What the Fuck Just Happened - Making Sense of the Trade Deadline

This year's NBA Trade Deadline was supposed to breeze through with the lightest of whimpers. Even in today's era of internet hyper-coverage, where every transaction is slid under the microscope, this was supposed to be a mundane checkpoint, bookended between earlier blockbusters, and an upcoming offseason of pure salary-spiking ridiculousness.

We were nonetheless treated to the usual cavalcade of rumors that seemed too ridiculous to conceive ("...KG to the Wolves sounds realistic"), but instead of another flat-lined anticlimactic event, the NBA's front offices unleashed a dizzying typhoon of player movement that has altered the league's landscape - both in present and future - more than any deadline in recent memory.

In all, 37 players were traded - the most in deadline history. Serious playoff implications were altered, building teams have forged their paths or changed their courses for the future, an entire team's worth of B-list guards have new area codes, and against any conceivable odds, Kevin Garnett plays for Minnesota again.

So much went down yesterday. Let's try and figure out what it all means:


HEAT GET: The Brothers Dragic
SUNS GET: Danny Granger, Justin Hamilton, two first-rounders
This was kind of a bum deal for the Suns, who were forced to trade an All-NBA guard for 20 cents on the dollar after he publicly announced this week that he wouldn't be re-signing with them. It killed Dragic's trade value (you can't leverage much when every GM you're dealing with knows you're about to lose him for nothing) but made Phoenix's options pretty clear. Shitty as the situation may have been, they totally did it to themselves by quizzically signing athird starting point guard last summer, forcing the ball out of Dragic's hands. As such, they've lost arguably their best player for a pitiful return, less than 10 months after he seemed like a no-brainer franchise cornerstone.

Meanwhile, Miami obviously gets a desperately-needed upgrade to the NBA's worst point-guard tandem, finding themselves a capable floor general to spell Dwyane Wade, and a dangerous perimeter weapon on a team that isn't exactly scoring a ton this year. The Heat are now mortal locks to make the playoffs in a depleted East, and could be a poisonous first-round matchup if fully healthy. Even with their laughable bench, a Dragic-Healthy Wade-Deng-Bosh-Whiteside starting lineup should scare the crap out of any team in the East. This move also heavily decreases the odds of Miami blowing things up in the near future, diminishing the value of the picks they sent the Suns. Even if Dragic bolts in the offseason, Miami will benefit from the cap bump and be able to eye a similar replacement.
GRADES: Suns, D; Heat, A

THUNDER GET: Enes Kanter, Steve Novak, Kyle Singler, DJ Augustin
JAZZ GET: Kendrick Perkins' Expiring Contract, Grant Jerrett, the draft rights to Tibor Pleiss (whoever that is), protected Thunder 1st-rounder, Pistons 2nd-rounder 
PISTONS GET: Reggie Jackson
So THIS is what becomes of one of the NBA's most long-time-coming exoduses, the uber-useless Kendrick Perkins reaching the end of an epic contract, and finally holding trade market value. Losing Jackson hurts but had to be done (see: Dragic, Goran), but Kanter is a possible stud who can finally be an OKC post threat, and has one of the NBA's best help defenders beside his own reasonably bad defense. He's still got room to grow, but even now is a real contention-sway for the Thunder. OKC also nabbed Kyle Singler and DJ Augustin who will immediately become rotation players, and better wing options than Jeremy Lamb and Andre Roberson. My only hesitance towards this trade is that I don't think Scott Brooks is very good at his job, and don't necessarily trust him to bring all these new faces together in time.

The Jazz got rid of Kanter, because they had to. He was the definition of a lame-duck starting for Utah, who had to play up his trade value, but also had Rudy Gobert demanding minutes. The clear move was to sell high now on Enes, playing his best ball ever, and sandwiched in their frontcourt. I'm not convinced they got enough. Sure the Perkins cap space is nice, and they have more future picks (though neither of them are that great), but I don't believe all cap space is created equal. and this is Salt Lake City Cap Space, which is such a player magnet with its vibrant nightlife and great weather (the place hosted the Winter Olympics for fuck's sake). But this summer's all about over-spending anyways.Who knows, maybe Utah has another international monster on their hands in Tibor Pleiss. If his Google picture's any indication, it's a safe bet:

The Pistons are getting to the playoffs this season, but beyond that might be strapped with Jackson - who's apparently looking for a near-max deal? #senile - in the summer. Jackson and Brandon Jennings don't make for the most compatible backcourt, and with the cap skyrocketing, there will certainly be teams putting pressure on the Pistons for the restricted free agent. So Detroit gets to solidify one of the most unlikely comebacks in modern NBA, lose to Atlanta in the first round, then jump in a blender a few weeks later. It's been an interesting first year for Stan Van Jeremy. Either way, he didn't sacrifice a lot to roll the dice here.
Grades: Thunder, A-; Jazz, C; Pistons, B

SUNS GET: Marcus Thornton, Cavs' 2016 first-rounder
CELTICS GET: Isaiah Thomas 
Not only did the Suns get rid of Dragic, but also dumped the free agent signing that spurned him, for a crappy pick and a likely low-value dice roll in Thornton. There's the potential for Thornton to catch fire on certain nights - especially in Phoenix's fast offense - but he takes a lot off the table (defense and ball movement chief among them) and only on last year's Nets has ever been on a Playoff team. So if you're keeping score at home, in the past 7 months, so far the Suns have had an All-NBA guard (Dragic), a borderline starter at by far the NBA's deepest position (Thomas), and after trading both, Marcus Thornton might be the best player they got back.

I'm not sure what to make of this for the Celts. Presumably they want as many lottery balls as possible and a chance to let Marcus Smart get minutes, but this move is very counter-productive to both those outcomes. Still, getting Thomas for such a bargain gives Danny Ainge another asset to bring to the table as he attempts to acquire entire draft rounds and you can't truly fault Boston for pulling the trigger.

Why would Phoenix just give Thomas away like that after signing him and trading Dragic...?
Grades: Suns, C-; Celtics, B

SUNS GET: Brandon Knight
BUCKS GET: Michael Carter-Williams, Miles Plumlee, Tyler Ennis
SIXERS GET: Picks (of course)
Well, because of this clusterfuck of a shuffle involving three teams, and motives of all walks.


First off, the Suns justified their Thomas-dump by basically upgrading him to Knight without giving up their identity or a key piece in their rotation. They now field an intriguing hybrid backcourt that can score in a variety of ways, and defend both guard spots better than any iteration of Dragic/Thomas/Eric Bledsoe they've fielded over the past year. This move signals their desire to remain in the fight for the West playoffs without Dragic, but they're highly unlikely to hold off the upgraded Thunder. Either way, they've won this trade for now,

I don't know what the fuck the Sixers are doing at this point. Their commitment to tanking is infuriatingly ass-backwards. Wake me up when they actually begin the "rebuild" phase of rebuilding.

The Bucks got a better fit for their dynamic, position-amorphous roster, yet another long, rangy defender, and a perfect pupil for Jason Kidd (Kidd was once a young PG who couldn't shoot, MCW is currently a young PG who can't shoot; Kidd wanted a PG who didn't look for his shot first, MCW is currently a young PG who can't shoot - you see the pattern here). We're about to find out how Carter-Williams can contribute on a team that isn't horrible, but odds are he'll mesh well with the Bucks' versatile core, and learn a thing or two from Kidd, with the highest upside rating in this trade. Plumlee was on Alex Len Island in Phoenix, and will be a welcome boost to a Bucks' frontcourt that's been leveled by injuries.
Grades: Suns, A; Bucks, B+; Sixers, D

BLAZERS GET: Arron Afflalo, Alonzo Gee
NUGGETS GET: Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Victor Claver, lotto-protected 1st rounder
The Nuggets were widely-rumored to be shopping pretty much everyone on their roster this side of Jusuf Nurkic, but their deadline deal amounted to the shipment of just two players, bolstering the Blazers' perimeter with guys who aren't Nic Batum.

Batum's disturbing regression has been pretty much the lone wart on what's otherwise been a stellar season for the Blazers, and this move will allow them field more lineups with a Lillard-Matthews-Afflalo combo that will be a nightmare from the perimeter. Already a B-level contender, the Blazers gained a good sixth man for a bunch of fringe rotation guys. Huge win.

And the Nuggets failed to do anything to rescue them from the purgatory they're stuck in. What are the odds this pick falls out of the first round's bottom-five? Also, if anyone's taking bets on Brian Shaw's firing this summer, let me know.
Grades: Blazers, A; Nuggets, C


WOLVES GET: Kevin Garnett's Ghost
NETS GET: Thaddeus Young
I mean, it's kind of poetic in a way, A former legend who should've retired by now, returning to the franchise he wasted away his prime in, to waste away his final years on a team that's winning nothing but the Lotto during his NBA lifespan. Why Garnett would waive his trade clause to come here is sort of beyond me, but as he becomes increasingly irrelevant as a player, hopefully he can impart some wisdom on the Wolves' youngsters instead of being a biting, barking jackass.
Grade: I still can't really get over that this actually happened.

ELSEWHERE:

- The Wizards and Kings swapped backup point guards, trading Ramon Sessions for Prof. Andre Miller, in a trade that seems kind of backwards (wouldn't the team with the young superstar PG be the one wanting the savvy veteran leadership?).

- Javale McGee got dumped on the Sixers, which is perfect because the Sixers want to suck for the next half-decade and McGee is a $12 million-man who's played in 16% of games in the past two seasons. But hey, they got a draft pick out of it!

- The Pistons got Tayshaun Prince back (yawn).

- The Sixers, Rockets and Knicks did a jig that saw KJ McDaniels land in Houston with Pablo Prigioni, Isaiah Canaan fall to Philly (where he's about to become the fantasy deadline-value hero), and the Knicks actually acquire a draft pick for once.

- And apparently Alexey Shved got traded too. Real Earth-rattler right there.

The Trade Deadline shook things up for several teams in terms of long-term outlooks, but also likely solidified this year's race for the playoffs. It will take a massive curveball for OKC, Miami and Detroit not to fill the remaining un-booked tickets to the postseason dance, and all three should carry somewhere between reasonable (Pistons) and terrifying (OKC) upset status.

The dust is still settling, and the outcomes won't be settled for months (or perhaps years in some cases). Maybe by then we'll have wrapped our heads around the most unexpectedly wacky trade deadline ever.

Time Capsule 2014

The NBA is a relative newcomer to the realm of big-league professional sports.

Vs. its direct competition - the NHL, NFL and MLB - it debuted decades later, delaying the process of building a fanbase. Said process was further inhibited by a multitude of issues through its formative years; everything from the league's poor decision-making and the rival ABA's emergence, to drugs, brawling, and greater, longer-lasting racism bias from the public than in any other sport.The Playoffs weren't even broadcast live until the 80's; it wasn't exactly successful at times.

As a result, there's a large gap between today's generation and the NBA's past. Not only did the league's infrastructure not allow for much preservation of its history, but its presence didn't resonate as much culturally; society as a whole wasn't as connected to it. Both in artifact and anecdote, there's relatively little by which to remember the Old School.

Jump in the DeLorean for a few decades - both the NBA and technological ubiquity have taken a Hodor-sized growth spurt, creating a contrasting predicament: Suddenly, everything is caught on camera - whether those of TV stations, media foot-soldiers, or some dude with an iPhone outside IHOP at 3am. The noteworthy moments have been diluted by an onslaught of peripheral distraction. There's so much by which to remember the "New School" that it's nearly impossible to take it all in.

It's hard to tell at this point how future generations will remember the 2013-14 NBA Season; in what ways the passing years will distort what now are very vivid memories. Thanks to the internet, we're assured that these moments won't be lost, but in today's age where instant information from countless sources changes perspectives so rapidly, they could just as easily be buried and forgotten.

With this season fresh in the rear-view mirror, let's take a look back at the people, things, and ideas that stood out among all the fluff in 2014; filling up a hypothetical time capsule with what to remember the NBA by this year:

- a pair of KD VIs
Kevin durant left his mark all over the regular season, somehow adding another layer to his dominance as a scorer, while also taking his defense and especially playmaking to new heights. With Russell Westbrook down, he kept OKC at or near the top of one of the most competitive conferences ever all year. In a season when the MVP was LeBron's to lose, Durant grabbed it decisively and then re-wrote the book on awards speeches. A return to the Finals eluded him this year, but it's only a matter of time for this guy. He's that good.

(He needs a post-up game though, and that's another story, but speaking of which:)

- a copy of the April 30, 2014 edition of the Oklahoman

- Doc Rivers' vocal cords 
Rivers was a massive influence in his first year on the bench for the Clippers - helping to usher in seasons of vast improvement for both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan - with whom he wore out his signature hoarse voice regularly. You can assume he also may have yelled at someone when he found out Paul George (apparently his daughter's boyfriend) got a stripper pregnant on the side.

- Derrick Rose's knee braces
Rose's supposed year of redemption got put on hold again, when his meniscus snapped 10 games into his much-anticipated return from ACL rehab. Shelved again for the season, he joined the already-injured Rajon Rondo in setting an unfortunate trend that plagued NBA one-guards this year: Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Jrue Holiday, Eric Bledsoe, Kemba Walker, and even heir apparents Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams were all stung by the injury bug this year.

- a bank statement in the name of Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo, showing frequent transactions at Carl's Jr. in excess of $100, between the hours of 12 and 6 am.

- a copy of Donald Sterling's Anderson Cooper interview
Because it really sums up all you need to know about this situation. Thank God Adam Silver the NBA's done with him. (OK so maybe not entirely done...)

- Luis Scola's hairband, coupled with a signed Andrew Bynum Pacers jersey
It doesn't happen too often that a single trade defines a season for both teams involved, or that Larry Bird looks like an idiot, but sure enough it all happened when his Pacers gave the Phoenix Suns Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a draft pick for Luis Scola.

At the time, the trade seemed like a sage move, giving up two players who didn't fit into Indiana's scheme, for a guy who'd ostensibly help bolster their pitiful bench.

Then of course, Green and Plumlee caught fire for the Suns, whose entire roster experienced a breakout that took the whole NBA off guard before capturing its attention with a thrilling season. Meanwhile, Scola was a beacon of inconsistency all year for the Pacers; a word that suddenly began to define their whole team, and consumed their season in disturbing fashion.

- one of those sideline monitors used for referee reviews

- LeBron's black facemask
(I don't know why this was such a big deal, but it was LeBron, and it was, so it's in here)

- Kevin Love's 2012 contract (four years, $62 million, opt-out clause in final year)
Everything seemed good a couple years ago when The Love Below re-upped; initially the impression was that he'd taken a below-max deal, helping keep Minnesota's chequebook open to surround him with talent and build a contender.

Eventually word got out that then-GM David Kahn had stupidly lowballed Love, which only served to amplify the young star's open displeasure with the team's direction. Though this contract gaffe was one of many nails driven into Kahn's coffin, it still haunts the team after his firing; the Wolves listened to the rumors about Love's inevitable exodus build all year.

Love's almost certainly going to be dealt this summer, and Minnesota - already on the wrong side of a brutal fight for Playoff seeds in the West - will take a further step back. Few players in the NBA have a higher trade value, but he's the kind of guy you want to be trading up for in these deals, not the other way around.

- Pierre the Pelican's pre-facelift costume

- an Official OVO Lint Roller
And the microphone Masai Ujiri blurted the words "Fuck Brooklyn" into.

- Josh Smith's shot chart:                                
- a threatening letter to James Dolan
Surely thousands of these things have been written, it couldn't be that hard to track one down.

Phil Jackson's hiring appeared as a bright halo to Knicks fans amid the raging shitstorm that was their 2013-14 season; a storm so violent and damaging that it would've fit better in a Michael Bay movie than on a basketball court. Everything that possibly, conceivably could have gone wrong in New York this season did, and then Raymond Felton pulled a gun on his girlfriend. Good grief.

Regardless of Phil's levels of authority and involvement next season, Dolan's mere presence atop this team is a toxic reminder of how he's run the NBA's most valuable franchise into the ground in every possible way for years and years, embarrassing the league and disappointing the team's fans. Jackson will be severely handicapped by Dolan's post-dated ineptitude; well over the cap, with few assets and no draft picks to leverage, and in imminent danger of losing the best player they've had since Ewing's knees gave out.

The saying "If you build it, they will come" definitely applies to a city like New York and a name like Phil Jackson, but thanks to Dolan, no one will be able to come for a couple more years anyway.

- 'Life After Death' by the Notorious B.I.G
...oh wait, you mean the Grizzlies' Chris Wallace is a different guy? And that album has nothing to do with him surviving several house-cleanings in the Memphis front office? Shucks, my bad... 

- Kevin Garnett's Geritol supply

- Mann's Chinese Theatre-style hand-prints from Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo

- Kent Bazemore's warmup duds and bench towel

- This YouTube Tribute:


And This One:

- Rihanna's collection of Playoff ticket stubs

- a strand of hair from Anthony Davis' unibrow
(for potential cloning purposes)

- the Prozac prescription Gregg Popovich made some poor beat writer get after this happened.

- March's issue of GQ Magazine.

- a judges' Slam Dunk Contest scorecard, displaying a '2'
The Dunk Contest was in critical need of tweaking, and though that's exactly what it got this year, it somehow came out far worse. Everywhere: the confusing and simply stupid rule changes, the use of Samsung tablets instead of the judges' classic scorecards, featuring more of Nick Cannon than actual dunking, and then pulling the plug on itself just as things were getting exciting. John Wall sort of, maybe won ('Dunker of the Night' really doesn't have the same ring as 'Champion') but pretty much everyone involved in this mess lost somehow.

- a disco ball
Because Dirk was groovin' this year. In a different sense, so was Larry Sanders.

- an array of Lance Stephenson memes

- a Charlotte Bobcats promotional pamphlet (RIP)

- Shawn Marion's left shoelace
(and the fifty thousand dollars it cost JR Smith to untie it)

- a collection of Dwyane Wade's suits
Because he spent far too much time on the bench wearing them for the performance he put up in the Finals. After sitting a third of the season to rest his legs so he wouldn't suck so much down the stretch again, Wade teased us with a couple dominant stretches against Brooklyn and Indiana, then completely crapped the bed against the Spurs for the second straight year. His absence left LeBron to battle seemingly by himself some nights, and all for his presence to have the same effect when it mattered most.

Then he blithely dismisses his milk carton showing saying he's healthy and just not playing well. Dwyane, Miami paid you 18.5 MILLION DOLLARS to spend the entire season resting yourself for one series. Get real.

- a plate of Continental Breakfast, as selected by Boris Diaw
Because after how he played in this year's playoffs, he can pile on as many croissants as he damn well pleases. Go ham, Boris.

- Kawhi Leonard's Finals MVP Trophy
When he's a perennial All-Star in a couple years (and I do mean 'a couple', as in 'this is happening in the immediate future'), this will be remembered as the moment he arrived.

- a serving of "BBQ perogies"

- Steve Kerr's awards ballot
Because the guy who voted LeBron for Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Tim Hardaway Jr for Rookie of the Year, and the guy who weeks later was the prized coaching hire of the offseason, are the same person.

- Shaun Livingston's season stats, with the "G" column highlighted

- Cleveland's Winning Lottery Combination
One way this season will no doubt leave its mark on history and resonate for years will be its impact on the NBA's more-than-likely adoption of some anti-tanking mechanism.

Left right and center, teams raced to the bottom, eyeing the upcoming Draft as their chance to get a headstart on a needed rebuild. Tanking stole an unfortunate amount of this season; it was discussed too often in media circles, but then almost half of the NBA was either actively doing it, or contemplating it at some point. It was a waste of 82 games for some fans, and ruined a large portion of the overall picture league-wide. This season was like a delicious pie that was baked in a crappy oven, burning a whole side of it beyond enjoyment.

Onward stumbled the Cavs, landing in the Lottery despite every attempt on their part not to. In the ultimate of ironies, they outdrew every team who tried to suck, landing the coveted first pick. It didn't exactly reward smart management, but few teams really 'deserved' their reward this year, which is why league policy towards tanking will almost certainly change as a result.

- Adam Silver's glasses
A big reason why ^those policies are likely to change is the decisive precedents set by Adam Silver in the opening months of his tenure as commissioner. Besides his legendary axing of Donald Sterling, Silver also took quick measures to re-tool the Dunk Contest (though that didn't exactly work), instantly canned the noxious ref reviews, and has pushed the issue on reform for minimum age requirements. It's been anything but a "get a feel for the job" type of debut.

Silver's an open-minded, forward-thinking tactician, who's clearly very intelligent, and has a strong appreciation for the game's history and evolution. While his ideas may not mesh well with everyone, he's far more progressive in his approach than David Stern had grown recently, which is definitely a good sign for the NBA's continued success.

- This Picture:












And This One:

...And This One:

...And Finally:
- the flags from the Spurs' title celebration 
This was a beautiful moment, for a beautiful team, who played a beautiful game beautifully. After digging through everything else, this was what really mattered this year. That they all bonded together in a display of their team's unprecedented international flavor was a poignant reminder of basketball - and the NBA - blossoming globally. For a league whose beginnings were challenging, and its past so disconnected from today, it was an undeniable sign that its future is headed in the right direction.
                             
                            

Rising Suns: Grabbing Life by the Hornacek

Happy New Year Everyone!

Newly-minted 2014 marks Basketball Banter's fifth anniversary; somehow I've managed to keep people interested in my esoteric, convoluted NBA monologues for half a decade.

Along the way Banter's seen many changes; from its infancy as my disorganized rants, to regular segments like the Water Cooler, Top 9s and POWER RANKINGS!!, to its placement on the back-burner after I signed on to write for BallOverAll.com. Through it all, the one thing that's kept it going has been the people supporting it; you guys are awesome and here's to much more Banter.

A lot of zany shit is going on in the NBA this season, but perhaps nothing has been as dramatically quizzical as the completely illogical emergence of the Phoenix Suns as a legitimate West Playoff team. So to kick off 2014, here's some thoughts on the most Banter-worthy squad so far this season:

Jeff Hornacek has been famous for strokes over the years; both the subtle brush “hello” to his kids before every foul shot, and the smooth follow-through of his jumper.

As familiar as we became with those, it’s Hornacek’s stroke of brilliance with the Phoenix Suns this season that’s standing out the most, taking what many pegged among the Western Conference’s very worst teams to the thick of the Playoff hunt in his first season.

Monday night, the Suns rolled into L.A. to face their Division-leading Clippers – one of those “statement games” – and ran them out of Staples Center with a vicious lesson in defensive rotation, and ball movement.

They’re now a half-game behind the Artists Formerly Known as Lob City, and forcing everyone to not only take them very seriously, but ask just how the hell this is happening. Nothing about this team makes sense really, they’re not supposed to be good: It starts in the backcourt where they play two point guards, one of whom had no experience with a starting unit prior to November. Their forward rotation is comprised of journeymen, identical twins, and a guy who missed all of last season. They salary-dumped their only established center for an injury liability who hasn’t dressed yet.

And somehow they’re threatening for homecourt when the West has never been tougher; the result of things going right in too many places for Hornacek not to be credited with an elite NBA coaching debut.

It’s almost unprecedented; virtually every player in Phoenix’s rotation is enjoying a career year; Dragic and Bledsoe look like All-Stars, while the latter is probably the MIP at this point. PJ Tucker has broken out as a lockdown perimeter guy. Miles Plumlee warmed the cold Indiana bench last year, and is now channelling Shawn Kemp. The Morris’ are sporadically dangerous. Gerald Green is suddenly much more than the NBA’s best Uncontested Fast Break Finisher. It’s contagious.

Not only has Hornacek motivated a team that had absolutely no reason to believe in itself to play with balanced poise, but used a system of creative lineups to emphasize his team’s strengths. They space the floor incredibly well on offense and collapse with suffocation on the other end. Heavy on athleticism and short on size, Phoenix is often playing a Miami-style game of pressure-and-rotate. This forces lots of turnovers and lets their young legs exploit the open court.

Most of their halfcourt sets feature a four-out perimeter with both Frye and Morris-Squared serving as stretch threats, Bledsoe slashing from one wing and Dragic doing both from the other. This not only gives the Suns plenty of room to swing for open looks, but doesn’t hurt them on D; Morris-Squared can guard bigger wings, Bledsoe can lock up virtually any guard, and the entire team rotates well enough to go zone whenever it suits them.

The Suns are a breath of fresh air in this NBA era of “Big 3s” and Big Markets; they look like a finely-tuned college team, consistently executing with that token “want it more” effort, and the synergy only purely bred from a team without stars that knows they need to work together. They’ve been encouraging enough that not a single eyelash has been bat about the Lottery pick they’re apparently playing themselves out of.

While the season’s gotten off to a hotter start for the Suns than anyone could’ve fathomed, a small part of the success has to come from the surprise factor they’ll no longer be able to take advantage of. Phoenix has a rather large target on them after leaving a trail of Western corpses in their wake; teams will be circling the calendar, reviewing tape, resting up and certainly not underestimating the Rising Suns.

Hornacek’s debut season will only thicken as more experienced coaches unload their arsenal of tricks on his unconventionally awesome team, but the honeymoon is over, the Suns are for real, and every indication is that this team is in good hands.  

To Sad Endings & New Beginnings...

When news broke earlier this week of a stress fracture in Yao Ming's foot ending his season for the zillionth time, reactions throughout the basketball community were, well, subdued. Although this was obviously a tragic setback for a star who put retirement ahead of more rehab, there was an utter lack of surprise; to some extent, we all knew this was coming. Like Greg Oden before him, we'd all seen Yao succumb to his own body too many times to expect he'd get it together.

Yao was different though, in that he had already established himself as a star in this League, and probably would've been fine if the commies running China's national team had bothered to let him rest for a few weeks during the prime of his career. Yao played in 82, 82 and 80 his first three seasons, and was becoming a dominant talent. But the second Houston's seasons ended, he was shipped back to the homeland for a busy international schedule that often had him arriving late for training camp and certainly betrayed the concept of an "offseason". As the constant pounding took its toll (remember, 350 pounds is a lot to carry around), Yao averaged an anemic 58 games over the next four seasons, before shutting it down all of last year, and now facing a similar fate.

It seems far safer to call Yao's career over, relative to Oden's. He's older, has nothing really to prove, owns his own pro team in China, and has already hinted at this being the end. It's also far more difficult; he was a much better player and a noble, gregarious global ambassador for a league that's clearly looking to grow its international influence. If this is the last we see of him - and all signs point to it being that way - what a shitty (albeit predictable) way for it all to end. Keep your head up Yao, hope that "fried chicken and beer" tastes damn good.

Only a few days of mourning passed before Yao's dilemma was sidetracked by the season's first blockbuster(s), which dramatically overhauled the floundering Orlando Magic. Their first deal shipped Vincent Lamar to Phoenix, along with Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat, in exchange for Jason Richardson, Earl Clark and the ghost of Hedo Turkoglu. As though that weren't enough of a dice roll, the Magic then shipped Rashard Lewis to Washington for Gilbert Arenas, setting a new Guinness record for "shitty NBA contracts traded in a single day".

Phoenix, caught in that awkward no-mans-land between contending and rebuilding, now at least has a more functional team. While they shed two of their 90 small forwards, they gained a legitimate centre and probably the only defensive-minded player on their roster. Gortat will allow Channing Frye and Robin Lopez to spend more time at the 4 (where both of them should be more effective), helping to shore up the league's worst-rebounding team. The jury's still out on whether Vince can provide any positive effect, but I can already envision Steve Nash becoming frustrated with him and freezing him out of the offense. In about two weeks. Ultimately, these Suns, (read:Nash) have made offensive contributors out of anyone they've plugged in, so the versatility they gained should outweigh the firepower they lost.

Washington, meanwhile, made a dubious decision. Trading Gilbert was an obvious move; after last season's handgun mishap and John Wall's drafting, he made (Agent) Zero sense for them. What made even less sense (I know it's mathematically impossible, but work with me here) was for them to take on what's very likely, dollar-for-dollar, the worst contract in the NBA in return. Lewis' monster of a deal comes off the books a year later than Gilbert's, forcing a rebuilding team that's losing money even more than easy games into deeper financial commitment. Although Wall will have a much more freedom now, the team as a whole might've just enslaved themselves.

...Which brings us to Orlando; the centrepiece of these blockbusters and the team with, far and away, the most to lose. After losing 5 of 6 and watching Boston and Miami reel off double-digit win streaks, I've heard this makeover get called everything from a panic move to a calculated gamble. The Magic gained a lot of offensive potency, picking up two bonafide scorers and returning Hedo to a city that clearly has some sort of PED-type effect on his game. Vince and Rashard were both having their worst seasons in recent memory, so getting rid of them wasn't hard, but fitting the new pieces together may be harder than it looks... (disclaimer: I'm of the firm belief that the Magic aren't done dealing yet, but let's proceed under the necessary assumption that they're going to try and win a title with this team)

First of all, this was a very expensive move for the Magic. They shed Lewis and Carter's bloated contracts, but also took on those of Arenas, Turkoglu and (to a lesser extent) Richardson, while burying JJ Redick (35$ mil this past offseason) on the bench. Obviously they're a successful team in a competitive market, but they just raised their risk profile considerably.

Defense also becomes a serious achilles heel for this team. Forget that they have Howard in the middle, the Magic have now lost their only potent wing defenders (Pietrus, and previously Matt Barnes), and given up Gortat; an excellent defender himself, and one of the NBA's best backup big men. Not that Carter or Lewis was a great defender, but all this does is increase the reliance on Howard, with more holes to patch, which will likely lead to more help-D fouls and less time on the court for their franchise player.

Orlando now possesses the weapons to be an offensive nightmare, but leaves serious doubts about its ability to succeed in the physical, halfcourt grind of the playoffs. They made it to the Finals two years ago with Dwight drawing coverage and open 3's raining from all angles, but the competition is far tougher this year. Dwight will have a much harder time dominating Boston's deep frontcourt than he did the Cavs' joke of one, and Miami's Superfriends will be much harder to match up with in an up-tempo shootout.

Orlando looks to be on Phoenix's flipside after this trade; they're certainly more talented, but perhaps less functional. In any event, it looked like a move needed to be made, and the front office certainly can't be blamed for a lack of balls. Regardless of whether this team's done shuffling, it'll be a serious adjustment for Stan Van Jeremy, D12, Jameer, hell the rest of the East's contenders. The Magic seriously shook things up here; it's gonna take a while for it to settle and see just what the payoff is. That being said, there's been an epidemic of complacency around the NBA lately when moves clearly need to be made, so Orlando should be applauded for pulling the trigger and at least rolling the dice before the season slid further.

"He Who Hesitates is Lost"

This year's trade deadline was more exciting than most, with several big names on the move after months of rampant speculation and incessant rumors. That being said, for every move that was made, we saw teams fail to pull the trigger on anticipated deals that could have serious implications over the coming months and seasons. Let's take a look at who didn't make a deadline move, why not, and how seriously it could fuck them over:

- The most surprising move, or lack thereof, was Phoenix deciding not to ship Amar'e Stoudemire to any of the many interested teams. The problem here was that Stoudemire had been held onto for too long; the Suns have been talking about trading him for years and could never make their mind up whether or not to hit the switch on rebuilding mode. This hurt Amar'e's trade value, as every team knew Phoenix was willing to part with him (and needed to, lest they risk losing him for nothing in July), making it impossible to get equal value in return. If the rumored Hickson/Ilgauskas package was truly the best offer they received for an elite big man, then this card was played terribly. Consequently, you can probably pencil the Suns in for a low playoff seed and the worst month of June possible as they clamor to work a sign-and-trade (which is sure to be even more of a lowballing than their refused deadline deals) before Stoudemire bolts like Usain to a better situation.

- Also, the Utah Jazz held onto their prized-but-long-time-trade-bait big man after several offers for Carlos Boozer fell through. Despite informing 'Los and the rest of the NBA that he wasn't part of their long-term plans months ago, Utah is contending for a division crown and trading a borderline All-Star for pennies on the dollar would've been a hasty move. Instead, they shipped their starting shooting guard for absolutely nothing, pissing off their franchise player

and confusing the hell out of everyone else. Maybe they thought Wesley Matthews could fill the void (...not saying he can't), but blatantly dumping one of your core guys to save a few dollars when your team's among the best in the conference doesn't send the right message to players or fans. Now, much like Phoenix, Utah can only pray that Boozer allows them to work a sign-and-trade, which given his history in such situations, is a sketchy proposition.

- Third in our series of Teams That Might Regret Holding Onto Their All-Star Big Man are the Toronto Raptors. A few months ago, mired in their usual nonchalance and defensive ineptitude, the Craptors were almost certainly going to have to deal Chris Bosh. Since 2010 dawned, they've played enough inspired basketball to make Bryan Colangelo think he's got a chance of holding onto his soon-to-be free agent. It's a tough read. Bosh has repeatedly stated that he 'loves' Toronto as a city and as a team, but he's also expressed a desire to play for a contender; something the Raptors are far from being. If he does re-sign, he'll be committing to a team that has $50 in dead money committed to The Remains of Hedo Turkoglu, has a poor track record of appeasing its star players, and an worse one when it comes to steadily building a winning franchise. He might claim he loves being the man on a mediocre team, but even though Bosh is a stand-up guy and least likely of these three players to bail unceremoniously, he'll have to weigh options and priorities very carefully this summer. 'Loving' a team is a different story from making the most important decision of your life in the faith that they'll show you that love in return.

- On the flipside, you have the teams that should've been looking to acquire a piece or two, and for whatever reason didn't get it done. Take the Miami Heat; a team that four years ago made some short-sighted moves that got them a title but now has left them in a serious hole. Since then, they've tumbled from the NBA's penthouse to the East's basement, and though they've attempted to climb out, look like they can't find the door. Dwyane Wade once affirmed his desire to be in Miami hiw whole career, but since making that statement has seen his team fall apart around him, forcing him to exert himself more than he should ever have to keep them in the playoff hunt while his GM publicly puts him on blast. It's obvious he's not happy here and will have teams lining up to deliver a franchise to his feet in mere months. The lack of activity by the Heat is alarming; deadline rumors had them aggressively pursuing Stoudemire and Boozer, but they shot themselves in foot by not really having any promising trade bait. The chance of luring a big-name free agent still might save them when Jermaine O'Neal's whale expires in June, but with so many teams waiting to gamble this summer, getting a jump on the market would've been key to cinvincing Wade to stay.

- The Golden State Clusterfucks also stood pat after dangling everyone on their roster short of Stephen Curry all season. I wish I knew why. Not only do they hold several intriguing, young trade prospects, but they have no identity within which to worry about the fit of a potential acquisition. They weren't even mentioned to be pursuing many offers, which given the disarray of their roster and record, just seems lazy.

- Although they weren't talked about as much, I sincerely expected the Pistons to shake things up because a) they have lots of talented pieces, b) Joey D's never shied away from triggering a big deal, and c) they're fucking pitiful this year. This seemed like a perfect time to jettison one/some of their young studs in what was clearly a buyers' market, but admittedly their recent decision to commit a third of their cap space to two guys who aren't currently starting hasn't given them much room to work with. Although he'll no doubt be working the phones to make something happen in June, Mr. Dumars' early summer plans will likely involve much more leisure time than if he had been in a different frame of mind back on that fateful June night in 2003. Hopefully visions of Carmelo and Dwyane re-upping with his team won't haunt him while he's putting to save par.

Of course, we'll need wait and see what develops over the next few months before we can cast a final judgement on the Trade Deadline. Maybe the passive route was the best idea and the waiting game will pay off for these franchises, but the trade market we just saw is a rare breed and passing it up is a serious roll of the dice at a high stakes game. Things are only going to get zanier this summer, and only time will tell if these teams came out for the better. But with so much talent and cap space readily available, there might be a lot of GMs soon spending time near the bottom of a bitter whiskey bottle, lamenting what might've been.

Have a good weekend everyone, I'll be back in a few days.

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.

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.

It's Been a Long Time/I Shouldnt've Left You...

What's up? I've been on the road for most of this week and haven't gotten a chance to put anything up here in a while; bad timing I know, this being one of the busiest times of the year in the NBA and whatnot, but I'm putting this up on a buddy's computer in Sackville, New Brunswick; the first time I've had internet since Sunday. So don't say I'm not trying here. With so much going on in the league right now, I figured I'd just post some random thoughts about the All-Star festivities, impeding trade deadline, and whatever else works. Enjoy:

- The All- Star Game was good fun as always; gotta love to see the league force the Kobe/Shaq co-MVP on us. As a die-hard fan I'm tired of these attempts to publicize a "feud" that, if it weren't for the league's publicity machine (and Shaq's subsequent attempts to fuel it), would've died a long time ago. Still, it's good to know these two can still join forces and win basketball games, even if they don't mean anything. Personally, I think Shaq had the MVP locked since his intro with the Jabawockeez (or however the hell they spell it). It was also nice that Mo Williams finally got the injury nod and received some recognition for the huge difference he's made in Cleveland this year; if Orlando got a requisite third All-Star based on their record, didn't it seem odd that the All-Star coach's squad only had one?

- The Dunk Contest kinda disappointed me; I was glad Dwight finally got to dunk on the 12-foot net (am I the only one who thinks he could've gone higher?), and it was cool to see Nate jump over a 7-footer (even if he did vault himself, just getting that high for 5'9" guy is 50-worthy), but fuck...I can't help but feel like the contest has become a gimmick. Dwight's phonebooth intro was hilarious when I first saw it, but in retrospect (especially after seeing Nate don his kryptonite outfit), it's getting a little out of hand. By the time the finals rolled around I felt like I was watching the Super Dave show or something...And the Commish needs to re-tweak the rules...2 minutes to get a dunk down and then 2 more attempts? I thought they learned their lesson a few years ago when the Birdman couldn't take flight. And don't force players to include a second man on their dunks. That's fucking stupid.

- Lebron in the dunk contest next year? Say it ain't so. Let's all pray he doesn't wuss out and other stars follow his lead; this could be the start of something huge.

- Word to Daequan Cook.

- And Kevin Durant....wow. Is anybody still claiming him and Oden have anything within the realm of a rivalry?

- Back in the real World, the Hornets had an awkward situation on their hands when Tyson Chandler, a recent victim of their cap-clearing efforts, failed his physical and was denied entry to Oklahoma City. Tyson now rejoins a team that tried to cut him loose, sending him to the Thunder of all teams, knowing that the top brass doesn't approve of his presence. Thing is though, Chris Paul does, and that's really all New Orleans should care about.

- Meanwhile, the Bulls actually did something kind of smart in the way of personnel moves; trading Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni to the Kings for John Salmons and Brad Miller. I've been a fan of Salmons' game for a while; he's a versatile player who can handle, score and defend; really fill whatever role the Bulls ask of him. His addition also essentially relegates Larry Hughes to the bench, which can never hurt your chances if your team's short-term goals involve avoiding the Lottery. Miller gives them an able body in the post on offense; he may not be the player he was when the Bulls mistakenly got rid of him years ago, but he can still score better than any big man they've had since his departure and remains one of the best passing centers in the league. The Bulls also cleared the glut of power forwards ahead of Tyrus Thomas, who can hopefully become more consistent with some consistent minutes and deliver on those glimpses of brilliance he flashes every now and then. I dunno what to say about Sac-Town here, I have no idea what direction they're even headed in, and I don't really care either. They've officially assumed Indiana's old role as the League's most irrelevant team.

- ...And it appears the obituary I wrote for the Phoenix Suns might've been slightly premature. Instead of dealing Amar'e, they canned Terry Porter (as I'd suggested) and got back to the run game they thrived on. They consequently kicked off the season's second half with back-to-back 140-point blowouts of the Clippers (sure it's the Clippers but Phoenix will take it at this point). Good to have ya back fellas.

Setting Suns

Well, it sure was fun while it lasted; that too-good-to-be-true union of the league's most prolific pick-and-roll artist with its most explosive finisher is about to be abruptly ended when Phoenix inevitably deals Amar'e Stoudemire sometime in the next week or so. The trade will put the final nail in the coffin of Phoenix's Seven Seconds or Less era, signaling a rebuilding effort that (for some reason) is centering around three players in their mid-30's. It seems like just yesterday that Phoenix was a perennial contender playing the most electrifying game we'd ever seen; now they're a lethargic, underacheiving squad who are about to lose their best player for discounted return and are staring a difficult future in the face. What the hell went wrong?

Well first there was the departure of the Colangelos. Despite the disaster that Bryan's got on his hands in Toronto, there's no denying that he assemeled an uncannily talented roster in Phoenix. His father was valued and respected in his capacity as President, probably why US Basketball made him an offer he couldn't refuse to oversee the re-birth of their quest for Olympic gold. This superstar tandem was hastily replaced by a dude with no front-office experience whose first major acquisition set the wheels in motion for this team's demise:

Marion-for-Shaq was doomed from its inception. Sure, Marion was increasingly unhappy with his role; his production was suffering and his presence in the locker room was butchering team morale. He's an extremely well-rounded player with borderline All-Star numbers, who could surely draw much interest around the league. So why the fuck accept an offer for a player who not only has seen his legendary past drown in a bog of excess weight, but is bar none the worst fit as a centrifugal force in a running offense in the entire league. His presence forced the Suns to re-construct their game plan; everybody had to make adjustments, but ultimately the move was disruptive enough to push Mike D'Antoni out the door. The run 'n gun master saw the trade as too counter-productive; his third option turned from an athletic swingman into an immobile mass that clogged the lane and slowed the run. Apparently, his master plan was beyond salvation, and it appeared the Suns were too, now abandoned by the perfect coach for their system.

Nobody was more upset about this than Stoudemire, who had used Shaq's presence to avoid more constant double-teams and have without question the most dominant second half of 07-08 of any big man in the L. Steve Nash couldn't have been happy either, losing a friend and mentor in D'Antoni, someone who had a very similar approach to the game and played off him like peanut butter does jelly (or chocolate if you're more of a Reese's fan). Their dismay could've only been heightened when the Suns hired Terry Porter; the same Terry Porter who presided over a highly sub-par tenure in Milwaukee, highlighted by unimaginative offense and unsuccessful attempts to enforce tough D. Yup, this involuntary 180 in basketball philosophy was exactly what Phoenix needed.

So here we are several months into a season that's seen the Suns fall from fringe contender status, play boring basketball and house a roster full of malcontents. Stoudemire's impeding trade will be much to his relief after Porter's system schackled his numbers and forced him to focus on an aspect of the game he's grown to neglect. See the fundamental problem was that Phoenix had spent years playing the type of basketball every player dreams of: pushing the ball, shooting when you're open, lighting up the scoreboard on every opponent and throwing convention out the window. Beyond that they were winning with it; consistently among the league's best teams. Convincing their players to suddenly abandon the approach that always worked for them through a series of horrendous personnel moves was a hard sell, and ultimately what killed this team. It'll be sad to see this team fall apart (not that it hasn't already, but in the final sense), watching Amar'e finish someone else's lobs or Nash feeding dishes to Stoudemire's less-athletic replacement. It's even sadder thinking of what could've been, and knowing how it all went down.

The Tipping Point

Disappointment's been contagious this year. As the All-Star Break inches closer and the 2008-09 NBA season takes a firmer form, there's plenty of teams that are far from where they envisioned themselves before the season, and losing precious time to regain ground. While some squads are so screwed that major personnel changes and minor miracles are their only hope at redemption, others find themselves still in the mix, with the possibility of salvaging this season. Here's a look at a few teams who are stuck up shit's creek (giving a pass to injury-crippled Utah, the rejuvenated 76ers and the Pistons, who should've simply just kept Chauncey) and where they might want to look for a paddle:

Washington Wizards
The Wiz had dreams of contending in the East this season; dreams that have crashed and burned, leaving injury-plagued Washington lying in the smoldering ashes of league's worst record...inexplicably with the same roster that got them to the 5th seed last spring. While having their best player and starting center relegated to the sideline all season has been a primary cause, the answer might lie there as well. Brendan Haywood's injury has given rise to young stud Andray Blatche, who is still raw but has shown considerable progress since being drafted out of high school. Just 22, he's far from his ceiling and should become more consistent with more experience and maturity. Meanwhile, Gilbert Arenas is indicating he might not suit up at all this year, after just 13 appearances in 07-08. He's still revered as one of the deadliest scorers in the league, but has been the league's highest-paid cheerleader for almost two seasons, and had many heads saying last season that the Wizards were playing better without him. Dealing their walking wounded might be a good way for Washington to shake up a rotation that's never gotten them out of the first round; one that badly needs a fresh start.

Toronto Raptors
Another team that once thought they could run with the East's best, the Raptors have been rudely awakened to the reality that they're still soft, shoot too many jumpers, and have a weak killer instinct that belies their name. Needless to say that Jermaine O'Neal's presence on the low block hasn't opened up the court for more wing penetration and Chris Bosh high-post domination like they'd hoped, and now sit further out of the playoff picture than they've been in years. Trading O'Neal might be premature, especially for Shawn Marion (as rumored), a guy who doesn't address the team's immediate needs and will likely walk in July. This season might be a lost cause if Toronto can't toughen up, and the sad reality is that this team, saddled by O'Neal's unappealing contract, is a few moves away from redemption and has a 18 months until Bosh inevitably bounces for greener pastures. They need more post bangers (Andrea Bargnani doesn't fit the bill) and a slashing swingman to attack defenses, but securing those assets in time to convince Bosh to stay might be too much to ask.

Chicago Bulls
This team's lost. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf's "disaster" stamp on the season was a little harsh (considering they're the prime candidates to snatch the 8th seed out East when Michael Redd-less Milwaukee inevitably loses it), but the Bulls aren't headed anywhere significant. They have no post presence on offense, a glut of underachieving forwards and their best scorer can shoot them out of games just as easily as back into them (I won't even start ranting about the presence of Larry Hughes). This core was supposed to take them to the top of the conference last year, and has proved that Scott Skiles wasn't necessarily the problem; they're incompatible and too young. Trade for size and experience, let Rose continue to blossom and condense the talent on a roster with too many mediocre players fighting for minutes.

Houston Rockets
Another year of West Crown ambitions, another year as middle men well below the cusp of elite status. Sure it's been tough for them to stay healthy (it's cliche at this point), but this team needs to trade T-Mac while he's still considered an All-Star calibre talent, which he's looking less and less like every day. I know, I know, wasn't I just waxing about T-Mac ressurrecting his career just last week? Sure, I hope for his sake he does so his career isn't branded a tease like Vince before him...but it's also not very likely. If I'm Houston, I'm working the phones to find a guy who will stay healthy, play within the offense and, if he's a volume shooter, at least break the .400 barrier. If Mac's value hasn't plummeted as low as I'm guessing, maybe even snag a backup center in the deal and give yourself some bodies that may be a downgrade in talent, but a serious upgrade in funtionality.

Phoenix Suns
Terry Porter's hiring was a mistake. He's forced them to play a slower, almost shackled game, especially in contrast to D'Antoni's system. His emphasis on defense has spelled the Suns' minor implosion this season for two main reasons: 1) After several years of playing the most amusing, trigger-happy basketball the league's seen in ages, nobody on Phoenix's roster wants to buy into a defensive grind. Sure Shaq slows them down, they can't run as much, but their offensive sets are reminiscent of Porter's stagnant and inept Milwaukee teams; they're too talented to be this reined in. 2) Stressing D doesn't play to the Suns' skills. Steve Nash? Can't guard a D-league bench warmer. Amar'e Stoudemire? Foul-prone and easily frustrated. Jason Richardson? Twice the scorer he is a defender. Porter's approach evidently hasn't been popular with his players, especially Stoudemire who needs to be appeased or traded. Scuba Steve Kerr will have a much easier time canning a disliked coach than explaining to everyone why he got lowballed for his franchise player. In two summers, Stoudemire will likely be tempted by an offer to play alongside Lebron James or Dwyane Wade (there's several teams with that much cash to throw), so don't give him more reasons to walk.

Los Angeles Clippers
They have several tradeable assets, so the Clippers need to do something drastic, anything to shake things up. No one should be considered untouchable on this roster; they're talented but still are tied for the league's worst record. Like the Bulls, they're a team without a real identity, but with enough talent to make a serious splash at the trade deadline. Their team's been bogged down in a losing culture since their inception, and why they're continuing to struggle so mightily this year is seriously beyond me. Something needs to give though, that something being either Marcus Camby or Chris Kaman, which could fetch a nice return at the deadline and give DeAndre Jordan a chance to get some burn. They need more role players and perimeter defenders as a start, but they won't right the ship for a few years, and this being the Clippers, probably not at all.