ducks
07-14-2006, 10:38 PM
Summer's hot topics
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
July 13, 2006
In South Florida, the champagne has dried, the hangovers are gone and the Miami Heat players have dispersed to their homes all over the country, enjoying a well-deserved rest as NBA champions.
Dwyane Wade is basking in the glow of his newfound superstar status, Pat Riley is following Bruce Springsteen around the country on his concert tour and Shaquille O'Neal could be doing any one of a number of things: recording a CD, filming a movie, riding a jet ski, or who knows, maybe even practicing his free throws.
Regardless, the Heat are the kings of the hill, and they'll have all summer to enjoy their accomplishments. But there's little time to rest because there are 29 teams that are busy trying to improve their rosters and knock off Miami.
The league has settled into its usual offseason routine of free agency, trade talks and summer leagues. Here's a look at the summer's events to this point:
FREE AGENCY
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chicago Bulls made the big splash, signing Ben Wallace away from the division rival Detroit Pistons. There are two ways to look at the addition of Wallace. One is that the Bulls are now legitimate contenders in the East and that Wallace will anchor what has already been one of the NBA's best defenses the past two years. Wallace will have help from rookies Thabo Sefolosha (who has looked terrific in summer league action) and Tyrus Thomas, and there's no doubt that Chicago has upgraded its size, athleticism and defensive versatility.
The second way to look at the Bulls' signing of Wallace is that he may clog the lane of what has been a wide-open, perimeter-oriented attack. With Wallace on the floor, Chicago may find itself playing four on five offensively. By the end of last season – and particularly in the playoffs – Detroit had trouble scoring because of Wallace's nonexistent offensive game. His free-throw shooting was so poor that the Pistons couldn't even afford to throw him the ball down the stretch, and the slow pace of playoff basketball exposed him.
I love what John Paxson has done with the Bulls in the few years he's been in charge. Signing Wallace was bold and aggressive, especially since he took him away from Detroit. But will the pieces fit? Can Scott Skiles get his team to play the same attacking style on offense? Considering Wallace is essentially replacing Tyson Chandler, one would guess that things won't change much. But then again, Chandler barely played in the postseason and the Bulls were most effective when he was on the bench.
If Wallace can come in, anchor the defense and not compromise Chicago's penetrating, drive-and-kick offense, the Bulls are in business. But if he clogs the lane and slows down Chicago's offense, that 15 million bucks is going to look like an awful lot for someone you can't throw the ball.
As big as the Wallace signing was, nothing could top the Cleveland Cavaliers' extension of LeBron James' contract. With the three-year deal he signed, James is now on the books for at least four more seasons with the Cavaliers, ensuring their future as one of the league's marquee teams. Much has been made of James' decision to only sign a three-year deal (with an option for a fourth) rather than a five-year contract – in fact, Wade got the same deal in Miami – but it's the same thing Tim Duncan did with the San Antonio Spurs in 2000.
By signing a shorter contract, James doesn't lock himself into a long-term situation in case he's not happy with the direction of the team. He'll also be eligible for a larger max contract after three years based on years of service. (Players with fewer than seven years of service can sign for up to 25 percent of the salary cap, while players with more than seven years of service can sign for a max contract based on 30 percent of the cap). Obviously, Cleveland would have been happy to get LeBron locked up for longer, but the Cavs are on a good course right now, and with an owner willing to go past the luxury tax to put together his team, the Cavs should be in good shape for years to come.
SUMMER LEAGUE
In Las Vegas, the spotlight has been on Amare Stoudemire. After missing almost the entire season with microfracture knee surgery, Stoudemire is in action for the Phoenix Suns' summer league team, hoping to work out the kinks of his long absence. So far, the results have been mixed, but the Suns are pleased that Stoudemire is healthy, running well and has suffered no soreness.
I watched him play last week, and his usual explosiveness is missing, but he ran the floor well and displayed flashes of brilliance passing the ball. Still, he tried to do too much offensively, forcing moves, committing turnovers and taking some bad shots. But considering Stoudemire doesn't have Steve Nash on the floor with him yet, it's too early to truly get a gauge on his play. The important thing is that he's healthy and working on his game.
The most impressive rookies in Vegas have been Randy Foye, Brandon Roy and Rajon Rondo. Roy has been manning the point for the Portland Trail Blazers, and he handles the ball well and plays with a wonderful pace. He's shifty with the ball, posts up smaller guards and has a great hesitation dribble. His best position will be the two, but the Blazers will give him plenty of work at the point in the summer to hone his skills. His fellow rookie, LaMarcus Aldridge, has a ways to go. He's long and angular, but he'll get pushed around in the NBA. He'll have to gain some strength before he can become a difference maker.
Foye has been unguardable, using his ridiculous strength to get past anyone who attempts to stop him. He's explosive and gets to the rim at ease and looks like he'll be a big-time scorer for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As for Rondo, he plays like a veteran. He's running the Boston Celtics' summer team with confidence, and he's distributing the ball. Boston will like him, but the question is, will he play ahead of Sebastian Telfair? The Celtics will regret for years that they didn't keep either Roy or Foye as the No. 7 pick instead of trading it for Telfair. The rumor was that Danny Ainge made the move because he thought he had a deal for Allen Iverson. If that trade never materializes, Ainge will have two small point guards in Telfair and Rondo, but not enough time for both of them to play.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=sk-notebook071306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
July 13, 2006
In South Florida, the champagne has dried, the hangovers are gone and the Miami Heat players have dispersed to their homes all over the country, enjoying a well-deserved rest as NBA champions.
Dwyane Wade is basking in the glow of his newfound superstar status, Pat Riley is following Bruce Springsteen around the country on his concert tour and Shaquille O'Neal could be doing any one of a number of things: recording a CD, filming a movie, riding a jet ski, or who knows, maybe even practicing his free throws.
Regardless, the Heat are the kings of the hill, and they'll have all summer to enjoy their accomplishments. But there's little time to rest because there are 29 teams that are busy trying to improve their rosters and knock off Miami.
The league has settled into its usual offseason routine of free agency, trade talks and summer leagues. Here's a look at the summer's events to this point:
FREE AGENCY
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chicago Bulls made the big splash, signing Ben Wallace away from the division rival Detroit Pistons. There are two ways to look at the addition of Wallace. One is that the Bulls are now legitimate contenders in the East and that Wallace will anchor what has already been one of the NBA's best defenses the past two years. Wallace will have help from rookies Thabo Sefolosha (who has looked terrific in summer league action) and Tyrus Thomas, and there's no doubt that Chicago has upgraded its size, athleticism and defensive versatility.
The second way to look at the Bulls' signing of Wallace is that he may clog the lane of what has been a wide-open, perimeter-oriented attack. With Wallace on the floor, Chicago may find itself playing four on five offensively. By the end of last season – and particularly in the playoffs – Detroit had trouble scoring because of Wallace's nonexistent offensive game. His free-throw shooting was so poor that the Pistons couldn't even afford to throw him the ball down the stretch, and the slow pace of playoff basketball exposed him.
I love what John Paxson has done with the Bulls in the few years he's been in charge. Signing Wallace was bold and aggressive, especially since he took him away from Detroit. But will the pieces fit? Can Scott Skiles get his team to play the same attacking style on offense? Considering Wallace is essentially replacing Tyson Chandler, one would guess that things won't change much. But then again, Chandler barely played in the postseason and the Bulls were most effective when he was on the bench.
If Wallace can come in, anchor the defense and not compromise Chicago's penetrating, drive-and-kick offense, the Bulls are in business. But if he clogs the lane and slows down Chicago's offense, that 15 million bucks is going to look like an awful lot for someone you can't throw the ball.
As big as the Wallace signing was, nothing could top the Cleveland Cavaliers' extension of LeBron James' contract. With the three-year deal he signed, James is now on the books for at least four more seasons with the Cavaliers, ensuring their future as one of the league's marquee teams. Much has been made of James' decision to only sign a three-year deal (with an option for a fourth) rather than a five-year contract – in fact, Wade got the same deal in Miami – but it's the same thing Tim Duncan did with the San Antonio Spurs in 2000.
By signing a shorter contract, James doesn't lock himself into a long-term situation in case he's not happy with the direction of the team. He'll also be eligible for a larger max contract after three years based on years of service. (Players with fewer than seven years of service can sign for up to 25 percent of the salary cap, while players with more than seven years of service can sign for a max contract based on 30 percent of the cap). Obviously, Cleveland would have been happy to get LeBron locked up for longer, but the Cavs are on a good course right now, and with an owner willing to go past the luxury tax to put together his team, the Cavs should be in good shape for years to come.
SUMMER LEAGUE
In Las Vegas, the spotlight has been on Amare Stoudemire. After missing almost the entire season with microfracture knee surgery, Stoudemire is in action for the Phoenix Suns' summer league team, hoping to work out the kinks of his long absence. So far, the results have been mixed, but the Suns are pleased that Stoudemire is healthy, running well and has suffered no soreness.
I watched him play last week, and his usual explosiveness is missing, but he ran the floor well and displayed flashes of brilliance passing the ball. Still, he tried to do too much offensively, forcing moves, committing turnovers and taking some bad shots. But considering Stoudemire doesn't have Steve Nash on the floor with him yet, it's too early to truly get a gauge on his play. The important thing is that he's healthy and working on his game.
The most impressive rookies in Vegas have been Randy Foye, Brandon Roy and Rajon Rondo. Roy has been manning the point for the Portland Trail Blazers, and he handles the ball well and plays with a wonderful pace. He's shifty with the ball, posts up smaller guards and has a great hesitation dribble. His best position will be the two, but the Blazers will give him plenty of work at the point in the summer to hone his skills. His fellow rookie, LaMarcus Aldridge, has a ways to go. He's long and angular, but he'll get pushed around in the NBA. He'll have to gain some strength before he can become a difference maker.
Foye has been unguardable, using his ridiculous strength to get past anyone who attempts to stop him. He's explosive and gets to the rim at ease and looks like he'll be a big-time scorer for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As for Rondo, he plays like a veteran. He's running the Boston Celtics' summer team with confidence, and he's distributing the ball. Boston will like him, but the question is, will he play ahead of Sebastian Telfair? The Celtics will regret for years that they didn't keep either Roy or Foye as the No. 7 pick instead of trading it for Telfair. The rumor was that Danny Ainge made the move because he thought he had a deal for Allen Iverson. If that trade never materializes, Ainge will have two small point guards in Telfair and Rondo, but not enough time for both of them to play.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=sk-notebook071306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns