SB Nation - Adam Morrison

J.J. Redick: Seven Questions for Number Seven on the Orlando Magic

erivera7 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:50 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

A hard worker, a professional, a rapper.

Okay, maybe the last designation is a bit much (funny, nonetheless), but the first two labels are accurate descriptions of J.J. Redick, an individual for the Orlando Magic that has worked his tail off to be in the position that he is today.

Whether it's been on the practice court or in the weight room, Redick has paid his dues after the past couple of years. Although one looks at his fellow peers from the 2006 NBA Draft, players like Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams, Patrick O'Bryant, and a bevy of others who have struggled to receive playing time or remain in the league, J.J. has remained relevant in the NBA and has become an integral role player on a championship-caliber team. It took a while, and general manager Otis Smith prescribed patience with Redick - who was frustrated with a lack of playing time in the past - as he attempted to break into the Magic's rotation, but here he is. Helping Orlando win.

Not bad.

When looking at the statistics, one has to be impressed with how efficient J.J. has performed on offense so far this season - TS% (60.5%), eFG% (56.6%), and an Offensive Rating of 123. All career-highs and excellent numbers. Granted, it's early but it's encouraging for Redick to see the stats one figured he would be producing when he left Duke University (likewise, it seemed possible he had the potential to do so this year).

Because he is contributing on defense, diversifying his game on offense, passing the ball without turning it over, and more, J.J. has turned into an asset for the Magic. More importantly, he's gained head coach Stan Van Gundy's trust over a period of time (see the 2009 NBA Playoffs).

The following transcript is a one-on-one conversation I had with J.J. Redick after practice was over yesterday, in which I asked him seven questions on a number of topics.

Click after the jump.

You're averaging career-highs across the board, how much does that mean to you to know that the hard work you've been putting in these past few years is paying off?

It feels good to be in the rotation. I think that's the most important thing for me is playing every night, doing my job contributing, whether I play 10 minutes or 30 minutes and I think I've done that just about every game. It's been a positive. I can't get too caught up in numbers, I mean, we're 18 games into the year so I'm not really worried about that but if anything, I look at shooting percentages. I don't care about points or anything. That's going to fluctuate throughout the season, that's just depends on minutes so if I'm shooting the ball well and contributing defensively and with passing and stuff, then I feel good about my game.

Have you seen a difference in terms of how defenders are guarding you? I know that you're taking it off the dribble more this year and trying to attack the basket, have you see a change in terms of how they're trying to approach you?

It's different every night. A lot of it has to do with just other team's schemes. I mean, a lot of stuff that I'm getting now is with pick and rolls and stuff and so every team is different, some teams show, some teams zone, some teams push the ball down the baseline. We generally talk about it before the game, what that team is going to do and then I know how to attack. If I'm in the game with Vince [Carter], obviously I'm not afforded as many opportunities, but when he's out of the game, lately I've been getting a lot of pick and rolls and even some plays called for me so I just look to be really aggressive. Going in, I have a good idea, a good sense of how I'm going to play.

When you go into the game, is there a role that you're trying to fulfill? Are you trying to score, trying to defend, trying to move the ball?

I'm trying to win. *laughs*

That's the most important thing to me. I really do think that ... actually, me and my dad were having a conversation last night, he's in town, and we were talking about different guys in the league, guys I've played with in the past, guys I've played with in college. I turned to him and said, 'Dad, do you know what's the hardest thing to do in the NBA is?' and he said, 'What?' and I said, 'Win.'

You can play for a bad team, you can score and put up numbers. It's hard to be on a good team because there's not many of them that win consistently. I think that's what I'm most proud of, that's what I try to do. I look at my plus/minus every night and I want it to be in the positives. I know that Stan [Van Gundy] looks at that, too. It's not the tell-all obviously because it depends on who you're playing against and who you're out there with, but I want my unit, whether I'm playing with [Marcin Gortat] and [Jason Williams] and Ryan Anderson or whether I'm playing with Rashard [Lewis] and Vince, I want that unit to win when I'm out there.

You talk about the numbers and I know that Stan is big with that. Does he try to give, whether it's Dwight [Howard], or you, or anybody else the numbers and tell you what you've been doing, what you can improve on, and such?

Yeah, in the past, yeah, we've discussed it. Two of our biggest focuses are always rebounding and turnovers. He kind of sets goals for everybody based on turnovers per minute, rebounds per minute, a lot of it depends on how much you have the ball in your hands, how much you play, and throughout the year he brings up those numbers in team meetings and yeah, we want to reach those goals.

You talk about winning, you've dealt with injuries, illnesses, suspensions, fines, pretty much everything you can think of. How much does it say to you about the team that you're 14-4, despite all that?

Well, I like our group. I think good teams become an extension of their coach and I think we've become a resilient group. I think Stan is still pleading with us to have more focus and more energy, which I think on a nightly basis we can improve on, regardless of who's in the lineup.

You got the rap group going, you won the Iron Magic belt, how much fun are you having this year?

Yeah, it's been good. I think this is my fourth year with the team and I'm a little bit older now, I've settled down a bit, I'm more comfortable with myself, so all the other stuff is just fun but I think with the conversations I've had with Otis [Smith], Stan, and even with a lot of my Duke coaches the past couple summers, it's just about being a professional, and being a pro, and coming to work every day. It's something I've learned to do.

On the road, is there anything that you guys do aside from basketball, that you try to do as a team?

Well, I think everybody is different and I think everybody has a routine. You got to respect guys' routine. I think if anybody said 'we're having a team dinner,' there would be a mutiny. You got to respect guys' routine. I know for me, I'm a pretty low-key guy, so I order room service, sometimes I go to dinner alone. This year, I usually go to dinner with Ryan [Anderson] and J-Will, last year I went to dinner with Adonal [Foyle] if I did go with somebody.

Personally me, I wouldn't like it if we all 13 of us went out to dinner, it'd be a scene. I don't want a scene. *laughs*

I just want to go have a low-key [dinner], focus in on what I go to do the next day.

Pardon Our Bench

DexterFishmore — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:30:11 -0000

About a month into the season, we're starting to know some things about the Los Angeles Lakers. It's still only November, sure. We don't know how strong they'll ultimately be compared to other league powers. But we can start to see the contours of a typical night at the office.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are a manly inside pair and too much for most teams to handle. Kobe Bryant is still a lethal scorer and playmaking force. Ron Artest is still a splendid defender, and on any given night either he or Lamar Odom will be good for 15 or more points. All of the above was on display against a pathetically overmatched New York Knicks team last night.

And then there's the bench. I'm really sorry to do this, but it's time we talked about the bench. We've put this off long enough.

First, let's be clear who we're talking about. Although Lamar doesn't start when the team's fully healthy, he does play starter's minutes, and his talent and production are not subject to any serious debate. He hasn't always been great so far this year, but we know he's not the problem. When Lakers fans grumble about "the bench," Lamar isn't meant to be included.

What we're really talking about is the play of Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Josh Powell, Luke Walton, DJ Mbenga, Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic. Of this group, Walton didn't play last night because of his back injury, and Mbenga and Powell got DNP-CDs. The performances of the other four are cast into unflattering relief by their plus-minus numbers. Farmar, Brown, Morrison and Vujacic averaged a -9 in about 10 minutes of action last night. All but Farmar were on the court when the Knicks ripped off an 11-0 run, which dragged Kobe and Ron back into the game with five minutes left.

If you were surprised that the second unit failed to maintain the Lakers' lead, welcome to the wonderful sport of basketball. I hope you enjoyed your first-ever game.

With about two minutes remaining against the Knicks, Lakers play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers asked rhetorically at what point in the season the Laker reserves would "step up." After the game, sideline man Michael Eaves asked Pau how long he thought it would take for the bench to find its "rhythm." These questions contained an unstated assumption that the Laker bench right now is anomalously underperforming, playing worse than what we should reasonably expect. Is that really the case, though? What precisely are we expecting from these guys?

I'm not implying that the second unit is playing well, mind you. Certainly their job description should include being able to hold a lead against the Knicks, at home. But why do people keep expecting them to transform into game-changing shock troops? Isn't it possible that they're not "inconsistent" or "out of sync," but just not that good?

In the table below I've listed, for each of the Laker reserves in question, their PERs for the last two seasons as well as the season so far. And before you start screaming: no, I'm not suggesting that PER be accepted as an end-all, final-word metric. It's just a useful shorthand for a player's overall production and works fine for the present discussion.

Player	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Brown	6.6	13.0	12.8
Farmar	15.3	9.9	10.7
Mbenga	9.4	13.9	10.2
Morrison	DNP	5.7	11.2
Powell	10.4	9.9	10.8
Vujacic	14.9	12.7	6.4
Walton	12.2	11.3	15.0

If there's to be improved play from the bench this year, where's it supposed to come from? Luke was the best reserve before his injury; if he's in decent shape when he returns, the situation won't look quite so grim. But who else?

Shannon, DJ and Powell are all basically performing in line with their respective track records. At age 24, Brown likely has some improvement ahead of him, but he's not going to become a Sixth Man of the Year candidate overnight. Farmar, I'd argue as well, is also more or less where we should expect him to be. With each passing game, his performance in 2007-08 looks increasingly flukish, and his performance last season looks like his real baseline.

Adam Morrison has actually been better than we would've guessed, but no one thinks he's a candidate to be even a league-average player. The dude is simply no es bueno. If he's in the NBA next year, it'll be solely due to residual caché from having been a high lottery pick once upon a time.

The real mystery in all this is Sasha Vujacic, who in three years has gone from good to frustrating to radioactively bad. On the one hand, it seems improbable that he'll remain this terrible; someone his age shouldn't completely fall apart absent an injury. On the other hand, he shows no sign of bouncing back any time soon. He's averaging less than 10 minutes a night and has made only two shots in the last five games. It must be getting hard for Phil Jackson to justify even putting him on the court.

What about help from outside? As Ben R pointed out in the comments last night, two available names are Jerry Stackhouse and Wally Sczcerbiak. If those guys had anything at all left in the tank, they wouldn't be available. There's also Allen Iverson, though it's hard to imagine the Lakers voluntarily stepping on that particular land mine.

A deadline trade will be a possibility, the most likely situation involving cutting bait on Farmar and shipping out Morrison's expiring deal. It's not possible at this point to foretell who might be obtainable in return.

The Lakers, we should probably just admit, are stuck with a subpar bench. The reserves aren't about to "step up" or find "consistency." How the Lakers have won games so far, by overwhelming opponents with top-line talent, is how they'll have to get it done in the foreseeable future. Which might, in fact, be plenty good enough.

Kobe Disembowels Mayo, Lakers Roll

DexterFishmore — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:35:31 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

Browse more photos »

The Memphis Grizzlies aren't good, so we shouldn't get carried away here. They're young, and their roster has been put together without a coherent blueprint. Playing at home, the Lakers should beat these guys, even with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in dry-dock.

All that said, the Lakers put on a splendid all-around show tonight. After a sputtery first half that ended with the Grizz up 2, the L.A. offense roared into high gear to win going away. Ron Artest (14 points 19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) continued his All Star-caliber play, DJ Mbenga (a career-high 13 rebounds) and Josh Powell filled in ably for the missing frontcourt starters, and Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar tag-teamed the point position as well as they have in ages.

What everyone will be talking about, though, is Adam Morrison, who lit up the scoreb-... no, sorry. I'm misreading my notes. Kobe Bryant, I meant to say, is what everyone will be talking about tomorrow. Working almost exclusively from the post, he kneecapped the Grizzly defense with 41 points on 65% True Shooting. Just as remarkably, he committed zero turnovers. OJ Mayo spent most of the night guarding Kobe one-on-one and basically got vaporized.

The box score is here, and the tempo-free numbers are below. Enjoy your evening. The Lakers are 5-1.

	Poss.	TO%	FTA/ FGA	FT%	EFG%	TS%	Off Reb%	Def Reb%	PPP
Lakers	89	9	0.12	82	55	57	40	72	1.28
Grizz	88	14	0.37	76	48	53	28	60	1.11

Zags Around the Web - Former Bulldogs Making News

Zach B — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:49 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Former Zag Austin Daye is part of a very deep Detroit Pistons team and has been doing more learning than playing at this point. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Browse more photos »

Now that we've had the taste of real, live college basketball, it is difficult to sit here and realize we have to wait ten more days for the regular season to start. With that being said, it does give us an opportunity to sit back and judge Syracuse for their loss to D-II LeMoyne last night. The worst part about it is that LeMoyne is about four miles away for the Syracuse campus so as far as inner-city bragging rights are concerned, the Dolphins have got that down for the year. It seems like some sort of crazy exhibition upset happens every season and I pray that it never happens in Spokane but I can't imagine Mark Few being the victim of such an upset. Jim Boeheim, I can see that. With that being said, here are a few things going on in Zag-land today...

Spokesman.com | Blogs | SportsLink | Day-after Alberta

The Spokesman's Jim Meehan had a nice blog about a variety of topics yesterday and one bullet point was this blurb about Bol Kong. Obviously a topic of much discussion, it is good to hear he will be on the court and working with the team after Will Foster came down on his ankle.

Talked briefly with Bol Kong and he said he expects to be on the court again by today or Wednesday. He’s been sidelined by an ankle injury.

Ballin' is a Habit: 2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Shooting Guards

One of the best college basketball blogs bar-none is Ballin' is a Habit. Always up to date with great, relevant content. The guys over there recently laid out there rankings for top shooting guard this season and Matt Bouldin checked in at #6. Click on over to read what they had to say about Matt. The top three were Willie Warren (#1), James Anderson, and Isaiah Thomas.

Eastern rolls over Central | Spokesman.com | Nov 4, 2009

In a pretty shocking delivery to my inbox this morning, this e-mail came through with a stat line for Ira Brown. Gonzaga's "glue guy" and leaping extraordinaire has apparently hooked on with the Spokane Athletic All-Stars. I'm honestly unsure what the All-Stars are all about but it's good to see Ira still in the community playing ball.

New Look, Same Results vs. Orlando, 85-80 - Motown String Music

In a win over the Orlando Magic last night, here is what SB Nation's Detroit Pistons blog had to say about Daye's game:

Speaking of rookies getting (or lack thereof) their first points, Austin Daye played four minutes and scored his first career points on a nice breakaway slamma jamma.

Obviously the people of Detroit will need to be patient with Daye as he just needs a little time to develop but I know that EDZ and I are confident that he'll develop into a very sound NBA player. With Adam Morrison failing to get off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers despite "an outstanding summer" it looks like Austin, along with Ronny Turifaf, will be the primary flag bearers for Gonzaga in the NBA down the road. If Adam can't get off the bench and show other teams he can contribute, it's very likely that his time in the NBA is coming to an end.

Doing Our Part: Previewing the Defending Champion Lakers

Josh Tucker — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:00:36 -0000

As I've mentioned before, we're participating in CelticsBlog's giant round-up of previews. We've seen the Atlantic & Southwest divisions, and I just posted links for the Central & Northwest divisions a few moments ago (be sure to check those out). Southeast division links will be coming soon, but now it's our turn.

Yes, I'm aware that a season preview the day after the first game of the season is a bit unusual, but hey — CelticsBlog organized this, so see it as a positive thing: another reason to blame the Greenie Weenies, right? Meanwhile, we've done a lot of detailed, in depth work here at SS&R, over the last two weeks, to preview our Lakers, meaning that some of this will be a bit redundant (it's too much to link; just browse our recent archives if you haven't seen it yet). Part of the idea here is to help those who don't know our team as well as we do to get better acquainted with the Lakers (though I think that may be more of a concern for the Grizzlies than the Lakers); for those of you who have been with us as we geared up for the start of the season, consider this a final summary of what we here at SS&R expect for the season.

With that, click on through for our final season preview piece of the 2009-10 season.

Team Name: The Champs¹
Last Year's Record: 2009 Champions²
Key Losses: Trevor Ariza
Key Additions: Ron Artest

Q1: What significant moves were made during the off-season?

A1: No new information here, even for those not really following the Lakers. I think the entire world knows that the Lakers signed Ron Artest while letting Trevor Ariza walk; each went to the other's team, and they signed for essentially the same price, which is why many are referring to it as a de-facto trade. It was the only player personnel move made by the Lakers since winning the 2009 Championship.

The question is, was it the smart move? You know most of the arguments, and we've discussed it here at SS&R several times, so we'll skip over the basics: Artest is potentially dramatic and volatile, he uses more possessions less efficiently, and Ariza fit the Lakers' system. Some consider Ariza to be the better defender, and being absurdly wrong is absolutely their prerogative. Blah, blah, blah. So let's talk about a few things that either (a) haven't been mentioned much in this Ariza vs. Artest discussion, or (b) have come to light in 8 preseason games and 1 regular season game in a way that wasn't previously very apparent:

Artest can be a beast on the inside. That's not necessarily a new insight — Henry Abbott was one of the first to point out that the Lakers would have a starting line-up chock full of excellent post-up players, and it has been repeated many times since that for that reason, the Lakers would likely be a slower team on offense, this year. But after a few games, it's a point that nonetheless needs to be reiterated. He is so big and strong that he can simply be a factor in the paint in ways that Ariza could never dream of. His post-up game is half traditional post-up, half bull-in-a-china-shop charging at the hoop, but either way, it seems quite effective. Even in a single game, there are numerous occasions on which Artest does something close to the basket where you think, "Wow, Ariza could not have done that."
Here's something that was either unexpected or overlooked in pre-analyzing this Artest-Ariza trade: Artest is a much, much better passer — both in/from the post, and in general. Specifically, his ability to be a playmaker for his teammates close to the basket is quickly jumping out as something that we hadn't foreseen, but are already loving. Sure, he has the ability to draw the defense in the paint and kick out to shooters, but even more deliciously, he has shown an ability to create havoc off of penetration, and then find an open Bynum or Odom (and add Gasol to that, once he's back) for a layup or dunk, before the defense even realizes what happened.
In general, Ron Ron is a much better passer than Ariza. Last night, we noted more than one occasion on which, in perfect triangle execution, Ron got the ball in the mid- or high-post and then hit a cutting teammate on the way to the basket with a picture perfect, Tex Winter-approved pass for deep penetration, usually leading to a layup or dunk. These crisp passing skills, which he seems already able to utilize well in the triangle offense, are another aspect of his game that we may have undervalued. It will take more time for him to learn when he needs to make cuts in the triangle offense, and where to — but when he gets the ball in a post-up position and other players make their cuts around him, he seems like a natural fit for this system.
Most importantly, his mindset has been tremendous, thus far. If anything, he is looking to pass too much. He is not looking first for his own shots, but is making defense and playmaking his main priorities while on the floor. At the same time, he is able to anchor the second string in much the same way that Odom does — and so far, he has been very effective in that role. As always, this just gives Phil Jackson more options, greater flexibility, and more versatility.

It's a long season, but at this very early point, all signs are positive, and it seems as though this "trade" should be not just an upgrade for the Lakers, but a very big one.

Q2: What are the team's biggest strengths?

A2: As mentioned, the post game has now become a huge weapon for the Lakers. For one, they're simply bigger, longer, and stronger than you. I mean, Ron Artest is our Small Foward, okay? Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant — already perhaps the most skilled post player in the NBA, pound-for-pound — worked with Hakeen "The Dream" Olajuwon over the summer, and if the first game of the season is any indication, he is looking to his post game more than ever. Even Derek Fisher, fairly large and strong compared to many of the leagues smaller, quicker point guards, will get occasional post-up opportunities.

This means that the entire Lakers starting unit can be a post threat — and that's with Lamar Odom coming off the bench. This should equate to high points in the paint totals and plenty of drawn fouls.

Versatility and depth are the Lakers other strengths. And you know what? I'm just going to say it — talent is another major strength of ours. Four of the Lakers starting five either are current All-Stars, or have been in the past. They're likely to send three to the All-Star Game this year, and that's with All-Star caliber players Lamar Odom and Ron Artest staying home. This team is not just deep, it's deep in top level talent. Though Phil Jackson isn't likely to use it very often, the Lakers could even put Kobe at point and run an All-Star lineup of Kobe, Ron Ron, LO, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.

Meanwhile, we still expect significant improvement from our bench over last year. Look also for Phil Jackson to sometimes run what we might refer to as the "1.5 Unit" — half bench, half starters. With so much talent, PJ can utilize an entire array of options in creating lineups.

The versatility, in large part, goes back to the Lakers strengths in the post. Bynum and Gasol are obvious post threats. However, Odom and Artest can also be very effective in the post, and Kobe isn't too shabby. This allows for a greater range of options, both in terms of lineups and offensive sets, regarding who anchors the triangle in the post, and how the triangle forms around him. Defensively, guys like Artest and Odom can easily guard three different positions, meaning that whether we're talking about a big, strong Small Forward like LeBron James, or a long, lanky Power Forward who likes to shoot from outside like Dirk Nowitzki or Rasheed Wallace, the Lakers have options in matching up with them defensively.

Q3: What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

A3: The point guard position is a relative weakness for the Lakers, mostly on the defensive end of the court, and the bench is a question mark, at this point.

I'm honestly not as worried about Derek Fisher at the point as some. Lakers fans fret to no end over penetration by quick, little point guards like Chris Paul and Aaron Brooks. Frankly, I don't think it's that big a concern, for two reasons. First, the Lakers won the 2009 Championship with Derek at the point, and though he sometimes struggled with the Aaron Brooks of the NBA world, in the end we were sorry for our outrage at his continued involvement, humbled by Phil Jackson's great insight, and glad he had left Fish in the game (and not listened to us). Simply put, with a team this strong in every other area, we can afford to be "just okay" at the point — especially when "just okay" equals one of the best floor leaders and clutch shooters in the game.

Second, I tend to accept a fair amount of quick guard penetration as inevitable. Because of the NBA's current perimeter defense rules, it's basically impossible to stop penetration by quick guards. The bigger concern should not be preventing penetration; that is not possible. The bigger concern should be how the interior help defense responds to said inevitable penetration. In this regard, the Lakers were much improved last year over 2007-08, and a strong, healthy, active Andrew Bynum patrolling the paint on defense should further strengthen them there. This where Bynum needs to take ownership and responsibility on defense, declare the paint his own, and see not only the Shaqs and Howards of the NBA as personal challenges, but the Brooks and Pauls, too.

The bench, on the other hand, is still a big question mark. The potential is there for them to be one of the best reserve units in the league, even capable of hanging with many starting units at times. However, that was not the case last year, and it certainly wasn't the case in the season opener. (Note: Don't read too much into the season opener, as Pau Gasol's absence brought Lamar Odom into the starting lineup, leaving the bench without either a significant stabilizing presence or a player who can create shots for himself and his teammates. Once Gasol returns, Odom and Artest will probably share that role, to a degree, and I expect much better things from the bench as a result.) Jordan Farmar never fully recuperated from injury, from which he probably came back too quickly. Machine's shot took a sabatical. Shannon Brown was a late-season addition. The coaching staff have been working gingerly to slowly get Adam Morrison back to productive form. Josh Powell is a solid rebounder and mid-range shooter, and one of the few that didn't devolve into nothingness last year.

All of these are areas in which the Lakers' bench can improve, and there's just as much reason to think that they will as there is to think that they won't. Nonetheless, the second unit has to be considered a weakness until it proves itself a strength, because as a group they disappeared so thoroughly last year.

Q4: What are the goals for this team?

A4: The cliché thing these days is obviously to say, "Anything short of a championship has to be considered a disappointment." So, how about this: Anything short of major disappointment in San Antonio, Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando has to be considered a disappointment.

No? Okay, well let's get let's cheesy and more concrete with this. The goal is to repeat as champions, and that presents a number of other goals:

To manage the season, staying on top while having enough left come May.
To successfully integrate Ron Artest, and to adapt to the ways in which the offense and defense will change with his arrival.
To manage all drama and distraction — with Lamar now a tabloid favorite and Ron Ron his same Crazy Pills self, drama and distraction cannot be avoided. Thankfully, this is L.A., and we've always been great at dealing with it and winning anyways.
To avoid injury — and, hand in hand with that goal, to see Andrew Bynum build momentum in a season uninterrupted by injury, finally emerging as an elite post player.

Unofficially, several players seem to be shooting for the 70-wins goal, and maybe even 73. This could be both a good and bad thing — good in that a goal like that might keep them from complacency, but bad in that this team needs to worry less about over-exerting itself in the pursuit of regular season goals, and more about positioning itself for another championship run in the spring.

As observers and commentators on the Lakers and this 2009-10 season, I think I speak for most of us when I say that, at least at this point, 70+ wins is NOT one of our goals/hopes for this team.

Q5: What makes the Lakers more likely to win the championship than the other challengers?

A5: I've said this recently, but it bears repeating. The Lakers have the greatest potential for improvement among the five teams considered legitimate championship contenders; at the same time, they have the lowest foreseeable potential for failure.

The return of KG, and the additions of 'Sheed Wallace and several solid bench players could give this team the defensive intensity of 2008 with extra firepower and depth to boot; on the other hand, another injury to KG and they're out of the running, and that's without even mentioning the odds of one of the other Green Geezers getting injured (the "Big 4" are all in their mid-30s).

The Cavs added Shaq, but he didn't look nearly as good as he needed to last night (a game in which he should have been extremely motivated). Meanwhile, there have been so many other roster changes, and they would have to outlast four other elite teams while at the same time completely retooling — a task made much more difficult by the departure of Kuester, their offensive coordinator who is already sorely missed, after just one game.

The Magic are young, and Vince Carter is an upgrade, but he's a manageable threat for Kobe and Artest, and the Lakers still possess the matchup advantages. Meanwhile, they've changed enough that it might not work for them, and there is a lot of doubt that they can get past the retooled Celtics and Cavs.

The Spurs are potentially more susceptible to injury and age than even the Celtics, and even when healthy, the Lakers have all the matchup advantages, and it's doubtful that the Spurs can match the Lakers in the frontcourt.

For the Lakers, the three main areas of potential improvement are also the three main areas of potential failure. First, Ron Artest could be a huge upgrade over Ariza, or he could be a disappointing distraction. Second, Andrew Bynum could remain healthy and morph into a beast under the basket, or he could go down again and force us to do it without him for a third time around. Third, the bench could return to their 2008 form, or they could be just as frustrating as they were last year.

But for all of the other four challengers, if the reality is reflects more of the negatives listed here than the positives, they're probably done. For the Lakers, even if they don't improve in all three of these key areas, they're still the same team that won the 2009 Championship. Meanwhile, if all three of these factors become areas of significant improvement for the Lakers, they their ceiling is far beyond those of the other teams, even on their best days. Not convinced? Consider this: Take off the best player on each team, and only the Lakers is still a strong playoff team.

Of the five contenders, the Lakers have the highest ceiling and also the greatest margin of error. Their likely downsides represent the least potential for failure. That is why the Lakers are favorites to win the championship (again) in 2010.

Projected Finish: 2010 NBA Champions³

¹ Or: The Los Angeles Lakers, The Lake Show
² Or: 65-17 regular season, 16-6 playoffs, 81-23 overall
³ Or: 69-13 regular season, 16-5 playoffs, 85-18 overall, NBA Champs

Off Season Alternative Training Techniques

C.A. Clark — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:20:27 -0000

More photos » by Vincent Yu - AP

Kobe's one of the greatest of all time, and he learned post moves from Hakeem, one of the greatest of all time, so this kid is definitely receiving the GREATEST BASKETBALL LESSON OF ALL TIME.

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The Los Angeles Lakers opened training camp on Wednesday, and finally, finally we got some basketball related news. Somewhat lost in the shuffle of the throngs of "reporters" from TMZ and E! News, two members of the team talked about the steps they took to improve their game over the offseason.

Kobe Bryant spent some time with the Master of the post, Hakeem "the Dream" Olajuwon, trying to learn the Dream Shake, and all of Hakeem's other devastating post moves. This seems further proof to me that Kobe is intent on developing the same kind of high post game that made Michael Jordan so unstoppable in his later years.

Lamar Odom took up boxing as a way to improve his footwork, and strengthen his core joints (ankles, hips, knees). It might also improve his ambidexterity, since, in his own words, "If I can knock a guy out with a right hand jab, I should be able to hit a layup with that hand too."

So, with that in mind, I'll take a look at which sport or training session with other NBA player would be most beneficial to each member of the Lakers. (Apologies to all the players brought in to fill the training camp roster, but you are not included. If any of you makes the opening day roster, I swear I'll write you in later).

Andrew Bynum - Kareem's Sky Hook

Alright, so this one is cheating because it's basically already in the works. But how awesome would it be if Bynum finally felt comfortable enough to break out the sky hook in games. What is Bynum's ceiling with a dependable sky hook? I think that it would make him the best offensive center in the game right now, since Howard is limited in that department at the moment, Shaq is too old, and Yao's entire future is still somewhat up in the air. As they say, the sky (hook) is the limit.

Pau Gasol - Crew

Aside from the hilarity involved with Pau fitting his 7 foot frame into a tiny crew boat, there is no better sport for training upper body strength. Every crew team member I've ever seen (coxswains aside) has had huge shoulders and forearms, women included. Since Pau isn't a huge fan of straight weight lifting, this could be the perfect summer activity to turn his chicken wings into turkey legs.

Ron Artest - Golf

For the man who needs mental strengthening much more than physical, I prescribe golf. I can't think of a game that is more capable of inducing someone to lose control, and anybody who does lose control even a little bit on the golf course is immediately punished for it. The focus which is required on the links wouldn't be a bad thing for Ron Ron either.

Luke Walton - Shooting Lessons with Reggie Miller

Walton has had (extremely) brief periods where he has been a very competent shooter. During those periods, people understand why the Lakers might have been willing to pay him so much money to be on the team. Despite never being the most athletic of guys, Luke's all around game has always been strong. He's can handle the rock, can be a tremendous passer, and has enough size to do what he needs to in the post. If he could consistently knock down the outside shot, his stock would jump from fringe role player to legitimate starter in the NBA.

Adam Morrison - MMA

The most well known moment of Adam Morrison's life is when he began to cry with a few seconds remaining in an NCAA tournament game where his precious Zags absolutely choked the game away to the UCLA Bruins. Also, if you haven't noticed, his body looks like bread dough. A couple months of training in the Octogon should do well to get rid of both attributes.

Sasha Vujacic - Posting up with Charles Barkley

Wait a second, WHAT?!?!? Hear me out. Obviously I don't want Sasha to start going to the post and attempting to back down his man for hours on end (although the comedy of such an activity would be off the charts.) Instead, I figure if Sasha spends a day training in the post with a man for whom they actually created a rule against taking too much time with the ball, Sasha might just learn that he doesn't have to shoot the rock within 2 nanoseconds of receiving it. If Sasha had the Chuck Wagon's patience, he might still be called the Machine.

Derek Fisher - Soccer

Fisher is already the consummate professional, and his body is probably in as good a shape as you can expect. It also seems ridiculous to ask a 13 year veteran to go pick up a new trick to use in the league (unless that player is gunning for participation in the GOAT debate, that is). So, for Fisher, I prescribe a sport intended to help him improve his quickness, which is the attribute that seems to be deteriorating the fastest as he ages. No sport in the world will teach you to have quick feet better than soccer.

Jordan Farmar - Tennis

You think that a bad attitude and not listening to coaches will hurt you in basketball? Tennis is littered with players who could have been all time greats, but failed to realize their potential because they didn't listen to coaches, and had a poor attitude about what they do. Plus, the individual nature of the game is such that you literally have no one to blame but yourself for your failures.

Shannon Brown - Dunking Techniques from Vince Carter

This is pretty much self-explanatory. If you've got all-world athleticism, and can jump as if you are on the moon, why not dial up the style while you're up there? You're telling me Shannon couldn't put his forearm in the basket? Or pull off a 360 through-the-legs windmill? Shannon's already got the game, as evidenced by the high school dunk contest he apparently got screwed out of winning ... against LeBron James. He just needs some tips from VC about how to turn that athleticism into something more artistic.

DJ Mbenga - Blocking from Dikembe Mutombo

Mbenga already has the mentality for this. The man attempts to block practically every shot that comes within a 10 foot radius, but he ends up with more fouls than blocked shots. He just needs some technique to go along with the desire, and who better to provide it than one of the best shot blockers of all time, Deke. Besides, more than anything in the world, I want Mbenga to adopt the finger wag after each block. With Mutumbo's career finally and tragically over, we need to keep the finger wag alive, and Mbenga is definitely the man for the job.

Josh Powell - Dancing moves from Ronny Turiaf

Josh Powell is already considered Turiaf-lite. Why not commit and go for the whole package? He's already got the same type of game as Turiaf. He's already got the capability for awesome hair-dos as Turiaf. All we need is for Powell to start shaking and grooving every time a Laker makes a big play on the court, and it'll be like the fan-favorite Ronny never left.

Pushing for Small Ball: Analysis of the Lakers backcourt rotation

C.A. Clark — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:27:25 -0000

The original goal of this piece was to analyze the Lakers rotations across the board, and to figure out how the team’s minutes should be allocated. However, barring injury or a miraculous turnaround in Adam Morrison’s shooting stroke and NBA career, the frontcourt is pretty much set in stone. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum will split the 96 minutes at the 4 and 5 (probably right around 36:30:30 respectively, as long as Bynum can control his fouls). Ron Artest and Luke Walton seem likely to split the small forward minutes, and that split could be anywhere from 30:20 to 36:12. So, as I said, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of questions regarding where the minutes will go in the front court. Ammo could steal some of Walton’s time, but anything more than a couple minutes a game seems unlikely unless he breaks out. Josh Powell and Mbenga should be relegated to spot duty and garbage time unless an injury requires more. Which brings us to the back court.

The back court is a trickier situation. The Lakers currently have 5 guards who have all proven, at one time or another, to be worthy of playing time. The starters are set in stone. Kobe Bryant will play between 36-38 minutes, as he always does. Derek Fisher will start, but it’s unclear how many minutes he plays. Honestly, with the Lakers guard depth, it wouldn’t surprise me if PJ limited Fish’s minutes to about 20 a game, but it will more likely fall in the 24-28 minute category. For nice round numbers, we’ll say that there are 36 guard minutes available. The three candidates for those minutes are Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, and Shannon Brown.

In terms of positions, Farmar is a pure point guard, Sasha is a pure shooting guard, and Brown is a ‘tweener combo guard, but leans towards playing the point, and he was used almost predominantly at that position last season. So, on the surface, it seems we have two backup point guards and one backup shooting guard. The logical conclusion to that statement is that Sasha will pick up whatever minutes Kobe doesn’t play, and Farmar and Brown are left to duke it out for the rest. I already posted about this last week, and Lakers fans seem pretty clearly to be in Brown’s corner, by a factor of 2:1. Here’s my question: Why should we have to choose?

If Farmar and Brown are the Lakers’ two best reserve guards, why not play them together? Brown’s got enough size to be OK guarding the other team’s off guard, especially since we’ll be talking about 2^nd unit two guards. There aren’t a whole lot of off guards who can use their size as a real advantage anyway, and I can’t think of a single one who isn’t starting. And the potential of a Farmar/Brown backcourt goes far beyond just simply playing your best players. To elaborate, we must think back to last year.

Through the first 15-20 games of the season last year, the Lakers bench was considered one of the best, if not the best, in the league. At the time, the 2^nd unit consisted of Farmar, Sasha, Trevor Ariza, Lamar, and either Gasol or Bynum. This unit had considerable success because of their dynamite transition game. With Odom and the other big pulling down rebounds, Lamar could either lead the break himself, or get it to Farmar. Farmar would fly down the court and have Ariza filling the wing, or Sasha ready to nail a transition 3. Compared to the slow, efficient, pace of the starters, the 2^nd unit provided a great spark that quite often turned 5 point leads into 15 point leads. So what happened? First, Farmar got hurt, causing Derek Fisher to play big minutes with the 2^nd unit. Fisher has many wonderful qualities as a player, but pushing the pace has never been one of them, even when he was young enough to do it. When Fisher wasn't in, Sasha was handling lead guard responsibilities. So things slowed down. By the time Farmar returned, Bynum had gone down and Odom was no longer with the 2^nd unit. Farmar also lacked the explosiveness that he used to push the pace with such reckless abandon. At some point along the way, Ariza was deservedly moved to the starting role. From then on, the bench struggled mightily. Instead of pushing the pace, they were forced to run a lot of half court sets, and their execution of the triangle was not good. Possessions more often than not ended in turnovers or rushed jump-shots. Their defense also suffered, although that probably had more to do with the personnel changes brought on by injury and the need for Ariza to play starter’s minutes. In short, the 2^nd unit lost their identity.

Back to the upcoming season, if we assume that Brown and Farmar can’t play together, the 2^nd unit looks like this: Farmar/Brown, Vujacic, Walton, Odom, big man. Certainly better than the end of last year due to Odom’s return, but it still seems like a bunch of pieces that don’t really fit. Farmar can’t really run unless he develops the one man fast break mentality (and success) of Tony Parker or Devin Harris. The team is still left to run the triangle in the half court, and while Walton and Odom know what they are doing in that regard, the unit still lacks focus on the offensive end. The offense for that unit seems most likely to be dump it in to the big man almost every time, and if the big can’t deliver, or if the rest of the team can’t get the proper entry pass, things will be stagnant.

But if Brown and Farmar play together? Now, the 2^nd unit looks like this: Farmar, Brown, Walton, Odom, big man. Suddenly, the 2^nd unit has that fast break magic once again. If Brown can do one thing (and yes, I know he can do more than one thing) in this league, it’s finish at the rim. You can’t tell me that the idea of Farmar to Brown on the fast break doesn’t make you salivate at the possibilities. Walton’s not a great finisher, but he’s a pretty good passer, especially on the break. Odom can go coast to coast whenever he wants to. Gasol runs the floor better than any big man in the NBA, and Bynum isn’t at all shabby as a secondary trailer if he’s the pivot at the time, as he also runs the floor pretty well. It’s just my opinion, but I think that unit has much of the same mojo and success that the Bench Mob became so known for from 2007 to the first part of last season.

The odd man out in this scenario is clearly Sasha Vujacic. This may or may not be a good thing. If Sasha continues his struggles of last year, I don’t think anybody would have a problem with his playing time decreasing to spot minutes. However, if Sasha can return to the way of the Machine, he’s definitely a player that you want out on the court. He’s the best shooter on the team. Even last year, when everyone knew he was struggling badly with his shot, he still shot better than all but Fisher and Radmonivic (yes, his percentage was better than Kobe and Ariza). If he can re-discover the game that got him his contract, he should be played, and that pretty much destroys this whole scenario, right? Again, I ask why?

What if the Lakers throw out a three guard lineup as their 2^nd unit? Now, it looks like this: Farmar, Brown, Vujacic, Odom, big man. Now, not only is the fast break mojo back, but you’ve got Sasha ready to punish any team that focuses on defending the paint in transition. Remember how devastating an offensive force Sasha can be? He almost single handedly kept the Lakers in game 3 of the NBA Finals against Boston two seasons ago. Defensively, Sasha is much more of a liability at the 3 than Brown is at the 2. He’s got the height to be able to deal with that position, but his classic Euro physique would allow him to be out-muscled by 90% of the leagues small forwards. In the event that the other team has the ability to take advantage of that matchup, this lineup wouldn’t necessarily be the best idea, and Walton can easily fix that problem. But if the other team is trotting out an offensive liability at that position on the floor? There are more than a few teams who have athletic, but offensively challenged, wing men, and as long as Odom and the big man do their job and clean the glass, it is conceivable for Sasha to provide more of an advantage on offense than he does a disadvantage on defense, thus making the whole situation worthwhile.

Obviously, that whole scenario requires that Sasha re-discover his game, which is a pretty big if. It could also theoretically work if Adam Morrison re-discovers his game, but that is one of the biggest if’s in the NBA (besides, even those he’s got much more size, Morrison could be an even bigger liability at the 3 than Sasha would be). But regardless, it seems to me that the Lakers’ best option for a 2^nd unit involves both Brown and Farmar together, flying down the court and filling up the scoreboard. What do you think?

Poll

What 5 man unit do you think would be the most effective for the Lakers off the bench?

Farmar, Vujacic, Walton, Odom, Gasol/Bynum

230 votes

Farmar, Brown, Walton, Odom, Gasol/Bynum

1425 votes

Farmar, Brown, Vujacic, Odom, Gasol/Bynum

680 votes

Brown, Vujacic, Walton, Odom, Gasol/Bynum

405 votes

2740 votes | Poll has closed

Is 70 wins more likely than another championship?

C.A. Clark — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:42:53 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Another one of these should be goal #1, but could the Lakers win 70 games and still fail to capture this trophy next year?

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I've been awful quiet around these parts as of late. I'm not really a big fan of the NBA offseason. I do my due diligence and pay attention to it all, but I don't like commenting on negotiations and trade rumors. However, the NBA landscape is looking a lot clearer these days, especially at the top. So I come back to you now to pose a question that, on the surface, may sound ridiculous.

Could it be harder for the Lakers to repeat as champions than it would be to win 70 games next year?

Before I try to convince you of the validity of that question, a caveat. This entire conversation ignores the possibility of a major injury (missing 15+ games) to a major player (any of the top 5). I know this is a huge leap of faith, and is the main reason why any team would be hard pressed to win 70 games. I know it is unlikely to happen. I'm choosing to ignore it because trying to predict if and when a major player goes down is the trade of an Oracle, not a blogger. Besides, as Boston found out last year, injuries can just as easily derail a championship run as it can a highly successful regular season. So, understand that when I talk of the possibility of 70 wins for the Lakers, I'm already assuming that health won't be a major issue, and I know just how astute that assumption is.

Right, now that the rules are set, here's my case for why 70 wins could be more likely than a 2nd straight parade:

The Lakers won 65 games last year ... and had plenty of room for improvement.

The crux of my argument. Last year, the Lakers won 65 games, and were constantly under-performing while doing so. A few bench players took a step (or three) backwards, even as the Lakers were beating everybody under the sun because the starters were so dominant. Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic were the main culprits here. Farmar had a significant early injury, came back too soon, and was actually a detriment to the team for most of the year. He only began to show signs of his old self in the limited minutes he got in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Vujacic completely fell off the wagon. While his shooting wasn't nearly as bad as you think (for many players, especially outside shooters, an eFG of 49% is OK), it was a far cry from the Machine of 2007-2008, and if his actual shooting numbers aren't terrible, they don't tell the whole story. Vujacic was constantly putting up shots that made every fan cringe. Luke Walton also took a step back, although not nearly as dramatic as the other two players. The significant point here is that all three of these guys are young players. They are at a point in their career where they should be improving, not regressing. Meanwhile, Andrew Bynum started the season slow, began turning into a real powerhouse, and then promptly lost half the season to injury again. Simply a full healthy year of Bynum would be quite an improvement over last year's squad. Further, Shannon Brown will be able to pick up the slack if Farmar falters again, and even Sasha's role could possibly be filled by Adam Morrison if he can't find the stroke. Improved bench play won't win you a whole lot of playoff games, but during the regular season, a strong bench can be a huge difference maker in turning close games into blowouts.

Outside of themselves, the Lakers division is weaaaak.

Besides the Lakers, the Pacific division is the worst division in basketball, and it's not even close. The Pacific was the only division to have only one playoff team last year. It was the only division to have two teams win less than 20 games. And with a winning percentage just under 43%, including the Lakers' stellar record, the division won 6% less games than the next worst division. The only other decent team in the division (the Suns) appear to have gotten worse due to Shaq's departure, and another year on the legs of Nash and Grant Hill, and the only truly significant addition in the entire division was Blake Griffin. The Lakers could very well go undefeated in their own division.

The NBA's power consolidation works in favor of more Lakers wins.

The motto of the NBA offseason has been "The rich get richer". There has been a lot of power consolidation in the NBA this offseason, with all the teams which were contenders last year making major plays to be better this year. Shaq's in Cleveland, VC is in Orlando, Sheed is in Boston, and Richard Jefferson is in SA. You'll notice only one of those teams is in the West, which means the Lakers will only have to deal with the NBA elite twice each, save San Antonio.

Meanwhile "the poor get poorer". Small market teams are doing everything they can to shed salary, either because they want to be ready for the free agent bonanza of 2010, or because they are hemorrhaging money faster than an American automaker, and a majority of the really bad NBA teams are in the Western Conference. I'm not going to get into whether the East or the West is better, because the argument completely changes based on your sample size of teams. But the West had 6 of the 7 teams which did not win 30 games last year, and for my money, only LAC (Griffin) and OKC (Durant's continued growth) may be noticeably better than last year. Add to that list the incredibly sad story that is the Houston Rockets, and you've got quite a few games against piss-poor competition. Lots of games vs. really bad teams = lots of wins even if your team is having an off-night.

The Lakers' nemesis got a lot weaker

Only three teams managed to beat the Lakers twice in the regular season last year. The Orlando Magic (eventual NBA Finalists), the Portland Trailblazers (both losses in Portland, one of the toughest venues in the league, and always a sore spot for L.A.), and ... the mighty Charlotte Bobcats. Any Lakers fan shudders at the mere mention of the plucky team from Charlotte who almost always seem to have the Lakers' numbers. Well, that plucky team made themselves worse by trading away Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler. I'm not saying Okafor is a game-breaker, but he was a very decent defender who could rebound and hurt you inside. Chandler can be a great rebounder, but his defense is too highlight oriented (going for the block) and his offense can best be described as an extension of Chris Paul's will. Now that he doesn't have Paul's gorgeous oops to throw down, I think it's pretty certain that he will be exposed badly on the offensive end. So ... the Lakers are sure to pick up two wins just by finally sticking the fork in Charlotte ... right?!?

Even besides Charlotte, the Lakers lost some pretty winnable games

In my opinion, the Lakers 17 losses break down like so: 10 understandable losses (both Orlando games, @ SA, @Den, @Atl, @Mia, NO, @Utah, 2 @ Por), 3 losses that probably shoudn't have happened (@ Char, @PHX (No Nash, No Stoudamire), home to Detroit), and 4 losses that are just embarrassing (home to PHI, @Ind, @Sac, home to Charlotte). Three of those losses (@SA, @Ind, PHI) came on last second plays that fall somewhere on the spectrum between unrealistic and WTF? A few more were very close. It's not hard to see more than 5 of those games turning from L's into W's next year, providing a buffer against the predictable drop in success against the NBA elite this year (6-3 last year, maybe 6-4 or 5-5 this year)

On the other side of the equation, the NBA playoffs look to be a bloodbath.

With 5 teams looking like legitimate Goliaths, this year's playoffs will be a massive war of attrition. The Lakers seem to be clear favorites going into the season, but who knows what will happen when 5 teams of that quality (and some not too shabby potential party crashers in the Blazers and Nuggets) square off. With all those super powers, winning the championship will not be an easy task at all, no matter who ends up in the Finals, and no matter who has the home court advantage. While the Lakers may have the best chance to win the title, the probability of it is still less than 50:50. One can not understate the difficulty of winning 70 games in any season, but this year the same could be said of winning the championship. The degree of difficulty in this year's playoffs will be astronomical for all of the major players, and there will be no margin of error from the 2nd round onward.

Trying to repeat as champions only adds to the degree of difficulty

It may sound odd considering how many champions have been able to repeat in the last 20 years, but winning a 2^nd championship in a row is a lot harder than winning the first. It usually happens only when one team is a clear head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA. Since the demise of the Shaq-Kobe Lakers, that team has not existed (although the Spurs deserve honorable mention for their off-year domination), hence no repeat champion. Were the Lakers a dominant team last year? If looking at their record against the NBA elite, one could certainly make that case. But their performance against the rest of the NBA clouds the issue considerably. Are they head and shoulders above the rest this year? With all the upgrades made by all the other contenders, and with the risk-reward proposition that is Ron Artest, there are too many variables to come to a firm conclusion, and it is certainly not clear cut.

So, is the likelihood of winning 70 games higher than that of winning a championship? Probably not. There's a reason only one team in NBA history has won 70 games. It takes a massive level of commitment from a team to play in a professional manner night in, night out. The Lakers certainly didn't look like that model of professionalism during the last regular season. And, as previously mentioned, the shadow of injury looms over the whole scenario, ready to bring it crashing to the ground at any time. That being said, the NBA landscape this year, with a large number of teams who are very bad (mostly in the West), and a large number of teams who are very good (mostly in the East), provides the proper circumstance in which a team could win 70 games without being clearly more dominant than every other team in the league. The Lakers are the most likely candidate, but it could also happen to any one of the three elite teams in the East. I made this argument from a Lakers perspective, but many of the points can apply to the Eastern elite as well, especially since most of the teams on the other end of those power consolidating moves were Eastern conference teams. More than in any other NBA season in my memory, there are enough great teams and enough terrible teams to make it plausible to have a 70 game winner come up short at the end of the season.

Is it possible? Am I full of crap? Did I just jinx the Lakers? What do you think?

Poll

Which combination of events do you think is most likely to occur?

The Lakers win 70 games and the NBA championship

960 votes

The Lakers don't win 70 games, but win the NBA championship

1529 votes

The Lakers win 70 games, but don't win the NBA championship

44 votes

The Lakers don't win 70 games or the NBA championship

215 votes

2748 votes | Poll has closed

Let's Keep Quentin Richardson on the Move, Shall We?

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Fernando Medina - NBAE/Getty Images

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Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves engaged in a fairly inconsequential trade. You can read more analysis at Clips Nation and Canis Hoopus, but the gist is this: L.A. shipped Quentin Richardson to Minnesota, receiving Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen. In Telfair, the Clippers have a solid backup point guard to Baron Davis, while Smith adds depth to a fairly beefy front-line which already includes Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, and #1 draft pick Blake Griffin. Minnesota? It gains Richardson's $8.7 million expiring contract while simultaneously filling a void at shooting guard and small forward, a void created when it dealt Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for the 5th overall selection in this year's draft. Two lottery teams are now slightly deeper and better off financially. So why do we care?

Because it's, frankly, amusing that Richardson has changed teams three times in the last three weeks. New York, for which he's played the last 3 seasons, traded him to Memphis for Darko Milicic. The Grizzlies, in turn, sent him to L.A. for Zach Randolph. Now, he's Minnesota-bound. The novelty of a career role-player being a hot commodity on the trade market appeals to us irony-craving folks, especially in the doldrums of the NBA offseason, with few marquee free agents left to sign and with most contenders having already filled out their rosters.

Richardson's third move in three weeks blew up the NBA Twitterverse. Richardson (@QRich), for his part, is taking his latest move in stride:

Round and round I go on this NBA tour. Where o where will it stop no one knows. Lol. Right now I'm a t'wolf. Tomorrow? Who knows? Lol.

So it is in that spirit we suggest ways to get Richardson to the 26 teams of which he hasn't been a part this summer, with commentary on select trades. It all follows the jump.

to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford

The Hawks themselves just acquired Crawford, and he fits coach Mike Woodson's "type" as an undersized shooting guard who can shoot from distance, so it's doubtful they'd give him up. Then again, with no progress in their hopes to re-sign Marvin Williams, their starting small forward and a restricted free agent, they could pull the trigger on this deal for Richardson and hope to explore sign-and-trade avenues with Williams.
to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine

Nope, I can't even reach for a basketball reason here: the Celtics have no need for Richardson, nor would they be inclined to part with Perkins, an outstanding post defender whose NBA experience (364 games over 6 seasons) belies his age (24).
to Charlotte for Boris Diaw

Not much of a reason for Charlotte to unload Diaw if all it's getting is Richardson, although it might enjoy divesting itself of Diaw's deal. The Bobcats have a lot of long-term money committed to mediocre players, so losing Diaw--although he's an above-average player--might be worth the financial flexibility down the line.
to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich

Well, Richardson's a finished product, so I'm not sure why the Bulls would want him. They tend to be more interested in younger players whose growth they can stunt, am I right, Matt and Kelly? Zing!
to Cleveland for Daniel Gibson and Delonte West

Yup, it'd be crazy for the Cavs, a championship contender, to part with two decent, young combo guards. Clearly, they're not worried about saving money, having traded for Shaquille O'Neal (owed $20 million) last month. But sources did tell Marc Stein last week not to be surprised if the Cavs traded West this season... wait for it... in order to save money.
to Dallas for Greg Buckner and Matt Carroll

Hey, the Mavs can add another thirtysomething to their rotation! Buckner, 32, has the age, but won't play for Dallas. Richardson? He could conceivably see the floor as a situational shooter, and will turn 30 in April. As a bonus, he could join homophonically named Quinton Ross on the roster.
to Denver for Nene
to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince
to Golden State for Stephen Jackson and Marco Belinelli

Jackson is a favorite of Ws owner Chris Cohan, which is why he got a hefty extension last season despite still having a few years left on his deal as it was. Given how awful the Warriors are now, it's probable that even Cohan would be willing to part with Jackson's silly deal in exchange for Richardson's cap relief. Plus, Richardson's three-point marksmanship--he's a career 39.8% shooter from beyond the arc--would blend well with Golden State's trey-happy offense.
to Houston for Brent Barry and Shane Battier

Houston will likely hit the lottery this season, having lost Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for the duration. Richardson's expiring deal would give Rockets GM Daryl Morey plenty of flexibility next summer. Morey? With options? Frightening, and that's not me being pithy.
to Indiana for Jamaal Tinsley
to the L.A. Lakers for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic
to Miami for Mark Blount and Yakhouba Diawara
to Milwaukee for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric
to New Jersey for Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes, and Eduardo Najera
to New Orleans for Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson

This potential trade is notable for its being comprised entirely of three players who Tweet regularly. We previously linked Richardson's account. Here's Peterson (@mopete9) and Butler (@RasualButler45). Also, the Hornets wouldn't be the Hornets if they weren't stocked with swingmen (don't forget James Posey and Julian Wright!) while their frontcourt is so barren they're forced to play Sean Marks and Melvin Ely heavily.
to Oklahoma City for Chucky Atkins and Nenad Krstic
to Orlando for Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick

Magic GM Otis Smith values flexibility as much as the rest of the league's executives, but not even he's willing to part with Pietrus, his starting small forward, for a few extra bucks next summer.
to Philadelphia for Willie Green and Louis Williams
to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley
to Portland for Steve Bake and Martell Webster
to Sacramento for Beno Udrih

The Kings would accept this deal faster than Mavis Beacon can type "Richardson." Udrih, with a career Player Efficiency Rating of 12.9, is owed $26.7 million over the next 4 seasons.
to San Antonio for Matt Bonner, Michael Finley, and Roger Mason
to Toronto for Marcus Banks, Patrick O'Bryant, and Antoine Wright
to Utah for Mehmet Okur
to Washington for Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson

An Exclusive Look at Summer League Part I - RaptorsHQ Style

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:02:46 -0000

With Summer League having wrapped up for the Toronto Raptors, the HQ team takes a moment to share some thoughts, photos and videos of their Vegas experience...

Vegas is one of those places that you can stay for two days and it feels like two weeks.

And conversely, I was there for four nights, probably one more than the recommended length by most, and yet by the fourth day I was settling in and the whole time period of time seemed to have flown by.

For those who have been there you know that's a surreal experience in many ways.

And that's without 7 foot giants roaming the land, with a gaggle of NBA scouts, coaches, agents, GM's, groupies and autograph seekers in tow!

Yes, there were times when I think Howland and I both felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland.

However it was indeed an amazing experience.

To that end, I've tried to put together some raw footage to give our readers an idea of what some of the sights and sounds of Summer League were like. I realized this weekend that I had enough photos and video for a week's worth of posts so I decided to edit things down to two articles featuring some of the Vegas' highs...and lows.

So let's begin on our Friday arrival shall we?

First of all, Howland and I stayed at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino for the duration of the trip. Due to the last-minute nature of our bookings, this was the cheapest option and upon arrival, we realized just why.

Sure, there are probably worse places to stay in Las Veags but let's just say this wasn't exactly Caesar's Palace. The pool area was nice, but the hotel itself with its 1970's meets Dark Ages decor and snail-paced service was hardly worth even the price we paid. However it was at the South End of the strip, closest to the Thomas and Mack Centre where the Summer League games were being played, so we at least figured we could at least save on cab fare.

Arriving Friday afternoon, the two of us got ready for Toronto's first match that evening against the LA Lakers, and headed to the arena. Below is a quick vid clip of the walk to the Thomas and Mack Centre, which hosts two gyms; the aforementioned T and M arena and Cox Pavillion. Both are used by UNLV and while all of Toronto's games were played in the latter, I got a chance to check out Blake Griffin's debut later in the week in the former.

A note before we head into the gym - it was ridiculously hot outside.

Despite some of the greenery evident in the albeit shaky hand-held clip above, this is the middle of the desert we're talking about and temperatures reached as high as 45 degrees Celsius some days. I compared it to pre-heating an oven to broil, and then opening the oven door once pre-heating was complete only to feel a giant wall of heat hit you smack in the face.

This was the situation any time you left a building in Vegas. It got to the point where I would just start laughing any time I went outside because it was so unreal.

The funny thing is, I prefer that type of heat to the Toronto "muggy" heat any day. As hot as it got in Vegas, you probably weren't outside for long and even when you were, you just didn't feel like your clothes were melting to become one with your skin.

Upon picking up our credentials and heading inside Cox Pavillion, Howland and we found ourselves amidst a sea of basketball onlookers. It was mind-boggling as a basketball fan as everywhere you turned, there was a face you recognized.

To our left, NBA.com and "fantasy freak" Rick Kamla.

To our right, ESPN's David Thorpe and David Aldridge.

Directly in front, a casual looking Kevin Martin taking in his team's Vegas entry in the match before Toronto's.

And just about everywhere in between, agents, coaches, GM's and other media members.

Unsure where the media was to sit, we were eventually directed to a courtside section of the bleachers which incidentally held Bryan Colangelo and nearly the entire Raptors management crew; coaches, trainers, video coordinators...with the exception of Jim Kelly you name them and they were there.

We plunked down and waited for Toronto-LA to tip-off...and to get a first glimpse of Mr. DeRozan:

When he finally arrived, as you can see from the clip, he didn't make it far as he was immediately swarmed by fans and autograph seekers alike.

One of the moments that I found amusing right before the Raps' first game began was the playing of the Canadian National anthem. Yes, makes sense I suppose in that a Canadian team was playing in the league but as you can see from the clip below, the players weren't exactly that jazzed even about standing around for the US anthem. Patrick O'Bryant looks to be saying "what am I doing here" while Brent Petway looks like he forgot to use the washroom prior to arriving at the arena!

Well I guess it is Summer League after all...

Toronto's first game of course ended in a loss and Howland and I wondered after their performance if the Raptors were going to have a tough week in LV. The Dinos' entry seemed to be a bit short on talent compared to most of the other clubs in attendance and some of the players we expected to stand out like Roko Ukic and Patrick O'Bryant did so for all the wrong reasons.

However two players on Toronto looked better than expected; the aforementioned DeRozan and Quincy Douby. Douby played like the NBA vet he is while DeMar showed that perhaps his play towards the end of his career at USC was just the start of something special. In fact yesterday in his Summer League recap, ESPN.com's Thorpe listed DeMar as one of his top 10 rookies in terms of play in Vegas:

"Smooth and patient, with explosiveness and a sweet jumper. I love how DeRozan rarely dribbled himself into trouble and how crafty he proved to be around the hoop. And he rebounded and defended, too. He looks like he'll be able to contribute earlier than expected."

His defense was a bit lacking at times and he seemed to be grabbing his shorts in need of a breather occasionally but we're talking about the kid's first "real" game action here in a while.

We got to talk to DeRozan of course post-game but the audio in the arena left little to be desired, a problem that plagued many of the media all week but that next year, we'll be ready for.

That evening Howland and I headed to Caesar's palace for some food and nightlife and to no surprise, many NBA players and rookies were out in full force. At one point Howland and I saw the Gonzaga contingent of Austin Daye, Janero Pargo and Ronny Turiaf strolling through the Forum shops at Caesar's however no Adam Morrison. Was it possible he had even been shunned from the alumni group based on his play in the league so far?

And when Howland and I ate that evening at the massive portion producing Cheesecake Factory, low and behold, there was Mr. DeRozan and his family having their first Vegas meal as well.

Perhaps more exciting than the sights and sounds of day one for us however was the launch of RaptorsHQ.com version 3.0 later that evening/early Saturday morning. It was overdue considering we had started working on the re-design plans over a year ago and it was great the next day to finally see things come to fruition.

That ends things for Part I of our Summer League experience but in Part II we'll look at Toronto's next games against Detroit and Portland, Blake Griffin's debut, and hey, even an appearance from Mark Cuban!

Stay tuned...

FRANCHISE

PS - Looks like the Pacers aren't going to match the Raptors' offer for Jack, great news for Raps fans. We'll be discussing more as the week goes on and things become official from the Raptors' side of things.