1:35pm: More Stupid Updates

STEVEN A. SMITH- a horrible, frightening, unlistenable broadcaster - who has LOTS OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO SAY was on ESPNEWS (i've decided to go with that version), and here were his updates:

 

 

 

Wait, let's try again.  Here is what STEVEN A SMITH has to say:

 

 

 

I'm sorry ... I just couldn't watch it.  Can't stand that dude.  Had to change the channel. 

1:08 pm Update

Andy Katz is on ESPNews, (ESPN News?  espnNews?  ESPNEWS?  How exactly is this handled?), and here are his "updates":

• Atlanta is leaning towards Horford rather than Yi.
• Memphis is going with Conley, Jr at 4 - even if Atlanta selects Yi and Horford is on the board.
• Boston is considering Jeff Green along with Brewer and Yi at #5.
• If Yi is available at #6, Milwaukee has made the decision that they will take him, regardless of his "exclusive list of cities"; even going so far as to clear it with the NBA to make sure they'd have the league's support if Yi tried to pull some shenanigans.
• Kevin McHale has spoken with the Chinese officials today regarding Yi.

Frankly, we're basically hearing the same things over and over.  Is it 4:00 yet?

Humor From Last Year's Live Blog

A few funny notes from last year's live blog that we thought you might enjoy.  Some of these are funny, others are simply dead wrong, but they're entertaining.  For your own enjoyment:

 

Lochi, regarding Andrea Bargnani: "Look, I'm Italian, that's the least Italian looking Italian guy I've ever seen. He looks a lot more like a guy playing for the U of Utah than an Italian. He also can barely dunk, shoots set shots from the outside, and is tall. They just drafted the Euro Sam Perkins first overall. Congrats.

 

Lochi, regarding Sheldon Williams: "Hilarious. He obviously gives them...honestly, I have no idea what he gives them."

 

Moderator, regarding Sheldon Williams: "I would understand this pick ... if Atlanta was selecting at #12. It's a reach. He's essentially a poor-man's Elton Brand, which makes him Corliss Williamson."

 

Lochi, regarding Brandon Roy: "He's a Husky, I hate him, never thought he was that good in the first place."

 

Moderator, regarding Brandon Roy: "And even better, this means that Rudy Gay falls to Portland. I am happy about this. If you'd have told me 2 months ago that Portland would come away from this draft with LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay, I'd have taken lewd pictures of your girlfriend and posted them on the internet. Good stuff."

 

Lochi, regarding Golden State's selection of Patrick O'Bryant: "Now THIS is funny. I would openly like to offer double or nothing to our fearless moderator on his Warriors are a playoff team wager."

 

Moderator, regarding Golden State's selection of Patrick O'Bryant: "As for the Warriors, they are not going to make the playoffs next year, despite with Lochi says. I think they're about 13 months away from blowing the whole thing up again."
 

Moderator, regarding JJ Reddick: "nice pick, will be a good player, will have a long career, can do one thing very well which 90% of the NBA cannot do (shoot the lights out). Can't fault anyone for taking him in the 10+ range."

 

Moderator, regarding Renaldo Balkman: "Uh ... what? Mistake number 4,325 by Isiah Thomas and the New York Knick front office. This dude averaged 9 points per game in the freaking MAC conference. I'm not much for quoting Jay Bilas, but I'll amend that rule in this special circumstance: "I'm stunned. This guy is a second round pick at best. There is not another team who would have taken him in the first round."
 

Lochi, regarding Balkman: "Lochi: Ahhhh, Isiah, thanks buddy, that made me laugh. Gotta like Spike going "...sleeper?" Seriously, does this guy play striker for Brazil? They should have just taken Ronaldhino."

 

Lochi, regarding Portland's 2006 draft: "Seriously, what the hell are they doing? I'm going to take some time to think about all this bullshit and post something tomorrow that at least has a theory as to what the hell happend tonight."

 

(Editor's note: that last clip was following several beers and several head-spinning hours of live blogging the NBA draft.  He eventually came around.)

 

 

Mike Barrett: KP Says No Promise Made

I just received an email from Mike Barrett, the Blazers' play-by-play voice, and he says that Kevin Pritchard hasn't promised anything to anyone.  I can't quote his email, but here are the specifics from his blog:

I talked to Kevin Pritchard this morning, in his office, and he once again stated that nothing has been guaranteed to anyone. So, that basically says the reports you've been hearing on ESPN are false. It doesn't mean Portland won't actually take Oden, of course, but no one has been promised anything in advance. Kevin was adamant about that, and said "don't believe the reports you're hearing."

You can read the full post here: http://mikebarrettsblog.blogspot.com/ .

 

 

 

 

What We Learned From Chad Ford's Chat Today

Chad Ford conducted one of his ESPN chats today, and here's the good stuff:

• He confirms what we already knew, that Portland is trying hard to get another lottery pick, and thinks they'll deal Zbo for a small forward later this summer.
• Sonics GM Sam Presti has been offering both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis (sign-and-trade) around the league. 
• The Atlanta Hawks are split as to whom to select at #3 between Al Horford and Asian Darko.
• Memphis at #4 is torn between Conley Jr and Corey Brewer.  Joakim Noah is also getting some consideration here.
• Milwaukee at #6 may trade their pick.  A few of the offers include Devin Harris from Dallas, and the #12 and #21 picks from Philly. 
• He doesn't think KG will get dealt today.
• Charlotte (#7) also may trade their pick; with Golden State's Monta Ellis being the target.
• Chicago at #9 is looking at Yi, Noah, and Spencer Hawes.
• Toronto is trying to get into the first round, with Jose Calderon as the bait.

And, we've already had our first trade today -- Orlando sent the #54 pick to Houston for cash considerations.  I hate to even comment on this, but you have to like that deal from Houston's perspective. 

The Big Day

ESPN is reporting the choice has been made and it's Oden (thank God), but the Oregonian is reporting that Pritchard emphatically denies that he's told anyone. This to me is like Vito Corleone saying that "I will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today." Well yeah, technically you weren't, but Michael unleashed the fury. What's the difference? I'm sure the Blazers have told Oden and his people he's the guy, even if Pritchard hasn't himself.

Some other thoughts about rumors around the league:

If the Hawks turn the #3 and #11 picks in the draft into Yi and Luke Ridnour I might seriously injury myself laughing.

If the Sonics turn the #2 and Ridnour into Durant and Law I might be somewhat concerned, however they're going to have loads of trouble finding someone to handle Oden for the next 15 years.

Why does nobody mention the fact that Horford and Noah are both top 10 picks in the most loaded draft in history, and Greg Oden wiped the floor with both of them in the NCAA Title game?

I'm borderline giddy to see what Portland does tonight. I think they'll move back into the first round, potentially twice, Thornton might be an interesting target.

Some late first, early second round types that I think would be useful players off the bench on a contender:

Aaron Afflalo, good all around player, particularly defensively, and a streaky shooter. Kind of a younger, more polished version of Udoka.

Taurean Green, strangely he reminds me of Jarrett Jack as a point guard.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis, now this guy I really like as a bench big man. He's got good skills and obviously is a very big guy. Off the bench, I like what he could give them behind Aldridge and Oden. He's got soft hands and would be a nice pick and pop guy for Sergio.

DJ Strawberry, tough defensive point guard, reminds me of a young Greg Anthony. Despite my hate for his dad (I'm a Dodger fan, we'll discuss this if the Blazers draft him), I think he'd be a great bench player for defensive purposes.

Marco Belinelli, I'm Italian, we could use one of my brothers on the team. Apparently he's a sniper.

Recap of 6/27 Jason Quick Chat

Quick spoke to Oregonlive.com again today; below are the main points.  Anything you see in parentheses is me talking.  Quick said...

1. The Blazers are up to “big things” today.  They assembled and talked about the #1 pick, and Pritchard feels good about where there at and know who they’re going to go with.  But there are other items brewing. Quick thinks Portland will get another first round pick, probably in the 17 – 24 range.  But there is also something bigger brewing (Note from Moderator: Zbo trade?).
2. How many of their four second round picks will they actually use?  Quick thinks one.
3. Kevin Durant thinks that Greg Oden will be the #1 pick.  (This is a huge indicator to me.  If the Blazers were legitimately consider him, he’d know it.)
4. Jason Quick is the most un-confident that he’s ever been since Portland won the lottery that they will take Oden.  There’s just something he sees in Pritchard to indicate this.  
5. Quick’s colleagues are kidding him, asking him in his writings why he’s acting like its a debate during Oden-Durant, because “everyone knows it’ll be Oden”.  But Quick is not not so sure about that now.  “Pritchard really worries me with the way he’s carrying himself.”
6. He thinks that Pritchard would take an incredible amount of heat if he takes Durant.  But he’s not here to please a fan base, he’s here to win a championship.  Pritchard has long talked about an up-tempo style of play, and Durant is the perfect player for that kind of team.
7. Quick says with all certainty that Nate McMillan is an Oden guy.
8. Players that may be on Portland’s radar for a late-first, early-second round pick: Bellini, Saboutas, Daequan Cook.
9. “I think Jarrett definitely (has a chance of getting traded).”
10. Quick will have an article in Friday’s paper that talks about what/some of the offers that Portland has gotten for this pick, and what the organization has gone through in making this pick.  
    

And, of course, your faithful authors will be live-blogging the draft tomorrow.  

Rumor Roundup: Blazers-only Edition

Thought you might like to see a bit of what’s floating around Al Gore’s Internets.

Chad Ford, ESPN.com:  “If the Lakers get left out in the cold on a KG deal ... what's the next move? They could probably wrangle Zach Randolph from the Blazers for Lamar Odom.”

Blazersblog reaction:  No.  Just no, Chad, Portland is not shipping Zbo to LA for Lamar Odom.  There are so many things wrong with that suggestion that I”m not even going to get into it.

The Ohio News-Herald: “Teams are saying Portland is simply asking too much for power forward Zach Randolph.”

Blazersblog reaction: What I’m guessing this means is that Cleveland proposed some shitty offer to Portland like “Andreson Verejao in a sign and trade and next year’s #1 for Zbo”, and Portland laughed them off the phone.  

The Oregonian is still floating the “#6 pick and Dan Gadzuric for Pryzbilla and Jack” rumor.

The Oregonian: “One NBA source explained Tuesday that Pritchard and Allen probably don't want to tip their hand because they love the national attention it's garnering them. A second source said the Blazers don't want to announce that they plan to select Oden because they're waiting to see if the Sonics love Durant so much they'd be willing to swap picks and sweeten Portland's fortune.”

What The Professionals Are Saying

This is Greg Oden’s scouting card from ESPN.com:

Draft Projection: Top 2

Similarities: Tim Duncan meets Patrick Ewing

Notes: Oden announced on April 20 that he was declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft and hiring an agent, ending his college eligibility.

Positives: Has lethal combination of size and athleticism. Runs the floor very well. Dominant on the defensive end. Excellent shot blocker and rebounder. Alters so many shots that his numbers alone don't do him justice. Great hands. Soft touch from inside and a developing jumper. Very good passer out of the post. Smart kid.

Negatives: Doesn't dominate the way you'd expect him to. Can be almost too nice at times. Doesn't have the killer instinct, though he started playing with more passion in the second half of the season. Post moves still need work. Wrist fracture sidelined him for the start of the season at Ohio State. His right wrist is still very stiff, forcing him to shoot free throws with his left hand for much of the season.

Summary: The consensus No. 1 pick in the draft despite Kevin Durant's amazing season. Draws comparisons to Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson. He may not be spectacular, but most NBA GMs believe he'll immediately be one of the top two centers in the league. His strong performance in the NCAA title game gave us a glimmer of what he's capable of, going for 25 points, 12 boards and 4 blocks.

Silly Season

This is the time I like to call the Silly Season. The three days before the draft are filled with all sorts of hilarity, but this might be my all time favorite dumb rumor. A three team trade in which the Blazers give up LaMarcus to some phantom team and get back Jose Calderon. Um...no. Despite my love for Miami Vice and particularly anything to do with the evil kingpin Calderon (or Jai Alai), the Blazers are not trading a guy that looks like a sane version of Rasheed Wallace for Jose Calderon. They're just not.

I'm still holding strong in the Greg Oden camp. I'm still honking once as they say. Oden is a once in a generation center, Durant is not a once in a generation wing player. He's not because Garnett, Dirk, Kobe, and Agent Zero are all in the league right now, so by definition he can't be a once in a generation player. Oden is the best center in the world right now. I'm tired of talking about this, it's starting to give me a migraine.

Anyway, be careful with the rumor mongering, it can get crazy right now. And as for the monster trade being discussed, why wouldn't the Celtics just cut the Pacers out of the deal and take Odom and Bynum and pair them with Pierce, Jefferson, West, and Rondo? That's basically a poor man's version of the Lakers from last year. It's not a championship team, but at least it's a playoff team and keeps the lynch mob away from Danny Ainge. Bynum would also be a fairly decent center to build around as well. Incidentally, THAT is a reason to draft Oden too, Andrew Bynum is what passes as a decent young center to build around. Oden would wipe the floor with Bynum.

One last thought, I still think the Blazers are going to get another lottery pick somehow. I'm not sure if they like Conley, Green, Brewer, or whoever, but I think they've got a target in mind. I'd prefer Brewer to all of them, but everyone knows that by now.

Update: From Andy Katz over at ESPN, rumor floating around of Jack and Joel to the Bucks for the #6 and Dan Gadzuric (he's still in the league?). Corey Brewer, Corey Brewer, Corey Brewer....

Your Door is Ajar

The door was left cracked open by our future franchise center, this is mildly concerning to me. Obviously if he does in fact have a back injury that really changes things, but I'm sure the medical staff will put him through a variety of tests to see if he does. The wrist injury I don't think is much of an issue, it certainly got stronger as the college season went along and he became more and more dominant over that time.

More concerning would be the workout itself, where he was nervous, got winded, and even apologized twice for his shoddy performance. I think it's safe to assume that Kevin Durant is going to come in here tomorrow and shoot the lights out and look every bit the bad ass that he is. Then we could really be in trouble.

I still fully endorse Greg Oden with the #1 pick, franchise centers win championships, Shaq and Duncan have won 8 titles in the last decade. If you've got a shot at that, you can't afford to pass on him for the next Garnett or Nowitzki, or a hybrid of those two and Kobe all mixed together. Yes, Kevin Durant is fantastic, and yes the Blazers would also be a playoff team and one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA with a starting 5 of Jack, Roy, Durant, Randolph, and Aldridge. But I'm not 100% certain that Kevin Durant brings a championship to Rip City, I am 100% certain that Greg Oden will, at some point in the next decade, win an NBA Title.

Rumor Rundown

Lots of juicy stuff floating around the NBA rumorville lately.  Following are some non-Blazer related rumors to catch up on.  Of course all of this comes with the prerequisite that “since we’ve already heard about it, it probably won’t happen”.  

Kevin Garnett
The Rumor: Garnett to the Celtics for Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, the #5 pick and cap fodder.

The Rundown: If the T-wolves can get this, I say jump on it.  I’d be surprised if Boston was willing to do this deal without getting Minnesota’s pick in return, but I’ve seen the rumor both ways.  Dealing Garnett means a re-build, and I doubt they’d get much more than this.  They get a PF to replace Garnett who will be around longer and is cheaper in Jefferson, and for that downgrade they also get a young SF with a big future in Green and an excellent pick in a great draft.  Randy Foye, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, the #5 pick (Asian Darko?) and the #7 pick (Mike Conley or Acie Law?) is an awfully nice group to build around.  I’d be more scared of them after this deal than I would be now.  

As for the Celtics, a Paul Pierce – Kevin Garnett paring probably gets them back to playoff level; especially if Rajon Rondo can develop a little.  I wouldn’t make this deal if I were Boston — this writer says they should deal Pierce and commit to a rebuild — but if you have a chance to get Garnett I suppose you can’t blame them too much.  I don’t believe Garnett is getting dealt this offseason (I’m more inclined to think they’ll move him at the trading deadline, following another terrible first half) anyway, but it’s fun to speculate about.

Ron Artest
The Rumor: Artest to the Miami Heat for Udonis Haslem, Jason Williams and expiring contracts.

The Rundown: Haslem?  Are you kidding me?  He’s a backup big man who rebounds and plays a little D, and that’s it.  No way this rumor has any legs.  If I’m Sacto, I try to deal both Bibby and Artest this offseason, hire Dwayne Casey as my coach, and commit to a rebuild around Kevin Martin, the #10 pick, and whatever you get for those two stars.  

Yi Jianlian (aka “Asian Darko”)
The Rumor: Boston, Chicago, Golden State, and Minnesota are all trying to get him.

The Rundown: Kudos to my co-author for coining this nickname.  Along with Mike Conley, probably the biggest question mark in the draft.  Looking at the top-ten in the draft, it’s conceivable that Jianlian could go as high as #3, or more likely, at #5, #7, or #9.  The big question seems to be if Boston deals the #5 pick – and all signs indicate that they are shopping it, hard – will it be to a team looking to move up to grab Yi or Conley?  

Around The League

• I refuse to believe that Kobe Bryant is going anywhere.
• Peter Vesey is reporting that Rashard Lewis’ agent may have screwed up the paperwork to void the last two years of his deal and may have jeopardized his status as a free agent.  I haven’t seen this validated anywhere, and Vesey is one of the worst “make shit up” writers out there, so take it with a grain of salt but file it away.
• As for Steve Blake, I’m hearing rumblings about Denver and Cleveland both being interested.  I don’t quite see how Portland fits in unless they deal Jarrett Jack which isn’t out of the realm of possibilities; but do you really think a guy like Blake — who’s been a fringe NBA player in the past — would really hold off on signing a long-term guaranteed deal with another club on the chance that Portland might trade Jack?  
• Another Blazer related note — with Kevin Pritchard screaming about how impressed he was by Brandon Roy saying last year “I put the team first”, doesn’t that give a big flag to both Durant and Oden to say that, and doesn’t it also put into question the genuinity of such a statement?  Not to get all Peter King on you, but Hey KP — how about playing it a little closer to vest what you’d like to see?
• The Sonics appear to be deciding between Dwayne Casey and PJ Carlesimo for their coaching vacancy.
  

Finally, Mark Bryant is interviewing with the Phoenix Suns for an assistant coach position.  Why do I bring this up?  Because I have a special place in my heart for Mark Bryant.  

It was the summer of 1988, and I was a nine-year old kid participating in a summer basketball camp at one of the Portland suburban high schools.  During the “end-of-day speech” that the coach would give, they had a contest each day where the first person to raise their hand and answer a question correctly won a prize.  That day’s question?  “Who did the Blazers pick with their first round draft choice this year?”.  My hand shot up first, I got called on, and correctly answered “Mark Bryant!”.  (#21 pick out of Seton Hall).  The prize: an $80 gift certificate to the Nike Employee Store.  Got me a new pair of the Robinson Pumps and couldn’t have been happier.  Thank you, Mark Bryant, and good luck getting that assistant job.

Oden Arrives

Today's the big day, Greg Oden arrives in Portland. I guess Aldridge and Roy are going to be leading his recruiting visit, dinner tonight with the workout tomorrow. Kevin Durant arrives after that for essentially the same tour and treatment. Pritchard is going with the poker face, which seems odd since he has the #1 pick and it really doesn't matter. Who knows, maybe he really does like Durant more than Oden, but I still think there's no way they pass on the big fella on draft night next week.

Rumor of the day: that same Chicago rumor keeps popping up. According to Chad Ford, the Hawks are going to pick Horford because they are the Hawks, and there is no known cure. It's not that I don't like Horford, but come on, another forward? Anyway, this scenario could potentially cause Conley to fall to the Bulls at 9, which could certainly open the door for a Blazers trade. I'm still not big on Conley, but I keep seeing this rumor in spots.

Another rumor floating around with Northwest ties but not for the Blazers, the Wolves may have their sights set on Spencer Hawes...I'm glad they're in our division. Kevin McHale says he sees a lot of himself in Hawes, apparently he sees him as another horrific GM in 20 years. I actually feel bad for KG at this point. That big vein in his head might finally pop if they draft Hawes with that #7 pick.

Rumor Of The Day 6/15

Another day, another rumor, this one coming out of Chicago. They're clearly interested in Z-bo and this one really seems to be grasping at straws. The deal would be structured around Conley being available with their #9 pick (no chance in hell). Obviously their contracts wouldn't match up so we're back to wild speculation. For the record, I hate it when news sources say stuff like "Conley for Randolph" without any kind of attention being paid to the salary cap.

I suppose we need to look more into Conley Jr., his name keeps popping up and it seems hard to believe that there can't be at least some fire where the smoke is coming from. Let's look at his frosh year at The Ohio State University:

31.6 minutes, 11.3 points, 3.4 boards, 6.1 assists to 2.2 turnovers (2.8 to 1), 2.2 steals.
51.8% from the floor (like that), 30.4% from the college 3 point line (don't like that at all).

I know he's Oden's buddy, and the assist to turnover ratio is pretty strong for a freshmen point guard, but the rest of his numbers don't really sell me on him as a player to trade an asset like Zach Randolph for.

Rumor Of The Day

Seeing as how they seem to come on a daily basis, here's the one I heard yesterday:

Blazers trade Z-bo and Jack to the Hawks for Marvin Williams, a cap filler, and the #3 pick.

This might be one of the more interesting rumors I've heard, and it would make some sense. Jack played at G-Tech, the Hawks would certainly be better in a hurry, and the Blazers get a high upside forward and that #3 pick that they could do a number of things with. Speculation is that Conley Jr.'s dad (and the "agent" for both Oden and Conley) is trying to get Conley to Portland to continue his playing relationship with Oden. Not sure how I feel about that, but I wouldn't mind any situation that got them Corey Brewer along with Oden.

Debate?

I've been thinking about the right way to address this whole Oden vs Durant debate, but the question should probably be asked of whether or not it's even worth debating. Kevin Durant is a marvelous player and is going to be an elite scorer in this league for many years, but these facts are undeniable:

Tim Duncan: about to win his 4th title.
Shaq: 4 titles.
The Dream: 2 titles

Kareem, Parrish, Walton, the list goes on and on. The only elite center I can come up with that didn't win a championship is Patrick Ewing and he had to deal with the greatest player of all time in his conference and when he did make the Finals they played against The Dream and one of them obviously has to lose.

So why is this even a debate? If you want to win a championship, Greg Oden is the guy you take with this pick. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who honks twice at that billboard over by the Rose Garden should be immediately pulled over on suspicion of DUI.

Addressing The Golden State Rumor

Many of you may have heard of the latest “Zbo” rumor going around, that Portland and Golden State are talking about a Zbo and #2 pick for Richardson, Patrick O’Bryant and Golden State’s #1 pick deal.

It’s nice in theory because J-Rich is a wing player who scores a ton and runs the floor, but there are several problems with this deal you should be aware of.  

1. J-Rich is a "2" not a "3".  And he's not one of those wing players who really could be either one (like Stephen Jackson), he's a pure 2.  

2. Who is Patrick O'Bryant?  He was that big stiff center from Bradley who led them to the sweet 16 in the tourney two years ago that Lochi and I were making fun of during last year’s NBA Draft Live Blog.  He spent almost all of last year in the NBDL and is a project.  I'd be surprised, though, if Golden State threw him in; they actually value him quite a bit and would probably want a pick in return, let alone including their #1.

3. Al Harrington is a "4" who played out of position at the "5" all season and struggled, and this was exacerbated in the playoffs.  So in theory they already have their starting PF who fits into Golden State’s style of play much better than Zbo would.

4. ...Which as you can guess, means that Zbo would be horrible for Golden State's style of play.  In theory a low-post scorer would be perfect for them, but he's a plodder, and they're a running team.  it would be like Zbo on the Suns, just wouldn't make sense.  And if Golden State was trying to convert to more of a half-court team, then they’d need Jason Richardson even further to complement Zbo.  I'd actually believe this deal more if it were Stephen Jackson than Richardson; but Portland would never acquire a guy like Jackson after all the off-court goodwill the team has been trying to earn back these last few years.

Anyhow, just more information to use at your disposal.

-Moderator

Notes From Around the League

Joe Dumars says that the Pistons are going to re-shape their roster.  I think you can assume that Chauncey Billups will be back, but don’t count on both Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton returning.  It’s going to to be tough for them to trade Rasheed; and frankly they probably shouldn’t.  But one of those two wing men will probably be moved and don’t be too surprised if they go after someone a little more multi-dimensional.  Hamilton is quick and he can shoot a little, but is a terrible half-court defender, and Prince can easily be posted up for a small forward.  

The Chicago Bulls are reportedly making a play for Shawn Marion.  This upsets me, because I want Portland to acquire Marion.  But all things considered this doesn’t make a ton of sense.  The reason that Phoenix wants to trade Marion in the first place is because they want to get under, or at least closer to, the luxury tax line; so they’ll need to deal Marion to a team that is under the cap and can send back less than they receive.  Charlotte, Atlanta, and Orlando I believe are the only teams who fit into this category.  This is also why I’m not buying the “Marion to Boston” or “Marion to Detroit” rumors either.

The Cleveland Cavaliers want to be like Portland.  The Cavs’ owner has reportedly approved the team spending as much as $3 million to purchase an additional draft pick; similar to Portland purchasing Phoenix’s late-first-round pick last season.  As incredible a job as Phoenix has done putting together their team over the past few years, that move was one of their more foolish maneuvers.  They traded the pick to Portland so they could free up cap money to sign Marcus Banks, a backup point guard.  So Portland promptly uses the pick to select Sergio Rodriguez, who would have been perfect for Phoenix.  Now Phoenix is stuck with a bad contract in Banks, still doesn’t have a good backup point guard (Barbosa is more of a “2”), and may have to get ride of Marion to save money because of it.  But, going back to the Cavs thing, don’t be surprised if Portland ends up selling a second round pick to the Cavaliers.  Seems to be a perfect fit.  The Blazers don’t need to use all four of those picks, and I think the ideal situation would be using one to select a sharpshooter or a player to stash in Europe and either trading or selling the other three.  Portland doesn’t need to bring any more than 2 rookies onto the roster next year.  

The Nets think they’ll be able to keep Vince Carter.  Because hey, why break up a team that has no future when you’ve got a marketable asset to use that could bring you the size that you so badly need?  

And finally, confession time.  I haven’t watched more than two or three quarters of these NBA Finals, which is why you haven’t heard anything on the subject and which also sets a new personal-record for “NBA Finals Apathy”.  And I don’t expect to catch a single minute of tonight’s game either due to a personal obligation.  Am I the only one here, or is everyone this disinterested in the series?  The only way that this could get compelling is if LeBron pulls some of the same shenanigans he pulled in the last series and wills his team to a couple of wins.  But unless the series gets to game six, I’m afraid the NBA is essentially over for the year as far as I’m concerned.  

And you know what, this isn’t even the Spurs’ fault.  They’re a great team who play hard, lock-down on defense, and even have a few good playmakers.  The Spurs are fine.  It’s the Eastern Conference that I have a problem with.  It’s such a shitty, repugnant league, that I can’t imagine the NBA finals will be any good for at least another 3 years.  The East deserves to get swept; it’s the JV of the NBA.  As soon as the East can start rolling out some teams worth of their Western Finals foes, then I’ll tune back in.

Something To Chew On

I’m not saying that I think this will happen.

But remember last year’s NBA Finals?  A dominating, heavily favored Western Conference team led by a versatile big man and a speedy guard easily wins the first two games and there is much talk of a sweep.  

Then the other team’s single dominant player takes over for four straight games and “wills” (read: gets ridiculous preferential treatment by the refs) his team to a championship.  

Cleveland isn’t quite as talented as Miami was last year — at least Wade got “some” support — but the similarities are striking.

One Update

Gilbert Arenas’ announcement this past weekend has sent the Washington Bullets into a tizzy, and there is now speculation that they will look to make serious, aggressive measures to immediately upgrade the club and ensure that Arenas re-signs with them next summer.  

And part of that speculation includes the tidbit that they would now be more likely to pull the trigger on an Antawn Jamison-and-a-first-round-pick for Zach Randolph-and-two-second-round-picks trade.  

Just something to file away...