HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Eddie Johnson

The trade deadline cracks me up. I am amazed at how many players worry about getting traded. I literally want to shout as loud as I can and say, “Who cares?“ The question I want to ask every player that seems to worry about this deadline is this… When you were dreaming as a young man about playing at the professional level, did you worry about which team you would play for? Heck no. All you worried about was getting a scholarship and improving enough to be considered to advance to the next level. I understand the emotion after you find out a trade has happened, but it should be short-lived and here is why…

Playing in the NBA is a privilege and no one owes you anything. I want all NBA players to investigate how many hard-working Americans in this country lost jobs these past few years. So now think about how silly it sounds when you are worried about moving from one job to the next, but still receiving the same check. You are worried about a truck moving your furniture from one mansion to the next. Yes, I understand the anxiety of leaving your family midstream. I got traded twice in the same scenario to Seattle from Phoenix and from Indiana to Houston via Denver.

Not one time did my wife say stay home and forget basketball. She packed my bags and said, Go prove them wrong and, most importantly, keep making that money. If Cleveland was to cut LeBron James and no team picked him up, the league would still go on. This is the nature of sports. And when you start to believe you are being done wrong… Well, that’s when you become short-lived.

Every player that was traded this deadline and still can put on a uniform should be extremely thankful they still have a job and every player that had his name tossed about in many rumors should not be offended if they are still playing with the same team.

The one player I was extremely impressed with during this trading period was Amare Stoudemire. He never lashed out or said, I want out. He said one simple statement which rings true and I wish every player when mentioned in rumors will express.

He said, If I end up in Cleveland or Miami that will be fine or if I stay in Phoenix that will be OK as well.

I could care less if he meant it or not. It let me know that he has now come to grips that whatever happens when you are under contract is out of your control. So deal with it and adjust.

Here are my thoughts on the deals that were done…

- The Cavaliers just peeked through the door and said “boo“ to the Celtics, Magic, Hawks and Lakers. I believe that these are the top teams in the NBA and the Cavaliers just pulled off a coup. Antawn Jamison gives the Cavaliers a player who can score 30 with zero plays ran for him. Jamison has the best array of shots from any position on the floor of any player in the league. Would Amare have been huge for them? Yes, but Jamison is a constant mover and because of that strength he will get high-percentage shots in the Cavalier offense. He is also a very good rebounder on both glasses. The major attribute is his tremendous leadership skills and desire to finally go deep into the playoffs. I picked the Cavaliers last year to win it all and I assume I have just jumped back on their wagon with the addition of Jamison.

- I am so glad Tracy McGrady is back in a uniform. The problem is… Do the Knicks really intend on giving him a chance to show he is still the same player? We all know this was about salary cap, but if Tracy is willing to take a paycut next year, the Knicks could still add two top-notch players not named Lebron and Dwyane Wade and become a playoff contender in 2011. The Knicks have stayed with the plan of freeing up a ton of money and now we can sit back and watch how everything plays out without draft picks. The addition of Eddie House will help stabilize a locker room that could fracture mentally as the season winds down.

- I like Kevin Martin, but I don’t understand the Rockets giving up their best interior scorer. Carl Landry will become an All- Star with the Kings and that’s a guarantee. Landry is a horse and Paul Westphal will love him. Martin will have to share shots with Aaron Brooks, which means the frontcourt for the Rockets better get on the glass to get looks. I hope Rick Adelman can find a way to keep those big guys happy when his guards are taking 70 percent of the shots.

- When I first saw Marquis Daniels and Josh Howard as rookies playing for Dallas, I thought those two could become stars. They should be a great example for young players like OJ Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez, etcetera. You can never rest on your laurels. Even if you get a head start in the league, that does not mean you win the race. The race is about how many years you can perform at a consistent pace and reach the level we expected. Howard is off to one of the loneliest islands in the NBA, the Washington Wizards. I understand he was hurt consistently over the last few years, but Kobe Bryant put up numbers with a broken finger and bad ankle.

With the addition of Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, the Mavericks are definitely one of the top teams in the West. But they will only go deep in the playoffs if Haywood and Erick Dampier provide great interior defense. Butler is a very gifted player and I am extremely excited he has a chance to redeem himself and get back to the player I really enjoyed watching.

- When Marcus Camby got traded to Portland from the Clippers, they said he was so upset that he ran out of the team dinner. I really find that hard to believe. I believe this is what really happened… Camby, not wanting to seem too enthusiastic, used the acting classes he was secretly taking during off days in Los Angeles. He turned his head and threw some water in his eyes, slammed his fist down on the dinner table and for good measure uttered a few obscenities. He then raced out the restaurant, ran around the corner and started doing cartwheels and screaming with joy.

The Blazers have put themselves in a tremendous position to make a serious run come playoffs. The key is obviously Brandon Roy getting healthy and quite possibly Greg Oden coming back for the playoffs. I think Camby deserves to be on a team that is primed to win now and I am glad the Clippers made him use his acting lessons.

I do like Travis Outlaw a lot. I think he and Blake Griffin will cause a ton of matchup problems next year. I am still one of those superstitious people that believe the Clippers are cursed until they move out of L.A. and create their own identity. They were a more competitive team when they played in San Diego and I would love to see them in Anaheim one of these years.

- Darko Milicic is off to Minnesota for one of my favorite players – Brian Cardinal. Brian is the son of one of my favorite trainers when I was at Illinois – Rob Cardinal. Joe Dumars‘ nightmare refuses to go away. Joe, please admit this guy haunts you. I think it is pretty obvious he can’t play and wants to go home. Kurt Rambis, do him a favor and let Darko go home. We really need to stop punishing this guy.

- The Bulls give up Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats and get a steal in Hakim Warrick for John Salmons. I really like Warrick because he is not just athletic, but he can actually put that orange ball in the basket. Also, Flip Murray from Charlotte will carry the Bulls offensively on nights when they need him. Thomas, welcome to the world of getting the ultimate teacher in Larry Brown.

Tyrus, here is some advice from a former player of Coach Brown. Listen and listen well. Because if you do, you might become a pretty good basketball player and not just an athlete. There is a reason why you have not progressed, so get ready to make your mouth small and ears big or you will be out the league and a European star in a few years.

- Lionel Hollins just got more energy to throw on the floor with Ronnie Brewer. I can’t see him playing a ton of minutes, but he will play a very good defensive role in the fourth quarter when the Grizzlies can rotate OJ Mayo and Sam Young out for Brewer.

- I mention Theo Ratliff because he might become a starter for the Bobcats. Brown loves defensive-minded big men who do not crave the ball. Ratliff also brings a good spirit to a team that has some characters.

The landscape is similar. The Lakers, Cavaliers Magic, Celtics and Hawks are still the teams to beat, but the most fun will be the competitive teams at the bottom of the Western Conference fighting for playoff spots. The best month of basketball (March) is almost here and I can’t wait.

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Cleveland vs. Detroit

It is pretty obvious that the mindset of these two teams are direct opposites. The Cavaliers are hungry and willing to please while the Pistons seem like a group ready for a vacation. I continue to laugh at people who think the NBA season starts in April. The reason the Cavaliers are good is because of the consistency they have developed during the year and the reason Detroit is playing poorly is because they treated the season like a training camp. I continue to remind people about how special Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem Olajawon, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan are. They never lost the hunger to win multiple championships. This Piston team has proven to us that they are a content group and the Cavaliers should sweep them if they don’t let down their guard.

The Pistons are paying a serious price for losing the leadership of Chauncey Billups. Combine that with the mistake of not drafting Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh in 2003 and Joe Dumars now has to blow up this team next year. I love Antonio McDyess, but the move he made by forcing Denver to buy out his contract to go back to Detroit will go down as one of the worst personal decisions he will ever make in his life.

I continue to marvel at LeBron James. He is on par with Kobe Bryant as the smartest basketball player in the NBA. We are watching a combination of skill and power that this game has never seen.  The 38-8-7 night he had in Game 1 was a message to the rest of the playoff teams that King James is on a mission.

Chicago vs. Boston

I thought Chicago made a mistake when they took Derrick Rose over Michael Beasley. I understood the marketing aspect of it all, but I still thought Beasley was the right choice. Well, I was dead wrong. Rose has proven to me all year that he was the right pick and after the 36 points and 11 assists he put on Boston in Game 1, I would tend to think the Celtics are believers as well. Doc Rivers made a remark last year when people were applauding what a great coaching job he did in the Celtics championship run… He said, “I ran the same stuff the year before and got blasted for doing a poor coaching job.”

You do not have success in this league without great players. Kevin Garnett is a great player and most importantly is the emotional leader of the Celtics. Without Garnett, the Celtics are a 5th or 6th seed. So it is no surprise the Bulls were able to beat them and it was no surprise that Rose shredded their tough defense. I love Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but they will need some tremendous defensive help from Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and the rest of the guys to make up for the loss of Garnett.

The Bulls are young and hungry and as I mentioned above in reference to the Pistons, it is hard to win back-to-back championships. I still think the Celtics have enough to win this series, but they will not if Rose continues to attack the rim and create opportunities for his teammates. This has quickly become the best series to keep an eye on.

(I wonder if Stephon Marbury realizes Derrick Rose is a mirror image of what people thought he would become with his combination of scoring, defense and the leadership he has portrayed this season).

Orlando vs. Philadelphia

I missed this game and I was extremely surprised when I saw the final score, but Philly has made a consistent effort to change people’s opinions come playoff time. Last year they had Detroit on the brink of elimination before they ran out of nerves and gas.

Orlando will now find out how difficult they are to beat. This was the worst matchup for the Magic because Philly is better at what Orlando likes to do. The edge Orlando has is Dwight Howard, but if he does not have monster games the Magic are in serious trouble.

The keys to this series are Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. They cannot continue to shoot poorly and most importantly they have to get back in transition to keep Andre Miller out of the paint. Miller is the most underrated point guard in the NBA and he is a potential triple-double every game he plays.

The Magic better use the length of Lewis and Turkoglu to get more interior shots to slow the pace or the Sixers or they will suffer. Also, would someone please tell Rafer Alston that he is a point guard and not a shooter? He took 15 shots and made 5 and he shoots 38 percent for the year. Stan Van Gundy also needs to calm down or he will prove Shaq’s assessment of being a nervous coach down the stretch to be correct. A good team like the Magic should not be blowing 14-point leads in the fourth quarter. I am reminded that most great coaches will say, give me a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The pressure is on them to solidify the win.

I think Orlando will win the series, but it will go 6 or 7, which will kill their chances to stay fresh enough to deal with Cleveland in the conference finals.

Atlanta vs. Miami

The Miami Heat are arriving in Atlanta on Wednesday, I assume, because they sent their junior varsity team on Sunday and the Atlanta Hawks spanked them and cruised to one of the easiest playoff victories I have seen in a while. Josh Smith had his own personal dunk contest going on throughout the game.

The Atlanta Hawks are a dangerous team and the scare they put into the Celtics last year is giving them the confidence to excel in this year’s playoffs. This Hawks’ version is much better defensively and extremely unselfish. Mike Woodson has done one of the best coaching jobs this year and it showed in his defensive plan against Dwyane Wade in Game 1. Wade was 8 for 21 in a devastating display of offense and defense from the Hawks.

The Heat played like a young team and left Wade alone on an island. That cannot continue to happen or this series will be over in a hurry. This victory is bittersweet for the Hawks because the challenge for Mike Woodson will be to get his team to believe that Game 1 was a mirage and the real Heat team will show up on Wednesday.

I do not expect the Heat to shoot 36 percent again and struggle from behind the three-point line (4-23), but if they do they will need to grab more than the five offensive rebounds they had in Game 1.

LA Lakers vs. Utah

The Utah Jazz will be swept out of the first round quickly if they continue to shoot 39 percent while giving up 55 percent to the powerful Lakers. Logic tells me that this trend will not continue to happen especially if Mehmet Okur gets back in the lineup for Game 2. The Lakers toyed with the Jazz in Game 1. The Jazz hung around and probably could have made it a game if they did not blow the many opportunities the Lakers gave them around the basket.

The Lakers’ length is obviously a major problem for the Jazz, so in that instance they will need to get better outside shooting from Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and CJ Miles.

The Laker bench had 33 points to offset the 37 the Jazz bench produced. Utah has no chance to win one game if that trend continues because the Lakers starters will have a stranglehold on that scoring advantage all series long.

Trevor Ariza was huge with his 21 points on 8 for 10 shooting. The Lakers are looking to close this series out fast, but they better be very cautious about any letdown in Game 2 because Utah is the most difficult place to play, especially come playoff time. L.A does not need that kind of stress in their run for another championship.

New Orleans vs. Denver

This was a beat down of surprising proportions, but not unexpected if both Chauncey Billups and JR Smith shoot the ball like they did in Game 1. I think the Nuggets would have beaten anyone shooting the ball like that. Billups sent a serious message to Chris Paul and the Hornets by draining 8 three-point shots and scoring 36 points. Smith did not shoot it well. He was 0-7 from behind the arc, but he made some acrobatic jumpers in the third quarter to put the Hornets out of their misery and think about Game 2.

The Nuggets are a volatile team and usually come playoff time those teams eventually lose, but Denver plays emotional/physical defense and the Hornets seemed to back down from it in Game 1. Don’t expect it to happen again. I picked the Hornets to win this series and I still see it happening, especially if they can keep Carmelo Anthony under wraps, which is not easy. Also Billups will continue to play well, but not to the tune of 8 for 9 three-pointers and 36 points. And that means others will have to step up for the Nuggets to win the second game.

The Hornets’ goal is to win one game away because they know the Nuggets have struggled on the road this year and the emotion they rely on can backfire when things are not going well for them.

David West has to become a more physical presence in protecting Chris Paul from the over excessive contact from Kenyon Martin and Dahntay Jones. I am sure the best officials will be working the rest of this series because it’s about to become a fist-fight.

San Antonio vs. Dallas

The benches will be the difference in this series and the Mavericks have a big advantage as it showed in Game 1. The Mavericks led by Jose Juan Barea, Brandon Bass and likely Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry outscored the Spurs bench 39 to 14.

The Spurs are a beaten-down bunch and the patchwork job that Gregg Popovich has done over the last few years has finally taken a toll. Without Manu Ginobili, I can’t imagine the Spurs beating the Mavericks trying to rely on just Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

The Mavericks have too many weapons and most importantly they are playing excellent basketball. We have to admire how good Duncan and Parker are. If you told me that 36-year-old Michael Finley, Matt Bonner and Roger Mason would be starting alongside them in a playoff series, I would have said they needed to explore what vacation destination they would be headed to after Round 1.

If Popovich finds a way to win this series, he will definitely become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He already is the best smoke-and-mirrors coach I have ever seen, but if Josh Howard can stay healthy with that gimpy ankle the Spurs will need much more than that to survive a first-round ouster.

The player of the game was Erick Dampier. His 10 points and 11 rebounds were big, but his ability to keep Tim Duncan off the free throw line was huge. Duncan had only 1 attempt in 37 minutes.

Portland vs. Houston

Aaron Brooks is the real deal. People wonder why the Rockets gave Rafer Alston away. Now you know why. Brooks has replaced the offensive production of Tracy McGrady but in a more efficient way. The Blazers have no answer for Brooks and that might be the difference in this series before it’s over. He was 10 of 17 with 7 assists and 2 turnovers and I thought jumpstarted a Rocket team that all of sudden is looking like the one team that will make it extremely difficult for the Lakers before it is over.

I can’t ignore the perfect game Yao Ming sent the Blazers way in just 24 minutes of action. He did not miss a shot. 9-9 from the field and 6-6 from the line for 24 points.

The physical presence of the Rockets and the youthfulness of the Blazers jumped off the screen in Game 1 and it will be interesting to see how the Blazers react from the beating they received.

LaMarcus Aldridge will have to show up. He was a nervous puppy Saturday and I don’t expect him to be that way in Game 2, but will it be enough?

The Blazers win with energy, but the Rockets create a major problem with their half-court offense. Don’t be surprised if Nate McMillan gives seldom-used rookie Jerryd Bayless a look to try and put some pressure on Aaron Brooks on the offensive end if he gets it going again in Game 2.

I still give the Rockets the edge in this series based on experience.

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I must admit that I am extremely disappointed that we are not seeing more competitive series so far. I thought this could be a playoff season where we would have at least three or four series go seven games deep. I never thought it might involve the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Eastern Conference, much maligned during the year, is giving us the most thrills while the West has been quite boring and uneventful.

But it’s not over yet!

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns

The Suns were unable to accomplish something no team has ever been able to do and that is win a series after being down 0-3. This series will become an example for every coach to preach to its team about the importance of playing 48 minutes to secure victory. The Suns have every right to believe this series should at least been longer, just based on the blown opportunities in games 1 and 5.

Tony Parker and Boris Diaw grew up together and are best friends and played key roles. Ironically it took Boris to cool Parker down in the Suns’ Game 4 win, in which Parker refused to say Boris had any effect on him. Parker proved it with a huge plays down the stretch in Game 5 and was the best player in the series.

The sad line in this series is the fact Grant Hill could not play at full strength. Hill worked all year to get back to the playoffs after signing as a free agent. Life is never fair and if any player deserves good health and a chance at an NBA title, that’s Grant Hill.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are in a sad state. How can so much talent be so bad together? George Karl is a very good coach, but he changed his combative attitude at the wrong time and his players proved inept at leadership.

The me-first attitude of the Nuggets would not allow them to be competitive against the unselfish Lakers and they were swept and embarrassed. Carmelo Anthony claimed the Nuggets quit after Game 3, but what he fails to realize is that he and Allen Iverson quit on their team every time they hold the ball for eight seconds of the shot clock and hoist up tough shots when a teammate stands wide open.

The Nuggets are too talented to be a two-man show and there the problem lies.

The Lakers are in a serious groove and if Kobe continues to play at this insane level, it will be difficult for anyone to beat them.

Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz

The Rockets are fighting as hard as any team can, but it will not be enough without Yao Ming. Tracy McGrady has played extremely well despite a bad leg and constant double and triple teams. Deron Williams has been the best player in the series and continues to get better.

The Rockets big win in Game 5 has given them hope, but the Jazz are stellar at home and a Rocket victory will be tough.

Rick Adelman and Jerry Sloan should be applauded for developing role players and having the confidence to play them. We are seeing players like Paul Millsap and Ronnie Brewer for the Jazz and Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes for the Rockets be big contributors in this series.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Dallas Mavericks

OK, I was wrong by saying the Hornets would suffer because of experience. They have looked like the more confident team. The Mavericks have proved again that pressure is not their friend. The last three years have been a test of pressure and they have continued to fail. The Hornets close-out of the Mavericks in five games looked extremely easy. Dirk Nowitzki wanted the Hornets. I guess you should watch what you wish for.

What is up with Josh Howard? I once thought the stupidest statement I would ever hear was Latrell Sprewell saying he did not like the Minnesota Timberwolves offer of $21 million because he had to feed his family. Josh Howard just bypassed Sprewell with his statement of marijuana use in the offseason and stating the fact that everyone knows NBA players use it.

I am wondering how Howard could be thinking of coming clean about his drug use and also throwing the NBA under the bus while being down 0-2 in a series.  That 26 percent shooting shooting by Howard in the series will not help his cause either.

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Celtics have just entered the twilight zone. Winning 66 games during the season guarantees you nothing. The Celtics look tired and confused and better solve Joe Johnson and Josh Smith soon or they will become this year’s Dallas Mavericks.

The Hawks are a better defensive team than the Celtics realized and now they are searching for answers back in Boston.

Mike Woodson has done a great job all year with the Hawks and now it’s paying dividends. Maybe now management will back off and realize Woodson is one of the best young coaches in the league. Word has it that Woodson wanted the Hawks to draft Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead of Marvin Williams. I hate to imagine how good they would be if management listened to that plea.

The Celtics are playing with fool’s gold if they think all they have to do is show up. They have done it with defense all year and now they are trying to outscore the Hawks.

Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers

I feel so sorry for Flip Saunders. He has the best and worst situation of any coach in the league. On one hand, he has a talented veteran team that understands the game and knows how to win. Then on the other hand, he has a group of guys that think they know everything and are beyond instruction.

That’s the view I get when I watch the Pistons play. They play with no emotion and as George Karl would say, “They play with a coolness that disrespects the game of basketball.” They have not taken the 76ers seriously and now they find themselves in a long series against a team they should have dispatched easily.

The 76ers, on the other hand, are exciting and loaded with exceptional athletes. Andre Miller is having his best year of his career and has been the best guard in the series so far.

Maybe Detroit’s Game 5 blowout win will get the team more focused.

Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors

When Dwight Howard is playing at this level, he immediately becomes the best big man in the NBA. The Raptors had no answer for him and that makes the Magic a serious threat to reach the Finals. The Magic’s size advantage with Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis at the forwards was too much for the Raptors.

The Raptors did not live up to expectations, but they have a solid future ahead of them and Sam Mitchell should be safe for a few more years.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards

This series has been hampered by all the smack talk between LeBron James and the whole Wizards team.

The Wizards have failed to realize you must play instead of yapping. The latest is Brendan Haywood saying LeBron should stop whinning and expect to get hit. I agree with Haywood in that LeBron should just play and not worry about the physical play, but if I was still playing I would be glad LeBron is whining because that would mean he wouldn’t have extra time to whoop my butt even more than he already is.

Message to the Wizards: Let that man alone. The angrier he gets, the better he gets. LeBron is the best specimen the game has seen since Karl Malone and he will hurt you before you hurt him. Just play and see if you can win a road game.

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