Ball or Nuthin' » Heat

Colangelo: Bosh Takes “An Easy Out”

T Lamont — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:59:31 +0000

I think I could succeed as the general manager of an NBA organization.

Here’s the existing blueprint:

- Draft a player with superstar and/or franchise player potential

- Assemble a mediocre set of players around him, preferably one or two players who were signed to huge deals after overachieving during their final contract year

- Watch the team miss the playoffs without questioning the coaching or front office moves

- Watch your drafted superstar / franchise player walk away to a better situation

- Blast the departed player by calling him names and/or indicating that he was not the right choice to lead your team

Pretty easy, huh?

That’s happened in two cases so far this summer. And it’s no coincidence that the griping GMs were the ones representing the teams of LeBron James, and now, Chris Bosh – who both left their respective organizations for milder weather and greener grass in Florida.

But somehow, I don’t think an individual with the class of Pat Riley (Miami Heat GM) would have given Dwyane Wade the same type of critique that Dan Gilbert and Bryan Colangelo dished out to their mega-stars. Here’s what Colangelo had to say about the departed Bosh:

“Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games … I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play.”

“The fact that our season was spiralling downward and we were hoping he’d come back sooner and we were also dealing with a few other things at that point … we were really struggling there. Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it. At the same time, I never felt we were quite in the game (in terms of signing Bosh to a new contract). There was too much out there, too much built up for him to take an easy out here, and he decided to do that. We tried in vain to put pieces around Chris. Different pieces, different styles. It didn’t work out. No matter what type of player we brought in, it didn’t seem to have the right mix with him as that centerpiece.”

Colangelo seemed to be the type who would be above this type of strategic, but still petty, sound bite. But in the end, the ego keeps these GMs from taking full responsibility for the product that they have assembled. They expect their players to be exemplary citizens, saying the right things during interviews while they allow their egos to direct the content of their media sessions.

Inevitably, there was going to be plenty of debate as to whether Bosh is truly a franchise player – but does it really matter? What does matter is that there would have been a number of teams that would have signed Bosh to a max contract (just look at what the Knicks gave the less-skilled Amar’e Stoudemire), and they wouldn’t have looked back. The hidden fact here is that Bosh was the key to this summer of free agency. It all ended up being about Bosh (and not LeBron or Wade) because he was the best available big man of the bunch.

No matter how you look at it, there are only a few select bigs that are franchise material: Tim Duncan (who is aging, and not better than Bosh anymore), Yao Ming (who is injured way too much, point blank), and Dwight Howard (who is a franchise talent because of his defensive dominance more so than his offensive dominance). I would say that Bosh belongs more in this group than the second group, which would include Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer (who signed with Chicago for $16 million a year).

Colangelo jumped on Turkoglu's bandwagon right when it ran out of gas.

The quality swingman market will always be more saturated, as they have more opportunities to control the rock. But bigs are forced to rely upon the generosity of their point men, as well as the flow of the game when it comes to their touches.

To quantify the impact that Chris Bosh could make, one would only have to look as far as the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. couldn’t get over the hump without a skilled big like Pau Gasol. Gasol is not a brute, but provides the quickness, mid-range shooting, and overall basketball IQ that was required to get Mr. Bryant his fourth and fifth championship rings.

If you watched Gasol toil in Memphis as their best player, you saw a good player – but one who was not as impressive as Bosh has been in Toronto. In fact, there was a time that the Bosh to L.A. rumors were flying around a few years back. For the Lakers, acquiring Bosh could have been more promising for the present and the future. By no means are they disappointed by what Gasol has allowed them to do. But Bosh is almost four years younger than the Spaniard.

The past three NBA titles have been won by teams without dominant big men. And by surveying the landscape of the league, do we think that is going to change? The game has changed, the rules have changed, and organizations have to be careful with their personnel selection.

It’s no longer about having that one unbelievable player. The league is past that, and defenses are far too athletic today.

It’s all about the mix. And while Colangelo’s comments mention that, he’s not being self-critical at all. When all is said and done, he’s a finger-pointer.

And who wants to be in trenches with a finger-pointer?

Not Chris Bosh.

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Dwyane Wade Takes One Last Shot at Cleveland

T Lamont — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:12:28 +0000

Here’s part two of Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.

Listen closely to Wade as Kimmel digs into the possible destinations for the new super trio…

After being shunned by LeBron, and ridiculed by Wade, what humiliation can be left for Cleveland?

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Funniest Take on LeBron’s Betrayal

T Lamont — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:38:28 +0000

The video rendition of LeBron’s departure to Miami – WWF style…

My favorite line…

“If it wasn’t for LeBron James, Dan Gilbert would still be selling meat in the back of a truck in Minneapolis…”

Classic…

Chris Paul Following in LeBron’s Footsteps

T Lamont — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:12:12 +0000

Like the good floor general that he is, New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul surveyed the entire free-agency situation before making his move.

And now, he’s taking it right into the teeth of the Hornets organization.

Paul has clearly indicated that he wants out of the gulf. But even more newsworthy is the reason that he wants out – - he wants to team up with some other superstar players in hopes of developing a team that will rival the recently created mega-trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

There’s been talk of Paul trying to orchestrate a trade to the Big Apple to play alongside the new $100 million man Amar’e Stoudemire. Paul may also be holding on to the added hope of bringing Carmelo Anthony (who mysteriously has not signed that 3-year, $65 million extension that Denver is offering him) into the mix, too.

On a side note, there was a Twitter conversation between Kevin Durant (who recently re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder) and Anthony regarding the mega-team trend:

KDthunderup- Now everybody wanna play for the heat and the Lakers? Let’s go back to being competitive and going at these peoples!

carmeloanthony - All that mean is Im gonna have to put my teflon on and go to war. BULLY SEASON “2010-11″ coming soon.

What can we extrapolate from that conversation? Nothing, apparently (although we’ll see if Durant does an about face later in his career).

Other rumored destinations that have been mentioned by Paul include the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers – both being hot spots with stars firmly entrenched within their organizations.

But the former Wake Forest All-American did a tremendous job with the timing of his request. He waited until his “brother from another mother,” LeBron James, took the media bashing for taking what many perceive to be the easy way out. Now Paul slides in his intention of doing the same thing, but perhaps on a smaller scale. But, of course, nothing about Paul, Anthony and Stoudemire playing on the same team will be small in New York.

Granted, CP3 – if he had been the first to announce his desire to join a superteam – would not have incurred the same amount of criticism that LeBron did. The fact is that a point guard is traditionally not equipped to carry the weight of a franchise on his shoulders, and especially not one who is barely six feet tall. Nevertheless, in his last two full seasons, Paul has averaged over 22 points, 11 assists and two-and-a-half thefts per contest. That’s some big time production from the little man. But there are a couple of things that I find interesting about this:

If 'Melo brought his game to the Eastern Conference, the new Miami Heat would be in for a battle.

- The Hornets’ most promising players are vertically challenged (i.e. short) guards. While he needs to cut down on his turnovers, Darren Collison did a great job after being thrust into the role of starter due to CP3′s injury. And LSU standout Marcus Thornton has shown a knack for scoring, and plenty of explosiveness, to boot. So, Paul’s desire to be traded won’t leave New Orleans totally void at the point position, but the organization will have to ensure that it gets as much talent in return as possible.

- CP3′s decision says something about his faith, or lack thereof, in David West. West, a two-time NBA All-Star, is a finesse power forward. He’s mobile, but not overly explosive. Paul’s preference to play with the Knicks (Amar’e Stoudemire), the Magic (Dwight Howard) or the Lakers (Pau Gasol) all point to the fact that he enjoys playing with physical, traditional bigs. Recall that CP3 (and the Hornets) was at his best when he was paired with the offensively limited Tyson Chandler, a defensive specialist who played extremely strong around the basket.

Regardless of how the saga ends, this story reinforces the fact that the league has changed. With mulitple quotes from old, retired goats controlling the headlines, we can be easily persuaded that there’s something wrong with the ’new NBA.’

But let’s not let old fogeys describe the character of players who have been under pressure since they were in grade school. That was a pressure that none of them – Jordan, Magic and Barkley included – had to endure.

So yes, the game has indeed changed.

And let your own judgement – as well as the resulting product – be the guide as to whether it has changed for the better.

Reasons LeBron James Left Cleveland for Miami

T Lamont — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:14:16 +0000

Much has been made regarding LeBron James “Decision” to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat.

But why did James choose to do so?

Other than the widely accepted fact that the King wanted to play alongside perennial All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – providing him with a much-improved chance of getting past the second round of the playoffs – I’d like to offer the following perspectives on his choice:

The Weather in Cleveland

Is it daytime or nighttime? Is the sun out?

The Weather in Miami

Did anyone bring some sunblock?

Extracurricular Activities in Cleveland

I was in a rush and forgot to lock my tires in the trunk.

Extracurricular Activities in Miami

LeBron: "Is there a celebrity league down here?"

LeBron: "Beach volleyball will keep me in peak physical condition during the offseason."

Nightlife in Cleveland

I dig into my pocket, all my money spent, so I dig deeper still coming up with lent...

Nightlife in Miami

There go Crockett and Tubbs...

Women in Cleveland

Is that a man or a woman?

Women in Miami

Do they all look like this?

LeBron, uh, better maintain his, um, his focus on South Beach...

Yeah, LeBron must have lost his mind going down to Miami. Shame on him.