Wow, for those who felt the lack of any real NBA news over the last 5 and a half months, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few hardcore basketball junkies overdosed on what came out the last few days. Among the news are two rescinded trades of Chris Paul, New York adding the best center they’ve had since Patrick Ewing, several former All-Stars getting “amnestied”, possible tampering by the New Jersey Nets, Boston almost getting Davis West, and lots and lots of signings.

So where do we start?

BUYER BEWARE

The first Chris Paul deal to the Lakers appeared to be pretty much done until the rest of the league realized that the Lakers would, again, be foregoing the usual need to rebuild and simply using their stature to secure a replacement for franchise player Kobe Bryant. Since New Orleans is owned by the league, technically all the owners own the Hornets, so any trade or deal needs to be run by all of them, first. If this sounds like a recipe for disaster, you’re probably right.

And so after the first deal got nixed, the three teams (New Orleans, Lakers and Houston) got together and put together a different, rather similar, deal. And the NBA nixed that one, basically telling the Lakers that no matter what deal they put together, they aren’t getting Chris Paul.

As a fan of several teams that aren’t owned by Jerry Buss, I can’t say I’m too disappointed. The thought of watching the Lakers grab another top 10 talent, and one that would eventually replace Kobe, was not enticing at all.

So with the Lakers out of the picture, the Clippers started making their offers for Paul. This time, though, instead of the Hornets GM, Dell Demps, handling the negotiations, it was NBA brass, Stu Jackson and Joel Litvin, running things for the Hornets.

Excuse me?

Yes, while he hasn’t been fired, for some reason the NBA has basically castrated Demps and taken any power away from him in favour of the guy who was mostly responsible for mismanaging the Vancouver Grizzlies so badly that he destroyed any chance for the team’s long term viability in the city. Hornet fans need to brace themselves. Seriously.

Still, from the sounds of it, it’s hard to be critical of their strategy. If they can get anything close to Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, as well as the T-Wolves 2012 pick, for Paul, then they’ll have done very well. While, I wasn’t a big fan of HOW the NBA killed the Laker deals, I felt they were horrible deals for the Hornets. If you’re going to lose your franchise player, getting one low draft pick and no potential star is probably not the best deal. They need to take a page out of Utah and Denver’s book and get as many young assets and draft picks as they can. Trading your franchise player, while trying to stay competitive is a recipe for disaster. Well, mediocrity, but that’s the same thing in the NBA.

On the other hand, could New Orleans be expecting too much for Paul? Considering no other team can really come close to what the Clippers have already offered, you have to wonder if the NBA is simply trying to LOOK like they are trying to trade Paul. After the Laker’s debacle, Paul, his agent and the NBAPA made some noise about suing the league. And you also have to think that the Hornets franchise is worth A LOT more with a franchise player like Chris Paul than without him. Unless they get some amazing talent back (like what they’re asking for from the Clippers), it makes some financial sense to hold onto Paul for as long as they can.

That means, though, if I’m another team, I’d approach any negotiations with an air of suspicion.

**Update**

And now it seems the Lakers, gluttons for punishment apparently, are now back in the hunt for Paul.

BANKING CENTRE

Although nothing has happened with Chris Paul, there were a whole slew of deals that happened in the league. In fact, all the free agent centers, who were probably the biggest free agent prizes, have now settled on homes for the new season.

The first domino was Tyson Chandler quickly signing with New York, after flirting with New Jersey, Houston and Golden State. An interesting and somewhat surprising turn of events considering that it pretty much takes them out of the free agent market next summer, when Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard were most likely going to become free agents.

From a basketball standpoint, this was probably the best move they could make. After being almost left out in the cold in the last free agent bonanza, coming home with probably their fourth choice, risking it all again probably wasn’t the best move. And the fact is, while Paul and Williams would certainly help the team, what the Knicks need most is defense, and that doesn’t start with the point guard position. It starts with the big men. With Amare, defense is an afterthought, so signing one of the best defensive centers in the league, to play alongside him, is a stroke of genius.

So does that mean the Knicks are finally going to be a true contender again?

Not so fast.

They had to amnesty Chauncey Billups in order to sign Chandler, and while his best days are definitely behind him, he’s still one of the better PGs in the league and his leadership and veteran savvy will be difficult to replace. The signing of a WAY over the hill Mike Bibby and the rumours of signing Baron Davis when he’s waived by the Cavs does very little to change things.

And an offense that runs through Carmelo Anthony, who’s never been known for his passing or his ability to make those around him better, is probably not going to be as potent as it was last season. But with better defense, maybe it won’t have to be.

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After Chandler was signed by the Knicks, the next free agent center to get his big payday was DeAndre Jordan, who you need to look at as more of an investment, because his prior stats certainly aren’t going to sell you on the fact he might be worth the $10 million a year the Golden State Warriors offered him and the Clippers matched. For a guy whose stats were incredibly similar to Amir Johnson‘s, Clippers fans better hope that what we’ve seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

Just to emphasis the similarity of the seasons Jordan and Johnson had, let’s look at their stats:

DeAndre Jordan
MPG- 25.6
FG%- .686
FT%- .452
RPG- 7.2
APG- 0.5
SPG- 0.5
BPG- 1.8
FPG- 3.2
PPG- 7.1

Amir Johnson
MPG- 25.7
FG%- .568
FT%- .788
RPG- 6.4
APG- 1.1
SPG- 0.7
BPG- 1.2
FPG- 3.7
PPG- 9.6

Jordan is 23 and Amir is 24. Jordan is listed at 6’11 and Amir is listed at 6’9 (although is probably closer to 6’10). Jordan will be making $40 million over the next four years. Amir will be making $25 million over the next four years.

So where are all those people who complained that Amir was vastly overpaid?

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One interesting thing about DeAndre Jordan is that he was actually a second round pick, proving that you can find talent anywhere (although it’s incredibly rare). Coincidentally, the next center to back up to the bank was another second round pick, Marc Gasol. While neither Memphis or the Clippers are known for their shrewd personnel decisions, both of them made the decision to allow their player to get an offer from another team, setting their market value, and then matched it. Maybe Memphis learned their lesson after they overpaid Rudy Gay the previous offseason, without him even testing the market.

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Lastly, for all the talk that Denver simply didn’t respect him, money did the talking and he signed a 5 year, $67 million contract with the Nuggets. And while Denver obviously had to do something to stem the exodus of talent (mostly to China, strangely enough), I don’t know if a team that should be focusing on rebuilding should be spending that much on a 29 year old big man whose defense and rebounding have never been great (although they are decent), and who’s never averaged even 15 ppg during his career.

With all the money being thrown around at above average centers, do you think Jon Koncak is wishing he was born 20 years earlier?

AROUND THE HORN

So as I said, Chauncey Billups got waived by the Knicks, but ended up being claimed by the Clippers for only $2 million. Not a bad bargain and a great deal for the Clippers, who desperately need his leadership. Even if the Clippers don’t end up trading for Chris Paul, you have to think their PG situation is MUCH better than it was a couple of years ago when an out of shape and grossly overpaid Baron Davis was running the show.

In fact, with the signing of Caron Butler (who was overpaid, but we’re not talking Baron Davis money, so it’s all relative), gives the Clippers one of the best up and coming teams since the Oklahoma Thunder. The small forward position was their weakest position and, if healthy, Butler is exactly what they need.

And speaking of small forwards, I have to say I was greatly disappointed to see Shane Battier sign with Miami. It’s not that I didn’t want him to sign with a contender, it’s that I would have MUCH rather have seen him sign with the Spurs, a team he probably would have ended up starting for, and who would have gone together like Shawn Kemp and alimony cheques.

As for the Spurs, at one point it looked like Richard Jefferson was going to be a victim of the amnesty rule, but when both Butler and Battier signed elsewhere, it probably saved Jefferson from having to pack his bags. I don’t know if there’s another small forward on the market, now, that’s better than Jefferson.

I’m going to do another Offseason Report Card, this year, so that’ll be it for my commentary for now.

TORONTO: Exceeds Expectations

5. Jonas Valanciunas

It’s deja vu all over again. Last year, a team above them unexpectedly took an athletic defensive power forward which resulted in a higher ranked big man unexpectedly falling to the Raptors. Colangelo and the Raptors brass probably can’t believe their luck. I was afraid they might still take Knight, but Colangelo showed he is indeed focused on the future, rather than the present.

Valanciunas will fill the void at center the Raptors have been lacking for, well, ever. While apparently a lot of Raptor fans are unhappy with the pick, I think they’ll eventually regret that as Valanciunas is the type of player that Raptor fans love. He’s a high energy player who hustles, defends and rebounds. English, though, is not his strong suit.

On the other hand, the pick they got from the Heat, which they traded to the Bulls for James Johnson, could have been used to pick Corey Joseph at 28, who went one spot later to the Spurs. Who knows if that’s who Colangelo would have picked, as he was projected to go in the second round, but I’ll certainly be comparing their careers. And since the Spurs are pretty much never wrong…

I would have liked to see them try and scoop up another pick, but it’s not a big deal that they didn’t.

SAN ANTONIO: Exceeds Expectations

29. Cory Joseph

Traded George Hill for Indiana’s 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard.

I assumed the Spurs would exceed expectations, and again they have. Trading for Leonard is huge, especially since he was projected to go in the top ten and dropped. He’s the type of defender than the Spurs love, is in the perfect situation, and should step in Bruce Bowen’s shoes, that have been empty for a few years.

If on of my sleepers, Toronto’s Cory Joseph couldn’t get drafted by the Raptors, then the Spurs would have been my second choice. And it’s incredible timing because they might have their replacement for Hill. Yes, he projected to go in the second round, but I think he has first round talent and so, apparently, do the Spurs.haunt them. Burks should be a decent player, but guys like him are a dime a dozen.

CHARLOTTE: Exceeds Expectations

7. Bismack Biyombo
9. Kemba Walker

Traded Stephen Jackson for Sacramento’s 7th pick and Corey Maggette.

Sold 39th pick, Jeremy Tyler to Golden State, I’m guessing for cash.

It hurts to say it, but Charlotte actually did well. I was surprised that they passed on Knight for Biyombo, as they’ve been looking for a real starting PG for, well, their entire existence, but they resisted temptation and went with a guy who I think will be better down the road. I also look forward to watching Biyombo and Tyrus Thomas being on the floor at the same time. The front row needs to watch out.

Maggette was a disaster in Milwaukee and now brings his brand of scoring and no defense to Charlotte. He’s probably going to lose games for them, but that’s kind of what they wanted, so maybe it’s a good thing?

Walker fell, but not as far as I thought he might. I think it’s still a pretty good pick at 9, but Charlotte seems to like picking decent PGs with little upside.

CHICAGO: Exceeds Expectations

23. Nikola Mirotic
30. Jimmy Butler

Traded 28th and 43rd picks for Houstons 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic.

Butler was very efficient offensively at Butler, and is a very good defender, so the Bulls may have a sleeper on their hands.

How much do you think the Spurs are pissed at not getting Mirotic, who is exactly the type of player they usually scoop up at the end up the first round? He’s a huge steal, but will play overseas for a couple of more seasons. That’s fine with the Bulls.

DENVER: Exceeds Expectations

22. Kenneth Faried
26. Jordan Hamilton
56. Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Traded Raymond Felton for Portland’s 26th pick, Jordan Hamilton, and Andre Miller.

Traded for Laker’s 56th pick, Chukwudiebere Maduabum, somehow.

Although I haven’t confirmed that Denver is, in fact, keeping Faried, if they do this was a very good draft day. I would have liked to have seen them get more for Felton, but Miller is a good, veteran PG that will probably be shipped elsewhere soon. Plus they were able to pick up another pick and a SF who has a chance to be a decent pro.

Faried is the type of player that everyone loves and helps you win. So why didn’t he go higher? Probably because he’s not a scorer and a little undersized.

I have no idea who Chukwudiebere Maduabum, but on his Draft Express profile, he’s listed as Chu Chu. I think he’s worthy of picking just for that. He immediately is in the running for best All-Tim NBA name.

MEMPHIS: Exceeds Expectations

49. Josh Selby

Selby was considered a first round talent, so this has to be considered a steal. Where they’ll find room for him, is another thing.
DETROIT: Exceeds Expectations

8. Brandon Knight
33. Kyle Singler
52. Vernon Macklin

Although I question whether he can play PG, Knight was projected to go in the top 5 and dropped to 8th, so Pistons fans have to be happy. Of course, he kind of presents the same problems that Rodney Stuckey, who’s also a combo guard they tried to turn into a point guard, did.

Singler is never going to be a star, but last year he was considered a middle first round pick and they got him in the second round. I think he’ll hang on and have a decent career as a bench player.

DALLAS: Exceeds Expectations

Traded their 26th pick to Portland for Rudy Fernandez

The rich get richer. Dallas has no use for a rookie and no one picked there was going to help them like Fernandez. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting next year.

LAKERS: Exceeds Expectations

41. Darius Morris
46. Andrew Goodelock
58. Ater Majok

Without a first round pick, they were able to pick up a decent prospect, in Darius Morris. This might be the second year in a row they get at least one keeper from the second round.

PHILADELPHIA: Exceeds Expectations

16. Nikola Vucevic
50. Lavoy Allen

Vucevic should end up being a pretty good pro and probable starter. At 16, in this draft, that’s pretty damn good.

CLEVELAND: Meets Expectations

1. Kyrie Irving
4. Tristan Thompson
32. Justin Harper

Irving will probably be the best player, so it was no surprise he was the first pick.

Thompson was the first big surprise of the night. And while I don’t think it’s a bad pick, since I think Thompson is going to be a very good pro, but he was a big reach at 3. Valanciunas would have made much more sense, but apparently Cleveland wants to make an impact immediately. Something they might regret down the line.

I think Cleveland should have offered Minnesota everything but it’s first pick to move up to 2 and draft Williams. If they had come out of the draft with Irving AND Williams, their future would have looked A LOT brighter.

Justin Harper is a stretch 4 that isn’t very big and probably won’t be much of a rebounder in the NBA. If he sticks, it’s because of his shooting. On Cleveland, that’s devoid of talent, he might, but with Antawn Jamison and J.J. Hickson as well as Anderson Varejao, who will probably be traded this summer, it’s puzzling why they’d take another power forward.

NEW YORK: Meets Expectations

45. Josh Harrellson

New York gets the guy Enes Kanter apparently made into the player he is today. So says Harrellson.

MINNESOTA: Meets Expectations

2. Derrick Williams

Traded Jonny Flynn for Houston’s 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic, and Brad Miller.

For some reason the T-Wolves don’t end up with the 23d pick, so it’s basically a Flynn for Miller deal. Not sure why they’d do that.

Keeping Williams is the right move even though he doubles up on Beasley’s skills. He should be better than Bealsey and should give the Wolves some star power.

UTAH: Meets Expectations

3. Enes Kanter
12. Alec Burks

Although a lot of people had Brandon Knight going to Utah for the months leading up to the draft, they apparently changed their mind with less than a week to go. And while I was a little missed he didn’t fall to the Raptors, I think Utah will be VERY happy they chose Kanter instead of Knight.

Of course, while I think they made the right decision at 3, passing up Leonard, who is probably exactly what the Jazz need, is probably going to

OKLAHOMA CITY: Meets Expectations

27. Reggie Jackson

Jackson is a combo guard who joins an already crowded Thunder backcourt. I really don’t know where he’ll find minutes. I wonder why Oklahoma didn’t simply trade out of the draft.

PORTLAND: Meets Expectations

21. Nolan Smith
51. Jon Diebler

Traded Andre Miller for Raymond Felton

Traded Rudy Fernandez to Dallas for 26th pick, which they gave to Denver in prearranged deal.

Getting Felton for Miller is a great deal for Portland. He might be the young point guard they’ve been looking for all these years.

Unfortunately, picking Nolan Smith over Faried, who they could really use, was a mistake.

ORLANDO: Meets Expectations

53. DeAndre Liggins

He’s a player that was on Kentucky, but now he’s not.

ATLANTA: Meets Expectations

48. Keith Benson

He’s got legit size for an NBA power forward, and he’s stronger than he looks. For the 48th pick, the Hawks did well.

For a team hitting their ceiling, I would have liked to have seen them a little more active. Maybe after the new CBA is signed, whenever that happens.

MIAMI: Approaching Expectations

28. Norris Cole

Somehow got the 28th pick from Chicago to draft Cole, a PG, who should provide insurance in case Bibby is not re-upped.

BOSTON: Approaching  Expectations

27. JuJuan Johnson
55. E’Twaun Moore

Traded their 25th pick for the 27th pick.

Johnson is a decent player, but I don’t see him making any impact on the Celtics, either now or down the line. But would anyone else have?

Moore is an undersized shooting guard, but I’m guessing what attracted Boston was the ability to tell people they drafted JuJuan and E’Twaun. And both are American.

MILWAUKEE: Approaching Expectations

19. Tobias Harris
40. John Leuer

Traded Corey Maggette and 10th pick for Stephen Jackson and Charlotte’s 19th pick, Tobias Harris.

Getting rid of Maggette, who was a disaster, is good, but is Jackson really what they need? And how much longer does he have? Harris is a good pick, though, who’s been compared to Shane Battier.

PHOENIX: Approaching  Expectations

13. Markieff Morris

Morris might make a pretty good role player on a good team. Phoenix, however, needs home runs, not singles. They have a lot of role players and the engine that makes them go, Nash, is nearing the end of his career.

GOLDEN STATE: Approaching Expectations

11. Klay Thompson
37. Jeremy Tyler
44. Charles Jenkins

So they STILL have Monta Ellis, yet decide to draft yet another shooter, while Kawhi Leonard  and Nikola Vucevic were still available. Thompson might be the best player available, for all I know, though, and if Jerry West thinks so, it’s probably true.

I don’t know about Tyler, though, who seems to have the physical tools, but needs maturity.

WASHINGTON: Approaching Expectations

6. Jan Vesely
18.Chris Singleton
34. Shelvin Mack

A lot of teams seemed high on Vesley, but I don’t understand the attraction to him. He’s 6’11 and athletic, but he’s not a great scorer, can’t shoot, isn’t a good ball handler, will probably struggle defensively at the 3 and is a poor rebounder for his size. He’s apparently got a good motor, though, and he’s got a very hot girlfriend, so those are both pluses.

Singleton was on my don’t draft list and I really don’t see how he’s going to play with Vesley. Neither can shoot, but Singleton has even fewer skills than Vesley.

NEW JERSEY: Approaching Expectations

25. Marshon Brooks
36. Jordan Williams

Traded their 27th pick, JaJuan Johnson for Boston’s 25th pick, Marshon Brooks

When I first saw a trade between Boston and New Jersey involving Brooks, I thought it was a blockbuster. No, it was not Brooks Lopez, but Marshon Brooks, who bring his great shooting and horrible defense to a bad defensive team.

CLIPPERS: Needs Improvement

37. Trey Thompkins
47. Travis Leslie

The Clippers traded away a unprotected lottery pick that ended up being Kyrie Irving, who’s probably just what the Clippers could have used to solidify them as one of the teams of the future. What they ended up drafting were two solid NCAA players with probably very little chance of sticking in the NBA.

SACRAMENTO: Needs Improvement

10. Jimmer Fredette
35. Tyler Honeycutt

Traded their 7th pick for Milwaukee’s 10th pick, Jimmer Fredette, and John Salmons

So, the Kings trade John Salmons away, only to trade back for him a couple of years later. And move down in the draft in order to do it. Fredette might be a great shooter, but I don’t see how he helps Sacramento. He’s not going to be a good defender and will do nothing for the chemistry. Keeping the pick and taking Knight or Walker would have been preferable.

HOUSTON: Needs Improvement

14. Marcus Morris
38. Chandler Parsons

Traded Brad Miller, the 23rd pick and a future first rounder for Minnesota’s 20th pick, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jonny Flynn.

Houston’s GM, Daryl Morey, intrigues me. He’s apparently a big advanced stats guy and was initially a guy a lot of Raptor fans wanted to replace Colangelo, but he makes the most head scratching trades. Motiejunas was another on my do not draft list. He doesn’t defend or rebound, but should be able to score a lot, which makes him basically a bigger version of Kevin Martin

Morris is, yet another young, decent power forward to join Houston’s stable of other decent, power forwards. Apparently you can never get enough of them.

Parsons is a typical Rocket small forward. he does a whole lot of things, but none of them really well.

INDIANA: Needs Improvement

Traded their 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard, to the Spurs for George Hill

Don’t the Pacers already have enough PGs who aren’t really PGs? George Hill looked good in the Spurs system, but you need to watch out for those guys, because there’s a good chance he won’t look nearly as good out of it. And while the Pacers already have enough SFs, don’t they know not to trade a draft pick to the Spurs?

NEW ORLEANS: Incomplete

Traded completely out of the draft by trading the 45th pick, Josh Harrellson, to the Knicks for cash.

No, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to be combing through Europe to find the next Dirk, just as it wasn’t a good idea to start stacking your team with two centers, after Houston miraculously made it to the Finals, in 1986, with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, or to start trying to convert shooting guards and small forwards into point guards, simply because Magic Johnson was 6’9 and could pass and handle the ball like a guy a foot shorter.

You see, the main reason it’s not a good idea to start copying teams that have just won Championships is because you can’t duplicate someone else’s success. There’s not blueprint you can follow. Every Champion has been completely unique. Look back at all the teams that have won and you can’t really say that any team was like any other one that ended up winning it all.

The teams that end up winning it all are usually teams that don’t try and be like another team, or even build itself to beat another team (talk about a bad idea). The real contenders are the ones who are trailblazers (no pun intended) and make everyone else adjust to them, not the other way around.

In the end, THAT’S what we may have learned this season. Well, if you hadn’t been paying attention the last 50 or so years the NBA has been around.

Now, I’m not saying the playoffs weren’t entertaining, because they most definitely were. Close games and unexpected results are always entertaining. But watching the playoffs, something kept gnawing at my brain.

When my beloved Spurs were knocked out in the first round, I realized that these playoffs were going to be a little different. The big problem was not that the #8 seeded Grizzlies knocking off the #1 seeded Spurs was a huge upset. It was, but not to the degree it seemed. The problem was that despite winning 61 games, second in the NBA, the Spurs were simply not that good a team. And neither were any of the other teams out there. I never once thought to myself, “Wow, THAT’S a Championship team”, while watching ANY team play. A few teams looked great in spurts, but in many ways, this year looks a lot like the 2004 season when the Larry Brown coached Detroit Pistons won their Championship.

2004 was, in many ways, a hiccup year. The two top teams were the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves, two teams that had not made it out of the first round of the playoffs in at least the previous three years and had only won 51 and 48 games respectively the previous season.  And both teams only won 44 games the next season.  This was a weird year, to say the least.

And the Detroit Pistons took advantage. Despite winning only 54 games in a very weak East, the Pistons were able to make it to the Finals just in time to play a collapsing Laker team that was on the verge of being broken up and Phil Jackson retiring (the first time, having learned from Jordan that only sissies retire once). The Pistons would become one of the least talented Championship teams in the last few decades, becoming the first team since 1979 to win a Championship without a current or former All-NBA player (Chauncey Billups would later make the All-NBA 2nd team, but not until after the team had won their Championship) on the roster.

So what does all that have to do with these playoffs? Well, as I said, no team really jumped out at me as being great this year, or in these playoffs, not even the NBA Champion Mavericks.

The Celtics completely screwed themselves when they traded Kendrick Perkins and, with him, the only advantage they had over Miami. Ironically, they made the trade in order to try and be able to defend Miami better, proving they were apparently one of the people not paying attention the last 50 years. Instead of making Miami adjust to their size, Boston blinked first and adjusted their roster to beat Miami. And lost.

Orlando went from contender to pretender when they tried to turn back the clock and sacrificed defense for offense in trading for Hedo Turkoglu. Orlando also hadn’t been paying attention the last 50 years when nearly every single NBA Champion consisted of one of the best defensive teams in the league. I find it amazing that Otis Smith, who until he got his job in Orlando was noteworthy only because he competed in a dunk contest against Michael Jordan while he was at Golden State, still has his job after trying to beat the record for killing a team’s title chances the fastest.

The Lakers won 57 games, but never once looked like the dominant team that marched to the Championship the last two years. And the Spurs, despite having one of the worst defensive seasons in over a decade, won 61 games, yet never seemed to be a real threat to win the title.

And then there’s Miami. Well, I do find it funny that there is so much discussion on the internet that the Miami experiment is now considered a failure and that the big 3 needs to be broken up. This from a team that came within 2 wins of winning the title. If Miami needs to be broken up, I’d hate to think what needs to be done in Chicago or Boston, both of whom could only take a game from Miami in their march to the Finals.

Miami was never the dominant team that some expected, but neither are they the disaster that people are making them out to be, now. On a related note, LeBron is being completely maligned after coming up short in the deciding game, yet until just a few games ago, people were talking about LeBron being better than Michael Jordan. Even Jordan’s wingman, Scottie Pippen, uttered such unbelievable thoughts. But just as they tried to anoint (and then tarnish and then anoint etc) Kobe Bryant as the air apparent, the media and fans try and jump to conclusions far too quickly.

So what does this all mean? Well, it means that Dallas is the best team this year, but that might not be saying much. It means that LeBron isn’t Jordan, but that’s not necessarily an insult. It means that everything will start over again in October, if we’re lucky.

As one of the main focuses of this blog is on the Raptors, does it mean anything to the Raptors? Well it doesn’t mean at all what PhdSteve, over at Raptors Republic, seems to think it does. I don’t see Miami’s defeat as somehow a “referendum” on just how valuable Andrea Bargnani is. The one thing we learned from these playoffs (again, for those who weren’t paying attention the previous 50 years) is that defense wins and bad defensive players Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic all are players that were never the greatest defensive players, but have simply become bad as they’ve gotten older. And all three watched their minutes plummet as the playoffs progressed.

It wasn’t just the teams in the Finals, though. On Boston, the former starter at center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, watched his playing time disappear because, while a good offensive player, was a weak link on a good defensive team.

Now, astute readers will point to Zach Randolph, a player who’s never been accused of taking defense too seriously, came within a game of leading his team to the Conference Finals. Well, all I can say is that Memphis might have ended up beating the Thunder of Randolph was a better defender. Or if that doesn’t work, I could just say they’re the exception that proves the rule, whatever that means.

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COACHING CAROUSEL

Getting back to the Raptors, I find myself unable to get too excited about the coaching search. Dwayne Casey, Lawrence Frank and now Maurice Cheeks are are perfectly adequate choices. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what I think they are adequate. Only a desperate coach is going to want to take over a 22 win team with mediocre talent, so the chance of hiring a great coach is pretty slim. It’s one of the reasons I thought the letting go of Triano was a little premature. First of all, I don’t think he did that bad of a job. No, he didn’t do a good one, either, but given what he was given, I don’t think anyone would have done much better. And I don’t know if there would have been much harm in giving him one more year. After that, the team might have more talent to attract a better coach.

GETTING TOO GREEDY

In my last post, I discussed how Golden State might be on the right track when rumours surfaced about a possible trade of Monta Ellis for Andre Iguodala. I’ve always thought that Ellis, while a fantastic scorer, is basically like a model with a drug habit. Sure, she looks great, but the relationship is never going to go anywhere. Iguodala isn’t the scorer that Ellis is, but he’s better at virtually every other aspect of the game. But now news is that Golden State wants more than Iguodala. Maybe that’s why I’m not a GM (well, that and I’m not exactly qualified). I’d take the offer and run. With Jerry West advising the Warriors, I wouldn’t be surprised if they now end up with Philly’s first round pick, or something.

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The Rookies and Sophomores were announced and while DeMar DeRozan was selected, Ed Davis was not.  Was Davis deserving? Sure, but  wouldn’t call it a snub. Favors, who got in over Davis, has similar numbers and with the Nets not having anyone with any chance to make the team, I’m guessing the NBA wanted them to have some presence. It’s likely Davis will replace Blake Griffin, anyway, since most feel Griffin is going to be playing in the big game.

As for the real All-Stars, here would be my selections:

WEST

Guards:

Like other years in the West, there are more All-Stars than spots available for the All-Star game. Guys who probably should make it, but don’t really have a shot, like Steve Nash and Tony Parker, would probably make it in the East.

Manu Ginobili

The best player on the best team in the league. Yes, Tim Duncan may be still the franchise player, but Ginobili is the guy who carries this team and he’s having a career year now that he’s finally injury free. The reason the Spurs are my favourite to win the title is partly because of this guy. No one gets better at crunch time than him. No one.

Deron Williams

Deron deserves a better team than he is surrounded by at the moment, and Utah’s high level mediocrity is not his fault. Without him, this team wouldn’t have a shot at the playoffs.

Forwards:

Someone deserving is going to get left off, and, like the guard position snubs, at least one of them would probably make it if he had this season in the East.

Dirk Nowitzki

Before he went down with injury, Dallas was the second best team in the league. Without him, they were 2-7. It’s not hard to do the math on that one. Nowitzki will never be the defensive force that most Hall of Fame big men are, and because of that probably won’t ever lead Dallas to a Championship (Dallas has underperformed consistently in the playoffs with him), but there’s no doubt this team is far, far much better because of him.

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin very well might be having the best rookie season since Tim Duncan. He’s 12th in scoring, 4th in rebounding and even dishing a very good 3.6 assists per game, 3rd among ALL big men (PFs and centers) in the league. And he’s getting better every month. Plus, he’s actually helping the Clippers not suck, which is enough to get my vote. Still, if he wants to become truly great, he’s going to have to vastly improve his defense because right now he makes Amare Stoudemire look like Bill Russell.

Center:

Remember when the West had Shaq in his prime and David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon still playing very high level basketball? Now, in order to find a healthy, All-Star worthy center, you have to use the David Stern added rule that you can pick someone who ALSO plays center.

Pau Gasol

Gasol has struggled this year, partly due to an increased workload, but he’s still been one of the main reasons why the Lakers, despite their struggles, are still number 2 in the West.

Wildcards:

Kevin Love

He scores 21.4 ppg and grabs a monstrous 15.5 rpg despite taking 148 shots from beyond the arc and being 10th in the league in 3 point percentage. Oh, and he’s one of the top passers at his position. Sure, he plays for the basement dwelling T-Wolves, but as his video tells us, he’s got the numbers

Russell Westbrook

Some thought he was Oklahoma’s MVP in the early part of the season, and he’s shown some kinks in his armour (why is a PG who shoots 43% from the field taking 17 shots per game), but he’s still helped Oklahoma move up to the fourth seed in the West.

Who I left off:

Obviously I’ve left off some very good players. Tim Duncan was probably the most difficult omission, since he plays on the best team in the league, right now, but does anyone really think he’s not going to be selected to replace Yao?

Tony Parker and Steve Nash I already mentioned, and it’s a shame they won’t make it because they are having All-Star seasons. There just simply isn’t room.

Another guy I’d love to include, but can’t, is LaMarcus Aldridge. He’s carries the Blazers since Roy went down and if he had played like he has in January for the entire season, I’d be tempted to include him. Still, he’s quietly becoming one of the best PFs in the league.

I know Monta Ellis and Zach Randolph put up great numbers, and I included Kevin Love because of his great stats, but I simply can’t see either player ever being a major contributor for a contender. These are prototypical good players on bad teams.

EAST

Guards:

The guard position is very much like the Center position in the West. Obviously not as glaring, but still not exactly strong.

Rajon Rondo

It’s amazing how much he’s improved since he was drafted. His lack of jumpshot might very well be the Celtic’s Achilles heal, but he’s still managed to shoot over 50% from the field, so he’s not exactly hurting the team much.

Ray Allen

He’s having his best season as a Celtic and looking nothing like the creaky, aging player that sometimes looked like he might not have a lot left in the tank the last year or two. I don’t know what the Celtics are giving him, but I want some.

Forwards:

Kevin Garnett

Back when Garnett went down with injury, in 2008, I was adamant that the Celtics were hiding the seriousness of the injury. They never satisfactorily explained the injury or commented how long he’d be out. The deeper the Celtics got in the playoffs, the more fishy it looked that he didn’t look like he was trying to return. Honestly, after that, I figured his career was pretty much done. Especially after the start last year. But whatever the Celtics are giving to Allen, they must also be giving to Garnett because he looks fully recovered.

Chris Bosh

Remember when everyone thought Chris Bosh was the problem in Miami during their horrible start? No one has any harsh words to say about him now (well, except for some Raptor fans). He’s not the best player on the Heat, but he’s just as important as Wade and LeBron to their success.

Center:

A lot has changed in the East at the center position when Jamaal Magloire made the All Star team for the sole fact that he was the best player at a position that didn’t include many good players.While the position is not exactly teeming with All-Star worthy players, with guys like Horford, Noah, Bogut and Lopez, the East looks like it won’t have any trouble filling the position any time soon.

Al Horford

Joe Johnson is the team’s leading scorer, but I think Horford has become the team’s best player. When Johnson went down, the team barely faltered, but they lost Horford, I think they’d be in trouble. He’s not a great scorer, but he can score if needed, and he really doesn’t have a weakness.

Wildcards:

Paul Pierce

The main reason the Celtics didn’t falter when Rondo went down was Paul Pierce played like an MVP. Like his other veteran stars, he’s getting old, but he’s proven he’s still got a couple of good years left, at least.

Carlos Boozer

The selection I’m least happy about. Noah is the second best player on Chicago, but because he’s injured, he’s out. I could easily be swayed to select Joe Johnson, instead, but Boozer had a big impact on Chicago, so he sneaks by. He’s still not a good defensive player, but he’s decent enough that he’s not a liability on that end.

Who I left off:

Obviously Joe Johnson was the hardest cut. And I’m not thrilled about having FOUR Celtics, no matter how good the team is. San Antonio only has three and they have the best record in the league. The truth is, though, that all four Celtic All-Stars are deserving.

Joakim Noah will be a perennial All-Star when he’s healthy, and his injury is the only thing that prevented his inclusion.

Andrew Bogut might end up being a perennial snub since both Noah and Horford should probably always be ahead of him. He’s still a very good player and would probably be an All-Star in the West, at center.

Josh Smith again misses out on the cut. Good, but not good enough.

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My end of the year post, which detailed 5 trades that needed to happen in 2011, may not have been so far out, after all. A few weeks after I posted that column, and not long after Anderson Varejao ended his season with an injury, it came out that Oklahoma was in discussions with Cleveland to try and get…you guessed it, Anderson Varejao.

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Speaking of my trades that need to happen, the Nets have pulled out and I think it’s probably the best thing for them. Carmelo has never proven to be enough of a difference maker to want to dismantle your team to get him. He’d certainly be a nice player if they can sign him, but if I were the Nets, I wouldn’t try and hit a home run with a kid’s bat (that’s the only analogy I could think of). Especially if the deal includes the aging Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, who are still good, but aren’t going to get the Nets to the promised land.

—

One more thing about Andrea Bargnani after last week’s column. Kevin Love, who is averaging 15.5 rpg has taken 3 fewer three point shots, while shooting a much higher percentage, than Andrea, this season. So much for the excuse that Bargnani doesn’t grab as many rebounds because he takes so many threes. Obviously Kevin Love doesn’t listen to excuses.

A lot of Raptor fans were certainly not expecting a win against Dallas last night. Sure, Dirk wasn’t playing for Dallas, but the Raptors leading scorer, starting PG and sometimes starting SF were out with injuries. And arguably the team’s most productive player, Amir Johnson, was nursing a back that made him walk like a 70 year old former professional wrestler.

Although the Raptors frontline hasn’t played well without Bargnani in the 3 previous games he’s missed this season, those games were against Chicago, the Lakers and Memphis- three teams with very big and very strong front lines. A frontline rotation of Amir Johnson, Joey Dorsey and Ed Davis have the ability to play very good team defense, but are too undersized (height and weight-wise) to be able to bang with the big boys. Amir and Davis weigh barely more than I do, despite being a foot taller, and while Dorsey has bulk, he’s woefully short to defend against 7 footers.

Yes, Dallas has Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood, but Chandler is like a taller Ed Davis and Haywood has been mostly a non-factor this year. And outside of them, they don’t really have a true PF without Dirk. With Dallas not having a Carlos Boozer, Pau Gasol or Zach Randolph-type guy who can bully the Raptors “big” men, Toronto’s frontline dominated. They outrebounded Dallas 42-35 and Amir and Davis protected the paint with Davis getting credited for 3 blocks, but altering at least twice that.

Speaking of Davis, this was by far the best game of his young career. He got career highs in scoring (17), rebounding (12), blocks (3) and steals (3), as well as free throws attemtped (8) and made (5). While his struggles against the bigger, stronger players shows how much he needs to add bulk and strength, a game like this shows how good he can be and what kind of impact he can have on the game.

A quick look at Amir’s stats won’t impress, but if anyone who has had back spasms can tell you, going out and playing the way he did, and playing a game and season high 42 minutes, is truly impressive. The guy hustled, defended and did everything he needed to do for the Raptors to win. It’s games like this that highlight why I believe that Amir is the most important player on the Raptors, and the only player on the roster, currently, who I can see starting on a Championship team. More on that in a future post.

DeMar DeRozan has gotten a lot of criticism lately, with a lot of people questioning his future, but in the the last ten games he’s averaged 14.5 ppg on 47% shooting, while getting to the line 5 times a game. Not spectacular, but numbers more in line with what was expected of him at the beginning of the year. And best of all, his jumper actually is starting to fall with some consistency. Against Dallas, he hit 6-10 from outside 10 feet, including a 23 foot jumper with about a minute left that pretty much sealed the game for the Raptors. It seems as though he’s starting to turn the corner, which is nice to see. He still needs to improve his defense, but he’s shown flashes of ability in that area which makes me think he’s still got the potential to be a good defender.

Jerryd Bayless had a much better game against Dallas than he did in his last start against Chicago, even though he scored 16 fewer points and shot 2-10 from the field. Why? Because he actually did his job as a PG against Dallas. Against Chicago, he might have scored well and played good defense against Derrick Rose, but his inability to run the offense killed the Raptors’ chances. In Dallas, Bayless still played excellent defense, but dished out 8 assists while helping the Raptors offense run much more smoothly. When he went out, I thought the Raptors would be in trouble.

On a side note, I can’t tell you how much I related to what happened with Bayless. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I turned my ankle badly during a pickup game, but stayed on the court against my better judgement (and those of the other players) only to land on someone’s foot several minutes later after a jumpshot and rolling the same ankle. This time, though, I had to be helped off the floor and was out for nearly a month. Playing hurt while risking further injury in completely meaningless games has been a theme in my basketball life. One of these days I’m going to list the number of injuries of had playing a sport my body wishes I never took up. And this is exactly why, when people ask whether my daughters will ever take up the sport, I laugh and shake my head. Not in a million years. Not after seeing how their father comes home on some nights.

Anyway, I really hope Bayless isn’t out for too long, but he strikes me as the type of player who is not going to be kept down for long, whether he’s hurting or not. I’m not convinced Bayless will ever be a starting PG in the NBA, but the more I see how competitive and driven he is, the more I like the guy and think he’s the type of guy I’d want on my team.

Now, Linus Kleiza should definitely be ashamed of being thrown out of a game his scoring was so desperately needed in, but while he was on the court, he was the Raptor’s best scorer. And I do love his toughness and willingness to piss people off, something the Raptors have not had much of lately. While Reggie Evans and Joey Dorsey are certainly physically more impressive, Kleiza is the Raptor I’d probably want to piss off the least. He’s had more altercations with opposing players than any other Raptor this season, and seems like he’d think nothing of clocking his opponent if he could get away with it. I don’t know how much he’d play on a better team, but I like him for right now.

Lastly, Julian Wright missed both of his field goal attempts and didn’t score a point in 26 points, but that goes to show you how little stats can matter (except for the final score). He played his ass off, defended as well as anyone on the court and was the second best passer on the Raptors. Him launching himself after that loose ball he had no real hope of getting should earn him more minutes, if nothing else. If I were Sonny Weems, I’d be incredibly worried seeing what Kleiza and Wright have done with more playing time.

Raptor fans had better savour this win because it might be the last in a while.

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I didn’t actually watch the Spurs-Lakers game, but a quick look at the box score highlighted something that I will discuss in a later post. Tim Duncan scored just 2 points (shooting 1-7), grabbed just 4 rebounds and blocked 0 shots in 27 minutes last night. What’s more important is that the Spurs won by 15, the Lakers shot just 35% and Duncan had the best +/- number on the floor (+18). Again, more on that in another post.