Basketball Blog

If you live in the LA area, or have NBA League Pass you may be familiar with Clipper’s play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler. Since 1978, Lawler has been behind the mic of the Clippers and has a few catch phrases you are sure to hear every game. “Bingo!” after a 3-point basket, “Fasten your seat belts gang, we’re going down to the wire!” when it’s a close game, and “Oh Me, Oh My!” after a player makes an unbelievable play. But perhaps the most famous is Lawler’s Law. It’s quite simple actually – the first team to score 100 points, wins the game. But just how accurate is this law? Last season, in games involving the Clippers, the team that scored 100 first won 96% of the time (43-2). Since 1978, the law has been accurate 92% of the time (1,638-147).

I’ve got a law. The team that has the most points at the end of the game wins. Probability of success: 100%.

The Rockets have longed searched for a power forward who would fill the void Kelvin Cato left a few years back when he was traded to the Magic (along with Steve and Cuttino). Although Kelvin Cato was not the best of players, the one year he had under Van Gundy was very successful; he was a very good defender and provided the toughness the frontline need it. Cato was not the answer the Rockets coveted at power forward, but he was the only option and even though he was challenged offensively, he was still a solid player for the Rockets that lone season.

As a Rockets fan, I’ve endured the pitiful players the Rockets have attempted to fill the power forward role with. Juwan Howard was a solid player but did not provide the toughness and defense needed from the position. Yao Ming is very slow and many times fighting to guard pick and rolls would be extremely tough for the big guy, plus since he would be sent out to guard such plays, many times he was out of position for rebounding the ball. Howard was not the best of rebounders even though he tried. Last season, Chuck Hayes was given the starting role; unfortunately for Hayes, he is challenged offensively and is a mere 6’6, and in the Wild West, we need it a much bigger player who could score as well and not just rebound. Hayes is seen more as an energy guy who comes off the bench and does the “dirty work”.

Yesterday, what did not seem possible happened. Most Rockets fans had given up hope and lost their patience, but Morey actually had a trick up his sleeve. He traded Vassilis Spanoulis, who has repeatedly stated that he will not come back to the states, and acquired Jackie Butler, a player who was stuck to the end of the bench last year but showed promise just two seasons ago under Larry Brown, and Luis Scola, also known as the best player in Europe (plays for Tau Ceramica). At the time the deal did not seem so great. For years Scola has tried to come to the NBA, but his contract buyout has been ridiculous. The Spurs were never in a hurry to bring him over since he plays the same position Tim Duncan plays. Rockets fans certainly did not think Scola was going to come over, but a few hours later an article on chron.com stated Morey’s intentions of bringing Scola to the Rockets this season.

Suddenly, the Rockets seemed to have robbed the Spurs (thank you Dennis Lindsey, we knew you would not forget your roots). For the past twenty four hours, Scola’s agents and the Rockets have been negotiating a deal which would help bring Scola to the states, and most importantly buy out his contract from Tau Ceramica. NBA rules state the Rockets can only contribute 500,000 dollars towards a buy out, therefore the negotiations involve front loading the contract in order to allow Scola to give the money for his buy out. According to chron.com, the deal in place seems to be a reasonable $10 million over the course of three years. An awesome deal for a proven winner.

Now the question is, what will be Luis Scola’s role with the Rockets? As evidenced during the 2007 playoffs, the Rockets have a huge hole in the power forward position. Scola is expected to come to the Rockets ready to compete with Chuck Hayes for the starting power forward slot. Scola’s strengths according to numerous sites I have researched include, solid mid-range game, incredibly good footwork to play in the post, a willing passer, and a gritty defender.

Rick Adelman is going to love working with this player. Adelman’s system consist of a great amount of team work and chemistry. We are not going to have players standing around and waiting for Tracy McGrady to get into the lane hoping to draw defenders so he can kick the ball back out for an open three. Instead, the offense will be ran through the high post, providing a more structured way of giving Tracy easier points along with all the other Rocket guards. Scola and Yao will play huge roles in initiating the offense. If Scola is as good as passer as the scouting reports have suggested, then he is going to give the Rockets a nice option in the high post. His willingness to drive to the basket will give him more options when he plays from the high post.

Another great thing about this signing is Scola’s midrange game. As I mentioned above, expect to see Scola in the high post, therefore if he is unable to find a cutter or an open man in the three point, then he will have the option of taking a dribble and stepping into his jump shot, or simply fake his man and shoot from the free throw line. His defensive intensity will definitely be needed against the big men of the West. During the World Championships, Scola guarded Boozer and Brand very well. I think his hustle will create many more possessions for the Rockets.

Although he is not a very good rebounder judging from his stats, he isn’t below average in anyway. I believe he averaged around six rebounds per game in twenty eight minutes of action (a good amount of minutes in the European leagues), therefore with his time hopefully increasing with the Rockets, getting between seven to eight rebounds a night with the Rockets does not seem impossible. Under Adelman’s system, the big men are allowed to hit the offensive glass more, which will definitely help Scola get some hustle points.

My vision is for Scola to become a solid piece with the Houston Rockets. I have visions of him hustling, passing the ball, driving to the basket with reckless abandon, and bringing the much needed life the Rockets need in this team. With rather quiet leaders in Tracy and Yao, we need someone who will bring some aggresiveness and intensity to the basketball court, and I believe Scola will be this player. Scola is only twenty seven years of age, therefore he fits right in with the core of Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Shane Battier (all between 26-28 years old).

As of now, it is pure speculation of what Scola will do for the Rockets, but as fans I think we have finally found the answer to the power forward position. We have two solid guys who will be willing to do the dirty work.

After the recent acquisition of Zach Randolph, the New York Knicks now possess two of the most dominant low post scorers in the Eastern Conference. After the recent drafting of Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls now possess three of the best defensive, energized rebounding big men in the Eastern Conference. It almost seems like a trade being made between the two teams would make too much sense. Yet, how both of these teams came to this point is quite ironic enough.

Normally, successful teams feature a proven low post scorer paired alongside of a defensive rebounder to clean the scraps and keep opponents out of the paint, similar to how Batman has Robin. The champion Spurs featured Tim Duncan to score and Oberto to defend and live off of scraps. Before them, Shaq had his Robin in Udonis Haslem, Duncan had his Robinson, Rasheed had his Big Ben, Shaq had his Horace Grant, Ewing had his Oakley, Hakeem had his Otis Thorpe, and the list goes on. So why wouldn’t the Knicks and Bulls pull off a trade that would give each team this explosive frontcourt? Well, the interesting reason is that their initial trade is what put this enigma together.

Chicago dealt Eddy Curry to the Knicks two years ago and obtained two draft picks in the process. Those two draft picks turned out to be none other than two Robins in Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. Their third Robin is Ben Wallace, whom they signed last summer. Imagine if Chicago and New York had never pulled off the trade. Chicago could be looking at an Eddy Curry and Ben Wallace one-two punch, while New York would be saddled with Zach Randolph, Ty Thomas, and Noah. Both teams would have a clear definition of roles and responsibilities and both would have dynamic frontcourts. Instead we are left with the Bulls having no one to score in the post, while the Knicks have no one to defend.

The New Jersey Nets have re-signed free agent guard/forward Vince Carter to a new multi-year contract Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. InsideHoops.com hears it’s for four years and over $60 million with an option for a fifth year. We’ll post exact details tonight.
 
 “We are very pleased to re-sign Vince” said Thorn. “He has been an integral part of the success that the Nets have enjoyed since he joined us in 2004, and we look forward to Vince’s continued productivity and unique, exciting style of play as a member of Nets basketball.”

“This is a very significant day for the Nets franchise. Vince is a cornerstone of the team’s success and a true star on and off the court,” said Nets principal owner Bruce Ratner. “I appreciate everything that he does for the organization and the excitement that he brings to our fans. His new contract represents our continued commitment to being a winner and I’m thrilled that Vince and his family will be part of the Nets for years to come.”

Carter, an eight-time All-Star, broke the Nets’ franchise record for points in a season for the second consecutive year in 2006-07, scoring 2,070 points. Playing in all 82 games last season, the 6-6 product out of North Carolina ranked eighth in the league in scoring (25.2 ppg) while averaging career highs with 6.0 rpg and 4.8 apg. In two and a half seasons with New Jersey, Carter has averages of 25.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 4.6 apg over 218 games. The Nets originally acquired the rights to the Florida native by trading Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams and two first round draft picks to Toronto on December 17, 2004.

Over the course of his nine years in the NBA with Toronto and New Jersey, Carter has the fourth highest scoring average amongst active players at 24.1 ppg to go along with 5.4 rpg and 4.1 apg in 621 career contests. The 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year has also appeared in 42 postseason contests, averaging 25.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 4.2 apg.

The Mavericks retain their veteran off-the-bench scoring phenom with the following signing:

The Dallas Mavericks announced today  that they have re-signed guard/forward Jerry Stackhouse. Terms of the deal were  undisclosed. InsideHoops.com will post contract details tonight.
 
 “We  are happy to have Jerry back”, said Head Coach Avery Johnson.  “He had other opportunities, but to have a veteran such as Stackis  positive for us. He is a tough-minded physical player and one of the best  reserves in the league. He knows the system and has come up big for us in  the past so we know we can count on him in the  future.”

Stackhouse (6-6, 218) played the last three seasons with the Mavericks  after being obtained in a trade with the Washington Wizards along with Christian  Laettner and the draft rights to Devin Harris for Antwan Jamison and cash  considerations on June 24, 2004.  Last season, he played 67 games starting eight times. In those games, he averaged 12.0 points,  2.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 24.1 minutes. He shot 42.8% (280-654 FGs) from the  field, a career-high 38.3% (62-162 3FGs) from 3-point range and 84.7% (182-215  FTs) from the free throw line. Among league leaders, he ranked 22nd in free  throw percentage and 39th in 3-point field goal percentage.
 
 The  12-year pro scored in double figures 38 games in 2006-07, including nine outings  of 20 points or more and one night topping 30 points. Against Phoenix on March 16, he scored a season-high 33  points (12-20 FGs, 5-6 3FGs, 4-5 FTs) in a season-high 42 minutes. He also led  the team in assists 12 times and in steals 13 times. In two of the last three seasons, he  finished among the top three in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
 
 In 786  games with 549 starts, Stackhouse owns career-averages of 19.2 points, 3.8  assists and 3.5 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game. He has also appeared in 59 playoff games  with 14 starts, while averaging 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32.0 minutes per game.
 
 Originally the third overall selection by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1995 NBA Draft, Stackhouse has  played with four teams (Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and Dallas). He is a two-time NBA All-Star (2001 and  2001) and ranked second in the league in scoring (29.8 ppg) with the Pistons in  2000-01.
 
 Born and  raised in Kinston, North  Carolina, Stackhouse attended the University of North Carolina. He played with the Tar Heels for two  years before entering the draft after his sophomore season. As a sophomore, he was named First Team  All-America by the Associated Press  and National College Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated. On December 18, 1999, he graduated from  UNC with a degree in African-American Studies.

The Rockets, weak at the power forward spot last season and even more desperate for help after trading Juwan Howard away, have acquired an overseas leader at the position.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has obtained the draft rights to Argentinean F Luis Scola and added F/C Jackie Butler in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. As part of the trade, Houston sends G Vassilis Spanoulis, a second round draft pick in the 2009 draft and other considerations to San Antonio.

“Luis is one of the top five international players not currently in the NBA,” said Morey. “He adds experience and toughness at a position of need on our roster and is an NBA-ready player with a very high basketball I.Q. We expect him to have an immediate impact on our team.”

Scola (6-9, 245) was originally selected by the Spurs with the 56th overall selection of the 2002 NBA Draft. The Spurs retained his draft rights while he continued to play with Tau Ceramica in the Euroleague. The 27 year-old averaged 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists this past season for Tau Ceramica on his way to earning All-Euroleague First Team honors. His seven-year totals with Tau Ceramica include averages of 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 144 career games.

As a member of the Argentinean National Team in 2004, he averaged 17.6 points and 5.0 rebounds en route to helping the team secure the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in basketball. Scola was twice (2005, 2006) named Spanish League regular season MVP, marking the third consecutive time an Argentinean player received that honor (Walter Hermann in 2003 and Andres Nocioni in 2004). He was also a member of the 2001-02 Spanish National Championship team just two seasons after being named the 1999-2000 Spanish League Rookie of the Year. His considerable list of international accomplishments also includes winning the silver medal at the 2002 World Championships, a gold medal in the 2001 Americas Championship and a silver medal at the 1999 South American Championship.

Butler (6-10, 260) was signed by the Spurs as a free agent on July 21, 2006 and saw action in 11 games last season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds. The 22 year-old began his NBA career with the New York Knicks where he spent two seasons and averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 58 games for the Knicks. His career averages are 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games.
 
 Spanoulis (6-4, 195) appeared in 31 games and averaged 2.7 points and 0.9 assists in his only season in Houston. He was originally drafted 50th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2004 NBA Draft before being traded to the Rockets for the draft rights to Luis Flores.
 

The amnesty rule a few seasons ago allowed teams a one-time opportunity to release a player and avoid paying the luxury tax on his salary. It was often called the “Allan Houston” referring to the former Knicks shooting guard who had a 6 year, $100 million dollar contract while spending most of his time in the training room instead of the basketball court because of an injury. The rule was used on players like Brian Grant, Michael Finley, and Calvin Booth. Interestingly enough, the Knicks didn’t even use it on Allan Houston but rather Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams.

With reports of Rashard Lewis signing a max deal of $126.4 million deal over the next six seasons, the NBA may have to bring back the amnesty rule. It’s quite absurd for a player that averaged 22.4 points and 6.6 rebounds last season and will be 28 years old next month. Lewis is a good player but he’s not a max player. He’s not even the best player on the team. That honor goes to Dwight Howard who is set to sign a 6 year extension for less than Rashard’s deal.

The Allan Houston contract set off a storm of bad contracts and NBA teams being financially handcuffed. What kind of contracts will players and their agents want next year when the free agent class could be one of the best in recent years led by Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O’Neal, and Allen Iverson.

The NBA needs to make changes. When it all comes down to it, the ones paying for these bad contracts are the fans. I can’t wait for the “Rashard Lewis” rule in 5 years when Lewis will be making close to $25 million while just being a decent role player for the Magic.

As posted on the front of InsideHoops.com, the Magic have officially signed Dwight Howard to a contract extension, and with Rashard Lewis on board for about $800 billion the Magic are now a two-star team with little room for anyone else aside from role players.

Are Howard and Lewis good enough to win championships? Only in the mind of Magic GM Otis Smith. Howard is a stud and getting better by the season, but offensively he’s not a go-to guy. He can score around the basket but not someone who can create shots for the rest of the team just yet.

Lewis, meanwhile, is a scoring star, but the rest of his game is pretty average. I like him, but the Magic are overpaying him in a crazy way. No one is sure why they’re doing it. He’s an offensive weapon but not a superstar.

Still, in the wide open East, those two players are a nice combination.

There is currently reason for the New York Knicks’ (eternally suffering) faithful to be excited. They recently acquired Zach Randolph, a man who NBA Wise Man Malik Rose believes should be the best power forward in the East. And yes, in doing so, they even unloaded Steve Francis and his lotto jackpot-sized contract (except at $14 mil-a-year, Randolph’s contract isn’t exactly what it costs to buy a ticket or two). And although these are moves that should certainly help the team, what has gone on inside UNLV’s Cox Pavilion, Ground Zero for the Vegas Summer League, is more important than adding talent to an already sufficiently talented roster or modifying the payroll for a team that won’t hear the phrase “under the cap” for the next decade, no matter how hard it tries.

Summer league basketball has nothing to do with the regular season though, right? Well it is not only the fact that the Knicks won their first two games with ease. Forgive the spirituality, but there has been lot of positive energy surrounding the Knicks organization. David Lee, Quentin Richardson, Malik Rose, new addition Fred Jones, and Mardy Collins, who is not participating in the summer league games because he is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, are all in Vegas watching the games. In an interview with Gus Johnson and the self-proclaimed “best Knick ever” Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Quentin Richardson revealed something about Eddy Curry, who is renowned for being lazy and unmotivated, that is perhaps symbolic of the entire Knicks team. While many players do not so much as touch a basketball until July or August, Curry, who only missed one game last season, was back in the gym by June. It seems that Isiah has shown Eddy the light. The light is emanating from the flame cleverly placed beneath Curry’s (large) behind. Simply put, he needed a little bit of fire and desire (copyright Walt Frazier, 2007).

Also getting an early start on his summer training was Renaldo Balkman, who has spent most of his summer at IMG Academy in Florida — Balkman’s home away from home. His shot was the focal point of the practices, while he also made sure to work on his body, conditioning, and other skills. Balkman told the New York Times that, thanks to his training, “For the most part, I’m knocking down shots that I’m supposed to.” From watching the summer league games, his handle also looked like it has tightened up, and he already seems to be in fantastic physical shape.

Balkman was not the only Knick youngster to impress in summer league play. Second round pick Demetris Nichols out of Syracuse, whom the Knicks acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers the day after the draft, has lived up to his reputation as a sharp-shooter. Malik Rose raved that Nichols does not miss a shot. Wilson Chandler has also been impressive so far, showing off the versatility and athleticism that piqued Isiah Thomas’s interest and convinced him to gamble on Chandler with the Knicks‘ 2007 first round pick. Randolph Morris, the 2007 draft-ineligible player out of Kentucky whom the Knicks signed late last season after the Wildcats’ early tourney exit, has exhibited his ability to score and rebound. He is more mobile than many realize, and he has a very soft touch and above average finishing ability in the paint — unlike Balkman and Chandler who so far have not shown that they are adept at finishing in the lane unless they are dunking the ball. Overall, the Knicks’ summer league team’s starting lineup has been among the most impressive assemblage of players in Vegas.

The fact that there were five Knick players sitting in the stands watching summer league ball while other teams boasted no more than one non-participating player (unofficially) speaks volumes about how much the overall attitudes of the players have improved over the past few years. The players are not only in Vegas to watch ball, however. There are numerous Knick coaches in Vegas running training sessions for the players. With improved skills and camaraderie, the Knicks should be able to sneak their way into a low seed (high number) in the 2008 NBA playoffs.

Let’s come clean. I can’t be the only one a little surprised to see Gerald Wallace re-signing with the Bobcats after they traded for Jason Richardson and re-signed Matt Carroll to a multi-year contract. This can’t bode well for Adam Morrison. Minutes at the 2 and 3 are getting scarce with Richardson added to the existing (and now re-signed) mix and if Morrison doesn’t show some improvement, he could well be riding some serious pine. That is, of course, if another trade isn’t in the hopper.