ducks
03-31-2005, 11:02 AM
Updated: March 28, 2005, 2:04 PM ET
Kobe's act wearing thin in LA?
By Chad Ford, ESPN Insider
Chad Ford Archive
As a player, Kobe Bryant ranks as one of the 10 best players in the NBA.
But given the Los Angeles Lakers' current problems, and the obstacles they face in fixing the team this summer, should owner Jerry Buss entertain a Kobe trade?
It's not as radical as it sounds. One year ago, everyone thought that Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter were untradable. The truth is that everyone – Kobe included – is tradable if the situation is desperate enough.
But after the Lakers went through so much turmoil and change just to get Kobe re-signed last summer, should they pull the plug so quickly on the experiment? And, are there any Kobe trades out there that even make sense for the Lakers?
Depending on your point of view, the answer to both could be yes.
The Case For Trading Kobe
While Kobe's skills on the court are unquestioned, his prowess as a GM has been called into question by both the media and his own teammates.
When asked by reporters what moves he would make in the offseason to improve the Lakers, Chucky Atkins was quick to jump on a recurring theme about Kobe's perceived role on the team.
"I ain't the GM of this team," Atkins told reporters before the Lakers' eighth straight loss on Sunday. "Kobe's the GM of this team. Ask Kobe. You've been watching this [stuff] all year. You've been watching it and I've been playing in it."
It's not the first time Atkins has pointed his finger at Bryant. And if Atkins is right about Kobe's sway with the front office, this is probably Atkins' last season wearing a Lakers uniform.
Regardless of what you think about Kobe as a player, serious questions have been raised this year about his ability to single-handedly dig the Lakers out of the hole he partially created.
Kobe and Buss still deny that Bryant played a role in the Lakers' decision to dump Shaq before Kobe re-signed with the Lakers last summer, but no one whom Insider has talked with believes that Bryant would have returned if O'Neal had. In other words, Bryant apparently forced Buss into a him-or-me decision.
If Kobe was not behind Shaq and coach Phil Jackson's departures, he could have made a stronger case to retain them. After Buss made keeping Kobe the team's top priority, couldn't Kobe have insisted on retaining both Shaq and Phil as a condition of re-signing with the Lakers? And if Kobe disagreed with the Lakers' decision to dump Shaq and Jackson, why didn't he bolt for the Los Angeles Clippers? The Clippers offered a much more talented supporting cast.
Regardless of who pushed for it, the perception exists among players and the media that the Lakers were doing Kobe's bidding when they cleaned house. In the short term, at least, the moves have proved problematic for the Lakers.
Kobe was supposed to be the savior, but instead he's been the pariah for most of the season. Meanwhile, Shaq and Dwyane Wade are getting along swimmingly in Miami and together have led the Heat to the best record in the East.
If there was any question in L.A. about which player made a bigger difference, that's been answered.
Asked if he was surprised with the Lakers' struggles, Allen Iverson said, "There ain't no No. 34 around here no more," he said, referring to O'Neal. "There's no surprise."
Insider's John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating (PER), as explained in his March 16 article, generally backs up Iverson's premise. Plus/minus ratings do, too.
Shaq's PER rating this year of 27.49 ranks third in the league behind only Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. Kobe's 23.63 isn't too shabby either, good enough for eighth in the league. But O'Neal's teammate Dwyane Wade now has a better PER than Kobe.
According to the latest plus/minus statistics by 82games.com, O'Neal leads the Heat with a +6.3 plus/minus rating. Bryant ranks fifth on the Lakers with a +4.0. That hasn't really changed all that much from last season.
In 2003-04, when Shaq and Kobe played together, Shaq led the team with a +12.1 rating. Bryant ranked fourth behind O'Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone with a +5.8.
In the long term, the Shaq trade eventually might turn in the Lakers' favor. Lamar Odom and Caron Butler are younger, and Shaq was demanding an enormous contract extension that would have tied the Lakers' hands in the future. But in the short term, the deal has been a wreck for both the Lakers and Kobe.
Losing Shaq isn't the only reason the Lakers are struggling. They also lost Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Derek Fisher last summer. Phil Jackson rode off into the sunset. And head coach Rudy Tomjanovich quit halfway into this season, citing health reasons.
The additions of Odom, Butler, Atkins, Chris Mihm and Brian Grant have offset some of those losses.
Mihm, Atkins and Butler are all having career or near-career years. And the only reason that Odom's production has slipped this year is because he takes fewer shots per game. His rebounding and field-goal percentage are at career highs.
Yet, privately, several Lakers' players have been telling their agents for months that they want out – an unusual phenomenon on a team that most players yearned to be a part of a year ago.
It's no secret what Atkins' beef is with Bryant. Bryant dominates the ball too much for his taste. According to Insider's Hollinger, Atkins' concerns are legitimate.
Using a stat called Usage Rate that adds a player's shot attempts, turnovers, assists and free-throw attempts on a per-minute, pace-adjusted basis, it's clear that Bryant is a major ball hog. Only the Sixers' Allen Iverson hogs the ball more.
Kobe isn't the only guy in the league who won't share the ball. But Atkins' problem with Bryant goes deeper than that. His implication is that Kobe deliberately set it up so that he could have the ball in his hands in every possession.
Last season, Kobe still spent much of the game with the ball in his hands, but his usage rate was down to 28.7, good for ninth in the league (ironically, the same number as Wade's Usage Rate this year).
Sources claim that several players trace the problem to Kobe and the Lakers' decision to re-implement certain elements of the triangle. Most newer players on the team were unfamiliar with it and several felt that Bryant was pushing for it in an effort to get even more control over the offense.
Two sources familiar with Tomjanovich's thinking told Insider that Bryant's constant pushing for Tomjanovich to bring back a version of the triangle (an offense Tomjanovich was much less familiar with) and management's unquestioned support of Bryant made Tomjanovich's decision to retire an easy one.
The team wasn't playing great before the move, but at least it was in the playoff hunt with a respectable 24-19 record. Since Tomjanovich left and assistant Frank Hamblen (one of the few holdovers from Jackson's days with the Lakers) was installed as head coach, the Lakers are 8-18.
The complaints from some of Bryant's teammates have become more vocal, and there appears to be a consensus in the Lakers' front office that something needs to be done about it.
Can the Lakers change without trading Kobe?
A late lottery pick, a free-agent signing and a trade or two this summer probably won't be enough.
The Lakers are going to need more sweeping changes.
According to league sources, the Lakers now feel that they erred, at least in the game of perceptions, by turning everything over to Bryant last summer in a desperate attempt to re-sign him. Kobe is a spectacular player, but he can't also be the coach and the GM of the team.
It won't fly with his teammates and it's too much of a burden for any one player to shoulder.
What the Lakers need is someone with stature both in the front office and at the end of the bench. They need someone who isn't afraid to make personnel moves that might rub Kobe the wrong way. They need a coach who will actually coach Bryant, ride him when he takes a bad shot, and who will implement an offense that features Kobe but doesn't revolve around him.
Phil Jackson is the obvious name for both tasks. With Jackson calling the shots, Kobe might get a much-needed rest from the intense scrutiny he's been under all season. But sources claim that Jackson, while flattered and intrigued by the Lakers' interest, isn't leaning in the Lakers' direction.
Owner Jerry Buss might not be able to afford him anyway. With big-spending owners like James Dolan, Paul Allen and new Cavs owner Dan Gilbert all pursuing Jackson, the bidding war might get out of control.
Memphis president Jerry West, another obvious choice to take over, told Insider in February that there was "no chance" he'd return to the Lakers.
Miami GM Pat Riley, the other star-studded name from Lakers' past, claims that he has no intention of leaving the Heat or coaching again. Given the fact that his team has the best record in the league and Shaq – why would he?
With those three names off the board, the Lakers could be in a pickle this summer.
Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe's name has surfaced in the past few weeks as a possibility. While Kiki is the type of out-of-the-box thinker who could help rebuild the Lakers, his close relationship with Bryant and his laid-back demeanor don't suggest that he could wrestle back control of the team.
As far as head coaches go, the pool also might be limited if Jackson can't be tapped. Flip Saunders' name has been mentioned, but his player-friendly, laid-back approach is too similar to Tomjanovich's.
Other names out there include Paul Silas, Mo Cheeks and former Warriors head coach Eric Musselman. None suggests the stature to deal with Bryant.
Given the fact that L.A. is capped out until the summer of 2007, will Buss be left with no choice but to move Bryant?
Should the Lakers trade Kobe?
Kobe has a no-trade clause, meaning that they can't just ship him off to the Milwaukee Bucks, but there are a few trades out there that could make sense for the Lakers and Kobe.
Trades cannot happen until the end of the regular season. However, once the Lakers are eliminated from the playoffs, it might be time for Buss to pick up the phone and see if there's an advantageous Kobe deal out there.
The Lakers probably could land Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox and a re-signed Marko Jaric from the Clippers.
The Chicago Bulls were the other team that Bryant seriously considered signing with last summer. GM John Paxson was willing to give up assets to land Kobe. A trade of Eddy Curry or Tyson Chandler (neither becomes a restricted free agent until June 30), Ben Gordon, Eric Piatkowski and the expiring contract of Othella Harrington, would work under the cap. The Lakers would then own the restricted rights to either Curry or Chandler and could re-sign him this summer.
A deal with the Memphis Grizzlies could also make some sense. West remains a fan of Kobe (and vice versa) and would likely give up anyone on his roster to get a true star in Memphis. Mike Miller, James Posey, Stromile Swift and Earl Watson in a sign-and-trade would all be possibilities.
The Seattle SuperSonics are looking for star power, too, and might be willing to part with Ray Allen and Vladimir Radmanovic in a sign-and-trade for Bryant.
While the Lakers wouldn't get "equal value" in return for Bryant in any of those deals, they would get back more than the Orlando Magic got for T-Mac and the Toronto Raptors got for Vince Carter. The Bulls' deal is especially appealing because of the upside of Curry and Gordon and Bryant's infatuation with all things Michael Jordan.
Whatever the Lakers end up doing, it's clear now that things are going to have to change in L.A. this summer. If they don't, both Kobe and the Lakers risk leaving their legacies buried under the rubble.
Chad Ford covers the NBA draft for ESPN Insider.
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Updated: March 28, 2005, 9:50 PM ET
Hailing Van Gundy's job in the Heat seat
Insider
Walton
By Bill Walton, ESPN Insider
Bill Walton Archive
After the upheaval, turmoil, beheadings and dismissals of far too many head coaches in the NBA this season, it would be hard to come to the conclusion that being a coach is a desirable or viable employment opportunity. While some of the deposed leaders certainly deserved their fate, a far greater number simply havebeen victims of times that are changing. Coaching is teaching – making students better at what they do – and where else can you find such splendid company? But like anything else, some are far better at it than others.
Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Van Gundy
The Heat may have a championship thanks to Van Gundy's excellent coaching and Shaq's strong play.
Many NBA coaches have done exemplary jobs this season, including but not limited to: the Seattle SuperSonics' Nate McMillan, who has shattered the theory that the revolving coaching door and long-term contracts are the paths to the Promised Land; the Chicago Bulls' Scott Skiles, whose tough-love approach with the Baby Bulls has paid off with not only an exciting present, but an even brighter future; the Boston Celtics' Doc Rivers, who has demanded more of Paul Pierce, while getting Antoine Walker to play the best team basketball of his career. The Washington Wizards' Eddie Jordan has created a positive work environment that encourages freedom, creativity and work ethic. Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Fratello has finally got another chance to display his overall brilliance.
And then there have been the jobs performed by the Phoenix Suns' Mike D'Antoni and San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich. D'Antoni has reinvigorated a dormant franchise overnight with daring insight and the most aesthetic style in the league, while Popovich has built the most successful franchise-model of the NBA's modern era
At the end of the day, people who have the privilege of learning under these master teachers can all say they are better off because of the experience and opportunity.
The best of the best coaching jobs this season has been delivered by the Miami Heat's Stan Van Gundy. He has made the recently moribund Heat the NBA's title favorites in less than two seasons. The Heat's level of professionalism, team play, physical fitness and skill development are all directly attributable to coach Van Gundy. While most of the Heat's players have made remarkable progress on many fronts, no one player has come farther this year than Shaquille O'Neal. Van Gundy has been able to do what even the legend, Phil Jackson, could not accomplish the last couple of years and that's to get the big man in shape and playing to his capabilities on a consistent basis.
It's often argued that some coaches have ridden the coattails of great talent to championship acclaim. While it is true that no coach has ever been able to win without talent, not all coaches can win with it. If you listen to the players proselytize about how good they themselves are, one would have to conclude that there is very little room at the top for those who can coach at all.
Shaq is back on top of all things and the credit is due to the coach because the head man gets his hat handed to him when things don't work out. In respect, admiration and appreciation for the ability to get Shaq back to work, Stan Van Gundy is this year's NBA Coach of the Year.
Nuggets can maintain their recent strong play
Carmelo Anthony
Coach Karl and Melo have found the same page in a hurry.
The Denver Nuggets have become one of this year's true success stories. It wasn't too long ago that they were stumbling, dazed and confused, in the wilderness. When general manager Kiki Vandeweghe rescued the expatriate George Karl from his isolation cell on January 27, it was with considerable risk. But things couldn't have gone any better for Denver, as the Nuggets now have to be considered a powerful force in a depleted Western Conference.
Is there anyone out there old enough to remember when the questions this year were about whether the Nuggets would even make the playoffs after last year's quantum leap from the grave? Today's questions are now only about whether Denver can win the championship this year, and whether or not George Karl has coached enough games to be considered this year's NBA Coach of the Year.
For a team now on its third coach this season George Karl has brought not only clarity to Nuggets, but accountability and most importantly overwhelming results.
Karl had to take an initial hard line in trying to instill concepts of discipline and conditioning when he was handed the job two months ago. Te players had abused their privileged position by laying down on former coaches Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper. The winning is so contagious that the Nuggets actually believe they can take on all comers (i.e. the Spurs, the Suns and the Houston Rockets) come playoff time and why not?
The Nuggets' torrid pace under Karl has resulted in a 20-5 record (the best in the West during that stretch), pushing their overall mark to 38-30, their best since the 1987-88 season. Has any other team won 14 out of 15 games since the All-Star break?
Things are going so well in Denver that Carmelo Anthony has gone back to prognostications. After falling a bit short in his guarantee of Olympic Gold, Carmelo came back this week to tell us, "I don't think we know how to lose at this point, that's how fun it is."
The Nuggets can also take advantage of the major shrinkage of the Western Conference, where – in one year – three of the region's most dominant power forces have moved East. (Besides Shaq, Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber are the others).
What not too long ago seemed a pipe dream is now looking ever so promising. With major question marks surrounding many of the teams immediately above them in the West, it is quite conceivable, if not probable, that the Nuggets can finish the regular season fifth or sixth in the Western Conference playoff rankings. With the quicksand that is Dallas Mavericks' foundation, the sky might be the limit for the Nuggets. When you're already a mile high to begin with, that sky can be a lot closer than you think
Rockets blasting off?
Tracy McGrady could be at the beginning of something special in Houston.
They should be, but as the Rockets slink home Sunday from their 15th consecutive loss in San Antonio they can only ask themselves, "If we can't beat the Spurs now, without Tim Duncan, when are we ever going to beat them?
The Rockets can sometimes be the most frustrating of teams. Granted they have the NBA's second best record in the league since January 1, 2005 and it's accepted that Houston, in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, have the nucleus of what should be the NBA's next great team. Beautiful acquisitions of David Wesley, Jon Barry and Mike James have rounded out a roster that now compliments rather than contradicts the talents of McGrady and Ming.
But disappointing and distressing are once again the emotions of the day after watching the more-talented Rockets score only 70 points and get embarrassingly out-worked, out-hustled and beaten badly in the Alamo City by the injury depleted Spurs.
What and who will it take to unleash the power and capability that simmers untapped on a squad that too often leaves you wanting more? While that might be a good marketing strategy for an entertainment commodity, I'm old enough to remember a day when the result of the game was paramount; and fully-realized expectations were what ultimately satisfied the fans.
Growing up on the beaches of San Diego, I learned at an early age that it's generally desirable to be out in front of the next big wave. San Antonio, a whole lot farther from the ocean than Houston is, showed with its speed, quickness, skill and personal development, commitment to the team game and relentless attack that it has the team with the greater understanding of the incoming tide.
Revamped Bulls, Celtics talk of NBA
Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge has done a fabulous job this season reviving the Celtics.
With all the negativity, greed, selfishness, manipulation and exploitation of the Schiavo case these past few days, I prefer to focus on the positive rebirths of basketball in two very important NBA cities – Boston and Chicago.
The revamped Bulls are strikingly similar to the Memphis Grizzlies' model of success (young, hungry, deep and talented) yet pose a greater defensive challenge to opponents than the Grizzlies.
Grant Park, Michigan Avenue – let the celebration begin because the Bulls – who have averaged just 19 victories per year for the last six seasons since Michael Jordan retired – are on the cusp of snapping a seven-year playoff drought. The Chicago fans, who wisely avoided the United Center like the plague the last several years, have come storming back to the House That Jordan Built to watch the much-improved product. The Bulls are now fourth in the league in attendance, averaging almost 20,000 a night.
And with first year gem Ben Gordon, fresh off last year's NCAA championship under the guidance of Jim Calhoun, on the verge of becoming the first player in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year awards in the same season, everything is looking up.– only this time not from the cellar.
Attendance and interest, as well as productivity and efficiency, is also way up in Boston since Walker became an adult and was allowed to return to the party. The Celtics' attendance is up significantly since Walker completed Danny Ainge's re-education program. As an indication of just how far Walker had to come, it only took Rasheed Wallace one game playing in Atlanta to figure out life while it took Walker almost two-thirds of a whole season.
T-Wolves, Pacers are huge disappointments
While we try to always emphasize the positive here at ESPN, some of these sad stories are simply unavoidable.
The debacle that has become the Minnesota Timberwolves has been a blight on the league's good name. The Timberwolves were supposed to compete all the way to the end for the championship this year. The reality is they won't even make the playoffs. Poor decision-making in talent acquisition and the Disease of Conceit took over the team and is now causing the franchise's proud record of eight consecutive playoff appearances to come crashing down. In Minneapolis, everything is broken and this is one of sports' all-time collapses. Character does matter and the lack of it has ruined this once-promising team.
Hopefully the "Season That Wasn't" for the Indiana Pacers forever will debunk the already-flawed theory that organizations win championships, not players. At this point, the Pacers have no players, at least not ones who can win them a title. The next time those Pacers look in the mirror they should reflect at least one more time on how 15 minutes of shame and inexcusable behavior can ruin an entire season – and probably more – for this model franchise.
The New York Knicks, with the league's most-bloated payroll and underachieving roster, have left their fans high and dry once again. That's hard to do with how much it's been raining in New York lately. For a team that's invested so much to win only two road games this year (2005) is numbingly painful. Come on New York, if Boston and Chicago can do it, what seems to be your problem? But then again, with every victory scarce and far between as they are these days, I keep hearing the chants of playoffs, championships and legacies. Maybe I need to look at the bright side – if only somebody can show me where it is! By the way, how many sides are there here?
As the Los Angeles Lakers will fail to make the playoffs for only the fourth time since moving to California in 1960 and will become the first team in six years to miss the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals the year before, I am becoming more perplexed by the day. As confusing and disappointing as the lack of progress, cohesiveness and player development that we were all promised has been, it has paled in comparison to the treatment of Kobe Bryant. It is mind-boggling to me why fans around the NBA are booing this now seemingly middle-aged man. I can understand why Lakers' fans might boo him, but the rest of the league should be cheering wildly for the guy. And in Miami, Kobe should be the guest of honor at the parade that the Heat can start scheduling right now.
Heat, Suns have best chance to win it all
The Heat and the Suns have the best chance to win it all this season. As of right now, it's looking like the defending champion Detroit Pistons and the Spurs are going to come up just short in the Conference Finals. Also, the Bulls and Rockets probably have the best chance of creating havoc and causing permanent damage to the universal order of things in their respective conferences. The SuperSonics and Celtics will need everything and more to go right for them to make real noise.
NBA isn't raiding good college players
Besides UCLA losing in the first round to an exiled and defrocked warlord from West Texas, I was admittedly caught off guard by a statistical analysis that I stumbled across. The NBA gets regularly hammered in the court of public opinion for raiding the kids' game. There are cries about ow nobody who's any good goes to college anymore and how it's killing the college game! Then I saw that of the 360 players in the NBA (assuming 30 12-man rosters), 77 of them have played in the Final Four and 32 are NCAA champions! When you consider that more that 25-percent of the NBA comes from the international talent pool, the argument that the traditional path to the pros no longer runs through the college game seems to have less validity.
Bill Walton, an NBA analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.
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WHO WHAT THE SKINNY
Head coach Mar. 25 - Is rookie head coach Sam Mitchell on his way out in Toronto, and could recently fired Paul Silas find his way to the Raptors' bench?
The Akron Beacon Journal speculates that Silas – fired March 21 by the Cavs – might be the logical replacement for Mitchell, whose volatile tenure in Toronto seems to grow more tenuous by the moment. The Beacon Journal and Toronto Star report Silas is close friends with Pete Babcock, the Raptors' player personnel director and brother of GM Rob Babcock.
Mitchell, who has been at odds with his players all season long, apparently took offense to Rob Babcock's public criticism of the coach's use of rookie center Rafael Araujo. According to the Star, Babcock believes Araujo, a lottery pick who has been a bust, is better coming off the bench but "Sam's the coach and however he wants to do it is fine with me."
Mitchell told the Star he was not going to comment on Babcock's statement, but was overheard asking a member of the Raptors' media relations staff why Babcock make such a comment to the media.
Kobe's act wearing thin in LA?
By Chad Ford, ESPN Insider
Chad Ford Archive
As a player, Kobe Bryant ranks as one of the 10 best players in the NBA.
But given the Los Angeles Lakers' current problems, and the obstacles they face in fixing the team this summer, should owner Jerry Buss entertain a Kobe trade?
It's not as radical as it sounds. One year ago, everyone thought that Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter were untradable. The truth is that everyone – Kobe included – is tradable if the situation is desperate enough.
But after the Lakers went through so much turmoil and change just to get Kobe re-signed last summer, should they pull the plug so quickly on the experiment? And, are there any Kobe trades out there that even make sense for the Lakers?
Depending on your point of view, the answer to both could be yes.
The Case For Trading Kobe
While Kobe's skills on the court are unquestioned, his prowess as a GM has been called into question by both the media and his own teammates.
When asked by reporters what moves he would make in the offseason to improve the Lakers, Chucky Atkins was quick to jump on a recurring theme about Kobe's perceived role on the team.
"I ain't the GM of this team," Atkins told reporters before the Lakers' eighth straight loss on Sunday. "Kobe's the GM of this team. Ask Kobe. You've been watching this [stuff] all year. You've been watching it and I've been playing in it."
It's not the first time Atkins has pointed his finger at Bryant. And if Atkins is right about Kobe's sway with the front office, this is probably Atkins' last season wearing a Lakers uniform.
Regardless of what you think about Kobe as a player, serious questions have been raised this year about his ability to single-handedly dig the Lakers out of the hole he partially created.
Kobe and Buss still deny that Bryant played a role in the Lakers' decision to dump Shaq before Kobe re-signed with the Lakers last summer, but no one whom Insider has talked with believes that Bryant would have returned if O'Neal had. In other words, Bryant apparently forced Buss into a him-or-me decision.
If Kobe was not behind Shaq and coach Phil Jackson's departures, he could have made a stronger case to retain them. After Buss made keeping Kobe the team's top priority, couldn't Kobe have insisted on retaining both Shaq and Phil as a condition of re-signing with the Lakers? And if Kobe disagreed with the Lakers' decision to dump Shaq and Jackson, why didn't he bolt for the Los Angeles Clippers? The Clippers offered a much more talented supporting cast.
Regardless of who pushed for it, the perception exists among players and the media that the Lakers were doing Kobe's bidding when they cleaned house. In the short term, at least, the moves have proved problematic for the Lakers.
Kobe was supposed to be the savior, but instead he's been the pariah for most of the season. Meanwhile, Shaq and Dwyane Wade are getting along swimmingly in Miami and together have led the Heat to the best record in the East.
If there was any question in L.A. about which player made a bigger difference, that's been answered.
Asked if he was surprised with the Lakers' struggles, Allen Iverson said, "There ain't no No. 34 around here no more," he said, referring to O'Neal. "There's no surprise."
Insider's John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating (PER), as explained in his March 16 article, generally backs up Iverson's premise. Plus/minus ratings do, too.
Shaq's PER rating this year of 27.49 ranks third in the league behind only Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. Kobe's 23.63 isn't too shabby either, good enough for eighth in the league. But O'Neal's teammate Dwyane Wade now has a better PER than Kobe.
According to the latest plus/minus statistics by 82games.com, O'Neal leads the Heat with a +6.3 plus/minus rating. Bryant ranks fifth on the Lakers with a +4.0. That hasn't really changed all that much from last season.
In 2003-04, when Shaq and Kobe played together, Shaq led the team with a +12.1 rating. Bryant ranked fourth behind O'Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone with a +5.8.
In the long term, the Shaq trade eventually might turn in the Lakers' favor. Lamar Odom and Caron Butler are younger, and Shaq was demanding an enormous contract extension that would have tied the Lakers' hands in the future. But in the short term, the deal has been a wreck for both the Lakers and Kobe.
Losing Shaq isn't the only reason the Lakers are struggling. They also lost Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Derek Fisher last summer. Phil Jackson rode off into the sunset. And head coach Rudy Tomjanovich quit halfway into this season, citing health reasons.
The additions of Odom, Butler, Atkins, Chris Mihm and Brian Grant have offset some of those losses.
Mihm, Atkins and Butler are all having career or near-career years. And the only reason that Odom's production has slipped this year is because he takes fewer shots per game. His rebounding and field-goal percentage are at career highs.
Yet, privately, several Lakers' players have been telling their agents for months that they want out – an unusual phenomenon on a team that most players yearned to be a part of a year ago.
It's no secret what Atkins' beef is with Bryant. Bryant dominates the ball too much for his taste. According to Insider's Hollinger, Atkins' concerns are legitimate.
Using a stat called Usage Rate that adds a player's shot attempts, turnovers, assists and free-throw attempts on a per-minute, pace-adjusted basis, it's clear that Bryant is a major ball hog. Only the Sixers' Allen Iverson hogs the ball more.
Kobe isn't the only guy in the league who won't share the ball. But Atkins' problem with Bryant goes deeper than that. His implication is that Kobe deliberately set it up so that he could have the ball in his hands in every possession.
Last season, Kobe still spent much of the game with the ball in his hands, but his usage rate was down to 28.7, good for ninth in the league (ironically, the same number as Wade's Usage Rate this year).
Sources claim that several players trace the problem to Kobe and the Lakers' decision to re-implement certain elements of the triangle. Most newer players on the team were unfamiliar with it and several felt that Bryant was pushing for it in an effort to get even more control over the offense.
Two sources familiar with Tomjanovich's thinking told Insider that Bryant's constant pushing for Tomjanovich to bring back a version of the triangle (an offense Tomjanovich was much less familiar with) and management's unquestioned support of Bryant made Tomjanovich's decision to retire an easy one.
The team wasn't playing great before the move, but at least it was in the playoff hunt with a respectable 24-19 record. Since Tomjanovich left and assistant Frank Hamblen (one of the few holdovers from Jackson's days with the Lakers) was installed as head coach, the Lakers are 8-18.
The complaints from some of Bryant's teammates have become more vocal, and there appears to be a consensus in the Lakers' front office that something needs to be done about it.
Can the Lakers change without trading Kobe?
A late lottery pick, a free-agent signing and a trade or two this summer probably won't be enough.
The Lakers are going to need more sweeping changes.
According to league sources, the Lakers now feel that they erred, at least in the game of perceptions, by turning everything over to Bryant last summer in a desperate attempt to re-sign him. Kobe is a spectacular player, but he can't also be the coach and the GM of the team.
It won't fly with his teammates and it's too much of a burden for any one player to shoulder.
What the Lakers need is someone with stature both in the front office and at the end of the bench. They need someone who isn't afraid to make personnel moves that might rub Kobe the wrong way. They need a coach who will actually coach Bryant, ride him when he takes a bad shot, and who will implement an offense that features Kobe but doesn't revolve around him.
Phil Jackson is the obvious name for both tasks. With Jackson calling the shots, Kobe might get a much-needed rest from the intense scrutiny he's been under all season. But sources claim that Jackson, while flattered and intrigued by the Lakers' interest, isn't leaning in the Lakers' direction.
Owner Jerry Buss might not be able to afford him anyway. With big-spending owners like James Dolan, Paul Allen and new Cavs owner Dan Gilbert all pursuing Jackson, the bidding war might get out of control.
Memphis president Jerry West, another obvious choice to take over, told Insider in February that there was "no chance" he'd return to the Lakers.
Miami GM Pat Riley, the other star-studded name from Lakers' past, claims that he has no intention of leaving the Heat or coaching again. Given the fact that his team has the best record in the league and Shaq – why would he?
With those three names off the board, the Lakers could be in a pickle this summer.
Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe's name has surfaced in the past few weeks as a possibility. While Kiki is the type of out-of-the-box thinker who could help rebuild the Lakers, his close relationship with Bryant and his laid-back demeanor don't suggest that he could wrestle back control of the team.
As far as head coaches go, the pool also might be limited if Jackson can't be tapped. Flip Saunders' name has been mentioned, but his player-friendly, laid-back approach is too similar to Tomjanovich's.
Other names out there include Paul Silas, Mo Cheeks and former Warriors head coach Eric Musselman. None suggests the stature to deal with Bryant.
Given the fact that L.A. is capped out until the summer of 2007, will Buss be left with no choice but to move Bryant?
Should the Lakers trade Kobe?
Kobe has a no-trade clause, meaning that they can't just ship him off to the Milwaukee Bucks, but there are a few trades out there that could make sense for the Lakers and Kobe.
Trades cannot happen until the end of the regular season. However, once the Lakers are eliminated from the playoffs, it might be time for Buss to pick up the phone and see if there's an advantageous Kobe deal out there.
The Lakers probably could land Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox and a re-signed Marko Jaric from the Clippers.
The Chicago Bulls were the other team that Bryant seriously considered signing with last summer. GM John Paxson was willing to give up assets to land Kobe. A trade of Eddy Curry or Tyson Chandler (neither becomes a restricted free agent until June 30), Ben Gordon, Eric Piatkowski and the expiring contract of Othella Harrington, would work under the cap. The Lakers would then own the restricted rights to either Curry or Chandler and could re-sign him this summer.
A deal with the Memphis Grizzlies could also make some sense. West remains a fan of Kobe (and vice versa) and would likely give up anyone on his roster to get a true star in Memphis. Mike Miller, James Posey, Stromile Swift and Earl Watson in a sign-and-trade would all be possibilities.
The Seattle SuperSonics are looking for star power, too, and might be willing to part with Ray Allen and Vladimir Radmanovic in a sign-and-trade for Bryant.
While the Lakers wouldn't get "equal value" in return for Bryant in any of those deals, they would get back more than the Orlando Magic got for T-Mac and the Toronto Raptors got for Vince Carter. The Bulls' deal is especially appealing because of the upside of Curry and Gordon and Bryant's infatuation with all things Michael Jordan.
Whatever the Lakers end up doing, it's clear now that things are going to have to change in L.A. this summer. If they don't, both Kobe and the Lakers risk leaving their legacies buried under the rubble.
Chad Ford covers the NBA draft for ESPN Insider.
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Updated: March 28, 2005, 9:50 PM ET
Hailing Van Gundy's job in the Heat seat
Insider
Walton
By Bill Walton, ESPN Insider
Bill Walton Archive
After the upheaval, turmoil, beheadings and dismissals of far too many head coaches in the NBA this season, it would be hard to come to the conclusion that being a coach is a desirable or viable employment opportunity. While some of the deposed leaders certainly deserved their fate, a far greater number simply havebeen victims of times that are changing. Coaching is teaching – making students better at what they do – and where else can you find such splendid company? But like anything else, some are far better at it than others.
Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Van Gundy
The Heat may have a championship thanks to Van Gundy's excellent coaching and Shaq's strong play.
Many NBA coaches have done exemplary jobs this season, including but not limited to: the Seattle SuperSonics' Nate McMillan, who has shattered the theory that the revolving coaching door and long-term contracts are the paths to the Promised Land; the Chicago Bulls' Scott Skiles, whose tough-love approach with the Baby Bulls has paid off with not only an exciting present, but an even brighter future; the Boston Celtics' Doc Rivers, who has demanded more of Paul Pierce, while getting Antoine Walker to play the best team basketball of his career. The Washington Wizards' Eddie Jordan has created a positive work environment that encourages freedom, creativity and work ethic. Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Fratello has finally got another chance to display his overall brilliance.
And then there have been the jobs performed by the Phoenix Suns' Mike D'Antoni and San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich. D'Antoni has reinvigorated a dormant franchise overnight with daring insight and the most aesthetic style in the league, while Popovich has built the most successful franchise-model of the NBA's modern era
At the end of the day, people who have the privilege of learning under these master teachers can all say they are better off because of the experience and opportunity.
The best of the best coaching jobs this season has been delivered by the Miami Heat's Stan Van Gundy. He has made the recently moribund Heat the NBA's title favorites in less than two seasons. The Heat's level of professionalism, team play, physical fitness and skill development are all directly attributable to coach Van Gundy. While most of the Heat's players have made remarkable progress on many fronts, no one player has come farther this year than Shaquille O'Neal. Van Gundy has been able to do what even the legend, Phil Jackson, could not accomplish the last couple of years and that's to get the big man in shape and playing to his capabilities on a consistent basis.
It's often argued that some coaches have ridden the coattails of great talent to championship acclaim. While it is true that no coach has ever been able to win without talent, not all coaches can win with it. If you listen to the players proselytize about how good they themselves are, one would have to conclude that there is very little room at the top for those who can coach at all.
Shaq is back on top of all things and the credit is due to the coach because the head man gets his hat handed to him when things don't work out. In respect, admiration and appreciation for the ability to get Shaq back to work, Stan Van Gundy is this year's NBA Coach of the Year.
Nuggets can maintain their recent strong play
Carmelo Anthony
Coach Karl and Melo have found the same page in a hurry.
The Denver Nuggets have become one of this year's true success stories. It wasn't too long ago that they were stumbling, dazed and confused, in the wilderness. When general manager Kiki Vandeweghe rescued the expatriate George Karl from his isolation cell on January 27, it was with considerable risk. But things couldn't have gone any better for Denver, as the Nuggets now have to be considered a powerful force in a depleted Western Conference.
Is there anyone out there old enough to remember when the questions this year were about whether the Nuggets would even make the playoffs after last year's quantum leap from the grave? Today's questions are now only about whether Denver can win the championship this year, and whether or not George Karl has coached enough games to be considered this year's NBA Coach of the Year.
For a team now on its third coach this season George Karl has brought not only clarity to Nuggets, but accountability and most importantly overwhelming results.
Karl had to take an initial hard line in trying to instill concepts of discipline and conditioning when he was handed the job two months ago. Te players had abused their privileged position by laying down on former coaches Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper. The winning is so contagious that the Nuggets actually believe they can take on all comers (i.e. the Spurs, the Suns and the Houston Rockets) come playoff time and why not?
The Nuggets' torrid pace under Karl has resulted in a 20-5 record (the best in the West during that stretch), pushing their overall mark to 38-30, their best since the 1987-88 season. Has any other team won 14 out of 15 games since the All-Star break?
Things are going so well in Denver that Carmelo Anthony has gone back to prognostications. After falling a bit short in his guarantee of Olympic Gold, Carmelo came back this week to tell us, "I don't think we know how to lose at this point, that's how fun it is."
The Nuggets can also take advantage of the major shrinkage of the Western Conference, where – in one year – three of the region's most dominant power forces have moved East. (Besides Shaq, Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber are the others).
What not too long ago seemed a pipe dream is now looking ever so promising. With major question marks surrounding many of the teams immediately above them in the West, it is quite conceivable, if not probable, that the Nuggets can finish the regular season fifth or sixth in the Western Conference playoff rankings. With the quicksand that is Dallas Mavericks' foundation, the sky might be the limit for the Nuggets. When you're already a mile high to begin with, that sky can be a lot closer than you think
Rockets blasting off?
Tracy McGrady could be at the beginning of something special in Houston.
They should be, but as the Rockets slink home Sunday from their 15th consecutive loss in San Antonio they can only ask themselves, "If we can't beat the Spurs now, without Tim Duncan, when are we ever going to beat them?
The Rockets can sometimes be the most frustrating of teams. Granted they have the NBA's second best record in the league since January 1, 2005 and it's accepted that Houston, in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, have the nucleus of what should be the NBA's next great team. Beautiful acquisitions of David Wesley, Jon Barry and Mike James have rounded out a roster that now compliments rather than contradicts the talents of McGrady and Ming.
But disappointing and distressing are once again the emotions of the day after watching the more-talented Rockets score only 70 points and get embarrassingly out-worked, out-hustled and beaten badly in the Alamo City by the injury depleted Spurs.
What and who will it take to unleash the power and capability that simmers untapped on a squad that too often leaves you wanting more? While that might be a good marketing strategy for an entertainment commodity, I'm old enough to remember a day when the result of the game was paramount; and fully-realized expectations were what ultimately satisfied the fans.
Growing up on the beaches of San Diego, I learned at an early age that it's generally desirable to be out in front of the next big wave. San Antonio, a whole lot farther from the ocean than Houston is, showed with its speed, quickness, skill and personal development, commitment to the team game and relentless attack that it has the team with the greater understanding of the incoming tide.
Revamped Bulls, Celtics talk of NBA
Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge has done a fabulous job this season reviving the Celtics.
With all the negativity, greed, selfishness, manipulation and exploitation of the Schiavo case these past few days, I prefer to focus on the positive rebirths of basketball in two very important NBA cities – Boston and Chicago.
The revamped Bulls are strikingly similar to the Memphis Grizzlies' model of success (young, hungry, deep and talented) yet pose a greater defensive challenge to opponents than the Grizzlies.
Grant Park, Michigan Avenue – let the celebration begin because the Bulls – who have averaged just 19 victories per year for the last six seasons since Michael Jordan retired – are on the cusp of snapping a seven-year playoff drought. The Chicago fans, who wisely avoided the United Center like the plague the last several years, have come storming back to the House That Jordan Built to watch the much-improved product. The Bulls are now fourth in the league in attendance, averaging almost 20,000 a night.
And with first year gem Ben Gordon, fresh off last year's NCAA championship under the guidance of Jim Calhoun, on the verge of becoming the first player in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year awards in the same season, everything is looking up.– only this time not from the cellar.
Attendance and interest, as well as productivity and efficiency, is also way up in Boston since Walker became an adult and was allowed to return to the party. The Celtics' attendance is up significantly since Walker completed Danny Ainge's re-education program. As an indication of just how far Walker had to come, it only took Rasheed Wallace one game playing in Atlanta to figure out life while it took Walker almost two-thirds of a whole season.
T-Wolves, Pacers are huge disappointments
While we try to always emphasize the positive here at ESPN, some of these sad stories are simply unavoidable.
The debacle that has become the Minnesota Timberwolves has been a blight on the league's good name. The Timberwolves were supposed to compete all the way to the end for the championship this year. The reality is they won't even make the playoffs. Poor decision-making in talent acquisition and the Disease of Conceit took over the team and is now causing the franchise's proud record of eight consecutive playoff appearances to come crashing down. In Minneapolis, everything is broken and this is one of sports' all-time collapses. Character does matter and the lack of it has ruined this once-promising team.
Hopefully the "Season That Wasn't" for the Indiana Pacers forever will debunk the already-flawed theory that organizations win championships, not players. At this point, the Pacers have no players, at least not ones who can win them a title. The next time those Pacers look in the mirror they should reflect at least one more time on how 15 minutes of shame and inexcusable behavior can ruin an entire season – and probably more – for this model franchise.
The New York Knicks, with the league's most-bloated payroll and underachieving roster, have left their fans high and dry once again. That's hard to do with how much it's been raining in New York lately. For a team that's invested so much to win only two road games this year (2005) is numbingly painful. Come on New York, if Boston and Chicago can do it, what seems to be your problem? But then again, with every victory scarce and far between as they are these days, I keep hearing the chants of playoffs, championships and legacies. Maybe I need to look at the bright side – if only somebody can show me where it is! By the way, how many sides are there here?
As the Los Angeles Lakers will fail to make the playoffs for only the fourth time since moving to California in 1960 and will become the first team in six years to miss the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals the year before, I am becoming more perplexed by the day. As confusing and disappointing as the lack of progress, cohesiveness and player development that we were all promised has been, it has paled in comparison to the treatment of Kobe Bryant. It is mind-boggling to me why fans around the NBA are booing this now seemingly middle-aged man. I can understand why Lakers' fans might boo him, but the rest of the league should be cheering wildly for the guy. And in Miami, Kobe should be the guest of honor at the parade that the Heat can start scheduling right now.
Heat, Suns have best chance to win it all
The Heat and the Suns have the best chance to win it all this season. As of right now, it's looking like the defending champion Detroit Pistons and the Spurs are going to come up just short in the Conference Finals. Also, the Bulls and Rockets probably have the best chance of creating havoc and causing permanent damage to the universal order of things in their respective conferences. The SuperSonics and Celtics will need everything and more to go right for them to make real noise.
NBA isn't raiding good college players
Besides UCLA losing in the first round to an exiled and defrocked warlord from West Texas, I was admittedly caught off guard by a statistical analysis that I stumbled across. The NBA gets regularly hammered in the court of public opinion for raiding the kids' game. There are cries about ow nobody who's any good goes to college anymore and how it's killing the college game! Then I saw that of the 360 players in the NBA (assuming 30 12-man rosters), 77 of them have played in the Final Four and 32 are NCAA champions! When you consider that more that 25-percent of the NBA comes from the international talent pool, the argument that the traditional path to the pros no longer runs through the college game seems to have less validity.
Bill Walton, an NBA analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.
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WHO WHAT THE SKINNY
Head coach Mar. 25 - Is rookie head coach Sam Mitchell on his way out in Toronto, and could recently fired Paul Silas find his way to the Raptors' bench?
The Akron Beacon Journal speculates that Silas – fired March 21 by the Cavs – might be the logical replacement for Mitchell, whose volatile tenure in Toronto seems to grow more tenuous by the moment. The Beacon Journal and Toronto Star report Silas is close friends with Pete Babcock, the Raptors' player personnel director and brother of GM Rob Babcock.
Mitchell, who has been at odds with his players all season long, apparently took offense to Rob Babcock's public criticism of the coach's use of rookie center Rafael Araujo. According to the Star, Babcock believes Araujo, a lottery pick who has been a bust, is better coming off the bench but "Sam's the coach and however he wants to do it is fine with me."
Mitchell told the Star he was not going to comment on Babcock's statement, but was overheard asking a member of the Raptors' media relations staff why Babcock make such a comment to the media.