The Big Shaqtus to Join the Lebronnaires

The Big Diesel just could not let Kobe hold the limelight any longer...

The Phoenix Suns have agreed to send Shaq to Cleveland in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick, and cash.

On paper, this trade would seem to benefit both teams. The Shaq experiment in Phoenix resulted in missing the playoffs last season, and sending him to the Cavs allow them to save a ton of money (Shaq is on the books for 20 million next season). Shaq has always been somewhat of an awkward fit in the Sun's up-tempo offense. Now at an age when running the floor looks evermore burdensome, Shaq's diminishing athleticism has been highlighted that much more by the freakish play of the man across the paint, Amare Stoudemire. Though they're not back at square one, ridding themselves of O'neal was a necessary deal Phoenix needed to pull in order to move on. Nash isn't getting any younger; Amare isn't getting any happier. Steve Kerr and his buddies up top because the door of opportunity is almost completely closed.

Now in Cleveland, Shaq will settle more comfortably into Mike Brown's plethora of half-court sets. From the Cav's point of view, Shaq provides the muscle they didn't have to contend with Dwight Howard during this past conference finals. As if Lebron weren't enough, O'neal adds another dimension to the marketability of the team, and also gives Cleveland fans a new hope - a hope for a championship next season, and a hope that Lebron will stick around in 2010. With Shaq on board, I expect the Cavs' traveling camera show to only get kookier. I'm genuinely excited to see what sort of pre-game routines LBJ and the Diesel will pull out next year. But if all fails, this is only a one-year experiment. Nice move Danny Fe...

...wait. Let's be real; Lebron and Shaq holding the Larry O'Brien trophy together next June is far from a sure thing. There are plenty of potential negatives to this deal for Cleveland. Shaq's size and lack of speed might hinder Lebron's attack-the-basket game. If Brown positions Shaq low on block (and we expect him to), some of Lebron's cutting lanes and precious space are bound to be chocked up. As a result, Lebron defers to shooting jumpers. While his mid-range game isn't bad, 16 footers are not what you want LBJ throwing up. Defensively, Shaq can muscle people around in the paint, but will have trouble defending quick guards at the basket. Shaq's outgoing personality, while fun to be around, may end up distracting the rest of the scrubs in Cleveland from the one thing that matters - basketball. It'll be up to Lebron to keep his team in check, but we've still yet to see if Lebron can do that.

So let's say the Cav's make the playoffs again next season, but fall in the 1st or 2nd rounds. Lebron has the bitter taste of defeat once again, encouraging him to bolt during free agency. Shaq's contract is up, and upper management is sure not to sign him again. Where does that leave the Cav's? screwed. Acquiring Shaq is one of Danny Ferry's last attempt to persuade Lebron to stay in Cleveland. Miami didn't want him a couple of years back; Phoenix didn't want him after last year. Cavs fans, are you okay with tossing 20 million at a post-prime big man as your last move to keep one of history's best players?

Fantasy Implications

The Suns can now return to their running and gunning ways without the gigantic hole in the middle. I expect Nash's numbers to rebound a little, and more contributions from Barbosa, Hill, and Barnes. Amare put up some ridiculous numbers with Shaq on the court last season, and his production might dip a bit if he's forced to play the five. However, he's in his prime so I expect him to continue to put up fantasy monster stats.

The Cavs weren't abundant of fantasy-roster-worthy players beyond Lebron to begin with. Lebron will continue to be the stat beast he is, but everyone else will be a question mark. Shaq is simply too old and injury prone. I know he surprised many last season, but do you think he can do it again? Ilgauskus's role is also unknown. Is Cavs' Management planning to ship him out? Or have him come off the bench. Any fantasy relevance he once had is now gone.

NBA Finals 2009: Game 5 Afterthoughts

Congratulations L.A. Lakers on becoming the 2009 NBA Champions!

Kobe's quest for his first post-Shaq championship and Phil Jackson's mission to put a ring on each one of his fingers - both were fulfilled in the Lakers' 99-86 dismantling of the Magic. The Magic fought admirably, and kept it up right until the closing minutes of the game, despite the double-digit hole they were in. But their fight was not enough, and the Lakers showed the world the difference between a good team and a great team...

• Let's start from the top. Kobe Bryant played brilliantly tonight: 30pts, 6 rebs, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 10-23 from the floor. From getting teammates involved and playing tough-nosed defense, to leading vocally and getting buckets, Kobe did everything the superstar/leader of a team is supposed to do...
• ...including creating some SportsCenter highlights. That blow-by drive past Pietrus for the dunk in the first half was nice. And that falling-sideways-show-right-shoot-left shot on Howard was insane.
• The rest of the Lake show wasn't too shaby either. Ariza hit a couple of momentum swinging threes to help the Lakers gain the lead in the first half, while also hounding Turkoglu for most of the night. Odom came off the bench for 17 and 10, plus a pretty cool reverse layup on a fast break opportunity with Gasol. Gasol chipped in with 14pts, 15 rebs, and 4 blks. Fisher had 13 of his own. Lakers came out with an all-team attack on both ends of the floor...simply too much for the Magic to handle.
• And now onto the Magic...the experience and pressure of the moment caught up, and overwhelmed them tonight. They came out fast, and even had the lead in the 2nd quarter. But as things started to shift in the Lakers' favor, they got frustrated and ended up choking.
• Dwight Howard - where were you this whole game? 11pts, 10 rebs, and 3 blks might be okay for any average center in the league, but it is NOT okay for the superstar/next-gen Shaq, ESPECIALLY not in the biggest game of your career. You played the entire second half like you were expecting to lose... simply not the mentality for the NBA Finals.
• Rashard Lewis is another guy who did not step up to the plate. I know he loves that 3pt shot, but when you've missed more 3pt shots than you've shot from inside the arc, then you know something is wrong.
• Hedo Turkoglu's stat line looks thin, but not horrendously ugly (8pts, 3 assists, 4-8 FG). However, Ariza made this guy's night a living hell. Hedo had trouble getting to the rim much of the night. When he did manage to get past Trevor, he couldn't get the ball past Gasol and Bynum. Tonight his average-athleticism was exposed and exploited - something I'm sure teams will consider when making offers for him this offseason.
• Can you imagine how much better a player Rafer Alston would be if he could finish better around the rim? Skip-to-my-Lou does a decent job of getting past his man, but can't seem to get the ball to roll into the basket... reminds me of myself.
• I love the energy and quickness that Jameer Nelson brings to the floor, but am I the only one who's holding my breath every time this guy makes a pass? I'm scared Van Gundy is going to have a heart-attack on the sidelines after watching one of those risky things.
• Courtney Lee and J.J. Redick are going to have great careers. Okay maybe not Redick, although he's still got a beautiful jump-shot... but this trip through the playoffs has given Lee some amazing experience. He's had the chance to play under the brightest of lights, while guarding the greatest of players. I'm looking forward to seeing him mature in the league.

To be honest, this ending was expected. Up until this year, the Magic haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs in over a decade. If you're an Orlando fan, there's no reason to hang your heads low; your team is young, and I'm sure they'll be a goliath next year.

As for Lakers' fans, enjoy the moment and prepare for next year. LA has all the same pieces to go for a repeat.

Me? I'm ready to start reading all the Kobe vs. Jordan articles that are about to come out now that he's won his ring without Shaq.

And from Shaq to Kobe via Twitter:

"Congratualtions kobe, u deserve it. You played great . Enjoy it my man enjoy it. And I know what yur sayin rt now 'Shaq how my ass taste ' "

Lil Wayne - Kobe Bryant

The link between hip-hop/rap and the NBA is an intriguing one... but I'll leave that topic to another day.

I know I'm a bit late on posting on this, but in an attempt to take a discrete stab at Michael Jordan, my buddy led me to this song yesterday. Lil Wayne recently came out with a new track, which clearly shows which side of the Kobe vs. Lebron debate he's on. Take a listen:

My response?

Michael Jordan had his own song long before Kobe ever did... it just isn't as long.

=)

Fantasy Radar: Chris Bosh Setting Up for Big Things

Image from theglobeandmail.com

In an expected move, Chris Bosh - one of the NBA's elite power forwards - has decided against signing an extension with the Toronto Raptors, which in turn makes him a free agent in the summer of 2010.

Bosh has made it more than clear that he is expecting a max deal next summer from whichever teams decide to pursue him, including the Raptors. Being a contract year, we can expect Bosh to come out hard this next year. The Toronto Sun also reports that CB4 is bulking up this offseason. Bosh has started early on a training regiment with strength trainer Ken Roberson of Dallas, along with a strict diet that calls for more than the standard 3 meals a day.

From a fantasy basketball perspective, this news is music to an owner's ears. Bosh finished the 08-09 season ranked 13th in per game averages, and 15th in total stats on yahoo sports. Already an exceptionally well rounded fantasy player - he scores, rebounds, blocks shots, and shoots decent percentages for a big man - the added bulk and money motivator may just push Bosh to the next level, both skill-wise and statistically.

Normally a player drafted on the 1st/2nd round borderline, you may want to consider Bosh a little earlier this season. Guys like Garnett, Duncan, Camby, and Marion are playing out the latter phases of their career, and clearly are not capable of putting up stats like they did three years ago. Elton Brand (drafted 5 spots ahead of Bosh last season) has completely fallen off the map in Philadelphia, and goes into 09-10 as a question mark with his shoulder issues. With these guys shifting down, Bosh is now arguably one of fantasy basketball's top big men with Amare and Dirk.

Everyone knows that quality bigs are hard to come by in fantasy basketball. And everyone also knows how crucial quality bigs are to a strong fantasy title. If you find yourself drafting with picks 7-10 this coming Fall, do yourself a favor and at least strongly consider taking Chris Bosh.

NBA Finals 2009 Predictions

Kind of ironic how two series that started with games decided by less than five points both ended up being won in blowouts.

Good basketball nonetheless. Moving on...

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic

Both clubs caught their stride at the end of their respective conference finals. Each snowballing with momentum, we're bound to have a colossal collision between these two giants.

After dismantling the Nuggets, the Lakers are back in the championship round, but staring into the eyes of new adversaries. Though questioned and criticized by critics in their series against Houston and Denver, Phil Jackson and Kobe pulled out victories, telling everyone in the basketball world, "we know we're doing".

Dwight Howard, sick of the media hyping the Kobe/Lebron NBA finals showdown, took it upon himself to erase the Cavaliers from the playoff picture in game six. 40 points and 14 rebounds later, he and the Magic find themselves somewhere the team hasn't been in over a decade. Here in new territory, Superman and crew get to prove to the world just how hungry they are.

Many people out there won't give Orlando much of a chance at winning this series, and for good reason; the Lakers are battle tested, more experienced, and have pieces that the Cavs didn't have to take down the Magic.

Bynum and Pau Gasol are very capable on both ends of the court. While on defense, Stan Van Gundy won't be able to cheat off of them to focus on Kobe without paying a price. The Cavaliers did not make the Magic pay for doubling Lebron, but if SVG implements a similar strategy for Kobe, don't expect the same outcome. One glaring problem for the Magic is the Lakers' size down on the block. With Pau and Bynum are on the floor at the same time, I doubt Lewis playing power forward will suffice defensively speaking. Additionally, if Phil runs plays for his big men early and often, Howard is in danger of getting into early foul trouble. It'll be interesting to see whether or not SVG decides to play Gortat and Howard together more often for matchup purposes.

That being said, the Magic can also impose their will on offense if they take the initiative. Playing Rashard at PF allows them to stretch the floor (with Turkoglu, Howard, Lee, and Alston filling the other four spots), drawing Gasol out of the paint. This gives Dwight some room in the middle to execute some post moves, and get Bynum in foul trouble. When the double team comes, Howard knows the kick out to one of his open shooters. If the Magic can consistently hit from behind the arc, then they've got a shot at winning this thing.

For this reason, I think Phil Jackson will choose not to play Gasol and Bynum at the same time, instead opting to have Odom play big minutes at the 4. Kobe, Ariza, and Odom are going to give Orlando's wing-men lots of trouble on defense, and have more than enough offense ability between the three of them keep Orlando defenders honest while the Lakers have the ball.

Much of this battle will be dependent on the coaches. Both teams have multiple options, and it really comes down to how the coaches choose to adjust based on what's happening.

Who do I want to win? 60% of me wants Orlando and Dwight to see success; the other 40% wants to see Phil Jackson attain his 10th ring.

Who do I think will win? The Lakers in 6.

A Good Debate: Carmelo Anthony vs. Dwight Howard

I call it a "good" debate because neither of the players involved are in the discussion for being the NBA's best player; in no way will this approach the level of Kobe vs. Lebron. However, with Cleveland down 1-2 against Orlando, and the Lakers having just had their asses blown out of the water by the Nuggets in game 4, the chances of a Denver and Orlando finals matchup is becoming more and more probable.

And here is where the debate emerges. Carmelo and Dwight are superstars of the NBA, each in their own respect. Both competed on the gold medal winning 2008 Olympic basketball team, and both have their clubs very much in the hunt for the Larry O'Brien championship trophy. So who is better? Let's dive right in...

Statistically speaking...(stats from NBA.com)

Career Averages

Carmelo Anthony: 24.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 3.09 TO, 0.460 FG%, 0.796 FT%

Dwight Howard: 17.3 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 2.95 TO, 0.568 FG%, 0.601 FT%

Taking these 8 categories into account, Carmelo and Dwight are even at 4-4. Melo's scoring average, FT% and APG are noticeably superior to Dwight's, but he can't touch Dwight's RPG, FG%, and BPG. It's also important to note that Howard is steadily improving is offensive post-game, as evidenced by his increasing annual PPG (20.6 in 08-09). In terms of PER, more differences can be observed. Over the 08-09 regular season, Howard was ranked 4th (25.44), while Anthony was ranked 33rd (19.09) amongst all NBA athletes. However, Melo has made up ground in the post-season; Howard (26.26) and Anthony (26.10) are ranked 7th and 8th respectively in the playoffs.

Advantage: Neither.

On the defensive end...

Carmelo Anthony has made his efforts to improve his defensive play public. And in the current series against the Lakers, it's evident that he's taken this goal to heart. Melo has very active hands while guarding around the player, constantly slapping at the ball or waving around his man's face. In the post, Melo also has the size to play physical defense, and give the opposing player a tough time.

Dwight Howard, on the other hand, is current NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He's sent numerous shots into the next area code (a good number of which are documented on youtube). For the shots that he can't get to, Dwight's sheer size and vertical are usually enough to alter the opposing player's shot. In the post, Dwight is quick enough to keep up with any move executed against him, and strong enough to prevent opposing centers from getting too close to the basket. As for his tendency to challenge players attacking the rim, playing this highlight reel friendly type of defense has its downside: foul trouble. Luckily, the Magic have an adequate back-up center in Martin Gortat.

Advantage: Dwight Howard. Having this guy guarding the rim screws over positions 1 through 5 on the opposing team. He's not Defensive Player of the Year for no reason.

On the offensive end...

Carmelo Anthony is an extremely versatile player when trying to put the ball into the bucket. At 6'8", 230 lbs he is strong enough to post up many opposing power forwards, and almost all opposing small forwards. At the same time, his above average foot-speed and athleticism allow him to take defenders off the dribble to attack the rim. His size and strength also come into play here by helping him finish after contact.

Melo's offensive arsenal encompasses post-ups, fadeaways, and spins, just to name a few. He's got great touch around the rim, and has the ability to hit from beyond the arc. A couple areas he could improve in are passing and decision making. When the Nuggets are playing well, and momentum is on their side (as in game 4), we get to see Melo make some crisp passes to cutting big men for easy dunks. But when the game slows down, and the options aren't so clear, Melo many times makes the wrong move (partially evidenced by his 3.09 turnovers per game).

Dwight Howard's offensive game is comparatively rather limited. Over the last year or two, he's developed a couple moves under the mentoring of former Knicks' superstar Patrick Ewing. If you see Howard get the ball in the post (outside of dunking range), he does one of two moves: a running right-handed hook shot, and a spin-move to the right. Though limited, Howard is becoming increasingly effective; the hook shot is almost unguardable, and falling at a fairly consistent rate. The spin move is Dwight's way of getting off a shot on the left-side, and works well when he's matched up with guys close to him in size. However, taller centers like Yao and Ilgauskus can neutralize the spin with their length.

I would write more about his poor free throw shooting... but there's not that much to say about it than this; it's often a liability in the 4th quarter. I hope he improves it for the sake of all of us; I'd hate to see the last 5 minutes of a game be reduced down to a game of Hack-a-Howard.

Let's not overlook the one offensive aspect Dwight is unparalleled in: dunking. Dwight attempts this high-percentage shot at every opportunity he gets. With intimidating size and strength, he dares anyone to even try stopping him when he goes up. Those who do almost always end up on a shiny new Dwight Howard poster. When passing to Howard, you can pretty much throw it anywhere and he'll catch it; if the ball is 3 ft above the rim, he'll go get it and cram it for an easy two.

Advantage: Carmelo Anthony. Dwight Howard is improving, but at this point, Melo has a much deeper and more refined offensive arsenal to draw from.

and the winner is...

Dwight Howard

Scoring gets you recognition, but defense wins you championships. And no one plays defense better than Dwight.

The other deciding factor for me was room for improvement. I see Howard's ceiling being much higher than Melo's. If Howard can hone his offensive skills (and free throw shooting), add a handful of more moves, then I don't know who would be able to stop him down-low. Couple that with his highlight blocks and ridiculous athleticism, and you've got someone that could potentially be better than Shaq.

Who do you think is better?

...and just in case you were wondering, I am all for Dwight and Melo crashing the NBA Finals party.

L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Game 3: Afterthoughts

This series does not fail to deliver. Though there were no last second theatrics, the game was close down to the last minute.

• That intro-music in the arena before the start of the game? Whatever it was, I loved it.
• J.R. Smith came up huge for the Nuggets today. He defended Kobe admirably, and did a good job of making plays on the offensive end by picking up 6 assists throughout the course of the game. That 3-pointer he stuck at the end of the 3rd quarter was pretty ridiculous too... if only he didn't pick up the technical foul for taunting afterwards.
• I love Chris Andersen; this guys is about 30 years old, but jumps like he's still 25. Blocking, dunking, rebounding... he did everything today. And you gotta love that mohawk thing he's got going on.
• George Karl has to be nervous about how the game ran its course today. Despite leading the majority of the game, the ruckus home crowd, and the Laker's off-night, the Nuggets still lost. This is in large due to the relative poor play of his two stars: Anthony and Billups. Though Carmelo managed to get to the line (12-14 FT), he only shot 4-13 from the field, and wound up fouling out during the critical moments of the game. And Billups...
• ... played a subpar game as well. Chauncey went 5-15 from the field, and turned the ball over four times - uncharacteristic for a former Finals MVP known for his discipline. Billups also loves pulling up for a long 3-ball while in transition early in the shot clock: a play that works wonders in getting the crowd to go crazy, but only when you make it. However, Billups hasn't been able to hit this shot - a problem that goes back to his last couple of seasons in Detroit. These bricks are huge momentum killers...
• Did anyone see the half-time footage of the Laker's locker-room? It looked like the entire team was asleep while Phil Jackson was giving a barely-audible speech. Funny stuff.
• Andrew Bynum is by far the most frustrating player in L.A. For all the hype for his crazy workouts and training with Kareem, he's not playing remotely close to the level he can be. Early in the 3rd quarter, he showed a flash of his potential by aggressively posting up, executing a beautiful spin and baby hook. But other than that, he was pretty much invisible during the game.
• Trevor Ariza is L.A.'s X-factor. This is the second game in this series where he's come up with a steal in the final minute. His also did a relatively good job of containing Melo, and hitting open shots today.
• The Lakers need to keep feeding Gasol. Neither Martin nor Nene is tall enough to defend Pau, and his turn around jumper from 5ft is money.
• 41pts, 6rebs, 5 assists, 15-17 from the line - Kobe Bryant did his best to show us that, even considering Lebron's historic buzzer-beater last night, Black Mamba is still the game's best clutch player (13 pts in the third quarter and a monumental 3 for the lead with 1:08 left in the game).

Things to take away from Game 3:

Denver Nuggets: It's critical that Denver doesn't wilt after this defeat. They're a highly emotional team that just lost their first home game in 16 games. Their complimentary players came up big today, so that's something they should try to carry over to game 4. Billups needs to go back to playing more disciplined ball, and give his offense time to set-up instead of launching ill-advised threes. Carmelo also cannot let himself get too discouraged after a disappointing night. He's gotta hit the remember to hit the glass (zero O-rebs tonight compared to 5 O-Rebs in Game 2), and continue to attack the Lakers bigs.

L.A. Lakers: The pressure is still very much on the Lakers. They have not played up to their potential for a good while now, and sooner or later this poor play is going to catch up to them. Phil Jackson needs to figure out a way to get better PG play out of Fisher/Farmar/Brown. Getting Lamar Odom more involved on the offensive end should also be another priority; the Lakers desperately need another reliable source of offense to get Kobe some rest (he looked exhausted during his post-game interview). Bynum could take a page out of Pau's book in exploiting his match-up. This team looks much better on paper than they're showing on the court.

This was Denver's game to win, but they just couldn't hang on in the end...