Dave G's Dugout

Wizards Foolishly Fire Jordan

    For reasons that defy logic, Eddie Jordan was fired today from his position as head coach of the Washington Wizards. Yes, the Wizards started this season 1-10 and look to be falling out of playoff contention...but it is hardly Jordan's fault. Truth be told, Jordan was a bright spot in an otherwise hapless management system and his firing is only the most recent in a series of managerial miscues.

    At first glance, the Wizards look like a good team. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler are a great core around which to build. Arenas is a dynamic scorer, Jamison a 20-10 guy, and Butler one of the most underrated talents in the game. But someone forgot to tell the Wizards' management that teams are usually comprised of more than three guys.

    When the Wiz sunk $111 million in to Arenas' contract, they put all their eggs in the basket of a 26 year old with a rebuilt knee. He signed in July. In September, he had a third knee surgery, potentially costing his team the season. My aim here is not to blame Gil for his injury, but rather to question the idea of tying up a great deal of your salary in a guy who has a history of knee issues.

    The fact of the matter is that part of Arenas' $111m should have been used to secure a big man. The Wizards' centers include untested rookie Javale McGee (who has been surprisingly good), untested Andray Blatche, Etan Thomas, a 30-year old returning from open heart surgery, and blockhead Brendan Haywood. Haywood promptly tore a ligament in his wrist. The Wizards are effectively playing without a competent center, without a competent point guard, and with a bench that is shaky at best. Their team is built around one guy, who is hurt, and their reliance on untalented, unhealthy, and untested inside scorers is irresponsible at best.

    The team, in short, is poorly run and it is unreasonable to expect to win with the guys they have on the floor. That's why firing Eddie Jordan makes no sense.

    Eddie Jordan's coaching is one of the team's few bright spots. His leadership and basketball knowledge is excellent and he has consistently helped the Wiz live up to their potential. Last season, the Wizards secured the sixth seed in the East and it's fair to say that they were the sixth best team. Their consecutive playoff losses to the Cavs do not indicate any shortcomings on Jordans' part. The Cavs are simply a better team. Two years ago, the Cavs beat the Wizards en route to the conference championship. They also knocked off the Pistons in the process. Last year, the Cavs pushed even the Celtics to the brink of elimination. The Wizards accomplished all they could accomplish with the level of talent they put on the court. This year, with a lot of that talent missing, Jordan was placed in an impossible position. Rather than wait for its star to return, the team fired a great coach for what was really its own failure. They didn't give him the talent to win.

The Realignment of the NBA

    We are two years away from the possible realignment of the National Basketball Association. Whatever happens in the 2010 free agency cycle will shape the league for the next decade. Imagine Lebron James lighting up the crowd at Madison Square Garden, Chris Bosh returning the title to the Palace, or Dwyane Wade's #3 hanging next to Jordan's #23 in the rafters of the United Center. Imagine...

    But none of it will happen. For all the talk of how the 2010 free agency market will reshape the league, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are all likely to stay where they are. After all, these are some loyal and boring young men.

    I would love nothing more than to see any of these guys in a Knicks uniform, but the reality is that these guys all have close ties to their current communities. LeBron wasn't some prisoner whisked away to Cleveland. He's from Akron. This is his hometown. And it's not like he's struggling for media attention where he has to run to New York. Wade has already won a championship in Miami. He's beloved there. He says he wants to stick around and I believe him. The only way I could see him leaving is if Chicago makes him an offer, since he's a Chicago kid and he grew up a Bulls fan. Otherwise, I see him sticking around...and even if the Bulls call, it would be a tough choice for him to make. Bosh has the most to gain by fleeing Toronto. He's a superstar but will never garner enough attention or credit playing so far from the media centers of the U.S. But according to Bosh, he loves it there. He's the Raptors' franchise player and, really, the only basketball superstar in the entire country. He might just stay. 

    I hope I'm wrong. I hope LeBron, D-Wade, or CB4 end up finding their way onto the Knicks. But early indications are that all the hoopla is for nothing. While the media and fans will spend the next two years dissecting every comment these three guys make and talking endlessly about the league's realignment, it looks like everyone will stay put and the pecking order will remain the same. Still, it's fun to wonder...

You betcha!

Sarah Palin and an avian execution: 

Yes, Seriously, a Blog Post About a Commercial

Greatest commercial of all time? Four of our greatest athletes, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, A-Rod, and Tony Hawk, all in the same commercial. I don't get excited about commercials, but it is damn impressive that the folks over at Guitar Hero got all these guys. 

Later, Moose!

Mike Mussina retired from baseball tonight after a distinguished 18-season career. The obvious debate over the next few days - and maybe over the next few decades - will be whether Moose is worthy of being  inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mussina is definitely a borderline case, deserving of much praise and serious Cooperstown consideration. But at the end of the day, I'm afraid Moose falls just short.

Before we get into it, here's my blog post (expert analysis) on what I think makes a HOFer.

In Moose's case, a few big things hold him back. First, he falls short of 300 wins. Second, he only won 20 games once (in his last year, on a 3rd place team), never won a Cy Young award, and never won a championship. 

Most importantly, he wasn't in the top 5 starting pitchers of his era and might not have been in the top ten. Clemens, Maddux, Glavine, Pedro, Randy, Schilling, and Smoltz were all probably better than Mussina. If nothing else, every one of those guys has won at least one Cy Young and at least one World Series. Do you really belong in the Hall when you're the eighth best guy of your era? 

The answer, I'm sorry to say, is no. 

Pistol Pete

If you like basketball, sports, or are human enough to appreciate the simple beauty of perfection, you should watch this clip. Really. It's incredible.

 

Pete Maravich, in my humble opinion, is the greatest college basketball player of all time. Yes, Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar) won championships, but they played for John Wooden at UCLA, the greatest coach and greatest program ever. Pistol played for his dad at LSU on a team that went 3-20 the year before he arrived. Maravich didn't have tremendous height or an imposing physique, but he still averaged over 44 points per game - before the institution of the 3 point line. He was simply a prodigy, one of the greatest shooters and ball handlers of all time. So as the college season is set to begin and thousands of players across the country strive for greatness, let's take a moment here to watch - and honor - actual basketball greatness. Just watch the clip. Your jaw will drop.

Belated NBA Preview...Or Why I Love Mike D'Antoni

Has the blog returned? Oh, it just might have...only time will tell. Yes, I admit it's been quite a while since my words have graced this page. Just how long? Well...since I've last written, Philadelphia won a championship, a black man was elected President, and - oh yeah - the Knicks have a winning record. The world, it seems, has changed. 

What can I say about Mike D'Antoni? Not since Def Leppard has anyone done more with less. The Knicks  are 6-4, Stephon Marbury has yet to play a minute, and Zach Randolph (aka Stay Puft) is averaging 20.8, 12.9 through the season's first ten games. This is amazing. It's beautiful. Honestly, I feel the same way about the Knicks' first ten games the way I felt about the Giants' playoff run: utter shock and unrestrainable smiles. This won't last, obviously, but it seems clear that the organization has awoken from the Isaiah Thomas nightmare. And frankly, that's enough for me. Anything else is an added bonus. 

West Preview:

1. Lakers: They're the best team in the league on paper. But games aren't played on paper. Gasol is still soft. Odom's role is uncertain, and he shrunk in last year's finals. Bynum looks great, but he is unproven. Yes, he could be the next great center. Could be. But right now, he's an unproven 21-year old with a surgically rebuilt knee. And Kobe, while the best player on earth, needs to be the leader of last season and not the horrible teammate we saw in the Finals.

2. New Orleans: The one thing the Hornets were missing was experience. They got a ton of it in last year's playoffs and imported a wealth of it in James Posey. A veteran of the Boston and Miami championship teams, Posey adds leadership to an amazingly talented and mature Hornets lineup. Add him to the Chris Paul, David West, and Tyson Chandler trio and New Orleans has a very real chance to win it all.

3. Utah: With so many of their players becoming free agents after this season, the Jazz may be looking at it's last chance to win. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are as dynamic a duo as the league has, but Utah is just not as good as New Orleans or LA, and could lose to Houston or a healthy San Antonio as well. Williams will need to stay healthy for Utah to have a chance and Boozer may be in Miami before we know it. 

4. Houston: I love this team. Last year, without Yao, the nice guy Rockets went 22-0 and played amazing team ball. McGrady was the scorer, Battier was the defensive specialist, and Alston, Scola,  and Landry turned a lot of heads. This year, Yao is back, which takes a ton of pressure off T-Mac, and the addition of Ron Artest turns Houston into a true title contender. Here's why: He's the one guy in the league who is truly unpredictable. He's a defensive-minded player who could snap at any minute, and will thus keep opponents on edge. Shane Battier is a great defensive player, but he doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents. He's most likely to appear on Jeopardy. Artest is most likely to appear on America's Most Wanted. In playoff ball, I'd love to see how Pau Gasol reacts in his presence.

5. Phoenix: They look really good right now and they're playing with heart. Steve Nash and Shaq, the NBA's two resident good guys, have both already been disciplined by the league. If I'm Terry Porter, this makes me really happy - these guys are playing with attitude for the first time in a while. They know full well that the window is closing and they seem to be playing harder and tougher than they did last year. Amare Stoudamire is one of the top players in the league and if he returns to the level of the '06 playoffs, the Suns might just get to the top of the West. Diaw/Bell/Barbosa make a great second shift and are perfectly capable of stepping up when Grant Hill qualifies for Social Security later this season and if and when Shaq's body fails on him. Robin Lopez is one of my favorite new guys, specializing in defense and comic books, and Matt Barnes wins the November award for most headlines for a guy I've never heard of before. 

6. San Antonio: No depth, but more experience than anyone in the league. Manu and Parker are hurt, but if they're back by playoff time, you really can never discount the Spurs. Duncan, Manu, and Parker are the three guys you'd want on the court in the Finals. The problem here - besides health - is the staggering lack of depth. Still, when Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan are on board, you have to expect great things.

7. Dallas Mavericks: In short, everyone on this roster has something to prove. Kidd has to prove he can still play, Dirk has to prove he can still win, Josh Howard has to prove his sobriety, and Mark Cuban has  to prove his innocence. 

8. Denver Nuggets: I guess I'm on board. I really want the Blazers to grab this last spot, but I think the Billups trade has playoff implications for the Nuggets. It solidifies Anthony as the team's primary scorer and franchise player and gives them a point guard to match up against Paul and Williams (Billups also happens to be one of the league's great leaders and a former Finals MVP). With JR Smith, Nene, and K-Mart in the front court, the Nuggets look pretty damn good right now. I love Iverson, but he and Carmelo never belonged on a team together. I don't think this is a deep playoff team by any means, but they'll probably keep Portland outside the bubble.

Just for good measure...9. Portland Trailblazers: If the Blazers make the playoffs, it will be because of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Fernandez...not Greg Oden. Oden can be a good role player for them this year, but if they lean too heavily on him they will fall over. Brandon Roy HAS to be the center of this team.

Predictions for the Eastern Conference: 

1. Boston Celtics: This team is f'ing hungry. They have the talent and they damn sure have the drive. Pierce can't stop talking about defending the title. Garnett can't stop bullying people (Calderon and Bogut). Seriously, Garnett punched Bogut in the face. How is this not a bigger story? 

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron. Mo Williams is no Scottie Pippen, folks, regardless of what ESPN may think. But he is the best role player LBJ has had and that should count for something. Big Z and Delonte should come up big throughout the year, and the inevitable Wally-for-a-4 trade will help tremendously.

3. Detroit Pistons: Allen Iverson is my favorite player in the league and has been for a long time - and he was born to play in Detroit. This trade was a salary dump, plain and simple, but let's not ignore  what AI brings to the table. He's a tough, relentless player who brings it all every time he steps onto the court. He immediately drives up the scoring totals and the energy. But that doesn't overtake Boston. 

4. Orlando Magic: People need to get on Dwight Howard more for taking certain games off. But at the end of the day, he, Turkoglu, and Lewis make one hell of a front line. 

5. Toronto Raptors: While the attention is focused on Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon will quietly explode this season and cement his spot as the third best point guard in the NBA and the best in the East. If Jermaine O'Neal is healthy enough to contribute, the Raptors will turn some heads. 

6. Philadelphia: Elton Brand is not the savior. At his best he's an all star, though not an elite player. And he's rarely at his best. Igoudala is the leader of this team, but he's not capable of leading the Sixers past any of the East's top three teams. Brand, Igoudala, and Miller are enough to make the Sixers competitive, but Philly fans should be glad they won the World Series..it'll be a while before they can measure up in the NBA.

7. Atlanta: Despite Josh Childress's EuroTrip, the Hawks are still stacked with young talent. Al Horford should have been the rookie of the year last year and will prove his merit as a top center this season. Josh Smith is a beast. Marvin Williams will see increased time this season and will have to prove himself (honestly, it's now or never for Mo). Mike Bibby is a proven leader and a great anchor for this young team. And Joe Johnson is the league MVP through the season's first ten games. The Hawks are not a deep team, by any means. But they have amazing talent, heart, and guts. They will play every game with a huge chip on their shoulders and are definitely not a team I would want to face in the first round of the playoffs. 

8. Miami: Mark my words: Dwyane Wade will be the MVP. Shawn Marion will either contribute or be traded for guys who will contribute. Mike Beasley will become a 20-10 guy by season's end. Mario Chalmers has been shockingly good so far. But really, it all centers on Wade. He's one of the few guys in the league who is good enough to almost single-handedly take his team to the playoffs. There will never be another Michael Jordan. Never. But Wade is probably the closest thing we've seen.

MVP: Dwyane Wade

ROY: Derrick Rose

Most Improved: Marvin Williams

Sixth Man: Odom, if he is sixth man. Stuckey, otherwise.

Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni

Playoffs: 

East: First Round: Celtics over Heat (in 4), Cavs over Hawks (in 7), Detroit over Philly (in 5), Toronto over Orlando (in 7)

        Second Round: Celtics over Toronto (in 6), Cavs over Detroit (in 7)

        Conference Finals: Celtics over Cavs (in 6)

West: First Round: Lakers over Nuggets (in 5), Hornets over Mavs (in 5), Jazz over Spurs (in 6), Rockets over Suns (in 7)

         Second Round: Lakers over Rockets (in 7), Hornets over Jazz (in 6)

         Conference Finals: Lakers over Hornets (in 7)

NBA Finals: Celtics over Lakers (in 6)