HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Dee Brown

How about you for Bulls coach? You were a floor leader. Would Pippen be a good choice?

Thanks for the endorsement but I have no interest in getting back into coaching at this time. Pippen would be a person for mystique, but doesn’t have any coaching experience and hasn’t expressed interest in everyday coaching.

Should Shannon Brown and Larry Hughes be coached to be the Bulls’ point guard? Hinrich cannot penetrate or pass to the post. Is that the reason Chandler was a flop in Chicago?

Neither one of those guys are pure or natural point guards so you’re better off sticking with Hinrich and seeing if he improves his point guard skills. A couple of years ago, before injuries, he was a very good point guard and was invited to USA Basketball tryouts. Chandler wasn’t a flop in Chicago. He was young and inexperienced and still developing as a player. Chris Paul is so good for him. The system in New Orleans is great for him also.

After all these years, what is you feeling towards the Wellesley police department for the way they treated you? Was it racial profiling?

I had no ill feelings towards Wellesley police then and still don’t. Things like that happen all the time to regular African- Americans and other minorities but doesn’t garner media attention if there’s no celebrity involved. Racial profiling is in our society, but I think that event was more of mistaken identity than racial profiling. Even after the event, I chose to stay in Wellesley and became good friends with the police department and community leaders.

Could you have done a better job running the Knicks than Isiah did if you were blind-folded for the entire 4 1/2 years just as you were blind-folded during your Slam Dunk Contest victory?

Funny! Everyone can say they would have done a lot of things different after you see the mess that the Knicks are in now. It goes back to Scott Layden, the GM before Isiah, and snowballed after that. Isiah made some bad personnel decisions, but he did draft well. When you’re over the salary cap and play in New York, people want results now. So Isiah tried to do that, but the pieces didn’t fit together and he didn’t do a good job coaching them. We’ll see what Mike D’Antoni does with the same pieces.

Is it a good solution for the Phoenix Suns to add a new coach instead of Mike D’Antoni?

If the coach doesn’t feel wanted or doesn’t have the support of upper management after very successful years there, then it’s time for all parties to move on. And that’s what D’Antoni did by going to the Knicks. It’s going to be interesting who they hire to play that style… Or a different style because of the age of Nash and O’Neal.

I have a question… I consider Tim Duncan the best power forward ever, but many would laugh at that opinion. What is your opinion on Tim. Is he better than Sir Charles, Malone and McHale?

I would have to put him in the Top 2 slightly behind McHale. I played with McHale and he was unstoppable in the post. And was a great defender. And think of the players he played against in those days. Sir Charles, Malone, Worthy, Horace Grant, Rodman, Tom Chambers, Oakley… There is a big list of great players that played power forwards on offense and defense during the 80s and early 90s. Duncan has four rings and McHale has three rings. Love Duncan, but McHale is my man.

I wanted to know your opinion on Steve Nash. As I reflect on his past seasons, especially his playoff series, I often wonder why his play is to held to such high regard. He no longer can consistently outscore the opposing point guard and defensively he is a liability. Why is he a perennial All-NBAer and All-Star when his defensive play is non-existent?

I think it is what he did for the Suns team. He made players better. The system was perfect for him and he used it to his advantage. Nash has never been a great defender, so that’s not new. I used to love playing against Nash because he wasn’t a great defender and had my best games against him. He got better as he got older, but the key is that he’s getting older. Fans like him and that’s why he gets voted in. He does make the Suns go, so he deserves all the awards and accomplishments he has received.

Do you feel that the basketball sideshow And1 sends a bad message to the young kids? It shows the kids that trying to over dribble and throwing the basketball off of people’s heads is more important than learning how to hit a mid-range jump shot. Or do people understand that it’s more of a circus sideshow rather than basketball?

I think it’s basketball entertainment, but not how you want kids to view the way the game is played. It shows bad habits and things you can’t do in a real game. It’s fun to watch if you use it as that. The guys who play are very talented and know the game, but they understand that is entertainment also. So if young kids want to learn fundamentals by watching a game, I suggest they watch women’s college basketball.

What is it like playing in the NBA? What was your drive in succeeding in this league? In addition, what was your food meal plan like (in terms of calories, categories of food) during the season and playoff series?

Playing in the NBA is the best of everything. The best players, arenas and fans. My motivation and drive was that I wanted to be the best that I could be and if that got me to NBA that was great. And once I got there, I knew other players wanted to be in my position, so I had to always work extra hard to make sure I was at the top of my game. You eat as healthy as possible to maintain your weight during the season because you lost so much playing over 100 games a year. You ate good carbs and and tried to refuel before and after the games. Recovery was the key to being a successful player because the games and practices where everyday for eight months.

This year’s playoffs have been the most physical playoffs in a long time, and I’m loving it. It seems nowadays that players, refs and even announcers overreact to hard fouls and physical play. Do you feel that the league should try to move back a little to a more physical style of play that would create more rivalries? And how do you think todays NBA stars would handle a more physical game? Guys like MJ, Malone and Barkley would go right at the physical play. How would LBJ and Chris Paul react if they got the physical abuse that those former NBA stars received?

There’s a difference between physical and dirty play. When I played in the 90s, the game was very physical. Players drove to basket and knew there was going to be some contact and layups were not allowed against very good teams. Because of the rule changes and the way fans view the game, they don’t want much physical play. They want more flowing basketball games, which takes out the physical nature of players at times and then when you see a hard foul, it’s called a flagrant. MJ, Bird and Magic played in those physical days and that was how the game was played. The game nowadays would be easy for them because they would live at the foul line. Guys like Barkley, Oakley, Rodman, Xavier McDaniel and those types of players would be in foul trouble now because the game is not as physical. Guys like LBJ, Kobe and Paul could adapt to that play because they are very special players and would use those rules to benefit them.

When news hit the NBA that Yao Ming would be out for the rest of the season, a few things immediately happened.

First, all the upper powers in NBA and the corporate sponsors were devastated because they just lost one of the most marketed players in the world.

Second, all the teams around the league (especially Western Conference teams) looked at their schedule to see when they play the Rockets.

Lastly, the Rockets looked at their roster and saw the center position being held down now by 79-year-old Dikembe Mutombo. I’m just guessing the age but I’m close.

Now all that leads me to Tracy McGrady and how all this affects him.

T-Mac has shown in the past that he can take a not very talented team to the playoffs and lose in the first round. He’s 0-6 there. But this is a tougher and more daunting task. He plays in the toughest conference. His team has won 13 games in a row and still sits at the seventh seed.

But I’m going to go the opposite direction everybody else has taken when talking about the Rockets. I say they do make the playoffs and this will be the most career-defining season for McGrady.

There will be a team in the Western Conference that gets 50-plus abd won’t make the playoffs, regardless of the Yao injury. The typical thing would be just saying the Rockets will be that team because there is no possible way they can keep winning consistently without Yao. And people would say the Rockets can use that same excuse if they falter. But I see T-Mac taking this opportunity to silence all the critics and show them that he’s more than just a big stat stuffer with no superstar substance.

Think about it. He’s got some role players that quite frankly understand their role. A coach that has the handcuffs off the offense. He’s matured as a player and stats are not more important than getting this team (without Yao) into playoffs and past the first round. Granted, his health is a big factor also.

All-Stars are made in regular seasons. Superstars and legacies are made in the playoffs. Legends wins championships.

If he does the first two out of the three above then when you have a T-Mac attack, make sure you super-size it because what he did would be a super-size task.

I think the Bobcats committed a terrible mistake dropping off Walter Herrmann and eating up such a huge salary from Nazr Mohammed. Do you feel that Michael Jordan is becoming one of the most disappointing GMs of all time?

I think it early to say that MJ is one of the most disappointing GMs of all time, but a case can be made that his recent transactions and draft picks are suspect. He drafted Kwame Brown No. 1. Made some questionable moves in Washington, including activating himself as a player when people thought that took away from younger players’ development. He signed a new face, Sam Vincent, when there were a lot of proven coaches waiting. He traded for Jason Richardson, which is not a bad move, but if you have several players that play that position then it’s an issue. Only time will tell with the Bobcats because they’re young and talented with a young coach who has the respect of the players thus far. And they’re not playing bad basketball so far this season.

What is it like when a player gets traded from team to team, for example when Brian Shaw was traded for Sherman Douglas? Is there a big change in the feeling within the locker rooms? Do you have any funny stories regarding new players arriving or players leaving the team you were playing for?

When a player gets traded, you know it’s just business. But when you have relationship on and off the court with teammates, that’s when it’s tough. It’s like a brother moving away. They have no choice but to leave and get established with a new team. The locker room changes cause all the guys are close like a family. I was good friends with Brian Shaw and we went through a lot together – including Reggie Lewis passing away and his family tragically dying in a car accident. So it’s tough when a friend like that gets traded. But I will honestly say that the best point guard I had a chance to play with on a full-time basis was Sherman Douglas. He made me a better player and we enjoyed hanging out off the court. The funniest story has to do with myself getting traded from Boston to Toronto on a West coast road trip. I found out that I got traded by one of the assistant coaches sliding a note under my hotel door telling me not to come on the team bus. “You’ve been traded and someone will let you know what’s next.” Not cool. Especially in Vancouver.

If you were the GM, what would be your plan for the Knicks?

This is easier than it sounds but I would totally revamp the roster by bringing in young players (a la Portland) and get rid of the malcontents. I would publicly say that we are officially rebuilding and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better so be patient. Again, sounds easy and we are talking about Knick fans here. I don’t think Isiah is a terrible coach, I think all he needs is to focus on coaching and he would be better off without the personnel responsibity. Remember, coaches care about winning today and GMs care about winning into the future. So you can’t be both without compromising the other. The reality is that this team has to be totally overhauled. A few pieces are worth keeping, but when you’re not that good everyone can be gone with the right offer.

Do you think that now players are more likely to flop than back in your days as an NBA player? If so, is it because of them or because the League allows it?

Players when I played did flop. Either you could guard a person or you got torched that night. Flopping became popular when the rules changed on what you can and cannot do in the post area. Granted I’ve acted a bit on taking charges, but it wasn’t used as a tool to make the ref make a decision on every possession versus a great player. Every era has floppers or guys using the rules to a slight advantage. In my day, among guards it was Reggie Miller and among inside players it was Vlade Divac.

Will Chris Webber play in the NBA again?

I don’t think he will. Every day goes by, Chris Webber gets older and kness gets worse. There is a slight possibility when teams are making playoff runs and getting their playoff rosters in shape that his name might pop up if the situation is right for the team.

When you played in the NBA, were you aware of players who had issues with alcohol like Keon Clark?

You always are concerned and aware about players that have any problems with anything that is addictive. We are like one big brotherhood and we try to help guys who have those issues and support them to get better for themselves. The one thing you did if a guy like Keon Clark was a teammate was not put them in compromising situations for them to have to make tough choices that could lead to something bad.

How much of an impact could have the W of the Suns at San Antonio?

It was big in the sense that it burned the Suns (no pun intended) to lose that series last year after all the suspensions with Stoudemire and Diaw. Also just to show the Spurs that on any giving night, even on the road, they can beat the Spurs. To me every game during the season is a statement game when you’re playing other teams that you might have to go through in the playoffs. That’s just the mental part of basketball. Just like the Warriors and Dallas last year, mentally they knew the could beat the Mavs because they did it several times during the regular season. So it was an impactful win for the Suns early in the season.

Do you think that the Lakers can win it all with Kobe and Bynum (and a supporting cast led by Lamar Odom) or they must trade Kobe and start building around Bynum?

I don’t think this team as assembled can win a championship. They’re missing a few pieces, especially considering how tough the Western Conference is. They will always be dangerous come playoff time because of Kobe, but not a championship team. If you can win a championship and build your team around the most dynamic individual player and scorer in the NBA, you’re not going to build it around a young center who is getting better every game but is not ready to carry a team by himself. You keep those three pieces (Kobe, Bynum, Odom) and try to find the mix of roles players. They have a few (Walton, Ariza, Radmanovic) but need a few more. If you trade Kobe, you will get lots of pieces in return but it still wouldn’t be Bynum’s team until you see what player you received for Kobe.

OK, here’s a new one: Chris Paul or Deron Williams?

Tough one. I go back and forth daily on these two great players. But if I had to start a team today, I would choose Chris Paul. I think he is more of a true point guard. Makes everyone around him better and can carry a team on his shoulders like Isiah Thomas did with the Detroit Bad Boys. Over the long haul, I like Deron because of his size at point, durability and three-point shooting are better than Paul’s. But both are great and will be superstars for a long time.

What do you think about Reggie Theus bringing up the curfew rule to the Kings when they are on the road?

I don’t like it. This is not college and these are grown men. If you’re not responsible enough to carry yourself like a professional and responsible adult then you need to take the consequences of your actions as a grown man. You should not have to have someone to tell you when you have to go to bed or be in your room if you really respect and appreciate the game and the position you’re in as a NBA player. At some point, you have to be accountable for what you do on and off the court. NBA is for players who are ready to be responsible for their lives off the court also. No Babysitting Allowed.

The biggest story still going on before the 2007-08 NBA season jumps is who is going to win the Kobe Bryant sweepstakes. It has been back and forth with Kobe and the Zen Master. And now Jerry Buss has chimed in and said that he will listen to trade offers for the Laker star.

What?

Kobe is the most individually dynamic. I love LeBron, Nash, and other superstars around the league and what they do for their teams. But we are talking about a guy who scored 81 in an NBA game. He fills every arena he goes to. Fans just sit on the edge of their seats waiting for him to do something unbelievable. But that’s where the problem lies… He’s an individual and the last time I checked, basketball was a team game.

Here is an old NBA question…What is the best backcourt in NBA history?

Answer: Michael Jordan and whoever.

Jordan was so good that he made every backcourt mate a better player, a better shooter and a champion. Can Kobe be the type of player that does that for his backcourt mate? That’s is the question that 29 teams are asking themselves, but only a few can really be serious in addressing. The three teams that have been named are the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.

Eddie Johnson explained it beautifully and I will expand a little. Which team is willing to depart with practically their entire core for one guy? Remember Kobe is a perimeter player. He’s not Shaq, Chamberlain or Abdul-Jabbar in terms of inside presence and pure dominance. If those guys were traded, anybody can be traded. But at what price? The Mavs and the Suns would have to give up their respected superstar or a combination or All-Star players to even have a chance to get Kobe. And why would the Lakers trade him in the same conference. That wouldn’t be pretty at all.

The Bulls seems like the best fit. They are a Eastern Conference team. They have been looking for a replacement for His Airness since Jerry Krause disbanded the team. They have enough young assets to maybe package something together and still have enough left so Kobe wouldn’t feel like he is in a worse situation than he was back with the Lakers. Sounds great, but could he co-exist with Scott Skiles and his tough minded approach? I think so. Could he relish and not feel all the pressure that the city of Chicago would put on him to get them back to the promise land a la Jordan. Kobe loves that type of pressure! He wants to say, “I put this franchise on my back and got them a back as a legit championship team.”

And as long as the Cubs are still in town, he still has some leverage for at least the next 100 years. Ouch, low blow. My bad, Cubs fans.

So to sum it up, who wouldn’t want Kobe? If I’m a GM, I’m taking a quick look at the possibility. But are these teams willing to pay top dollar for the meat or just sit back, observe and stay vegetarians all season long?

After hearing about Shawn Marion’s latest trade gossip and now a request that’s it’s time to move on, I just think this is the same song and dance over and over from All-Star players when they don’t want to step on toes if the trade doesn’t happen. I’m underrated and underappreciated, I’m tired of hearing trade rumors, I can’t get an extension, etcetera.

Here’s an excerpt from a conversation I overheard between Mike D’Antoni aka Morpheus and Shawn Marion aka the Matrix…

Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Shawn, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from the dream, Shawn? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world? If “real” is that you play with a two-time MVP point guard, and that you are the highest paid player on the Suns then “real” is electrical signals your brain cannot interpret. What are you waiting for? You’re better than this. Don’t think you are, know you are. Come on! Stop trying to get a trade and work on getting the Suns a championship!
Matrix: I thought it wasn’t real?
Morpheus: Your mind makes it real
Matrix: So if I leave Phoenix, my career dies?
Morpheus: You cannot prosper without Phoenix. You have to see for yourself what the Matrix is. The Matrix is your game, Shawn. But when you’re inside the Matrix, you look around, what do you see? You are the highest paid player on the Suns, you just received a seven-time All-Star in Grant Hill to play alongside with, and Steve Nash is still your point guard.  You have to understand, you are not ready to be unplugged. And you are so inert, so dependent on the team that Phoenix will fight to protect it. If you are not one of us, you are one of them. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire career, that there’s something wrong outside Phoenix. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that’s not far from the truth. I’m trying to free your mind, Shawn. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it. [Morpheus mumbles, “You better walk through that door Monday for training camp.”]
Matrix: Why do my eyes hurt?
Morpheus: You’ve never used them before. And there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Matrix: What are you trying to tell me? That I can’t coexist with Kobe?
Morpheus: Shawn, I’m trying to tell you if you couldn’t coexist here with this perfect system for you then there is no place you can. (Especially the triangle offense or Jerry Sloan) Your game (The Matrix) is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. You don’t have to create your own shot here with Nash spoon-feeding you and Barbosa and Hill slashing to the paint getting you dunk after dunk. What makes you think you will get a shot up when Kobe’s shooting 30 times a game. And what’s better… Running the floor next to Andrew Bynum or Amare Stoudemire? You’ve been living in a dream world, Shawn. Don’t wake up!

So after taking the tap off the phone (teasing), I encourage the Matrix to listen to the immortal words of Morpheus (the architect of a style and system that every athletic player loves to play).

Playing in the NBA is the ultimate dream job. Take my advice: don’t wake up! If you do, you will be real disappointed that you took the red and blue pill (if I got any Matrix movie fans!) because that one thing you won’t touch as much in L.A. or even Utah is the pill.

But if you won’t take my advice, speak to Neo (Joe Johnson). Everything worked out fine for him… Or did it not?

There are close to 500 players in the NBA. But there is only one NBA championship team every year. So that leaves tons of players year and year out without a ring.

I’ve made a list of 10 active players that I hope go to the altar and get a ring.

Remember there are plenty of great players that didn’t get rings during their career for one reason or another. Guys like Dominique Wilkins or Bernard King played during the Lakers and Celtics title runs. Others – like Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller – were blocked by the Bad Boys’ Pistons, Jordan’s Bulls, Hakeem’s Rockets and the Lakers of the Shaq/Kobe era.

The active players I am going to omit from my list are guys that are just getting into their prime and have years left to take a team to the promise land. So you won’t find LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Gilbert Arenas, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Paul or Carlos Boozer.

Now… The List:

10. Steve Nash. Two-time MVP leading a very exciting team. Shows everyone that players can get better as they get older. He has the best chance on this list to get a ring even though there are three guys on the list that might think differently now.

9. Ray Allen. He’s one of those three guys I was talking about. Sweetest shot in the game. Great ambassador for basketball. And now in a place now where he doesn’t have to be The Man every night.

8. Jason Kidd. Has been to the rodeo before but came up short. Triple-double machine. Has slowed down a bit, but who wouldn’t want to play with him? Makes everyone better.

7. Jermaine O’Neal. People forget how he was written off as a bust his first few years in Portland. Now a premier big and All-Star. Wants to go to L.A. with Kobe. Smooth, but he needs another All-Star type player to ease pressure.

6. Paul Pierce. Second of the three guys whose chances have grown the past few days. Scorer, competitor and C’s captain. Got close to the Finals playing with Employee #8 (Antoine Walker, who has a ring; thanks, D-Wade).

5. Chris Webber. Went to Detroit for that title shot, but couldn’t accomplish the goal. Definitely has lost a step (or two, three, four!). Great passer. Will try to go to a team that needs one more piece to get over the hump.

3. Grant Hill/Tracy McGrady. I lump them together because I was part of the big free agent coup for the Magic in 2000. Headlines: “Magic sign three free agents to 200 million dollars.” The catch was that those two signed for 198 million of it. Do the math. They were supposed to be the next great duo. We know the story with Grant and T-Mac and still neither player has gotten out of the first round. That could change for both this year.

2. Allen Iverson. Love him. Toughest player I have ever played against. He’s fierce, plays hurt, has won every individual NBA award, now he just wants a real chance at a title again with a team who has legit chance to win – not that team he had in Philly.

1. Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket. The last of the three guys I said that could make it happen coming from the East. Plays hard every possession, not just every night. Now he’s teamed up with two other All-Stars who are hungry like him. That’s why all three are on my list. For the first time in his career, he doesn’t have to be the main focal point and can just be KG.

The order is very debatable and it all depends on which player you like more than the other. But I can’t find 10 active star players more deserving than those 10. You can debate that also.

(Just a side note on list in reference to the Celtics getting KG… In August 1996, when the Houston Rockets traded their future (Sam Cassell and Robert Horry; nine rings combined) for Charles Barkley to team him with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, they were two wins from the Finals, but the Stockton/Malone combo put that to an end and the Rockets haven’t won a playoff series since. KG, Pierce and Allen could get their bling-bling at the same time or all the players on the list could go home broken-hearted again with one of the young stars mentioned above taking home the nice jewelry).

How much stock do you really put in a guy who absolutely destroys the summer league circuit?

Well, you have to look at some of the variables that go along with being a just a summer league superstar or a legit player in the NBA.

First… Is the player a first-round pick of the team this year? If he is, then you expect him to have more trouble than success. The game is faster, players are quicker and stronger and they have a big target on their backs from players who got undrafted or want to make a name and turn some heads by crushing that team’s draft pick. Remember LeBron didn’t actually rip up summer play his rookie year, but he learned a lot about his game and what he had to improve on going into the season. This is what Kevin Durant and Greg Oden is figuring out right now.

Second… Is the player a first-round pick from last year or the year before or even the team’s second-round pick who sat the bench all season? Those players have some NBA experience, so they know a little about how the game is played, know the team’s system and usually play well during the summer. Last year, Travis Diener played incredible during the summer. Then he didn’t get off the pine during the season and now is trying to find a team. This summer, JJ Redick is showing people really how good he is and why he will make a bigger splash this season than last. Take in mind that first-round picks will get the bulk of the shots and playing time because the summer is where teams get a chance to develop these players and showcase them on the offensive end. Marco Belinelli looks like the real deal and will fit great with Golden State’s style of play. But will he get all those looks and shots that he has during the summer with Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis and the rest of the shoot-first, pass-second Warriors? The talent is there for all these guys, but they won’t have the same opportunities during the season.

Does the name Nikoloz Tskitishvili ring a bell? The next Dirk. The 5th pick in the 2002 Draft. After a great summer a few years back, he still is trying to find his way in the league.

Thirdly… Look at the competition on some of these teams. Names and faces you never heard or seen before. That’s why they are playing during the summer. Trying to get a spot in vet camp after playing overseas, in the the D-League, the CBA or any other league with three letters hoping to put up big numbers and impress one GM or coach.

Lastly… Numbers can be deceiving during the summer. Have you ever taken a look at Bo Outlaw’s summer numbers when he participates in the Summer Pro League in California? Every year Bo is one of the best players there. He has several quadruple-doubles. Quadruple-doubles! He scores 20-plus points a game. Now, Bo is a legit player in this league for what he does: rebounding, defense, energy and leadership. It comes down to the opportunities you get during the summer (compared to during the season when the man and franchise player on the team is getting all the shots), the competition level and what’s at stake for each individual player.

I’ve seen plenty of summer league superstars over the past 20 years. Some take advantage of the opportunity and find themselves on an NBA team and really contribute, but most just fade away and keep trying to make it. The problem is that these guys are always great during the summer, but the pay is a lot bigger and better during the fall, winter and spring!

I love New York! Yes, I said it. I love to shop and watch Broadway shows like every tourist. But the best thing is playing in Madison Square Garden, which is Zach Randolph’s new home.

Let’s break down the trade, which I think was a good move both for Knicks and Blazers.

First, Isiah finally got Stevie Franchise’s dollars off the books. Now Steve can go to Portland… Although the way owner Paul Allen is spending money, they might buy out Francis’ contract. Portland has a lot of young talent and they keep stressing they’re looking for quality people. I’m not saying Francis is a bad person, but he has had his run-ins with coaches and teammates over the years. Plus they have tons of guards.

Second, Zack Randolph is a stud! He averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds last year and is great at scoring in bunches against anybody. Remember he did this is the Western Conference. Now the baggage and off-court issues that Randolph brings are always going to be an issue. He is New York, the town that never sleeps. If he can get in trouble in Portland, watch out NYC. He’s about to paint the town Red, White, Blue, Green, Purple and any other color you name. I’m not saying he can’t change. But it’s New York City.

The other issue is… Can he coexist with Eddy Curry? I think he can. Randolph can play facing the basket and will be a handful for any power forward in the East to handle. The Knicks now have the best low-post threats in the East. No question. Name a better couple. Magic’s Howard/Milicic? Pistons’ Webber/Wallace? Heat’s Shaq/Haslem? Cavs’ Big Z/Gooden? Sorry, I don’t think so.

Lastly, the throw-in players are not bad players at all. Channing Frye will be a great player to play with Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge. He is a tall 4 who can spread the court with his jump shot out to three-point range. For the Knicks, acquiring Fred Jones, an athletic 2 guard will help Isiah be more athletic in the backcourt.

So both teams got something from the deal. The Knicks just hope the city doesn’t get Zach Randolph.

Let’s get this straight right now. I’m not jumping off the LeBron bandwagon after his 4-16 shooting performance and 6 turnovers in his first NBA Finals game. But King James showed some nervousness and was very tentative at the beginning of this game. He won’t admit it, but he did. James has started slow in several games during the playoffs and has gradually picked it as the game progressed. Well, against Bruce Bowen and the entire Spurs defense it never got going. Bowen is similar to that little piece of stuff that gets stuck in your teeth that you can’t get out without pulling that tooth out or picking at it until it bleeds. You know it’s there. It aggravates you, but it’s still there.

What LeBron needs to do to get rid of that stuff  is attack it first. James has to start faster and be more aggressive than he’s ever been in the playoffs. The Spurs are a great defensive team when you let them dictate what the offense does. James let the Spurs dictate when he shot and passed the entire first half. I understand that you have to get your teammates involved. But this is the Finals, baby! This is when legends are born and made for years to come.

Granted, the role players of Cleveland need to step up and make plays and when your best second option is a rookie nicknamed Boobie picked in the second round then you might need to start making vacation plans. Daniel Gibson has been outstanding during the playoffs and has earned respect from everyone. But we are talking about the Spurs, people. They have big players who can rotate to open shooters unlike the Pistons with Chris Webber and Antonio McDyess. They have role players that play their roles unlike Flip Murray and Carlos Delfino. So this is a different type of series for the Cavs and Game 1 proved it.

Another observation from Game 1 is someone needs to slow down Tony Parker. He went for 27 points and 7 assists and I can’t remember how many TV shots of Eva Longoria we got Thursday night. Chauncey Billups struggled badly in the Conference Finals because he is primarily a jump shooter. Parker can shoot jump shots, but his focus is to get in the paint and cause havoc which he did. They even try to put LeBron on him. Bad move. LeBron is already trying to everything for his team on the offensive end. You can’t expect him to guard Parker and also be effective on the other end. Someone has to step up and slow him down. Who wants the challenge? Hughes, Gibson, Snow, Damon Jones (sorry; no way, Damon).

Again, I’m not leaving the King James fan club yet, because he has earn my respect to getting Cleveland to the NBA Finals. But if he doesn’t get that stuff out his teeth quick, this series will be as painful as a trip to the dentist for the Cavs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost the first two games of their series against the Detroit Pistons with same final score (79-76). And other than the score, those games had many things in common. Both times, LeBron James had the ball in his hands in the final seconds with the Cavs trailing by a point. Both times, James went to the rim. Both times, nothing good happened for the inexperienced Cavs. The Cavs had the lead with less than two minutes and they went 0-5 down the stretch in both games. Both times, they committed several turnovers and couldn’t stop Rasheed Wallace.

In Game 1, LeBron dribbled at the top of the key. He drove to the basket. He seemed to get by Pistons defender Tayshaun Prince for a layup. Then James kicked it out to Donyell Marshall for a wide-open three-pointer. Marshall missed the shot and James took most of the blame. They said a superstar wouldn’t have passed the ball in a game-tying or winning situation. I think James made the correct decision because Marshall is capable of hitting big shots and James had made that pass several times to teammates during his NBA career.

So what did James tried to do in Game 2? He dribbled at the top of the key. He made his move with the smaller Richard Hamilton guarding or hanging all, took some contact during the play and missed the shot. Game Over! Cavs lose 79-76.

Now the debate starts over again. Did he make the correct play in Game 2? He took a tough shot against a defense that knew he was going to shoot it in this situation and not defer to a teammate. Again he made the best play for the team. The Cavs lost and are in a 0-2 hole.

OK, let’s step away from the obvious and talk about the two players that will dictate how the rest of this series is played out and determined – Larry Hughes and Tayshaun Prince.

Let’s start with Prince. He is arguably Detroit’s best on-ball defender and that’s why he has been given the task to guard LeBron James, similar to what Dennis Rodman did in the late 80s and early 90s versus Michael Jordan. He’s making James work hard for every shot, but it’s taking a big toll on his offensive game. Prince was 1-11 in Game 1 and 0-8 in Game 2. The Pistons need Prince to score the basketball and make James also work on the defensive end. This is the main reason why the Pistons are struggling to score. He needs to find his stroke in Game 3 or it could get ugly in Cleveland.

As for Larry Hughes, he also has been given the assignment of slowing down the opponent’s most important player (Chauncey Billups). He has frustrated Billups during the series so far. Billups uncharacteristically had a total of 9 turnovers in two games and had trouble throughout the series in getting his shot off. He can’t bully Hughes in the low post. Granted, Billups has hit big shots in the fourth quarter in Game 1 and 2, but he’s not as dominant during the series as you would expect.

The problem for Cleveland is that all that work on defense is also taking a toll on Hughes’ offensive game. Remember he had a chance to tie the game after James’ missed shot in Game 2, but missed badly on an easy shot. He had played well during the playoffs and had become that second scorer the Cavs needed while taking over some of the ballhandling duties from James so he didn’t have to make every play for the team. But now Hughes is 6-22 from the field against Detroit. He hasn’t hit a three-pointer and has made some crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter. Not the sidekick LeBron wants in the Conference finals.

This series could be easily 1-1 or even 2-0 for the Cavs with one or even just two made shots in crunch time. Everybody wants to focus on James because he is the marquee name in this series, but the determining factor for both teams will be which player will step up to the challenge and make a huge difference on the offensive end. (Because if I see 79-76 again in Game 3, I’m tempted to lace them up again cause I know I can hit a wide-open jump shot. OK, I’m serious about the jumpshot. Not about lacing them up).