InClement Weather: NBA-related banter

1) Mark Jackson, ESPN "analyst", is by far for the worst sports commentator on television today. He makes Kornheiser sound like Howard Cosell, Magic as sarcastic as Steve "Snapper" Jones, and Emmitt Smith...well, nothing helps that cause. Sorry Emmitt.

...Quote from Saturday night's game from Mark Jackson...
"When Pau Gasol is on his A-game, there isn't a defender in the NBA that can stop him."
Ummm, yes there is Mark. His name is Kevin Garnett. See NBA Finals 2008.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

2) LeBron's game-winner against Orlando will remain a definning moment in his career, regardless of how the Cavaliers fare the remainder of the playoffs. How do I know? Chicago didn't win the 1989 NBA Championship after Jordan hit his shot over Ehlo (Bulls WIN!).

3) Carmelo Anthony is very very very lucky to have Chauncey Billups talking him through the majority of this season, especially the playoffs. He hasn't been so fortunate since Jim Boeheim rode him, as a freshman, to an NCAA Championship in 2003.

4) JR Smith clearly has the ability to become a major star in this league. The problem is: does he have the maturity and shot selection necessary of a #1 or #2, not just a #3 off the bench? I'm not so sure...

5) I'd take Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu over Mo Williams if I was LeBron. I'm just sayin'.

6) This WWE/Denver debacle is irrelevant. In the end, the "evil" Mr. McMahon is right. Why? You don't schedule an event when there is the smallest possibility of your team playing for a championship still, even if it was planned over a year in advance and your team hasn't reached a Conference Finals in 24-year. You just don't.

7) David Stern is sweating HEAVILY over no Kobe/LeBron Finals. I refuse to call Kobe the "Black Mamba" either. His name is lethal enough. As for Mr. Stern and the "accusations" that may soon arise, I won''t put anything past anyone either. THIS still hasn't been explained properly enough, for me.

8) How fortunate would Cleveland feel to be tied 2-2, assuming they pull off a "mini-upset" in Orlando on Tuesday night? Probably win-the-series-in-6 fortunate.

9) Watching Kenyon Martin bully Pau Gasol only proves facts we all should know.
A) Kenyon Martin is a petty thug. Very very very very very very petty.
B) Pau Gasol is uber-talented and uber-soft.

10) Predicting these NBA Playoffs is like predicting Mike Tyson's next career move.
Cue the video...



Happy Memorial Day. I forgot to mention that.

AI Is A Piston

As you all know, pending a medical examination, AI will be joining the boys of MoTown in a return to the Eastern Conference. Chauncey Billups has been dangled since the off-season and is the key piece heading to Denver along with big men Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb.

Some instant analysis from this trade:
* On its face, Denver is the winner and beefs up a thin frontline.
* When examined closer, Detroit acquires an expiring contract of a fading star and ships that of Billups (signed until 2010-11 with a team option the next year) and McDyess (signed until 2010). Cheikh Samb may have just been a salary leveller. Detroit basically announced that it will be a major player in the free agency market of Summer 2010. This cannot be understated.
* The Melo/AI project did not work.
* Denver wants more PT for the volatile JR Smith.
* Detroit lacks a true starting point guard (sorry guys, Rodney Stuckey and AI are not point guards) and have three starters worthy of playing the two. If you are not Clement (who hates Arron Afflalo), then they may have four.
* AI is playing for a contract or a championship, and not with Detroit. Don't be shocked if he gets traded again.

The Post-Camby Nuggets - Next Steps?

Earlier this week, the Denver Nuggets shockingly traded Marcus Camby to the LA Clippers. The cost? A swap of second-round picks. In 2010.

In doing so, the Nuggets have been vastly criticized for handing the 2007-08 Defensive POY to a team in its own conference. On the other hand, Denver shed itself $15.6M worth of salary over the next years. Even without Camby's salary, the Denver has a payroll teetering around the luxury tax threshold of $71M. Why is that important? When crossing into that threshold, teams pay dollar-for-dollar to the league. Whomever in management pulled the trigger in Denver likely stated that they will save as much as $31.2M over the next two years. To put that in perspective, less than 20 players will make that money over the next two years.

Now, let's read between the lines. Despite having four of their five top earners healthy (Nene) for the majority of the season, Denver could only muster the 8th best record in the West. Of course, that still meant 50 wins, which would have garnered a #4 seed in the standardly-deviant Eastern Conference. In giving their best defensive player away for peanuts, it tells me that the Nuggets brass were convinced that they could not win now even with an added piece. That said, this seems like the first of multiple moves to be made by the organization. Who's next? How on earth do you expect the Nuggets to stop teams, when they had trouble stopping teams from scoring all season (even with Camby)? So, where do the Nuggets go from here? Here are a few options.

1. The Status Quo. Give or take a million, the Nuggets are right at the luxury tax threshold of $71.15M. They also have at least two players to sign (teams need to sign at least 13 players). They have a roster with two perennial All-Stars, a former All-Star and a host of role players with amazing offensive talent.

2. Trade AI. Plain and simple, the AI/Melo has not worked out. It's not that they have not been excellent, because they have. Fifty wins is no small accomplishment. In the dog-eat-dog Western Conference, excellent just isn't good enough sometimes. At 33, Iverson is one of the league's best guards and he has an expiring contract ($21.9M). Translation: He could walk for free next off-season and he could be considered the missing piece to a team without a dominant guard at the All-Star break who can get to the line and play through pain.

Who would want him?

The team that comes to mind is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland would jump at the chance to have AI and they have the disposable salary to do it. A trade with the expiring salaries of Wally Szczerbiak ($13.0M), Joe Smith ($4.8M), Delonte West ($2.8) in addition to JJ Hickson ($1.3M) and future draft picks could seal the deal.

3. Dangle Melo. Multiply the parties interested manifold. Denver has to also think about their marketing strategy if they part ways with Anthony, as he is the face of the franchise.

4. Sign a FA Center. Both Francisco Elson and Jonathan Bender have indicated an interest in wanting to play for the Nuggets, and the only center of the roster is ::drum roll:: … Steven Hunter. Now, the ball is in Denver’s court. Judging the two players, Elson is the more accomplished player and is a proven defensive asset.

5. Seek creative deals involving Kenyon Martin and Nene. I am almost certain that the Nuggets offered these two players with added incentives for nothing to teams with little to no response. Both have been marred by injury and other health concerns, and they make silly money.