Other Things To Ponder This NBA Season...
* I think the best bet for the Raptors & the Grizzlies is to tank this season. That's right. Let the Greg Oden and Joakim Noah sweepstakes begin!
That's right. You heard me. For the Grizzlies, they are done this year. There is no possible way they are making the playoffs. However, when Gasol does get back, he'll play them into a good enough position to where they get a late lottery pick instead of an early one. Instead, they should tell him to take his sweet ass time. When he does get back, work him in really slowly--only play him 20 min a night. In the meantime, play the shit out of Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, and Stromile Swift. Baptism by fire: if they're going to play in this league (in the case of Gay and Warrick), they'll learn that way. In Swift's case, tell him this is his last chance. Cut his ass if he doesn't make it.
This makes sense because the Grizz are stuck in the no-man's land that is the middle of the playoff pack. They're too good to get a draft pick that will ever help them, but they're not good enough to actually compete for a championship. This injury to their star will allow the team to suck it up and get the great player who can push them over the hump (please see Spurs, San Antonio in the 1996-1997 season).
As for the Raptors, I think this is their plan all along, from the moment Brian Colangelo took over as GM. I think he wanted to trade the first pick last year because he knew it was going to suck, and wanted a top two pick in this draft. So when he couldn't get anyone to offer anything decent for it, he took the Italian guy that he knew wasn't going to do anything at all this year. Then he traded Charlie V--who he knew was going to quit on him in two years anyway--for someone who wouldn't help the team all that much, especially in the short term. He then let Mike James, the team's second best player last year, walk for absolutely nothing. So now they have a team that is worse this year than last year--though this year they actually want the first pick of the draft.
Some people might think that this is unfair, and that the team should put it's best foot forward every season. I say whatever; these teams have taken an honest assessment of their talent this season, know they have no chance, and should just look to the future. Especially the Grizz. Their young players will either be better or be gone, and they'll get a player who can actually put them over the top. The Raps is a little shady since they actually traded away talent, but when it's fake talent like Charlie V, well then again I'm thinking that it's just an honest assessment of one's team and situation.
* I think that the NBA adding the new Owner's Behavior Rule is a sign that the NBA is quite willing to screw Mark Cuban out of another championship this year if they have to. And yes, I'm for the rule, though I'm not for the screwing the Mavs out of the championship.
* What an absolutely pathetic showing by the Heat last night. That actually might be a good thing for them though: if they'd coasted and lost by only 15, then they might have been content to keep coasting. Now maybe their pride is insulted enough that they'll step it up.
Hmmmm...Shaq is just collecting a check now...Zo and GP are 800 years old...they have no bench...
On second thought, no, maybe they're okay with this.
* The Suns looked exactly how I thought they would, and that is bad. Did you see Boris Diaw? Good Lord! He's blown up like a balloon! You know it's bad when the TV announcers are straight up calling you out for being fat and out of shape. That's just pathetic. The guy has one good season and thinks he can just cash it in. I am not sold on this team at all.
* However...and you know how good it pains me to say this...but man the Lakers looked great last night. Andrew Bynum was awesome last night, and he was playing against some good competition (Kurt Thomas). Sure, he'll have his bad days as any 19 year old will, but he gives them someone other teams have to legitimately plan against at center, which they didn't have (sorry UT fans). Mo Evans, as I predicted over this summer, was fantastic, and could easily end up being the biggest offseason steal. Jordan Farmar looked like he might be taking Smush Parker's job sooner rather than later, and even Vlad Rodmanovic looked good out there. But the thing that made me happy was Lamar Odom didn't just play great, but he looked great. I hope the Lakers fail, but I hope I'm wrong about my prediction about him giving up because of what happened with his son. He looked like he was enjoying himself out there, and I'm glad to see that. All this against a team most experts had predicted to win the title this year, and on a team missing three starters from last year--one of whom is a top 5 player in the league.
I wonder, though, how Kobe will affect the team that was playing last night. That was a scrappy, hard working, and entertaining bunch that played hard and played together. Will that continue when Kobe is putting up 30 shots a game? We'll see.
Yes, this is a knee jerk reaction, but man it looks like I was wrong about the Lakers missing the playoffs. I just can't believe how good Bynum looked!
That's right. You heard me. For the Grizzlies, they are done this year. There is no possible way they are making the playoffs. However, when Gasol does get back, he'll play them into a good enough position to where they get a late lottery pick instead of an early one. Instead, they should tell him to take his sweet ass time. When he does get back, work him in really slowly--only play him 20 min a night. In the meantime, play the shit out of Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, and Stromile Swift. Baptism by fire: if they're going to play in this league (in the case of Gay and Warrick), they'll learn that way. In Swift's case, tell him this is his last chance. Cut his ass if he doesn't make it.
This makes sense because the Grizz are stuck in the no-man's land that is the middle of the playoff pack. They're too good to get a draft pick that will ever help them, but they're not good enough to actually compete for a championship. This injury to their star will allow the team to suck it up and get the great player who can push them over the hump (please see Spurs, San Antonio in the 1996-1997 season).
As for the Raptors, I think this is their plan all along, from the moment Brian Colangelo took over as GM. I think he wanted to trade the first pick last year because he knew it was going to suck, and wanted a top two pick in this draft. So when he couldn't get anyone to offer anything decent for it, he took the Italian guy that he knew wasn't going to do anything at all this year. Then he traded Charlie V--who he knew was going to quit on him in two years anyway--for someone who wouldn't help the team all that much, especially in the short term. He then let Mike James, the team's second best player last year, walk for absolutely nothing. So now they have a team that is worse this year than last year--though this year they actually want the first pick of the draft.
Some people might think that this is unfair, and that the team should put it's best foot forward every season. I say whatever; these teams have taken an honest assessment of their talent this season, know they have no chance, and should just look to the future. Especially the Grizz. Their young players will either be better or be gone, and they'll get a player who can actually put them over the top. The Raps is a little shady since they actually traded away talent, but when it's fake talent like Charlie V, well then again I'm thinking that it's just an honest assessment of one's team and situation.
* I think that the NBA adding the new Owner's Behavior Rule is a sign that the NBA is quite willing to screw Mark Cuban out of another championship this year if they have to. And yes, I'm for the rule, though I'm not for the screwing the Mavs out of the championship.
* What an absolutely pathetic showing by the Heat last night. That actually might be a good thing for them though: if they'd coasted and lost by only 15, then they might have been content to keep coasting. Now maybe their pride is insulted enough that they'll step it up.
Hmmmm...Shaq is just collecting a check now...Zo and GP are 800 years old...they have no bench...
On second thought, no, maybe they're okay with this.
* The Suns looked exactly how I thought they would, and that is bad. Did you see Boris Diaw? Good Lord! He's blown up like a balloon! You know it's bad when the TV announcers are straight up calling you out for being fat and out of shape. That's just pathetic. The guy has one good season and thinks he can just cash it in. I am not sold on this team at all.
* However...and you know how good it pains me to say this...but man the Lakers looked great last night. Andrew Bynum was awesome last night, and he was playing against some good competition (Kurt Thomas). Sure, he'll have his bad days as any 19 year old will, but he gives them someone other teams have to legitimately plan against at center, which they didn't have (sorry UT fans). Mo Evans, as I predicted over this summer, was fantastic, and could easily end up being the biggest offseason steal. Jordan Farmar looked like he might be taking Smush Parker's job sooner rather than later, and even Vlad Rodmanovic looked good out there. But the thing that made me happy was Lamar Odom didn't just play great, but he looked great. I hope the Lakers fail, but I hope I'm wrong about my prediction about him giving up because of what happened with his son. He looked like he was enjoying himself out there, and I'm glad to see that. All this against a team most experts had predicted to win the title this year, and on a team missing three starters from last year--one of whom is a top 5 player in the league.
I wonder, though, how Kobe will affect the team that was playing last night. That was a scrappy, hard working, and entertaining bunch that played hard and played together. Will that continue when Kobe is putting up 30 shots a game? We'll see.
Yes, this is a knee jerk reaction, but man it looks like I was wrong about the Lakers missing the playoffs. I just can't believe how good Bynum looked!
posted by Michael Pondrom at 11:27 PM
4 Comments:
I have a question.
Is Emeka Okafor really that good or does the rest of the team stink so much that his stats look great every night?
The reason I ask is that I have never seen him play in the NBA. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever even seen a highlight of him playing in the NBA. Fantasy-wise, though, he's a nice player.
Nick,
I miss your fantasy basketball prowess already.
I agree on both your points. I really don't think Noah will be the best pro on his college team. He's just giving scouts another year to pick apart his game. He really should have cashed in last summer. He'd be a millionaire by now. Of course, he probably will be a millionaire this time next year, so I guess it really doesn't make that much difference.
Indeed, it is good to hear your voice again Nick.
I also agree with both of your points. I don't think it's as much a change in philosiphy as a change in necessity for Kobe. I read a great article yesterday where TMac talks about how he and Kobe are getting old, and it's forcing them to change their games. Like I said in my preview, I think this knee surgery is a sign that Kobe's body is in worse shape than we think it is. Not only has Kobe been in the league for 11 years, but he's gone DEEP in the playoffs almost every year. He's played 119 playoff games! Thow in All Star Games, and that easily makes 12.5 seasons for Kobe. It's time for that body to start wearing down.
As for Noah, I agree, too. He's too thin, and I haven't seen any great offensive moves that make me think, "Wow, he's going to be great." But scouts are in love with him, so teams are going to be lining up to draft him. I think he'll be a solid pro, but nothing too special. Definitely not a franchise guy.
Michael
An excellent point, but remember to take a player's listed weight with a grain of salt. Listed weight and height is in the eye of the beholder. I think I was 6'9" at one point in my life. And I've had a listed weight, too, even though I've never stepped on a set of scales for a coach in my life.
Michael
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