I think this is a bit of a weak Finals. Neither team is truly dominant. The Magic and Lakers both have a great many good pieces, but neither has the high intensity and suffocating defense of the Finals teams I'm used to seeing. The execution has been good not great and, really, the games have been more about shooters than what I'm used to seeing in a Finals.
On the Magic: This is a great young team that, with a few more years of experience, could be the cream of the East. Howard is really the key. At this point, he is an amazing athlete with not much of an offensive game. If he wants to be the next Shaq, he needs to be able to shoot the ball...at least a little bit. I really like the combination of Hedo and Rashard.
Lakers: good not great.....
Draft...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Eddie Jordan and the NBA Finals
That's probably the only time you'll ever hear those two subjects together. Eddie Jordan, former coach of the Wiz, was recently hired as the long-telegraphed new coach of the 76ers. The NBA Finals--between Orlando and the Lakers--are on tap, starting Thursday.
There is a lot of disaffection coming from Philadelphians after the Jordan hire. The team with Jordan seems like, well, the Washington Wizards. Some talent, but big holes and no hope for a second-round playoff berth. That prognosis causes NBA fans indigestion because you can't grow if you don't either have money (we had some last summer and it got gobbled up in a second by Elton Brand), have high draft picks (no hope for that), or have an excellent GM and/or coach.
I have faith in Stefanski, and I like that Eddie Jordan comes with a motion-offense system that should make the Sixers' game prettier. I don't really understand the dejection over Jordan. Who were we gonna get? Phil Jackson? Jordan is better than DiLeo and better than Cheeks. He will at least instill some structure into the Sixers which will at worst make games watchable again. Personally, I thought that hiring Jeff Van Gundy (whose brother is having some serious success this year) or Avery Johnson would have been perfect. Those two have had real success and are true defensive coaches. When you hear that your new coach is gonna preach offense, you think to yourself, "Awesome! My team could be as good as Golden State this year." Which translates to a first round-exit at best and another number 17 pick.
As for the real NBA, the Orlando Magic and the LA Lakers are showing off what you can do with a very good GM. Orlando's old GM Jeff Weisbrod famously chose Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor and traded Tracy McGrady for Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. The Magic under Otis Smith have built on the amazing Howard move (I mean, really, imagine if they had Okafor. There would be no NBA Finals) and added both Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus for mid-level money. He also broke the bank for Rashard Lewis, and made a swap for Rafer Alston when Jameer Nelson (another solid Magic pick) went down. This team has no dead salary, has some amazing talent and was composed brilliantly. A no. 1 draft pick well spent stands alongside a big free agent signing, a couple of amazing mid-level FA signings, guys acquired through shrewd trades, and guys acquired through deft drafting (Gortat, Nelson).
The Lakers' GM Mitch Kupchak is similarly brilliant. He has his one superstar Kobe, complimented by Pau Gasol (acquired through a theft of a trade in exchange for his brother and two crappy picks), Lamar Odom (Shaq deal...Caron Butler could be here too if not for the heinous Kwame Brown trade which was saved by the Gasol deal), Andrew Bynum (great value/upside draft pick that makes the rest of the league look stupid), Trevor Ariza (quality addition through trade with Orlando for Brian Cook and Mo Evans), and some very good role players (Farmar, Fisher, Walton).
You need to be lucky in the new NBA, but having smarts like Portland and OKC's GMs gives you the edge to make it all the way. Do the Sixers have that? I don't think so.
There is a lot of disaffection coming from Philadelphians after the Jordan hire. The team with Jordan seems like, well, the Washington Wizards. Some talent, but big holes and no hope for a second-round playoff berth. That prognosis causes NBA fans indigestion because you can't grow if you don't either have money (we had some last summer and it got gobbled up in a second by Elton Brand), have high draft picks (no hope for that), or have an excellent GM and/or coach.
I have faith in Stefanski, and I like that Eddie Jordan comes with a motion-offense system that should make the Sixers' game prettier. I don't really understand the dejection over Jordan. Who were we gonna get? Phil Jackson? Jordan is better than DiLeo and better than Cheeks. He will at least instill some structure into the Sixers which will at worst make games watchable again. Personally, I thought that hiring Jeff Van Gundy (whose brother is having some serious success this year) or Avery Johnson would have been perfect. Those two have had real success and are true defensive coaches. When you hear that your new coach is gonna preach offense, you think to yourself, "Awesome! My team could be as good as Golden State this year." Which translates to a first round-exit at best and another number 17 pick.
As for the real NBA, the Orlando Magic and the LA Lakers are showing off what you can do with a very good GM. Orlando's old GM Jeff Weisbrod famously chose Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor and traded Tracy McGrady for Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. The Magic under Otis Smith have built on the amazing Howard move (I mean, really, imagine if they had Okafor. There would be no NBA Finals) and added both Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus for mid-level money. He also broke the bank for Rashard Lewis, and made a swap for Rafer Alston when Jameer Nelson (another solid Magic pick) went down. This team has no dead salary, has some amazing talent and was composed brilliantly. A no. 1 draft pick well spent stands alongside a big free agent signing, a couple of amazing mid-level FA signings, guys acquired through shrewd trades, and guys acquired through deft drafting (Gortat, Nelson).
The Lakers' GM Mitch Kupchak is similarly brilliant. He has his one superstar Kobe, complimented by Pau Gasol (acquired through a theft of a trade in exchange for his brother and two crappy picks), Lamar Odom (Shaq deal...Caron Butler could be here too if not for the heinous Kwame Brown trade which was saved by the Gasol deal), Andrew Bynum (great value/upside draft pick that makes the rest of the league look stupid), Trevor Ariza (quality addition through trade with Orlando for Brian Cook and Mo Evans), and some very good role players (Farmar, Fisher, Walton).
You need to be lucky in the new NBA, but having smarts like Portland and OKC's GMs gives you the edge to make it all the way. Do the Sixers have that? I don't think so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)