Category: Layup Line

Nuggets re-sign wilson chandler, rockets set to buy out derek fisher, shaq tells Dwight Howard to stay put

Benjamin Hochman/Denver Post: Nuggets re-sign Wilson Chandler
We already knew that Denver did remarkably well compared to what Toronto and Cleveland nested for losing Chris Bosh and LeBron James respectively, now their recent moves ratcheted things up another notch. By re-signing Wilson Chandler, Denver has an under-30 core of Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo and Javale McGee that not only can they build around, but with each player signed to sensible contracts, Denver is also not a disadvantage in case it needs to trade any of these players. Granted, none of these moves makes them a championship contender, but they are good enough to keep the team’s playoff streak alive and keep seats filled at the Pepsi Center.

Ramona Shelbourne/ESPN LA Houston Rockets buy out Derek Fisher

Last year the NBA put in a measure in place to prevent a traded player to return to his former team once he’s been traded.  This practice had formally been a shrewd accounting trick used by GMs, but it was also a way of preventing situations precisely like the one facing the Rockets/Lakers and Derek Fisher.  Other than his salary, the Lakers had no real reason to trade Derek Fisher.  There’s not a general market out there for him, and he means more to the Lakers than any other franchise.  After all, is it his fault that the Lakers never found a decent younger point guard to replace him?  Now the Rockets have done the admirable thing and agreed to buy out Fisher’s contract–but that still leaves Fisher in the unenviable position of either agreeing to retire or signing up for a team with which he’s not really interested in playing.

Mike Bianchi/Orlando Sentinel: Shaq tells Dwight Howard to stay in Orlando

This would have also been better if Shaq also told Dwight Howard that he’s really David Robinson, and you know what, there’s nothing wrong with that.  Howard has the chance to do in Orlando what Robinson did in San Antonio.  Unfortunately, this would require a level of maturity and thoughtfulness that Howard has yet to display.

LeBron and D-Wade offer John Wall Encouragement, players take to twitter to console Ricky Rubio, how much is Dwight Howard really worth, and in case you’re wondering LeBron is still #1

It’s good to see that LeBron and Wade have included John Wall into the fraternity of elite players, but you cannot help but wonder if they’re both being a bit too generous. Wall is talented, but he has a far more talented team than James had in his first year and he’s been surprisingly unable to marshal the best out of his teammates. Granted, there is a particular breed of dysfunction in Washington, but at some point the Wizards need to figure out how to hold Wall accountable. Otherwise, in two years he’ll be demanding a trade to _____ in order to get a better shot at “winning.” And as far as a wall trade that makes, sense, I would love to see what would happen if Wall and Tyreke Evans were to swap teams.

NBA players have done some stupid things on Twitter, but this weekend’s outpouring of support for fallen TWolves guard Ricky Rubio ranks as one of the more endearing acts on the social media site. Dwyer catalogs for those who missed it the slew of twitter posts by Rubio’s NBA brethren offering him prayers and a speedy recovery. If anyone wonders whether European players have been accepted into the fraternity then this has to make it clear that the answer is a resounding yes.

RealGM linked to this tweet from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix declaring that the Thunder would not trade James Harden and Serge Ibaka for Dwight Howard. Management wise it’s the smart thing for OKC GM Sam Presti to make it clear that none of his core-players are on the trading block. But it did strike me as odd that no one really questioned this declaration. The silence might just be because this is a meaningless tweet from Mannix where what is presented as privileged information is not really information at all. Or it might really be because Howard’s been on the trading block for so long that the league really has no idea what he’s looking for. At least with Carmelo you had a sense of his intended destination and it made sense to leave Denver to play in New York. Whereas with Howard, especially given how well his team is performing this year, the reaction has mostly been, why doesn’t he just stay in Orlando? Back to the point of Mannix’s tweet, if the combination of Howard, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant is not enticing enough to make Harden and Ibaka available, then it might be time where we gave serious thought to how much Howard would bring to a contender.

For the next three years Simmons should rename this column, “In case you were wondering, LeBron is still #1.” No major disputes with Simmons’ ranking. Although, I might’ve given a nod to Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady for old time sakes, but other than that, he’s pretty much on point.

Layup Line: Nets playing with pride, Blazers continue their collapse, Cavaliers might make the playoffs

Talent usually supersedes luck in the NBA, but every team occasionally catches a break. Last night was such a night for the Nets who are proving that in spite of the injuries, pending move and barrage of trade rumors, the players on this team still have a lot of pride and fight in them.

After nearly a decade of over-performing under the watch of Nate McMillan the Blazers  were eventually bound to level out.  While Portland is not nearly as bad as their current record suggests, you can not help but think that all the years of trades, redundant players and catastrophic injuries to its star players has finally taken its toll on this franchise.  It’s not so much that this team is unable to cope without Brandon Roy or Greg Oden because they have proven that they can.  The issue is that a slew of players were brought in to be short term fixes for what were actually long term problems, and neither those players or those problems ever left.

It’s a testament to Byron Scott’s skills as a coach that a year after “The Decision” debacle the Cavaliers are in contention for a playoff berth.  Oh, and don’t forget Scott and his team also had a protracted lockout to contend with and two rookies to integrate into their rotation.  The Cavaliers would need to leap frog two teams to win the 8th seed and guarantee a playoff berth, at which point they’d face off against the Miami Heat and the aforementioned LeBron James.  A lot needs to happen before this scenario could be realized, but stranger things have happened.

Layup Line: Mike Brown Thinks Kobe is NBA MVP, Kevin Garnett Passes Shaq, and Mike D’Antoni Looks Lost

  • Frank Dell’apa/Boston Globe KG Passes Shaq on Career Rebounds List You can not help to wonder if 30-years from now whether anyone will actually hold Shaq’s career in high esteem.  Each time one of his peers passes him on one of the stats list Shaq’s legacy arguably falls down a notch.  And unlike Bill Russell, or Michael Jordan, no one will think of him as an ultimate competitor/champion.
  • Mike Vaccaro/NY Post: Up to D’Antoni to Solve Mystery Mix      Mike D’Antoni is running out of excuses in New York.  His roster is getting healthy, he has a breakout star in Jeremy Lin, and a slew of reserves who can contribute.  Maybe Vaccaro is right, D’Antoni might have too many options.  This may actually be the most talented team he’s ever coached.  Whatever the case may be, D’Antoni needs to figure this thing out and figure it out fast.

Rasheed Wallace & Lamar Odom

Jay Caspian Kang and Bethlehem Shoals posted two thoughtful pieces on Rasheed Wallace and Lamar Odom respectively today.  Both articles are reflective and treat both players with a poignancy that they’re rarely availed in print.

Below are excerpts from these two essays:

Jay Caspian Kang, Person of Interest: Rasheed Wallace

You can’t be an NBA fan without building up a straw man or two. Just as the SABR nerds shake their fists at something called “Murray Chass,” which, in truth, may or may not exist, the generation of basketball fans who grew up with Iverson and the Fab Five have built their own golem: the crusty old sportswriter who hates hip-hop, only lionizes white players, talks mostly in racial euphemisms, and truly believes, in his heart, that four years in college is God’s greatest gift to mankind. Rasheed, even more than Iverson, became the hero for young NBA fans who wanted their players to stonewall the golem with, “Both teams played hard, my man.” He was the liberated, talking man in a league obsessed with the creation of relatable, worldwide brands.

 

Bethlehem Shoals, Why Lamar Odom Gets Away With It

At this point, Odom stands as much for that flicker of humanity, that trace of sympathy or identification in the climate of pro basketball, as he does one of the most memorably gifted players of the last decade. Odom doesn’t have baggage. He’s the one who, simply by walking into a room, reminds us that we all do. It’s not the portend of reality show drama, but the right he has earned to take things personally in a sport where business conquers all.

Deron Williams’ 57 Point Explosion

Sometimes when I look at this Nets squad I can’t but help wonder if Deron Williams would have been better off playing in Turkey this year.  At least when he was a member of Besikitas there was a clear explanation for why Williams was surrounded with NBA castoffs and second tier talent.  Williams is an incredibly talented player and even though this happened against the Bobcats, a team that might not even make the playoffs in most of the top leagues in Europe, Williams 57 point outburst was still impressive.

Hindsight is 20/20: Rethinking Mike D’Antoni’s Decision to Join Knicks

Will Leitch has a great piece in NYMag reevaluating Mike D’Antoni’s decision to join the Knicks over the Bulls.  Even though I’ve been very critical of D’Antoni’s tenure with the Knicks, Leitch is spot on when he says:

The criticism of D’Antoni essentially seems to come down to “He’s not willing to adjust his system to fit his players,” which is another way of saying, “Hey, it’s not our fault your system requires a point guard and we gave all ours away: Figure it out.” The one constant of D’Antoni’s success has been a functioning floor general, from Nash in Phoenix to Raymond Felton and Billups last season.

D’Antoni’s offense needs a good point guard and thus far this year’s team does not have anyone approaching an NBA caliber starting point guard.  I saw them play the Wizards last month and it was surreal watching Iman Shumpert, Toney Douglass and Mike Bibby take turns bringing the ball up court.  It was almost like watching Summer League tryouts when teams are auditioning players.  What struck me is how the team’s character changed so drastically each time a different player brought the ball up.  When Bibby brought it up, Amar’e Stoudemire seemed confident that he was going to get the ball and have a decent shot of making a play.  Shumpert and Douglass almost exclusively set up on the left and right side exclusively, regardless of what defense the Wizards were in or where the Knicks go-to players Anthony and Stoudemire were posted up.  This in turn meant that once Melo or Amar’e got the ball the weak side defenders could sag into the lane because a cross court pass was unlikely to yield much of anything.

This is a stark contrast to the life that D’Antoni would have right now coaching Derrick Rose and watching him run SSOL to perfection.

Anyway, check out Leitch’s piece here, it’s worth the read

 

G- Dwyane Wade

NBA All-Star Inury Team

With NBA All-Star balloting in full swing and given that the NBA is slowly but surely turning into a league where “injuries happen,” I thought I should come up with an injured/questionable/doubtful/probable (hurt but will likely play) All-Star Team.  Since fans are unlikely to see these players, even as the league justifies its quick return through appealing to fan desires to see the game back on the court, I thought we could celebrate the greatness of the league by reflecting on their absence:

Click through the slide show below to see the starters on this NBA All-Star Injury Team.  However, a quick glance at this team’s bench gives you some insight into how potent an injury lineup has emerged a quarter of the way into this season.  Bench players: Forwards: Charlie Villanueva; Michael Beasley; Andrea Bargnani. Centers: Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett.  Guards: Jason Kidd; Jose Juan Barea, Baron Davis; Eric Maynor.  While being flippant here, it is imperative to think about how the 2011-2012 season is one where injuries happen.

Stephen_Curry_2

G- Stephen Curry

Curry is starting to look like his generation’s Steve Nash, another guard whose early career was plagued by nagging injuries. Nash eventually righted himself when he began playing with big men like Dirk Nowitzki and Amar’e Stoudemire who excelled in the pick and roll game. Time will tell if Curry finds his big man counterpart.

wadeinjury

G- Dwyane Wade

If there’s one bright spot to Wade’s recent stints on the injured list is that it will enable LeBron James and Chris Bosh to come into their own in Miami. Once Miami fans see that James and Bosh can carry this team then this trio’s “Big Three” persona might actually be chrystallized.

Melo

F- Carmelo Anthony

Either Knick forward could have gone here. This team’s abhorrent backcourt play has put a lot of pressure on Anthony and Stoudemire. Now that he’s getting spot duty at “point forward” it will be interesting to see if Anthony has enough left come playoff time for the Knicks to make a run.

horfordinjury

F- Al Horford

Casual fans underestimate the pounding that low post players take. Battling the Udonis Haslem’s and Reggie Evans’ of this world is hard enough, but when you’re having to play out of position and compete against bigger players like Horford has had to for much of his career in Atlanta, injuries are inevitable.

Zach-Randolph1-300x225

F- Zach Randolph

Randolph, one of the anchors to the Grizzlies' surprising playoff run last year is likely out until early March. Grizzlies fans are hoping the team can stay in contention until Z-Bo returns.

For the most-part the media has failed to reflect on the injuries, on how these injuries are the result of the money grab.  Yet, it is crucial to not only highlight the cluster of injuries, and the types of injuries that seem to point to the impact of a non-existent training camp and the wear and tear of a compressed season, but what this reveals about the NBA and the sports-industrial complex (not to mention global capitalism).  It is emblematic of the ways in which profits are put in front of people.  It is emblematic of the logic of Neoliberalism capitalism, which identifies markets, consumer needs, and profit margins as the primary compass for economic relations.  The fact that players are suffering injuries in alarming rates is a testament to the ways in which bodies, particularly bodies of color and women, are exploited and abused for sake of money within the sports industry and beyond.  As a tenet of capitalism, and reflective of cultural obsession with wealth, it is no wonder that the ideology of profits ahead of people is so visible on NBA benches.  So, if you get tired of the NBA’s new motto, “where injuries happen,” maybe we should start calling it “The NBA: profits before people”

pierce

2011 NBA Season: Where Injuries Happen

After two days of the NBA season, it is clear that the shortened (ostensibly non-existent) training camp is having a significant impact on a myriad of teams.  The issue of injuries remains a real one, a fact that cannot be understood outside of the context of the players’ inability to prepare themselves for the season in a desired way.  For example, the Los Angeles Lakers, the only team to open the season with 3 straight games (against 3 teams who will be playing their opening game), are already battling injuries.  Kobe Bryant continues to struggle with a torn ligament in his wrist, with Pau Gasol suffering a shoulder injury and Josh McRoberts dealing with a sprained big toe.  The injuries have left three of the Lakers starters (McRoberts starting because of Andrew Bynum’s 4-game suspension) playing through injuries after two games, and a fourth, fifteen year veteran Derek Fisher, still not in regular season shape (he sat out initial preseason game because he wasn’t physically ready), it is no wonder the Lakers are off to an 0-2 start.

Like the Lakers, the Mavs are off to an 0-2 start, losing their initial two games by sizable margins. Mavericks small forward Shawn Marion broke his finger in their opening night defeat to the Miami Heat, and  following last night’s loss, Dirk Nowitzki acknowledged the impact of the lockout on their difficult start: “We look old, slow and out of shape,” he acknowledged.  “I still think this team has a lot of potential. We just need to work. … We probably needed extra weeks of training camp. But we don’t have it so the young teams, the athletic teams, look better right now than we do.” You don’t have to simply take the word of Notwitzki, as the impact of the lockout was clearly evident as Sean Williams vomited on the Mavs bench after leaving the game.  While media reports dismissed this as an afterthought in an early season blowout, it demonstrates the physical toll of the game and the overall lack of preparation afforded to NBA players.  After all, when was the last time you saw an NBA player vomit from exhaustion?  This may be a regular occurrence during pre-season workouts, but not part of the “showtime” experience David Stern and NBA officials pride themselves on exporting.   Williams’ exhaustion speaks to the poor work conditions experienced by today’s NBA player.

Other playoff contenders  are facing similar issues; whether it is the Knicks’  Baron Davis (herniated disc), Jared Jeffries (calf) and Iman Shumpert (knee injury); Eric Bledsoe of the Los Angeles Clippers (torn meniscus), or the Celtics’ Paul Pierce (toe), some of the NBA”s marquee teams scrambling to survive with make shift line-ups. Whereas the NBA has in the past marketed itself as the league where “amazing happens,” the 2011-2012 Season looks to be a year where “injuries happens.”

While the debate about the impact of the lockout (remembers players didn’t have access to treatment and team facilities throughout the summer and fall) and a shortened preseason on injuries will continue, what is indisputable is the impact of the schedule on injuries.  Beyond the demands of playing multiple nights, the compressed game and travel schedules cannot help in the recovery process.

Worse yet, the overall lack of public concern over the mental and physical strain of playing 6 games in 8 nights is revealing.  It demonstrates an overall lack of thought about NBA players as workers whose work conditions matter.   It demonstrates that the profits took precedent over the people of the NBA.  It illustrates that notwithstanding the hype over the NBA being back, mounting physical limitations confronting the greatest athletes in the world is turning the NBA into a league where “injuries happen.”