I saw this yesterday, and it brought me back to an issue I’ve been considering for quite some time: the “dumbing down” of the league, and the game itself.  It started with the impact of money in the league.  In the 90’s, the popularity of the league exploded thanks to Michael Jordan and David Stern, and with it came money.  This change really effected the new crop of players looking to come to the NBA, because they suddenly had a seven figure check in their focus that wasn’t there before.  Players like Jordan who were coming into the league in the 80’s usually spent a few years in college and when they made the transition to the league, they didn’t have a $90 million sneaker deal on the table and a 3 year rookie deal.  Because of this, there really wasn’t a lot of players looking to enter the league out of high school.  Players like Moses Malone were few and far between before then.  After the league, and players, saw what Jordan had accomplished and the impact he made, they were forever changed.  The players wanted to be him, and the league wanted to re-create him.

Kids were entering the league too soon in order to get paid, and when they were developing as players, they weren’t exactly worried about improving to be the best they could be, and many lacked the maturity to deal with the NBA lifestyle at 18 or 19 years of age.  Players who were treated like gods in high school and college campuses developed a me-first approach to basketball, and since pro teams saw dollar signs with some of the young stars, they didn’t exactly try to curb this.  More and more players were more interested in making their mark on the league and teams were eager to market their talented, flashy players and cash in on the individual rather than the quality of the team or the game.

This approach was a success, and fans started to shift their focus more towards the players than the game itself.  This has a huge impact on how the NBA is perceived, namely: it keeps the focus on the present and future.  Fans nowadays not only lack a knowledge of the history of the game and it’s players, but because of how the league is marketed, newer fans usually don’t even have a desire to want to learn about it.  And why would they?  The media is happy shoving the stars down your throat, because it’s gotten to the point that even if they tried to sell the game, there wouldn’t be many buyers.

This is what I think whenever I see something like that poll.  When talking about the best playoff performers, Bird and Magic should be near the top of every list.  At this point in their careers, saying Lebron and Kobe eclipse them in the postseason is utterly laughable.  And for those not old enough to know why that is, I’m not going to give you the easy way out.  I suggest this: research.  Read, watch, and listen.  And one more thing:

Love the game.

Tonight was a game for the ages.  Several records were broken and milestones reached during UNC’s march to the top spot in the 2009 NCAA tournament, and to top it off for Heel fans, this game was decided in the first half.

Tale of the first half:

Carolina came out of the gate looking like the more focused and better prepared team.  In the opening 20 minutes, UNC’s defense was very effective in limiting Michigan, as they shot 46% in the first half while netting only 34 points.  The two main reasons for this was the superior rebounding by the Heels and the inability of Michigan to hold onto the ball.  They turned the ball over 14 times while allowing UNC to add 17 points from those mistakes.  Star Heel guard Ty Lawson accounted for 7 of those 14 turnovers, as he set a new record for steals in the NCAA championship game.  He finished the game with a total of 8 steals.  UNC’s size up front bothered the Spartans, and the Heels pulled down 11 defensive rebounds, limiting Michigan to mostly “one-and-done” possessions for the first half.

Michigan State’s defense in the first half was allowing UNC anything they wanted, and if the Heels didn’t get it on the first try, they usually had another shot because they were dominating the offensive glass.  UNC had eight second chance points thanks to six offensive rebounds.  They were making the Spartans pay for their lack of size up front, as the Heels outscored the Spartan’s in the paint 16-6.  The Tar Heels shot 53% in the first half, and ended up with 55 points (a new record for the NCAA championship game).  Michigan State only managed 34 points, making a deficit of 21 points (also a new record).

In the second half, the Spartans tightened up their defense, and allowed the Heels only 34 points, but the damage was too great.  Despite Michigan outscoring the Heels 38-34 in the second half, the closest they came was within 13 points.  The game ended with a final score of 89-72, and both teams were able to play their reserves.

Goran Suton ended up with a double double for Michigan, netting 17 points and 11 rebounds.  Ty Lawson finished with a game high 21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 8 steals for the Heels.  Tyler Hansbrough finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds.  This is Roy Williams’s second title with UNC since becoming the head coach in 2003.

Alonzo Mourning will forever have his #33 remembered, as the Miami Heat retired his jersey during Monday’s game against the Orlando Magic.  Mourning is the first player to receive this honor from the Heat, a team that started as an expansion franchise in 1988.  Mourning started his NBA career with a different expansion team, the Charlotte Hornets, when he was chosen with the 2nd pick out of Georgetown in the 1992 draft.  Mourning helped the Hornets win their first playoff series in his rookie season, but only played three seasons before being acquired by the Heat.  Mourning lead the Heat to six playoff appearances and a conference finals series before leaving due to health issues with his kidney.  After receiving a transplant, he returned to the game and finally became an NBA champion as a member of the 2006 Heat team.  He played in eleven seasons with the Heat, was a seven time All-Star, two time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and one of the greatest shot blockers of all time, ranking 6th all time with a 2.81 BPG career average.

Vlade Divac watched his #21 raised to the rafters of ARCO Arena during Tuesday’s contest between the Sacramento Kings and the visiting New Orleans Hornets.  Divac played six seasons for the Kings, helping turn one of the worst teams in the league into title contenders.  Divac’s first year with the Kings came in the 1998-99 lockout season, where the Kings were able to reach the playoffs.  The year prior, the Kings had a 27-55 record.  That started a playoff run for the Kings that lasted eight straight seasons which included a league leading 61 win season and a trip to the conference finals.  Divac is one of only 3 players to accumulate over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocks.  The other two players are Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The quest for redemption is over.  USA basketball is back on top of the international stage, and the olympic podium.  Receiving the gold medals around their necks, the exuberant players of Team USA were as giddy as children on Christmas morning.  Coach Krzyzewski had tears in his eyes, which one can imagine isn’t only for being proud of the efforts of Team USA and relief from achieving his goal of bringing gold back to his country, but also for redeeming previous failures as head coach of the team.

What made victory that much sweeter was that the game was a nail biter.  Spain came to play, and their execution kept Team USA from building an invincible lead that many of their previous opponents fell victim.  Pau Gasol, Spain’s star player and member of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, did not disappoint as he contributed 21 points and 6 rebounds on 50% shooting.  The two stars for Spain tonight, however, were Rudy Fernandez and Juan Carlos Navarro.

Navarro had his best quarter in the third, showing his ability to penetrate and hit several runners which no doubt drew the ire of team USA.  Frustration was building with USA, because they were unable to stop Spain’s scoring in the half court.  Several time outs were called to make adjustments, and at one point it looked as if the players would lose composure.  Navarro’s offensive flurry in the third kept Spain close, with several of his baskets keeping the team within 4 points.

Fernandez was a spark on both ends of the floor, but his vibrant enthusiasm which contributed to his success also limited it.  He was in foul trouble throughout the game, and ended up being disqualified by reaching the limit of five late in the 4th quarter.  Before that, however, he was able to come in at the beginning of the 4th quarter with four fouls, and give his team a spark.  Fernandez hit a couple three point shots in the first few minutes, but at the 5:10 mark, he came up with a huge play.  With his team down 11, he recognized the defensive lapse of Kobe Bryant, and exploited his overplay by driving to the basket.  Dwight Howard didn’t react in enough time, but was able to see Fernandez stuff an electrifying dunk over him, drawing the foul in the process.  Spain would eventually cut to the lead to only four, but wouldn’t get any closer as Team USA responded when faced with the most pressure of any challenge previously faced in these games.

The win cannot be placed in the hands of one player.  The success of Team USA has been, in part, because of their incredible depth of talent, but also because of the new attitude and approach to the games.  Previous failures in international play brought humility, and they wanted to show a new attitude by putting the team first.  The final game was a microcosm of this attitude, as it took a combined effort to overcome the challenges they faced.  With inconsistent officials and a seemingly unstoppable offense from Spain, the game was close up until the end, and victory came from the hands of not one man, but the collective efforts of the team.  How fitting, seeing as one of the challenges Team USA has faced in their previous failures was to come together as a team, and put the team first above all else.

Chris Paul had key layups earlier in the game to keep the offense going, and was 9-10 from the free throw line.  Chris Bosh’s free throw shooting helped counter Spain’s exploitation of Dwight Howard down low, who was struggling at times against the front line of Spain.  Lebron James was all over the court, hitting from range and making seemingly impossible layups with impressive body contortions.  Kobe Bryant made clutch plays on both ends of the floor late in the 4th quarter, including a four point play which put the team up nine with a few minutes left in the game.  Dwayne Wade’s energy on defense helped force turnovers, an area which the team was struggling.  He seemed more comfortable from beyond the arc, hitting 4-7 shots.  The most important of which came in the 4th with Spain down only four points.  USA didn’t look back after that.

This game showed, not just that the US could dominate international basketball once more, but it showed why.  They succeeded because they bought into the team concept Jerry Coangelo tried to establish: put aside individual desires, and win as a team with humility.  Throughout these games, we saw players who didn’t get a lot of playing time, but didn’t throw fits or pout on the sidelines.  We saw players take on different roles, and accept them without complaint.  We saw genuine emotion as they encouraged each other, especially the bench during games.  And early this morning, we saw them win the gold medal because of it.

See images of Team USA’s victory over Spain.

The Atlanata Hawks decided to keep restricted free agent Josh Smith by matching the offer from the Memphis Grizzlies.  The deal, reportedly worth $58 million, was made in the hopes of pairing the 22 year old forward with another 22 year old rising star: Rudy Gay.  Those two young players would have made a solid young core for Memphis, especially since the team decided to rebuild and deal their biggest star in Pau Gasol last season.

Josh Smith was second in the league in shot blocking last season while averaging 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest.

Ron Artest is heading to Houston in a proposed trade with Sacramento that hasn’t been finalized at the moment.  The trade reportedly sends Artest to Houston for Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, and a future first round pick.  Some rumors have Sacramento adding additional pieces in the deal, but we won’t know until the deal is done.  One reason it isn’t done is because of Greene’s recent signing with Houston.   A player cannot be dealt until 30 days after he signs with a team, and that means this deal can be done August 14th.

Here’s the breakdown from Sacramento’s viewpoint:

Ron Artest has been a headache ever since coach Rick Adelman got the boot.  Recently, he expressed regret over his decision to stay, and he isn’t in the future plans for the Kings.  Sacramento hasn’t made the playoffs in the last two seasons, and they are clearly trying to rebuild, and Ron’s antics have been nothing but disruptive.   The Kings have been shopping Artest since last season, when they were trying to make a deal up to the trade deadline.   Rumors about a trade with LA and Denver didn’t pan out.  This season, more rumors about LA surfaced, but they reportedly didn’t want to send Odom and take on Artest and Kenny Thomas.  Houston, with coach Rick Adelman, was probably the only team who was willing to make a deal that interested Sacramento.

Artest is in the last year of his deal that pays him about $8.5 million.   Bobby Jackson, a local fan favorite from his previous tenure in Sacramento, is also in the last year of his deal worth a little over $6 million. Bobby is essentially the primary financial filler, because this deal is really about forward Donte Greene and the future pick.  Greene, a 6′10” 220lb forward, adds some youth and athleticism to Sacramento’s frontline that includes last year’s lottery pick Spencer Hawes, and this year’s first round pick Jason Thompson.

The departure of Ron Artest will help team chemistry on the court for the Kings, especially in the case of forward John Salmons.  Salmons filled in for Artest in the starting lineup last season during Artest’s suspension period, and was the team’s best player during that time.   He showed promise at the beginning of the season but that all changed when Artest returned and took over the starting spot.   Salmons complained about returning to the bench, and wasn’t able to bring that level of play in the second unit on a consistent basis for the rest of the season.   Hopefully, Salmons might show that level of play again if he can gain that starting spot and some confidence once again.

As for the Rockets, this move is two fold: it adds that additional player who can score and make things happen on both ends of the court, and it’s a short term move to win now because I don’t know how long the Rockets are going to keep up the Yao/McGrady experiment.

Team chemistry is something that isn’t just a factor for Sacramento.  Yao Ming also has some concerns:

“When I text messaged with Luis, we talked about team chemistry. That’s only what worries us.

“We worry about the new attitude to the team. We are adding talent to the team and we need that, but building team chemistry is important. This is not bad. I don’t mean he is not welcome to Houston. But a new player always needs some time.

“Also, he was the biggest part of a team in Sacramento. He was a star player. We need more chemistry and more communication.”

I think after their playoff loss to the Jazz, Houston felt they needed another player who could step up and impact the game if (or when) injuries hit Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady.   With Yao and Alston both missing playoff games due to injury, the Rockets, specifically McGrady, struggled offensively and really had to carry a large load.  Offensive options were thinning against Utah, and the team needed another player to step up. The Rockets may think Ron can be that player.  Last season, he was second in scoring on the Kings, averaging 20.5 PPG, 5.8 REB, and 3.5 AST.

With the Rockets having yet to make it past the first round of the playoffs with stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, it’s hard to believe the team won’t pick a direction with one of those players in the near future, and the outcome of next season might be vital to that decision.

Overall, I think it was a good deal for both sides.  The Kings are rebuilding, and needed to dump Artest and his antics, and get an expiring contract, a young prospect, and a future first round pick to help the rebuilding process.   Looking at the short term, the Rockets dump an aging guard, a young prospect, and a future pick for one of the best two-way players in the game.   Artest is a headcase, but he has a good relationship with Rick Adelman which may help him keep his act together.   Now Houston fans are hoping Artest can help propel the Rockets past the first round.

There wasn’t much anticipation over the free agent period at the beginning of summer, but some big names made unexpected decisions that could make a significant impact in the 2008-09 season.  Here’s a quick recap of some of those unexpected moves, and maybe a trade or two:

• In a very recent move, Josh Childress, Atlanta’s restricted free agent swingman, has signed with the Greek club Olympiakos for a 3 year deal worth roughly $20 million.
• Baron Davis was expected to play out the last year of his deal worth nearly $18 million, but he turned heads with his decision to opt out and return home to play alongside Elton Brand in a Clipper uniform.
• Elton Brand was thought to be getting a new deal with LA, but he changed his mind once the opportunity came to play closer to home, and play on a Sixer team that has a much greater chance at the postseason out East.
• Corey Maggette received a handsome offer from Golden State ($50 million over 5 seasons), and he makes the short trip from LA to the Bay Area.
• James Posey, who was a key contributor for the Celtics in their Finals victory over the Lakers, decided to leave Boston and take a longer term offer from the New Orleans Hornets.  His deal is worth $25 million over the next 4 years.
• In a very unexpected move, the Denver Nuggets traded center Marcus Camby to the Clippers for the rights to swap future picks.  They added former Nugget Chris Andersen to bolster their front line.
• Jermaine O’neal was traded for TJ Ford and fillers, which included the 17th pick Roy Hibbert.
• The Nets dealt Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian.

There were some other not-so-shocking deals that went down, so here’s a short recap of some:

• Chris Paul signed a new deal with the Hornets.
• Washington made new deals to keep forward Antawn Jamison and guard Gilbert Arenas in town.
• Golden State signed Monte Ellis to a multi-year contract, and they also matched the offer from the Clippers to retain restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike.
• Former Warrior swingman Mickael Pietrus and veteran point guard Anthony Johnson signed with the Orlando Magic.
• Carlos Delfino left Toronto to play overseas for a Russian squad.
• Golden State acquired guard Marcus Williams from New Jersey for a conditional first round pick.
• Boston re-signed guard Eddie House and forward Tony Allen.
• San Antonio re-signed veteran forward Kurt Thomas.
• Brent Barry left the Spurs and signed with the Rockets.
• Beno Udrih signed a multi-year deal with Sacramento.
• The Knicks signed former Bulls guard Chris Duhon.
• The Nets acquired Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes.

This off-season has been surprisingly active, and I expect more deals to go down.  Josh Smith and Emeka Okafor still haven’t inked new deals, and Ron Artest is still being shopped by Sacramento.

Now, I know I didn’t list all of the deals that went down, so I don’t want any e-mails from Bucks fans about the addition of Lue (that goes for both of you). Stay tuned for more news.

Here’s hoping he hasn’t been hanging out with Josh Howard and Chris Andersen.

Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller has been suspended for five games for violating the league’s drug program, according to ESPN. Miller hasn’t previously been suspended for drug violations in his ten seasons in the NBA.

He released an official statement:

“I want to apologize to my family, teammates, fans and entire Kings organization. I made a mistake. It was an error in judgment and I’m very sorry. I regret it deeply. It’s something I won’t and can’t take lightly. I hope to bounce back from this as a better person and I’m excited about the upcoming season.”

The Purdue product came into the league undrafted in 1998, and has been an All-Star in both conferences. Last season, he averaged 13.4 PPG, 9.5 REB, 3.7 AST in 72 games for the Kings.

Sam Amick, a sports writer for the Sacramento Bee, has reported that the LA Lakers have contacted the Kings about Ron Artest, according to a league source. The Kings have not responded yet.

LA’s disappointing performance in the finals, and recent loss of reserve forward Ronny Turiaf to free agency, might be enough to make LA do a deal to add Artest’s toughness and defense to the team. It is assumed that Lamar Odom, a versatile, albeit inconsistent, forward would be the main piece offered in the proposal.

On the flip side, the Kings are finished with the Ron Artest experiment. Artest has been relatively well behaved over the past few years, but he still has had legal issues and an inconsistent attitude towards the team. He has often decided when he plays, and has been criticized for his selfish play at times. If this deal is to be made, it’s assumed the Kings would insist LA relieve them of forward Kenny Thomas. Thomas, who is making over $16 million over the next two seasons, is another player the Kings would be only too happy to see leave. Despite rising gas prices, you’d still see a line of Kings fans willing to drive Kenny to the airport.

Additional Info:

Ron Artest -The Kings acquired the 6′7” forward back in 2006 for Peja Stojakovic. Ron is still one of the premiere individual defenders in the game, and his absence from the All-Defensive team has me scratching my head. Artest recently decided not to opt out of the last year of his deal, and will be paid about $8.5 million.

Artest averaged 20.5 PPG, 5.8 REB, 3.5 AST in 57 games last season.

Lamar Odom – Odom is one of the most versatile players in the game, and has great ball handling ability for a player his size. Unfortunately, he’s had issues with his consistency. Phil Jackson, the Lakers’ head coach, has commented publicly on Odom’s fragile mindset. Odom was instrumental in LA reaching the NBA Finals last season. He is also in the last year of his deal, worth about $14.6 million.

Odom averaged 14.2 PPG, 10.6 REB, 3.5 AST in 77 games last season.

Artest and Odom are good friends and have known each other for years. Both are from Queens, New York, and Artest attended a game of the NBA Finals to support Odom. Artest has expressed a desire to play with Odom.

Elton Brand is heading to the City of Brotherly Love and leaving the City of Angels behind. In the eyes of the Clipper faithful, he will be neither lovely nor angelic after his departure. The once beloved franchise player, heralded as true pro’s pro and stand up guy, may have just dashed that reputation.

Betrayal

Traitor

Two faced

These are some of the words you will hear about Brand. When he opted out of the last year of his deal a few days ago, he commented on his hope that the clippers would be active in the market and that his intention was to stay. LA responded by immediately getting Baron Davis to opt out of the last year of his deal in Golden State worth over $17 million in order to accept a deal to play in his hometown alongside Brand. The team then assumed Brand would act on his word and take a deal worth $70 million that was on the table.

The Warriors, after watching their own franchise player leave town unexpectedly, threw themselves into the mix by offering a $90 million deal of their own. Philly was interested in Atlanta’s Josh Smith, but saw an opening with Brand and made a deal with Minnesota to clear more cap room for an offer. The Clippers reportedly were willing to sweeten the deal for Elton, offering as much as $80 million. Brand suddenly had a decision to make.

Tuesday evening, it appeared as if Elton Brand was going to accept the offer from the Sixers for $82 million. So is Brand now a traitor? Or is this just the nature of the business? It depends on your viewpoint.

The NBA is a business. Players in this day and age are more individuals than commodities. The days of the teams having all the power are over, and this is most evident in the case of free agency. Because of the nature of the business, loyalty is not an honorable attribute as much as it is a calculated business strategy. So why shouldn’t we expect the same from the players themselves? We should, but Brand hurt himself by talking.

Brand came out and stated his intentions publicly before letting things play out. He said he wanted to stay in LA and work something out, but at the same time, he said he wanted to see what the landscape looked like and listen to his agent. If going somewhere else was truly a possibility from the beginning, then he should have shut up.

Brand’s comments about staying were just that: words. In this business, the people involved know that they can count more on ink on the page than words. The Clippers were acting in good faith and thought they were going to build something with Davis and Brand, but that doesn’t mean the fairy tale couldn’t still turn into a nightmare. They knew that. Brand still held all the cards with unrestricted free agency, and he went back on his word. He pulled a Carlos Boozer, and skipped town. The reality is that this is the nature of the business, but it’s different for the fans. Words mean something to them.

To the fans, that’s a betrayal. It means even more considering it’s the Clippers, who haven’t had much of anything to be happy about in recent memory. The fans invest more than time and money on their passion; they invest emotion. Brand wasn’t just making a business move in leaving LA, he was betraying his fans and their emotional investment in their beloved star. Over the past seven seasons, the Clipper faithful saw Brand as the only thing in which to invest their faith and hope. They could count on his 20 points and 10 rebounds every night, and he seemed to be the only bright spot during dark times. Until today, the fans had a bright future to look forward to.

That future in LA apparently wasn’t enough for Brand. He saw a chance to win in the East, where a 37 win team can make the playoffs. He saw the chance to play with another young star in Andre Iguodala and make a splash in a conference that’s far more open than the West, and he can do so while making more money. He made the choice that he thought was best for him, and those involved understand it’s just business.

Just business.

Tell that to the fans Elton.