The Donaghy Chronicles: Episode 283

Long after David Stern and any optimistic basketball fan would've hoped he'd have faded from our collective consciences, Tim Donaghy still lingers as a threat to the integrity of the NBA. Apparently he's got a book now, which names names and points fingers, painting a detailed picture of corrupt officiating rooted in gambling and personal prejudice. Along with the book's release came the requisite media tour, and in a recent interview with ESPN's Mark Schwarz, Donaghy sheds more light on the alleged crookedness than we ever saw during his investigation and trial: (the following are direct quotes from the former ref)

When asked which of the major pro sports is most easily manipulated by referees:
"I don't think there's any doubt that it's basketball...because of the subjectivity of the calls and the ability given to the top referees...and the fact is that they're not held accountable for the calls on the court."

Okay, this much we know. The NBA's senior refs have been accused of favored officiating by conspiracy (conSpuracy?) theorists for years. Donaghy's absolutely right that the refs aren't held accountable; the officiating in varies too wildly in this league and only in overt, game-deciding measures will the front office ever come out and say the refs fucked something up. This results in unpredictable play and the "subjectivity" Donaghy speaks of; it's not fair to players or fans (I won't even start on the gamblers) that the Sternbot's cronies leave so much autonomy to the crews that work each game.

When asked how often games' outcomes are being affected by officiating:
"...On a nightly basis the games were changed" "Most of it was subtle, but there were situations where...those subtle changes evolved into something very drastic."

How drastic? Well we already know TD bet on games that he officiated, making many thousands of dollars (and countless sums for his mob affiliates) by fudging questionable calls and technical fouls that influenced the spread of close games. But, like an ...It Was Written track, it gets deeper...

"For example (in 2007)...Allen Iverson threatened one of our top referees...the group of officials was upset that he was only fined and not suspended...we came to the conclusion that we were gonna do a little justice of our own and strictly enforce certain rules against him." "He (the NBA-appointed crew supervisor) came in at halftime and he was laughing and stated that he felt Iverson was getting the message...It was done often..and that's what allowed me to make winning picks in a lot of these games."

This is where things get a little more concerning. That the refs occasionally showed bias against a superstar with a high-profile attitude problem is obvious...But if it's happening to other players and often enough for Donaghy and who knows who else to be betting heavily on its outcome? Let's hear him out:

(on Rasheed Wallace) "Nobody liked him...it was just a situation where at times we would joke around and see who would be able to do it first" ('it' meaning hit Sheed with a tech. Kinda makes this seem a little more legit). There were others too; Donaghy names Ron Artest and Chauncey Billups (?!) as other prominent targets of referee discrimination, but alludes to the practice as being all too common: "...It all depends on the referee and the situation and the previous games".

This is where alarms really start to go off; when a former inside man, who despite his past indiscretions seems very sincere in his stance, alleges that personal vendettas are regularly influencing officiating. This goes beyond the scope of the lone-acting rogue Donaghy was cast as several years ago when news of this scandal first surfaced. The League's top brass wasted little time with an 'investigation' that threw TD on the grenade to shelter the rest of its officials. Their strategy was understandable; any other approach would even further embellish an already delicate situation and forever taint the league's credibility. With steroids plaguing baseball and football, fighting raising red flags in hockey, the NBA could dodge a critical blow by downplaying this issue.

What Stern & Co. didn't do was effectively regulate this trend and impose impartiality on its refs. A year later, the League was forced to suspend one of its top officials for maliciously targeting the game's most mild-mannered star. Two years later, wild officiating plagued the opening rounds of the playoffs, resulting in a rash of suspensions for players who couldn't have known what to expect. That this is still being allowed to happen is pretty fucking sloppy.

When asked to respond to David Stern's statement that he acted alone in corrupt officiating: "...He needs to take his head out of the sand". He stops short of directly implicating other refs in gambling, but his new book 'Personal Foul' makes allegations against some of the NBA's most prominent officials, substantiating the fears many fans have had for years. The League's referees have gotten far too comfortable; it's offensive to think that their personal motives, whether financial or vengeful, are taking the game out of the players' hands.

It's remained to be seen how the League reacts to this latest chapter in their ongoing saga with Mr. Donaghy. They've done a relatively poor job of regulating consistency in officiating, particularly in the postseason, and need to create a more objective culture. Donaghy may or may not have been the only one lining his pockets on fixed calls, but if there's any truth to his story, crookedness well beyond his reach might be fucking up the NBA. The Commish has been very good at steering clear of disaster over his 25-year term; if any of this bullshit is still festering in the League's bowels, he'd best do like Donaghy and make "subtle changes" before it "evolves into something very drastic".

POWER RANKINGS!!!

A quarter of the way into the season, things are becoming a little clearer: we've got a pretty good glimpse of who's looking to contend (the Lakeshow) and who's just waiting on John Wall (The Nots), who's coming on strong this year (the Thunder), and who's...well...Greg Oden. As the marathon to April's playoffs hits its middle stretch, now's a perfect time to size everbody up and see rank how these teams measure up; a Power Rankings if you will (c'mon, what hoops website doesn't have one of these things?). There's a lot of shit to wade through before we can get the League's elite, so let's jump in:

30-New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez and Chris Douglas-Roberts have been huge for a team that's in desperate need of bright spots to celebrate after canning their coach and taking shittiness to a historical low with an 0-18 start.

29- Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love's recent return won't hurt their shallow frontcourt, but this team still has little valuable experience, a confusing point guard dilemma and far too many holes to be close to the playoff picture.

28- New York Knicks: Recent inspired play had caused some undue optimism at MSG; this semi-talented team has some nice pieces who will occasionally sting teams like the Suns who show little defensive resistance. But this team's still a cohesion-lacking bunch of kids in contract years playing for a team with by far the most uncertainty surrounding its upcoming offseason. Anyone who thinks they'll be able do it consistently is kidding themselves.

27- Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger's ailing foot is a potential crisis for the Pacers. If he goes down and they don't have an All-Star this year, with the Kings playing way above par and New Jersey's legendary struggles, they might sink below the radar far enough to re-claim "Most Irrelevant" status. They're certainly playing poorly enough already.

26- Philadelphia 76ers: This woeful squad's been health, consistency and competency-challenged this year and welcomes AI back with open arms. With nowhere to go but up, he'll give them a much-needed offensive boost and put fans back in the seats.

25- Golden State Warriors: Erratic. Undersized. Redundant. Inconsistent. Malcontent. Regardless of talent (and they have plenty), these aren't attributes that win you many games.

24- Washington Wizards: I can't say I've given up on the Wiz yet but the vulnerable East playoff picture suggests they'll be the first team to make a big move this year. They've got plenty of scorers but not one shoot-second playmaker and few solid defenders. The Wiz are a living defenition of incohesive talent and performing way under expectations.

23- Chicago Bulls: The Bulls clearly lost a step offensively with the departure of Ben Gordon; Derrick Rose and Luol Deng have so far failed to deliver the scoring they've needed to recover. This season's goal has to be acquiring Carlos Boozer, regardless of the short-term implications(which given the Jazz's open intentions of trading him, might not be too serious).

22- Memphis Grizzlies: 'Allen Iverson's Ex' might as well be their new title; it's how they've become known to the masses of casual fana to whom this team is now a non-factor. Their starting 5's pretty nice, but the League's shallowest bench and legacy of failure will continue to plague this team.

21- Detroit Pistons: They haven't been healthy but they haven't been particularly good either. This is another team that has plenty of potential pieces to make a much-needed trade, and with Dumars at the helm it could be anytime (last year's Iverson deal came 4 games into the season). Also, concerning at Ben Wallace's peculiar career arc, it's become clear that the guy who for most of this decade defined "blue collar" in the NBA, plays his best ball in, of all places, Detroit.

20- Los Angeles Clippers: They're playing close to .500 ball against a soft early schedule; 'bout par for the course. Blake Griffin's yet to suit up, but if he plays well enough to shake up the ROY race, it also might be enough to put them in the playoff picture.

19- Toronto Raptors: The Craptors have had a rough start, both in terms of their schedule and their level of play. Hedo's been a plug. Jose's been hibernating. Reggie Evans, one of two players on the roster who embody the defensive toughness and hustle this team sorely lacks, is in suits. Chris Bosh is playing incredibly well now that, for once, his career has purpose and direction - south of the border.

18- Charlotte Bobcats: The addition of Stephen Jackson gives them needed scoring and another building block towards the type of franchise player they'll need to move up on the League's totem pole. Playoffs might be in the cards this year; the teams fighting for the East's lower slots have been duds so far and Captain Jack could be the difference against such weakness.

17- Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans is just nasty, and probably the ROY at this point. Encouraging production from Omri Casspi and Jason Thompson are among the other reasons why this team's blowing expectations out of the water with their best player on the chilling list.

16- Milwaukee Bucks: Another team that's been without its franchise player for most of the year and benefitted from the sudden emergence of a rookie phenom. Brandon Jennings has been in a shooting slump for the past couple weeks, but this guy's clearly an All-Star in the making and a steal for a team that lost two of its best players for close to nothing this offseason.

15- New Orleans Hornets: Remove Chris Paul from this sordid mess and they're one of the worst teams in the L, so that they've managed a better record with him on the sidelines than on the court this year is puzzling. Anyhow, hes back to his old 16/15/8 steals self, so thing should be on the up and up. Emeka's been his solid but unspectacular self, filling in nicely for Tyson Chandler, but they'd be so much nastier if they had another scorer taking Peja's now useless minutes (one single-faceted spot-up shooter doing 11/game on a 37% clip: $14.2 million, look on Chris Paul's face once that whale expires/is traded: priceless).

14- Oklahoma City Thunder: These guys are the new Hawks; a team built around a solid foundation of youngsters who are going to steadily improve every year and ascend the Western heirarchy. I hope to God that they deliver on that potential quickly enough to keep the Spurs of of the playoffs this year, but I don't see it happening.

13- Houston Rockets: Playing well above the sum of their parts, the Rockets have been sparked by MIP frontrunner Aaron Brooks and even without T-Mac and Yao are thinking playoffs with an attack that's more well-rounded than Oliver Miller. Fans must be sick at the thought of what might've been, but at least in the wake of inevitable injuries to their franchise players, the Rockets are keeping things interesting.

12- Miami Heat: As The Dwyane Wade Show grinds through its predictable seventh season, the title character still sees himself surrounded by a less talented cast than a performer of his caliber deserves. Still waiting for a dynamic twist that can re-vitalize his series' plot, Dwyane knows that although he's done big things with his current network, the glory days of Season 3 are far behind them, and he'll get many offers this summer from competitors wanting to write the next chapter in his story.

11- San Antonio Spurs: Dunno what to say here. The Spurs, for the first time this millennium (and seemingly much longer), look lost. They're a year older, a little more shallow and have never been known to peak early, but this .500 start's a disturbing trend for a team that saw themselves as title threats and seem a few steps away at this point. It's far too early to call it quits but their early season nonchalance has never looked so troubled.

10- Portland Trailblazers: Now that they no longer need to wait on the requisite Greg Oden injury, all the Blazers, also beset by ailments to Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw (not to mention their coach and owner) can do now is pick up the pieces. The Andre Miller experiment hasn't improved them yet and they look like they've reached that ceiling where they're a move away from fucking with the West's elite.

9- Utah Jazz: While P-Milly impatiently waits in the wings, the Carlos Boozer trade value tour has been a monster so far. Despite his gaudy numbers and Utah's stable of offensive prowess, their Western ascent has been grounded by their streaky shooting and abhorrent defense. Dare I say a Jerry Sloan team's underachieving, but this team should be capable of more consistent play.

8- Dallas Mavericks: Dirk's up to his usual semi-MVP antics, but suddenly the traditionally offensive Mavs are having trouble putting up points. A healthy Josh Howard would do wonders but aside from Nowtizki and Sixth Man frontrunner Jason Terry, they're very thin on scoring right now. Players like Marion and Kidd are much more comfortable putting up points when given the kind of space another 20-point threat will create. Either way, here's hoping something falls apart for them.

7- Atlanta Hawks: Off to a torrid start (and beating tough competition), they're better than last year, but not thorough enough to be in the same conversation as the East's best teams. The key will be maintaining this play over thewhole season, which I don't see them doing. Much like Portland out West, they're that young team that might be pushing their current limits; experience will be the best tool as they mature at a slower rate this season, but with Joe Johnson's impending free agency, time's of the essence.

6- Phoenix Suns: Now that Alvin Gentry's got a full season to impose his will on Phoenix, they're back playing a style of ball that's much more suited to their roster. Their run and gun ways are amassing points and W's now that Stoudemire's healthy and they've shed a hundred pounds (and gained 20 feet of shooting range) at center. They'll play well through the regular season, but this exciting, high-scoring Suns team looks doomed to same fate as its predecessors. Their lack of defensive ability or commitment could be fatal against a legit Western team over 7 games.

5- Denver Nuggets: Picking up where they left off last season, the Nugs look like the Lakers' bridesmaids in the West again this year. Melo's stepped up and is playing on the same level as his heralded classmates while Ty Lawson's been one of the steals of this year's draft, providing the aggressive energy and scoring they lost with Linas Kleiza. Denver's proving that their lack of preseason hype as contenders was just lost in the moves everyone else made; they'll be a force.

4- Cleveland Cavaliers: Despite a shaky start that included losses to the Wizards, Bulls and Bobcats, Cleveland has responded to some early-season adjustment issues with a string of impressive victories to put them back among the East's best. They've shuffled their lineup(using Varejao as an energetic 6th man makes a lot more sense), begun to show signs their offensive swag and dismissed Orlando and Phoenix like they were Braylon Edwards. Their schedule's been cushy so far but if they can continue this recent inspired play, they'll only continue to rise.

3- Boston Celtics: The Celtics are going to be a very difficult team to beat next spring. Not only are they deep roster of playoff-savvy veterans, but their stars know their windows are closing, and I'm already having visions of KG unleashing his inner William Wallace carrying this team to the Finals on one leg. They're just going through the motions while they wait; the regular season is more of formality for them than any team in the East. Keeping pace and getting a #1 seed out of it would make them the clear cut favorites to win the conference.

2- Orlando Magic: I can't say it any better than ESPN's Marc Stein: 'They've won seven in a row on the road. They've gone 8-1 since losing Jameer. They've won biggies at Boston and Atlanta and sit one disputed Miami basket away from an 11 game win streak. They've got to be #2.'

1- Los Angeles Lakers: Well, it happened. The Ron Artest bomb went off. Sooner than we could've assumed it would in Phil Jackson's Zen Garden. Now living it up on the Hollywood stage, Ron Ron's been making strange workout videos, doing Jimmy Kimmel in his boxers, and admitting to past on-the-job drinking, all within the season's first month...And yet nothing's happening. A few laughs have been had sure, but there's been no fines, no suspensions, (well a league investigation into his Hennesy habits can't help) just solid contributions to a Lakers team that, essentially without Pau, has earned the league's best record. Kobe's putting up another very convincing MVP argument, and even after all the offseason retooling done by the other contenders, the Lakers have to be the favorites to repeat.

Behind the Headlines

- The 76ers, down a trigger-happy point guard and in desperate need of a proverbial shot in the arm, have signed maybe the most prolific trigger-happy point guard ever; franchise icon Allen Iverson. The move ends maybe the shortest retirement in pro sports history and gives Iverson another, perhaps final, chance to right the sinking ship his legacy's riding. While he's still capable of top-notch scoring, I can only pray that AI buckles down and plays within the team; accepting that he won't be the man all the time and keep his mouth shut about it. Sure, the 76ers are going nowhere fast, but if the Answer can prove his value in a more balanced role, he could be an attractive free agent for a contender next summer and deal with the Question that's plagued him his whole career: his ringless fingers. The Philly fans are the clear winners here; their one-time savior returns to maybe once again rescue them from mediocrity, but Iverson could come out of this on top regardless of how well the Sixers do this year...or it could drive the nail in his career's coffin. The stakes are high but regardless, it's good to have him back.

- In unrelated (also unsurprising) news, Ron Artest, he of the Late-Night nudity, recently admitted to a Sporting News reporter that he used to keep Henny stashed in his locker when he played for the Bulls, and get his sip on at halftime. Apparently he had some difficulty kicking old habits, as Ron explains: "When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild...A lot of marijuana and alcohol -- even before [that age]. ... I [still] party and I have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night." While this helps to explain some of the on-court antics we've seen from Mr. Artest over the years, it creates plenty of questions for his employer, and further skews the already distorted lens through which everyone observes him. I really don't know what to say about the guy at this point, other than it's clear he's not going to change. He's a grown man with a tormented yet goofy spirit who's been doing crazy shit in the NBA for damn near a decade. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the damage he's doing to his own image, but at least he's learned to stop doing damage to the team (...and Knicks TV equipment...and Detroit Pistons fans).

- Speaking of forwards whose lives have become running punchlines, Antoine Walker was in the news again this week. Last time we heard from the Round Mound of Ill-Advised 3's, he had tilted off nearly a million bucks at various Las Vegas casinos and bounced on the tab. Apparently 'Toine's patterned his business ventures after his gambling habits: several buildings owned by his Chicago-based realty company (which was already facing 12 incompetence-based lawsuits) have been cited by the city as a 'slum nuissance'. Respect the grind.

- Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler's fans just had to know what was going down during their games last weekend, and their wallets are a little lighter thanks to new NBA rules that prohibit Tweeting during games. I don't know what's more ridiculous; that players can't focus enough on a game to leave their pretentious Twitter accounts alone for a few hours, or that League actually feels the need to regulate this kind of activity.

- And special shout-outs to the reeling Nets, whom the Lakers recently sent to a historical low: their failure to cop a W in any of their first 17 games is the worst start in NBA history. With Sacramento playing well, New Jersey is officially set to take over "Most Irrelevant Team" status once Devin Harris wins them a few games and people stop talking about them. All thirteen of you Nets fans out there, our prayers are with you.

Welcome Back

We're now a month into the 2009-10 NBA season; seems like just yesterday we were plotting fantasy drafts and being teased by preseason action. Close to a quarter of the games have been played already and most of the cobwebs have been knocked off; any benefit of the doubt we could give teams and players for early season adjustments is waning: it's time for the gloves to come off...

- As I've grown uncomfortably used to doing, I'll start this one off with the Toronto Raptors; the team that every Canadian loves to hate, and who keeps giving them every reason to. They took cap space and several intriguing trade pieces into an offseason that demanded big moves. One would've hoped they were bent on addressing their glaring need for toughness size and general defensive competency. Instead they over-paid Hedo Turkoglu, a redundant talent who I spent the whole summer denying would vault the Raps into the East's upper tier. While Turkoglu has played acceptably and helped ignite a high-octane offense, his presence does little to change the fact that nobody on this team can play a lick of defense. While Reggie Evans' abesence hasn't helped (former league leader in rebs/48. Don't sleep.), that this team's under .500 and the Eastern playoff border, giving up 116 to the Bobcats, with Chris Bosh playing the best ball of his career, is unacceptable. Bryan, I know you're a smart businessman and shrewd basketball mind, otherwise you wouldn't have the job you do, but your squad in Phoenix hit its ceiling before the Finals, and they were infinitely more talented than the Raptors, so why are you trying to do the same thing here?

- Another East team that's looking a little shaky are (gulp) Lebron 'n Friends. I've held my tongue enough on the topic: Mike Brown is to offensive coordination what Lindsay Lohan is to sober driving. I hate calling out the guy at the helm of my favorite squad, but c'mon man, you house an enviable stable: a legit post threat who can outmuscle almost anyone in the L and a 7'3" giant with a smooth mid-range stroke who beasts the offensive glass and keeps big men honest 5 or 18 feet from the hoop. They're surrounded by a bunch of lethal shooters who can punish most collapsed defenses, and although one of your energetic forwards is a weak finisher with a tendency to do too much, this is generously offset by the other one being arguably the most dynamic offensive talent ever to play basketball. Surely when the Cavs are down against the Wizards and Bobcats they can resort to better looks than Lebron isolating a helpless defender atop the key and firing a 20-foot-fadeaway while four guys gather dust around him.

- The Nets finally did what had been speculated for over a year and canned Lawrence Frank after their humiliating 0-16 start. Frank becomes the latest in a mile-long line of Eastern Conference coaches who were shipped to the slaughterhouse by rebuilding teams with maligned rosters that any coach would struggle to squeeze wins out of. Especially with Devin Harris injured, this team was painfully inferior to any opposition, and instead of having faith in a man who coached their team well when they didn't toally suck, New Jersey's new owners can now shell out a couple more millions for a guy who MIGHT do a better job.

- It's not all bad though; the Suns shed a couple pounds over the offseason and, now more tailored to Alvin Gentry's run-and-gun, seem to be back to their old selves. They've got Amare back and surrounded him with a lethal long-range arsenal while Steve Nash Bridges continues to defy father time's will with another MVP-ish season. Channing Frye might be the perfect center for what the Suns are trying to do, Grant Hill's doing his best to channel his pre-2000 self and J-Rich has been lights out; if this team can keep up their high-octane act, they'll be a team nobody will want to face in the postseason. Regardless, League Pass owners everywhere are thankful.

- While alleged Clippers savior Blake Griffin (I say that not doubting his ability but aware of just how much it'll take to rescue a franchise as historically fucked-up as the Clippers) has yet to see the court, one of the draft's biggest question marks has silenced any doubters with his unreal play. Many questioned Brandon Jennings' unprecedented decision to spend his mandated year out of high school overseas; a loophole that the NBA overlooked when it banned prep-to-pro draftees a few years back. Brandon decided to get his; getting paid lots of money to play in a league that would test his endurance and talent more than the NCAA, and broaden his horizons in a distant country. So far, few would question his decision, but the success of his groundbreaking moveis no doubt going to usher in a new wave of college-ducking prep stars like Kevin Garnett did in '95. Some will flourish, others will fail, and before long the League will intervene to protect its teams from Rubio-esque contract wars. While we can, let's appreciate the beauty of Brandon Jennings' independence (dude drops 55 in a comeback win a week into his rookie season?), and wish Jeremy Tyler the same luck.

- So who's looking the best out of the gate? The prohibitive favorites have been getting mixed results: Boston's looking very thorough with KG's role rescinded and Big Baby in streets; their goal is sustainability, but a healthy season might also mean a #1 seed the way they're playing. The Magic and Cavs have both looked lost while losing some very winnable games, and the Spurs have been equal parts hurt and surprisingly flat. The Nuggets are playing even more legit than last year; Melo's inner superstar seems to have finally conquered his inner 4-year-old and he's scoring at will. This may be the season he demands inclusion among Wade and Lebron as the league's best, and the deep playoff run Denver's capable of won't hurt his cause. If we're talking a favorite though, nobody's stepped up enough to steal that status from the Lakeshow. Kobe's been unreal in helping maintain LA's championship swag with Pau on the bench and their bench on the wrong side of mediocre. With Gasol back and showing no ill effects, Bynum finally beasting like he's capable of, and question mark Ron Artest being more of a comma than an exclamation point, they can now look to truly hit their stride and rule the West again.

...So What's the Answer Now?

We're talking about practice.

And not in a "I'm above this" sense, but that practice, ironically, is all Allen Iverson can do right now.

The basketball community was dealt a huge blow yesterday when one of the most popular, influential, controversial and best players of our generation, apparently left with no other options, announced his retirement. Just two years ago, he was one of the league's most prolific scorers and a perennial All-Star, but an ill-advised Joe Dumars acquisition left AI in a worst-case scenario; on a Pistons squad that had built its reputation on selflessness and team play, concepts which came to Iverson like weight loss to Glenn Robinson. He complained, resisted, called out management and spent the latter half of his tenure in Detroit on the bench with an injury he would have fought through at any other juncture in his career. His expiring contract gave him a much needed out this past July, but his value had sunk to such depths that few teams came knocking this past summer, offering him a backup role and a fraction of his accustomed salary. That he wound up in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform was telling of just how far Iverson had fallen, and laid an obvious foundation for disaster.

Everyone with half a brain knew that this situation would unravel, but even the most shrewd sceptic couldn't have seen it coming this fast. Three games into the season, Iverson's reserve role ate away so much at his pride that he forced a parting of ways with the Grizz and became a free agent. Several teams were mentioned as poential destinations but the reluctance to sign AI over the summer was only magnified by his too-brief-to-call-tumultuous time in Memphis. He thought he could contribute to a winning team, but none of them wanted him. Fuck, the Knicks didn't want him. So, painted into a corner by his own pretentiousness, Allen Iverson was forced to walk away from the NBA.

It's a tragic tale Iverson's told. Despite his incredible speed, ankle-shattering handle, smooth stroke, fearless aggression, stoic toughness, MVP award, plethora of All-Everything commendations and celebrated status as the hero of hoops-hop culture, he's never been what every basketball player wants to be: a winner. His early years in Philly were like the snobby chick at the bar turning away every guy in sight: Keith Van Horn, Derrick Coleman, Jerry Stackhouse, all failed as second fiddles while the 76ers never amounted to much. As the Leastern Conference succumbed to mediocrity, Iverson was gradually surrounded by defensive-minded players who were scoring-challenged enough to justify his 120 shots/game. Dikembe Mutombo, Aaron Mckie and Tyrone Hill weren't demanding touches, just working the glass, moving the ball and locking down the opposition; it suited The Answer just fine. As such, the 76ers were able to become worst pre-Cavs team to win the East title, and in the playoff pinnacle of Iverson's career, were bitch-slapped by the Lakers in the Finals.

So close and yet so far away, he's been trying in vain to get back there ever since. As talented a player as he was, Allen never figured out that players can win games but championships need to be won by a team. His trip to the finals was anomalous; the 76ers were perennial doormats because players who were talented enough to win titles didn't fit on teams where one player insisted on dominating the ball so much. Even when he was paired with a bonafide superstar for the first time in his career, he failed to turn the Nuggets into anything special. For all his other-worldly talent, he was never one of those transcendant players, a guy like, oh...let's say...at random... Chauncey Billups, who could put his ego behind the good of the team and create a positive impact even if he didn't get his. For years teams feared him, but now off the court, they still do.

From Allen Iverson's tone and words yesterday, you can tell how reluctantly he's doing this. The man clearly has some great basketball left in that tiny but explosive body, and for the sake of him and his legions of fans I hope we get to see it. As fitting and humbling as it is that a career marred by a me-first attitude is ending this way, anyone who loves and has influenced the game of basketball as much as AI deserves better. Only history will tell whether he's remembered as the game's greatest pound-for-pound scorer ever or a childish diva, but if there's anything left of the competitive inferno that used to fuel Iverson, this won't be the last we hear from him. He's still got time to salvage his career before his injury-ravaged body finally gives out; maybe a team will come calling.

Until then Allen, we're talking about practice. It can't hurt you now.

Makin' Moves: The Offseason's in Full Swing

Now that the shockwaves sent through the NBA by the summer's early blockbusters have settled, we're settling into a more familiar offseason routine; ludicrous lowballing, obnoxious over-paying, shitty trades and contract re-neging: it's all become disturbingly familiar. Here's a quick recap of what we've seen so far:

- Surprising nobody, the Ricky Rubio tug-o-war ended with the Spanish prodigy returning to Europe to fulfill his current contract and mature as a player. A lot of people get caught up in the hype and forget that, despite the poise he showed in the Olympics last summer, he's still 18 and has a lot of improving to do. He'll be much more ready to contribute in a couple years and will keep potential NBA employers anxiously watching Euroleague Pass at 3 am far too often.

Shrewd move by Minnesota; a lot of people questioned their tactics on draft night, but they now have a promising, athletic (albeit undersized) guard and the league's most intriguing trading chip.

- The Pistons made the biggest free agent splash, tossing big dollars at Charlie V and Ben Gordon to replace the aging stars that are presumably leaving gaps at the 2 and 4. While it's debatable whether this was money well spent (staying under the cap for next summer anyone?), it's hard to argue with the addition of an explosive scorer and a versatile forward who can spread the floor. Something about these acquisitions (namely the abysmal thought of Gordon and Rodney Stuckey co-existing in a backcourt) and the nature of Joe Dumars makes me feel like some more moves might be made...

- Speaking of Dumars, his most illustrious draft selection is on the move again: the New York Knicks are the new proud owners of Darko Milicic, the papier-mache figurine that Detroit decided was more worthy of their draft pick than..well..the legnthy list doesn't need to repeated again, you all know. It's anyone's guess if Mike D'Antoni can summon a shred of the basketball ability Darko was once thought to have, but I'd have to assume a player who's shown all the offensive prowess of a confused giraffe won't be a good fit here either.

- And speaking of troubled big men, the Clippers ousted Wack Randolph; a move that rids of them of a complacent locker room deadweight and leaves an unmolested starting spot for that Griffin kid everyone's talking about. Had to be done. They had 4 potential starters at the 4 and 5, Randolph was the most obvious casualty.

- Not resting on their laurels, the champs went out and added Ron Ron the Rottweiler to replace Trevor Ariza, who assumes Artest's old post at the 3 in the Houston Rocket Crash (honestly..has a squad that took the eventual champs to game seven 2 months ago ever looked so bleak?). He'll be looked upon to fill the same role; be an aggressive wing defender and hit open 3's. While he's older and slower, Ron Ron's a tougher player, better scorer, passer and ballhandler; generally an upgrade. Artest can be the ultimate catalyst in LA, and most indications from last season point to him being a reformed psychopath, one who focuses his intensity on winning games instead of demolishing media equipment. If his ego can remain unphased by the LA aura and Kobe's omnipotence, then the Lakers will only be tougher to beat.

- ...And no offseason would be complete without a quizzical blunder from the Toronto Raptors, who recently saved the Blazers from overpaying for Hedo Turkoglu with an 11th-hour screwball that commits $50mil + to a 30-year old who barely averages Eastern All-Star numbers and waited a decade to prove himself as more than a seventh man. Real Cool. They now boast yet another soft player who can stretch defenses and score from a lot of places, but does nothing to address their glaring deficiencies. What's Hedo going to do for them that Bargs and Delfino aren't already? O yeah, shackle them financially when he's a washed up plug averaging 15/3 with an untradebale contract. Next season.

What's going down next? Will the Phoenix firesale finally consume Amare? Is Joey D done re-tooling the Piston engine? Are the Raptors going to become the next NBA name to relocate to Europe? Stay tuned folks...

Comin' For That #1 Spot

Well folks, the offseason's officially in full effect. As teams scramble like madmen to clear cap space for the impeding superstar exodus of 2010 and leap across the immense canyon separating the league's elite from its commoners, many high-profile names are checking distant propety listings. We've already seen four premiere players (...well...if you're inclined to give Jamal Crawford and Richard Jefferson that much credit) switch area codes, with no shortage of musings about moves yet to come. Certainly some of the moves made early in Thursday's draft would suggest that there's a blockbuster or two in the works, but regardless of what the rest of the NBA plans to do to catch up, its strongest contenders took decisive steps toward the title they crave .

The Spurs went out and grabbed a fourth wheel to balance their offensive attack; adding a physical slasher who can give you 20/game, while giving up a bottle of Pine Sol and some Burger King coupons, never hurt anyone. Jefferson definitely won't fill Bowen's shoes as a defender, but he's a major upgrade, giving the Spurs more size and athleticism, not to mention more than a Steve Kerr-equse offensive presence. As this team becomes less and less Timmy D's, they need talent around him to contend, and they just traded two washed-up big contracts and a big man they can easily replace via free agency. Even if I don't see Jefferson thriving like he did with J-Kidd in Jersey, it's hard not to like this move. Way to take perfect advantage of the Milwaukee Bucks' never-ending implosion. If their injury-prone Big 3 are hurt again next year, the blow won't be as severe; they're probably closer to the title than any team the fucking Mavs ever just put out in the first round.

Meanwhile, out East, the two titans learned the hard way that the Lakers are much better than they are (I still think the Cavs would've fared better, but I digress..), and bodied up; both lowballing rebuilding squads for All-Star calibre players at ten cents on the dollar. Orlando prepped for the Turkish Michael Jordan's departure (..man...that still cracks me up to this day. I still don't know what I find more offensive, the fact that he'd compare himself to His Airness, or how, upon brief contemplation, it's completely true) by adding some Vinsanity to the mix. I like it for many reasons; Vince is a better scorer, better ballhandler and rebounder, not necessarily a worse passer and gives them a second marquee name. I can only pray that Carter's learned a lesson about leadership and humility since his child's antics in T-Dot; all indications are positive but this will be his first time playing for a legit contender; it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

The Cavs, however made the biggest splash (pun completely intended), luring The Big _______ to his first non-vacation-magnet NBA city and pairing the League's most most dynamic talent with its most imposing persona. Cleveland knows they very well might need to win a title this year to keep Lebron, and rolled the dice for all the marbles. I think this was the best trade, not because of my sworn allegiance to King James, but because the Cavs gave up the least and addressed their glaring weakness. They now have a post presence on both end of the floor; one who finishes much better than Anderson Varejao and won't be tossed to the curb like last week's garbage by Dwight Howard. Big Z won't have to play as much and Lebron will average another 2-3 assists per game by default. Not only does this make basketball sense, but blesses Cleveland with the presence of the most playoff-tested warrior left; one who's won four titles, taken three teams to the Finals, and can be the ultimate locker room catalyst. His co-existence with LBJ will be fascinating; Cleveland was already my favorite team to watch, but now I'm openly going to question the sanity of anyone who sees it differently...and let's not even get excited about the oh-so possible Kobe - Shaq/Lebron 2010 Finals...in fact nobody even mention it until next June, it can't be jinxed.

...And then there was One

It's all over. The collective dust from months of anticipation and endless epic basketball battles has settled, leaving the team any fan with a shred of common sense assumed would be the last one standing. The Lakers shut the door on a Magic squad that played hard (losing a couple close games that could've drastically altered the series) but ultimately didn't have the consistency,experience or skill to keep up with LA. Orlando didn't have the constant open looks and minimal D12 opposition the Cavs offered up, looking out of synch and tentative throughout large stretches. You could tell that their entire rotation was popping their Finals cherry.

Orlando now heads into a season of relative uncertainty, with Hedo Turkoglu reportedly opting out of his final year and the bench-unfriendly Rafer Alston now the second horse in the point guard race. Regardless of what goes down over the next few months, they deserve serious recognition for finally making us take their early-season title ambitions seriously. The Magic beat the league's best teams all year, were tested by injury and responded with a resilient playoff run that took the further than anyone would've guessed. A few keys plays unravel slightly differently, Dwight shoots from the stripe like he did against Cleveland, and this might've gone seven games. A Finals loss will always be indescribably painful but they should hold their heads high.

The Lakers' victory was an emphatic re-assertion of one of pro sports' most storied franchises. Legends grew Sunday night; not only did LA win its second-all-time 15th title, the Zen Master passed Red Auerbach in the only playoff supremacy tally he had yet to; the one that counted the most. It cements a very convincing argument that this calm, passive realist might be the best coach the game's ever seen. That "mamba" guy also had an significant milestone, copping his 4th ring, and first outside the imposing shadow of Shaquille O'Neal, making it his most impressive and important yet.

It was a defining moment for Kobe, even after a three-peat and an MVP, this might be his finest moment. Their nerves likely still shook from the dud against Boston a year ago, the Lakers were on a mission for redemption, not unlike the one Kobe recently embarked on with Team USA. And much like his triumph in Beijing, Bryant was a deadly player and true leader. He was a man far removed from the alleged pretentious diva whose ego helped destroy arguably the deadliest duo the League's ever seen. After years of blindly grasping at true greatness through personal dominance (sick as it was), Bryant forced his team to surround him with title-worthy talent, and delivered on the quest the Lakers' decision to keep him in '04 essentially signed him up for.

It's hard to feel anything but happy for Kobe. Dude spent years killing everyone in his path, yearning for a return to the glory days when he lamped, albeit unharmoniously, atop the NBA. He's weathered a frivilous rape charge and consequent character assassination (no, I don't laugh at those Family Guy sequences), to go along with more open hatred than any player this side of Reggie Miller. His dedication and work ethic to the game he was so blessed for were impeccable, and when he finally figured out that whole "no I in team" mantra, it was a rap. He now leads a relatively young team into potentially his second dynasty.

LA's one of two teams in the NBA entering this offseason without serious question marks and moves to make, having recently ousted the other in dismissive fashion. They look pretty fucking untouchable. Kobe, having truly carved his spot among the League's all-time greats, is looking every bit more and more like its All-Time Great, the one he's been incessantly judged against his whole career.

The Final Countdown (cue 80's hair metal)

...Once again after a prolonged absence, I've broken out of hibernation and decided to throw something on here. Basketball Banter's entering a transition phase, albeit at a really shitty time when almost a year's worth of anticipation's coming to a boiling point and some awe-inspiring basketball's being played. Expansion plans are in the works though; I'm linking up an old associate to collaborate on the blog, so we'll have some different perspectives and more regular updates in weeks to come...

The last week of my life has teetered delicately on the precipice of insanity; a combination of some brutally cold poker decks and brutally cold basketball from the delusional Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron n' Friends coasted through the regular season and early rounds of the playoffs with an almighty swagger; demolishing weaker opponents, showcasing their pregame antics, boasting the COY and MVP...and the second they were put in a tough place they crumbled like 'erb. I don't want to take anything away from the Magic; they were a dangerous squad that played extremely well, hitting the 3 with lethal precision and capitalizing on the many mismatches they presented the Cavs with...but I can't help but feel like the supporting cast shat the bed and wasted a boderline historic performance from the King. Nobody was consistent, everybody was a tentative shell of their earlier-season selves. Impressive showing by Delonte, but when he's your second scoring option, you're not winning a Conference Finals. I'm especially disappointed in Mo Williams; dude made such a huge difference this year and was supposedly the missing piece to ths Cavs' title hopes, shoots 30 per-fucking-cent throughout the series, never contributing as a playmaker, all the while his mouth running like Forrest Gump: "I can't see my team losing this series"...I bet he can't see a vacancy in #23's locker space next summer either.

The Cavs were exploited by Orlando: they used Dwight's impositon to open up a floodgate of treys, moving the ball extremely well and wetting and endless array of daggers from long range. Whoever had to double down on D12 (and it was a necessity with Z being too slow, Varejao being too small and Wallace being too useless) left a deadly shooter wide open, and when you give a team like the Magic that many wide open looks, they'll punish you. the Cavs made Rafer Alston look like Mark Price; it was depressing. As much as the rest of the team stepped up (big ups to Pietrus), we witnessed a truly transcendant performance by Dwight Howard. He dominated the boards and caused havoc in the paint on D, even with Lebron's incessant attempts to foul him out, the standard. Howard did everything for the Magic though, scoring at will with a variety of low-post moves and a polished touch, finding open shooters for a Shaq-like amount of hockey assists and even hitting clutch free-throws. It was the kind of showing that truly solidifies a player as a Superstar, and now he has a chance to become a Legend.

He'll only have to dethrone the almighty Lakers though, who despite the Magic's obliteration of my squad, I still think will win the Larry O. The Gasol/Bynum two-headed monster (despite Bynum's poor playoff showing) matches up better with Howard on both ends than the Cavs' bigs, and will surely cause him more foul trouble. They also boast more legnth and better defenders on the perimeter, so Orlando will be more hard-pressed to dump the rock to Dwight then swing to an open man off the double. It'll be a lot harder for players like Alston and Turkoglu (who I vaguely remember being 1-15 before game 2's almost-winner) to find a flow if they don't get so many open looks at the hoop. Meanwhile, they'll have to contend with Bryant, a player who won't attack the hoop and miss foul shots like Lebron did but wet jumpers all day if the Magic's under-rated but over-matched D gives him nearly as much room. Kobe's got more Finals experience than the entire Magic roster and is easily the hungriest guy out there, not to mention the best player. It's hard to bet against the Magic after a convincing East finals victory, but I'm still doing it. They have momentum and optimism for days, but LA's got the better coach, the better bench, the higher expectations, homecourt, a bitter taste still ingering in their mouths from last year, and Kobe. That should be enough. Lakers in 6.

Playoff Diary: 26 Days In

Haven't been up on the blog lately, but there's been plenty going on in the league:

- The Mavs became the latest casualty of the Nuggets Express last night, being convincingly beaten in a series that stirred up an alarming amount of controversy. Mark Cuban's no doubt got some sort of class-action lawsuit pending against referee Mark Wunderlich and David Stern, but regardless of the blatant no-call, Dallas stood little chance in this series. It was gracious of the league to acknowledge they screwed up, but it probably does little to quell the anger in the hearts of Dallas fans (sidebar: is Mark Cuban for real? Confronting a player's mom courtside after a heated loss? Come on man, you've been here before. You know there's a hundred cameras and mics around and seconds after your team took a controversial loss, they're probably mostly aimed at you. Probably the worst time to do something so indecent.) Denver doesn't need to feel like they stole this series; they were clearly the better team, and possibly the best in the West right now...

- Which leads us to the Lakers and their struggles to finish off the Remains of the Rockets. Dare I say a Phil Jackson team's becoming complacent, but even in their victories this series, LA hasn't looked like the fearsome juggernaut everyone took them for coming into the playoffs. Houston had no business stealing two from them, even before Yao went down (...you really weren't expecting it?). While their supposedly imminent Finals opponents have been ruining everyone in their path, the Lakeshow's drumming up memories of their Finals meltdown last year; just not looking like they want it bad enough.

- Celtic Pride's at a fever pitch; after a marathon victory in the first round, Boston's taken the upper hand against a heavily-favored Magic squad that's finally delving into its much-belated second half collapse. I'd love to attribute Boston's success to the monumental void-filling of Rajon Rondo, but Big Baby and Kendrick Perkins have been rocks down low, playing the best ball of their careers when their team needed it most. Either way, both of these teams are looking like cannon fodder for the Cavs next round.

- The recent outburst of suspensions has everybody in the league afraid to raise so much as a forearm. Several series have reached boiling points and it's totally understandable that the league wants to regulate contact and hopefully prevent players from having to "justify their thug". Still though, it's getting a little ridiculous with coaches lobbying for calls like protesting hippies and players forced to play under that umbrella of doubt about what might land them on the bench next game. If the league wants to truly prevent indecent contact on the court, do it through consistent and disciplined officiating; something they've done very poorly thus far this year.

- Danny Granger also took down the MIP. For some reason we found this out about a week after Lebron took down the MVP and people stopped really caring about the awards. I don't get the timing but I can kinda agree with the selection. Granger became a scoring beast this season, most of his best games coming against his toughest opponents. His numbers jumped out so much as to earn him an All-Star berth on a God-awful team, an honor rarely seen in this age. Next he'll have to prove he can do it on a winning team, but it's not looking like the Pacers are going to be one anytime soon. Oh well, congrats.

Got a couple game 6's coming up tonight, one should be a doozy, the other? Well...im hoping for the best. Be back in a few days. RIP Chuck Daly.