12 points, 10 rebounds

There are oft-repeated mantras when it comes to championships in the NBA.
"Defense wins championships."
"LeBron James/Mike D'Antoni's offense/a rabid unicorn hasn't won anything yet."
"You need a Big 3."

Oscar Robertson, 73, the man who averaged a triple-double for an entire season, sat down with Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald and said this of the Heat, "I want LeBron to win. It felt like the whole country was against him last year. But I’ve always said this: To win championships, you need to have a center who can get you 12 points, 10 rebounds. The Heat don’t have that."

Obviously, just a center who gets 12 points and 10 boards isn't going to win a championship, but let's take a look at Big O's argument. First, we look to see if the team had a center who averaged 12/10 in the regular season, then if they had a center who averaged 12/10 in the Playoffs (including the NBA Finals), then whether they had a center who averaged 12/10 in the Finals. Finally, we look to see if, during the Finals, the center grabbed 12 and 10 at some point, because Robertson says "a center who can get you 12 points, 10 rebounds."

Championship Team	Regular Season	NBA Playoffs	NBA Finals	12/10 in Finals
2010-2011 Dallas Mavericks	No	No	No	Yes
2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers*	No	Yes	No	Yes
2007-2008 Boston Celtics	No	No	No	No
2006-2007 San Antonio Spurs*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2005-2006 Miami Heat	No	No	Yes	Yes
2004-2005 San Antonio Spurs*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2003-2004 Detroit Pistons	No	No	No	Yes
2002-2003 San Antonio Spurs*	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2001-2002 Los Angeles Lakers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1998-1999 San Antonio Spurs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1997-1998 Chicago Bulls	No	No	No	No
1996-1997 Chicago Bulls	No	No	No	No
1995-1996 Chicago Bulls	No	No	No	No
1994-1995 Houston Rockets	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1993-1994 Houston Rockets	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
1992-1993 Chicago Bulls	No	No	Yes	Yes
1991-1992 Chicago Bulls	Yes	No	No	No
1990-1991 Chicago Bulls	No	No	No	Yes

The 1993-1994 Rockets had two centers, arguably: Hakeem Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe. Both averaged better than 12 and 10 during the regular season. And the 1998-1999 San Antonio Spurs had David Robinson and Tim Duncan (ok, he's sort of a center, I'm being generous to Robertson) average better than 12 and 10 during the regular season and during the Finals against the Knicks.

So, is the Big O right? That depends. Did he mean a center who can get 12 and 10? Did he mean a center who gets 12 and 10 once? Averages it during the season? During playoffs? During the finals? His only resounding support comes from Shaq's Lakers, Hakeem's Rockets, and David Robinson's first championship.

The Heat can win it all. Dallas did it last year without a 12 and 10 guy... unless Chandler's one big game satisfies O's conditions...

But the late 90s Bulls and the recent Celtics team show that Robertson's thesis isn't 100%.

I think Oscar Robertson is wrong. When the Cleveland Cavaliers, featuring a certain aforementioned LeBron James, reached the NBA Finals in 2007, their center, a one Zydrunas Ilgauskas, was averaging above a 12/10 through the playoffs. It wasn't until the Finals that Big Z's production tapered off. In fact, his production tapered off enough that he only averaged 9.7 boards through the entire postseason. His Finals appearance was that bad. Sure, he had one big game, but that wasn't enough to avoid a sweep against the Spurs. The Big O is wrong - you can't just choose an arbitrary stat level as indicative of championship caliber play. I didn't go through the losing teams each year, but I would not be surprised if a few had a true center rocking more than 12 points and 10 boards at least once.

In the end, Robertson's statement is slightly more informed but just as predicive as statements like "the Lakers have never lost at home in the third game following a tremor of 4.2 against a team from Canada."


* = Because Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol play power forward and center, they were included as centers, but doing so hurts Robertson's thesis.

The Euro Step

Not to be confused with dubstep, the Euro Step is a basketball move that consists of cutting in one direction really hard and in one step. Here's a great little video of Manu Ginobili breaking down what is essentially his signature move.

Witness.



And here is Ricky Rubio breaking it down.

Jeremy Lin: The Truth that Resides

ESPN proclaims "Linsanity!"

ESPN further proclaims "Knicks find their missing 'Lin'k."

Unfortunately, the puns about point guard Jeremy Lin don't stop there. Our own wonder blogger and resident soccer expert Hsuper wrote about Lin last June. Since then, Lin appeared more likely to bounce out of the NBA after a few years of unspectacular play off the bench of a bad team. All of that changed, when Mike D'Antoni played Lin for extended minutes on Monday night.

Let's take a look at Lin's professional basketball resume (via Real GM):

Jun 24, 2010 - Jeremy Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft making him an Unrestricted FA.
Jul 21, 2010 - Jeremy Lin signed a multi-year contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Dec 28, 2010 - The Golden State Warriors assigned Jeremy Lin to the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Jan 3, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors recalled Jeremy Lin from the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Jan 9, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors assigned Jeremy Lin to the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Feb 5, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors recalled Jeremy Lin from the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Mar 17, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors assigned Jeremy Lin to the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Mar 28, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors recalled Jeremy Lin from the Reno Bighorns of the D-League.
Dec 9, 2011 - The Golden State Warriors placed the contract of Jeremy Lin on waivers.
Dec 11, 2011 - The Houston Rockets made a successful waiver claim for the contract of Jeremy Lin.
Dec 25, 2011 - The Houston Rockets placed the contract of Jeremy Lin on waivers.
Dec 27, 2011 - The New York Knicks made a successful waiver claim for the contract of Jeremy Lin.
Jan 17, 2012 - The New York Knicks assigned Jeremy Lin to the Erie BayHawks of the D-League.
Jan 23, 2012 - The New York Knicks recalled Jeremy Lin from the Erie BayHawks of the D-League.

In two stellar games at the "basketball Mecca," Lin has:
Feb. 6: 28 pts, 2 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, a three, but 8 turnovers.
Feb. 4: 25 pts, 5 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals, and only one turnover.

Now the Knicks have their second win streak of the season and a short-term savior at the point guard position, despite those pesky turnovers in Lin's first start... against a perfectly average team with its own slew of injury problems.

Given that the Knicks play in New York, this means hyperbole and expectation untempered by reality reigns supreme. Sure, Lin could be the next Derrick Rose (though with a college degree), but then I could be the next Parris Glendening.

Analysis and hype aside, some folks have taken it to the perfectly sensible realm of satire. Witness the comments on today's Daily Dime:

28NYjets: Is it possible for Lin and Shump to share the ROY award? Or should they just give Lin the MVP and Shump the ROY?

EAGLESMETS14: all of u guys are so inmature like its a game so knicks fans get a little excited relax their not saying hes D-rose
28NYjets: yea, we're saying he's jason kidd

The_Truth_That_Resides: LIN IS NOW THE BENCHMARK FOR ELITE PG PLAY.

The_Truth_That_Resides: IF MAGIC JOHNSON AND MICHAEL JORDAN FUSED TOGETHER.. THEY STILL COULD NOT DEFEAT LIN.
CHI-TOWN-BULLS: Dumb...and your caps lock is on.
The_Truth_That_Resides: ACTUALLY IT IS NOT. I AM HOLDING SHIFT.

I will be very happy if Jeremy Lin becomes the new Chuck Norris-esque name in basketball, but even happier if someone makes me a shirt that says "CAPS LOCK IS NOT ON, ACTUALLY. I AM HOLDING SHIFT."

Chattel

Eric Gordon and the NBA Hornets were unable to come to an agreement over a contract extension. Eric Gordon, who won a gold medal at the World Championships, was unable to reach agreement with the worst team in the Western Conference of the NBA. Let's rewind a sec. Eric Gordon is the best player on the Hornets, by far. The Hornets are owned by the league itself. Therefore, the guys who run the game run the trades. If they wanted to create a winning team, they're in a pretty awesome spot. If they wanted to bleed the team of its great players through terrible trades and leave the franchise in such a position that it is cheap enough (by being free of burdensome, non-rookie contracts) to buy during a down economy, they could do so. The team would need good draft picks, though. However, due to other league rules, they would also need to meet minimum salary levels. And, due to the need to keep up appearances in order to sell tickets, they'd have to have a coach and general manager who want to win.

Coach Monty Williams and General Manager Dell Demps have pretty much rocked out. Demps engineered an amazing trade for Chris Paul that was approved by all involved (Lakers, Rockets, Hornets). Until the NBA realized they could veto the trade. David Stern/Stu Jackson did so. Chris Paul went instead to the Clippers who had just signed a proven yet old shooting guard who had come off of the one time amnesty wire. The Clippers signed Chauncey Billups for dirt cheap ($1.1 million for a former Finals MVP) right before realizing they could suddenly trade the previously untradeable (and potential building block) Eric Gordon.

Boom.

Gordon was traded to New Orleans.

Now, the NBA Hornets have not signed Gordon to an extension. Why? Money committed to a player (even an amazing young shooting guard like Eric Gordon) means a higher price for a franchise. David Stern is destroying the value of the New Orleans Hornets so that someone will actually buy the team.

Currently, the Hornets ostensibly have two or three potential buyers. Ostensibly + potential = not so much. The key to finding a buyer in this economy after a polarizing lockout is lowering the purchasing price of the team. To do so, without lowering the value of other NBA teams, means not having many liabilities but having potential. How does one get that in this NBA? Don't sign Eric Gordon for the long term and make sure the team sucks to ensure good draft picks.

It's sad. It's dirty. And hopefully the people of New Orleans realize this and let Stern know they don't need nor want a professional basketball team, despite his hollow post-Katrina promise.

JoePa

We've been remiss in discussing Joe Paterno, his passing, and his legacy. Read this elegy from our friends at Philawdelphia.

“Mr. Paterno is survived by 147,000 grandchildren, 450,000 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.”

Goodbye, Flip

Flip Saunders, coach of the Washington Wizards, was fired today, the day after the Wizards were routed by the Philadelphia 76ers. There's no word yet as to why Ernie Grunfeld, the GM who assembled this terrible team, still has a job.

Prior to joining the Wizards, Saunders had won 587 games and lost 396 games. With the Wizards, a ragtag group of misfits, he went 61-130.

The Plight of Eric Gordon

Eric Gordon is one of the best shooting guards in the League right now. He played on the gold-winning 2010 World Championship team. He kinda got the shaft in being traded from the Clippers to the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets after a suspicious series of events including a segment where he was assured that he would not be traded.

Now, he's waiting on the Commissioner of the NBA to give him a contract extension. From Yahoo!:

Gordon’s agent, Rob Pelinka, has engaged in recent contract talks with the Hornets’ front office, but hasn’t received an official offer. Gordon told Yahoo! Sports on Monday night he was informed by Hornets general manager Dell Demps that Stern must decide whether to extend an offer. The NBA owns the Hornets. Gordon wants to re-sign with New Orleans, but is uncertain if or when Stern will reach out to him or Pelinka.

While I'm sure everything will work out and Stern will deign to give Gordon an extension, the fact that (failed Vancouver Grizzlies General Manager) Stu Jackson is getting a chance to question any and all decisions by Dell Demps reeks.



Can we just rename them the NBA Hornets?

RIP Sarah Burke

"It's what our lives are, being on the hill and there’s a reason for that, it’s amazing, it’s where we met, where we live, and, hopefully, where we die."

Tim Thomas Riles Up Conservatives

Last year, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. As is tradition in major sports played in the United States, the champs (if American) visit the White House. The first hockey team to do so was the 1990-1991 Pittsburgh Penguins, who visited with George H. W. Bush. Being honored by the President is one of those things that isn't really political and is much more of an honor than anything else. Bruins goalie and playoff MVP Tim Thomas decided to skip the opportunity to meet President Barack Hussein Obama because, because, as he stated on his Facebook page:

I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.

While this Tim Thomas (for us NBA fans, we think of this guy first) has announced his constitutional originalism, he hasn't exactly espoused any political beliefs. Given his statement, the man could be a raving communist intent on tricking the lumpenproletariat into subjection by and for the proletariat. Or, he could be one of those unique-to-America wingnuts that the rest of the world giggles at...even Canada, the birthplace of hockey. Nevertheless, political-minded folks have managed to get their undies in a twist. Take, for example, the wondrous slice of unfiltered Internet commentary that happens in response to a Yahoo! Sports article about Thomas's decision. While Thomas hasn't exactly expressed anything more than dissent to both parties, his statement has created an artificial backlash: reporting of his decision to not attend the traditional White House visit has been deemed part of a liberal campaign of slander. Apparently, the "media" has already judged Thomas to be un-American for not going on the trip. And, therefore, the media is biased and free speech is under attack. Thomas's boorishness aside, it's all a bit ridiculous when you think about it: a player decides not to visit the White House while a Democratic President is there -> the media reports on the no-show -> Republicans get upset and claim that the reporting is somehow indicative of liberal bias and adopt the no-show as a partisan statement, despite the player's explicit statement that the no-show has nothing to do with political parties and all to do with "the Founding Fathers['] vision for the Federal government."

But, President Obama has faced a lot of flack for allegedly: wanting the United States to fail; turning the U.S. into an Islamic Caliphate; being a Nazi; being a Communist; being a Nazi Communist; being a Kenyan anti-colonialist; not being American; hating America; killing Osama bin Laden rather than bringing him to justice; not killing Osama bin Laden fast enough; taking credit for killing Osama bin Laden when in fact he didn't pull the trigger of the gun that shot the bullets that killed Osama bin Laden; falsifying grades at Harvard Law; and, now, using the Bruins for political purposes. So, given the charged (and kind of scarily misinformed) environment, I guess it makes sense that Tim Thomas's nonpartisan political protest should engender racist comments and worse. While I'm not personally acquainted with the man who received more than twice as many electoral votes as his opponent and nearly 10 million more in the popular vote, as a rational human being, I can attest to the fact that most people don't spend years of their lives achieving something only to tear down the meaning of their life's work. Just sayin' that the whole Obama hates America bit is sadly more than a little ridiculous and sullies what could otherwise be pretty appealing sports.

Then again, maybe Tim Thomas had no idea this sort of Boston fan would contribute his sadly popular two cents: "Jimmy" speaks of calling Obama a "chocolate Marxist" as a fortunate "spark of patriotism" that can "erupt into a raging conflagration."

Nick Young is a terrible rebounder

First off, I'm not a statistician. Secondly, this is my first time really playing around with the amazing site Basketball Reference. But, after attending the Wizards-Celtics game on Sunday, I couldn't help but wonder if Nick Young knows that rebounds are available. Nick Young is listed at 6'7" or 6'6", depending where you check. Sometimes, he plays shooting guard; sometimes, he plays small forward. As a guy who uses up a lot of possessions taking often-contested shots, I figured it would behoove him to snag a few caroms if he wants to be viewed as anything more than a chucker (taking 14.4 FGA a game, despite shooting 40.3%). Senor Swaggy P feels otherwise, but here's where he stands compared to other active guards over this and the past four seasons when it comes to percentage of total rebounds: 340th place. Granted, a fair amount of better rebounders are listed ahead of him more than once because, well, they've been better rebounders than Nick Young's best season more than once.

But, 340th place is abysmal, anemic, and appears more terrible when we look at per-36s: 353rd place. That's some rockstar rebounding at 3.6 boards per 36 minutes.

So, let's look at this season. Of the 54 guards or guard-forwards who have started at least 10 games, Nick Young has the lowest rebounds per game (2.4) of anyone his height who plays at least 30 minutes per game. In other words, he is pretty much the worst rebounding starter at his height in the NBA right now. In terms of percentage of total rebounds this season for guards and guard-forwards starting at least 10 games? Nick Young is 46th out of 54 with his incredible ability to corral 2.8% of available rebounds. The only players with worse rates are mostly point guards, shorter, and rarely, if ever, found playing small forward: Monta Ellis, Raymond Felton, Ben Gordon, Raja Bell, Steve Nash, Luke Ridnour, Devin Harris, and Jeff Teague.

Beckham signs with L.A. Galaxy for 2012 Season

credit Quinn Rooney / Getty Images, via L.A. Times

David Beckham, star midfielder for the L.A. Galaxy, winner of three league championships across two continents (not to mention a UEFA Champions League piece of hardware), and most famous for bending it like... himself, has signed with the MLS Cup winners for the 2012 season, citing his family's preference for remaining in Southern California as a major motivator to not get paid $1 million/month to live in Paris.

Yao Ming, the Politician, and Other Notable International Athletic Stars Turned Politicos

Word has come over the wires that former Houston Rocket star Yao Ming has made his political debut at age 31, only months into retirement. Such a move by Lurch Addams's Chinese half-brother should come as little surprise. Even in retirement, Yao retains superstar status in China. He has a number of endorsement deals, and a brand of wine bearing his name. Although this is a rather modest entry into the political arena—just an appointment to a 142-member regional advisory body without any actual authority—Yao has struck a cautious tone, saying he doesn't want to be "hasty" in raising any proposals. That's probably the right way to go, given the minefield that is Chinese politics. Indeed, Yao sometimes found himself embroiled in political controversy during his playing days over seemingly minor issues, such as where his wife would give birth. Due to Yao's general hilariousness—usually but not always unintentional—he is a new favorite politician.

Given that my previous contribution to the blog was an examination of the relationship between sports and politics, I figured I'd make a top 10:

10. Menzies Campbell, Scotland

I had no choice but to include Campbell because, serendipitously, his nickname is "Ming." A top-notch Olympic sprinter in the 1960s, Campbell helped build the UK's Liberal Democrat Party and is one of the most visible figures in UK parliament.

9. Sebastian Coe, England

Another Olympic sprinter turned member of UK parliament, Coe won consecutive Olympic golds in the 1,500m and set eight world records during his career. He also was the head of London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. I picked the famously charismatic Coe not only for his accomplishments but also because he's a bit of a wild card. For example, when asked about the controversial topic of an all-Great Britain soccer team, he reportedly said, "Yes to 2012 GB footy team. The Scots and Welsh? Fuck 'em"

8. Ken Dryden, Canada

Dryden chose not to stay in his native Toronto to play hockey, instead going to Cornell—ever heard of it?—where he won an NCAA championship. I like him for continuing to buck the system multiple more times in his athletic career. First, he sat out the '73-'74 season rather than accept a lowball offer from the Canadiens, taking the time to finish his law degree at McGill. Then, he retired in his prime, after only a bit more than seven seasons, after wining five Stanley Cups and a slew of top accolades.

7. Dawn Fraser, Australia

First of all, Fraser gets points in my book because reading up on her caused me to learn some new Aussie terminology, including hoick and larrikin. Fraser was also a really, really good swimmer, winning 8 Olympic medals and setting 39 world records. And being a really, really good swimmer makes you a BFD in Australia, which she parlayed into a raft of accolades and a stint in regional parliament. But the best part about Fraser is a story she denies: that she swam a moat and shimmied up a flagpole at Emperor Hirohito's palace to steal a souvenir flag during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

6. George Weah, Liberia

Weah is a former soccer great who won FIFA's World Player of the Year award in 1995. Since then, he has founded the Congress for Democratic Change party in Liberia and run unsuccessfully for both president and vice-president. For reasons unknown, he came to the U.S. to obtain a degree in Business Management from DeVry University in Florida. Weah proved himself a model student by immediately relating his studies to his political career, citing his undergraduate Business 303 course in justifying his political strategy.

5. Marat Safin, Russia

Formerly the world's No. 1-ranked men's tennis pro, Safin won election to the lower house of Russian parliament just last month, as a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russian party. As with Yao and China, Safin is the biggest name in a large group of former athletes (mostly Olympians) to enter politics. Safin has always been a colorful figure, but it's a bit ironic (or maybe not at all?) that the notoriously colorless Pete Sampras was the one to predict that Safin will become Russia's president in 20 years. Safin, for his part, did not disappoint with his own take on his political debut, proclaiming, "I could be the best looking guy in the Duma. But that's only because all the other guys are over 60."

4. Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria

Unlike the rest of this list, Borisov has never been an elite athlete. But he does have the distinction of playing professional soccer in Bulgaria at age 52—while also serving as the country's prime minister!—albeit for a third-division club. Even better, Bulgarians voted him the country's top soccer player, in landslide over Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov, to express their disgust with Bulgaria's poor showing in European competition. To Borisov's credit, after winning the poll he recommended doing away with it.

3. Manny Pacquiao, Philippines

What isn't to like about Pac-Man? He has almost single-handedly kept his sport on life support during a low period, fighting across a dizzying array of weight classes and prompting Bob Arum to declare, "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard." Still at the top of the boxing world, Pacquiao has continued to fight while serving in his country's legislature and also doing some acting, even discussing a potential project with Sylvester Stallone. But, he still has yet to sign up for the fight everyone's been waiting years for: a showdown with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

2. Imran Khan, Pakistan

In the Pakistani equivalent of water-cooler conversation, there aren't many topics that can compete with cricket and political corruption. Imran Khan is a leading figure in both areas, if not the figure. And he's assumed that status with consummate flair. In 1992, a the tail end of his career, he promised that underdog Pakistan would its first world cricket championship. And then it did, against England, its former colonial ruler. Now, 20 years later, he has built the "Movement for Justice" party that he founded into a major political force, based upon a platform of anti-corruption and social justice. He has gathered crowds of over 100,000 in each of Pakistan's most important cities, Karachi and Lahore,and upset the delicate two-party balance that previously reigned. Indeed, Khan's latest prediction, that his party will dominate the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite having only one seat in its 15-year history, seems plausible. If so, his supporters will get to trade in their Obama-referencing "Yes We Khan" shirts for some new ones reading, "Yes We Did."

1. Yao Ming, China

Yao's head and shoulders above the crowd—at least literally—and he's from a rapidly emerging world superpower. This could be big, so I'll give him the number one spot for now due to his "huge upside potential."

O-Town Tragedy

As the saga of Dwight continues, the Magic front office has become something of a joke. Well, not Stan Van Gundy. He's still a shrill hedgehog of horror who can coach the hell out of a bunch of role players. But I'm talking about Otis Smith and Bob "I'll just have a couple glasses of wine and then call my star player to beg him to stay" Vander Weide. With Vander Weide gone, let's talk about Otis.



Otis Smith somehow has a job, still. Even in this economy. Even with Kevin Pritchard unemployed.

Otis Smith is the guy who, along with Ernie Grunfeld, can be blamed in part for the NBA lockout: then with the Sonics (RIP), Lewis agreed to a sign-and-trade 6 year, $118 million contract. Lewis didn't live up to his prior scoring and rebounding ways. At all.

But, Otis Smith is the guy who got Rafer Alston on short notice (after Jameer Nelson's big shoulder injury) for Mike Wilks, Brian Cook, Adonal Foyle (who was waived by Memphis and re-signed a month later by Smith), and a 2009 first round pick (that the Grizzlies turned into Demarre Carroll). In 2009, the Magic made the NBA Finals thanks in large part to Rafer Alston. Good trade? Good enough, but turning those four guys into a point guard no longer in the league? Eh. That trade was won by Houston, who acquired Kyle Lowry.

Following the Magic's loss in the 2009 Finals, Smith looked to regroup for another run. Hedo Turkoglu, the point-forward, had left for much greener pastures in Toronto where he would whine and dine himself out of the rotation. In a trade with New Jersey, Smith netted Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson in return for Rafer Alston and Tony Battie. New Jersey liked the move because the Nets thought they could land LeBron and possibly another marquee free agent in 2010. Otis Smith presumably liked the move because he had seen Vince Carter peak several years earlier who had, at least on one occasion, deigned to play defense. Smith also had to decide what to do with Marcin Gortat, the Polish Hammer. Gortat became a restricted free agent and Dallas sought to sign him for the Mid-level Exception. Smith, seemingly in need of a backup to franchise cornerstone Dwight Howard, matched the offer.

With Turkoglu feasting on pizza (best link ever, btw)in Toronto and a starting lineup of Jameer "Crib Midget" Nelson at point guard, Vince Carter at the 2, Matt Barnes as small forward, Rashard Lewis as power forward, and Dwight Howard anchoring the center spot, the 2009-2010 Magic literally swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs (Bobcats and Hawks) only to be stopped by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.* A step back? Sure, but while Orlando had upgraded, the Celtics had Kevin Garnett back, who they had been missing when Orlando made the Finals. Clearly, Kevin Garnett > Vince Carter.

None of these have been game-changing, championship moves. Arguably, Smith's best move was one borne of desperation: Rafer Alston. Nevertheless, Smith dragged his reputation and the Magic to new lows for a potential contender. During the 2010-2011 season, he acknowledged his drastic overvaluing of Rashard Lewis and, in an effort to trade for a needed scorer, swapped Lewis for Gilbert Arenas. The Wizards were desperate to offload Gilbert after he pooped in a teammate's shoe he brought guns into the locker room he brought guns into the locker room and the ensuing public relations fallout. Arenas had been a proven scorer lately beset by recurring injuries. But, like Vince Carter, Arenas was not known as a tenacious defender. Again, it appeared as though Smith was a few years behind the best time to trade for someone with this skill set.

Smith also realized his trade for Vince Carter hadn't yielded the best results and changed his mind on Marcin Gortat. Smith traded both for Jason Richardson and a now substantially overpaid Hedo Turkoglu. If you haven't noticed a pattern in Smith's work as GM, to him, salary = value, every time.

These two giant trades ripped apart the heart of the Magic roster in the middle of the season. Both trades were Smith's answer to Miami adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Both trades were Smith's answer to Boston's health. Both trades were Smith's answer to Chicago adding Carlos Boozer. Both trades were Smith's answer to New York adding Amare Stoudemire in the offseason and Carmelo mid-season. This might be slightly better than Ernie Grunfeld's answer to Boston uniting the Big Three: signing Juan Dixon. The result? The Magic were defeated in the playoffs by virtually the same Hawks team they'd swept the previous year.

Orlando is a luxury tax team big on overpaying big names potentially past their prime. It's a team assembled without a long-term strategy. Can you guess why Dwight wants to leave, despite having one of the best coaches in the NBA right now?

All of that being said, the Magic aren't a contender this year. With Horford out in Atlanta, the Magic could sneak into the Eastern Conference Finals if Chicago and Miami have to face up earlier. This Magic team is built to be pretty good at prices that demand greatness. Have fun losing in the second round when you should be tanking.

---

Interesting Otis Smith fact: he went to Nathan Bedford Forrest High School. Florida is insane.

Brandon Bass for Big Baby? If I'm Boston, yes please. Bass is cheaper, less of a headcase, and has more potential. Maybe Otis Smith has a thing for moody dudes?

* - Vince Carter boasted after sweeping the Hawks that the Magic might go 16-0 in the postseason. Coincidentally, the year before, the Cleveland Cavaliers had swept both of their opponents en route to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing there to the Magic 4 games to 2.

Spud? Nope, Crimestopper

Aquille Carr is awesome. And short. Thanks to the Washington Post for the heads up on this Baltimore prodigy.

If the BCS ran other sports...

From NPR:

If the BCS ran the Olympics, the 100-meter final would be held in September, six or seven weeks after the scheduled heats. That, you see, is consistent with the cuckoo BCS scheduling. LSU's last game was on Dec. 2. Alabama's was way back in November — 45 days ago. Nowhere else in sport is there such a pointless, bizarre interval.

If the BCS ran the NFL, there would be no playoffs. Instead, a bunch of mysterious computers and some dubious experts — many of whom have conflicts of interest — would just declare which teams qualified for the Super Bowl ... then schedule the matchup 45 days from now, of course.

If the BCS ran the World Series, tens of millions of dollars would still be made, and the leagues, and the owners, and the managers, and everyone connected with the Series would be paid. Well, everyone except for the players. But, you see, this is in keeping with the BCS rationale that players are actually much happier playing when they aren't burdened by making money.
Of course, baseball boosters would slip some cash under the table to the major leaguers, to make sure that amateurism remains pure.

If the BCS ran the World Cup, there would be no World Cup. Instead, there would just be a mind-numbing plethora of meaningless soccer matches played between disparate countries, like Peru vs. Slovenia, scheduled at random neutral sites like Sri Lanka.

Boston: Where Baby Steps Happen

Danny Ainge, what the hell are you thinking?

Ubuntu does not mean trade Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green, dangle Ray Allen repeatedly as trade bait, rile up Rajon Rondo for no good reason, and send Big Baby to a conference competitor. Ubuntu has to do with team chemistry, not sending the binding agents across the league to better teams.

KG was right to yell at Stern about the shortened season, but his talk of chemistry should register with you, too, Danny Ainge.

Because this Celtics team is going where exactly? I like Brandon Bass slightly more than Glen Davis, but the Rickety Three are a year older and will be playing more games in more nights than at any time in their careers. They have a combined 41 years of NBA experience. Are these Celtics deep? Nope. Can Doc Rivers manage to make specialized role players work in case one of the Big Three or Rondo goes down? Maybe. But then where are we?

Danny, are you going to blow this team up? Because you sure aren’t giving them the tools for one last rally for a ring, let alone beat the Heat or Bulls.

Portland's Upcoming Season of Anxiety and Woe

Portland Portland Portland.

I’m shaking my head just thinking about you. Bill Walton. Sam Bowie. Brandon Roy. Greg Oden.

Your roster looks scrappy and beset by chips on shoulders. Gerald Wallace on the tail end of his prime. Marcus Camby reuniting with Kurt Thomas again in a lockout-shortened season. Wes Mathews. Nic Batum. Raymond Felton, now a journeyman. LaMarcus Aldridge as star and untapped potential. Greg Oden (or some sort of heart condition) as the dark cloud blocking sight of Aldridge.

Maybe the Blazers get Jamal Crawford.

So this becomes a 39 or 40 win season at best? For what? Another early exit? Another busted knee? With a healthy Oden and a reliable outside threat, the Blazers are a ferocious underdog, but sadly nothing more. These gritty Trail Blazers would have been more at home in another era.

Winners, Losers, Whatever

The lockout is over. The schedule is out. And the Nuggets will have to reinvent themselves for the second time this year. And we're almost exactly where we started, minus 149 days of ridiculousness where the average NBA fan* became at least slightly versed in endearingly cute terms like BRI.

In case you're someone who frequently attributes false equivalency for fear of appearing biased, the lockout was caused by general managers radically overpaying players. Sure, NBA players are the highest paid professional athletes, on average. But maybe that is in part because the game itself requires fewer players on the playing field than any other team sport. Given that only 5 men may be on the court for a team at any given time, this allows for the individual contributions of any given player to matter substantially more than in baseball, football, hockey (with its interminable line changes), and soccer. Furthermore, for those of you who feel that the lockout was the players' fault, let it be noted that the last CBA was widely viewed to drastically favor players.

Here's a quick wrap of what the new CBA means for fans, players, teams, and a variety of owners: nothing has changed until 2013. Other than that, here goes:

Fans
For fans who attend games, there will be no positive financial effect and a negative effect on seeing those out-of-town teams some of your neighbors like (those teams with guys like Kobe, Melo, and LeBron). And, given the recent news regarding Chris Paul, the new CBA will not prevent great players in small markets from leaving for Los Angeles or New York. As fans, at least this year, we'll have a better attempt by the league at basketball burnout. Something like seven teams will play five games in six days** - which could mean a team plays at 8 pm on Saturday in Philly and at 1:30 pm on Sunday in DC. I'm sure that will lead to some awesome, fatigue-free ball. The timing for some teams may have a large and strange effect on the season. The Wizards, for example, have a particularly brutal April featuring games on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Those back-to-back-to-back games could increase the likelihood of injury, lack of focus, and missed shots. Unfortunately for the Wizards***, if they build playoff momentum and are a bubble team, that April schedule will sink them.

We're fans. We're taken for granted. It's a given. Even when teams "really give back to the fans."**** What the NBA almost did was screw over the casual observer who can talk at length about how Kobe is or isn't the best player in the league yet pays no attention to facts.



Players
Superstars face about a 20% decrease in maximum salary compared to what they would have due to the new rules if they choose to leave their current team. The old rules allowed them to get their max contract and engage in the olde-fashioned sign-and-trade. Now, not so much. Regardless of this financial argument against mobile free agency, general managers retain the right to completely screw themselves over for players thanks to concessions made in the new CBA - for instance, teams have to use up 85% of the salary cap in payroll. Think about the effect on a team like Sacramento: out of the running for a pretty good free agent center (Tyson Chandler or Nene Hilario), but with the ability to overpay Sam Dalembert, oh, Kings fans, I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You guys will overpay for someone who will take you out of the lottery but not into the playoffs. In other words, the new minimum expenditures rule will force you into overpaying for someone like James Posey for no apparent reason other than to place you firmly in draft hell.



Teams
I've already mentioned that the Kings are going to do something stupid in the short run (and I don't mean moving to that bastion of culture that is Anaheim). They're bound to do so. The Heat, however, will rock this new CBA for as many Eastern Conference Finals as possible, which could mean 4 rings before the new tax provisions finally kick in. Dallas also wins in the short run as do the Lakers and Knicks. Basically, any team that was spending a lot will keep doing so. Had last year's OKC and Memphis teams been dealing with the new CBA, Dirk wouldn't have a ring.

That being said, formalize in your brain, if only for a second, a picture of Tom Thibodeau.

That will do. Now think about how the Bulls lost last year. LeBron covered Rose, right? Now think about Thibodeau's defensive schemes that made Paul Pierce and Carlos Boozer look worthwhile. What do you think Tom Thibodeau woke up thinking about every day for the past 149 days + the days since the end of the Eastern Conference Finals? Look at Tom Thibodeau again. Look. Pretend, for a second, that he has developed a new defensive scheme for the Miami Heat as currently and forever comprised. Pretend, for a second, that Tom Thibodeau hasn't calmly said goodnight to his family and then gone to his garage, donned a mask, grabbed a power tool, and spent the next 17 hours in solace etching his artistic interpretations of this season upon wood, stone, and a few unexpecting pieces of siding. If you're Tom Thibodeau, you have a defense that stops the Heat that you try on the Heat. But you also have an offense that you don't unveil against the Heat until they don't have any ability to adapt. The lockout: where players kinda stayed in shape and Tom Thibodeau made sure his dungeon was ready. Totally creepy.

What Western Conference team is currently built to win it all this year? Not the Mavs given their free agent problems. Definitely not the Lakers. The Thunder? The Grizzlies? If the Grizz re-sign Battier, maaaaybe, but Rudy Gay isn't filling any defensive void. The Thunder? Yes.



Owners
Now: Arison, Buss, Cuban, Reinsdorf, Bennett. Those guys won. Why? Because the new CBA doesn't have any effects on their abilities to win rings. Now ask yourself, which teams were likely to win rings in the next few years anyway? Whoever owns the Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Bulls, or Thunder. Nothing changed and there is only one small market team there: the Thunder.

Sorry, Spurs fans.



* - I wrote NBA fan, not basketball fan nor basketball viewer.

** - The Wizards are the only team that plays 2 sets of 5 in 6. Brutal, no?

*** - I understand the Wizards would have to make several big moves to be a playoff team this year and that being a playoff (or even borderline playoff) team this year is not necessarily a good thing for the health of the team in the long run.

**** - The Green Bay Packers may be the exception. Amazing lawyer and slightly depressed Sooners fan Jimmy pointed out that after the highly successful Green Bay fan acquisition, the NFL essentially forbid mass fan ownership. If only cities had some fucking balls, right? If we had city-owned teams and a salary cap system, we'd have far more fan support and far more responsible financing of stadiums. Also, I'd be willing to bet that every single league with a cap would have parity.

Random NCAA News

NCAA, other leagues limit use of caffeine as performance enhancer.

Only half of Div-I Black football players graduate; less than 40% of Div-I Black male basketball players. However, Black collegiate athletes are more likely to graduate than their non-athlete Black peers.

In Div-I Men's Bball, Georgetown beats #12 Alabama with a long-three from Hollis Thompson with 1.8 seconds left, proving beyond a doubt that the Tide are overrated, and the Hoyas should be ranked.

"NBA Lockout Ends and Players Get Played"

I know I wrote a piece talking about how I didn't care about the NBA lockout, but, well, that doesn't mean I'm happy with the outcome.  This piece by David Zirin in the Nation pretty much sums up my feelings on this whole mess (short: "the rich got richer, the players got played and the fans didn’t get a damn thing"):

There are no promises that the owners will plow this newfound lucre into their teams. In fact, there are now greater restraints on spending than before. There are no assurances that any funds will be earmarked for coaches or scouts. There are no announcements that any of these savings will translate into lower ticket prices or NBA package discounts for fans. All it means is that the owners have received a financial windfall because they own and we don’t. Now Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers, can buy some more slums. Now Phil Anschutz, minority-boss of the Lakers, can keep fighting the teaching of evolution in schools. Now Dick Devos of the Orlando Magic can give even more generously to Focus on the Family. Now every shadowy Koch brothers/Karl Rove political outfit that takes unlimited contributions will get a serious windfall just in time for the 2012 elections. Break out the bubbly.

This should sting every player, because coming off a year with record revenues, they should have been getting more, and instead they took historic cuts. Instead, their contracts are now not fully guaranteed. Instead, they are weakened. They are weakened even though they are the game. For the millions who paid good money to watch the Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan soar, no one ever paid a cent to see the Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan molt. Athletes are different than typical workers, and not just because their paychecks tower over our own. They are different because they fulfill the roles in production as both workers and product. They are the shoemaker and the shoe. Or as former Washington football great Brian Mitchell said to me, “In a restaurant, a chef cooks a steak. In sports, we are the chef and we are the steaks.”