He championed Lebron taking his talents to South Beach, and was the first to guess report that’s where Lebron would go, but now Chris Broussard of ESPN is changing his tune. He’d just like to clarify that Lebron would’ve been a better fit in New York with Amar’e. He’d also like to clarify that Amar’e is a better player than Bosh. And, he’d also like to mention “no one was saying any of this” when it happened (nevermind his own colleagues, or most of the partial New York media). [ ESPN New York ]
Posts Tagged Lebron James
So much has been written about “The Decision,” but with some time to reflect, what still sticks out is the spectacular fall from grace that James underwent. Never has an athlete’s image been tarnished more quickly without a major off-court drama occuring (think Tiger, Kobe, OJ, or Michael Vick) than James’s image. Lebron didn’t commit any crimes except to disappoint all of us who thought he could be Michael Jordan 2.0. If anything—and Jordan reflected on this recently—James joining his friends is what the NBA is all about these days: being buddies before competitors. Thank god for dudes like Kobe and KG. Wait, did I just write that?!
Strangely enough, during the season, as early as January, I actually thought Lebron would end up in Miami. Tip of the hat to me! But, I must admit by the end of the season I finally started to believe New York might be the place if it wasn’t Cleveland. I probably changed my mind daily on what would happen.
Personally, I struggled all season with the idea that Lebron on my Knicks was a good thing. Yeah, he’s an once in a generation player. But the fame-whoring, self-marketing, sideline dancing, the nail-biting… I just don’t think I’d have an easy time rooting for him with my heart.
Instead James, Wade and Bosh have created a team that fans will love to hate. Almost like the Dallas Cowboys. It’ll give people a rooting interest, even if it’s just to root against something. It will give us the most hated team in the NBA since the Riley-era Knicks. How ironic.
Fortunately, and I sincerely mean it, Lebron isn’t on my Knicks. With the signing of Amar’e and unforeseen Randolph acquisition, Donnie Walsh was masterful in recreating this team and giving us a season to look forward to. I rate the summer an A- instead of an A+ only because there wasn’t a PG on the market who is truly perfect for Seven Seconds or Less.
To start, Amar’e was the cream of the free agent, big man crop. The only true max contract big man out there. No available player (Lebron and Wade aside) puts fear into the minds of opposing defenses the way Amare does. I know there are health concerns, but I truly think they are overblown since none of the injuries are recurring. And, I know Amar’e will miss Steve Nash, but it can be said that Nash will miss Amar’e, too. In Amar’e, the Knicks finally have one of the top ten players in the league.
Additionally, Amar’e is one of the few players out there confident enough to crave the New York spotlight and the responsibility of being a team leader. After being considered the second best player on the Suns, he has a big chip on his shoulder and wants to prove he’s in the same class as Lebron or Wade. He actually wants the challenge of New York and as a fan you have to love it. Amar’e promises to be the most popular and spectacular Knick since Latrell Sprewell.
Or, maybe he won’t because it doesn’t get more exciting than Anthony Randolph. When it was finally becoming clear the Knicks probably weren’t getting Lebron, Walsh pulled of the best Knicks trade since Charles Oakley for Marcus Camby. Instead of losing Lee for nothing in free agency, he pulled of a coup and managed a sign and trade to land Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azuibuke, and Ronny Turiaf (as well as two second round picks).
Physically, Randolph is like a longer version of Kevin Durant. He has the blocking ability of Marcus Camby and potentially the all around game of Scottie Pippen. Or maybe Kevin Garnett with a handle. He’s just freaky. If he can manage to become a consistent outside threat and keep his head screwed on straight, he will be a perennial all-star.
Azuibuke and Turiaf are also welcome addtions. Buke shoots an excellent percentage from three and plays excellent defense. Turiaf bring a lot of spirit, defense, and blocking and is a legit center who can play alongside Amar’e. All three ex-Warriors will give the Knicks much needed scrappiness and defense.
Then Walsh addressed the Knicks lack of point guard depth by signing Ray Felton. I’m slightly dubious on this signing, worrying about the fit for this team as well as his ability to run D’Antoni’s offense, but I can’t deny that it was a necessary move and huge upgrade over Duhon. Felton has a reputation for being a great team leader and used to push the ball at UNC. Charlotte seemed to stifle his game, but he blossomed in his contract year, and was clearly the best free agent guard available. He and Toney Douglas should be a more than capable point guard tandem, though I worry that neither will excel at the pick and roll with Amar’e.
To round out free agency, the Knicks signed Russian international Timofey Mozgov, a hulking 7 foot center. Not much is known about him, but there was some considerable buzz about him from overseas scouts. Most didn’t realize Mozgov wanted to come to the states, and the Knicks seemingly swept in to sign him before anyone else had a chance. Kudos to Walsh for keeping an eye on the overseas players. I’m not expecting much from Mozgov except for some put backs and fouls, but if he can do that for 12 minutes a night and play some tough defense, he’ll prove to be a worthy signing.
Finally, the Knicks draft can’t be ignored. Andy Rautins and Landry Fields were universally panned as draft picks. But, the Knicks sensibly got guys who fit this team, instead of reaching for fools gold. The Fields pick in particular got killed, but Fields excelled in summer league and is already making Walsh look smart. Rautins didn’t find his shot during summer league, but promises to be a three point threat once he gets in the flow of the NBA game and used to the three point line. Additionally, Walsh picked up Jerome Jordan, a solid if underwhelming 7-footer who should give the Knicks additional presence in the paint moving forward. It has to be said that Walsh picked up three guys in the second round who could be limited contributors this season.
Baring injuries, here’s how I see the Knicks depth chart this season (with average minutes in parenthesis):
PG: Felton (34) / Douglas (14) / Rautins (-)
SG: Azuibuke (24) / Chandler (14) / Douglas (10) / Walker (-)
SF: Gallo (32) / Chandler (10) / Randolph (6) / Fields (-)
PF: Amare (38) / Randolph (10)
C: Turiaf (24) / Randolph (16) / Mozgov (8) / Jordan (-) / Curry (-)
And so it begins
May 14
The LaBacle is complete. The Celtics, the best defense in the league, pull it out in game 6 and defeat Lebron James, the best player in the NBA. But the story will continue to be Game 5 of the Cleveland-Celtics series—perhaps the most curious performance in modern NBA history. The media hysteria surrounding Lebron’s uncharacteristic performance has been unparalleled. Perhaps the only other playoff controversy I can compare it to, at least in terms of volume, is when Jordan took off to Atlantic City against the Knicks in the 1993 playoffs. Just like that scenario, the whole sports world questioned Jordan’s commitment to his team and, ridiculously in retrospect, winning. Now everyone is questioning if Lebron is a winner.
Lebron has been expected to be a one man show. And despite all the cliched calls from fans and media that “it’s all about team”, clearly that doesn’t apply to Lebron. Everyone wanted Lebron to prove he could do it all by himself. Jordan was long considered a one man show who had to learn how to play team ball. But, in reality, Lebron has never had 2 teammates half as good as Pippen and Rodman. Or a coach as good as the often ridiculed Phil Jackson. Lebron’s teams have simply leaned on him too much and taken all their cues from him.
Fans expected Lebron to simply be able to will his team to a championship. Just like Jordan did. Just like Isiah. Just like Magic or Larry. But it’s ridiculous. Basketball has proven time and again to be a team game. You can say that Hakeem has probably won it all with the least. But, even he had a team that rose to the occasion. A team perfectly built to complement Hakeem with are barrage of 3 pointers and great defense. And, just think how preposterously clutch and nasty Sam Cassell was. That team had verve.
This Cavs team, Verajao aside, had nothing of the sort. Shaq was simply old and slow, not to mention withdrawn and distant. Jamison was destroyed by KG and never gelled with teammates. Mo Williams had some offensive moments but was destroyed by Rondo. What was Lebron supposed to do with this cast of characters?
Plain and simple: No one-man-show can do it against what has to be considered the best defensive team in the league for three years running. Jordan, Kobe, Magic, Larry… none of these guys with this Cavs cast would’ve got by this Celtics team. It reminds me of a young Jordan being unable to get by the Pistons.
And, it’s not just about this season. For seven years Lebron hasn’t had a strong enough cast of characters around him. Nor has he had a cast properly built around him.
So why should he NOT leave Cleveland?!
I’m finally coming around to the fact that Lebron to NY has a real chance of happening. Forget the latest hot talk about Chicago being the new front runner to land Lebron. The Jordan shadow is way too strong. And, really, Chicago just isn’t as exciting as NY from a lifestyle, celebrity and potential money making perspective. And, about all of this Callipari talk, give me a break.
If the Knicks can get Bosh with Lebron, they’d be looking pretty nasty. Here is your 2010 super-optimistic Knicks depth chart:
PG: LeBron James / Toney Douglas / Sergio Rodriguez (??)
SG: Wilson Chandler / Billy Walker
SF: Danilo Gallinari /
PF: Chris Bosh / Jarvis Varnado (with the 38th pick)
C: Eddy Curry (who magically gets healthy since he’s playing for a contract, the Knicks won’t suck and Lebron is here) / Earl Barron / Artsiom Parakhouski (with the 39th pick)
That’s 11 dudes, with my draft selections, and including Sergio Rodriguez who I’m not too high on keeping. So here are some potential low cost free agents to round it out:
SF, PF, C: Tim Thomas – I know that’s weird, but he’s versatile, smart, played well for D’antoni and can probably be had for the minimum.
C, PF: Louis Amundson – Phoenix is going to break the bank to keep Amare, and they have Robin Lopez who starts. He’d be a nice Verajao-like piece and I have a hard time imagining him get anything more than mid-level money.
PG: Luke Ridnour – Can shoot, and push the pace. Alongside LBJ his small size and lack of athleticism wouldn’t be exploited.
SG: Kyle Korver – For one obvious reason. 3pt % this year .536.
Here are the other prospective free agents: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11
Pretty impressive. It all starts to feel possible.
I think the scariest scenario is still the Nets winning the draft and getting John Wall. With the new Russian billionaire owner (who’d love to open up the Russian market to Lebron and teach him the ways of a billionaire), actually being in the NY market, a ton of cap space, a studly young center, and a tradeable asset in Devin Harris, New Jersey is potentially more attractive than anywhere else. But, here’s hoping the Nets don’t land the top pick.
It’s ironic that the Knicks will have arrived at fiscal responsibility a year before the NBA team ownership finally saves themselves from financial ruin by instituting a lockout after the 2010-2011 season. For Knicks fans, whose team has been the embodiment of reckless spending and paralyzing long-term contracts for the past decade, this lockout is too little, too late.
The owners and Stern have put out an extremely aggressive proposal to reign in cost and change how league conducts business. To sum it up:
The owners want to take a far greater percentage of the basketball-related income. They want to pay millions less for maximum deals and shorten contracts. Most of all, they want a hard salary cap and assurances that protect themselves against a diminished economy and, well, themselves. Everything is hurtling toward a 2011 lockout, a negotiation that’ll likely feel far more like a standoff.
And from the agent/player perspective, a great quote that sums up the Knicks fan experience the past few years:
I have so much respect for David Stern, and I know he wants to create the most competitive environment possible for the fans, but the current system is broken,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “The luxury-tax concept is anti-competitive. We’ve created a system where in the midst of trying to sell tickets in the summer, we have teams admitting to their fans, ‘We’re not trying to win this year. …We’re waiting for 2010 or some year beyond.
Basically, if you remember the 2004 NHL lockout or even the 1998-1999 NBA half-season lockout, you’ve gotta be thinking to yourself, “we’re not going to have a 2011-2012 season.”
Here is my immediate concern for the Knicks: Because the NBA ownership is looking to cut the max length of contracts to 4 years and also looking to cut contracts dollars by around 30 percent, will max guys like Lebron, Wade and Bosh have even greater incentive to go where they can get the most money and most years right now? Or, in other words, do these guys STAY with their teams because their current teams have the added advantage of being able to offer an extra year and a 15% premium over any other suitor? In light of one year’s lost salary and possibly reduced future salaries, I think so.
All of which means the Knicks may go bust this summer. While teams are crying that the current labor agreement is financially unsustainable (not sure how much I believe it), most of those same teams have already locked in their stars and assets beyond the 2011 season. Clearly, they are trying to stay competitive, but chances are they’re paying now knowing that a 2011 lockout will probably cut salaries and do a lot to make team ownership profitable again. Meanwhile, Donnie has been trying to turn team Titanic around, shedding the team of all its assets for the opportunity to land Lebron and a friend. IF Donnie comes up empty in free-agency this summer, not only will the past 2 years of being a Knicks fan become completely pointless, the future may be even worse.
Or would it? Realistically, the Knicks may be perfectly positioned for a true rebuilding effort in 2012 since the team won’t be saddled with any long-term salaries (Lebron and friend possibly aside). The Knicks may actually be able to truly start from scratch with a boat load of unfulfilled cap space, a promising top 5 2011 draft pick, and young studs Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. Can you guys wait another 2 years?
Personally, I’m looking forward to a lockout for two reasons. First, the league absolutely has to abolish the salary-matching aspect of trades. This aspect of trading alone has made rebuilding the Knicks nearly impossible. Teams should be able to conduct business and trades as they see fit (ie. If they want to salary dump, fine. If they want to take on salary, fine.) If a hard salary cap is implemented, there really would be no need to keep matching salaries as part of trades. Additionally, teams have to have the right to cut players (NFL style) and not have it count against the salary cap. It’s already ridiculous enough that the Knicks have to pay Eddy Curry for what amounts to gross job negligence. What’s crazier is that if we cut him his salary still counts against our salary cap. This can’t happen in the future NBA.
Finally, what will the players do in the meantime? During the 2004 NHL lockout, players signed to leagues around the globe, many back in their home countries. Some, like Czech Jaromir Jagr, went on to play in Omsk, Russia off in Siberia. Do the international leagues inevitably pickup the NBA’s players. If you’re Danilo Gallinari, do you sign on with an Italian team for the year?
Lots of questions. Thoughts?
(See update at end of post)
Maybe it’s because we’ve suffered through I don’t know how many straight days of brutal cold, dark, freezing weather here in NYC, but I think Lebron ends up in Miami. I don’t think weather, climate or environment can be underestimated. Seriously. Think Shaq to LA and then Shaq back to Miami. Also, remember Miami has a happy superstar (Wade) already in place, and has proved itself to be a successful franchise in the past decade, both major considerations for a super-duper star. Not to mention that Miami seems like the ultimate playground for rich people.
Okay, so obviously Wade is already in Miami, has had success there by himself, and seems very inclined to stay in Miami. What are the other pros and cons for a guy like Lebron? While NY does have the glitz, the ‘world’s most famous arena’, and the ultimate superstar coach in Mike D’Antoni as enticements, Miami has it’s fair share of glitz, as well as a champion builder-winner Pat Riley to woo free agents. I think the most negative thing you can say about Miami is that it has an apathetic fan base. But, whatever. These guys are so loved by the whole country that they’ll soak up excitement and admiration everywhere they play.
This older ESPN article sums up the summer cap situation best. Miami has $18 mil to spend this summer. And the Chad Ford article on Bosh possibly being traded makes it seem like Miami really has the ability to pick Bosh up, re-sign Wade, and sign Lebron. Not exactly sure how that would work — Bosh makes $15.8 mil, so Toronto would have to have an interest in taking back a combo of potential star, Beasley (at $4.6), and expiring cap space in Q (at $9.3). Possible. The talk of Toronto doing a Bynum for Bosh deal seems a little more enticing from a Toronto standpoint, I’d think.
Anyways, The Knicks meanwhile are likely to have $23 mil to spend this summer if nothing happens. That’s one max guy (starting around $15 mil), and one solid guy ($8 mil). And that doesn’t include signing David Lee, who potenially is your ‘one solid guy’ signing. If Donnie pulls off the impossible and clears Jeffries $7 mil from next years books, then we are looking at 2 max guys, and we’re in business. But, even then Wade and Lebron are the only two guys I’d consider true max guys in this economy, and I think that tandem only happens in Miami.
Seems to me that the Knicks should take advantage of the current economic climate, trade for a star on a struggling franchise now, and still preserve at least $15 mil for the summer, and one more max guy.
One last thing to note: OKC, who are uber-promising already as we witnessed just the other night will likely have $11.8 mil in cap space this summer to pick up a quality player. That’s incredible. If I’m David Lee, I might seriously be considering that OKC is where I want to be next year.
UPDATE: If you get a chance, listen to the latest Sports Guy podcast with Chad Ford. Neither are optimistic for the Knicks this summer. And, as much as it pains me to give either guy too much credit, they both sound logical in their pessimism. The only real hope seems to be if the Knicks have a hidden promise from Lebron.
