Free Agency Retrospective: Atlantic Division

With the dust finally settling after Dwight Howard's monumental and long drawn out move to Los Angeles, it is at last safe to look back on the madness that was this summer's free agency period and speculate how teams will stack up this coming season. Being that I'm likely as biased as the rest of you Philly readers, I'll be starting with the Atlantic Division.

Boston Celtics: Here is a team that in my opinion really exemplified the phrase "addition by subtraction". I mean, it's hard to be thrilled that a class act and first ballot Hall of Famer, Ray Allen, has decided to join forces with Boston's equivalent of the Legion of Doom, but bear in mind the Celtics have filled that void nicely with Jason Terry, a man with his own championship credentials. Is Jason Terry really comparable to Ray Allen? Arguably, at this point this point in their careers I think a case can be made. Even if you find that hard to believe, there's no denying that Terry in tandem with a healthy Avery Bradley and even Courtney Lee certainly softens the blow of losing a member of Boston's once mighty Big Three. Paul Pierce still has some game left in him for sure. He's never been an incredibly explosive player and provided he can keep his aches and pains under control, I see no reason why he can't continue to play at a high level for the next season or two. Kevin Garnett is a much bigger question mark. It's almost a shame to see a once so dynamic player become a glorified pick and pop player, but his basketball IQ is almost as big as his mouth and he should still be able to be a defensive factor in spurts. The good news for the Cs is that finally they have some size that will take some pressure off of KG at both ends of the floor. Fab and Sully are raw talents, but they quite simply have the size to plug up the paint that the Celtics haven't had since the hobbled and aged bodies of the not-quite-brothers O'Neal (who played about 10 games a piece). Jeff Green's underrated return and another year in green for LSU's Brandon Bass should give the Celtic frontcourt a nice boost. The bottom line is that the Celtics will have a formidable bench for the first time since their title run in 2008, Doc Rivers' coaching speaks for itself, and defying all rational thought, Rajon Rondo seems to improve every season. We're referring to a Boston team that was as banged up of a playoff team I've ever seen and pushed the eventual champion Heat to 7 games. There's something to be said for Boston's success and the absence of Chris Bosh not being coincidental, but nonetheless the Celtics are an old automobile looking as shiny and new as they have in years. Rest assured, they're going to be deep in the hunt for at least one more title with Pierce and Garnett at the helm.

Toronto Raptors: Dwayne Casey's ability to somewhat implement Dallas' championship defense in a place where defense was once considered a lost cause is proof enough that the Raptors are headed in the right direction. However, even though the direction is a solid one, it's still going to be slow going and an uphill battle in Canada to see this team have any real success. Kyle Lowry's signing is a bit overlooked coming off his breakout season with Houston despite butting heads with Kevin McHale and/or management. Every other acquisition is likely a little overrated. Better to have Jonas Valanciunas cutting his teeth in NBA arenas rather than overseas, but you likely won't see a true return on that for another couple years. Landry Fields is a player who busts his butt and can contribute some intangables, but he had a habit of disappearing or forcing plays in New York. Odds are the Raptors over paid for him when they tried to make New York decide between keeping him and pursuing Nash, but Landry has the upside to make me eat crow and I wouldn't mind if it means his continued success. The lone bright spot in Toronto has been the subtle blossoming of DeMar DeRozan, who has carved out a solid little niche for himself there. Hopefully the injection of new talent doesn't hinder that growth. Andrea Bargnani's health is, of course, always of great concern and question as well. At the very least, we should begin to see flashes of what the big picture looks like in Toronto and those growing pains have the potential to be painful, but fun to watch.

New York Knicks: The Knicks have raided the near-retirement ward of the NBA and carved out a decent bench for themselves. Camby, Thomas and Kidd and reduced roles should flourish and round out the bench nicely; giving the Knicks a paint presence they haven't had since, well... Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. Obviously, they have should-be Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler, but I couldn't resist the nod to those centers' younger days in blue and orange. For the first time in some time, the Knicks have not overpaid for players, wisely letting Lin and Fields walk and replacing them with Felton (we'll see) and Ronnie Brewer (brilliant signing for the price). All is not blue skies in New York, however. Felton is coming off a woeful season in Portland, perhaps proving once and for all that Mike D'Antoni's run and gun system will embellish any point guard's skill set. Regardless, you couldn't justify giving Lin that kind of money and/or expect Jason Kidd to log heavy minutes. Felton appears to be saying the right things and is poised for a "comeback" of sorts. Time will tell, but the Knicks made the move they had to make regardless. The jury is still out as to whether Carmelo can mold his game to blend with... anybody, but his performance in the Olympics was almost poetic and he's shown that he can play and win with pieces around him. I feel pretty safe in saying that Amare is somewhat of a bust with no knees or basketball skills to speak of as a result, but bear in mind that if the Knicks wound up with no prize free agent two summers ago, Donnie Walsh would have made Isiah Thomas and Eddy Curry look beloved in the Big Apple. Stoudemire's days of bulldozing through and over people appear to be more or less behind him and while his jumper has improved, it doesn't justify his paycheck. He did train with Hakeem this offseason, and the last person who did that won a title. The Knicks almost certainly won't, but maybe Amare has learned some tricks that will prove to make himself and his team better this season. The bottom line is that the Knicks have both improved and been wise with money this offseason. Their improvement likely won't translate to more than yet another first round bounce, but I respect the Knicks for making the best of the bed they've made. My one true gripe is why the heck was J.R. Smith re-signed and why did he bring his brother with him?

Brooklyn Nets: Simply put, a team lined up to be the most improved team in the league. The Joe Johnson acquisition is a bit overrated, especially with a budding MarShon Brooks still on the roster, but the fact that they didn't have to give up much to get him may make his signing the biggest steal of the season. Deron Williams is more than appeased and has some real tools to work with this season, including the re-signed Gerald Wallace and bounding machine Kris Humphries. Joe Johnson resurrects an almost lost mid-range game in the NBA, Brook Lopez, once arguably the second best center in the Eastern Conference, will be healthy and has promised to be more active on the glass, and again, the aforementioned Brooks has no ceiling in sight. Bogans will be a great perimeter defender for the squad. CJ Watson was more than an adequate backup for the injury riddled Derrick Rose in Chicago last season and should do more of the same filling the sneakers of Williams. This is indeed and whole new squad and the impetus is on Avery Johnson now to be up to the task for what will now be championship aspirations. I don't know about you, but I think this squad looks a lot better to me than a gutted roster resulting in Williams, Dwight Howard, and a bunch of miscellaneous players. The power may have shifted in New York before a game has even been played in the lavish Barclay Center.

Philadelphia Sixers: The Kwame Brown Era was over before it even had the chance to begin, as there's a new big man in town. Andrew Bynum's arrival comes at the expense of the departure of often criticized swingman, Andre Iguodala. I gather that the mood in Philly is mostly that of great merriment, and I share their levity. It's refreshing to have a true new day in Sixer basketball and have Iggy's huge ego replaced with huge expectations. Iggy's departure is somewhat bittersweet, considering he was coming off two of his best seasons under Doug Collins, but largely the team was going to be stuck in limbo until a change of this magnitude occurred. The Sixers inherit a seven footer who has nothing but upside and seems to be thrilled to be embraced by the "brotherly love". Bynum has had his own maturity issues, most notably and recently with Laker coach, Mike Brown, but the way I see it, a change in scenery can be the best medicine for an unhappy player and if Doug Collins can turn Iggy from a shot taker into a playmaker, I don't doubt he can continue his horse whispering ways with the young Bynum. Collins really does seem to have an intangible ability to get through to young players and I couldn't be more excited to see where he can lead this team this coming season. Holiday continues to blossom, seemingly by the game, and I think Turner's solid performance in last year's playoffs is telling of a breakout year to come. With Iggy gone and a  more defined role with the team, he'll likely finally have the room to grow into a player worthy of being the second pick of the draft. The Sixers seem to molded in the image of the former Finals contending Magic squad, with shooters (Young, Richardson, Holiday) surrounding the dominant center piece. The Sixers have more talent on paper than that team ever did, with the versatile Spencer Hawes and Thad Young rounding out the rotation. Lavoy Allen was a stud as far as rookies go last season and he should continue to grow under Collins' wing. Quite simply this team has a whole new look that should translate to much improvement and debatable contention in the coming years, should Andrew Bynum's health hold up and, of course, he re-signs. You have every reason to be excited and the conference and league should be on the lookout for the young and growing Sixers.

Traveling Violation: The Implications of a Darwinian NBA

Back in 2008, I had the amazing opportunity to make the trip to the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and watch the Celtics and Lakers renew their rivalry (then for the first time in decades) on the grand stage of the NBA Finals. I have a lot of memories from that day that I’m sure I’ll never forget:

1. Having a legitimate conversation with Magic Johnson and lying by saying I played high school ball because I sincerely doubted he’d care to hear about the fact that I chose musical theatre instead and my reasons for doing so.

2. Sitting behind Trevor Ariza on the team bus and wanting nothing more than to say I wish
he was still a Knick. Present company made that statement a little inappropriate.

3. DJ Mbenga… Enough said.

4. Donovan McNabb’s atrocious-looking red sweater vest.

5. The awesome Laker-Celtic highlight reel accompanied by Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.”

And plenty of other little moments that would be worth an article in itself and, of course, the actual game.

Something else occurred to me that night and I admit it didn’t feel as profound to me back then as it does now, but as Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant acknowledged each other at center court it dawned on me that both Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant had been on the Celtics and Lakers,
respectively, for their entire careers and, incidentally, my whole life.

Despite the similarity of playing their entire careers for one team, Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant’s individual back stories heading into that series could not be more different. Kobe’s character
was often questioned in the sense that he was, at times, viewed as a self-centered hot dog, whose ability to emotionally and mentally lead a team and raise others to his level of, let's face it, greatness was in doubt. Kobe was a proven winner who, while yet to win a title without Shaq, never had his heart, guts, and individual abilities questioned.

Paul Pierce had very good years with the Celtics and had nice run of playoff pushes with Antoine Walker throughout the early 2000s. The Celtics never quite got over the hump and as the once proud Boston franchise tried and failed to rebuild around him, the team’s winning percentage suffered and Pierce bore the brunt of that burden as some of the Celtic faithful unfairly doubted his heart and desire to win and, in some cases, called for his release via trade or head via guillotine.

However, in the summer of 2008, none of that seemed to matter. For both men that season was a journey towards vindication as each player picked up some All-Star (Pau; Allen, KG) help and were rewriting their legacies as I sat there counting the banners in rafters; nearly all of them from the old Boston Garden.

Such a revelation was worth note back then and in my mind its significance has only been magnified since. As I look at the league today, I see Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” theory come to the wide world of sports. With the advent of these new Super Teams in Miami and New York, it seems to be the new fad amongst the NBA's elite to unite in your favorite metropolitan area and gang up on everybody else. Now, this really is not the end of the world. I wrote an article last year about how the small market “little engine that could” teams will always find ways to be relevant and a thorn in the side in these luxury tax welcoming Goliaths and I definitely stick by that statement, but a couple of things have changed since I wrote that article that may change the game forever.

While I’m not 100 percent sure, I feel pretty confident in saying that no longer are current teams with free agents able to offer their current players more money than their other suitors. That is to say that (hypothetically) no longer can the Mavs offer Caron Butler more than any other team in the league. The cap on what amount suitors can offer Caron no longer exists. Therefore it’s a free-for-all as to who can offer Caron the best deal and from Caron’s perspective there is no longer a monetary incentive for Caron to sign an extension, mid-season or otherwise, so it’s in his best interest as a professional and businessman to wait until his contract expires to hear multiple offers from whatever teams are interested in him.

Now, Dallas is arguably a championship contender, so maybe Caron is inclined to stay there anyway and he may not be the best example. But apply that same situation to Brandon Jennings and Kevin Martin and you can see why and how many players would wind up changing their scenery and joining and/or forming and makeshift All-Star team and instant title contender.

League owners are wise to this and don’t want to end up hanging in the breeze waiting for their particular superstar to decide to stick with, or ditch them. Owners are now being proactive and seeking to eliminate the possibility of winding up with nothing by trading these stars to other teams to ensure at least some sort of return on their investment, even if it’s not the All-Star himself. Hence, all this madness (compelling, but madness) regarding the future homes for 2012 free agents Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. Even if a player is leaning towards staying with one franchise, there’s a chance that the team’s owner ship won’t take the risk and ship him out, just to be safe. These factors are creating a future NBA with players more mobile than at any other point in league history.

Simply put, get used to the Super Team trend and be careful whose jersey you buy as a result. The league is evolving and while I’m not ruling quality basketball coming from small market teams, franchise players may indeed be even more of an endangered species than they were before. Players will graze where grass is greener and so as not to be left with no lawn at all, NBA owners will help them slide under the fence.

With all that said, I’m sure there will be exceptions to this rule throughout history and already I find it hard to believe that Dwayne Wade or Dirk Nowitzki will ever leave Dallas and Miami,
but nonetheless the game is changing and both the mindsets of the players and owners are adjusting, potentially at the expense of career franchise players.

In hindsight, Bryant and Pierce’s nod at center court ran deeper than Paul acknowledging Kobe and vice versa. These future Hall of Famers seemed to be paying an homage not only to each other, but to their franchises they represented which after 19 long years had finally come
full circle to revitalize something that albeit unspoken, was perennial in the first place. In that moment Paul and Kobe embodied the NBA’s fabled past not only through the jersey’s they wore that night, but the route which they took to get to get there. It was "The Truth" versus "The Show". The same as it ever was. The same as it always will be.

The CBA makes me wonder if such a moment will ever happen again.

What Is And What Should Never Be

Confession #1- I had a wide variety of Led Zeppelin songs to choose from regarding this title.

Confession #2- I’m a little embarrassed to be scribing these bad boys at this point with the league in such disrepair. It feels a little bit like reporting on professional wrestling in the sense that I’m micro-analyzing something that isn’t real in the first place. Bear with me and with the power of positive thinking and an inkling of denial, these statements may have relevance in the near future.

With that said, let’s get down to business and preview the coming season for the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

Boston Celtics (56-26, 3 seed, lost in Eastern Conference semis)- As much as these cats are old dogs at this point, it’s hard to over look the core of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett in the context of a shortened season. However, it’s equally hard to ignore the complete and utter flop that was the Kristic/Green trade last season. The squad looked out of sync on offense and seemed to lose at least a good bit of their collective backbone on the defensive end without the ever-scowling Perkins holding the physical bigs of the league in check. It’s not hard to imagine an adapted Celtic offense that can utilize the perimeter game of Kristic and the mid-range skills set of Green, who may well replace Pierce in the starting lineup sooner than we think. With the still maturing
Rondo who’s already capable of breaking down most any opponent and/or finding his teammates, the sky is still the limit for that offense, barring an injury. But that Celtic team has built this era of their championship mentality on suffocating defense that with the absence of Perkins has involuntarily disappeared entirely. Garnett is still there and no one I’d like to tango with on the blocks (lest I take a shot to my basketballs) but he’s more bark than bite at this point anyway. A shortened seasoned favors this merry band of savvy vets, but I think they may well have lost too much too late to be a title threat barring the acquisition of a true back up point guard or a true emergence of Green or the injury riddled Daniels.

New York Knicks (42-40, 6 seed, lost in First Round)- Yes, my friends and those wary of me calling them that without meeting them first, the Knicks are indeed relevant. I’m writing this article from Long Island, so don’t for a second believe that I’m not just as excited as you are, but let’s temper our zeal, shall we? The Knicks are improved, but are a squad more built on market-value than potential production. Amare’s knees are time bombs which depreciate in value with every stroke of this keyboard. Chauncey Billups is arguably Springfield bound, but Mr. Big Shot looked far from healthy towards the close of the season and will likely end his career in the Empire State without much fanfare. The Knicks are not a very deep team that traded two of their best defenders in Gallo and Ill Will last season only to look rather impish against the already less-than-imposing Celtic team. If someone were to make the argument that Douglas in the point of the future, I’d certainly hear them out. It’s not too absurd of a feeling, but as relevant as the Knicks suddenly are, they’re that far away from contention. Let’s not forget whom the Knicks
acquired last season. If there’s one x-factor that can cause me to put my size 12 Nike in my mouth, it’s Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks will certainly be fun to watch (except when Jeffries touches the ball) and I look forward to getting the chance to tune in.

Philadelphia Sixers (41-41, 7 seed, lost in First Round) Just so you understand that I’m not
a total pessimist, I want to say that the stock of Sixers, in my opinion, has never been higher. Running into a Heat team that simply had them outmatched on every level was the only reason that the tremendous job done by Doug Collins was overlooked on a national scale. Collins made Iggy realize that his superstar potential rested in becoming a playmaker and not a scorer. That alone is worth a Nobel Peace Prize as far as I’m concerned. The growth of this team is worthy of a separate article that I’ll likely resort to writing before the year is out, but for the sake of summarization this team is young, has Elton Brand to anchor that offense, and has everyone on that squad knowing their role and filling it well. Young players are growing and eager to learn. I know that analysis is painfully brief, but like I said, if I got started, I’d type your eyes off. (The print journalism equivalent of “talk your ear off”… I’m not sure if that worked.)

New Jersey Nets (Not Good)- How is it possible that a team can have Deron Williams and Brook Lopez and still be the least interesting team to watch? I want to believe in this squad. I was a big supporter of Outlaw in his Portland days and Kris Humphries is one of the most gifted rebounders in the game today. Williams is a great player, to be sure, but I think we’re kind of seeing the magic of Jerry Sloan’s Utah system as he looks much more human than he has in recent years. Let’s not forget, however, Williams’ lack of weapons to give the ball to. Lopez
has flashes of true brilliance, but is still far too easily bossed around on the blocks given his size and his apathy or inability to rebound is puzzling to say the least. Be they in Brooklyn, East Rutherford, or my backyard, this team is regrettably nothing to get excited about.

Toronto Raptors (Even Worse)- Who? I’m sorry, I know that’s insensitive, but other than
Bargniani and Amir Johnson not being awful and DeRozan being guaranteed a slot on Sportscenter once a week, there’s nothing here to muse about. Even their draft picks will be marinating overseas for some time before the Maple Leaf nation sees a return on their investment. No offense intended, but hopefully next year there will be something more to write about. (Note that the squad has a new coach in Dwayne Casey. See my previous article for further, albeit brief, thoughts on that.)

Don't Believe The Hype

Here we are, flying down the homestretch of a grueling 82-game regular season with the playoffs on the ever nearing horizon. The best of the league jockey for playoff position and claw and scratch for the right to hold a potential game 7 on their home floor. Pretty exciting stuff, right? Not really.

In a sense, we've been deprived of what truly makes the time of the season thrilling. Playoff teams have pretty much been set since mid-March and with the exception of Houston giving futile chase to a Grizzlies squad with a reputation for inconsistency, this last leg of the season hasn't provided much to write a column about, other than the Bulls having all but a choke hold on the top spot in the East, and the Spurs and Celtics looking much more mortal than they've looked earlier in the season.

This sudden sense of mortality has a bit to do with an ill-timed injury bug infestation and likely an even more ill-timed trade in Bean-town, but mostly these teams know that the playoffs await and it's more important to play great basketball in late April than early April. Recall, if you will, last year's Celtic team; a lowly 4-seed written off as an old horse past its prime by most heading into the post-season simply because they appeared to have stumbled their way there. As it turned out, the Cs had plenty of gas left in the tank, treated the playoffs as a starting gate rather than a finish line and one month later, lost in game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The media will try to force the idea that these final games matter down your throat just to keep TV rating from slipping and keep you from getting as bored as the players undoubtedly are at this point. It's not so much that home court advantage doesn't matter, but it's simply a factor in who wins in the playoffs, not the factor. A lot of fuss is being made of the fact that Dallas has only won 8 of their last 17 games. Dallas is just an older team biding their time until the playoffs. With the exception of most likely wanting that game against the Lakers a couple of weeks ago in which they got rocked, the Mavs probably haven't cared about winning a game at all costs since about March. The Mavs are the best road team in the league, had the 2 seed in last year's playoffs and were bounced by the 7-seed Spurs. The only things that do matter in the playoffs are matchups.

During the Dallas-L.A. game, Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, and company kept expounding on the importance of this game in determining second round home court advantage. First of all, they're making a hell of an assumption that these two teams can make it past their 6 and 7 seed opponents respectively. (I'm saddened to admit that it's a much bigger question mark for the Mavs than for the Lakers.) Second of all, while not the case anymore, the Blazers were sitting in the 7 spot at the time, while the David West-less Hornets were number 6. I promise you, each team would rather play the Hornets, even at the expense of sacrificing home court in the second round. Even if the 2 seed were to beat Portland, it is most likely going to take more out of them than a series against the Hornets. This is, of course, speculation, opinion, and not giving a whole lot of respect to Carl Landry and CP3, but even if you disagree, you can see my point. Playoff basketball is about whom you play, how you play, and health. Where you play is a distant fourth, in my opinion. Don't feel guilty for wanting to hibernate until the playoffs start. You are not alone.

The bottom line is this: At the end of the day, these are professionals playing basketball and no amount of fans beating thunder sticks are going to prevent the best team from winning a series. Would it be nice to have a game 7 at home? You bet, but not at the expense of the health of the team. Sleep well, dear readers. I'll wake you when the games matter again.