Knicks: The Horror

On Thursday night, the New York Knicks were blown out by 45 points to the powerhouse Boston Celtics. In fact, it was nearly the worst defeat in Knicks franchise history. A miracle-heave by the Knicks from nearly 40 feet with less than one second on the clock prevented the game from going down in history as their worst loss of all-time. The Knicks wound up losing the game 104-59. Their previous low-points total? 58 against the Jazz in 2000.

This game comes in the midst of multiple rumors regarding the termination of Head Coach and President Isiah Thomas. Thomas has been under scrutiny lately for assembling the highest payroll in the National Basketball Association and having absolutely nothing to show for it. League-wide, the contracts that Isiah negotiated with his players are ridiculed and laughed at. Because Thomas pays such underperforming players as Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry such obscene amounts of money (over $40 million combined), no teams would consider trading for these players, for fear of consuming valuable cap space.

Since Isiah took the hull in 2003/4, the Knicks have yet to finish the regular season above .500 and have not advanced out of the first round of the playoffs. This season has been particularly horrendous for Knicks fans because of several high-profile scandals involving the team. The first scandal involved a sexual-harrassment lawsuit against the Knicks this Summer (which they lost) and the second was the much-publicized Marbury ordeal earlier this month where Marbury left the team after a flight to Phoenix and was subsequently punished with a very heavy fine.

As of right now, the Knicks have a record of 4-10 which is good for last-place in the Eastern Conference. Nobody knows how long Isiah Thomas will last, but Knicks fans hope his departure comes quickly. There have been chants of "Fire Isiah" at Knicks home games and the media has been closely documenting every mistake Isiah makes. I'm not a betting man, but if I were - I'd say it's a good bet that Thomas won't last through the year.

Noone Signing Free Agent Chris Weber

Another former All-Star who is suffering from the effects of old age and surgery. Last year Weber was a starter for most of the season for the Detroit Pistons. This year he is sitting at home watching the games from his sofa. Despite his age Weber still holds value but no deal has been made. This may be because he is asking for too much money.

One of the few teams involved in rumors are the Los Angeles Lakers. They have one spot available on their roster and Kwame Brown is out indefinitely with a knee injury. It would make sense for the Lakers to sign him to add depth and experience to their bench. He would receive little playing time though and not a lot of money and this may be why Weber has not made any deals. The only way Weber will be seen on an NBA team again is if he can swallow his pride and take a smaller pay check.

New Jersey Fading Away...

Not long ago they went to the NBA Finals two consecutive years with a perimeter game that contained the best trio in the game. The reason why they never won a championship is that they never had an interior presence to compete with other teams.

The years have not treated Vince Carter well. He has suffered from injuries and endured several surguries. Now the once prolific offensive force that once was known as Vin-sanity is now contained to a perimeter game shooting three pointers and turn around jumpers.

Kidd is getting older but still has atleast a couple more years until his legs slow down. Jason is a true point guard who lives for the pass and facilitating the offense. But he has few options with only one true finisher around the basket(Richard Jefferson who is having a breakout year). This is undoubtedly frustrating for Kidd and he has suggested to management for a trade. Imagine Steve Nash without anyone to pass to. With no Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and supporting cast of shooters. This is the situation Jason Kidd is stuck with for now atleast.

The Lakers were interested in a trade for Kidd but the deal never materialized since Lakers wisely refused to include Bynum in a deal. Should the Lakers consider new negotiations for Kidd. Not if it includes Bynum. He is starting to show this year that he is capable of dominating the post like people have anticipated. With out Bynum or Odom in a deal the Lakers do not have anything the Nets would be interested in.

Where amazing happens.

I Love It When Im Right!

Before the season began i predicted the Lakers to be in the top ten at the end of the season. So far, the Lakers are 7-3 and getting better. Granted there are plenty of teams better than the Lakers right now, but few have as much potential. If the Lakers can stay healthy, they will be one tough team to deal with in the postseason.

The Lakers, in my opinion, made a smart move in acquiring Trevor Ariza for Brian Cook and Maurice Evans. Cook was a shooter but overall expendable. Maurice is an athletic defender with occassional explosive offense whose contract was up at the end of the year. So most likely he would leave after this year to seek more playing time. The Lakers actually added depth to their roster in this move. Trevor Ariza has talent and must meet expectations in order for this trade to be successful in the long run. Ariza gives the lakers even more length and presence on the defensive end along with Odom and Bynum.

Biggest thing for Kobe right now is to have patience. Hopefully now he realizes he is a lot better off then he thought. In two years Kobe could have an unbelievable supporting cast. By then Bynum could and should be a dominating force in the middle. I see bits and pieces of Tony Parkers game in Jordan Farmar. He has speed and capabilities on offense that could be All Star caliber if seen on a consistant basis. Odom will continue to fill up the stat sheet in points, rebounds and assists like few in the league can.

Basically, in two years the Lakers can be a title contender if a few things are done. They must find another guard to take place of the aging Derek Fisher(Javaris Crittenton could be the answer). Also, Chris Mihm is no longer the same after his injury and Kwame has horrible hands. So a back up for Bynum will also be needed. We 'll just have to wait and see.

Expansion Domination

Last night, the top-two teams in the league met for a head-to-head battle for NBA supremecy. And no, it wasn't Boston and Phoenix. That's right, as of yesterday, the team with the best record in the East is the Orlando Magic (who ended the Celtic's perfect start) and your top team out west: The New Orleans Hornets.

Both these teams are relatively new to the NBA (the Hornets entered the league in 1988 while playing in Charlotte, and the Magic were founded the next year in 1989.) Although both these teams have been in the league for nearly 20 years, they're still struggling for relevence. Orlando hasn't made headlines since Shaquille O'neal led them to the NBA finals in 1995 (losing soundly in four games to the Rockets.) On the other end of the spectrum, the Hornets are usually in the news for all the wrong reasons. The team has been under perpetually-bad ownership, which saw them leave Charlotte for New Orleans in 2002. The team made headlines once again when it moved to Oklahoma City for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.

Both teams have now found success behind solid role-players. The Hornets boast a lineup that features a very skilled point guard in Chris Paul, plus a a solid center in Tyson Chandler. Peja Stojakavic also brings in veteran skill at small forward. I see the Hornets giving the west's powers a run for their money in this year's playoffs.

I also see the Magic taking the Celtics the distance in this year's playoffs. With players like Adonal Foyale, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard, the Magic will be a force to be reckoned with in the East. The Magic currently have the best record in the league at 10-2, and what's even more impressive is their 7-0 record on the road this season. Orlando has proved it can win big games, and they can win on the road. So the memo to the rest of the league is: Watch out.

What Does The NBA Need?

Any NBA fan will tell you the best rivalry in the game is Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers. Anyone who argues against it is a disgrace and knows nothing about the history of the game.This rivalry is now dead but it was alive from the 50's through the 80's. That's three decades!

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird first met in the NCAA Finals (Michigan vs. Indiana) and resulted in the highest ratings in college basketball history. A record to this day not touched. They were the two top players in the country on the two best teams. They then went to the NBA and the individual rivalry continued as the two best players in the league played on the two best teams. They seemed to meet almost every year in the Finals during the 80' s. It was perfect since this individual rivalry added to the historic rivalry between their two teams.

This rivalry was a marketers dream and consumed the NBA headlines and attracted new fans to the game. Today, rivalries are often claimed when not present. Any circumstance that has potential does not last.

I could die a happy man if the Lakers and the Celtics rivalry reemerged. It is possible. The Celtics are now a title contender and the Lakers, despite popular belief, are not too far off. But it doesn't have to be these two teams. Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony came into the league together and have potential for a future rivalry.

But it seems the rivalries and bitter competitition that makes this game so great are fading away. Today, all the stars of the league are "buddy buddy' and kick it on the weekends.Back in the day, you had teams that hated eachother. Such as the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. This was so fun to watch. Every play their was a chance someone gets in a fight or thrown to the ground. Now that is how the NBA should be! Come on David Stern grow some cajones and let 'em play!

Golden State Made A Big Mistake

They are winless after five games to start the season with no sign of improvement. The GM of the Warriors, Chris Mullin, received much of the credit for assembling a young, athletic, and cohesive unit that became the Cinderella team of last year's playoffs. Mullin made some unbelievable moves in the sort time as GM such as picking out underrated players such as Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Matt Barnes. Then he convinced Don Nelson to come out of retirement and coach his team. But all these progressive moves made by Mullin was made insignificant to his decision to trade former All-Star Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats for Brandon Wright. How could he make this mistake?

So it appears his logic behind this decision was within the strategy he used when assembling this team in the first place. This strategy is simple yet hard to accomplish. Assemble a young, talented team that can develop together as a unit to win a championship. Mullin traded away his most important piece of his team. Granted, Baron Davis is the franchise star making the big bucks to win the big games. But Richardson made life easier for Baron. He was a big guard who could shoot the outside shot, drive to the whole like few can in the league, and most importantly he had a post up game where inferior guards were at his mercy. So Mullin threw away the success of today for a shot at assembling a team that sticks together and progresses towards an NBA title. For his sake, i hope it works out. But if he traded away Richardson due to old age why keep Baron Davis? He has a bad knee and is worth more now on the market than he ever will be in the future.

Clippers 4-0!?

For the first time in over two decades, the Los Angeles Clippers have started the season 4-0. This is quite the surprise considering I included the Clips in my preseason Bottom Five. Without Elton Brand in the lineup I didn't expect the Clippers to make much noise this season, but these first four games have turned that notion around.

Before we get too worked up about this start let's take a look at who the Clippers have played. They opened up with a "W" over Golden State, who look pretty dissappointing this season. Then they dispatched a pathetic Sonics team, before taking out the under-achieving Bulls in Chicago. Tonight's game against the previously 3-0 Pacers have been the Clippers only real test, and they beat O'neal and the boys in convincing fashion. In Indianapolis. By 15 points.

How long will the Clippers streak last? Their next test comes against a currently unbeaten Pistons team in Detroit. If the Clips can survive in Detroit, then they may be able to stretch their streak to 9 games. I see them taking care of Cleveland and the Knicks at home before rematching with the Warriors and Bulls (who have a combined win total of zero.) I don't see the Clippers going 10-0, however, as they play Denver, Phoenix and New Orleans in a span of four nights.

I'm most looking forward to their first meeting "at" the Lakers on December 16th. Based on my predictions, the Clippers should come into that game at 14-8 and the Lakers at 13-9. In no way am I forecasting a classic-in-the-making, I'm just happy at the prospect that both clubs won't be fighting for the title of "First to five wins" in LA.

Taking The NBA To The International Stage???

There is a lot of talk about the NBA eventually expanding over to Europe adding a new division with six teams spread throughout the continent. This has been addressed by Commissioner David Stern who acknowledges this as a possibility in the future. Basketball is one of the world's most popular sports and is quickly increasing in popularity.

This venture would undoubtedly be a financial blessing. It also has potential to be great for the game. The rest of the world has already caught up with the skill level of the NBA. You can see the difference and the progression of the rest of the world when comparing the Olympics of now to the games back in the 90's with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the rest of the Dream Team. This team had absolutely no competition. Today, many of the top NBA players are from another country and are filling up team rosters. The merging process has already begun and seems inevtiable.

There are some issues that need to be resolved. For example, does more teams mean more games? I am an old school NBA fan and believe in the preservation of the game and its records. More games will alter NBA records and distort history. Also, imagine the jet lag players will have to endure. Constantly flying over seas on a regular basis could be a problem.

Will the new NBA be embraced by Americans or turn out to be a turn off????