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April 2007
Been wrong before?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Being wrong doesn’t bother me at all.
(I am the same cat who back in 1987 thought the high-top fade would never go out of style. So I’ve been here before.)
But never in my wildest dreams did I think that the first round of the NBA playoffs would play out like the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Golden State=George Mason?).
The Pistons dismantling the Magic in four straight games was nothing if not expected. The Bulls (striking another blow for the team concept over the two stars and a bunch of junk approach) bouncing the Heat in four, though … didn’t see that one coming, the Mavericks on the brink of elimination to the Warriors … not on your life.
There won’t be any Mulligans around here. I’ll live with my first round picks and fry with the ones that were 100 percent wrong. It’s cool. Like I said before, I’m perfectly comfortable with being wrong (I’ve predicted Michigan would go undefeated in football every year since 1990 and been right just once).
But let’s be serious for a minute about some of the jaw-dropping things that went on the past few days.
Ben Wallace stroking seven of eight free throws? He hasn’t shot like that ever, let alone in a game (and he made seven straight).
Baron Davis channeling his inner-John Bagley (you old heads will remember him, he was a forerunner to the current crop of bulldozer scoring point guards) for four straight games? I’m not mad at the Warriors. This is how you’re supposed to act when you haven’t been in the playoffs in over a decade.
Jason Kidd turning back the clock to the pre-microfracture surgery JKidd that led the Nets to back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals? No one was sure it could happen. But Kidd is showing us that he is one of the game’s all-time greats even at this late stage of his (better be) Hall of Fame career. Steve Nash has the MVP’s that Kidd couldn’t sniff when he was doing basically the same thing Nash has done the past three years.
As I stepped off my flight from Orlando Sunday afternoon Smitty (Hawks TV analyst Steve Smith) finally sent me the text message I knew was coming. “You still like Dirk as your MVP?” We talked about it late in the regular season and even debated if Dirk was the best player on his team (a strong case could be made for Josh Howard after four games). I’m sticking with him based on his and the Mavericks’ performance during the regular season. But he wouldn’t be in my current top five for first round playoff MVP (Luol Deng and Baron Davis currently top that list).
Brady Quinn lost what one analyst projected could be $17 million Saturday by dropping to the 22nd pick in the NFL draft Saturday. Ouch. Maybe ESPN should make up the difference since they paraded dude around for 72 hours prior to the draft as this year’s golden boy/pet.
Now, back to basketball.
The NBA is announcing its All-Defensive teams this morning. I’ll be curious to see if Josh Smith makes any of the teams. Marcus Camby won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award based solely on his prowess as a shot blocker (he and Smith finished 1-2 this season and were the only two guys with 200 or more blocks during the regular season), so it only makes sense (to me) that Smith make the All-Defensive team for the same reason. - In a classy move, Camby sent out an email thanking all the NBA writers for voting him Defensive Player of the Year. I didn’t (technically, we’re not allowed to vote, AJC rule), but the gesture was impressive.
I talked about it last week and I’ll say it again, the playoff atmosphere is so drastically different to what goes on during the regular season that it’s almost embarrassing to me. Magic star Grant Hill made some good points about how important it is for teams aspiring to be real contenders to “comprehend the importance of the pace of the regular season.” Those games aren’t played with the same intensity but they mean so much in terms of playoff seeding and mental preparation for the postseason. The Magic had the will to compete. They just didn’t know how when it mattered most.
Finally, we’re 23 days away from Lottery Day for the Hawks. The only question I got more than “what are you doing here?” in Orlando was “Do the Hawks have a chance to get both of those top 15 picks?” The simple answer is yes, however slim it might be. Bu that’s all they’ve got is a chance. What’s perhaps even more important, as one team league player personnel guy I respect reminded me, is the work they do in evaluating and making the proper selection with the pick they will get (there’s a 98 percent chance they get Indiana’s pick). Whatever they do they can’t make a mistake (passing up either the right point guard or big man that’s there).
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It’s a different world …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ORLANDO - The playoffs, that is. The atmosphere, the intensity, the overall level of force that everyone operates with, it’s a totally different world from what we’ve see in Atlanta on a regular basis.
I’ve only dropped in here for Game 3 and 4 (and after the Pistons’ tail-dragging of the Magic tonight it appears that’s all that is left) of this series. But all it takes if five minutes of the playoff atmosphere to understand why so many people that have experienced this struggle when they’re not a part of it.
As I was walking down a corridor of Amway Arena before game time, I spotted Tyronn Lue at the loading dock entrance to the arena. He played here, so everyone treated him like family. I didn’t have to ask why he was here (he and Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups are super tight, have been for years and they have the same agent, Andy Miller, who was also on the scene along with Tiger Woods, Thurman Thomas and a motley crew of other celebrity and pseudo-celebrity types that turn out for the good stuff no matter where it’s going on). The smile on his face said it all. (Hey, it was good enough for Tiger Woods, too)
He misses the playoff vibe. And the only way he can get it these days is by showing up to the playoff series his friends are involved in, because the Hawks lack currently lack many of the essential elements to join this party (need we go on and on about what it is they lack? Or can we let the venom rest for at least one night).
I totally understand now why Hawks coach Mike Woodson escorted Josh Childress and Josh Smith to playoff games after their rookie season. He wanted them to get a taste of the playoffs first hand (as funny as the TNT studio crew is, nothing beats the electricity of being in the arena during a game. The crowd either rises or falls on every play, every shot, every turnover and every dunk).
To be honest, I’m not sure there’s any way to do it justice without you showing up to one of these games on your own. That’s tough to do, I know, with the Hawks being out of the playoff mix for eight straight years. Trust me when I tell you, though, it’s a different world (and one Hawks fans deserve to experience for themselves).
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So much for college, and draft talk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kudos to the Florida players for staying in school another year after winning their 2006 NCAA Tournament title. I’m predicting now we’ll never see anything like it again. Never.
Have you seen the way these kids are climbing over each other to drop their hats into this June’s draft? It’s like a gold rush for guys that have done eight months on campus.
Granted, there are guys like Ty Lawson, Chase Budinger, Darren Collison and Ty Hansbrough that have abstained from the process. But the number of guys - Brandan Wright, Thad Young from Georgia Tech and a host of others - that will declare before this weekend’s deadline shouldn’t surprise you.
I don’t blame anyone for going or staying. You do what you have to do. But the guys who make the leap need to do so with a heavy dose of reality in one hand. As sweet as the money can be and as fantastic as the lifestyle looks from afar, it takes work to stay in the NBA if you’re not a can’t miss player.
Just ask Sebastian Telfair. The former schoolboy All-American is on dangerous ground right now and could be in jeopardy of losing his spot in the league for good if a third gun-related incident finishes him off.
I use to Telfair as an example only because he’s been in the news recently. But what you hope is that the guys making the leap are making it with well informed people providing them the proper information about not only where they might be drafted, but also some sound advice about how to conduct themselves as professionals once they get here (to the NBA).
Enough preaching. Let’s get to one lottery and draft related item that I’ve been chewing on.
I saw a great question on yesterday’s blog regarding where the Indiana pick is slotted now and what player(s) might be available at No. 11. If Joakim Noah and Mike Conley Jr. are still on the board, where do you go? Big or small? Center or point guard? The Hawks are in desperate need of help at both spots.
Having watched the Hawks with a critical eye the past two and a half seasons, my brain tells me they have to grab a big guy if there’s one available (were Roy Hibbert to fall there, he’d make even more sense than Noah because he’s going to strictly be a 5-man).
But my gut tells me the Hawks cannot pass up Conley Jr. if he’s there. They simply cannot afford to pass on yet another promising point guard prospect in a draft.
What say you?
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Buckle up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It should be obvious now that every playoff series has completed at least Game 1. The players are going to be absolutely sick this year. People were hoping for a wacky postseason since many decided that the regular season (due in large part to so many key players from so many different teams being hit with injuries) was one of the worst in recent memory.
The playoffs, though, offer a chance for redemption. Even the officials might be able to clean up the collective mess they made during the regular season, though their performance in Chicago Saturday left me sick (Kirk Hinrich and Shaq were eliminated from the game with lousy foul calls).
All that said, I’m far from ready to call for upsets in any of these series. Denver and Golden State pulled of shocking wins (the Warriors were expected to give the Mavericks trouble but as much as they did Sunday). Anytime Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson get it rolling offensively the way they did against the Spurs, it’ll be extremely difficult to combat them.
The most unstoppable guy I saw all weekend was Baron Davis. Doesn’t it make you sick to know that had this guy been able to stay healthy he could have been one of the best of his era? He’s got as much raw talent as anyone and has the best hands (defensively) of any guard in the league not named Iverson. No matter what happens in that series, it’s going to be fun watching him go at the Mavericks.
Now, to catch up (and clear up) a few things from over the weekend:
The grades I dished out for the Hawks elicited some wild responses, in all directions. I knew it would create some chatter. I was particularly harsh on the Hawks’ big men, Speedy Claxton and the Mike Woodson (he was harder on himself than I would have been on him given the circumstances - was thinking a D but he’s the one who mentioned repeatedly in the final 48 hours of the season that he and his staff had failed. It’s a pass-fail scenario for him. If they make the playoffs he’s done the job. If not, he failed. That’s how he saw it and ultimately, he’s right. So that’s where his grade came from).
Greg Oden made it official Friday, and the entire basketball world (college coaches not named Thad Matta included) breathed a gigantic sigh of relief. Brandan Wright joined the party, too, along with Oden’s OSU teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook. Oden’s entry was a no-brainer. Wright’s, despite my fear that he’s a guy that’s probably three or four years away from being close to the player he’ll eventually become, was close to that. Conley and Cook would appear to be the crazy cats for jumping. But I think Conley’s doing what he should. It would be hard for me to pass him up in the late lottery if I were in desperate need of a point guard (cough). He and Acie Law are the only two point guard prospects I can think of right now that belong in the lottery.
Speaking of the lottery, the ties were broken for the lottery order late last week. It didn’t draw a whole lot of attention from the media. But the playoffs had us preoccupied. The quick results were as follows: Portland (32-50) won a tiebreaker with Minnesota; Charlotte (33-49) won a tiebreaker with New York and Sacramento; New York then won a tie-breaker with Sacramento; Indiana (35-47) won a tiebreaker with Philadelphia; Washington (41-41) won a tiebreaker with New Jersey; Golden State (42-40) won a tiebreaker with the L.A. Lakers.
For the lottery odds, here are the teams, their regular season records and their chances (out of 1,000) at the top pick: Memphis 22-60, 250; Boston 24-58, 199; Milwaukee 28-54, 156; Atlanta1 30-52, 119; Seattle 31-51, 88; Portland 32-50, 53; Minnesota 32-50, 53; Charlotte 33-49, 19; New York2 33-49, 19; Sacramento 33-49, 18; Indiana3 35-47, 8; Philadelphia 35-47, 7; New Orleans 39-43, 6; LA Clippers 40-42, 5.
And the rest of the first round goes like this: 15. Orlando (To Detroit), 16. Washington, 17. New Jersey, 18. Golden State, 19. LA Lakers, 20. Miami, 21. Denver (To Philadelphia), 22. Toronto (To Charlotte via Cleveland), 23. Chicago4, 24. Cleveland (To Phoenix via Boston), 25. Utah, 26. Houston, 27. Detroit, 28. San Antonio, 29. Phoenix, 30. Dallas (To Philadelphia).
1 Pick may be conveyed to Phoenix. 2 Pick may be conveyed to Chicago. 3 Pick may be conveyed to Atlanta. 4 Pick may be conveyed to New York.
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Time to move on, sort of …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, well, well.
Guess who’s taking home the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Award for April? That’s right, none other than our very own rookie punching bag himself, Shelden Williams.
I’ll admit that I was as down on this dude as anyone midway through the season. But if his late season push was any indication, he’s got a chance to be a contributor (and not the total bust some were forecasting him to be two months ago).
That ought to be the last bit of real Hawks-related news out there until next month, when the draft lottery dominates every drip drop of our conversation until May 22. So maybe it’s time for us to move on, sort of.
The playoff schedule is out, as I’m sure you’ve already seen and analyzed. During my morning strut on the Silver Comet Trail (I try and put in a good hour every morning I’m in town) I had time to examine the matchups and come to some terribly premature conclusions about which teams will move on from the first round.
In the West I like Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and Utah (that’s my only upset special of the postseason, and that’s not too big of an upset considering how close those teams were throughout the season).
In the East I like Detroit, Cleveland, New Jersey (in the upset) and Miami (in a tight one over a Chicago team that I think is better and should have their number after last season’s sticky series. It’s just hard for me to go against Shaq in the playoffs).
As cute as the first round matchups might be, it’s the second round games that offer all the intrigue. The Elite Eight is always nice. But the Final Four (even if it just in each conference) is always better.
I’m planning on heading out to a playoff site next week sometime. So I’ll be bringing you some live playoff craziness, even if the Hawks are now the proud owners of the league’s longest playoff drought (eight years). And we’ll continue our daily lottery and draft chats until we get to both events.
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Next up?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m asking this question because I want your answers to this question and not to strike a fire on a broader discussion that we’ve had around here forever, one that doesn’t have an answer that any of us can provide.
Since we’ve already come to the conclusion that the bulk of the people here want to see some changes in the coaching ranks and the front office ranks with the Hawks, who exactly do your propose be hired to replace the people you want to bounce?
(And remember that while the question is purely hypothetical, the circumstances surrounding this whole mess come with some very real constraints - at least until the Hawks’ ownership situation is resolved. And you can act like that isn’t a factor all you want. But trust me when I tell you that it is.)
I’ll admit this is my favorite part of this entire discourse. Because the easy part is saying “let’s get rid of this person or that person.” The hard part is knowing exactly where you want to go next and making sure you are indeed improving your position by making those changes.
So who’s up next? Make a case for your new hires (not cases against the people you want to run out of town, we’ve all heard those enough already).
May (22) Day!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MILWAUKEE - Let me get this straight, we have to sit around until May 22nd to find out of the Hawks have any reason at all to care about the June 28 NBA draft (well, I knew that but I wanted to write it for dramatic purposes)?
We all might as well hibernate until then, because there’s nothing anyone can do but wait for the (ping-pong) balls to drop and determine the fate of the Hawks. I suppose we’ve all know since that 3-13 December funk that we’d be here today, sitting and waiting for someone, something else to decide the next step for this hapless crew.
Sure, the optimistic portion of our crew (however many of those rebels haven’t relocated underground) dreamed a little dream when the boys from Hawksville won four straight after Joe Johnson went down with that calf injury. But we should have known better.
We should have known better than to expect this thing to turn out any other way. The Pacers’ playoff hopes went up in flames Sunday afternoon in a loss to New Jersey. And now the Hawks are reduced to hoping that the ping-pong balls bounce right not once, but twice next month.
Whatever the slight chance there is of the Pacers moving down the draft lottery, there remains a chance. And that’s bad news for a Hawks team that’s in desperate need of signs of hope these days (if you didn’t see the Hawks’ loss to Cleveland the other night, you’re one of the lucky ones, because it was arguably the ugliest game I’ve witnessed in years).
And for anyone wondering about this team as the season winds down (whether it’s the lingering personnel issues that have to be decided, Mike Woodson’s status or what have you, I’ll spend the next few days hashing this stuff out in print and on ajc.com, but feel free to discuss it here as we wait for the playoffs) know that whatever news there is can be found here first.
Another thing about those playoffs …
The playoff field is set in the Eastern Conference, with Orlando sealing their big with a Sunday win over the Celtics; has anyone ever tanked a season as blatantly as Danny Ainge’s crew?
The order in the East isn’t terribly important. The only teams with a chance to come out of the East and challenge for the Larry O’Brien trophy are Detroit, Miami and Chicago (I want to believe the hype with the Raptors, but I’m just not ready to drink the Canadian Kool-Aid just yet). So long as any two of those three teams makes it to the conference finals, the potential intrigue for a fantastic Finals matchup remains.
Don’t look now, but here come the Pacers …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last home practice of the year for the Hawks (and ya boy Blog-Z) today. It felt like Christmas, knowing that the days of fighting that wicked morning traffic from the lair to downtown are almost over (Joe Johnson must feel the same way because he was the second person to hit the practice court after yours truly).
Few things about the end of a season excite me (no matter how much I gripe about the Hawks, I love this job and appreciate that you’ve all stuck through yet another season with me). But the chance to wrap up this Hawks season and then move on to what should be a pretty intriguing playoff season has me amped.
I’m already anticipating some quality second round matchups in both the Eastern and Western Conference, and I can’t help but cross my fingers for a Detroit-Phoenix NBA Finals (I get to hit the crib and my second favorite spot out West for the Finals? There is a Crom).
Two weeks ago I would have predicted the Pacers would not be a part of this postseason. But the more I study it, I’m not so sure they’re not going to sneak into that eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference. That would be fantastic news for the Hawks; they would be assured of that Pacers’ draft pick were the boys from Indy to make the postseason.
More than anything else this offseason, the Hawks the Hawks must concentrate on fixing their structural problems (through the draft, free agency and trades). Whatever moves need to be made, they start with the draft. We’ve talked about lottery scenarios here endlessly. But the Pacers, by getting off their backs and making that final push to get into the playoffs, could eliminate all the drama of May 22 (lottery day).
There’s no guarantee the Hawks will take the right player (there never is). But at least they’d be guaranteed the opportunity to make the choice (with their other pick still in the balance until after the lottery order is revealed).
Just some thoughts to chew on. And now for one other thing (quickly, of course) that’s been on the dome for a few days now:
- I’ve refrained from throwing daggers at Don Imus, so many others have done much more justice to the topic than I could have. But answer me this one question, how do awful, inflammatory, race-laced, sexists comments from Imus said equate to the black community and the rap community needing to check themselves? The focus needs to be on dude and what he said. Instead, I’ve seen the discussion go all over the highway since Imus made his foolish comments. Before it’s all said and done, few people will remember what started this uproar. Not me.
One down, one to go?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve been discussing it for weeks, all under the general assumption that the June draft would include both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
But it wasn’t until Tuesday afternoon that we were assured of at least one of them being a part of the process.
Durant’s in. And I think we all agree that he raised the level of this, or any, draft with his presence alone. But now we need the other guy to jump in.
I don’t have any clue, which way Oden is leaning (I know if I was in his camp I’d have encouraged him to declare already and end the foolishness). What is clear is that a draft with one and not both of them is good. A draft with the two of them is one for the ages.
But what happens if Oden decides to go back to Ohio State? That changes the entire situation for every team trying to lose its way to into the top two of the draft.
I’ve honestly never contemplated my second choice if we have one and not the other. It’s always been predicated on the both of them being available, with Oden being the No. 1 player on my board and Durant 1A.
Don’t ask me why this popped into my head on the drive downtown this morning. I just started worrying about it, thinking that Oden’s delay in making a public announcement could mean that he’s perhaps thinking about a return to Columbus or it could just mean the big fella is doing things on his own time table (I wish I knew exactly what was going on).
Along that same path, I’ve continued to read more of the fire and brimstone about Durant (who is a fantastic player, no doubt) being the best offensive player to enter the NBA draft in the past 20 years. Huh? I keep wondering if I’ve watched the same guy.
That’s a humongous statement. Huge. And one I’m not ready to sign off on until I study the last 20 years and remind myself of all the accomplished offensive players that have entered the draft the past two decades.
Seriously, have I missed something in Durant’s game that I should have seen?
Anyway, I think it’s time we started shifting our conversation to the draft and the draft lottery, which at this point constitute the only real intriguing issues relating to the Hawks (with four games left, you just hope they don’t suffer any more serious injuries and that people chill on the mass cuss outs).
Can’t we all just get along?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Of all the interesting things we could be discussing today, we’re stuck with another Hawks mini-drama.
While I’d love to yap about Don Imus and his ridiculously stupid comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, I’ve got nothing but Josh Smith and Mike Woodson going (bleep) for (bleep) on each other Sunday night.
We could be here rehashing what everyone I know has told me was one of the better 24 episodes ever (I missed it but thank Crom for TiVo), but instead this day will be spent dispelling rumors and assorted other urban legends.
I’d love to spar with you about the merits of Greg Oden over Kevin Durant in the June draft (rumors are swirling about both of these future stars declaring for the draft as early as this week), yet we’ve got to clear up this mess that has become these Hawks once again.
Can’t we all just get along? (Rodney King on ya!)
I said the other day and I’ll say it again, there is no excuse (and I mean NO EXCUSE) for Smith blasting off on his coach the way he did. Whatever argument anyone makes about Woodson’s inability to coach or manage games or players properly is useless. There’s simply no excuse for a player handling himself the way Smith did (he’s admitted that to me repeatedly, on and off the record, which makes it tough to understand why so many here are making a case for his tirade?).
If it’s not acceptable for Terrell Owens or any other athlete to publicly jaw-jack his coach, then how in the world can anyone justify what Smith did?
All that said, I don’t know if there is a more ridiculous reaction than the one that comes from afar. I’ve read all sorts of stories and blog entries regarding what went on Sunday night (funny, I don’t remember seeing anyone else around reporting what went on …) and the fallout has been nothing short of comedic.
Some of the foolishness will be addressed in Wednesday’s print edition of the paper. Some other things can’t wait.
In the what is perhaps the funniest line I’ve read in, um, forever, a noted New York Post columnist wrote this: - Last year, Smith’s belligerence got so out of hand, I’m told, Zaza Pachulia pinned him to the Hawks’ locker room wall after a game. “Talk to me like you just did on the court,” the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Georgian warned, in essence, “and you’ll miss the rest of your career.”
I don’t know who told that version what happened (Pachulia uttered words along those lines, but across a crowded locker room and not directly at Smith), but they’ve got a future in storytelling. The next time Zaza has someone pinned up against a wall or anything else, on or off the court, will be the first time. I can promise you that this scene never took place (it sounds darn good though. And if I didn’t know better I’d be willing to drink some of that Kool-Aid with you).
The fact is, part of the reason Smith acted out the way he did is because there is no culture of peer accountability that exists in the Hawks’ locker room. Not one of his teammates got in his face Sunday night, like I would have to not only to help squash an ugly situation but to help a teammate save himself from an embarrassing situation (and some serious cash money). One of my main gripes about this team from the first day I set foot in the locker room is that these guys (every incarnation they’ve had since I’ve been around), is that they don’t police each other enough. To me, that’s one of this team’s greatest flaws (and we all know they have plenty).
I’ve written it here before, there has not been a single, live face off between Hawks since I started covering this crew nearly three years ago. So if there was a real mess going on, please believe that it would be reported here in all its glorious detail.
But when you clown the way some of these young Hawks have the past three years, you open the door for all sorts of embellishments about what actually happened.
Show ‘em the money!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The next time someone tries to sell you on the sanctity of the college game and the virtues of the “student-athlete” and the growth and development that’s supposed to happen during s0-called best four years of your life, remember this time.
Remember the days and weeks following the Final Four every year when the posturing, money grabbing and filthy underbelly of college basketball is exposed for all to see.
Guys like Billy Donovan will forever escape my wrath in this instance, because he’s proved with his action and his words that he’s about something more than the almighty dollar. But there are others - Billy Gillespie, Bob Huggins and friends you know who you are (you saw the Creighton coach doing the pig-sooey dance one day and then shuffling back to Omaha the next after a change of heart about taking the Arkansas job) - whose actions can only make me wonder how anyone, fan, parent, recruit and otherwise, can buy the steaming hot pile of garbage most of these coaches are selling.
In most cases, loyalty in college basketball is just a seven-letter word attached to a seven-figure salary. And if you’re school is willing to pay, there are bevy of supposed teachers of the game willing to shift allegiances immediately to ply their trade in the name of Old State U.
This is the same reason I went on that tirade a few weeks back about this idea of players improving with more and more years of college (who has time to develop players when you’re waiting around for the Final Four to go on safari for a new job?). Unfortunately for us (watchers of the game), there is seldom such skill development at the college level. I tried to make this point before and many of you assumed it was Blog-Z talking from inexperience. But I’ve seen how the college game works from the inside and out over the span of the past 18 years. And I’m telling you, this notion that the more college the better most players become is an absolute myth.
That’s why I hope they all declare for the draft. And I’m talking about Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and the rest of the youngsters who feel the urge (the Florida boys already did, which I think we can all agree was a wise move). If these guys wanted to move on from their respective schools to another simply because it was a better offer or a better fit, they’d be penalized. The coaches go on about their business with a wink and a nod and no one seems to care.
It’s a ridiculous system, fortified by the NBA’s foolish age-limit rule that has absolutely no positive impact anywhere other than the bank accounts of CBS and the universities cashing those NCAA Tournament revenue checks.
But then again, money is all we’re talking about anyway. Everybody wants somebody to show ‘em the money. Yet somehow the players who bolt for the money are chastised for doing so while the coaches who do it are celebrated as saviors at the new schools they’re paid to lead.
April 29 (the deadline day for underclassmen to declare for the June NBA draft) can’t get here fast enough for me. I hope the names keeps pouring in as fast as these college coaches change jobs.
Sucker punched
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NEW YORK - If the Hawks aren’t careful, they’ll be forced to sign members of their television and radio broadcast teams (Steve Smith and Dennis Scott) to 10-day contracts to finish off the season (and before you laugh, it worked for Kevin Willis).
Seriously, though. The news of Josh Childress going down was perhaps the strangest of the season, even more so than Joe Johnson’s injury (which we knew happened) and the hernia surgery that sidelined Josh Smith for a couple weeks after Christmas.
I don’t think anyone saw this coming, Childress has to feel like he got sucker punched. But when the MRI was done on his right foot, it revealed a clean fracture, which means he had to be shut down immediately before things got worse (I saw where the question was raised on yesterday’s gabfest about Childress having some chronic issue with his feet. It’s probably too soon to go there).
Not sure yet, but the new starting five could be Anthony Johnson at the point, Marvin Williams shifting to shooting guard, Josh Smith at small forward, rookie Solomon Jones at power forward and Zaza Pachulia at center. For those of you counting, that would be the Hawks 16th different starting lineup this season.
It’s only eight games and you figure that the Hawks should be able to survive without Johnson, Childress and Speedy Claxton, right? Well, a friend who covers a Central Division team asked me if I “think the Hawks are going to win another game this year?” Tough question. They’ve already lost six straight. Now they’ll play their last eight severely shorthanded. It’s going to be a struggle. They’ll have to overachieve a bit down the stretch to shake off this latest funk.
WOW! Breaking news. Grambling coaching legend Eddie Robinson has passed away. That’s a blow. The man was a pioneer and an icon. WOW!
Whatever my train of thought was, it just went the other direction …
Before I get out of here, I have to mention a few things that have plagued my brain the past 48 hours:
The Pacers’ free-fall continues and now they’ve locked up their first losing season in more than a decade. It’s a thin line between the top and bottom of the NBA standings. And if they’re not careful, franchises that have run like clockwork for years, will be hanging out in the basement. Strangely enough, the Pacers still aren’t out of the playoff mix (they were two back as of this morning) and that season-ending game against the Hawks could actually be a factor. Unbelievable.
Speaking of the standings. It looks like the Heat might be back on the playoff scene in a major way. Not only have they passed the Wizards for the top spot in the Southeast (if it holds that would mean a major reshuffling of the seeds for the playoffs - including an intriguing Detroit-Orlando matchup in the first round), they’re also close to seeing the return of reigning Finals MVP Dwyane Wade from injury. They’re going to be trouble for someone in the playoffs.
Speaking of the playoffs. Did you know that only two teams have been eliminated from playoff contention so far (Boston in the East and Memphis in the West). Other stragglers will soon join them. But for a few hours at least, there is hope.
I’m no women’s basketball expert, but is Pat Summitt the best basketball coach in the country right now? She might catch John Wooden’s record of 10 Division I titles. Like Wooden, Summit has won titles with and without transcendent talents on her roster. I don’t know where she ranks on my list. But I had to ask.
I forgot to mention talk about him after Sunday’s game, but how about Chicago rookie Tyrus Thomas? He looks like he’s going to be another player from last June’s draft to make a dent this season (and there have been few). Apparently it’s taken him some time to get comfortable in the system up there, but he could be a huge playoff factor for a Bulls team that will need a lift if they face the Heat in the first round.
A couple of non-basketball related travel items:
Finally made it to B. Smith’s restaurant near the Theatre District on Restaurant Row here in Manhattan. It’s a trip that was years in the making (I tried at the 2005 draft only to find out that the spot wasn’t open on Wednesday, a policy that has since changed). I’m not embarrassed to tell you that I came all this way to eat ribs and plantains (I don’t care they don’t go together, I like what I like). One of the best meals I’ve had here. And to top it off, B. Smith was in the house and went from table to table thanking everyone for frequenting her spot. Classy lady.
I hit the Virgin Megastore in Times Square to walk off some of that good food and raised the $10 dollar DVD racks. Added School Daze, Hotel Rwanda, Like Water for Chocolate and Conan The Complete Quest to the home collection. There was plenty to choose from but only classics make it into the home collection. If you’re a bargain hunter, like your boy Blog-Z, you have to check out the massive selection the next time you’re in Gotham.
The eyes don’t lie …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not waiting around for workouts (highly overrated) or official measurements (who cares how tall Corey Brewer is in socks?) and I don’t care who has what pick in the June draft (that won’t be decided until May 22). I’m not even going to sleep on it. I’m going with what these eyes have seen for Blog-Z’s Top 13 for the 2007 NBA draft:
Greg Oden, Ohio State - I watched Oden for 20 minutes at the Nike Camp the summer after his freshman year of high school and knew then that barring a catastrophe this guy was the top pick in whatever draft he declared for. First impressions never lie. You saw the beast Monday night. The eyes don’t lie.
Kevin Durant, Texas - His tournament run was brief but Durant’s crazy freshman season will love on forever. Any other year I’d love him with the top spot. A scoring machine who has a chance to develop into one of the game’s truly elite players when his body catches up to his skills.
Al Horford, Florida - It doesn’t matter if he’s 6-9 or 6-10, Horford has made a believer out of me. He’s as physically ready to play at the next level as any player in this draft. He dropped in 18 and 12 last night on the big stage, which showed me all I needed to see.
Joakim Noah, Florida - There are probably more naturally gifted players out there. But for my money, a player like Noah is far more valuable. He’s a gamer without the fancy polish and selfish attitude. Put him on your team and good things will happen.
Corey Brewer, Florida - North Carolina’s Brandan Wright had been penciled in here for months. But what is it Wright does that Mr. MOP can’t do better? … Exactly. Brewer’s quick lift off the floor and all around game make me think of a more high-tech version of Stacey Augmon, one of my all-time favorite players.
Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State - Wicked is the only way to describe this young PG. His handle, his savvy, his game. It’s just wicked. I had no idea he was this good. It just always seemed he was Oden’s tag along. But he’s basically a brilliant basketball player at 19. And great PG prospects are so hard to find.
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown - Size definitely matters in the NBA. And aside from Oden, no one has it in surplus like big Roy. He fared better in a one-on-one matchup against Oden than Florida’s entire frontline rotation did Monday. Big fella has uncanny skills for a player his size. You can’t overlook that.
Al Thornton, Florida State - This rugged man from Perry, GA made quite the impression after watching his run from afar all season and a little closer during their NIT run. He’s a bruiser of the highest order that has honed his face-up game to the point that he can give anyone troubles.
Jeff Green, Georgetown - While I can try to forget his Final Four no-show, I can’t help but remember all that Green did to get the Hoyas there. And even in defeat I thought his passing for a guy his size was a sight to behold. He’s still one of my guys, though. I just wanted to see him dominate.
Acie Law , Texas A&M - How many big shots does my man have to knock down before the NBA types realize what everyone else who saw him already knew. This man thrives when the pressure is the greatest. More teams (college and NBA) need players like “The Law.”
Julian Wright, Kansas - His fragile shooting touch is his only weakness. Wright has everything else you love in a player his size (6-9, 225) and so much more. I’m seeing a Shane Battier type with even more untapped potential than Battier had after four years at Duke.
Brandan Wright, North Carolina - There were three or four moments during Tar Heels games in the NCAA Tournament that finally illustrated to me what NBA types have been saying about this guy for two years. Who knows if he’s going to fulfill his immense potential? But it’s worth taking a risk on him this high.
Chris Richard, Florida - The New Millennium Swen Nater (do your homework), Richard would have been a major player anywhere else other than Florida. He played Oden better than either Horford or Noah could have dreamed of. Everybody slept on Udonis Haslem, too. Don’t make the same mistake twice.
Clarity … and so much more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Like most people in this business, I strive to write stories that answer all your questions. My hope on a daily basis is that you don’t finish up a Hawks story with more questions than you got answers. But I realize that all of us fall short of the goal sometimes.
That’s why, in an effort to provide even more depth to the story in Monday’s paper about the Hawks’ point guard situation, I’m going to address it here again (while also reserving a little space at the end of for some of my daily ramblings about all things basketball). The point was and remains this; three veteran point guards is too many. It just doesn’t work, in any way shape or form.
So I went about asking the people involved what their thoughts were about how the whole thing will shake out. Now the responses you read were deadpan assessments from all involved - Mike Woodson’s comments regarding Speedy Claxton seemed to strike the biggest nerve with people, and for good reason. Why anyone would think Woodson would accept Claxton’s disappointing and injury-plagued season without some tough love comments for his (high-priced) free agent pickup is beyond me. I thought he was, per usual, more diplomatic than other coaches would be in a similar situation.
If anything, Woodson’s reluctance to crack guys more often has always surprised me (for example, Larry Bird routinely used the media to poke and prod his players when he coached in Indiana, as have countless others in the same situation). I think Woodson goes overboard to keep from doing that, which is an admirable trait in a coach in this day and age of players being coddled from their first day of AAU basketball.
Anyway, there’s only so much space in a given (newspaper) article for blabbermouths like me to get it all out. So here are some other comments regarding the point guard situation from some of the guys involved that didn’t make the paper:
“We have to go with the guy that … well, you have to evaluate who is more valuable and who will help you win games. That’s what it all boils down to. Healthwise, who you can you depend on? That’s the stuff that factors into the decision. But I think this summer someone will have to sit down and make those tough decisions that can help us move forward. Because we’ve got to get better at the point. Everybody knows that.” - Hawks captain Joe Johnson, when I asked how you determine which guy(s) to roll with next season.
“My knee just never allowed me to have the season I wanted to have. I’m not making an excuse, that’s just the reality of the situation. I’m trying to get it right this summer and I’m trying my best to come back and play the way I know I’m capable of playing so people can really see what I can do.” - Hawks guard Speedy Claxton on how he deals with all the drama made about him being a free agent bust.
My favorite assessment of the entire situation came from Royal Ivey, the fourth point guard on the roster and the guy who bailed the Hawks out last season by starting 66 games during the 2005-06 scramble at the point. His contract expires at the end of this season and it’s no secret that he’ll likely be moving on to another team somewhere. His perspective is as unique as it is sharp, and for the record he doesn’t think it’s as ridiculous as I do to keep three veteran point guards.
“Speedy came in and he was going to be the starter for the next few years but he was hurt. And that’s unfortunate. But he’ll be the guy at the helm next year,” Ivey said. “T. Lue has another year on his contract and so does AJ, so I expect us to keep that rotation with those three guys toting the load. Why wouldn’t we? I think with those three guys we should be fine. All three of them do very different things. And all three of them, when they’re healthy, can be extremely effective. I don’t think people should sell them short.”
Interesting. We’ll have to see how it shakes out.
Now, a few other weekend observations from the newfound center of the basketball universe that is downtown Atlanta:
I’m always cracking NBA officials for being the worst part of the NBA game, but they’ve since been surpassed as the “worst” by their college counterparts who did their very best to ruin Saturday’s national semifinals. It’s utter foolishness, some of the fouls that were called. Utter foolishness. Had I paid for one of those $2,200 tickets, I’d be asking Myles Brand for a refund.
And what’s with all the yammering about Florida being able to beat up on the NBA’s worst teams? Don’t the Gators need to beat Ohio State tonight before we crown them the one of the “greatest teams of the past 30 years?” If anyone thinks the Gators, a fine collection of guys with a true zeal for not only the game but the team aspect of the game, could whip any NBA team, they need to lay off the GATORade. Seriously.
And as much as I love watching them, I’m not as ready to anoint this Florida team as the greatest crew of the past decade, let alone the past 30 years. That’s just a huge statement when you consider the current state of the game in this country. Think hard now about the teams you’ve watched in the past and tell me if you think these Gators could handle that UNLV team from 1990, the Duke team that dethroned them a year later when they were gunning for an undefeated repeat, or the Duke team that followed up that 1991 title team with another one the next year (over my Fab Five)? And those are just four of the teams that I think would make it into the conversation involving the best teams of the past 30 years.
If you’re looking for something great to watch late night, when everyone else in the house is snoring, TiVo “The UCLA Dynasty” special on HBO. It could have been three hours long and you’d watch every drop of it. There’s jaw-dropping footage of everyone from Gail Goodrich to Marques Johnson during UCLA’s dynasty years. But if you haven’t seen high school and college footage of one Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., you’re missing out on something special. When I asked a couple of the Hawks’ young players before Sunday’s game if they’d ever seen footage of the man who would become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and they said they had not, I was heartbroken for them. I’m a history nut, not just about basketball but in general, so my affinity for black and white footage goes beyond the norm. That footage of Mr. Alcindor should be required viewing for all aspiring big men. No excuses.
Thanks to the one cat one the planet that would rock a Braves with a tuxedo, Slam Magazine’s Lang Whitaker, my day started earlier than necessary on Saturday (he did drop a new nickname on me, “Tubby Smith,” that had me laughing for a good 10 minutes). I rolled with Slang (I got jokes, too) to the adidas Nations event at Emory (after a very large cup of hot coffee from Dunkin Donuts) to catch a glimpse of the kids whose names will be on your brains in the coming years (and just to be clear, the only basketball I didn’t watch this weekend was the CYO national tournament). Some of the best rising juniors and seniors in the country were on the floor, going through drills and scrimmage work run by former NBA player and coach Paul Silas (at least someone is trying to teach the youngsters the right way). There were some notable performances, namely by Coney Island fave Lance Stephenson, who has all the prerequisite flash and swagger that comes with his basketball roots. But my favorite player there was Larry Drew Jr. The son of the Hawks assistant by the same name has sick game (wrote a story about the prodigious Drew crew during an LA trip last year). The younger Drew is one of the best ball handlers I’ve seen, at any level. It was a nice set up, I just wish I’d have known there was a 4 p.m. session as well as the morning joint.
The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to believe that LeBron James is being overlooked in the MVP race for reasons that I can’t figure out. Is there another star player in the league doing more with less help? He willed the Cavs to a win over the Bulls Saturday (which led directly to the Bulls grinding the Hawks down late Sunday). I’m just worried that we’ve become so immune to LeBron’s exploits (dude has been on TV since he was a bearded seventh grader) these days that we’re ignoring how great a season he’s having and how truly special a player he has become.
I did my Jack Bauer all over the city this weekend and I still can’t find Georgetown’s Jeff Green. That was low, but that’s another thing that’s been nagging me the past 24 hours. Green’s no-show against Ohio State was probably the most disappointing aspect of my entire weekend. I was hoping for a star-making turn. But he didn’t even show up. (big Roy Hibbert showed me chops, though, as did Mike Conley, and all the Florida boys, especially reserve big man Chris Richard, who has to get a long look from some NBA team searching for a rugged big man).
After talking with some NBA types Sunday, the consensus seems to be that Florida’s Corey Brewer was the best player in town this weekend not already on a NBA roster. I’m not kidding. Three different guys told me Sunday that everyone thinks he’s the best player in the Final Four. I disagreed of course (you take Brewer, I’ll take Oden). But I could see where his showcase in that win over UCLA would sway some people.
That’s it for now. I’ll be back during the title game with some real-time observations of what’s going on between the Buckeyes and Gators.
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