Shaq

NBA: VC to Spurs, Shaq & Kobe Reunited, More..

Hoopsworld — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:37:34 -0800

A Hollywood Ending for Shaq and Kobe?

This weekend in Phoenix we will see Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson all reunited for the first time since the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in The NBA Finals in 2004. It marked the end of a highly successful but also highly tumultuous run for the trio.

Almost five years ago, no one could even imagine the three on a basketball court working toward the same cause. The emotions at the time simply ran too high.

Time, however, tends to heal most wounds.

Just recently O'Neal told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith the whole squabble between he and Bryant was simply "marketing," later adding, "I always did love Kobe."

Anyone else feel like the big guy is angling for a reunion that might last longer than the few hours it will take to play Sunday's All-Star Game? And with Andrew Bynum out for the rest of the regular season and everyone not named Steve Nash on the trading block in Phoenix, what better time for it?

On the surface it sounds like an intriguing idea. The problem is that O'Neal is making $20 million this season and will make the same again next season. The Lakers are perennially one of the NBA's biggest spenders, but it would be hard to see even the Lakers absorbing that kind of price tag in this kind of economic climate.

Moreover, the Lakers would have to part with too many pieces to make a deal with the Suns work financially. Since Pau Gasol is untouchable Lamar Odom would almost certainly have to be part of the deal for it to work financially... yes, the same Lamar Odom who dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers last Sunday. In addition to Odom, the Lakers would also have to give up at least two other players for the salaries to work. Given the way the Lakers are playing, that would simply be too much for the Lakers to give up.

From a sentimental perspective it's fun to think about O'Neal coming back to Los Angeles. And given the kind of shape he's in and how well he's been playing, he could be just the kind of inside presence the Lakers need to assure another title for the Lakers come June.

All that said, a return to Tinseltown for O'Neal appears very unlikely. At the very least O'Neal's recent rhetoric is posturing to make sure his number 34 one day hangs in the rafters in Staples Center next to greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson.

And who knows, perhaps the Lakers might be able to pick him up when he's a free agent in the summer of 2010 or even next summer if the Suns get crazy and decide to buy him out after this season to help shave some money off their cap. At that point, though, there's no guarantee O'Neal will be playing at the level he is now and Andrew Bynum will have likely developed his game even further and might be lacing up his sneakers for an All-Star appearance.

If there were ever a place where we could script this kind of ending, though, it would of course be Los Angeles.

Kobe, Shaq and Phil riding off into the sunset together.

Too crazy to imagine?

Well, Hollywood endings always seem to be.

Will Denver Stand Pat?

The Denver Nuggets are playing some very good basketball. We're talking best in the history of the franchise since it joined the NBA kind of basketball.

With a record of 36-17 the Nuggets head into the All-Star break for all intents and purposes tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the West's second best record and 6.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

After Tuesday's against the HEAT, Miami head coach Eric Spoelstra called the Nuggets a contender and one of the top six teams in the league. He hasn't been the first to voice such sentiment this season, either. Barring some kind of drastic change of fortune, it seems hard to fathom Denver not making it out of the first round of the playoffs this season.

All that said, it also seems hard to fathom the Nuggets getting past the Los Angeles Lakers out West.

Can the Nuggets compete with the Lakers as currently constructed? You bet. However, anyone who thinks the Nuggets would beat the Lakers in a seven game series based on what we've so far this season is probably fooling themselves.

Don't get me wrong, if the Nuggets were even able to advance to the Western Conference Finals that would be one hell of a season all things considered. However, if the objective is truly to win a title than the Nuggets have to make at least one more roster move. But wanting to make a move and finding one that makes sense are certainly two different things.

Furthermore, given the relatively solid showing Johan Petro had last night in Orlando with Chris Andersen out of the lineup, perhaps the coaching staff might now view Petro as the additional big man the team has been said to covet.

Should Denver want to make a deal, the team has Charlotte's conditional first round pick to play with and can also offer up the expiring deal of Linas Kleiza. Whether or not that will return anything that makes the team better, though, is questionable especially considering how much the value of New York's David Lee seems to have increased over the past several weeks.

George Karl has been more and more public over the last few days about how he thinks this current Nuggets' group has earned the right to stay together and show what they can do come playoff time. Of course, this is the same sentiment we heard last year when the Nuggets were exploring deals for players like Ron Artest and Mike Miller.

Don't misunderstand, last year's team had some fatal flaws that this year's iteration simply doesn't have. That said, it's still hard to imagine the Nuggets getting past the Lakers come playoff time.

Perhaps making it to the second round of the playoffs or even to the Western Conference Finals is good enough in the eyes of some in the organization. If not, Denver's front office had better be glued to their cell phones over the course of the next week looking for a deal that could give Denver a viable shot to knock off the Lakers.

Windows of opportunity close very quickly in the NBA... just ask the Dallas Mavericks or the Phoenix Suns. Denver is at least in the conversation right now as far as being a contender is concerned and the worst thing the organization can do is take it for granted and assume they will be in a similar position a year from now.

If the right deal is not there to be made even despite the front office's best efforts, that's one thing. But standing pat because of financial considerations or because this team has "earned the right" to try and win come playoff time is something entirely different.

V.C. Really a Good Fit in San Antonio?

There have been substantial rumblings in the past week or so about the Spurs trying to find a way to land Vince Carter. While the idea may sound intriguing on the surface, the more one thinks about it the less sense it seems to make.

First, it doesn't seem like San Antonio really has the pieces to get a deal done. And even if the Spurs tried, it would almost certainly mean the team would have to part with Roger Mason, a player that has been a very important part of the Spurs' success this season.

Second, Carter really isn't the type of player the Spurs need. Sure he's got all kinds of scoring ability, but he is also a player with notoriously bad shot-selection who often becomes disinterested defensively. San Antonio is a team that has always been built to execute with precision offensively, play tough on the defensive end and find a way to add role players that fit around the team's "Big Three."

"Clearly this is a championship organization and I think it starts from the top," Mason recently told your friendly neighborhood columnist. "I think everybody's mindset is totally unselfish and towards one common goal which is to win. And with that unlike a lot of other teams they are willing to make the sacrifices to do that."

One such sacrifice is resisting the urge to trade for a "superstar" mid-season and instead stay the course with role players like Mason who aren't sexy names but fit what the Spurs are trying to do a whole lot better. Moreover, it's not like the Spurs made the wrong choice by bringing in guys like Matt Bonner and Mason, who are now thriving in Gregg Popovich's system after having been given ample playing time.

"I knew they made me a very high priority in free agency," Mason explained. "I got a lot of attention from a lot of teams, but when I signed here I knew I'd have a pretty big role."

Part of that role has included making big shots at big times... sort of like a guy named Robert Horry used to do.

"Obviously, you dream about hitting game-winners as a kid but you can't predict that," said Mason. "But I definitely thought I'd be an integral part of the team."

Much like the Nuggets as mentioned above, the real question for the Spurs seems to be whether or not they can get by the Lakers come playoff time. The Spurs would probably be viewed as underdogs by most around the league at this juncture, but given the organization's track record you have to believe they will have at least a puncher's chance.

"We're still a work in progress," Mason admitted. "We're starting to play better now, but the encouraging thing is that we're winning games and we still haven't hit our stride yet. Obviously, the Lakers are the team to beat since they went to The Finals last year. Even without Bynum they are still the team to beat in the West because we saw what they did last year without him. I like where we're going and by the end of the season I think we'll be able to compete for a championship."

And given the Spurs' history why should anyone believe otherwise?

It's fun to talk about Carter relocating to San Antonio, but in the end it's hard to see how that deal fits into the recipe Popovich and General Manger R.C. Buford have used so successfully for so long.

NBA: Opening Day Review

Hoopsworld — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:58:30 -0700

By: Steve Kyler

Marbury And Curry Benched: Despite a 40 point fourth quarter from the Miami HEAT, the New York Knicks under Mike D'Antoni did what he was brought in to do. He won, in entertaining, high-scoring fashion. The Knicks dropped Miami 120-115 and after the game virtually everyone was smiles - except for Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury who both received "DNP-Coaches Decision." After the game D'Antoni expressed that he understood it was a delicate emotional situation, saying he knew both were upset, he knew both wanted to play and basically said that neither was in his plans going forward. The Knicks had six players score in double figures, and several Knicks players after the game said they felt positive about the new offense in New York as they all started to see what players in Phoenix saw under D' Antoni – there will be tons of shot attempts in New York. For Marbury and Curry, both players dressed and neither was even considered as options. Marbury told reporters after the game he was fine with the decision. "This is a business... I understand the decision. If that's the way they want to go, I'm fine with it." We'll see how long that lasts. Steph put in a ton of work this off-season and is in great shape, it would be surprising if he allows the Knicks to shelve all of that work. Eddy Curry left the bench for the Knicks in the fourth quarter to "ice his knees."

Pop's Joke On Shaq: Suns center Shaquille O'Neal has been very vocal over the past few days about how "cowardly" the Spurs, namely head coach Gregg Popovich, are for deliberately fouling him. When asked last night just prior to the game against the Suns if he planned to foul Shaq early. He said he wasn't sure, then a reporter joked how about after the tip? Pop laughed and thought that was a good idea. Imagine the dismay of the reporters when he did exactly that. Five seconds into the game, immediately following the tip. Spurs guard Michael Finely wrapped his arms around Shaq drawing a whistle. Shaq looked around puzzled at the call, only to find Greg Popovich looking his way with both thumbs in the air smiling. Shaq smiled back, the two had a good laugh about it, then Shaq went on to score 13 points, grab 15 rebounds and get the win on San Antonio's floor in a convincing fashion. Guess Shaq got the last laugh, going 5 for 8 from the free throw line.

How Bout Them Hawks?: Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy did his best to try and take the blame for the egg Orlando laid last night in their opener. Claiming that he had no offensive plays in the play book that could get the Magic offense going, and that in turn forced his players to force the issue trying to make something work. It didn't, and the Magic got waxed by the Hawks 99-85, which is about as close as this game ever got with Orlando being down by 15 for most of the night. Give credit to the Hawks - they have the Magic's number. They give Orlando fits every time they play. The Hawks were in mid-season form and absolutely focused on winning on the road, something every player in the Hawks' locker room said was a goal for this season. Orlando on the other hand looked dreadful in almost every aspect of the game. The aggressive J.J. Redick who arrived in pre-season didn't bother showing up last night. Redick was 0-4 from the field, 0-3 from three-point range in 19 minutes of play as the first guard off the bench. That same tentative "pass the ball-not shoot it" Redick from seasons past was on the floor for Orlando. In an amusing moment in the game J.J. Redick was brought in from the bench to guard Atlanta's Flip Murray. Murray realizing Redick was checking in to guard him got wide-eyed like a kid at Christmas, and started working J.J. to the basket at will. A photographer sitting on the baseline captured the look on Murray's face, which was priceless. After the game Flip sort of dodged the question out of respect for J.J., but when told there was a picture of the moment Flip kind of smiled and said he enjoyed the game – he hung 14 points in 23 minutes of play. On a night when the Magic were celebrating their 20th season in the NBA, honoring their inaugural team during the introduction. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he thought his team played with as much energy as those long retired players who were in attendance would have played; they clearly looked like an expansion team last night. The Magic will hold a "spirited" practice today and head to Memphis this evening to try and right the ship. A great start for the Hawks, a dreadful start for the 0-1 Magic.

And Then There Were Two: Every team in the league has played a game except for the Charlotte Bobcats and the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers already have two games under their belts, both of them convincing wins. The Bobcats will see the Cavaliers tonight, after going winless in pre-season. The Cavs dropped their opener to the Celtics and barring something crazy, will likely even things up at the expense of the Bobcats. The Mavericks host the Rockets tonight in Dallas where an official announcement regarding the 2010 NBA All-Star Game is expected. The Rockets got their first win of the season last night against Memphis, who actually outscored Houston in the second and third quarters, but the Rockets bounced back to put the Grizz away 82-71.

NBA: Likely Hall of Famers

Hoopsworld — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:10:34 -0700

By: Tommy Beer

Driving back home from Springfield, Massachusetts this weekend, after taking in the 2008 Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony on Friday night (as an aside, every basketball fan in America owes it to themselves to visit the HOF at least once – it is heaven for a hoops junkie), I got to thinking: which active players are locks to one day be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

When I sat down and started starting digging through career statistics, playoff scoring averages, and other pertinent information, it turns out there are seven players that I feel are lead-pipe locks to make the HOF. They are listed below.

While I don't think too many people could disagree that these first seven will wind up in Springfield, what I found interesting was where to draw the line between the "locks" and the borderline/probable selections, and then the also-rans/unlikely... Thus, I submitted a few quick thoughts on the remaining choices.

Without further adieu, let's run down the seven no-doubt, first-ballot selections:

1. Tim Duncan – Duncan's Hall of Fame credentials are second to none: Back-to-back NBA MVP's, 4 rings, three-time Finals MVP. He is also the only player in NBA history to receive All-NBA and All-Defensive honors in his first 11 seasons. He is an absolutely dominant force on both ends of the court, and steps up his game when it matters most, as evidenced by his increased averages in the postseason and his Finals MVP trophies. For my money, he is the greatest power forward that ever lived. While I suppose that opinion could be contested, nobody would ever argue that Duncan won't be enshrined in Springfield five years after he hangs up his Nike's.

2. Shaquille O'Neal – The last of a dying breed. O'Neal was his generation's greatest pure center and, during his prime, one of the most intimidating players to ever set foot on a basketball court. Here is a brief résumé, courtesy of NBA.com: One of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players and one of the most prolific scorers in league history. He owns a career scoring average of 25.6 points, the ninth-highest in league history, and ranks 11th all-time in scoring (25,908) in 1,013 career games. The 16-year veteran is a career 58-percent shooter, third-highest in NBA history, and has led the league in field goal accuracy nine times, matching Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record. O'Neal has averaged 11.5 rebounds (21st-NBA history) and grabbed 11,630 boards… There is no doubting that the Hall of Fame is in his future. But one question that could certainly be debated: If you had to pick one player, in their prime, to build a franchise around, would you take Duncan or Shaq? (I'd go with Timmy D., if only because he is a more reliable end-game option on the offensive end.)

3. Kobe Bryant – The most popular player on planet Earth, Kobe is a lock as well. The lack of a NBA Finals MVP trophy, signifying that he hasn't won a ring "on his own," is of relevance only in debates regarding Kobe's place among the game's all-time greats. Although he lost an opportunity to cement his legacy a few months ago, Kobe still has definitely earned a spot among the NBA's greatest payers. And while the comparisons to Michael Jordan are utter nonsense (MJ has 6 NBA Finals MVP's compared to Kobe's zero), Bryant has already done more than enough to secure his spot as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His career averages of 25 PPG, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, speak volumes. In addition to his offensive prowess, KB24 has also been named to the All-NBA Defensive first or second teams eight out of the last nine seasons.

4. Allen Iverson – When he first entered the league, generously listed at six-feet tall, the critics claimed AI would never be able to handle the physical beating the NBA would deliver. Well, 12 years later, he is still proving doubters wrong. And, as result, you can punch his ticket to the Hall. Iverson's has a league MVP and four scoring titles under his belt, and his career scoring average (27.7 PPG) currently ranks him third all-time, behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Anytime your career accomplishments are mentioned in the same sentence as MJ and the Big Dipper... that's good.

5. Jason Kidd – I feel one of the key criteria for Hall of Fame worthiness is whether a player was the absolute best at his position for a sustained period of time. For Jason Kidd, that answer is an emphatic 'yes.' During the early part of this decade, when he led the Nets to two straight Finals appearances, J Kidd was unquestionably the best PG in the NBA. In his prime, there were very few players that could control and impact the game like he did. He has dished out more assists (9,497) and than any other active player in the league. Kidd also is the active steals leader (2,038). The true testament to Kidd's all-around greatness is the 100 career triple-doubles he has racked up, which places him second all-time behind only Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

6. Kevin Garnett – Coming into the 2007-2008 NBA season, the only knock against KG was that he couldn't be depended upon in crunch time, and thus had never won a championship. Well, if there was any doubt, the ring currently residing on his finger should settle that debate. Much like Jason Kidd, Garnett's best attribute was his ability to contribute in so many different ways. Looking for proof? KG is the only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game for six consecutive seasons. He also stands alone as the only NBA'er to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for nine consecutive seasons. Lastly, Garnett is only player ever to accumulate 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals, and 1,500 blocks in his career.

7. Steve Nash – Make no mistake; Nash was/is a great player, but being in the right place at the right time and having his best years when he did, is the main reason he is headed to the Hall. If you look at his career numbers (14.3 points, 7.9 assists, 3 rebounds), they are solid but not jaw-dropping. In fact, as a 30-year old, following the 2004 season in Dallas, the odds were heavily stacked against him ever entering the HOF. However, Nash then landed in Phoenix and teamed up with Mike D'Antoni and the rest, as they say, is history. After a few outstanding seasons in the Valley of the Sun, Nash had added something to his résumé that assures he'll get a plaque in Springfield: back-to-back MVP awards. Nash is one of only nine players in the history of the sport to be able to claim that distinction; the other eight are Duncan, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite limited postseason success, and never reaching an NBA Finals – Nash is destined due to those two terrific seasons.

* The Next Rung – The 'Very Probable' Category:

Dirk Nowitzki – Dirk has a NBA MVP on his résumé and has carried his team to NBA Finals. It is important to note that every player that has ever won an NBA MVP award has either already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, or will be elected once they are eligible. Thus, we can safely bet Dirk will get his plaque.

Paul Pierce – The recently awarded NBA Finals MVP Award provides an enormous boost to his candidacy. A few more decent years by both Dirk and Pierce should bump them up into the "lock" category.

* Next Tier – Borderline:

Tracy McGrady: T-Mac's overall numbers are excellent, but never advancing past the first round of the playoffs is tough to overlook.

Vince Carter: I may be in the minority, but I could never vote VC into the Hall of Fame. Personally, I think the HOF should be reserved for the players that gave 110% every time they stepped on the floor, as opposed to those who tended to coast and skate by solely on their ability. Specifically, check out VC's career numbers and check his production from the first 20-games of the 2004-2005 season. Over that 20-game stretch, Carter averaged just 15.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, while shooting 69.4% from the free-throw line. VC flat-out quit on the Raptors and the city of Toronto. Want proof? Once he got traded to the Nets, over the final 57 games that same season, he averaged 27.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, while shooting 81.7% from the stripe. I have a real hard time looking past that. (Similarly, I could never look at Scottie Pippen the quite the same way after he took himself out of Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference with 1.4 seconds left on the clock, after Phil Jackson decided Toni Kukoc would take the game's final shot. But that is a story for another day…)

Manu Ginobili – One of the most accomplished European players of all-time, Manu is a "winner" in the truest sense of the word. The selection committee usually looks favorably upon international achievements, so Ginobili, who always stepped his game up when it matter most, will have his supporters.

Ray Allen – Ray-Ray has always been an accomplished scorer, and now has a ring, in addition to always having one of the most aesthetically pleasing jumpers in NBA history. But I am just not sure he deserves a place among the greatest to ever play the game. Was he ever the best two-guard in the NBA? No. He never made an ALL-NBA first-team, and made the second-team just once…

* Next Tier - Borderline/Less-likely:

Chris Webber – Webber's last few injury plagued seasons took a lot of luster of what was, statistically speaking, a phenomenal career. It is easy to forget just how good he was in his prime. C-Webb is one of only six players in NBA history to post career averages of at least 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The five other players are Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, and Kevin Garnett. Still, Webber all too often disappeared in big spots and never advanced to an NBA Finals.

Chauncey Billups – Billups was maddeningly inconsistent over his first five years in the league, before arriving in Detroit and really finding his comfort zone. In his six seasons in Motown, the Pistons have advanced to at least the Eastern Conference finals each year. In 2004, the Pistons won the title and Billups was awarded the NBA Finals MVP trophy. From 1991 thru 2005, there were only five different players named NBA Finals MVP: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Chauncey Billups.

Dikembe Mutombo – While never much of a scorer, Mutombo was a dominant defender and rebounder. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times and led the league in total rebounds four times as well. He is an eight-time all-star. In addition, his humanitarian work is legendary, and is a true ambassador of the game.

* Next Tier – Interesting/Unlikely:

Robert Horry – Based strictly on numbers, Horry shouldn't even sniff the Hall. But if you include his jewelry collection (seven rings) and postseason heroics, Horry will get a few votes. Some pertinent facts to support his case: Big Shot Bob is one of only nine players to have won seven or more championships, and the only one who did not play on the 1960s Celtics. He is one of only three players to win multiple NBA Championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons and one of only two players to win titles with three different teams. He is the all-time leader in playoff games played, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 2008 playoffs. Horry is second on the all-time list of three-pointers made in the playoffs, behind only Reggie Miller. He also holds the record for three-pointers all-time in the NBA Finals with 53, having eclipsed Michael Jordan's previous record of 42…. I don't think he'll ever get in, but he makes an interesting candidate considering how often some fans and media members claim that winning defines greatness.

Ben Wallace – He and Dikembe are the only two players in league history to each capture four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. (Of course, the award only came into existence relatively recently (1983). I assume Bill Russell would have been named the league's best defensive player once or twice.) Big Ben is also the one of only four players to lead the league in boarding and blocks the same season - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Hakeem Olajuwon are the other three. He is also the only undrafted player to ever be voted as a All-Star Game starter. In some respects, he is the anti-Vince Carter. However, as good as he was defensively, Wallace was that inept offensively. He is a career 41% shooter from the free-throw line.

Alonzo Mourning - One of the NBA's most intense competitors, Zo has an All-NBA first-team selection and an NBA title on his résumé.

Rasheed Wallace - One of the more underrated players of his generation, 'Sheed did more than collect technicals. He possessed other-worldly talent.

Grant Hill - If I had written this column in summer of 2000, Hill would have been considered all but a lock. After his first six seasons in Detroit, he looked like the second-coming. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit and Hill was never the same.

* The Young Guns:

Lastly, in an attempt to answer a few questions/complaints before they arise – players such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul are too young to be considered. Basically, I tried to look at guys aged 30 and over. I also didn't list guys in their late 20's, such as Elton Brand, Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer, etc. These guys still have too much career ahead of them. The next few years will determine upon which list they land.

Regarding the super-talented neophytes, suppose King James and/or D. Wade retired tomorrow in order to play baseball or become movie stars, it is difficult to argue these young guys have done enough to earn Hall of Fame distinction. For instance, players like Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill looked to well on their way, before there careers took a precipitous decline due to injuries. After his first few seasons, some analysts believed Penny would be better than Magic by the time he retired. Penny was named First Team All-NBA back-to-back in his second and third seasons. As a point of reference, even LeBron didn't match that feat. And Wade has still never been named to an All-NBA First Team. Make no mistake; I believe that by the time he retires, LeBron will likely be considered the best non-center in NBA history not named Michael Jordan. But the lesson we have learned is that we have to let these guys career's play out…

NBA: Weekend Review

Hoopsworld — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:13:08 -0700

By: Steve Kyler

The European Exodus : Add Carlos Arroyo to the list of NBA players crossing the pond, agreeing yesterday to a 3-year deal in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv filling the last roster spot for the Euroleague power house. The deal is worth roughly $7.5 million, or $2.5 million per year, almost half what Carlos earned in Orlando last year. Carlos was on Maccabi's radar for some time, and in landing him they locked up their roster. The appeal of the European offers is real – virtually tax free money, nice luxury apartments and cars to use while playing for the team, and a much shorter season with fewer games. The idea that a mega-star type player will one day very soon cross the pond is still a bit of stretch, for instance the idea that LeBron James would go to Greece in 2010 is almost insane. LeBron has not achieved any of the goals he set out to achieve and in the next two years it's unlikely he gets two championships, two league MVPs, a scoring title and a Defensive Player of the Year award before July 2010. The real European threat is the middle class in the NBA. The current NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement rewards top rookies and top tier players, at the expense of the middle class. This issue will come up again in the next round of collective bargaining talks. The current agreement expires after the 2010-11 season; the NBA has the option to extend the current deal through the 2011-12 season. The NBA must exercise its option to extend the deal by December 15, 2010. One of the core reasons star players like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade opted for shorter terms deals, was in part because their percentage of the salary cap rate increases after seven season in the league, but also in the event that the Collective Bargaining situation changes, if the league opts not to extend – which is unlikely - both players wanted to be able to negotiate on what is expected to be better terms for the top tier. The NBA's position on Europe grabbing NBA players is it's a global business and a global game that they helped develop. The agent's position is the NBA needs to address this issue and needs to do it quickly. Every time a NBA player leaves the league, especially players with name value, this issue gets closer to getting ugly. There are roughly 40 top tier NBA players; there are easily 170 middle class players each year in the NBA; combined that is the bulk of the league. The next round of labor talks could get very ugly and you can point to Europe as why.

Shaq Wants JWill: Shaquille O'Neal is urging the Phoenix Suns to get into the Jason Williams sweepstakes. Jason was with Shaq in Miami for the past three seasons, and is still unsigned. The Williams' camp is weighing some European offers that are above the NBA minimum and still holding out that Miami may make a better offer as well. The Suns are looking for a reserve point guard to back up Steve Nash, and are trying to get second-round draft pick Goran Dragic into a deal. Dragic has a $1 million Euro buyout - roughly $1.5 million US - of which the Suns can pay up to $500,000 towards without penalty towards the salary cap. Dragic is seeking a multi-year deal well above the NBA minimum begging the question, if the Suns are willing to spend $2 million on Dragic, would they get a better player in Williams at or near the same money? The Suns will likely be luxury tax payers in 2008-2009 unless they can find a taker for Boris Diaw's remaining four years and $36 million. The Suns have been active in trade talks involving both Diaw and Leandro Barbosa who they have been shopping since the draft, with very little interest in Diaw and very little value in return for Barbosa. With the Suns in Luxury Tax range now, every contract signed going forward could face a dollar for dollar penalty next summer. The tax is not computed until the end of the year, so it's possible the Suns could trigger a deal cutting some salary before the trade deadline and avoid the tax, but tax ramifications do factor into these final roster spots. Given the Suns infatuation in Goran Dragic, Shaq may have a rookie on the roster instead of the veteran he thinks the club needs.

Pride In Your Country?: Chris Kaman is getting a lot of heat for joining the German National team. He has been called a traitor and a turncoat on sports radio shows across the country, and it's expected he'll face some boos and catcalls when he returns to the NBA in October. The funniest part about all of this is this bogus expectation of national pride when it comes to the Olympics. The Olympics is the biggest joke in sports. The athletes on most of these teams are simply highly paid professionals, most do not live or train in the country they will compete for next week. The Olympics is far more about marketing and ad dollars than the games and sports being played. There are billions of dollars paid and spent on the Olympics, all under this guise of national pride. Don't get it twisted; I want to see the US teams bring home the gold, because I am caught up in it too. I am just not naive enough to buy into this "he's a traitor" stuff, because it's not like Chris Kaman is giving the Germans nuclear secrets or the source code to Windows Vista. The chance to win an Olympic medal is a special thing, a thing reserved for a select few and if a loophole somewhere gives you the chance to do that, I would support you in that endeavor. You don't think Jamaica really wanted to prove its Bobsledding dominance do you? They got in where they could fit in. Chris Kaman was never going to represent the US in Olympic play, he wasn't even on the top 50 list, so it's not like he is spurning his country to play for Team Deutschland. The Olympics is about business, and big business at that. And for the record, when the Scottish National Team is organizing its 2012 London roster, I will be ready.