NBA Western Conference

As the biggest news from the 2010 NBA off-season has already passed, it has inevitably brought speculation about next summer. And there’s one name that no one can keep out of their mouth.

Carmelo Anthony.

The savior of Nuggets basketball can become a free agent in 2011 and his departure would bring the franchise back to the days of Bryant Stith. After watching the King of Zero bolt for Miami, Denver natives are shivering over the idea that their 'Melo might leave too.

Anthony’s probably quoted The Clash quite a bit lately.

“Should I stay or should I go?”

The NBA has become the triumvirate machine recently. The Celtics built the Boston Three Party and then the Heat got the Three MyEgos. With Chris Paul trying to swing a trade, many think Anthony might join him to make contender elsewhere.

But for ‘Melo, that’s not the smart move.

So keep your pants on, Knicks fans.

The talk of the former Syracuse star leaving Denver seems to favor him leaving those beautiful baby blues next season. The media has made forming a super team seem like the best way to guarantee a title, no matter how the fans view you.

If ‘Melo stays in Denver, however, he can come out as the Mother Teresa of the 2003 NBA Draft.

Look at all the flack LeBron got for leaving Cleveland just because his number one mission was to win. However, unlike the Cavs, the Nuggets have the resources to build around Carmelo in 2011.

Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin are free agents in 2011, and the only players who are guaranteed to be on the team after this season are Chris Anderson, Al Harrington and Renaldo Balkman.

That’s roughly $11 million total, which is pocket change for the NBA

The Nuggets will likely pick up Nene and Ty Lawson’s options, which leaves them at around $24 million. Their lineup now has a top five center in the West, and extremely talented point guard and a versatile power forward.

Sound good yet? Keep drooling, Mile High.

The free agent market may not be flashy next year, but it’s deep. If Carmelo signs for any sort of discount, which he would if he left to make a powerhouse elsewhere, the Nuggets can make Denver a perennial contender. 

Need a shooting guard? Jamal Crawford, Michael Redd and Caron Butler are available for less than a huge deal.

Don’t think your front line’s big enough? Carl Landry, David West and Zach Randolph would love to win for a change.

Want someone to tutor Lawson? Tony Parker can use a change of scenery.

Why wouldn’t these guys want to be Nuggets? Denver sports fans are diehards to say the least, and will idolize these new guys. The arena and facilities are top-notch, and as long as the Broncos aren’t on, you are the toast of the beautiful, mountain-lined town.

Gee, what a nightmare?

Sure, these aren’t the monumental names that moved this off-season. But the 2011 Nuggets are close to where the Knicks and Heat were this year. They can sign Carmelo and still have one of the best top-to-bottom teams in the league.

Something that worries South Beach residents every day.

If he stays in Denver, Anthony and James become polar opposites, and that’s beauty for his image. The Miami Heat have become the most villainized NBA team, and even the Salem Witch Trials saw less burning effigies than Cleveland.

Anthony, on the other hand, could cement his legacy.

He would lead the Nuggets for years to come and be seen as the killer of the younger generation of NBA stars. A few titles later, and the king’s palace won’t be in Florida any longer. When they redo the 2003 NBA Draft, guess who’s on top?

No, not Darko.

So why leave? Anthony leaves a lot of money on the table without a guarantee of a title in any other city. Staying in Denver and bringing in some hardware could make him one of the most beloved icons in Colorado history, not just sports.

He may not reach John Elway status, but he certainly would cruise by ex-governor Davis Waite. 

I hear Googling.

Obviously, some people think the end of the Nuggets time in contention is nigh, but that’s all on number 15. He can keep his reputation and win big with the money Denver has available.

Or he can have ESPN host The Decision 2011. I’m sure they’d gobble that up.

Check out more from Ross at LAsportsexaminer.com and follow him on Twitter at Rossel64.

With the NBA free-agency period waning, so many of the big names have already been taken off the board.

You know what that means, right?

No, not new suits. It’s a 2002 Flashback!

Yes, 2002 was a great time as America had the Olympics in Salt Lake City, Emmitt Smith became the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, and Brazil won its fifth World Cup.

But the best sports story of that year? T-Mac was actually good!

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an overstatement.

All of Tracy McGrady's injuries make him more fragile than a Faberge egg, but eight years ago was his golden year, going for 32.1 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, and 5.5 assists per game.

Those are MVP-like numbers, even if he couldn’t win a playoff series. Although he thought he did.

McGrady is now 31 years old (younger than Kobe) and a free agent who people say is past his prime.

He played in only 24 games for the New York Knicks last season, but showed some promise coming off a bad injury that put him out for quite some time.

Injuries. Limited minutes. Past his prime. Sounds like the Los Angeles Clippers to me.

All kidding aside, McGrady is a perfect fit for the Clippers on multiple levels.

He may not be on top of his game, but with Blake Griffin joining Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, and Chris Kaman, he doesn’t need to be the scoring threat he was in the past.

One of his key roles would be to help groom rookie Al-Farouq Aminu. Back in T-Mac’s heyday, he had more jukes than a '60s diner and a jumper sweeter than a milkshake.

If he imparts any of that wisdom on Aminu, the chief really will have arrived.

McGrady also creates a time-sharing role with Aminu, which is excellent for development.

Mcgrady played 26 solid minutes per game for New York last season, and that would help ease the Wake Forest stud into the NBA.

It would be similar to how McGrady got eased in, and that worked to the tune of a 21.5 points per game career average. I think Clippers fans would kill for that.

But that’s not the only way the Mount Zion Christian Academy alum can help the Clips step slightly out of the Lakers shadow.

The Clippers shot 33.2 percent from downtown last year, and were in the bottom half of the NBA from the field as well. Yes, McGrady’s stroke has faded a little, but he shoots 44 percent for his career.

That number includes years when he had more guys surrounding him than Barack Obama.

Now, throw that into the Clippers lineup.

With Griffin and Kaman down low, the interior is going to be packed tight. With T-Mac’s shooting, he can help spread the floor, stop double teams on the post, and draw defenders out of the lane.

Plus, if he’s the most injury-prone guy on the floor, odds say Griffin is safe!

Lastly, in this offseason, the Clippers had enough money to sign a front-line free agent, but were unable to.

If they can get McGrady to sign cheap and short, they will be a front-runner in the summer of 2011.

I think the only things that are a tighter fit than Tracy Mcgrady with the Clips are Paramore’s jeans.

So all that remains is to get his people to the dotted line.

McGrady has already scheduled to work out with the Clippers, and if that goes well, there might be some reason to celebrate on the non-NBA Champion side of Staples Center.

Now, if Donald Sterling sold the team, not even Lil’ Wayne could pop that much champagne.

Check out more from Ross at LAsportsexaminer.com and follow him on Twitter at Rossel64.

Welcome to the new NBA.

With 34.2 left in the fourth quarter of an elimination game of the Western Conference Finals, Suns coach Alvin Gentry watched the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant double-pump a 22-foot jumper.

As Kobe lurched and fired, turning to balance himself slightly to the right as his defender slung leftward to meet him, the shot fell neatly behind the front of the rim despite the frantic defense of Grant Hill, and provided a 107-101 lead for a Lakers team that would eventually succeed to a chance at the Celtics, and an NBA title.

The weird part was that immediately after that shot, Kobe turned and tapped Suns coach Alvin Gentry on the leg as if to say, “So, how’d you like that!?”

The weirder part was that the coach seemed to be in on the joke.

He laughed and smiled as Kobe turned downcourt, seemingly satisfied with the shot…and the joke.

My question?

Is Coach Gentry’s reaction, which, remember, is happening in the final 30 seconds of the Western Finals, offensive, debasing, and debilitating to team moral for a group that is playing for its life?

Or is it a good-natured reaction to a player that made a terrific shot—which just happened to likely knock his team out of the playoffs?

Does Gentry’s reaction to the Kobe tap look more like a country-club golf outing between boss and lackey?

“Hey, great shot boss! And, I totally did not see you scootch the ball over with your foot to get that three-foot putt!”

Or is it more like, “Wow, that was awesome Kobe, we should definitely do lunch! Let’s discuss whether that shot is more reminiscent of West’s half-court shot or Hondo’s steal in ‘65. And I am not at all pissed off that your team has now taken a seven-point lead!”

To put it in perspective, the NBA universe can generally be divided between two hemispheres:

On one hand is what we’ll call the Russell sphere, and the other, diametrically opposed, we’ll call the Wilt sphere.

The Russell sphere cares about winning—there is nothing else.

Players are not friends when they step on the court.

Russellites will knock you down.

They will step on your face.

They are frequently rude.

Michael Jordan was a Russellite.

Then there are Wilts.

Wilts care about…well, caring.

They care that you notice they led the league in assists.

The care about stats.

They care about getting in the Hall of Fame more than they care about titles.

They care that you notice they scored 40 points even though their team lost.

They hope that you watch stats and not, well….actual games.

They care about you thinking they are great players no matter how selfish or narcissistic they are.

Which brings me to Coach Alvin Gentry.

Since we are in the 21st century, you can see for yourself how the Suns coach reacted by easily checking YouTube.

But there is no denying the easy demeanor or genial acceptance of Kobe’s trash-talk by the Suns coach in those last few seconds of his team’s playoff life—the queasy acceptance; the country-club handshake; the sleazy acquiescence that, no doubt, had its effect on the young Suns bench, who happened to be watching him betray their emotions for the thrill of a Kobe-ESPN moment.

But I wonder three things:

1) If the shots were reversed, could you see Phil Jackson joking like this?

2) Would Jordan or Russell have complimented his opponent during the last 30 seconds of a Finals?

3) Would Red Auerbach have smiled?

Lost amid the cacophony of where LeBron’s summer home will be was a little noticed request, or rather tacit ultimatum, from Chris Bosh via his agent last week to his current team, the Toronto Raptors.

Like “King” James, Bosh will be a free agent this summer and is already being much sought after by every team that can afford him.

But what distinguished Bosh’s notice was his insistence that he would only accept a trade to a few select teams, or rather cities: New York, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

The rest of you small and mid-market teams?

Need Not Apply.

LeBron and, now, Bosh have instructed the league that their talents will only be exported to an elite group of large-market, high-visibility cities.

And while there are a dozen reasons why a star in the maximum salary constellation, like James or Bosh, might choose his next destination, one would think the opportunity to win at the highest level would be priority No. 1.

But in the current NBA culture, it’s not looking that way.

Call them Chris Bosh and the Traveling All-Stars and Vacation Kings.

Players are now deciding where to play not based on salary, teammates or coaches, but rather, on what I call the Vacation Factor.

Star players now only want to play in places that comprise of America’s favorite vacation spots, and are telling the rest of the league’s cities—get lost, or at least get a better tourism bureau.

After all, why should the average resort-bound All-Star toil away in the rust-belt gloom of Detroit, or the frost-bitten backwater of Indianapolis?

Look, stars don’t buy Bottega Veneta sunglasses to stare at the lutefisk spread on         the T-Wolves' lunch table.

Do you really think fans in Charlotte are going to appreciate those Italian shoes?

And tell me exactly where star players are going to relax after the game in Salt Lake City?  The Piper Down: an Olde World Pub? 

I don't think so.

Even if Wednesday nights ladies drink free? 

Not on your life.

Are you honestly asking me to believe NBA stars are pining to move to Oklahoma City in time to catch the Rooster Days Festival? 

I think not.

Hey, who’s up for the Milwaukee Bead & Button Show? 

Exactly no one, that’s who.

But, all this mid-market condescension has a downside that David Stern may want to stem early, or else risk losing the appeal and profitability of his league due to unchecked elitism.

At last year’s NBA draft the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Ricky Rubio, then playing in Spain, who promptly told the T-Wolves, “Adios,” and declined to play for them.

And although his official reason for staying put concerned the buyout with his Barcelona contract and a need to mature as a player, this was likely to keep Minnesota from having too much huevos on their collective faces.

You have to wonder if he would have similarly ignored the Lakers.

With Rubio, LeBron, and now Bosh limiting their career options to whether they prefer a sun-filled beach or the Miracle Mile, many more are sure to follow.

But if players keep choosing to fly over America’s fly-over country, it will inevitably lead to a squeezing out of small and mid-market teams because the few large ones have all the talent.

Addressing the effect of having a few market players squeeze out the competition, Professor Craig Pirrong of the University of Michigan School of Business, writing for the Cato Institute, states that, “[t]here is one form of activity in futures markets that is almost universally considered manipulative... This is a ‘long market power manipulation,’ commonly called a ‘corner’ or a ‘squeeze.’"

This is why, he notes, there are thousands of rules and legal consequences if businesses try this—they are hurting the free market and squeezing out competitors.

The NBA will only be hurting its long-term viability if it continues to allow stars, especially draft picks, to shun the small-markets for the playgrounds of Vacationland.

But is it even possible to force stars like Bosh to ignore the bright lights and beautiful beaches of places most Americans head for every summer?

Probably not.

So, will the League slowly morph back to its pre-ABA merger days, with a few East Coast teams landing all the big talent?

Or is there a way to save NBA parity and allow small and mid-markets to compete?

And is there any way to keep stars from enjoying playing in places that, truth be told, all of us would be if we had half a chance?

Don’t ask me…or Chris Bosh.

We’ll both be in Miami.

Tonight's finish was truly a Hollywood ending.

Scoring only four points, but his last two perhaps the most important in this series, Ron Artest's last-second put back helped lift the Lakers to a 103-101 win in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals Series to give L.A. a 3-2 series lead.

Being in the right position was Artest who caught a Kobe airball, after Bryant was double-teamed by Grant Hill and Steve Nash, and scored as time expired to the eruption of the crowd at the Staples Center.

Just before that sequence, Jason Richardson hit a three-pointer, his only three of the game, with 3.5 seconds left to tie the game at 101.

Phoenix trailed by as much as 18 points in the game, trailing 74-56 late in the third quarter, before storming back to tie the game after Richardson's 3-pointer.

Kobe Bryant led 4 Lakers in double figures, nearly posting his first career postseason triple-double, with 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

But Los Angeles was able to improve drastically in one category, and that was the production of its supporting cast.

Derek Fisher had a series-high 22 points, and Lamar Odom posted a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

L.A.'s bench was only outscored by seven points tonight, as opposed to the 34 point bench differential in favor of Phoenix in Game 4.

The Lakers were also the aggressors, out rebounding Phoenix by a 49-40 margin.

L.A. also put pressure on the Suns, forcing Phoenix into 15 turnovers, while only committing 10 themselves. One category they need to continue to win, if they want to advance to their third straight NBA Finals and play for their 16th NBA Championship.

Steve Nash put forth a valiant effort, leading 6 Suns in double figures with 29 points and 11 assists.

Channing Frye also posted a double-double for the Suns, scoring 14 points and adding 10 rebounds.

The Lakers are now 8-2 in the 2010 playoffs when scoring over 100+ points.

Game 6 will be in Phoenix on Saturday night, where the Suns look to keep their season alive and force a Game 7.

Unless you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan, it is impossible not to get behind these Phoenix Suns.

First of all, there is nothing I enjoy more as a Kobe Bryant hater than watching him score at lot of points in a loss.  And with a 38-point, 15-for-22 (6-for-9 from beyond the arc) performance in the Western Conference Finals, it’s hard to imagine he could’ve played better.  In a loss.

Secondly, the Suns have been playing inspired basketball throughout these playoffs.  Everyone (myself included) was ready to stick a fork in them as the series moved to Phoenix.

Without a rooting interest or personal bias, every sports fan loves an underdog.

The Suns also have the more compelling characters in this series.  Goran Dragic plays so soundly in terms of the fundamental aspects of his game.  He makes crisp passes, takes care of the ball at all times, and executes his crossover to ankle-devastating effect.  When he subs in for Steve Nash, the drop-off isn’t nearly as great as you’d expect.

Amar’e Stoudemire has also come awake in this series.  He and Nash together look as good as they did during the Mike D’Antoni era.  Except for, you know, playing defense now.

Head coach Alvin Gentry has done an exceptional job making in-game and in-series adjustments throughout these playoffs.  As you’ll hear numerous times, one of the biggest adjustments (and risks) has been playing a zone defense against the Lakers.

It is the perfect counter to the Lakers’ height advantage, and also covers up some of the Suns’ defensive weaknesses in man-to-man.  I’m talking to you, Nash and Stoudemire.

It also exploits the Lakers’ tendencies toward poor shot selection from three-point land.  Aside from Kobe, the Lakers shot 3-19 for three-point FG, “led” by 1-5 shooting from Ron Artest.

Additionally, the Suns have been able to dictate the pace of the game on offense as well.  As we know from years of watching Steve Nash, a team with him at point guard is best when running the fast break.

It is no coincidence that the Suns have won both games in which they imposed their will on the Lakers.

The key to the series will be whether the Suns can maintain this control on both ends of the court.  As we saw in the first two games, the Suns can play their style on offense and the Lakers can run with them and outscore them.

With inferior talent, the Suns will have to maintain their current level of play with no drop-off if they want to win this series.  With Alvin Gentry at the helm and Steve Nash leading on the court, I have every confidence they can pull it off.

Anything to put Kobe in a jovial mood.

The sun will be shining bright in Phoenix tomorrow.

Amar’e Stoudamire was the Suns’ fearless leader once again, leading six players in double figures, with 21 points and eight rebounds while willing Phoenix to a 115-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, tying their Western Conference Finals series 2-2.

This win guarantees another home game for the Suns when the series shifts back to Phoenix for Game 6 on Saturday.

Steve Nash, in his first game since suffering a broken nose late in Game 3, had 15 points and eight assists, despite shooting only 3 of 11 from the field.

Kobe Bryant was his usual self, pouring in 38 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while shooting 15 of 22 from the field.

He led five Lakers in double figures, including Lamar Odom, who finished with a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Phoenix reverted back to a strategy that worked in Game 3, limiting the production of the Lakers bench which worked to their advantage. They allowed Kobe to score at will, but contained valuable options, putting much of the scoring load on Bryant.

Also, the Suns came out aggressive and ready to play, punctuating their effort with a 41-point outburst in the second quarter.

They also ended the game with the same aggression, this time on the defensive end, allowing only 22 points in the final quarter.

The Suns were clearly the more dominant team, something they needed to maintain following their Game 3 win, out-rebounding L.A. by a 51-36 margin, as well as shooting 19 more free throws.

The Suns bench, which was ineffective for most of this Western Conference Finals series, outscored the Lakers bench tonight 54-20.

Phoenix has now won their last six home playoff games, including 14 of their last 15 home games dating back to the regular season. Phoenix will have to win at least one game in Los Angeles, if they have hopes for reaching the NBA Finals and capturing their first NBA Finals Championship.

Game 5 will be played in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Thanks to a rejuvenated Kevin Garnett, we can do without a pair puppets and a possible Kobe/LeBron matchup because we'll be getting the next best thing: Boston vs. L.A. No disrespect to Orlando and Phoenix, but let's be serious, it's all about the Lakers and Celtics this year, again.

It's typically out of my character to just write teams off in the middle of a series but why not? Everybody else is doing it. I couldn't wait to get a crack at previewing this series, with so many twists and plots, it should be another great one.

So if Boston and L.A. do eventually matchup for the 12th time in NBA Finals history, things should be pretty interesting. Despite the historic brilliance of both clubs, the Celtics/Lakers Finals series has been pretty one-sided so far. Boston owns a 9-2 edge in the series with their last victory coming in 2008 when visions of a Boston comeback, a Boston blowout and Doc Rivers being doused with Gatorade defined the series. But things could be different this time around. Or could they?

After all, Pau Gasol is a better player now, Kobe Bryant is still Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers are more experienced and better equipped to scrap with a rough and rugged Boston squad. But Boston is also sporting a different look these days. Gone is the dominance of the "Big Three" and in is the superstardom of All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo.

Rondo's emergence has continued the Celtics' image of a lock and block defensive unit while upping the tempo and transforming them into a fast-paced drive and dish team.

The Lakers have had a history of being openly victimized by athletic point guards and a new defensive game plan will have to be in order for a Finals rematch. Bryant exclusively locked up with Rondo in the '08 Finals in an effort to give him a rest on defense and out of chasing Boston sniper Ray Allen off screens.

But Rondo was nowhere near the scorer in '08 that he is now, so Bryant typically gave him an open cushion and the green light to launch jumpers. While perimeter shooter still isn't one of Rondo's strengths, it would be a huge mistake for the Lakers to put Bryant on him again should the teams meet. Rondo has stamina to burn while Bryant, 31, is nowhere near the thoroughbred he used to be.

L.A. will be in a tough position regardless of which direction they look to because putting Derek Fisher on Rondo will be just an open invitation to the rim for the Celtics point guard.

There'll be a lot of clashes in this possible series to keep note of; Ron Artest vs. Paul Pierce and Gasol vs. Kevin Garnett will both weigh heavily on the outcome but Boston doesn't have a man to check Lamar Odom off the bench and with the way Odom is playing right now, the Celtics will definitely have to key on him.

Everything about this series screams television viewership records from the names on the front of jerseys to the ones on the back. No other teams are hotter right now than the Lakers and Celtics. Los Angeles has turned into a scoring machine while Boston has been the premiere defensive unit of the postseason.

It shouldn't be long now, just have to wait for Orlando and Phoenix to lie down and let history take its course. The last two NBA Champions set to slug it out in what could be the last hurrah for both clubs.

Kobe vs. LeBron would've been nice but who needs puppets when you have the Celtics and Lakers?