Cowboy Caviar…
Strap yourself in people! The NBA's Western Conference is about to get a makeover at the top end. ESPN reports that the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards are seriously discussing a trade that will send both Caron Butler AND Brendan Haywood to Dallas. If this move is made, I'm immediately declaring the Mavericks as Western Conference Finalists.
Quote from ESPN: "Sources told ESPN.com that the teams' negotiations only turned more serious Friday on a deal that would send Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and some smaller cap-friendly contracts to Washington for Butler, Haywood and Stevenson."
Dallas already has a very talented lineup and the addition of Haywood and Butler would certainly push them up to a very close second seed in the West. I still give the Lakers the edge at this stage, but to be honest, it's only due to chemistry.
Brendan Haywood is a good player, he's no superstar. Caron Butler has been better but has been fairly pedestrian of late. I think playing alongside Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and that guy named Dirk however would certainly bring out some magical play.
Will Butler and Haywood be the final pieces to the Dallas puzzle?
Let's assume Dirk get's doubled, you have Butler slashing to the hoop, Terry setting his feet for three, Haywood hitting the front of the rim and Marion swooping in for the crumbs. Now let's look at the fast break, Jason Kidd handling the ball, Marion filling one lane, Butler filling the other with Terry in the corner for three and Dirk trailing down the lane.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently hosting the biggest NBA Basketball party in NBA history at Cowboys Stadium. Could it be possible that they're four days away from finally creating the Monster that enables them to host the most meaningful NBA party of all...
...the Championship parade.
Agent (IQ) Zero…
Gilbert Arenas was suspended "indefinitely" yesterday by NBA Commissioner David Stern. It seems the logical choice after Arenas certainly didn't seem to take any of the backlash seriously regarding his John Wayne impersonation in the Wizards' locker room.
Like nearly all stories, there's sure to be a lot more to this one and we will see as it all develops. Ryan touched on Gilbert's behavior (or lack thereof) back in September...
As far as his behavior since this incident, Gilbert gets this image as a gift from me.
Enough said really...
Have a nice holiday Gilbert. We may see you some time this year...
Shooting blanks… saving the Wizards!
We all know the story of Gilbert Arenas by now and his fetish for leaving guns near teammate's lockers. But this also brings up another topic of discussion when it come to the Washington Wizards as a whole.
There has been talk circulating lately that Washington fans want to bring back the old "Bullets" name and colors to their team. Personally, although I love the idea, I think it's a little early to be trampling on poor ol' Abe Pollin's wishes. But hey, nothing moves as fast as change in this world.
It will be a while before the NBA sees any form of Washington Bullet name change...
The late Abe Pollin wouldn't have condoned having guns on-site at the Verizon Center, but I think there is a small bit of justice served in the fact that due to this scandal, the "Wizards" will remain just that for a few years yet. I don't see how any kind of PR spin can create the appropriate social window for Washington to make the change to "Bullets" now.
In a weird way Gilbert, you've just saved the Washington Wizards name, whilst also tarnishing it at the same time.
Tuesday Predictions…
There's 9 games on the books today in the NBA and I'm in the mood for some predictions. So here's my take on the games for November 3rd. Now you might raise your eyebrows at a couple of my suggestions, but I'll explain my reasons as we go.
Washington @ Cleveland: There's a big rivalry between these two teams and this game will be no exception. The Wiz are on their way upwards while the Cavs are finding their feet. Prediction: Cavs by 4. Result: Cavs by 12.
Denver @ Indiana: These two teams played each other in China during the pre-season. I think if Indiana get to within 10 points, they can consider it a win. Prediction: Nuggets by 14. Result: Nuggets by 18.
Boston @ Philadelphia: The Celtics aren't going to lose this... there is no way. Philly have some nice emerging talent but the Celtics are WAY too deep and will win easily. Prediction: Celtics by 18. (Side bet: Rondo to have a triple double by 3/4 time to celebrate his contract heist!) Result: Celtics by 31.
This is Rajon showing you how many millions he's going to be earning per year from now on. Also, how many points, rebounds and assists he's likely to get tonight.
Orlando @ Detroit: The Pistons have had an indifferent start and the Orlando Magic are trying to look as deep as Boston. They're not doing a bad job thanks to Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick. I think Ben Gordon will be the only thing that keeps this close for three quarters. Prediction: Orlando by 14. Result: Pistons by 5.
Phoenix @ Miami: A hard one to pick in my opinion. Both teams have a perfect 3-0 record and I really wouldn't have said either of them would be 4-0 to start the season. One of these teams has to be however and I'll have to go for the Heat but only because they are at home. Prediction: Miami by 3. Result: Suns by 8.
Milwaukee @ Chicago: United Center. Where Derrick Rose will happen. Prediction: Bulls by 10. Result: Bulls by 2.
The Bulls need a BIG night from Derrick Rose tonight...
LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City: The Thunder do look exciting and there's a few reasons to predict an OKC victory here but I'm sticking with the Lakers in a close one. Russell Westbrook has the opportunity to score 25 on Fisher and Farmar. I'm most interested to see if Artest guards Durant, and if so... the results. Prediction: Lakers by 8. Result: Lakers by 3.
Utah @ Dallas: I couldn't care less about this game but in the spirit of equality and objective journalism, I will predict a 15 point win to the Mavericks. Mainly because of Okur's gimpy foot. Result: Mavericks by 11.
Atlanta @ Portland: In my opinion the most exciting game of the night. I definitely predict a shoot out. If Oden and Aldridge can have a large impact, I see the Blazers doing it fairly comfortably. However, that is not a certainty. This one is ultimately a flip of the coin for me and I think it'll go overtime. Prediction: Portland by 4 in OT. Result: Atlanta by 6.
Here's to another entertaining day in the NBA!
2010
As far as predictions go, I realize this is practically impossible to get 100% correct. A full scale prediction of every team's win-loss record for the upcoming season. And worse yet, it's only September! However, I thought this would be interesting to look back on in June 2010.
Eastern Conference W L
Western Conference W L
Cleveland 60 22
Boston 56 26
Orlando 54 28
Atlanta 50 32
Toronto 45 37
Chicago 43 39
Miami 42 40
Charlotte 39 43
Indiana 38 44
Washington 37 45
Detroit 34 48
Philadelphia 32 50
Milwaukee 28 54
New York 27 55
New Jersey 24 58
LA Lakers 62 20
San Antonio 56 26
Dallas 54 28
Denver 50 32
Portland 50 32
Utah 48 34
New Orleans 42 40
Oklahoma City 41 41
Houston 38 44
Phoenix 37 45
LA Clippers 36 46
Golden State 35 47
Memphis 31 51
Minnesota 28 54
Sacramento 15 67
In making these predictions, I've taken into account all roster changes up to and including the 13th of September 2009. As soon as a blockbuster deal goes down, I may have to edit these figures.
I'm excited to see what Blake Griffin can do for the Clippers, what Allen Iverson can bring to the Grizzlies and how Amare Stoudemire will handle being stuck on a 37-win team. But most importantly, it will be interesting to see who can secure home court advantage throughout the entire Playoffs. This one fact alone may determine the Champion this year.
As always, time will tell and bring on the upcoming season!!!
Fixing the World – Episode 3
Welcome to another edition of Fixing the World here on Two Sides Of The Hoop. Today I'm going to have a look at New York and Washington. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum for offseason movement to date. I think we should be able to squeeze one more trade in here though. Let's look at the team needs as the rosters stand now.
Washington:
With the return of Agent Zero and Brendan Haywood and the addition of Mike Miller and Randy Foye, plus a pretty large coaching upgrade, the Wizards are looking to make some noise this year. They don't lack for offensive firepower, but they do lack real hustle and desire in their frontcourt.
New York:
For a D'Antoni team, they are a pretty sad lot with no real ability in the open court and no dynamic deep shooters. It's a bit of a sorry state. Add to that the fact that they are openly trying to shed cap space for LeBron-a-palooza '11 and a lot of work is to be done with this roster.
The Solution:
Washington gets a newly resigned David Lee (market value puts him about 6ish million per), Jared Jefferies contract and Cat Mobleys contract.
New York gets Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller.
The Reasoning:
Washington has a massive payroll and lots of offensive firepower, but can't stop anyone. David Lee isn't a defensive juggernaut, but with all the deep shots that will be going up in DC, they need a supreme glassman and David Lee is definitely that. Plus he should be able to hit the offensive boards to make up for some of Jamison's lost points. The big win here is Cat Mobley's insurance paid contract which softens the financial liabilities Washington will suffer from the conglomeration of wing talent.
New York gets two players who will mesh in Coach Mike D'Antoni's system perfectly, yet still have the flexibility to offer a max contract to free agent in the next offseason.
Welcome back!
Well it's about time...
Safe to say we've been away for a while and a lot has happened in the NBA. (More posts to follow, this is just a taste)
Firstly, Ron Artest is a Laker... Ariza is a Rocket... AI might be a Grizzly... 'Sheed is a Celtic... Shaq is a Cavalier... RJ is a Spur... VC is a Magician... Turk is a Raptor... Andre Miller is a Blazer... The Matrix is a Maverick... and finally Emeka Okafor is a Hornet. The competition this season will be electrifying with the likes of San Antonio, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and the Clippers all looking to make a run at the trophy.
Sorry Clippers fans, that was cruel. But if you think the franchise has turned around just because you drafted Mr Potato Head Griffin, then it's going to continue to be a sad state of affairs for you. I personally think you can look at some teams and just KNOW that nothing is going to be won for the next 10years... except maybe the lottery. I put the following teams in that category:
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
Charlotte Bobcats
Indiana Pacers
Washington Wizards
Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic
Minnesota Timberwolves
Phoenix Suns
That's my list, and I'm sticking to it. Call me in 10 years and I guarantee there will not be an NBA Champion among these franchises.
Bring on the new season!!