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I would laugh hard if james walks on clevaland
that will teach them to tank for him
Monday, January 10, 2005
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Good, the Bad, the Upside Insider's Chad Ford rounds up the state of the NBA every Monday, looking at The Good and The Bad and offering a little dose of optimism in The Upside.
The Bad
# West has struck out big time as a Grizzlies' draft selector.
# There's a question about the Celtics' five first rounders.
The Upside
# Rookie Howard has salvaged the Magic's past two drafts.
# Bosh is proving to be Raptors' foundation and salvation.
We're nearly halfway into the NBA season and after much digging, we've found a nugget of good news for the Leastern Conference.
While the West continues to sport a plethora of power horse teams and the East struggles to find six good teams that can play .500 ball, the conference imbalances won't remain this way forever.
NBA commish David Stern always likes to point out that the pendulum has a tendency to swing both ways and we have the first shreds of evidence that it might be shifting back to the East before the end of the decade.
Exhibit A is the 2003 and 2004 NBA drafts. Eastern Conference teams might not win many head-to-head match ups against the West, but they've outdrafted them for the past two years. Part of that has to do with draft position. The East has had the top two picks in the draft for consecutive years. The other part has to do with scouting. The East has, so far, made fewer mistakes than the West.
The result? In a few more years, when players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Emeka Okafor and Dwight Howard hit their peaks, the disparity won't be that great.
If, that is, the East figures out a way to hold on to them.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford breaks down the league each Monday in his the Good, the Bad and the Upside column each week. Today, we take a look at how this year's rookies and sop re's are faring around the league.
THE GOOD
Cleveland Cavaliers – James gives the Cavs an "A+" regardless. A player like LeBron comes along once in a decade. The Cavs were just fortunate that he landed in their lap. LeBron's play this year should earn him serious mention for the MVP Award.
In another year or two, he's going to own it.
The question really is, will he win it in Cleveland? The whispers around the league are that the Cavs already are sweating whether LeBron will re-sign with the Cavs when he becomes a free agent.
The concern is twofold. One, the Cavs know that by the time LeBron hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2007 they have to be fielding a team that has a legit shot at the le. If they don't, LeBron might decide against signing an extension, sign a one-year tender with the club and become an unrestricted free agent in 2008.
No top player has ever done it before. Why would LeBron take the risk? Because sources claim that he has clause in his endorsement contracts that substantially increase their worth if he's playing in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. With the Nets heading to Brooklyn in 2008, LeBron could have as many as five teams to choose from to make it happen.
If one of those teams were to have the cap room, and the other pieces in place, would LeBron bolt? Let's just put it this way. The money in those endorsement contracts dwarfs what any team can pay him given the cap restrictions.
That's why the Cavs are feeling serious pressure to make a big splash in free agency this summer. They'll likely be more than $20 million under the cap – enough to hopefully re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas and go after a free agent like Michael Redd.
That also puts enormous pressure on their other two rookies to perform. So far this year's first-round pick, Luke Jackson, has been a disappointment. Now comes word that he might have to undergo season -ending back surgery because of a problematic bulging disk. That can't be good.
The Cavs' other rookie, Anderson Varejao, continues to impress. While his offense still needs a lot of work, he provides much of the same energy and rebounding prowess that Carlos Boozer once provided.
In Wade, it appears the Heat got the steal of the 2003 draft.
Miami Heat – Everyone in the 2003 NBA Draft made a big deal out of the top three picks in the draft, LeBron, Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony. However, it appears that the second-best player in the draft actually went No. 5 to the Heat. At the time, most believed that Heat stretched when they drafted Wade so high. He was considered an athletic but undersized two guard without a solid perimeter shot.
However, it took just a few weeks into the season to see that Wade possessed intangibles that will make him a superstar. His transition to the point is ahead of schedule and playing alongside Shaq has made him even more potent on the offensive end.
Wade has been so good that it's been Shaq who's played second fiddle to Wade most of the season.
The Heat's first-round pick this year, Dorell Wright, has been compared to a young Tracy McGrady by some scouts. The team loves him, but he isn't ready to play. In a few years, however, watch out.
Chicago Bulls– After watching Jerry Krause bumble his way through the last few drafts, it was refreshing to see new GM John Paxson's approach. Some call it safe. But after the disasters in Chicago the past few years, Paxson's decision to go with proven college players from great programs appears to be paying off.
After a horrendous 0-9 start to the season, the Bulls are 13-8. Last year's first-rounder, Kirk Hinrich, has been fantastic of late, averaging 18 ppg, 8 apg and 2.4 spg in January. This year's rookies have all had their moments as well.
Luol Deng has been the best of the lot lately, averaging 16.6 and 7.2 rpg over his last five. For the season, he ranks second among all rookies in scoring, fourth in rebounds and fourth in assists.
Ben Gordon ranks third among all rookies in points per game and ranks ninth in the league overall in three point percentage. After a strong start, Andres Nocioni has been a bit of a disappointment, but the Bulls are still high on him as a tough, rebounding sixth man. Even second-round pick Chris Duhon has gotten into the action, though he'll likely never be much more than a role player in the league.
Overall, Paxson's drafting skills have been impressive. While it's unlikely that the Bulls will keep all of their young players over the course of the next few years, the team now has enough assets to go and find a veteran or two who can put Chicago back in the playoffs.
Charlotte Bobcats– The Bobcats wanted a franchise player in their first-ever draft and GM Bernie Bickerstaff pulled off the coup of the 2004 draft when he convinced the Clippers to swap the No. 2 pick for the Bobcats' No. 4, their second-rounder and an agreement to draft Peja Drobjnak in the expansion draft. The Bobcats eventually swapped Drobjnak to a Hawks a future second-rounder, meaning that they basically moved up two huge spots in the draft for nothing.
Okafor has been everything you can ask for in a high lottery pick. His numbers are beginning to near All-Star status. At one point in December, he had rattled off 19 consecutive double-doubles. He ranks first in the league among rookies in points (15.7 ppg) and rebounds (11.3) and has led the Bobcats to a surprising eight victories..
The Bobcats desperately needed a player in the draft they could build the franchise around. They got one in Okafor, who looks like he's going to be the second coming of Alonzo Mourning.
Denver Nuggets – Last year, it looked like Anthony was the equal to LeBron in almost ever way. However, sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Now that we've had another year to analyze them, it looks like James is going to be the next Kobe or MJ. Carmelo? Players like Glenn Robinson or Shareef Abdur-Rahim come to mind. The stats will be great for both, but James' impact on wins and losses is much greater.
That's not a knock toward Anthony as much as it's an acknowledgement that Anthony might not be the franchise player we all made him out to be last year. He's going to be good. Great? The jury's still out.
The Nuggets chose to trade their first-round pick this year in return for a pick from Washington via Orlando. They were probably better off drafting an international kid like Sergei Monia and leaving him in Russia for the season given how much Washington has improved this year.
Dallas Mavericks – No team has done a better job with low draft picks than the Mavs. Their ability to add four young players with great upsides to a team that was already in the playoffs has extended their window indefinitely.
In 2003 they used the last pick in the first round on Josh Howard and then stole an undrafted Marquis Daniels just hours after the draft ended. Both players are now a major part of the future in Dallas.
Howard is the starting small forward for the Mavs and has been more than solid on both ends of the floor. Daniels has been hobbled almost the entire season, but his performance toward the end of last season suggests he has star potential.
This year's class also looks like it could be a home run down the road. Devin Harris isn't ready to take over the point guard duties yet in Dallas, but the Mavs see a young Steve Nash in another two years.
Pavel Podkolzine is a big project, but considering that the Mavs only had to give up their first-round pick this year to get a shot at a young, athletic 7-foot-5, 300-pound center, it was a nice pickup. Podkolzine is essentially redshirting the season, but the early word from the Mavs' staff is that it thinks he has enormous potential.
Philadelphia 76ers – The 76ers' staff has also been on fire lately. Three years ago they landed Samuel Dalembert late in the first round.
In 2003, they got two important role players in the second round with Kyle Korver and Willie Green. They struck gold again in the lottery this year with Andre Iguodala.
While all of their modest numbers might not jump off the stat sheet at you, the Sixers – in the span of three drafts – have added two starters with star power and two players who could fill important roles as reserves.
You really can't ask for anything more in an NBA draft.
San Antonio Spurs – Like the Mavs, the Spurs have mastered the art of mining gems out of the late first and second round. This year's prize, Beno Udrih, might not, at first glance, appear to fit the mold.
Look closer, however, and you'll see a 6-foot-4, 22-year old rookie point guard getting important minutes on a championship contender. Furthermore, the whispers coming out of San Antonio continue to say that head coach Gregg Popovich actually prefers Udrih to his $66 million point guard Tony Parker.
That doesn't mean the Spurs don't like Parker. They wouldn't have given him a huge deal if the didn't. What it does mean is that Udrih is a better fit in the offense Popovich prefers to run. His ability to deliver passes exactly where Spurs players prefer also has made him a favorite of his teammates.
If Udrih continues to improve, don't be surprised if the Spurs decide, in a couple more years, to move Parker for a top-flight center or small forward and slide Udrih into the starting lineup.
I would laugh hard if james walks on clevaland
that will teach them to tank for him
Gee, where did I hear this before?If Udrih continues to improve, don't be surprised if the Spurs decide, in a couple more years, to move Parker for a top-flight center or small forward and slide Udrih into the starting lineup.
It sounds resonable, but there isn't any centers out there worth trading Parker for.
On the radio, Pop laughed at the thought of Beno eventually replacing Tony.
Beno has a long way to go defensively and Tony is coming into his own now as a solid defender. Unless Beno makes huge strides in that area, I think he'll be backing up Tony for quite a while.
If pop liked Udrih better than Parker, he'd be starting. Thats the type of person Pop is. We saw it with Malik Rose last year. He was their sixth man two years ago and last year he hardly played. Seriously, if we traded Parker away in a few years, that would be a slap in the face.
Wha....?It sounds resonable, but there isn't any centers out there worth trading Parker for.
I agree. He also did that when Parker was a rookie and Antonio Daniels was posed to be the starting pg.
Aggie, I think he means centers that are realisticly attainable.
Stoudamire will be a Sun for as long as they are compe ive.
could lebron james and kobe co-exist?
no.
Kobe would never have that!!!
I'll play devil's advocate here. In three years, if Lebron hasn't gotten a ring and Kobe at 29 tires of losing in the second round year after year, and if the city of Los Angeles and Laker Nation moans about their lack of recent playoff success and starts courting James, I bet they can.could lebron james and kobe co-exist?
in two words.... NO
Dallas Mavericks – No team has done a better job with low draft picks than the Mavs
that line is false
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