Tim's Sports Report

What Basketball player are you most like

2006-08-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well I took this survey, I was hoping for and MJ, or a Pippen, or mabey a Shaq.

And mabey i was even hoping for my basketball idol Toni Kukoc

Instead I got this:

Chris Webber
Take Which NBA player are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

At least he was a U of M guy

Paxson should read my Blog

2005-12-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well here we are 1 hour 25 minutes into a new year, and it was brought to my attention I havent shared my amaizing sports insight since July. So since were starting a new year, I thought we'd take a look at the condition of the Chicago Bulls.

Before the season started I posted the 5 steps for the Baby Bulls to grow up, and although some of them were filled, there were defenetly not enough as the Bulls find themselves 12 & 17. So lets take a look at what they did, what they didnt do, and what they could do to save the season.

1. Sign Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Chris Duhan, Jannero Pargo - Here the Bulls did all they could, signing 3 of the 4 key players they needed to keep to compete at the highest level. Although Chandler hasent been playing well, he will get back to par, And Duhon has been having a great season. Pargo has been doing what Pargo does, scoring in bunches when called to do so.

.2. Sign Michael Finley through free agency. - Here I think Paxson really dropped the ball, Finley seemed intrested in A. Comming back to his home town, and B. Winning. With Finley the Bulls would probobly have a winning record. Instead, Paxson used the money to sign Duhon and Songilia, I would have rather had Finley

3. :Sign Toni Kukoc With the vets minimum - The second biggest droped ball of the Summer, Although Songilia is doing a nice job filling this posetion he's not half the passer of Toni "The Waiter" Kukoc (Becuase he dished up all the assists

4. Bring in Undrafted Rookie Matt Walsh of Florida - Although Walsh was a better scorer, Paxson did bring in Eddie Basden in a much similar situation, and Eddy is comming along nicely, although if Walsh was a 5, Basden would only be a 4

5. Resign Othella Harrington, Adrian Griffin, and Jared Reiner as needed to fill out the
Roster - The Bulls did resign Harrington, But we missed out on Griffin and Reiner. Reiner would have looked huge on our team this year that bosts only 1 player over 6'9 and only one at 6'9, unfortunality Reiner signed early with the Suns. Griffin was the greater mystery, as the Bulls have a roster spot open, and the Griffin was available up until a few weeks ago.

Well here's where the Bulls could have done better, In my next post we'll discuss what they can do to save the season

Top 10 Things I'd like to see this NBA offseason

2005-07-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

1. Michael Jordan to buy the Milwaukee Bucks

2. Chicago Bulls to sign Toni Kukoc

3. Larry Brown to make a decession

4. The Knicks to bring in Bill Lambeer as there head coach

5. Ray Allen, Michael Redd and Larry Hughes to sign with diffrent teams

6. Kobe Bryant to retire (One can dream)

7. The Raptors to change there name to somthing more fitting (Perhaps the Pink tutu's)

8. The Knicks to get no free agents

9. The Chicago Bulls to sign Michael Finnley

10. Have an NBA team call and offer me a job

Can the Baby Bulls go Big Time

2005-06-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well here we are, a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, the draft is over, and now all the real action is about to begin. As part of the collective bargaining agreement teams over the salary cap, were aloud to release one player and avoid paying the luxury tax. And the Dallas Mavericks jumped on the chance, releasing shooting guard Michael Finley. Which will give the Bulls a chance to take the next big step to the top.

As anybody watching this year saw, during the regular season the Bulls were as good as anyone in the East. But although injuries kept them from the second round of the playoffs, Chicago had a weakness that would have kept them from competing with the Eastern elites. At times Chicago couldn't score. There wasn't that big time "Go-to" guy to take the big shot or to get the team on track. If the opposing team could pound in enough points, the Bulls just couldn't keep up. So here we are, last year we looked at the changes the Bulls needed to make, to become a playoff team. The changes this year I believe will put them on level with The Pacers, Heat, and even the Pistons.

1. Resign Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Chris Duhan, Jannero Pargo John Paxson has made qualifying offers to each of these players, Now he just needs to match any reasonable offer. Tyson may be the most expensive this year, but will be worth it. Because of Curry's health issues its reasonable to assume he will sign a one year qualifying to prove he's healthy and become a free agent next year (This would be great for the Bulls as he will have to play like its a contract year all over again). Chris Duhan has the best chance of not returning, which would be sad to lose talent, but the Bulls cant continue to start to point guards.

2. Sign Michael Finley through free agency. There are two players in free agency, who both would be good fits for the Bulls starting lineup, and one is Michael Finley, the other Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Since the Bulls have no shooting guards, and two good power forwards, Finley seems to be the best pick. Now from current reports, there are two teams interested in Finley the Suns and the Bulls. Why would he choose the Bulls, Finley is from Chicago, and there is the appeal if returning to his home, also a chance of senery, and a chance to get out of the Western conference making things easier on his aging body. My guess is the Mid Level exemption, with 4 years and 20 mil, could bring Finley home

3. Sign Toni Kukoc With the vets minimum Last month before Finley became available the Bulls said they had targeted three players in free agency. Toni Kukoc, Donyell Marshell, and Michael Ruffin. With signing Finley the Bulls wont have the money to bring in Marshell, and they have a Ruffin type player in Davis. I said it last year, and I'll say it again, Its time to bring home Toni Kukoc. http://timssportsreport.blogspot.com/2004/07/past-present-future.html

4. Bring in Undrafted Rookie Matt Walsh of Florida This years draft was deep, real deep, and many guys who were supposed to go late in the first through the second round went undrafted. Imporant for teams to continue to look for young talent and Walsh or another shooting guard could fit the bill.

5. Resign Othella Harrington, Adrian Griffin, and Jared Reiner as needed to fill out the Roster

What will the New Bull look like:

Starting Lineup

Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich
Shooting Guard: Michael Finnley
Small Forward: Luol Deng
Power Forward: Tyson Chandler (Yes its time for him to Start)
Center: Eddy Curry

Bench

Ben Gordon - SG/PG
Andres Nocioni - SF/PF
Toni Kukoc - SG/SF/PF
Chris Duhan - PG
Antonio Davis - PF/C
Othella Harrington - PF/C
Eric Piatkowski - SG/SF

Reserve

Jannero Pargo
Matt Walsh
Adrian Griffin

With this team, The Bulls can match up with any team in the east, They will continue to have the best Bench in the league. They will be able to play there great defense, anc will have an offensive punch that they didn't this year. Who knows the year of the Bull could come sooner then expected.

How To Fix... The Lakers

2005-06-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

I hope to do a number of teams in this "How to fix" series of posts. The reason I chose the Lakers is not because I'm a fan, but because I am a fan of Phil Jackson, The Zen Master is the greatest coach of all time, but even he will have his hands full with this current Lakers team. That's why, I'm here to give you the steps that could put the Lakers back in contention.

Lakers Strengths: The Lakers have the best coach in the league in Phil Jackson, he alone should be able to add 5 wins to there total. Kobe Bryant, although arrogant, and ego filled, is a good Ball player and possibly the best 2 guard in the league. Lamar Odem is a huge talent if used right at the right position. And finally as read in the last post, history is on the side of the Lakers, with them winning 5 of the last 19 championships.
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Lakers Weaknesses: The Lakers need a point guard and a center, possably the two most important positions in the league. They also have the a weak bench, and the league's biggest ball-hog in Kobe Bryant.

Step 1. The Lakers have played Lamar Odem at the power forward all year. Its true Odem cleaned up at the position in the east, but the 4's are smaller, and he wasent the same player in the West. Its true the Lakers have alot of small forwards, but Odem is the best.

Step 2. The Lakers need a center badly. They've played power forwards there all year. I've been trying to figure out who they could get, and it hit me, Rasho Nesterovic. Rasho is a more talented version of Luc Longly, He will get you 8 points and 8 boards a night, and wont need the ball alot to do it. The Spurs also may be willing to move him, although he was chosen as the replacement of David Robinson, the pressure seems to much for him, and the Spurs are stuck with a really expensive 4th big man. They may be willing to Trade him for a guy like Devean George and a draft pick.

Step 3. Point Guard, I think there are a couple options here, Chris Duhan, Raja Bell, and Juan Dixon, are all available as free agents, and may be a good fit with this team, Also Bringing Jannaro Pargo back, may not be a bad idea. Chucky Atkins caused to much turmoil this year and has to go, So if the Lakers could get to of these guys with the mid-level exeption they would be doing well. Another option would be a trade with the Bobcats I could see trading Caron Butler, and Chucky Atkins for Gerald Wallace and Brevin Knight.

Step 4. Let Bobbitt, Brown, and Divac walk. And Atkins if you cant get anything for him

Heres what you have:

Starter Bench

Point Guard: Brevin Knight Juan Dixon
Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant Gerald Wallace, Sasha Vugacic
Small Forward: Lamar Odem Luke Walton
Power Forward: Brian Grant Slava Medvedenko, Brian Cook
Center: Rasho Nesterovic Chris Mihm

Injured Reserve: 2 Rookies and a Vet who remail to be seen, 1 point guard, 1 small Forward, and 1 Center

Take this team, run the MJ triangle, and I think you have a playoff run Perhaps not a deep run, but at least a splash.

I'm Sorry Shaq

2005-06-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

As I was watching game three of the Finals tonight (Go Pistons) It seemed all to familar, Yet the Pistons and Spurs have never played in the finals. Then it hit me, since I started watching Basketball back in '87' I have seen eather the Pistons or the Spurs in the Finals 7 times. WIth 30 teams, 7 of the past 19 years the Pistons or the Spurs have been in the Finals. Not to mention the times they've been in the Conference Finals. So I started thinking who else Has been there:

1987 L.A. and Boston, Winner: L.A.
1988 L.A. and Detroit, Winner: L.A.
1989 L.A. and Detroit, Winner: Detroit
1990 Portland and Detroit, Winner: Detroit
1991 L.A. and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1992 Portland and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1993 Phoenix and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1994 Houston and New York, Winner: Houston
1995 Houston and Orlando, Winner: Houston
1996 Seattle and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1997 Utah and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1998 Utah and Chicago, Winner: Chicago
1999 San Antonio and New York, Winner: San Antonio
2000 L.A. and Indiana, Winner: L.A.
2001 L.A. and Philadelphia, Winner: L.A.
2002 L.A. and New Jersey, Winner: L.A.
2003 San Antonio and New Jersey, Winner San Antonio
2004 L.A. and Detroit, Winner: Detroit
2005 San Antiono and Detroit

19 years, 18 Championships, 5 Championship teams

And with San Antiono and Detroit still strong, Chicago and Houston back in the running, and the greatest coach of all time comming back to the Lakers, I'm not so sure any team but these 5 will win anything in the next 10 years.

By the way who has been the Greatest team the last 18 years

#1 Chicago - 6 Championships
#2 L.A. - 5 Championships
#3 Detroit - 3 Championships
#4 San Antiono - 2 Championships (But appearing in the Finals this year)
#5 Houston - 2 Championships

#6 Portland, Utah, and New Jersey, and New York each appeared in the Finals 2 times
#7 Boston, Phoenix, Orlando, Seattle, Indiana, Philadelphia each appeared once

I need to eat more Rice

2005-05-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Needing to replace one of Americas biggest athletes, last week the lakers worked out a center from China by the name of Sun Ming Ming. By the way, Ming stands at 7'8 and 360 pounds. This would make him the biggest center in the league, and possibly the biggest Center of all time. The only man close, 7'6 and 310 pounds Yao Ming also from China. Now its True Dallas has Shawn Bradley (USA) at 7'6 and Pavel Podkolzin (Russia) at 7'5, But Yao outweighs them both by at least 50 pounds. So who's next when it comes to big, big men none other then 7'4 Korean Superstar Ha Seung-Jin sitting at 310. The nearest thing America has the these giants, an aging 7'1 325 Shaq.
I'm not quite sure what it is, but the rest of the world is creating some "big" men for basketball. Here in America were producing guys like Emika Okafor, Dwight Howard, and Amarae Stoudemire. All have promising career's, but not if they have to go up against guys like Sun Ming every night. Perhaps it the diet in Asia that's making them big. I think I'm going to eat more rice.

My Big Picks

2005-04-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been waiting by the mailbox, for my invitation for sportswriters to pick the big awards of this years NBA players. But it doesn’t appear to be coming so instead I have decided just to share my picks with you.

Rookie of the Year - Ben Gordon: Now its true Okafor put up great numbers, but he did so on a bad team. Gordon put up good numbers on a good team and was a big reason his team was so good. I'm not sure I’m ready for the air Gordon references; But Gentle Ben doesn’t fit the bill either. Honorable Mention: Emeka Okafor

Defensive Player of the Year - Bruce Bowen: He's really just a sane version of Ron Artest. And with Artest being out this year, And Big Ben Wallace calming a little, in a close race, I'd give it to Bowen. Honorable Mention: Ben Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Andres Nocoini

6th Man of the Year – Ben Gordon: Yes again Ben Gordon, he’s been great this year. He’s first in the league in Bench scoring, Is second in the league in 4th quarter scoring (Only behind LeBron James). Its true Jerry Stackhouse, and Ricky Davis both played well, but nowhere close to Ben Gordon.

Most Improved Player – Vince Carter: I’m sure I’m the only one giving him this award, but Carter finished last season as almost a joke, and started this season the same way. However after a trade to New Jersey, Carter again emerged as a Superstar in this league and led his team into the playoffs. Honorable Mention: Dwayne Wade, Eddy Curry, Steve Nash

Coach of the Year – Scott Skiles: The Bulls had 23 wins last year, brought in 4 rookies, had the youngest team in the league, and had 47 wins this year despite heavy injuries at the end of the season. Its true D’Antoini, Stan Van Gundy, & McMillan all had better records, But with there vet heavy, All-star filled teams they should have. Honorable Mention: D’Antoini, Stan Van Gundy, & McMillan.

Most Valuable Player – LeBron James: I know, I know, they usually say the MVP needs to be on a winning team. But the heat could win some games without Shaq, The Suns could win some games without Shaq, and the Spurs could win some without Duncan. But lets face, I’m not sure the Cavs could have even found the court if not for the skill and leadership of James. Honorable Mention: Shaq, Wade, Nash, Allen

Chocolate Funder

2005-04-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today The Bulls signed Lawrence Funderburke & moved Eddy Curry to the injured list, Putting there playoff roster at 12

Now its true, He may not be the savior the Bulls are looking for after losing Curry for the playoffs, & there's a good chance we may not see him leave the bench, But what we have to ask ourselves is: What if?

What if the Bulls strugle early to Washington and in desperation Skiles shouts "Funderburke your in for Davis" And the more Hinrich feeds him the Ball, The more Funderburke scores in the post leading the Bulls to a first round playoff win.

And what if in the second round, the Bulls are just unable to control Shaq inside, But this time Funderburke the offensive powerhouse, turns into Funderburke the Shaq stopper, And the Big Desial is unable to score, or rebound, and the Bulls move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Against the Pistons the Bulls may need Funderburke to be more then just a one demenial player, So he plays amaizing D, shuttind down Sheed completly, and scoring at will against Big Ben. And after hoisting him n there shoulders the Bulls move on to the Finals.

And imagine if you will the Bulls led by Funderburke meet the Spurs in the finals, And manage to tie up the series at three games each, And they head back to San Antiono. Down by 20 at the half Funderburke gives a emotional half time speach, And comes out and playes like a man possessed, and with seconds left on the clock, Funderburke hits the three putting the Bulls up by 2 and giving them the win.

And after that he will earn the Finals MVP, and the NBA will be looking for a nickname to market this new league superstar, and in there search they stumble along this site and read the name "Chocolate Funder" They fall in love, pay me a huge sum of money, And I live happly ever after.

So you may be wondering why I would bother posting a small story about the Bulls signing Lawrence Funderburke, a player who hasent played in nearly two years. And to you i will simply answer... "What if?"

Long Live the Bulls

2005-04-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yes long live the Bulls, Its true, I haven’t written much lately, but what have I had to complain about. The Bulls currently sit second in the Central division with a 41 and 31 record. And they are the third best team in the east. Unfortunitly because the winner of the Atlantic division will get the third seed, the Bulls are looking at a forth seen in the playoffs and home court through the first round.

The Bulls Rookies are also something to talk about. I know I was an unhappy writer the day after draft day. Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon just seemed like extra point guards, and I really believed AI 2 (Andre Iguodala) was twice the player of Deng. But I was proved wrong in both cases. And with the addition of rookie Andres Nocioni, the Bulls may have the greatest rookie class of all time.

It’s true I didn’t know what the Bulls would do with 6 point guards. But I guess the answer is now clear... WIN. Actually they did drop 1 point guard, And Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich spend allot of time as undersized 2's, But Chicago is doing it with 5 true Point guards, and only one true shooting guard.

The Baby Bulls have finally grown up. 4 years ago Jerry Krause imagined great things when he drafted Eddy Curry, and traded for Tyson Chandler. 2 seven footers, one an offensive power house the other on the defensive end. And that is finally becoming reality with Curry among the league leaders in FGP, and the third highest scoring center in the east with 16.2 points per game. And Tyson Chandler leads the Bulls in double doubles, and is among the league leaders in rebounds per 48 minutes (He leads the league in 4th quarter rebounds).

And Finally Ben Gordon deserves his own paragraph here at the end. As he is not only in the running to be rookie of the year, but he's also in the running to be the first ever rookie to win the 6th man award. Ben leads all players in the NBA in 4th quarter scoring. And looks as if he may set a new NBA record in the same category.

So there it is, the Bulls never needed Gasol or Wells, They just needed time, and with a team so young and so talented, all you can say is Long live the Bulls.

4 Simple Steps

2004-08-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

4 Simple Steps

I’ve been a fan of the Chicago Bulls for a long time, and like many people, I’m tired of seeing them lose so I’ve created a four-step plan to return Chicago to the top of the Eastern Conference.

1. Trade Crawford and Jerome Williams for Othella Harrington, Dikembe Mutombo, Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski.

2. Trade Eddy Curry, Eddie Robinson, Chris Jefferies, and Scottie Pippen’s contract (Pippen will probably retire) for Pau Gasol and Bonzi Wells.

3. Sign Zelijko Rebraca for whats left of our MLE

4. Resign Linton Johnson III and sigh Chris Duhan

Our Lineup.

PG. Hinrich - Williams/Duhan
SG. Wells - Gordon
SF. Nocioni - Deng/LJ3
PF. Gasol - AD/Harrington
C . Chandler- Rebraca/Mutumbo/Cezary

That’s 15 players Duhan, LJ3, and Cezary Ride the IL

I realize Chandler is not a Center, But we could try him there. The Eastern Centers are weak except for Shaq, And Chandler would have lots of backups.

With this lineup we would be one of the top teams in the East, and would have a legitimate shot at the 4th seed.

1. Pistons
2. Indiana
3. Heat
4. Chicago?

We would be deep at every position, and probably run a 10-man rotation.

This Bulls team would run the floor, play great defense, and be a lot of fun to watch.

And last but not least Othella Harrington, Dikembe Mutombo, Frank Williams, Cezary Trybanski, and Bonzi Wells contracts all expire at the end of the year, allowing us to resign whom we please and be a major player in the free agent market.

Pistons Continue to Break the Mold

2004-07-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Summer League, a time where could be’s, should be’s, and never will be’s get together to show there stuff to their prospective teams. One of the most intriguing aspects of Summer League play is the worse the team was during the regular season, the better they will be in Summer League. The theory is very simple; The bad teams have the better draft picks, and more young players to participate. They also attract better unsigned talent because the chances of making the team is better.

Enter the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons just finished there stint in the Minnesota Summer League, taking home second place with a 4-1 record. The team they sent was without injured Darko Milicic, and without a first round draft pick this year. The Pistons were led by this year’s 54th pick in the draft Rickey Paulding. However Paulding didn’t have to put up the super-star numbers for the Pistons to win, They won with team defense and a selfless offense.

The “Play the Right Way” philosophy seems to be spreading. Even at this level, NBA hopefuls knew what it took to be a Piston. It wasn’t about how many points you scored, it wasn’t about a fancy no-look pass, or a great dunk. It was simply about playing basketball, playing both ends of the court, and playing like there was no tomorrow.

Will the guys from the Pistons summer league team ever achieve all-star status in the NBA, probably not. And chances are other then Rickey Paulding none of them will even make the Detroit team. But GM’s from around the league should take note of these guys, guys who know how to play hard, guys who know how to play as a team, and guys who know how to play to win.

Past + Present = Future

2004-07-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

As all long time Chicago Bulls fans know, there have been only 2 things to keep us sane over these past 6 seasons of rebuilding.

1. Remembering how great we were in the past.
2. Thinking of how great we could be again.

Now John Paxson has the chance to combine these. Last year Pax brought Scottie Pippin back to the United Center, but he was injured and the Bulls just weren’t ready for the “next step”. Now Paxson can bring back another name from the past, Toni Kukoc, and although Pippin has been a great of court leader, Kukoc can lead on the court as well.

Toni Kukoc played for the Bulls during their second three championships between 96 and 98, and was one of the greatest sixth men the game has ever known. The Croatian Sensation as he was often called could play all 5 positions on the court, and was voted the sixth man of the year in the 95-96 season. At 35 Kukoc may not have the speed to play the point, or the durability to play in the middle, but he still has a lot to offer the Bulls. On the Bucks last year Toni was an important part of the team, and in the playoffs the Pistons had no answer for the 6’11 small forward.

Toni Kukoc is the last viable link to the greatness that was the Bulls. Guys like Scott Williams and Corrie Blount remain in the league, however none of them have the ability to impact a game the way Kukoc can. As the Bulls bring in another talented but young rookie crop, they need a guy like Toni who can teach them to win on the court, and be a good example off the court as well. This could be the year the Chicago Bulls take the next step, Curry and Hinrich seem a step away from greatness, Deng and Gordan may be able to fill holes the Bulls have had for a long time, and if Chandler can keep healthy he should be a force, the likes of which the Bulls have never seen. All they need is a guy who can help them pull it all together, and add the link to the past greatness of the Bulls.

Paxson has a lot of tough questions to answer this summer: should he trade Crawford, what will he do with some of these huge contracts, should he give Curry and Chandler extensions this year or next, and if he keeps Crawford what will he do with so many point guards. But there is one thing Paxson could do that would be a no-brainer, and that would be to put Toni Kukoc back in the red and black of the Chicago Bulls.

Wagons West

2004-07-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

It happened again. The Eastern Conference sent a great player to the West, in return for a good one. This time it was Orlando Magic superstar Tracy McGrady heading to Houston, and point guard Steve Francis heading to the Magic Kingdom to fill his shoes. Yet you cant fill the shoes of a guy like McGrady. And it seems like Eastern conference GM’s just don’t get it.

The flow of talent from the east to the west is no new thing. Just look at last year when Sam Cassell, and Latrell Spreewell both were sent off to play with the T-Wolves, or when All-Star Brad Miller of the Pacers was essentially traded for a cheeseburger. (O.k. the Pacers received Scot Pollard in the trade, but they would have been better of with the cheeseburger). And finally the worst trade, in my opinion, was 3 years ago when Chicago sent out future All-Star, and 20/10 guy Elton Brand for high school nobody Tyson Chandler.

Its not that I’m against trades, but it seems the Eastern Conference GM’s see the quality of teams in the West, and hope to make their teams better in these trades, however in the long run their just keeping the west young and strong, and keeping themselves mediocre. Although the Eastern Conference may have had the two best teams in the league this year, the west had the next 7. Now the next 8. And I’m not sure we have enough Ben Wallace’s to stop the combination of McGrady, Ming, and Howard. If the Rockets land Derek Fisher at the point, and pick up a serviceable small forward, they could tear through every team in the league.

All in all, the trade it done, and I wish T-Mac well in the West, who have now have compiled the five best players in the league with Shaq, Duncon, Garnett, McGrady, and Bryant. If nothing else it should make for an interesting all-star game. I’m seeing a score of West 213, East 72. And that’s with the West not playing defense.

Draft Day Winners, & Losers

2004-06-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well the draft is over the dust has settled down the trades are finalized, and the rookies have all been introduced to their new teams. So who were the big winners in this year’s draft, who were the big losers, and which teams is it just to soon to call.

Winners

Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats were one of the big winners in this year’s draft, and it’s basically because the magic gave it to them. With the second pick, the Bobcats were able to take Emeka Okafor, the most NBA ready player in the draft. Okafor should be able to give them 20 and 10 and perhaps lead them out of the worst team in their division. They also picked up Bernard Robinson in the second round. He’s long and athletic, just the kind of guy Charlotte wants.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards became draft day winners by trading their pick. In the East, where size and skill are at a minimal a guy like Antwan Jamison should clean up and be an All Star. Plus they used their second round pick to get Peter John Ramos. Ramos, a 7’3 center from Puerto Rico, should have gone just after the lottery but somehow slipped to 32.

Dallas Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks were truly the draft day winners. They took 1 bench player (Antwan Jamison) and a future first round pick and turned it into enough players to field a competitive team in the east. In return for Jamison the Mavericks received Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, and the number 5 pick in the draft. With the number 5 pick they chose debatably the best point guard in Devin Harris, and were then able to get the steal of the draft, the 7’5 center, Pavel Podkolzine for a future first round pick. To round out the 5 the Mavericks chose Luis Flores a shooting guard from Manhattan with the fifty-fifth pick.

Losers

Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics needed one thing in this draft, big men. Yet they passed on guys like Paval and Ramos, choosing instead Al Jefferson, a 6’8 high school kid who is years away from contributing. Then they used there next three picks to take more guards, Delonte West at 24, Tony Allen at 25, and Justin Reed at 40. Since Danny Ainge took over this club has been doing some crazy things, but this takes the cake.

Los Angles Clippers: Now a lot of people may disagree with me on this, and its true Shaun Livingston, whom the Clippers chose with the forth pick, is full of potential, but its just going to take him to long. The Clippers have been drafting on potential for years, they finally have a team built that’s ready to win, they just needed a solid point, instead they chose to wait 4 more years for Livingston. By the time Livingston is ready, the rest of the team will be gone, and Livingston will chose to leave as well.

Orlando Magic: The Orlando Magic are the big losers in this years draft by choosing the high school star Dwight Howard with the number 1 pick over Emeka Okafor. They also traded for Jameer Nelson, one of the top three point guards in the draft, giving up a future first round pick. But by choosing Howard over Okafor, there is no way they can convince T-Mac to stay. So no matter what else you do, making the decision that will cost you McGrady makes you the draft day loser.

To Soon to Tell

Phoenix Suns: The Suns drafted Luol Deng, and then traded him to the Chicago Bulls for a future first round pick. They did this in an attempt to free up money to make an offer to Kobe Bryant this summer. We wont know if this was a good decision until we find out if they get Kobe, and how good Deng will be.

Portland Trail Blazers: Portland shocked us all when they chose Sebastian Telfair, a high school point guard with the 13th pick instead of Jameer Nelson. Perhaps they know something we don’t. They were also able to pick up Ha Seung Jin, a 7’4 Korean center, late in the second round. Jin doesn’t know a basketball from a turnip, but he’s built like a tree, and with his size you never know.

Chicago Bulls: The Chicago Bulls drafted a Ben Gordan, a 6’2 point guard out of Ucon. They then traded a future first rounder for the right to Luol Deng, a seventh pick. The big question mark for the Bulls is can they train Gordan to play at the 2-guard position despite his small size. Also how long will it take for Deng to get into NBA shape.

PointGuard Palooza.

2004-06-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Often when a new GM comes to town, he looks to build a team in his own image. A good example of this would be Joe Dumars who attempted to rebuild the "Bad Boys" of old, with a team minded offense and killer defense. However John Paxson of the Chicago Bulls has taken this system of building a team to far. John Paxson seems to be building a team of all point guards.

For those who do not remember Paxson's career, he was a pure pass first point guard. He was quick, played good "D" and had a nice outside shot. It was in fact his outside shot that helped the Bulls win a couple of their early championships. After he retired Johnny P moved to the front office as an assistant to Jerry Krause. When Bulls fans finally drove Krause out of town, Paxson took over. And it seems has been looking to fill a team with point guards ever since.

Although Paxson has only been doing the picking for the last 2 years, the Chicago Bulls have picked at least 5 point guards in the draft over last 5 years, and 3 in the last two. Back in 2000 it was the future of the franchise Jamal Crawford with the 8th pick. In 2002 it was Jay Williams, the man to lead the Bulls back to glory, with the 2nd pick. In 2003 we took Kirk Hinrich, who was going to help lead us to the playoffs, with the 7th pick. This year we took Ben Gordan with the 3rd, and Chris Duhan with the 38th picks, two guys who according to Paxson are assets.

However where are these guys now. Crawford, was never really given the chance to be the future of this franchise, instead he was pushed from being a tall athletic point, to being a skinny undersized two guard. Jay Williams, crashed his motorcycle and wasn’t able to lead the Bulls back to glory. And although the Bulls bought out his contract, they kept the rights to first refusal when he comes back. Kirk Hinrich had a solid year last year and was considered my many to be the Bulls only unmovable player. Bed Gordan, and Chris Duhan are both good point guards from winning programs but where will they get their minutes.

As of today June 25th 2004 the Chicago Bulls have 5 point guards on their roster (Crawford, Hinrich, Gordan, Duhan, and Pargo), and a 6th who could be back (Jay Williams). The casual observer may think the Bulls are holding the best point guards of the NBA hostage in attempt to get another championship given two them. And to be honest, who knows. I’m not even sure Paxson knows what exactly Paxson is up to. I do know the Bulls wont win another championship playing two point guards in the backcourt. Nor can any of these players be a legit 2 guard in the league. It doesn’t look like we will be trading them because Paxson is so afraid of trading away what could be future talent. So in the end were stuck with them. Out of 12 active players on our roster next year it looks like 4 could be point guards unless Paxson finally makes a move.

Bull’s fans keep your fingers crossed that perhaps Paxson has a plan to get us back to respectability. And John Paxson if you read this, please let us know what your doing up there.

2004 Mock Draft

2004-06-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

With the draft rapidly approaching on Thursday (June 24) everyone and their mother has put out a mock draft. However, the Bobcats expansion, the possible trades of Shaq and T-Mac, and the overall weakness of the 2004 prospects make picking this years top 14 far more difficult then usual. But so you the reader can have some idea of what’s going on draft night, although it’s against my better judgment here’s my mock draft for 2004.

1. Orlando Magic selects Emeka Okafor. This guy is the biggest “Sure Thing” in the draft. With Emeka the Magic get a PF/C, who can rebound, block shots, and score in the paint. Within a year or two I see this guy putting up a consistent 20/10.

2. Charlotte Bobcats select Dwight Howard. Although this high school kid could be the next Kevin Garnett, he could also be the next Corie Blount. But watching him develop could be just the thing to fill the seats with this new expansion team.

3. Chicago Bulls selects Andre Iguodala. This is where it gets interesting. The Wizards are in love with Deng, and if the Bulls select Deng, Washington may be willing to part with Jarvis Hays, and their number 5 pick to get him. Option 2, with Howard gone the Hawks are looking for a young star to draw crowds, and Livingston could be just that guy. Chicago could select Livingston and trade him for Atlanta’s 6th and 17th pick. However whether it’s the third, fifth, or sixth pick Chicago will end up with Iggy.

4. L.A. Clippers select Ben Gordon. It’s a pretty safe bet the Clips moved down because they want Ben Gordon. Although there several promising point guards in the draft including Devin Harris, and Shaun Livingston, none are as NBA ready as Gordon. He could be the final piece of the puzzle to get the clips to the playoffs.

5. Washington Wizards select Luol Deng. Deng will be yet another small forward on a team full of them, however the Wizards seem to be in love with him. Lets hope the Wizards start thinking and take Pavel Podkolzine with this pick to fill their gaping hole in the middle.

6. Atlanta Hawks select Shaun Livingston. Livingston is a young kid with a huge upside, but it will take a few years to develop. When all is said and done Livingston may be the second or third best player to come out of this draft but the Bulls, Clippers, and Wizards just don’t have time to wait for him to mature.

7. Phoenix Suns select Devin Harris. Harris is the true point guard the suns have been missing since they traded Kid a few years ago. If Pavel is still around though, they may take a chance on him instead.

8. Toronto Raptors select Pavel Podkolzine. Toronto was hoping to come out with a point guard in this draft but with the three best points gone they will have to go another direction. Getting Pavel at the 8th spot is a steal, and a few years down the road the Raptors will be happy they did.

9. Philadelphia 76ers select Josh Childress. Childress is an athletic small forward who should do well running the floor next to Iverson. So this time instead of trading for the number 2 option, their going to try to train one.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers select Luke Jackson. Jackson is a big two guard who is one of the guys most ready to come in and contribute. Although he will probably max out with the game of a guy like Mike Miller, he’s ready to come in, start, and help lead Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

11. Golden State Warriors select Andris Biedrins. The Warriors may be losing both Dampier and Foyle to free agency, and Biedrins may be just the center to fill their shoes. Andris is strong, seven foot, and he loves to rebound and block shots. His talent may be considered raw, but he should be ready to play once the season starts.

12. Seattle Supersonics select Robert Swift. People will be surprised to see Swift go this high, however Seattle needs a big man and all the best players left are guards. At 7’1” and 260 pounds Swift is the best big man left, but at 18 he won’t be ready to contribute right away. Look for Seattle to try to trade down to nab him or another big man with a later pick.

13. Portland Trailblazers select Kirk Snyder. Snyder’s stock has been going up recently and he should help to clean up the image Portland has developed over the past few years. Snyder is also considered one of the most complete guards in this year’s draft.

14. Utah Jazz select Sergey Monya. Utah seems in love with Sergey Monya. As a 6’8” guard one of the biggest complaints about him is his ball handling skill but when you get to 14 everyone has a fault. Sergey is friends with Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko and just seems like he will fit well with what there doing in Utah.

Well there is my Mock Draft for 2004 sure its just the lottery portion of it but lets face it I don’t get paid for this, and its quite time consuming. I hope it helps clear up your draft questions and don’t forget to tune in to ESPN on Thursday night to catch all the action.

Hit the Road Jack, T-Mac & Shaq demand trades

2004-06-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to heat up this off-season, as Friday both Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic, and Shaquille O’Neil of the L.A. Lakers said they no longer wanted to play for their current teams. To make things really interesting, Kobe Bryant opted out of his contract as well. Now the three biggest names in the NBA are without a home, and teams are scrambling to put together a deal that will bring them to theirs.

Tracy McGrady is probably the easiest guy to trade on that list. Many teams are already phoning in their offers. Yet with T-Mac being able to opt out of his contract next year, teams only want him if he’s willing to sign an extension, which in many ways allows him to pick where he wants to be traded. Indiana appears to be the front-runner at this time. The Pacers are offering Artest, and either Benter or Harrington as well as the 29th pick in the draft for T-Mac, however the Magic will want more. Another scenario is McGrady to the Suns for Shawn Marion, Casey Jacobson, the rights to Milos Vuganic, and the number 7 pick. This may be the better scenario for Orlando, as they would have the 1st and 7th pick in the draft.

Shaquille O’Neil will be much more difficult to trade with his 27 million dollar contract for next year, and the fact the Lakers would like to send him to the East so they will only have to face him twice a year. Only two teams in the East really have the goods to go after Shaq, and its unlikely the Pistons would break apart their championship team for the guy they just beat. So that again leaves the Pacers, who would love to pair him with Jermaine O’Neil, to counter the effects of Detroit’s Wallace and Wallace. Indy could offer Artest, Bender, Harrington, the 29th pick, and fillers for Shaq. A more reasonable thought, however, is that Shaq stays in the West, where both the Mavericks and Grizzlies would love to have him and have plenty of good players to throw L.A.’s way.

Kobe Bryant, the last of the trio, will probably stay in L.A. Although the Spurs, Clippers, Nuggets, and Jazz all have room to make him a very lucrative offer, none can offer him as much as the 7 years, 140 million he’s excepted to receive for signing with the Lakers.

Finally, if I were a betting man I’d say this: Tracy McGrady will suit up with the Pacers next season, only to be swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Pistons. Mark Cuban will finally get his dominate center in O’Neil, and although they will win the West next year, he won’t get his championship until the following year when Phil Jackson comes in as their coach. Kobe will remain in L.A., and he will be given the green light to do as he pleases on the court. L.A., however, will only be a mediocre team, as player’s shy away from having Kobe as a teammate. But that’s all just one man’s opinion.

Biggest Steal of the Draft

2004-06-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

The playoffs have ended, and the draft will be here in a week. NBA GM’s are now scurrying about setting up workouts and interviews with the “Next Class” of the National Basketball Association. However there is one player who stands head and shoulders above the rest in this year’s draft, yet GM’s seem to be missing him completely.

Pavel Podkolzine is easily the biggest man in the draft. At 19 he stands 7-foot-5 and 300 pounds truly towering above the competition. He is huge, strong and quite athletic for someone of his size. Although scouts consider his talent “raw” Pavel is thought to have a good jumper and showed he could handle the ball when he played the point/center at a big man camp in Italy. American GM’s had the chance to see just how much Pavel could dominate as none of the euro big man at the camp could stop him in or out of the post. Then to top it off, he took second place in a three-point contest hitting 18 out of 25 from the arc.

With the top ten picks in the draft only two, Chicago (3) and Cleveland (10) aren’t in search of a center. But with a guy who’s got the upside Pavel does, even they should consider taking this Siberian giant. Last year before dropping out of the draft Pavel was expected to go at number 4. However currently it looks like he may slip to between 6 and 14

A few years down the line, Pavel will rule in this league. It’s true his conditioning is poor, and his experience is slim, but one just can’t pass up on a guy of his size and skill who will be going head to head with Yao for years to come as the league's best center. With Shaq getting older and true centers hard to come by Paval’s stock should rise as this years draft approaches. Any pick less then number 1 will be a true steal.

So What Happens Now?

2004-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Historic destruction of the short-lived L.A. Dynasty is over. As one commentator put it, the Pistons were the first team to sweep a team in five games. Tomorrow we have the parade, the victory celebration, the parties, and then back to business as usual as both teams prepare for the draft. But what will happen to these two teams this off-season, where are the pistons going from here, and what will happen to the “Hall of Fame” Lakers.

The Pistons: The Pistons you see next year will look a lot like the Pistons of this year. Sheed will resign, and their starting lineup will be intact. Larry Brown will stick around, as it looks like he could win a few more. There will however be a few changes on the Pistons bench. Mike James, Darko Milicic, and Corliss Williamson will all be in Pistons uniforms next year. The Pistons would also like to resign Elden Campbell and Lindsey Hunter as well, but they may be taken in the Expansion Draft. Mehmet Okur will sign elsewhere in search of more playing time, (perhaps Boston, Orlando, or Denver). Darvin Ham and Tremaine Fowlkes will walk, happy with their ring. The Pistons will add their other pick from last years draft Carlos Delfino, who spent last year in Spain, and looks like he will be able help right away at the backup sg/sf positions. They would also like to ad another big man in the form of a PF to back up Sheed. If the Lakers were the best the west had to offer, Detroit looks like they can be in the championship run next year as well.

The Lakers: By the end of August, the Lakers as you know them will be no more. Shaq and Kobe will not remain on the same team. More then Likely Shaq will be traded to either Orlando, or Memphis. If Shaq stays, Kobe will sign elsewhere, probably the Clippers. Phil Jackson will again retire, although it wouldn’t surprise me to see him back with another championship contender in a year or two. Karl Malone will opt out of the second year of his contract, he will debate retiring, but will try for that ring one more time and will sign as a backup with the Spurs, Mavericks, or Pistons. Gary Payton will also probably sign somewhere as a backup in an attempt to win a ring, although his pride may get in the way and he may hold out for a starting job on a bad team. Derek Fisher will get picked up in the Expansion Draft, Bryon Russell will again be a free agent, and Horace Grant will finally retire. Brian Cook, Devean George, Stanislav Medvedenko, Kareem Rush, Jamal Sampson, and Luke Walton will again be Lakers next year, as will Rick Fox, unless they find a way to trade him away. The Outlook for the Lakers isn’t good, Even with Kobe this team will have to rebuild. They may or may not make the first round of the playoffs next year, and mabey Jack will even stop coming to all of their home games.

L.A. Senior Center

2004-06-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

After Sunday nights game where Detroit once again railroaded the once mighty L.A. Lakers, one thing was evident. L.A. looked old. They looked real old. Detroit out ran, out rebounded, and just plain out hustled the Lakers, who were reduced to fouling on many possessions just to slow the Pistons down. And as L.A. looked deep into its bench looking for answers, Detroit starters just kept coming and coming and coming.

But why did it take us so long to realize that L.A. was old, is Malone really that important to the success of the Lakers, to the point where they can’t play without him. Or is perhaps much of the competition in the Western Conference aging as well. I’m going to have to take the latter. The once mighty Western Conference is finally breaking down. Much like what happened to the east in the late 90’s. Just look at them. The T Wolves are co-lead by two guys who are getting up there in Cassell and Sprewell, the Spurs have a bench of guys who remember New Coke, and several members of the Kings (Divic, Christi, Webber) must be getting ready to draw social security. And that’s your Elite 4. It’s true there are a few young teams in the West, like Denver and Houston, but those teams are far from ready to be taking the helm.

So instead, its time for the balance of Power to switch to the east. Young teams like Detroit, Indiana, Miami, New Jersey, Cleveland, and even Chicago (Just wait and see) will be the new elite class of the NBA. No longer will the east be looked at as the JV league. As a matter of fact 5 years from now it wouldn’t surprise me to hear the west referred to as such.

Game 5 is Tuesday night. I’m not guaranteeing a Pistons win. Although it seems like the Lakers threw everything they had on Sunday night. But win, lose, or draw, it wont change the fact the Lakers are old. And the Western Conference better take a look at itself in the mirror, or they need to be ready for 5 to 7 years of Eastern Conference glory.

M.J. Vs. Kobe

2004-06-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

I must say I am getting sick of hearing people compare Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant. So let me start and state for the record, Kobe will never be as good as Jordan was. To be completely honest no one will ever be as good as Jordan was. But for sake of time lets just stick to Kobe today.

For starters lets look at game 3 of the playoffs. Kobe Bryant 45 minutes, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal 4 turnovers and shall we not forget 11 points. Sure he hit the big shot in game 2 but where was he Thursday night. The announcers credited it to a new version of the Jordan Rules, the Kobe Rules. Well truly all I saw of the Kobe rules was Tayshaun Prince and Lindsey Hunter shutting him down. But lets play Devils advocate and say Kobe was double and tripled teamed all game. Back in the days of the Jordan rules The Pistons always threw 3 guys on Jordan and basically beat the snot out of him. Yet Jordan still managed to score 25 (only 10 less then his usual 35) and he would usually have a heap of assists as he passed to the open guys.

But lets say This Game was a fluke, and Kobe is averaging 23 in this series, Sure its less then Jordan’s 30 but Kobe does have to share the ball with Shaq, the only other guy on the Lakers scoring. But if memory serves me Jordan had a guy named Pippen to share the ball with. And it’s the same offense, so we really cant use that as an excuse. As a matter of fact, I believe in Jordan’s 5th year he was averaging 36 points per game, Kobe was looking at 27 this year.

So far were just looking at offensive. Lets pause and look at defense. Now its true Kobe can play good D when he chooses to, the problem he doesn’t always chose to. Take the other night for instance as Rip scored 31 points, and always seemed to be open. M.J. was also a great defensive player, who defended every play. He was also named to the first defensive team year after year after year.

Now individual offense and defense are important, but was must remember that basketball is a team game. And Jordan was the ultimate team player. Now it didn’t always show up in the stats but Jordan made everyone around him better. To show this look at the guys who left the bulls to sign large contracts elsewhere and then they sort of just fizzled out: Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong and Will Purdue (just to name a few). Or in the later years: Ron Harper, Luc Longley, and Steve Kerr. Even Toni Kukoc and Scottie Pippen were never again quite the same players after they left Jordan’s side. With Kobe you have Shaq, Malone, and Payton (Kobe didn’t make any of these guys) and a bunch of guys not worth remembering. Jordan was a team player; Kobe plays for his own glory.

Finally Jordan had a heart and a competitive sprit that made him truly great. Jordan would never lie down and get beat. Jordan played every possession of every game like it was his last. There was never an unimportant game an unimportant series or a player who was not important enough to defend. Jordan was a role model to Millions and still is today. He irreversibly changed the game of Basketball, and how we view professional athletes. He even had really cool shoes. Jordan is and will forever more be the greatest single player to ever play the game of basketball.

Human Victory Cigar

2004-06-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

As I watched Detroit destroy L.A. last night, I was excited to finally catch a glimpse of the man they call the “Human Victory Cigar” Darko Milicic. The Palace erupted as Darko pulled down a rebound, and bounced a shot off the side of the backboard. I thought wouldn’t it be great to spend a whole post talking about this mystery kid, and the season he’s had, unfortunately there’s not a whole lot to say. So instead with this years draft coming up quickly I thought we’d pause and look at the top 10 from last years.

1. Lebron James: This kid lived up to the hype. He’s good, and he’s been asked to play on the Olympic team. He’s no Michael Jordan, but he could be the next Magic Johnson.

2. Darko Milicic: “Human Victory Cigar” (Need I say more).

3. Carmelo Anthony: Led all rookies in points per game, and rebounds, plus he led the Nuggets to the playoffs, yet he still seems to want to be Lebron James.

4. Chris Bosh: A power forward, who got stuck playing center for the Raptors, and looked good doing it. Probably the 5th best player in the 2003 draft.

5. Dwyane Wade: I was disappointed he didn’t go to Chicago. A small 2 guard, he did a great job running the point for Miami and led them to the second round of the playoffs. Most drafts years he would have been the ROY.

6. Chris Kaman: I was glad to see a guy from CMU go this early in the draft, But the Clippers would have been better of going for a point guard. Kaman just doesn’t have the skill to be a starting center in this league

7. Kirk Hinrich: I was worried when Chicago took him over TJ Ford. But after a year one can see what Paxson saw in him. He reminds me a little of John Stockton, as he led all rookies in assists. And if he had guys on his team who could knock down a shot, he may have led the league. Easily 4th best rookie this year.

8. T.J. Ford. Although a little small for the NBA, Ford surprised us all as he helped lead the Bucks into the playoffs. It’s to bad injury kept him from playing in them.

9. Mike Sweetney: Another poor pick for the Knicks. Give him a couple years and he may be a solid backup.

10. Jarvis Hayes: Averaged just under 10 points and 4 rebounds. He will be a solid starter in this league for years to come. The Wizards should hold on to him.

Game 3 Predictions

2004-06-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here they are, Game 3 Predictions. Pistons coming back home are going to play their type of basketball. Final score Pistons: 75, Lakers 71 (Give or take 3). And here's the breakdown.

Lakers:

Payton: Will play poorly again, Phil will pull him early for Fisher
Kobe: Once again will keep his team in the game, and have 25 points
George: Will be on the court, but you wont notice him
Malone: His knee will slow him up, And will also play limited minutes
Shaq: Will get his points, but wont hit as many free throws as he did the last 2 games.
Walton: Phil will play him early, and we'll remember why we don't see him to often.

Pistons:

Billups: Wont look as good as he did two previous games, but decent, around 15 points.
Hamilton: Kobe is gonna look to slow Billups down, and Hamilton will get it going. 25 points and the team leader we saw vs. Pacers.
Prince: Prince will do his job, and guard Kobe as well as anyone can.
Sheed: Early foul trouble again in the first, but should school Malone again if he's on the court.
Big Ben: 15 rebounds 2 points.
Darko: Will cheer the team on from the sidelines.

Crucify Larry Brown

2004-06-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Crucify Larry Brown. It seems many Michigan residents are ready to do just that as the Pistons return from L.A. with the series tied 1-1. Although a week ago no one thought the Pistons could take game 1 or 2. And a few days ago we were ready to erect a Larry Brown statue after the Game 1 victory. But with time winding down Brown chose not to foul Kobe, but to defend him. Kobe hit the shot, the game went into overtime, and the series is now tied 1-1.
The question to ask is should the Pistons have fouled to stop the three. Yes... No... Had you asked the question a week ago, you would have ended up split right down the line. After the loss, everyone jumps on the bandwagon with a yes, but still I say no. It’s true, it could have won the game, but Detroit still could have lost. When it’s all said and done, were still tied 1-1 coming home for a three game home stand.
So before we start the fire Larry Brown chant. Before we start calling for the Rip trades, or don’t resign Sheed. Lets just pause and think what would have happened if we fired Chuck Daily after the loss in 88. How many championships would the Pistons have won if we traded Dumars, or Dumped Big Bill in the off-season? And lets give this Detroit team a chance.