Reviewing the Draft - 1993

1993 was a great draft for role players but didn't offer up a great deal of depth. This class featured 7 All Stars but only a couple of perennial All Stars.

1. Golden State - Chris Webber (1): Webber was one of the more complete players in the league for several years. A great scorer, rebounder, and passer, he could also dominate inside or shoot from beyond the arc. He tended to shrink in the biggest games, however. (Original pick: Chris Webber)
2. Philly - Sam Cassell (24): Cassell won titles with the Rockets during his first two years and another last season with the Celtics. A bit of an enigma throughout the majority of his career, at times he was a great leader, others a headache, but always a tremendous contender. (Shawn Bradley)
3. Orlando - Anfernee Hardaway (3): At 6-7, 200 lbs with great scoring ability and court vision, Penny could have redefined the point guard position. Injuries ruined the final 7 years of his career. (Anfrenee Hardaway)
4. Dallas - Nick Van Exel (37): In many ways similar to Cassell, Van Exel was at times a tremendous discipline problem but always left everything he had on the court. (Jamal Mashburn)
5. Minnesota - Jamal Mashburn (4): Another player who wasn't always a disciplined player, when he was healthy and in shape, Mash could score with the best of them. (JR Rider)
6. Washington - Allan Houston (11): The consummate professional, Houston was one of the more feared shooters in the NBA for many years, including once in Miami. (Calbert Chaeney)
7. Sacramento - Vin Baker (8): Baker was an excellent post player in his early years but weight and alcohol issues plagued him and left him unusable despite an enormous amount of talent. (Bobby Hurley)
8. Milwaukee - Lindsey Hunter (10): Certainly not the most talented player in this draft class but an excellent leader who won titles with the Lakers and the Pistons and still serves as a pseudo player-coach in Chicago. (Vin Baker)
9. Denver - Bryon Russell (45): A defensive minded player who played a significant role on many some great Jazz teams. Possibly more famous for being the guy that was defending Michael Jordan on his final shot with the Bulls. (Rodney Rogers)
10. Detroit - Calbert Chaeney (6): One of the greatest college players in NBA history, Chaeney was a fantastic scorer who found work for many years, though usually on bad teams. (Allan Houston)
11. Detroit - George Lynch (12): Similar to Hunter and Russell, Lynch was an excellent role player who did a little bit of everything on some very good teams. (Lindsey Hunter)

Honorable Mention

Isaiah Rider (5): Should have been one of the best scorers in the league but instead blew a dozen chances and is currently in jail.
Chris Mills (22): A fine role player for many years, but usually on bad teams.
Ervin Johnson (23): Servicable big men were already becoming scarse by 1993 and Johnson played in the league, almost always as a backup, for many years.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
I'm not sure you can really call Shawn Bradley a disappointment considering that almost everyone was sure he was going to be a bust. Still, he was the number 2 pick and had some of the physical attributes that you'd want in a center (namely his 7'6 frame). His skill set, however, was underdeveloped and his desire to become a good player was nonexistent. His enduring legacy will forever be the dunk Tracy McGrady threw down on him in the 2004 playoffs (shown to the left). Giddyup pardner. This draft was stinking full of busts, though. Penny Hardaway and Bobby Hurley because of injury, Vin Baker because of substance abuse problems, JR Rider because of idiocy, etc. But Bradley still stands out for me.

-BG

How to Fix the NBA - Simmons

ESPN writer Bill Simmons is a favorite of mine. His latest column concerns the troubled waters ahead for the NBA (on pace for a lockout in 2011) and how to fix it. I don't think it's a full fix but it's a great start. Simmons sums up the league's problems beautifully. I've got some thoughts of my own but check out Simmons' for now.

-BG

Phil Jackson and the Art of Sour Grapes

Phil Jackson (head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers) today complained about the return of Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Big Z was an integral part of the Cavs-Wizards trade that brought Antawn Jamison to Cleveland. In fact, his large contract was the only reason they were able to make the move. In the ever-stranger world of the NBA salary cap, Ilgauskas has subsequently been bought out of his contract and can return to Cleveland in 30 days if he so chooses.

What bothers Jackson about this move is that Z can return to Cleveland if he wants to do so, creating a sort of Boomerang Effect wherein Cleveland essentially traded nothing beyond to a future first round pick for an All Star-caliber player like Jamison AND get their backup center back into the fold after he takes a 3 week vacation. I'm inclined to agree with Jackson in principle. It's a ridiculous loophole that has been exploited time and time again and only allows the rich to get richer. (Though I will say, as long as the loophole exists, smart teams should continue to use it.)

There's no denying Jackson's pedigree as a coach; he ranks top 3 or better in the history of the game no matter who you talk to. My problem is with Jackson being the voice of the resistance against these types of moves. Jackson has a propensity to shoot his mouth off (in a very zenful way) whenever something goes against him and his club while conveniently remaining mute when such a move benefits him. After all, this is the same coach who's teams were handed two straight trips to the NBA Finals because Memphis essentially GAVE them Pau Gasol. That was one of the most lopsided, embarrassing trades in the history of the league and while the Boomerang Effect wasn't involved, it's the same sort of thing: a "Have" with a smart GM taking advantage of a "Have Not" with a moronic GM.

A thought for Coach Jackson: shut up. Are there problems with the way business is done in the NBA, especially concerning the salary cap and revenue sharing? Yes, of course. Having benefited ENORMOUSLY from such issues do you have the right to point those out and complain? Absolutely not. The Lakers do not make it to the Finals in 2008 or win the title in 2009 without Memphis screwing the rest of the league by gift wrapping Gasol for you. Just be glad you're a part of a team that's usually on the winning side of these types of transactions and shut your hole. The rest of the sports world is tired of your sour grapes.

-BG

Right on Cue

Blowing my own horn here a little but...

Today it was reported that Utah Jazz point guard and franchise cornerstone Deron Williams is upset about yesterday's trade of Ronnie Brewer. Deron goes so far as to say that stuff like this is the reason why he only signed a three year contract when he was last a free agent. Translation: our owner has a tendency to get cheap at weird moments and I don't want to waste my prime playing for a dude like that in a place like Utah.

I mentioned this yesterday in my "Grading the Trades" column but I'm a little surprised this got public so quickly. This is more than a player just giving the obligatory, "Yeah we miss him, he's a good friend, we wish him the best." This is one step down from calling out the front office in the public. Making moves that do nothing but clear out payroll will, one way or another, ruin a team. The Phoenix Suns had a title-caliber team for 3 or 4 years but never got over the hump mostly because their owner continually sold off important assets to keep his costs down. There are times, especially in this economy, when the situation dictates that you lower costs. When your team is playing better ball than it has in three years and has great momentum and chemistry is not one of those times. Selling your starting shooting guard for next to nothing in the middle of a playoff race is Standings Suicide and it begs your star players to start asking questions.

-BG

Grading the Deals

The NBA trade deadline has now come and gone and this year brought a flurry of trades, both big and small. A look at the moves and how the teams involved came out.

DALLAS/WASHINGTON
Dallas gets: Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, Deshawn Stevenson
Washington gets: Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, James Singleton

The Mavericks more than got the better of this move as Washington was only looking for cap relief in their effort to hit the reset button. Butler isn't a perfect fit in Dallas as he's not really a shooting guard but still he fills a need as an athletic swingman who can play at both ends and give the Mavs a legit second scorer. Haywood, meanwhile, might end up being the biggest part of the deal. Dallas has NEVER had a good center and Haywood could be the best they've ever had. A.

Washington got what they wanted as everyone they received has an expiring contract except Ross. This move got them under the luxury tax threshold and, along with the next deal, gives them cap room this summer. Howard is a wildcard who could potentially end up being a rotation player for the Wizards, though that's not likely given how he's played for the last three years. From a talent stand point this is a fleecing and the Washington brass knows it, even if GM Ernie Grunfeld is posturing otherwise. D.

WASHINGTON/CLEVELAND/LA CLIPPERS
Washington gets: Zydrunas Illguaskas, Al Thornton, draft rights to some Euro, Cleveland's 2010 first round pick
Cleveland gets: Antawn Jamison, Sebastian Telfair
LAC gets: Drew Gooden

Cleveland gets the front court scoring option they've been craving. In fact, getting Jamison instead of Amare Stoudemire is a major upgrade. Stoudemire is more talented but his game could have jammed up Cleveland's "let Lebron do whatever he wants" offense. Jamison can stretch the defense better than Jamison and gives Lebron the first real second scoring option he's had in his career. And it cost them NOTHING to pull it off. A+.

Washington sticks to the strategy they set forth with the Butler trade and further cleared cap space for the summer. In return they got a seriously talented swingman in Thornton and a future pick. They will likely buy out Illguaskas. Not great but at least they're running with their strategy. C+.

The Clippers should be ashamed of themselves for this deal. Not only did they give up an excellent up and comer in Thornton for NOTHING, they also helped a legit contender (Cleveland) get significantly better. The Clipper front office should be ashamed of themselves. F.

MINNESOTA/NEW YORK

Minnesota gets: Darko Milicic
New York gets: Brian Cardinal

The Wolves get the enigmatic Milicic who has shown flashes of decency in his time in the NBA. They gave up virtually nothing to take a flyer on a former number 2 pick in the draft. A.

New York begins the pathetic dismantling of their roster in their efforts to clear payroll for the summer by trading a something (Milicic) for a nothing (Cardinal). They will be buying Cardinal out before the weekend is up. D.

CHICAGO/MILWAUKEE

Chicago gets: Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander
Milwaukee gets: John Salmons

This is a questionable move for both teams. Chicago (I guess) is trying to clear cap space for the summer and in the process added two young players who might be able to play a little. At least Warrick has proven to be a rotation-level player in the league. They rid themselves of Salmons who has had a terrible season and who's contract is looking bad. But they certainly didn't get much in return for him. B-.

The Bucks got a potential replacement for Michael Redd and a big backcourt mate to team with Brandon Jennings. They were an undersized team before this move so Salmons helps there. They didn't give up anyone in their rotation, either. At the same time, the Bucks are going nowhere, why add payroll to a losing team? B-.

MILWAUKEE/PHILADELPHIA

Milwaukee gets: Royal Ivey, Primoz Brezec
Philadelphia gets: Jodie Meeks, Francisco Elson, 2nd round pick

Milwaukee gets a backup point guard and that's about it. They lose a guy I personally think can play a little as a 10th guy (Meeks) and a pick that will likely be a high one given how bad they are. C.

Philly gives up pretty much nothing and gets back Meeks and his scoring potential as well as a pick. B.

BOSTON/NEW YORK

Boston gets: Nate Robinson, Marcus Landry
New York gets: JR Giddens, Bill Walker, Eddie House

The Celtics add a little fire power to help carry the scoring load. All of their mainstays, with the exception of Rondo, are averaging career lows in points per game and Robinson can definitely help there. And playing with a good team and a leader like Garnett could get Robinson to get his head together. B+.

The Knicks continue to clear cap space by dealing fan favorite Robinson and bringing back next to nothing. I imagine House will be a candidate for a buyout, though he is a D'antoni disciple. Walker and Giddens are unknown commodities who might get a chance to showcase their talents on this terrible team. C.

UTAH/MEMPHIS

Utah gets: 2010 1st round pick
Memphis gets: Ronnie Brewer

The Jazz front office is spitting in the face of their fans with this move. Utah is sitting in 3rd place in the West coming off of a long winning streak and playing better than they have all year. And their reward is the trading of their starting shooting guard for nothing that helps them this year. My prediction is that this hurts the Jazz tremendously both on the court and in the locker room. D.

Memphis gets a very athletic, talented wing to add to their collection and didn't give up much to get him. I'm not sure how he fits in with Mayo, Conley, and Gay, but it's never a bad thing to have too many assets. B+.

CHARLOTTE/CHICAGO

Charlotte gets: Tyrus Thomas
Chicago gets: Ronald Murray, Acie Law, future 1st round pick

I love this move for the Bobcats. Thomas has crazy potential and if anyone is going to get it out of him it might just be Larry Brown. Thomas needed a change of scenery. If he can ever get his head on straight he can be a real player in this league. Now, if it doesn't work out, Charlotte will have wasted yet another draft pick, continuing their trend of getting next to nothing out of the draft. B+.
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Chicago gets nothing in return for the number four pick in the draft a few years ago. It's a shame that they couldn't ever get Thomas to reach his potential. Perhaps he just needed a new team, perhaps he's never going to put it together. If he does, though, and that Charlotte pick turns into a late rounder, this is a loss all around. C+.

NEW YORK/HOUSTON/SACRAMENTO

Houston gets: Kevin Martin, Hilton Armstrong, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, right to swap picks with NY in 2011, New York's 1st round pick 2012
Sacramento gets: Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey, Larry Hughes
New York gets: Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez

Houston took the Kings and the Knicks out to the curb and busted 'em up with this trade. Carl Landry is a tough loss, no question, but the move not only allows them to rid themselves of the corpse of Tracy McGrady, it also brought in a legitimate scorer in Martin that they badly needed. I'm not completely sure how Martin will fit in on a defense first team like Houston and it's always questionable whether or not he can stay healthy. But that scoring punch makes the Rockets a formidable opponent. Hill, meanwhile, was a top 10 pick last year and could be a great compliment to Yao in the future. AND they get two GREAT draft picks in the upcoming years if New York can't get a big name player in free agency this summer. A+.

Sacramento, like the Clippers, should be ashamed of themselves. Not only did this trade not improve the team, it also helped a contending team get better. The Kevin Martin-Tyreke Evans backcourt was not going to work but in return for a potential All Star all they got was a 6th man of the year candidate. I like Carl Landry A LOT. He is a great complimentary piece for a good team. But he's not going to help a bad team like the Kings get any better. They should have at least gotten a draft pick out of this. C.

New York finishes off the day by further clearing cap space for the summer while clearing out their entire roster of any viable talent. McGrady is done, at least for this year, and in return for him they gave up a LOT of young talent. Look, if this works out and they can pair David Lee with a high draft pick in this year's draft with two of the big name free agents this summer (Lebron, Wade, Bosh, etc.) then this will have all been worth it. But the fact of the matter is, you have to question whether any of those guys is going to want to come to New York. Sure it's a great market but that team is completely devoid of talent now and they won't have draft picks in the next two years to replenish themselves. At this point even signing one of the big names that isn't Lebron will still leave them in the gutter. And if Lebron can't get Wade or Bosh to go with him to New York, tell me why he'd want to go and play there. If the Knicks don't get their free agents, this will be the worst team in the NBA for the next 5 years, easily. C.

Kuddos to Dallas, Cleveland, Boston, Charlotte, and Houston for making themselves better at the deadline. And shame on the Knicks, Clippers, and Kings for losing talent and getting nothing in return. A special shoutout to owners Mark Cuban (Dallas) and Daniel Gilbert (Cleveland) who, in a year when everyone is trying to shed payroll, took on more money in an effort to improve their teams. That's the mark of a good owner in my book.

-BG

DIIRRKKKK!!!

Last week my dad called me and told me he had tickets to go to the NBA All Star Jam Session on Wednesday if I wanted them. My dad's boss is a Mavericks season ticket holder who, knowing what a fool I am for Mavericks basketball, passes on his tickets to me a couple of times a year. He was kind enough to pass on his Jam Session tickets as well and of course I jumped at the chance to go. I had planned to take my wife and some friends to the event on Thursday or Friday. I figured there'd be a better chance of there being actual All Stars on those days as opposed to Wednesday. But free tickets are free tickets. And it turned out to be an even better opportunity.

As I spoke to a friend on Tuesday about the event, he started looking for tickets to tag along with me for the Wednesday event. An iPhone internet search revealed that the Wednesday version of Jam Session was Maverick-centric and only open to "special guests" (meaning season ticket holders and anyone else who picked up a ticket at their local Minyard's Food Store). Somewhere along the line we came across a Craigslist post that mentioned that Dirk Nowitzki was going to be signing autographs. I got a little excited. Okay, a lot excited.

I love Dirk Nowitzki. Recently my sister did one of those Facebook question things that asked her, "Who would Brian Gill vote for as President?" Her answer was Dirk and she's totally right. If it was legally possible for Dirk Nowitzki to become President of the USA, I would totally vote for him (which is a perfect example of why not everyone should be allowed to vote). He's a top 7 player in the game today and has been for years despite being possibly the most underappreciated superstar in the history of the league. (Call me a homer, I don't care. I know basketball better than you do and Dirk gets nowhere near the respect he deserves.) Having grown up a Mavs fan, I have been through the absolute worst that any franchise could ask their fans to go through. My first indoctrination into Mavdom was an 11 win season, followed by a 13 win season in which my favorite player was traded. It didn't get much better until Dirk came along. Dirk owns a 40% share in the "Reasons the Mavericks Don't Suck Anymore" pie graph I have in my head (33% Mark Cuban, 8% Don Nelson, 8% Steve Nash, 5% Michael Finley, and 6% assorted others). Without Dirk this franchise would still be the joke that it was for most of my youth.

Dirk is my second favorite Maverick (and NBA player overall) of all time, having recently overcome Finley in my personal rankings and trailing only Derek Harper. “What? Still behind Harper? What's that about?" you might say. Consider that Derek Harper was my idol (in the "American" sense, not the Biblical sense of course) growing up. When everyone else wanted to be Michael Jordan, I wanted to be Derek Harper. If in 20 years I have a son who leaves Duke after one championship season and is drafted by the Mavericks, he still might only rank as my second favorite Maverick of all time. The fact that Dirk has gotten that close to Harper Territory should serve to illustrate how big a Dirk fan I am. The guy has carried the team through thick and thin without the kind of support other superstars have gotten across the league. And he has been the consummate professional through it all. The most unique player in the game, he is an absolute treat to watch night in and night out, despite not being the type of player who throws out Sportscenter highlight plays every night.

I digress. Some digging revealed that Dirk Nowitzki would indeed be signing autographs and so my uncle and I found ourselves in line to get into the Convention Center about an hour before it opened. He got in line while I ran to the “Absurdly Priced Pro Shop That Doesn’t Sell Anything You Actually Want and Charges You Way More Than Any Human Should Ever Pay for a Replica Basketball Jersey” to get something to be signed. (Security wouldn’t allow basketballs to be brought in. Everything else was good to go, just not basketballs, which was the one thing I had brought to be signed.) When I got back, my uncle told me a security guard had come by and told us Dirk would only sign for an hour and we probably would not make it up there before the hour was up. As a consolation, however, we would be close to the front of the line for Erick Dampier. Erick Dampier! Going from Dirk to Damp would have been a huge kick to the Gortats, no offense to Damp. As we waited, another employee came up and told the others that at some point they were going to have Security Guard X (who looked like a shorter version of Mr. Echo from “Lost”) jump into the line facing the crowd and anyone after him wouldn’t be able to meet Dirk. I would not have liked to have been the first person exiled by Mr. Echo.
Dirk arrived and started signing autographs. Every five minutes a lady would yell, “One item per person! No pictures!” Usually I hate these types of policies at signings like this but since I was so far back, I was happy to hear these instructions. The guy behind us started counting and figured that each person was on stage for about 10 seconds. After 15 minutes or so, the line had moved considerably and we felt pretty good about our chances. The line kept moving at a reasonable place and with the exception of the occasional long-talker taking upwards of 20 seconds to get off stage, everyone played by the rules. In one of the crazier moments of the day, a twentysomething girl asked if she could have the empty water bottle Dirk had just finished off. He gave her a weird look and said, “You want the bottle? Um, okay.” She ran off giggling like he’d given her the keys to his car. Ah, the power of the star athlete.

Finally it was my turn. I walked up on stage. I handed my criminally overpriced basketball to the security guard and told him where I wanted the ball signed. He pushed the ball over to Dirk who obliged. While he signed I motioned to my uncle to take my picture standing next to my German Hero, only just as he started to take the picture one of the guards brought this kid in a wheel chair onto the stage and it turned into an awkward moment of my uncle and I both trying to determine if this kid was going to cut through the picture while at the same time knowing we had approximately four seconds to get this thing done before security threw me off stage. This resulted in a truly terrible picture for which I apologize. Dirk handed the ball back to me and I forced him into a handshake because, get real, how am I NOT going to shake Dirk’s hand? I had thought about what I would say in this moment (gay, I know) but seriously, how do you sum up your appreciation for one of your heroes in 1.2 seconds? I stumbled through something like, “Um, thanks for being awesome” as we shook hands and then made my exit to stage left, my life forever having been changed.

It’s always a tricky situation when you meet a personal hero. You’re not quite yourself, naturally, and while you’ll jump at the chance to have the experience, there’s always the chance that the guy will turn out to be a toolbag. When I met Derek Harper in the 8th grade, he was the coolest guy in the world. He signed every single thing I brought to the table and sat around talking basketball with me and my buddy for a solid 30 minutes. On the flip side of that, I also met Chris Arnold, a radio personality from my favorite station, in the 8th grade and was amazed at what a jerk he was. The Harper meeting was iconic and edifying; not only did I meet him but he was a heck of a guy and that left me feeling like I’d made a good choice in a role model (as weird as that may sound). Meeting Arnold on the other hand was embarrassing and somewhat crushing. I listed to that guy every day! I even risked detention listening on a walkman during Texas History and yet he had no time for a young fan. I’m happy to report that the Dirk Experience falls into the Harper category, only further deepening my hero worship of the guy. Dirk was fantastic with everyone, especially the little kids who probably couldn’t figure out why this giant was writing on their clothing. He was a true professional and I will be forever thankful for the opportunity to have those 10 seconds of awesomeness.

-BG

Reviewing the Draft: 1992

1992 was a year that saw the introduction to the league of one of its all time greats (Shaquille O'neal) and then a lot of rookies who never turned into the players they had potential to be. Very few drafts in recent history have given us so many accomplished college players and yet only a few (5) turned into All Star quality players.

1. Orlando - Shaquille O'neal (1) - Without question one of the most dominating presences the NBA has ever seen. (Original pick: O'neal)
2. Charlotte - Alonzo Mourning (2) - In any other draft, Zo would have been the number one pick. One of the most intimidating forces in the league for many years. (Original pick: Mourning)
3. Minnesota - Latrell Sprewell (24) - Choking incident aside, Spree was a fierce competitor and a fantastic player on both ends of the court. Some terrible off court decisions messed with a great career. (Original pick: Christian Laettner)
4. Dallas - Christian Laettner (3) - Never lived up the expectations that he set for himself at Duke but was still an All Star caliber player for many years and a solid contributor after that. (Original pick: Jim Jackson)
5. Denver - Robert Horry (11) - The ultimate winner. Horry wasn't particularly great at anything except hitting the big shots time and time again on his way to 8 or 9 championship rings. (Original pick: Laphonso Ellis)
6. Washington - PJ Brown (29) - An excellent defender and strong rebounder, Brown was a major contributor on a number of good teams for a long time. (Original pick: Tom Gugliotta)
7. Sacramento - Jim Jackson (4) - Jackson's size and incredible passing ability set him apart from the average shooting guard of the day. The injury he suffered in 1995 prevented him from moving the way he once was and essentially turned him into a very good role player. (Original pick: Walt Williams)
8. Milwaukee - Tom Gugliotta (6) - Googs became an overnight sensation in Minnesota but after an All Star appearance got overpaid to go to Phoenix and went through numerous injuries that kept him from ever contributing much. (Original pick: Todd Day)
9. Philly - Doug Christie (17) - Say what you will about Christie's mental state, he was an excellent defender and a steady hand on offense while playing on some good teams. (Original pick: Clarence Weatherspoon)
10. Atlanta - Clarence Weatherspon (9) - Far from flashy or sexy, Weatherspoon nonetheless was a solid scorer and rebounder for quite a while on a number of teams. (Original pick: Adam Keefe)
11. Houston - Walt Williams (7) - In all honesty Williams could have done a lot more. Like Jackson, he had a unique combination of size and passing skill and yet as his career progressed he allowed himself to become a shooter (and a very good one, mind you) rather than a playmaker. (Original pick: Robert Horry)

Honorable Mention:
LaPhonso Ellis (5) - Again injuries are to blame. Ellis was a fiery player who could create his own shot but preferred to crash the boards and deliver thunderous dunks.
Jon Barry (21) - An excellent shooter and role player for many years.
Matt Geiger (42) - Never a particularly talented player, Geiger possessed a high basketball IQ and became a very good defender while playing significant roles on good teams.

Biggest Disappointment:
I loved Jim Jackson and an injury early in his career helped move him towards a lackluster career, but a lackluster career he still had. Jackson could have changed the landscape of the NBA. He had a combination of size, athleticism, basketball IQ, court vision, shooting touch, and driving ability that almost no player in the last 25 years has had. He could shoot, he could pass, he could post up, he could drive. Offensively he could have been unstoppable. That he never made an All Star team is a huge, huge disappointment.

-BG

Reviewing the Draft: 1991

I love the NBA draft. In many ways it is probably my favorite sporting event all season. In keeping with that love, one of my favorite things about the draft is looking back and playing the "what could have been" game for the first few picks. Every year there will be a dozen or so picks that make absolutely no sense and it seems everyone in America understands this except the GM picking. And of course there are a number of picks that surprise everyone. What I have here is the first 11 picks from the 1991 draft and what, in hindsight, the order of the draft would be like now based on production and longevity.

The 1991 draft wasn't a particularly strong draft. While it did produce several solid, career role players on good teams (like Rick Fox and Luc Longley), only 7 players from this class made an All Star appearance and only one (Mutombo) made numerous appearances. It should be noted, however, that the first pick (Larry Johnson) could have potentially been a generation-defing player had it not been for serious injuries that turned him from the power player he once was into a jumpshooter.

1. Charlotte - Dikembe Mutombo (originally picked #4): One of the all time great defensive centers and 18 years later, the only pick still playing in the NBA. (Original pick: Larry Johnson)
2. New Jersey - Larry Johnson (1): Injuries ruined the career of Larry who could have been a position redefining player. Still, he made the transition from power player to finesse player and had some incredibly productive years. (Original pick: Kenny Anderson)
3. Sacramento - Terrell Brandon (11): An All Star multiple times and named the NBA's Best Point Guard at one point by Sports Illustrated. (Original pick: Billy Owens)
4. Denver - Steve Smith (5): Made an All Star appearance and served as a very important second or third option on some good teams. (Original pick: Dikembe Mutombo)
5. Miami - Kenny Anderson (2): Never lived up to expectations but made an All Star appearance in 1995 and was a solid player for a very long time. (Original pick: Steve Smith)
6. Dallas - Dale Davis (13): A strong, imposive force in the paint for a very long time, particularly on the defensive end. (Original pick: Doug Smith)
7. Minnesota - Stacey Augmon (9): Augmon wasn't great at anything but he was good at a lot of things. "The Plasticman" had a long career as a journeyman. (Original pick: Luc Longley)
8. Denver - Billy Owens (3): Owens was doomed from the start. A good player with a knack for scoring was asked to be a franchise player in Golden State and couldn't measure up. Weight issues abounded as well. (Original pick: Mark Macon)
9. Atlanta - Luc Longley (7): Longley won three titles with Jordan in Chicago and played his role, limited as it was, very well for many years. (Original pick: Stacey Augmon)
10. Orlando - Rick Fox (24): Fox wasn't much for stats but he was the ultimate role player on 3 Laker title teams. (Original pick: Brian Williams)
11. Cleveland - Greg Anthony (12): Never a great player or a stats guy, Anthony was a strong backup throughout his career, partiularly for some good Portland teams in the mid 90s. (Original pick: Terrell Brandon)

Honorable mention:
Bobby Phills (45): Phills was coming into his prime before his untimely death during a racing accident.
Erick Murdock (21): Had some of the fastest hands I've ever seen in the NBA but never got much of an opportunity to play big minutes.
Chris Gatling (16): Made an All Star appearance in 97 with the Mavericks but was mostly a shooter off the bench for the majority of his career.
Brian Williams/Bison Dele: A very weird career marked by a tragic, weird death. Williams had a lot of talent but didn't always maximize it.

Biggest Disappointment:
I'm going with Kenny Anderson. Sure, he had a very long, successful career in the NBA. But Anderson had the talent to be a once-in-a-generation type player. He just didn't have the work ethic.

-BG

"Next Coach Fired" Rankings - NBA Edition

Each week we take a look at the NBA's head coaches and who is most to least likely to be fired next, from 1 to 30. Mike Dunleavy stepped down from his coaching position with the Clippers this week. Mike was the worst coach-GM in the league and now he's just the worst GM. Which means everyone else jumps up a peg. Sorry Jim!

1. Jim O'brien, Indiana - the worst coach in the NBA is by far the easiest target now that Mike Dunleavy has been fired in LA.
2. Kiki Vandeweghe, New Jersey - This is likely the worst team in the history of the NBA and Kiki is likely to lose his position with the franchise.
3. Flip Saunders, Washington - Wrong place, wrong time, wrong guy for the job.
4. Eddie Jordan, Philadelphia - Same as Saunders.
5. Jay Triano, Toronto - Toronto is on the verge of a complete reset: superstar, GM, and coach.
6. John Kuester, Detroit - Joe Dumars has made two terrible hires in a row.
7. Rick Carlisle, Dallas - The only coach in the top 12 who could easily earn himself safety with a solid win streak.

OFF SEASON TARGETS
8. Jeff Bower, New Orleans - Never should have been a coach in the first place.
9. Vinny Del Negro, Chicago - Del Negro was on the verge of being fired a few weeks ago. If the Bulls go through another rough patch, he's gone.
10. Eric Spolestra, Miami - Not really getting the best out of his players.
11. Scott Skiles, Milwaukee - Injuries have hurt but Skiles seems fairly uninspired these days.
12. Kim Hughes, LA Clippers - There is no chance that this guy comes back next year but the Clippers aren't making two coaching moves in one season.

PROBABLY GETS ANOTHER YEAR
13. Alvin Gentry, Phoenix - I'm honestly not sure how Gentry ever got a head coaching job in the first place but his players seem to like him. It's probably earned him some extra time.
14. Kurt Rambis, Minnesota - I have no faith in Minnesota's GM but I can't imagine he'll fire Rambis after only one year.
15. Don Nelson, Golden State - Nelson is the best con artist in the business and somehow has wrapped the ownership of this team around his finger. This is heading for a bitter divorce sometime next year.
16. Stan Van Gundy, Orlando - This one is going to implode at some point but he's doing well enough to keep his job for a while. But just wait, this one will get ugly eventually.

SAFE
17. Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City - Not sure how great of a coach he is but the players love him and work for him.
18. Mike Woodson, Atlanta - It's a shock that Woodson has gotten the tenure he's attained thusfar and it looks like it has paid off.
19. George Karl, Denver - Eventually the franchise will tire of second or third round playoff exits and players running amok. But it probably doesn't happen for another year or two.
20. Paul Westphal, Sacramento - His team has less talent than just about any in the league and yet he (and Tyreke Evans) keeps them competitive.
21. Mike D'antoni, New York - There were never any expectations for D'antoni until next year anyway.

GETS A PASS DUE TO INJURY
22. Nate McMillan, Portland - At some point in the near future people are going to begin to ask what he's doing with all the young talent Portland has accumulated. But he gets a pass this year.
23. Doc Rivers, Boston - Boston isn't going anywhere this time around but with healthy players, they probably have one more year of realistic title contention.
24. Rick Adelman, Houston - Adelman has done a fantastic job with a bare cabinet and has earned himself another couple of years with the franchise.

UNTOUCHABLE
25. Lionel Hollins, Memphis - Hollins may be in line for some Coach of the Year votes and has done a great job turning this team around.
26. Mike Brown, Cleveland - I seriously question how good of a coach Brown is but the fact is he's not getting fired until Lebron demands a new coach or leaves and the team falls apart.
27. Larry Brown, Charlotte - The Bobcats are looking at their first playoff berth in franchise history.
28. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio - Pops, Sloan, and Jackson are in the same boat: they leave when they decide they want to leave. None of the three will ever be fired, no matter how bad their teams slip.
29. Jerry Sloan, Utah
30. Phil Jackson, LA Lakers

-BG

NBA All Star Picks

The NBA All-Star starters were announced this week and, as always, the fan voting has screwed the whole thing up. Truthfully, it's not the fault of the fans; the entire system is screwy. The fans really shouldn't have a say in who gets to play in the all star game and if they do, the NBA should make some restrictions to keep stupidity from prevailing. For instance, Allen Iverson will be starting in this game despite the fact that he's played in only 19 games and has averaged less than 15 points per game. I'm a HUGE Iverson fan; one of my top five favorite players of all time. But Iverson has no business being in this game. Likewise, up until last week, Rockets guard Tracy McGrady was in line to start this game despite having played only three games this season. Pathetic.

But I digress. After the fans get their ridiculous say in who should start this game, the coaches vote for the remaining 7 players on each squad. The format for this voting is 2 guard, 2 forward, 1 center, and two more players of any position. Like every other sports writer, professional or not, I feel the need to make my picks.

EAST
Guards - Joe Johnson, Rajon Rondo
Rando is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference (despite not being able to make a free throw) and Joe Johnson has been lights out yet again as the best player on a contending team.
Forwards - Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce
Really, Bosh should be listed as a center. This is yet another example of how outdated the NBA's system really is. Still, he's having a great season in what should be his last as a Raptor. Pierce has carried the Celtics this year with Garnett missing time.
Center - David Lee
I don't know, this whole center thing is ridiculous. Lee isn't really putting up an All-star season and he's playing for a crappy team but the other options at center (Al Horford, Shaq, Joakim Noah) are no more inspiring.
Wildcards - Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith
Wallace is having the best season of his career and is finally getting his just due. He absolutely fills the stat sheet. Smith has cut the bad shots and technical fouls down and that has made Atlanta a much better team.
Last two out - Ray Allen, Stephen Jackson
Man the East sucks. Allen is having a mediocre year by his standards. Jackson probably deserves to be in just based on the impact he had on Charlotte after the trade, but I just can't put two guys from a team that is barely over .500 on the All-star team.

WEST
Guards - Brandon Roy, Chris Paul
You could make a case for either one of these guys to start over Nash. Roy has been the only consistent player for Portland and Paul has been the only player for New Orleans, period. Both of them are pretty much locks for the All-star team for the next decade.
Forwards - Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant
I'm not going to say is absurd that Duncan is starting this game over Nowitzki, but it's not far off. Dirk is having an incredible season on a much less talented team whereas Duncan is sitting out games when the Spurs play on back to back nights. Duncan deserves to be here, sure, but his year doesn't compare to Dirk's. Durant is perhaps the best pure scorer in the league right now and only getting better.
Center - Chris Kaman
Again, the center position is weak. I don't think anyone can make much of a case one way or another for why Kaman, Andrew Bynum, or Marc Gasol should make it over the other two. Heck, even Erick Dampier is having a career year. But I'll take Kaman simply because I think he impacts the game the most on a consistent basis. I guess.
Wildcards - Deron Williams, Zach Randolph
Williams is a lock, no questions asked. It pains me to see Randolph on an All-star team. That guy has wasted more talent over the last nine years than most people will ever have at their disposal in any field. He's been a bum since day one. But he's having a heck of a season on an extremely surprising Memphis team and he deserves a spot, though I hope it never happens again.
Last two out - Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer
Gasol has missed almost half of his team's games and really hasn't been THAT great. Boozer has been a little inconsistent, but really it comes down to the fact that I'm not sure a team that's in the bottom half of the playoff picture deserves two All-Stars.

We'll see how it all shakes out.

-BG

Why I Should Be In Charge- Part 1

As you can probably guess by my needless sports blogging, I watch a lot of sports. One of the things that drives me the craziest about sports is when I can figure things out better than those in the game. Like, for example, how I can see immediately when a basketball player's shot is drifting because of the positioning of his feet. If I can figure that out, why can't they? Anyway, it's one thing when it's a player making a dumb mistake but it's an entirely different issue when I feel like I'm outsmarting a coach.

Take tonight for example. The Mavericks are playing the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's a one point game with 6 seconds to go. Dallas is inbounding the ball off a Thunder free throw so they have talked about what play they'll run and who they'll get the ball to in this situation. Like they seem to do every time, the Mavs go directly to Jason Terry. Terry steps to the line and promptly misses both free throws, giving the Thunder a shot to win the game with a desperation heave at the buzzer.

Giving the ball to Terry in this situation is a huge mistake and I'll give you two reasons.

1.) You have Dirk Nowitzki on the floor. Dirk is one of the 10 best free throw shooters in the league and at one point this year hadn't missed a single freebie in the 4th quarter (a ridiculous stat). He's also huge so in a situation where you know the other team is going to foul immediately and there's virtually no chance of a steal, all you have to do is lob the ball over the top of the defense and Dirk is going to get two points at the line.

2.) Jason Terry is a freaking terrible free throw shooter in the clutch. I don't know why because the guy has ice in the veins when he's shooting an important jumpers. But for some reason, he fails over and over at the free throw line when it counts. That's not a new thing, either. He lost a game for the Mavs in the 2004 playoffs with poor free throw shooting down the stretch. He also cost the Mavs a game against New Orleans earlier this year by missing two free throws that would have put the game out of range. It's happened A LOT.

What I don't understand is how a smart coach like Rick Carlisle continues to choose to get the ball into Terry's hands in these situations. If you're scrambling to get the ball in and Terry winds up with it, that's fine, you live with that. But you don't purposely run a play where the number one option is to get the ball to Terry. When he caught the ball I told my wife, "I guarantee he misses at least one of these shots." I wish that was some sort of a gamble but it's not gambling when you know you're going to win. Terry may be an 85% free throw shooter on the season but I would guess his shooting percentage is, at best, 60% in clutch situations.

If I, as a know-nothing fan watching every game on a TV in his home, can tell you Terry isn't dependable at the line in those situations, shouldn't a coach who gets paid two million dollars a year be able to figure this out as well? And that is why I should be in charge.

-BG

Shawne Williams Busted

On a day when the NBA is focused on the legal matter involving Gilbert Arenas, I find myself a little more interested in the one involving Shawne Williams. Williams was a first round pick of the Pacers back in 2006 and promptly embraced the Pacer culture of the day and was arrested on drug charges within a year. The Mavericks traded for him in 2008 and essentially told him, "you have one chance, don't screw it up." Within about two months Williams mysteriously disappeared from the team and wasn't heard from again for quite some time. The word was he'd gotten caught trying to take a bag of weed on a team flight and had been banished. The Mavs packaged him in a trade to New Jersey last week. Today he was waived by the Nets and simultaneously arrested on 8 drug counts in Tennessee.

Crap like this happens all the time in the NBA. A talented-but-troubled kid comes into the league, gets a little money that he doesn't deserve, and runs himself out of the league before his first contract is up. I took a special interest in Williams' case for two reasons:

1.) in the short time he was with the Mavericks he was given jersey number 4. To me, number 4 for the Mavericks is Michael Finley and Michael Finley alone, and to have a known spare like Williams wearing that number drew my ire.
2.) Just about a month ago Williams did an interview with a Memphis newspaper in which he basically said the Mavericks front office had misrepresented him and all his troubles were in the past.

I don't mean to revel in the guy's problems. I just think it's probably a good idea to keep your mouth shut when you're currently involved in a business venture designed for the sole purpose of manufacturing and selling drugs.

-BG

The Clipper Curse Strikes Again

Today it was announced that the first round pick in the NBA draft last year, the Clipper's Blake Griffin, will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Griffin never took the court this season after messing up his knee in the final preseason game in October. Griffin's rookie season will have to hold off until next year and while injuries happen, you have to wonder if a player who's game is so built around power will be the same coming back.

Griffin is just another casualty in a long line of potential stars who have succumbed to The Clipper Curse. Time and time again the Clips have watched a guy crash and burn under their watch. No one has ever summed up the Curse better than the great Bill Simmons did last June in an open letter to Blake Griffin. On paper it's a bit eery that Simmons called this so perfectly. But really, it wasn't much of a prediction. The smart money was on Grffin blowing a knee in his first two years in the league. I feel bad for the guy. He is, by all accounts, a stand up character whose only mistake was getting drafted by a cursed franchise.

Looking back, Griffin should have done anything and everything to keep the Clippers from drafting him. Were I his agent I would have advised him to show up to his predraft interviews in a dress and tell the Clips he would no longer answer to anything except Juwanna Mann. Maybe that would have forced the Clippers to draft another person and maybe Griffin would be enjoying a Rookie of the Year campaign as we speak. As it is, the Clipper Curse strikes again and it's only a matter of time until it takes another victim.

-BG