Spurs are summer champions
Robin Hood, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, would have no place in today’s NBA.
These days, it’s the NBA rich who pilfer from the poor.
San Antonio was only too glad to take off Milwaukee’s hands the big contract of forward Richard Jefferson while giving up little. Cleveland gladly found room for center Shaquille O’Neal while helping Phoenix cut costs. One presumes New Jersey will spend money during the big free agency summer of 2010, but the Nets for now had a clearance sale, and sent forward Vince Carter to Orlando.
“I think teams are in different situations,’’ said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. “There are situations when you want to go for it because you’re close. Other times, you’re far away so you’ve got to position yourself in the future.’’
With the economy faltering, the future could mean a luxury tax for 2010-11 more than $5 million below 2009-10’s $69.92 million figure. With the salary cap going down, it also means teams really will have to crimp and save for money to use on a star-studded free-agency class, which could include the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
But heck with the distant future. Spurs star Tim Duncan is 33 and, if he is going to get a ring for his thumb, he better be fitted in a hurry. Team officials are trying to comply.
In addition to Jefferson, in which San Antonio paid the small price in a three-team trade of dispatching Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Bruce Bowen, the Spurs also signed free-agent forward Antonio McDyess and had burly forward DeJuan Blair fall into their laps in the second round of the draft.
Even usually gruff San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich can’t keep the smile off his face these days.
“I’m pleased with what’s happened this summer,’’ Popovich said.
The general consensus at the recently concluded NBA Summer League in Las Vegas was San Antonio is the big winner so far the offseason. And this is coming after the Spurs, who have won four of the past 11 NBA titles, were beginning to look old and hobbled, with their other thirtysomething star, Manu Ginobili, missing much of last season due to leg and ankle problems.
“I think San Antonio helped themselves in my mind more than anybody,’’ said Sacramento director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds.
“I think San Antonio is really good,’’ said Denver George Karl. “And it seems like they made decisions to be a (luxury-) tax team, which they never have before.’’
Well, if the Bucks wanted to give away a 29-year-old forward in his prime, the Spurs weren’t going to complain.
As for some of the other big moves involving the top teams, there is more debate. O’Neal looked resurrected last season with the Suns, but, at 37, it remains to be seen if he will mesh well with James or slow down the Cavaliers.
“A lot of the top teams have gotten better,’’ said Cleveland coach Mike Brown, whose team had the NBA’s best record at 66-16 before being upset by Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. “Every time you look, the elite teams are beginning to get better… So it’s going to be tough… I think we’re better on paper, but I think we’ll have to wait and see.’’
Other veterans going to top East teams are Carter, 32, heading to NBA runner-up Orlando, although the Magic lost forward Hedo Turkoglu, and couldn’t sign forward Rasheed Wallace, 35 in September.
“There’s an arms race in the East,’’ Kerr said.
While heavyweights Orlando, Cleveland and Boston are leading the way, at least a few other teams in the East are desperately trying to gain admittance to their country club. Toronto acquired Turkoglu, Detroit signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and Washington picked up Randy Foye and Mike Miller from Minnesota.
“One of the things that Joe (Dumars, the Detroit executive) has talked about is putting ourselves in a position to win right now,’’ said Pistons first-year coach John Kuester.
As far as who reloaded the best in the East, Washington forward Antawn Jamison, while he likes his team’s moves, calls it the Celtics. They won the 2008 NBA title, but fell in the second round of the playoffs last spring after star forward Kevin Garnett had been lost for the season with a leg injury.
But now the Celtics have a security blanket up front in Wallace. And nobody in town will complain if both are healthy.
“I like what Boston did,’’ Jamison said. “They didn’t have a healthy K.G. during the playoffs and they still were able to make some noise. Now, you add a guy like Rasheed Wallace to a team that already has matchup problems for anybody.’’
Of course, there’s always the problem that Wallace, who did keep it in check long enough for Detroit to win the 2004 NBA title, could implode again. That’s also a risk out West in Los Angeles, where the defending champion Lakers signed free-agent forward Ron Artest while free-agent forward Trevor Ariza bolted to Houston, Artest’s former team.
“They could be (better) or there’s a chance the chemistry doesn’t work,’’ Karl said. “I love Ariza. Ariza was a very hard worker, but there’s no question that Artest is as good or better.’’
Of course, the next big question for the Lakers is whether forward Lamar Odom will re-sign as a free agent. Odom played an instrumental role for the Lakers as they beat Denver 4-2 in the Western Conference finals and in their 4-1 Finals win over Orlando.
The Nuggets are the only conference finalist from last spring who haven’t brought in a big-name player. Other top West teams that haven’t made huge moves are Utah, which is trying not to see its payroll explode, and Portland.
But the Trail Blazers, with about $9 million of cap room, sure have been trying. They lost Turkoglu at the 11th hour to Toronto, and had the Jazz match an offer sheet extended to Paul Millsap.
Also trying hard has been Dallas. The Mavericks acquired Shawn Marion in a sign-and-trade from the Raptors, and but had an offer sheet extended to Marcin Gortat matched by the Magic.
The word from Denver’s Mark Warkentien, the reigning NBA Executive of the Year, is that a lack of head-turning activity by his team doesn’t necessarily mean anything at this time of the year. Warkentien made the move of the year in the NBA last November by acquiring point guard Chauncey Billups from Detroit.
“Our marquee moves have never been in July,’’ Warkentien said. “It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a marquee move out there.’’
Warkentien is right. Not all big NBA moves come in July.
The Lakers got all this rich stealing from the poor in full gear when they pilfered big man Pau Gasol from Memphis in February 2008, shortly before the trade deadline. All Gasol has done is help lead the Lakers to the past two NBA Finals.
Interestingly, after that deal, in which the Lakers sent Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, the rights to Marc Gasol and a pair of first-round draft picks to Memphis, an incensed Popovich blasted the Grizzlies, saying there needs to be a trade committee to oversee NBA deals.
One wonders if such a trade committee would have approved the Jefferson heist.
Malek Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 8:47 am
and we can all agree that Houston is having the worst off season
michael espinoza Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:06 am
Dude don’t be a fricken moron! You can compare richard jefferson the pau gasol! Gasol was the grzzlies franchise player and only real star that anyone would notice! idiot!!!
michael espinoza Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:08 am
Ooops! I meant can’t compare richard jefferson to pau gasol.
steven Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:20 am
I like how he just breezes over the Marion pick up. A 50 win team that lost a heated 2nd series adds an all-star, and they are applauded for “trying.”
Matt Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:20 am
Great finishing setence, Chris! So true.
James Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:47 am
Rasheed didn´t come from Orlando. Do your research (or just use general common sense).
James Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:52 am
And also, Joe D has made it abundantly clear that the only goal he is looking for this season is to make sure his team is “going in the right direction.”
Every team has winning right now as one of their goals, but clearly Joe doesn´t expect his team to compete on that level for at least another year or two. Watch the Jon Keuster press conference, he says it about 15 times.
Spursnerd Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 10:30 am
Good article. As a Spurs fan I too was incensed by the Grizzlies giving Gasol away for basically nothing but I do not think Spurs taking Jefferson is as bad as that. For one Spurs had to give up a great rebounder in Thomas and and a great defensive player in Bowen. Plus Bowen, Oberto, Thomas are the type of vets that make the locker room solid and are great team guys. Gasol got traded for peanuts in guys not proven in the league. Plus Bucks saw the writing on the wall and needed to cut expenses. Spurs did a great job in recruiting this year with McDyess, RJ, and a resurgent Marcus Haislip. But Spurs also gotta thank the other 25+ teams for passing up Blair, I mean talk about falling in your lap. Thats the 3rd time this has happened( Ginobili 2nd rd 57th and Parker 1st rd 28th). Thanks fellas.
Andrew Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 10:40 am
What about the Raptors?
New England Sports 24/7 » Today’s Celtics Links 7/21 Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:03 am
[...] a new hobby Sports of Boston Shaquille O’Neal to Host Monday Night Raw Hoopshype Spurs are summer champions Nets Daily How James Posey Didn’t Become a Net Orlando Sentinel AAU basketball [...]
Irish Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:46 am
This guy is a joke. The spurs pick up a large contract that anyone in the league could have had and he gives no props to Toronto (colangelo) for orchestrating the deal of the summer. Not to say Turk is the best, but he gave up NOTHING to get it all done.
Typical south of the boarder writing.
Ron Kaybuff Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:58 am
As a Lakers fan, I can now understand why everyone was so upset with the Lakers pickup of Gasol.
HOWEVER, the Spurs’ trade was more a larger ripoff. They gave up three expensive over the hill players - some with unguaranteed contracts - for an All-Star.
The Lakers gave up 2 young players (Crittenden and Gasol’s younger brother), 3 first round draft choices, and Kwame Brown (who [believe it or not] is still playing in the league).
I now think that in cases like this (both Gasol and RJ) that the Commissioner should step in and void trades that seem patently unfair. If teams are doing this for a salary dump, then the league should force new ownership.
In light of the economic situation, really small market teams and poorly run teams are going to consistently be terrible and not generate enough revenue to compete.
The NBA should never have allowed Memphis or OK City to have teams because the cities are so small that a) they will NEVER be able to generate the revenue needed to compete and b) they will NEVER be able to retain or attract top talent. Once the novelty of a team in OKC wears off, that team will be in dire straits.
If you have a small market team like Milwaukee, that is so poorly managed that it has not been a contender since the days of Oscar Robertson and Kareem (Lew Alcindor), then they can never compete with well-run smaller market teams (e,g. San Antonio).
C Fatz Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
James,
Maybe you should consider your own advice. “Do your homework.”
Rasheed W. didn’t come from Orlando, but Orlando was interested in signing him. And that’s all Chris said.
CF
:0)
Nba | All Days Long Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
[...] HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs – Chris Tomasson » Spurs are summer champions By Chris Tomasson The general consensus at the recently concluded NBA Summer League in Las Vegas was San Antonio is the big winner so far the offseason. And this is coming after the Spurs, who have won four of the past 11 NBA titles, were beginning to … HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs – Chris Tomasson – http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/tomasson/ [...]
Rorshoq Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
All San Antonio did was get smaller, older and softer…
Jefferson is a good player, not great, who did not address their needs at all. They need a good big man to compete with the Lakers. The Lakers are bigger at EVERY Position, and San Antonio gave up their second biggest man in Oberto. Here is the size chart for the bigs:
Center: Bynum 7′1″ -Duncan 6′11″ (no, he’s not 7′0)
PF: Gasol: 7′1″ (actual height) - McyDyess (6′9″)
SF: Artest: 6′8″ - Jefferson 6′7″
With a hobbling McDyess…who may only play 20 minutes a game, San Antonio doesn’t have even 2 legitimate big men.
yurgus Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
“As a Lakers fan, I can now understand why everyone was so upset with the Lakers pickup of Gasol.”
There have been numerous salary dump trades that have been worse than this - just look at every Zach Randolph trade. The bottom line here is that it was a high-profile trade in the middle of the season involving a serious contender that needed a plug-in at the 5.
“HOWEVER, the Spurs’ trade was more a larger ripoff. ”
Not a chance in h*ll of being able to convince anyone of that. All three players can still contribute - in fact, Bowen may be back in S.A. soon.
“If teams are doing this for a salary dump, then the league should force new ownership.”
Truly ridiculous statement. The cap and luxury tax limits should be changed to prevent these types of transactions.
“In light of the economic situation, really small market teams and poorly run teams are going to consistently be terrible and not generate enough revenue to compete.”
The rub is not on the market as much as on ownership and management. Seattle was one of the most successful, top drawing teams in the league in the 90’s, but they had terrible ownership and couldn’t get out of Key Arena.
If a team is run well financially and produces a winning product on the court, the revenue will be there - particularly in a down time when people tend to gravitate toward entertainment for solace.
However, in Memphis and New Orleans, mismanagement has really cost the teams, particularly in N.O., with probably the best point guard in the league.
The market is still out-of-sight for non-marquee players who’ve experienced a blip. Marcin Gortat is a huge example - Trevor Ariza is another.
I guess that I forget - it’s sports and one shouldn’t inspect a high level of competence in anything aside from the court.
chris dipietro Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Comparing RJ to Gasol? Are you kidding?
RJ is a good but not great SF. NOT top 5, MAYBE top 10, likely in the teens. A solid starter, an inefficient scorer who put up gaudy numbers as the top scorer on a team missing their franchise player. Most importantly, he should be a 3rd option type player. Spurs needed a SF who can play D and score, hopefully he delivers, but it is a question mark how much he helps.
Gasol IS a top 5 pf both defensively and offensively. He is a franchise player, a game changer. Gasol is a known quantity how much you get from him. He is a GREAT 2nd option, and is a legit 1st option player.
3rd option compared to 1st option player trade? Gasol did not have a bad contract, he just had a team in trouble. RJ had a legitimately BAD contract.
RJ was pure salary dump, true, but they got what they wanted. Did the grizz really trade a franchise player, in HIS PRIME, on a reasonable salary, for a mediocre center and cap space though? Those players will not add to that team after this year. Gasol’s grizzlies got an 11-7 younger, lesser gasol out of it (Kwame left…) Crittendon went elsewhere and is a 2rd string mediocre pg.
Sam Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 1:38 pm
Ok, i do agree that san antonio got better with richard jefferson and the blair pick up in the second round of the draft. BUT truely speaking ORLANDO MAGIC have made bold moves by picking up Carter and the team had one of the weekest benches last year might have by far one the best benches this year with petrius, barnes, bass, watson and gortat for now! THe true offseason champs were the ORLANDO MAGIC in my view because they made these moves and they did with a short term and long term outlook. All the moves are great bargins and the Carter experiment will last a max of 2yrs if it work out. I think this team is gonna be sick now and in the five to ten yrs. WATCH OUT NBA!!!!
Delquon Jenkins Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
This is a great article. There are a few teams that made some great moves but in terms to the summers overall winner is he is right. The Spurs have made the best moves to place themselves as a championship contender. They have adressed their needs in athletic big men to help aid duncan with McDyess, and draft steal Blair, and they have a new scoring threat in RJ. The article isn’t supposed to cover some good moves or smart choices. It is simple, so my apologies if your team did not get mentioned but that is most likely because they won’t be in the running come next seasons end. -Go Spurs!
Tray Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
The Grizz also got a lot of cap space in the trade. So really they traded Pau for Marc Gasol, Kwame, Javaris, Darrel Arthur and Zach Randolph. Still not a great trade but its not highway robbery everyone first thought when it went down.
Jamesisretarded Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
Wow, impressive James. Usually you have to read the article before commenting on it. I guess you were too busy to read anything besides, Rasheed and Orlando. Dumbass!!
I wouldn’t go as far as saying Toronto signing a 31 year old to a 5 year, 55 million dollar contract was the best move in the offseason. But Colangelo definatley changed the complection of the team, something it needed. However, while doing so, he thinned out the bench. The whole picture needs to be finished before he can be given praise for his work this off season. I do give him credit for not resigning Joey Graham and Anthony Parker though. But they need a couple more roll players with experiance off the bench to help this team make the playoffs again.
frank B Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
This article is premature; a lot can happen between now and the season.
Maybe a better title would have been ” Spurs champions of last two weeks”?
Even that assumption would be rather weak. It seems to me that Turkoglu, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, Shaq, and Ron Artest are all better players for the next year than Richard Jefferson is. Their various situations as to how they are arriving at their new teams varies greatly, but Jefferson seems far from the best of this group so it seems difficult to argue that he will have the biggest impact.
As another poster pointed out, San Antonio getting smaller is not a good thing because they were undersized up front and had to give up two wide bodies. Richard Jefferson will make the team more athletic and is probably not a bad move, but does this really put them over the top against the Lakers, Denver, or Portland?
I think Boston getting Rasheed Wallace is huge and it realistically gives them the best shot at getting back to the finals. Rasheed may not have the best manners, but he is one of the few big men that can defend the paint and also step out and drop the three.
There is just no comparison between San Antonio getting Richard Jefferson and the Lakers getting Pau Gasol. Pau Gasol is 7 plus feet tall and one of the best players on the planet. Richard Jefferson is the average NBA height of 6′7″ and isn’t probably one of the best 30 players in the league! He isn’t even one of the best players that moved in free agency this year!
San Antonio will still have no bench, will be shorter, and slightly faster with Jefferson. The key to their success is the health of Ginobli; if he is healthy, they are a force to deal with. If not, they are back in the pack.
LYXO Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
The problem with the Gasol trade was not just the huge salary dump, giving into the request for the trade by Gasol to a contender, or the lopsidedness of it.
It was previous Laker Jerry West having to do with a deal sending Gasol to the only place where he wouldn’t be as mad sending his All-star to… the Lakers.
Same thing with the KG trade. Although they got young talent in Al Jefferson… maybe you can argue for other players… McHale wouldn’t be happy sending KG to anywhere but the Celtics.
And of course, that trade was the one that prompted Jerry West to indirectly beef up his previous team to ensure the Celts wouldn’t dominate without the Lakers having a say with it.
Conspiracy theories!!!
steve Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
man…. just watch haislip will be a suprise this year…. crazy athletic ability…he is 6 10 but the way he jumps…. might as well be 7′5. check out the youtube videos on him… he is a polished player now.
lotr1trekkie Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
The big difference for the Spurs, unlike other teams, is not about just one player. McDyess is a + at center. Jefferson is a ++ at SF. Blair is a ++ Big off the bench because we didn’t have anyone like him. Assuming Manu is not Yao-lite, the Spurs will also have an ALL STAR +++++ back for the entire year. That’s 4 upgrades among the first 7 players from last year. The rest of the bench will now be able to do their jobs. Hill, Mason, Bonner, Haislip, Hairston, and Mahimni should give the Spurs more HP off the bench then last season.
john Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 7:01 pm
I would’nt say the Rockets are having the worst offseason. They have had the worst fortune. Losing Yao for the season meant also losing Artest. But for what he has had to work with Daryl Morey has done afine job this offseason. He picked up Europes best big man in David Anderson from th Hawks for cash. He signed ayoung Trevor Ariza with the Yai injury exception, leaving the team still with its MLE which he will use on a coupleof the talented 2nd round pick in Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor. And dont be suprised if you see him trade Shane Battier to a contender at the trade deadline fot expiring contracts to free up the space needed next summer to go after a Dwane Wade or Joe Johnson. This season will be a long one for Rockets fans, but in the longrun if by Yao having this surgery it means the end to all of the serious foot problems and the Rocets becoming contenders again in 2010-2011 it will all be worth the patience.
Paul Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 7:07 pm
Man. The Knicks need someone to throw them a bone like the lakers got in Gasol, the C’s got with Garnet and the Spurs got with Jefferson! Of course, the key to many of these types of trades is to have pieces to swap, and for the knicks, that means keeping Lee and Robinson provided the contracts are reasonable.!
Zaneos Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
I’d disagree the Spurs made a bigger gain in talent than the Lakers or Boston.
McDyess is only really good for about 20 mins a game, Jefferson is a great pickup and will be a good fit - but they gave up Oberto who is a very good player who was the size in the middle they need.
Boston gave up nothing for Rasheed who is an all-star who will be motivated - and Lakers got Ron Artest, now they have the 2 best perimeter defenders in the league, and got tougher. Ron gives them a defensive identity, and a tonne of scoring power. Sure they lost Ariza, but he’s not going to be nearly as effective as Artest.
Sam Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
Rorshoq, you are a fool. They got older? So adding Dice, RJ, Blair and getting rid of Thomas, Bowen, Oberto is getting older? Use your brain. The only one that is old they acquired is Dice, and he was a good pickup for them considering who was left in the FA market. And your whole comparison based SOLELY on size is stupid. Size may matter, but its not the whole story. Are you saying someone 6-9 can’t guard someone 7-0 ft? I wonder how 6-6 Chuck Hayes defended Gasol during the Lakers-Rockets series. If anything the Spurs got younger this year with RJ, Blair, and Hairston, to name a few. Whether they lack more big men will really depend on how their younger guys (Mahinmi and Haislip) do. I’m sure they can pick up someone during the season if it becomes a big weakness.
Matt Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
What, no mention of the Hawks getting Jamal Crawford for a pile of scrap metal?
iamblue@hotmail.com Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
GORTAT NOT GORDAT IDIOT!!!!!!!
Anyway there is a whole lot of preposterous claims in this article, like George Karl claiming Artest is as good or better than Ariza… um no HE IS WORLDS BETTER!!!! Artest is the best all-around perimeter plus post defender in the game and has an excellent post game for a small forward, disregarding his bone-headed jump shots or attitude problems, which with Kobe being in town will not play a role at all. Second, the Jefferson deal is nowhere near as cataclysmic as the Gasol deal, so that last line is retarded. Third, Vince Carter is not better than Turkoglu who is taller, a better defender, better leader, more clutch and a true point forward and a better shooter, so getting Carter does not make them better. I don’t see how getting Jefferson and Blair, and even throw in george Hill ballin’ makes the Spurs the number one stunner, here’s several teams that have had a better offseason
Lakers-getting Artest gives the Lakers the best wing defending team since Jordan and Pippen. If the Lakers bring back Odom, which they will, they can start 4 all-stars plus either Bynum or Fisher, both capable of major supplemental action
Celtics-they signed Rasheed Wallace and thats great, but the big move is bringing Marquis Daniels in. He will give them a dynamic scorer/passer of the bench and truly provide clutch minutes, if given the chance.
Mavs-they drafted a stud in Beubois, who might or might not play, but then getting shawn Marion gives them diversity in attack, uptempo and small or slow and deffensive? Either way that should be a better team.
keefer Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
the Bucks dumped Jefferson on San Antonio. I don’t see this helping san Antonio much. Jefferson is over rated and on the down side of his career. Just like Tim Duncan.
Aaron Bowen Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
The Spurs didnt just add Jefferson, they also signed McDyess who averaged 9.8 boards in 30 min last year and who is a massive, massive upgrade over Matt Bonner, and got Blair in the second round, and he was the best rebounder in college last year.
eddie Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 11:52 pm
Chris
very good article. i agree, the Spurs are back at the top with the Lakers. The Lakers better sign Odom or the Spurs will become the favorite and the Lakers will drop below the Mavericks. The Lakers are shaking in their boots at the thought of losing Odom and Ariza. I loved the pick-up of Artest, but not at the expense of those two.
But if somehow the Lakers keep Odom they might win Three in a row. Boy did i just slap myself for saying that. lol
Mirak Kazanjian Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 12:23 am
I think there is no doubt this article is correct that the Spurs win the offseason. They potentially have THE strongest line-up + sixth man in the league. As long as they stay healthy they will be extremely dangerous. Tim Duncan may be getting old, but he is still a consistent veteran playing close to his prime. Ginobli needs to step up, Parker needs to improve his shot, mason has to develop and finley needs to continue to bring his role. Jefferson needs to flat out explode… this is his big chance. He is at his prime and he can win an easy ring. It will be exciting.
Lakers are the biggest loser. Suns potentially have that title, especially since there is talk that they can cheaply lose both stoudamire and barbosa. Kerr has got to get his head straight.
It doesn’t seem like Lakers lost, especially because they only have had one move so far. They lost Trevor Ariza… a 24 year old exciting player, closing in on his prime, but had a solid year anyway. He was a big part of taking this team to the title this year, and they will definitely hurt from this lose. He had a very big career ahead of him. Now he is headed to Houston where it seems he will have to explode as the start of that team. It will be a bleak year, but Ariza shows this team promise. Lakers picked up Artest to “replace” Ariza. Let’s be honest, Artest just isn’t what he used to be. He arguably lost his best year because of the suspension (which i still don’t agree with) and ever since has been a downward spiral. Many might argue that he was a solid player last year and will do wonders for the Lakers. That is just dumb thinking. If you watched Artest in the playoffs, he chocked BIG TIME. Against the lakers, after Yao went down again, Artest needed to emerge as the head of this team, but instead he hurt the team with unforced error after dumb shot after dumb decision. He is going to come to LA more overrated than can be any good, he will butt heads with Kobe and this team will fall apart even though they are considered legitimate contenders to defend their title successfully. If they want any hope they need to stop being cheap and pay up for Odom. They NEED him, and without him, Lakers are not getting any further than the second round. This is a powerful year in the league. My prediction is that if Lakers lose Odom, Clippers might reclaim LA (wait, what the hell to I mean by “re-” claim)… I’m going to restate that: Clippers will unfathomable take control of the biggest sports market in the world of Los Angeles!
P.S. Analysts could talk all the smack they want, Iverson was a very good move for the Clippers, he could step in and make a definite difference for this team. Clippers will have a big turnaround, and a powerful playoff performance, primarily because of what Iverson brings to this team… experience! you heard it hear first
The Augustus Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 1:01 am
Why are people underrating McDyess??? Ask any Detroit fan or any member of the Detroit Fo and you’ll find out that McDyess had one of the best seasons of his career last year. As the Pistons slowly fell apart as the year progressed, McDyess was one of the few players who contributed consistently. He almost averaged a double-double in points and rebounds this year. Is he old? Yes. Will his minutes be limited? Yes. He will however have a huge impact on the Spurs and come playoff time, he’ll be ready not “hobbled” as one fool put it.
Please don’t forget Ian Mahinmi, DeJuan Blair, and Haislip. While Mahinmi and Blair might need some time develop, I’m confident they will. Oh yeah! We can’t forget Duncan either!
As for Richardson, well other than Kobe Bryant, Richardson has been the ONLY player to average 20 points the past two seasons. That is exactly what the Spurs need. We need someone who can score outside of the Holy Trinity.
I’m looking forward to this season. If some of you would like to dismiss the Spurs as too hold despite the fact our age has dropped below 28 or you just don’t like “slow” basketball or you just think those Lakers are too damn good no matter how inconsistent they are, feel free to do so. The Spurs will just fly under the radar as usual. I’m not saying the Spurs WILL win this year (it all depends on health) but they have a decent chance so please don’t be surprised if they do just that. Cheers and kanpai.
ryecyd Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 1:29 am
Lakers still had the best offseason, by acquiring Ron and most likely retaining Odom. look at their payroll, look at the players they got.
Stephen Janetzki Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 1:52 am
I agree that San Antonio has been the best performed team of the summer thus far but there is a long time to go yet before opening night.
My issue is with the teams that haven’t done as much and have been seen as failures.
As much as the media has been thumping Kevin Pritchard for what the Blazers haven’t been able to do I fully expect him to have turned the situation around somewhat by the end of the summer. Whether it be in the form of acquiring Andre Miller to run the point (a huge upgrade), the contract extensions of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge (which WILL come after the Blazers have acquired someone of value) or the significant improvement of their already impressive armada of young up and coming talent (Oden, Bayless, Batum, etc.) the Blazers will be fine.
Kwame Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 1:53 am
I think the NBA Commissioner and his staff always want to see the big teams cheat like BilliCHEAT did in New England….The Richard Jefferson trade was a blind stealing, the same way Pau Gasol’s trade was a steal, and that stupid Popovich was complaining about the Lakers trade, now he is smiling with his bumpy face and rugged teeth with the blind-robbing of Milwaukee…..Another BilliCHEAT…RJ does not play defensive, Parkers doesn’t play defense so now who again….
If Dallas would have signed Gortat, it will be a different scenario, because they will be fully loaded.
Againsttheidiotabove Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 3:38 am
Ok, this dude Mirak wasted alot of space talking alot of nonsense..credibility is lost when you say the Clippers take over LA. Odom isnt going anywhere, u dont take the same amount of money elsewhere to go to a worse team like Miami. So u have at this point Fish, kobe, artest, Pau, and Bynum with Odom off the bench. There is no better six in the league. Since when did nine millon a year qualify someone as cheap? That’s just a dumb statement. U really think Ariza is better than Artest? I would rather have a pitbull like artest who does it all then a long armed lightweight cat who really only plays the passing lanes well and is unable to create his own shot.The two dont compare and i will have a huge smile when the lakers win the ’ship again..u can tell a team is great when people can only come up with ludicrous arguments, not because they know basketball, but because they simply hate a team for
just being…well…GREAT.
Rio Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 4:29 am
I believe 2 lines for Washington are not enough.
Please rember also that San Antonio always aquires great free agents and pick well at draft.
kman Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 9:00 am
The unsong story for the Spurs reside in the fact that Pop will most assuredly be able to keep Duncan, Manu and Parker’s minutes down through the regular season with the likes of (Dice/Blair = Duncan, RJ = Manu and GHill = Parker) picking up the slack. This should translate into a fresh SA trio come next April.
Adrian Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 9:17 am
This is a biased joke. I dont see how adding Jefferson, who not in his prime but beyond his prime, can be classified as having a great off season. Any team can make a trade and go over the luxury tax, its not rocket science.
I think there should be much more credit given to Colangelo at the Raptors for his creativity. This guy has made some major moves in the last year and half to hopefully get the correct nucleaus of a team. The entire roster now is changed, and with the addition of Jack and 2 more players to add to the roster, he has completley changed the dymanic of the roster in 2 short months. This is after realizing his roster of O’neil and Bosh didnt work out, and trading for Marion to give him this flexibility. What GM/team has been more active in trades and free agency signs while still keping under the luxury tax? Nobody.
AJ Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 9:57 am
Ok, first off, Gasol is NOT a franchise player. He did wonders for the Grizzlies image, but will never get a ring without the likes…One of the two best players in the NBA!! Without Kobe, Gasol would not be discussed right now. He cried in nearly every Grizzly game and killed their budget when they signed him to a huge deal then got hurt that same year… in Spain! That trade has gotten the Grizzlies a ton of assets. Just because contenders at the time were upset. So what! That was a Jerry West back door deal all the way, in the second largest city in the country, to one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. Sounds all (pre)written to me. I smell a fix!!
Secondly, I know that the Spurs usually get great deals done in the offseason, but Orlando did great, Boston is doing great, and Cleveland and Dallas didn’t do bad either. All this article about Jefferson, McDyess and Blair…seriously? That’s not bad, but this sounds like a lot of brown nosing.
Al Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 10:42 am
First and foremost I don’t see RJ being a player deserving of his 15mil contract. Dejuan Blair was a good move and Dice was also a decent move. Yet I cant concede the off season title to the Spurs with teams like the Orlando, Mavericks, Boston Celtics and LA Lakers, and to a lesser extent the LA Clippers if they sign Ramon Sessions or Iverson.
Jamie Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 11:17 am
“Not a chance in h*ll of being able to convince anyone of that. All three players can still contribute - in fact, Bowen may be back in S.A. soon.”
So what you’re saying is that SA got Jefferson for Oberto and Thomas and at the same time they’ll be able to aquire Bowen at a cheaper rate?
Kwame was a 9 mil ending contract. Marc and Crit were cheap project filler and they came with draft picks.
Fakerssuck Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 11:27 am
Just the way the zen masterbater hated on the SPURS, when they won their championships, bottom line is with artest in that locker room his and kobes egos will clash Kobe will cry bout it and demand trade, arrest will make a new album bout he wants out and fakers will implode, now if somehow, by some miracle kobe gets over himself, cause the guy is one of the best, if not the best player on the planet, and artest can behave, they will be a dominant force, but u still have to deal with the best forward to play the game, and his band of little buddies(tp, mg, rj, and pop) to get back to the ’ship, which won’t be easy. FAKERS SUCK, GO SPURS GO!
Jamie Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 11:41 am
@ john
Artest bolted before the announcement of Yao…
Mirak your retarded Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
Mirak, how could you say Artest is on a downward spiral and isn’t even as good as Ariza?
Just because Artest isn’t at his absolute peak, which was when he was top 5 best player in league, doesn’t mean he still isn’t a dynamic and unique player. Artest can do everything you need a small forward to do, and his worst quality is his shooting which he shot 39.9% from three last season. other than that he is a top defender ever in the NBA (i’d say best of this generation) and has actual leadership qualities similar to Jordan where he forces you to play hard by pissing you off with his intensity. Kobe will defer to Artest on certain leadership ideas, such making Artest the defensive captain while Kobe facilitates the offense. Artest is still All-star caliber and is determined to prove that he belongs in the elite company in the NBA. You will eat your words when they win 3 more championships in the next 5 years
Mike Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
The Toronto Raptors are having the best off season…
In
Hedo
DeRozan
Jack
Evans
George
Wright
Potentially signing: Delfino, Nesterovic
Potential Lineup this fall:
Starters:
Bargnani
Bosh
Turk
DeRozan
Calderon
Bench
Jack
Nesterovic
Evans
Wright
Delfino
George
Larry Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
The Spurs won’t get a top 4 seed if Duncan has trouble with his knees as he did last year. It won’t matter if if they got RJ or McDyess. Without a 100% healthy Duncan they are no threat to LA.
Go Zips Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
Funny how no one mentioned the Cavs. They gave up Wally Szerbiak, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovik for Shaq, Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon. The team with that had the best record in the regular season dropped three stiffs for three players all while keeping their starting lineup intact. They are not a clear cut favorite like the Lakers but they definetely are in the conversation with the Spurs, Magic and Celtics. There was actually a post that mentioned the Mavericks before the Cavs…are you kidding me? It took an Orlando Magic team shooting a record number and percentage of three’s to beat the Cavs. Guess what, Cavs aren’t undersized anymore and Ben Wallace’s 2 pts and 4 rebounds are replaced with Shaq’s 18 points and 10 rebounds. Big difference.
zev Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 4:37 pm
Wow - lots of musing going on - I do agree the Spurs added the most pieces of quality (Adrian - RJ is definitely in his PRIME! The dude drops 20 and then some every night ) and coupled with them getting a healthy Manu … they could be scary - understand that RJ becomes their 4th option which makes him devastating on a team that plays like one!
However I would argue that people are underestimating how good a move getting Rasheed is for Boston - that team took Orlando to the brink without KG - assuming he is back - rasheed is a significant upgrade over Davis whom they will probably match whatever offer he is given and have him as well.
I think the Lakers need to resign Odem otherwise they are still a contender but not nearly as good - adding Artest and subtracting Ariza and Odem is a net negative move - I think by the end of the year not everyone will think Artest was such an upgrade and I am a huge Ron Artest fan - I just think that Ariza will be one of those players that will consistently find himself on teams going deep in the playoffs and that will be no accident - he is on the cusp of being a really special player. It is not hard to think that maybe without Areza the Lakers on not champs – before you laugh that comment off think back to how many games in the playoffs he affected at the end and in critical moments of the second half with clutch 3 pointers and defensive plays – I know I can think of 4 games off the top of my head.
I agree that RJ was a very good deal for the Spurs – people underestimate how athletic RJ is – more importantly he is at his most effective when he is not the opponents number one concern on defense – which tends to make him a match up nightmare – think about it – you are the opposing coach … whom do u put your best defender on RJ or Manu – RJ or TP – and don’t forget guys like mason and Hill who are really stretching the defense for a slasher like RJ – not only is he a very good player but he is a perfect compliment for them – much like Wallace in Boston which while not the sexiest move out there … a very shrewd one. Oh and McDice – hmmmm if he has something left in the tank it will seal the deal for them but I have my doubts about him – I think he is really at the end of his great line! But knowing Pop he will get the most out of him in limited moments – anyway you slice it the Spurs have a ton of new quality pieces and they are poised for a special season.
As far as the Lakers vs Spurs height issue – hey the only advantage Bynum has over Duncan is 3 inches but TD still has him by a mile as a player – Gasol is a good player not all world – to his credit he showed up in the playoffs but it should not be lost on as much as Kobe benefited from having Gasol … Gasol was a huge beneficiary of having Odem on the floor – if they don’t bring Lamar back – Gasol will find the space he worked in and enjoyed much tighter and far more restrictive – now lets move to the back court – Fisher ( who I love – think little big shot bob – very money player ) Vuajic – Farmar – Yue – Brown – Kobe VS Parker – Manu – Hill – Mason – Finley – Williams …. The Lakers have the best player but the Spurs have the next 4 best players… all in all the spurs will miss the players they let go but are replacing them with much more – the Lakers not so and if they lose Odom that is a real step back.
Lets c … Dallas getting the matrix – great move! They gave up essentially nothing and him running along side Kidd … Whew! And I think that equals at least 4 extra open 3s a game for Dirk.
Cavs getting Shaque – man I cannot believe all the folks that think this is a questionable move – does anyone not remember Howard waiting for Lebron at the rim at the end of those games – now imagine Shaq over there for a hand off – rebound or just as a screen / box … instead of Big Z! oh and I think you could add another foul or 2 against Howard … Shaq is a big help!
Orlando – wow this one is tough – add Vinsanity and take away Hedo – on paper this one easily a significant upgrade – vince does a lot if not all of what Hedo did better but Turk has an intangible that could be really missed – too early to call this one but it could be a perfect pairing or not!
In a quiet way I like what Detroit did – they got 2 players in an off year when teams were no spending much that are Motown kind of players and Gordon – Villinueva – Hamilton – Prince that is a very underrated core that given some support could be exactly the kind of team that makes us remember how smart Dumars is.
The Knicks had a great summer… they did not add any ridiculous contracts! For them that is quite an accomplishment.
Toronto - Hail Hedo the conquering hero! He will make the game easier for Bosh and Bargnani … and he will enjoy running with the Spaniard … they have a number of nice pieces that needed a glue guy like Hedo - I think it is an excellent move and the Raptors will have a very good year.
OK – my piece is over and I add it to the mosaic which is here!
Duncan is OVERRATED!! Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
@ Fakers - Tim Duncan is FAR from the best forward to play the game, holy crap. That’s possibly the dumbest shit I’ve ever read…and I’ve read a book called “the dumbest shit ever”.
Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Dave Cowens, Elvin Hayes, Gerry Lucas, Kevin McHale, Wes Unseld. ALLLLLLLL were better than Tim Duncan.
Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, George Gervin, Scottie Pippen, Julius Erving, Clyde Drexler and James Worthy were technically forwards as well(you didn’t specify power forward)….and better than Duncan.
Besides the fact that he is not the best forward ever, standing in the corner of a white room with your nose against the wall is more entertaining than watching Tim Duncan play basketball. You’d think with the millions of dollars he’s made, he could afford to buy a personality. I mean seriou…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, huh? What? Oh shit, I actually fell asleep just typing about how boring the guy is. Get over yourself and stick a spurred boot up you ass!!
Spursfan Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 7:19 pm
The Spurs did make the best offseason move, but the Cavs are better with Shaq, the Magic are better with Carter, and the Celtics are better with Wallace. The Lakers are going to suck next year yes they got artest but they lost ariza and probably lost odem so now all they have is Kobe and Gasol which will not lead them to a repeat. The Spurs should take the west this year but will have a lot of competition with Dallas, New Orleans, Denver and Portland. Even without Manu they still were the #3 seed in the playoffs. Now if they have a healthy Manu plus a Mcdyess and Jefferson they could be a real threat come post-season. And to who ever wrote Duncan is Overrated. Duncan is one of the best power fowards to ever play the game. He has won 2 season mvp awards, 3 Finals mvp awards, rookie of the year, 4 NBA Championships and 11 All Star Apperances. How can you say he’s not one of the best power fowards to play the game.
Irish Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
The Spurs live and die with Duncan and he is too old now. The west has no chance of retaining the title.
It will be Boston or Cleveland beating the Lakers in the final. The lakers will not even come close to dominating like they did last season if they don’t lock up Odom.
The Raps did have the best off season hands down. They also had the most to improve.
Raps will have the biggest turn around from last season in wins, so is that not a fair way to judge?
Curious E Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 7:49 am
let’s face it, a lot of teams upgraded nicely . . . Orlando is not getting enough props. Resigning Gortat is huge, getting VC gives them a 4th quarter player, and BBass is an excellent 4 man to put in. And don’t forget that they got up-and-comer Ryan Anderson alongside VC. Anderson dominated in Summer Leagues; he won’t do that in the NBA, but will be another shooter that they needed when Turk left.
My two teams, Bulls and Sixers, meanwhile, have done NOTHING. And their rosters are pretty thin. Where are the Bulls going to get scoring from?? Rose will get 20-plus, but Deng and Hinrich are not dependable scorers. And the Sixers stink, plain and simple. Will Brand come back and dominate? NOBODY believes that. Can Eddie Jordan help this team play more inspired ball? Maybe, but they still will struggle big-time until they can unload some guys (Dalembert and Willie Green come to mind) and get some scoring talent. And Holliday is a couple of years away at best . . .
gloominati Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 8:28 am
The Spurs had a solid offseason but RJ is no Pau. Pau has the best low post moves in the league even if he is a little soft. Read soft, not flopper. The lakers are definitely beatable though. They were taken to 6 games by Utah, the Magic blew two games, and if KG plays for Boston they repeat. Bynum is chonically injured, they are slow at point guard, and Ron Artest is the definition of a crapshoot. A healthy Spurs team could definitely unseat the Lakers. Tim is getting older but he doesnt have to carry the load offensively as he once did. Personally, I think cleveland is the team to beat now with Hedo out of Orlando. All those small Cav combo guards were killed by the Lewis, Turk length and O’Neal still creates major match up problems for anybody. obviously Boston is still in the mix but a shoot first power forward who is unstable might not have been their answer, especially if KG continues to be hurt
gloominati Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 8:35 am
@ Fakers - Tim Duncan is FAR from the best forward to play the game, holy crap. That’s possibly the dumbest shit I’ve ever read…and I’ve read a book called “the dumbest shit ever”.
Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Dave Cowens, Elvin Hayes, Gerry Lucas, Kevin McHale, Wes Unseld. ALLLLLLLL were better than Tim Duncan.
Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, George Gervin, Scottie Pippen, Julius Erving, Clyde Drexler and James Worthy were technically forwards as well(you didn’t specify power forward)….and better than Duncan.
Besides the fact that he is not the best forward ever, standing in the corner of a white room with your nose against the wall is more entertaining than watching Tim Duncan play basketball. You’d think with the millions of dollars he’s made, he could afford to buy a personality. I mean seriou…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, huh? What? Oh shit, I actually fell asleep just typing about how boring the guy is. Get over yourself and stick a spurred boot up you ass!!
Wow- I am not sure you should be allowed to post on this site as you are seemingly completely ignorant of basketball if you think all those players could be the foundation for champisionship teams. Barkely? Malone? Better than Tim? How many rings do they have? How many rings does Pippen have without the greatest player ever to play the game. As a famous man once said, “you’re out of your element Donnie.”
Curious E Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 9:57 am
gloom is right. while Duncan has a really boring game and a boring personality, he is super-efficient and was as dominant as any power forward has been. 4 championships isn’t enough? and taking the guy to task for his personality is pretty hilarious. many of the great ones were, frankly, boring as hell off the court, too. bird, kobe, ewing, stockton, even MJ . . . boring. how often do/did they say something interesting? but their games on the court were, admittedly, a lot more fun to watch than yet another 15-foot bank shot from Duncan.
blake j Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 11:30 am
andrew bynum is horrible! a complete bust! a huge contract that the lakers just can’t trade off.
frank B Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 11:31 am
Tim Duncan is a Center. Everytime I hear that he is a forward, I want to puke.
Wes Unseld was a Center, not a forward. He was only 6′8″ but he played Center.
Just because Duncan is maybe slightly north of 6′10″ doesn’t mean he plays forward.
Bill Russell was 6′9″ and played Center as well as anyone ever.
If Duncan isn’t the Center on the newly supposedly dominant Spurs with the addition of that Superman all-time great player Richard Jefferson, who is?
blake j Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 11:32 am
go spurs go!!
Duncan is OVERRATED!! Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 11:57 am
Out of my element huh? Out of all those players I listed, only two are not Hall of Famers (Malone and Pippen are both eligible in 2010) and all are members of the NBA’s top 50 players of all time. Referring to Scottie Pippen not being able to win without MJ, I believe LeBron has shown us that one person can’t win it alone. Malone is the second leading scorer in NBA history trailing only Kareem and would’ve been a NBA champion had he not played against the greatest player ever in both his NBA Finals appearances.
There was also a question proposed asking how many titles Pippen would’ve won without MJ. I’ll answer that question by proposing a another. How many titles would have Magic Johnson won without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on his team? Obviously, you’re the one who is completely ignorant of basketball knowledge if that’s the best thing you could come up with.
Speaking of Scottie Pippen, Pippen is arguably the best defensive player, and arguably the best small forward ever. In regards to him not being able to play without Jordan, the year after Jordan retired, he earned All-Star Game MVP honors and led the Bulls in scoring, assists, and the entire league in steals, averaging 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, 1.9 three-pointers, and 0.8 blocks per game, while shooting 49.1% from the field and a career-best 32% from the three-point line. For his efforts, he earned the first of three straight All-NBA First Team nods, and finished third in the MVP voting….but you’re right, he wasn’t good.
And I never said Tim Duncan wouldn’t have his place in history when his career is over, he’s likely a first ballot hall of famer. I offered a rebuttal to a disillusioned Spurs fan that claimed Duncan was the best forward EVER, not even Power Forward, just simply stated the forward position, so I offered a list 16 hall of fame forwards to counter that statement. And that being said, Tim Duncan is NOT the best forward EVER to play the game, plain and simple. Malone and Barkley would’ve been so lucky to have David Robinson to usher them into the league, mentoring them for 6 seasons. Then to add Parker and Ginobili, not to mention Horry, Rasho, Kerr, and Bowen. Duncan has never been without a complete team his entire career. Had he been the primary source of offence and defense for the Spurs, they wouldn’t have 4 NBA titles and he would not have nearly achieved what he has during his career. And in that sense, his achievements are overhyped and overrated.
You Spurs fans need to clean that sand out of your vaginas and go wack it to your 2007 NBA Championship t-shirt…it’s the last you’ll ever see.
space Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
orlando made the best moves
add bass, lose alston, get carter and a taller 2 defender which means more PT for pietrus who made drafting courtney lee seem like a waste. turkoglu is the biggest hit, but chemistry may not be the issue.
getting RJ is huge. they got very little from the 3 spot last year except a little bit of defense. blair could potentially start but i don’t think popovich pulls that trigger [a shame]. having RJ to run with parker on the break will be a devastating combo. hill is still a great defensive backup point, mcdyess is a quality player and may be best coming off the bench. manu may be healthy.
the spurs look so good because SO much happened to them last year.
–a key loss will be finley if he decides to walk & retire.
the celtics need another good add to make themselves the team with the best offseason. less is more right. if they had a capable big man after garnett was out the would’ve easily taken orlando’s spot in the eastern conference finals. even met with the lakers again. they need one more player & a healthy leon powe.
the cavs are SO underrated right now. why are they being ignored? if they move lebron to the 2 and resign the soon to be cut pavlovic and play him at the 3 i say conference finals. oh, never mind them. mike brown is still coach.
Steve L Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
Uh Frank B, Tim Duncan is a Power Forward. Rasho Nesterovic, Fabricio Oberto and David Robinson, among others were centers, not Duncan. His primary position is listed as Power Forward on the Spurs website, but he has played both positions: just like Chris Both has played both positions, but by definition is a Power Forward.
Wes Unsled also played both spots, but was a primary Power Forward. Need proof, look at his battles with Larry Bird. Had he been a centre, he would’ve been guarding Robert Parrish.
And I’m sorry but “Superman all-time great player Richard Jefferson”??? You must be on crack!! He’s the highest paid player never to play in an allstar game. Having never been in an allstar game, how can he be considered anything more than an average, inconsistant scorer?
(Duncan is Overrated) is mostly right too. Duncan is boring as hell and wouldn’t have had the same career had he been a Celtic or a 76er (both team could’ve won the lottery in 97). That being said he will be in the Hall when he’s done playing and be considered one of the best at his position but not the best ever, sorry. Spurs could be good in 09/10 though: could be.
kingshawn09 Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
what
Curious E Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
. . . have to agree with the Pippen assessment. If Hue Hollins hadn’t called the phantom foul on Pippen and gave the Knicks the game, the Bulls would have been in the NBA finals . . . without MJ! Has any player taken a weaker roster further than that one, even if they didn’t make the finals?? Seriously, check it out:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1994.html
Of course, Phil Jackson was a helluva coach then and now.
Yanni C Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
Being a Knick fan, I am obviously envious of all of the contending teams mentioned in everyones comments. It should be a great year with so many top teams having improved themselves. Out west , the Lakers and Spurs seem to be the favorities. The east will have the Magic, Cavs, Boston as the perennial favorite’s… with Washington and Toronto right behind. I do think that Toronto has improved their team as much as anyone. The Spurs ( if they remain healthy) can actually come out of the west on top. Picking up RJ ( a steal) and drafting Blair were great moves. With Parker , Gino ,Hill & Mason in the backcourt, they will have great depth. But first and foremost I must say ( being an advid hoops fan for over 40 years ) that Tim Duncan might be the BEST power forward to ever play the game. I know many will state that …. Malone, McHale, Hayes, Barkley, ( the list goes on) … were as good if not better… but I disagree. Duncan is the best I’ve seen. And I do not think he is slowing down at the ripe old age of 33. He looks as strong as ever.
les shannon Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 3:41 pm
d.blair has his P.H.D………..Pittsburgh…..Hill………District…..Just like ……Kenny Durrett…SamClancy…Major Harris….Maurice Lucas…….My son is C.J.Shannon Football for Schenley,Duck is cousin of mine Girls Basket ball……PHDs……..L Shannon
Kaveh Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
Sam –re the Orlando Magic
Let me guess, you’re a Magic fan? While I completely disagree with your post, at the very least you seem to be a positive minded individual. I swear that every Magic fan i’ve run into, both online and in real life, is completely insane. If you disagree with them regarding the trades that they have made this year, they go beserk and wish to burn you at the stake, lol. Like i said, you don’t seem to be of this ilk, but seriously, what the heck is wrong with the average magic fan?
Regarding the Magic’s moves, I completely disagree that they will be a force in the future. The magic have 1 or 2 years at the most to win a championship. Why? Because Otis Smith gave perhaps the most ridiculous contract in the history of the NBA to Rashard Lewis. Don’t get me wrong, Rashard is playing at his 100% best, and it is still a horrible deal. Due to this contract, and taking on VC’s contract, etc, the Magic are deep into luxury tax territory. On that note, can someone tell me why in the world they picked up Gortat’s contract, lol? Anyway, when a team is this far into lux tax territory, they need to win immedietly or cut cost. Furthremore, i believe Rashard’s contract is back weighted so the financial pressure increases over time.
Regarding this years moves, they have done the following:
1) Carter for Hedo. I’ve had this argument the most with Magic fans and they want to kill me for saying it every time. Carter is a LOSER. He is good at LOSING. That’s what he has done for his entire life. Will this change? It is possible but very unlikely. Carter is a loser because he is not mentally tough. If a Bruce Bowen is defending him, he doesn’t throw elbows and jaw against Bowen. He curls up in the fetal and cries himself to sleep. Afraid, he jacks up 3 ball after 3 ball. Hedo on the other hand was the Magic’s 2nd best player of the playoffs.
2) Alston/Courtney Lee. Alston led the Magic to the finals. Jameer did not. Jameer had a lights out shooting year during last years regular season. But these type of 2 standard deviation’s from the mean type moves are usually abberations. He will come back down to reality and his shooting will suffer next year. Without his shooting, Alston is a better guard in my opinion. Alston is taller and a much better defender. Alston can drive and create, etc. Jameer has never shown the ability to take a team deep into the playoffs. He is a shoot first point guard, not a playmaker point.
3) Bass at 6′6″. Yes, the guy is 6′6″. I just cannot see him guarding elite PFs in the league.
4) D Howard. This guy has 0 offense. Undoubtedly he is a dominant physical force. However, without an offensive game, it has been shown rather easy to stop/slow him down. Perkins did a great job in the playoffs. Next year, Howard will be up against Shaq and Rasheed/Perkings/KG. That’s different than going up against Z from Cleveland.
Basically, the magic don’t seem to have that 1 guy on their team. The Kobe or MJ or Tim Duncan or D Wade or Shaq. The hard nosed leader. The guy that puts the team on his back and says: we won’t lose.
Kaveh Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
Someone said: “I wonder how 6-6 Chuck Hayes defended Gasol during the Lakers-Rockets series.”
Well Gasol averaged 19 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 bpg and 3 apg. He also shot 53% from the field. I really wouldn’t call that good coverage, lol. Gasol was the second best player in the houston series behind Kobe and he proved it!
Also, for all you sore losers who say that the Lakers picking up Gasol was unfair, please grow up. The lakers also traded for Kobe on draft night. They also picked up Shaq in free agency. Once upon a time they picked up a guy named Kareem Abdul-Jabar.
I have some news for you –THIS IS WHY THEY ARE SUCH A GREAT TEAM! If they made moves like giving AWAY Gasol, then they would be…well they would be the grizzlies and not the lakers.
Simmy Sosa Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
To anyone who thinks the Spurs live and die with Tim Duncan, you are wrong. You will see we won’t need him to dominate to win games this season. You will probably see Parker head the 4 headed attack but at most he’ll probably avg 20 ppg. Ginobili/Jefferson/Duncan will avg 15 ppg each. It will be a different guy every night.
By the way Spurs just made another solid move bringing in Theo Ratliff. So lets see:
Scoring-check
Rebounding-check
Defense-check
Shot Blocking-ckeck
Clutch-check
Championship-check
Go Spurs Go!!!!
Kaveh Said,
July 23, 2009 @ 11:13 pm
Mirak, are you serious man?
Duncan is old —how can you really say that he is close to his prime? It is an insult to Duncan to say so, lol. Duncan is half the man he used to be.
And regarding your Lakers comment. It just seems that you hate the team, and because you hate the team you WISH for them to fail. Well, wishing and praying is all good, but unfortunately it isn’t likely to bear you any fruit. And absolutely all credibility was lost when you claimed that the Clippers were going to be better than the Lakers next year, lol. People just won’t listen to anything you have to say when you spout garbage like that. You’ll say something and another guy will say….hey, you may be right….oh, wait, that’s Mirak, the guy who claims that the clippers are going to be better than the lakers next year…yeah, the year after they won the championship, lol….
The All-Star Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 7:49 am
I really honestly think that the Toronto Raptors have “improved” the most but not made their team the best. This article talks about contenders for the championship, not who’s team improved the most. I do agree that Toronto and Orlando should be applied more to the article. And the people talking about how the Lakers improved, they did improve at the SF position but did they really “improve” if they don’t sign Odom? Odom was that energy player off the bench in the playoff run. If Odom doesn’t re-sign, Lakers will take a drastic hit because unless Farmar and Vujacic go back to 07-08 form, this team could not be as strong as last season. Now with teams like Boston, Cleveland and Orlando making a more solid team with the additions of Shaq, Rasheed, Vince, etc (to their respected teams), then Lakers won’t take it in 5 like they did with Orlando (with no real general stopper other than Dwight and Pietrus). SA might give Lakers a little bit of trouble in the playoffs with the Manu-Parker-Duncan-Jefferson combo.
That’s just my say.
Duncan is OVERRATED!! Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 10:05 am
I didn’t know Jefferson has never made an allstar game. That’s funny. I guess that’s what happens when you play for the the Nets, Milwaukee. To bad for him he won’t be an allstar in San Antonio either. He’s a good guy and all I guess. He gave 3.5 million of the University of Arizona. He’s just not an allstar.
Talk About It Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 3:52 pm
Kaveh, are you half retarded?
Talk About It Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
The Magic arent a 1 or 2 year and done team. D-Howard, Lewis and Nelson are the core of their team and there all young guns. Add in a couple other studs like Vince Carter and suddenly you got yourself the starting 5 of an allstar team. Gortat and Bass are solid off the bench, hopefully the guards can play with the other teams and you’ll see the Magic being a force for many years to come. And fyi, Howard has a little more than 0 offence considering he averaged 20+ pts a game. The guy is a stud and the best center in the NBA, he is 1 move away from being one of the most dominant to ever play.
frank B Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
Tim Duncan is a center. He gets listed as a power forward because it allows him less competition for making the all-star team. It also covers up the fact that he is not the greatest center out there.
He plays the center position on both ends of the floor. Who posts up with their back to the basket on the offensive end of the floor? Who dominates the offensive center of the floor, was it David Robinson, Francisco Elson, Fabricio Oberto, or Kurt Thomas? When Shaq comes to town, who covers him?
If you consider his career as a center, his numbers are pretty pedestrian, probably one of the top twenty all time centers maybe, and that’s about it.
What does Duncan shoot, one three pointer a year? Have you ever seen him catch the ball in the CORNER (in the old days, forwards were called corner men, and I guarantee you never found Wes Unseld out there either) make a move towards the basket and shoot a pull up jumper?
It just allows announcers and Spurrites to claim Duncan “one of the greatest” if they call him a power forward. In fact the Spurs tremendous success has not been predicated on star power or having the greatest individual players, but on being a well coached, well balanced team that plays together with Duncan as the anchor. They have been the ultimate over achievers.
Talk About It Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
I almost forgot, Pietrus is a lock down defender who can hit the 3. Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, Rashard Lewis and Superman - thats as good as starting 5 in the NBA as your gonna get, comparable to the Lakers.
Top teams in the NBA next year..
Western Conference - L.A. Lakers, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazer, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks possibly Utah, and OKC, L.A. Clippers, Memphis as sleeper teams
Eastern Conference - Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons possibly Miami, Atlanta or Chicago (even losing Gordon) and Washington Wizards as the sleeper team.
Why the Clips? Griffin can make an immediate impact, complementing him as long as staying healthy is Kaman and Camby, 2 solid Centers. Baron Davis and Eric Gordon form a healthy 1-2 punch if healthy, aquisition of possibly A.I would help immensely.
chad Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
i disagree with just about everything that frank b said. Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time, and thats exactly what he is, a power forward.
Flappy Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
I was surprised to learn that all Pau Gasol has done is lead the Lakers to the past two championships. I could have sworn Boston had one of those.
Steve L Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Well Frank, you flipped me. I 100% agree with you. Except the Jefferson thing still. I still don’t think a guy that’s averaged only 17.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg can be considered an alltime great, especially when even with Kidd and to a lesser extent Vince Carter, the Nets couldn’t acheive elite team status. 02-03 doesn’t count, lol. there were able to cruise through a Milwaukee team that barely made it into the postseason and a mediocure Celtics team before they got to the Pistons. Detroit had crueling series’ against Orlando and Philly before they got to New Jersey. Fluke season. But I digress, you are right about Duncan and the Spurs.
frank B Said,
July 24, 2009 @ 7:27 pm
I was being sarcastic about Richard Jefferson. He isn’t a bad player, just not good enough to claim that he will put San Antonio over the top for a championship. I really don’t want to put the guy down, he will be good addition. I’m a little biased because I’m a UCLA grad and he is Arizona (roomates with Luke Walton).
When I think of him, his game kinda sorta reminds me of Sean Elliot and he will add to San Antonio what Michael Finley is no longer able to add.
I don’t want to disrepect the San Antonio franchise either. They have done more with less than any franchise in the NBA. The fans are knowledgable and dedicated. Their window for championships is closing rapidily however.
Talk About It Said,
July 25, 2009 @ 2:47 am
ALL OF YOU SHOULD READ THIS TO FULFILL SOME OF YOUR MISSING BASKETBALL KNOWLEDGE MOST OF YOU ARE MISSING.
For starters, Kaveh, are you half retarded?
The Magic arent a 1 or 2 year and done team. D-Howard, Lewis and Nelson are the core of their team and there all young guns. Add in a couple other studs like Vince Carter and suddenly you got yourself the starting 5 of an allstar team. Gortat and Bass are solid off the bench, hopefully the guards can play with the other teams and you’ll see the Magic being a force for many years to come. And fyi, Howard has a little more than 0 offence considering he averaged 20+ pts a game. The guy is a stud and the best center in the NBA, he is 1 move away from being one of the most dominant to ever play.
I almost forgot, Pietrus is a lock down defender who can hit the 3. Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, Rashard Lewis and Superman - thats as good as starting 5 in the NBA as your gonna get, comparable to the Lakers.
Top teams in the NBA next year..
Western Conference - L.A. Lakers, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazer, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks possibly Utah, and OKC, L.A. Clippers, Memphis as sleeper teams
Eastern Conference - Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons possibly Miami, Atlanta or Chicago (even losing Gordon) and Washington Wizards as the sleeper team.
Why the Clips? Griffin can make an immediate impact, complementing him as long as staying healthy is Kaman and Camby, 2 solid Centers. Baron Davis and Eric Gordon form a healthy 1-2 punch if healthy, aquisition of possibly A.I would help immensely.
David Said,
July 25, 2009 @ 9:40 am
frank B…really appreciate your last post. I agree that the window is closing. That is why the Spurs are in luxury tax penalty for the first time. They realize it as well.
Living in SA — this is our only franchise. People may argue whether
Timmy D is the best ever, but I guarantee you he could care less. He just does his thing, boring though it may be, then goes home to play with his kid and video games. No entourage whatsoever.
You are also right on about Jefferson being like Sean Elliott. Hopefully we can get a Memorial Day Miracle from him as well lol.
The Spurs seem to have all the pieces. The only unknowns are chemistry (which the Spurs rarely have trouble with — the players all seem to buy into the system) and injuries. When they are healthy they can match up against anyone.
The team has really transitioned into Tony’s team more so than Timmy. He should be peaking (I think he’s 27) — when he penetrates we are tough to beat.
Hey, this is what makes the NBA so much fun….even in the off season.
SS2K8 Said,
July 25, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
The Spurs are still undersized even after signing McDyess and Ratliff, and now even older. Instead of worrying about catching the Lakers, they need to be concerned about Dallas and Portland. Dallas has far more athleticism on their roster, and that was a big problem for the Spurs. Teams that could run and jump could just blow by the Spurs. Marion to Dallas and Artest to the Lakers kind of nullified the RJ thing.
I think the Spurs were a lot further behind the other title contenders than everybody thinks, i mean Timmy and Manu have started to break down towards the end of the season a lot lately. Counting on those guys to be completely healthy come the playoffs this year i think is pretty dumb.
It’s really not up to the Spurs as far as how good they are this year. If Bynum and Oden end up as the centers on western conference all star team this year like everybody thinks, the Spurs will be swatted away like insects. And there’s nothing two pf’s from the 95 draft and a 6′7 2nd round pick can do about it.
san anchampion Said,
August 3, 2009 @ 8:14 pm
I love to here dumb, stupid, idiots talk down on da SPURS. The only time Tim play da 5 spot is when da other teams’ best player is at the 5. Tim is 1 of da best of alltime and D best pf of alltime, check out his resume,(rookie of the year,11 time allstar,all def first team every year,all N.B.A every year,2 time MVP, 2 time finals MVP, 4 championships lead da leage in double doubles 6 years, top 5 in bpg (alltime), avg more asst than half the pg n da leage rite now. RJ is instant offense upgrade,don’t need him 2 B great.Just a healthy Manu is an upgrade. With Tony P,Tim D and Manu G,they could copete with anyone and you add Richard J, who r u gonna double? or who r u not gonna double? Antonio Mcdise is no push over, he’s no Bonner.Then theres da bench, pg(George Hill, Marcus Willams), sh(Roger Mason, Malik Hariston), sf(Marcus “high flying” Haislip, Micheal Finley),pf(Dejuan Blair, Ian Mahinmi,Theo Ratliff.Thats too much dept. The RJ trade triggered alot of stuff. Just go 2 SPURS.com and look at the roster,look how yunger,faster,taller,stronger and athletic they got.
ddtt Said,
August 6, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
I agree with this guy about it all except for the spurs having the best offseason. the raptors are having the best offseason by far. they signed Hedo and Rasho and Jack and traded for wright and george then traded george aways for Marco and they also drafted a potential star in DeRozen and they extended Andrea’s contract and still might sign Delfino. the raps could make some noise next year but they need to play DEFENSE and cant be SOFT!