We tend to break down life into eras. It's human nature. We do it with sports, history, even our own lives. There was history before 9/11 and after. There's our lives before and after we had kids. Our job before and after we got that promotion.
I definitely look at NBA players that way. Every time they move to a new team, get a new star teammate, or get a career-changing coach, it's the start of a new era for them. Sometimes it's hard to tell one era from another until years later.
For me, there have been three eras in Shawn Marion's long and stellar career. He's been electric and moody, an erratic shooter and a dominate defender, and so much more. Whatever you think of him, I consider Marion to be one of the most interesting players I've ever watched. And I'm looking forward to his time in Cleveland, which might be the start of a new era in his career. But I'll wait until I see the Cavs play before discussing that. Let's get to the three eras of Shaw Marion:
The 7 Seconds or Less Suns--We were introduced to Shawn Marion as a lanky, lightning quick scorer out of UNLV. He made the Western Conference all-star team in his fourth year, averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds a game. That's pretty good, but it's downright miraculous when you consider that the point guard on that team was none other than Stephon Marbury. It's amazing he even got to touch the ball on offensive possessions.
Mike D'Antoni took over in 2003 and installed a system that fit Marion like a glove. Then Steve Nash arrived from Dallas and the fast-paced, 7 Seconds or Less offense was born. Marion thrived, making the all-star team three years in a row. The Suns averaged 59 wins over those three seasons and made the Western Conference Finals twice. It probably would have been three if not for A'mare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw being suspended for stepping onto the floor in a game four shoving match.
My memory of Marion during these years is a gravity-defying, back-cutting beast, sliding into space just in time to catch a pass from Nash and slam the ball home. I can't remember a player with a better fit for a system. Maybe LeBron James in Miami, forcing turnovers and then running like a freight train on the break. Marion would have dominated in the system no matter what. Adding Nash at the helm just made Marion even more devastating.
Unfortunately, Nash played so well it made the Suns' management think that Marion was expendable. They thought Nash was the key, and all that mattered was surrounding him with young athletes who could score. This led to a sour relationship between Marion and the Suns. He felt disrespected, slighted, and unappreciated. Marion asked for a trade, and on February 6, 2008, he was traded to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O'Neal.
The Lost Years--After that trade to Miami, I'll admit I lost track of Marion. The Heat weren't very good at the time, and Marion's scoring dropped off significantly, to 14 points per game. Marion and the Heat tried to negotiate a deal, but never could agree to terms. In February of 2009, Marion was traded to the Raptors in a move that cleared cap space which would be used to sign LeBron James in the summer of 2010.
Marion only played 27 games with the Raptors, and no one had illusions about him staying past the 2009 season. But Marion is a pro, so he talked about the opportunities in Toronto and trying to make the playoffs (even though the Raptors were five games out at the time). The thought at the time was that Bryan Colangelo was clearing cap space in an attempt to keep Chris Bosh in Canada. It didn't work.
The Championship Years--In the summer of 2009, Shawn Marion signed a four year contract with the Raptors and was promptly traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The deal was insanely complicated and required four teams to facilitate. I'd always liked Marion, but now, living in Dallas, I got to see him play all the time and came to appreciate him even more.
Marion had come so close to a championship in Phoenix and then spent the last two seasons toiling away on mediocre teams. By the time he signed with Dallas, Marion was hungry for that elusive ring. He ended up being coached by Rick Carlisle at the perfect time in his career.
The Mavericks explained to Marion that they didn't need a high volume scorer. They needed a defensive stopper who could contribute occasionally on the offensive end. It would be a shift in playing style for him, a challenge for a veteran with pride. But to his credit, Marion fully bought into the role.
Over the next four seasons, Marion took on whatever defensive challenge was thrown his way. Every night he guarded the opposing team's best scorer. He never made another all-star team, because his numbers slipped. But anyone watching him play could tell he was an integral part of the team, snagging rebounds, hitting corner three's with that unique shooting motion, and sinking awkward floaters. Whatever the Mavs needed, Marion was there to provide.
It paid off in 2011, when Dallas won their first championship. All along the way, Marion put his stamp on the playoff run. He ended up guarding LaMarcus Aldridge, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. It's rare to find a defender who can guard that quality of player effectively and still contribute on offense. But Marion did.
I've watched him now, quietly playing solid basketball on a stripped down Dallas team. He never complained, never pouted about the lack of talent around him. He was the ultimate professional, going out and doing his job every day.
I'm glad he's ended up on this highly publicized Cavaliers team, because I want the world to see how great a player Marion is. And I know he's on the downside of a great career, but I think he'll still have some great moments in the playoffs the next couple of years. So take the time and enjoy the last few highlights of a tough, complete, and quiet basketball legend.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
The Four Best Coaches Right Now
A couple days ago, I wrote about the four best players right now. Today, I want to talk about the four best coaches in the NBA right now. Just a couple things to remember. First, this column is just for active, current NBA coaches. That's why Red Auerbach isn't listed. Second, it's just my opinion. If you disagree, leave your four best coaches in the comments section. Here we go:
Greg Poppovich--No one's going to argue with me on this pick. He's got five championships and has led the Spurs to the playoffs in fifteen consecutive seasons. He's been able to change styles and change players, depending on what is best for the team. Pop is up there with Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach, no question. The secret to his success, according to him? "Draft Tim Duncan."
Rick Carlisle--Within NBA circles, Carlisle is highly respected. But casual basketball fans don't give him the love he deserves. I don't know why. He was great in Detroit and Indiana, and has been exactly what the Dallas Mavericks needed the last few years. He gets the most defensively out of any team and lets the players play on offense. I've seen him turn several lost-cause cases on defense into serviceable defensive players. The guy got Monta Ellis to play hard on defense. Do you need anymore proof? Also, he and Poppovich are the only two coaches to defeat Erik Spoelstra in the playoffs since 2010.
Erik Spoelstra--I know a lot of people think Spoelstra was just lucky to coach LeBron James. But that's not giving him the credit he deserves. There will always be that kind of criticism when you coach great players (see: Phil Jackson), but you have to remember that the Big Three Miami Heat wasn't working out in the beginning. They started out their first season 9-8, with some bickering and a lot of self-doubt. Spoelstra changed his style of play, loosened up, and let the athletes on his team attack. The rest is history. It'll be interesting to see what he does now that LeBron is gone.
Doc Rivers--The current coach of the Los Angeles Clippers has been successful at every coaching stop in his career. He's won a championship with the Celtics and is widely known as a favorite of players everywhere. Even more impressive was the way he held together the Clippers franchise during the Donald Sterling catastrophe last year. Doc is smart and knows the game of basketball as well as the other coaches on this list.
Who do you think are the four best coaches right now?
Greg Poppovich--No one's going to argue with me on this pick. He's got five championships and has led the Spurs to the playoffs in fifteen consecutive seasons. He's been able to change styles and change players, depending on what is best for the team. Pop is up there with Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach, no question. The secret to his success, according to him? "Draft Tim Duncan."
Rick Carlisle--Within NBA circles, Carlisle is highly respected. But casual basketball fans don't give him the love he deserves. I don't know why. He was great in Detroit and Indiana, and has been exactly what the Dallas Mavericks needed the last few years. He gets the most defensively out of any team and lets the players play on offense. I've seen him turn several lost-cause cases on defense into serviceable defensive players. The guy got Monta Ellis to play hard on defense. Do you need anymore proof? Also, he and Poppovich are the only two coaches to defeat Erik Spoelstra in the playoffs since 2010.
Erik Spoelstra--I know a lot of people think Spoelstra was just lucky to coach LeBron James. But that's not giving him the credit he deserves. There will always be that kind of criticism when you coach great players (see: Phil Jackson), but you have to remember that the Big Three Miami Heat wasn't working out in the beginning. They started out their first season 9-8, with some bickering and a lot of self-doubt. Spoelstra changed his style of play, loosened up, and let the athletes on his team attack. The rest is history. It'll be interesting to see what he does now that LeBron is gone.
Doc Rivers--The current coach of the Los Angeles Clippers has been successful at every coaching stop in his career. He's won a championship with the Celtics and is widely known as a favorite of players everywhere. Even more impressive was the way he held together the Clippers franchise during the Donald Sterling catastrophe last year. Doc is smart and knows the game of basketball as well as the other coaches on this list.
Who do you think are the four best coaches right now?
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
The Four Best Players Right Now
In the spirit of Mount Rushmore, I wanted to talk about the best four players in the NBA right now. This isn't based on their past achievements or whether they'll be Hall of Famers one day. This is just cut and dried, who's the best right now. Also, this isn't a ranking. It's just who are the best four.
But first, some honorable mentions:
Carmelo Anthony--If this were the top four offensive players, Melo would be in. But he isn't fully committed on defense (which could change) and isn't concerned with making teammates better. He wants to win, but hasn't grasped the details of how to do it.
Derrick Rose--If he's healthy, Rose is on this list. But he hasn't been healthy in two years, so maybe he'll make the next one. For the sake of the NBA, I hope he holds up all season.
Paul George--Before the gruesome leg injury in Las Vegas, I would've had George rounding out this foursome. But he's out for the next year, so he missed the cut.
Now on to the Four Best Players Right Now:
LeBron James--There's not a lot I have to say. James defends all five positions, can run the point, is devastating on the fast break as either ball handler or wing, and can score or distribute, depending on his team's needs. He's clutch, despite what people might say. He's shown he knows how to win in the playoffs. There's not a lot of holes in LeBron's game. When the worst thing you can say about a guy is that he should've won a dunk contest by now, that's pretty good.
Kevin Durant--I'm always amazed at the different ways Durant can score and how efficiently he does it. And while he's not the greatest defender, he has a long wingspan and wants to play defense. He usually picks up the opposing team's best player. Sometimes that attitude is one of the best attributes of a good defensive player. The only thing he has left to do is win a championship, but even if he comes up empty in that regard, he's still going to end up one of the best players of all time.
Anthony Davis--He proved he belongs here during the FIBA World Cup. Davis is a strong defender, can score inside or out, and rebounds as well as anyone in the league. The Brow averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game last year. Some of the players who didn't put up numbers like that in their second year? Kevin Love. Dwight Howard. LaMarcus Aldridge. DeMarcus Cousins. Davis is a star in the making. If only the NBA knew that, maybe they'd put him on national TV more than twice this season.
Chris Paul--I'm kind of doubting myself as I write this, because Paul has never made it past the second round of the playoffs. But maybe that's because he hasn't had a lot of talent around him. His best teammates in New Orleans were David West and a past his prime Peja Stojakovic. Blake Griffin is the best player he's had on his side, and Griffin hasn't even hit his prime yet. So you can forgive Paul for his lack of playoff success. He knows what needs to be done to get his team a win, whether it's scoring, distributing, or bugging the hell out of the other team. Pound for pound, he's one of the best players in the NBA.
Who do you think are the four best players right now?
But first, some honorable mentions:
Carmelo Anthony--If this were the top four offensive players, Melo would be in. But he isn't fully committed on defense (which could change) and isn't concerned with making teammates better. He wants to win, but hasn't grasped the details of how to do it.
Derrick Rose--If he's healthy, Rose is on this list. But he hasn't been healthy in two years, so maybe he'll make the next one. For the sake of the NBA, I hope he holds up all season.
Paul George--Before the gruesome leg injury in Las Vegas, I would've had George rounding out this foursome. But he's out for the next year, so he missed the cut.
Now on to the Four Best Players Right Now:
LeBron James--There's not a lot I have to say. James defends all five positions, can run the point, is devastating on the fast break as either ball handler or wing, and can score or distribute, depending on his team's needs. He's clutch, despite what people might say. He's shown he knows how to win in the playoffs. There's not a lot of holes in LeBron's game. When the worst thing you can say about a guy is that he should've won a dunk contest by now, that's pretty good.
Kevin Durant--I'm always amazed at the different ways Durant can score and how efficiently he does it. And while he's not the greatest defender, he has a long wingspan and wants to play defense. He usually picks up the opposing team's best player. Sometimes that attitude is one of the best attributes of a good defensive player. The only thing he has left to do is win a championship, but even if he comes up empty in that regard, he's still going to end up one of the best players of all time.
Anthony Davis--He proved he belongs here during the FIBA World Cup. Davis is a strong defender, can score inside or out, and rebounds as well as anyone in the league. The Brow averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game last year. Some of the players who didn't put up numbers like that in their second year? Kevin Love. Dwight Howard. LaMarcus Aldridge. DeMarcus Cousins. Davis is a star in the making. If only the NBA knew that, maybe they'd put him on national TV more than twice this season.
Chris Paul--I'm kind of doubting myself as I write this, because Paul has never made it past the second round of the playoffs. But maybe that's because he hasn't had a lot of talent around him. His best teammates in New Orleans were David West and a past his prime Peja Stojakovic. Blake Griffin is the best player he's had on his side, and Griffin hasn't even hit his prime yet. So you can forgive Paul for his lack of playoff success. He knows what needs to be done to get his team a win, whether it's scoring, distributing, or bugging the hell out of the other team. Pound for pound, he's one of the best players in the NBA.
Who do you think are the four best players right now?
Sunday, November 9, 2014
GM Power Rankings
Here are my first ever GM power rankings. They are completely subjective and biased and are not scientific at all. Sometimes I picked one guy over another because I just liked him personally. Also, at times I didn't pick the actual GM but the guy who's really in charge. So the title here is pretty liberal. Just go with it.
1. R.C. Buford/Gregg Popovich--The Spurs won the championship last year, so they've got to be at the top of this list. Buford and Popovich are always able to find the perfect complimentary players to orbit their superstars. They know how to manage the cap better than any team in the league and have had a fifteen year run of dominance as a result.
2. Donnie Nelson/Mark Cuban--This is mostly based on cajones. The Mavs have missed out on free agent after free agent the last few years, so this summer they laid it all on the line and overpaid for Chandler Parsons. At least right now they've overpaid. When Parsons is an all-star the next three years, it'll look like a bargain. Nelson has also made some moves that make the Mavs competitive but also flexible.
3. Pat Riley--Yeah, they've lost LeBron and failed to add anything to the team around him. But Riley orchestrated that Heat dynasty and made some pretty good recovery moves once James left for Cleveland. As long as he's in charge, Miami will be in the running for the playoffs.
4. Daryl Morey--The master of acquiring assets and advanced statistics. Morey swung and missed this offseason, but he keeps the Rockets flexible and has been able to land two superstars out of virtually nothing. Don't ever count him out.
5. Danny Ainge--This guy is constantly wheeling and dealing. Right now things look bleak in Boston, but Ainge is stacking assets and will have the pieces and cap room to go after any big free agents that become available. He also hired Brad Stevens, the perfect coach for building up the Celtics again.
6. Neil Olshey--The Trailblazers almost became Cleveland West a few years ago. LaMarcus Aldridge was getting ready to leave and there were just a few overpriced veterans populating the roster. But Olshey drafted well, played free agency perfectly, and convinced Aldridge to stay. Now they look like a team on the rise.
7. Doc Rivers--This actually has more to do with the way Rivers handled himself and the Clippers last spring during the Donald Sterling situation. Rivers hasn't had a chance to make a lot of moves yet. But adding Spencer Hawes was a smart, underrated move that should pay dividends and shows that Rivers is concerned with smart basketball moves rather than headlines.
8. Masai Ujiri--The man who traded Carmelo Anthony is rebuilding Canada into a basketball powerhouse. I was incredibly surprised to see Kyle Lowry return, so it's obvious the players believe in what the Raptors are building. Ujiri has made some shrewd trades and seems more concerned with the long term future than just appeasing fans now. Plus I love Toronto's "We the North" playoff slogan.
9. John Paxson/Gar Forman--Chicago's executives are underrated. They've fielded a competitive team despite the horrible injuries that Derrick Rose has sustained. Now that they've replaced Carlos Boozer with Pau Gasol, I'm ready to vault them into the top ten. They always find what their team needs off the scrap heap and let Tom Thibodeau mold that player into a valuable contributor.
10. Sam Presti--I'd rank this Popovich disciple a little higher, because he's made incredibly smart and successful moves his entire tenure with the Thunder. But his inability to put quality pieces around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the last few years (plus that horrible James Harden trade) led me to rank him this low. Presti's biggest weakness might be Durant, whose talent erases a lot of personnel mistakes.
11. Larry Bird/Kevin Pritchard--The Pacers have done a great job of building a team through the draft and smart free agent moves. But I dropped them in the rankings because they tried too hard at the trade deadline last February with the additions of Evan Turner and Andrew Bynum. And I didn't like the way they handled the Lance Stephenson contract.
12. Ryan McDonough--This young GM is rebuilding the Suns faster than anyone thought possible. And I like the way he's handled the Eric Bledsoe contract situation, refusing to overpay. (Even though Bledsoe is a great young player)
13. Danny Ferry--No one's really paying attention to Ferry because the Hawks are getting good very quietly. They aren't quite yet a title contender, but they are only one big move away from having a chance to win the NBA Finals.
14. Bob Myers--The Warriors are another team that is poised to make a big leap with just one or two big personnel moves. I liked that Myers held firm on not trading Klay Thompson in a Kevin Love deal, because I don't think Love would have pushed the Warriors over the hump.
15. Sam Hinkie--This is sort of premature on my part, because we won't know if Hinkie's strategy will work for another few years. But I like what he's doing in Philly, and he's very creative.
16. Chris Wallace--The Grizzlies' GM has made some interesting choices lately, but he's the one who put together the talented Memphis roster. I like GM's who decide on an identity and build on it. That's what Wallace has done in Memphis.
17. Rob Hennigan--Orlando hasn't been the same since the Dwight Howard trade, but they are building a solid foundation and making smart moves. Hennigan makes good draft choices and has let key veterans leave when they've gotten too expensive. Again, this is a GM who knows what he wants his team to look like, and that's more important than most people think.
18. Mitch Kupchak--The Lakers' GM hasn't looked spectacular lately, especially after giving Kobe Bryant that albatross of a contact, but he's still one of the league's best. The Dwight Howard/Steve Nash trade didn't work, but it was a risk he had to take. Deals like that are hard to manufacture.
19. Dennis Lindsey--The Utah GM is another executive quietly building a solid foundation in Salt Lake City. Matching Gordon Hayward's offer sheet from Charlotte was big. Lindsey needs to hit on a draft pick (perhaps Exum?) because free agents aren't clamoring to come to Utah.
20. Rich Cho--Charlotte is an up-and-coming team in the East, and Cho is a big part of that. The Al Jefferson deal raised a few eyebrows, but it turned out to be a solid deal for a team needing a veteran. It didn't hurt that Jefferson played at a higher level than anyone expected. Bringing on Lance Stephenson was a risk, but it might pay off.
21. Phil Jackson/Steve Mills--This is another case where we don't have enough info to give an accurate grade, but I like how Jackson held his ground with Carmelo Anthony and made some subtle moves to make the team better in the short and long term. Jackson might be the guy who finally turns the Knicks around.
22. Ernie Grunfield--On the one hand, Grunfeld gave Gilbert Arenas a contract worth $100 million. On the other, he did trade Kwame Brown away, getting rid of one of the worst draft picks ever. The Wizards have a talented young roster, and should be better given the amount of high picks they've had the last decade.
23. Stan Van Gundy--He can't be worse than Joe Dumars. Right? It'd be impossible. And he's been good at every previous stop.
24. Flip Saunders--He's not done great as an executive so far, but he did get a pretty good haul for Kevin Love. I don't like that he's coaching the team, though. A good GM wouldn't do that.
25. Dell Demps--He's not horrible, but the Pelicans lucked into what will be one of the best players in the NBA in Anthony Davis, and Demps has failed to surround him with quality pieces. The Pelicans should be a playoff contender in 14-15, but they won't because of Davis' poor supporting cast.
26. Pete D'Alessandro--I have no idea what the Kings are doing. It really makes no sense, and D'Alessandro is the architect of this madness.
27. Tim Connelly--The Nuggets got some quality pieces from the Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but Denver has failed to develop those players into a good team. And part of that falls to Connelly. He needs to make some smart moves soon.
28. David Griffin--This guy should buy a lottery ticket.
29. John Hammond--I don't know what was worse--signing OJ Mayo or trying to create an tourist attraction with dinosaurs. Either way, Hammond isn't at the top of the basketball GM world.
30. Billy King--King is a good basketball mind, but what he's done in Brooklyn is just atrocious. They have no cap space, no draft picks, and a very old team that doesn't perform. They are without a doubt the most inefficient team when it comes to dollars to wins.
1. R.C. Buford/Gregg Popovich--The Spurs won the championship last year, so they've got to be at the top of this list. Buford and Popovich are always able to find the perfect complimentary players to orbit their superstars. They know how to manage the cap better than any team in the league and have had a fifteen year run of dominance as a result.
2. Donnie Nelson/Mark Cuban--This is mostly based on cajones. The Mavs have missed out on free agent after free agent the last few years, so this summer they laid it all on the line and overpaid for Chandler Parsons. At least right now they've overpaid. When Parsons is an all-star the next three years, it'll look like a bargain. Nelson has also made some moves that make the Mavs competitive but also flexible.
3. Pat Riley--Yeah, they've lost LeBron and failed to add anything to the team around him. But Riley orchestrated that Heat dynasty and made some pretty good recovery moves once James left for Cleveland. As long as he's in charge, Miami will be in the running for the playoffs.
4. Daryl Morey--The master of acquiring assets and advanced statistics. Morey swung and missed this offseason, but he keeps the Rockets flexible and has been able to land two superstars out of virtually nothing. Don't ever count him out.
5. Danny Ainge--This guy is constantly wheeling and dealing. Right now things look bleak in Boston, but Ainge is stacking assets and will have the pieces and cap room to go after any big free agents that become available. He also hired Brad Stevens, the perfect coach for building up the Celtics again.
6. Neil Olshey--The Trailblazers almost became Cleveland West a few years ago. LaMarcus Aldridge was getting ready to leave and there were just a few overpriced veterans populating the roster. But Olshey drafted well, played free agency perfectly, and convinced Aldridge to stay. Now they look like a team on the rise.
7. Doc Rivers--This actually has more to do with the way Rivers handled himself and the Clippers last spring during the Donald Sterling situation. Rivers hasn't had a chance to make a lot of moves yet. But adding Spencer Hawes was a smart, underrated move that should pay dividends and shows that Rivers is concerned with smart basketball moves rather than headlines.
8. Masai Ujiri--The man who traded Carmelo Anthony is rebuilding Canada into a basketball powerhouse. I was incredibly surprised to see Kyle Lowry return, so it's obvious the players believe in what the Raptors are building. Ujiri has made some shrewd trades and seems more concerned with the long term future than just appeasing fans now. Plus I love Toronto's "We the North" playoff slogan.
9. John Paxson/Gar Forman--Chicago's executives are underrated. They've fielded a competitive team despite the horrible injuries that Derrick Rose has sustained. Now that they've replaced Carlos Boozer with Pau Gasol, I'm ready to vault them into the top ten. They always find what their team needs off the scrap heap and let Tom Thibodeau mold that player into a valuable contributor.
10. Sam Presti--I'd rank this Popovich disciple a little higher, because he's made incredibly smart and successful moves his entire tenure with the Thunder. But his inability to put quality pieces around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the last few years (plus that horrible James Harden trade) led me to rank him this low. Presti's biggest weakness might be Durant, whose talent erases a lot of personnel mistakes.
11. Larry Bird/Kevin Pritchard--The Pacers have done a great job of building a team through the draft and smart free agent moves. But I dropped them in the rankings because they tried too hard at the trade deadline last February with the additions of Evan Turner and Andrew Bynum. And I didn't like the way they handled the Lance Stephenson contract.
12. Ryan McDonough--This young GM is rebuilding the Suns faster than anyone thought possible. And I like the way he's handled the Eric Bledsoe contract situation, refusing to overpay. (Even though Bledsoe is a great young player)
13. Danny Ferry--No one's really paying attention to Ferry because the Hawks are getting good very quietly. They aren't quite yet a title contender, but they are only one big move away from having a chance to win the NBA Finals.
14. Bob Myers--The Warriors are another team that is poised to make a big leap with just one or two big personnel moves. I liked that Myers held firm on not trading Klay Thompson in a Kevin Love deal, because I don't think Love would have pushed the Warriors over the hump.
15. Sam Hinkie--This is sort of premature on my part, because we won't know if Hinkie's strategy will work for another few years. But I like what he's doing in Philly, and he's very creative.
16. Chris Wallace--The Grizzlies' GM has made some interesting choices lately, but he's the one who put together the talented Memphis roster. I like GM's who decide on an identity and build on it. That's what Wallace has done in Memphis.
17. Rob Hennigan--Orlando hasn't been the same since the Dwight Howard trade, but they are building a solid foundation and making smart moves. Hennigan makes good draft choices and has let key veterans leave when they've gotten too expensive. Again, this is a GM who knows what he wants his team to look like, and that's more important than most people think.
18. Mitch Kupchak--The Lakers' GM hasn't looked spectacular lately, especially after giving Kobe Bryant that albatross of a contact, but he's still one of the league's best. The Dwight Howard/Steve Nash trade didn't work, but it was a risk he had to take. Deals like that are hard to manufacture.
19. Dennis Lindsey--The Utah GM is another executive quietly building a solid foundation in Salt Lake City. Matching Gordon Hayward's offer sheet from Charlotte was big. Lindsey needs to hit on a draft pick (perhaps Exum?) because free agents aren't clamoring to come to Utah.
20. Rich Cho--Charlotte is an up-and-coming team in the East, and Cho is a big part of that. The Al Jefferson deal raised a few eyebrows, but it turned out to be a solid deal for a team needing a veteran. It didn't hurt that Jefferson played at a higher level than anyone expected. Bringing on Lance Stephenson was a risk, but it might pay off.
21. Phil Jackson/Steve Mills--This is another case where we don't have enough info to give an accurate grade, but I like how Jackson held his ground with Carmelo Anthony and made some subtle moves to make the team better in the short and long term. Jackson might be the guy who finally turns the Knicks around.
22. Ernie Grunfield--On the one hand, Grunfeld gave Gilbert Arenas a contract worth $100 million. On the other, he did trade Kwame Brown away, getting rid of one of the worst draft picks ever. The Wizards have a talented young roster, and should be better given the amount of high picks they've had the last decade.
23. Stan Van Gundy--He can't be worse than Joe Dumars. Right? It'd be impossible. And he's been good at every previous stop.
24. Flip Saunders--He's not done great as an executive so far, but he did get a pretty good haul for Kevin Love. I don't like that he's coaching the team, though. A good GM wouldn't do that.
25. Dell Demps--He's not horrible, but the Pelicans lucked into what will be one of the best players in the NBA in Anthony Davis, and Demps has failed to surround him with quality pieces. The Pelicans should be a playoff contender in 14-15, but they won't because of Davis' poor supporting cast.
26. Pete D'Alessandro--I have no idea what the Kings are doing. It really makes no sense, and D'Alessandro is the architect of this madness.
27. Tim Connelly--The Nuggets got some quality pieces from the Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but Denver has failed to develop those players into a good team. And part of that falls to Connelly. He needs to make some smart moves soon.
28. David Griffin--This guy should buy a lottery ticket.
29. John Hammond--I don't know what was worse--signing OJ Mayo or trying to create an tourist attraction with dinosaurs. Either way, Hammond isn't at the top of the basketball GM world.
30. Billy King--King is a good basketball mind, but what he's done in Brooklyn is just atrocious. They have no cap space, no draft picks, and a very old team that doesn't perform. They are without a doubt the most inefficient team when it comes to dollars to wins.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade--Rivals?
Four years ago LeBron James left Cleveland. I agreed with that decision.
He took his talents to South Beach. I shook my head and couldn't believe it.
I wanted James to leave Cleveland and never look back. If I'm honest, as a Mavericks fan, I wanted him to come to Dallas. Besides that pipe dream, I wanted to see him in New York. Or on the Clippers, creating a legacy that would be the subject of documentaries and books for years to come.
Instead, LeBron teamed up with his rival Dwyane Wade and went to four straight Finals, winning two of them. But maybe to LeBron, Wade wasn't a rival. Maybe it was the Big Three of the Celtics--Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett--that he perceived as his rival. Maybe he saw Wade as an ally and friend instead of a challenger to his title as the best player in the Eastern conference and the NBA.
This brings up a lot of questions. Does the public's perception of a player matter to his historical legacy? Or is the legacy solely up to the player and what he wants to accomplish in his career? Was Dwyane Wade really a contender for LeBron's crown? Who decides which players are rivals? Let's hash it out:
Who decides a player's legacy? When we talk about a player's legacy, we're dealing with a subjective topic. You and I might disagree about who is the best player of all time. We might even disagree on the criteria we use to decide who that is. Do we use championships? Career scoring totals? Anecdotes from former teammates and opponents? It's not scientific and people rarely agree. It's why ESPN has about 23 hours of debate programming on now days.
Ultimately what we're trying to do is put the player's career into perspective. We'll never get the chance to see LeBron James and Michael Jordan play against each other, so we have to find a way to compare them. So we look at their career, and what they accomplished, and whether they achieved more or less than we expected them to throughout their time in the NBA.
But the question remains--who decides that legacy? For instance, maybe LeBron James only set his sight on one championship. When he was a boy, just dreaming of playing in the NBA, maybe he said to himself, "I'm going to work as hard as I can and become good enough to win one NBA championship. That's all I want. I just want to taste that victory once."
If that's the case, LeBron has accomplished more than he set out to as a kid. Based on his letter in Sports Illustrated, one of his goals is to win a championship in Cleveland. If he does that, maybe he's satisfied with his career. Maybe he has numerous other goals we don't know about.
The point is we (NBA fans and the general public) decided almost a decade ago that to be successful LeBron James would have to win as many or more championships than Michael Jordan did. We decided this without LeBron. We put it on him without asking. So why do we get to decide that James didn't reach his full potential? Maybe as an 18 year old kid in Akron, Ohio, LeBron wrote down a list of goals that included making $500 million, winning a championship in Cleveland, and scoring 40,000 career points. If he checks off every one of those items, would he consider himself a success? Would we consider him a failure for only winning three championships?
I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. It's just something worth considering. Maybe it's a combination of both.
Were Dwayne Wade and LeBron James ever rivals?
I considered LeBron and Wade rivals. After a few years, it was obvious that they were the two best players in the 2003 draft. Carmelo was lurking, but LeBron made the Finals once and Wade won a championship with Shaq. They were both in the Eastern Conference, it looked like they would be meeting in the conference finals year after year.
Except Miami bottomed out after winning the title in 2006. And the Celtics formed their Big 3 of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. And Wade, James, and Bosh enjoyed playing with each other in the 2008 Olympics. A lot.
LeBron kept running into the Celtics teams more talented than the ones he carried into the playoffs. I believe he saw those Celtics as his rivals. They kept beating him. They berated him while they did it. Especially Garnett. And Cleveland kept failing to get him any help. The best teammate he had was way past his prime Shaquille O'Neal. He looked around and thought, "I'm supposed to beat three Hall of Famers by myself?"
Dwyane Wade was Lebron's natural rival. It made sense, based on their talent and the situation and the history of the NBA as we know it. But that rivalry never got a chance to develop because of the reasons mentioned above. So it doesn't surprise me that James started looking at Wade as an ally and friend. Both of them knew they weren't going to have a chance at winning a title with that three-headed Celtics monster lurking in their conference unless they teamed up.
Who decides rivalries?
Again, this is real subjective. And I think rivalries are almost never "decided." They just form organically over time, because of insults and circumstances and familiarity and geography. There are a lot of sports rivalries that mean a lot to fans and nothing to the players. Think Yankees-Red Sox.
A lot of times fans will want a rivalry that's just not there. And sometimes rivalries appear out of nowhere, because someone dissed someone, or hit on someone's girl, or strutted a little too much after a dunk, or threw an elbow under the basket. Sometimes rivalries happen just because two teams want to win a title really, really, badly. There's really no predicting these things or making them happen artificially.
In my mind, Wade and James were the perfect rivals. A new Magic and Bird situation. But it never materialized, and I guess that's okay. Celtics-Lebron and Celtics-Heat was really fun to watch. So was Heat-Spurs and Heat-Mavs. And all that matters is if this stuff is entertaining.
He took his talents to South Beach. I shook my head and couldn't believe it.
I wanted James to leave Cleveland and never look back. If I'm honest, as a Mavericks fan, I wanted him to come to Dallas. Besides that pipe dream, I wanted to see him in New York. Or on the Clippers, creating a legacy that would be the subject of documentaries and books for years to come.
Instead, LeBron teamed up with his rival Dwyane Wade and went to four straight Finals, winning two of them. But maybe to LeBron, Wade wasn't a rival. Maybe it was the Big Three of the Celtics--Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett--that he perceived as his rival. Maybe he saw Wade as an ally and friend instead of a challenger to his title as the best player in the Eastern conference and the NBA.
This brings up a lot of questions. Does the public's perception of a player matter to his historical legacy? Or is the legacy solely up to the player and what he wants to accomplish in his career? Was Dwyane Wade really a contender for LeBron's crown? Who decides which players are rivals? Let's hash it out:
Who decides a player's legacy? When we talk about a player's legacy, we're dealing with a subjective topic. You and I might disagree about who is the best player of all time. We might even disagree on the criteria we use to decide who that is. Do we use championships? Career scoring totals? Anecdotes from former teammates and opponents? It's not scientific and people rarely agree. It's why ESPN has about 23 hours of debate programming on now days.
Ultimately what we're trying to do is put the player's career into perspective. We'll never get the chance to see LeBron James and Michael Jordan play against each other, so we have to find a way to compare them. So we look at their career, and what they accomplished, and whether they achieved more or less than we expected them to throughout their time in the NBA.
But the question remains--who decides that legacy? For instance, maybe LeBron James only set his sight on one championship. When he was a boy, just dreaming of playing in the NBA, maybe he said to himself, "I'm going to work as hard as I can and become good enough to win one NBA championship. That's all I want. I just want to taste that victory once."
If that's the case, LeBron has accomplished more than he set out to as a kid. Based on his letter in Sports Illustrated, one of his goals is to win a championship in Cleveland. If he does that, maybe he's satisfied with his career. Maybe he has numerous other goals we don't know about.
The point is we (NBA fans and the general public) decided almost a decade ago that to be successful LeBron James would have to win as many or more championships than Michael Jordan did. We decided this without LeBron. We put it on him without asking. So why do we get to decide that James didn't reach his full potential? Maybe as an 18 year old kid in Akron, Ohio, LeBron wrote down a list of goals that included making $500 million, winning a championship in Cleveland, and scoring 40,000 career points. If he checks off every one of those items, would he consider himself a success? Would we consider him a failure for only winning three championships?
I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. It's just something worth considering. Maybe it's a combination of both.
Were Dwayne Wade and LeBron James ever rivals?
I considered LeBron and Wade rivals. After a few years, it was obvious that they were the two best players in the 2003 draft. Carmelo was lurking, but LeBron made the Finals once and Wade won a championship with Shaq. They were both in the Eastern Conference, it looked like they would be meeting in the conference finals year after year.
Except Miami bottomed out after winning the title in 2006. And the Celtics formed their Big 3 of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. And Wade, James, and Bosh enjoyed playing with each other in the 2008 Olympics. A lot.
LeBron kept running into the Celtics teams more talented than the ones he carried into the playoffs. I believe he saw those Celtics as his rivals. They kept beating him. They berated him while they did it. Especially Garnett. And Cleveland kept failing to get him any help. The best teammate he had was way past his prime Shaquille O'Neal. He looked around and thought, "I'm supposed to beat three Hall of Famers by myself?"
Dwyane Wade was Lebron's natural rival. It made sense, based on their talent and the situation and the history of the NBA as we know it. But that rivalry never got a chance to develop because of the reasons mentioned above. So it doesn't surprise me that James started looking at Wade as an ally and friend. Both of them knew they weren't going to have a chance at winning a title with that three-headed Celtics monster lurking in their conference unless they teamed up.
Who decides rivalries?
Again, this is real subjective. And I think rivalries are almost never "decided." They just form organically over time, because of insults and circumstances and familiarity and geography. There are a lot of sports rivalries that mean a lot to fans and nothing to the players. Think Yankees-Red Sox.
A lot of times fans will want a rivalry that's just not there. And sometimes rivalries appear out of nowhere, because someone dissed someone, or hit on someone's girl, or strutted a little too much after a dunk, or threw an elbow under the basket. Sometimes rivalries happen just because two teams want to win a title really, really, badly. There's really no predicting these things or making them happen artificially.
In my mind, Wade and James were the perfect rivals. A new Magic and Bird situation. But it never materialized, and I guess that's okay. Celtics-Lebron and Celtics-Heat was really fun to watch. So was Heat-Spurs and Heat-Mavs. And all that matters is if this stuff is entertaining.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Field Goal Percentage Allowed and NBA Champions
What do all NBA champions for the last fifteen years have in common?
Good defense.
Sounds like a reasonable answer, what with the common perception that "defense wins championships." But in the NBA, it's not just a cliche. It's gospel.
From the 2000 Lakers to the 2014 Spurs, every championship team ranks near the top ten in field goal percentage allowed. And the only reason I say near is because the 2001 Lakers ranked eleventh in field goal percentage allowed, thanks to a rash of injuries throughout the year. Here's a list of the last fifteen NBA Finals winners and their field goal defense rank:
2014--San Antonio Spurs (8)
2013--Miami Heat (6)
2012--Miami Heat (5)
2011--Dallas Mavericks (8)
2010--Los Angeles Lakers (5)
2009--Los Angeles Lakers (6)
2008--Boston Celtics (1)
2007--San Antonio Spurs (4)
2006--Miami Heat (8)
2005--San Antonio Spurs (3)
2004--Detroit Pistons (3)
2003--San Antonio Spurs (3)
2002--Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2001--Los Angeles Lakers (11)
2000--Los Angeles Lakers (1)
Obviously ranking in the top ten in field goal defense doesn't guarantee a championship. If you've got great defense but are completely inept on offense (looking at you, Chicago), you don't have a chance. But based on history, you've got to be in the top ten of field goal percentage allowed in order to win a championship.
The numbers don't lie.
The only question is how NBA franchises can use this info to build better teams. Any thoughts?
Good defense.
Sounds like a reasonable answer, what with the common perception that "defense wins championships." But in the NBA, it's not just a cliche. It's gospel.
From the 2000 Lakers to the 2014 Spurs, every championship team ranks near the top ten in field goal percentage allowed. And the only reason I say near is because the 2001 Lakers ranked eleventh in field goal percentage allowed, thanks to a rash of injuries throughout the year. Here's a list of the last fifteen NBA Finals winners and their field goal defense rank:
2014--San Antonio Spurs (8)
2013--Miami Heat (6)
2012--Miami Heat (5)
2011--Dallas Mavericks (8)
2010--Los Angeles Lakers (5)
2009--Los Angeles Lakers (6)
2008--Boston Celtics (1)
2007--San Antonio Spurs (4)
2006--Miami Heat (8)
2005--San Antonio Spurs (3)
2004--Detroit Pistons (3)
2003--San Antonio Spurs (3)
2002--Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2001--Los Angeles Lakers (11)
2000--Los Angeles Lakers (1)
Obviously ranking in the top ten in field goal defense doesn't guarantee a championship. If you've got great defense but are completely inept on offense (looking at you, Chicago), you don't have a chance. But based on history, you've got to be in the top ten of field goal percentage allowed in order to win a championship.
The numbers don't lie.
The only question is how NBA franchises can use this info to build better teams. Any thoughts?
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Do Great Players Miss the Playoffs?
With Kevin Love being traded to the Cavaliers came a lot of talk about how good he actually is. Is Love an NBA superstar? A star? Or merely a really good player?
It's a topic that's been hashed and rehashed, so I don't want to get into it. But it did make me think: do great players miss the playoffs?
First, let's define what a great player is. The term is very subjective, so I need to decide on what makes a great player. The easiest way to do so is to look at All-Star selections and All-NBA selections. We can't just go by the All-Star selections because they're partially decided by fan votes.
So we're talking a great player. Not a hall of famer, or even a superstar. Just a great player who can carry his team. I think a good example is Kevin Garnett. Minnesota made the playoffs eight times in Garnett's twelve seasons there. During that stretch, he made the All-Star team ten times and made an All-NBA team eight times. Most of those seasons Garnett wasn't surrounded by the best talent.
Garnett's best teammates during his stretch in Minnesota? Tom Guggliota, Wally Szczerbiak, Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Sam Cassell, and Latrell Sprewell. Seriously, look at that list. It's more depressing than the February temperatures in Minneapolis. Those were the best players surrounding Garnett, and he still dragged them to the playoffs every year. In 03-04, when he caught in their primes Cassell and Sprewell, the T-Wolves made it to the Western Conference Finals.
That's what a great player does. He drags an average supporting cast to the playoffs. I don't care what they do once they get to the playoffs. That's a completely different animal. But getting your team to the playoffs requires consistent, tough-minded play, night in and night out. It's hard to do and only the best do it. Let's take a look at a few who were able to carry their teams.
Paul Pierce--The Truth didn't have a lot of great players around him until Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett showed up. The best teammate he had before 2008 was Antoine Walker. I'm not going to knock Employee Number Eight, who was a three-time all-star, but he's not exactly Scottie Pippen.
Pierce's Celtics made playoffs ten out of the fifteen years he was there. That's not bad. It's the sign of a player who carries his team. Tony Delk and Raef Lafrentz aren't doing much heavy lifting. Pierce averaged 21.3 points/6.7 rebounds/4 assists during the playoffs in Boston. I think it's safe to say he's a great player who carried his team to the playoffs most years.
Dirk Nowitzki--Dirk has had a better supporting cast around, even though he never had that true number two star. The best the Mavericks could manage was Jason Terry, which was enough to win a title in 2011. (You can't count Steve Nash, because he played for Dallas before he really peaked and became Steve Nash)
The Mavericks have made the playoffs thirteen out of sixteen years since Dirk arrived, getting the most out of lesser players because of all the attention paid to the Big German. Nowitzki averaged 22/8/2 throughout his career, and in the playoffs stepped it up with a line of 25/10/2.
Dallas has been very successful for a decade and a half, and Nowitzki is the reason. Great player, hardly ever missed the playoffs.
Pau Gasol--The Meal Ticket (Yes, that's his nickname. Or it was.) is a really good comparison to Kevin Love. They're both post players who started off their careers in a small market, had limited success, and were traded to championship contenders.
Gasol made the playoffs three years in Memphis, but he had much better teammates around him than Love has had in Minnesota. He wasn't exactly playing with all-stars, but Jason Williams, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, James Posey, and Bonzi Wells isn't a bad team. But if you look at those players, what you see is a bunch of gritty defenders and knockout shooters stationed around a big man who can consistently score in the paint.
Memphis got swept every year they made it to the postseason. Maybe with another star on the perimeter to compliment Gasol the Grizzlies could've gone farther, but that never materialized. Pau was traded to the Lakers and Memphis rebuilt around Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Zach Randolph.
So what about Kevin Love? He never made the playoffs in Minnesota. Was that his fault, or the team around him? After all, the three players above all missed the playoffs in their career, especially in the early stages of their careers.
The best teammates around Love so far? Ricky Rubio, who might be the worst shooter in league history. Al Jefferson, who promptly tore his ACL and was then traded. Michael Beasley? Luke Ridenour? That's the best the guy has played with his whole NBA career. If I were him, I'd be a walking storm cloud of negativity and hate. People have accused him of chasing stats. So what? What else is he supposed to do when it's negative ten degrees and Rubio is clanging another wide open three?
I'm not sure if Love is a legitimate star, or even a legitimate number two. But he's better than his time in Minnesota suggests. We'll finally get to see him play some meaningful NBA basketball. Maybe then we'll be able to make a better decision on where he stands.
It's a topic that's been hashed and rehashed, so I don't want to get into it. But it did make me think: do great players miss the playoffs?
First, let's define what a great player is. The term is very subjective, so I need to decide on what makes a great player. The easiest way to do so is to look at All-Star selections and All-NBA selections. We can't just go by the All-Star selections because they're partially decided by fan votes.
So we're talking a great player. Not a hall of famer, or even a superstar. Just a great player who can carry his team. I think a good example is Kevin Garnett. Minnesota made the playoffs eight times in Garnett's twelve seasons there. During that stretch, he made the All-Star team ten times and made an All-NBA team eight times. Most of those seasons Garnett wasn't surrounded by the best talent.
Garnett's best teammates during his stretch in Minnesota? Tom Guggliota, Wally Szczerbiak, Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Sam Cassell, and Latrell Sprewell. Seriously, look at that list. It's more depressing than the February temperatures in Minneapolis. Those were the best players surrounding Garnett, and he still dragged them to the playoffs every year. In 03-04, when he caught in their primes Cassell and Sprewell, the T-Wolves made it to the Western Conference Finals.
That's what a great player does. He drags an average supporting cast to the playoffs. I don't care what they do once they get to the playoffs. That's a completely different animal. But getting your team to the playoffs requires consistent, tough-minded play, night in and night out. It's hard to do and only the best do it. Let's take a look at a few who were able to carry their teams.
Paul Pierce--The Truth didn't have a lot of great players around him until Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett showed up. The best teammate he had before 2008 was Antoine Walker. I'm not going to knock Employee Number Eight, who was a three-time all-star, but he's not exactly Scottie Pippen.
Pierce's Celtics made playoffs ten out of the fifteen years he was there. That's not bad. It's the sign of a player who carries his team. Tony Delk and Raef Lafrentz aren't doing much heavy lifting. Pierce averaged 21.3 points/6.7 rebounds/4 assists during the playoffs in Boston. I think it's safe to say he's a great player who carried his team to the playoffs most years.
Dirk Nowitzki--Dirk has had a better supporting cast around, even though he never had that true number two star. The best the Mavericks could manage was Jason Terry, which was enough to win a title in 2011. (You can't count Steve Nash, because he played for Dallas before he really peaked and became Steve Nash)
The Mavericks have made the playoffs thirteen out of sixteen years since Dirk arrived, getting the most out of lesser players because of all the attention paid to the Big German. Nowitzki averaged 22/8/2 throughout his career, and in the playoffs stepped it up with a line of 25/10/2.
Dallas has been very successful for a decade and a half, and Nowitzki is the reason. Great player, hardly ever missed the playoffs.
Pau Gasol--The Meal Ticket (Yes, that's his nickname. Or it was.) is a really good comparison to Kevin Love. They're both post players who started off their careers in a small market, had limited success, and were traded to championship contenders.
Gasol made the playoffs three years in Memphis, but he had much better teammates around him than Love has had in Minnesota. He wasn't exactly playing with all-stars, but Jason Williams, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, James Posey, and Bonzi Wells isn't a bad team. But if you look at those players, what you see is a bunch of gritty defenders and knockout shooters stationed around a big man who can consistently score in the paint.
Memphis got swept every year they made it to the postseason. Maybe with another star on the perimeter to compliment Gasol the Grizzlies could've gone farther, but that never materialized. Pau was traded to the Lakers and Memphis rebuilt around Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Zach Randolph.
So what about Kevin Love? He never made the playoffs in Minnesota. Was that his fault, or the team around him? After all, the three players above all missed the playoffs in their career, especially in the early stages of their careers.
The best teammates around Love so far? Ricky Rubio, who might be the worst shooter in league history. Al Jefferson, who promptly tore his ACL and was then traded. Michael Beasley? Luke Ridenour? That's the best the guy has played with his whole NBA career. If I were him, I'd be a walking storm cloud of negativity and hate. People have accused him of chasing stats. So what? What else is he supposed to do when it's negative ten degrees and Rubio is clanging another wide open three?
I'm not sure if Love is a legitimate star, or even a legitimate number two. But he's better than his time in Minnesota suggests. We'll finally get to see him play some meaningful NBA basketball. Maybe then we'll be able to make a better decision on where he stands.
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