First of all, the Nets. I am hearing people say that Nets fans need to change their perception of this summer because they will not be landing big name free agents. The logic? The Nets organization has nothing to offer these guys because the teams they already play on are better and despite the big market exposure and money, they can do just as well where they are.
Lets stop there for a moment and think about the current Boston Celtics roster? At the core, these are the guys that have won an NBA Championship and battled to 7 games with the eventual Eastern Conference champ last year. How was this team assembled? From the ashes of a 24-58 team in 06/07. That team was the end of a four year line of losing seasons and (how insane is this) a fifteen year stretch of sub-50 win seasons! We are talking about the most decorated franchise in this league's history and they played a decade and a half of mediocre basketball. Yet in the past two seasons, they played at a clip of 128-36. What changed their fortunes? Landing big name guys. Granted, KG and Ray Allen were brought in by trading away quality young talent and building around an existing core of Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo but the concept is still the same- in this league, your fortunes can change overnight by landing some big name guys.
The Nets will have the financial flexibility next year (about $25 mil in cap space) to lure a big name. The idea that coming to play for a woeful team will scare them away is not sound. These guys are looking to make a lasting mark and what better place to do it then a big market team that has is in the midst of turmoil. Granted, certain things need to be in place, namely some young talent, a few quality role players, and a market that can indulge and (mostly) satisfy their big ticket personnas. Can the Nets meet these requirements?
Young Talent- Brook Lopez (3rd in ROY voting last year and double double machine), Courtney Lee (started in the NBA finals as a rookie last year) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (has stepped up as a scorer this year but looks to be a solid reserve-type).
Few Quality Role Players- More than a role player, they have an extremely capable young point guard in Devin Harris who will cover the other teams best guard and distribute the ball. Couple that with journey-men like Eduardo Najera and Keyon Dooling.
Market- It is still muddy but it sounds like if the Nets organization can sort out their legal issues by December, they will be on track for building in Brooklyn. There is uncertainty now but that will all be settled in soon. So, if the Nets do indeed make a commitment to Brooklyn, the draw will be huge.
So when I look at the Nets, I look at a near-perfect situation for a big free agent. You will have a ridiculously loaded owner in Mikhail Prokhorov (Net worth of 9.5 billion), and a social/cultural presence in Jay-Z that can do wonders for a superstar's image. Considering that Jarvis Hayes, Trenton Hassell, Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Bobby Simmons and Sean Williams are all unrestricted free agents next year, Josh Boone is a restricted and there is a team option on CDR, the Nets have copious amounts of flexibility.
To be a part of chapter one of a basketball revival in Brooklyn, team up alongside an all-star caliber point guard and center and have some basic building blocks already in place, why wouldn't a LeBron, DWade, Bosh, and/or Amare be interested?
Secondly, lets take a sweep at the Knicks. Now the Knicks won't have nearly the financial flexibility of their river partners but they have a little more stability in the organization right now with a dynamite coach and president. They have 6 expiring contracts generating roughly $21 million in space this summer. However, I am not as comfortable with the Knicks chances. The league is forecasting a 2.5 to 5% drop in revenues over the year and the thought of the salary cap decreasing in 2010 is becoming more and more a reality. If the cap drops, the Knicks are very limited in luring anyone along with a LeBron. Basically, LeBron would be playing in the most famous arena in the world but he will be playing with a team that will remind him more of his early season teams.... a set back for a guy itching to win. The Knicks are going to have a hard time meeting the three factors needed to make a LeBron happy and thus, I really think they need to go another angle.
Ok, you have the so-called mastermind of the '7 Seconds or Less' brand of basketball. When Nash was at the helm of this offense, the league was caught with its pants down and they were literally a suspension and a few bounces away from the NBA Finals. Post-Nash, the system just hasn't been the same. Chris Duhon is not the answer. Surveying the landscape, there are many capable players out there who would thrive in a D'Antoni system. First off, you have to give some love to Joe Johnson. His career landed on the NBA map when he played in PHX for D'Antoni. Since then, he has been a solid all star for Atlanta and led that team to its best success in a long, long time. He can shoot the 3, defend the best guys in the league, get to the rim and distribute the ball. He is a complete package and a great fit for the Knicks. The dream situation would be to be able to lure in a big who can run and control the glass for this team. Um.... have you heard of Chris Bosh? If the Knicks can somehow work the numbers into a deal for these 2, they would be well on their way to rebounding. You are still a PG short of a successful roster as Chris Duhon is not capable of running this team and Toney Douglas/Nate Robinson are not valid replacements. TDouglas is great off the bench as a quasi-2 guard and Nate should be gone. If they can somehow work out a deal to bring in a PG with "upside" (I am thinking a Mike Conley) or find the space to sign a Luke Ridnour (free agent), then this team really looks good.
Bottom line, the Nets are in the driver seat as long as they can sort out their legal issues and the Knicks are looking at the second tier right now but if they can work out something for Chris Bosh, they have hit a home run. All I know is basketball will be relevant in the New York area again and everyone will benefit.
On to last night...
The Blazers went Jekyll to their Hide last night, romping the tired/sagging/unmotivated Bulls by 20+. Oden put up a monster 24 and 12 with 2 blocks. Has he turned the corner? I can't say that for sure but I do know that a certain man emerged last night with a battle cry seldom reached but constantly sought. Mr. Oden, let it out you animal.
The Blazers confuse me. I really like this line up but it seems like when they are not shooting well or they are being outplayed, they don't have a go-to option. You would think Brandon Roy should be that option but I have always seen Roy as a Scottie Pippen to someone else's Jordan. He is a great talent on both ends of the floor but he is not the leader of a championship team. Too many guys on this team are extremely capable of doing the same things. This is basketball magic when guys are on, but when they are struggling, its like watching a drunk fumble for his keys in the parking lot of a bar at 3am... getting to where you want to go just isn't happening.
Happy ball.
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