Well, it had to happen. After a steady stream of NFL mailbags and a few weeks off during the Winter where Bill didn't write anything, Bill is now going to publish weekly mailbags about the NBA. So on one hand, it's depressing he can't churn out any columns more creative than a mailbag, but on the other hand, Bill is writing a weekly NBA mailbag. Now all I have to do is figure out for a way to get ESPN to hire Joe Morgan back and allow him to do weekly chats and all will be well in the world again. So this is the first (or Volume 1) of the NBA Mailbags, or as I will better know them, "Fuck It, I Give Up on Writing Original Material So Here's a Mailbag: Volume 1." This feels exciting (a guaranteed weekly Bill Simmons mailbag!) and a little sad (Bill is writing mailbags and his writing of columns is sure to drop off a cliff, sort of like a band going on tour but featuring only their hit songs without a new album) at the same time.
Q: Diehard T-Wolves fan here.
Again, if you have to say it, then there is a good chance you are insecure about it. Why be insecure about it if there isn't a reason to be? Of course, who would claim to be a diehard T-Wolves fan that is not a diehard T-Wolves fan?
Since everyone claims Love is leaving after next year, I am
trying to come up with a trade that makes sense. Love for Thibs, Noah,
Butler and a pick, who says no?
—Paul, San Francisco
I say "no" because you are being pathetic and using Bill's "Who says 'no'?" phrase in an effort to get into Bill's mailbag. Naturally it worked.
SG: Anyway, here’s the best case for keeping Love: We just watched what
happened in Portland, when Unhappy LaMarcus Aldridge turned into Happy
LaMarcus Aldridge as soon as the Blazers started winning.
(How appropriate is it that Bill's initials are "B.S."?)
So all the Timberwolves have to do is start winning game and Kevin Love will be happy! Why didn't they think about this before? It's so easy to do.
I think they have to trade him. Only four trades make sense.
ONLY four trades make sense and they just happen to all be trades that Bill Simmons has thought of. Imagine that. These are the only trades that make sense. Every other trade idea is shit.
Any Love trade should happen before June’s draft — one year before Love
can opt out of his contract — and it can’t happen without his wink-wink
consent.
I don't think there is any winking about it. Love isn't going to want to go to a team that isn't going to re-sign him and it doesn't seem like there is a team that would trade for him without some sort of promise he would seriously consider re-signing with that team. Also, this may come as a shock to you so just hold on tight, but Boston is one of the teams Bill suggests makes sense as a destination for Love. I know. I hope you didn't fall out of your chair out of shock at this turn of events.
Location No. 1: Phoenix
I gotta admit, the thought of Love playing run-and-gun in Jeff
Hornacek’s entertaining offense with Dragic and Bledsoe is downright
titillating. But this would be the ultimate
quarters-and-dimes-for-a-two-dollar-bill trade:
THIS TRADE MAKES NO SENSE BUT IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE WHICH IS WHY BILL INCLUDED IT!
(By the way, these four trades that make sense are all a cover for the fourth trade that Bill thinks makes the most sense, which just happens to be the trade where the Celtics trade for Love. He would be called a homer if he just included that trade as his only suggestion, so Bill mixes in three other trades that he admits don't make sense to throw his readers off, but I'm on to him)
something like Alex Len (last year’s no. 5 pick), three 2014
first-rounders (from Indy, Washington and Phoenix, all top-12 protected
at least) and a protected Minnesota first-rounder that Phoenix already
owns (thanks, David Kahn!) for Love and J.J. Barea’s Expiring-in-2015
Contract. That’s about 60 cents on the dollar since there’s no lottery
pick in the deal other than Len … and he might be the Ukrainian Meyers
Leonard for all we know.
Oh no, Alex Len is probably going to find a way to be worse than Meyers Leonard. He's terrible and that's saying a lot considering Meyers Leonard is terrible too. For the record, I didn't like either of these draft picks. I have this thing against drafting tall guys on potential when those tall guys haven't shown much of this potential yet. I was very wrong about Andre Drummond, but in my defense, my issues with Drummond were more motivation-related than anything. He didn't seem to care at UConn.
I am lukecold. Odds of this happening: 12-to-1.
In summary, Bill is lukecold on his own trade idea that he claims makes sense. Bill's sense of logic is a roller coaster ride.
Location No. 2: Los Angeles
Love went to UCLA, dates an actress, lives here during the summers, the whole thing.
If you recall, Bill used similar reasoning as to why Dwight Howard should and would re-sign with the Lakers. Once he gets a taste of the Los Angeles life he wouldn't go back...then Howard signed with Houston once he became a free agent.
Only one scenario works: a three-teamer in which Memphis gets Pau Gasol (sign-and-trade to reunite the Gasol hermanos),
Minnesota gets Zach Randolph (expires in 2015) and L.A.’s unprotected
lottery picks in 2014 and 2017, and the Lakers get Love. That’s 80 cents
on the dollar, especially if that Lakers pick falls in the 3-to-5
range.
I know Bill hates the Lakers, but that 2017 pick isn't going to be in the lottery if they trade for Kevin Love. The Lakers are good at acquiring superstars, so the Timberwolves would receive Zach Randolph (who, by the way, is the type of player who could shut down if he is in an unfavorable situation), a lottery pick, and a pick that I would presume would be in the 20's. That's not 80 cents on the dollar in my opinion. But what do I know, Bill is proposing another trade that "make sense" which he doesn't think will happen.
Problem No. 1: It’s too hard to pull off three-teamers.
Yet Bill thought the Clippers should have pulled off a three-teamer to acquire Spencer Hawes at the trade deadline this year. It's too hard to pull of a three-teamer in Bill's opinion, but that was his suggestion for the Clippers to acquire Spencer Hawes just a few weeks ago.
Problem No. 3: Because of the Stepien Rule, the Lakers can’t trade that
2014 pick right away because they already traded away their 2015 pick
(to Phoenix). They’d have to make the 2014 pick, sign that player, THEN
trade him. (Highly unrealistic.) And Problem No. 4: If you’re Love, why
trade one mess for another? Why not wait a year? Don’t worry, Lakers
fans, the NBA is rigging the 2014 lottery for you. You’ll be fine. Odds of this happening: 15-to-1.
But remember, this trade is one of the few that makes sense, even though it's clear from Bill's perspective it doesn't make sense.
Location No. 3: Chicago
Hmmmm … what about Taj Gibson, Charlotte’s 2014 first-rounder, their own
2014 first-rounder and the rights to Nikola Mirotic for Love? Even
without a lottery pick, that’s 75 cents on the dollar for Minnesota.
Not 80 cents or 77 cents, but this is 75 cents on the dollar for Minnesota.
The problem: There’s no sexy piece in that trade for Minnesota. How do
you sell that baby to your fans? “We replaced our franchise player with
two non-lottery picks we’ll definitely screw up, an unknown foreigner
and Taj Gibson! GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS NOW!”
But remember this is one of the trades for Kevin Love that makes sense to Bill, even though Bill doesn't think it makes sense. So it turns out the only trade that Bill really thinks makes sense is a trade where Love goes to...you guessed it...
Location No. 4: Boston
Yep, Bill really thinks the only trade for Love that makes sense is a trade of Love to Boston. But what about Kelly Olynyk and Colton Iverson? They are the future!
Like Love in Minnesota, Rondo can leave Boston in July 2015. And like
Love, you can’t trade him unless it’s a team that (a) has assets to give
back, and (b) could entice him into staying. Harder than you think.
And Bill of course knows how hard I think this is to pull off. He can read minds.
So, what do you do? Well, aren’t you better off keeping Rondo — one of
the league’s 15 to 20 best players when healthy — and finding him an
All-Star teammate? Enter Kevin Love. They did it in 2007 with Paul
Pierce and they could easily do it again: by paying a premium price for a
second All-Star, suddenly it becomes MUCH easier to get that third
All-Star.
We've gone from Bill evaluating the best trades for Rondo to Bill rosterbating like a fan boy to get the Celtics back on top without that pesky "rebuilding" that Danny Ainge is always talking about. Bill is at heart a fan boy.
OK, so what happens if Boston throws its shamrock-shaped Asset Penis on
the table and trumps everybody? Let’s say the Celtics lose the 2014
lottery and end up with a pick between no. 3 and no. 5. They could send
that pick to Minny along with Atlanta’s first-rounder (probably ending
up in the 13-to-18 range) and their 2015 Clippers pick for Love.
Or they could keep that pick and get Jabari Parker so they can be happy forever. Then the Celtics could lure another free agent to Boston with the money they still have and build a team of Rondo, Parker, Free Agent X, and another quality starter. I'm rosterbating too, but there are other options back to the playoffs if the Celtics land the #3 pick.
You team up Love and Rondo and suddenly it’s 10 times easier to land
that third All-Star. (You reading, Carmelo?) And yes, that deal could
potentially net the Timberwolves three top-15 picks in a monster draft. Odds of it happening: 3-to-1.
I can't imagine what could go wrong when a point guard who loves to dribble around and control the ball is combined with a small forward who plays defense when he feels up to it and seems at his best when isolated with the ball to make plays. But hey, at least Kelly Olynyk could protect the rim, right?
But if this were a poker table, the Celtics would have the biggest stack
of chips right now. If any current NBA player appreciates stuff like
“Celtic Pride,”
Two things:
1. Nobody who isn't a Celtics fan or hasn't played for the Celtics gives a shit about "Celtic Pride."
2. Bill just got done saying that Love would love enjoy playing in Los Angeles for a variety of reasons, but then submits the best choice is for Love to move 3,000 miles away from Los Angeles to Boston. So...the whole "Los Angeles is a draw" thing really isn't a thing?
“That’s a great organization that looks out for its dudes”
You know, as long as you aren't Ray Allen or Rajon Rondo (who appears in trade rumors ten times per year).
My best guess: I think Love rides it out in Minnesota, then jumps to the
Lakers in 2015. But I wouldn’t rule out the Celtics. Don’t say I didn’t
warn you.
I had thought about this too, but I won't say you didn't warn me with your completely original idea that only you have thought of. I just enjoy how the Celtics are less than one year into a rebuilding situation and Bill Simmons so much can't stand the losing already that he is rosterbating to figure out a way to make the Celtics an NBA Finals contender immediately. You know, if the Celtics have two losing seasons in a row then Bill may become an NBA widow. He just couldn't handle being the fan of a rebuilding team. It would kill him. Well, it would most likely cause him to write at least five columns whining about the Celtics rebuilding at the very least. That's one way to get Bill to write columns again, if he has something regarding his favorite teams to complain about.
Q: I know it doesn’t fit your “Worst 30 Contracts” criteria
necessarily (other than the title of the article) but doesn’t Kevin
Love’s contract deserve a mention? Not signing him to that 5th year so
you could save that hammer for Rubio was a monumentally bad decision
that is likely to cost us a chance to resign him. Especially because the
contract gave him an early out. Its unbelievably bad. It will keep the
stench of Kahn on us for years to come …
—Steve, Coeur d’Alene
SG: You know what’s amazing about that one? That was an atrocious decision at the time … and that’s when we thought Ricky Rubio was good!
Now that Rubio has established himself as the worst shooter in modern
NBA history, it has to go down as David Kahn’s single worst decision.
Yeah, even worse than taking two straight point guards in 2009 without
making sure either of them was named “Stephen Curry.” What an abominable
talent evaluation. Did anyone other than Kahn, at any point in the past
three years, believe that Ricky Rubio had a higher ceiling as an NBA
player than Kevin Love?
Interesting comments from Bill. I do enjoy some revisionist history. Bill didn't ever compare Rubio to Love in terms of their ceiling, but he had a very high opinion of Rubio for a few years, which he hopes his readers have forgotten about. I have not forgotten. Here are some of Bill's prior comments about Ricky Rubio, including of course the time he said the Thunder should have taken Rubio over James Harden.
October 2008:
(Important note: If the Knicks land Ricky Rubio two years from
now, the previous paragraph becomes moot and the Bill Walsh/Mike D.
scenario immediately goes back into play. Hey, did the fact that I
nearly set up a Google alert for Rubio last week make me a fan or a
stalker? Since I held off, I say I'm still a fan. Although that might
change when I move to whichever city drafts him. OK, I'm a semi-stalker.
Bill Simmons: International Scouting Expert
May 2009:
Bill Simmons: I have never been more torn about anything
non-Celts related. On the one hand, Rubio, Durant, Green and
Westbrook... wow. Those are four of my favorite incoming picks of the
past 5 years, I sung all of their praises before the draft as much as
anyone. All on the same team?
Bill Simmons: I think this draft stinks. I like Griffin and
Rubio, and after that, I like the 8-12 range where you might get Curry,
Lawson or Flynn. I know those 5 guys are NBA starters. I don't know
about anyone else. If I were the T-Wolves, I'd just draft Curry sixth. I
don't have many certainties about the 2009 Draft, but here's one: Curry
is going to make threes in the NBA and create shots for other guys.
To be fair, Bill was always a big Steph Curry fan. Mostly because Curry played well in the NCAA Tournament and that's the sum total of college basketball Bill watches on a yearly basis. But wow, Bill certainly has a high opinion of Rubio didn't he?
February 2010 in his trade value column:
40. Ricky Rubio
If you have the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in what turned out to be a quality draft,
Rubio had the 40th ranking in Bill's trade value column.
29. O.J. Mayo
28. Kevin Love
I included this part to show you Bill had O.J. Mayo as having the 29th best trade value in 2010, right below Kevin Love.
June 2009:
If I had to bet my life on any 2009 prospect becoming a
top-three player on a championship team, I'd bet on Blake Griffin, Ricky
Rubio and Stephen Curry.
4. It took 21 minutes before someone (Fran Fraschilla) gushed about
Rubio's once-in-a-generation passing, two-steps-ahead-of-everyone timing
and incredible career (playing professionally since age 14). Everyone,
and I mean EVERYONE, is going to regret not being more excited about
Ricky Rubio on June 25, 2009.
4:52: The Zombie Sonics take … James Harden. And thank God, I didn't want to turn on Seattle. I really didn't. "He's battled asthma since he was a child," Scott tells us. How does
Rubio drop to No. 4? How?!? I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I like
Harden as a glue-character guy and he definitely has a good porn name.
But considering the Zombies have to worry about Durant fleeing in a
couple of years, wasn't it in their best interests to find him an
unselfish guard who's immensely fun to play with and was put on the
earth to get Durant easy baskets? Big mistake.
(Sorry. I can't. Rubio is going to haunt you like Stevie Nicks haunts
Lindsey Buckingham every time she sings "Silver Springs." He's gonna
bulge his eyes at you and look crazy and vindictive just like Stevie as
he's wearing a visiting uniform and throwing no-looks in a half-empty
Verizon Center. You wait.)
So yeah, Bill was pretty excited about Ricky Rubio based on his vast knowledge of Rubio's game as seen through YouTube videos from overseas. These are the same YouTube videos that Bill knocks Chad Ford for watching when he is evaluating international prospects by the way. So my point is that Bill knocks the Timberwolves for talent evaluation while also ignoring he was over the moon for Ricky Rubio, a guy Bill knows "we" thought was good. Not him, but "we." I liked Rubio too, but Bill couldn't get enough of him. Now he's acting like he didn't think Rubio was the next coming of Steve Nash.
Speaking of Jermaine, there were four NBA certainties heading toward the
2014 trade deadline: (1) The Cavs would forget to deal Anderson Varejao
before he got hurt (happened);
Other teams know Varejao gets injured a lot also. I've brought this up before, but for some reason Bill acts like the entire NBA isn't acting with complete information on Varejao's injury history.
(2) the Knicks would somehow make their fans deeply, profoundly unhappy (happened);
Knicks fans are conditioned to be unhappy.
Q: I’m sure you heard that the Washington Professional
Basketball Team put Miami Heat fans on a “Bandwagon Cam” at the game in
DC tonight. I cannot tell you how happy this made me. My question is
simple: Why doesn’t every other arena in the NBA do this???
—Clark Gerber, Provo, UT
Because alienating and mocking ticket holders doesn't seem like the best way to guarantee fans will come to your games. Miami fans don't care if you call them bandwagon because their team is winning, and frankly, Washington Wizards fans at a game in no way have to worry about being called "bandwagon fans" so it's safe for the Wizards to do it. Otherwise, anybody who is buying tickets to a game (even to cheer on the other team) probably wouldn't like being publicly mocked. Of course, given how much people like attention I can see someone wearing a road team's jersey just to appear on the "Bandwagon Cam."
SG: I’m demanding it. People running the video screens for the other 28
teams — let’s get this done. You see Heat fans or Thunder fans at your
arena in good seats, you throw them on the Bandwagon Cam during a
timeout.
(coughs) The Celtics too.
Q: In your Worst Contracts column, how could you forgot one crucial point about the Knicks and their Billups amnesty?
Yeah, how could you forgot this one crucial point?
Q: Watching your B.S. Report with KD
the other day, it occurred to me that he’s basically become mid ’90s
Eddie Vedder. He got too popular and now he’s pushing back against the
notoriety by being distant and trying to give himself the horribly faux
humble nickname “The Servant.”
Yep, this comparison immediately doesn't hold up at all. Eddie Vedder was never comfortable with how popular Pearl Jam got and that's part of the reason Pearl Jam stopped making music videos after "Ten." So Eddie Vedder was always pushing back against notoriety and this comparison fails. I'm sorry.
Therefore, while he goes through this “uncomfortable in his own
skin” phase, the only appropriate nickname for him is “Vitalogy”. Ah if
only he was still in Seattle.
—Matt, Westminster, Colorado
Actually, "No Code" is where Vedder's songwriting started to veer off away from the sound of the first three albums and into more experimental and (what I would call) a self conscious direction. So maybe "No Code" is a better nickname for Durant, but that wouldn't be as (not) funny would it?
SG: With that said, if we wanted to extend Matt’s analogy just for shits and
giggles, then Durant’s Sonics year was definitely Mother Love Bone, the
first OKC year was Mookie Blaylock, the second OKC year was the name
change to Pearl Jam (when the band finally knew what it was), Year 4 was
the Ten album (when everything took off), Year 5 was the NBA Finals/Time magazine cover, Year 6 was Vs. (great follow-up album, some tension/discord/injuries), and now we’re slowly morphing into Vitalogy (greatness
crossed with weariness and a general longing just to do great work
without all the other bullshit that comes with it).
This is a forced comparison. "Vitalogy" had tension and weariness but was not an effort to be distant and move away from the fan base. That was more of what "No Code" was about. Also, Durant was a known quantity in his first NBA season, while Mother Love Bone wasn't a known quantity until after Pearl Jam became famous and the same goes for Mookie Blaylock. Move the comparison back to Durant in college and maybe I will buy in, but Durant was a known quantity and Pearl Jam was not when Vedder was in Mother Love Bone. Actually, Durant's only year in college is "Ten" because that's when he started to take off by winning "National Player of the Year" and going #2 in the draft.
This question is so inconsequential, I'm not even sure why I'm arguing it.
Then Bill criticizes Oklahoma City Thunder fans for not being angry enough with their team for trading James Harden. Because there's something wrong with enjoying your team and not bitching about every bad move that team makes.
What about just Durant straight up for Channing Frye? They’d definitely
get mad at that, right? I’d love to know where the line is. Because it’s
clearly not “We broke up a possible dynasty and replaced the best
2-guard in basketball with a backup shooting guard, an energy guy off
the bench, a non-lottery pick and one year of Kevin Martin.”
Bill can't stand the idea of a fan base not being miserable and hating their team. If more fan bases weren't miserable and hated their team then how could Bill be popular? His schtick is whining about terrible moves his team makes and allowing readers to write in and whine about their favorite teams too. If more fan bases just enjoy seeing their favorite team play and don't whine, that's bad for business.
Q: I was at a bar last night with my girl friends from high
school. On Tuesdays they play trivia and if you win, they cover your tab
(obviously one of my friends is sleeping with the bartender, so we
drink for free, anyway).
Why would it be obvious one of your friends is sleeping with the bartender? And is the bartender a girl or a guy? Since this email is from a girl, I'll assume the friend is a girl. I'm not still not sure why it's obvious this reader's friend is sleeping with the bartender, unless it's supposed to be obvious from this pathetic attempt to get Bill's attention that this reader's friends are equally pathetic and need to use sex as a way to get attention from guys.
One of the rounds is “doctors” – we are the ONLY TEAM to
correctly answer a question about Dr. Julius Erving. Should I pretend to
know less? I think that I’ve officially become undateable.
—Rachel Z, New York
The fact that you took the time to tell this completely boring and pointless story to Bill Simmons is what makes you undateable.
SG: Yup, these are my readers.
(By the way, I’m about 200 words over. I need to work on this whole word-count thing.)
The word count was a self-imposed limit and you could have removed any one of these emails and this NBA mailbag wouldn't have been any better or worse.
Showing posts with label ricky rubio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ricky rubio. Show all posts
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Friday, July 3, 2009
3 comments Random Thoughts: Basketball Edition
Before I type anything else today, I wanted to draw attention to BotB commenter AwesomeSean and his gang's blog Mike and the Mad Blog.
We all know Mike and the Mad Dog "broke up" but if you like sports talk radio and like talking about always crazy New York sports talk radio they cover it well. No, I don't get a sick pleasure as a Braves fan of hearing New York flip out over Mets and Yankees losses but it's a good site and you can actually have logical discussions about the Mike's shows, which as we all know doesn't always happen when the callers call in. It is a great blog.
There has been a lot of basketball news here of late due to free agency and various other reasons. There is not too much out there and it also doesn't help that many of my favorite targets are on vacation, not currently writing, or focusing on their new Twitter account so much they don't have much time to write. I miss football season when I can get MMQB and TMQ on consecutive days. It's like a gold mine of material for me.
-Before we get to the basketball stuff and potential discussions, I have to show everyone that Rick Reilly still gets paid millions of dollars to write columns like this. Here's a little sample for those who are smart enough to ignore his columns. I would like to remind everyone not only is this journalism trademarked, but it is also award winning:
Rick thinks offices should be run a little bit more like sports. I have come to the conclusion there is no way in hell he is trying anymore to write a decent column. He has plenty of money to live on and most of the people who enjoy his columns aren't dead yet so he doesn't have to worry about gaining a new audience. I think he is just trying to ride the wave out and then retire after ESPN finally realizes he is useless.
What if the office had chest bumps and shaving-cream pies and everybody slapping the Work Like a Champion Today sign over the door on the way in?
And office chatter!
C'monKidHeyKidOnlyTakesOneBuyerKidOnlyTakesOneYouAndHerKidRightOnThe DottedLineKid.
ESPN should be embarrassed to publish this. Bill Simmons should be embarrassed that he is supposed to be competing with this guy.
When a really great secretary hits 65 and has to go, why not retire her number?
Dolores Ginty, no one will ever use extension 3713 again. It's yours forever!
How about we turn society into the Roman Empire again? When the court jester (Reilly) no longer is capable of amusing the King's subjects, he is disposed of in a very rude and hurtful manner. Let's go back to those times.
When everybody gets their job back and unemployment in this country is once again under 5%, here's what I'll do: If you see me in a bar, I'll buy you a jigger of your favorite adult beverage. But you get only 24 seconds once I walk in.
After all, I've got a shot clock.
I am not even trying to be funny...this is pathetic. Horrible, horrible writing. It's corny and really serves no purpose outside of entertaining those people who use cassette tapes to record 60 Minutes when they miss it because the buffet line was too long at a Shoney's on Sunday night. I am embarrassed to give everyone weekly updates on his columns. In the back of a magazine, this is acceptable, on a sports web site, it sucks.
-For those that thought Isiah Thomas was the entire problem with the New York Knicks, think again. Donnie Walsh is showing Isiah-esque tendencies.
A 3 year deal for Jason Kidd? I know Dallas has prepared an offer that is worth more but you would think New York had learned their lesson.
Yet it appears that Walsh and Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni are convinced that they need the unique presence of someone like Kidd -- whom they met with face-to-face Wednesday and who remains at 36 one of the league's most respected players among his peers -- to help attract top free agents in 2010.
Do you know what else is going to help attract big name free agents? Salary cap room...and signing a 36 year old point guard is not going to help with that in any fashion. Sure Jason Kidd is a big name but the fact he is older and isn't likely to be in New York for the long haul may not attract a big name free agent like the Knicks seem to think. To me, it just ties up cap room, while contributes to the idea that D'Antoni is not overly concerned with defense.
To steal directly from AwesomeSean at Mike and the Mad Blog:
To Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni...Put the name Jason Kidd out of your heads. He's a shell of his former self, a malcontent and a waste of a 3 year contract. He will get brutalized on the defensive end and is not the offensive player he once was. Live with Duhon and Nate and wait for another option.
What's wrong with living with Duhon and Robinson for another year and then making a run at a big name free agent in 2010? It's New York and you will have plenty of cap room because I believe Duhon is a free agent next year. Why tie up cap room in a 36 year old point guard?
-The next big controversy in the NBA is getting ready to be the Ricky Rubio situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Of course Jay Mariotti has to poison relations with Spain by commenting on the issue like only Furman Bisher could.
Not much in sports makes me cringe these days, but describing Ricky Rubio as the next Pistol Pete Maravich -- legend and cult hero forevermore -- certainly is hard on the frown lines.
It's just a comparison. It doesn't mean we are all about start voting on Ricky Rubio entering the NBA Hall of Fame. Jay is always writing columns angrily and bitterly like he hasn't had a bowel movement for days and wants to take it out on the literate public.
Rubio? He's 18. I have no idea how much he'll improve his shaky jumper and adapt to the raw physicality of NBA ball.
Yeah, nobody really knows he's 18 years old. The odds are very good that because he is 18 years old his shaky jumper will improve and he will gain muscle to play against stronger competition.
If we knew exactly how he would turn out I think that could affect his draft position dramatically and the contract negotiations also might be a bit easier on both sides. I don't know why Mariotti is looking for certainty from Rubio when there is no certainty with any other player in the draft.
"I don't see Rubio being that dynamic player now," said Danny Ainge, general manager of the Boston Celtics. "I think he's got a lot of potential. He's a flashy player. I don't see him -- just physically, and because he doesn't shoot the ball very well -- I don't see him having an impact as a rookie."
Yet they insist he's Maravich.
Jay Mariotti is an idiot. I don't see how he could think if a player doesn't produce his first year in the league at the age of 19, that player is a bust. I don't know for sure, but I am guessing Pistol Pete was not THE Pistol Pete at the age of 18...I know for sure he wasn't playing in the NBA against some of the top competition in the world at that age. Let's not get xenophobic and go easier on Rubio.
And shame on Rubio for exploiting this premature, unjustified man-love by acting like a brat.
"It's too cold," he said, a day after announcing that his mother also thinks the city is too cold. "I have to think about that ... I'm going to talk with my agent about that and we are going to see."
I have no problem with Rubio exploring his options and I have no problem with the Timberwolves refusing to trade him. Basketball is a business and I think both sides have to do what is right for them.
How dare Jay Mariotti or anyone else criticize an 18 year old kid for having options and taking the time to weigh those options. We coddle 18 year high school basketball players and encourage them to have options in choosing colleges. We bend over backwards, lower college admissions standards, and allow recruits to dictate the coaching staffs of colleges where those players will only be for a few years. I don't see why someone who is not from America should be treated any differently if that person has options. He has a right to measure his two choices carefully.
The thing about Elway and Manning was, we had an idea of their track record and assumed they could play. Who in the hell is Ricky Rubio?
Rubio has a track record and he has shown he is a good player. There are very few differences, regardless of track record, between Manning, Elway, and Rubio's situation. I don't think a player should have a right to act like more of an asshole just because he has a track record.
This is an adventure into the unknown. No one is giving David Kahn the house for a teenaged point guard who might be another Darko Milicic.
As opposed to every other player drafted last week. Those players are all locks to be stars. Only these International players are great unknowns to Jay because he hasn't seen them play in this country...as if he watches the college basketball players who are drafted and can fairly evaluate their chances in the NBA. Mariotti is consistently an idiot.
-I only bring up this Gregg Doyel article because of what he says about Jay Mariotti and the fact that I agree with the premise of his article.
So you think Ricky Rubio is a jerk. Think he's a prima donna. Another John Elway or Steve Francis, unhappy with the team that drafted him and refusing to play there.
So maybe you think, as this hysterical shriek of a story so clearly put into words, Who does Ricky Rubio think he is?
He called it a shriek of a story...I love it because it is true.
But when you're named the best player in Europe at age 18, you're damned good. The next Pete Maravich, as some have called Rubio? Probably not. So if he's overrated, he's overrated. But he could be significantly less than the next Pete Maravich and still be damned good.
Exactly and that is the point Jay Mariotti was missing. Rubio may never be Pete Maravich but even if he is a rung or two down from him, he will still be a great player. If you are Rubio, would you want to play in Minnesota? I am not sure I would. If you were the Timberwolves would you play hard ball to ensure you get adequate value for Rubio in a trade or make sure you keep his rights? Yes. Everyone is getting too excited over this, it's just a business deal. Though the Wolves are dumb for drafting two point guards back to back, until Rubio does something extremely dickish I think we should hold out on judging him.
-Due to the OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose incidents many people think the NBA should re-think the one and done rule. They believe it causes too many problems because kids aren't really interested in the long term well being of the school they play college basketball at and this can cause recruiting violations. Other than the one and done rule, I am personally for the idea that a high school player should be able to go immediately to the pros, but if they choose not to, then that player has to stay at college for two years. Absent that working, my back up plan is that I believe kids should have to stay in school for two years and not just one year. I am not sure either idea is realistic.
Pat Forde thinks we should be done with the one and done rule.
That age limit has gone from boon to bust for college basketball.
It put Greg Oden and Kevin Durant on campus and in college uniforms for one season, and that was fun. But it also pushed O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose into situations they seemingly had no interest in, resulting in ongoing scandals at USC and Memphis.
I personally don't mind the one and done rule and if I did have my way the two suggestions I have put out there previously would be the new rule if the one and done rule was abolished. I don't think we should build any type of NBA eligibility rule around the idea that NCAA colleges and players are corrupt and will bend the rules to get what they want. Whether that be paying a player or the player having someone else take his SAT's for him and the college having knowledge of this, it doesn't matter to me, the fact people will cheat to get around the system is not a reason to get rid of the system.
It has forced non-students and pseudo-professionals to feign scholarship and amateurism for one season on campus, cheapening the college experience in general and college basketball specifically.
Let's be honest. There are many athletes at schools, regardless of potential to play professionally, who are not there as students but are there as athletes with no regard for the future. I saw it at my mid-major college and I know it happens at other schools as well. Critics of the one and done rule act like it just perpetuates players and schools breaking the law. The one and done rule doesn't force OJ Mayo or Tim Floyd to take money nor does it force Derrick Rose to have someone take the SAT for him. It forced Mayo and Rose to go to college, that is true, but it did not force them to cheat or get around the system in any way. That was a personal decision that was made by them. We can't get rid of the speed limit just because people are going to speed anyway.
"All of us know which kids are only going to do a year [of college]. If they pass the first semester, they don't really have to do anything in the second semester. I think 98 percent of kids should go to college, but the ones ready to go, let 'em go. Let's just stop the fallacy."
I love college basketball and I think players really benefit from even one year of playing college basketball, but if the one and done rule is abolished and a kid wants to make a decision to go pro after high school, he has that right in my mind. If he chooses to go to college, I think he needs to stay two years.
You must believe that a kid who has been treated as a money-making commodity since seventh grade is suddenly going to resist thousands of dollars of cash and gifts for one pristine year on campus (ask USC how that allegedly worked out with Mayo). You must believe that a kid who only wants to dribble his way to a paycheck is going to take his college entrance exams seriously, or take them at all (the alleged infraction by Rose at Memphis).
The reasoning being used is fallible. The fact Derrick Rose doesn't take his college exams for himself says something about him personally as a human being and the fact Tim Floyd gave money to have OJ Mayo on campus says something about him personally as a human being. I have no problem with Mayo and Rose going pro after high school but the reasoning used here is shitty. The reasoning is that everyone will want to cheat so let's take the temptation away. It doesn't sit right with me.
Lance Stephenson does not believe he will fail. Neither does Renardo Sidney, currently on campus at Mississippi State. These guys are in the next wave of potential one-and-done players … but the path to a college uniform is growing more perilous.
You mean colleges are enforcing their admissions guidelines? How horrible! When will the de-humanizing of these athletes stop? If you are required to be in college for one year and can't get in college...tough shit. Welcome to the life of many other people in this world. Perhaps instead of playing basketball so much in high school, you should have studied more like millions of college students did, you know those who actually fucking paid their own way to college and took out student loans to do it. Just because you are required to be in college, doesn't mean you should automatically go to any college of your choice, simply because you can play basketball. The college does not have to admit you.
There are legal concerns: Stephenson has a June 29 court date for allegedly fondling a 17-year-old girl at his high school. There are academic concerns: Sources said his transcript has been kept from most, if not all, college recruiters. And there are attitude concerns: Stephenson is combustible on the court and was surprisingly cut from the USA Basketball Under-19 team last summer, at least in part because of his demeanor toward teammates and coaches.
Clearly this is an individual who needs to go to the NBA and be handed more money than he has ever seen. Brilliant logic to get rid of the one and done system and send him straight to the pros. What could go wrong?
If Lance Stephenson can't get into a college or a college doesn't want him, tough shit, but this shouldn't be a reason the one and done rule should be abolished...the one and done rule is meant for players exactly like Stephenson who aren't even close to being ready for the pros from an emotional standpoint. Being emotionally ready is as big of a deal as being physically. Most of the players who came straight from HS to the NBA and suceeded were emotionally ready for the jump as well.
-Marc Stein talks about my back up plan if the one and done rule is abolished, and that is the two and done rule. I don't like this rule that much, even though it does favor my love of college basketball more than the Go Pro or Go Two rule I made up earlier.
Orlando's Dwight Howard is the only one in that foursome who negotiated the long jump from the preps to the pros with relative smoothness. Rashard Lewis wasn't ready. Andrew Bynum wasn't ready. Not even newly minted NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant can make the claim that he was physically and mentally prepared to walk into the Lakers' locker room as a teenager in 1996
Many players even after 4 years of college are not ready for the NBA either. These players did succeed eventually though (or at least Bynum appears to being close), so we can't really argue with the end result. This is a weak argument.
Blaming the one-and-done rule for everything is a convenient excuse for college coaches, but doing so supposes that (a) players' leaving school after one season is some sort of new phenomenon and/or (b) college ball's recent scandals at USC (with O.J. Mayo) and Memphis (Derrick Rose) are the first scandals of their kind.
Wrong and wrong.
Exactly. Many are blaming the one and done rule for these scandals, which is terribly inaccurate.
It would be infinitely better for the college game to have two years of certainty with every recruit and would likewise send players to the big leagues when they're in a better place developmentally to handle it.
From a selfish college fan standpoint, absolutely. Logically though, I think the high school players should have the chance to go pro after high school. It doesn't make sense for everyone and I am sure some players are going to rebel and go to the pros after high school because they don't want to be in college for two years. I am for the one and done rule, I think it serves a purpose and I don't blame the scandals completely on the existence of the rule, but I don't think the best second best idea is to stick kids in college for two years and give them the option of going pro after high school if they want to.
In this case, no one ever talks about the kids who are saved from making a huge mistake because they're too young to declare for the draft … or the fact that no one is forcing one-and-dones to go to college. They can go overseas for a year as Brandon Jennings did if they don't want to add classwork to their basketball education.
That is exactly why I like the one and done rule. No one forces these players to go to college and certainly if they can't get in college they should look at other options. College is not a right, it is a privilege...especially for those who are having their way paid for them.
I think the reasoning for getting rid of the one and done rule are not very strong and I think making a player stay in college for two years is a bit overkill. I would personally absolutely love it, there's no doubt I feel that way, but it is never going to happen. If players like Lance Stephenson want to play in the NBA and be out of the NBA and into the NBDL by the time his peers are leaving college after two years of college basketball with a greater knowledge of basketball and how to play the game, that is his right...but don't abolish the one and done rule under the misguided idea it causes corruption. The corruption is there no matter what.
-The Pistons signed the first two "big" free agents of the offseason.
I am not really sure what to think about the Pistons signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. I actually like the Villanueva signing more because he was cheaper and fills an actual need the Pistons have better than Gordon does.
Gordon agreed to a five-year, $55 million deal, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
I am not a huge Rip Hamilton fan but Ben Gordon is essentially an undersized two guard who can't really play defense all that well. If the Pistons signed Gordon as a Vinnie Johnson type off the bench then I would really like this deal but it seems they are going to try and trade Hamilton now.
Some league executives have speculated that once Dumars landed Gordon, a prolific scorer who doesn't do much else, he would begin exploring trade possibilities for Hamilton.
I personally am not sure exactly how a Stuckey-Gordon backcourt would be an upgrade defensively over a Hamilton-Stuckey backcourt. Gordon doesn't do a whole lot more than score and Stuckey really isn't a true point guard. I am not sure I like this backcourt very much.
1) There isn't enough room in the same backcourt for Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey; and 2) The Pistons will no longer be major players in the much better free-agent summer of 2010.
I would personally love the Gordon-Hamilton-Stuckey backcourt, but we know Gordon did not sign in Detroit to come off the bench, even though I think that may be where his true strength lies in helping his team out.
I am down with the Villenueva signing and I think it was a fairly smart one. He's big, he can shoot and he is still very young...plus the Pistons get to save money on razors for him and that is very important in this economy, especially in Detroit.
The Pistons have pretty much taken themselves out of the potential 2010 free agent class, which I am not sure was a smart decision. I am not down on these signings, I just don't exactly know how this makes them a better team.
Of course Bill Simmons chimed in on his Twitter.
Statement from Pistons to fans: "Look, any time you can tank a season for the chance to spend $95 mill on 2 non-AllStars, you gotta do it."
I would have to add that Ben Gordon, the non-All Star, absolutely lit up the 2008 "we are defending our title with so much grit and hustle David Eckstein is jealous" NBA Champion Boston Celtics in the playoffs. So while he is not an All Star, he is good enough to light up Bill's favorite team. I think he is just a little bitter.
-I wasn't exactly for the Celtics signing Stephon Marbury and I am very much not in favor of the Celtics pursuing Rasheed Wallace.
I don't think Wallace is going to want to come off the bench for any team and I am also not sure I would have him start over Kendrick Perkins in the middle. I think the Celtics made a big mistake in not wanting re-sign Leon Powe. I am biased though, because I liked him ever since he was at Cal and want to see him succeed.
I know there have been a variety of reasons behind these moves, but the Celtics haven't really impressed me over the past year with their personnel decisions. Not re-signing James Posey, signing Stephon Marbury, thinking Mikki Moore could contribute in any desirable fashion for the team, not making a trade for a more proven PG before the deadline this year, not re-signing Leon Powe, and now pursuing Rasheed Wallace in free agency. I know he is talented but I just don't see how he fits in on the team.
-I know both of these guys are "professionals" and all of that semi-nonsense, but I can't help but wonder how Artest is going to fit in with the Lakers.
I do like the essential trade of Ariza for Artest for the Lakers, despite the fact they won an NBA Championship with Ariza starting. I just wonder how Artest is going to like playing with Kobe, who we all know is uber-competitive, come practice time when Kobe is talking shit and telling Artest what to do. This could be a great move for the Lakers in picking up Artest but I also can't help but wonder if having a role player like Ariza may not be a better fit for the team. I know it sounds crazy and Artest was a model citizen last year in Houston. Sometimes I think it is better for teams to sign role players who are willing to do what they can to help the team win to build around star players and not necessarily sign guys who could be stars or close to being stars on their own.
That being said, Ariza played well this year in a contract year, so we don't really know exactly what he will do next year. Money has a way of demotivating players and 3 years at $18 million is not a bad price for Artest. It sucks for Rockets fans though. Losing Yao and now losing Artest. I just have no idea how this will work out for the Lakers. It won't shock me if Artest sucker punches Kobe in practice one day.
-Even Bill Simmons liked this trade.
Dunleavy turns Z-Bo into Q's expiring deal for 8 mill less + copious 2010 cap space? All is forgiven! Red Auerbach lives!
I guess Memphis got jealous that people were considering Minnesota to be the worst run team in the NBA so they just had to make this deal. So now a Gasol-Thabeet-Randolph frontline is going to be seen in Memphis. Randolph may be a better player than Richardson but this was still a great trade for the Clippers. I would have suggested that Memphis get someone at the PF position a little bigger and tougher than Randolph to help out Thabeet, who I think will struggle without a tough rebounder beside him, but I guess Memphis went in the other direction.
Checkmate, Minnesota. Your move.
We all know Mike and the Mad Dog "broke up" but if you like sports talk radio and like talking about always crazy New York sports talk radio they cover it well. No, I don't get a sick pleasure as a Braves fan of hearing New York flip out over Mets and Yankees losses but it's a good site and you can actually have logical discussions about the Mike's shows, which as we all know doesn't always happen when the callers call in. It is a great blog.
There has been a lot of basketball news here of late due to free agency and various other reasons. There is not too much out there and it also doesn't help that many of my favorite targets are on vacation, not currently writing, or focusing on their new Twitter account so much they don't have much time to write. I miss football season when I can get MMQB and TMQ on consecutive days. It's like a gold mine of material for me.
-Before we get to the basketball stuff and potential discussions, I have to show everyone that Rick Reilly still gets paid millions of dollars to write columns like this. Here's a little sample for those who are smart enough to ignore his columns. I would like to remind everyone not only is this journalism trademarked, but it is also award winning:
Rick thinks offices should be run a little bit more like sports. I have come to the conclusion there is no way in hell he is trying anymore to write a decent column. He has plenty of money to live on and most of the people who enjoy his columns aren't dead yet so he doesn't have to worry about gaining a new audience. I think he is just trying to ride the wave out and then retire after ESPN finally realizes he is useless.
What if the office had chest bumps and shaving-cream pies and everybody slapping the Work Like a Champion Today sign over the door on the way in?
And office chatter!
C'monKidHeyKidOnlyTakesOneBuyerKidOnlyTakesOneYouAndHerKidRightOnThe DottedLineKid.
ESPN should be embarrassed to publish this. Bill Simmons should be embarrassed that he is supposed to be competing with this guy.
When a really great secretary hits 65 and has to go, why not retire her number?
Dolores Ginty, no one will ever use extension 3713 again. It's yours forever!
How about we turn society into the Roman Empire again? When the court jester (Reilly) no longer is capable of amusing the King's subjects, he is disposed of in a very rude and hurtful manner. Let's go back to those times.
When everybody gets their job back and unemployment in this country is once again under 5%, here's what I'll do: If you see me in a bar, I'll buy you a jigger of your favorite adult beverage. But you get only 24 seconds once I walk in.
After all, I've got a shot clock.
I am not even trying to be funny...this is pathetic. Horrible, horrible writing. It's corny and really serves no purpose outside of entertaining those people who use cassette tapes to record 60 Minutes when they miss it because the buffet line was too long at a Shoney's on Sunday night. I am embarrassed to give everyone weekly updates on his columns. In the back of a magazine, this is acceptable, on a sports web site, it sucks.
-For those that thought Isiah Thomas was the entire problem with the New York Knicks, think again. Donnie Walsh is showing Isiah-esque tendencies.
A 3 year deal for Jason Kidd? I know Dallas has prepared an offer that is worth more but you would think New York had learned their lesson.
Yet it appears that Walsh and Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni are convinced that they need the unique presence of someone like Kidd -- whom they met with face-to-face Wednesday and who remains at 36 one of the league's most respected players among his peers -- to help attract top free agents in 2010.
Do you know what else is going to help attract big name free agents? Salary cap room...and signing a 36 year old point guard is not going to help with that in any fashion. Sure Jason Kidd is a big name but the fact he is older and isn't likely to be in New York for the long haul may not attract a big name free agent like the Knicks seem to think. To me, it just ties up cap room, while contributes to the idea that D'Antoni is not overly concerned with defense.
To steal directly from AwesomeSean at Mike and the Mad Blog:
To Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni...Put the name Jason Kidd out of your heads. He's a shell of his former self, a malcontent and a waste of a 3 year contract. He will get brutalized on the defensive end and is not the offensive player he once was. Live with Duhon and Nate and wait for another option.
What's wrong with living with Duhon and Robinson for another year and then making a run at a big name free agent in 2010? It's New York and you will have plenty of cap room because I believe Duhon is a free agent next year. Why tie up cap room in a 36 year old point guard?
-The next big controversy in the NBA is getting ready to be the Ricky Rubio situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Of course Jay Mariotti has to poison relations with Spain by commenting on the issue like only Furman Bisher could.
Not much in sports makes me cringe these days, but describing Ricky Rubio as the next Pistol Pete Maravich -- legend and cult hero forevermore -- certainly is hard on the frown lines.
It's just a comparison. It doesn't mean we are all about start voting on Ricky Rubio entering the NBA Hall of Fame. Jay is always writing columns angrily and bitterly like he hasn't had a bowel movement for days and wants to take it out on the literate public.
Rubio? He's 18. I have no idea how much he'll improve his shaky jumper and adapt to the raw physicality of NBA ball.
Yeah, nobody really knows he's 18 years old. The odds are very good that because he is 18 years old his shaky jumper will improve and he will gain muscle to play against stronger competition.
If we knew exactly how he would turn out I think that could affect his draft position dramatically and the contract negotiations also might be a bit easier on both sides. I don't know why Mariotti is looking for certainty from Rubio when there is no certainty with any other player in the draft.
"I don't see Rubio being that dynamic player now," said Danny Ainge, general manager of the Boston Celtics. "I think he's got a lot of potential. He's a flashy player. I don't see him -- just physically, and because he doesn't shoot the ball very well -- I don't see him having an impact as a rookie."
Yet they insist he's Maravich.
Jay Mariotti is an idiot. I don't see how he could think if a player doesn't produce his first year in the league at the age of 19, that player is a bust. I don't know for sure, but I am guessing Pistol Pete was not THE Pistol Pete at the age of 18...I know for sure he wasn't playing in the NBA against some of the top competition in the world at that age. Let's not get xenophobic and go easier on Rubio.
And shame on Rubio for exploiting this premature, unjustified man-love by acting like a brat.
"It's too cold," he said, a day after announcing that his mother also thinks the city is too cold. "I have to think about that ... I'm going to talk with my agent about that and we are going to see."
I have no problem with Rubio exploring his options and I have no problem with the Timberwolves refusing to trade him. Basketball is a business and I think both sides have to do what is right for them.
How dare Jay Mariotti or anyone else criticize an 18 year old kid for having options and taking the time to weigh those options. We coddle 18 year high school basketball players and encourage them to have options in choosing colleges. We bend over backwards, lower college admissions standards, and allow recruits to dictate the coaching staffs of colleges where those players will only be for a few years. I don't see why someone who is not from America should be treated any differently if that person has options. He has a right to measure his two choices carefully.
The thing about Elway and Manning was, we had an idea of their track record and assumed they could play. Who in the hell is Ricky Rubio?
Rubio has a track record and he has shown he is a good player. There are very few differences, regardless of track record, between Manning, Elway, and Rubio's situation. I don't think a player should have a right to act like more of an asshole just because he has a track record.
This is an adventure into the unknown. No one is giving David Kahn the house for a teenaged point guard who might be another Darko Milicic.
As opposed to every other player drafted last week. Those players are all locks to be stars. Only these International players are great unknowns to Jay because he hasn't seen them play in this country...as if he watches the college basketball players who are drafted and can fairly evaluate their chances in the NBA. Mariotti is consistently an idiot.
-I only bring up this Gregg Doyel article because of what he says about Jay Mariotti and the fact that I agree with the premise of his article.
So you think Ricky Rubio is a jerk. Think he's a prima donna. Another John Elway or Steve Francis, unhappy with the team that drafted him and refusing to play there.
So maybe you think, as this hysterical shriek of a story so clearly put into words, Who does Ricky Rubio think he is?
He called it a shriek of a story...I love it because it is true.
But when you're named the best player in Europe at age 18, you're damned good. The next Pete Maravich, as some have called Rubio? Probably not. So if he's overrated, he's overrated. But he could be significantly less than the next Pete Maravich and still be damned good.
Exactly and that is the point Jay Mariotti was missing. Rubio may never be Pete Maravich but even if he is a rung or two down from him, he will still be a great player. If you are Rubio, would you want to play in Minnesota? I am not sure I would. If you were the Timberwolves would you play hard ball to ensure you get adequate value for Rubio in a trade or make sure you keep his rights? Yes. Everyone is getting too excited over this, it's just a business deal. Though the Wolves are dumb for drafting two point guards back to back, until Rubio does something extremely dickish I think we should hold out on judging him.
-Due to the OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose incidents many people think the NBA should re-think the one and done rule. They believe it causes too many problems because kids aren't really interested in the long term well being of the school they play college basketball at and this can cause recruiting violations. Other than the one and done rule, I am personally for the idea that a high school player should be able to go immediately to the pros, but if they choose not to, then that player has to stay at college for two years. Absent that working, my back up plan is that I believe kids should have to stay in school for two years and not just one year. I am not sure either idea is realistic.
Pat Forde thinks we should be done with the one and done rule.
That age limit has gone from boon to bust for college basketball.
It put Greg Oden and Kevin Durant on campus and in college uniforms for one season, and that was fun. But it also pushed O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose into situations they seemingly had no interest in, resulting in ongoing scandals at USC and Memphis.
I personally don't mind the one and done rule and if I did have my way the two suggestions I have put out there previously would be the new rule if the one and done rule was abolished. I don't think we should build any type of NBA eligibility rule around the idea that NCAA colleges and players are corrupt and will bend the rules to get what they want. Whether that be paying a player or the player having someone else take his SAT's for him and the college having knowledge of this, it doesn't matter to me, the fact people will cheat to get around the system is not a reason to get rid of the system.
It has forced non-students and pseudo-professionals to feign scholarship and amateurism for one season on campus, cheapening the college experience in general and college basketball specifically.
Let's be honest. There are many athletes at schools, regardless of potential to play professionally, who are not there as students but are there as athletes with no regard for the future. I saw it at my mid-major college and I know it happens at other schools as well. Critics of the one and done rule act like it just perpetuates players and schools breaking the law. The one and done rule doesn't force OJ Mayo or Tim Floyd to take money nor does it force Derrick Rose to have someone take the SAT for him. It forced Mayo and Rose to go to college, that is true, but it did not force them to cheat or get around the system in any way. That was a personal decision that was made by them. We can't get rid of the speed limit just because people are going to speed anyway.
"All of us know which kids are only going to do a year [of college]. If they pass the first semester, they don't really have to do anything in the second semester. I think 98 percent of kids should go to college, but the ones ready to go, let 'em go. Let's just stop the fallacy."
I love college basketball and I think players really benefit from even one year of playing college basketball, but if the one and done rule is abolished and a kid wants to make a decision to go pro after high school, he has that right in my mind. If he chooses to go to college, I think he needs to stay two years.
You must believe that a kid who has been treated as a money-making commodity since seventh grade is suddenly going to resist thousands of dollars of cash and gifts for one pristine year on campus (ask USC how that allegedly worked out with Mayo). You must believe that a kid who only wants to dribble his way to a paycheck is going to take his college entrance exams seriously, or take them at all (the alleged infraction by Rose at Memphis).
The reasoning being used is fallible. The fact Derrick Rose doesn't take his college exams for himself says something about him personally as a human being and the fact Tim Floyd gave money to have OJ Mayo on campus says something about him personally as a human being. I have no problem with Mayo and Rose going pro after high school but the reasoning used here is shitty. The reasoning is that everyone will want to cheat so let's take the temptation away. It doesn't sit right with me.
Lance Stephenson does not believe he will fail. Neither does Renardo Sidney, currently on campus at Mississippi State. These guys are in the next wave of potential one-and-done players … but the path to a college uniform is growing more perilous.
You mean colleges are enforcing their admissions guidelines? How horrible! When will the de-humanizing of these athletes stop? If you are required to be in college for one year and can't get in college...tough shit. Welcome to the life of many other people in this world. Perhaps instead of playing basketball so much in high school, you should have studied more like millions of college students did, you know those who actually fucking paid their own way to college and took out student loans to do it. Just because you are required to be in college, doesn't mean you should automatically go to any college of your choice, simply because you can play basketball. The college does not have to admit you.
There are legal concerns: Stephenson has a June 29 court date for allegedly fondling a 17-year-old girl at his high school. There are academic concerns: Sources said his transcript has been kept from most, if not all, college recruiters. And there are attitude concerns: Stephenson is combustible on the court and was surprisingly cut from the USA Basketball Under-19 team last summer, at least in part because of his demeanor toward teammates and coaches.
Clearly this is an individual who needs to go to the NBA and be handed more money than he has ever seen. Brilliant logic to get rid of the one and done system and send him straight to the pros. What could go wrong?
If Lance Stephenson can't get into a college or a college doesn't want him, tough shit, but this shouldn't be a reason the one and done rule should be abolished...the one and done rule is meant for players exactly like Stephenson who aren't even close to being ready for the pros from an emotional standpoint. Being emotionally ready is as big of a deal as being physically. Most of the players who came straight from HS to the NBA and suceeded were emotionally ready for the jump as well.
-Marc Stein talks about my back up plan if the one and done rule is abolished, and that is the two and done rule. I don't like this rule that much, even though it does favor my love of college basketball more than the Go Pro or Go Two rule I made up earlier.
Orlando's Dwight Howard is the only one in that foursome who negotiated the long jump from the preps to the pros with relative smoothness. Rashard Lewis wasn't ready. Andrew Bynum wasn't ready. Not even newly minted NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant can make the claim that he was physically and mentally prepared to walk into the Lakers' locker room as a teenager in 1996
Many players even after 4 years of college are not ready for the NBA either. These players did succeed eventually though (or at least Bynum appears to being close), so we can't really argue with the end result. This is a weak argument.
Blaming the one-and-done rule for everything is a convenient excuse for college coaches, but doing so supposes that (a) players' leaving school after one season is some sort of new phenomenon and/or (b) college ball's recent scandals at USC (with O.J. Mayo) and Memphis (Derrick Rose) are the first scandals of their kind.
Wrong and wrong.
Exactly. Many are blaming the one and done rule for these scandals, which is terribly inaccurate.
It would be infinitely better for the college game to have two years of certainty with every recruit and would likewise send players to the big leagues when they're in a better place developmentally to handle it.
From a selfish college fan standpoint, absolutely. Logically though, I think the high school players should have the chance to go pro after high school. It doesn't make sense for everyone and I am sure some players are going to rebel and go to the pros after high school because they don't want to be in college for two years. I am for the one and done rule, I think it serves a purpose and I don't blame the scandals completely on the existence of the rule, but I don't think the best second best idea is to stick kids in college for two years and give them the option of going pro after high school if they want to.
In this case, no one ever talks about the kids who are saved from making a huge mistake because they're too young to declare for the draft … or the fact that no one is forcing one-and-dones to go to college. They can go overseas for a year as Brandon Jennings did if they don't want to add classwork to their basketball education.
That is exactly why I like the one and done rule. No one forces these players to go to college and certainly if they can't get in college they should look at other options. College is not a right, it is a privilege...especially for those who are having their way paid for them.
I think the reasoning for getting rid of the one and done rule are not very strong and I think making a player stay in college for two years is a bit overkill. I would personally absolutely love it, there's no doubt I feel that way, but it is never going to happen. If players like Lance Stephenson want to play in the NBA and be out of the NBA and into the NBDL by the time his peers are leaving college after two years of college basketball with a greater knowledge of basketball and how to play the game, that is his right...but don't abolish the one and done rule under the misguided idea it causes corruption. The corruption is there no matter what.
-The Pistons signed the first two "big" free agents of the offseason.
I am not really sure what to think about the Pistons signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. I actually like the Villanueva signing more because he was cheaper and fills an actual need the Pistons have better than Gordon does.
Gordon agreed to a five-year, $55 million deal, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
I am not a huge Rip Hamilton fan but Ben Gordon is essentially an undersized two guard who can't really play defense all that well. If the Pistons signed Gordon as a Vinnie Johnson type off the bench then I would really like this deal but it seems they are going to try and trade Hamilton now.
Some league executives have speculated that once Dumars landed Gordon, a prolific scorer who doesn't do much else, he would begin exploring trade possibilities for Hamilton.
I personally am not sure exactly how a Stuckey-Gordon backcourt would be an upgrade defensively over a Hamilton-Stuckey backcourt. Gordon doesn't do a whole lot more than score and Stuckey really isn't a true point guard. I am not sure I like this backcourt very much.
1) There isn't enough room in the same backcourt for Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey; and 2) The Pistons will no longer be major players in the much better free-agent summer of 2010.
I would personally love the Gordon-Hamilton-Stuckey backcourt, but we know Gordon did not sign in Detroit to come off the bench, even though I think that may be where his true strength lies in helping his team out.
I am down with the Villenueva signing and I think it was a fairly smart one. He's big, he can shoot and he is still very young...plus the Pistons get to save money on razors for him and that is very important in this economy, especially in Detroit.
The Pistons have pretty much taken themselves out of the potential 2010 free agent class, which I am not sure was a smart decision. I am not down on these signings, I just don't exactly know how this makes them a better team.
Of course Bill Simmons chimed in on his Twitter.
Statement from Pistons to fans: "Look, any time you can tank a season for the chance to spend $95 mill on 2 non-AllStars, you gotta do it."
I would have to add that Ben Gordon, the non-All Star, absolutely lit up the 2008 "we are defending our title with so much grit and hustle David Eckstein is jealous" NBA Champion Boston Celtics in the playoffs. So while he is not an All Star, he is good enough to light up Bill's favorite team. I think he is just a little bitter.
-I wasn't exactly for the Celtics signing Stephon Marbury and I am very much not in favor of the Celtics pursuing Rasheed Wallace.
I don't think Wallace is going to want to come off the bench for any team and I am also not sure I would have him start over Kendrick Perkins in the middle. I think the Celtics made a big mistake in not wanting re-sign Leon Powe. I am biased though, because I liked him ever since he was at Cal and want to see him succeed.
I know there have been a variety of reasons behind these moves, but the Celtics haven't really impressed me over the past year with their personnel decisions. Not re-signing James Posey, signing Stephon Marbury, thinking Mikki Moore could contribute in any desirable fashion for the team, not making a trade for a more proven PG before the deadline this year, not re-signing Leon Powe, and now pursuing Rasheed Wallace in free agency. I know he is talented but I just don't see how he fits in on the team.
-I know both of these guys are "professionals" and all of that semi-nonsense, but I can't help but wonder how Artest is going to fit in with the Lakers.
I do like the essential trade of Ariza for Artest for the Lakers, despite the fact they won an NBA Championship with Ariza starting. I just wonder how Artest is going to like playing with Kobe, who we all know is uber-competitive, come practice time when Kobe is talking shit and telling Artest what to do. This could be a great move for the Lakers in picking up Artest but I also can't help but wonder if having a role player like Ariza may not be a better fit for the team. I know it sounds crazy and Artest was a model citizen last year in Houston. Sometimes I think it is better for teams to sign role players who are willing to do what they can to help the team win to build around star players and not necessarily sign guys who could be stars or close to being stars on their own.
That being said, Ariza played well this year in a contract year, so we don't really know exactly what he will do next year. Money has a way of demotivating players and 3 years at $18 million is not a bad price for Artest. It sucks for Rockets fans though. Losing Yao and now losing Artest. I just have no idea how this will work out for the Lakers. It won't shock me if Artest sucker punches Kobe in practice one day.
-Even Bill Simmons liked this trade.
Dunleavy turns Z-Bo into Q's expiring deal for 8 mill less + copious 2010 cap space? All is forgiven! Red Auerbach lives!
I guess Memphis got jealous that people were considering Minnesota to be the worst run team in the NBA so they just had to make this deal. So now a Gasol-Thabeet-Randolph frontline is going to be seen in Memphis. Randolph may be a better player than Richardson but this was still a great trade for the Clippers. I would have suggested that Memphis get someone at the PF position a little bigger and tougher than Randolph to help out Thabeet, who I think will struggle without a tough rebounder beside him, but I guess Memphis went in the other direction.
Checkmate, Minnesota. Your move.
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