Kidd the coach killer says he didn't lop off Avery Johnson this spring.

Kidd has been accused of being a "coach killer," a label he has disputed. But he’s aware of the talk, so when Avery Johnson was fired by the Mavericks, Kidd told a friend: "They can’t blame that one on me. When I got there, the players all thought he was crazy. And he was."

The story just confirms what everyone thought, Avery didn't let Kidd do his thing so it was a waste to make the trade:

When he joined the Mavericks after the Feb. 19 trade from the Nets, he thought Johnson would employ an up-tempo style that would take advantage of Kidd’s considerable passing skills. Instead, he found that Johnson was a rigid coach who was a domineering presence on the sidelines.

"We ran the first couple of games," Kidd said. "And then we stopped. A lot of times, our offense was used to set up our defense. We slowed it down instead of getting out and running and putting pressure on [opponents] after missed shots or even makes. We were pretty much — not just myself, but everybody — looking over to the sideline, trying to figure out what was going to be called."

Kidd is at his best in the open court, operating without constraints and creating easy shots for teammates. But he found that he had little freedom with Johnson.

It was noted during the season that Kidd probably spent more time looking at the sidelines for instructions in three months under Johnson than he had combined in his 13-year career. When asked Saturday if he had any problem with that observation, Kidd said: "That’s fair."

The Green Machine Is One Win Away

Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final was last night and that was a magnificent game to watch for basketball fans. Like Game 7 of the last series against Cleveland, it had entertaining basketball, clutch shots, intense defence and a good story. Kevin Garnett led the Boston Celtics with 33 points on 11-for-17 shooting, as well as 7 rebounds. I think he could’ve easily had over 40 points if he had been more assertive with the ball and not passed up so many open looks to try and get better ones for his teammates. I realize he’s just being unselfish but with each round that passes, those missed opportunities mean more and more. KG has got to start taking more shots in order to put points on the board and not end up with an anemic offence like the San Antonio Spurs. The great story of Game 5 was the play of Kendrick Perkins, who really kept the Celtics in it early on when calls weren’t going their way and the Detroit Pistons looked poised to take control for good. Perk had a double-double in the first half and finished with 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting with 16 rebounds – 5 of them on the offensive glass. Ray Allen had an exceptional game with 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting, which included 5-for-6 from long range. It seems Ray has snapped out of that shooting slump just in time for the really big games of this postseason. Then again, he had a good Game 2 and that still resulted in a loss, followed by two bad performances in Motown. Paul Pierce had a ‘quiet’ 16 points for him on decent shooting and Rajon Rondo finished with 13 assists.

Now, there are many underlying storylines as well. The most important one for Detroit is Richard Hamilton might have a hyperextended elbow after one of the final sequences of the game where he got tied up with Ray Allen underneath the Pistons’ basket. He looked to be in some serious pain and didn’t return to the game down the stretch. The positive side is the x-ray results were negative but that doesn’t mean the Pistons are out of the woods just yet. The team learned that he’s questionable for Game 6 and he’ll be reassessed on Friday afternoon to decide whether or not he can play. I hope he can because as a Celtics fan in the postseason, it’d be a shame for them to win the series with the Pistons not at full strength.

I think the Celtics have something to worry about with Rajon Rondo, though. A blueprint has been created for opposing teams when it comes to guarding all of Boston’s weapons. Kendrick Perkins has stepped up to the plate and been an impact player this postseason by cleaning up the glass and contributing some modest scoring but Rajon Rondo has seemed flustered at times and the Pistons have made it clear they will not guard him off the ball. With the way Sam Cassell has been playing, it’s difficult to take Rondo out for extended periods of time so when the young guy is on the floor, the Celtics are at a disadvantage. Whether it’s Chauncey Billups, Rodney Stuckey or Lindsey Hunter, the Pistons’ point guard will roam the floor like a free safety and chase the ball around because they are not the least bit concerned about Rondo hitting jump shots. Then, at the end of games like Wednesday night, he gets flustered by the pressure and starts to deliver hanging, looping feeds when he’s trapped near midcourt or on the baseline that can easily be picked off by his opponents. It’s like in football when the quarterback sees a strong pass rush coming at him and decides to chuck the ball up anywhere he can get it, resulting in an interception. He’s got to settle down, be more assertive and ready to hit the shots he was able to during the regular season. Paul Pierce suffers the most when defenders roam because he works slowly and methodically with his back to the basket. If a defender is coming from out of his line of vision, he’ll pick the ball off easily without Pierce ever seeing it coming. Rondo was good with his 13 assists in Game 5 but his 3-for-14 shooting just won’t cut it.

Also, it’s interesting the Celtics could only muster three bench points tonight – all coming off one long range shot by James Posey. Did they need more bench production? Probably not, considering the starters combined for 103 points but how often will that happen? Will the Big Three always combine for 78 points? Will Kendrick Perkins put up 18 points per night as well? The answer to both of those questions is probably no, so while I understand only James Posey and P.J. Brown got any considerable time tonight and combined for five shot attempts, they need to get more out of the bench for Game 6 and beyond. I have no doubt we’ll see Leon Powe and Eddie House more in this series so they have to be ready to produce.

Rip Hamilton was great in Game 5 with 25 points and Chauncey Billups’ 26 were good too, especially that huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Rasheed Wallace’s six three-pointers were impressive as well but he’s had a pretty quiet series by his standards. If he doesn’t have a big game on Friday night, the Pistons will be finished. He can’t just be taking perimeter shots all night. I realize they were open but come on, get inside and challenge KG rather than giving him a little more rest than he should be getting. Rodney Stuckey was great off the bench yet again but like I predicted, Antonio McDyess will not have good games every single time out. He’s just not that good. Tayshaun Prince’s ineffectiveness also surprised me. The Pistons need their guys to all contribute in significant ways and when that doesn’t happen, the outcome is obvious.

The Champs Have Their Backs Against The Wall

Game 5 of the Western Conference Final will be played tonight in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. I’d like to say I see a Spurs comeback in the cards but I think we all know it’s just a matter of time before the Champions’ repeat bid is snuffed out. If Manu Ginobili isn’t healthy and ready to play tonight, the Spurs will be blown out and knocked out of the playoffs in humiliating fashion. I don’t think the role players like Fabricio Oberto and Ime Udoka can operate on the road, or so it seems. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker can’t do this thing on their own. Now, we all know the Lakers gave up a 3-1 series lead to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2006 Playoffs but this is a lot different. That Lakers team was young and inexperienced, while this team is still young but seem to have a different aura around them because of Kobe Bryant’s dominance and the bench’s potency. The Lakers may not have the best defence around but the Spurs’ offence has looked terrible in stretches. This all goes back to Game 1 last week where they had the 20-point lead and lost the game – I think that’s where the collapse started and Thursday night might be where it all ends.

There’s a part of me that thinks Manu Ginobili will break out again tonight and drop over 25 points to help the Spurs force a Game 6 in San Antonio on Saturday night but how can I assume it’ll happen after how he played in Game 4? He was scoreless in the first half and ended the game with seven points. Michael Finley ended the game scoreless, as did Oberto. How can the Champions expect to win with pathetic performances like that? Tim Duncan has been amazing with the numbers he consistently puts up and Tony Parker has been trying his best too – although he couldn’t hit a long jumper to save his life and his passing abilities are average at best – but two men can’t win a ring. The Spurs just aren’t the same when Manu isn’t being his energetic, frenetic self. When an old team doesn’t play with energy against a young team that DOES have it – as well as a lot of talent – it’s clear now what happens. The Spurs continue to get open looks and they just flat-out miss. Brent Barry had opportunities to sink other three-pointers in Game 4 and he failed. People can talk all they want about the call at the end of the game but they didn’t deserve to win it in the first place with the way they’ve played. It’s a series of missed opportunities and the Champions will get the ending they deserve.

ESPN Broadcast Team

I had to write a quick piece on the guys covering the game for ABC/ESPN, namely the team of Mike Breen on play-by-play, flanked by Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy with colour commentary. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a big fan of Jackson’s lines (i.e. “Momma, there goes that man!”, “Excuse me, I have a meeting with the rim!”, “Come on, you’re better than that!”) but at least he’s personalizing the broadcast with his own style. The banter between Breen, Jackson and Van Gundy has been the most entertaining in the playoffs by far and ESPN really struck gold with this one. I’m sure Van Gundy would rather be coaching an NBA team right now but I love his enthusiasm, wit, knowledge and X’s and O’s talk. It makes me feel like I’m learning from a different perspective when I listen to Jeff. The three seem to have the perfect mix of talent and charisma, which is enhanced by the fact Jackson and Van Gundy have a relationship from the past with the New York Knicks as player and coach. I like the team of Marv Albert and Reggie Miller as well, and Hubie Brown is probably my favourite analyst to listen to with Mike Tirico, but I find guys like Mike Fratello extremely boring. Kudos to ESPN for putting this team together – it’s been great.

The Raptors’ 17^th Pick

Just a very quick update on the Raptors here: a lot of mock drafts seem to be projecting them to take 19-year-old Nicolas Batum out of France with that mid-first round pick. This may be partially based on the fact Bryan Colangelo is known for his love of European players or it could actually be based on Batum’s talent. I’ve never seen or heard of him before the draft lottery but apparently he’s a 6’8 small forward with lockdown potential on defence, tons of athleticism, great wingspan and the ability to take over games when it’s needed. That sure sounds good but he only weighs 210 pounds, which isn’t enough for a guy that’s 6’8. He needs to gain some weight in order to continue developing at the NBA level but again, he’s very young and doesn’t turn 20 until December. I hope to see more from this kid because he sure sounds like a more polished Jamario Moon, which would be great to have.

Headlines

“Fines Will Be Imposed For Cases Of Flopping”

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3416579

I’m happy to hear about this. Guys like Manu Ginobili and Anderson Varejao won’t be able to get away with flopping anymore. Our very own Carlos Delfino was guilty of it more than a few times this past season and while he probably won’t be back for 2008-2009 anyway, it’s something the Raptors will have to pay attention to. Anyway, it’s good for the league to clean up some of the integrity issues with guys bringing that European style to North America, trying to get calls on hardly any contact. I guess it comes from soccer over there where guys drop like a ton of bricks if someone touches them.

“League Acknowledges Spurs’ Barry Was Fouled”

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3416412

I appreciate the fact the league’s head office admitted there should have been a two-shot foul given to Brent Barry due to Derek Fisher’s hit at the end of Game 4. It’s good that they admitted their mistake, even though the Spurs’ players and Coach Gregg Popovich all took the high road on Tuesday night, claiming it wasn’t a foul and they wouldn’t have called it. Either way, moral victories don’t help the Spurs win any more ball games so this doesn’t mean too much to them at this point. It’s a real shame the defending Champions weren’t able to get the benefit of the doubt in such an important game but that’s basketball.

“Byron Scott & Gregg Popovich Agree To Contract Extensions”

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3416187

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3416279

There’s nothing too surprising here. The New Orleans Hornets had the #2 seed in the Western Conference, as well as two All-Stars in Chris Paul and David West. Why break any part of that nucleus up at this point, especially when CP3 was an MVP candidate and now has a good relationship with Scott? It’s a good move for everyone involved. He was underrated in New Jersey when Jason Kidd forced him out for whatever reason after two consecutive Finals appearances and it’s good to see Coach Scott get some appreciation.

Here’s another no-brainer. The San Antonio Spurs were the #3 seed in the West and have a sure-fire Hall of Famer in Tim Duncan, with great stars like Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Why would you break it up? Of course Pop would get a two-year extension, taking him through the 2011-2012 season. There’s still a few more years for those guys to win rings together before the window closes – they’ll need some upgrades around the nucleus, though. Old guys like Brent Barry, Michael Finley and Robert Horry just won’t cut it anymore – especially Horry.

“Raptors Looking To Move Up In The Draft With The Knicks?”

Link: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05292008/sports/knicks/kerr_slow_to_assist_dantoni_112954.htm

Could the Raptors look to move up to the 6^th spot in the draft by trading T.J. Ford to the Knicks? There is some talent to be had around that spot, such as Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, Anthony Randolph, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, etc. but none of them really jump out at me as a player that can step in right away and help the Raps. They may be better suited to trading out of the draft altogether if an opportunity presents itself. I’d love to get Jamal Crawford and/or David Lee from New York in exchange for T.J. and some expiring contracts, which the Knicks would love to have to help them clear room for the summer of 2010, when they plan to take a run at LeBron James or Dwyane Wade.

“Source: Doug Collins To Be Named Bulls’ Head Coach”

Link: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/977280,collins052908.article

So this is one less job Avery Johnson will have a chance to get. I’m pretty sure Phoenix would’ve interviewed him by now if they had any intention of doing so but as the list of candidates winds down and other positions are filled, the Suns won’t have much to choose from. I like Doug Collins as a teacher like the article states, but I don’t know if he’s the right guy to coach the Chicago Bulls. We’ll see how it plays out in 2008-2009. It’s an attractive job to go after with all the young talent and the fact the Bulls are in position to make some personnel moves while they hold the #1 overall draft pick.

That does it for this entry.. there’s not too much news out there today to talk about. Stay tuned for the next entry and as always, feel free to leave feedback in the ‘Comments’ section at the bottom of the entry.

-Mark R.

[The Raptor Core]

Did The Spurs Get Robbed?

I’ll answer my own question right away: no. For anyone that saw Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night, you’ll know what this is all about. On one of the final sequences of the game, Kobe Bryant got the ball in the open court with a chance to dribble the ball out before being fouled by San Antonio but instead, he chose to drive toward the basket and take a fade away jumper along the right baseline. It rimmed out and the Spurs still had life, down two points. The play was drawn up for Brent Barry – who had a very good game – to get a three-point shot at the end and Derek Fisher clearly fouled him right in the open court, hitting him with a forearm as he was trying to avoid the contact on a shot contest. Now, I’ve thought about this a lot in the past few hours and I will say this: the Spurs DID get robbed on that one particular call but throughout the game, they were way ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers as far as having calls in their favour.

Just look at the first half. Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher both had three fouls apiece and I think there was someone else on the Lakers’ team that had three as well. That’s two starters taken out of the game while the Spurs had all their guys and whether it was because of his injury or not, Manu Ginobili did not show up. He, Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto were invisible in the first half. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Manu wound up with 7 points and Finley still didn’t get a basket the entire game. The Spurs are “anemic”, as Doug Collins puts it, when they don’t have their outside shooting going and they have no energy when Ginobili isn’t producing. Why else would Gregg Popovich claim it wasn’t a foul after the game? He knew his team didn’t play well enough to deserve that call in the first 47 minutes and 57 seconds. They pulled even with the Lakers in the second half and it felt like they might pull it out but when you only have three guys (Duncan, Parker, Barry) showing up, you’re not going to win the game.

Again, Fisher blatantly fouled Barry. Someone on the TNT broadcast claimed that it would’ve been three shots at the line but Barry hadn’t begun the act of shooting yet. Because of that, it would’ve been called on the floor and the worst case scenario for the Lakers would have likely been overtime, although they may have had a second left for a Hail Mary of their own. I realize the referees are very cautious to not decide a game at the free throw line in the playoffs and they let things go but that’s usually on a 50/50 drive to the basket or something like that – not a foul everyone in the building saw in the open court on what was for all intents and purposes, an isolation play. Would it really have killed the referees to put the game into overtime and let it be decided properly rather than end it in controversy? The repercussions of that call put the defending Champions down 3-1 heading back to L.A. for Game 5 and the likely end of the series. That’s not to say the Spurs should’ve gotten a ‘free pass’ but they should’ve gotten the benefit of the doubt on such an important play.

Granted, Tim Duncan took about four steps on his dunk in the first half in the open court and that wasn’t called. Kobe Bryant didn’t get to the free throw line with any regularity. So all in all, the Spurs still got the brunt of the calls but they didn’t get the most important one of all. It all comes down to the balance of things in this case – should the refs have given them that call when they got so many ‘undeserved’ second chances earlier in the game to get back in it? I’m of the old school mentality that you don’t call things at the end of the game but that was too obvious to ignore. Now the San Antonio Spurs will be eliminated – whether it’s Thursday night or Saturday. It’s inevitable now. I have a friend who reminded me the Lakers were up 3-1 on the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 playoffs, before dropping the next three but this is a totally different Laker team that has proven they have what it takes to win big games. Can the Spurs make this a series by taking one on the road? Ask Manu Ginobili – only he knows. It’s a shame the Spurs are playing at a level below their best – as it seems all of the Lakers’ opponents have this season – but that’s basketball and I’m not going to take anything away from them.

Oh, and to anyone that thinks Joey Crawford was conspiring against San Antonio, that’s a complete joke.

The Celtics & Pistons Resume Their War

I love this series because it’s another defensive struggle like the Boston/Cleveland one in the Conference Semis. On Saturday night, the Celtics played a great Game 3 and like I predicted, they would not end the playoffs winless on the road. They were never in a position earlier in the playoffs where they HAD to win a road game but once Detroit took Game 2 at TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics knew they had no choice now but to take one on the road. Going down 2-1 and trying to win Game 4 would’ve been very hard so I was glad they got Game 3. Game 4 was very different, however. The Pistons’ defence was smothering, Chauncey Billups returned to form, Antonio McDyess played out of his mind, and Jason Maxiell provided a lot of energy off the bench – especially on that Kevin Garnett block in the open court. It was another good game to watch since Boston never really gave up but they never got close enough to where you could assume they had a chance to win it. Game 5 is tonight and the Celtics really need to pick their game up offensively. They play great defence at home and that’s where it needs to start because they couldn’t stop anyone on Monday night.

My official prediction is a Boston Celtics win tonight. It’s mostly out of necessity because they don’t want to go back to the Palace down 3-2. They have never fallen behind in any of the previous series’ and Detroit is not a building you want to go into knowing you HAVE to win that game. They were able to do it in Game 3 but a deciding game with their backs against the wall on Friday? It’s not likely that they’d be able to win that. The key will be the Big Three exploding again like they did in Game 2 – except this time the result has to be better. Ray Allen has to find his shot again, Kevin Garnett has got to be more assertive offensively, and the defence has to be ratcheted up more than it was two nights ago. I don’t think Antonio McDyess will have two great games on back-to-back nights so they have to make sure Chauncey Billups doesn’t find any form of comfort. Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will probably get theirs so KG on Rasheed Wallace is an important match-up to watch. Game 5 is a big one – I can’t wait.

Anthony Parker Interview

AP was on the Fan 590 with Chuck Swirsky yesterday, talking about his surgery last week, the Raptors’ direction moving forward and his offseason plans. You can find the interview here: http://www.fan590.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20080527_160128_6640 It’s in audio format so no text to put up with.

AP sounds cautiously optimistic that he’ll be back next season and it seems like Bryan Colangelo has been keeping in contact with him about managerial things as well as Chris Bosh. I found that pretty interesting considering CB4 is the franchise player but then again, AP is a team captain as well so why not keep him informed? He’ll have the cast on his finger for three weeks and then will work on strengthening it throughout the summer. Something interesting about it was he thought he injured it on April 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks so it’s not something that would’ve affected his shot earlier in the year, contrary to my speculation last week.

The Headlines

“Nothing Exciting About Drafting With 17^th Pick”

Link: http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2008/05/27/5678431-sun.html

Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun doesn’t seem too enthralled with the #17 pick the Raptors hold in June 26^th’s NBA Draft. I can’t blame him. This draft is deep with potential role players at various positions but the 17^th spot doesn’t guarantee anything for next season as far as a player being able to contribute right away. There is a groundswell of support for Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert but he may be too slow and sluggish to play the way the Raptors do. He does have a decent mid-range shot, however. Either way, if the pick can be packaged with other things for a player, that’s exactly what should happen. A youngster in the middle of the first round won’t help this team go deeper into the playoffs next spring.

“Garbajosa Lawsuit Put On Hold”

Link: (Same as above)

The Raptors and Spanish basketball federation are looking to settle the dispute out of court and as far as Garbo’s injury goes, no timetable has been set for his return. Hopefully he’ll be back in time for training camp in October. It’s fair to say there’s no chance in hell he’ll be playing for Spain in the Olympics.

“Dorsey: Chicago Will Take Beasley”

Link: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-roseheat0808,0,5566327.story

The story here is Joey Dorsey, Derrick Rose’s teammate from the University of Memphis, thinks he has inside information that will see the Chicago Bulls use the #1 pick on Michael Beasley in a month’s time at the draft. I don’t know what kind of information he could have since Bulls executives have denied even coming to a decision yet. I find it a bit ridiculous considering the draft combine in Orlando just began yesterday and no private workouts have taken place yet. Chicago would be very ignorant to have come to a decision already unless they have additional moves in place in the back of their mind. ESPN’s Chad Ford reported just yesterday that Derrick Rose would end up with the Bulls so I’m not sure who to believe. We might have to wait a couple more weeks to find out what the real deal is.

“Sixers Looking To Draft A Sharpshooter”

Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20080528_Sixers__GM_in_Florida_to_see_draft_possibilities.html

Ed Stefanski, the new GM of the Philadelphia 76ers, seems to have a long list of needs he wants to address this offseason. He lists a shooter as well as a power forward or center to play alongside Samuel Dalembert, in addition to a point guard in the future. I don’t know how he can say that when they have Andre Miller on the team but I guess they’re serious about not extending him and possibly using him as trade bait in the offseason or at the deadline in February 2009. I think that’s a shame but I won’t harp on it since it’s been discussed before. The Sixers probably need another big body down low like Stefanski says but other than that, their young team just needs a year or so to play together.

“Raptors Labeling Calderon As ‘Untouchable’?”

Link: http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2008/05/the_waw_report.html

I wouldn’t be surprised if this story is true. No one is literally untouchable because if for some reason the Cavaliers offered LeBron James for Jose, I’m sure BC would take the deal but this shows just how much the Raptors fear T.J. Ford’s injury situation. That’s the only real reason I can find for saying Jose is untouchable and T.J. is being shopped. On the surface, they claim they want to keep both guys and will exhaust every avenue to do so but in recent days, reports have come up stating there IS interest in Ford because the teams that need point guards would much rather handle the risk of his injury history than go through another year of their terrible situation at the floor general’s spot. I can definitely understand that for teams like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, etc. I’m not so sure BC would have been looking to deal T.J. this much if he didn’t get the stinger early in the season then the huge fall in Atlanta in December. He was having an exceptional season to that point and it may have driven the nail in his coffin with the team once he said he wanted to be a starter. It may be that the Raptors are truly in love with Jose but then again, he’s a steady guard that doesn’t have much of an injury history. T.J. has the potential to be a great, explosive guard but like so many things in life, it comes down to a decision between the following: the ‘sure’ thing or high risk, high reward? I know who I’d go with because T.J. has never been a loser on any level he’s played at and Jose hasn’t proven he can perform in key moments (i.e. Game 6 of the 2007 playoffs and his terrible Game 5 in the 2008 playoffs) but it’s clear the Raptors’ brain trust have different opinions.

“Heat Worried Wade Will Bolt To Knicks?”

Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/columnists/sports_buzz//story/548730.html

Paranoia is starting to spread around LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for the summer of 2010, when they’ll both opt out of their contracts to become unrestricted free agents, along with the Raptors’ Chris Bosh. Miami is apparently worried that the Knicks’ new coach, Mike D’Antoni, will use his position as an assistant coach of Team USA to get close to Wade this summer at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. If any of you were in D’Antoni’s position, wouldn’t you try to do the exact same thing? It’s only two summers away and both of those guys are team-changers. Miami isn’t exactly looking great right now because they have such a shallow talent pool so if they don’t show Wade anything in the next year or so, he may well end up in New York or somewhere else. Then again, Miami might realize this and trade him by the deadline in 2010 before he becomes a free agent. I know that’s what I’d do. Why risk losing him for nothing?

“Sources: Dallas Courting 2010 All-Star Game”

Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/052808dnspobasketballjones.3b1e823.htm

Apparently, the Dallas Mavericks and Cowboys might be working together to bring the 2010 game to their city. Mark Cuban hasn’t always liked the idea of holding the game at the Mavs’ home, Continental Airlines Arena, because of the concern that it wouldn’t be big enough to hold the team’s season ticketholders as well as all of the extra people that would be attending the event. If the Cowboys get on board and allow the Mavericks to use their stadium, it could be one of the biggest All-Star games in the history of the NBA – literally. I think this is around the same time MLSE will be completing Maple Leaf Square downtown so hopefully they put a bid in for the 2011 All-Star game if 2010 is cutting it too close. Toronto is a world-class city and it would be great to host a weekend full of events with all the game’s biggest stars. Hopefully it happens in the very near future.

“Noah Was Stopped For Traffic Violations As Well”

Link: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi080527-joakim-noah-speeding,1,1589176.story

This happened at the end of last week so I didn’t really get to comment on it. Joakim Noah, forward for the Chicago Bulls, was caught in Gainesville, Florida with an open container of alcohol as he walked down the street. Once he was checked, they found a marijuana joint in his pocket as well. On top of that, news broke today that he had traffic violations stemming from the same day. This is the same guy who talked back to his coaches and teammates this season and was actually suspended by the team. I’ve never liked Noah’s game or his personality and he’s coming off as another immature, Carmelo Anthony-like player – except he doesn’t have anywhere near the talent Melo does. It’s a shame that players like him even get into the league but not everyone will do things by the book. There’s nothing wrong with a young guy drinking but it’s the weed on such a public level that’ll get him into a lot of P.R. trouble.

“Ewing Upset Over No Coaching Call From Knicks”

Link: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05282008/sports/knicks/______but_ewings_upset_over_no_coaching__112790.htm

I’m surprised at this and I have been for the longest time. I haven’t been able to understand why the Knicks were ready to have Mark Jackson as their frontrunner without even giving Ewing a call, considering his history there. I think in Mike D’Antoni, they ended up with a better, more experienced coach but if the Phoenix Suns never released him and Jackson became the coach there, that would’ve been really puzzling. Stan Van Gundy got up onto his soap box a few weeks ago during the series with Toronto and was confused about why Ewing – who has actually paid his dues as an assistant coach with Orlando and Houston – wasn’t getting any recognition for that while Mark Jackson was the leading candidate for the longest time? I realize the Knicks wanted to start over totally fresh but that’s a little ridiculous. It’s a moot point now that D’Antoni got the job but Mark Jackson? Come on now, Donnie Walsh – you’re better than that!

“Avery Johnson Still Not Scheduled To Talk With Paxson”

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080527-nba-draft-coaching-search-chicago-bulls,0,1467463.story?track=rss

I’m surprised at this. Avery Johnson – a coach with a winning percentage probably over 70% in his career – can’t get a head coaching job? What could possibly be out there right now that would have the Chicago Bulls not interested in scheduling a meeting with Avery? It’d be a real shame if he sat out a season on the sidelines waiting for someone to call. He is a decent coach at the very worst and a master motivator at the very best and I think the only logical explanation for Chicago not interviewing him is the fact he’s probably known as a disciplinarian. Usually, teams will not hire coaches that had the same style as the previous guy, and Scott Skiles is as much of a disciplinarian as you can find in the NBA. The Bulls may be looking for someone more laid back and relaxed but then again, whoever it is will have to deal with guys like Joakim Noah and Chris Duhon – not exactly an easy or enviable task.

“Pistons-Celtics Had Wink Deal With Lindsey Hunter”

Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/SPORTS0102/805280330/1127/rss13

Why am I not surprised to see this? It’s like the same thing that happened with Gary Payton a couple years ago involving the Boston Celtics. When Rasheed Wallace was moved from the Atlanta Hawks to the Detroit Pistons in 2004, Lindsey Hunter had to be moved to Boston as part of the deal in order for it to work financially. All along, all the parties involved knew that Hunter was never going to play for the Celtics and would be right back with Detroit once he cleared waivers. This was the same type of deal that was going to occur between the New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline this year involving Jason Kidd. However, Jerry Stackhouse wasn’t as smart as Hunter and he ended up opening his big mouth, exposing everyone in the public. Obviously, the NBA didn’t want under the table deals like this taking place and a new arrangement had to be made involving Keith Van Horn going to the Nets for a second time. I find it all pretty stupid but I guess business is business. When you can acquire guys like Rasheed Wallace or Jason Kidd, why not?

“Minnesota Looking To Take Love?”

Link: http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Word-on-the-Street-Love-to-Minnesota--2898/

I don’t understand Kevin McHale’s mentality at all sometimes. Why would you draft Kevin Love when O.J. Mayo would still be on the board at the #3 spot? I realize they have Rashad McCants right now but he could play the shooting guard position and Mayo could take over the small forward spot until Corey Brewer improved – he was terrible last year. Now, if it came down to Brook Lopez or Kevin Love, it obviously makes more sense for the T-Wolves to have Love because of how good of a low post passer he is and he possesses a high basketball IQ. A duo of he and Al Jefferson would be pretty formidable but I would still take Mayo over Love. Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, O.J. Mayo and Al Jefferson? That’s a solid young core to build around in my books..

“Could Cleveland Deal For Redd?”

Link: http://www.ohio.com/sports/19273664.html

This would strike fear into the hearts of every Eastern Conference team. LeBron James playing alongside Michael Redd? I know the Cavs have Wally Szczerbiak right now but Redd is a prolific scorer with one of the best shots in the entire NBA. He put up Top 10 scoring numbers this season but playing in Milwaukee on such a bad team isn’t going to get him noticed. LeBron James is constantly getting open looks for teammates off of penetration and Wally can drain open looks but Redd is an exceptional scorer and he would really make defences pay for packing it in on King James. I know LeBron wants more changes heading into next season and if that was one of them, it’d be a very good one. The Cavs still need a low post scorer because Zydrunas Ilgauskas is just getting older but Redd could be a quick fix for now. Does Cleveland even have the pieces to make such a deal happen? That remains to be seen.

That’s it for this entry – a lot of headlines to look over after four days away. As always, feel free to leave feedback in the ‘Comments’ section at the bottom of the entry and keep checking back for new entries.

-Mark R.

[The Raptor Core]

What you didn’t see when the cameras panned away from his formerly grinning mug was his fingers fast at work texting his agent to get back on the phone with Jerry Reinsdorf.

Sorry D’Antoni. It’s too late. All you had to do was wait a few more days to get an offer from the Bulls. But you apparently, as you put it, heard and found out everything you needed to know to make your decision. Perhaps next time you should take a deeper look into the future – all the way to the year 2000.

Regardless of whether or not the Bulls choose Beasley or Rose, they will immediately upgrade a less than enthused lineup. As for the coaching  decision, you have to wonder if the already attractive position will draw even more interest in the coming weeks.

The talk now is Avery Johnson and some other lesser known candidates. The question is whether to get a coach in place to help make the pick, or decide on a player and choose a coach that will work with your new franchise player that the team will ultimately be built around.

There are also rumors surfacing of the Bulls possibly trying to acquire Carmello Anthony. If that happens coupled with the No. 1 pick, should Chicago fans start popping champagne? The right selection could make all the difference. Keep in mind, it’s too early to tell and you should never put the cart before the horse, but the Bulls only had a 1.7 percent chance of winning the Lottery in the first place.

Of course, the home team lost both those games. So much then for home court advantage.

Except last night, watching Game 7 of the Spurs/Hornets series, it was difficult not to link the New Orleans loss with the dreadful showing of those in attendance. With all due respect to the people of New Orleans, who have suffered so much in recent years, it was unquestionably a pathetic effort. So much so that Charles Barkley took a moment at halftime to call out the 18,000-strong crowd, all wearing white and all seemingly petrified.

In one regard, it was victory alone that so many showed up. For the regular season, the Hornets ranked near the bottom of the NBA in attendance—drawing fewer home fans on average than the hopeless Timberwolves. This was, of course, the Hornets' first full season back in New Orleans after splitting time between Louisiana and Oklahoma City for two years after Hurricane Katrina. And that would have wounded any team, let alone one that only just arrived in 2002 and struggled in its first three seasons to draw decent crowds—averaging 15,560, 14,332 and 14,221 fans per game respectively.

This season, the Hornets were the hip new break-out stars of the NBA. And it's not hyperbole to suggest the emergence of uber-guard Chris Paul and a 56-win season might've saved professional basketball in New Orleans. At least for the time being.  

Home and away they were a balanced team through the regular season—winning 30 games in New Orleans and 26 on the road. But in the playoffs, they were vastly superior when playing in front of a friendly crowd. Indeed, before Game 7, they'd won all six of their home playoff games and by an average margin of nearly 17 points.

In the second round against San Antonio, the home team won each of the first six games—the closest contest coming Game 3 when the Spurs won by 11. This mirrored a leaguewide trend in which home teams have dominated play (witness the Boston Celtics, the league's best regular season team, who have yet to win a playoff game this year away from the latter-day parquet).

You can debate how much this has to do with a supportive-slash-intimidating crowd and how much it simply comes down to players performing better in familiar and comfortable surroundings, but in the NBA, where fans are closer and the environment generally more raucous than you'll find in other pro sports leagues, there is recent precedent for the home crowd as significant factor.

A season ago, the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors upset the first-seeded Dallas Mavericks in round one of the Western Conference playoffs. The Mavericks had won a league-best 67 games in the regular season and boasted the league MVP in Dirk Nowitzki. Golden State's win in six games is generally considered the greatest upset in NBA history. 

Granted, the Mavericks were shaky before the series even began. The Warriors had swept the regular season series and, in an effort to counteract Golden State's up-tempo game, Dallas coach Avery Johnson changed his starting line-up before Game 1, resulting only in an 85-point opening-night effort from a squad that had averaged 100 per game until then.

But the fight wasn't really lost until Game 3 when the action shifted to Oakland and a delirious yellow mob seemingly willed the series in Golden State's favour. A team of emotional, if inconsistent, stars like Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson fed off that energy, gaining obvious confidence and newfound focus. By the time Davis started hitting bizarre, off-balance three pointers, the upset seemed inevitable. By Game 6, Matt Barnes was emboldened enough to do this.

So go back to that crowd in New Orleans. Let's say they're even half as raucous as those in Oakland. What's that worth in increased intensity, focus and momentum for the Hornets? It's obviously impossible to quantify, but it's probably not too great a reach to suggest a truly great home crowd could be worth an extra two points in your favour. What's that accomplish? Well, an extra two points in the fourth quarter of last night's Game 7 might mean New Orleans is down one, not three, when Jannero Pargo hits a 24-foot jumper with 1:35 to play. And trailing by just one, maybe Pargo—a decent, but hardly great shooter—doesn't go for an open three-pointer on the next possession. Maybe he drives, makes a lay-up or gets fouled, and gives New Orleans the lead with a minute to play.

As it is, he missed that 23-foot shot from the corner. San Antonio got the rebound. And Tony Parker calmly made a mid-range jumper at the other end to give the Spurs a five-point advantage. Fifty perfunctory seconds later, the game was over. And the crowd, seeming to have suspected this ending from the start, was finally permitted to quietly file toward the exits.

Yes, they didn't make it as far as they did last season... but this season was far more competitive, a far greater number of teams competing at the very top levels in the Western Conference.

They play good, hard, physical basketball, and I'd hazard a guess and state that the Jazz will be able to compete at this level for at least a few years to come...

But they won't win an NBA Championship.

At least, not until they clean up their act.
During the 2007/08 season, the Utah Jazz committed more fouls than any other team in the NBA. Then, during the playoffs, the fan-based acted with shock & horror when the whistle went against them. Err... surely no surprises there.
So often during any playoff series, and never more so than the series for the Jazz that they just lost against the Lakers, not sending the opponent to the line for freebies is an imperative. But the Jazz continually do so. During the recent game 6, the LA Lakers had 38 free throws (they converted 31) to Utah's 25 (hit 21). That's 10 extra points to the LA team, take them away - and who knows? I realise you can't blithely assert that Utah wins - as who knows which baskets get converted if fouls aren't made - but it's definitely food for thought.

It all comes back to one man: Jerry Sloan. As hard and uncomprising a coach in the NBA cannot be found. Even Popovich comes across positively care-bear-ish in comparison. And phenomenally successful. 1092 wins with only 723 losses... clearly one of the best coaches of all time.

But is he the right coach for the Utah Jazz, now?

20 years in charge of the Jazz, he is the longest tenured coach in US professional sports. A long and illustrious career. There's hardly a franchise in the NBA that more closely resembles their coach. Hard & tenacious, tough & uncompromising. That's the Utah Jazz all over.

But their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness - the physicality they bring to the floor often equates to a bloated amount of fouls given, often at the worst possible moment, whereas their opponents have a player who's more than willing to close out the game. As Will Brinson said during the AOL Fanhouse game 6 live-blog, "I think he (Kobe) sticks some sort of dagger in the Jazz." And how right he was.

This physicality is good at times. It definitely makes the Jazz a tough opponent to play during the regular season when back-to-backs mean that teams are at times tired when they play Utah... but during a playoffs it runs the risk of being a negative if they allow it to get out of control, and send opponents to the foul line.

Sloan's had more than enough chances to address this, and although this Jazz team are relatively young, this has long been a hallmark of Sloan's teams. It's safe to assume that there'll be no changes.

So... change?
I understand that looking at the success the team's enjoyed, even the very thought of change will be met with resistance. Especially when the Jazz have succeeded for so long. But success is a relative term, and sometimes a change is needed. I've long been a firm believer that every coach, no matter how successful, has a shelf-life. Once it's hit, that's it... and it's time to move on.
It's time. Not that Jerry Sloan's a bad coach, nor that he's 'failed' at Utah.
Pointedly, he hasn't.
But the Utah Jazz have taken all they can from him, and still not even competed for a title. The West's only getting stronger. And the notion of 'tough defense' is something that does win championships, but it must be coupled with discipline.

So, who?
Of the available coaches now, Avery Johnson best fits what the Jazz should be looking to achieve. Still maintaining a strong defensive philosophy, but he does bring an appropriate level of discipline to the table too.
A helluva lot of blame has been placed on Johnson's shoulders for the failures at Dallas, and it's true that by the end he had lost his players - The "Lil' General" clearly burnt some bridges there. However, the issues that plagued Dallas (and still do) were not decisions made by Johnson, but by Mark Cuban. Obviously Cuban can't sack himself (tho' I know many a Mavs-fan that wish he would)... and Johnson could've made a greater effort to bend his game plan to fit the roster he ended up with.
But Utah'd suit. Utah'd suit fine.

Now... to convince Larry Miller...

Courtesy of J.E. Skeets, Ball Don't Lie

who seem to enjoy themselves as much as any 3 (mostly grown?) men in America doing what it is they do for a livelihood.

Q1. Which is what exactly?

A1. Breaking down the goings-on in the NBA ... and making us laugh silly.

NBA Coaches Hired; Third Time's the Charm?

On Friday, Rick Carlisle, who coached the Indiana Pacers the last four seasons and was fired after missing the playoffs this season with a 35-47 record, agreed to become Avery Johnson's successor in Dallas with a 4-year, $17.5 million deal. He spent his first two seasons with the Detroit Pistons.

On Saturday, Mike D'Antoni, who coached the Phoenix Suns the last five seasons, became Isiah Thomas's successor for the Knicks with a 4-year, $24 million deal after much speculation with the Chicago Bulls, making him the third-highest paid coach. His first coaching year was with the Denver Nuggets in 1998.

MLB - SC's Players of the Week

Kevin Youkilis, Bos - 1B: 8 R 5 HR 10 RBI 1 SB .375 AVG (12-32)
Season Totals: 27 R 8 HR 30 RBI 2 SB .322 AVG
Not surprisingly, Youkilis won the MLB American League Player of the Week Award, as he currently has a 9-game hitting streak, scoring at least a run in every game and driving in a run in all but one of the games during that span while raising his average 35 points for the AL's top team.

James Shields, TB - SP: 9.0 IP, 1-0 8 K 0.00 ERA
Season totals: 51.2 IP, 4-2 39 K 3.14 ERA
Shields' one start the past week was magnificent enough to nab this week's pitching honor. His complete-game one-hit shutout over the Angels on Friday wasted Jon Garland's 8-inning scoreless effort and would be the first of two straight 2-0 victories over the Angels, moving the Rays (formerly known as the Devil Rays) just a half-game back of first-place Boston, as of Monday.

NHL Playoffs Recap (thru 5/14)

Detroit and Pittsburgh continued their winning ways in the conference finals, both nearing impressive victories in their respective series. The Red Wings are now 11-3 in the playoffs, the Penguins even better at 11-1.

Western Conference Finals

Game 5: (5) Dallas @ (1) Detroit - Sat.
Last game: Dallas beat Detroit 3-1
leads 3-1

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 4: (2) Pittsburgh @ (6) Philadelphia - Thurs.
Last game: Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia 4-1
Pittsburgh leads 3-0

Clip of the Week

Danica Patrick's car struck another team's crew member coming into the pits in a practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Friday, and the man suffered a concussion and scalp and facial cuts. Hey, I'm not saying it, but you know all the guys are muttering under their breath, "women drivers."

A Look Ahead: Preakness and WNBA Tipoff

The 133rd Preakness Stakes is this Saturday at 3:15p PT on NBC with Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown the heavy favorite in the second leg of the Triple Crown races. Big Brown, at an astounding 1-2 odds (no, that's not 2-1 odds) will begin out of post 7 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

The 12th WNBA season tips off Saturday at 12:30p PT with number one overall pick Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie and the Los Angeles Sparks against the 2004 first overall pick Diana Tuarasi and the defending champion Phoenix Mercury. Sounds like an exciting match up on paper.

I love old school R&B and soul music. Some of my favorite came from Memphis Tennessee and the music of Staxx records. My musical hero Otis Redding along with Booker T and the MG's, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and Eddie Floyd gave us some of the greatest music in the past 50 years.

One artist that goes under the radar is William Bell. In 1961 he recorded a song called, "You Don't Miss Your Water, till the Well Runs Dry".  My mind and ears went back to that song when I heard the news that the Dallas Mavericks hired Rick Carlisle to be their new head coach. You don't miss what Avery Johnson did until Rick Carlisle is your coach.

Friday Carlisle agreed a four year deal worth 17.5 million to be in charge of getting the Mavericks back to being serious contenders for the NBA championship. From his web site owner Mark Cuban wrote he's "Incredibly excited that Rick has come on board. His coaching record speaks for itself. He has a unique ability to coach multiple styles of play, which we think makes him a great fit for the Mavs." Cuban has said all along that he is looking for a coach who can lead them to a championship and he feels the talent that is assembled on this team should be vying for the championship. What was that song you sang since 61' Mr. Bell...YOU DON'T MISS YOUR WATER TIL YOUR WELL RUNS DRY.

I know it might sound like it, but this is not a knock on the coaching abilities of Rick Carlisle. He is an excellent coach coming into a situation where the team is built to win. He has shown in coaching stints with Detroit and Indiana that producing fifty win seasons is well within his capabilities. Many people feel the only reason why Carlisle has not been to the NBA finals is because Reggie Miller didn't dunk the ball with Tayshaun Prince bearing down on him and Ron Artest went one on 21,000 with the fans in Detroit.  Even in the aftermath of the Malice at the Palace, Artest was suspended for a year and  Steven Jackson over thirty days, Carlisle still manage to get the team into the playoffs. You could even make the argument that Carlisle is a better coach than Johnson...Still want to hear those words again Mr. Bell, "YOU DON'T MISS YOUR WATER TIL YOUR WELL RUNS DRY".

The reason why I'm not really enthused about this change is because as long as the parts of the car are the same, there's no mechanic that can fix the problem. This season, Dallas was not good enough to even think about playing for a championship. They were long shots at best before they traded for Jason Kidd. With him (more importantly without Devin Harris) the chances plummeted. Now with the hiring of Carlisle that is suppose to be the missing ingredient for Dallas winning a championship?

Unless major trades happen in the off-season (when I say major, I’m talking about what the Boston Celtics did last summer major) Dallas may be jepordary of missing the playoffs all together. Right from the start (barring any major injuries to Kobe, Paul, Deron, Duncan or Roy) Dallas will not be better than Los Angeles, New Orleans, Utah or San Antonio. Depending on who coaches Phoenix (Love to see Avery driving that truck) the Suns should be better. And then you have teams like Portland (there’s some guy name Greg Oden who suppose to be pretty good), Golden St (if Don Nelson comes back and Baron Davis proves last season wasn’t a fluke), and Denver will still be in the mix.

Carlisle is a defensive oriented coach who likes to call plays and play half court offense. Basically he’s a better version of what Dallas had last year. But when you want to enforce your philosophy on a team, you better have the players to do it. If you have the quarterbacks of the Chicago Bears and the wide receivers of the Minnesota Vikings, and I want to win a championship throwing the ball 50 times a game for over 400 yards, I don’t care if you hire Bill Walsh, Don Coryell and Mike Martz as your coaches, you ain’t gonna get it done.

One of the most underrated things that Avery Johnson did with this team was to take a bunch of players who couldn’t spell the word “defense” let alone play it and make them a respectable defensive club. Can Carlisle get more from this team than Johnson did on that end of the floor? Can Carlisle co-exist with Jason Kidd who is almost averaging a career double/double in changing teams and getting coaches fired? Can Carlisle (and the Mavericks organization for that matter) reel in Josh Howard before he embarrasses the organization again or commits another immature, selfish act like he did during the playoffs?

Rick Carlisle might be the right man for the job and in a few years (cause it sure not happening in the next year or two) prove all of us wrong and win that championship that Cuban so much craves. But I wouldn’t be surprise around this time next year we don’t Mark Cuban singing along to the tune of William Bell when he sang this verse…

·         NOW I SIT AND WONDER, HOW CAN THIS BE/ I NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D EVER LEAVE ME.

·         BUT NOW SINCE YOU LEFT ME, OH HOW I’D CRY/ YOU DON’T MISS YOUR WATER, TIL YOUR RUN DRY. 

¡Qué jaleo de rumores, cotilleos y supuestos movimientos de entrenadores y equipos! Y eso que todavía estamos en segunda ronda de playoffs... Pero es que las eliminaciones de Suns y Mavericks en primera ronda han causado una onda expansiva que afecta a toda la liga. Avery Johnson, recién cesado de los Mavs, ya está en conversaciones con varios equipos, entre los que parece que los mejor situados son los New York Knicks (¡Dios, qué combinación!) y los Chicago Bulls. Pero los Bulls también barajan otro nombre gordo para dirigir sus destinos la próxima temporada: nada menos que el mismísimo Mike D'Antoni, que aunque sigue ocupando el cargo de entrenador de los Phoenix Suns, ha recibido permiso explícito de la franquicia para negociar con otros equipos, así que ya se sabe, si es blanco y en botella...

Pero la cosa no termina ahí: los Mavericks, claro, necesitan un entrenador, y después de las contundentes declaraciones recientes de Dirk Nowitzki (que no perdonó ni siquiera a su mentor, Don Nelson) y Jason Kidd pidiendo alguien con disciplina, no parece que D'Antoni sea el candidato idóneo. Se habla de Rick Carlisle como candidato ideal (aunque su nombre lleva sonando para muchos equipos desde el final de la regular season). En cuanto a los Suns, parece que el preferido de Steve Kerr sería Doug Collins, retirado de los banquillos desde hace algunas temporadas. ¿Y qué pasa con los Chicago Bulls y los New York Knicks, los equipos sin entrenador desde hace más tiempo? Pues parece que D'Antoni está que se muere por entrenar a Chicago, pero es que parece que los Knicks también le quieren, así que la cosa puede complicarse y no está nada claro cómo puede acabar todo. Y eso que D'Antoni no ha ganado ningún anillo y su rendimiento en playoffs podría tacharse de discreto en el mejor de los casos... ¡ni que fuera el nuevo Phil Jackson!

Below are excerpts from a Dick Vitale article which laments the firing of Avery Johnson. It would seem that Vitale thinks that Basketball coaches should be retained no matter what happens. Teams or Team owners should be satisfied with a coach no matter why he was hired and no matter how much money these coaches demand in compensation and benefits. The Coach is always right. Even if they're wrong. And should never be fired.

In the NBA, it is all about what happens today. If you don't do well, just pack your bags because you're gone. Go ask Avery Johnson, formerly the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. All he did in less than four full seasons was put up an impressive 194-70 regular-season mark.

When you are brought in to take a team to the next level and you fail to do so...

The problem is, his playoff record was 23-24. Dallas was on the verge of winning an NBA title, which would have made Johnson a hero. But after going up 2-0 against the Heat a few years back, the Mavericks won just three of their next 15 postseason games, ultimately leading to Mark Cuban's decision to say bye-bye to his coach.

Exactly, no play off success...no big pay day. It's not that difficult to figure out.

Johnson handled his firing with real class. He said there was no animosity between himself and the Mavericks, even believing that a change could be beneficial to everyone. Johnson did a phenomenal job in Dallas; his personality is so infectious. I feel his knowledge of the game is certainly special. He got the most out of his ability and did the same with his talent.

Unfortunately, life in the NBA can be unfair. It takes just a couple of poor performances in the playoffs to lead to the hook. Last year's loss to the eighth-seeded Warriors was painful for the Mavs. Then following that up with a loss to New Orleans led directly to the dismissal.

Same as with the Tubby situation. Huge amounts of cash were being transferred to Avery Johnson's bank account for one reason and one reason only.

WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!

He wasn't being paid to have class. That's something you do to make your mother proud. It's not something for which one is paid.

Again. Johnson was being paid HUGE dollar amounts to WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS. What about that is difficult to understand.

Dallas could not handle the unbelievable play of Chris Paul. So a man who won 60, 67 and 51 games over the last three seasons found himself unemployed. My friends, he will not be out of a job for long as several teams have openings.

Johnson will survive and he will not be kept down. He has spirit, energy and enthusiasm. Johnson has knowledge and knows how to communicate.

Who is trying to keep him down? Who is threatening Johnsons survival?

Again, he was being paid HUGE SUMS of money to take Dallas to the next level. He couldn't quite do it. And over the past few years, he was heading in the opposite direction.

Again, I ask. Who is trying to keep him down? Who is threatening Johnson's survival?

It is all about winning the gold trophy. If you don't accomplish that lofty task, it is tough to survive. You can be Coach of the Year one season and then out of work the next. With the mega-dollars being thrown around, the owners certainly have a right to make changes when they desire.

Life in the big time is like a rollercoaster. Johnson has gone through a few bumpy playoff rides, but trust me … he will land on his feet and do just fine.

I'm glad that he'll land on his feet. I just wonder why Dookie Vitale needed to pull off this puff piece. He dogs the owners out. Then excuses the failings of the coach.

If you take that big money, you take the risk of being fired. These coaches are well compensated. At both levels. College and Pro. It would serve Vitale well to remember that.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.

There is a reason that Dick Vitale is no longer a College or Pro Coach. He wasn't very good at it.

Avery Johnson is a victim of nothing. It's laughable to state such a thing. He was well compensated. He had a good run. In the end, he fell short of the goals set forth by Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks. Like Avery himself stated, it was time for new leadership. Time for a change.

Dick Vitale is an emotional tampon. This opinion/puff piece was as worthless as most of the trash that he cruelly thrusts upon the unsuspecting world wide web.

Comments. Questions? Smart remarks...

A1. In all likelihood ... you can't.

----------------------------------

After an oftentimes spectacular 4+ years at the helm of the Phoenix Suns, head coach, Mike D'Antoni seems as though he will soon be moving on to - what he hopes will be - greener pastures.

In a searing indictment of all that's at the root of the Basketball Philosophy, 'Seven Seconds or Less' (Jack McCallum), Adrian Wojnarowski (Yahoo! Sports) explains the how's & why's.

D’Antoni ready to leave his desert mirage behind

Mandatory reading for all.

On Wednesday, April 30, 2008, Head Coach Avery Johnson was fired from the Dallas Mavericks. He has been the coach for that team for the last three plus seasons, and although he had a phenomenal record during the season, his efforts did not pull through in the play-offs.

The Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from the first round of the NBA play-offs on Tuesday evening. The New Orleans Hornets who had the second seat in the Western Conference beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the series; in Dallas efforts they lost their last game at home.

Coach Johnson was a championship winning point guard for the San Antonio Spurs during his career, and later became a coach, and half way through the 2005 season became the coach for the Mavs. In his first consecutive season with the Mavericks he took them to the NBA Finals which seemed to be a huge success when they had a 2-0 lead but, later turned in to chaos and they lost the opportunity for the championship.

Owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, claims that he just couldn’t tolerate anymore losing in the play-offs, and that Johnson was just not pulling through. Well, I think that although Johnson’s record has not shown through the last couple play-off seasons, Mark Cuban needs to give him a chance to prove himself; his overall winning record is very high. Mark Cuban is a man who is just too into himself and has his own agenda. He shouldn’t even be coming near people that are genuine like Avery Johnson.

I think that Mark Cuban has made an enormous mistake, and unless he gets a coach like Phil Jackson or Pat Riley, his team isn’t going to be heading back to the NBA Finals anytime soon.

Best of luck to Dallas in finding a new coach for next season, and best of luck to a authentic coach, Avery Johnson.

-jess

Whenever a vacancy is announced, it's never long before the management looking to fill that opening is calling up guys who've done the job before.  You know, re-treads.  Never mind that often times the re-treads fail miserably on their second or third or fourth chances.  Sort of like most hollywood stars and marriage.

So, it's always exciting when a new coaching re-tread becomes available to the NBA's general managers.  For that reason, Phoenix Coach Mike D'Antoni is getting a lot of attention now that his boss GM Steve Kerr (remember his deadly 3 point shot?  He's been a lot less accurate as a GM so far) is letting him talk to other teams.  Word is the Bulls and Knicks are interested.

My question is why?

First off, and I know it's a surface thing, but there's the bad mustache.  Memo to Mike D'Antoni.  1974's come and gone.  Let go of the 'stache.

Cheap shot?  Maybe, but do you think today's young athletes are respecting someone with  '70s porn facial hair? 

Whatever. 

Let's move on.  The more important factor is what D'Antoni's managed to do in Phoenix.  There's no arguing with the regular season record. It's pretty impressive.  Speaking of pretty, the style of play he advocates is fun to watch and play. Players and fans alike dig it.  (PS - I'm using 70s slang as a subtle tribute to the D'Antoni mustache)

Yup, you know the problem.  The nice regular season stats and the powerhouse offense has meant nothing come playoff time.  A team that has featured the now departed Sean Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash (and his bad hair), Shaq and Grant Hill among others has never made the finals.  Not once.  And if memory serves, they've never even made it to a game seven of a conference finals.

As his core ages, the post season woes have gotten worse.  Now, the Suns are making first round exits.

The trouble with D'Antoni is his teams don't play defense pure and simple.

For my money, if I was a GM looking for rookie re-treads, I'd go with Avery Johnson.  Johnson's regular season record holds up nicely to D'Antoni's.  Johnson has coached a team to a finals appearance, even if Dirk and Co. did choke it away. 

Most, impressively, Johnson changed the culture in Big D.  Suddenly, they were focused on D.  Taking the reins from Don Nelson and getting a team to buy into defense is one big accomplishment.  For that, re-tread Johnson deserves a second shot way before Mike D'Antoni.

Pretty basketball be damned.  And besides Avery doesn't have as cheesy a mustache...

I'm sure that most of those reading are familiar with the Madden Curse. According to Wikipedia, the phenomenon is "a myth involving the video game series Madden NFL, stating that during or after the season, if a player appears on the cover solo, that player will be cursed with either an injury or poor performance."

Recently retired Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is scheduled to be featured on the cover of the 2009 version of the video game, no doubt for his legendary 16 seasons as the Packers' front man. Barring some sort of Michael Jordan-esque return, it is safe to assume that the game's cover jinx will not affect Mr. Favre. Some might say the curse is, finally, broken.

I say - to quote the great ESPN College GameDay correspondant, Lee Corso - "Not so fast!"

Let's leave the realm of football for a moment - just set it aside and stick a pin in it while we're away. We can then travel to a land not so far away - the land deemed the NBA.

On April 25, 2008, All-Star forward/guard of the Dallas Mavericks, Josh Howard, admitted to smoking marijuana during the off-season. This information severely damaged not only the player's reputation, but the Dallas camp as well.

Just five days later, Dallas' head coach Avery Johnson, after leading his team to premature elimination in the NBA Playoffs (for the second year in a row, no less), was dismissed. He had been head coach with the team since 2005.

"It looks like the Mavs are going down the tubes," you may speculate. And you may be right. But what J-Ho and the Little General didn't know is that they were doomed before the playoffs even began.

Allow me to introduce Exhibit A.

This promotional ad featuring both Johnson and Howard started appearing in magazines at the end of last year and again before and during the run of the NBA playoffs.

Some of you may have already connected the dots, but allow me to bring my theory to full understanding. Brett Favre has not merely broken the Madden Curse, he has transferred it to the Got Milk? campaign! From now on, if you see a celebrity sporting that all too familiar white mustache in your favorite newspaper or magazine, you can rest assured that their career will be hindered in a major way.

I suppose only time will tell.

Paul didn't have astounding statistics in New Orleans' 101-82 over San Antonio on Saturday night - a relative statement for Paul, who still finished with 17 points, 13 assists, just two turnovers and four steals. His quick, controlled aggression broke down the veteran Spurs' defense and got all of his younger, more athletic teammates into the mix.

The results were a career playoff-high 30 points for forward David West; an inspired defensive effort from Tyson Chandler, who finished with 15 rebounds and three blocks; and wide open jumpers for sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic (22 points).

At the end of the night, Paul stayed on the floor during garbage time and did all he could to not just secure the win, but break the Spurs' will. He made breathtaking plays down the stretch as the Hornets completed a comeback from an 11-point, first-half deficit.

Lakers Make Statement
Kobe and the Lakers, simply put, are the best team in the NBA. It has been that way since Pau Gasol's arrival in a trade with Memphis, and will likely stay that way until they hoist the NBA championship trophy in June.

L.A. withstood a second-half flurry from the Utah Jazz and held on for a 109-98 win in their second-round matchup on Sunday afternoon. Bryant was just 2-for-8 from the floor in the third and fourth quarters, but finished with 14 points over that stretch and 38 in the game. He hit 21-of-23 free throws and flirted with an NBA playoff record by making his first 18 attempts.

The Lakers opened up their biggest lead, 68-49, midway through the third quarter, but saw the lead gashed to as few as four points, 91-87, with 4:44 remaining. Coach Phil Jackson stopped the bleeding with a quick timeout, then Lamar Odom hit a layup and the Jazz proceeded to miss their next nine field goal attempts.

Two of the Lakers' five players in double figures were reserves, as Sasha Vujacic finished with 15 points and Vladimir Radmanovic added 10. Pau Gasol did his usual work with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Odom finished with 16 points and nine boards.

Celtics Thump Hawks
All the tense buildup in this series gave way to a Game 7 dud as the Boston Celtics disposed of the Atlanta Hawks by halftime and cruised to a 99-65 win. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals to meet LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a series that begins Tuesday night in Boston.

Boston was surprisingly bad on the road and had to escape with a series victory over the Hawks, who had the worst record (37-45) of any team in the playoffs. The Celtics gritty defense returned in Sunday's win, but Atlanta's young, panic-stricken roster also contributed to the blowout.

The Hawks flailed and scrambled on the offensive end, resulting in 29.3 percent shooting, 16 turnovers to just 11 assists, and 11 Boston steals. Atlanta's most seasoned playoff veteran, point guard Mike Bibby, was unproductive with two points on 1-of-3 shooting and two assists in 25 minutes.

Kevin Garnett was again Boston's emotional and statistical leader, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes. His unheralded frontcourt mates, center Kendrick Perkins and reserve forward Leon Powe, helped control the paint with a combined 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

In other news ...
The Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Friday that Bryant will be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player sometime this week. Bryant figures to have narrowly edged Paul in the voting for his first career MVP award.

The Dallas Mavericks and coach Rick Carlisle are negotiating to make the 49-year old Dallas' next head coach. Following its first-round loss to the Hornets, Avery Johnson was fired to create the vacancy. Carlisle last coached the Indiana Pacers during the 2006-07 season, and he has spent the last year working as an analyst for ESPN.

Johnson's name is in the mix for both the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks coaching vacancies. Other names being mentioned are Mike D'Antoni, who could be parting ways with the Phoenix Suns, and former Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy.

More playoff (and non-playoff) thoughts ...

NBA Round Table live blogs the Lakers' win over Utah and observes that the Jazz cannot stop Kobe Bryant.

With the Raptors eliminated, Primoz Forever wants to root for a new team.

Red's Army is keying on LeBron James in the Celtics' second-round matchup.

The World of Sports Marketing takes a look at the saga involving Clay Bennett and his desire to move the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryHardwood.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.

Si bien los rumores hablan de que ya se este hablando de un posible boceto de contrato, el representante de Carlisle, Warren LeGarie, negó esta posibilidad y agrego que tan solo se encuentran en las charlas preliminares.

We've had an extremely productive meeting-comentaba Nelson- with Rick. He's got a wealth of basketball knowledge. We're very impressed with him, but the process is ongoing. The first set of meetings have gone very well.

El ex Pistons era uno de los candidatos de Donnie Walsh para la banca de los Knicks.

Varios medios gráficos aseguraban que la idea principal del dueño de la franquicia, Mark Cuban, era la de pedirle al hijo del entrenador de Golden State Warriors que tome las riendas del equipo, aunque fue rápidamente desechada alegando que habían mejores opciones, por lo que Cuban no quiso forzar la situación:

My job is to get the best guy that we can get out there. I'm on the list. I'm just the last guy and hopefully it doesn't get to that. ... I'm saying we'd have to get through a very, very long list in order for [Donnie Nelson to coach the team] and don't look for it to happen.

Debido a la negativa, la segunda opción del multimillonario era la de traer a Jeff Van Gundy, de quien es un reconocido fan, aunque el actual comentarista de ESPN alegó problemas personales, por los que no dirigirá por un tiempo.

Por ahora, la carrera la gana Rick.

Pistons and Celtics Eastern Conference Final may not be the lock that many people felt at the start of the playoffs. I personally said that the Celtics would win in 4 and Pistons to take 76ers in 5. I don't feel bad about it after all many had same conclusion. So what did everyone miss when looking at these series. Nothing really, sometimes in sports the underdog just step up and answer a challenge. The most famous upset in recent memory was the Denver Nuggets over the Seattle Sonics. That was back in the days of 5 game first round series.

If the Hawks knock out the Celtics in a seven game series it would be a more impressive thing. But the odds of that happening is very long indeed. You can bet that people in Cleveland will be cheering for Atlanta. The Celtics were suppose to be built for the playoffs. They had a great regular season that was even better compared to what even the most optimistic expert would have imagined. Doc Rivers was the runner-up for the NBA coach of the year. Now you have to wonder what good that will do him if the Celtics fall short of the Finals. If they lost to the Hawks you may even wonder how safe his job would be it this kind of environment. Avery Johnson was fired in Dallas with a over .700 winning percentage. Mike D'Antoni is said to be in trouble in Phoenix. The pressure to get it done in the playoffs from owner and general managers can be great. Raptor fans are saying if these guys can be fired, why is Sam Mitchell safe in Toronto. Expectations is the answer, no one saw the Raptors as a legit title contender this season. The thought was they may take a step forward towards that, but instead took a step back or sideways depending on your point of view. The answer of how good or bad a job Sam Mitchell did will be determined a little more clearly when we see what the Magic do against Detroit. That will say a lot about how good the Magic are going against the Pistons. If the Magic defeat the Pistons you may want to rethink how good or bad a job Sam Mitchell did. Should the Pistons easily toss the Magic aside that will say something too.

There is no question the Philadelphia 76ers opened many eyes wide with their effort against the Pistons. It also makes you wonder if the Pistons days as a contender are coming to a close. A young Dwight Howard who is riding high coming off his first ever series win over the Raptors will be a huge test for Detroit. The Pistons had no trouble last year sending the Magic packing. But this is clearly a very different group that stands in front of them this season. How many people had a Cavs vs. Magic Eastern Conference Final. I can tell you not this blogger. It would seem that the Cavs were the team that got it right at the trade deadline. The Suns getting Shaq sees them out, Dallas and Jason Kidd out as well. But Cavs added some pieces and took a big chance by the number of players coming and going. The trade in the regular season did not seem to have been a great move. But the way things are shaking out it may look pretty good as far as the playoffs are concerned. Washington made the huge mistake of motivating Lebron James by saying he was over rated. King James may be very hyped and much talked about but he always seems to rise to a challenge. Most of the season his team's run to the Finals earned little respect. Boston got all the headlines and they were the favourite from the day Kevin Garnett put on that green and white Celtic jersey. But the Celtics are life and death to beat the Hawks. They let Joe Johnson eat them up in a 4th quarter. If Joe Johnson can do that, what will Lebron James do in a 4th quarter to this team. You have to wonder just how the Celtics will be able to defend Lebron. That is of course if they actually are going to at all. The Hawks and the Cavs is not something most would ever even paid much thought too. Well Josh Smith and the rest of the Hawks will not care how to deal with King James they will be just happy to be playing on his court. They will have to many questions on how happy they are to be there to be calling out Lebron or calling him over rated.

The playoffs do not always go according to script. That is what makes sports worth watching. The Giants defeated the un-defeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. The upset is the most exciting thing sports as to offer. The chance of seeing something that is not expected to happen. Sometimes we tend to try to look for answers to why things happen and do not take the time to enjoy them. Does it make any kind of basketball sense that the Hawks are pushing the Celtics to the limit. Not really but that is what makes it fun to watch. Does this mean the Hawks are now better than Toronto Raptors all of the sudden? I don't think that's true. It is a team that had no expectations and nothing to fear and they have embraced that. Will any of that carry over into next season. Some might but ultimately the Hawks are the same team they were heading into the playoffs. A team with lots of young talent that can bite you if they are underestimated. Not much will change moving forward except for the fact that they will have a lot more confidence in what they do.

In a playoff where the west was suppose to provide the excitement and drama, it has been the east that has had the most of that in round 1. Looking at round number two I expect the same trend to remain. But the fun of it all is that who knows if I am right. Maybe the Hornets will knock off the Champs. The Jazz could stun the Lakers. You just never know what lies around the next corner. That is why you keep watching. Unless the Raptors loss to the Magic has made it impossible to watch after watching your team fall. I understand that feeling I get it as well. But we are really missing something if we don't keep watching.

Rick Carlisle didn’t waste any time getting to work … even if he didn’t have the job just yet. The 48-year-old coach ran his first practice in, of all places, Dirk Nowitzki’s living room.

Carlisle’s tour of