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Introduction

I'll give you a moment to recover from the brilliance of my title...

Ok, moving on, Kobe Bryant wants out of LA. Early this summer he was screaming about being traded on national radio. Then he'd go on local LA radio and say he wanted to be a Laker for life. Apparently, Kobe hasn't upgraded to the digital age when pretty much anybody can get news from a wold away instantaneously.

Of course, the LA faithful bought everything he was saying. Growing up in Philly as a life long Laker fan? That sounds a little fishy to me but I digress. Kobe Bryant is only concerned with winning the championship and advancing his own career. Therefore, Bryant would love to go anywhere that he feels would give him a better chance to win the title and advance his own career.

So, using the technology of the ESPN trade machine I will try to put together some trades that would benefit everybody. Now, the likelihood of Kobe getting traded are about as good as an environmental activists' of winning the Nobel Peace Prize but it's always fun to speculate. 

Kobe to New York

Obviously, the Knicks have to top the list. For no other reason than that only New York is bigger than LA. New York could absorb Kobe Bryant and welcome him as a new star. My comrade Dudski talked about this in his blog and I concur.

The Knicks certainly have the pieces to make a big trade and I think going to the Knicks would satisfy Kobe's ego. Being able to resurrect Spike Lee's team would provide Kobe with some motivation and the opportunity to play for Isiah Thomas would make Kobe drool.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to New York Knicks for Malik Rose, Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Get a tough power forward in Malike Rose, a great shooter in Richardson, and an upgrade at point with Crawford. The three of them could help in Phil's Triangle and are certainly upgrades over the current cast (excluding Kobe, of course). Crawford, Richardson, Rose, Odom, and Walton could make for a high-flying offense but they still have a huge hole in the middle. They would need to go get a center but this lineup is still better than what they'll have (again excluding Kobe) and two picks in '08 would give them a head start.

Knicks: Having Marbury and Bryant on the same team could be problematic. However, it wouldn't take long for Bryant to assert himself and I truly believe Starbury would defer some of his shooting to Bryant (this isn't Steve Francis we're talking about here). The Knicks would also be off to a good start at rebuilding here and could make a serious play in the East.

Kobe to Chicago

This is one of the most popular scenarios. But the specifics are hard to hammer out. Who would the Bulls be willing to part with? That largely depends on what direction the Bulls as an organization want to go. They have a five year deal with Kirk Hinrich and seem to have committed to him as  their point guard. But the rest of the team is really up for grabs so it's the Bulls choice to make.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Duhon, Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Get a decent point guard who still has promise in Duhon, a developing superstar in Ben Gordon, and the show stopper in Ben Wallace. The first round pick is again, a necessity, and this trade would give the Lakers some options.

Wallace would finally provide a presence at the Center spot and both Duhon and Gordon will be free agents after next season. That would give the Lakers to opportunity to resign them or gain some salary cap space. Their youth is also a big plus and they could be paired with who ever the Lakers pick up to rebuild.

Bulls: Obviously getting Kobe would dramatically improve this team. Hinrich is a creative passer and Kobe is excellent moving without the ball. Those two could mesh beautifully and be a dynamic duo for the Bulls. Again, the middle is exposed without Wallace but this team would be a serious threat in the East.

Kobe to Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are a very opportunistic team. Mark Cuban is obviously not afraid to spend but he would never execute this trade. Regardless, it's a trade that's possible and makes a degree of sense. But neither the Lakers nor Mavs would willingly make the other better.

This trade I think would also require a little more from the Lakers end to compensate the Mavericks and make the salaries work. Again, the first round pick is a given but if I was the Lakers I would also demand the rising star Josh Howard before I would even consider a trade with Dallas.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kober Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Dallas Mavericks for Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would obviously get two great pieces for their offense. Dirk Nowitski creates serious match up problems and paired with Obom could cause fits for opposing big men on the offensive side. Also, Josh Howard is getting nothing but better and adds a threat on both sides of the court. He's a guard-forward and a solid player. Again, two first round picks would give them some flexibility to build around their Nowitzki-Odom-Howard core.

Mavericks: The Mavs would lose two big pieces of their team but would gain arguably the best player in the league. Bryant would add some offense and some defense and Radmanovic can be counted on as the outside scoring big man. However, he is no Nowitzki and would definitely be a bench player. If Bryant could play like we know he can then this could be a serious upgrade over their current roster.

Now to get a little less conventional.

Kobe to Phoenix

I was thinking about Kobe Bryan in a Suns uniform and I think I like it. He would be a great fit for that offense and would add a dynamic option for them on both sides of the court. If the Suns could get somebody who could slow down opposing offenses then Kobe would easily put them over the top.

Shawn Marion is obviously the key part of any trade between Phoenix and LA but the Suns would have to do quite a bit to sweeten the deal.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, a 2008 First Round Pick and a 2009 Second Round Pick

Lakers: Marion for Bryant is not a good trade. However, Bell would add some toughness to the Lakers and could add some potency to their defense. They're not going to score more points with this trade unless they sign a decent point guard. However, getting two picks would give them some serious flexibility and Marion's athleticism would add a new dimension to the Lakers offense. Plus, Bell and Marion would work very well with the players already on the team and the Lakers could actually be a decent team.

Suns: Championship. Hands down. Nash+Stoudemire+Bryant+Diaw=Unstoppable. Plus, Hill off the bench will do great things. I didn't include the fifth man because he would be irrelevant. This trade would land the Suns the championship now and give them an easy chance to repeat next season. The Suns would give up some very big picks over the next couple years but their window is closing and they need to do something to win now.

Kobe to Washington

The Wizards are a team that are on the cusp of glory in the East. If they made a move for Bryant they would significantly increase their chances and get far better on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Lakers would get two great components for the Triangle.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Washington Wizards for Antwane Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and a 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would get two great scoring options and two great pieces for the Triangle. Gilbert Arenas is classified as a point guard and would be a huge upgrade over what the Lakers have. Pairing him with Fisher (similar to how the Mavs pair Terry and Harris) could be great. Meanwhile, Jamison has a good inside-outside game and this team could run the floor with the best of them. While they wouldn't improve on defense they would be dynamic on offense and could use that pick to get a true Center. Plus Arenas and Jamison both have short contracts and that would free up a ton of cap room for the Lakers if they chose not to resign them.

Wizards: This would significantly improve the Wizards, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It would give them the best scorer in the league and an extra option in Radmanovic. The Wizards still have Stevenson and Haywood and this would be a good foundation on which to build. In a couple seasons the Wizards could be real contenders.

Kobe to Houston

Here's another team that I could really see Kobe going to. Again, this trade is  far less likely than the already very unlikely trades mentioned above. However, I think a trade between the two could benefit both sides. I said a long time ago the Lakers should've traded Kobe to Orlando for McGrady and I'm thinking maybe they can still do it. McGrady is still a great shooting guard and with the right team can do some great things.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Houston Rockets for Tracy McGrady, Bonzi Wells, Mike James, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Mike James provides and instant upgrade at point guard. Again, he could be paired with Derek Fisher and provide a good option at the two spot. McGrady is one of the best guard-forwards in the league and is behind maybe only Kobe in skill. Things haven't panned out with Yao so maybe a change of scenery will revive him. Bonzi Wells only has a season left on his contract and could free up some cap space. In the meantime, he has flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball and would add some toughness to the Lakers.

Rockets: The Rockets would get a breath of fresh air. Kobe's worked with a high-caliber center before and maybe he can help Yao get back to what he was promised to be. He can certainly score and play defense and again, a change in scenery could help revive him. Radmanovic would again be a third scoring option and I think could be a bigger threat with defenses keying on Ming and Bryant.

Kobe to New Jersey

Bryant really wanted to play with Jason Kidd. What player wouldn't? Besides Nash he is the most creative point guard in the league and wants to get his scores the ball. Vince Carter is untradable (not because he's better than Kobe, because he has a Trade Restriction) so they'd have to give up Richard Jefferson. They'd also have to give up some promising players and again that first round pick. However, a team with Carter-Kidd-Bryant would be unstoppable in the East and maybe even unstoppable against the west.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the New Jersey Nets for Richard  Jefferson, Sean Williams, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, and a 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would get Richard Jefferson to keep their scoring up and a promising young point guard to help lead the team. Krstic has been a surprise and could be a real asset to the Triangle. Nachbar also shows some promise but would open up a couple million in cap space if the Lakers decided not to resign him after next season. 

New Jersey Nets: This would set up an epic match up between the Nets and Celtics in the playoffs. Which big three would succeed? I don't know. The Celtics would have a hard time stopping Kobe and Carter plus the Nets have something the Celts don't: a true point guard. I think the Nets would come out on top and challenge for the championship. Again, the Nets window is closing and they need to do something to win now.

Conclusion

None of these trades will happen. However, it's always fun to speculate. My favorite trade is with the Suns because I believe that would spell championship. However, I would also like the Nets trade simply because it would be fun to watch them obliterate the East. All in all, Kobe will simply walk away in 2009 and the Lakers will struggle to rebuild. Buss should try to get something for him now but they will never get equal value for him.

So these are some random scenarios. Let me know what you think but I'm really interested to see if there are any other interesting trades you would have in mind (be creative!). Peace.

Mavs Not Satisfied

Last night was the rematch of last season's Finals.

Granted, it was the second game between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks this season but this one had a little extra ####e. In case you haven't been paying attention to the NBA or watching any kind of sports' news program then I'll fill you in.

A little bit ago Last Year's Finals' MVP and "Best Damn Guard," Dwyane Wade responded to some comments by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki had said the Mavericks had let the the title slip from their fingers last year. After going up 2 games to nothing the Mavericks blew a lead in Game 3 and never looked back. Nowitzki's comments put forward the idea that the Mavericks should have won but let the Heat back into the series.

Dwyane Wade took offense and simultaneously stated that the Heat had won the series (the Mavericks hadn't given it to them) and that Dirk hadn't proven himself a leader and risen to the task. His personal comments lead to a response from the ever testy Mark Cuban stating that "Dwayne" Wade didn't know anything about Dirk's leadership abilities. It also lead to Dirk saying he was hoping the Heat made it back to the Finals along with the Mavs.

This little war of words only added to the intrigue of a Finals rematch. I'm sure that Dirk personally, and the Mavs as a team, circled last night on their Mavs' Dancers Calendar. But then Dwyane Wade got hurt his shoulder dislocated in a losing effort against Houston and was effectively sidelined for the game (if not the season).

Needless to say, despite the final score, the Mavericks utterly dominated this game. They were lulled into complacency toward the end and the Heat reserves made a run, forcing the Mavericks' starter back onto the floor. Other than that the game was all about Dirk Nowitzki.

The 7-foot German hit acrobatic shots all night long including a catch-and-shoot on which he was fouled. Dirk Nowitzki took over the game in a way I'm sure he wishes he had last year (and I'm sure he planned to do last night). He was going to "prove" to Dwyane Wade and everyone else that he had learned from last season and wouldn't make the same mistake this season.

But with Wade gone, I can't help but feel that Dirk and his team were unsatisfied. Sure it was nice to get yet another victory. Sure it was nice to get one step closer to shattering the team record for wins. Sure it was nice to make the defending champions look like a JV team. But without Wade there it just wasn't the same. Without Wade the Heat are at best mediocre. With him they may only be "average" but he's the voice of the Champions and beating him is what the Mavericks really wanted to do last night.

They didn't but I think it's a good thing. They're hungry. They want it this year. Dirk personally wants to dispel the idea that he caves in the big one. This will only fuel them but the Mavericks will have to till next season to fully exorcise the demons of last season.

I thought the Mavs would come back with some heart and win this game but they didn't. I don't know if they have the desire to win the first game back in Big D. Nothing they've done the past couple games has shown me they will. This hasn't been the Mavs coming back and then barely losing it's been the Heat coming back on them and winning.

The Mavs have to show some stick or else this series will be over on Tuesday. Nowitzki's got to prove that he deserves all the praise he's gotten from guys like Shaq and lead this team. He's reverted to his old soft self and is settling for jump shots. He's missing free throws and just isn't making himself a factor.

The Heat have more heart. The Mavericks are playing like they know they're going to lose. Even when they were ahead the Mavs acted like they were waiting for the Heat to come back. They would take quick shots and then every time a shot was missed there was just a sense of, "yup, I knew it."

I don't know that the Dallas crowd and the return of Stackhouse will be enough to lift this Mavs team. If the crime that was committed against Stack didn't motivate them to win I don't know what will. The Mavs let the Spurs battle back and then beat them at the last second so the desperation may be what they feed on. But for now it certainly seems like the Heat are going to be crowned our new NBA champions. It looks like Dwayne is everything we thought he was and that Dirk either just isn't ready or isn't as good as we thought (and I hoped).

I think the Mavericks have to learn from this for next year. Dump Van Horn. Sign some sort of tough big man to give Dirk some rest and let Van Horn's huge contract go. Re-sign Terry.

Unless the Mavericks have some heart they have yet to show in this series Gary Payton may finally get his title and ride off into the sunset as a world champion.

When the Mavericks won two straight games by rather large margins plenty of people were ready to put the nails in the coffins of the Miami Heat. Then the series shifted to Miami and the Heat defeated the Mavericks once by two then by more than twenty. And now, everyone's ready to bury the Mavericks and send Mark Cuban home.

Wait, wait, wait. If this series continues as it has the Mavericks will win it. So far all that's happened is the home teams have won their games. And the Mavericks get to play four at home to the Heat's three. This series has just gotten a lot more interesting and nothing is decided yet. The momentum most certainly is on the Heat's side but it was on Dallas' side going into Game 3. Any given night the Mavericks could steal it back.

Game 5 is, of course, a critical game but in truth the most important games of a series are always the elimination games. The Mavs or Heat could lose Game 5 and win the series anyway (then no one really cares about the outcome of Game 5). So while it's important people shouldn't get the impression that it's deciding the series. We're essentially watching the first game of a best of three, and two of those games are in Big D.

From what we've seen I think we have to assume Miami will indeed win this game. The Mavericks lost their sixth man when the NBA reviewed his hard foul and determined that he should be suspended for it. Fouls like that just don't happen in David Stern's NBA. The Miami Heat are still at home, on a winning streak, and playing with confidence. The Mavericks are reeling and Dirk has had two horrible games in a row. The deck is certainly stacked against the Mavs (no pun intended) but it ain't over.

If the Mavs use this as motivation and rally then they could easily win this game. If Dirk, Howard, and Terry finally score like they can then it could be a blowout. This series is by no means over or even close. Things are just getting started and I can't wait until tonight!

Passing the Torch Shaq’s Ending is Dirk’s Beginning Regardless of the outcome of this season it has shown us two important facts: Dirk Nowitzki is a bona fide superstar. He has developed his game from a 7 footer who can shoot the ball from anywhere into an all around player. He can pass, shoot, and post up. Shaquille O’Neal is no longer the force he once was. He is slower, less powerful, and less confident. Shaq still talks a good game and shows flashes of dominance but those flashes are coming farther and farther apart. Shaq recently said he encourages his kids to watch Dirk’s “game.” Why? Because according to Shaq Nowitzki is one of the best players to play the game and that he represents the future for big men in the league. For a while now Shaquille O’Neal has dominated the game. He has been the definition of a “Big Man.” Shaquille O’Neal would display his power and simply out muscle his opponents. He also displayed the ability to kick it out when the double came or hit a cutter with precision. In fact the only weakness in his game was his chronic inability to hit free throws. This lead to the development to the “hack-a-Shaq” game plan; the only way to truly stop the Diesel. Then the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a 7-footer out of Germany who had a beautiful jumper. The Bucks immediately traded the German, Dirk Nowitzki, for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. At the time Traylor seemed much more of a sure thing and in ‘99 (about Shaq’s peek) NBA teams were looking for strong, powerful big men like Shaq. Traylor was 6-8 and about 300 lbs. so it looked like he would be a perfect big man. Meanwhile, Nowitzki was a soft, 7 footer who didn’t like to play down low more than he had to. Now, Dirk has developed into the best forward in the game while Traylor is struggling to stay in the league. Dirk can drain free throws like nobody’s business, shoot the trey, or drive to the basket. The era of the bulky big man is over. Teams now are looking for sleek, athletic big men who can shoot the jumper. They’re looking for more “Dirk-like” forwards (that’s why Milicic is here now). While there will always be a place for a big, powerful, shot blocker like Shaq he is no longer the prototype for 7-footers. Now, Dirk Nowitzki is. Expect Shaq to play aggressive in Game 3 and probably put up huge numbers, but this may be for the last time. Soon, Shaquille O’Neal and his kind will give way to the more versatile, athletic forwards like Dirk Nowitzki. Regardless of the outcome of the series we are witnessing a changing of the guard, a passing of the torch.

For the fist time ever the Miami Heat will be playing in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks too are making their first ever NBA Finals appearance. No matter who takes home the trophy it will be a first. It's the old coach (Pat Riley) versus the new (Avery Johnson). This may well be Shaq's last stand and the begining of the Nowitzki legend, either way we'll see something we've never seen before.

Heat Guards: Dwayne Wade, Gary Payton, Jason Williams, Derek Anderson, James Posey, Shandon Anderson,
Mavs Guards: Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Darrell Armstrong, Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, Adrian Griffin

The Mavericks and Heat have some similarities with their guards. They both have more hybirds than pure anything. For instance: Derek Anderson, James Posey, Shandon Anderson, Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard, and Adrian Griffin can all play small forward (depending on the opponent).

And except for Gary Payton none of the "point guards" are pure point guards. Frequently, Terry, Harris, Williams, Wade, and sometimes Payton as well play the two instead. All have proven themselves in their respective roles and have helped elevate their teams. The Superstar is, of course, Dwayne Wade and his play will largely determine the fate of the Miami Heat.

Heat Forwards: Antoine Walker, Jason Kapono, Wayne Simien, Udonis Haslem
Mavs Forwards: Dirk Nowitzki, Keith Van Horn, Josh Powell

We'll probably only see four of these guys (Walker, Haslem, Nowitzki, and Van Horn) but Powell and Kapono could make an appearance depending on the circumstances but I wouldn't count on it. Haslem is a solid Forward but I question his ability to guard Nowitzki (not that there've been too many that could). Again, many of the guard-forwards above could've been mentioned here. But Dirk is clearly the Superstar and just like Wade, his play alone will probably decide the Maverick's fortunes.

Heat Centers: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Michael Doleac, Eral Barron
Mavs Centers: DeSagana Diop, Erick Dampier, DJ Mbenga, Pavel Podkolzin

The Diesel isn't the dominating force he once was. However, he's looked dominating in these playoffs. Shaq has prepared himself well for the playoffs and kept himself together enough to have his best games now rather than killing himself during the regular season. The Heat also have Mourning to back him up. While Mourning too is far inferior to what he once was he's still a force to be reckoned with and can have a block party on any given night.

The Mavericks have developed Diop into a solid center. Diop too is a shot blocker and while he can't create for himself on offense he can finish near the basket. Dampier isn't the shot blocker he was paid to be but is still intimidating on the inside (except against players like Shaq). Mbenga is more of a power center and I don't know how much we'll see him play the Man of Steel. Finally, Podkolzin hasn't even dressed for a game in the playoffs and I don't think now would be the time to insert him. As much as I'd love to see Podkolzin (7'5" 260 lbs) in there battling with Shaq (7'1" 325 lbs) I don't think it's going to happen. Nor should it cause it would pretty much be suicide for the Mavericks.

I'm really looking forward to this year's Finals. Mostly cause the Mavs will be in them but also because these are two new teams. It will be fun to watch either of these teams win one.

Both teams are here for the first time and both have those vets hunting a title before they hang up their sneakers for the last time. I hope the Finals are as good as some the other series we've seen this year and I look forward to seeing either Dirk or D-Wade hosting the trophy above their head.

How much credit do Flip Saunders and Pat Riley deserve for their teams positions?

At the beginning of this season there were plenty of questions about the status of the East's two most powerful teams. Both had played the year before in the Conference Finals. The Pistons emerged victorious to ultimately lose to the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the Heat went through a massive overhaul with basically only Dwayne Wade, Shaq, and Udonis Haslem remaining in place.

The Pistons, fresh off losing the NBA Championship, lost their Hall of Fame head coach. It had been rumored for quite a while that Larry Brown wanted to go home and coach the New York Knicks back to glory. Everyone expected him to do it even though he contended he didn't just leave teams on the fly. Then, of course, history repeated itself and he left Detroit in favor of New York. Luckily for the Pistons, the Timberwolves decided a coaching change was needed and let Flip Saunders go. The Pistons swooped in and scooped him up.

In Miami the rumormill was running over time suggesting team President Pat Riley would reemerge from the back office to sit the bench as the Heat's new head coach. The problem was he couldn't outright fire Stan Van Gundy cause the Heat were serious contenders for the NBA Finals (at least the pre-reconstruction Heat). So, somehow, Riley got Van Gundy to "resign" for "personal reasons" and took over as the Heat head coach.

Both teams ultimately excelled. While Larry Brown lead the highest paid team in the NBA to the worst record the Pistons were setting a new franchise record for wins and were the best in the league. Pat Riley, meanwhile, got a bunch of supposedly selfish, prima donnas to somehow come together as a team and cement themselves as serious contenders.

But in all this I've got to wonder, how much credit is due Riley and Saunders. The Pistons were only a season removed from the title. They retained their core. They also had tended to win when Larry Brown was unable to make some of the games. The Heat were full of known stars who could create instant offense. Besides that they had a great role playing forward in Haslem. A Hall of Fame center in Shaq (and maybe Mourning), and a young All-Star in D-Wade. The Pistons are scoring more than ever but how much does Saunders have to do with that? The Heat are back in the Conference Finals but would things be any worse with Van Gundy on the bench?

I'm not really sure how much credit to give Riley. He assembled the team but I don't know that he made a lot of difference by coaching it. Van Gundy was a good coach, and I hope some team calls him this offseason, and I think the Heat would have done just as well with him leading the charge. As for the Pistons, I don't think any coach could've kept this team out of the Playoffs. It seems like Saunders has let the Pistons go and they've kind of scored and won on their own.

Now, I'm sure both coaches have a certain degree of impact on their teams but how much? Both these teams would've been good anyway but did these coaches really drive them to greatness? Or would they have been great anyway? I think (almost) no matter who was coaching this team we'd see both of them in the Conference Finals anyway.

Personally the playoffs this year have been pretty amazing. Mostly the Mavs-Spurs series but I think the Cavs-Pistons series and Suns-Lakers were also really good. Now we're on to the Conference Finals and these matchups will be great if all teams involved play to their potential. But after the opening games of each series something strange has happened: both road teams have won Game 1.

Heat vs Pistons
I watched the Heat/Suns game with one of my friends who was just back from college. We both agreed we wanted the Heat to win and that we hate Rasheed Wallace. But I was amazed to see the Heat win the first game of the series. I mean, the Pistons are the Pistons and you expect them to defen home court (especially early). But Flash proved to be too much and the Heat won this game handily.

Though the score was 91-86 the Heat won this game by more than that. So many people have commented on the Pistons depth. And everytime I hear that I'm left scratching my head. To me, depth doesn't mean a guy you can put in who won't screw up for a few minutes. To me, depth means if one of your starters goes down you can put someone off the bench in his place and not lose too much.

The Pistons don't have this. If Chauncey Billups goes down and can't play Game 2 who replaces him? Lindsey Hunter? He may be able to give Billups some needed rest but he can't carry the team all game like Chauncey can. What about Ben Wallace? Who replaces him? The only real depth they have is when they take Rasheed out they can insert McDyess but he's so hot-and-cold these days starting him over an injured Rasheed is no guarantee (I was tempted to say guaran-Sheed but I restrained myself).

Suns vs Mavs
I didn't watch most of this game. Why you may ask? Because I was watching the season finale of Lost. But the whole time I would flip to the game during commericials. Then watched like the last 4 or so minutes of the fourth quarter.

At first the Suns seemed to be playing their game, taking a sizable lead and running like they're apt to. Then as I kept checking in the Mavs were getting closer. Then the Mavs took the lead. And they did this while playing the Suns game. They too were running down the court and getting quick baskets. The Mavs were also exploiting the Suns style by intercepting the required quick inbounds pass.

However, the Suns came back and then took the lead with .5 left. Unless you're Derek Fisher and you're playing the Spurs this means the game's over. It was really disheartening to see the Mavs take control of the game, seemingly beating the Suns at their own game, and then lose it in the end like that. Of course, I often get angry when my team loses and I was wondering if the Mavs would be swept. Now, I don't think that will happen but I can believe more now than before that they may lose this series.

So the question must be asked. Will the Suns, Heat, or both win their respective series? 81% of the time, teams that win Game 1 win the series. Those are some pretty good odds. But are the Suns and Heat really better than the teams they played? Or, as the series grinds on, will the Mavs and Pistons retake their roles as favorites?

          After the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA finals (something every proponent of team basketball enjoyed), everyone knew changes were on the way in Los Angeles. Kobe was thinking about moving down the hall to the Clippers, Shaq wanted out, and Phil was pretty much done. In that year another superstar was demanding a trade some 3,000 miles away. That man was Tracy McGrady, arguably as good or better than Bryant. Many teams were interested in aquired Byrant, Shaq or McGrady most especially the Lakers. Ultimately, Bryant re-signed for the maximum, O'Neal was shipped to Miami, and T-Mac joined Yao Ming in Houston.

During all these things though T-Mac and Shaq made a push to get together in Dallas, citing their friendship. This didn't happen mainly because Cuban was unwilling to part with super star Dirk Nowitzki, particuarly to send him to LA. But let's assume that Buss pulls off one of the greatest turnarounds in sports history. He has a little meeting with Shaq and Jackson and explains his master plan, this leaves them with warm feelings and smiles on their faces.

Shortly after signing Kobe Bryant for just a little less than the maximum it appeared Shaq and Phil were gone. A few days later, however, a huge trade is announced that shocks the NBA world. Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton will be shipped to Orlando for Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard.

Phil Jackson then signs a multi-year extension and Shaq renegotiates a small salary reduction in exchange for a long term deal. It appears that the Lakers have staked their future on the "Diesel" and the "Zen Master." They have a bonafide super star guard in Tracy McGrady and a good forward in Juwan Howard. Karl Malone annouces he will return for another season in LA.

McGrady plays a mixed role as point guard/shooting guard/small forward. Shaq loses some weight and gains some energy. Karl Malone remains powerful at times and is rotated with Juwan Howard. Meanwhile, Bryant and Payton lead the Magic to a playoff apearance where they are handled by the first place Pistons. The Lakers go on to defeat the Spurs in 7 games. They then go on to beat the Pistons in 5 games and usher in a new era for the Lakers...