel preference approach to bolstering the team’s defense to the current exclusion of any wholesale improvement in the team’s overall coaching approach on that end, which would require either a greater attention to coordinating and orchestrating that side of the ball or acquiring an assistant capable of effectively directing defense. For instance, although “[ ]”Antoni may be credited with favoring players prepackaged with a defensive mindset, “[ ]”Antoni’s failure to properly direct or acquire such a director on that end indicates a general  unwillingness to craft an orchestra on defense for the grand stage. During the course of the 2008-09 season opportunities existed to enlist the services of Mark I’avaroni, Bill Lambieer and even former Knicks defensive standout Charles Oakley but no move was made by the organization to acquire either named coach or personnel.  Ultimately, could it be that the simple valuation and acquisition of individual defenders without acquiring defensive oriented coaching to improve and provide cohesiveness and structure on that end, hints at a neglect of the defensive side of the ball[11] that rivals, former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan’s self destructive spurning of his offensive players during his tenure with the formidable NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles teams.

In addition to the concern with the teams defense, less mentioned is the Knicks shortcomings in the area of rebounding. Although the Knicks were ranked 8th in total rebounds per game the Knicks ranked 26 out of 30 teams in rebounding differential giving up 4 rebounds more per game 46.1 than secured 42.1. Lee in 2008-09 Season ranked third in the league in rebounding pulling down 11.7 rebounds per game. With David Lee’s possible exit in the summer of 2010, in order for the 2010 Caps Space Cult to carve out further Cap Space[12] for Le Saviour, the remnant Knicks roster may well end up without any proven rebounder approaching Lee’s ability. That scenario could likely lessen the scraps of talent on the Knicks roster when the Franchise invites the King or their next “Saviour” onto the Garden.

All Eggs in a Basket with some large holes in it, … or …

Going to a shoot out with plenty of ammo but not enough men?

While much of the talk about King James emphasizes his aspirations as a mogul and not just icon, often lost in that conversation is King James’ serious aversion to losing and desire to reach the leagues pinnacle by winning a championship. The most instrumental example of the Kings’ unwillingness to readily accept defeat was on display during his recent playoff appearance against the more balanced Dwight Howard led Orlando Magic team, when King James refused to shake Hands with the victorious Magic team that had eliminated the Kings Cavaliers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. With that as the backdrop is it possible then that King James would so readily bolt an average team on an organization that has attempted to improve the product on the Kings behalf for a possibly gutted Knicks team that could be without its best rebounder, a scorer off the bench, and direction at the point. Would James, leave a team ranked near in the top five to ten in most defensive categories[13] for a team that ranks near the bottom in those same categories. Also consider that the 2010 market is not simply the Knicks play pen that the local press paints it out to be as there will be other potential buyer’s, many of which may possess either a combination of comparable cap room or a fuller set of complimentary talent or both. [14] With the possible holes in the Knicks roster that may result from the Franchise’s effort to maximize every bit of cap space for LeSaviour, why would James, or any upper tier free agent for that matter, merely go for only a bigger salary if the supporting cast offered by other teams may generally be better constituted than the remnant supporting cast the Knicks stroll out in 2010?  Lest everyone forget that Superstars generally need sidekicks and a capable team around them in all aspects of the game.

The Stakes at Play

As stated earlier a tide has turned for the Knicks Franchise as they have shifted from overpaying for players whose production would not yield results towards an end game of entering into and succeeding in post-season play to an agenda of obtaining cap space flexibility to secure star caliber talent in the upcoming free agent wave. But no matter how lovely the plan might appear it is nonetheless a gamble and yet another variation on a creature that has been fostered by New York’s win now mandate- 2010 will be only two full regular seasons and three summers removed from the end of Isiah Thomas’ regime. With a team that may well lose two of it’s own key free agents and has passed on acquiring talent that could address a key component of the offense, not to mention the important task of improving the team’s play on the defensive end, the stakes at play in this gamble might leave the franchise without their long sought out Savior and possibly with another empty cupboard. Should the Knicks not “Hang Ten” and rather wipe out on the wave of 2010 free agency, it will be the fan base who will finally have to come to terms with the Tsunami of heightened expectations fed to them by the local sports media.

U2’s Staring at the Sun

Waves that leave me out of reach
Breaking on your back like a beach
Will we ever live in peace?

‘Cause those that can’t do
Often have to
And those that can’t do
Often have to preach

To the ones
Staring at the sun
Afraid of what you’d find
If you took a look inside
Not just deaf and dumb
[you’re] staring at the sun
[you’re] not the only one
Who’d rather go blind

[1] David Lee’s deal is reportedly worth 7 million dollars in 2009-10 season with incentive clauses that could increase the value of the contract to 8 million. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-leeknicks092409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

The increase in David Lee’s contract to a maximum of 8 million would occur only if the Knicks make the playoffs in the 2009-10 season.  Nate Robinson is reported to have signed a one-year deal worth more than the 2.9 million qualifying offer the Knicks are required to extend to Robinson by league rules.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/david-lee-re-signs-with-knicks-1.1471520

[2] For a thorough discussion of the Knicks’ dearth of talent under the Scott Layden regime and the Herculean efforts of Isiah Thomas to revive the Franchises’ talent base, See http://www.cosellout.com/?p=128

[3] An article suggested that the 2008 offseason negotiations to resign Lee would have had to have started at about 6 million per season at minimum. See New York Post article “’Shaky’ Deal: Lee Status with Knicks Up in Air: by Marc Berman (last updated 7/14/08 at 6:46am)

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/shaky_deal_U1LbMN5E8MR9IkRPsPgBvO

[4] David Lee’s production per 36 minutes per game in “[ ]”Antoni system of play increased Lee’s scoring average by 4.07 points per game from 12.43 PPG to 16.5 PPG, his rebounding average per 36 minutes per game increased by .5 per game from 11.1 RPG to 11.6 RPG.

Nate Robinson’s statistical production in terms of points per 36 minutes also improved by about  4 point per, from 16.733 PPG to 20.7 PPG, while in the “[ ]”Antoni system of play. Robinson’s assist per game per 36 minutes increased by 1.6 per game, from 3.3 APG to 4.9 APG with his turnover remaining steady 2.2 TOV to 2.3 TOV with “[ ]”antoni.

See Player Statistical Reference at Basketball Reference.Com

http://www.basketball-reference.com/

[5] See Coon, Larry (2005); “NBA Salary Cap/Collective Bargaining Agreement FAQ”

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm, last visited September 28, 2009

In particular read answer to question80. When can a team trade a free agent it signs? Do they have to keep him forever?

[6] See Tommy Beer’s Hoopsworld.com Article entitled “Knicks: Sessions Makes Sense in New York!” (last updated 8/4/09 at 9:04am ET)

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13500&print=yes

[7] Ramon Sessions per 36 minutes per game scoring and assist average is 15.3 points per game and 7.9 assist per game.

[8] Chris Duhon’s per 36 minute per game scoring and assist average during the 2008-09 NBA season with the New York Knicks is 7.0 assist per game with 10.9 points per game. That figure represented a .725 assist per game increase from Duhon’s 4 year career assist total of 6.275 with the Bulls and a 1.225 point per game increase from Duhon’s 9.675 points per game average while with the Bulls.

[9] Associated Press “Sessions to fill Rubio’s Shoes in Minnesota,” Krawzcynski, John, September 15, 2009. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g1I0RUcT7zvlTBR0Id4REm7h2FfgD9AO2HPO0

[10] http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=tmcompare&season=2009&seasontype=2&league=nba

[11] To D’antoni’s credit he recently recognized that he did not properly emphasize defense during the 2008-09 NBA Season. D’antoni has set a goal to have the Knicks in the top half in defense for the upcoming 2009-10 Season. Via Twitter (Marc Berman, New York Post), September 29, 2009.

[12] Note that unless a Team renounces their rights to a player, that player’s salary is counted against the team’s payroll at a percentage relative to the particular type of free agent that that player represents.

Since, David Lee negotiated a contract with the Knicks above the Qualifying Minimum of his Rookie Scale Contract he will become a Free Agent in 2010 not on a Rookie Scale Contract, which would place his cap hold at 150% of his current salary, 7 million annually, or a 10.5 million cap hold on the Knicks 2010 Salary Cap. The Knicks could clear that cap hold by renouncing David Lee’s rights. However, once renounced in that particular situation the Knicks cannot undo that renouncement even if they wipeout against the 2010 Free Agent Wave. See Questions 14, 29, 30, and 32-34 in Coon, Larry (2005); “NBA Salary Cap/Collective Bargaining Agreement FAQ”.

[13] Cleveland Ranked first in scoring defense limiting their opponents to 91.4 points per game. They ranked 2nd in defensive field goal percentage limiting their opponents to 43.0% shooting. Cavaliers ranked 7th in shot blocking averaging 5.3 blocks for contest. The Cavs also ranked 3rd in rebounding differential outrebounding their opponents by 3.3. rebounds per game. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=teamstatreb&season=2009&seasontype=2

[14] Assume Salary Cap in 2010 = 57,000,000.00

** Indicates key player in team’s possession

The list below points to teams who will likely have significant cap space in order to be players in the 2010 free agent market. The cap space estimates are rough estimates and do not take into account the cap space hold rules noted above in footnote 12 or other rules applicable to determining Salary Cap Space that can be found in questions 14, 19, 20 and 35 of Larry Coons Salary Cap FAQ

Information regarding team salary commitment scenarios and salary cap space alternatives in 2010 extracted from tables found at Hoopshype Team Salaries and Payroll page found at http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm

Cavs in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $25,346,007 when James test free agency

- $8,196,764.00 should James not opt out- not likely

(Notable Players, possibly, still on Roster:)

- A. Varejao, M.”Williams, D. West, D. Gibson, J. Moon.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

- **L. James, S. O’Neal

Knicks in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $35,099,217.00

- $29,664,176.00 retaining both W. Chandler and D. Gallinari

(Notable Players, possibly, still on Roster)

- Wilson Chandler, Danillo Gallinari, Jordan Hill, Toney Douglas, Eddy Curry, Jared Jefferies.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

- D. Lee, N. Robinson

Rockets in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $17,339,518.00 assuming Aaron Brooks retained by Rockets

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- Yao Ming, Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza, Aaron Brooks.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

T. McGrady, L. Scola, Y. Ming

Heat in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $51,190,760.00 D. Wade Opts out and team options exercised retaining M. Beasley and M. Chalmers

- $34,041,517.00 should D. Wade not opt out (not likely) and the Heat retain M. Beasley and M. Chalmers

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- M. Chalmers, M. Beasley.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

- **Dwayne Wade, U. Haslem

Bulls in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $19,330,174.00 in cap space with only J. Noah and D. Rose retained.

- $13,073,368.00 in cap space for 2010- assume J. Noah, D. Rose and T. Thomas retained by Bulls

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- L. Deng, K. Hinrich, J. Salmons, D. Rose, T. Thomas, J. Noah

Kings in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $21,759,595.00  no team option exercised and no qualifying offer tendered

- $18,953,707.00 if S. Rodriguez retained with qualifying offer

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- K. Martin, A. Nocioni, B. Udrih, F. Garcia, T. Evans

Clippers in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $17,907,455.00 assuming E. Gordon and A. Thorton are retained by Clippers.

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- B. Davis, C. Kaman, B. Griffin, E. Gordon, A. Thorton

Nets in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $39,176,520.00 not retaining RFO and not exercising team options to retain named players

- $25,010,456.00 in cap space retaining RFO with QO and exercising team options on named players

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- D. Harris, B. Lopez, Y. Jianlian, J. Boone, S. Williams, C. Lee, C.Douglas-Roberts

Blazers in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $18,365,374.00 Blazers extend QO to L. Aldridge and exercise team options retaining G. Oden, J. Bayless, R. Fernandez and N. Batum

- Blazers will likely resign Brandon Roy effectively limiting their participation in the 2010 market.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

** B. Roy, T. Outlaw, S. Blake

Hawks in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $25,896,303.00 in cap space with A. Horford Retained

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- J. Smith, J. Crawford, A. Horford

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

- **J. Johnson

Thunder in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $26,730,214.00 in cap space with K Durant and W. Wesbrook retained.

(Notable Players, possibly, still on Roster)

- K. Durant, R. Westbrook.

Suns in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $26,180,796.00 A. Stoudemire exercises Player Option

- $24,313,476.00 A. Stoudemire Opts out and Suns Retian R. Lopez

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- J. Richardson, S. Nash, L. Barbosa, R. Lopez.

(Key Expiring Contracts or Players possibly electing to exercise Player Options)

- **A. Stoudemire,

Grizzlies in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $20,196,987.00 Team options not exercised on OJ Mayo, M. Conley nor extend QO to R. Gay.

- $6,404,998.00 Grizzlies exercise team options on OJ Mayo, M. Conley and extend QO to R. Gay

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- M. Gasol, H. Thabeet, Z. Randolph, OJ Mayo, R. Gay, M. Conley

TWolves in 2010

(Cap space in 2010 not considering cap hold figures)

- $35,494,200.00 no team options exercise – really about $31,494,200.00 b/c of Contract with R. Sessions

- $28,152,448.00 team options exercise on K. Love and C. Brewer – really $24, 152,448.00 same as above.

(Notable Players, possibly,  still on Roster)

- A. Jefferson, R. Gomes, K. Love, J. Flynn,

The NBA. Where amazing happens, huh? David Stern has globalized the game of basketball to a level no one ever thought possible.  I mean look back at last season.  Houston Rockets Center Yao Ming and New Jersey Nets Power Forward Yi Jianlian provided the world with the most televised regular season game of all-time! I mean…the channel CCTV-5 in China is available in 210 million households!

One of the biggest names in the NBA Draft came from a country where people run away from bulls for fun, and that’s Ricky Rubio. Dirk Nowitzki, all the way from Germany, is one of the biggest household names in the NBA. Tony Parker, one of the best point guards in the league, comes from France. Not many people know this, but 4 time NBA Champion and arguably the greatest basketball player in the world today, KB24 Kobe Bryant, spent most of his life growing up in Italy.

Now, this season it looks very likely that the NBA will have its first ever non-North American owner in Mikhail Prokhorov.  Provhorov is a 44 year old Russian billionaire who is a former amateur basketball player. Provhorov was ruled as the richest man in Russia by Forbes and has an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion.  With Provhorov’s ‘dough’, the New Jersey Nets will be able to move forward with their plans to move the team to Brooklyn. 

The franchise started in the ABA in 1967 as the Americans.  They later became what we know them today as the Nets, where they bounced around to different arenas in New Jersey and New York before settling in the swamps of East Rutherford in 1981-82.

So a team that was once called the Americans may have a Russian man hangin out courtside with Jay-Z and Beyonce calling the shots and watching Yi Jianlian and the Nets. There is only one Russian player in the NBA, Andrei Kirilenko and David Stern is thrilled to possibly have another Russian presence in the league. “Interest in basketball and the NBA is growing rapidly on a global basis, and we are especially encouraged by Mr. Prokhorov’s commitment to the Nets and the opportunity it presents to continue the growth of basketball in Russia,” Stern said in a statement.

Oh yeah, then there’s 2010. There’s that guy Lebron James who will become a free agent. The Nets have spent the last three seasons dumping cap space in order to sign Mr. James.  Bron Bron said in an interview in New York City last summer that Brooklyn was his favorite borough. Ok…. Oh yeah, and Jay-Z’s got his new album out, “The Blueprint 3″ and in his latest video, Lebron James can be found shooting around with HOV rapping.

Reporters have asked LBJ basically every question there is regarding his decision coming up in one season, but they haven’t asked one and if you see him, make sure to ask: ‘Lebron, how do you feel about caviar?’

-Tommy T

The Miami Heat open its 22^nd season on October 28, 2009; that’s 39 days away. What has the Heat done this off-season to prove to the league that they belong in the conversation as one of the elite teams in the east? Nothing at all, the biggest stories coming this off-season about the Heat have been, Michael Beasley’s rehab (we all hope he is doing well), and Dwyane Wade’s rant on how he wants better teammates to compete for a title (I don’t blame him. If I was him, I would be very frustrated right about now), and the pay-cut Pat Riley and the rest of the staff received.  In other news on the Heat, Miami almost made a huge splash in the off-season pool by almost acquiring Lamar Odom (but if you don’t know, almost only works in horse-shoe games, and hand grenades). They there was the rumor of Miami trading Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount to the Utah Jazz for the All-Star forward Carlos Boozer… That didn’t happen. Then we had talks about Iverson… He’s in Memphis now.  That’s the problem with off-seasons, that’s why sometimes I love them and sometimes I loathe them.  Don’t think that Pat Riley doesn’t see all the other teams in the east get an upgrade, the Orlando Magic acquired Vince Carter from the Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Shaquille O’Neal from theSuns,the Detroit Pistons acquired Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon via free agency, the Washington Wizards acquired Randy Foye and Mike Miller from the Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics acquired Rasheed Wallace via free agency, and even the Charlotte Bobcats made a significant trade by acquiring Tyson Chandler from the New Orleans Hornets. So my question is simple, what has he done to keep up with them?

Acording to Erik Spoelstra, having Jermaine O’Neal and Dorell Wright back in full health is like “signing two key free agents”… as much as I respect J-O and DWright, I don’t think that’s a fair statement by Coach Spo. The only thing Miami did this offseason was acquire Quentin Richardson from the Timberwolves for Mark Blount. Big trade there… expecially when it’s the third time Richardson was traded this off-season. Why does Miami need another forward in the line-up? We already have Joel Anthony, Michael Beasley, Yakhouba Diawara, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, and Dorell Wright. That’s six players out of the 13 players currently on the roster. Sure, Anthony can play center, but he is still a forward. Now we add Q-Rich to the mix, how is this going to play out? I’m not even sure Erik Spoelstra knows what he is going to do with an abundance of forwards.

I hope that Pat Riley has something up his Armani sleeves when it comes to trading for a guard… we need one desperately. Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn are great, don’t get me wrong. But we need a veteran point guard that can come in and close a game… Jamaal Tinsley seems like a good fit… Riley says he isn’t interested. Bonzi Wells has also expressed interest in playing for Miami (via Twitter none the less) but Riley, again, isn’t interested. Let’s all hope and have faith that Pat Riley knows what he is doing. Remember, he has re-built the Heat franchise many times from the ground, this could be another one of his great works, let’s just wait and see.

To leave or not to leave? That is the question the NBA Scoring Champion has been asking himself this offseason.

When asked by the Daily Herald if Chicago is his future destination Wade replied, “If I disclose that kind of information, the articles this season aren’t as exciting anymore, speculation is not the same. You guys ain’t going to have nothing to talk about me.” If you were to read around this quote, it seems as if the Heat’s all-star guard may stay in Miami after all.

Just because Wade didn’t sign a contract extenssion this summer, it doesn’t mean he is leaving his beloved Heat; “I love what it stands for, from the owner Mickey Arison on down. It’s a first class organization. We’ve had some good times in Miami. I love the weather. It’s become home for me for the past six years”.

As us Heat fans and sports journalist wait and see what will happen in this 2010 free-angency extravaganza one has to wonder, what if all Wade is doing is a bluff? What if he and Pat Riley already have contract for next year ready? What if this “contract extrenssion” that Riley sent to Wade this off-season was in reality the contract offer Wade will recieve next season?

There are so many questions one can ask about the future. But in the words of Dwyna Wade himself “You can’t always think about the ‘what if’” So yes, I belive Wade will stay here in Miami and win some more championships. Now, if that one quote by Wade isn’t enough that he may just stay in Miami, this one might do the trick, “Hey, it’s not my fault Miami drafted me at No. 5 (in 2003) and Chicago did not move up (from No. 7).”

Ouch, if I was the Bulls GM i would take that a bit personally.

The greatest ever — and his own biggest fan.

Okay, maybe there have been some bigger moments in the history of San Antonio, but this definitely has to be in the top 10.

In 1987 the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery, which in turn got them David Robinson. Robinson forever changed the Spurs and made them a relevant NBA team.

Since the early 90’s the Spurs have been one of the league’s top teams every season, with the exception of the 96-97 NBA season (where Robinson was injured and the Spurs won the 1997 lottery, giving them Tim Duncan, talk about some good fate).

Waiting two years on Robinson (who had military obligations) was easily the best decision the franchise has ever made.