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Nuggets vs Cavaliers: A Potential NBA Finals Preview

May 9, 2009

The Nuggets and Cavaliers are the hottest teams in the NBA Playoffs, a combined 12-1 in the first two rounds. Both are in favorable positions to advance to the conference finals. Should the teams meet, here is a preview of the starting match-ups.

Chauncey Billups vs. Mo Williams

Williams seemed to struggle in Round One against a bigger, stronger guard, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey. His averages were down for field goals (44 percent vs. 46 percent in the regular season), three-pointers (32 percent vs. 43 percent), and free-throws (56 vs. 91).

Stuckey repeatedly used his body and plowed into Williams on offense. Even when Mo had Stuckey off balance and was able to draw contact, Mo suffered the lion's share of the blow.

Billups is similar to Stuckey in that he's a bigger guard, but their games are different. Billups will look to post up more and generate more open looks for his teammates. Stuckey was far more aggressive, which allowed Mo to anticipate his movements and draw offensive fouls.

Billups is also a far superior shooter, which will demand Mo to play tight defense. Against Stuckey, Williams was able to cheat and maneuver the Piston toward another teammate and concede the jump shot.

Mo will not be able to do this on Chauncey because Williams will be playing up on Mr. Big Shot. This will give the hometown hero the advantage in driving past him and to the rim, possibly causing contact.

Combine that with the fact that Billups has has played in 10 NBA Finals games and was named 2003-04 Finals' MVP, and the edge goes to the veteran.

Dahntay Jones vs. Delonte West

Jones was signed last summer to be the Nuggs' defensive stopper out on the perimeter. So far it's been a success. However, he will be tested against the offensive prowess of Delonte West. 

Jones has learned how to defend just about every type of scorer: slashers, marksmen, combinations. But this time he will be pitted against a different kind of player, a player who elects to get his team involved first but is capable of changing gears with a single dribble and getting himself going.
West is Cleveland's most important player aside from LeBron James, and when he gets into a groove, either assisting or shooting, the Cavs are fluid and nearly unstoppable.
Jones has the size, strength, and form to negate West. The question is, will he be able to hang with West around all those screens set by Big Z and Varejao?
I'm giving the advantage to West because of his savvy ball handling and improv when offensive schemes break down.

Carmelo Anthony vs. Anderson Varejao

I decided to transpose the match-ups between small forwards and power forwards because it's virtually impossible that Coach Karl and Coach Brown will allow their superstars and main scoring threats to go head to head. The potential for foul trouble would be too great.
I assigned power forwards to them because the power forwards are longer and bigger, which should negate big parts of each player's game.
Anthony has a history of lighting up the Cavs. Melo averaged 24.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Nuggets' two victories over Cleveland last year and 27 the year before.
The Cavs must throw the pesky Varejao at Anthony to combat Melo's aggressiveness. The fact that Varejao is an excellent flopper helps Cleveland.
You can also expect Delonte West to get time against Melo as West has defended the 6'8" Joe Johnson in the Eastern Conference Semis. However, Melo' is much more aggressive and creative than Johnson, which will cause foul trouble for the Cavs.
On a side note, Carmelo Anthony is 9-4 lifetime against LeBron, but who's counting?
I give the edge wholeheartedly to Carmelo Anthony.

Kenyon Martin vs LeBron James
Last postseason George Karl had Martin defend Kobe Bryant one on one. The move produced mixed results.
If the Nuggets meet the Cavs, Martin will once again be called on to defend the MVP of the regular season.
James' strength causes problems for everybody, but if Martin can at least stay in front if James and get a hand in LeBron's line of sight, perhaps it will cause a little confusion and James will misfire on shots.Not to mention that if he does this with a certain "Bird" circling the paint, the shot may get sent back and fall into the hands of a Nuggets' player.
The likelihood of this happening every time LeBron attacks the rim is completely far-fetched, but it may occur more often than you would expect. Of course, LeBron, being the kind of player he is, would adapt and find a new way to score.
The Nuggets will be okay with LeBron scoring, but they know they will be in for it if 'Bron begins to dish. In Game One of the Eastern Conference Semis James had 22 points at halftime in an inspired effort, but the offense seemed stagnant. His teammates were statues.
Against a smarter team like Denver, the Nuggets will be able to trap James, force the ball out of his hands and into the hands of his uninvolved teammates.
The Nuggets forced LeBron into 11 turnovers in two games. He got to the line only 12 times, well below his average of nine per game.
In order to foil this strategy, James will have to dish early and often.
As for Martin, he must use his length and strength to beat LeBron on offense. He may have to adjust to playing with his back to the basket. K-Mart's go-to move—a crossover to his left en route to a sweeping floater—has become far too predictable. If Dirk were a better defender he would be taking them back.
Against LeBron that may very well happen, so Kenyon must be resourceful with his movements.
This match-up goes to LeBron.

Nene vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Nene has the mobility, agility, and athleticism to completely dominate Ilgauskas as he has against the stronger Erick Dampier in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Nene has scored 24 and 25 in the semis, and if he keeps setting new postseason career highs the Cavs' can expect a real battle.
Ilgauskas, much slower, can be lethal from mid-range. But Z has seemingly lost the touch in the playoffs. He went two-of-nine against Atlanta in Game One and three-of-six in the next game. For the postseason, Ilgauskas is shooting only 41.6 percent, 25-of-60, down six percentage points from his regular-season average of 47.2.
Where Z can really help Cleveland is on the boards and by not allowing the quicker Nene to get the first step off the dribble or get favorable position.
However, I still give the advantage to Nene.

Will Rick Pitino Coach The Sacramento Kings?

May 8, 2009

Reports have recently indicated that Louisville Cardinals' Head Coach Rick Pitino is a candidate for the Sacramento Kings' head coaching job, a position that is currently valid after Sacramento fired interim coach Kenny Natt.

Sources say that Pitino out of sheer interest took the aggressive route and contacted Sacramento about the possibility.

Pitino coached the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics from during separate spans of his coaching career and had a career record of 192-220 in the NBA.

He joined the Louisville Cardinals in 2001-02 and has led them to 6 NCAA Tournaments, two Elite Eight Appearances and one Final Four Appearance in 04-05.

If Rick Pitino is actually mulling over the decision, I can understand why; with his talent at UL taking a major hit.

His two best players (Terrence Williams and Earl Clark), have both declared for the NBA Draft and won't return to the Big East next season, and signed recruit Jeremy Tyler declared that he will play professional ball in Europe and forego his last year in High School.

Pitino has McDonald's All-American guard Peyton Siva out of Washington, coming in the Fall to presumably shore up the Cardinals' back-court.

However if Rick Pitino does decide to leave Louisville for the Kings' he will have several pieces and high profile talent to work with.

He also coached Kings' guard and three-pointing shooting specialist Francisco Garcia with their most notable run coming in 2005 when they were both apart of UL's run to Final Four.

Pitino will also have one of the best shooting guards in the game in Kevin Martin, an emerging big in Jason Thompson, and presumably the top pick in June's draft which in a sure-fire suggestion will go towards drafting Oklahoma Sooners F Blake Griffin.

The decision is now up to Pitino.

Speaking as a resident of the Bay Area, the Sacramento Kings desperately could use this type of boost.

NBA Playoffs Are Heating Up

May 8, 2009

The NBA playoffs are into the second round and continuing to heat up as they go.

There are eight teams left that are playing to compete in their conference’s championship.

I break down each series to see what it will take for each team to be successful and move on to the next round.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Although the Hawks have improved from last year, no one is really giving them a chance against the Assosciation's newly declared Most Valuable Player LeBron James.

The Cavs possess the best regular season record and are the heavy favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Championship game.

Obviously the Hawks’ number one problem is stopping King James from doing what he does best, everything.

They do not have anyone who can really match up against him one on one so they must rely on double teaming him when he gets the ball to prevent him from beating them. This causes problems though because James has so many talented scorers around him that he gets them open shots and they will capitalize on those opportunities.

On the offensive side, the Hawks will need Joe Johnson to show up in this series, as he was absent for most of the first round production-wise. He is their best scoring option and he needs to step up.

As long as James does not go down with an injury, the Cavs take the series in five.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

This could potentially be a very good series between two very talented teams.

However, the Celtics are not even close to the same ball club without Kevin Garnett, who is sidelined for the entire playoffs. Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen are all very good players and need to show up each night for this team to be successful.

Dwight “Superman” Howard is too much of a beast for anyone to stop him and he dominates the boards every game. Slowing him down will be a huge task for the Celtics.

Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu have been huge for the team all year and continue to do so in the playoffs. They are both good in size and are hard for the much smaller Celtics to handle on defense.

Ray Allen is a big liability on the defensive side of the ball and that will ultimately hurt them more than one may think.

Since the Magic tend to live and die by the three ball in some games, it will take six games to take down the defending champions.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets

I would normally never give Dallas a shot against the high-powered Nuggets squad, but they have demonstrated they can compete with them.

Dallas’ biggest weakness is that they are limited to basically two scorers on their team. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are their only reliable scorers with Josh Howard being sidelined with an injury.

It really showed the other night when Dirk and Terry while both getting some rest to start the fourth quarter. There was no one who could consistently step up and score consistently and it really end up killing them as the Nuggets came out on a run and pushed their lead to double digits.

When Dirk finally checked in, he was approached by constant double teams and could not work effectively on the court.

The Nuggets are way too much to handle, especially with the emergence of Nene Hilario and J.R. Smith in the playoffs.

Nuggets take the series in five games.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

The Rockets took the first game in this series and the Lakers responded by taking the second.

Kobe Bryant was sick with the flu in the first game of the series and it showed. He did not look like he was in top form as the Rockets were able to stay with the Lakers the entire game.

The Lakers have way too many weapons on their squad for the Rockets to handle. The Rockets also shot the lights out in the first game of the series and I do not expect the Lakers to allow them to get such good looks at the basket.

The key players in this series are Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.

Artest is a huge small forward, it is really hard to match up against because of his size, he has a mismatch almost every time because he is too strong for the small forwards and too quick for bigger players to guard him.

Lamar tends to show up every other game, but when he does, he really shows up. He can light a fire under the Lakers at times because of his ability to get to the basket and rebound.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum both do a good job when they are in there, but Lamar will be in there expected to do his thing at the end of the game.

Lakers in six.  

How Chris "Birdman" Andersen Became The Dirk-Stopper

May 7, 2009

Many (including me) believed Chris "Birdman" Andersen wouldn't be the right defender to guard Dirk in the Western Conference Semifinals between the Nuggets and the Mavericks.

But with two games already completed and a pair of blowout wins for the Nuggets, many (including me once again) are revisiting our initial thoughts. 

When being guarded by Andersen in Game One, Nowitzki went 0-4 and helped the Nuggets' limit Dirk to only two fourth-quarter points.
In Game Two, though he had no blocked shots, Andersen collected nine rebounds, scored eight points and continued to play stifling defense on Dirk Nowitzki. Once again proved to be a pest against Dirk and the Nuggs' limited him to five points on a miserable 1-of-3 shooting.
In their individual match up, Andersen bottled up Nowitzki, stealing the ball away from him on the post for Dirk's third turnover of the game and really harassing him throughout the game.
He also coaxed Dirk into another personal foul and was the subject of Dirk's post game comments for yet the second straight game in a row.
Here is a shot chart of Dirk's performance when Andersen was on the floor:
  • In the first Quarter, Dirk scored eight points on 1-of-4 shooting
  • In the second Quarter, Dirk scored two points on 1-of-1 shooting
  • In the third Quarter, Dirk scored five points on  2-of-4 shooting
  • In the fourth Quarter, Dirk scored five points on 1-of-3 shooting
Combined, that brings a total of 20 points with a pedestrian mark of 5-for-12 from the field.
Andersen's most effective asset is that he's rangy, which allows him to give ground to Dirk and entice him into his shooting mechanics and then perfectly anticipate the situation before sending away the shot as the outcome.
Though Nowitzki scored the majority of his points with Birdman on the floor (20/35), he had to work for every basket he got and missed seven of his twelve shots, which just what the Denver Nuggets had hoped for.
With sound defense like that, I can understand why this bird is flying high.

Will Paul Millsap Join Spurs?

May 7, 2009

With San Antonio being knocked out of the first-round earlier than usual, head coach Greg Popovich will undoubtedly be looking to upgrade their team.

However, the Spurs do not posses any first-round picks and the upcoming draft class is loaded with point guards and small on size. The Spurs already have their backcourt secured in Tony Parker and last year's first-round draftee George Hill. This rules in the possibility of rebuilding their starting line.

So in other words, another way San Antonio will be able to repair the battered front-line is through free agency.

Three of the four active frontcourt players on San Antonio's roster that are currently under contract past next season are over the age of 33, with the only exception being Matt Bonner, who will be turning 30 over the summer.

Here are the remaining ages of their others: Duncan 33, Thomas 36, and Oberto 34.

Another way to improve their team is through free agency, where there are a few pieces who could help their team.

I believe their main offseason target should be Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

He stabilized Utah's front-line, kept Deron Williams assist numbers afloat, and has continued to enforce the Jazz's representation of one of the most physical teams in the league with his stalwart-toned stature low in the post.

He averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, and a blocked shot, while shooting over 55 percent from the field in his first stint as a starter for Jerry Sloan.

He has quickly emerged as Utah's best post presence offensively and defensively. His strong hands and wide frame make him a monster on the boards. With consistent strong play, the Jazz may be able to let Carlos Boozer inhabit free agency this offseason—and reports have it that Boozer is fond of Miami.

Millsap's string of 19 consecutive double-doubles was the highest the Utah Jazz have witnessed since the likes of Karl Malone who racked at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in 44 straight games during the '90s. He racked up 24 of them on the year and will continue to notch feats as long as he stays patient and understands his role on the team.

Millsap is a restricted free agent after this season, meaning that the Jazz can match any offer thrown at him this summer. This is a major advantage for any organization to have when attempting to solidify a certain position for years to come.

He shot 53 percent from the field and notched 29 double-doubles in his first year as a starter.

He averaged 11 points, eight rebounds, a steal, and a block, and made over half of his attempts from the field (25-49) in the Jazz's first-round series against the Lakers.

Millsap made only $797,581 this year, a clear steal considering how he energized the Jazz in the absence of Carlos Boozer.

Now because he is a restricted free agent, the Jazz have the right to match any offer directed towards Millsap by another team.

Reports are that Carlos Boozer wants to return to Utah, as they also have to work on new contracts for starting center Mehmet Okur and three-point specialist Kyle Korver. If Utah commits the lion's share money to those players, they may not have enough resources to keep Millsap in Utah.

The Spurs have veterans Michael Finley, Ime Udoka, Jauqe Vaughn, and Drew Gooden coming off the books, meaning San Antonio will have over $5 million in cap space in the summer plus their mid-level exception to dangle in front of any free agent.

This opens up a window for a team like the San Antonio Spurs, who desperately needs the strength, intensity, and rebounding of a player of his caliber.

He also can defend on the block and down low in the post, something that the Spurs valued with their beloved veteran Kurt Thomas. However, Thomas seemed to be noticeably a step slower this season, which is expected in a 13-year veteran.

Considering San Antonio will never be bad enough to be a lottery team under Popovich and with stars like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, this may be the only way to get a rising star without shelling out one of their core players.

San Antonio needs to get younger and this move could be the first step towards changing the dimensions as well as the element of their team.

Let's Give Ron Artest the Benefit of the Doubt

May 7, 2009

As the Lakers piled on points in an effort to cement their win, a inadvertent elbow was thrown by Kobe Bryant underneath the basket that connected with Ron Artest's throat.

The refs called an offensive foul and Artest's reaction was to storm towards the refs and explain his side and then charge toward Kobe and let him know what you can and can't do to an individual on the basketball court.

The refs broke up the confrontation and declared that Artest should be thrown out of the game though he threw no punches and or any elbows like Kobe's teammate Derek Fisher did on Ron's teammate Luis Scola.

Fisher's elbow drew blood on the rim of Scola's lip, Fisher was ejected and Scola calmed down within moments.

So excuse Ron Artest if he doesn't behave or carry himself as does the Argentinean did.

Artest was clearly frustrated from his team's lack of support, including Yao only contributing 12 points and Shane Battier getting annihilated by Bryant.

This is not the old Ron-Ron that we've grown strangely infatuated with. Had it been I'd be willing to bet Kobe would have been laid out on the court crumbled in a heap as chaos engulfed the Staples Center.

Give kudos the man who grew up on the tough streets of New York and who had enough restraint to withstand Kobe's illegal (legal) attack, and the beating of his teammate.

The last time Artest was asked to step in for a teammate, the Palace of Auburn Hills was turned into a free-for-all and Ron was presented with a suspension for the remainder of the year, robbing him of a fair portion of his "early years."

All Artest was trying to do was to police the game and put his foot down on the officiating when the guys with the whistles wouldn't.

Instead the refs' acted on sheer stereotype and deliberated on his past and because of Artest's history even though Ron-Ron hasn't one single on the court or off the court incident this season and garnered no suspensions.

In fact while searching through the Getty images database, I couldn't find a single photo of Ron Artest pointing a finger, screaming, or appearing as if he was ready to come to blows.

The image above came from a different website.

Maybe America needs to get used to Artest. After all this his first time being viewed on a National audience since his infamous actions in the Pacers-Pistons brawl; however America also needs to learn to give Artest credit for not reverting back to those ways.

Before his ejection he scored 26 points and single-handedly carried the Rockets on his back almost into a 2-0 lead.

Artest's actions were completely justified but yet other people compounded them with the thoughts of the past.

I give much credit to Ron Artest. Artest, you did the right thing.

How the Spurs' Series Could Have Been Different if They Had Ron Artest

May 5, 2009
Much to the displeasure of Spurs' fans everywhere, the San Antonio Spurs were knocked out of the first-round by the Dallas Mavericks (4-1) in front of their home crowd.
It may have brought an end to a dynasty, but for a second (as painful as it may be) let's go back and analyze why they lost amd just who could have helped them.
In layman's terms, their solution involved the third team of the Texas Triangle, the Houston Rockets. Just for a moment, just imagine if Ron Artest was draped with silver-and-black.
At 6'7" and weighing around 265 lbs., Artest had the size to guard Dirk in the paint and out on the perimeter. He also could have contained Dallas playmaker Josh Howard from wreaking havoc on the Spurs. 
His physicality and stalwart-toned body would have been invaluable for San Antonio on defense, especially because Josh Howard was still mending his sprained ankle and a few good, hard fouls and bumps would have done wonders for San Antonio's intensity and sent tremors through the body of Howard, affecting him psychologically. 
Howard scored 28 and 25 points in Game One and Game Four, respectively, and went to the line 28 times in the Mavs' four victories over the San Antonio Spurs. He concluded the first-round by averaging 18.8 points for the series.
Now, what if Ron Artest what would have been guarding him? Let's deduct five points from Howard's average because of Artest's defensive prowess which would drop down his average 13.8 points per game.
Add in Artest's 17.1 points, 40 percent three-point shooting, and his lock-down defense, and the outcome of all five games certainly would have been different, possibly swinging in favor of the Spurs.
In essence, it's a 22-point swing, which would have been huge considering the margin of San Antonio's defeats for the series averaged out to only 10.2 points.
Another area Artest could have helped in was three-point shooting. As I mentioned above, Ron-Ron shot 40 percent from long-range, a mark that was tops on the Houston Rockets for the year.
The Spurs, however, only shot 33 percent from the three-point line in their first-round series against the Mavs' and in their last their losses they shot a disdainful 17-of-61, though they housed both Roger Mason and Matt Bonner.
Artest has the foot-speed to keep the pesky Barea out the paint, and just for good measure, he would have delivered a few plows that would have sent JJ Barea sprawling, which would have taken "air out of the tires." Teams must also account for his toughness, and he would have been able to safeguard Tony Parker and really dig in to Erick Dampier for threatening to lay-out Parker. 
Then there's his willingness to buy into a team's philosophy and, believe it or not, he has been on his best behavior with the Rockets and you can imagine how enthralled Greg Popovich would have been to have a competent two-way; something Bruce Bowen never was.
Plain and simple, it would have created a new identity for the Spurs.
Throw in the platter of stars already there (Tony Parker and Tim Duncan), and they would have had enough firepower to overmatch the Dallas Mavericks and certainly give the Denver Nuggets a few problems in the second round as well.
For more food for thought, if the Spurs had the trio to begin the season they would have been more dangerous. Mash that with the contributions from Manu Ginobili and they would have easily garnered the No. 2 seed, perhaps even the best in the Western Conference.

NBA Playoffs: The Battle to the Conference Finals

May 5, 2009

Sunday marked the official start to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

With the extreme intensity building up between opposing teams and the immense weight of pressure on the athletes, I present to you the amazing battle to advance to the NBA Conference Finals.

Four teams will progress, while the other four will head for the hills, or in other words, the offseason.

Below are the four teams that I predict will advance to the Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

After a simple first round sweep, the Cavaliers will now face up against the young and energetic Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs.

This series will be another breeze for the dynamic Cleveland Cavaliers team as they have been virtually unstoppable thus far this season.

Winning the MVP award has surely made LeBron James and his entire squad even more determined to make it all the way to the NBA Finals this season.

Without a doubt, the Cavaliers will win this series in the matter of five games. No exceptions.

Game one starts tonight on TNT at 8 p.m. in Cleveland.

The Orlando Magic

After smashing the Boston Celtics during the first half of Game One last night, the Celtics managed to make a terrific comeback. It was just too little too late for them to get the victory.

The Orlando Magic showed what they were capable of doing against the Celtics last night and that intensity and talent should continue for the rest of the series.

Game One was a huge win for the Magic and all Orlando Fans. They now head into Game Two with all the confidence in the world to improve the series to 2-0.

Even if the Magic lose Game Two, they will head back to Orlando for the next two games, where they will definitely capture two quick victories.

Dwight Howard and company seem destined to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this season and I would not be shocked to see them matched up against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Los Angeles Lakers

Oh no, the Los Angeles Lakers lost game one in LA!

Let's panic and convince ourselves that the Houston Rockets are going to win this series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since who knows when!

That is surely what Rocket fans are thinking right about now...and I do not blame you. Except for the fact that the Lakers have the best coach in the history of the NBA in Phil Jackson and the best player in the game today in Kobe Bryant.

This loss was certainly a wake up call for the Lakers and I guarantee that it will not happen in game two in LA.

Not to make an excuse, but Bryant missed practice the day before last night's game and had flu like symptoms and a fever during game one.

He still managed to drop 32 points.

The Lakers will head to the film room and find out why and how they lost the game and come out firing in Game Two.

Lakers fans are not worried about this loss one bit. They know that they support the best professional NBA team in the world and that the Lakers squad will work their magic to win this series.

The Denver Nuggets

After capturing game one against the Dallas Mavericks in Denver, the Nuggets are certainly amped and ready to get another win in Game Two.

Chauncey Billups is putting up an MVP type playoff performance and is on a serious shooting surge, making 63.6 percent of his three-point shots and 94.7 percent of his free-throws.

The Nuggets have really put on a spectacular performance during the entire NBA '08-'09 season and have raised eyebrows throughout the playoffs thus far.

The team is legit and there is no way that the Dallas Mavericks will have any chance at advancing passed them to the Western Conference Finals.

Game Two starts tonight on TNT at 10:30 p.m.

Is There A Chance Amare Stoudemire Will Be Heading To The Celtics?

May 5, 2009
For the Suns to get back to the playoffs, they must upgrade their team, with talent on both ends of the floor and rejuvenate their team with a new playmaker as Steve Nash will be entering his 13th season next year. Phoenix also needs to slash payroll and flirted with dealing Amare' Stoudemire at the trade deadline.
For the Boston Celtics its simple. Their not the same team with Kevin Garnett and their transparent at both power forward and center. The Celtics also need to get younger in the future with the Big Three logging over 10 seasons apiece and the trio's age is also a problem considering their all 30 years or older.
Both teams have something to accomplish in the offseason and ironically they can both help each other.

Here is my trade proposal:
The Celtics would get:
Amare Stoudemire
14th overall pick

The Suns would get:
Rajon Rondo
Tony Allen
Kendrick Perkins
Brian Scalabrine
Miki Moore

For Phoenix:
Its no secret that the Phoenix Suns are looking to accomplish a number of things on their agenda this offseason: shed payroll, trade Amare' Stoudemire, and find an eventual heir to Steve Nash.
So far there have been mixed results on Steve Kerr's draftee, the slovenian lefty at point guard Goran Dragic. Dragic has shown the ability to distribute the ball to his teammates however he was streaky at best as a jump-shooter and he wasn't at all aggressive when the Suns' needed him to be.
Rajon Rondo averaged a near triple-double in the C's first-round series victories over the Bulls, and finished in the Top 5 in steals and assists during the regular season.
Rondo is long, athletic, and has excellent change-of-direction speed which really helps him improvise on plays when the offense breaks down and he sees extra defenders thrown his way.
In addition he's the best defender at his position in the league, and its well known the Suns' are in desperate need of skill on the defensive side of the floor.
Though the Celtics' are surely reluctant to part with him, the package of Stoudemire (who will eventually replace Garnett) and a lottery pick doesn't sound like bad compensation either.
Perkins averaged 8.5 points and 8.1 rebounds during the regular season in addition to 2 blocks per game and is starting to become a fierce shot-blocker all while maturing into a physical force down low in the paint.
In the first-round he had four double-doubles and has recorded at least 8 rebounds seven times in his first eight postseason games. Throw in the fact he has near six double-digit rebounding efforts and helped limit Dwight Howard to zero points in the first quarter in Game 1, and Perkins seems like a major asset for any team to have.
As for Tony Allen, Miki Moore, and Brian Scalabrine, each would bring a another much needed dimension to the Phoenix Suns' organization.
Allen can be inserted as a defensive stopper and has enough athletic talent to be a quality reserve off the bench, Brian Scalabrine can be inserted at any time to help stretch the floor and shoot 3's, and Miki Moore can be used as another big body to either eat up minutes for O'Neal as well as fouls.
Furthermore in regards to Scalabrine, the Suns literally could use his three-point shooting. Phoenix only had one player shoot over 40 percent from downtown; named Steve Nash in the regular season.
Scalabrine shot 39.3 percent on the year and is shooting over 53 percent from behind the arc in the playoffs.
If the Suns are unhappy all the of their incoming players have contracts with 3 years or less with everyone not named Kendrick Perkins having 2 years remaining and only Perkins has a three-year deal.

For Boston:
The tandem of Amare' Stoudemire and Kevin Garnett down low would give the Celtics' the best front-line in basketball. They would also have the most athletic and versatile pair of bigs since the pairing of Tim Duncan and David Robinson with the Spurs in the 90's.
Imagine the effects Garnett could have on Stoudemire serving as a mentor, especially since he's still fermenting as a superstar. He could easily help persuade Stoudemire into playing defense and being just as aggressive on both ends of the floor as well as playing with more emotion.
The prospects of two players averaging near 20-10 certainly sounds enticing but one drawback to the trade for the Celtics' is that both players are coming off injury-plagued seasons that may have lasting effects on their careers.
But obviously the reward is far greater than the risk. Let's wonder aloud about the line-up the C's would boast:

No. 14 Overall Draft Pick
Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Amare Stoudemire 
Boston would instantly become favorites in the East and be a forced to be reckoned with four years to come. Also the Boston locker-room is strong enough to hold Stoudemire in check should he begin spouting off.

Though it would be extremely difficult to replace Rondo and the type of talent he brings, here are a few point-guard prospects that should be available at No. 14:

Jrue Holiday
A former McDonald's All-American, Holiday is one of the taller point guards in the draft class at 6-4 and he really utilizes his height to his advantage. He's also a great defender and can get to the basket at will.
Ben Howland's system at UCLA may have restricted his talents, so many GM's will get a fair reading at the upcoming draft workouts.
Holiday needs to develop a jump-shot and become a better passer before he can solidify his standing at point guard. 

Stephen Curry
Curry has excellent mechanics as a shooter and displayed his versatility by playing the role of point guard at Davidson in his junior year. If the Thunder decided to select Curry it would really shore up their backcourt with great perimeter defense and dual scoring options in the backcourt at the 1's and 2's.
He can penetrate through defenses and find the open man; in the pro's his assist numbers will be much greater than they were in college due to a superior supporting cast. However Curry isn't athletic as Rondo is and he maybe gone when the C's pick.

Jonny Flynn
Flynn was a decorated high school basketball player coming out of Niagara Falls, playing on USA's Nike Hoop Summit U-18 & U-19 Team, winning gold as part of the U-18 squad and silver as a member of the U-19 at the World Championships.
Standing only 6'0", Flynn uses his wiry frame to elude backcourt traps and knife through defenders, effectively distributing the ball to his teammates.
He had an exceptional Big East Tournament and a nifty run in the Big Dance. Flynn is strong, mature, and at times can be an excellent three-point shooter and a superb facilitator. 

Jeff Teague

At 6-2 Teague has great attributes at the point position. He's quick, has tremendous agility and can really shoot the long-ball. Not to mention he can absolutely elevate upstairs and it was evident when he threw down several dunks over defenders in his sophomore season at Wake Forest.
The only knock on Teague is that he is a score-first point guard, can be nonchalant on defense, and is passive during crucial stages of the game.

Remember this just a scenario that would help both teams.

OKC Thunder Draft: Its A Point-Blank Decision

May 4, 2009

The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently projected to have the #4 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Things could change thanks to the infamous mixed-reviewed Draft Lottery.

The Thunder can address a few areas of need in this draft owning three-first round draft picks so let's start with their first selection which can be as high as #1 or as low as #14. Oklahoma City needs a point guard, center, or a power forward to really balance out their young nucleus of Westbrook-Durant-Green.

I believe the Thunder will focus on a point guard and here's why: 

By selecting a point guard in the draft, it will allow Russell Westbrook to move to his more natural position at shooting guard and inject a ball-handle with a floor leader mentality and in certain cases more team-oriented agendas than Westbrook has displayed in his first season with the Thunder. At the very least, the experiment of plugging in Westbrook at point in his rookie year provided Russell with some experience running the team and should the new draftee falter, Westbrook can revert back to his old position and help out in that area.

With that being said here are a few prospects for the Thunder to keep an eye on:

Stephen Curry

Curry has excellent mechanics as a shooter and displayed his versatility by playing the role of point guard at Davidson in his junior year. If the Thunder decided to select Curry it would really shore up their backcourt with great perimeter defense and dual scoring options in the backcourt at the 1's and 2's.

The Thunder would also have two of the best shooters in the league in Durant and Curry and would provide the Thunder with more scoring which has been a problem for them. Judging by their season numbers its safe to say they would really value the services that Curry brings.

Even with one of the best shooters in the league last season, they were 25th in offensive field-goal percentage and only averaged 97 points ranking 29th in the league and they were outscored by more than six points during the regular season. Curry is very long and possesses excellent go-to moves when in need of a basket.

He can penetrate through defenses and find the open man; in the pro's his assist numbers will be much greater than they were in college due to a superior supporting cast. However Curry isn't athletic and drafting him as high as four maybe overdoing it.

In his defense, Westbrook would balance out their athleticism and substitute for Curry's lack of and Curry makes up for Westbrook's lack of outside shooting in the backcourt.

Brandon Jennings

At 6-2 Jennings is long and a wonderful playmaker in the open court. He's immensely athletic and dominated all of the major High School tournaments including the Jordan Brand Classic when he was still in High School back in the States.

He's a terrific slasher and excels at knifing through defenses and can distribute the ball to anyone at anytime. The only concerns on the former Oak Hill Academy protege is his lack of strength, questions about his jump-shot, and at times his decision-making can be a bit erratic.

He still needs to learn how to play to his team's strengths instead of showcasing his own and how to effectively set the tempo when initiating a half-court offense. Jennings has reportedly been humbled by his experience in your Europe, thanks to tough competition, tough coaching, and an array of lackluster performances.

With draft workouts approaching, Jennings is continuing to revamp his game in hopes of impressing scouts that are interested in viewing his development since his voyage overseas.  Jennings is the most athletic point guard in the class and arguably has the the most potential as well.

He'll be competing with Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio for the top point guard in the 09' Draft Class.

Ty Lawson

Lawson is the most unselfish candidate of the three and is also the fastest player in the draft from one end of the basketball court to another. He's currently riding a hot streak that was flamed by the Tar Heels victory in the NCAA Championship.

Lawson was the undisputed most important player of the NCAA Tournament. His performances during UNC's run; 21 second-half points against LSU on a bad ankle, a near triple-double in the Final Four, and his 5-to-1 turnover ratio in the Big Dance was miraculous.

The Thunder are in dire need of a distributor as they finished second to last in their division in assists and almost dealt their best passer (Earl Watson) at the trade deadline. With scorers like Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant all still developing as scorers, a crafty player with amazing speed and who actually prefers to dish the ball maybe the right prescription for the Thunder.

Though the fourth overall pick seems like a tad high, Lawson could vindicate the Thunder's decision by having a good series of workouts similar to what Russell Westbrook did in last year's draft. Or if he has a bad series of workouts with NBA teams has he did last offseason, Oklahoma City can easily trade down and acquire more pieces toward their future and still nab Lawson.

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