Is the hype of the NBA wearing off for International players?

June 28th, 2008 – Dr. J-Water

I wasn’t overly surprised to hear the rumor that Jorge Garbajosa was on the outs with the Toronto Raptors and may return to play basketball professionally in Europe, following the debacle over rehabbing his leg injury. Then news of Juan Carlos Navarro heading back to Spain to once again play for Barca in the ACB took me by surprise given his fairly smooth acclimation to the NBA game during his short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. But if that was surprising, then the rumors circulating about American player Anthony Parker of the Toronto Raptors receiving a contract offer of $24 MILLION over three years from the Greek professional team Olympiakos was a total shock. Apparently they were even willing to buy out the remaining $4.5 million of his current contract with the Toronto Raptors.

We all remember that first Team USA Olympic ‘Dream Team’ in 1992 with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, and Christian Laettner. Sure I didn’t need to just list every player on the team, but given the annihilation they gave every international team they faced at those Barcelona Olympic Games, they all deserve mentioning. That dream team opened up leads of 20, 30, 40, 50, and more like it was nothing. Although those days of cruising to victory by such wide margins are clearly behind us, Team USA proved last summer in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament that when the good ol’ boys stay focused and play as a team, the USA is still the team to beat.

But there is still no denying how much the quality of play internationally has picked up over the last couple decades. And as expected with that skill development the world over, comes an increase in fan base and viewership globally of the world’s greatest league where the greatest players play, the National Basketball Association. But something unexpected happened, and it happened in unison with the growth in global fan base for the NBA. It was the expansion and rapid growth of the market for reputable and legitimate local professional basketball leagues all across Europe and many other locations throughout the world. As advertisers (which include many multi-national and large US corporations) started to pick up on the growth potential of this market, not only sponsorships but also the rest of the media infrastructure started to form around the major leagues, such as Euroleague. Eurobasket.com (a website network covering news on just about every pro and semi-pro league internationally) is claiming to be currently monitoring a whopping 526 pro basketball leagues.

At some point for international fans it became insufficient to watch the NBA games by satellite TV, or follow the news on their favorite NBA players and teams through web based communications. International fans wanted something they could see, feel, and touch, up close and personal. Europeans for example wanted an infusion of hype and skills that would ensure the game was legitimate, competitive, and something they could be passionate about. As the popularity of the game grew, and the skills of the domestic players began to increase dramatically (chicken or egg?) all of a sudden there was a significant pay check to be made playing basketball overseas. In the last decade the number of US players who did not make the final hurdle to the NBA, and moved overseas in search of a professional basketball career has risen dramatically. Many of the top players in the European leagues have been making surprisingly lucrative salaries for the past 5-10 years.

For some of you that follow the international leagues closely, none of this is probably all that new. But there is a very new and strange phenomenon brewing. International professional basketball players are starting to turn down contract overtures from NBA franchises in record numbers to either stay in European or other foreign leagues, or to return home for competitive salaries (if not more) to what they were given in the NBA. Putting solely money aside for a minute though, it must still be worth making the move to the USA for all the potential fame, prestige, and status that comes along with being a player in the greatest basketball league on earth right? Maybe not. In many European leagues now, the star players are treated virtually like rock stars. These guys have it all. The big contracts, the endorsements, the fans, the women…etc.

Peter May wrote a recent post on Hoopshype.com that stated his opinions on why NBA franchises weren’t focusing as much time and energy in the last couple of years on acquiring the international star players as they have in previous years. Even though he believes that the international players “star is dwindling,” I believe there may be an exact opposite phenomenon at work. It’s the international players that are shining bright and the lure and draw of the prestigious NBA game may be “dwindling” in the eyes of the European players. An aspiring professional basketball player in Europe can now stay at home with their family and friends, and still achieve the fame and fortune that was once only possible by moving across the Ocean and starting a whole new life in the USA.

Is this just an anomaly, or are we going to see a dramatic decrease in the high profile international basketball talent coming to America to play in the NBA? In a few years will players such as Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, and the like just stay in their home country and play professionally in front of their countrymen on a nightly basis? NBA Commissioner David Stern may have pondered this same question from time to time. Like any smart businessman would do, I am certain Stern has dedicated countless hours to benchmarking his competition (various international professional leagues) in an effort to ensure the NBA remains the best professional basketball league in the world. And just like virtually all industries are doing these days, Stern undoubtedly has plans to grow the NBA into the blossoming international market and become a true “international league” with franchises located all across the globe. But how far into the future are we talking about? 20 years, 10 years…..5?

So will the NBA be devoid of European superstars in 5 years? Or possibly harder to fathom, maybe the 2018 NBA Finals will be held in China?

Is Ben Gordon headed to the New York Knicks? | The Hoop Doctors Rumor Patrol

June 28, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious

The streaky, but hot shooting Ben Gordon may be the next player on the New York Knicks wish list.

Since the end of the 2008 NBA Draft when the Chicago Bulls selected point guard Derrick Rose with the #1 overall pick, Bulls GM John Paxson has been on the horn trying to find a new home and an equitable deal for their current point guard Kirk Hinrich. Due to the fact that Hinrich is signed on with the Bulls until 2012 with a front loaded contract, there was some early speculation that the Bulls may just try to shift Hinrich over to the 2 spot and start Rose at the point. However if the latest rumors and speculation have any merit than it looks like that horse has left the barn. Apparently Paxson has been working the phones over the last two days trying to find a taker for Hinrich and improve their frontcourt position.

Apparently there were some discussions between the New York Knicks GM Donnie Walsh and Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson yesterday that fizzled regarding a possible deal that would have sent the Knicks Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden in exchange for the Knicks Power Forward Zach Randolph. The talks however cooled when the Knicks requested that Ben Gordon by substituted in place of Kirk Hinrich in the deal. Although Gordon is a restricted free agent, the Knicks were hoping for a sign and trade. Apparently D’Antoni covets Ben Gordon for his deep range and excellent physical conditioning. Personally I feel that the Knicks may be better off with Hinrich in the potential deal, as it would solidify their point guard quandary, and act as insurance if they run into another year of the Marbury disappearing act. Although Hinrich had a slow start shooting the ball last year, he improved as the year progressed and by seasons end was once again the model of consistency that has defined his college and pro career to this point.

It is no surprise that the Knicks are willing to move Randolph, as he is not exactly the model player to fit into D’Antoni’s system that relies so heavily on ball movement, the transition game, and outside shooting. None of which seem to fit the strengths of Zach Randolph who would fit better with a slow-paced, grind it out, half-court game. Couple that with the reputation Randolph has had in the past for his off-court personality and behavioral issues and you can see why the Knicks may want to part ways and start fresh under a new GM and Head Coach.

With the draft having come and gone and the New York Knicks remaining fairly quiet thus far on the trade front, we can almost surely expect to see some heavy activity over the next couple of months with their organization. But maybe a more troubling question for the Knicks organization and NY supporters in general might be, why have the other franchises around the league been so unwilling thus far to negotiate with the Knicks?

Dreams, Trades, Surprises, Boo’s, and Broken Hearts – NBA Draft 2008

June 27, 2008 – Dr. Dime

Well there were very few surprises at the top end of this year’s draft. Almost every mock draft board I reviewed had some combination of Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and O.J. Mayo as the Top 3 picks, most mock’s having that specific order. What came next was surely a surprise to almost everyone, including the players.

It was a night dominated by dreams come true, trade talk, player swaps, surprise picks, New York City Boo’s, and some broken hearts. All in all, it seemed like a fairly typical NBA draft. After the ‘big three’ were chosen there was much discussion about the two trade announcements made the day of the draft. The first the Jermaine O’Neal/TJ Ford swap that had been discussed the past couple of days. The second being a fairly new trade announcement between the New Jersey Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. New Jersey is set to send the Bucks Richard Jefferson, in exchange for Yi Lianlian and Bobby Simmons.

After the first three picks and a bunch of trade talk and future trade speculations, I was not surprised that Seattle passed on Jerryd Bayless at the four spot as they need a really true passing point guard for their future with Kevin Durant. In that sense their choice of Russell Westbrook made sense for them. Bayless is more of a scoring point guard, and physically he is kind of a tweener between the point and shooting guard positions. What DID surprise me however is how far Bayless fell before being picked up at #11 by the Pacers. There were very few mock drafts that I was privy to that had Bayless going any lower than 8th. Heck even the NBA.com mock draft had him going 7th to the paper clips. Ah well, the Pacers I’m sure were more than happy to grab Bayless with their pick, probably assuming he would have already been taken by the time they had a turn.

It was not much of a surprise that Memphis took Kevin Love next with the #5 pick. In what has become a tradition the past few years when it was time for the New York Pick, their choice was followed by a heavy smattering of Boo’s. They chose the next big Italian talent Danilo Gallinari. After the last few years of suffering through non-playoff bound bottom dwelling Knick squads, the New York Fans were looking for an immediate impact player to be chosen. They are tired of waiting for talent to develop and pay off, and they weren’t afraid to voice it.

The next big surprise for me was the Charlotte Bobcats pick at #9. To me it made no sense for them to pick up a point guard at that spot. They already have a very serviceable point guard in Raymond Felton, and a quality backup in Earl Boykins. Sure they need depth at the point, but while they held the 20th pick from Denver they could have found a decent back up point at that position and used their #9 pick to grab a higher quality Center to improve their gap on their frontline. Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, and Robin Lopez for example were all available at the 9th spot and would have been a better inside presence than their 20th choice of Alexis Ajinca from France.

As far as heart breaks go, there was probably none bigger than Donte Green falling from what was expected to be a top 15 draft pick by most to the 28 spot, chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies. Other heart breaks included Chris Douglas-Roberts (fell to the 40th pick), DeAndre Jordan (35th), and Mario Chalmers (34th) all of which were expected by most to be first round choices.

Getting picked in the second round, may feel like a heart break today but as we have seen countless times, it can be just the motivation a player needs to bring his game to a whole new level he never thought was possible by working his tail off. Who will be the next big second round chosen NBA superstar?

Here is where you can view the final draft board.

Will the Miami Heat select O.J. Mayo or Michael Beasley with #2 Pick in NBA Draft 2008?

June 26th, 2008 – Dr. J-Water

Most of the experts have already penciled in Chicago native Derrick Rose as the Bulls first choice for their top draft pick in tonight’s NBA Draft 2008. So that leaves the other leading candidate, Michael Beasley from Kansas State, as the obvious choice as the Miami Heat’s #2 pick right? Hmmm….not so fast.

There have been quite a few articles released lately that point out the fact that the Heat GM Pat Riley is a little less than enthused about the prospect of drafting Michael Beasley. Reports have cited a variety of reasons from Beasley’s care free attitude, to him being undersized for a power forward, to his lack of motivation on the defensive end of the floor, to concerns about him being too big a personality to stay focused with the night life options in Miami. All of which under normal circumstances would have a GM like Riley running for the hills. The problem for Riley is that Beasley’s offensive skills are too hard to ignore. The guy can flat out dominate the game when he’s on. And he’s almost always on.

So that brings us to the ultimate question, debated heavily among NBA draft Guru’s. Do you draft for your team’s need, or do you draft the most skilled player available when your number is called? It’s a debate that has gone on seemingly forever. But in recent years with the business side of the NBA growing as it has, the side of the debate which argues to draft the best “asset” you can at your turn in the draft is starting to win out. Worst case scenario, you can always showcase that draft pick for a year or less and use him as trade bait to get the players your team needs to fill the holes.

So what does Miami need? Given their record last year, a whole lot! But more specifically the Heat are looking for a high quality point guard to pair with Dwayne Wade for the future. Sure they are still very weak at the Center spot as well, but the NBA style of play is changing so rapidly that the value of high quality point guards is at a premium. Look around the league at the value of guys like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, and most recently TJ Ford (traded for All-star Jermaine O’Neal). High quality point guards that can run the fast break and keep the game simple for their teammates are in high demand.

With that having been said, it is obvious that Pat Riley would love to be able to draft O.J. Mayo. Reports have it that Dwayne Wade and Mayo have been working out together a lot over the last month, and have become quite buddy buddy. As we saw with Shaq and Wade’s relationship, by having your big stars respect each other off the court can go a long way for aiding their play on the court. Look at how often the Celtics players this year refer to their bonding experience in Rome during pre-season as the reason for their immediate on court chemistry and success.

The closer the draft gets the harder it’s going to be for Riley to trade down to the #3 or #4 pick (hoping to still pick up Mayo) and get another asset or cash consideration in return. So will Riley buck the modern conventional wisdom and select Mayo with his #2 pick tonight, or will he pick the talent of Beasley and hope for the best? I don’t think anyone could blame him either way for how it turns out. Neither would be a bad move under the circumstances.

Jermaine O’Neal Traded to Toronto Raptors for TJ Ford!

June 26th, 2008 – Dr. Anklesnap

Well we have our first significant off-season trade folks! Earlier this week we reported the ongoing trade discussions between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers regarding a potential Jermaine O’Neal for TJ Ford swap. Well as of yesterday evening the deal is official. Provided both players pass their medical exams, next season Jermaine O’Neal will be sharing the front court with Chris Bosh and TJ Ford will be adding a scoring punch to the backcourt of the Indiana Pacers.

In the deal Indiana has agreed to send Jermaine O’Neal and their 41st draft pick to the Raptors in exchange for TJ Ford, the expiring contract of Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the Raptors #17 pick in today’s 2008 NBA Draft. From the emails The Hoop Doctors have received in response to our report on the trade discussions, Toronto Raptors fans seem to be fairly excited about this move. In the few emails we received from Pacers fans, the majority were anxious to be rid of their malcontent superstar.

Now that O’Neal is coming to town, questions will arise in Toronto about how Sam Mitchell will integrate their acquisition with the former #1 pick, Italian player Andrea Bargnani. While some who are unhappy with the progress of Bargnani since being drafted will be hoping he is moved to the bench, others who view Bargnani as having the potential of being a 7-foot tall shooting dynamo like Dirk Nowitzki, will be seeking a shift of Bargnani from the 4/5 spot, to a starting role at the small forward position. There is a lot to be worked out before the start of next season for the Raptors. Questions will arise about whether or not Bargnani has the foot speed to guard other small forwards, or whether O’Neal can stay healthy manning the Center position for a full 82 games. But before we get ahead of ourselves, could there be more changes coming in Toronto before the fall?

As for Indiana, one would assume TJ Ford will take over the starting role at point guard for the Pacers. So what does that mean for Jamaal Tinsley? It will be interesting to see what other moves the Pacers make this summer or whether they plan to bring the oft-injured Tinsley off the bench behind Ford. The slashing Ford should excel in Indiana where he is now surrounded by shooters who can spread the floor even further for him to penetrate. Players such as Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger came on strong last season, both proving they are big-time NBA scoring threats. With the biggest gap for the Pacers being in the front court, they will undoubtedly be looking to get some serviceable big men for rebounding and shot blocking in the draft. The Pacers now hold the #11 and #17 picks in tonight’s NBA Draft.

Now that the first blockbuster trade has been announced, what else is in store before the week is out?

Top 10 NBA Players in History Not Drafted in First Round | Dr. Browntorious

June 25th, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious

Tomorrow will be the biggest day in a group of young athlete’s lives. But with great joy and happiness for some, will undoubtedly come great disappointment and concern for others. I’m talking about the life changing day of the NBA Draft. Over the years there have been many draft day gaffes by General Manager’s league wide. There is virtually no GM in the NBA that has been around for any significant period of time, that can honestly say they didn’t make at least one incorrect draft choice that they regret. For some they are more glaringly obvious than others. For example the most talked about draft day nightmare might be the pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 1984. In that year they chose Sam Bowie with the #2 pick and passed over his greatness, Michael Jordan who was picked 3rd by the Chicago Bulls. We all are aware of how that one turned out.

But it’s not as easy as it looks to predict from a crowd of highly talented athletes, who will improve year after year and turn into a serviceable long term asset. Michael Jordan himself is now all too aware of that fact after the 2001 NBA Draft where he sat in the Washington Wizards front office and steered the franchise into choosing Kwame Brown with their #1 choice in that year’s draft. In doing so, the Wizards passed over potential future all-star caliber players such as Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Jason Richardson, Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler, Zach Randolph, and Tony Parker. All of which would have been much better long term assets than what turned out to be a disappointing career for Kwame Brown thus far.

So without further ado, I give you the Dr. Browntorious Top 10 list of NBA Players not Drafted in the First Round!

1. Manu Ginobili
Three NBA championships, an Olympic Gold Medal, Euro-league Championship, NBA Sixth-man of the Year, and clearly one of the finest European born league players to play in the NBA. How in the world did Manu slip to the Spurs with the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft? Now that my friends is a steal!

2. Dennis Rodman
Dennis still holds the NBA record for most consecutive seasons leading the NBA in rebounding, with 7. He has 5 NBA championships, and is considered by most as the greatest rebounder in the modern era, and possibly the greatest rebounder of all-time. Coupling a scientific approach and raw athleticism to his rebounding, franchises across the league easily turned a blind eye to his neurotic tendencies. The Pistons reaped the reward of Rodman slipping to the 27th pick in the 1986 NBA draft.

3. Gilbert Arenas
Teams passed on Arenas because he lacked the size of a shooting guard, and didn’t have the passing ability of a point guard. Boy are they sorry. Aftern receiving the NBA’s most improved player award, “Hibachi” is now an All-Star and one of the premier guards in the NBA. Three time All-Star, three time All-NBA selection, scored 60 points in a single game, and a career 22.8 scoring average, I would say he has earned the right to be on this list. Arenas was drafted with the 31st overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.

4. Nick Van Exel
Now this guy was the king of clutch. Nick is still 6th all-time in total three pointers made by an NBA player with 1528. He finished in the top 15 in assists in 8 of his 13 seasons. Widely considered one of the best clutch shooters in NBA history, as he made big shot after big shot in his career throughout many close playoff games as a member of the Lakers and Mavericks. The LA Lakers chose Nick with the 37th overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft.

5. Ben Wallace
Wallace went undrafted to the NBA. That’s right, aside from the notable mention for Brad Miller below; Wallace is the only player on this list that was never drafted at all to the NBA. Ben is a four time Defensive Player of the Year, four time All-star, 6 time All-defensive team, 2 time rebounding leader, and once led the league in blocks. Cap that off with the title of 2004 NBA Champion and you have the greatest NBA player never to be drafted (not including those who entered through ABA). Washington signed Wallace as a free agent in 1996 undrafted.

6. Danny Ainge
One of the few players to ever play in two professional sports, Ainge gave up his MLB career with the Blue Jays to make a run at basketball. During his time with the Boston Celtics he won two NBA Championships alongside Larry Bird, and was considered by Bird to be one of the key pieces to the Celtics winning formula in the 80’s. Ainge was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 31st pick in the 1981 NBA draft.

7. Michael Redd
Redd still has the record for 8 fourth quarter three pointers made in a game against Houston in 2002. As a former NBA All-star Redd has had multiple seasons averaging over 20 ppg, and is widely considered to be one of the most accurate three point shooters in the league. Redd will be representing Team USA as their shooting assassin in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Michael Redd was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 43rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. 43rd pick? Now that is another big steal, and quite the lesson in hard work and players not giving up on their dreams of being an All-Star.

8. Antonio Davis
Antonio was part of the “Davis Brothers” tandem of Power Forwards on the Pacers alongside Dale Davis. Despite being the 6th man, Antonio was paid starter money and provided much scoring and rebounding off the bench, much to the popularity of the fans and coaches. After being traded to the Raptors in 2001 he was voted to the NBA All-Star team. Davis was a force inside throughout his career even though he wasn’t drafted until the 45th overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers.

9. Doc Rivers
A former NBA All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, this heady guard played alongside the great Dominque Wilkens and certainly had a big hand in his greatness. In the 1986-87 season, Rivers averaged a double-double with 12.4 points and 10 assists per game. Doc is now the coach of the NBA champion Boston Celtics. He wasn’t drafted until the 31st pick of the 1983 NBA draft.

10. Carlos Boozer
Boozer is a two-time NBA All-star with the best yet to come. In 2008 he averaged 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game! After improving in each year of his career Boozer has now combined with Deron Williams to become one of the top tandems in the NBA today. Anyone who watched Boozer the last couple of seasons shred the competition would be surprised to know he wasn’t drafted until the 34th pick of the 2002 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Other notable players that were close to making my top ten list of players not drafted in the first round of the NBA draft were: Rashard Lewis, Mehmut Okur, Brad Miller, Spud Webb, Monta Ellis, Mark Price, Steve Kerr, Clifford Robinson, Avery Johnson, Bruce Bowen, Toni Kukoc, Anthony Mason, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek, and Cedric Ceballos.

Who are in your top ten? Let us know!

O’Neal to the Raptors; and O’Neal Raps! | The Hoop Doctors NBA Rumor Patrol

June 24th, 2008 – Dr. Dime

Last night I was thinking about the latest trade rumor involving the Indiana Pacers franchise player Jermaine O’Neal and the Toronto Raptors. For some odd reason every time I thought “O’Neal to the Raps” my mind kept trailing off to the recently surfaced “O’Neal Raps!” video on TMZ that we reported in our Daily Dimes, showing big Shaquille O’Neal rapping in a club about everything from Kobe not being able to win the title without him, to ruining his marriage, to having had a vasectomy…..etc…. etc….

That is why I love Shaq. He is not afraid of a little controversy and he is definitely not afraid to piss people off (then again if you were 7’2”, 350lbs would you be?). I know a lot of people out there may find the video extremely crude and unnecessary. Some will say it is an attempt at getting the spotlight back, due to his declining skill and increasing age. For me though, it is just Shaq being his usual entertaining self, giving us what we want…a little fuel to the fire in the Shaq-Kobe feud. And I must say his rap skills have dramatically improved from his days of putting out rap albums such as ‘Shaq Diesel’ and ‘Shaq-fu Da Return’ in the early 90’s. Keep up the freestylin’ my man. What we need now is Kobe to grab the mic and have a freestyle battle. Hell if Shaq was still in Miami we could turn this sucker into a Biggie-Pac, East Coast vs. West Coast battle.

Anyways if we come back to the planet earth for a moment, here are some thoughts on the possible T.J. Ford trade rumor that has surfaced in the past couple days, as we approach the NBA draft on June 26th:

Jermaine O’Neal | TJ Ford

Many people familiar with the discussions have said in the last 48 hours that Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers is working hard to move Jermaine O’Neal. One of the more intense discussions Bird has had is with Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo regarding an O’Neal for TJ Ford trade. The Raptors would have to give up Ford, the expiring contract of Center Rasho Nesterovic, and their #17 first round draft pick in this year’s draft. Although Colangelo seems intent on moving Ford, and sources say is very open to the Pacers offer, the sticking point seems to be Colangelo’s ongoing talks with the Phoenix Suns for a possible Ford-Diaw trade as we reported a few days ago.

After the injuries to both Ford and O’Neal over the past few years, this trade on the surface seems to be a transaction to move ‘Mr. Glass’ for ‘Mr. Glass’, but if you look closely at each of the team’s needs this could be a high risk/high reward situation for both clubs. Toronto seriously lacks the inside presence to ever be a legitimate contender as currently constructed. They are extremely poor rebounders on both ends of the floor. If O’Neal can stay healthy he is an immediate solution to this problem as he has shown that even when he’s not 100% healthy he is still one of the top rebounders in the NBA today. If he does get back to his old self and can be 100% healthy, that reward for the Raptors would be well worth the risk in trading for him. Remember O’Neal is only 29 years old and is not far removed from being an NBA All-Star and averaging 20 and 10.

The Pacers are in a similar situation. Over the past few years Jamaal Tinsley has shown signs of brilliance, but more often then not has been a distraction both on and off the court. Couple Tinsley’s distractions with constant injury issues of his own, and it shows the Pacers biggest gap is at the point guard spot. Ford is just the man to get the Pacers organization back on the right track. Although it is also a high risk move trading for Ford due to his injury prone neck and spine, no great reward comes without any risk. Although Colangelo and the Raptors have shown their desire to keep point guard Jose Calderon as their #1 option at the point that does not mean Ford is not destined to be a star point guard in this league. Calderon just happens to be a better fit for the style of offense that the Raptors are trying to play. Ford is a high energy, scoring point guard, and he’s a much better passer than he’s often given credit for. Heck, last year he averaged a 6.1-2.0 assist to turnover ratio. That may not have been as good as Calderon in that department, but it was still one of the higher rated averages among point guards in the league. Ford is a great slasher, and has substantially improved his jumper, where he still needs improvement is his 3-point shot and shot selection. Often times late in close games he tries too hard to take over the game on his own, taking away from the team concept.

I think this trade would be beneficial for both teams, but I don’t blame Colangelo in the least for putting this Ford trade option on hold, until I hear a conclusive ‘no way’ from the Phoenix Suns organization on a possible Ford-Diaw swap. Diaw is just the type of versatile player the Raptors need to get over the hump in all of those close games the Raptors lost last year in the final minutes.

O’Neal or Diaw? You decide Raps fans.

Beijing Olympics 2008 | Team USA to be announced today

June 23rd, 2008 – Dr. Anklesnap

Today is the day where Olympic aspirations and dreams come true. Or on the other side of the coin they are put off for another four years. At some point this morning Team USA Managing Director Jerry Colangelo and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski will hold a press conference to announce the 12-man roster for the August 2008 Beijing Olympics. How do you pick only 12 players out of the 33 man US select roster pool of NBA superstars?

After another gruelling NBA season we have already seen a couple of players pull their names from the potential roster, and others cancel due to injury. That might make the decisions for the selection crew a tad bit easier, but they still need to cut the field by more than 50%. I have noticed a recent flurry of local newspapers running stories on how their home team franchise players are expecting to be chosen to play. The problem is I’ve read more than 12 articles with such claims (remember only 12 players chosen, total), and some local journalists are even claiming two players from their team to be making the cut. The truth is no one will know for sure until the press conferences this morning to announce the team.

Given the 33 man roster to choose from, and in light of recent injury news; here are Dr. Anklesnap’s choices for who I would send to Beijing 2008:

(Alphabetical)

1. Carmelo Anthony, SF
2. Carlos Boozer, PF
3. Chris Bosh, PF/C
4. Kobe Bryant, SG
5. Tyson Chandler, C
6. Dwight Howard, C
7. Lebron James, SF
8. Chris Paul, PG
9. Paul Pierce, SG/SF
10. Michael Redd, SG
11. Dwayne Wade, SG
12. Deron Williams, PG

Who would you choose to represent the United States of America in Beijing 2008? Comment with your suggestions, and see how your predictions stack up later today when the official announcement is made.

Wade to Bulls? | The Hoop Doctors Rumor Patrol

June 22, 2008 – Dr. J-Water

A few weeks ago we heard the extremely far-fetched rumor that the Miami Heat may consider trading young superstar Dwayne Wade to his hometown Chicago Bulls. It seems as crazy now as it did a few weeks ago, however the rumor has resurfaced as of late in multiple mainstream media sources claiming there is some substance to it. The latest reference to the possibility came in this Sunday’s edition of the Boston Globe. Marc Spears has said some crazy things in his time, but nothing that would warrant completely turning a blind eye to this possibility.

Who would the Heat get in return for Wade?

The possibility outlined in the Globe report was the Heat shipping Wade to the Bulls in exchange for the #1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, plus young high flyer Tyrus Thomas and Larry Hughes. You may wonder why the Heat might even consider this, given that Wade is young and clearly a top 5 player in the league. The answer is simple, ‘rebuilding for the future’. If the Heat pulled the trigger on this deal they would hold the #1 and #2 picks in this year’s NBA draft. Essentially that would mean they would get both the highly touted top prospects of PG Derrick Rose out of Memphis, and PF Michael Beasley out of Kansas State. What better way to rebuild a franchise then around the tandem of Rose and Beasley? Throw in the raw, high-flying shot blocker Tyrus Thomas into the mix and the Heat would have one of the brightest futures in the NBA.

Don’t get me wrong; I never would promote a trade that ships a way a player of Dwayne Wade’s caliber, as players with his ability and competitiveness only come along once in a blue moon. But given Wade’s aggressive playing style, taking the ball to the cup with reckless abandon, there are constantly questions surrounding him and his ability to stay healthy. After two straight seasons playing far fewer games than expected the Heat may be getting a little concerned and looking to move Wade while his stock value is huge.

Think of a Miami Heat line-up of Derrick Rose, Larry Hughes, Shawn Marion, Michael Beasley, and Tyrus Thomas. That would have the Heat marketing machine once again cranked into overdrive, White Heat anyone? In today’s NBA game; where many teams are moving to a smaller lineup to play the up-tempo run and gun game, there may not be any lineup of athletes scarier in the open court than this 5 man combination.

So is there anything to this Wade/Chicago rumor; or is it all Bull?

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