Kobe's maturation and leadership. Pau's interior presence. Lamar's rediscovered confidence. Fisher's calming influence. The unity and energy of the Lakers' bench. Mitch Kupchak's shrewd moves. Heck, Chris Wallace's stupid moves. I've read a lot of stories explaining the reason for the Lakers' success this season, all of them correct to a degree. They, of course, make the Lakers who they are. But it's so easy to overlook the biggest reason for the Lakers success because he's only doing what's always been expected of him. He's used to all this - and we're used to him being used to it. We even forget he's there. We forget about Phil Jackson.

 

 

 

People love to hate Phil, almost as much as they love to hate Kobe. But just like Kobe, they secretly wish he was working for their franchise. Everyone knows the rap against him - he only wins because he always has great players. He's handed ready made teams. The growing up happens before he gets there. He just sits there and does nothing during games. It's incredible that a man who has coached 9 championship teams, owns the most playoff wins in NBA history and the greatest winning percentage of all time would need to prove himself, but there he stands, still unproven to many. Not that he cares. Phil's motivation is his own. But the questions and doubts linger, unfair as they may be.

 

 

 

Phil's 1:9 ratio of Coach of the Year awards to championship rings has to be the worst ever - a dubious distinction that he'll probably always own. For historical perspective, Don Nelson's ratio is 3:0. (Math nerds: please don't correct me on the impossibility of zero as a denominator, thank you very much). The point is Phil's consistent excellence is overshadowed by the exciting coaches whose surprise teams overachieve (Doc Rivers, Sam Mitchell) or shoot their load in the regular season (Mike D'Antoni, Avery Johnson, Del Harris). And perhaps that's the greatest compliment Phil can receive - we just expect greatness from him. But it doesn't do historical justice to a man that has deserved more recognition than has been sent his way.

 

 

 

So here Phil is, once again, in the NBA Finals, for the 11th time as a coach. But, as even he has admitted, this one feels different. For all his greatness and for all his rings, this current 3 year stint with the Lakers may be his greatest coaching achievement yet, simply because it's been unexpected and he's done all the things people said he couldn't do. In short, he's answered the critics.

 

 

 

Only wins with ready-made teams? He took 2004-2005's 34-48 Lakers (who proceeded to make the team WORSE by trading their second best player, Caron Butler, for Stone-Hands Stone-Brains Kwame right before Jackson's arrival) and led them to the playoffs right away, and within 3 years turned them into 2007-2008's Western Conference NBA Finals representative. Check.

 

 

 

Can't develop young players? I present to you Luke Walton (2003 Draft), Sasha Vujacic (2004), Andrew Bynum (2005), Ronny Turiaf (2005), and Jordan Farmar (2006). Besides Andrew Bynum, a raw teenage project, all these picks were in the 20s or later and two of these picks, Walton and Turiaf, were second rounders. Huge check. (And a pat on the back of the scouting team).

 

 

 

Can't stretch an overmatched and under-talented team to play beyond people's expectations? Does taking an Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and 2-time MVP Steve Nash led team to 7 games with Kwame Brown, Smush Parker and Luke Walton as 3 of the 5 starters count? I'd say that's a check.

 

 

 

It's hard for him to do more, but I can't shake the feeling that the detractors will still be there, doubting, hating. Should the Lakers win, the "He only wins championships because he has great players" argument will inevitably arise, despite the sheer idiocy of the statement. It's the price you pay for being on top. Phil might never win the minds of his critics, but at least he continues to win where it counts.

Whew. It's been a whirlwind trade year and it's been exciting for the fans. Some of the trades looked good, some looked ok and some were just head-scratchers. Here's my view on all of this year's major trades...

  

Trevor Ariza to the Lakers

Maurice Evans, Brian Cook to the Magic

A pretty good trade for both sides. Lakers got rid of Brian Cook who was wearing out his welcome with his passive defense and one-dimensional offense. Hey, they already have Vladamir Radmonovic to do that. They had to give up Maurice Evans who was well liked and a decent contributor, but they got back a young, athletic, defensive minded swingman to fill the 3 spot, which they desperately needed. His age (21) was a huge factor as he fit in the plan to have Bynum (20), Farmar (20), Vujacic (23), and Turiaf (24) all develop together. Meanwhile, the Magic needed veteran presences, and Mo Evans is a great teammate as well as a good, athletic, rebounding guard. Cook spreads the floor for Howard to operate. Ariza couldn't get time behind Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, so it was better to trade him.

Lakers: A

Magic: A-

 

Nazr Mohammed to the Bobcats

Primoz Brezec, Walter Herrmann to the Pistons

I didn't really get this trade from the Pistons' perspective. Brezec and Herrmann aren't the kind of guys they generally like to play. I like Herrmann and think he can do well, but my doubts as to whether he would actually see time on the court has been confirmed. I liked this trade a lot more for the Bobcats. I've always felt Mohammed was a little underrated. Yeah, he can be spacey and yeah his defense needs work. But he's an above-average big man, and those are difficult to find. Consider yourselves lucky Bobcats.

Bobcats: B+

Detroit: C-

 

Kyle Korver to the Jazz

Gordon Giricek to the 76ers

This is one of the few trades that totally made sense for BOTH sides. 76ers get the cap space they want and rid themselves of Korver's large contract. I think the 76ers are actually doing things right this time around. Meanwhile, the Jazz get the outside shooter they desperately needed and then proceed to rip off 17 wins in 20 games. They would have sealed the deal for me if they could have somehow stolen an athletic shot-blocking big man, but those are hard to come by, so you can't blame them. Regardless, I think the Jazz are WAY overlooked right now.

Jazz: A+

76ers: A

 

Pau Gasol and a second rounder to the Lakers

Javaris Crittenton, Kwame Brown and 2 Future First-Rounders to the Grizzlies

The most laughable of all the trades. L.A. was flooded for a day because all Lakers fans collectively pissed themselves when they heard about this trade. Don't get me wrong - Javaris is supposed to be a very good prospect, one of whom the coaching staff (especially Tex Winters) thought highly and hated to see go. And Kwame's $9 mil coming off the books is huge. But they already have 2 young point guards and those draft picks are going to be in the 26-30 range. Meanwhile, the Lakers 2nd rounder is probably going to be in the 31-35 range overall. There's barely a difference except the Lakers don't need to guarantee the second rounder's contract. In the meantime, Pau and his new buddies rip of 7 wins in 8 games (7 on the road), including one over the Suns. Just laughable. Unless you're the rest of the league.

Lakers: A+

Grizzlies: D- 

 

Stromile Swift to the Nets

Jason Collins to the Grizzlies

Eh, who cares? It doesn't make either team significantly better or worse.

Nets: C

Grizzlies: C

 

Shaquille O'Neal to the Suns

Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Heat

I absolutely HATED this trade for the Suns at first, but it's growing on me. I think they did need to make this gamble. Don't get me wrong; it's a gamble all right. But if Shaq can give them the kind of game he showed last night against the Lakers every night, they're going to be better than they were. Of course, that's assuming his energy level is always going to be that high and that his 36 year-old body won't crap out at any minute, but still, it's not as galactically stupid as I thought it was at the outset. Still, his individual defense is seriously suspect and the Suns are about to see a stream of pick and rolls until the cows come home. Plus, Marion was kind of their glue guy. As for the Heat, this trade was an absolute coup. I never thought they could get someone to take Shaq off their hands. They got rid of a guy who was not motivated to do anything but sit and collect his checks and rid themselves of his hefty salary. They also get the ever-underrated Shawn Marion and also underrated Marcus Banks. I think Marcus Banks might be able to shine a little more in Miami. Of course, they might lose Marion after this season or the next, but Shaq was never going to do for the Heat what he might be willing to do for the Suns, so they needed him to go.

Suns: INC. (Their final exam counts for 90% of their grade meaning it could be an A or an F by season's end.)

Heat: A

Mike Bibby to the Hawks

Tyronne Lue, Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright to the Kings

I honestly didn't really like this trade for either side. I think Atlanta did better because the Kings should have gotten more than the package they got: 2 below-average point guards, a below-average undersized center and a bust. But at the same time, Bibby just isn't the same guy he was 3 or 4 seasons ago. The Kings just traded him too late. I still think Bibby does address some needs that the Hawks have, notably, outside shooting and a steady hand at the PG position. But I'm not convinced he's the right piece to put them over the hump. Yeah, he's a veteran, but he's hardly a leader.

Hawks: C

Kings: D

 

Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, Antoine Wright to the Mavs

Devin Harris, DeSanga Diop, Maurice Ager, Keith van Horn and Trenton Hassell to the Nets

Thank God this trade finally went through, because if it didn't, it was going to be awkward for both teams the rest of the season. I still think it was a stupid deal on the Mavs part. Kidd is overrated right now. The fact that he gets triple-doubles (12-10-11 triple doubles at that, not 30-14-12 triple doubles like LeBron) overshadows the fact that he's become a turnover machine and is shooting 36% from the field. Furthermore, Devin Harris is a blossoming star. His +/- rating was the best on the team and the Mavs were clearly better with him on the court. When he got injured, the Mavs played poorly. Ironically, they traded away the guy they needed most. Furthermore, in the beefed up Western Conference one needs MORE size, not less. Trading Sanga leaves them with Dampier as their only option at C. Good luck with that, guys. The good news is that Malik Allen and Antoine Wright are good role players, and that Kidd, for what he has lost over the years on the court, he has gained over the years in the locker room. The Mavs definitely needed a guy with balls. At least they have that now. The Nets, on the other hand, weren't going anywhere as they were constructed. In the end, they get rid of Kidd's monstrous contract and in return get a young star, expiring contracts, and a good backup center. You can't ask for much more (are you taking notes Sonics?)

Nets: A

Mavs: C-

 

Kurt Thomas to the Spurs

Brent Barry, Francisco Elson, cash, 1st round pick to the Sonics

I simply cannot for the life of me understand this trade for the Sonics. All these wink-wink, behind-the-scenes, ball-washing deals are getting ridiculous. Presti and Carlisimo, old buddies of Buford and Popovich, should be ashamed of themselves. As a Lakers fan, this was the one trade that made me say, "@$*%!" because this is a ridiculous steal for the Spurs. Just when you think you've gotten a leg up on the champs, they get a guy like Kurt Thomas who is PERFECT for their team. The Sonics basically received a low first round pick. That's it. Yeah, Barry and Elson are expiring contracts. BUT SO IS KURT THOMAS!! And he can actually play! Geez, this one just made me want to slap someone.

Spurs: A+

Sonics: F-

 

Gerald Green to the Rockets

Kirk Snyder, 2nd Round pick to the T-Wolves

Has Gerald Green's stock really fallen this far? Yikes. I think this was a good pickup for the Rockets. He may never pan out, but if all you're sacrificing is Kirk Snyder and a 2nd rounder, it's totally worth it. Meanwhile, the T-Wolves dive further into cost-cutting mode.

Rockets: B+

T-Wolves: C 

 

Bobby Jackson, Adam Haluska to the Rockets

Mike James, Bonzi Wells to the Hornets

Yeah, I know this was a three team trade, but essentially it was these two teams. I think it was an decent trade from both sides. Bonzi Wells I think has the best chance to make the biggest impact. He also has the best chance to do something totally stupid. But he ate the Spurs for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the playoffs only 2 years ago (figuratively speaking). But looking at his frame, he may have wanted to do it literally as well. But he and Mike James aren't just talented; they're head cases as well. I mean, if Adelman couldn't Bonzi's best, who can? Anyway, the Hornets at least shored up their pathetic bench and gave Chris Paul more guys to hit for open shots. As for the Rockets, Bobby Jackson might actually be able to provide the occasional spark. Not bad all around.

Hornets: B

Rockets: B- 

 

Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West to the Cavs

Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons to the Bulls

Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, Adrian Griffin to the Sonics

Wow, lots to discuss here. I like this trade best for the Bulls. The contracts of Ben Wallace and Larry Hughes effectively cancel each other out, but I think the Bulls are getting the better player. Hughes has really shown signs of life lately, even erupting for 41 points recently. I also think getting Drew Gooden is a good pickup. He doesn't play defense, but he rebounds and is a decent low-post scorer, which they've been dying for now for years. Plus, Joakim Noah is doing what Wallace does, only better and for a fraction of the price. They've been better with Noah on the floor. Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons are insignificant fillers. What the Cavs got from the Bulls I'm not too wild about. Wallace is totally washed up. He's hardly recognizable on the defensive end, although you could recognize him on the offensive end because he's just as bad as he's always been. These have been career low numbers for him, and unfortunately, that's not a fluke. His numbers have been declining for years now. Luckily, the rest of the trade looks promising for the Cavs. Joe Smith, I've felt, has always been underrated, only because people have looked at him as a bad #1 pick, not as a good player. He's had a good season, although he's tapered off a bit as of late. What the Cavs really should be happy about is what they got from the Sonics. Szczerbiak could hit jumpers falling out of bed. He won't give you great defense, but he'll give you good effort and good efficiency and that'll be huge for LeBron. Delonte West is highly underrated. He's not your classic point guard. In fact, he's kind of a miniature combo guard. But he's a good one. I think these two guys will complement LeBron nicely. As for the Sonics, well, what can you say? I guess if your only goal is cutting cost, then they've achieved it. But they didn't receive one draft pick in all of that? How did that happen?

Bulls: A-

Cavs: B+

Sonics: C-

 

Juan Dixon to the Pistons

Primoz Brezec to the Raptors

Poor Brezec. Traded twice in two months. Tough luck dude. The Raptors needed more size and they got it. Brezec was a pretty good player as recently as 3 seasons ago. Too bad his injury has set him back so badly. The Raptors are gambling that he'll can recover his form, but it's a good gamble. Juan Dixon is a shoot first, shoot second and shoot third kind of guy. But when he's hot, he's hot. He can be a useful guy off the pine when the Pistons are struggling to put the ball in the hoop. Good trade all around.

Pistons: A-

Raptors: B+

 

Whew. Are there more to come? Trade announcements always trickle in past the deadline so there might be more surprises to come. As if we haven't been spoiled enough already...

With All-Star Weekend upon us, I needed to vent about the current state of what has become a nearly unwatchable debacle. As a basketball fan - moreover, as an NBA fan - it hurts to watch the NBA shoot itself in the foot every year with ridiculous events, meaningless games and stupid selection processes. I want to see change because I want to see the NBA succeed. I want it to showcase itself for what it is - the greatest game on earth - and I want the fans to be able to get excited every year for intriguing matchups and renewed rivalries. Instead, it fails to draw in even the most passionate of its fans (such as myself) and turns into a forgettable mess that is as ostentatious as it is boring (which is hard to do simultaneously). Here two things the NBA could do that would make me watch it again...

 

• Give the players incentive to win the game: switch up the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format.
• Problem: Players don't really care that much if they're representing the Eastern Conference or the Western Conference. This keeps them from being competitive and competition is what makes basketball such a great game. The fans see the same thing every year and pretty much know before hand what matchups they're going to see year after year - matador defense and highlight dunks.
• Suggested solution: Do a rotating cycle of different matchups. Keep the East vs. West, but only do it every 4 years. The other three years you do something like American vs. International (kind of like hockey), 28+ vs. 27- (old guys vs. young guys), and Westerners vs. Easterners (Players who were raised west of the Mississippi, Western Europe, S. America and Pacific Islands vs. players who grew up east of the Mississippi, in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia). This way you get different mixups of different lineups and its not the same lineups every freakin' year. These could have been this year's matchups - it's a fan's dream...

 

Internationals            vs.        Americans

Steve Nash                              Chris Paul

Manu Ginobili                         Kobe Bryant

Dirk Nowitzki                         LeBron James

Tim Duncan                            Kevin Garnett

Yao Ming                                Dwight Howard

Tony Parker                             Baron Davis

Leandro Barbosa                     Allen Iverson

Hedo Turkoglu                        Caron Butler

Pau Gasol                                Chris Bosh

Zydrunas Ilgauskas                 Amare Stoudemire

Jose Calderon                          Chauncey Billups

Andrei Kirilenko                    Paul Pierce

 

Old Guys                    vs.        Young Guys

Steve Nash                              Chris Paul

Kobe Bryant                           Gilbert Arenas

Paul Pierce                              LeBron James

Kevin Garnett                         Amare Stoudemire

Tim Duncan                            Yao Ming

Baron Davis                            Deron Williams

Allen Iverson                          Dwyane Wade

Tracy McGrady                       Caron Butler

Dirk Nowitzki                         Chris Bosh

Marcus Camby                        Dwight Howard

Manu Ginobili                         Carmelo Anthony

Chauncey Billups                    Carlos Boozer

 

Westerners                 vs.        Easterners

Steve Nash                              Chris Paul

Manu Ginobili                         Kobe Bryant

Paul Pierce                              LeBron James

Dirk Nowitzki                         Kevin Garnett

Al Jefferson                            Tim Duncan

Baron Davis                            Devin Harris   

Gilbert Arenas                         Allen Iverson

Antawn Jamison                     Carmelo Anthony

Chris Bosh                              Amare Stoudemire

Pau Gasol                                Yao Ming

Chauncey Billups                    Dwyane Wade           

Joe Johnson                             Dwight Howard

 

(this last one made me realize how many good point guards came from the west of the Mississippi or from Western Europe - Tony Parker, T.J. Ford, Deron Williams, Jose Calderon, Andre Miller, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd... it's crazy. I had to choose between Devin Harris (Wisconson) and Mo Williams (Alabama) who both barely make it as well)

 

• Allow more freedom in the dunk contest.
• Problem: We're getting close to having seen all the dunks that can possibly be done - without props that is. Every year a guy does a jump from the free throw line or between the legs dunk that everyone has seen 100 times. Guys like Tyrus Thomas show up only for the cash and don't put any originality into it. Hell, when a guy shows creativity (Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala), they don't get any love.
• Solution: I don't think you get rid of the dunk contest entirely - it's a classic part of All-Star weekend - but I think you need to let the players be as creative as they want. Dwight Howard was denied in his request to raise the rim to 12 feet. Why?? Every NBA fan would love to see that. They've outlawed props of any kind (no blindfolds, chairs, etc.) but I think you let them do as they please, as long as it's part of the actual dunk, not some pre-dunk nonsense like pumping up your shoes or doing a back flip. Let a guy bring a cell phone and actually dial it in the air before dunking. Guys could be really creative and it could be fun for the fans.

 

• Get rid of the Rookie-Sophomore game, the Shooting Stars, and the Skills Challenge.
• Problem: These events suck and everyone knows it. The attempts at getting the WNBA off its feet have failed and will continue to fail, so just let the WNBA go do its own thing somewhere where it won't damage our retinas.
• Solution: Let the fans come up with the ideas for new events. The NBA League Office can choose its top 10; then the fans can vote on the top 3.

 

Beyond these points, I also think the All-Star voting process could stand to be changed and the half-time shows could be artists NBA fans would actually want to hear, but these aren't as important as the other things I listed. But is Stern too entrenched in the current format to make drastic changes? My best guess is yes, but I hope that I'm wrong. If Stern wants to keep it the way it is, well, at least this isn't the Pro Bowl.