Sweet Laker Love Turning Sour

Fresh off a championship season, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be destined for greatness. With key players Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom set to become free agents, it was thought that the Lakers would keep both players and have a competitive roster for years to come.

Boy, have times changed.

The Lakers are still considered as title contenders, but it seems that the core surrounding Kobe Bryant should see some shuffling. The Lakers swapped out Ariza for former Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest, a move that would garner a lot more return than if keeping Ariza. However, the current stand-off between Odom and Lakers is much more significant.

Odom is a player invaluable to the Lakers: not only is he a viable scoring threat, but he is a player perfect for the Triangle Offense. He may not display his immense talent all the time nor may never tap into his limitless potential, but he helps the team much more than he hurts it. His size and athleticism cause him to be a mismatch on both ends of the floor and his ball handling is on par with most guards.

After winning the championship, Odom expressed his desire to remain in LA numerous times. He even suggested that he would take a ‘hometown’ discount. Don’t make me laugh. If you’re willing to come back in order to make less, at least come through on your word. The Lakers offered Odom deals of $30M for three years and $36M for four years. I am not a mathematician, but I think an average of in between 9 and 10 million dollars annually is way more than a hometown discount. There have been concerns about the length of the contract (four years versus five), but even that is a weak excuse for not re-signing.

Okay, you just won a championship, is your career done? No, you should want to defend it. If you are having problems with the length of the contract, work out a one-year deal. If you say that you want to stay, work out a solution. Do NOT take the money and run. I am sick of players who do not act on their words. Because of this minor mishap, you risk not returning and possibly not ever coming close to winning another championship. It is also clear that the Lakers cannot win another year without him. It’s a lose-lose situation.

Usually considered the X-factor for the Lakers on the floor, Lamar Odom is now the X-factor for the upcoming NBA season.

Obama's Intervention

Is the Oval Office Ruining Sports?

Last night, President Barack Obama threw the first pitch of the MLB All-Star Game. This ceremony is a very common occurrence: JFK threw in a Red Sox Game, Jimmy Carter in a Braves Game, George W. Bush in a Rangers game, and the entire Clinton family in three separate games. The difference between Obama and the past leaders of this nation is that Obama just LOVES sports. We’ve seen him at numerous Washington Wizards games, talking about changing the college bowl format, and predicting the winners of March Madness, the NBA finals, and the Superbowl.


It’s great having a president who shows a trait common to most Americans. On the other hand, I would like President Obama to keep his predictions to himself. The president is 3-0 when predicting the winner in major sporting events. He guessed that the University of North Carolina would once again be on top of college basketball, the Steelers would drink out of the Superbowl again, and that Kobe would finally get his fourth ring.

Is it just me, or do President Obama’s words have some kind of power?

Maybe Obama's words trigger a behind-the-scenes deal among sports owners in order for him to be right? I hate it when I used to watch playoffs of any sport (be it baseball, basketball, or hockey), and my parents would always say that the playoffs are rigged to go into a game six or seven. I guess that it could be a slight possibility: professional sports are a business, and the more games played mean more money.

On the other hand, I doubt that if any athlete would put his or her body and pride on the line just so some already rich executives can rake in even more cash.

Do not get me wrong, I love Barack Obama. His correct predictions could be just coincidence, or his words could motivate these teams to perform better. Also, one could argue that Obama just picked the favorites this year and they all came through.

But just for future reference Mr. President, please keep your thoughts to yourself. I do not want to live in a world of sports where there are no Cinderellas.

The Tyrannical King James

Lebron Given the Royal Treatment and it Shows

Referred to as the next Jordan since he was a freshman in high school, Lebron has been treated as basketball royalty. He won “Ohio Mr. Basketball” and was named to the USA Today All-USA First Team three times and was named the Gatorade High School Player of the Year twice. This hype eventually led to the coining of the nickname “King James,” a first overall selection in the draft, and becoming the face of Nike Basketball.

However, despite all the raves and achievements, the comparisons to Michael Jordan will never stop. His unbelievable talent will ultimately rank him as one of the best players to ever play the game, but unless he can add a couple of championships to his resume, he will not be considered as one of the greats.

All this hype has become such a great deal to him that the name Jordan just throws him off. On Monday, in his own skills camp, he got shown up by a Jordan: Jordan Crawford, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Xavier University. Rumor (no, it’s a fact) has it that Crawford dunked on the King. Wow. A 6-4 guy dunking over a freakishly athletic 6-8 guy? Well, that’s unheard of. Actually no it is not unheard of. Guys in the NBA and college ranks get dunked on all the time.

It isn’t just the dunk that has people buzzing, but Lebron’s reaction to it. Immediately after the dunk, Lebron called the Nike Basketball Senior Director over and told him to confiscate all film during the pick-up session. Sure a picture is worth a thousand words, but that still won’t stop the word from spreading: the news immediately spread like wildfire over cyberspace. Nike recently released a stating that “cameras are not allowed after hours,” which was surely acting upon King James’s bidding.

I mean getting dunked on is embarrassing, but it is a part of the game. What you failed to remember was that the main focus is the player on the giving end, not on the receiving end. Maybe this is karma for all the guys you posterized in the past. Sure, the fact that it was the King getting dunked on would make it a bigger deal, but remember when Rudy Fernandez dunked on Dwight Howard in the Olympics last year? That was a pretty big deal at the time, but Superman did not become a national farce on the play, while Rudy was able to vote his way into the dunk contest. But by reacting the way he did, Lebron unintentionally made Crawford’s dunk temporarily legendary.

I do not know the details, but if I was arguably the best player in the world, I certainly would not be playing my hardest in a pick-up game against guys 5 to 7 years younger than me. Thus, I am certain that Lebron was not. If I so happened to get posterized, I would go over and congratulate him and tell him that he was lucky that he wasn’t blocked or I would get the ball, run the floor, and return the favor with an acrobatic jam. Lebron should have done one of those two things; instead he stopped and cried about the cameras at the gym. He’s a competitor right? But come on, you’re the best player in the NBA. You have a target on your back for college players to show you up and to receive some national exposure. You must expect something like this.

Let’s rewind back to the NBA playoffs. After sweeping his way into the Eastern Conference finals, Lebron and the Cavaliers were defeated by Dwight and the Orlando Magic. James made sure that the players on the Pistons and Hawks stayed and congratulated him after a sweep. However after the game six loss, Lebron immediately left to the locker room, showered, and waited on the bus. No postgame comments, no congrats, no class.

In my book, Lebron will never be considered with the ranks of MJ, Magic, and Russell until he shows some class. Sure champions and greats hate to lose, but ending a pick-up game because you got dunked on? Now that’s unheard of. Someone needs to set Lebron straight, but we know it won’t be anyone from the Cavs organization (players or executive), nor Nike (as already shown in this incident). All this royalty business is getting into Lebron’s head and he seriously needs to grow up if he thinks that he can get away with foolish acts like this. Now, Crawford’s dunk will haunt him for years to come.

The Offseason: When the Rich Get Richer

The wait is finally over. Today is the day when free agents can ‘officially’ sign contracts with teams. Yes only the first week has past, but that does not mean that there has not been any movement. There has been a flurry of transactions since the draft: numerous trades and not to mention, the majority of stars moving around in free agency. Here are my top 5 moves this offseason that will greatly impact next season:

1) Ron Artest to the Lakers, 3 years, $18M
First of all, wow, what a bargain. As negotiations with Trevor Ariza started to turn sour, the Lakers essentially found the perfect replacement in Artest. Sure he’s turning 30, which is 5 years older than Ariza, but he brings the same amount of intensity (if not, even more) than Ariza does. He is a pest on the defensive end. Opposing stars will gripe every game knowing that they will have to deal with Artest’s extremely physical defense and trash talk. To top it all off, he can easily score 20 points a game, which will allow Kobe to rest even more during the regular season. This match made in heaven can only work if he behaves, but this is Kobe and Phil Jackson’s Lakers you’re talking about so expect no misbehavior. Plus, Artest wants to win a championship. Who better to win it with than the defending champs?

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more conversations between the two, with more love, of course.

2) Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, and Kurt Thomas
I am digging this move for the Spurs because they add another dynamic player to the Spurs three-pronged attack. True the loss of Bowen hurts, but Jefferson isn’t bad at defense himself, and his presence on the offensive end will more than make up for the loss of defense. In addition, the Spurs got him for practically nothing. Great job on R.C. Buford’s part for getting this deal done. The arrival of Jefferson immediately places the Spurs as serious challengers to the Lakers.

3) Rasheed Wallace to the Celtics, 2 years, ~$11M
Another contender adds another big name. The 34 year old Wallace still has some swagger from his Blazer and Piston days: a double-double machine, solid defender, and a 3-point bomber. He will come off the bench, but still expect him to get much more playing time than Kendrick Perkins (which tough guy would u rather have on the floor?) at center. He will also mesh extremely well with KG down low: KG’s intensity will definitely rub off to Rasheed. A lineup of Rondo-Allen-Pierce-Garnett-Wallace will be an extreme nightmare for opponents night in and night out.

Double the intensity, double the trouble.

4) Vince Carter to the Magic (and Ryan Anderson) for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie
With the all but certain departure of Hedo Turkoglu, the Magic needed to acquire another star wing player as a replacement. Many will say that the Magic are worse now with the loss of Turkoglu, the 3 players in the deal, and potentially Gortat, but the Magic actually in better shape now than they were during the playoffs. Sure a lineup featuring the returning starting lineup and Carter would have likely put them over the top, but let’s not focus on what could have been. Carter is the guard that the Magic have been lacking: he is still has some bounce left in those legs and can practically score at will. In addition, the reference to Carter as a quitter will not suit well to him, especially in his homecoming, and will prove skeptics wrong. Note that Carter’s performance does actually improve in the first couple of seasons with a new team. With an ever-improving Superman and a completely healthy Jameer Nelson, it is not out of the question for the Magic to march back into the NBA finals (though probably resulting in losing again).

5) Shaquille O’Neal to the Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, cash, and a draft pick
The Diesel fuels the Cavaliers for a championship run. Shaq proved to the world that he still has it by averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds and an all-star appearance. He will provide the Cavs with a presence in the post that Zydrunas Ilgauskas could never achieve even if he played in a league of midgets. Shaq helped Dwyane Wade win a championship and now it is possibly Lebron’s turn. The only catch to Shaq is his health. Can his body take the rigors of another full NBA season? Probably not. If not, how many games will he miss? Will this be a problem in the playoffs? Hopefully not. Regardless of how the Cavs manage Shaq, they will most likely challenge the Celtics to come out of the East.

Bonus: Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors, 5 years, $53M
Before you say that this is a completely biased choice, listen to what I have to say: YES! IT IS COMPLETELY BIASED AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! All joking aside, I do believe that the Raptors can rise from the ashes and become the contenders that they once were. I consider last season as a failed experiment (Jermaine O’Neal). But the Raptors showed signs of life at the end of the season winning 10 of their last 15 games. Hedo is the missing piece to the Raptors’ puzzle. He provides a huge mismatch for teams and fits perfectly into Toronto’s system (and city). He will make Chris Bosh’s life so much easier on the offensive end and will immediately give Toronto one of the biggest frontcourts in the NBA with Andrea Bargnani filling in at center. Expect a top 6 finish in the East at the very least.

With all five transactions involving championship contending teams, it is clear that the schism between the elite and the rest of the pack is increasing. The Lakers upgraded in the small forward position by swapping Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest; the Spurs now possessing a deadly foursome; the Magic adding the former Air Canada to fly alongside Superman; and the Celtics bolstering their bench singlehandedly with a former All-Star.

If I had to make any predictions though, I would probably have to go with the defending champ Lakers over the Celtics in a rematch of the 2007-2008 finals (should they resign Lamar Odom). Lakers in 7.

State of the NBA: Free Agency

It’s the fourth of July. As the country prepares to celebrate another year of the American Dream, NBA general managers and agents are still at work on the holiday. Although the off-season is still relatively young, there have been many players changing addresses. This is obviously the norm during this time of year, but what makes this year unique is the number of buyers trying to haul in the big fish. The economic depression has forced some franchises to start shedding salaries in order to save money, while the upcoming glorious class of 2010 free agents has others gearing for free cap space to lure a star or two. These two events have impacted the quality and quantity of championship contenders for the upcoming NBA season.

Barring a blockbuster trade during the summer (Amare Stoudamire, the next expected superstar to be traded), rosters are falling into place and teams are beginning to be separated into three significant categories: contender, cap-space clearer, and rebuilder.

Contender: your team is a legitimate championship contender. You will win your division and will be in the upper-echelon of your conference. Here we have got the Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, Celtics, Magic, and Cavs.

Cap-space clearer: your team possesses expiring contracts just to clear up cap-space in the hopes to sign King James (not pointing any fingers Knicks fans). These teams have will be competitive this season as some may coast into the playoffs, but will most likely not win a title. Here we have the Knicks(obviously), Heat, Bulls, and Jazz.

Rebuilder: your team is young, developing and hoping to be competitive within a couple of years. A team may squeak into the playoffs, but has virtually no chance at winning at all. The Thunder, Kings, Bucks, Clippers, Nets, Pistons, Suns, Pacers, Warriors, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Rockets.

As you can see, majority of these teams fall into the rebuilder category. Also, you will notice that I failed to mention nine teams. These teams, most of them a piece or two away from actually becoming contenders, will take up the remaining playoff spots. There are up and coming teams, such as the Blazers, Bobcats, Hawks, and Sixers, and others expected to compete within their conferences, the Hornets, Mavericks, Raptors, and Wizards (God forbid another Gilbert Arenas injury).

It is these teams in the middle that must either open up their wallets or willing to mortgage the future to add the missing pieces to the puzzle: win now, or go home. They must match the perennial powerhouses of the NBA, who have undoubtedly bolstered their rosters: the Lakers with Artest, the Spurs with Jefferson, the Cavs with Shaq, the Magic with Carter, and the Celtics most likely with Rasheed Wallace. These transactions have made it even harder for these teams to compete with the big boys of the league. Also, with most of these middle teams without much cap space, the only possible way to add pieces would be through sign-and-trades.

On the other hand, this summer may be a perfect opportunity for teams to play it safe and set their rosters for the next three years or so. As teams gear up for next year’s free agency, it is apparent that there will be only a couple of winners and many losers. Remaining status quo until 2011 may be your team’s best bet.