Marcus Camby

Dwight Howard would have his hands full if Cleveland had Marcus Camby (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The NBA trading deadline is less than a week away, and with the crazy financial market, there should be a series of moves coming any day now.

Cleveland is in an advantageous position because they have $21 million in expiring contracts to offer around, but due to their better-than-expected record, GM Danny Ferry has been grappling with the idea of bringing in a new guy into a locker room that has been harmonious thus far. Order for Ferry to feel good about making a move, the incoming player can’t disturb Cleveland’s locker room chemistry.

Fortunately for Ferry, the Cavaliers have one of the few stable locker rooms in the NBA. They have an unquestioned franchise player and a respected coaching staff that has the full backing of the front office.  Only the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs can match or top Cleveland in that regard. They could bring Dennis Rodman out of retirement, let him play every game in a wedding dress, and not worry about capsizing the boat.

But considering how well the Cavs have played, Danny Ferry is unlikely to go for the home run, and he probably doesn’t need to. The Cavs just need one more rotation player who can play defense and distract the opposing defense enough for Lebron to get open. It doesn’t matter what position he plays, as long as he’s committed to defense, Coach Mike Brown will put him on the floor.

The most glaring weakness on the team comes when opponents go with a big lineup. Delonte West is a very good shooting guard, but he’s gets posted up by bigger guys. The easy remedy for this is to slide Lebron down to the 2, but it forces Brown to put Sasha Pavlovic into the game. Pavlovic is a big, solid defender on his own, but he’s an offensive liability, and a terrible ballhandler. Upgrading the swingman spot with a big, athletic guard that can hit shots, is ideal, but the market for swingmen is underwhelming. Plus swingmen often demand shots away from the basket, which could disrupt Cleveland’s offensive rhythm.

Instead, it’s probably better to bring in a bigger guy who can defend the 4 and 5 spots, so Lebron doesn’t get worn down banging against guys his size. Given the current market, the best guy for a Cleveland is probably Marcus Camby of the LA Clippers.

Camby is a great defender and rebounder who gets his points off of put-backs and dishes. His teammates have always liked him, and judging by the double-double he’s averaging on a terrible team, plays hard every night. And at age 34, he would likely play as many or as few minutes as needed, as long as it gives him a chance to earn a championship ring.

Mike Brown has publicly stated that he doesn’t want another big man, but a lot of that belief hinges on giving minutes to rookie JJ Hickson. Once the playoffs roll around though, it’s unlikely Hickson will be seeing meaningful minutes.

The main obstacle to making a trade is the overall incompetence of the Clippers’ front office. Owner Donald Sterling dslikes trades, based on the belief that if a team is offering a player, there has to be something wrong with him. But considering that Sterling is a notorious cheapskate, the prospect of saving almost $10 million by trading Camby for Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract might be enough to get the deal done.

A notable kicker about Wally Szczerbiak being the primary trade chip for Cleveland, is that he likes playing for the Cavs, making him likely to demand a buyout from whoever trades for him, and rejoin Cleveland after a month of NBA-mandated rest. So in a way, the Cavs would be trading nothing in order to make a late season acquisition.

This trade, if accompanied by a healthy Cleveland roster, would give the Cavs the best front line in the NBA, and the best chance to win the NBA championship. The Cavs’ major obstacles are Boston, Orlando, and the Los Angeles Lakers, and adding another big man means that Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol would be guarded by a very good defender (the platoon of Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Marcus Camby) every minute of the game, while also affording Zydrunas Ilgauskas the opportunity to save his energy for the offensive end.

Bump fouls

Lebron is on the inside of this pass, and there is no clear possession (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The standout moment of the Cavs-Pacers game came after TJ Ford hit a jumper with .8 seconds left to give the Pacers a 95-93 lead.

Last night was the first time of the season that Cleveland was put in the situation of having to inbound an alley-oop pass 30 feet into a defense that knows the play is coming. Normally, the defending coach will instruct his team to collapse on the guy rolling towards the rim, and start to celebrate because this play fails 99.9% of the time.

But as Mo Williams made his desperation heave towards the basket, it became clear that Lebron could conceivably score off of this play. The physical requirements of outjumping your opponent and muscling ball through the hoop, while your defender is left with no choice but to foul you relentlessly, fall directly into Lebron’s repertoire.

Danny Granger must have made this same realization, because as the ball went up, he knocked his hip hard enough against Lebron’s for the ball to sail through his hands, and out of bounds. Pacers fans were understandably pissed off by the late foul call, but if you check the replay, you can clearly see the hit. Every contender should also watch this replay, because without a foul or a ref swallowing his whistle, I’m not sure if you can stop Lebron from scoring.

The negative side to this revelation comes with the referees calling a foul with so little time left in the game. On the ensuing possession, the Pacers tried the same exact play, and received a practically obligatory foul call that sealed up the win for them. It’s important to note, however, that Lebron didn’t foul Granger. There was no hip contact, and Lebron had the inside positioning on the pass, so any contact should have at least resulted in a no-call. But it’s the home crowd, and many foul calls are subjective with.

One gem that might be overlooked is that Lebron sunk two high pressure free-throws, either one of which would have lost them the game right there. It’s an MVP-prerequisite play, because I believe Kobe and Wade would have made those.

Michael Phelps smokes weed

Michael Phelps has just earned my respect.

Phelps, the uber swimmer, was caught on film smoking a bong at a house party in South Carolina. But in a display of honesty rarely seen by public figures, Phelps admitted to and apologized for his actions. He did not make any denials about using his monster lung capacity for purposes other than swimming, or even making the easy claim that the tobacco water pipe  he was caught using, was actually filled with tobacco. Instead, Phelps  issued a public apology, acknowledging “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment”.

But by being honest about making a bad decision, Phelps is being raked through the coals by tiny hypocrites. In a comical cut-and-run decision, USA Swimming, apparantly displaying less short-term than their meal ticket swimmer, has suspended financial support for Phelps, and banned him from US competitions for three months.  And as if operating on an unlimmited administrative budget, the Richland County Police Department has announed that they will consider pursuing criminal charges against Phelps.

“The bottom line is, if he broke the law, and he did it in Richland County, he’s going to be charged,” Lt. Chris Cowan said. “And there’s no difference between Michael Phelps and several other people that we arrest for the same type of a charge everyday.”

Under South Carolina law, possession of one ounce or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor that carries a fine up to $200 and 30 days in jail for the first offense. Possession of paraphernalia is a $500 fine.

So Columbia, SC is going to put public funding into an investigation against an out-of-state millionaire who could raise an army of lawyers on a whim, with the absolute best case scenario being a recoup of $700 and 30 days in jail? The charges haven’t even been filed and this case already reeks of a pissing contest.

But in general, we as a nation have our priorities completely backwards. Phelps was initially praised for being a tremendously successful American who openly sold his fifteen minutes in the spotlight to any endorsement opportunity available. Why does blatant prostitution recieve praise, while apologizing for smoking pot gets you burned at the stake?

In a way, an incident such as this shows how little Americans actually know what they want. Isn’t honesty supposed to be a characteristic that we look for in our public figures? Isn’t forgiveness a trait that we all hope to recieve when we admit to a mistake?

I have been rather vocal about Phelps being the perfect example of a tremendously successful athlete who does not qualify a hero, because he never showed any courage. He worked his tail off to reach the top of the podium, smiled for the cameras, and cashed the checks, but he never said anything of substance. And now, after showing a side of vulnerability, America has turned its back on him.  But I won’t. Michael Phelps was honest when he could have easily lied. And that takes courage.

NBA Trade Deadline: Cleveland’s assets

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the enviable position of being among the elite teams in the league, and having enough expiring contracts to make a significant move at the trading deadline. But with the trading deadline only weeks away, and no easy player to snatch up like  last season when the Los Angeles Lakers fleeced Memphis out of Pau Gasol, the Cavs have to weigh their options carefully.

The untouchables

Lebron James, Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson

Lebron is a no brainer, Z, before injuring his foot, was having his best season in years, and may be the best jump baller in the NBA. Gibson, West and Williams make up the solid guard play that Lebron has never had before this season. Meanwhile, JJ Hickson is precisely the type of player the Cavs need on their team. He’s a good, young post scorer with shot-blocking skills, and barring injury, those types of players always pan out.

The trading pieces:

Wally Szczerbiak

“Wally World” may have ended years ago, but his$13 million salary comes off the books at the end of this season. Due to the economic crash, several teams will be looking to trim long term dollars from their ledgers at the cost of winning in the short term. But aside from saving millions of dollars, expiring contracts are essential to a quick rebuilding process, and the freed salary cap space could be filled again as early as this summer.

Eric Snow

An aging knee has forced Mr. Snow to unofficially retire. Cleveland is currently in the process of filing for an injury insurance exemption in order to remove the $7.3 million currently owed to Snow from Cleveland’s payroll, so it’s very possible that Cleveland will hold on to Snow, as opposed to taking on a player earning a similar paycheck.  But $7.3 million is enough to pay for a solid player, should Cleveland pursue a trade.

Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace’s contract expires in 2010, but his value on the Cavs is likely higher than what they could get in return. He’s a good, if no longer elite, rebounder and defender, and has little to no fear of Kevin Garnett, all traits desired by a contender, not a rebuilding team.

Sasha Pavlovic

Pavlovic is a big guard who lacks the confidence to consistently play well. He’s a below average ballhandler, and despite solid form, is a mediocre jumpshooter. But he’s solid on defense, and has found a niche covering players who are able to back down Cleveland’s undersized guards. Pavlovic’s size, youth and reasonable contract would come in handy as part of a larger trade for a perimeter player.

Anderson Varejao

Varejao chose the right year to show off his developing offensive game.  He’s in a contract year, but is averaging career highs in every offensive category, while remaining an outstanding post defender. Teams may not like Varejao defending them, but they would love it if he were playing with them. In all liklihood, the Cavs want to lock in Varejao to a long-term contract, but that process could get ugly, very fast. GM Danny Ferry, a notoriously stingy negotiator, got into a clash last summer with Varejao’s agent, Dan Fegan, who continuously demanded a 6 year/$60 million deal for his client; a negotiation process that resulted in Varejao holding out from training camp, and having a subpar 2007-2008 season. And as his other clients, Nene and Shawn Marion can attest, Fegan is notable for disregarding team success if it gets in the way of landing his players as much money as possible.

Darnell Jackson

During the meager amount of minutes he’s been given, Jackson has shown himself to be a decent ballplayer. He’s a solid rebounder, strong post defender, and a respectable jumpshooter. Jackson’s ceiling is rather low, but considering how incompetant the average young big man is in the NBA, Jackson could eventually make a team’s big man rotation, if given the chance.

Draft Picks

Assuming their roster stays mostly intact, the Cavs don’t need a first round pick in both 2009 and 2010. Considering the Cavs record,  the pick is likely to be very late in the first round, but any team will likely ask for a draft pick as part of any package.

Guitar Hero

If there is ever a singular moment to indicate that the Guitar Hero franchise has hit the mainstream, it’s the new commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Sliding in “Risky Business” style, are four of the 10 most successful American sports figures of the last 20 years, all wielding Guitar Hero controllers. Alex Rodriguez, the greatest shortstop of all time (except he’s now a third baseman), and Michael Phelps, the current greatest swimmer ever, coast in on guitar, Tony Hawk, the greatest skateboarder ever, rolls in on the drums, and Kobe Bryant, one of the two best basketball players alive, is the frontman for a supergroup to silence all other commercial supergroups.

The cost of simply putting these four athletes in the same room would dwarf the entire operating budget for the first game, so I can only hope that the original Guitar Hero creators are getting a taste from the franchise that they worked so hard to create. People forget that musical video games used to stink worse than a dirty diaper full of moldy egg salad, so credit is due to Harmonix and Red Octane for cleaning up the entire genre.

But even after the face value of four mega athletes fake-singing in their underwear, Guitar Hero World Tour is the first game in the series to be unbound by song licenses, by including master recordings of every song. Artists such as Michael Jackson, Van Halen, the Eagles, and Jimi Hendrix carry hefty price tags to their recordings, and the previous games simply didn’t have the budget. But now, there doesn’t appear to be a single artist that can’t be afforded.

It’s great to see a deserving franchise succeed on all fronts. But like a quality band that made it big, it seems that the minds behind the original Guitar Hero games have been phased out by investors. Because after all, what the hell do Michael Phelps, A-Rod or Kobe Bryant have to do with a music video game?

McCain-Obama III: The Legend of McCain’s Gold

The final presidential debate between senators Barack Obama and John McCain concluded with a combination of body blows by Mr McCain that connected, but failed to knock out Mr Obama.

While both sides made strong and weak arguments, It’s assumed that because neither man broke into tears and conceded the presidency, both campaigns will claim victory.

For months, Barack Obama has been the grand marshal of an extravagant parade of a presidential campaign, decorated with promises of change, new ideologies and record smashing fundraising totals. By comparison, John McCain has been chugging along in a Dodge Stratus of a campaign; simple, albeit unremarkable, calmly trying to steer his way around Obama’s sweeping rhetoric.

Mr McCain has been unable to steal the spotlight from Obama for any extended period of time, and last night, he embraced the reality that only an aggressive offensive would be the most effective way of letting the air out of Obama’s tires. He offered retorts on the claim that his policies overlap with George W. Bush’s, criticizing Obama’s predilection towards a federalized health plan, and tried to pin his opponent on specifics regarding the junior senator from Illinois’ affiliation with ACORN.

Unfortunately for McCain, once he had the debate focused on Obama’s affiliation with ACORN, he allowed his opponent to wiggle free, leading to Obama landing a solid 30 seconds to calmly address his affiliation with ACORN and his relationship with William Ayers. This injection of at least partial truth was a catastrophic backfire for McCain, whose honor and general respect for the common man has clouded his ability to be a ruthless fear monger, a tactic that worked three separate times for the Bush family.

After following this campaign season closely, I sometimes wonder if I’m the only spectator who believes that either candidate would make a far better president that George W. Bush, let alone John Kerry. But in a way, the process of running a presidential election is like Andy Dufresne escaping in the “Shawshank Redemption”. You have to climb through 300 yards of narrow sewage pipe to make it to the other side, and afterward, you and your opponent will never look or smell the same.

So unless Barack Obama falls victim to a horrifyingly high amount of closet racists, most polls point to him winning this election over McCain. So since this debate did little to change the polls, it’s assumed that the last few weeks of both campaigns will be largely ceremonial.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets

Will T-Mac and Yao finally make it out of the first round?

The Houston Rockets began last season as my dark-horse team to win the championship, and they managed to top my list of dark-horse contenders this year as well. On paper, they possess an elite big man in Yao Ming, a top notch wingman in Tracy McGrady, and an extremely efficient and defensive supporting cast that is also quite experienced.

Strengths: Defense

New arrival Ron Artest is still one of the ten best two-way players in the NBA, and joins Shane Battier to provide two elite defensive stoppers. But even without these two guys, the Rockets are capable of winning games entirely on their defense, because they work well together and they crash the boards. Last season, the Rockets finished among the top ten in the league in rebounding, points allowed, defensive three-point field goal percentage, and defensive field goal percentage. When your team defends consistently, it’s usually enough to beat more than half the teams in the league on any given night, even when your own shots aren’t falling.

Weaknesses: Health

The two best players on the Rockets have a lot of trouble staying healthy. Yao hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the past three seasons, and McGrady is entering this season with an arthritic shoulder and a surgically repaired knee. Neither player is expected to undergo a major turnaround in terms of health, as McGrady has never played a full season, and Yao appears to be enslaved by the Chinese government’s demands that he play for China in every international tournament. With the Beijing Olympics in the rear-view mirror, it’s possible that China may ease up on Yao and let him use his off-seasons to rest his 7′5″ frame, but extremely tall centers are historically injury prone anyway, so it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing Yao on a full time basis.

Underrated: Undersized power forward

Despite Yao’s annual trip to the injury list, the Rockets possess a good deal of depth at the 4 spot. Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry are all good defenders and rebounders. Scola and Landry, despite usually matching up against taller players, are also excellent inside scorers. Once you include Ron Artest, who is build like a truck, and put up some of his best numbers playing power forward, the Rockets are adequately covered for when Yao collapses from his next injury. The only question mark is how rookie second-round draft pick Joey Dorsey will fare as the replacement for Dikembe Mutombo, who may or may not climb out of a coffin around mid-season to lend a shot-blocking hand.

Question Mark: Guard play

The Rockets have succeeded in developing a solid rotation of versatile, low-cost forwards, but have whiffed multiple times at using their first-round draft picks to draft a solid ball-handler to take some pressure off of McGrady. Rafer Alston starts at point guard, but he’s more of a fourth option type of player, as his best skills are spot-up three-point shooting and on-ball defense. Luther Head and Aaron Brooks appear to lack point guard skills at this point, and their respective heights preclude them from spending significant time at the shooting guard position. Newcomer Brent Barry was once a very good guard who could shoot, handle the ball, and play solid defense. But Barry turns 37 in December, and his declining athleticism and lack of strength has begun to show on the defensive end. His outstanding shooting percentage and low turnover rate will put him on the floor in late game situations, but don’t be surprised to see head coach Rick Adelman yank him once the other team gets the ball.

Expectations:

Fourth Quarter Lineup:
G Rafer Alston
G Tracy McGrady
F Shane Battier
F Ron Artest
C Yao Ming

The Houston Rockets’ defense and rebounding will assure a playoff berth, but getting past the first round, let alone the NBA finals, hinges on the health of Yao and McGrady. Yao always starts strong, before succumbing to injuries, so it may be worth it for the Rockets to simply rest their franchise center for the first two months of the season. Artest’s size, defense, and underrated ballhandling will take some pressure off of T-Mac, and allow him to stay on the court for any lineup that Rick Adelman decides to employ. But unless McGrady and Yao stay healthy, the Rockets are likely to fall before the Lakers, Hornets and Jazz.

Eastern Conference Preview Part I

With the arrival of the #1 and #2 draft picks, an All-Star Power Forward, and the Larry O’Brien trophy, the Eastern Conference is slowly building its respectability. And while LA and New Orleans are the two best teams in the league when healthy, the East now features several formidable, and if the right hand is dealt to them, championship caliber teams.

Boston

Pro: The defending champs and the team to beat. With their core players returning, and their second unit a year older, there’s a chance that the 08-09 Celtics will be better than their 07-08 counterparts.

Con: The departure of swingman James Posey takes away a lot of stability from the perimeter. Posey was the team’s defensive stopper, and while Paul Pierce can handle that role, it means expending less energy on the offensive side, which is where the Celtics can expect a drop off as a team. Ray Allen is also a year older, and will most likely benefit from a reduction in minutes.

Cleveland

Pro: A top notch defensive team. Lebron James almost singlehandedly outscored the Celtics by himself. The signing of Mo Williams solidifies the Cavs’ point guard position far more than ever before.

Con: There is still far more quantity than quality on the Cavs roster. Aside from Lebron, expect to see the Cavs platoon every other position, so there will be some questions as to who will be finishing games. And because they have $20 million in expiring contracts to go along with Anderson Varejao almost assuredly opting-out of his contract at the end of the season, it’s a foregone conclusion that several players will be shown the door before the February trading deadline.

Detroit

Pro: The Pistons still have four outstanding starters with great chemistry and high basketball IQs. They know how to win in the playoffs, and know how to close out games against inferior teams.

Con: Of every team in the NBA, the Pistons manage to come off as the most presumptuous. They’ll play like a first-tier team for four games, and then get conceited, and accidentally blow a lead at home against the Bobcats. GM Joe Dumars promised big changes over the offseason, but he made that statement after firing Flip Saunders, so those big changes remain to be seen.

Philadelphia

Pro: They have a good big man and a good point guard, which always spells success. The Sixers made the biggest splash in the free agent market by plucking Elton Brand from the Clippers. Because of his side job as a movie producer, everyone assumed that Brand would stay in LA to play with his friend and newly signed Clipper Baron Davis. But playing for the Clippers has proven to be a surprisingly undesirable venture, due to Donald Sterling being a generally crappy guy to be around, combined with the giant shadow cast by all those Lakers championship banners hanging from the rafters. So Brand took a pay increase to move to colder climates, play in front of worse fans, and gain a far better chance at winning a championship.

Con: The Sixers are largely untested, and now have a big target on their backs, thanks to the Brand signing. The Philly frontcourt is still a bit thin, given Jason Smith’s knee injury, and the 2/3 position that Andre Iguodala is not playing will be inconsistent for stretches at a time.

Toronto

Pro: The Raptors also have a good big man and a good point guard, both of whom could have career years. The Jermaine O’Neal adds an outstanding defender and good scorer who now does not have to be “The Man” for his team to succeed.

Con: O’Neal has been injured on and off for years now, and already has 11 seasons under his belt. But even if O’Neal is healthy, there is a steep drop off in quality when you get to the swingman positions.

Orlando

Pro: After Lebron James, there isn’t a single player in the NBA whom I would rather start a franchise with than Magic center Dwight Howard. His size, athleticism, and abstinence from nights of hard drinking will ensure that he’s built to last. The Magic have recognized this and have constructed a scaffolding of long range three point shooters to surround their mighty behemoth. Hedo Turkoglu won the NBA’s most improved player award last season, and when paired with Rashard Lewis, the Magic have two young tall shooters to complement #12 in the middle.

Con: Inconsistency at the 2 and 3 position, and little depth in the backcourt. Dwight Howard led the league in free throw attempts with 897 last season, and that number will likely go up unless Howard can begin to make more than 60% of them.  Rashard Lewis’ horrendous six year, $122 million contract will only become more and more bloated, limiting Orlando’s salary cap flexibility at the trade deadline and in the future.

Washington

Pro: The Wizards took the route of promotion from within by retaining the services of Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas.  When healthy, Arenas is one of the best guards in the NBA. He can shoot from well beyond downtown, score from inside, and also possesses a balanced midrange game that keeps defenders from forcing him in any direction. Forwards Jamison and Caron Butler have been incredibly consistent, and each are borderline all-stars.

Cons: Because the Washington front office handed out contracts to its tenured players, it missed out on the chance to reassess the state of its team.  Arenas is been injured off and on for three seasons now, and the Wiz have been treading water as a result.  Jamison, while still very good, eats up a lot of cap space that remains from the $14.5 million they’re handing over to Arenas.

Politicians take break from campaigning to do their jobs

When George W. Bush called Barack Obama to ask him to return to Washington to help pass legislation to help pay for Wall Street’s estimated $700 billion bill, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Obama has been roasted inside Republican circles over the last 4 years for paying more attention to his Presidential aspirations than passing any particular legislation.

The invitation also comes at an interesting time. The president has not been in the middle of negotiations with Congress, leaving that task to his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

So why would Bush asking Obama for help now, resonate in any way other than as a political ploy to pull “Barry-O”, as no one appears to call him, off the campaign trail and up to a negotiation table? Bush clearly doesn’t care what Obama’s policies are, and it’s pretty clear at this point that the American public agrees. And since the Bush bus arrived at “Lame Duck City, population: 1″ a long time ago, it’s feasible that a poorly constructed bailout bill could damage Obama’s credibility down the road.

The answer is that the US has arrived at one of those roadblocks that are steep enough to derail the entire country. The failure of all of the major investment banks won’t just harm the super-elite, but also the retirement plans of every middle class Americans. And saving America’s ability to invest is more important than bailing out the car companies, the airlines, or pretty much any other industry in this country.

This fact is especially important to the McCain camp, who suspended their campaign to fly back to Washington to participate in bailout talks. Because everyone gets screwed by the economy collapsing, it’s extraordinarily counterproductive to play the blame game. Therefore, Obama will look like he’s doing nothing if he merely barks talking points from the campaign trail, but will be painted as a follower by matching McCain’s decision to put legislation ahead of his executive interests.

So both candidates will be forced to put aside their feud in order to put the nation first. And if the bailout works, then both sides can claim a small victory. If the bailout fails, then George W. Bush will have one more gash across his face for the history books to tell about. But either way, the presidential candidates will need to hit the pause button on their campaigns, in order to back up their claims that they are qualified to lead our nation in a time of crisis.

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