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! :)

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.

I will preface this blog by stating up front that I am not a fan of Jason Kidd once his shoes leave the stadium.  On the court he is one of the top point guards to ever play the game, but in real life he is, frankly, a jerk.  All that said, now let's take a look at the Nets.

For the past couple of years, the Nets have been a perrenial playoff team, but not a consistent one once they actually GET to the playoffs.  Defenses of the top teams in the east have figured out that if you have to pick a poison to beat you, then rotate it amongst Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson.  Toronto did that in the first round this year, just not good enough to win, and then Cleveland did it more effectively in the second.  It's why no member of the big 3 has 2 really good games in a row in the playoffs, the defenses keep their clamps on 2 of the 3, forcing the wins to come from one player of THEIR choosing, not the Nets.  It's a fatal weakness, and one that has kept the Nets from getting any further than the 2nd round, and will keep them from getting past the 2nd round as long as they continue to stick to 3 main weapons with little to no reliable backup.

The Nets need a player in the style of a Robert Horry, someone who can come in, make spot up 3's and long jumpers to force the defenses to be honest, and can place themselves at the right places at the right times to make those critical plays in which a rebound or basket will win the game.  They are far too reliant on their big 3 to carry the load, and while they can do that during the season, in the playoffs you have to have more than just 3 players to make up your team.  Your role players and bench players must elevate their games as well.

So what can the Nets do ?  Their window as a perennial playoff team is slowly starting to shut, as Kidd and Carter start to look at the end of their prime years, and they really have no noticeable talent developing off the bench.   It seems the Nets management will continue to rely on their big 3, and maybe make some minor trades for bench help.  It's a pity, because the Nets COULD be to New Jersey what the Knicks used to be to New York.  They simply lack the versatility to deal with the stronger teams in the NBA.

The Nets have to get younger, a LOT younger, and do it fast, while they still have some prime years left in Carter and Kidd.  If they can do this, they can surround Jefferson with some prime players at the same time he enters HIS prime years, and then trade Kidd and Carter for anyone they can get that will give Jefferson some veteran assistance in crucial moments.

If the Nets do not get younger and start to nurture and develop some younger talent, they will simply remain what they are now, a team that could-have-been, but ended up a never-was.

Next Blog: Houston Rockets