• One follow up note on Marcus Banks: in the comments on the post below Kevin Pelton reminded us that Dan Rosenbaum (now employed by an NBA team) came up with as good a defensive statistical metric as anyone ever has, and it ranked Banks as the second best defensive point guard in the league.
• Last year, just one mock draft had the Lakers taking Andrew Bynum at 10 — Basketball Draft Central. Check out thier interesting predicted draft order for this year (Farmar at 13 to Philly?). For the Lakers at 26, this year they are predicting Shannon Brown, which has come up in a few places and would seem a good fit.
• If you want to read the latest draft and free agent speculation, check here for the latest from Eric Pincus — but you’ll be disapointed if you think moving Odom (or Bynum) is a good idea.
• I don’t think this can be said enough — no major talent leaving his rookie contract to become a free agent in 2007 or 2008 (or a few years past that). I can give you 30 million reasons why. Remember that the team that has the rights to a player can offer him larger pay increases and one more year on a max deal, which works out to about $30 million in garunteed money over the course of the contract. Nobody is leaving that on the table (Kobe didn’t). The best you can hope for is a sign-and-trade, but you then are going to have to give up a lot of talent to get your guy.
• The latest Carnival of the NBA blogs is up at the always good Raptor Blog.
• I’m loving having Vinny Chase and the boys back for the summer. Best line from last Sunday, from Drama, made this former Valley boy laugh out loud (and wake up my two month old, who I was holding), “You know everything north of Ventura Boulevard is the devil’s waiting room.â€
• From the “yes I’m petty†file: After what a black hole he was in the Finals two years ago for the Lakers, it just pisses me off to see Gary Payton hitting big shots now.
• I really shouldn’t use the word “petty†in relations to these finals because ABC has already tainted it (think Tom).
• As an NBA fan, I can’t say enough that these Finals, and these playoffs, have been way more entertaining than I could have hoped for. There really just is something in the air about the NBA right now, you can feel the energy.
• The only person dragging them down is Bennett Salvatore.
• I’m not saying Wade wasn’t fouled on the last play of the game, or that the majority of calls were not justified, I just think it’s pretty amazing that the Heat had 49 free throws on 69 shot attempts in game 5. My theory is that stars that can penetrate get calls — and that is Wade — and that the home team gets more calls. Look for things to even out tonight in Dallas.
• The Stanley Cup is still the coolest trophy in all of sports, in part because of the great rituals and traditions around it (how many other trophys have gone to strip clubs?). I love watching the players skate around with it, even when I don’t care about the team.
Paul says
Steve Kerr writes that Wade is as good as Kobe. Give me a break! With Shaq and a much better suporting staff than the Lakers ever had, Wade barely makes it to the finals and needed some luck on top of that. Kobe with Shaq and nobody else went 16-1 in the playoffs. If people remember that playoff run well. I believe that Kobe scored 40+ in every one of the games in the SWEEP of San Antonio at the time. By the way that San Antonio team was much better than this current Mavs. At the same time, I still think the Mavs are better than the Heat. The league seems intent on anointing Wade the next Jordan.
chris henderson says
question…why are the T-wolves letting Banks wallk away?
kwame a. says
chris- the t-wolves cant afford him because they didnt acquire his bird rights and cant offer him more than 2.4 mill (plus theyre on the hook for 40 mill to Jaric).
kurt- this has defintley been the best playoffs in recent memory, new stars, good rivalries developing, great pairings of contrasting styles….but, the damn referring is atrocious. Raja Bell and his theatrics, Lebron traveling every other play, wade being breathed upon and receiving two free throws, it all just plays into this ridiculous notion that the game is fixed and if people think the game is fixed its nothing more than vince mcmahon wwf scripted-entertainment. great shots should beat great shots, not bad calls
kwame a. says
the referrees are so bad i mispelled there name, sorry
John (Vancouver) says
Worst referring ever, I can’t even watch the Finals anymore and probably won’t ever again. It’s f#$%ing ridiculous.
Later Show says
Banks would be good addition if we can get him. Another note, what’s up with all the recent profanity, incl. your the other day? Keep it clean …
Kurt says
Later Show, I did appologize for that a couple days ago, I was just lazy, But it has been on the rise, so I will, for a while, take to editing comments with profanity. I’m not going to change intent or meaning, just cutting the profanity.
I started with John from Vancouver in 5 (sorry to be retroactive like this John) and will do so as needed in the future. Myself included.
kwame a. says
dang kurt, i get busy for a month and dont check out the site and i come back and all hell has broken loose on the comment board, but in all seriousness, i hope the baby is doing well and a belated happy father’s day to you and all other laker nation dads.
also, in terms of free agents, if we dont end up (over)paying for marcus banks,what do people think about getting Bobby Jackson. I would rather get a veteran pg, and i know he gets hurt, but he made it through last season injury-free (basically) and i think he has the defense and open shot making ability to run the team. best part is hes cheaper than banks. this still allows us to draft a swingman to replace devean and trade mihm for a 4 or keep him and hope he magically becomes bill cartwright/luc longley
John R says
I wouldn’t worry about the refs Laker fan. You guys have one of the Appointed Five. Its funny, to me anyway, watching you note what the Other Twenty-Five teams have to deal with for 82+ games per year. Superstar calls are BS. “Aggressiveness” calls are BS. Home Team calls are BS. And STILL none of that explains not calling the obvious backcourt violation.
If the NBA is going back to the Jordan era, I’m out again.
Since you note so many bad calls, kwame a, how can you definitively say it isn’t fixed? When Simmons can, or as my friends can attest I have, predict who the official is going to be for a particular game AND THEN what the outcome of that game will be weeks before the event takes place, don’t you think this is a problem? I’m not saying I believe its fixed. But as this series goes on, and it should be clear to everyone around here where my loyalties lie and that I’m no Maverick homer, I’m growing less convinced its not.
Now here’s the trick. If it swings wildly back to the Mavericks…thats even worse.
Kurt says
kwame a., that will teach you about working too much… (good to have you back around and hope you’re well).
My only concern about Jackson is age, I’d like a two year deal with an option for a third.
John (Vancouver) says
Sorry about the swearing, but basketball is one of two sports (the other being soccer) that gets me so riled up when it’s horribly officiated because I love the game so much. The NBA Finals is supposed to be the pinnacle of a year long basketball parade and to have it controlled by people who aren’t even on one of the two teams against each other (the refs play for Stern and the NBA -_-)