Manu20
09-28-2005, 02:51 PM
Some teams re-tooled, others got fooled
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/4906860
Just as meticulous preparation of, and total commitment to, practice sessions greatly enhances a team's chances to win games, what a franchise does and does not do in the off-season has an enormous influence on how the team will perform once the season commences.
A huge part of a general manager's job description is to design a workable game plan that will hopefully lead to success. The options are numerous:
Should his team rely on youngsters or on veterans? And if playing time is mixed and matched, in what proportions should daylight be allotted? Let the kids lose and learn? Or hope that the vets have enough left to win right now?
Should his team run and gun or play station-to-station basketball? Be guard, forward, or center-centric? Employ two distinct units? Emphasize defense or offense? Once a game plan is established, the GM must than find the right coach and the right players to implement that design.
Heading into the new season, a few teams have chosen to virtually stand pat — namely Golden State, Orlando, Toronto and New Orleans. Some teams have done a stellar job of either rebuilding or enhancing their roster while remaining faithful to their blueprint for success. Others have made foolish moves based on either misguided game plans or no discernible game plans at all.
Let's take a close look at the best and worst of these summertime tinkerings.
The best
San Antonio
Added: Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel, Fabrio Oberto.
Subtracted: Devon Brown, Glenn Robinson, Tony Massenburg.
In a strictly Xs and O's sense, general manager R.C. Buford has done his usual outstanding job. Tim Duncan remains at the hub of their offense, while Tony Parker scoots and shoots, Manu Ginobili finds driving lanes where none seem to exist, and Robert Horry routinely makes big plays. Under Gregg Popovich's stern direction, the Spurs play smart and play hard. But not even championship teams are perfect.
Indeed, with a barely serviceable center tandem of Nazr Mohammed and Tony Massenburg, last year's team was forced to play T.D. in the middle and Horry at power forward whenever a game was up for grabs. The 6-10 Oberto was a teammate of Ginobili's on Argentina's gold-medal winning team at the Athens Olympics. At 30, he's a staunch veteran of international play, showing good hands, a rugged disposition, and a willingness to play team ball. His presence will reduce the long season's wear and tear on both Duncan and Horry, as well as increasing the bench time of Mohammed's bad hands and chronic foul trouble.
Another problem for the Spurs has been the dry spells occasionally suffered by their offense. This usually happens when Parker takes (and misses) hurried shots, and Ginobili likewise can't find the range. Adding hot shot scorers like Van Exel and Finley certainly fills in the empty spaces, but there are consequences. Finley's arrival means diminished playing time for Brent Barry, who's faster and has a much quicker shot release than his replacement. Finley does play better defense, but he's more of a one-on-one type of scorer who might struggle in adjusting to the Spurs' team concept. Also, as his career advances, Finley's game has become soft around the edges.
Nick (the not so quick anymore) Van Exel is another player who'd rather create his own scoring opportunities. Bad shot selection and inferior defense have always plagued Van Exel's performance. Van Exel is strictly a streak shooter and if his hot spells coincide with the Spurs' cold spells, then San Antonio has a leg up on a repeat championship.
Bet on Oberto, Finley, and Van Exel to eventually blend in perfectly with the Spurs' scheme of things.
Miami
Added: Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, James Posey, Jason Williams.
Subtracted: Eddie Jones, Keyon Dooling, Rasual Butler, Christian Laettner, Steve Smith.
There's no questioning the talents of Miami's newcomers, but Pat Riley is taking several risks with such a wholesale upheaval of his roster. Throughout their careers, Walker, Payton, and Williams have been extremely selfish players. Also, Posey showed up at Memphis' preseason camp a year ago fat, sassy, and too full of himself.
Both Walker and Williams are prone to taking horrible shots. At age 37, Payton can no longer keep opposing guards out of the middle, and is useless in defending screen/rolls. But if Posey can get his body (and his head) in workable condition, he'll provide much more toughness than did Eddie Jones.
Apparently, Miami is depending upon the overpowering presence of Shaq to keep everybody in line. Riley must be hoping that Shaq will do a better job with Walker, Williams et al than he did with Kobe (and Payton, for that matter) in L.A.
Cleveland
Added: Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones
Subtracted: Jiri Welsch, Robert Traylor, Scott Williams, Jeff McGinnis, Dujuan Wagner
Give GM Jim Paxson credit for improving the Cavs' firepower. But there are still questions to be answered: Will Larry Hughes' slashing, penetrating game duplicate LeBron's specific skills? Will Hughes' gambling defense compromise the fundamentally sound defensive gameplan that new coach Mike Brown hopes to install? The perimeter shooting of Marshall and Jones will hugely benefit from LeBron's penetrating and dishing capablitities — but can Marshall and Jones guard any better than the defensively challenged LeBron?
If everything falls into place, the Cavs will be an awesome offensive force. The team still lacks a banger in the middle, and a face-to-face stopper at any position. Even so, a significant step in the right direction for Cleveland.
The worst
Dallas
Added: Doug Christie, DeSagana Diop
Subtracted: Michael Finley, Alan Henderson, Shawn Bradley (retired)
Losing Finley to free agency is a devastating blow. Bradley was soft and won't be missed, while Henderson was a solid role player. After four years in the league, Diop remains a work in progress and will most likely never develop into a forceful big man.
The problem is Christie. He's selfish, arrogant, short-armed whenever a game is up for grabs, and washed up. The players on the last two teams he played for —Sacramento and Orlando — couldn't wait for him to leave town. What Dallas needs is players at any position who can play hard-nosed defense; a physical and courageous scorer to offset Dirk Nowitzki's lack of toughness; and a true point guard so that the erratic shoot-'em-up Jason Terry can revert to his natural position as sixth man.
Instead, Don Nelson came up with Christie. It's called subtraction by addition.
L.A. Clippers
Added: Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley
Subtracted: Bobby Simmons, Mikki Moore, Marko Jaric, Kerry Kittles, Kenny Anderson, Derrick Martin
GM Elgin Baylor has done it again — he's made a bad team worse. Of the departees, the loss of Simmons will be hardest to overcome. He could shoot, score, and was an acceptable defender. Jaric was smart, unselfish, and dependable, if not sufficiently quick to excel at the point. The rest were totally expendable.
Adding Cassell and Mobley, however, introduces a pair of shoot-first, malcontented, defenseless guards to the mix. But since that was the scouting report on Baylor, it's totally appropriate that he wants to cast his team in his own image.
How many shots will be left over for Elton Brand and Corey Maggette? And what does Cassell's overweening presence do to the projected development of Shaun Livington?
The result of Baylor's off-season machinations is another typically dysfunctional team.
Phoenix
Added: James Jones, Eddie House, Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell, Brian Grant
Subtracted: Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson
Yeah, yeah, everybody's talking about how GM Bryan Colangelo added bulk and toughness to the Suns' front line. To say nothing of the defensive forthrightness of Thomas and Bell. And, hey, Jones' long-range shooting is a perfect match for Steve Nash's fancy passings. Also, moving Shawn Marion back to his more natural small-forward slot will be absolutely beneficial. Right?
Not completely.
In truth, Thomas has been worn to a nub by having to play center for too many seasons in New York. Grant is strong, brave, but weak-kneed and undersized. Bell, indeed, is solid on both ends. Jones can't put the ball on the floor to any great advantage. And House is inconsistent and shot happy.
Missing from the team's new equation are Johnson's versatility, deadly 3-point shooting, slightly more than adequate defense, and ability to create shots whenever the Suns' running game is stalled. Also, Q's strength, treys, and earnest defense.
While returning Marion to small forward will make him more comfortable and less likely to be overpowered, the move also severely handicaps the Suns' vaunted fast break. With the swift Amare Stoudemire at center and Marion at power forward, Phoenix was able to run a five-man break. This, in fact, was the secret of last season's success. But with either Thomas or Grant in the lineup, the Suns' four-man break won't present anything as unique or as undefendable.
For Phoenix, tougher and slower doesn't necessarily mean better.
Charley Rosen, former CBA coach, author of 12 books about hoops, the current one being A pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA, is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/4906860
Just as meticulous preparation of, and total commitment to, practice sessions greatly enhances a team's chances to win games, what a franchise does and does not do in the off-season has an enormous influence on how the team will perform once the season commences.
A huge part of a general manager's job description is to design a workable game plan that will hopefully lead to success. The options are numerous:
Should his team rely on youngsters or on veterans? And if playing time is mixed and matched, in what proportions should daylight be allotted? Let the kids lose and learn? Or hope that the vets have enough left to win right now?
Should his team run and gun or play station-to-station basketball? Be guard, forward, or center-centric? Employ two distinct units? Emphasize defense or offense? Once a game plan is established, the GM must than find the right coach and the right players to implement that design.
Heading into the new season, a few teams have chosen to virtually stand pat — namely Golden State, Orlando, Toronto and New Orleans. Some teams have done a stellar job of either rebuilding or enhancing their roster while remaining faithful to their blueprint for success. Others have made foolish moves based on either misguided game plans or no discernible game plans at all.
Let's take a close look at the best and worst of these summertime tinkerings.
The best
San Antonio
Added: Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel, Fabrio Oberto.
Subtracted: Devon Brown, Glenn Robinson, Tony Massenburg.
In a strictly Xs and O's sense, general manager R.C. Buford has done his usual outstanding job. Tim Duncan remains at the hub of their offense, while Tony Parker scoots and shoots, Manu Ginobili finds driving lanes where none seem to exist, and Robert Horry routinely makes big plays. Under Gregg Popovich's stern direction, the Spurs play smart and play hard. But not even championship teams are perfect.
Indeed, with a barely serviceable center tandem of Nazr Mohammed and Tony Massenburg, last year's team was forced to play T.D. in the middle and Horry at power forward whenever a game was up for grabs. The 6-10 Oberto was a teammate of Ginobili's on Argentina's gold-medal winning team at the Athens Olympics. At 30, he's a staunch veteran of international play, showing good hands, a rugged disposition, and a willingness to play team ball. His presence will reduce the long season's wear and tear on both Duncan and Horry, as well as increasing the bench time of Mohammed's bad hands and chronic foul trouble.
Another problem for the Spurs has been the dry spells occasionally suffered by their offense. This usually happens when Parker takes (and misses) hurried shots, and Ginobili likewise can't find the range. Adding hot shot scorers like Van Exel and Finley certainly fills in the empty spaces, but there are consequences. Finley's arrival means diminished playing time for Brent Barry, who's faster and has a much quicker shot release than his replacement. Finley does play better defense, but he's more of a one-on-one type of scorer who might struggle in adjusting to the Spurs' team concept. Also, as his career advances, Finley's game has become soft around the edges.
Nick (the not so quick anymore) Van Exel is another player who'd rather create his own scoring opportunities. Bad shot selection and inferior defense have always plagued Van Exel's performance. Van Exel is strictly a streak shooter and if his hot spells coincide with the Spurs' cold spells, then San Antonio has a leg up on a repeat championship.
Bet on Oberto, Finley, and Van Exel to eventually blend in perfectly with the Spurs' scheme of things.
Miami
Added: Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, James Posey, Jason Williams.
Subtracted: Eddie Jones, Keyon Dooling, Rasual Butler, Christian Laettner, Steve Smith.
There's no questioning the talents of Miami's newcomers, but Pat Riley is taking several risks with such a wholesale upheaval of his roster. Throughout their careers, Walker, Payton, and Williams have been extremely selfish players. Also, Posey showed up at Memphis' preseason camp a year ago fat, sassy, and too full of himself.
Both Walker and Williams are prone to taking horrible shots. At age 37, Payton can no longer keep opposing guards out of the middle, and is useless in defending screen/rolls. But if Posey can get his body (and his head) in workable condition, he'll provide much more toughness than did Eddie Jones.
Apparently, Miami is depending upon the overpowering presence of Shaq to keep everybody in line. Riley must be hoping that Shaq will do a better job with Walker, Williams et al than he did with Kobe (and Payton, for that matter) in L.A.
Cleveland
Added: Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones
Subtracted: Jiri Welsch, Robert Traylor, Scott Williams, Jeff McGinnis, Dujuan Wagner
Give GM Jim Paxson credit for improving the Cavs' firepower. But there are still questions to be answered: Will Larry Hughes' slashing, penetrating game duplicate LeBron's specific skills? Will Hughes' gambling defense compromise the fundamentally sound defensive gameplan that new coach Mike Brown hopes to install? The perimeter shooting of Marshall and Jones will hugely benefit from LeBron's penetrating and dishing capablitities — but can Marshall and Jones guard any better than the defensively challenged LeBron?
If everything falls into place, the Cavs will be an awesome offensive force. The team still lacks a banger in the middle, and a face-to-face stopper at any position. Even so, a significant step in the right direction for Cleveland.
The worst
Dallas
Added: Doug Christie, DeSagana Diop
Subtracted: Michael Finley, Alan Henderson, Shawn Bradley (retired)
Losing Finley to free agency is a devastating blow. Bradley was soft and won't be missed, while Henderson was a solid role player. After four years in the league, Diop remains a work in progress and will most likely never develop into a forceful big man.
The problem is Christie. He's selfish, arrogant, short-armed whenever a game is up for grabs, and washed up. The players on the last two teams he played for —Sacramento and Orlando — couldn't wait for him to leave town. What Dallas needs is players at any position who can play hard-nosed defense; a physical and courageous scorer to offset Dirk Nowitzki's lack of toughness; and a true point guard so that the erratic shoot-'em-up Jason Terry can revert to his natural position as sixth man.
Instead, Don Nelson came up with Christie. It's called subtraction by addition.
L.A. Clippers
Added: Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley
Subtracted: Bobby Simmons, Mikki Moore, Marko Jaric, Kerry Kittles, Kenny Anderson, Derrick Martin
GM Elgin Baylor has done it again — he's made a bad team worse. Of the departees, the loss of Simmons will be hardest to overcome. He could shoot, score, and was an acceptable defender. Jaric was smart, unselfish, and dependable, if not sufficiently quick to excel at the point. The rest were totally expendable.
Adding Cassell and Mobley, however, introduces a pair of shoot-first, malcontented, defenseless guards to the mix. But since that was the scouting report on Baylor, it's totally appropriate that he wants to cast his team in his own image.
How many shots will be left over for Elton Brand and Corey Maggette? And what does Cassell's overweening presence do to the projected development of Shaun Livington?
The result of Baylor's off-season machinations is another typically dysfunctional team.
Phoenix
Added: James Jones, Eddie House, Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell, Brian Grant
Subtracted: Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson
Yeah, yeah, everybody's talking about how GM Bryan Colangelo added bulk and toughness to the Suns' front line. To say nothing of the defensive forthrightness of Thomas and Bell. And, hey, Jones' long-range shooting is a perfect match for Steve Nash's fancy passings. Also, moving Shawn Marion back to his more natural small-forward slot will be absolutely beneficial. Right?
Not completely.
In truth, Thomas has been worn to a nub by having to play center for too many seasons in New York. Grant is strong, brave, but weak-kneed and undersized. Bell, indeed, is solid on both ends. Jones can't put the ball on the floor to any great advantage. And House is inconsistent and shot happy.
Missing from the team's new equation are Johnson's versatility, deadly 3-point shooting, slightly more than adequate defense, and ability to create shots whenever the Suns' running game is stalled. Also, Q's strength, treys, and earnest defense.
While returning Marion to small forward will make him more comfortable and less likely to be overpowered, the move also severely handicaps the Suns' vaunted fast break. With the swift Amare Stoudemire at center and Marion at power forward, Phoenix was able to run a five-man break. This, in fact, was the secret of last season's success. But with either Thomas or Grant in the lineup, the Suns' four-man break won't present anything as unique or as undefendable.
For Phoenix, tougher and slower doesn't necessarily mean better.
Charley Rosen, former CBA coach, author of 12 books about hoops, the current one being A pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA, is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.