Basketball Blog

Kobe Bryant is probably trying to soak every bit of enjoyment he can from playing with Team USA. That’s because he’s looking at returning to basically the same Lakers team he’s been stuck with the last couple of years. You know, that team that Kobe said needed “serious changes” after he and the Lakers were ousted once again by the Suns in the first round?

Bryant’s frustration boiled over a few weeks after that, and subsequently he asked to be traded. Since then, Bryant has gone back and forth so many times on his stance that it’s doubtful even he knows what he wants at this point. What the Lakers can be sure of, however, is that Bryant isn’t happy with his team’s current make-up.

So in light of those offseason comments and Bryant’s trade demand, what has Lakers brass done to appease the superstar they refuse to trade? 1) Chosen Javaris Crittenton with the 19th pick in the first round, Sun Yue with the 40th pick, and Marc Gasol with the 48th pick; 2) re-signed Luke Walton for 6 years and $30 million; 3) signed Derek Fisher for three years and $14 million and 4) signed Chris Mihm for two years and $5 million.

First of all, it’s important to remember that Bryant wants to start winning now. It’s already a well-known fact that Kobe is tired of waiting on young talent like Andrew Bynum, Kwame Brown, and Jordan Farmar. In light of this, the Lakers’ draft strategy was certainly questionable. Crittenton is the epitome of “young, raw talent.” Sun Yu and Marc Gasol are basketball’s equivalent of grade B foreign movies. They’ll never develop into anything big enough to make an impact. This is all beside the fact that Phil Jackson is less than generous to rookies in terms of playing time.

Re-signing Walton for the contract they did wasn’t such a bad move in respect to his talent. It’s a bad move because it seriously restricts the Lakers’ financially for future player changes. If the Lakers are still unwilling to trade Andrew Bynum and no one wants Kwame Brown, then Lamar Odom and Walton are the only players with any set trade value on the team. Will teams be willing to take on Walton’s new contract in a potential deal? That’s doubtful at best.

Signing Derek Fisher was a half-hearted attempt to make Kobe rescind his desire to be traded. Lakers management is thinking: 1) he’s a really decent point guard, and that will make Kobe happier and 2) they were teammates during the championship years, so Kobe will get warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. It’s highly doubtful that this signing will have the desired effect on His Kobeness. Also, Fisher’s almost-$5 million a year will eat up more of the Lakers’ cap space.

Re-signing Mihm is perhaps the only sound move the Lakers made this summer, as almost any team will ask for a 7-footer with an ounce of talent to be part of a trade. If the Lakers do make a move, Mihm may well be on his way out. If L.A. stands pat, Mihm will just be another icon of status quo mediocrity for Bryant to vent about.

Don’t forget what the Lakers omitted to do this summer. Indiana’s been ready and willing to hand the Lakers Jermaine O’Neal and spare parts for Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. L.A. balked when Bynum became a requirement, and so far no adjustments have been made to make a deal work.

Lakers staff should’ve known this would irk Bryant to no end. Kobe was irate with management when they wouldn’t pony up the same aforementioned Bynum in a deal to land Jason Kidd. After witnessing Kidd average a triple-double in the playoffs and finding out the Lakers refused to land a legit low-post monster in O’Neal, is it any wonder that Bryant lost his cool and berated Bynum on a now famous YouTube flick?

Mitch Kupchak has expressed how the Lakers as an organization plan on improving the team around Kobe. If this is Kupchak’s vision of progress, however, Bryant may not have a decent team around him until he’s too old to care.

This is my first post in a still to be numbered series on my loathe of FIBA – or more specifically, why I hate the NBA’s participation in FIBA.

FIBA puts an extra and unnecessary strain on player’s bodies causing their NBA performances the following year to suffer.

Take, for example:

• Joe Johnson , who had played 4 consecutive 82 game seasons. A model of health and consistency. Post-FIBA this year, 57 games;
• Antawn Jamison, another healthy player with a full 82 games in 5 of his prior 6 seasons. Post-FIBA this year, 70;
• Chris Paul entered the league and in his rookie season he played 79 games. Post-FIBA, 64. Does N.O. want their young guys breaking down this early?;
• The most compelling tale is Paul Gasol. In 03-04, without a FIBA summer, he played 75+. The following year, post FIBA, he only played 56 games. 05-06 (no FIBA) he played 80 games. This past season, post-FIBA he played 59 games.

Do you see where this is going? The NBA season is long and exhausting. Include post-season and pre-season and the all-star “break” and we’re talking about over 100 games.

It wears down on the body. To extend it with another few weeks of training and another few weeks of full-on competition, just to go back to the 82 game grind, again is too much. I want them resting, rehabbing, getting ready for the NBA – for the team paying their salaries.

Instead, the NBA suffers with tired superstars. We don’t have playoff Memphis, we have 30 win Memphis. We don’t have up-and-coming Atlanta, we have Tyrone Lue trying to run the point. We don’t have our rookie of the year on for an encore.

All thanks to the very intelligent involvement of NBA players in FIBA.

I’d rather they ride motorcycles. At least with cycles there is a chance they’ll get to training camp safely. FIBA guarantees at least a lethargic and likely injury riddled season. If I were an NBA Owner, I’d put a clause in any contract — and pay my players 10% extra to sign – banning them from any kind of participation in organized competitive basketball outside of the NBA.

Part II to come soon.

answerman@insidehoops.net

The Detroit Pistons have had a very efficient and effective offseason thus far, but have one key decision left to be made: Do they resign starting center Chris Webber? The answer is no. Despite the misconception that it was Webber that propelled the Pistons to the Central Division crown, he was merely another pawn that ultimately slowed them down come playoff time with his aging knees and inability to defend against anyone but Michael Doleac in the post. Webber has demonstrated throughout his career his continued inability to deliver on the big stage, whether it be (cover your ears Michigan fans) the Infamous Timeout or the continued no-show performances while with the Sacremento Kings in pivotal playoff games. While his passing and experience seemed like intangibles that no other big man on the roster brought to the table, it would be far more beneficial to the franchise if they give his opportunities to the developing youth already waiting on the end of their bench.

With an aging frontcourt, the Pistons have already cut ties with veteran Dale Davis and must do the same with Webber. They have plenty of depth up front with veterans Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Nazr Mohammad, Antonio McDyess, and talented youngsters Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and Cheick Samb. Bringing back CWebb would only further limit the valuable minutes that can be handed to Maxiell and Johnson, while further banning the servicable Mohammad to the bench.

Despite the fact that the Pistons surged out to a 16-6 record with Nazr Mohammad pairing with Rasheed Wallace as the starters down low last year, he was inexlicably sent to the bench and often seen on the court during garbage time in the latter parts of the season. This unfathomable coaching decision came as a shock to the league, not only because Mohammad was just signed to a 5 yr/$40M deal to be Ben Wallace’s replacement, but he has also won an NBA title as a starting center in San Antonio all while making a solid career for himself as a complimentary big man in the paint.

Aside from the mistreatment of Nazr by the Piston coaching staff, they also have two reasons to believe in turning Webber’s minutes over to their unproven . In 67 games last year, Jason Maxiell averaged 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per 48 minutes in his first season as a rotation man. Amir Johnson was an NBDL sensation, that averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.14 blocks in 35.1 minutes per game. He was called up to Detroit later in the season for 8 games, only to average 18.0 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks per 48 minutes on the big club.

The Pistons have the all the talent they need in their young bigs waiting in the wings. It is time to say goodbye to Mr. Webber, thank him for his heartfelt return to his hometown Detroit, and get the future of the Detroit frontcourt checked in and ready to ‘Go To Work.’

All three commissioners of the NFL, MLB, and NBA are having an unexpected and very challenging summer. Roger Goodell has to make a decision about Michael Vick that will appease some and isolate others. Bud Selig’s noncommittal stance on whether or not he will attend Barry Bond’s games as he tries to break the record is in headlines across the sports world. And David Stern has to reinvent the image of NBA basketball to assure that there will be no betting by a referee anymore. Let’s put in order from bad to worst where each commissioner stands.

Bad- Bud Selig

Of course the steroids issue is still a big problem that Bud Selig has taken criticism for in how he did not address the problem earlier in his reign as commissioner and discipline the perpetrators. Also, his weak and quiet stance on how to handle Barry Bond’s chase of Hank Aaron’s home run record has hurt his image as well. However, the steroids issue has been around for many years now and still baseball has been going on strong with high attendance in the ball parks and now that Selig has forced Jason Giambi to discuss his past use of steroids may help show Selig as a leader in the battle to take steroids out of the game.

Worse-Roger Goodell

Already faced with the Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson situations, Roger Goodell faces his biggest challenge with the Michael Vick dogfighting incident. Goodell suspended Pacman Jones an entire season before he was found guilty by the law. Now, Goodell has to decide whether or not to do the same with Vick. If he does suspend the superstar Vick, fans will argue that he was found guilty before proven innocent. If he doesn’t suspend Vick, others will argue that Vick was given “superstar treatment” and PETA will be marching on his door steps every day. It’s a lose-lose situation for Goodell.

Worst-David Stern

In a league where the referees whistle matters so much, the recent news of Tim Donaghy betting on games that he refereed in is the worst possible news for the NBA. Every play-offs and finals, there are questionable calls that raise suspicion from fans and players alike. Before this incident, David Stern could argue about the integrity of the referees in his sport and how each referee honestly tries to call the game properly. Every questionable call from now on will be scrutinized by the players, the fans, and the media alike and David Stern has a long way in convincing them that a missed call was incidental and not intentional.

There are not many voices contesting the guilt of Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee at the center of the alleged point shaving scandal. Still, I thought the information below was worth posting. I recently stumbled over these statistics that are more damning than anything I’ve seen in print to this point.

“According to RJ Bell, president of the sports betting Web site Pregame.com, Donaghy’s games went above the over/under line 57 percent of the time in the last two seasons after doing so only 44 percent of the time from 2003-05.

Perhaps more damaging, Bell found that in games where the spread moved at least 1 1/2 points, the team getting the big action covered in 10 straight games officiated by Donaghy from January through April of this year. The odds of that, he said, were 1,024 to 1.”

-Associated Press

For any readers without a gambling background, this means that the bettors were wagering in large enough sums and large enough numbers to actually skew the odds set by Vegas before the game took place. And for ten straight Donaghy-officiated games, the gamblers changing the odds with their unusually high or numerous bets were correct. That doesn’t happen unless enough bettors have information to which Vegas odd-makers aren’t privvy.

I’m not personally worried about the future of the NBA or the validity of past six decades worth of games. What is concerning is that it appears these clues were out there for a vigilant organization to identify and address. Before reading the above information, it did not seem that the NBA could be culpable for missing the signs of misdoing. There didn’t appear to be any traceable signs except circumstantial evidence such as the number of fouls and technical fouls called.

I suppose that is what David Stern will be addressing in his press conference on Tuesday. Is Donaghy alone in this scandal, or does the evidence indicate wrong-doing by anyone else within the league? Is this a violation that the NBA should have caught as it happened, or was it unpredictable? And most importantly, what steps will the NBA take to monitor the Vegas lines to prevent this sort of criminal act from recurring?

NBA fans have invested our time, money, and emotions into this league. It will be interesting to see what the commissioner has to say to us.

InsideHoops.com: The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have waived guard/forward James White, a high-flyer who has been famous since high school for his incredible leaping and dunking ability.

White joined the Spurs as a free agent on November 3, 2006.  He appeared in six games, averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game.  The former University of Cincinnati Bearcat made his NBA debut on March 26 at Golden State where he finished with nine points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

White spent part of the season with Austin Toros of the NBA Development League where he saw action in 15 games, averaging 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

With news of veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy betting on games that he officiated coming to light, it made me think of the top 5 most scandalous fixings, bribes, and gambling in all of sports.

1. The Black Sox– During the 1919 World Series, 8 of the White Sox players were banned from major league baseball for their participation in throwing games during the series. Those banned included “Shoeless” Joe Jackson who was one of the premier players in the game.

2. NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on games he officiated– The only reason this isn’t ranked n.1 is because Tim Donaghy did not bet on any NBA games in the Finals and because news is still coming out about this scandal. However, unlike the Black Sox scandal, this crime involves the referees of the game. For years players, owners, and fans have questioned the integrity and honesty of referee’s officiating and this adds validity to their complaints. This hurts the commissioner of the NBA David Stern’s image who for years has defended his referees and fined those who have made negative commands towards the referees.

3. Pete Rose– No need to give it a cool title, the name says it all. The man bet on the Cincinnati Red’s as he managed the team! However, he claims he never bet AGAINST them. Even though this is illegal obviously and has kept him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, at least he always had faith that his team would win!

4. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal– When an event that happens once every four years involving people from all over the world in peace and harmony is corrupted, what could be worse? In the pairs competition, thanks to a French judge, the Russians were awarded the gold medal over the Canadians who had a much better performance and had the crowd behind them. When the French judge was confronted after the event, she admitted that she had been pressured by the head of the French skating organization to vote for the Russian pair. This was alleged to be part of a deal to get an advantage for the French couple in the ice dance competition that was scheduled a few days later.

5. Kentucky Fried Bribes– Former Kentucky basketball players Alex Groza, Ralph Beard and Dale Barnstable were arrested for accepting money from gamblers to shave points during the 1948-49 season.The three players pleaded guilty to receiving $1,500 in bribes in exchange for shaving points in a 1949 National Invitation Tournament match against Loyola-Chicago. The Wildcats were favored by 10 points to win the game, but lost 67-56. However, the team was still able to win the NCAA championship that year.

Time to add a 4th team to the dice roll of predicting who comes out of the West. For the last few years, you look at the rosters and you think it will come down to the Mavs, Spurs and Suns (in alphabetical order) with the outcome to be determined in the playoffs.

It looks like its time to add the Houston Rockets to that list. There’s a couple of chronically cranky players that make this a little conditional on playing to potential, but the starting line-up is likely:

Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Luis Scola and Yao Ming.

And key bench players could include:

Mike James, Rafer Alston (if he isn’t traded), Dikembe Mutombo (still a solid back-up), Bonzi Wells

With Wells, you have to think Adelman knows how to utilize and motivate him. With Francis, you have to think a return to more of a running game will help. With Scola… well, this one is taken on faith by the universally high opinion everyone who’s played against him seems to have.

Still, if you subscribe to the “three musketeers” theory that you need three all-stars to win it all (or 2 all-stars and a _solid_ third option), you’ve got a lot of names to stick next to Yao and McGrady.

Chemistry counts, but it looks like the Western Conference just got uglier to survive.

Now before you Jazz fans get all over me, the Jazz are not the killer on paper that they are on the court. That’s the benefit you get from Farmer Sloan on the bench. Jerry runs a well-oiled machine and uses his weapons very well… and chemistry counts.

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The Miami Heat announced today that General  Manager Randy Pfund has signed a contract extension. Per club policy, terms of  the deal were not disclosed.
 
 Pfund has just completed his 12th year with  the HEAT organization. During his tenure the HEAT have produced one NBA  championship (2006), 10 postseason berths, seven division titles and the fifth  best record in the NBA (551-401, .579 winning percentage) and the second best  mark in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, Miami’s seven division  championships since 1996-97 are the most in the NBA during that span and Miami’s  streak of three straight division titles ties the HEAT with Detroit and Phoenix  for the longest current streak of division titles.
 
 Together with HEAT President and Head Coach Pat Riley,  Pfund has orchestrated several blockbuster trades and free agent signings that  have provided the HEAT’s cornerstone for success the past dozen years. Pfund has  played a key role in the acquisitions of All-Stars Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo  Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Eddie Jones and Antoine Walker via the trade route and  has also had a prominent impact on the drafting of All-Stars Dwyane Wade and  Caron Butler since arriving in Miami. His keen eye for talent has also led to  the signing of such unheralded players such as Udonis Haslem, Bruce Bowen and  Isaac Austin who have all made key contributions to Miami’s success these past  12 years.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has issued the following statement:

“As we previously stated, we have been cooperating with the FBI in their investigation of allegations that a single NBA referee bet on NBA games that he officiated. As part of that cooperation, we were asked by the Government not to comment about the investigation, but in light of the widespread press coverage and the naming of the referee, Tim Donaghy, we consider it appropriate to make a fuller statement. We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again. We will have more to say at a press conference that will be scheduled for next week.”