NBA Draft

Alright, we will go pick by pick. Give our expert analysis on each player. Watch for analysis to turn into opinion and opinion into mother bashing (ya it happens). Enjoy.

1 - Kyrie Irving - Cavs

Evan - I don’t know if he is proven. I don’t really understand why he is the unanimous pick when he only played 11 college games.

Geoff - He isn’t proven. His injuries worry me. There are obvious good things said about him, the fact the Duke was willing to change their entire style to fit around this one player says a lot about him. I like the comparisons, hope they pan out.

Derek - Ya I don’t really have much of an opinion on the guy, I like the hype I hear but I want to see him play. I want to see the Cavs be competitive as soon as possible.

2 - Derrick Williams - T-Wolves

Geoff - Man beast! And he can shoot 3’s. He can score, but where is he playing on the offensive end?

Evan - He seems like an athletic freak. Any team would be glad to have him. He seems like more of a no brainer than the Irving pick.

Derek - If Rubio is as good as advertised I can see a lot of highlight clips in the near future. This tag team could get a TON of alley-oops. This is just the Wolves building their dynasty, I feel it in my bones!

3 - Enes Kanter - Jazz

Evan - A bit of a ghost as far as I know. Similar to Derrick Williams? Only more european

Geoff - A physical player that actually likes to get hit and be physical down low. Plus he wants to be in the WWE after his NBA career, how can you not like that?

Derek - I hope that he can get used to being hit by big NBA men as opposed to the european boys. If the best things said about him are true, he could be the best player in this draft. But that is a very big ‘if’.

4 - Tristan Thompson - Cavs

Geoff - Big surprise. I like him as a player, but scoring wise I don’t think there is much there. Turrible free throw shooter. Thought the Cavs would get more of a scorer in this spot.

Derek - I like that they are getting some tough players here. I want this to become a team that plays hard at all times. I think they are stocking up on these types of players, I like it.

Evan - He plays pretty strong inside, I like that.

5 - Jonas Valanciunus - Raptors

Geoff - What just happened? Were they getting company or Kleiza? Is he just a crankier Bargnani?

Derek - I like it when teams draft players they know can’t play in the next season. Looks like they are already looking forward to the 2012 draft. I heard Colangelo was going to stop drafting europeans... I heard wrong. I did love his post draft interview, one of the worst ones I have ever seen.

Evan - (speechless)... Why? Why get another skinny european center. I don’t get it.

6 - Jan Vesely - Washington Wizards

Geoff - What does he do? Other than athletic, but athletic isn’t something that you do. All he seems to do is dunk. By this age he should have some defining skill.

Derek - Evan, do you have anything to say on Jan Vesely

Evan - No.

Derek - Good sign... I want to like the Wizards, I really do. I don’t want to see this guy get three dunks a game and average 6 points.

7 - Bismack Biyombo - Charlotte (via Kings)

Derek - I just like saying this name.

Evan - He is a weird mystery man, but I love him.

Geoff - As long as he just sticks to what he does best. I want to see him just dunk, be physical, and grab boards. Be an athletic freak and don’t do much outside what his elite skills are.

8 - Brandon Knight - Pistons

Derek - He does not look happy to be going there.

Evan - Who would want to go to Detroit? It is Detroit.

Geoff - Everything is falling apart there. Everything. Good player though.

9 - Kemba Walker - Bobcats

Evan - Bobcats seems like a black hole of talent. Looks like he will get sucked in there.

Geoff - I think he will be good there. He is obviously clutch.

Derek - I like Kemba, I don’t like Charlotte. We will see who wins out.

10 - Jimmer Fredette - Kings (via Bucks)

Derek - Jimmer! Love me some Jimmer. Even my wife loves Jimmer... I don’t know if this is good or bad.

Evan - He can score, I think he will get the green light to do so. I don’t know if he can defend.

Geoff - I am glad he is not playing in Utah. Jimmer would become the son of every basketball fan in the state. But the fans would be the annoying parent that always thinks their son should get the ball and get all the playing time. Thank you Sacramento from sparing me from these crazy basketball moms.

11 - Klay Thompson - Warriors

12 - Alec Burks - Jazz

Evan and Derek could care less on either player. Geoff wants to note that Thompson can shoot and Burks cannot.

13 - Markieff Morris - Suns

14 - Marcus Morris - Rockets

Geoff - The Suns accidentally chose the wrong twin.

Derek - I was hoping for a big trade here and some team drafting both twins. Are the Suns trying to create little brother syndrome by drafting both bad twins (Lopez and Morris)? What would be the outcome for this strategy? Who knows. Just please trade Nash soon.

15 - Kawhi Leonard - Pacers

See Evan’s reaction to the Pacers trading with Spurs below.

16 - Nikola Vucevic - 76ers

All three - meh.

17 - Iman Shumpert - Knicks

Geoff - Who is Iman Shumpert? Never heard of him.

Derek - Didn’t get invited to the draft, not a good sign. I like that he is a tall, athletic, defensive guard. Knicks need defense. Spike Lee just agreed with me.

18 - Chris Singleton - Wizards

Derek - I like him.

Evan - Oohh, his mother is not good looking.

19 - Tobias Harris - Bobcats

Spurs trade George Hill to the Pacers for Kawhi Leonard. Evan boo’s at the TV.

Evan - This is a straight up trade? This is foolish.

Derek - Well now you will learn how to say his first name. This is your boy now.

Evan - No. He is not.

20 - Donatas Montiejunas

The announcers rip this guy for having no interest in rebounding. Always good to grab a PF/C who has absolutely no interest in rebounding. He will fit right in with Beasley.

21 - Nolan Smith - Trailblazers

Evan - His numbers look Tony Paker-esque. A score first PG.

Derek - I like this here. I think he has a good NBA pedigree his dad was a coach and he has been around the NBA and NBA players since he was a little kid. I think he will fit in good right away, be a good back-up for a year or two and then make a leap.

Evan - I want Felton for Jameer Nelson straight up.

Announcers just report a potential Andre Miller (Blazers) for Raymond Felton (Nuggetts) trade.

Geoff - I think this is better for Portland for Denver.

Evan - I think for Felton playing with Aldridge will be more reminiscent of playing with Stoudemire, which is when he was playing his best.

22 - Kenneth Faried - Denvers Nuggets

Evan - And he has a child.

Geoff - He is a busy man.

Evan - He is a grinder, looks like he plays like an undersized Reggie Evans. Looks like he will fit well with Denver.

Geoff - That will depend on his number of tattoo’s.

From here on out, who cares? We don’t. These picks won’t amount to anything. Although you could argue that most of the picks that we talked about won’t amount to anything either. From here on out just random observations.

New Jersey and Boston make a very boring trade.

Derek - I was expecting a lot more for trades in this draft. I was nearing giddy at the potential of all the swaps that were rumored to happen. Now I am just pissed, give me some trades NBA! That is all I ask. No I get to look forward to the lock-out. Thanks NBA.

Closing Remarks

Geoff - Minnesota is undoubtedly the most ridiculous franchise of all time. What is with all these second round picks? I give up.

Evan - Bit of a stinker of a draft, but we could have seen that coming.

Derek - Just waiting on this Minnesota dynasty to take shape. Rubio is the basketball savior of Minnesota and Derrick Williams will lead them to the promised land.

Entry #3 - Derek's Response

Geoff's Question - Golden State has been making a splash lately (Hiring Jerry West to advise, Mark Jackson as head coach, Michael Malone as assistant coach, and rumored to be shopping Ellis for Iggy). Do you feel this is an organization moving forward or are they just making noise?

The moves made by the Warriors have been really intriguing and potentially franchise altering. Look at any solid team in the league and you will see that it all starts with management before any players. Sure Boston needed “the big three” to get them to win a championship in 2008, but not without the crucial push from Doc Rivers and defensive genius Tom Thibodeau to put them over the top. Now don’t misread here, the Warriors will not challenge for the NBA title next year. But they are building right by making smart moves in management before thinking too much about player moves. Jerry West has savvy and a history of luring big players (think a non italian mobster Pat Riley). He brought together the Showtime LA Lakers of the 80’s and the Shaq-Kobe Lakers of the early 2000’s.

The greatest move they have done is in luring Michael Malone away from the Hornets to be their assistant. He was highly sought by many teams and was even in high consideration for the Warriors head coaching position. This defensive specialist is thought of as one of the top coaching minds in the game. This is why the hire of Mark Jackson does not seem too bad. Though Jackson has absolutely no coaching experience, he has always had the coaching gene in him. In his playing days he was the true meaning of a floor general. Never the most gifted athletically, he knew how to get the most out of the players he was playing with and ran the offensive in such a way as to maximize the potential around him. Once again, 2008 Boston Celtics comparisons come to mind. Thibodeau was the one set in place that defense which would become the Celtic’s greatest strength. Rivers then acted more as the in game coach, drawing up plays, making substitutions and inspiring players. As long as the Jackson-Malone coaching tandem does not struggle for power this type of system, where the assistant writes the symphony and the head coach orchestrates it, could be a very winning formula.

As far as the actual players, this team is still a ways away from being a serious contending team. I love the potential Igudola for Ellis trade. Though Ellis is a dynamite scorer with ice cold veins, his and teammate Steph Curry’s style of play does not allow for much chemistry. While Ellis is the more talented player, he also has the highest trade value. Under Jackson’s tutelage Curry could develop into one of the games best PG’s and that is probably what the Warriors are banking on in offering Ellis in trade talks. Igudola could then plug is marvelous athletic ability into Malone’s defensive system and leave the weight of the scoring load in Curry’s hands.

While there are some great risks involved (Jackson never coaching, hoping Curry develops as they think he might). They are calculated ones that could yield high success. This new direction for the Warriors has them going in the right direction.

Evan's Question - I've heard some talk (on ESPN's PTI) of a Westbrook for Chris Paul trade. Your thoughts?

Thinking of nothing else other than on the court I’d love the potential that this trade could bring. Westbrook is the type of player that, given the top dog status, would be a highlight machine, bring superstar buzz to a city, and make the Hornets a fun to watch team (think Griffin on the Clippers). Paul is a better player, but his strengths are to be facilitating. He makes everyone around him better, but does not hit the highlight reel on a regular basis. Westbrook would bring a wow-factor that Paul has not necessarily had since the knee injury. Paul’s pass-first mentality, and ability to make everyone better would greatly benefit players like Durant and especially Ibaka. Ibaka’s ever strengthening mid range jumper and powerful alley-oop ability would make him lethal off a pick and roll with Paul. A point guard like that could make Ibaka a potential all-star even as early as next year. Durant would still handle the scoring load and Paul would not have to focus so much on scoring with a stronger supporting cast. Westbrook numbers would increase by sheer necessity, he would never be scrutinized for shooting too much, and would vault into best PG in the game ahead of names like D-Will and Rondo, and slightly beneath (even challenging) Rose.

But unfortunately there are much more factors to the NBA than just basketball. There are variables such as age, health and contracts. Even if the Thunder make the Western finals again next year or even further, I do not see Paul signing a long term deal with the club. He has big cities on his mind. Rumor has it that at Carmelo’s wedding (where Paul was best man) he said that he would be joining Melo and Amare in NY. And this was BEFORE Melo was even there. Plus his knee’s are a legitimate concern for a young team looking to put together a prolonged run. Westbrook is young enough that his mentality and style of play can be morphed to maximize not just his abilities but his teammates. Westbrook may not stick around for much longer either (I see him signing a 3 year extension and then bolting). But I think it would be smarter for the Thunder to wait and get a young player, that can pass and see the floor, and most importantly has two working knees. For someone who loves to see big trades, it sure would be fun to see. But for the Thunder (honestly I could care less about the Hornets), this trade does not make the best sense.

Entry #3- Geoff

Derek's Question-Can J.J. Barea be a legitimate starting pg in this league, or will he forever just be a spark off the bench type player? (Does what he brings to the table outweigh the things he takes off of it because of his lack of size/defence)

Its easy to look at a guy like Barea and make claims as to why he won't achieve much in his NBA career. He is little, nba.com claims he is a below average 6ft…really, are you sure? Is that right? Is that with or without heels?…Anyways, he is not a great defender nor a consistent shooter from mid or 3 point range.

That being said NBA teams are not all the same and each has its own needs and dynamics. So what I'm saying is that in a league were Derek Fisher and Luke Ridnour can be starters, yes, I think Barea could be in the right situation. There would need to be adjustments made in a rotation and he would likely find himself below the usual mins that a regular starter would play. Mostly due to defensive match-ups as he can't guard some of the bigger point guards effectively.

To reach the next level he needs to increase his passing ability, which is decent, but needs to get better, and gain consistency in his shooting. Teams like to go under screens on him as he is exceptionally quick off the dribble and he needs to be able to make them pay for giving him and open shot. Otherwise he is a decent pick and role guard who has a good sense of when is the right time for him to get his shots. Plus he can get hot and drive another team crazy. (Ex. Andrew Bynum attempting to crush him assuming he was a fly).

In short, he is a streaky player and will likely always be, but with experience (Soak up all the Jason Kidd you can before he's gone J.J.) a guy with his determination will always surprise his critics, its in his nature, heck he is dating former Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, he's a competitor. I could see him finding a team were he fits their needs and a team willing to take a risk on a little Puerto Rican…Really 6ft, your kidding me.

Evan's Question- What does LeBron need to do to preserve (or redeem) his reputation as the best player in basketball today?

We might all disagree on the importance or place of legacy in the NBA. Whether you feel it is important for a super star to worry about their legacy or not we all have to agree that King James' legacy has taken a couple of self inflicted hits this season. Whether it was leaving his loyal fans in Cleveland for, the less then dedicated, Miami fan base, him holding a self indulgent hour long special to honour his decision, or the choice to seek a quick fix to his championship woes by joining Wade and Bosh, all these actions have proved LeBron is not the guy we thought he was.

Now he finds himself in the NBA finals down 3-2 to Dallas. With 2 sub par performances in games 4 and 5. How does he redeem himself? He needs to win. He needs a foot hold to steady himself on and show people he made the right choice coming to Miami. Maybe with a victory people will start to forget all that has transpired with the James show in the last year, but that might be too optimistic. To the majority of basketball fans he has cast himself as the villain rather then the hero. No longer the home town guy, but the sell out. The most despised player in basketball, that might not be fair but no one hears more boos then the King.

Will people forget and forgive with a championship or two? Maybe? Its his best hope. Now though he is facing competition to his claims at the top from a less familiar breed of super star. Humble players like Derrick Rose, the MVP, and Kevin Durant, the scoring leader, who combine their exceptional play, apparent loyalty to their fans and their humble demeanours to draw fans way form the less the loveable LeBron.

LeBron appears to have sold all he had for a championship. He is close, but might not have what it takes, at least this year, to reach his goal. LeBron has 1 maybe 2 games to show us how dominant he can be. With stellar, and I mean mind blowing, performances in games 6 and 7 and a championship ring he can start to prove to us again that he his who we thought he was. Anything below perfection in the next two games from James, even with wins, he will fall short of redemption. If he comes in behind Wade as MVP of the finals he will be labelled 2nd fiddle, dare I say Pippin, with a loss to Dallas he will be seen as a choker who can't finish. Perhaps with a ring and an MVP he might be able to gain back some, not all, of the respect people had for him.

Chat Blog

The three guys will write this blog chat style while watching game 2 of the finals. Format differs here, no standard questions, just wherever the chat goes it goes.

Evan - What is your reaction to the Mike Brown hire? Were you put off by me undervaluing Phil Jackson?

Derek - You are a fool, Phil Jackson is the man. There are many different types of coaches, Phil coaches winners. He would do awful trying to rebuild a team, just like Scott Brooks won’t be the man to push the Thunder over the top. He is a great coach for a good/great team.

Geoff - First I understand Evan’s point with Phil Jackson, it is hard to know because we have only seen him in certain situations. Based on his resume it is hard not to call him a excellent coach, given different situations.

Evan - He can’t rebuild a team? Can he then really be called a great coach, if he can’t work with what he’s got. (Evan laughs at Doris Burke sporting Dirk’s splint.)

Derek - So a coach has to be good at every part of coaching to be considered a great coach? For me evaluating a coach I am going to look at wins and titles before “marked improvements” and “team progress from year to year.”

Evan - Agree to disagree

Derek - Never!

Lebron takes 5 steps while lining up a three. Thanks refs.

Evan - How do you feel about Lebron faking the “eye injury” against the Bulls, how do feel about his acting and the refs buying it?

Derek - (Steaming)

Geoff - For the type of player he is trying to be, he is trying to be the “best basketball player in the world”, be a man, suck it up. He is a huge man, you are not skin and bones like Reggie Miller, you are a big boy, act like one. He is selling himself short of what he wants to and should become. Jordan got a lot of calls, but he didn’t fake to get them.

Evan - We are all aware of the superstar treatment, a guy like Dirk doesn’t ‘try’ to get a lot of calls, the refs give him a lot of calls. When he stops getting those calls he whines about them, but he isn’t acting to get them in the first place.

Derek - I wish the playoffs at the very least could be more reminiscent of the 80’s-90’s playoffs, if a guy is a wuss you should be able to send out Bill Lambeer and close line a sucker.

Geoff - Knicks/Pacers, if you went into the lane you were going to end up on your ass. We should go back to that. Let men be men.

No surprise Bibby misses a three, but Lebron cleans up with authority.

Geoff - That man should not be diving when he gets bumped.

Haywood makes a basket! Evan and Geoff laugh about his missed dunk from last game. Sad sad moment for his life. He follows that up by getting stuffed.

Evan - What are your thoughts on Tyson Chandler

Geoff - I don’t mind him as a center. He is athletic, but maybe not mobile enough on the defensive end to keep up with elite PF’s and C’s. He also has a complete lack of a jump shot, that is not helping his stock.

Derek - I like him, he does a few things really well, set great picks, throws down hard off pick and rolls, and he is big enough to be better than descent on the defensive end. He is not good at a wide range of things, but he is better than average at some key area’s.

1st quarter end - Score tied at 28.

Derek - Rubio is coming, apparently, is this significant at all?

Evan - I don’t know enough about it to say anything of authority. But he is headed to the basketball vortex so that doesn’t bode well for him.

Geoff - Same as Evan, I don’t know much about him. If they get Williams at #2 in the draft, it will be good for him to pass to someone decent. It will help him dramatically if there are players around him that can help him somewhat.

Derek - I am skeptical, I am ready to love him, but I will not be surprised if he is a complete bust. The european league can bury guys on the bench and stunt growth rather than encourage it. If his european career (which isn’t great) hasn’t crushed him by now then he could turn out alright.

Geoff - If he doesn’t do amazing, then he will just fit in with the rest of the roster that is full of underachievers.

Wade gets away with an obvious offensive goaltending, refs must have all been blinking at the same time.

Derek - Have you been working on your tiger dunk? (Go to youtube now and type in Blake Griffin tiger dunk)

Geoff - I am adding that one to my repertoire right now.

Evan - Is Dirk a good passer? I am not sure

Derek - When he is posting up like a power forward he passes well, when he moves like a guard he does not pass well like a guard should.

Geoff - He is good at finding the open man when he is double teamed, sometimes he finds the guy all the way across the court for an open three. So that is good for something.

Geoff - For free agents this summer, is there anyone decent?

Derek starts researching

Decent names on the unrestricted free agent list - J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, T-Mac, Tayshaun Prince, Yao, Shane Battier, 80% of the Miami Heat, Michael Redd, Carl Landry, Jason Richardson, Greg Oden (restricted), Kirilenko, Jamal Crawford.

Derek - So of these players, who are the big gets?

Evan - Who would you rather have, J.R. Smith or Jamal Crawford? I think it depends on the team, similar players but they could be big additions for the right team. I don’t think Smith is a great fit for the Spurs, but they need some energy guys bad.

(Note - Evan is a huge Spurs homer, you have been warned)

Derek - No franchise shifting players, but some great puzzle piece players, if some of them were to land on the right team they could push them over the top. Then some big question mark players, like Oden and Yao, anyone want to take a risk on them? The payoff would be huge if you guess right, and if wrong then you look really bad.

Evan - Could Oden turn out like Camby, start his career injured and enjoy good basketball later in his career? He might miss his prime, but be a solid NBA center for 8 years or so.

Geoff - If he is willing to sign for less money than I would jump on that as a team. But I would not be willing to pay a significant amount of money on him.

Derek - But Portland will sign him if he will take less money, I think he likes the city and the people. Neither side really wants to part, but it might be good for him to get a fresh start in a new city.

Evan - The Raptors suck, how can they start to rebuild? My theory, load up the front line, play Bargnani at the 3 and play a zone defense with three big guys. Ed Davis is showing potential and hopefully Reggie Evans can stay healthy for a year. Most importantly, get rid of Calderon!

Geoff looks up potential draft picks.

Derek - May I remind you how crappy this draft is, don’t count on this draft to be beneficial in any way.

Geoff - Maybe not this year, but draft a guy with potential and have patience while he improves (fingers crossed).

Evan - Can we find highlights on this Kanter guy? Does such a thing exist? Is this man a ghost?

Geoff - I think Derozan is more of a 3 than a shooting guard, his shot is so weak and they need a legitimate SG who can actually hit a three and be respected as such. Derozen is more of a Iguodala who needs to attack the rim and to be in position to do so at all times.

Derek - They are a lost cause, check back with me in 5 years.

Geoff - Bargnani looks more excited to eat Primo pasta than he is to play basketball.

Derek - Going back to Mike Brown, here is my prediction. Lakers get off to a rough start, rumors will start to swirl, they will get rid of him at All-Star break for Brian Shaw (who they should have hired), the players will rally around him go on a winning streak and sneak into a first round home court playoff series poised to make some noise.

Geoff - So do I need to remind you how much I hate both Dallas and Miami?

Derek - Ya this series is hard to watch, I find myself cheering for the Mavs. I was cheering for a Dallas team bus crash last series and now I am cheering for them to win the title? I am crying inside. Can the Thunder please play the Bulls for the title next year and everything good about this league can be restored again.

Geoff - This series was paid for, both teams in their own way just bought their way into this positions acquiring players like trading cards. How do you feel about players dictating where they want to play?

Evan - If a player means enough to a team, he is going to know it. If that player wants out, the team is going to know it. The power is in the players hands, rather than the teams who is employing him.

Derek - I don’t love when a team can hold a player captive, and a great player can rot inside a horribly run organization (Steve Nash). But I hate it when Carmelo just decides he doesn’t like the Denver air anymore and lets the world knows he would rather be living in New York. There needs to be balance, I am not sure what that balance should look like but Steve Nash needs to be on a contender and Carmelo should be punched in the face for being a whiny baby.

Geoff - How is Shawn Marion Dallas’ best player right now?

Evan - He is working hard for these points, he goes to the hoop, he is attacking.

Geoff - He makes quick decisions and doesn’t wait for things to go stale before making up his mind.

Dallas is poised to make a comeback after pulling it to 90-86 with just over 3 min left. Lets see who has cohonies. All of us just cheered for a Dirk mid range jumper, a little bit of each one of us collectively died.

Just a reminder to Mark Cuban, you did not make that last basket.

Geoff - I just bought a car, I don’t think I can buy an NBA team. Otherwise I would give Cuban a run for his money as far a owner antics go.

All of us are thoroughly enjoying watching the Heat completely fall apart right now, this is making cheering for the Mavs worth it.

Derek - I want a framed picture of when Chris Bosh cries at the end of this game.

Game over - Heat choke - We are happy.

Closing thoughts.

Evan - Never thought this game would end this way, glad to witness the minor miracle it took for Dallas to escape with this game. Glad to see Chris Bosh get lit up on the last play. Perfect ending.

Geoff - Miami has been really bad at wrapping games up all season, this is the norm for them. I think everyone has forgotten how bad they were in these situations, and they were just showing their true colors. Shawn Marion wins, I am happy.

Derek - Just excited for Rubio to lead the T-Wolves to the promised land next year. Like everyone else it is always an enjoyable night when the Heat choke the game away. Is there any way that both teams can lose and next years championship can just count for two? Just an idea.

Entry #2 - Evan

Derek's Question - How bad is Keith Bogans?  When was the last time someone this bad was starting on a team this good?


Right off the bat I'm just gonna say that I disagree with he point that he is a terrible player.  'But his stats are so bad!'  Sure.  Here is a list of some other starters on the top teams in the league who don't have great stats.  Kendrick Perkins, Mike Bibby, Joel Anthony, Ron Artest, Thabo Sefalosha, and Shane Battier.  With the exception of Bibby, what do these players have in common? Defense.

Keith Bogans is good for about 20 mins per game and is a tough defensive stopper for shooting guards.  He plays tight D, doesn't take shots away from the stars, doesn't foul and doesn't turn the ball over.  What more do you want for $1.6 million?  His lack of offense isn't even a bad thing because it allows guys like Deng, Rose and Boozer to get into a rhythm early in the game.  If Korver started in his place and got into foul trouble, the Bulls' bench wouldn't have much for an offensive threat.  His role is maybe better defined by what he did in San Antonio.  He started in place of Manu Ginobili for the reasons I've already stated even though Ginobili is clearly the superior player.

One more reason why I don't have a problem with him starting is that we as fans don't know everything that a player brings to a team.  Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Greg Popovich and Tom Thibodeau have all put him in the starting lineup for a reason.  I will trust the judgement of 3 Coach of the Year winners...


Geoff's Question - What do you think of Mike Brown as the new coach of the Lakers?


I'm going to be honest when I say I have little evidence to back up my theories on this one but just hear me out.

Let's start with the current Lakers coach, Phil Jackson.  Phil has won 11 championships as a coach.  That's a lot of rings.  He has been listed as one of the 10 greatest coaches of all time.  Impressive!  Coached the team to the most wins in NBA history. Congratulations.

BUT... Has Phil coached a team without a legitimate MVP candidate every year? No. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaq would do well regardless of the system they were put in.  Did Phil create his famous Triangle Offense? No.  His assistant coach, Tex Winter, invented it but Coach Jackson has adopted it as his own and people think he is a genius because of it.  Is he really a calm, quiet, Zen Master or does he just not have much of value to say? Definitely debatable but I'm not convinced that he is anything special.

Why do I mention all this?  Because Mike Brown has received many of these artificial accolades himself.

Mike Brown has been successful in most areas of coaching except winning championships.  He has 2 of the best regular season records in recent memory (66-16 wins and 61-21 wins) but he has never coached a season without superstar LeBron James.  He is known to be a defensive specialist but he owes every bit of that to Greg Popovich whose defensive schemes were learned when Brown was his assistant from 2000-2003.

Ok, lets wrap this up.  I think Mike Brown will do well in LA because, well, who wouldn't??  LA has so much talent and experience on the floor at all times.  They will do fine regardless of who is there.  He has experience coaching an ego driven star and knows how to stop top offensive teams.  Sounds like a good fit to me but is he a great coach?   We'll see I guess.  Is he as overrated as Phil Jackson? Not yet and probably never will be with Kobe Bryant on his way out.  Bring in a new MVP candidate and the trend can continue.

I'd love to hear some backlash on this one.  Bring it!

Entry # 2 - Geoff

Derek-What is James Harden's ceiling? (How good can he get/what type of player could he be like/what is the best case scenario/highest level his skills could get to)

Well first off, I am a James Harden fan, though i am not sure why. Maybe its the googly eyes and beard combo or his helter skelter almost off balance style of play. Harden has been great for the Thunder this playoffs offering a scoring punch off the bench. I'm going to offer two views on what I think his ceiling could be, obviously this is assuming he stays relatively health throughout his career.

First, is if he remains on a strong team with another legitimate star, or 2, like he is now. Although, he has excellent potential, I don't see him every being "the guy" on a great team. He will be at best scoring around 18-20 ppg, and an excellent 2nd option or 6th man. His ability to score inside, outside and in transition, his deceptively exceptional passing, decent defence and solid decision making makes him a player every team will want to get their hands on. I feel he could be a better 6th man then Jamal Crawford and Leandro Barbossa, as I believe his game has the ability to become more complete then most great 6th men. He could also find himself in the role of someone like Ginobili offering consistent offence while creating plays for others as a starter.

Secondly, if he ends up on a less talented team, or a team lacking a star, I could see him stepping into the void. If he was a teams best option I could see him putting up 25 ppg and definitely improving his assist numbers probably to at least 5-6 a game, as he is a great passer, and likely making a few trips to the All-Star game. He could score like Michael Redd for the average Bucks of 2005-07. Or maybe play a role such as, the also formerly healthy, Brandon Roy did for Portland, prior to his injuries, as both share strong scoring and playmaking abilities. Lets just hope his knees last longer then those other two guys.

Either way, I would say the bearded one has a strong NBA career ahead of him and will be sought by a lot of teams in the next few years if OKC ever lets go of him.

Evan- What do the Thunder need to do to get to the next level? Does it involve repositioning Westbrook or finding an effective big man? (Perkins sucks)

Well mostly it will take one thing; time. The team is loaded with young talent: Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, Maynor. All guys who will just keep getting better. They also have a few solid pieces: Collison, and Sefolosha. All-Stars like Durant and Westbrook are both phenomenal talents, but are still young. Time and experience is what they need. Durant will need to step into his role as undisputed leader of his team. He needs to demand the ball late in games. His consistency will improve with time and the occasional breakdowns we saw in the playoffs will become more sporadic.

Westbrook needs to learn not to change his game for the playoffs. I felt he became less of a distributer and more of a shot taker and that hurt his team, and his shooting percentage. Too many pull-up jumpers over 2 defenders…yikes. He needs to take smarter shots and pass more, thats when he is most dangerous. This will come with time. In 2 or 3 years this guy could be almost unstoppable.

Perkins. Yes I am still scratching my head on that one. Jeff Green could stretch the defence with his shooting giving Durant and Westbrook space inside. He was athletic and young, with a lot potential. Perkins, though tough and driven, is a sack of potatoes on offence and not athletic enough to guard a lot of guys on D. He is ok as a role player, but does not fit their team in my opinion, at least not in a starting role.

It would be nice if they could find a legitimate, does not need to be exceptional, post player like free agents Mark Gasol, or Nene, neither of which I can see them acquiring without dumping off Perkins and his 6.7m contract. They do have 6.9m from Mohammed's expiring contract.

However, since they won't move Perkins, I'm sure, they could stand to find someone quicker who can shoot and give Durant and Westbrook another option offensively, someone who can spread the D and knock down shots other then Harden. They could try to get Mike Dunleavy, I know, I'm not a fan either, but he is a free agent and is great coming off screens and can shoot the 3. He is also quick if they want to go small and keep Durant at the 3 spot. Another option would be Carl Landry. Also undersized but smart enough to defend guys bigger then him and he can create a shot and hit an open jumper. This would take some of the pressure off Durant and Westbrook and give them more options to kick out the ball off drives and double teams, and make it harder for teams to focus their defence on those 2.

The Thunder don't need any major changes. Just a few smart, strategic free agent signings and draft choices should keep them on the right track. With the continued development of Harden and Ibaka they should get a lot better in the next couple years and will, in my opinion be strong contenders for some time. It will take patience and no more silly trades to reach their potential.

Entry #2 - Derek

Geoff's question - The temptation when a solid team (Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Magic) go out early in the playoffs is to immediately call for a rebuild, though its usually unwarranted. Which, if any, of these teams needs to think rebuild?

Well lets do a breakdown of the four teams to see which is most realistic. The Spurs are actually the least likely to rebuild. They are a small market team that has always relied on the draft for the strength of their team. Many teams draft their star (Kobe, Duncan, Pierce, Howard) but then build around them with trades and free agent signings. Since the Spurs have never been know to sign the big flashy free agent or take a gamble on a big trade I don’t see them starting now. Last time they did that was with Richard Jefferson, and that has only produced moderate results at best. I see the Spurs allowing their aging stars (Duncan and Ginobili) play out their last few years, try to have the young players such as Blair, Hill, Neal and Splitter increase in minuets and hopefully numbers, and maybe swinging a trade with Parker for some other young players or picks.

The Magic are probably next least likely to rebuild because they have some really stupid contracts. If you find a team that will want Arenas for 17 million or Turkoglu for 10 million, both for another three years. Good news for them is that Jason Richardson’s 14 million is coming off the table, bad news is that he is one of their best players and they will probably have to overpay him because they have overpaid everyone else on that team. Here’s an example of their stupidity. The Magic have committed almost 10 million a year for Bass, Duhon and Q. Richardson for the next 3 years. Looking at Blair, Hill and Neal the Spurs have committed just over 2 million. All of these players are roll players, but the Magic have sunken 8 million more into less productive ones. Although the Magic will have the highest desire to rebuild, given the fact that Howard is already pulling a Carmelo, they will be stuck to their stupid contracts or trading for even stupider ones.

The Celtics, though aging, are actually in a decent spot to bolster their line-up. As Danny Ainge has proved, he is not scared to pull the trigger on a big deal. Garnett have one more year after this and so nothing major could really be done until he retires/that contract runs out. As of right now the only players they have money committed to after that year is Rondo, Pierce and Bradley. Loads of cap room. It will be interesting to see what types of deals they give to their free agents this summer (Kristic, Green, Davis, West, Wafer, Murphy, Pavlovic, Arroyo). The new CBA will dictate what type of deals these players get. The Celtics are most likely looking at short deals for a cheap as possible with all these guys. The 2013 Celtics could look very different than the ones that left the court just a few weeks ago.

The Lakers are the team that needs to rebuild the least. They have four high quality players, Kobe, Gasol, Bynum and Odom, and with talent like that all a team needs to do is plug holes to compete for a championship. However the Lakers have never had a problem throughout their entire history of superstar players wanting to play there. They would have the best chance of doing a rebuild because they can convince free agents to come and even take less money doing so. I don’t think they need to make any major moves this offseason, just a serviceable point guard (the Fisher/Blake combo is just atrocious) and one or two spot of three point shooters. But I definitely could see them trading Bynum or Odom for some big names, just because they can. A deal for Dwight Howard or even something like Kevin Love or Josh Smith. The Lakers need a rebuild far less than any of the other three teams, but I still see them being the most likely to make a big splash. Don’t be surprised if the Lakers make the splash, it is in their nature.


Evan's Question - As has been the pattern this entire year, if the Bulls keep Bosh under 24 points they win. How can the Bulls contain him and stop these 30+ nights?

Chris Bosh is like the last part of the army that comes through after the opposition’s protective walls have already been torn down. The best fighters died doing the hard work and then the fighters who were not worthy to begin the fight finish it off and get the glory. The Bulls are playing it right, you have to focus your defensive attention on Wade and Lebron, when either of those two get hot it effects the way the entire team plays around them. I think the Bulls strategy thus far has been to focus defense on the big two and let Bosh beat them. Only problem is thus far he has. Bosh has had no interest in his career of fighting down low for points and boards and now he doesn’t need to. He just slinks and shuffles for a baseline 10 foot jumper or a jumper at the elbows, and unfortunately he can hit those consistently. Wade or Lebron drive the lane, the defense collapses, and Bosh has quietly snuck away from the basket for the open jumper. It isn’t really a matter of “containing” Bosh, he just has been the leading beneficiary of a defense focused heavily on two players. Enjoy your glory now Bosh, but it was Wade and Lebron that knocked down the walls for you