First They Came For the Sonics...

Photo from Sonics Beat.

I've tried to remain quiet on the subject of the Sonics possible (and now certain) departure from Seattle for a couple of reasons. First, I don't really know anything about the team's dealings with the city of Seattle that better, more informed sources haven't already told you. My opinions on the subject would only be rehash and repeat of the angst that a lot of other writers had already scribed. But second, because the subject is just too damn depressing. I don't see how you become interested in this league without being a fan on some level, and I've articulated that point repeatedly throughout this blog's life. Whether you're a fan of a player or a team it makes no difference; people who watch this game become attached to those within it. It's just what happens when you dedicate a couple nights a week to a certain team or player. And to all fans of the late Seattle Supersonics everywhere, I am so sorry. Likewise to all the Durant fans, Jeff Green fans, and the Nick Collison fan (That's you, Mrs. Collison). This situation is so unbearably shitty that I feel like I need to write something about it.

I will love this league to the day I die and I consider myself a pretty big Stern apologist, but I don't know if I will ever forgive the NBA and the commissioner for what has happened to the Sonics. It's so hard to put this in perspective because I've never had to deal with anything even remotely similar in my experience as a fan, but even thinking about it makes me a little sick. You know the arguments of why the Sonics should stay. You've seen the evidence that Clay Bennett is a two-timing cock. The fact that all of these things couldn't keep the NBA in Seattle more than two seasons is disgraceful. And don't even get me started on Bennett bringing a copy of the championship banner with him to OKC.

One can only hope that Seattle can bring the NBA back, but even a victory on that front would be bittersweet. They would have to completely rebuild a franchise from the ground up, and it definitely won't be easy. Odds are, if attendance is poor because the "new" Sonics are suffering (as all expansion teams do), Stern and Bennett will only throw it in all of our faces as Exhibit A of why the (Barons/Outlaws/Bombers) now reside in Oklahoma City.

And on the subject, this isn't about you, Oklahoma. No one really cares about you right now. Sure, you had your audition with the Hornets, and maybe you'll even be a good NBA city. That doesn't mean you have the right to steal 41 years of history and a roster with a future. Make a fucking expansion team, for God's sake. Get your own GM, your own draft picks, and your own coach. So please, Oklahomans or any nearby future fans of the franchise at the OK Corral, pipe down for now.

For me, this is the saddest day in my NBA fandom. It isn't an "Ohh....well, then." like the first Donaghy news, an "Ooooooh snap." like the Kings-Lakers allegations, or the emotions surrounding a player's death as we try to personalize the player and step out of our fan "safe zone." For me, there has never been so much lament, anger, and forlornness all rolled into one. I'm sorry to be melodramatic, because that's hardly what this situation needs, but I just wanted to put that out there.

In conclusion:

To David Stern and Clay Bennett: Go fuck yourselves.

To Sonics fans everywhere: my condolences.

Silence is Golden

Photo from AP.

Well. How 'bout that free agency period! So much commotion has gone down in FA's opening moments that it's absolutely ridiculous. Baron and Elton Brand opt out. Antawn Jamison gets his deal. Beno Udrih gets the full midlevel. Jose Calderon gets a raise with the Raps. Ron Artest reconsiders not opting out. And of course, the big one: Baron Davis is, reportedly, now a Clipper.

!!!

First, on behalf of the bay area (an area I have never lived in or even visited, mind you), this sucks. Baron Davis was undoubtedly the team's most dynamic player, and to see him walk with nothing to show for it is terrible. On top of that, Baron really does seem like a stand-up guy and his influence on the community is quite visible. Even though Warriors fans might feel they've been stabbed in the back, they should still appreciate what Davis has done for their franchise and community.

The deal is supposedly 5 years, 65 million, which is a pretty reasonable deal considering Gilbert was offered the max by two teams just hours earlier. And if you ask me, the warriors offering Gil a 5-year deal likely had a lot to do with Baron skipping town.

Making an offer for Arenas did make sense for the Warriors; Baron had just opted out of the last year of his contract making him unrestricted, so who could blame Mullin for wanting some options. Gilbert started his career as a fan favorite in GS, so it makes sense from a marketing perspective. Unfortunately, Washington ignored the gameplan to offer Gilbert less in order to court some free agents this off-season, and instead offered him a nice chunk of change -- and while Arenas might not take the huge contract (although who would be surprised if he did), the Wiz at least showed that they are committed to keeping their core together.

If you're Baron Davis, how could you not be ticked at your own team picking your replacement before you're even gone? Especially when your replacement is getting money you could only dream of while you're supposedly getting lowballed on an extension? Given what Baron has done to reinvigorate this franchise, the respect (or lack thereof) he received from the Warriors is a bit strange to me.

But now that Baron is out of the picture, one thing is for sure: Monta Ellis is going to get PAID. If there was any doubt in anyone's mind that Ellis was going to be a Warrior next season, remove it now, because barring a collossal, incredible trade, Monta will still be wearing blue and orange. Ellis is far too important to this team from a scoring and talent standpoint to let go, and with Baron gone the team needs a full-time point guard. Ellis probably shouldn't be the first choice for a point guard on a playoff team, but given the way the rest of the roster shakes out and a look at the free agent pool for PGs, I don't know what other options the BayShow has (unless they decide to swing a trade).

But aside from Ellis, what does this trade mean for the rest of the Warriors? First, I think it needs to be said -- this does not put the Warriors in any kind of rebuilding mode. Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington are really the only rotation players who aren't younglings. Baron's departure will certainly not be good for the Warriors' playoff chances (Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Hornets, Suns, Rockets, Nuggets, Mavs, Blazers, and now the Clippers...catch my drift?), but it doesn't mean that they can't make the playoffs. And while the team doesn't have a dominant post scorer or even a stable point guard anymore, they can still be players on the Western landscape as they bide their time (like everyone else) until the Summer of 2010. I'm assuming Don Nelson will be out by then, but the team should still be young and exciting and Golden State is a pretty intriguing market. Captain Jack and Al Harrington will both come off the books then, and can either be re-signed or ditched for cap wiggle room. Count Jackson as the more likely to stick around.

Here's who the Warriors will have on contact for next season:

Adonal Foyle (HE JUST WON'T DIE) - $9,750,000
Al Harrington - 9,226,250
Stephen Jackson - 7,140,000
Andris Biedrins - 3,609,636 (qualifying offer, will likely be much higher)
Brandan Wright - 2,497,320
Marco Belinelli - 1,446,720
Monta Ellis - ???
Anthony Randolph - 1,282,000
Richard Hendrix - No contract amount yet.

That total leaves the Warriors at $31, 342,290 for 08-09. However, add in Monta Ellis' (likely) pretty sizable deal and an extension for Biedrins and that cap room isn't quite so spacious. The projected cap figure I've seen is in the range of $58 million for this season, and with both Ellis and Biedrins likely to make pretty good money (somewhere in the range of $8-$11 million per), the Warriors can still sign someone of quality this off-season, although I don't know who they would want, to be honest. Josh Smith is out of their price range, Corey Maggette wouldn't help all that much, and Elton Brand is likely staying with the Clips. James Posey seems like more of a final piece than a centerpiece, and Ricky Davis/Jason Williams both aren't worth it. They could make a run at Andre Iguodala or Louis Williams, but it seems doubtful that the Sixers would let either one go. Emeka Okafor could be a very intriguing piece for this team, but I get the feeling that me might be a little too much price-wise. That means the only option would be a sign and trade, and the only expendable contracts are important ones, and low at that (unless there was a swap for a signed and traded Biedrins for a signed and traded Okafor...which would probably make very little sense for all parties involved).

Supposing the Warriors stand pat and only make minor additions (they still have just eight players under contract including Ellis), Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph, and Marco Belinelli seem to benefit the most. Although Wright and Randolph don't play point guard, cutting one of the core players from the roster is going to mean increase play for at least one of these guys as everyone shifts up a position. Biedrins stays at the five and Ellis moves to the one, meaning that one of the wing positions is open for the taking (assuming Al starts at the 4). Considering Nelson's track record, I'd say Belinelli and Wright are more likely candidates for the jump in PT, although a free agent signing could swipe the minutes out from under them.

If the Warriors were a bubble team with Baron, you'd have to think the Warriors will be on the outside looking in come playoff time in 2009. The fight for the playoffs in the West will be just as intense as it was this past season, only this time you can throw the Blazers and Clippers into the mix. Still, though this is certainly a dark day in the bay, remind yourself that Speedy Claxton, Troy Murphy, and Adonal Foyle have been replaced with young, talented, athletic players.

Team USA Primer IV

Photo from AP.

It's that time again, and there's some serious chatter surrounding everyone's favorite pros turned national sports saviors.

Still, Dwyane Wade found the time to enlighten us with the status on his injury. From the Associated Press, via The Chicago Tribune:

My knee is feeling good. I went through my first day with the team and did
everything everyone else did at practice. I worked hard to be here today. I have
been in the gym five days a week since the first week of May -- training,
rehabbing conditioning, getting my explosion back for you guys and for me. I
want to continue to be the player that some of you guys like and some of you
fell in love with.

Also notable is Wade's comments on his teammates, in which he categorizes LeBron as the "craziest," Melo as "very silly," and himself as "one of the funniest guys on the team."

And of course, The L.A. Times had a nice Q&A with Kobe that has received a bit of buzz because of Kobe's thoughts on the quality of international players (from Jonathan Abrams):

Q: What was going through your mind when you saw the USA walk away with
only bronze?

A: I saw it coming, to be honest with you. Teams internationally have just been getting better. Since '92 and '96, after that, teams have been getting better. They've had a chance to play against us and see what we do and how we train and how we work. They go home and work on that stuff and come back and they're better ballplayers. So now you have an even playing field where those players over there aren't looking at us and being intimidated by us. They feel like they can compete with us and should beat us.

Abrams also asked the big question surrounding Team USA these days...

Q: Is there any concern that Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the
only true center on the team?

A: The European game is a little different. What we're trying to do here is use our strengths to our advantage, which are size, speed. We're one of those teams, when you look at Dwight and Chris Bosh, even though they're big, they have the mobility of a guard at 6-2. So, we're trying to use that to our advantage as much as we can.

I don't think it needs a quote, but Tyson Chandler was added as an alternate for the team, and rightfully so. Chandler has been invited to the camp in Vegas and is likely to travel ti Beijing; Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune mentions that it's still a possibility for Chandler to snag one of the 12 roster spots, but I have to say it seems awfully unlikely. Chandler made the most sense for the alternate if he didn't make the team, but don't get too excited about adding another big man just yet. At this point, Chandler's role is to provide a practice center and an insurance policy, which makes sense considering Dwight Howard's fractured sternum.

Besides the inclusion of Tayshaun Prince over Tyson Chandler, the most criticism has come regarding Jason Kidd's involvement on the team (because of the presence of Williams and Paul). But, despite a lot of outsider perspectives, those within Team USA only praise Kidd. From Aditi Kinkhabwala of The Record (Hackensack N.J.) (via The Boston Herald):

...And yet, after an embarrassing 2004 Olympics, when Kidd was named one of nine "core" players then left home with a knee injury, and the U.S. managed only a bronze, the one-time Net’s presence has been openly appreciated as well.

Team architect Jerry Colangelo said "he’s everything you want in a leader," Chris Paul said he and Deron Williams "are learning so much from him," and Williams - who calls Kidd "Pops" - rattled off Kidd’s USA Basketball stats without any hesitation.

The stats aren’t of course the key for the triple-double machine with this team. He took just 10 shots in 10 games during Olympic qualifying last summer, but with an assist-to-turnover ration of 9.20, 3.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, he led the team to a 39.5 average margin of victory for Team MVP honors.

"That," Dwyane Wade said, "just shows his greatness."

Kobe was also asked to make a suggestion to his first round opponent, the Chinese National Team:

"You want me to make suggestions?" he asked with mock incredulity. "Don’t play
Yao, don’t play Yi. That’s a great suggestion."

But don't forget -- if Team USA flops, we won't discredit Kobe, or LeBron, or Dwight as all-world talent. On the flip side though, if the team flops, Jerry Colangelo will be evaluated very harshly. From ESPN's Chris Sheridan:

And make no mistake, even though this could be termed Coach K's team or LeBron's team or Kobe's team or the Redeem Team, it is really Colangelo's team -- with his legacy at stake here more than anyone else's.

...Colangelo was the man who decided the Americans' needed a change in direction that began with a change of attitude, noting that 15 players had withdrawn because of injury or disinterest in 2004 before the Americans came up with their final 12-man roster for Athens. Colangelo decided he wanted to go only with players who were 100 percent committed.

When Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan gave him their "been there, done that" speeches, Colangelo left them alone. When Gilbert Arenas and Bruce Bowen reacted
grumpily to being cut from the 2006 team, he jettisoned them from the program.
And when Amare Stoudemire wavered in his focus by admitting he was worried what impact playing for Team USA would have on his long-term financial health, Colangelo decided having one fewer big man was a small price to pay for having an extra body in Beijing who was buying into the bigger concept.

...Colangelo? His three-year commitment expires when the team plane gets back from Beijing, and he has not entertained questions looking beyond that date. He is the national team czar, for lack of a better term, and whatever happens to this team in Beijing will stick to his legacy -- the way his name was affixed to the building where the newest Team USA, whether it turns out to be a Dream Team or a Nightmare Team, was unveiled.

And for what it's worth (not much), Nike is doing their part to make sure that Team USA is not only outfitted in quality, stylish products (Nike reps, you can make your check out to Rob...). From The FINANCIAL:

...Nike will showcase Team USA’s new Nike Swift System of Dress basketball uniform. The new Nike designed uniform for the USA Men’s and Women’s teams
eliminates 25 centimeters of material and reduces the weight by 31 percent when
compared with current uniforms. Nike’s new uniform also features Nike Aerographics, an engineered mesh providing zoned cooling that reduces up to half
the yarn, making it more lightweight and breathable. An exclusively designed “We
the People” graphic, inspired by USA’s rich history, is also integrated into the uniform.

...In addition to Team USA’s uniform design, Kobe Bryant will be wearing the new USA Nike Hyperdunk colorway. The Nike Hyperdunk is 18 percent lighter than the average Nike basketball shoe and is the lightest and strongest basketball shoe Nike has ever created. Key products inspired by the USA Basketball uniform and Nike Hyperdunk footwear featuring Flywire technology will be available to consumers beginning July 26th.

But not everyone is loving this whole olympic gig, as Mark Cuban has made incredibly apparent. The central thesis of most of the criticism seems to be about the dolla dolla billz, y'all, whether it's NBC, Nike, or the NBA doing the money grubbing. But Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press wrote in his blog about something that I'm surprised isn't mentioned more:

Overall, I’ve never been a fan of the pros playing. I get the reason why. And I get that all Olympians are now pros to some extent. The days of the grubby college kids stealing gold at Lake Placid are long gone. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t covet the notion, does it? I was just never comfortable with the Dream Team concept. We lost the gold in 1988, so we decided, “We can’t LOSE in basketball, let’s send our NBA stars!” I just never liked that mentality. But I am certainly in the minority on that one and there’s no doubt that Olympic basketball is more popular with the pros out there. I just never liked the message all that much.

Given the huge fanbase of the college game and our country's general distaste for the "selfish" drama kings of the L, why don't we hear more calls for a return to college athletes? If my memory serves me correctly it hasn't been done since 1984 (as Filip Bondy so expertly chronicled in a chapter of his book) when the likes of Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin were along for the ride under Bobby Knight. I don't think this should even be considered a possibility and I don't think even the most elite college players would be ready to take on the best teams from around the world, but I'm just surprised my opinions aren't met with more opposition.

And finally, Tom Knott of the Washington Times is not convinced of Team USA's greatness in '08:

Team USA is destined to be vulnerable to a lane-clogging zone defense that implores the Americans to take perimeter shots. That prospect will limit the potency of Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade, if not stifle the gold-medal bid of Team USA at the Beijing Games.

...That [lack of outside shooting] has not been necessarily addressed this time around, with Michael Redd being the only shooter extraordinaire on the roster.

...Some players seemingly can hop out of bed and make shots while rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Redd fits the type. No one else on the U.S. roster does. Not Carmelo Anthony. Not Chris Paul. And not Deron Williams.

...The international game plan to defeat the Americans is fairly obvious: Run multiple zone defenses that cut off the driving lanes to the basket, limit their fastbreak opportunities, emphasize good ball movement and execute backdoor cuts that penalize their propensity to gamble on defense and make shots.

The U.S. often ends up having to accept a hard truth: No matter how dynamic the roster looks on paper - its 10th player possibly a significant step up from the 10th player on any other roster - the game is restricted to five players and one basketball.

...This U.S. team seems susceptible to having at least one poor-shooting game in Beijing. And that is sometimes the difference between gold and bronze, as it was for the U.S. team two years ago.

Knott's points are legitimate gripes, I guess, but they really are just rehashed ones from any post-2004 Team USA piece. It's well-documented that Team USA "can't shoot from outside," and it seems like Knott's article drives that point home. What is often ignored however, is the fact that although few of these players are true three point shooters in the NBA, the doctored three point line is all well within their range. Also, you can look at the 2007 Tournament of the Americas stats to see that Michael Redd was only the the 4th best on the team among those that took over 30 attempts:

LeBron James: 23-37 (.622)

Carmelo Anthony: 26-45 (.578)

Kobe Bryant: 17-37 (.459)

Michael Redd: 29-64 (.453)

While Redd did make the most threes on the team, he also only made 3 more than 'Melo -- despite 19 more attempts. The three that rank above Redd in percentage are more than capable three point threats in the international game, and the rest of the roster doesn't slouch either. Deron Williams and Tayshaun Prince are both good shooters from long range, and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can both step out to hit from there if need be. I know this is a common complaint that will face Team USA all summer and even longer if they get anything less than gold, but it really does seem a little unfounded to me. Redd is a good three-point shooter, but James, Anthony, and Bryant can shoot too; the fact that they can drive too shouldn't change that.

Taking a Step Back

Photo from NBAE/Getty Images/Jennifer Pottheiser.

A few weeks ago I wrote a bit about D.J. Augustin, and I feel like I needed to address the number nine draft pick of the 2008 NBA draft. I’ve done a lot of thinking over a few years time about the Bobcats roster, past, present, and future. In that time, a few things became pretty obvious to me.

First and foremost, Emeka Okafor is not a center, and should not be playing center. I don’t care how small the league gets or how much Okafor bulks up, it’s just not going to work. Okafor is a good PF and can be a damn good one in this league, and it makes all kinds of sense that both Okafor and Wallace move to their natural positions. Unfortunately, the ‘Cats have no center in the Post-Brezec era, and even when he was a contributing member of the team he was never a long-term solution. Thus, Okafor’s new positioning was born out of an obvious necessity when Brezec went crazy. Since that time, Okafor has done what he could to help the Bobcats be successful. He tried bulking up to play the position but ended up injuring his ankle largely because of the added weight (as Emeka has said himself). This really only reiterates the fact that Emeka’s build and mobility is more suited for the 4, where he can be a defensive presence and shot-blocker.

The Bobcats desperately need to get Okafor's extension locked up.

Second, Raymond Felton should not be in the Bobcats long-term plans. Everything I have heard about Raymond as a person has been positive, and he seems like a reasonably good guy and seems coachable. But for some reason or another during his transition from UNC standout to NBA point guard, he has seemingly forgotten how to do the most important thing for a point guard: …how to be a point guard. Felton’s problem is that he doesn't pass well at the pro level, apparently, or doesn’t want to. And he can’t shoot. And he’s too turnover-prone. And he’s only an average defender.

I want to like Felton, I really do. I think he has the work ethic to get better and I think his heart is in the right place, he just happens to be the victim of bad decision-making and doesn't have the uber-talent to make up for it. But the worst part is, while Felton is a "scorer," he isn't a shooting guard. Oh, the horrors of tween-dom. If Felton could shoot, it MIGHT be possible for Charlotte to team him with a distributor like Augustin and be successful. Unfortunately for Felton and the Bobcats, he can't. The sad part is, the Bobcats know this -- it's a large part of why Jeff McInnis (!) was brought back to the team...only to be subsequently released because he's a terrible, terrible basketball player.

Third, Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson should both be considered essential parts of this team. And no, that's not because of J-Rich's contract. Both are tremendous athletes. Both are tenacious on the offensive end, whether it's Richardson hitting a dagger three or Wallace throwing down something fierce. Both are very capable defenders that are excellent in flashes, and at the wing positions that's extremely important. Plus, both are hard-workers that don't lack in confidence, which simply cannot be understated.

But what's extremely valuable about Wallace and Richardson's respective games is that while both may be known for high-flying they actually complement each other very well. Richardson is primarily a jumpshooter (77% of his attempts), but an efficient one (51% eFG). Wallace on the other hand is more of a slasher, with the split between jumpshots and close attempts/dunks about 50-50.

The most important thing about Wallace and Richardson however, are that neither is really an isolation player. Sure, the Bobcats may iso them on the wing or at the top of the key from time to time, but part of the reason why the Bobcats offense has been stagnant is (I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here) because their lack of a points-producing point guard. D.J. Augustin is likely to change that if he gets some consistent playing time, but Felton only complicates things on that front. If the Bobcats can keep their core of Augustin, Richardson, Wallace, and Okafor together, and supposing they can either turn Felton/May/Morrison into a decent big man or if Ajinca develops into one, this could be a very good team. I know how crazy it sounds, I know, I know, I know.

But Richardson is 27. Wallace will soon be 26. Add in growing talent in Okafor and Augustin, not to mention rotation players like May, Carroll, Morrison, and Dudley, and I don’t see why this team isn’t a good point guard or center away from being pretty competitive out East. It’s pretty crazy to think we haven’t seen the best out of Wallace and Richardson yet, and people need to back off Morrison before they declare him a bust. He was not the right choice for the Bobcats in the draft, and he is not what this team needs. But he can still be a helpful player, give him time.

Keeping those things in mind, Augustin is not a bad pick. He fills a need for this team at point guard, and at worst he’ll be a decent PG. His defense is worrisome, but considering he’s got perimeter help and a shot blocker behind him, Larry should be able to hide him on D.

The problem with choosing talent over need is always value. Value, value, value. Sure, you are getting good value for your draft pick, because you’re choosing the best available player. When all is said and done, Augustin will likely be in the 8-10 range, maybe even higher. The problem is getting value for the duplicated assets you already had in your possession. I wouldn’t say Raymond Felton’s trade value was all that high to begin with, but add into the mix the fact that the whole league now knows that Charlotte wouldn’t mind parting with him and you’ve got a problem in getting fair value. Sure, some teams might have interest – the Knicks, the Heat, etc. But what do those teams have that interests the Bobcats and is roughly approximate to Felton in value? Apparently the Knicks and Bobcats were in talks to deal Felton for David Lee, but that doesn’t solve the Bobcats problems. While it does push Gerald Wallace back to the 3 and Richardson to the 2, it also forces Okafor to stay at the 5.

The Bobcats find themselves in a situation that a lot of other teams are familiar with: lacking a true center. So few are available for trade (the most reasonable deal I could come up with is Felton, Nazr Mohammed, and a protected 2009 first rounder to the Sixers for Samuel Dalembert, OR Felton, Mohammed, and the Bobcats unprotected first rounder to the Sixers for Dalembert and their first rounder) that their trade value may be too much for Felton and change. I do think that Augustin can be a good player, but can he play center? …maybe.

That’s why I thought Brook Lopez was the better pick for the Bobcats at 9. He fills a few needs for the Bobcats and don’t get me wrong, Augustin does as well, but Lopez’s talents are harder to come by. A scoring seven-footer who can also play tough in the paint and block shots would be a perfect complement for Okafor and would also allow the ‘Cats to bring Nazr and May off the bench. Then at 20, the Bobcats could’ve selected Chalmers, Arthur, etc. Yes, this means Felton is still playing PG, which is not a good thing, but it also removes the need for a center from the Bobcats’ list of priorities.

But maybe some good has come of this situation. In his current incarnation, Felton will not be a championship level point guard (which should be the goal of any team – to win a championship). The Bobcats certainly have a long way to go, but eliminating players whose style are not conducive to winning on a playoff scale should be an objective. Acquiring Augustin may mean that the Bobcats only get 70 cents on the dollar for Felton, but at least it means that Felton’s run at PG is over…hopefully. The worst case scenario is that Jordan and Brown are even more manically insane and senile (respectively) than we thought and decide to start both Augustin and Felton in the backcourt. For a team that needs to create a defensive identity, that could be a catastrophic stage in development.

So I guess in a completely roundabout way, I’m not opposed to the Bobcats taking Augustin, provided it means Felton is traded. Felton’s not a “bane” player that can destroy teams with his attitude or selfishness. He’s not a miserable talent either; I think he still has potential to be a solid player. Raymond Felton just isn’t what the Bobcats need in a starting point guard at this juncture or in the future (provided he doesn’t suddenly remember how to pass well), and as harsh as that sounds, it’s just the way it goes sometimes.

They’ve got a long summer ahead of them, and a longer season after that – but good luck, Bobcats. I’m rooting for you.

Kevin Love Has LEFT the Building

Don't get too excited, Kevin. Photo from NBAE/Getty Images/David Sherman.

Draft day is all kinds of screwed up. Some players slip farther than predicted and cry (credit to Darrell Arthur, who kept his cool), others go to teams they hate, and some are traded 80 times before the day is done. Players take a lot of pride in where they're drafted, who they're traded for, etc., so the entire day is a very humbling experience. You can't help but feel for Darrell Arthur, who ended up about 10-13 spots lower than a lot of mocks had him going, and ESPN continued to harp on his woes by interviewing him or talking about him (loudly...on the PA) constantly.

And then, now that he finally is picked up by a team (The Hornets, who were actually picking for the Blazers), there are rumors that he's been traded again, to the Rockets. And again, to the Grizz. What a day, what a day.

Arthur's trade was just the tip of the iceberg of draft day action, however; the Blazers again completed about a gazillion trades (including netting Bayless...how?), the Heat netted Chalmers, and the Celtics picked up Bill Walker for a buffalo nickel and a dirty sock (see all the trades over at ESPN).

But apparently that wasn't good enough; even after the 60th pick had been announced and the draft ended with an awkward "Goodnight," one more trade had failed to come through the ESPN grapevine. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner to the Memphis Grizzlies for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.

I'm not sure I really like this trade all that much. O.J. could've been a good fit alongside Foye (as a playmaking shooting guard beside a shooting point guard) and a post-presence like Jefferson. Instead, he joins a team with no post-presence and a glut of players at the guard spots. Rudy Gay can play either the 2 or the 3, but Lowry, Crittenton, and Conley are all going to be fighting for minutes at the 1 or the 2, coincidentally the only positions that Mayo can play. On top of that, Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric only add to the position problems. Now, I'm not saying that any of these players will take substantial playing time away from Mayo because the real problem isn't his playing time. The problem is that the trade creates so many redundant pieces that if Memphis doesn't make some moves this offseason their rotation will be in all sorts of trouble. Oh yeah, and they get Antoine Walker.

And looking to Minnesota, what does this trade do, exactly? Minnesota needs a center that can play strong defense, and while Kevin Love may be skilled he is not the defensively dominant post force that the Wolves need to make up for Jefferson's play on that side of the ball. They get a good starter in Mike Miller, but do the Wolves really think they're going to be contending this year? The Blazers are looking better than ever, the Warriors will be right there yet again, and the Clippers are getting healthier and more athletic by the minute. So while the Wolves sacrifice what is probably the better fit for them long term (Mayo), they don't even improve in the short-term by enough to put them in the playoff hunt.

From a salary standpoint the trade is pretty inconsequential. Minnesota has a slight edge in obtaining Collins' $6.2 million expiring contract, but how much of a difference does that make given that before the trade they would've had about $14 million in cap space for next summer?

When I heard there was another big trade announced after the draft I was anxious. And when I heard it was an eight-player deal I became excited. And when I heard it involved Antoine Walker, Jason Collins, Brian Cardinal, and Greg Buckner I vomited. But regardless, this deal was pretty much non-factor unless it was your lifetime goal as a Wolves fan to see one of the Collins bros in uniform. Otherwise, the Wolves net some nice trade bait in Mike Miller (but the only teams that want him will be teams looking to get over the hump, and those teams aren't going to have very good picks to offer 'Sota. Plus, $9 mil is a bit to spend on a "finishing piece" to your championship arrangement). But as a positive for Memphis, they finally netted that ticket-seller they've always wanted. Now let's see if he actually sells tickets.

This trade is ultimately incomplete depending on what the T'Wolves get for Miller, but as of now I guess they're the winners by default anyway, barring an O.J. Mayo explosion: they helped their future cap situation slightly, got a big man, and got rid of the most Antoine Walker.

Ridiculous Upside Liveblog!

My compatriot of blogger-nation Matt Moore is hosting an absolutely swell liveblog at Ridiculous Upside. Head over and check out what a bunch of really, really, really, really smart and likable bloggers have to say about...well, everything draft-related, and likely some not.

What are you waiting for?!

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

Photo from Raptors Draft HQ.

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the experts mock-drafting,
And everyone asking who's this year's big steal?

It's the most wonderful time, of the year!

It's the hap-happiest (off) season of all,

With GMs a-blundering, and everyone wond'ring

How far Lopez faaaaalls!

It's the hap-happiest (off) season of all!

There's ceilings and wingspans,

and prospects from Sudan,

And seniors already plateau'd,

There are sure-things and gambles

while Stephen A. rambles

of drafts picks from long, long ago!

It's the most wonderful time, of the year!

There'll be much speculation

of franchise salvation

and Hall-worthy careers!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

There are zuit suits, fedoras,

for ESPN or for a

Pic with the commish in a pose,

There'll be character stories

That trump in-game glories

of Beasley, but not Derek Rose!

It's the most wonderful time,

It's the most wonderful time,

It's the most wonderful time,

It's the most wonderful time...

OF THE YEAR!!
-----

It's about that time, sports fans! The N-B-A DRAFT. And boy, are the blogs and papers buzzing with all kinds of information on your favorite prospects. Some are as good as advertised (or sometimes even better), and others...ehhh, not so much.

U&M Favorites:

Joe Alexander – Just for the record, I liked Joe Alexander before it was cool to like Joe Alexander. It’s rare that you find a player athletic enough to challenge other players at the rim or take it there himself, talented enough to score around the basket with ease, and motivated enough to fight for everything on the floor. The fact that he picked up basketball at a late age is amazing, because he’s making a draft full of lifetimers look like AAU players. Will he ever be a top 5 player in the league? No. But he's definitely good enough to be a solid contributor right away, a second option down the line, and maybe even a team's best player (although more likely a second fiddle).

In a sense, he combines so many intriguing traits that make him very draftable; think about it, what draft buzzword can’t be applied to this guy? Alexander is going to be a special player, and I have no problem saying that: he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and goddone it – people like him.

Darrell Arthur – Frankly, I’m not sure why anyone would take Anthony Randolph over Arthur. Scouts must know something about Arthur that I don’t, because I really do think that he would be an absolute steal if he goes past 20. What really bothers me is when people deem him undersized – at 6’9’’ with Go-Go-Gadget Pogo Stick legs, isn’t it really a non-issue? He’s hard-nosed and isn’t going to shy away from contact, so who the hell cares if he’s an inch shorter than you’d like him to be? If Arthur was 6’10’’, he’d be getting the buzz he deserves and would likely be going lottery. Instead, a lucky mid-first round team is going to find themselves a gem. It’s easy to remember that Chalmers hit the big shot to force OT in the NCAA Championship, but don’t forget that Arthur led the team in scoring and rebounding while shooting 9-13 against a very physical, aggressive Memphis defense.

Marreese Speights – An underrated 4-5 in a draft that doesn’t have many real centers. Unfortunately for most teams, he’s not a banging, aggressive, physical center. I just don’t think Speights is wired that way. But Speights is a gifted pick-and-roller and pick-and-popper, which will make him an asset in the L. The key with a player like Speights is knowing what you’re going to get from him and not expecting too much. The best place for his skill set is probably Orlando, where he could provide a great compliment to Dwight Howard. Speights’ ability to shoot from short to midrange combined with Howard’s inside dominance (not to mention a chance to shift Hedo to the 2, which could work, and Rashard back to his natural position) could remove the Magic’s two biggest problems (rebounding and size at the PF and a legitimate starting 2 guard [Hedo]) simultatneously. Combine that with the hometown factor and you’ve got a nice pick at 22. But of course a team like Cleveland could take him at 19, which means he probably won’t be there for the Magic.

Mario Chalmers - It's so easy to be high on Chalmers considering his late-game championship heroics and the fact that he was unheralded draft-wise until workouts began, but I just can't help myself. I'm not sure that he'll ever be a great starting point guard, but you can pencil him in as a reliable one. The current rules favor quick guards on the perimeter, but they don't have to be dominant - the most important things from the position are defense, timely passing, the ability to penetrate often, and hopefully some shooting ability. Chalmers isn't a great passer but is a willing one, and excels in all of these other aspects in the game. He's more ready as an NBA point guard now than Westbrook or Bayless in my opinion. He won't be a great NBA scorer but can be a good NBA point guard. In mock drafts around the net he's been going as high as 20 to the Nuggets and as low as 27 to the Hornets. But if he falls to the Spurs at 26, expect them to pull the trigger.

Joey Dorsey - As the only second rounder on this short list, I don't expect Dorsey to be a star. Nobody does. What he can be is a solid addition to any team needing size or toughness. As a backup big man who can play the 4 or the 5 (a little small height-wise for the 5, but what he lacks in altitude he makes up for in ferocity), rebound, block shots, and hustle, Dorsey should be an instant asset to whichever team is lucky enough to draft him. In my mind, Dorsey's future is bright with contending for titles for years to come, and he could definitely play a major role off the bench for a team needing to abuse their opponent under the basket with boards and hustle buckets.

Not Sold On Them:

DeAndre Jordan - I'll spare you, I think you understand. He's talented. But he's also really, really dumb. And I mean that. Plus, his work ethic seems to make him pretty undesirable, and the old question of how he got buried in A&M’s rotation.

Donte Green – When I think about Donte Green, I think of a more athletic version of Charlie Villanueva. And I don’t mean that in a good way.

Maybe athleticism is what Charlie V is missing and why he hasn’t been able to put all the pieces together in terms of contributing in this league. Or maybe not. Either way, their games are pretty similar and equally worrisome for anyone who needs rebounding out of the 4 spot. Green will likely be more successful and a better scorer for sure, I just don’t see him having any qualities that would make him anything more than a quasi-star. Could he still be a good fit for some teams? Sure man, whatever you’re into. Just don’t think you have a bonafide star on your hands.

CDR – I really, really want to say that CDR is going to be a good NBA player. I just don’t know that I can. He’s skinny as hell even if he plays the 2, and although that can work for Kevin Martin and co. I don’t see it working for Douglas-Roberts. Combine that wiry frame with what could be described as questionable range from the NBA three and pedestrian free throw shooting abilities (*holds his hands up to this throat and makes choking noises*) and you’ve got a scorer that’s going to have trouble scoring at times. Realistically, I see him as a decent 6th man or solid 7th man on a NBA squad, who can come in and score in bunches at times, play some decent defense, and isn’t unselfish. And he also happens to be a bit turnover prone (although his usage was also pretty high at Memphis)

Teams will be gambling on him for awhile based on reputation and potential, but CDR’s going to have a hard time adjusting to the NBA game because he’s just so…college ball. I’m not sure that I can put it into words (beyond that) at this point, but when I see him play nothing inside me is saying “That guy’s going to be a pretty good pro.”

Eric Gordon – No, not because he’s fat. I think the fundamental problems with Gordon lie in his ‘strength’: scoring. He’s just not that good at it. I actually like his thicker build, I think it’ll help him in a lot of ways, but his height and streak shooting will only hinder his NBA value. He’s pretty small for a 2 guard and we learned anything from the second half of his season at Illinois it’s that when it rains it pours (and I mean that in the most negative way possible).

He could be a decent NBA scorer if he can develop some consistency in getting to the line, but for the time being I don’t see him as a starter (which is what you need to be to warrant a lottery pick). The workouts must be showing Gordon in a light I can’t possibly imagine him in, because otherwise there is a legitimate argument to be made to take Augustin or Ajinca over him going into picks 10-14. If Gordon goes in the top 8 there is something seriously wrong with a certain front office and scouting team.