DRAFT DAY

Draft Day is upon us. So much is going on that I'll stick it to bullet points on the draft, trades and the Sixers:

• Jermaine O'Neal was traded from the Pacers to the Raptors for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the no. 17 pick. I think that this helps the Raptors immeasurably. Yes, O'Neal has a huge contract but I think TJ Ford is much more injury prone and the Raptors can retain Jose Calderon and still get great production. Having two great big men--with Bargnani, Calderon, Parker, etc.--will be a huge advantage for Toronto. This could catapult them into the top tier of the East if Jermaine stays healthy. As for the Pacers, ESPN is saying this move will give them a lot of cap room next year, which should definitely help. They seem to be in an ugly mid-stage phase with the injury-prone Ford and Tinsley at the guard spots, two picks in the draft (who could contribute), and some perimeter guys. I think Jim O'Brien will want to create a perimeter-style team like the Antoine Walker-Paul Pierce Celtics with a lineup like TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy, Donte Green, Danny Granger, and Troy Murphy. My opinion: that's a dangerous regular season team and a bad post-season one.

• ESPNews is now reporting that the Sonics have swapped the 4 pick to the Clippers for no. 7. The Blazers bought no. 27 from the Hornets, meaning the Hornets will look to add a free agent rather than a draftee, and the Bobcats, this year's East darkhorse due to the presence of Larry Brown, bought the no. 20 pick from Denver. Why the Sixers never buy a late first-rounder is beyond me. They have as many holes as anyone else....

• I vacillate between thinking that this is a great, deep draft and a very thin one. There are A LOT of young big players that could be great or busts in the draft between Koufos, Ajinca, McGee, Jordan, Speights, Hickson, Thompson, Hibbert, the Lopez twins, and Randolph. I'm probably even forgetting a few there. Most likely busts seem to be McGee and Jordan--though Jordan seems to have the most upside of the group. Given recent history, it is just flat impossible that more than 50% of these big men turn out to be good. At least half, and probably two-thirds, will be total busts. I think the "potential" guys like Ajinca, Jordan, McGee, and Randolph have the greatest bust potential because they haven't shown anything yet. The safer picks--Hibbert, Koufos, the Lopez twins--don't have as high a ceiling, but don't have as low a floor either. The only player of the group that appears like he COULD become a dominant defensive big man is Jordan, but he also looks extremely raw. The one-year college rule has definitely added more knowledge about players to the draft and guys that did nothing in college should raise some red flags.

• Who should the Sixers take then? I think Donte Green could be good, but he could also be the next Damone Brown (remember him?). The Sixers basically have to take a big man that they think could either become their backup center, starting center, or power forward. Speights excites me the most of the group since he has actually produced something in college. Jordan scares me. He just wreaks of being a total bust and waste of a pick, though he does have the most potential (he was being discussed as a top five pick before workouts began). Koufos seems like an offensive guy and we have Jason Smith already. Robin Lopez kind of excites me. He's a skilled hustle guy who will give the Sixers size and he's definitely not going to be a total waste of a pick. If his ceiling is Anderson Varejao, then I think that's great. Ajinca seems intriguing but he is most probably a Euro-bust pick. McGee is most definitely going to be a third-string center type guy and we already are stuck with Calvin Booth for one more year. Finally, if we can get Anthony Randolph who seems a bit like Tyrus Thomas (but rail thin), I think he could really help us. I doubt he's there though.

• I think this draft will have a lot of bust picks in it. There are so many young players and Euros that have limited experience in it and that have not yet produced much. A lot of big players are in this draft, and big men bust quite a bit (ask Seattle/OKC). I think Derrick Rose and a couple other guys from the draft will be great players. There will be a lot of rotation type guys coming out of this draft between the first and second rounds since there are just so many players that appear to be of equal value. There will also be some amazing late-round finds. The later picks may turn out to be better than the early ones, like in some previous draft (the Kobe draft comes to mind). Some guy picked in the early second may be the third best player taken in the whole thing. The Sixers have to be VERY careful. They could easily get a great player at 16, someone much better than they would get in most other drafts (where there are more "knowns) at that pick, but they could just as easily get someone completely useless. Think either Carlos Boozer or Jerome Moiso.
  

Inquirer's (Guess?) of the Sixers Top Eight Choices

Posted on Wed, Jun. 25, 2008

The Sixers' Elite 8 at No. 16

Here are the Sixers' top prospects, listed in alphabetical order:

Darrell Arthur

Kansas; 6-foot-9, 216 pounds; 20-year-old sophomore; 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds.

The skinny: He played only 25 minutes per game as a sophomore and didn't improve much off a solid freshman season. Still, he runs the floor and fits the Sixers' run-and-gun style.

Ed Stefanski says: "Obviously, he's a winner, being on an NCAA champion. He seems to be a good face-up shooter to 17 or 18 feet. His back-to-the-basket moves have improved in two years. He can really run the floor."

Donte Greene

Syracuse; 6-foot-9, 221 pounds; 20-year-old freshman; 17.7 points, 7.2 rebounds.

The skinny: Half of the shots Greene attempted were from three-point range. He can extend defenses, but his lack of an inside game and devotion to defense have turned scouts off.

Stefanski says: "A very talented kid with the ball. He's an excellent shooter, can go get his shot. Where he needs to work on is his defensive side of the ball. He has the capabilities, and he's athletic enough."

DeAndre Jordan

Texas A&M; 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, 19-year-old freshman, 7.9 points, 6.0 rebounds.

The skinny: At the beginning of the season, he was touted as a high pick. But Jordan played only 20.1 minutes per game and was thought to take plays off.

Stefanski says: "He's got a great body. He's extremely athletic and a good rebounder. He has to work on his offensive skills. He's a project with a lot of upside."

Kosta Koufos

Ohio State; 7-foot-1, 265 pounds; 19-year-old freshman; 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds.

The skinny: Koufos impressed scouts with his ability to shoot the ball outside the key. He didn't have a spectacular freshman year and was largely inconsistent.

Stefanski says: "Koufos is a legit 7-footer. He's mobile and can really shoot the basketball. . . . He is an intriguing kid."

JaVale McGee

Nevada; 7-foot, 241 pounds; 20-year-old sophomore; 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds.

The skinny: He went from scoring 3.3 points per game as a freshman to 14.1 as a sophomore. Plus, the athletic big man is still only developing his post presence. But he's a major project.

Stefanski says: "He is a long, athletic kid who is much better offensively now. He can block a shot, but he has to get a better body on the defensive end. If you draft a JaVale McGee, you're betting on the upside."

Anthony Randolph

Louisiana State; 6-foot-10, 197 pounds; 18-year-old freshman; 15.6 points, 8.5 rebounds.

The skinny: He was a consensus top-10 pick until he started working out with NBA teams. The main concerns are his durability and strength, but he runs the floor well.

Stefanski says: "He's a real skilled kid. He needs work on his body. . . . The workouts are not fair to him because he's better with four players out there with him."

Marreese Speights

Florida; 6-foot-10, 245 pounds; 20-year-old sophomore; 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds.

The skinny: Questions linger about his conditioning and strength. Still, he has played on winning teams and is a terrific low-post scorer and rebounder.

Stefanski says: "He can shoot the ball. He works with his left and right hand around the basket. He runs the floor. Maybe not the hardest defensive player you'll see."

Jason Thompson

Rider; 6-foot-11, 250 pounds; 21-year-old senior; 20.4 points, 12.1 rebounds.

The skinny: He's the ultimate sleeper at 16. Thompson put up dazzling numbers (at least 20 and 10) the last two seasons. There are concerns about strength and focus, though.

Stefanski says: "His better days are down the road. He's a guy we've discussed. He can run the floor and is another guy who's big that has good hands. He has to get his range a little bit better."

- Compiled by Staff Writer Matt Gelb

Inquirer on Iguodala

Posted on Wed, Jun. 25, 2008

Iguodala confident about future with Sixers

By BOB COONEY
Philadelphia Daily News

cooneyb@phillynews.com

If Andre Iguodala is worried about becoming a restricted free agent next Tuesday, it certainly didn't show yesterday as he played soccer, shot some hoops and read a book to a slew of wide-eyed kids during the All-Sports Day at the Marjorie and Lewis Katz Camden County Boys and Girls Club in East Camden.

And talking to him later, he said as much.

"I'm not really thinking about it," said Iguodala, who spent close to 2 hours with the children. "I just go and work out every day, try to enjoy my time off, keep working in the gym and just stay relaxed.

"When the time comes [for contract talks], it's going to come, I'm not really worried about that. Last year the talks were going back and forth and there were some frustrating days. It's going to happen, you just can't let it get you up or down. You've just got to be prepared for the season because everything else will take care of itself. I mean, I'm happy. I've got a job."

Whether that's here or in another NBA city is the, let's say, $57 million question. That's the supposed total of a 5-year extension offered to him by the team before last season. Iguodala refused the deal, figuring he would use his performance last season as leverage for a contract that would put him in the same astronomical salary range as the game's elites.

And he countered by having the best of his four seasons in the league. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.1 steals. But more than the numbers, you have to believe that Iguodala, uncovered by the blanket that was Allen Iverson, blossomed into more of a leader on a team heavily sprinkled with youngsters. A true sign of a star is making teammates better. Iguodala, along with point guard Andre Miller, certainly appeared to do that for a team that finished 40-42 after starting 18-30.

If Iguodala believes he will be playing elsewhere next season, he is masking it well. Before his appearance in Camden yesterday, he was at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine watching as the Sixers worked out potential picks in tomorrow's draft, in which the team holds the 16th overall pick.

"I went to the workout to see who they brought in," he said. "I watch a lot of college basketball, too. I have to be a little bit interested. One of those guys might be your next teammate. I think it's good to be involved a little bit, have some input and try to get a feel for the guys' personalities on the team. That's important as well."

A key cog in the Sixers' young, talented core, Jason Smith - who accompanied Iguodala to Camden - laughed out loud when asked about the anxiety draft day brought him last season. He was picked 20th by Miami, then quickly traded to the Sixers.

"There was this nervousness that set in my stomach, not knowing whether I was going to go in the first round or the second round," Smith said after charming nearly every child in attendance. "I chose not to go to the draft in New York and stayed home to watch it with my family in Colorado. The picks go by and you're thinking, 'Oh, my goodness.' Then my agent called and told me to be ready, the next few teams like you.

"When they called my name, my family went nuts and I'm looking at the TV screen and thinking, 'Wow, that's my picture up there.' "

As for whom his team might take this year, Smith gave the exact answer a player with 1 year under his belt probably should give.

"I really haven't paid that much attention to the draft," he said. "I've tried to just distance myself from it, just to try to get away from basketball. Now that I'm getting back into the swing of it [after having worked out in Atlanta with shooting coach Mark Price and teammates Rodney Carney, Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young], I think we're looking to make a good pick or trade our pick. I'm not sure what we're doing. I wish I was a little more informed about it [laughs]."

Come tomorrow, and sometime not too long after July 1, Smith, Iguodala and the Sixers' faithful should have a better idea. *

State of the Union by Licky

With the NBA playoffs coming to their uneventful conclusion (I think the Celtics won), it's now time to focus on what matters in this world - the Philadelphia 76ers. This blog, after all, is called "Sixers Fiend," not "A place to repost Chad Ford chats." Whether or not the Charlotte Bobcats are thinking about rehiring Bernie Bickerstaff doesn't interest me. What interests me? The Sixers. A team who through the years have brought us joy and pain (mostly pain) and whose alumni includes Michael Cage, Jeff Ruland, and Billy Owens.

Ok, so with the draft a few days away, it seems like a good time to take stock. A nice season, some nice playoff wins, but it's clear they need help. Most importantly they need a power forward and a point guard to succeed Andre Miller (a tall one at that if you believe, as I do, that Lou Williams isn't a capable of playing point and will probably be a 2). As there don't seem to be many quality point guards projected to go in the middle of the 1st round, lets talk big men. Here's my analysis:

Let me start off by saying that if the Sixers take Kosta Koufos I'm going to sever my testes, sprinkle them with goats blood, and mail them first class to Uncle Eddie Stephanski. That aside, there are some nice big men available where the Sixers pick.

"The Frontrunner" - Marreese Speights, 6'10, Florida. One of the few players the Sixers have worked out in person. Projected by most mock drafts to go right around 16. One of the few big men with post skills who can rebound in that classic Karl Malone power forward mold. Plus Raivetz likes him, and he played with Kobe, so I can't disagree. Would be a solid pick

"The Longshot" - Anthony Randolph, 6'11, LSU. One of the most highly rated players in the draft, the 6ers would most likely have to trade up to get him. Can rebound, very athletic, can handle the ball. Would fit very nicely with the Sixers uptempo style. If he falls to 16 I'm going to head down south on the broad street line down and ejaculate on the spectrum. I hope there are no children reading this (ie Tonti)

"The Project" DeAndre Jordan, 7'0, Texas A&M. This is an interesting one. I caught this guy play once this year and he definitely stood out as ridiculously talented. Doesn't have many offensive moves, but great around the basket, Dwight Howard type explosiveness (with skinnier frame). Would be an interesting pick, though don't think he would fit well with Dalembert and Iguadala.

Others

Donte Green, 6'10 Syracuse. More of a small forward

Robin Lopez, 7'0, Stanford. Stiff.

Kevin Love, 6'9, UCLA. Interesting. Projected high, though will inevitably fall when teams come to their senses and remember his skin color. Would conceivably be a good fit with the Sixers, but they drafted Jason Smith last year, so thinking of two whities in their future frontcourt makes me throw up in my mouth.

From the Inquirer: Sixers Looking for a Big Man

Posted on Sun, Jun. 22, 2008

Sixers expect a big man at 16th pick

By Matt Gelb

Inquirer Staff Writer

Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski said yesterday that he loves having the 16th pick in the first round of Thursday's NBA draft, so much that it doesn't make sense to move up.

"We've explored it," Stefanski said. "But where we're sitting, at 16, we have a handful of guys that we think - one or two or three - could be on the board when we draft."

That's the advantage of coveting a big man in this year's draft, Stefanski said. Good power-forward prospects probably will be available at that pick.

"Most of the time, we just go for the best player available," Stefanski said. "Right now, the best player available for us, we feel, is going to be a big guy."

He said the team has seen most of the prospects at power forward. Kansas' Darrell Arthur and Rider's Jason Thompson will visit later this week.

Syracuse's Donte Greene, Nevada's JaVale McGee and Florida's Marreese Speights have already worked out for the team. The 76ers brass saw Ohio State center Kosta Koufos at a workout for the New Jersey Nets and watched Texas A&M's DeAndre Jordan in a private workout.

These players, Stefanski said, are the ones the team will target at 16.

"I'm not saying this kid is going to jump in and help you right away," he said. "I think there would be a consensus that the Sixers didn't think Thaddeus [Young] would come in and help right away [last season]."

Stefanski said the Sixers would have a little more than $11 million in cap room beginning on July 1. He said even if the team drafts a forward prospect, that doesn't preclude signing a free agent at that position, too.

Defense Wins Championships: The Championship Formula

From the vantage point of the absolute drubbing the Celtics gave the Lakers on Tuesday night, it would seem obvious that defense wins championships. Yet if we take a step back to look at the past 10 years in the NBA, the enormity of that realization can be appreciated.

First, 4 of the past 10 champions have been the Spurs, consistently one of the best defensive teams in the league. Led by a tough defensive coach with Tim Duncan anchoring the D.

For 3 years, from late 1999 to early 2002, the Lakers Dynasty dominated the NBA Finals. They won those 3 Finals by a combined 12-3 tally. Shaquille O'Neal anchored the Lakers D, Phil Jackson was the coach.

In the past 5 years a strange pattern has emerged as the Lakers Dynasty has folded. The Spurs have won in odd numbered years and an Eastern team has won in even numbered years. It has gone: Spurs, Pistons, Spurs, Heat, Spurs, Celtics.

Two of the three Eastern Champions beat a Lakers team featuring Kobe Bryant. The only team to break the Lakers and Spurs strangehold on the West were the Mavericks in 2006. The East has, thus, featured much more diversity in champions than the West (Boston, Cleveland, Miami, NY, NJ, Philly, Indiana, and Detroit have all been to the Finals in the past 10 years with only Det and NJ seeing the Finals twice), even though the perception holds that the West is a much tougher conference. That said, the Spurs-Lakers strangehold could either weaken over the next few years or, if present prognostications regarding LA hold, strengthen.

The three East Champions--the Celtics, Heat and Pistons--were all defensive juggernauts. The Pistons and Celtics tore apart a supposedly superior Lakers team. The Pistons did it to washed-up veterans (Karl Malone and Gary Payton) along with Kobe and Shaq; the Celtics did it to young players (Vujacic, Gasol, Farmar, et al.) along with Kobe and Odom. The Heat featuring Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade, James "The Mercenary" Posey, and Udonis Haslem also possessed a stifling defense that shut-down the softer, more offensively-minded Mavericks. Somehow the Mavs and Lakers were able to get past the Spurs to lose to the Heat and Celtics in the Finals. I truly believe that the Spurs, with their tough D, would've given the Heat and Celtics much greater problems. They also would've matched up better with the Pistons, as evidenced by their Finals victory against Detroit, and against the Celtics (TD on KG instead of Gasol on KG, Manu on Pierce, and Parker on Rondo with Bowen/Udoka on Ray Allen).

Could we see Duncan v. Garnett in the Finals next year? I think it's entirely possible if the Spurs reload with some younger talent and shooters to put around TD, Manu, and Tony Parker. Ime Udoka and Ian Mahinmi will help, but they need to upgrade from the Michael Finleys, Damon Stoudamires, and Brent Barrys of the world as well. Duncan has clearly been the far superior player when compared to KG with 4 championships to prove it. TD is a lock down defender just like KG, but Duncan has an amazing offensive skill-set that no one else possesses.

The teams that have lost the Finals have been Eastern pretenders, weakly-composed LA teams, and a soft Mavs team. The teams that won have been very strong defensive teams led by a great big man. The Spurs had Duncan (and Robinson), the Lakers and Heat had Shaq, the Pistons had the Wallaces, and the Celtics had KG.

The Formula for success:
1) Great defensive team
2) At least one elite PF or C

The Jordan Years are clearly over, but even with the much-bandied "hand check rule" the Kings, Suns, Warriors, and Mavs have 0 finals wins and 1 finals appearance between them (though, yes, the Kings got very, very close). What will the future bring?

Orlando has a dominant center in Dwight Howard. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol--plus some defensive help--could make the Lakers a dynasty again. Amare Stoudemire with Shaq could needle their way through the West playoffs--though I think its unlikely. LeBron James will need to get a great big man to add to his team's already very good D to get over the hump. The Celtics look set for the next 2-3 years. The Rockets have the D and the big man, they just have to be healthy to make their run. The Hornets, with some defensive improvements, could have the right formula to make it to the Finals. And, of course, the Spurs have just as good a chance as any team to make it once again.....

So how do I see the West and East rankings according to championship potential over the next 3 years given what we know right now?

West
1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Rockets
4. Blazers (Oden is a big question mark)
5. Hornets
6. Suns
7. Jazz
8. Mavericks

East
1. Celtics
2. Magic (they just have to add to Howard)
3. Bulls (they have size and D)
4. Cavs (need that big man)
5. Pistons (need to retool, but they have been consistently great)
6. Raptors (with Bosh and improved D they could be big contenders)
7. Hawks (they have some very good pieces)
8. Bobcats (LB will teach them D if he stays)

Where does that leave the Sixers?
I think they have they are around the Hawks, Bobcats and Raptors in their future championship potential but they have no big man while the Hawks have Horford, Raps have Bosh, and Cats have Okafor. The Sixers do have some good wing players that could become a great defensive unit, but its hard to tell this second where they'll be. As for the Pistons, I ranked them low because the Celtics, Magic, Bulls, and Cavs should dominate for the next few years. I think Detroit can be in the conversation too, but I am unsure of where they'll be exactly.

In the West, the Spurs and Rockets seem to have the championship formula down, though Yao is decidedly not a great defensive big like Shaq and TD were/are. If Bynum becomes a great defensive big, the Lakers should shoot to the top of the West for a long time. The Blazers and Hornets could crack the top of the conference if they continue their fast improvement.

A Great Defense and A Great Big Man. That is the championship formula. Jordan's Bulls deviated from that on the big man front but they had an awesome D, the best player in the game, the best second-best player in the game (Pippen), great role players, and, yes, great Power Forwards in Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman (he was at least as good as Ben Wallace). Perhaps LeBron or Kobe can create more exceptions to this rule, but the rule seems quite robust over the past 10 years and it truly shows why getting that one great big man is the dream of every team drafting in the NBA.

The Shaq-Duncan Era: 10 Years Post-Jordan

Since the Bulls' reign ended in 1998 with Phil Jackson riding his motorcycle into the sunset, two great champions have emerged: Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan. Of the past 10 championship teams, a full 8 have had either TD or Shaq on them. The Spurs have won intermittently 4 times in the past 10 years, while Shaq won three in a row with LA and then won a few years ago with the Heat. In the first five years of the post-Jordan era, it was TD, Shaq, Shaq, Shaq, TD.

In the past five years, its been Pistons, TD, Shaq, TD, Celtics. In the past 10 years, the Lakers have been to 5 NBA Finals and the Spurs (all wins) to 4. Only the Heat-Mavs Final of 2005-06 featured neither team. And only this past Finals--between the Lakers and Celtics--featured neither Tim Duncan nor Shaquille O'Neal. We are talking 10 years of dominance by two franchise players largely playing for the Spurs and Lakers. Kobe has not won anything without Shaq.

What do we learn from this dominance? First, the Jordan Era was clearly proceeded by today's Shaq-Duncan Era. Second, that means that we are moving into a new era in the NBA as Shaq ages considerably and Duncan leaves his prime. Third, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan have clearly been the best two players in the NBA over the past 10 years.

The next post will analyze the past 10 NBA champions...

Kobe A Choker? from ESPN

Shelton: Blown Away

Since the end of the Lakers' 3-peat in 2002, they have put up little resistance in elimination games. One constant in all of this is Kobe Bryant. Shaquille O'Neal was still in the purple and gold for two of those defeats, but Bryant has been a part of all five of their flameouts and he has often been very "un-Kobe like."

2003: After the Spurs survived in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the conference semifinals. The Lakers had a chance to send it to a seventh game with a win at the Staples Center. Instead, they lost 110-82. Kobe had 20 points, six assists and seven turnovers on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor.

2004: In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the heavily favored Lakers saw their season end in a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The final score of that one was 100-87 with the Pistons leading by as much as 28 in the fourth quarter. Kobe went 7-for-21 from the field with 24 points and 4 assists.

2005: Didn't make playoffs

2006: The Lakers pushed the second-seed Suns to the brink in the first round, leading 3-1. However, the Suns battled back to take the last 3, including Game 7 in a rout 121-90. Kobe did have 24 points but 23 of those came in the first half. In fact he only took three shots in the second half.

2007: The Lakers faced the Suns again but this time the Suns didn't take long to win, eliminated LA in five games. The Lakers battled hard in Game 5, losing "only" 119-110 despite being down 16 in the fourth quarter. Kobe had 34 points on 13-for-33 shooting from the floor with one assist and six turnovers.

2008: The Lakers were blown off the floor in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, losing 131-92. The 39-point loss was the largest margin of defeat in a clinching game in NBA Finals history. They trailed by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter. Kobe had 22 points, one assist and four turnovers on 7-for-22 shooting from the floor. Only 11 of those points came after the first quarter, including zero in the fourth quarter.

Lakers Post-Mortem by D. Young

It was men vs boys. The Celtics played so... SO much harder than the Lakers. Plain and simple. Those Celtics have what is commonly referred to as "old man strength." The Lakers showed NO heart (except maybe Kobe, not that that mattered) -- Greatest Kobe lockdown performance of all time -- both team and individual performance... Pierce is such a complete player. He's the definition of superstar. His offensive game was dynamic. His defense was amazing. Kobe justdon't struggle like that. I'm happy for KG, PP, RA, Doc, and Ainge.
They done did it!

But, guess what -- This ridiculously embarassing series loss the Lakers endured is just the kind of motivation a young, heartless Lakers team needs! Now they have something to prove, and I expect them to play with much more fire in future playoffs.

AND, If Andrew Bynum is 100% healthy next year, I am 100% certain that we will see the Lakers in the FInals again... and the Lakers will win it all. Lakers/Celts rematch 2009?

Bynum is God.

Phil Jackson's Kobe Management by D. Young

I don't like Phil Jackson sitting Kobe to start the second quarter of Game 5 when he's hot like he was in the 1st quarter -- It broke Kobe's momentum. The Celtics' D is making Kobe work harder than he's EVER worked before, so when Kobe is hitting shot after shot (like he was in the 1st quarter), it's a rarity and, thus, needs to be maximized. We are witnessing "Do or Die" Kobe, and when he's feelin' it, you leave him in the game and ride it out regardless of foul trouble. As we all know, Kobe is capable of incredible things when he's:

A. most determined
B. shooting the ball particularly well

Don't do it again, Phil.

Kevin Garnett: A Disappointment

Before this season, I have not seen Kevin Garnett play a lot. I watched him early in his career lose to Tim Duncan's Spurs in the playoffs as everyone at first said KG was better than Duncan. Now it's pretty obvious that Duncan is the superior player. That said, I think that Garnett's intensity has been misinterpreted for focus. KG may be the most intense player that does not play focused that I have ever seen.

He is a fantasy owner's dream with his typical 23, 13 and 5 stat line. But he could be so much more! He dominates on defense as the most athletic center ever in the NBA (though, until now, we all thought he and Pau Gasol were PFs). But on offense he passes up open shots, shoots 18- and 20-footers all day, and shies away from taking the ball to the hole. He could easily, easily score 30 points a game. But he doesn't. Sure, he's a great all-around player, but his physical gifts should not be eclipsed by Paul Pierce's. Pierce is the bonafide leader of the Celtics while KG is the heart-and-soul guy whose on the floor performances remarkably fall short more often than you'd like to see. He has the pride and intensity of Ben Wallace in his Pistons days without the quiet focus. In some ways, KG has become blustery. Fuming to the media, begging for a ring, and yelling at the camera; but, on the court, dishing to Rondo when he could take it to the basket, shrinking from big situations on the road, and generally looking lost and unfocused at times.

KG is an amazing NBA talent. One of the best players in the league. But for a man with so much talent and such great size and speed, it is just dumbfounding that he prefers to be the 2nd option on a team. If he had Amare Stoudemire's penchant for offense or Tim Duncan's fundamentals, he would be one of the game's best ever. But he doesn't. His cross-eyed intensity may be the stuff of great commercials, but on the floor he barely breaks 20 points every game and he never, ever takes over a game on offense. Count KG as one of the league's best players, but you've got to put him behind Kobe, Chris Paul, and Tim Duncan. Even guys like Steve Nash and Manu Ginobili are arguably better than KG due to their tenacity and leadership-ability. Kevin Garnett is a phenomenal talent who plays awesome defense and who definitely has taken the Celtics to the next level. On defense, he rivals the best in the game. But on offense, he is tepid and has not fulfilled the promise that his talent belies. He may say that he wants it more than anyone else, but I have yet to see him truly take over a game like Kobe, LeBron, TD, Steve Nash, and Manu Ginobili can. Until he does, you've got to put him in the tier of great players that are great on D, statistical machines, but not quite dominant players.

Is the NBA Fixed?

With fresh allegations coming out from Tim Donaghy that the NBA "fixed" games and with the free throw-advantage in the Finals markedly shifting to whoever's at home, I find myself suddenly wondering whether the NBA is fixed. ESPN touts the success of the (not very popular) Spurs in recent years and the fact that random teams have won the draft lottery to challenge Donaghy's allegations. But Donaghy did not allege that the entire season is fixed, nor that the draft lottery is fixed, rather he stated that individual games are manipulated by referees.

After watching Game 6 of the 2002 NBA semi-finals between Sacramento and L.A., I remember leaving my friend's house and telling my brother that the Kings just got "hosed." The announcers fell back on the usual "Shaq is the hardest guy to call" excuse, but the refs clearly bailed the Lakers out of that game. A classmate of mine recently told me that the Kings had had similar FT advantages when they were at home, and that the Kings "choked away" their one chance at a title. Maybe so, but if home court advantage bestows upon you a dramatic free throw advantage that: a) puts the other teams' players in foul trouble thus limiting their minutes and b) gives you at least the opportunity to score more points, then you might as well let NBA teams have Macho Man Randy Savage run onto the court and clunk their opponents on the head with a steel chair while the refs back is turned.

I searched online for stats on free throw disparities linked to home-court, but couldn't find any. But the evidence from the first three games of the Finals is striking. In Game 1, the Lakers shot 28 free throws, the Celtics shot 35. The Celtics won by 10 and had an FT advantage of 7. In Game 2, the Lakers shot 10 free throws (and made them all) and the Celtics shot 38. The Celtics won by 6 with an FT advantage of a whopping 28. I watched Game 2 and thought nothing fishy was going on, but then in Game 3 the Celtics shot 22 FTs and the Lakers shot 34. While in Game 2 Kobe was hit with a few quick fouls at the beginning of the game that helped the Celtics build a lead, in Game 3 Pierce was hit with 5 fouls, played only 32 minutes and never got into the flow of the game. The free throw disparity alone didn't decide these games, it was also the fact that fouls on key players called early made those players more hesitant. The refs set the tone for the visiting team losing early by hitting their stars with fouls that made the visitors' more hesitant. A more hesitant team draws less fouls, thus the effect exacerbates itself as the game progresses.

I am not saying that refs DID fix these games, but they clearly COULD have. All you have to do is hit the other team's star or big man with 2 fouls in the first or 3 quick fouls in the first half. Then you've essentially taken the teeth out of the opposing team. It wasn't like either the Lakers or Celtics went out in either game trying to draw fouls on Pierce or Kobe (that would be hard to do; you can draw fouls on a big man by driving at him, but its much harder on a wing player), so you've got to give the refs' some of the credit for skewing the games. Now, Game 2 the Lakers were clearly the worse team, but the refs treated Leon Powe like a superstar in that game and Kobe drew 3 quick fouls. It wasn't until the end of the game that the Lakers got themselves going again. In Game 3, I wondered where Pierce was. He scored only 6 points (on 2-14 shooting)! Could he have been hurt or just having a bad game or was he taken out of the game by the refs? A little of both is probably true......

To test the effect of the refs, let's look at two series that shifted wildly from home to away, and then one of the Lakers' series. First, let's look at Spurs-Hornets, where the teams looked completely different at home and abroad. In Game 1, the Hornets crushed, but the Spurs had a slight FT advantage (21-15). in Game 2 the Hornets crushed the Spurs again but this time the Hornets had a slight FT advantage (24-19). In San Antonio, the Spurs won Game 3 by 11 and the FTs were equal and the Spurs won Game 4 by 20 and had an FT advantage of 8. Game 5 was back in NO and the Hornets won by 22 taking 13 more FTs than the Spurs. Note that the FT advantage is increasing as the series progresses. Game 6 was in SA, the Spurs won by 19, took 6 more free throws, but didn't make any more than the Hornets. Game 7 the Spurs won by 9 in NO. San Antonio had a four FT advantage, but made 7 more FTs than the Hornets. Conclusion: No evidence in this series of refs disproportionately affecting home court advantage.

Now let's look at Celtics-Cavs. In this series, Cleveland won its home games, the Celtics won theirs. LeBron James (the NBA's darling) and the Celtics (a team the NBA promoted all year) were fighting for survival. If there was a series where the refs would want to prolong things, this would be it. Let's look at the stats. In Game 1, the Celtics won by 4, but Cleveland took 8 more FTs (10 by LeBron). In Game 2, the Cavs took 27 FTs, the Celtics took 38. The Celtics won by 16. In Cleveland, the Cavs won Game 3 by 24 taking 9 more FTs than the Celtics and won Game 4 by 11 taking 8 less FTs than Boston. Game 5 was back in Boston. The Celtics won by 7 even though the Cavs took 41 FTs; 18 more than the Celtics. LeBron and Delonte West each went to the line 13 times. Game 6 was back in Cleveland, the Cavs won a low-scoring ugly game by 5. But the free-throw disparity was HUGE. Twenty-one of Cleveland's 74 points came from FTs. Only 11 of the Celtics' 69 points came at the line. The Cavs took twelve more FTs (25-13), and 15 of those were taken by LeBron. Already, we see that the Cavs were clearly favored in this series and that home court had little to do with things. Game 7 was back in Boston, Cleveland took 35 FTs, the Celtics took 34 and the Celtics won. LeBron James took 19 FTs. Conclusion: Home court did not affect the free throw advantage; Cleveland pretty consistently took more FTs. Evidence can be interpreted two ways: 1) LeBron gets special treatment by the refs/NBA or 2) LeBron is very hard to cover and thus draws a ton of fouls. 2 is definitely true, but 1 is also probable.

Now let's look at a Lakers series. The Spurs-Lakers. This was supposed to be a blockbuster series, but the Lakers won in 5 with the league admitting that the refs should have called a foul on Derek Fisher at the end of Game 4. The first two games were at LA. Game 1 the difference was about even; the Lakers took one more FT than the Spurs and won by 4. Game 2 the Lakers won by 30 taking 20 FTs to the Spurs 10. Game 3 the Spurs won by 19 taking 6 more FTs than the Lakers. Then came Game 4 with the non-call at the end, which actually would've been b.s. were it called. The Spurs took 7 more FTs and lost by 2. Finally, in LA the Lakers won by 8 with the FT count even. Note that in the last games of series, the FT disparity is minimal or even. Coincidence? There's a small sample size here, but the evidence could point to either: 1) the refs having no incentive to manipulate the final game of a series (though how do they know its a final game unless its Game 7?), 2) the teams knowing each other well enough by late in a series, or 3) the players trying to draw fouls in close-out games.

From the above analysis, it decidedly does NOT seem like the NBA is fixed. Free throw disparities were, for the most part, rather tame. LeBron James did go to the line a lot, but he is a special player so that does not seem to be a coincidence or manipulation of the game. Having watched Game 2 of the Finals, you could see that the Lakers were playing soft. They played soft in Game 3 too, but Kobe decided to take over--and, yes, he got some calls. Home-court does not seem to bestow a free throw advantage on a team even in the playoffs. That said, in the NBA, refs have a great opportunity to affect games. The mere appearance of favoritism can skew a game and the perception of the fans and even the players. The visual evidence of Games 2 and 3 of the Finals supercedes the statistical data. The home teams did hold a strong FT advantage but the team that lost generally played worse. Referees can skew NBA games, but it does not seem like they do so on a regular basis at least. More statistical research needs to be done and, hopefully, the Donaghy scandal and gross FT disparities in the Finals will soon be behind us. On the Finals, I think that there was some favoritism in Games 2 and 3 that heightened differences between the teams. That said, the team that played better won each game. Hopefully, more scrutiny on refs will lead to an NBA where superstar-treatment and home-court FT-advantage no longer become part of fans' perceptions.

Curt Schilling on Kobe

http://38pitches.com/2008/06/09/manny-jd-papi-lester-and-the-nba-finals/

No Heart

You could look at the free-throw disparity in Game 2 of the Finals and cry bloody murder. You could say that the Lakers were "this close" to ripping the Celtics' hearts out with a furious 4th Quarter comeback. You could even say that the Celtics played about as good a game as they could have. But all that is beside the point.

For two games in the NBA Finals, the Celtics have clearly been the aggressors. They have largely stopped Kobe. They have scored at will. Kevin Garnett and James Posey are the best defensive players on the court. Paul Pierce is the best offensive player on the court. Leon Powe absolutely schooled (with some help from the refs) Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, and Roni Turiaf.

But most important of all: the Lakers defense looks terrible. The Celtics shot open shot after open shot while all of the Lakers shots (until the 4th Quarter comeback) were contested. Phil Jackson, in his typical "let's play things out" manner, didn't call a timeout while the Celtics ballooned their lead from 9 to 20 in the 3rd Quarter. The Lakers looked like a bunch of soft Euros who can't play D versus a tough Celtic team that stitched together perfect passes, played tough D, and generally abused the Lakers.

Vladimir Radmanovic made some shots, but he looked terrible on D. Lamar Odom was lost--reverting back to his "cool breeze" mentality of previous years that earned him the title "biggest waste of talent in the NBA." Luke Walton looked stiff and useless. Gasol, though effective, did not get the ball. And Kobe looked tepid. He didn't shift into high gear until the end of the game.

In sum, the Lakers looked like they had no heart. You can't cheer for a team that looks soft and like they don't want it as much as their opponents. I fully intended on rooting for the Lakers in this series, but KG, Pierce, & Co. look like they want it more. Maybe injecting Vujacic and Farmar more frequently into the Lakers lineup will help, maybe a change of venue and more favorable officiating will, maybe the Celtics will crumble on the road (again). But it's hard to bet on the Lakers, down 2-0, at this point. Somehow they steamrolled the Nuggets, the Jazz, and the Spurs. At this point, it looks like the Lakers are at the end of their run.

We'll see what happens in L.A...........

The Isiah Thomas Tax

http://dberri.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/the-isiah-thomas-tax/

File This Under: Speed Racer/Samuel Dalembert/Canadian National Team

Lawsuit: Sixers' Dalembert bilked out of $1 million

By Phil Jasner
Philadelphia Daily News

DAILY NEWS SPORTS STAFF

The 76ers' Samuel Dalembert has filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and fraud, among other allegations, against a group of business partners regarding an investment in the licensing of "Speed Racer" products and merchandise.

The suit, filed May 12 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, says that Dalembert invested more than $1 million in the project in 2006, only to learn that the defendants - New York design studio Art Asylum and others - did not have the licensing rights.

The suit, first reported yesterday by TMZ.com, seeks at least $50,000 on each count.

Philadelphia attorney Nino V. Tinari represents Dalembert.

The film version of the popular comic book was released last month.

In an unrelated development, Dalembert has withdrawn from a scheduled trip to India with the NBA's Basketball Without Borders initiative to concentrate on training with the Canadian national team as it attempts to secure a berth in this summer's Beijing Olympics.

Dalembert, born in Haiti, is now a Canadian citizen.

He played for Team Canada in a qualifying tournament last summer and is scheduled to play in a similar 12-team tournament July 15-20.

The Olympic competition is scheduled Aug. 10-24. *

- Phil Jasner