The Celtics draft day deal for former Sonic Ray Allen put the team on the doorstep of the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.
The July 31 deal for Kevin Garnett, which netted the Minnesota Timberwolves five players and two draft picks, puts the team firmly into the playoffs, but not as high as some people would like you to believe.
Yes, TD Banknorth Garden will be sold out for the next fine years -- Garnett signed a three-year extension on top of the two years left on his deal that will keep him in Beantown through the 2011-12 season.
Yes, the Celtics will be relevant for at least three of those five campaigns.
And, yes, the most storied franchise in the League, which hasn't raised a banner since "The Simpsons" was just a skit on "The Tracey Ullman Show," will be on opposing team's radars each time they play.
What they won't be, though, is title contenders.
The 31-year-old Garnett, 32-year-old Allen and Paul Pierce, 29, do make for an imposing trio. But what else is there after those three?
The Celtics acquired Garnett, a 10-time All-Star and the NBA MVP in 2004, from Minnesota in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first-round draft pick and a return of Minnesota's conditional first-round pick previously obtained in the Ricky Davis-Wally Sczerbiak swap.
The Timberwolves also receive cash considerations in the deal. The 2009 pick Boston is sending to Minnesota is top-three protected.
Let's see: five players and two draft picks, which will admittedly be in the 16-21 range, for one guy. That's the largest deal for one player in League history.
Here's Boston's depth chart after the trade:
PG: Rajon Rondo, Allan Ray
SG: Ray Allen, Tony Allen
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe
C: Kendrick Perkins, Michael Olowokandi
No depth. The Big Three makes the squad more than just a blip on the NBA radar, but nothing more.
Of the five players traded away, one averaged 33 minutes a night (Jefferson), and Gomes put in 31 minutes a game. Green and Telfair got more than 20 minutes of burn each night, and Ratliff played for than 20 minutes in the two games he suited up for. Delonte West and Sczerbiak, who were sent to Seattle in the Allen deal, averaged 30 minutes a game between them.
You'd think this would help the squad, what with head coach Doc Rivers' inability to magane playing time for a group, but now they have another problem.
Their top two point guards are gone. Danny Ainge traded away a promising front court player in Jefferson. And Boston will have to rely on Perkins and OlowoBusti to provide something in the post.
Unless Boston brass has some more deals up their sleeves -- maybe bringing in Brevin Knight to play the role he played in Charlotte behind Ray Felton until Rondo can be let loose, and/or bringing in Chris Webber, Anderson Varejao or Earl Boykins -- this is just a deal to make headlines.
Even though they were knocked out of the first round of the '07 playoffs, Toronto is still the class of the Atlantic Division. Bosh is a young Garnett, the Raptors have depth in the post and two capable quarterbacks in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon.
The Pistons and Bulls are deeper and light years ahead of Boston on defense.
Oh, and there are those two guys who aren't going anywhere for a while: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
That's five teams I put ahead of Boston in the East. The other two East playoff teams are Milwaukee and Washington, and that all hinges on health.
So that puts Boston, after all its wheeling and dealing, sixth in the Eastern Conference.
I know big moves are the ones that garner the print and air time, but subtle tweaks bring home trophies.
With the NBA Playoffs down to just two teams (why does it seem like the playoffs started ages ago), it's time to see what the other half of the NBA's Final Four need to do this offseason so they can remain in contention for the crown next season.
Detroit Pistons
Everything that can be said about this group has been said in the last 72 hours.
I do not think Detroit imploded during the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers just wanted it more. If the Pistons looked close enough, they'd see themselves, circa 2002-03, when they were an up-and-coming group trying to break the wall down.
Detroit played the "no respect" card up until and following their 2004 NBA Title win. A veteran group, made up of cast-offs and a late first-rounder, got it in their head that nobody thought they were good enough or deserved to win a championship. But once they got that title, Detroit continued to claim they got no love.
But it seemed like the more admiration they received, including having four all-stars at the 2006 midseason classic, the Pistons got "full." Hunger subsided, and other teams starved for success took the reins from Detroit.
In the Detroit area, this team will be seen as one that got to five straight ECFs and played in back-to-back Finals. Nationally, it could be seen as a flash in the pan, one that benefitted from playing in a weak conference that caught a team (the Lakers) at the right moment.
Yes, this is the franchise's third title, but the group, despite an impressive run, could only grab one 'ship. It's possible they could have two, had Rasheed Wallace not opted to double Manu Ginobili, leaving the real Mr. Big Shot wide open near the finish of game five of the '05 Finals. It could also be said that Detroit could only have one Finals appearance, had Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal been 100 percent healthy in that year's ECF.
Changes need to be made in Motown. And although his game six coaching job was deplorable, Flip Saunders is not the problem. People who complain about him resting Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton in favor of Lindsey Hunter and Flip Murray at the start of the fourth quarter of Saturday night's loss in Cleveland are the same people who said the starters were worn out in '05 and '06. If you replace Flip Murray with Mike James, who was with the team during its '04 title run, does that justify the sub pattern?
Doubling LeBron James sooner could have solved the Pistons woes, too. If you double him before he gets the pill, a quick decision has to be made by someone (Daniel Gibson?) who may not be equipped to make that choice.
The changes need to come in the personnel department. Billups, a free agent this offseason, needs to be re-signed. He could still command top dollar on the market, even with his subpar performance against Cleveland, but if you've seen Detroit play at all without Billups the last few seasons, you know decision maker Joe Dumars needs to do everything to retain Billups.
The only other starter who should return is Tayshaun Prince. He's the team's youngest starter and its designated defensive stopper. Make no mistake about it, all the damage James did over the final four games of the series came at Prince's expense. But Prince is much better than his performance (24 percent in FGs) showed.
That leaves the other 60 percent of the Pistons' starting lineup.
I believe Chris Webber will retire after seeing his performance over the team's last 10 playoff games, including going two straight during the semifinals against Chicago without a single point. His knees are shot. It looks like it's a chore whenever he has to jump.
Dumars should take a hard look at replacing Wallace and Hamilton.
Yes, Hamilton made some tweaks in his game--trying to score off the dribble--but I believe he has become a defensive liability. Most of the guys Prince guards night in and night out play Hamilton's position. And when Detroit switched and attempted to sick Hamilton on Lebron, it was an unmitigated disaster. If Dumars could pair Prince with a solid perimeter defender who can give Detroit 15-18 points a night and ahndle the ball a bit, that would be an upgrade over Hamilton. It would also give the Pistons the option of having a ballhandler/scorer/defensive guru on the floor at all times, sort of like how Chicago would keep either Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen on the court for almost the entire game.
The scene of coaches attempting to hold Wallace back after he was thrown out of Detroit's 98-82 loss should be the last of him in a Pistons uniform. Since he arrived in Detroit, it's been said that he is one of the top power forwards in the game. When he wants to be. I've also heard it said that Wallace doesn't think he has to take on the role of "The Man" on any team he's on. That translates into a couple of things to me: not wanting to put in the effort to be great, and not wanting to take the blame when things go awry.
There were a little less than eight minutes to play in the team's final game Saturday night. Detroit was down 12 at the time. Wallace exploded and was tossed from the proceedings. He gave up. The Pistons could have come back and forced a Game 7. Wallace wouldn't have even been around for it since he picked up his sixth and seventh techs of the playoffs that night. His act has worn thin, and I think it's time he and the team parted ways.
As far as its bench goes, Detroit has decisions to make there, as well.
Hunter isn't getting any younger. Murray will probably test the free agent waters after receiving sporadic playing time in Detroit. Free agent Antonio McDyess could return or retire. Detroit will most likely look to dump the bloated salary of Nazr Mohammed. Those changes mean more playing time for the likes of Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson--of NBDL fame, if there is such a thing.
Expect Dumars to make just enough changes to have fans bugeyed this summer.
Utah Jazz
Deron Williams, who should probably skip the World Games this August due to his foot injury, and Carlos Boozer give Utah a solid core for years to come. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are solid compliments to those guys, too.
In all honesty, the Jazz are one move away from becming perennial title contenders. The Jazz need a two-guard who can score. Simple as that. You think Gordan Giricek strikes fear in the hearts of opposing teams and coaches? You think Ronnie Brewer is ready for prime time? How many good years does Derek Fisher, a career back-up POINT guard, have left?
If I were Larry Miller, I'd do what I had to to pry 24-year-old Gerald Wallace away from the Bobcats. Wallace, who averaged 18 points, seven boards and two steals a night, could be the missing piece to Utah's championship puzzle.
Check my archives for the first two installments of the Offseason changes series.
It’s rare the fanbase of a team that had a high draft pick at the end of a season and won a title the following season would want to see a draft redone, but that’s exactly what Detroit Pistons fans have been clamoring for since David Stern walked up to the podium June 26, 2003, in the Theater at Madison Square Garden and uttered the now infamous words, “...the Detroit Pistons select...Darko Milicic....”
All I’ve heard from countless fans, who have seen the guys drafted around Darko become all stars, Olympians and contributors on playoff teams, is things like, “We coulda had (insert all-world player’s name here).”
Sure, Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars had plenty of options with the pick, which the team got by way of a trade involving Otis Thorpe (!). His team just finished up a campaign where it won 50 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit had a solid backcourt (Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton), a blossoming swingman (Tayshaun Prince), a defensive beast in Ben Wallace and a bench that featured solid veterans (Corliss Williamson and Jon Barry).
What the Pistons needed was a four man to complete their starting lineup. They would acquire that power forward, but not through the draft. Detroit picked up Rasheed Wallace after the 2004 all-star break and rode its starters to the 2004 NBA title.
Two-and-a-half seasons later, Ben Wallace is in Chicago, Billups may opt out of his contract, Rasheed Wallace isn’t getting any younger and the bench is thin. This is where the Darko pick would come in handy, right? You’d think, in his fourth season, Milicic would have turned into a solid, nightly contributor in Motown, right? Well, Darko was traded, along with expendable point guard Carlos Arroyo, to the Orlando Magic for Kelvin Cato (no longer with the Pistons), and a top-five protected 2007 draft pick or a top-two protected ’08 pick.
So let’s play a game of “what if.” The ’03 draft turned out to be one of the deepest in history, being mentioned in the same breath as the ’84 draft (Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton) and the ’96 draft (Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O’Neal). Darko was the second pick on the ’03 edition of the draft. The second pick in the other star-studded drafts hasn’t panned out how GMs and owners hoped. Sam Bowie’s 10-year career was injury filled and Marcus Camby (selected number two by the Toronto Raptors in 1996) has turned into a serviceable big man, but not what Isiah Thomas hoped when he drafted him.
Waiting a few years to re-do or grade a previous draft is always a good idea, IMO. Who would have thought Josh Howard and Leandro Barbosa would have turned into stars after their rookie campaigns?
Number one in 2003 was a no-brainer. Cleveland was set to take LeBron James with the first selection. It gets interesting past that point, though, so we’ll start with the second pick. The draftees’ original spot is in parentheses.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers — LeBron James (1), St. Vincent/St. Mary’s High School. Original pick: James
2. Detroit Pistons — Chris Bosh (4), Georgia Tech. A number of people have said Detroit should have taken Carmelo Anthony here, but the Pistons already had a small forward in Prince. Dwyane Wade may have fit here, too, but his minutes may have been minimal behind Hamilton and Billups. Many people have said Milicic didn’t display any passion or work ethic, which led to him not getting any burn. I think Bosh, Anthony and Wade would have earned some PT. Original pick: Darko Milicic
3. Denver Nuggets — Dwyane Wade (5), Marquette. We all know Denver took Anthony in the spot four years ago. The 2006 Finals MVP could have worked out for the Nuggets, though. With the 46th pick, Denver could have chosen the undrafted Udonis Haslem, Wade’s teammate in Miami or the undrafted Marquise Daniels. Haslem has stayed healthy throughout his career, which is more than I can say for Nene. Haslem may have not commanded a $60 million deal the way Hilario did, either. Original pick: Carmelo Anthony
4. Toronto Raptors — Carmelo Anthony (3), Syracuse. Could drafting Anthony have kept Vince Carter in Canada? We’ll never know, but this pick could have given the Raptors a wing tandem for the ages. Haslem was also still on the board when Toronto picked again at 52. Original pick: Bosh
5. Miami Heat — Josh Howard (29), Wake Forest. The best defensive player on the list takes a huge jump from his original position. I don’t know if Howard would have led the Heat to the second round of the playoffs the way Wade did his rookie season, but Howard’s all-around, unselfish game would have meshed well with Shaq, assuming O’Neal would have still signed with the Heat. Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams was available at 33, as well. Original pick: Wade
6. Los Angeles Clippers — Chris Kaman (6), Central Michigan. Kaman was selected here by the Clippers in the ’03 draft. He fit a need with the departure of former number one pick Michael Olowokandi. Kaman parlayed a couple solid seasons into a $50 million re-up before injuries put him on the shelf for much of the current season. Original pick: Kaman
7. Chicago Bulls — Kirk Hinrich (7), Kansas. Hinrich was originally selected here by the Bulls in 2003. The Jayhawk fit a need after ’02 pick Jay Williams pulled a Rothlesberger before you could call it that. Hinrich has been a key cog in the Bulls’ resurgence, helping lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Original pick: Hinrich
8. Milwaukee Bucks — T.J. Ford (8), Texas. Ford was selected here by Milwaukee and fit a need following the departure of Sam Cassell to Minnesota and Gary Payton to the Lakers. Ford was having a solid rookie campaign (7.1 ppg, 6.5 apg) before he suffered a neck injury. Ford was traded to Toronto for Raptors 2006 lottery pick Charlie Villanueva. Ford has piloted Toronto to the top of the Atlantic division and the three-seed in the Eastern Conference. Original pick: Ford
9. New York Knicks — David West (18), Xavier. The 6’9,” 240-pound West had a quiet first two years with the Hornets, but West had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field. Yes, I’m sure having Chris Paul helped, but West seems like a hard worker who’ll do anything to make it in the League. Original pick: Michael Sweetney
10. Washington Wizards
11. Golden State Warriors
Either of these spots could have gone to two players: Boris Diaw (21) and Luke Walton (32). Diaw couldn’t get off the bench in Atlanta, yet he has been a major part of a Phoenix team that has re-introduced “Showtime” to the masses, even garnering Most Improved Player honors at the end of the 2005-06 season. Starting at center for Phoenix that season in the playoffs, Diaw averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 boards and 5.2 assists. Walton has blossomed into one of the better all-around young players in the league. His adept passing skills have been put on display in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. In 48 games this season, Walton has more than doubled his career scoring (5.1 to 11.4 ppg), and assists per game averages (2.3 to 4.5). The original picks in these slots, Jarvis Hayes and Michael Pietrus, have shown flashes at time, but haven’t played at the level of Diaw and Walton. Original picks: Jarvis Hayes (Wash.) and Michael Pietrus (GSW)
12. Seattle Supersonics — Udonis Haslem, Florida. I considered slotting Darko here, but Seattle has had a pension to take ####ers the last few years (Reggie Evans, trading for Chris Wilcox). Haslem went undrafted in 2003, after playing overseas in 2002, but has worked his way into the starting PF spot in South Beach for the foreseeable future. Haslem isn’t flashy, but he’s a big body who isn’t afraid to mix it up in the post. It also helps that he can hit an 18-foot jumper consistently. Original pick: Nick Collison
13. Memphis Grizzlies — Leandro Barbosa, Brazil. As of March 27), Barbosa is averaging 17.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 32.4 minutes per game. Barbosa is widely considered at the favorite to wint he Sixth Man of the Year award. The speedy Barbosa could start on a number of teams, but he’s happy with his role in Phoenix. Ironically, one of his teammates, Marcus Banks, was selected in this spot originally. Banks rarely sniffs the court in Phoenix. Original pick: Marcus Banks
Yes, the fortunes of a number of teams could have been changed had the draft when as I see it. But, hey, hindsight is 20/20. Can you imagine a lineup of Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Bosh? The Chris Webber deal would have been uncalled for, or Webber would have been relegated to a sixth man role. Now, Detroit has to worry about losing its starting power forward and center in a year or two. I can see Piston fans using old battery acid for eyedrops.
But they’re not the only people I’m worried about. With the number of second overall picks that have done squat in the League (Bowie, Steve Stipanovich and Milicic come to mind), I’m going to say a prayer for both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant on draft night.
That's the most famous phrase I have been subjected to at numerous points of my life.
After that fight Saturday night-let's not call it a brawl, please-I had an inkling that the inevitable suspension of NBA leading scorer Carmelo Anthony would push the Nuggets to swing a deal for Allen Iverson to stay afloat in the tough Western Conference.
Well, it happened. Allen Iverson, who spent 10-plus seasons as a Sixer; who suffered countless bumps, bruises and injuries for that team; who, along with head coach Larry Brown, willed a team of cast-offs and journeymen to the 2001 NBA Finals; who, like Kevin Garnett, had become disgusted with the less than mediocre cast he had been surrounded with, is now a Denver Nugget.
The West just became that much more interesting.
The trade just went down, and all I'm hearing from talking heads is that AI won't get along with George Karl. I can understand the reasoning behind that: Old School and New School, yada, yada, yada; but think about this: who'd Sixers GM Billy King enlist as a consultant in his mission to trade The Answer?
Brown.
Larry Brown was hired as a consultant in Philly last week to help in the trade process. The same Larry Brown who, supposedly, couldn't deal with Iverson during his tenure in Philadelphia.
Why do I bring this up? It's connected to the color of Iverson's new uni.
Carolina Blue.
Karl and Brown are boys from Tobacco Road. Brown saw that Karl would be losing his two leading scorers, Anthony for 15 games and J.R. Smith for 10, so he decided to help his boy out a bit. You don't think Brown, Iverson and Karl haven't been on three-way already working things out?
Iverson will be able to thrive in the more wide open West. Honestly, he could still have more mileage left on his body if this deal had been made a couple years ago. This deal should help Denver stay alive in the West playoff race until Melo comes off his suspension, and I don't think he and AI will have trouble meshing together once the latter returns.
Anthony, only in his fourth year in the league, will be the best player Iverson has been paired with. The difference between he and the likes of Larry Hughes and Jerry Stackhouse is that Melo really doesn't need the ball at all times to be effective. His game has changed this season. He is less reliant on his J and more willing to hit the post and body his man for a high-percentage shot. He's willing to #### in lieu of staying on the perimeter.
I don't think putting the two together will get Denver to the finals. I'm not even sure it can propel them past Utah in the Northwest Division. But would you want to see (likely) two of the top 5 scorers in the game in a seven-game series?
That's thinking a little far ahead. What about some of the great individual match ups this gives us for the next couple years.
Iverson/Paul
Iverson/Nash
Iverson/Davis
Iverson/Parker
Iverson/Alston (for the streetball heads)
This move could jumpstart AI's career. It also signals Philly's willingness to "start over" for the second time in 14 years. Remember what happened after Charles Barkley left the City of Brotherly Love for the Land of the Rising Sun in '92. Philly didn't sniff the playoffs for nearly a decade.
Who was it that brought the Sixers out of the ashes?
The Little Dude with the cornrows.
Now he's gone, too.
I wonder if the League will freeze the envelope for Philly like they did for the Knicks in '85.
Stats can be very misleading sometimes, so I'm just gonna hit you with some quicks thoughts from what I saw, not what I read in a box score, from the first big night of the 2006-07 NBA season
-Chris Paul wil be the best point guard in the League by season's end
-Dwight Howard is a younger, meaner David Robinson
-I hope Kobe's paying attention to what "the others" are doing
-It was good to see Grant Hill actually look healthy against the Bulls
-Sam Cassell looks comfortable coming off the bench for the first time in almost a decade
My name is Jason Carmel Davis, and I am a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism. Yes, we do go to class in East Lansing, not just to bars and the liquor store.
I'm almost positive I had an SI with me in the womb, checking out Ralph Wiley. He's the main reason I ever decided to pursue a career in sportswriting .
I even remember the first highlight I ever saw on SportsCenter. I don't remember who was reading it, but it was Michael Jordan's 63-point game against the Celtics in the Garden in the 86 Playoffs. I've been hooked ever since.
