Dear Jeremy,
I hope you don't mind if I call you Jeremy.
First things first. Congratulations, because you made it.
This will probably be a drop in the bucket compared to all the stuff being written about you by Knicks bloggers, by Warriors bloggers, and just by surprised sports bloggers in general. You've had two big games, and hey, you don't have to listen to me, because frankly, you make almost 20x more than I do a year in salary (which I believe you will be getting guaranteed soon). Regardless of all that hype, regardless of the cheers or jeers of the fickle fans in Madison Square Garden, know that at the very least, you're the hero of every Asian-American male under 35 who used to pretend he was [insert favorite NBA player here] on his 8 (maybe 7) foot rim in his driveway. You are someone we can point to and say, "See, you don't have to be a doctor or computer programmer to make money." That's a lot of pressure, but you made it. You've shown that you don't have to be a 7-6 freak of nature from China to make it. Despite all the adversity, you made it, and we're proud of you.
Now you don't have to listen to a single thing I say, in fact, you probably won't even read this, but I'd like to give you a little bit of perspective (from where I'm sitting). You're going to continue to be scrutinized to a high degree, because well, NBA bloggers are diligent about what they do, and Knicks fans are well, generally crazy. People are going to continue to draw Steve Nash comparisons because well, you play for Mike D'Antoni, and you're breaking the "Asian man can't ball" stereotype like Nash broke the "white man can't ball" stereotype. Now I'll be the first to admit that I suck at basketball, and honestly, I don't watch it enough either to call myself anything more than a slightly-less-than-casual fan. So I don't have great credibility when I talk about technical basketball things. I could say how I think you've got a great feel for running the pick-and-roll, and I can talk about how a guy like Tyson Chandler must be a nice big target for you. At the end of the day though, people more credible and knowledgeable than I will be talking about your explosive first step, your creativity at getting to the rim while questioning your iffy jumper and athleticism. You probably hear enough of this stuff from your coaches and trainers. I know you've worked hard to get to where you are, and I'm glad you've taken a hold of this opportunity to shine.
I'd like to give you some more practical, personal advice. Now, I don't know a whole lot about being an NBA player, in fact I know absolutely nothing. Frankly, because I don't trust 2K Sports or EA Sports to make a game with any semblance of reality built in, and well, because at the end of the day, the people with the most experience, like Charles Barkley, are really just paid to say funny things that sound like they're related to basketball. I applaud your passion for the game, but also, I applaud your passion for Christ. People might (especially New Yorkers) get annoyed or offended that you try to glorify God in every interview that you have, but I appreciate your faith and your trust in how God has provided for you. Never lose that. Whether you become the next Steve Nash or the next Steve Blake, I hope that you never lose your passion for your faith. While I think you know better than I whose game you should emulate (maybe Jason Kidd?) on the court, I would ask that as you take a step back and consider, that you would emulate your career after the likes of David Robinson (Tim Tebow is also I believe someone whom you could look up to, though it is football). Now that you've made it, lots of doors open up for you, I hope then that you take the opportunity to meet with said people and get perspective. I know you're basketball game will keep growing, but it's how you grow with that game that's going to make the biggest impact of all.
Again, I'm glad you made it. I don't know that you'll read this, I don't know that you don't already know everything I've just said. That being said, I've had a blast watching you and hope to see much more. Great job Jeremy.
Sincerely,
A fan
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
An end to all this Melodrama
The Knicks did it. They finally got Carmelo Anthony. And Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams and Corey Brewer. Oh, and they get Renaldo Balkman back too. Who'd they get rid of? Well, finally Eddy Curry's fat contract, but also Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, and Raymond Felton. Curry and Randolph go to Minnesota while the balance of the players end up in the Mile High City. On paper, it looks okay... I guess. Why then do I still have this bad taste in my mouth? Growing up in upstate New York sort of makes me a de facto Knicks fan, and frankly, I can't really say I like this trade, any of it.
Do I think Melo is a bad player? No. Do I think Melo won't help the Knicks? No. But to be honest, I don't see Melo making a big difference. Sure I can make this team on my Playstation, average 36 and 28 ppg respectively with Amar'e and Melo and then go undefeated and win championships, but this isn't a video game. The Knicks didn't really need Melo and Melo honestly didn't need the Knicks, from a pure basketball perspective (I know there are other factors). I could be proven wrong, maybe Melo will learn to pass, Billups and Amar'e run a super effective pick and roll, but instinctively, I want to flinch at this trigger happy trade. Yes, we've been talking about this the whole year, but I can't help but think the Knicks gunned it a little too fast on the green light. First, let's consider the pre-Melo Knicks:
PG - Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas
SG - Landry Fields, Bill Walker
SF - Danilo Gallinari, Shawne Williams
PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, Wilson Chandler
C - Ronny Turiaf, Timofey Mozgov
With Kelenna Azubuike still out with a bum knee, players like Bill Walker and Shawne Williams have stepped up admirably, so they've been getting by admirably. The Knicks were a decent team, but not one that could get over the top, so here's what happens after the trade:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter
SG - Landry Fields, Corey Brewer
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Shawne Williams
PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, Renaldo Balkman
C - Ronny Turiaf, Shelden Williams
While Melo is the obvious upgrade over Gallo, but Billups and Balkman are both steps down from Felton and Chandler respectively. Additionally, there's no guarantee that Brewer will be a more positive contributor than either Walker or Williams (who are both still on the team) or if he'll even play if/when Azubuike gets back. Furthermore, as productive as Shelden Williams has been, he's no center, and he won't compensate for the lack of defense provided by Melo and Amar'e.
Honestly, it's not that I don't think Amar'e and Melo won't work, but rather that it won't work as effectively as people might surmise. Both can score, but both require more isolation sets to do so. However, that being said, these are two of the most respected players offensively in the entire world. They have a decent core, but any core with Chauncey Billups as a major cog leaves the window very short, and frankly, even in his prime, I don't know Billups could've made up the difference that is between a Melo/Amar'e combination and the remaining elite teams of the league. Of course, Billups did say earlier that if he got traded he may retire, which may be a good thing for New York, not in the short term, but perhaps it means they can go after something they need in free agency. Frankly, all in all, New York got its big name, but is it going to put them over the top? Not really. Seriously though, Melo, prove me wrong. Please.
Do I think Melo is a bad player? No. Do I think Melo won't help the Knicks? No. But to be honest, I don't see Melo making a big difference. Sure I can make this team on my Playstation, average 36 and 28 ppg respectively with Amar'e and Melo and then go undefeated and win championships, but this isn't a video game. The Knicks didn't really need Melo and Melo honestly didn't need the Knicks, from a pure basketball perspective (I know there are other factors). I could be proven wrong, maybe Melo will learn to pass, Billups and Amar'e run a super effective pick and roll, but instinctively, I want to flinch at this trigger happy trade. Yes, we've been talking about this the whole year, but I can't help but think the Knicks gunned it a little too fast on the green light. First, let's consider the pre-Melo Knicks:
PG - Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas
SG - Landry Fields, Bill Walker
SF - Danilo Gallinari, Shawne Williams
PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, Wilson Chandler
C - Ronny Turiaf, Timofey Mozgov
With Kelenna Azubuike still out with a bum knee, players like Bill Walker and Shawne Williams have stepped up admirably, so they've been getting by admirably. The Knicks were a decent team, but not one that could get over the top, so here's what happens after the trade:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter
SG - Landry Fields, Corey Brewer
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Shawne Williams
PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, Renaldo Balkman
C - Ronny Turiaf, Shelden Williams
While Melo is the obvious upgrade over Gallo, but Billups and Balkman are both steps down from Felton and Chandler respectively. Additionally, there's no guarantee that Brewer will be a more positive contributor than either Walker or Williams (who are both still on the team) or if he'll even play if/when Azubuike gets back. Furthermore, as productive as Shelden Williams has been, he's no center, and he won't compensate for the lack of defense provided by Melo and Amar'e.
Honestly, it's not that I don't think Amar'e and Melo won't work, but rather that it won't work as effectively as people might surmise. Both can score, but both require more isolation sets to do so. However, that being said, these are two of the most respected players offensively in the entire world. They have a decent core, but any core with Chauncey Billups as a major cog leaves the window very short, and frankly, even in his prime, I don't know Billups could've made up the difference that is between a Melo/Amar'e combination and the remaining elite teams of the league. Of course, Billups did say earlier that if he got traded he may retire, which may be a good thing for New York, not in the short term, but perhaps it means they can go after something they need in free agency. Frankly, all in all, New York got its big name, but is it going to put them over the top? Not really. Seriously though, Melo, prove me wrong. Please.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Who needs Melo? Who does Melo need?
Amidst all the trade talk circling the player that is Carmelo Anthony, and regardless of what you have to say about the pundits who are circulating these stories, how you think Melo is handling the situation, how you think Masai Ujiri is handling the situation, if you think he will leave, if you think he will stay, regardless of all that, we've kind of been overlooking a pretty major question. There's not much doubt to me that Melo will ultimately get what he wants, or at the very least go into free agency and sign where he wants to play. So maybe this question is moot, but it's a legitimate question all the same: which team needs a player like Melo? or in converse, what kind of team does Melo need around him?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Massive Melo Speculation Post: Part 6
Trade #1
Nuggets get: Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, Nazr Mohammed, Danilo Gallinari, and Eddy Curry's expiring contract
Knicks get: Carmelo Anthony, Al Harrington, Shaun Livingston
Grizzlies get: J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler
Bobcats get: O.J. Mayo, Hamed Haddadi, Xavier Henry, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Kenyon Martin's expiring contract
Post-trade lineups:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Stephen Jackson, Arron Afflalo
SF - Danilo Gallinari, Gary Forbes
PF - Boris Diaw, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen, Nazr Mohammed
New York Knicks:
PG - Raymond Felton, Shaun Livingston, Toney Douglas
SG - Landry Fields, Bill Walker, Roger Mason
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Shawne Williams
PF - Al Harrington, Ronny Turiaf
C - Amar'e Stoudemire, Timofey Mozgov
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Tony Allen
PF - Zach Randolph, Darrell Arthur
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - D.J. Augustin, Sherron Collins
SG - O.J. Mayo, Gerald Henderson, Xavier Henry
SF - Gerald Wallace, Kelenna Azubuike
PF - Tyrus Thomas, Anthony Randolph
C - DeSagana Diop, Hamed Haddadi, Kwame Brown
Trade #2
Nuggets get: Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, and Gerald Wallace
Nets get: Carmelo Anthony, Beno Udrih, and Jason Thompson
Bobcats get: Devin Harris, Al Harrington, and J.R. Smith
Kings get: Boris Diaw
Post-trade lineups:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, Gary Forbes
SF - Gerald Wallace, Renaldo Balkman
PF - Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors, Kenyon Martin, Shelden Williams
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen
New Jersey Nets:
PG - Beno Udrih, Jordan Farmar
SG - Anthony Morrow, Sasha Vujacic, Ben Uzoh
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Travis Outlaw, Stephen Graham
PF - Jason Thompson, Kris Humphries
C - Brook Lopez, Johan Petro
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Devin Harris, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - J.R. Smith, Gerald Henderson
SF - Stephen Jackson, Dominic McGuire
PF - Al Harrington, Tyrus Thomas
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown, DeSagana Diop
Sacramento Kings:
PG - Tyreke Evans, Pooh Jeter
SG - Francisco Garcia, Luther Head
SF - Omri Casspi, Donte Green
PF - Boris Diaw, Carl Landry, Hassan Whiteside, Darnell Jackson
C - DeMarcus Cousins, Samuel Dalembert
Nuggets get: Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, Nazr Mohammed, Danilo Gallinari, and Eddy Curry's expiring contract
Knicks get: Carmelo Anthony, Al Harrington, Shaun Livingston
Grizzlies get: J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler
Bobcats get: O.J. Mayo, Hamed Haddadi, Xavier Henry, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Kenyon Martin's expiring contract
Post-trade lineups:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Stephen Jackson, Arron Afflalo
SF - Danilo Gallinari, Gary Forbes
PF - Boris Diaw, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen, Nazr Mohammed
New York Knicks:
PG - Raymond Felton, Shaun Livingston, Toney Douglas
SG - Landry Fields, Bill Walker, Roger Mason
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Shawne Williams
PF - Al Harrington, Ronny Turiaf
C - Amar'e Stoudemire, Timofey Mozgov
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Tony Allen
PF - Zach Randolph, Darrell Arthur
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - D.J. Augustin, Sherron Collins
SG - O.J. Mayo, Gerald Henderson, Xavier Henry
SF - Gerald Wallace, Kelenna Azubuike
PF - Tyrus Thomas, Anthony Randolph
C - DeSagana Diop, Hamed Haddadi, Kwame Brown
Trade #2
Nuggets get: Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, and Gerald Wallace
Nets get: Carmelo Anthony, Beno Udrih, and Jason Thompson
Bobcats get: Devin Harris, Al Harrington, and J.R. Smith
Kings get: Boris Diaw
Post-trade lineups:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, Gary Forbes
SF - Gerald Wallace, Renaldo Balkman
PF - Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors, Kenyon Martin, Shelden Williams
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen
New Jersey Nets:
PG - Beno Udrih, Jordan Farmar
SG - Anthony Morrow, Sasha Vujacic, Ben Uzoh
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Travis Outlaw, Stephen Graham
PF - Jason Thompson, Kris Humphries
C - Brook Lopez, Johan Petro
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Devin Harris, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - J.R. Smith, Gerald Henderson
SF - Stephen Jackson, Dominic McGuire
PF - Al Harrington, Tyrus Thomas
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown, DeSagana Diop
Sacramento Kings:
PG - Tyreke Evans, Pooh Jeter
SG - Francisco Garcia, Luther Head
SF - Omri Casspi, Donte Green
PF - Boris Diaw, Carl Landry, Hassan Whiteside, Darnell Jackson
C - DeMarcus Cousins, Samuel Dalembert
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Massive Melo Speculation Post: Part 5
Trade #1:
Denver gets: Jeff Green, James Harden, Stephen Jackson, DeSagana Diop, Matt Carroll, and Julian Wright's trade exception
New Orleans gets: Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo, Boris Diaw
Oklahoma City gets: David West
Charlotte gets: Chauncey Billups, Marcus Thornton, Trevor Ariza, and $9M Peja Stojakovic's trade exception
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Ty Lawson, Anthony Carter
SG - Stephen Jackson, James Harden, J.R. Smith
SF - Jeff Green, Gary Forbes
PF - Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen, DeSagana Diop
New Orleans Hornets:
PG - Chris Paul, Jarrett Jack
SG - Marco Belinelli, Willie Green, Arron Afflalo
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Quincy Pondexter
PF - Boris Diaw, Jason Smith, Pops Mensah-Bonsu
C - Emeka Okafor, Aaron Gray
Oklahoma City Thunder:
PG - Russell Westbrook, Eric Maynor
SG - Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook
SF - Kevin Durant, Morris Peterson
PF - David West, Nick Collison, D.J. White
C - Serge Ibaka, Nenad Kristic, Byron Mullens
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Chauncey Billups, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - Trevor Ariza, Marcus Thornton, Gerald Henderson
SF - Gerald Wallace, Dominic McGuire
PF - Tyrus Thomas, Edjuardo Najera
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown
Trade #2:
Denver gets: Kevin Love, Martell Webster, Robin Lopez, and Earl Clark
Minnesota gets: O.J Mayo, Hedo Turkoglu
Phoenix gets: Carmelo Anthony
Memphis gets: Grant Hill
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith
SF - Martell Webster, Gary Forbes
PF - Kevin Love, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Robin Lopez, Chris Andersen
Minnesota Timberwolves:
PG - Johnny Flynn, Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair
SG - O.J. Mayo, Wes Johnson
SF - Hedo Turkoglu, Corey Brewer
PF - Michael Beasley, Anthony Tolliver
C - Darko Milicic, Nikola Pekovic, Kosta Koufos
Phoenix Suns:
PG - Steve Nash, Goran Dragic
SG - Jason Richardson, Josh Childress
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Jared Dudley, Gani Lawai
PF - Hakim Warrick, Earl Barron
C - Channing Frye, Garrett Siler
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Tony Allen, Xavier Henry, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Grant Hill
PF - Zach Randolph, Darrell Arthur
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, Hamed Haddadi
Trade #3:
Denver gets: O.J. Mayo, Hedo Turkoglu, Spencer Hawes, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez
Philadelphia gets: Carmelo Anthony
Phoenix gets: Zach Randolph
Memphis gets: Andre Iguodala, J.R. Smith
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - O.J. Mayo, Arron Afflalo
SF - Hedo Turkoglu, Gary Forbes
PF - Nene Hilario, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington, Shelden Williams
C - Spencer Hawes, Chris Andersen
Philadelphia 76ers:
PG - Jrue Holiday, Louis Williams
SG - Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Andres Nocioni, Jason Kapono
PF - Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, Darius Songaila
C - Marresse Speights, Tony Battie
Phoenix Suns:
PG - Steve Nash, Goran Dragic
SG - Jason Richardson, Josh Childress
SF - Jared Dudley, Earl Clark, Gani Lawai
PF - Zach Randolph, Hakim Warrick
C - Channing Frye, Earl Barron, Garrett Siler
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Andre Iguodala, J.R. Smith, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Tony Allen
PF - Darrell Arthur, DeMarr Carroll
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, Hamed Haddadi
Trade #4:
Denver gets: Thaddeus Young, DeSagana Diop, Anthony Parker, J.J. Hickson, Jamario Moon
Cleveland gets: Andre Iguodala, Matt Carroll
Charlotte gets: Mo Williams
Philadelphia gets: Carmelo Anthony
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith
SF - Jamario Moon, Thaddeus Young, Gary Forbes
PF - J.J. Hickson, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen
Cleveland Cavaliers:
PG - Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson
SG - Andre Iguodala, Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris
SF - Antawn Jamison, Joey Graham, Jawad Williams
PF - Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe, Samardo Samuels
C - Ryan Hollins
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Mo Williams, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - Stephen Jackson, Gerald Henderson
SF - Gerald Wallace, Dominic McGuire
PF - Boris Diaw, Tyrus Thomas, Edjuardo Najera
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown
Philadelphia 76ers:
PG - Jrue Holiday, Louis Williams
SG - Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Andres Nocioni, Jason Kapono
PF - Elton Brand, Marresse Speights, Darius Songaila
C - Spencer Hawes, Tony Battie
Trade #5:
Denver gets: Marcin Gortat, Brandon Bass, Martell Webster, Corey Brewer, Nick Young
Orlando gets: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith
Minnesota gets: Gilbert Arenas, Mickael Pietrus
Washington gets: Rashard Lewis
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, Nick Young
SF - Martell Webster, Corey Brewer, Gary Forbes
PF - Nene Hilario, Brandon Bass, Al Harrington
C - Marcin Gortat, Chris Andersen
Orlando Magic:
PG - Jameer Nelson, Chris Duhon, Jason Williams
SG - Vince Carter, J.J. Redick, J.R. Smith
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Quentin Richardson
PF - Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson
C - Dwight Howard, Daniel Orton
Minnesota Timberwolves:
PG - Johnny Flynn, Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair
SG - Gilbert Arenas, Wayne Ellington
SF - Mickael Pietrus, Wes Johnson
PF - Michael Beasley, Anthony Tolliver
C - Darko Milicic, Nikola Pekovic, Kosta Koufos
Washington Wizards:
PG - John Wall
SG - Kirk Hinrich, Alonzo Gee, Cartier Martin
SF - Rashard Lewis, Josh Howard, Al Thornton
PF - Andray Blatche, Yi Jianlian
C - JeVale McGee, Hilton Armstrong, Trevor Booker
Denver gets: Jeff Green, James Harden, Stephen Jackson, DeSagana Diop, Matt Carroll, and Julian Wright's trade exception
New Orleans gets: Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo, Boris Diaw
Oklahoma City gets: David West
Charlotte gets: Chauncey Billups, Marcus Thornton, Trevor Ariza, and $9M Peja Stojakovic's trade exception
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Ty Lawson, Anthony Carter
SG - Stephen Jackson, James Harden, J.R. Smith
SF - Jeff Green, Gary Forbes
PF - Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen, DeSagana Diop
New Orleans Hornets:
PG - Chris Paul, Jarrett Jack
SG - Marco Belinelli, Willie Green, Arron Afflalo
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Quincy Pondexter
PF - Boris Diaw, Jason Smith, Pops Mensah-Bonsu
C - Emeka Okafor, Aaron Gray
Oklahoma City Thunder:
PG - Russell Westbrook, Eric Maynor
SG - Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook
SF - Kevin Durant, Morris Peterson
PF - David West, Nick Collison, D.J. White
C - Serge Ibaka, Nenad Kristic, Byron Mullens
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Chauncey Billups, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - Trevor Ariza, Marcus Thornton, Gerald Henderson
SF - Gerald Wallace, Dominic McGuire
PF - Tyrus Thomas, Edjuardo Najera
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown
Trade #2:
Denver gets: Kevin Love, Martell Webster, Robin Lopez, and Earl Clark
Minnesota gets: O.J Mayo, Hedo Turkoglu
Phoenix gets: Carmelo Anthony
Memphis gets: Grant Hill
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith
SF - Martell Webster, Gary Forbes
PF - Kevin Love, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Robin Lopez, Chris Andersen
Minnesota Timberwolves:
PG - Johnny Flynn, Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair
SG - O.J. Mayo, Wes Johnson
SF - Hedo Turkoglu, Corey Brewer
PF - Michael Beasley, Anthony Tolliver
C - Darko Milicic, Nikola Pekovic, Kosta Koufos
Phoenix Suns:
PG - Steve Nash, Goran Dragic
SG - Jason Richardson, Josh Childress
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Jared Dudley, Gani Lawai
PF - Hakim Warrick, Earl Barron
C - Channing Frye, Garrett Siler
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Tony Allen, Xavier Henry, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Grant Hill
PF - Zach Randolph, Darrell Arthur
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, Hamed Haddadi
Trade #3:
Denver gets: O.J. Mayo, Hedo Turkoglu, Spencer Hawes, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez
Philadelphia gets: Carmelo Anthony
Phoenix gets: Zach Randolph
Memphis gets: Andre Iguodala, J.R. Smith
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - O.J. Mayo, Arron Afflalo
SF - Hedo Turkoglu, Gary Forbes
PF - Nene Hilario, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington, Shelden Williams
C - Spencer Hawes, Chris Andersen
Philadelphia 76ers:
PG - Jrue Holiday, Louis Williams
SG - Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Andres Nocioni, Jason Kapono
PF - Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, Darius Songaila
C - Marresse Speights, Tony Battie
Phoenix Suns:
PG - Steve Nash, Goran Dragic
SG - Jason Richardson, Josh Childress
SF - Jared Dudley, Earl Clark, Gani Lawai
PF - Zach Randolph, Hakim Warrick
C - Channing Frye, Earl Barron, Garrett Siler
Memphis Grizzlies:
PG - Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez
SG - Andre Iguodala, J.R. Smith, Sam Young
SF - Rudy Gay, Tony Allen
PF - Darrell Arthur, DeMarr Carroll
C - Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, Hamed Haddadi
Trade #4:
Denver gets: Thaddeus Young, DeSagana Diop, Anthony Parker, J.J. Hickson, Jamario Moon
Cleveland gets: Andre Iguodala, Matt Carroll
Charlotte gets: Mo Williams
Philadelphia gets: Carmelo Anthony
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith
SF - Jamario Moon, Thaddeus Young, Gary Forbes
PF - J.J. Hickson, Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington
C - Nene Hilario, Chris Andersen
Cleveland Cavaliers:
PG - Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson
SG - Andre Iguodala, Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris
SF - Antawn Jamison, Joey Graham, Jawad Williams
PF - Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe, Samardo Samuels
C - Ryan Hollins
Charlotte Bobcats:
PG - Mo Williams, D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston
SG - Stephen Jackson, Gerald Henderson
SF - Gerald Wallace, Dominic McGuire
PF - Boris Diaw, Tyrus Thomas, Edjuardo Najera
C - Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown
Philadelphia 76ers:
PG - Jrue Holiday, Louis Williams
SG - Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Andres Nocioni, Jason Kapono
PF - Elton Brand, Marresse Speights, Darius Songaila
C - Spencer Hawes, Tony Battie
Trade #5:
Denver gets: Marcin Gortat, Brandon Bass, Martell Webster, Corey Brewer, Nick Young
Orlando gets: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith
Minnesota gets: Gilbert Arenas, Mickael Pietrus
Washington gets: Rashard Lewis
Post trade rosters:
Denver Nuggets:
PG - Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson
SG - Arron Afflalo, Nick Young
SF - Martell Webster, Corey Brewer, Gary Forbes
PF - Nene Hilario, Brandon Bass, Al Harrington
C - Marcin Gortat, Chris Andersen
Orlando Magic:
PG - Jameer Nelson, Chris Duhon, Jason Williams
SG - Vince Carter, J.J. Redick, J.R. Smith
SF - Carmelo Anthony, Quentin Richardson
PF - Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson
C - Dwight Howard, Daniel Orton
Minnesota Timberwolves:
PG - Johnny Flynn, Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair
SG - Gilbert Arenas, Wayne Ellington
SF - Mickael Pietrus, Wes Johnson
PF - Michael Beasley, Anthony Tolliver
C - Darko Milicic, Nikola Pekovic, Kosta Koufos
Washington Wizards:
PG - John Wall
SG - Kirk Hinrich, Alonzo Gee, Cartier Martin
SF - Rashard Lewis, Josh Howard, Al Thornton
PF - Andray Blatche, Yi Jianlian
C - JeVale McGee, Hilton Armstrong, Trevor Booker
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Playing Like a Super Star: It's not just in the numbers
You knew I would get to this eventually. I just had to, there's so much to write about here. Really. The Miami Heat are now 10-8 after a much needed win against a dismal Washington Wizard's squad. 10-8. That puts them smack between Chicago (9-6) and Indiana (8-7), 5th overall in the Eastern Conference, which is exactly where they were last season 5th in the Easter Conference. We're talking about a team that replaced Dorrell Wright, Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson, and Jermaine O'Neal with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Okay, so Miller has yet to play a game, Haslem is out for the season, but really? This is the team we were itching to break the 1996 Chicago Bulls' 72-10 record? I mean, sure they can win 63 of the next 64 and do that... Seriously though.
You can gripe all you want about how Miami doesn't have that defensive minded point guard they need (read: George Hill), how they don't have a real center that can live off of crashing the boards (read: Tyson Chandler), etc... What does it ultimately come down to though? The Miami Heat aren't a good team. Don't get me wrong, they are a team with awesome players, this is the makings of some broken roster on some version of an NBA basketball game or another, but the difference between reality and the video game is that you can't "manufacture" team play. If I know specifically what crossover leads me to an easy dunk, and I can hit cutters with anybody, sure, I'll average 10 assists a piece for both LeBron and Wade, heck, I'll have Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller averaging 20 points a game each. Chris Bosh will average 25 ppg on 80% shooting. I can do that all on a video game. So far though, as we've seen, the lineup of random PG, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, random C isn't working, but it should, right?
Outside of Chris Bosh (who's really just put up a lot of flashy numbers on a really bad team), no one can deny the mercurial talents that are Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. They've consistently led mediocre teams into the playoffs year after year, and in 2006 (with the help of Shaq) Wade got a ring, and in 2007 James stunned the world by taking a less-than-mediocre Cavaliers (when Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden are your 2nd and 3rd leading scorers you are less than mediocre) to the Finals. So you figure, when you put the perennial All-Star starting SG, SF, and PF together on one team you get awesomeness right? I mean, it sort of worked with Boston, right? or maybe we were just expecting awesomeness to just by bringing three awesome players together? Well, look at how Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson ended up. Sure they both averaged 25 ppg but Denver was still a pretty dismal team.
I think because of how good these players are, and how bad of a team they were on, and how far they took those bad teams (that and the fact that those teams, save maybe the 2006 Miami Heat, arguably, were never good with these players), we often overlook what it takes for a star of any caliber to help his team succeed. The same scrutiny that Kobe Bryant endured sharing a starting lineup with Smush Parker and Chris Mihm. In order for the Heat to succeed, they can't be just doing whatever it is they've been doing, i.e. chuck LeBron James/Dwayne Wade the ball and hope something good comes out of it. Certainly not having any confidence in Mario Chalmers/Carlos Arroyo/Zydrunas Ilgauskas/Joel Anthony doesn't help, but frankly, they need more of an option than "give the best player on the floor the ball". While Phil Jackson has been gifted with stellar talent like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, why do his teams win? Because Kobe/Michael "taking over" is more of a last resort than primary plan of attack. We can argue all we want about both LeBron and Wade needing the ball in his hands to be effective, but at the end of the day 2 points is 2 points right? It shouldn't matter if it's LeBron James or James Jones that scores 30 so long as Miami comes out with the win, right? That's they're job as basketball players, to win. We all believe that Wade and LeBron are a better pair than Iverson and Melo, why? Because we still think Wade and LeBron do more than just score, and they've shown that they can (albeit in flashes, because they've been asked to score so much).
Where am I going with all this? First, the Heat need to understand what they are good at. Does this mean moving without the ball? Gasp! What a novel idea? Ball movement? Who would've thought! Between LeBron and Wade there are enough handles where it shouldn't matter who the PG is. If neither one wants those duties then you have to be willing to work within the system you have and not just hang around the triple threat zone waiting for your turn to go off. Ultimately what it boils down to is this, as good as you are, as the star of your team, you're not going to win if you don't make your teammates better. It's an intangible that's hard to measure or sometimes even point to, but ultimately, your team, your system, which is based around your star, has to make your other players play better than they would otherwise. Sure Erik Spoelstra is doing his job in trying to motivate the team, but the person who ultimately does that is the best player on the team. A lot of people criticize LeBron James for passing the ball to Donyell Marshall at the end of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, I don't, it was the right decision at the time. That's what role players are there for, to fill a role, what the star does, is make their jobs easier for them. Kelly Dwyer called LeBron out saying that if he's not going to get the bulk of the offensive possessions then he should be shutting down the opposition, hitting the glass harder, etc... and I completely agree.
The Miami Heat can totally get away with winning by just having better players on their roster, but until their stars get the rest of the team to step it up by example, just being awesome (on paper) is only going to get you so far, and that certainly isn't far enough to win a championship. What do all these great championship stars have in common? They lead by example. Kobe Bryant will get in your face and basketball you to death, Tim Duncan lets Pop do that, and if Timmy's gonna get railed by the coach that means nobody's safe, because if the best PF of all time is going to listen to his coach, you figure everyone else should listen to him too, and right there I've accounted for 9 championships in the past 11 years. Miami, you can sit on your laurels and just be a collection of awesome players, or you can have (one of) your stars emerge as a driving force that pushes the team to greatness. It's more than just basketball, it's more than just the stats, the numbers are nice, but the rings are nicer.
You can gripe all you want about how Miami doesn't have that defensive minded point guard they need (read: George Hill), how they don't have a real center that can live off of crashing the boards (read: Tyson Chandler), etc... What does it ultimately come down to though? The Miami Heat aren't a good team. Don't get me wrong, they are a team with awesome players, this is the makings of some broken roster on some version of an NBA basketball game or another, but the difference between reality and the video game is that you can't "manufacture" team play. If I know specifically what crossover leads me to an easy dunk, and I can hit cutters with anybody, sure, I'll average 10 assists a piece for both LeBron and Wade, heck, I'll have Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller averaging 20 points a game each. Chris Bosh will average 25 ppg on 80% shooting. I can do that all on a video game. So far though, as we've seen, the lineup of random PG, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, random C isn't working, but it should, right?
Outside of Chris Bosh (who's really just put up a lot of flashy numbers on a really bad team), no one can deny the mercurial talents that are Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. They've consistently led mediocre teams into the playoffs year after year, and in 2006 (with the help of Shaq) Wade got a ring, and in 2007 James stunned the world by taking a less-than-mediocre Cavaliers (when Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden are your 2nd and 3rd leading scorers you are less than mediocre) to the Finals. So you figure, when you put the perennial All-Star starting SG, SF, and PF together on one team you get awesomeness right? I mean, it sort of worked with Boston, right? or maybe we were just expecting awesomeness to just by bringing three awesome players together? Well, look at how Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson ended up. Sure they both averaged 25 ppg but Denver was still a pretty dismal team.
I think because of how good these players are, and how bad of a team they were on, and how far they took those bad teams (that and the fact that those teams, save maybe the 2006 Miami Heat, arguably, were never good with these players), we often overlook what it takes for a star of any caliber to help his team succeed. The same scrutiny that Kobe Bryant endured sharing a starting lineup with Smush Parker and Chris Mihm. In order for the Heat to succeed, they can't be just doing whatever it is they've been doing, i.e. chuck LeBron James/Dwayne Wade the ball and hope something good comes out of it. Certainly not having any confidence in Mario Chalmers/Carlos Arroyo/Zydrunas Ilgauskas/Joel Anthony doesn't help, but frankly, they need more of an option than "give the best player on the floor the ball". While Phil Jackson has been gifted with stellar talent like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, why do his teams win? Because Kobe/Michael "taking over" is more of a last resort than primary plan of attack. We can argue all we want about both LeBron and Wade needing the ball in his hands to be effective, but at the end of the day 2 points is 2 points right? It shouldn't matter if it's LeBron James or James Jones that scores 30 so long as Miami comes out with the win, right? That's they're job as basketball players, to win. We all believe that Wade and LeBron are a better pair than Iverson and Melo, why? Because we still think Wade and LeBron do more than just score, and they've shown that they can (albeit in flashes, because they've been asked to score so much).
Where am I going with all this? First, the Heat need to understand what they are good at. Does this mean moving without the ball? Gasp! What a novel idea? Ball movement? Who would've thought! Between LeBron and Wade there are enough handles where it shouldn't matter who the PG is. If neither one wants those duties then you have to be willing to work within the system you have and not just hang around the triple threat zone waiting for your turn to go off. Ultimately what it boils down to is this, as good as you are, as the star of your team, you're not going to win if you don't make your teammates better. It's an intangible that's hard to measure or sometimes even point to, but ultimately, your team, your system, which is based around your star, has to make your other players play better than they would otherwise. Sure Erik Spoelstra is doing his job in trying to motivate the team, but the person who ultimately does that is the best player on the team. A lot of people criticize LeBron James for passing the ball to Donyell Marshall at the end of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, I don't, it was the right decision at the time. That's what role players are there for, to fill a role, what the star does, is make their jobs easier for them. Kelly Dwyer called LeBron out saying that if he's not going to get the bulk of the offensive possessions then he should be shutting down the opposition, hitting the glass harder, etc... and I completely agree.
The Miami Heat can totally get away with winning by just having better players on their roster, but until their stars get the rest of the team to step it up by example, just being awesome (on paper) is only going to get you so far, and that certainly isn't far enough to win a championship. What do all these great championship stars have in common? They lead by example. Kobe Bryant will get in your face and basketball you to death, Tim Duncan lets Pop do that, and if Timmy's gonna get railed by the coach that means nobody's safe, because if the best PF of all time is going to listen to his coach, you figure everyone else should listen to him too, and right there I've accounted for 9 championships in the past 11 years. Miami, you can sit on your laurels and just be a collection of awesome players, or you can have (one of) your stars emerge as a driving force that pushes the team to greatness. It's more than just basketball, it's more than just the stats, the numbers are nice, but the rings are nicer.
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