For the first time in several years, I can honestly say I look forward to watching regular season NBA games. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the NBA, but in recent years the regular season product has been decidedly "hum drum", with only the Suns providing some real excitement to what is an otherwise boring grind of 82 games.  Now we have something to look forward to!

Let's just throw out out the "what team traded for this or that player" for the time being, the trade deadline's passed, and now it's time for everyone to make their stretch runs, and for once even some of the teams in the East are going to be worth watching!  (Besides Detroit I mean). 

Look at it this way - Several teams revamped their rosters completely (Cleveland, Dallas), some made modest but powerful moves (Houston, New Orleans), some built for the future (OH good lord the Sonics!!), while others decided the time is now!  (Lakers, Suns).  And then, in the midst of it all, there is the sleeper trade of them all, where the quiet, steady Spurs gain a highly underrated force in Kurt Thomas.  I would challenge you to find another mid season trade deadline where so many teams made so many moves for so many different reasons.  Amazing!

Now, despite what all the pundits out there will say, that the Western Conference playoffs will be insane while the East will be relatively quick and easy, I will concede that could be the case.  But I think that once the first round is over, the Eastern Conference playoffs will be just as intense as the West will be, because the top four teams in the East (Boston, Destroit, Cleveland and Orlando) are very well matched up against one another.  Remember last year where the East was mostly sweep after sweep (or lose just 1 game in the series) - We didnt get a good series until the Cavs/Pistons in the East finals.  I don't see that happening this year.

As for the West, good god.  This is...WOW...This is going to be one of the best off seasons ever, and what's ####y to me is that through all the hubub of trades and changes, as much as I absolutely HATE to admit this, I would not be surprised to see the Spurs come out of the West.  In the playoffs chemistry is just as important as defense to winning a championship, and NO ONE except the Pistons can compare with the Spurs when it comes to Chemistry. 

I am a Suns' Homer, of course, never denied it, but I always try to call a #### a #### (so to speak), and to all the Spurs Homers out there, my hat's off to you, the Spurs' management steered a very unsteady course with all the trades, stuck to their guns, and in the end picked up a potent (if limited) big man in Kurt Thomas who will give them even more of a defensive presence and another mid range shooter with a solid touch.  Great pickup by the Spurs and much as in the Gasol trade, you didn't have to give up much of anything to get him.

The team I feel got hosed the worst in this bout of trades was Cleveland.  Poor LeBron, the man just can't get the help he really needs.  They blew up the team mid season and got older, slower, and less athletic, and didn't shore up ANY of their weaknesses (on either side of the ball), which means King James will win the MVP award but probably be bounced in the 2nd round when Ben Wallace decides to resume his late season nap. 

Next most hosed is the Mavs, who would have won this award if the Cavs deal hadn't come down at the last minue.  Kidd's good, but not that good, and he's never been that good with a skilled big man (Kidd's good at passing IN to the basket, Dirk plays more away from it), and in the end, I feel this just hastened the end of the Mavs run near the top of the elite teams by about 2 years.  Their window just closed and they have little to build on towards the future, having traded away their best young players and several key draft picks.  It's a shame, I like the Mavs.

The unqualified winner of the Trade game was the Sonics, who basically called a Mulligan on this season, will play it out for experience, and solidified their future through at least 2010.  The only pity in all of this is that because of the pissing match between the owners and the city of Seattle that the real winners of this trade bonanza will be whatever city the Sonics move to.  That is the true shame, because the fans in Seattle deserve MUCH better than what they are getting from both their city managers and the ownership of the Sonics.

You talk about the Suns, the Lakers, and every other team who did or did not make moves (major or minor) during this mid season, and in the end it all boiled down to this.  The bigget winner of all?

US!!!!!!!!!!!  We FINALLY came out ahead here!  WOOHOO!!!

*kicks back to enjoy*

Im out - Thanks for reading - Dal

I'll preface this blog by stating up front I think the Jason Kidd trade is a bad idea for the Mavs, but then again, how many trades ever really work out (the last one I can think of that actually delivered a title was Shaq to Miami).

Now, on to my take on Devean George's hold out on being traded so he doesn't lose his "Early Bird" rights.

The issue at hand is whether or not he will be giving up any money by allowing himself to be traded, or staying with the Mavs where he can get resigned for UP TO 175% of his current salary (2.4 mill). 

Bear in mind those two words in caps - UP TO.  There's nothing saying the Mavs have to sign him for anything more than he is making right now, and as for his "worth" to other NBA team, allow me to copy in an interesting factoid from his Wikipedia profile:

After the end of the 2006-07 NBA season, George became an unrestricted free agent. The Mavericks gave him and his agent a chance to opt in or opt out of a possible second season with the Mavericks at $2.16 m. As of June 30, George decided to opt out of a second season with the Mavericks but eventually, with no other choices, re-signed on July 9 to a $2.5M deal

SO let's see here, he tested the waters on this last off season, and found NO ONE WANTED him, so he was left with no choice but to take what the Mavs were offering.  Now, at last, there is another team that wants him, and he wants to stay put for what?  Maybe he would get a cost of living raise of about 100k, but do you think the Mavs are going to want to resign him after this? 

I tend to lean towards Charles Barkley's statement of "if the team you're on don't want you, then just GO."  Never was this more true of Devean George, a man with all the talent to be a true force in the league but has let money and whomever whispers in his ear make him feel he is better than he is.  He is averaging 4 maybe 5 points a game right now, and he makes over 2 mill a year.  Most players can't even get a tryout with an NBA team for those kinds of numbers. George might think one thing, but the reality is that the ship has sailed on his Mavs career, or they wouldn't have traded him.  Who is this guys' agent again, and what planet does he reside on ?

No GM will sign him after this mess because he's just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is all about the money, and not about the effort required to EARN that money.  In the two games he played since the trade fiasco began, he's been a useless non factor, and for this he wants more money.  He will be lucky if next year he doesn't have to wear a "will do layups for bling' sign around his neck to find another team interested in him (then again, maybe the Washington Generals will be hiring)

Maybe the Nets DID get lucky after all - they just avoided adding more dead weight to their ship! :)

Well, since this is the time of year to give to your "significant other", I thought I would go on a buying spree and offer some of my favorite (and not so favorite, I'm equal opportunity) players and teams some Valentine's Day presents.  So without further ado:

*****To the Phoenix Suns I offer a gift that will at least keep on giving in the short term, that being a healthy Shaquille O'Neal.  I think everyone is in some form of agreement that if Shaq is healthy this was one heck of a deal for the Suns which should finally allow them to get over the hump and win that elusive title.  The next thing I would offer the Suns would be an insurance policy that the new management will not take one of the more lucrative franchises in the Western Conference and ruin it (those of us who live in Arizona are still worried that when this team runs it's course we won't see another one like it for a good long while)

*****To the Dallas Mavericks, I give the gift of a clue.  While I saw this trade coming a mile off, I still can't imagine why the heck they pulled the trigger on this one.  Jason Kidd has always been and always will be one of the best point guards who will never win a title, and that reason is quite simple, at the end of the day, despite all those wonderful stats, if you look below the surface, Kidd is all about Jason Kidd, he is not about his team.  Then you add to that problem the misdiagnosis of the real problem in Dallas (it isn't the point guard position), and I figure this particular gift of a clue would be quite appropriate given the circumstances and the looming trade.

*****To the US Senate Subcommittee who wasted hours of time and millions of dollars, I would, with respect, offer the gift of a college US History course specializing in Civil Rights and the development of the legal system.  That travesty of a hearing today, in which half the senators were blasting Clemens, the other half Macnamee, was the biggest joke I have ever seen since the Clarence Thomas hearings.  It was SO obvious most of these "lawmakers" had their minds made up before the hearings, and they made no effort to conceal this whatsoever.  Now, while the court of public opinion may take the stand of Guilty until proven Innocent, in the legal system, regardless of if it is a court of law or a senate hearing room, these representatives of our judicial system should realize it's actually the other way around.  Watching that joke today made me actually embarassed for BOTH men.   And at the end of the day, not one step forward was taken in any direction, so what was the point again?  Go back the beginning, Senators, and relearn the basics (this would be a '101' class, of course).

*****To the WWE's Vince McMahon, I would give the gift of Roger Clemens and Brian Macnamee in a PPV steel cage match, winner has to give the loser a shot of steroids in the #### on live television.  Look at it this way, LOTS of people would buy that PPV, and when it was all over we would know that SOMEONE took those damn roids and we can all stop debating it!  (Though I would have Pete Rose do a run-in to cause interference because he bet on the outcome but didn't want to admit to it)

*****To the Dallas Cowboys, a team I do not particularly care for, I would nonetheless give the gift of a padlock.  Hey, SOMETHING's gotta keep Parcell's from his continual raiding of the Cowboy's cupboard!

*****To ESPN I would give the gift of imagination.  Need I say more ?

*****To the New England Patriots, I would give the gift of ensuring Randy Moss signs with another team.  Hey, you KNOW an implosion is coming sooner or later, and the Patriots are just too damn much fun to watch.  I really dont want to see them get turned into "just another team Moss wrecked".

*****To the Boston Celtics, I would give the gift of another title were it in my power to do so.  Having grown up watching the Bird/Magic battles of the 80's, to see this once proud franchise be so far down, only to climb so far up again, is heartening.  I would love to see them win another title (even though I despised them when they played the Lakers LOL)

*****Last but certainly not least, I would offer the following gifts to all the readers of these blogs:  (1) Open Mind, to see beyond loyaltiesand rhetoric.  (2) A reminder to tell that special someone just how important they really are to you.  While this is something that should be done more than just Valentine's Day, this day is nonetheless a special one, don't forget there is someone out there who does love you, don't forget to love them back, ok?

Thanks for reading, now go take your Valentine out for dinner! :)

Dal

It's been a while since my last posting, new job, lots of personal **** going on, but I've still managed to slip in and watch a few NBA games here and there this season, and now that the All Star break is coming up soon I thought I would throw out some of my thoughts regarding various teams - no specific orders, no axes to grind, just some blunt and straightforward thoughts...(And yes Im using the Harry Potter grading system, it's much more fun!)

Los Angeles Lakers: I have to admit, they have been impressing me so far this season.  I still don't think they will be able to keep this up for the whole road, but they'll make the playoffs and if they are playing then like they are now (or better), I feel sorry for the team that gets them!  Im an admitted Kobe hater, but in the 4 games Ive seen him play this year Ive asked myself "who is this guy and what's he done with Kobe Bryant?"  He's dishing, he's rebounding, he's TRUSTING his teammates!  I've been so amazed by all this it's even had me wonder if all the trade rumors and I want outta LA talk at the season's beginning was a secret plot with Kobe and Phil to rally the other team members!  So far so good for Laker Lovers, lets see how it holds up for the rest of the season is my only caveat.  GRADE O (Outstanding)

Miami Heat: Oh how the mighty have fallen.  Miami had all the makings of a dynasty, a solid core group of powerful veterans in Shaq, Zo and Wade, and a good group of role players, this team was ripe and ready to bring in some young talent through the draft and prepare for the inevitable passing of the torch, instead they stuck with basically the same team that won the championship and let father time pass them by.  It's truly a pity that the last two dominant big men we will ever see, Shaq and Zo, will end up their careers on such a down note, when there was SO much promise in the beginning.  Look for a 5 year rebuilding period before Miami even comes close to climbing out of the cellar.  GRADE T (Troll)

Phoenix Suns: It's been an unusual year for my team, no question.  Rumblings all around about discord, and there they sit in first place in the west, go figure.  Offensively the Suns can hang with anyone and beat anyone with the possible exception of a healthy Golden State or Hornets team.  Defensively there seems to be a bit more of an edge, Ive noticed.  They seem to be willingly giving up some games to work on their defense and then make up for it the next night with their standard offensive dominance.  After three successive years in the Western finals, I find myself wondering if D'Antoni is finally working on his bench and his defense to make a serious run at the Spurs and Mavericks of the world.  The problem is, I have a sneaking su####ion neither of those teams will be in the Western Finals this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Hornets or Lakers there.  GRADE E (Exceeds Expectations)

Boston Celtics: They play a weak schedule, and dominate.  They go .500 against each team that beats them.  They have the same formula that Miami used to win the title a few years ago (3 power players with a series of role players), and people are looking to find out what's wrong with this team.  While I am not a huge Celtic fan, I am a fan of good basketball, and this team is playing some of the best overall B-Ball Ive seen in years.  They are like the Anti-Spurs, proving you can play defense and make it exciting at the same time!  Do I think they will keep up this pace?  Not a chance, they will have a few slips and slides along the way.  Do I think they will be in the Eastern finals?  Absolutely.  GRADE O (Outstanding)

Detroit Pistons: After the debacle that was the Cavaliers series last year, this team could have folded its tent and completely rebuilt, but Joe Dumars and Flip Saunders were smarter than that, they knew their guys still had some legs, they just needed a bit more support from their bench, and voila!  More bench time, fresher starters!  Look at it this way, their starters are playing an average of 8 minutes per game less than last year, which if you add that up over 82 games means they will have play about 9 games less this year than last year, meanwhile they are dominating the league.  A seven game series of Boston and Detroit might be the best thing to happen to the NBA since the old Laker/Celtics series in the early 80's - I know I'd pay for a ticket, and I dont even LIKE the Pistons!  GRADE E (Exceeds Expectations)

Chicago Bulls: I must admit I am NOT surprised at how the Bulls are playing this year.  Last playoffs I remember talking to a friend of mine when the Bulls lost that if they didnt get some inside presence in the offseason they were going ot be bottom of the barrel at BEST, and it's been pretty much as I thought I would be.  The Bulls made the cardinal mistake of believing their press clippings, not realizing they played well above their collective abilities last year.  Firing Scott Skiles was an expected move, but overall it's a useless gesture.  The Bulls will make the playoffs, but are a first round sweep waiting to happen for the Celtics and Pistons of the league.  Its a pity, though, because they are just 2 or 3 pieces away from being a real power.  GRADE P (Poor)

Portland Trailblazers: WOW!  This is a team of the future, no question about it.  When they get a bit older, a bit more seasoned, and get 100% healthy, this is the team that will dominate the Western Conference after the Spurs' age finally makes them drop off the Title radar.  They play exciting, energetic, fan friendly ball with just enough defense to make you realize that when they "grow up" and become veterans they will have little or no competition in defense or offense.  They have made Portland a fun team again, and can even make some of us forget about the "Jailblazers".  GRADE: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Dallas Mavericks: I will wrap this blog up with Big D, which for me means Big Disappointment.  I just can't get a handle on this team anymore it seems.  Last year they played all 82 regular season games at a Playoff intensity, only to find they didn't have another gear to move in to when OTHER teams (Golden State) played at THEIR intensity level.  This year they just seem to be going through the motions, it almost seems like they are afraid to get on a huge roll like they did last year because they wont have anything to draw upon come playoff time.  Jason Terry seems to be the only Mav playing with anything resembling energy and desire, Dirk looks like a statue most of the time, and Avery looks like he too is trying to figure out just what the hell this team is thinking.  They are playing like a team afraid to succeed, and unless they get it together during the 2nd half of the season this is another playoff debacle just waiting to happen.  GRADE A (Acceptable)

Last minute thoughts: 

Is it just me or does Isiah Thomas have to have some incriminating film of the Knicks' owner fornicating with various farm animals in order to keep his job?   I have never seen such incompetence rewarded with continued employment in over 30 years of watching the NBA. 

Speaking of incompetence, isn't it about time someone in Minnesota told Kevin McHale it's the 21st century now, you can draft big men and use your free agent money to bring in GOOD players?

I keep hoping Baron Davis' body holds up for the entire season and playoffs, he's one of the best point guards to ever play the game, but never got his due because of his continued health problems.  GOOD LUCK BARON!!!

You would think that before the Seattle Sonics move they would at least ensure they will give their new city a truly competetive product.  Durant's the only reason people watch this team right now, and he's going to probably end up like LeBron, a great player with VERY mediocre talent around him that he will have to make look like stars night in and night out.

Jason Kidd's mustache makes him look like Joe Pantoliano's long lost twin brother.  Shave that thing JK!!

Please bear in mind in this blog that I am a Western Conference guy with a healthy respect for the east.  Therefore I am rooting on the Spurs (Tho I am not a fan) in this year's NBA Finals.  All that being said, I would, were I a Spurs fan, nonetheless have a few areas for concern going in to Thursday's NBA Finals.

First off, the Spurs themselves.  Look at their playoffs so far this year - they have only barely been pushed to this point.  Denver was barely a blip on their radar, the prospective "finals" matchup with the Suns ended up controversially in their favor and ended up being easier than anticipated, and the Jazz registered even less of a blip on their radar than Denver did.  Other than having to come back from a deep deficit in game 4 against my Suns, the Spurs have not had any sort of a real challenge to this point in the playoffs.

I know, I know, this is a playoff tested team that has won 3 titles already in 8 years, they have all the pedigrees, all the playoff tests and experience, the works.  That's precisely WHY I would be worried.

Now let's look at the Cavs real quick.  Here is a team that flew beneath everyone's radar with the exception of a couple NBA analysts.  In the playoffs they were relatively unremarkable in their opening round, did a thorough job of thrashing New Jersey, and then were pushed, and pushed HARD, by another playoff tested, veteran team that also won a title, the Pistons. 

There is something that happens in all sports from time to time, the best team loses.  This is most prevalent in baseball, and there are innumerable instances of teams that on paper are a total mismatch against the other, only to wind up winning in the end (anyone remember the Pirates/Yankee's from the late '50s, or even this year, who would have guessed on paper the Warriors would eject the Mavs?)

No matter how hard a team might try to convince itself that they take the opposition seriously, there creeps in a bit of ego, a bit of over-confidence, that can remove just the very finest edge off of a team's killer instinct.  In all other ways the team is firing on all cylinders, but they just cannot put the other, inferior, team away. 

Do I think the Spurs are vulnerable to this?  Yes, I do.  They show ALL the signs of this possibility, having a relative walk over the powerful Western Conference, and a team that on paper has NO business being on the court with them for the NBAs biggest team prize saddling up to take them on.  The circumstances are too good for this to at least not be a consideration.

Do I think this will happen, not really.  But Popovich is not infallible, no coach is, and all the Cavs have to do is hang around, hang around, hang around, avoid any blowouts or morale-defeating games, and they could strongly challenge the Spurs for a close game here n there, and put a tiny sliver of doubt on the missing edge of their killer instinct, and from there crack the Spurs wide open.

The Spurs SHOULD win this, and probably WILL win this series, but that's why they play the games, because as long as you have another game, another play, and time on the clock, you are still in the game, and the Cavs have been pushed this playoff year to remember that in ways the Spurs have not.  Despite their experience, sometimes success can be your own worst enemy.

The Cav's, NBA champions?  Improbable, but still possible.  Watch for it...it could happen.

As my bio states the Mavs are my #2 team, and this has been the case since LONG before Cuban took over.  I've always likened them to the "Rocky" of the NBA, always an underdog but always fighting for every scrap of respect they get.  With that being said, this blog will probably earn me the ire of a lot of Mavs fans.  But I will preface that ire by also stating that I am a fan, alebit an objective one, and if you look carefully at what I am saying, all I am looking at is what is best for the franchise.

The Mavs were victims of their own success this year, a carryover from last year's wonderful season.  They played from game 1 as if each game were reliving the series with Miami in last year's finals, and they played with a playoff pace from opening day until there was one month left in the season, then they shut down to rest.  The problem was when the playoffs DID come, the other teams who had amped up their game for the playoffs were more than a match for whatever the Mavs had to offer, having seen their playoff intensity earlier in the year. 

There is another major weakness to the Mavs that I noticed this year.  They dont want to get hit.  Nearly every play is designed to lessen the amount of contact they will take, and when they do get contact, they do all they can to ensure the refs see that contact and call the foul.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it is exploitable, as Don Nelson proved with Golden State.

So, with a team that won 67 games, has the reigning MVP (Sorry, my vote would have gone to Nash), and nearly won the NBA title a year ago, what needs to be done to get over the hump?  Well...here goes nothing.

First off, Avery Johnson needs to be replaced.  Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, both as a player and a coach.  He is a difference maker, but he does not have the raw experience to counter the Don Nelsons, Greg Popovich's, and Pat Riley's of the world over the long term.  His style of coaching his team is simply a more defensive oriented brand of the style Nelson ran when he was coach, which is why Nelson was to readily able to counter it. When Avery played, his style was more gut it out with as little contact as possible, and this has finally rubbed off on his players, enabling Golden State to win by simply ramming the ball down their throats every single chance they got, knowing Dallas would not like the contact being made.  This proved to be the case, and when I talked to my friends here and on the internet, I said the same thing, watch Nelson ram the ball down their throats and the Mavs will fold.  Turned out I was right.  Avery is a fabulous teacher, but is about 5 years away from being a great coach, and the stars of the Mavs do not have that long to wait for him.  Move him back to being an assistant coach, and bring on someone else who can guide him in a new style of play and new ways to teach (Jeff Van Gundy anyone?)

Secondly, trade Jason Terry and Diop (I never could spell his first name, sorry).  Both are talented, strong willed players, but are severely limited in situations in which the game is not going their way.  Diop is inneffective against faster players, and Terry is not enough of a "pass first" point guard for my tastes.   As big as Diop is, he should be averaging a double-double every single night his shoes touch the floor, but this does not happen.  He gets blocks during marquee moments of the game, but overall he is not effective enough to warrant remaining on a team contending for a championship.  Terry, while effective as a point guard, does not make his teammates better, as Nash did to Dirk when Nash played for the Mavs.  A point guard has to keep his own skills in check for the betterment of the team, and make his teammates better at all times.  Terry would be great coming off the bench for most teams, but in my mind is not a starting point guard, regardless of however many points he puts up. 

So what do the Mavs have to do ?  First off, don't rest on your laurels.  yes you won 67 games, and came within a game of winning the title.  But what-if's dont mean championships.  Something has to be done to shake up the Mavs, and I seriously think a Jeff van Gundy, with a more controlled, defensive/offensive style that can make Dirk's weaknesses as a player less of an issue, would be just the answer.  Another veteran player would be a good idea, and as much as I would hate to admit it, of all the teams out there that he could go with, the Mavs would be a near perfect fit for Kevin Garnett.  Having him and Dirk on the floor at the same time would give the Mavs a near unbeatable twin towers combo of inside/outside shooting and rebounding, plain and simple. 

If I were Mark Cuban, I would look seriously at bringing in Jeff Van Gundy or Mike Fratello, and then make a package deal offer for Kevin Garnett (is he a free agent now, I can't remember).  But if you have to trade for him, make the trade, using anyone except Dirk, and then build your team around those two players.  Regardless of who you put around them, as long as they can fulfill their role, the Mavs would be nearly unbeatable with Dirk and Garnett on the floor at the same time, and just plain fabulous with only one of them on the floor at a time. 

The Mavs cannot, however, sit on their laurels and keep the status quo as it is.  The other NBA teams have already figured out how to beat them, and how to negate Dirk.  When the other teams have figured you out, it's time to change things up a bit.

Next Blog:  Chicago Bulls