NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony’s Best Trade Scenario, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant
The NBA just passed the mid-point of their season, with most teams having played 41 of their 82 games at this stage of the year. So, it’s time to assess, a la the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson, the state of the biggest rumors flying around the league here at mid-season.
We’ll start with some of the top rumors, the ones that dominate the headlines around all the sports websites.
The hype and attention borders insanity, with Carmelo Anthony leading the pack but Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and an assortment of other players coming up close behind.
So, who will be traded, when and where?
And, have you been on that merry-go-round? Have you been caught up in those rumors, waiting by your computer to see when the trade unfolds?
Well, step off for a moment because I have some new perspective for you to think about. We’ll hit the trade rumors in a second.
The other big talk is the impeding demise of the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant. You know the recent storyline: He’s lost it, his knee is shot, he’s old. The Lakers won’t repeat. Pick your poison.
Whether you are a Lakers lover or hater, counting out the defending champs this early might not be wise. We’re talking January. I’ll say it again. We’re in January, just passed the mid-point in games mark. Do you really think anything going on with the Lakers matters right now?
If you do, you’re being fooled.
So, here are my take on the biggest rumors floating around in the NBA mid-season.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Trade Rumors: Best-Case Trade Scenario for Each Team
There are roughly 48 more days until the NBA trade deadline. This means there’s a lot of time for teams to think of a plan of attack, and by then, teams will know whether they’re ready to make a playoff run—or go into rebuilding mode.
Whether a team is trying to re-establish their identity, or whether a team feels like they need that one key player to win an NBA championship, the trade rumor wire will continue to spark as the deadline approaches.
What trades are the best-case scenarios for each of the 30 NBA teams for this season and, hopefully, for the next few seasons?
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Rumors: George Karl Talks Carmelo Anthony and the Kobe Bryant Scenario
Denver Nuggets head coach, shared his thoughts on the Carmelo Anthony saga with Hoopsworld reporter Eric Pincus, before the Nuggets played the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, October 15.
“I don’t think that [staying] is off the table,” Karl told Pincus. “The Kobe [Bryant] scenario is what I used. I said Kobe, four years ago, said he wanted out. I know [the Los Angeles Lakers] made phone calls.”
With Kobe Bryant, seemingly unhappy in Los Angeles a few seasons ago—he nearly forced his way out of the Lakers and into a Chicago Bulls jersey. But it’s obvious that sinking ship was righted, that same season with the acquisition of Pau Gasol.
At least George Carl still feels that his star player, isn’t entirely sold on leaving in the offseason as a free agent.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Each NBA Team’s Best and Worst Case Scenario for the 2010-11 Season
The 2010-11 NBA season promises to be quite predictable—if you believe the sports book in Vegas, that is.
Miami is listed as the odds on favorite to win the title at +175 and the Lakers aren’t far behind at +300.
Other than those two, no other team has better 10-to-1 odds to walk home with the Larry O’Brien trophy.
So can’t we just pretty much pencil in Miami and Los Angeles in the Finals and call it a day? Well, odds are (pun intended)…yes, we can.
But things don’t always unfold the way we think the should.
Injuries happen (see: Kevin Garnett and Manu Ginobili in 2008, Isiah Thomas in 1988…hell, even Bill Russell in 1958); Midseason trades swing conferences that are up for grabs (like Rasheed Wallace with the Pistons in 2004), or lineups that are great on papers just don’t mesh well together (something along the lines of the 2003-04 Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone).
Obviously, any of these factors could apply to this year’s campaign—maybe Andrew Bynum just can’t stay healthy and Pau Gasol goes down a few weeks before the playoffs and isn’t 100 percent in the postseason.
Maybe the Bulls somehow swing a deal for Carmelo Anthony while hanging onto Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.
Or maybe, in a half-court game, the Heat just can’t generate enough offense to consistently score against teams with a significant interior presence, such as Boston, Orlando, or Los Angeles (not to say it will happen…just that it could happen).
So perhaps Miami and L.A. are destined to meet in the Finals, but the margin of error is small enough that if something disastrous happens, it opens the door for a handful of other teams.
Let’s take a look at how each team would fare in a perfect world where all their stars properly aligned and how it would turn out if all hell broke loose.
Starting in alphabetical order.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Hate LeBron James, Not Chris Paul: Not Even Close to the Same Scenario
It must be the LeBron effect because every single sports fan I know is up in arms over Chris Paul’s comments about wanting to take his talents to Disney World, the Big Apple, or any place else that can offer him a shot at an immediate title.
The negative reactions being flung towards Paul by fans are in one way humorous and one way hypocritical in my mind.
I think it’s funny the way fans are dealing with every contract negotiation or player demand now that LeBron’s decision was a debacle. It’s as if he set a precedent now that no player is ever allowed to want to leave their team.
Is Chris Paul demanding a trade worse than what LeBron did? Not even close!
Come on everyone. Let’s be serious here.
Return some rational to the sports world and start looking at the whole picture instead of just listening to sports radio and regurgitating the overreaction to a scenario that we’ve seen a hundred times before.
What LeBron did is make his hometown (I know Cleveland isn’t Akron) fans believe that there was a legitimate chance he was going to stay. He made other cities’ fans have hope as well when there was no hope for them. He turned a charity event for kids into a one-hour ego fest and he put himself above the game of basketball.
All Chris Paul did was actually be truthful to his situation and come out and say what he wants, even if his demands seem heinous to some.
There is so much hypocrisy to this situation that I can’t believe people are condemning him for his actions.
First of all, take a look at the owners. Do we get all upset when an owner doesn’t honor their contract that they gave the player?
They can release players, trade players, bench players, and basically do whatever they want to the player.
If a player gets released from his contract then fans aren’t getting upset at owners.
If a player is traded away to a team that he has no say over then we don’t point our finger at the owner and yell about how the player had a contract to play in that city for X amount of years.
No, we don’t care when the owners do it, we only care when the star players do it.
I can understand New Orleans Hornets fans being upset, but for everyone else, we shouldn’t care one bit.
How about when a college football or basketball coach from a mid-major gets the opportunity to seize a position in a power conference?
Are we chastising the coach for making a move to a better team, a better program, and a much better situation for him and his family even if he had two years remaining on his contract to coach the mid-major program?
I just can’t understand the hate when the situation happens so often in every different sport.
For once a player wants a trade not because of money or contract demands, but because he wants to win and now he’s the worst guy in the NBA.
I’m sorry, but I’m not going to blast a player that sees more opportunity and more chance of winning in a different city, just because he was actually man enough to come out and say it.
The debate can wage on about if the Hornets are taking steps to improve, but I know if I’m at my job and I signed a contract and had two years remaining and I felt the employer wasn’t living up to expectations then I would try to take my talents to the best possible scenario.
I can’t blame Chris Paul for wanting to do the same.
Chris Paul is no LeBron James. He may have the same agent whispering in his ear now and the same desire to play on a championship caliber team with a friend or two of his, but other than that the scenario is not even close.
As we saw at yesterday’s meeting, the power still lies in the owner’s hands no matter how many demands a player tries to make.
I just hope next year, when Chris Paul gets traded at the trade deadline for a player and a couple draft picks, that I see the same outcry against Hornets owners, George Shinn and Gary Chouest, for not living up to their end of the bargaining and having Chris Paul be a Hornet for his remaining two years.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Hedo Wants Out: The Most Likely Sign and Trade Scenario
It should be painfully obvious to everyone that Hedo Turkoglu will try not to get hit by the door on his way out. Most Raptors’ fans emotionally think his contract is toxic, but that might not be the case for everybody.
Let’s face it, our franchise does not have the best track record when it comes to keeping and developing talents. No need to give examples and stir up the old debates all over again.
Hedo bursting out to Turkish TV audience was nothing more than another nail to the coffin. Hedo, a pro athlete with 10 years of experience under his belt, is only five years younger than the franchise in this league.
He is still in good terms with Orlando fans and they are still questioning the move of sending him to get Vince Carter. On the other hand, there hasn’t been a Raptors’ season sans player drama and lawyer involvement.
The point is, however, talents of our problem SF might be of use to many teams; which may be ready to forget his last season and think of him as another miscast in Raptors universe.
Several analysts with decent pull have wrote about the possibility of Chris Bosh’s desire to play with LeBron. While it makes sense logically, I think Bosh can not pull that off without hurting the franchise.
No team can easily get those two with sign and trade; I don’t think either King James or CB4 would walk away and sign with New York just like that. Bosh loves Toronto much more than that and I am sure he will see that we get something in return.
From this side of the border, the better outcome would be getting Joakim Noah for Bosh followed by Odom and Bynum. But now Hedo also wants to go, our best overall bet is to attach Hedo to a Bosh deal; unless we would be fine with getting stuck with Hedo for another four years.
One of the team that desperately needs that combo is Miami. They might want this to happen so much that we might even have the upper hand at this table.
Wade staying in Miami is much more likely than Bosh and James staying at their current teams. In order to be a finals contender again, Miami would be looking into signing either of those players.
Because if they can’t, they might need to settle for Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer, and even getting those could be hard and costly.
Between Bosh and James, Miami will be more likely to try their chances on Bosh. And Bosh comes bearing gifts like Hedo Turkoglu.
Miami still doesn’t have a capable play-maker and Turkoglu can fill that role easily. It is not like they can land on a star point guard with the little cap space they would have.
Hedo would be very happy with this deal. His family still lives in Orlando and he would be very close to them. He will be able to stay in Eastern Conference and be a part of a contender team who would actually use him the right way.
It is no secret that Bosh was a big factor for Hedo to sign with Toronto. Hedo would be happy to follow Bosh to meet up with Wade in Miami, more so than being traded to Washington.
What do we get in return? Other than getting rid of Hedo’s contract, we would ask for Beasley, O’Neal, Haslem, Wright plus a couple of more rotation players, future draft picks, cash considerations, etc. Basically whatever we can get in return.
I always stated that I didn’t want any rebuilding this year. But with Bosh with one foot out the door and Hedo putting his lawyers to work, what other option does Brian Colangelo have?
Toronto will get a huge cap relief and would get enough rotation players and expiring contracts to put them in a rebuilding mode.
This trade wouldn’t be the perfect one for either team, but it certainly is the one that both teams would benefit from equally.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
2010 NBA Playoffs: It’s Okay To Root For Boston In This Scenario
New Yorkers never root for Boston to do well in sports or in business.
It’s a rule that goes back to the historic rivalry of the Yankees and the Red Sox. It will always be the way of life here.
With that said, let’s break this rule for at least couple of weeks.
Rooting for the Celtics to beat the Cavaliers is a civic duty. It’s the only way LeBron James will don a Knicks uniform.
It’s not fun to do it for the short-term, but in the long-term, it will pay dividends.
In November, your friendly writer wrote that James will be a Knick in July 2010. He had a change of heart few months ago when he said it’s a lost cause to get James.
Right now, it’s 50-50. If the Cavaliers go to the NBA Finals, James is staying. Make no mistake though. If the Cavaliers lose to Boston, he is leaving Cleveland.
There’s no reason for him to stay in Cleveland if the Cavaliers fall short. He took that franchise as far as they could. If no elite players want to join him in winning a championship in Cleveland, he is never going to win.
As great as he is, he can’t win the championship by himself. He needs a strong supporting cast.
Who knows if this supporting cast can help King James out?
It’ll be hard to get Chris Bosh to play in Cleveland, but it’ll be easy to get him to play in New York.
If James plays in New York, he will get a supporting cast, and he will get a championship he deserves.
Most guys are willing to play for less money by playing in New York than in Cleveland.
Right now, the chances of the Celtics beating the Cavaliers are good. Everyone picks the Cavs to win the series, but don’t discount what the Celtics can do.
The Celtics are a tough-minded team. They play defense, and they can be dirty when they want to.
No team rebounds the ball as well as the Celtics.
The Celtics get good contributions by the bench players.
Count on Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to play at their best.
Those three exhibit a canny way to shoot well in April and May. They may not have done much in the regular season, but that was because Doc Rivers did not overwork themin practice, not to mention they conserve their energy for when it really matters.
Also, it’s tough to win at Boston in the postseason. The Cavaliers made their task harder by losing Game Two at their home court.
It’s no wonder mild-mannered Mike Brown snapped in his press conference after the game Monday night.
He knows what’s at stake.
Also, does anyone think Brown is capable of outcoaching Rivers? The next time Brown coaches, it will be his first. We all know James is doing most of the coaching.
We still think the Cavaliers will win the series against the Celtics, but this is not going to be easy as the Cavaliers think.
Boston knows how to beat Cleveland.
The Celtics feel they are being disrespected when no one mentions them as a championship contender.
They tend to do well when they are motivated.
This is why the Celtics were the worst draw for the Cavaliers this soon.
Even if Cleveland defeats Boston, they have to deal with the Magic. Orlando has more firepower than the Celtics do.
With that said, James’ decision to leave Cleveland is easy if the Cavs lose in this round rather than the next round.
He might be torn if the Cavaliers fall short in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This is why we’re better off rooting for the Celtics to get it done.
Besides the Celtics will likely lose to the Magic or the Lakers if they further advance. The bench players from Orlando and Los Angeles are better than Boston’s.
The days of not rooting for a hated rival are over. Sometimes for fans to get what they want, they have to do a dirty deed.
No one will think about it if James does a press conference with the Knicks.
Folks worry about what’s going to happen on July 1st, but the bottom line is worry about now.
What happens in this series will determine James’ future.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Sunflower Showdown Scenario Benefits Sherron Collins, Jayhawks
I’m not making any predictions here (I’m not that brave), but if I’m a KU fan, there’s a lot of things I see that I like going into Wednesday’s Sunflower Showdown with in-state rival Kansas State.
First of all, Kansas State is coming off a relatively close win at home against the third best team in the Big 12, Missouri. There’s nothing like a little bit of an emotional home-win followed by a monstrous game on the road.
Speaking of Kansas State’s victory, it’s easy to see the momentum advantage they have coming into Allen Fieldhouse. The Wildcats are underdogs and they’re on a win-streak while the Jayhawks are mending their wounds from a bad loss in Stillwater. Bill Self and his Hawks know exactly what kind of energy Kansas State will bring to the Phog.
While on the subject of momentum, I would like to know when Kansas lost two consecutive basketball games, if anyone who knows would care to comment below. I know it’s probably happened more than I remember, but I like the chances that Sherron Collins and company rebound well from the loss to Oklahoma State.
Not to keep building off of myself, but I also like Kansas’ chances to rebound based on the Jayhawks’ efforts at the end of the game, specifically Sherron Collins. Fighting back after being down big for most of the game shows good character.
Don’t forget Sherron Collins, either. He hasn’t lived up to the hype recently, but he’s due for a big game, and senior night for the winningest Jayhawk in history is bound to go either really well or really badly. I have a good feeling that Collins will pull through Wednesday.
This may be a stretch, but perhaps the Hawks can even relax a little come Wednesday.
Unlike the Wildcats, Collins and the Hawks have played in numerous hyped-up games before and usually fare decently well, and they’re no longer playing under that horrendous number-one-in-the-country label.
Not that I would be happy or even okay with a loss on Wednesday, but in the end, this is a heated rivalry with a superb Kansas State team. If KU loses, as long as they play well and stay very competitive, how big of a deal is it, really, outside of bragging rights for the fans?
Okay, so that’s probably too far, and I’m just hoping no one has to find out.
Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – College Basketball
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Worst-Case Scenario for LeBron James
Familiarity breeds disinterest.
LeBron James is a ubiquitous icon. He’s also an oversold commodity. In seven NBA seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward has securely won the hearts of American advertisers—which would be better news if American advertisers hadn’t long since jaded the minds of American consumers.
Marketability means maximizing your personal wealth.
Maturity, on the other hand, means maintaining your personal worth.
I’m not suggesting that James can’t play on center stage. His business savvy is beyond question, and he doesn’t seem to have let the hoopla go to his head. But LeBron’s head isn’t the only one that matters. In a league where long-term esteem is more lucrative than any short-term endorsement deal, no pitchman can afford to alienate the fans who’ll eventually buy or sell his legacy.
A camera is just a lens if its shutter is always open.
A celebrity is just a logo if his curtains are never closed.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from LeBron’s example, it’s simply that parties on both sides of a paparazzi flash ought to worry about excessive exposure.
NBA legends tend to be larger than life. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan—they’re men and more than men, creatures of a context in which hype inflates ordinary humanness. The catch, of course, is that it’s hard to embrace a hero who’s grown too big to hug. Madison Avenue analysts will argue that LeBron’s Q-rating affirms his rich commercial appeal. I’d counter than commercial appeal is a poor measure of affirmation if people don’t really care about the jingles.
It’s bad to be an unseen face in the crowd.
It’s worse to be an unseen face on a billboard.
James may own the world’s most recognizable smile, but he won’t have much to grin about if 20 years from now the world only remembers his dimples.
Fame is a fickle mistress. Today you’re tomorrow’s champion; tomorrow you’re yesterday’s cliché. The worst-case scenario for LeBron James is that in which he becomes a mere symbol, a copy of a likeness of a shadow of a star. Every reigning king can command the grudging loyalty of his subjects. The one who also values their genuine love should be careful not to cheapen his image while he profits from his crown.
*
King David never owned a pair of Nikes, but he did know a thing or two about inescapable brands:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Which is a bit much to ask of an earthly idol.
Because omnipresence is a dangerous pastime for finite beings, and any mortal who claims to rival the gods is either negotiating a new shoe contract or only just saying, is all…
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Trade Scenario: Monta Ellis For Andre Iguodala?
It may happen at the Feb. 18 deadline or it may happen in the summer, but Monta Ellis will hear his name, sooner rather than later, surface amidst the profusion of trade talks.
It’s become overly apparent that the Golden State Warriors will eventually facilitate a trade that involves their star guard. Head coach Don Nelson has never been fond of the 6’3” guard after Baron Davis bolted for the Los Angeles Clippers, and has, with his slick mind, introduced Stephen Curry in order to slowly but surely move Ellis out of the Warriors’ picture overall.
One of the possible trade scenarios that might pan out for Ellis may involve Philadelphia 76er’s guard Andre Iguodala. An Ellis-for-Iguodala move would be beneficial for two struggling teams with similar aspirations.
Iguodala for the Warriors
The 6’6”, 207-pound versatile guard can play multiple positions for the ailing Bay Area based team—an aspect Nelson admires about players. In addition to his versatility, Iguodala is a much stronger and powerful guard than Ellis will ever be.
Iguodala’s most coveted asset lies on the defensive end, an area where he is often underrated by most of the NBA. He is likely one of the best defensive players in this league. He can guard players than range from small and quick point guards like Chris Paul, intelligent shooting guards like Kobe Bryant, and explosive small forwards like LeBron James.
On a Nelson team, he could even start guarding certain power forwards.
His athleticism and unselfishness highlight what the Warriors necessitate. Iguodala can pass the ball exceptionally well, and is a clutch performer down the stretch of tight games—evidenced by hitting multiple game-winning shots against the Los Angeles Lakers in Staples Center and the Orlando Magic last year.
A backcourt combination of Curry and Iguodala could produce major success for a prototypical “Nellie” team. Iguodala can flourish in the open court with his thunderous dunks and finishing ability, and makes wise decisions with the ball
Weakness : Does not have the gift of creating efficient shots off the dribble, and at times struggles with his shot selections. He is ill-fitted for a “Batman” type role on a team, and has to assume a more complimentary role on a team. He won’t succeed as “the go-to player” of the team.
Franchise turnoff: The Warriors’ management will unlikely approve of such a trade due to the fact that Iguodala has 4 1/2 years left on a $80 million deal. The only way this trade might transpire is for the Sixers to include expiring contracts. Warriors’ owner Chris Cohan does not possess the urge to spend money anymore. Saving and giving away talent is the Warriors trademark.
Ellis for the Sixers
The Sixers desperately need any kind of scoring and Ellis provides just that. Philadelphia averages 97.8 PPG, which is ranked 22nd in the league behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Ellis comes in as the sixth best scorer in the league with 26.3 PPG, and could speed up the tempo for a fairly slow paced Philadelphia team.
This also comes handy for Elton Brand, who has not lived up to his $82 million contract he signed two summers ago. Ellis, playing in the Eastern Conference, will likely get much more scoring opportunities and a chance to carry a team into the playoffs with a fairly weak record compared to the stacked Western Conference.
In addition, Ellis can solely focus on scoring, an aspect which he thrives on.
Weakness: Gets too selfish with the ball sometimes, and does not move the ball particularly well in the half-court set. In order to become a respected player in this league, he has to learn the intricacies of the point guard position. He has to force himself to pass up shots with 18 seconds on the clock and involve teammates instead.
Franchise turnoff: Ellis has 4 1/2 years left on a $60 million contract, and while teams want to free up cap space for a possible free-agent, the Sixers might be prompted to keep Iguodala, who represents a better trade commodity to other contenders than Ellis does.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
