« January 2008 | Main | March 2008 »
Jeff Lenchiner of InsideHoops.com has the scoop on a felony assault charge against Rockets guard Rafer Alston (Cardozo) being dropped this morning. Alston had been accused of stabbing a man during an incident at a New York City nightclub in August 2007. Check out Jeff's story here.
Atlanta – The inevitable showdown between Isiah Thomas and James Dolan is officially on.
After a rare day out of the media spotlight, Thomas met with reporters this morning at Philips Arena before the Knicks’ shootaround and boldly explained why he stated recently that he expects to be around this summer to answer questions about the team’s future.
Asked if he knows what will happen at the end of the regular season and beyond, Thomas said, “Yeah, I’ll be here.” Asked if he has any assurances to that effect, Thomas said, “I have a contract that states that.”
Drumroll please: The staring contest over whether Thomas will quit (thus walking away from the remaining money on his contract) or whether Dolan will fire him (thus having to pay him to go away) has begun.
Earlier in the brief session with four reporters, Thomas deflected similar questions about whether he has been assured that he won’t be fired or asked to take on a diminished role.
“No, actually, all we do is we come to prepare every day and we just try to win every game,” he said. “And that’s our focus, just to try to play as good as we’ve been playing – with the exception of the Philly game – and just keep moving on from here.”
Asked if he understands the intense speculation about his job, Thomas said, “That’s the profession and that comes with the territory.”
After a recent report proposed a farfetched scenario in which Thomas would remain as coach and Nets assistant Kiki Vandeweghe would be brought in to run the basketball operations, Thomas wouldn’t answer a question about whether he would accept such a move.
When it was announced last summer that Jerry West was leaving his post as president of the Memphis Grizzlies, Dolan said in a radio interview that he would never bring in someone to oversee Thomas unless Thomas agreed to it. Dolan hasn’t addressed the reporters who cover the Knicks since Thomas received what is believed to be a four-year contract extension as president and coach last March.
The key question is whether Thomas’ contract – details of which have never been made public – explicitly states whether he must have both jobs or whether he could be moved to one or the other if a replacement were brought in. So I asked Thomas that question, four minutes and 40 seconds into this morning’s media briefing.
“Thank you,” Thomas said as he turned and walked into the locker room with a smile on his face.
Even when teams do everything right, sometimes bad things happen. The surging Houston Rockets, who have won 12 straight in February to assert themselves as serious contenders in the Western Conference, have lost center Yao Ming for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Check out the breaking story here at ESPN.com for more depressing quotes like this one from owner Les Alexander: “This is unbelievable. “This is the most heart-breaking, this is the worst I’ve felt.” Rockets G.M. Daryl Morey delivered the devastating news in a press release a few minutes after 5 p.m. today.
Although Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton projected that the injury would require four months to heal, there is reason to doubt whether Yao will be able to fully participate in the Bejing Olympics in August.
Yao’s fourth major injury in the past two years creates an opening for Denver, Golden State, and Portland who are all fighting for the eighth playoff spot in the West. The Rockets (36-20) are currently seventh and figure to fade without Yao, although Houston did manage to go 20-12 when he was injured last season.
The pick going from Chicago to Cleveland is a second-rounder in 2009. And my bad: Shannon Brown goes to Chicago, not Seattle. G'nite.
Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal, whose blog this morning provided the first clue that the Cavs were up to something big, just weighed in on ESPN News with what he says is the final version of this blockbuster. He says the NBA gave the three teams an extension beyond 3 p.m. to tidy up the details, which still are pending league approval. Here goes:
The Cavs get: Ben Wallace and Joe Smith from Chicago and Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West from Seattle. They also may get an undisclosed draft pick.
The Bulls get: Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and Cedric Simmons from Cleveland
Seattle gets: Ira Newble, Shannon Brown, and Donyell Marshall from the Cavs and Adrian Griffin from the Bulls.
Attaboy, B-Win. More to come.
I'm waiting for a couple of the participants in this trade to call me back, but in the meantime, colleague David Aldridge of the Philadelphia Inquirer and TNT has the following version on his blog. There are other versions out there, but I'll take my chances giving you the word from DA:
Chicago sends Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to Cleveland. The Bulls get Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden from the Cavs, who also send Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, and Adrian Griffin to Seattle for Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West.
Aldridge is blogging away just after landing in Atlanta, where he's doing TNT tonight, so let's give the man his due. He also has a trade I haven't seen reported anywhere else -- Minnesota sending Gerald Green to Houston for Kirk Snyder and a second-round pick. Portland had no run to offer rookie PG Taurean Green, who is being sent to Denver for Von Wafer. Wonder if the Knicks did their due diligence on Green, whom they should've drafted last April ...
The ball hasn't dropped on Ron Artest's attempted escape from Sacramento, but a person with knowledge of his situation said he's not optimistic. As of now, "Staying put," the person said.
Will keep you posted.
Still some deals pending league approval, but let’s get you caught up:
The blockbuster Brian Windhorst alluded to in his blog this morning has Big Ben Wallace going to Cleveland. A few versions of this deal are circulating, with the latest having Chris Duhon joining Wallace in Cleveland for a package featuring Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes.
Seattle had been discussed as working on a complementary deal sending Cold Spring Harbor’s Wally Szczerbiak to Cleveland for expiring contracts. Now those deals reportedly have been merged into a three-team swap.
It’s a fluid situation – even though the deadline has passed, details will be filtering out for the next couple of hours and league approval is required. I spoke with Gooden’s agent, Calvin Andrews, about 90 minutes before the deadline and he hadn’t heard word one about his client being on the move. He conceded the obvious, that any major deal Cleveland would be involved in had to include Hughes, who has two years and $26.5 million left on his contract.
I also spoke with Big Ben in the visiting locker room Wednesday night before the Bulls-Nets game, and he was pretty convinced he wouldn't get traded. Surprise!
Funny how two Long Island guys get sucked into the pre-deadline vortex over the last hour or so, with Amityville’s Mike James being the other, going from Houston to New Orleans. There are only three native LIer’s active in the NBA – Hofstra’s Speedy Claxton (Hempstead) is the other – and two of them are getting traded today. Hmmm.
Stay tuned for more details on this Cavs deal as they come out, plus some news on other trades that are in the works …
Several teams including the Knicks are still scrambling to make a deal with less than two hours to go before the league trade deadline. Here's the latest:
The West-leading Hornets answered previous moves by the Lakers, Spurs and Suns by getting Bonzi Wells and Amityville's Mike James for guard Bobby Jackson. Houston, which gets under the luxury tax by unloading the contracts of Wells and James, also gets rookie Adam Haluska and a second-round pick, pending league approval.
A person with direct knowledge of Ron Artest's situation shot down an online report today that the Suns are making a play for the Queensbridge native. The Kings are desperately trying to unload Artest because he has announced his intention to opt out of his $8.45 million contract this summer. The Nuggets are still in the mix, with word today that they may be softening their stance on including sharpshooter Linas Kleiza in a deal.
Golden State also wants to join the Western Conference teams who are reloading for a playoff push, continuing to dangle Mikael Pietrus and his $3.5 million expiring contract. Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand have been mentioned as targets for Warriors GM Chris Mullin.
I told you in yesterday's paper that the Nets aren't trading Vince Carter before the deadline, so it should come as no surprise that Rod Thorn has gone on the record with it. Nor should it come as a surprise when Carter is still a Net at 3:01 p.m.
Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal, a friend of the blog, is reporting on his own blog that the Cavs are mulling a blockbuster deal to address their point guard situation, but mum's the word on what it might be. Windhorst says the deal could be so complicated, it would require Cleveland GM Danny Ferry to consummate a separate, complementary trade to make it work.
The Knicks continued to be the wild-card in all of this. They are desperately trying to unload Zach Randolph, as Newsday first reported on Feb. 7. The one name that Isiah Thomas could toss into such a deal that would make it palatable is David Lee. But Mark Bartelstein, Lee's agent, said on the phone this morning that he's been given no indication that Lee is on the block and that he doesn't believe the Knicks will move him.
When the Bulls visited the Meadowlands on opening night – Halloween night, appropriately enough – no team in the league could have been described as more dysfunctional. Not even the Knicks.
Ben Gordon and Luol Deng had just turned down lucrative contracts, and Kobe-to-Chicago rumors were swirling around the team. The Bulls are back in Jersey tonight with their 21-31 record, minus coach Scott Skiles, with Gordon and Deng still in Bulls uniforms, and with Kobe Bryant happily chasing another championship with Pau Gasol in L.A.
Gordon and Deng have been wondering if their names will be called with the trading deadline coming tomorrow at 3 p.m. Doesn’t look that way.
Deng, who turned down a $57.5 million extension before the season, was in no mood to share his thoughts with reporters before the game, offering mostly one-word answers. At one point, one of the Chicago-based beat writers said, “You seem to be in a bad mood lately. Is anything wrong?”
“I just don’t like talking before games,” Deng said, with an icy stare.
Ben Wallace, who was rumored to be heading to the Knicks a few weeks ago, said before the game he’s pretty sure he’s not going anywhere. There are no takers for the declining, 33-year-old Wallace and the $28.5 million he has left on his contract.
I asked interim coach Jim Boylan how confident he was that the team he puts on the floor tonight will be the same team that faces Denver Friday night. “Fairly confident,” Boylan said, after wondering aloud if it was a trick question.
After asking which term was stronger – fairly or very – Boylan corrected himself: “Then I’ll go with very.”
Nets coach Lawrence Frank also expressed confidence that his team is finished dealing, which certainly appears to be the case – at least where Vince Carter is concerned – despite reports to the contrary.
“I’m under every impression that the group we have tonight is going to be the same group we have when we play Indiana [Friday night],” L-Frank said. “Can anything happen with the trading deadline? Anything can happen. It affects every team.
“The difference for us is, our captain wanted to be traded. We had to address that. We’ve been in a holding pattern for so long, and we had to move on.”
Kidd’s replacement, Devin Harris, will be out 10-14 days with a sprained left ankle. Once he’s back, the Nets want to see what they are with Harris, Carter, Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic and Josh Boone before they decide what to do with Carter. At least that’s the plan with 19 hours to go before the deadline.
Here’s the latest: Ex-Knick Kurt Thomas is going to the Spurs for the expiring contracts of Francisco Elson and Brent Barry. Yawn.
Actually, as my man Alan Hahn pointed out moments ago in a series of poignant text messages, this is a good deal for the Spurs. The Spurs always make good deals. Now they have someone with size, length, know-how and toughness to defend Shaq. Reportedly, the Sonics also get a 2009 first-round pick.
So much for the Spurs’ interest in Ron Artest, which created some buzz this afternoon but fizzled with the Thomas deal. Artest had been rumored to be going to San Antonio for Elson and Barry. No dice. Other than that, a person close to Artest says things are quiet. Clearly, though, he has to get out of Sacramento and the Kings have to get him out of there.
As loyal readers know, I am a fan of Mark Cuban and his blog. Here are his thoughts on all aspects of the Jason Kidd trade, including some unkind words for someone else I'm a fan of -- Devean George's agent, Mark Bartelstein.
Cubes also gives his thoughts on trade rumors (most of which are false) and the financial, marketing and merchandising impact of acquiring J-Kidd.
Welcome to the NBA trade deadline, 2008. Pull up a chair and toss your rumors on the table.
There are plenty of those flying around, and will continue to be plenty for the next 24 hours until tomorrow’s 3 p.m. deadline passes. I’ll be heading over to Jersey in a bit to cover you on anything going down on the Vince Carter front.
I’ve been assured by a well-informed front office source that the Nets’ plan is to see what this group can do post-Jason Kidd before deciding what to do with Carter. The organization isn’t concerned only with record and clinching a playoff spot – although with Carter, Richard Jefferson and Devin Harris, that remains a possibility in the weak Eastern Conference. What team officials will be looking at over the last two months of the season is playing style, chemistry, what works and what doesn’t with this new group.
If Rod Thorn gets bowled over by an offer for Carter, the Nets will give it strong consideration. That is believed to be unlikely, but then again nobody – including the Nets’ brass – thought they’d get what they got for Kidd. My bet is the Nets stick with what they’ve got and deal with Carter in the summer. Don’t hold your breath for a Carter-for-Zach Randolph deal.
Things have been quiet on the Ron Artest front, I’m told. Zero interest from the Knicks since a December discussion fell apart. The Nuggets have made overtures, but Denver ownership is wary of Artest’s baggage as well as that accompanying Zach Randolph. My guess there is that Sac-Town will find a taker for Artest, maybe a team that doesn’t have as many existing head cases as the Nuggets do.
The trade talk has been at an unusually high level across NBA front offices, so there will be plenty of updates throughout the night and into the morning. Some other players league-wide who could be on the move include: Andre Miller, Kyle Lowry, Ben Gordon, Bell Wallace, Mike Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, Michael Pietrus, Jason Williams, and Ricky Davis. All the big deals – Gasol, Shaq, Kidd, etc. – have been done. We think.
Something else to keep an eye on from afar this weekend in New Orleans: With Indiana University coach Kelvin Sampson under intense NCAA scrutiny for alleged recruiting violations, expect Isiah Thomas’ name to start flying around to be the next coach at his alma mater.
After the embarrassing departures of Bob Knight, and presumably, Sampson, IU may want someone with less baggage than Thomas. But his name recognition, IU ties, and charisma would make him an intriguing candidate. Frankly, I’d love to see Indiana have the guts to make such a move.
How ironic would it be if Isiah went back to Bloomington and his successor with the Knicks drafted Eric Gordon, the best guard to play at Indiana since Isiah?
There may not be any Knicks participating in the All-Star festivities this weekend, but that won’t keep the Knicks from being one of the biggest topics in New Orleans. When the league’s flagship franchise is in this much disarray, lacking an All-Star for the seventh consecutive year, it generates buzz.
With so many league and team executives convening in the Big Easy only a few days before the trading deadline – and with the Knicks willing to part with just about any player on their roster – expect plenty of storylines focused on your favorite MSG bottom-feeders to emerge.
The Knicks are looking for takers for Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph above all others, with Eddy Curry also available. Isiah Thomas said this week that he would entertain trades that improve the team immediately in terms of the players brought back. Duh. But he also said he’d consider salary-clearing deals that will help down the road.
It’ll be interesting to see if reports that have the Knicks and Nuggets discussing a Randolph trade gather any momentum as the weekend unfolds in New Orleans. Denver is barely hanging in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, and with owner Stan Kroenke’s commitment to pay luxury tax with last year’s acquisition of Allen Iverson, you would think the Nuggets need to make the playoffs.
Randolph certainly would help divert some of the offensive scoring load away from Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. But those points and rebounds would come at a price. As Z-Bo has shown in New York, his style on the low blocks often bogs down halfcourt sets and limits touches for the other scorers on the floor. The best reason for the Knicks to pursue such a deal – besides getting rid of Randolph’s contract – would be up-and-coming sharpshooter Linas Kleiza. He’s averaging 11.9 points in only 26 minutes per game and is a 34-percent three-point shooter – exactly what the Knicks need to loosen up defenses that consistently collapse on Curry because Jamal Crawford is the only dangerous shooter they have on the floor.
I don’t foresee any scenario in which the Knicks fail to make at least a moderately important trade by the deadline. It’s time to start tearing it down, and there will be no shortage of speculation coming out of New Orleans this weekend about which direction the wrecking ball swings first.
Even after a 24 hours of conversations with his agent, Mark Bartelstein, Devean George still hasn't changed his stance and won't accept being included in the blockbuster trade that would send Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks.
"I've talked to him continuously over the last couple of days," Bartelstein told Newsday late Thursday afternoon. "It's something he's not inclined to do. It’s not something I want to write in cement because people can change their minds. But right now his mindset is what it is. His focus is on playing tonight and getting a win."
The Mavs-Suns play one of only two games on the NBA slate Thursday night before the All-Star break begins. At least the game is on the road, so George won't have to be heckled by Dallas fans who want him to sign off on the deal, as was the case Wednesday night.
The impasse centers around George being on a one-year contract and facing the loss of his Bird free-agent rights if he accepts the trade. He would retain the right to be involved in future sign-and-trades if he were on more than a one-year deal. But as things stand, George doesn't want to give up that trump card. So for now, there's no deal -- at least not one with George included.
The Mavs and Nets are exploring other possibilities that include Dallas substituting two players for George (Eddie Jones and rookie Nick Fazekas or Jones and veteran Juwan Howard would work), with the Nets needing to send back veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong to avoid going over the 15-player roster limit. But Jones wants no part of the deal. While both sides remained optimistic Thursday that the trade will be completed -- with or without George -- there are no guarantees. The Feb. 21 trading deadline is now eight days away.
I guess one of the "glitches" a front office source involved in the Jason Kidd trade mentioned to me a couple of hours ago involved Devean George.
In a stunning turn of events, George does not want to consent to the trade because he would lose his Bird rights as a player in the last year of his contract. Bird rights allow a player to re-sign with his current team for more money than he can get on the open market.
Unless George changes his mind, the Mavericks are going to have to put someone else in the deal who makes about what he makes -- $2.4 million. Dallas doesn't have anyone else making that money, so the Nets are going to have to put someone else in, too.
"We’re not trying to block anything," George's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Newsday. "We're not trying to cause any problems. That’s not the goal. The goal is simply this: It’s a huge decision for Devean. In order to agree to the trade, he has to give up his Bird rights. That’s something I need to be able to have to do a good job with him."
George was to have been one of four players going to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen. The teams agreed in principle to the deal, which also would send $3 million cash and two first-round picks to the Nets.
More to come ...
The latest from a front-office executive involved in the Jason Kidd trade cautions that there's more to completing it than the usual formalities -- physicals and approval from the league office. But the source termed the trade "very close," and expressed optimism that it would be hammered out tonight despite "a couple of glitches" that entered into the negotiations.
Jon deserves a swift answer to his timely question as to what I think of the trade. I think a solid point guard who is 10 years younger than Kidd, two first-round picks, and two expiring contracts is a great deal for the Nets. The only concern I have from Dallas' standpoint is whether Kidd still has the quickness to defend the elite point guards in the West in the playoffs. But even at 34, he is still playing at an extremely high level will make the Mavericks even more dangerous at the offensive end. Plus, the Mavs didn't have to give up Josh Howard. Great deal for both teams -- as long as Dallas wins a championship ...
A high-placed NBA front office source said the Nets and Mavericks have not yet finalized a deal that would grant Jason Kidd his wish, sending him to Dallas in a swap that appeared only days ago to be longshot. But it appears that's where Kidd is heading, as soon as details are worked out.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein first reported that the Nets and Mavericks have agreed in principle to the blockbuster deal sending Kidd and Malik Allen to Dallas for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George and Maurice Ager. New Jersey also will reportedly get cash and two first-round picks -- this year and in 2010.
It is a ransom for Kidd, 34, for whom front office sources have indicated as recently as last week the Nets weren't getting much more than expiring contracts offered in return. Dallas owner Mark Cuban was the latest to play poker, telling Nets writers Sunday before New Jersey played Dallas that there was virtually no chance of Kidd landing in Dallas.
"For us to make the numbers work in a deal like that, we'd have to trade away half the team," Cuban said. "We're not doing that, so it just doesn't work. And we like our team. We've got a lot of room for improvement and we hope to get better. But right now, I just don't see anything happening."
Stay tuned for more updates and confirmation.
Greenburgh, N.Y. – One more item from Knicks practice today and then I’ll leave you alone.
Isiah Thomas was asked how the current Celtics team compares to the great Bird-McHale-Parish teams that he competed against.
“They don’t,” Thomas said. “They’re not good enough to compare to those teams. Those three or four teams they had during that era … those are maybe in the top seven or eight teams to ever play in the history of the game.”
Interestingly, Thomas said the one player the Celtics can’t do without isn’t Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen or Paul Pierce. It’s their point guard, Rajon Rondo, who was widely viewed as the weak link on an otherwise solid championship contender heading into the season.
“He’s gone from being a question mark to, I think, their most important player,” Thomas said. “I think he makes it all work. With Garnett, Pierce and Allen, I think he has the proper attitude, the proper game. … He’s not out trying to prove people wrong. He’s out just playing the game. You thought he would get sucked into ‘he’s a guy who can’t make the outside shot,’ so therefore he’d start trying to prove that he can make the outside shot. But he just said, ‘OK, I’ll just keep taking layups until you stop me from taking layups.’ I think he’s the one guy they can’t do without. I think they can get by without having Garnett for a while. I think they can lose Pierce or Allen for a while. But I think if they lost him for any extended period of time, I think they’d be in trouble.”
Does that answer the question of which position Thomas thinks the Knicks have to change if they're ever going to emerge from their current state of dysfunction?
Greenburgh, N.Y. – Just to recap: This will be the seventh consecutive All-Star Game in which the Knicks have no representative on the court. Not only that, but Isiah Thomas’ team won’t have anyone involved in the pre-All Star events such as the slam dunk or three-point contests. Yawn.
“It’s a reflection of a bad year,” Thomas said. “We’re having a bad year.”
In fact, the closest the Knicks will come to being represented in New Orleans this weekend will be the buzz about their most recent All-Star, Latrell Sprewell. Seems the ex-Knick had his $1.5 million yacht, "Milwaukee's Best," repossessed and faces foreclosure proceedings against his suburban Milwaukee home.
Check out the story here, but remember: This doesn’t necessarily mean Spree is broke. Just means he doesn’t need those things anymore and got bored paying for them.
Greenburgh, N.Y. – The topic of conversation after Knicks practice today was whether or not they can avenge their 45-point loss in Boston when they visit the Celtics tomorrow night.
I have the trade deadline on my mind. So does Quentin Richardson. Despite his 35 percent shooting effort from the field this season and his chronically bad back, Q knows his name is sure to be one of those flying around with the deadline only nine days away.
“That’s always a possibility,” Richardson said. “I have a contract that’s not too big or too small. I’m a pro and I understand the game and the business side of it. If that happens, that’s what happens. It’s happened to me once before. You gotta move on.”
Q’s contract isn’t a killer, with $18.2 million left over the next two seasons. Though he’s only 27, his health issues make prospects for a trade dicey, but his name already has come up in a deal that would’ve sent him to Chicago with Malik Rose and Fred Jones for Ben Wallace. That’s dead for now.
As I told you last week, Isiah Thomas’ insistence that he’s not trying to trade anybody can be taken with a grain of salt. To the contrary, according to an NBA executive, the Knicks would move anybody on their roster if they thought the deal would improve the team. Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph are Nos. 1 and 1a among the players Thomas would like to deal. Eddy Curry and just about everybody else is available, too.
I asked Thomas today what he meant when he said he’d only make a trade that he felt would “improve the team.” Does he mean improvement by bringing a high-caliber player back (not likely, considering that the contracts and baggage the Knicks have to offer) or by clearing cap space that can be used to improve in the future?
“Both,” Thomas said. “If you can do one that kind of makes sense for you now or maybe something that helps you later on, that’s the business we’re in. We look at those things.”
There’s some debate about whether Thomas should be the one making trades at the deadline, since most people assume he will not be around for the draft and free agency. But if he’s not able to make trades, what is he doing here? Opportunities to fix past mistakes or set the table for a productive offseason won’t wait for the Knicks to decide who is going to be running their team going forward. Of course, such logic presumes that the Knicks are being managed thoughtfully and purposefully, which their record says is not the case.
Couldn't miss the always-entertaining Gregg Popovich during pregame, and he didn't disappoint. Pop weighed in before the Spurs-Knicks game on the Lakers stealing Pau Gasol from Memphis with this gem: "The L.A. move is great for L.A. What they were thinking in Memphis is beyond comprehension. There should be a law, a trade committee that can scratch off trades that make no sense."
I guess Memphis GM Chris Wallace can add Popovich to the list of people ripping him a new one over this trade.
"I just wish I’d have been on the trade committee that oversees NBA trades," Popovich said. "I’d like to elect myself to that committee. And I would have voted 'nay' on the L.A. trade."
Pop thinks the Lakers and Suns deserve "a lot of credit for thinking out of the box and changing things up and deciding they needed to do it differently and they deserve credit for that. They’re two great moves on their part."
As for whether Shaq can make it up and down the floor with the fastbreaking Suns, Popovich said, "I have no idea, very honestly. They’ve got a great coaching staff and a great group of players. I have no doubt that they’ll figure it out and use it to their advantage."
Are the Suns and Lakers are gunning for the Spurs with these moves? "I don’t think anybody really has ever feared us," Pop said. "I don’t think anybody expected us to win a championship last year. I just think they want their team to be as good as it can possibly be."
Since Larry Brown was quoted in Philadelphia recently about his desire to return to coaching, I asked Popovich what his gut feeling was about his old friend making it back to the sideline.
"He’s a hell of a coach," Pop said. "He wants to coach. It’s in his blood, and there’s no doubt that he’s sincere about wanting to coach again. And he will be coaching again, I feel strongly. Where? Who knows. That’s what he wants to do, and hopefully we’ll all see him again."
***
Another day, another out-of-towner weighs in on Isiah Thomas and the Knicks. Like Jermaine O’Neal, who spoke at length on these topics Wednesday night, Damon Stoudamire used to play for Thomas. But Stoudamire offered an even stronger endorsement of his former coach before the Knicks and Spurs tipped off tonight.
“You know what I say about this situation?” said Stoudamire, who signed with the Spurs this week after Memphis bought him out. “A lot of people have been getting on Isiah, and I know he’s been through a whole lot. But you know what I say? I say you might as well see him get it back to where it’s supposed to be because anybody else would have gotten the hell on out of here. But he goes out there on that sideline, he’s coaching and he gets beat up and takes his hits, man. A lot of people don’t do that.
“To me, even if I didn’t know him and didn’t have a relationship with him, besides the fact of everything else that’s going on, for him to go out there and still coach these guys through all this turmoil and adversity, that shows me a lot.”
You should expect nothing less than blind loyalty from Stoudamire, whom Thomas drafted in Toronto. But his comments make you wonder if the players Thomas has stuck around to coach feel the same way.
“Losing beats down players,” Stoudamire said. “I don’t think a lot of people understand that. It’ll beat you down and it’s hard to get that confidence back.”
Stoudamire said Thomas deserves credit because, “It’s easy for him to go up in there and take that money and run.” When it was pointed out that if Thomas quit he wouldn’t be paid the balance of his contract, Stoudamire said, “The abuse he’s been taking, I don’t even know if the money is worth it. I commend him for sticking up in there with that. Shoot, if everybody wants to make this his mess then let him clean it up.”
Other than Shaquille O’Neal, Stoudamire might be the happiest player in the NBA. A few days ago he was waiting for his buyout from the Grizzlies to be finalized after suffering on one of the worst teams in the NBA. Now, he’s the starting point guard (until Tony Parker returns) on the defending NBA champions.
“I’ve been in this locker room a short period of time and I see why they win,” Stoudamire said. “They just handle their business.”
Stoudamire said he was considering offers from the Celtics, among other teams, but chose San Antonio because it was the best fit. Not only are they the defending champs, but there’s no snow there.
“Playing in warm weather, that kind of made it appealing, too,” he said.
Stoudamire said he spoke with Thomas recently, but only on a “friendly basis” – not about joining the Knicks.
“It wasn’t the right timing,” he said. “At this juncture, today, it wouldn’t have made sense. If you weren’t capable of winning 50-plus and going deep into the playoffs, I didn’t even really want to talk right now.”
My frustration with the abysmal state of the Knicks and the absurdity of Isiah Thomas' existence led me to have some fun in my column today -- while at the same time pointing out that the Knicks are far more interested in trading people than Thomas is letting on.
Whatever you think of the job Thomas has done, I continue to find it absurd that he is unable to say more than two words to a member of the media without a P.R. representative breathing down his neck. When he does let his guard down, it often leads to inane quotes that earn him nothing but more ridicule and headlines. A colleague once told me of the Knicks' plight, "It's not the people, it's the place," and the evidence keeps piling up.
So I was pleased to learn that after practice today, Thomas gave credence to my theory when he essentially admitted what everybody knows -- that he is paid not only to acquire players and coach them, but also to be an automaton.
The topic came up when Thomas was asked a simple question that every other G.M. in the league has been asked over the past two days -- did he have any interest in Shaquille O'Neal before he was traded to Phoenix? Thomas wouldn't answer. When informed that Nets president Rod Thorn had talked openly about it, Thomas said the following:
"I don't know if Rod would say that if he was with the Knicks. I don't know if he'd be that free to comment like that."
Thanks, Isiah.
Shaquille O’Neal’s first full day as a member of the Phoenix Suns was an unqualified success because all he had to do was star in a press conference. Shaq has always been able to do that.
As for starring on the basketball court with a championship-contending team that plays much faster than he does, Shaq made headlines and made a promise.
“I’m hearing a lot of, ‘He can’t run, he can’t do this,’” O’Neal said today when he was introduced in Phoenix. “You’re going to be very surprised.”
“The crazy thing about this society is, if you don’t see a person do something you don’t think they can do it,” Shaq said. “The last couple of years, I was in a system where we really didn’t run, so you guys automatically think I can’t run. But I love to run, especially if I’m playing with a great guy like Steve Nash and I look forward to making people eat their words. I really do.”
The Diesel said all the right things, including a promise that he still has some gas in the tank. He said he’s going to be Amare Stoudemire’s “big brother” and vowed to help him become the best power forward in the NBA. He said people forget that a fastbreaking team needs someone to start the break, and if he doesn’t do that by getting a defensive rebound, he’s going to make sure he’s the first guy down the floor to receive one of Nash’s brilliant passes to finish the break.
He said he’s given himself over to the Suns’ medical staff, doesn’t have any pain in his hip, and predicted that he will return to the lineup before the All-Star break.
“I’m going to be there every day early, before and after practice, to do whatever it takes to keep me going for another 10 years,” said O’Neal, 35. “And I look forward to getting my next $200 million-for-two-years extension.”
That drew plenty of laughs from everyone in the room, especially the two men seated on either side of O’Neal during the news conference carried live on ESPN and NBA TV – Suns general manager Steve Kerr and coach Mike D’Antoni.
Kerr, who has admitted that he’s put his job on the line by trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaq, said, “Walking into our locker room last night and seeing our players told me all that I needed to know and all that Mike needed to know. This is a gamble that’s well worth taking.”
Will Kerr and D’Antoni have the last laugh? Shaq says so.
“Start selling the T-shirts now,” said O’Neal, always the businessman. “All the marketing people, I’m giving you this one for free: ‘The sun will rise in Phoenix.’ Start selling ‘em now, $9.99.”
O’Neal said, “I don’t have a reaction,” when asked about national criticism of the trade. “I’ve always been a professional, I’ve always proven the so-called naysayers wrong. It’s all motivation. I’m very upset, and you really don’t want to get me upset. But when I’m upset, I’m known to do certain things like win championships.”
He wouldn’t guarantee that the fifth title of his career would come this season, but he only has two years on his contract beyond this one and he did predict that he’d have six championships when he’s finished. It came up when he was asked how he left things with Heat coach and president Pat Riley.
“He’ a great coach, he’s had an illustrious career, and he’s won a lot of championships,” O’Neal said. “I don’t take anything personal, because he actually helped me get No. 5 and No. 6.”
One thing is for sure: Few storylines in the NBA will be more interesting that seeing if he’s right.
It appears that Shaq-to-the-Suns is all but a done deal, pending physicals and league approval. The trade first reported Tuesday by the Miami Herald will send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Heat for Shaq, who is said to be ecstatic about the prospect of getting a fresh start and a realistic chance to hunt down his fifth championship.
It’s a go-for-broke gamble for the Suns, who have enjoyed enormous success with an unorthodox, fast-paced style of play that nonetheless has left them exposed in the more halfcourt-oriented postseason and thus without a championship for their trouble. GM Steve Kerr and coach Mike D’Antoni are betting that even a vastly diminished Shaq – who is struggling with a hip injury and declining physical abilities – can provide a post-up presence against the likes of Yao Ming, Tim Duncan, Tyson Chandler, and Andrew Bynum (when he returns from a knee injury).
Miami’s motives aren’t entirely clear due to the opt-out clause that gives Marion the option to walk away from his $17.2 million contract next season. The Heat, off to a league-worst 9-37 start, will have a little less than half a season to judge whether Dwyane Wade and Marion could work long-term as a 1-2 punch. Worst case, if Marion walks, Miami clears immediate cap space to pursue free agents such as Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Elton Brand, and Ron Artest.
Personally, I think this could be a huge mistake for the Suns. They’re taking something that works, and in a desperate move to take it to the next level, they’re risking an awful lot. Unless David Stern changes the rules to allow Shaq to play on roller blades, I don’t see how he’s going to fit with the way Phoenix gets up and down the floor. Defensively, it’s no secret that Shaq is already retired.
Here’s a sampling of other opinions on the deal. Yours are welcome.
* Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports agrees with me that the Suns will regret this. So do John Hollinger of ESPN Insider and Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine -- although Chris can understand where the Suns are coming from.
· David Aldridge of TNT and The Philadelphia Inquirer quotes a Suns official who says Shaq’s problem in Miami has not been age, but motivation. “Just imagine a Shaq that’s motivated,” the source said. “You think he won’t be motivated to take out the Lakers?”
· In his blog, Heat beat man Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel gives Pat Riley credit for pawning off Shaq’s contract, which has about $50 million left over the next 2 1-2 seasons. “He has made more money disappear than Enron,” Winderman wrote, citing the elimination of Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, Antoine Walker, and now Shaq. Isiah Thomas needs some of what Riles is drinking.
· Readers are burning up Henry Abbott’s TrueHoop blog with comments such as “impossible,” “moronic,” and “bizarro.” One guy said his head almost exploded when he read about the trade. He should try watching the Knicks play.
Here's the link to the Miami Herald story. Hope it works. Don't know if it's the lousy wireless connection in the Nets' media room, which hardly ever works, or if the Herald's site is crashing from all the hits. Will keep you posted with more updates as they break.
We interrupt this column about Pau Gasol with a report of a trade that would make even less sense -- Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
The Miami Herald, citing two officials with knowledge of the situation, is reporting that Shaq's representatives have been told he should prepare to be traded in the near future. The report cited the Phoenix deal as the primary one being discussed, with one source saying the talks are "serious and advanced."
I'll get back to you shortly with a link and some more details.
With deadlines, missing laptop power cords, and the obvious distraction of Jerome James’ trade demand, we were unable to bring you the full breadth of Sam Cassell’s comments after the Knicks-Clippers game Monday night. The beauty of the 24-hour news cycle is that we can bring it to you now.
So before I check out the Lakers and Nets at the alligator emblem building, I’ll get the blog rolling with some more from Sam I Am, who pretty much nailed what’s going on with the Knicks.
They’re not trying.
“New York fans are far from fair-weather fans, but if you don’t play hard for them …” Cassell said at his locker after the Clippers wasted the listless Knicks, 103-94. Cassell didn’t finish the sentence. Didn’t have to.
“They want effort,” he said. “They want guys diving on the floor for loose balls like the early ‘90s. They want guys getting at it, making it a tough basketball game. That’s what New York is all about – battling, like the Giants in the playoffs. But when they don’t see that, they tend to get discouraged. Tickets are very expensive in New York. If you’re paying $1,000 a seat, you want to see effort every night.”
Cassell, who has been around the block in this league, couldn’t figure out why players who should be privileged to play basketball in New York wouldn’t try.
“They’ve got Isiah over there, their best three guys played, it pays well,” Cassell said. “Damn, what more you want? You’re playing in New York City. Damn, I wish was like eight years younger and had the opportunity to come to New York to play. Shoot, every night to play in the Garden? Damn, there’s no place like it.”
Cassell kept referencing the Knicks team that his Rockets team faced in the 1994 Finals, so I asked him what he would say about this Knicks team.
“I can’t describe what they are now,” he said. “I know Isiah gives those guys a lot of freedom to play basketball, but you’ve got to get a guy who makes plays.”
That’s when I asked him if he sees a team that is giving full effort.
“No, I don’t see that,” Cassell said. “I don’t see that aspect of it. I don’t see it. I’m just thinking about the days with Patrick Ewing. This was the place. You went in here, you went in this building during those times, guys would still be icing down right now.”
And how’d the boys feel on this night?
“I think we’re getting out of here pretty fast,” he said.
Incidentally, Cassell hasn’t heard a word about the Knicks being interested in his services. He’s likely to be dealt prior to the Feb. 21 deadline, with the Celtics favored to land the 38-year-old point guard who can still get it done on the floor. And who still tries.
I’ll check back in a little bit with some pre-game stuff from the Nets-Lakers. The Lakers got Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant is happy. The Nets got Stromile Swift, and Jason Kidd is … never mind.
