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Kevin McHale and the Cult of Reason

June 18, 2009 in by with 5 Comments

Kevin McHale has few equals in his status as an NBA punchline.  His track record as an exec is covered with the torn jerseys of players past and soaked in the tears of Wolves fans everywhere.  From polaroids of Joe Smith to Dwane Casey’s headstone, the evidence of McHales failures as a manager is overwhelming.

Some of McHale’s flubs are understandable, others unforgivable.  But all in all, I didn’t quite shed a tear the day he was canned from his management duties.  He was given keys to the car he built, a level of accountability that few managers in this league are held to.  The Wolves deserve plenty of praise for that, even if they stood ildly by while McHale ruined the franchise’s hopes for the better part of a decade.  That’s why I was a bit disappointed with the franchise’s latest move to can McHale, the plague that he was, from his coaching duties.  I’m not calling for Kevin to get his job back, or anything close to demanding it.  But I certainly wouldn’t have minded.  Separating McHale the coach and McHale the executive was apparently too tall a task for the Wolves’ new brass, and if the move was made in the name of wiping the slate clean then I have no objections.

That said, I still feel like McHale is getting a bit of a raw deal.  His work as a head coach was admirable, and players from Al Jefferson and Kevin Love all the way to Mark Madsen have sung his praises as a excellent coach and teacher.  He managed to find some success during his time as a head coach until Jefferson’s sent the team reeling.  The Timberwolves had already endured an unexpected down season from Mike Miller, a season ending injury to Corey Brewer, and a recovering Randy Foye by the time Jefferson went down, and to expect anything significant from an already limited roster sans Jefferson is a bit ridiculous.  There was no playoff run and there was no late season miracle, but McHale was able to raise the spirits of a limited team decimated by injury.  It’s not much, but it’s something.

At this point in his career, I don’t think there’s much that Kevin McHale is entitled to.  He hasn’t earned a second chance.  But considering what the Wolves were able to accomplish in short spurts this past season (a 10-2 run in January, in particular), shouldn’t David Khan and his staff face the possibility that McHale may be the right man for this job?  Doing so brings about a strange conflict of interests; McHale’s success as a coach with this team as constructed would be akin to admitting that his firing was a mistake.  It would be an acknowledgement that the right coach could have made sense from McHale’s muddled roster.  Khan gave no real explanation for McHale’s firing, and so we have no way of knowing.

I fully understand the importance of a fresh start, but I can’t shake this feeling that the reasons McHale was fired have little to do with his coaching ability. I empathize with the blood-for-blood mentality, but as a member of the congregation in the Church of Actually-Employing-People-Who-Can-Do-Their-Damn-Job, I feel a bit dirty.  Being a former player doesn’t make you a qualified executive, but demonstrating some teaching ability is a valuable asset for the head coach of a young team.  Does firing him in the name of a fresh start in spite of his talents really bring about a Timberwolf Revolution?  McHale may have gotten what was coming to him, but he’s ultimately a victim to the twisted logic of an old regime.

Offseason Predictions (Twitter Style)

June 17, 2009 in by with 2 Comments

So we are officially in the offseason. For some, such as myself, this time of the year is even more exciting than the actual NBA season. Hyperboles abound, conspiracy theories run amok and trade rumors generate faster than new internet memes. Well, almost.

Speaking of internet memes, a few Twitter heavy bloggers, starting with the excellent Devine over at City Line started the #offseasonpredictions hashtag and Tweet driver. A few other folks, such as Unsilent Majority from KSK and myself got in a few good ones. Needless to say, these 140 character wishes/hopes/nightmare scenarios became a good way to crack up other bloggers, scare fans and create hilarious jumping off points for future .gif files, photoshops and so much more.

I implore you all to get in on the fun, follow me or Matt and amaze the Twitterati with your prescience and/or sadistic expectations for our favorite NBA stars in these unpredictable months.

If you don’t do Twitter (or don’t want to do Twitter) then drop some comments in the box. But remember, only 140 characters – this is a challenge! And don’t forget the #hashtag.

Some of the favorites from last night include:

Unsilent: Andray Blatche will be injured after getting rolled by a convincing transvestite prostitute. His jumper will regress. #offseasonpredictions

Devine: Andre Iguodala’s going to get way into the one-man shows of John Leguizamo. I mean, INTO ‘em. Like, quoting “Miggy’s.” #offseasonpredictions

Corndogg: Gilbert Arenas starts the microtweeting trend. Just 21 characters n a .gif file. He coins it blippering. #offseasonpredictions

Corndogg: Ricky Rubio visits Memphis. Decides he likes dry rub ribs n being close to tunica. Decides to work out 4 grizz #offseasonpredictions

Corndogg: Glen “big baby” Davis stars in the new Tyler perry joint: Good Will.I.Am Hunting. #offseasonpredictions

See you in the comments and on Twitter, you wild and crazy guys gals folks internet hooligans.

Los Angeles Lakers With More Rings Than Your Local Deserving Star

June 15, 2009 in by with 12 Comments

  • D.J. Mbenga
  • Adam Morrison
  • Shannon Brown (doesn’t deserve to be on this list)
  • Josh Powell
  • Sauron
  • Luke Walton
  • Sun Yue

Singularity

June 15, 2009 in by with 1 Comment

Those who choose to surround themselves with sports encounter constant comparison.  Which player is better?  Which team is better?  If X player wins Y amount of rings, would that make him the best of all-time?  To be honest, I love it.  I need it.  I’ve always been one to squabble, and whether it’s movies, books, or the greatest third-string center of all-time, I get drawn in just like everyone else.

But I think it would be prudent if for one day, we lay off the comparisons.  We lay off the legacy talk.  As much as the Lakers are truly despised, they just completed a fantastic playoff run, and controlled the Finals in dominant fashion.  It’s not that the Lakers deserve special treatment, that they alone should be the ones to benefit from the “Day After Rule.”  Hardly.  The day after the Finals, we, as a collective (I’m not even sure who all that encompasses) should try our best to appreciate the winners for what they were able to accomplish this year.  In the context of league history and individual histories, the Lakers accomplished a lot last night.  But to boil down that championship run as Kobe’s first without Shaq, or another paperweight for Phil, or the emergence of Pau Gasol as whatever you didn’t think he was before…just seems wrong.  Focusing on individual storylines and details can be a fantastic enterprise, but in this case I truly think it disservices the bigger picture: the Lakers kicked ass in these playoffs.  They forgot who they were for a minute against the Rockets, but on the whole we’ve seen some terrific basketball from L.A..  Good enough, in fact, that today I don’t care to think about Phil vs. Red, or what this means for Kobe in the grand scheme of things.  We’ve got a long summer ahead of us, and there will be plenty of time for that.  What I want today is a proper acknowledgement that the Lakers weren’t just a really, really good team, but one that happened to trump the Magic with superior will. 

The Finals weren’t a case of divine right trumping hard work.  The Lakers definitely have the world’s largest silver spoon in their collective mouths (try wrapping your head around that), but the Finals were not an exercise in complacency.  The triangle dismantled one of the best offenses in the league, and though having a Kobe or a Pau around doesn’t hurt things, the team executed from top to bottom.  Trevor Ariza thoroughly embarrassed the Magic for their poor decision-making both on the defensive end, and in trading him to the Lakers.  Luke Walton gave quality minutes to the cause, exploiting mismatches in the post and working the ball around.  Lamar Odom did what he was designed to do when he was Frankensteined in a lab all those years ago.  Derek Fisher, who is probably too slow to still be a starting point guard, showed that at least he’s not Rafer Alston.  Business was taken care of. 

These are your 2008-2009 NBA champs, and they were brilliant.  How else do you describe Kobe’s performances?  The ball movement?  The Staples Center crowd?

…Okay, maybe not that last one.

Look, nobody is crazy about the idea of the Lakers winning it all.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate, in typical playoff fashion, the last thing that we saw.  We saw a better team execute at an incredible level against an elite defense, we saw the elevation of games on a personal and team-wide level, and we saw the Lakers perform in a manner all series long that should remove any doubts to their worthiness.  The Lakers accomplished a singularly great thing last night: a pretty damn good team playing to its potential.  As such, we should appreciate their accomplishment with blinders on.  Phil’s tenth, Kobe’s first P.S., that all can wait.  This is a day for the Lakers as a team/organization and Los Angeles as a city, as it’d be a pity for this singular success to be overlooked.

Respect

June 15, 2009 in by with 2 Comments

ph2009061500545(*Ali G finger snap!)

Today, I am grateful for a few things. I am glad the Lakers won the NBA Championship. They deserved it. Throughout the entire playoffs, they never got too frustrated, they always made time shots/stops and they had been building this team for this moment over the last 2 years. And it paid off. After some turmoil, some sulking (last year’s Finals) and some hate, the Lake show proved what we all were wanting to deny since last Fall – that they were good enough, smart enough and doggone it – well, really good enough – to win the title.

However, the one thing I am most grateful for today is, in so few words, hope. I hope that this title, this vindication of Kobe, this dominating performance throughout will finally turn the tide on the Laker chatter throughout the blogosphere and in the MSM. Sure, winning it all isn’t going to make Kobe haters less angry. Far from it. But, what it can do, and what I hope it actually does, is turn the Lakerrati away from always being on the defensive, always up in arms about Kobe and the rest and turns that passion into peace.

Don’t get me wrong. HP will still find ways to antagonize Laker fans and Kobe diehards. It’s part of our DNA. But now, in this moment of triumph, I would like to see these fans, after taking the very long and very justified moment in the sun, chill out. You have done it. You made history. Mamba minue Shaq. The past 7 years are but whisper in time. If you want to drop a few “I Told You Sos,” that’s fine too. We can handle it. We’re big boys and girls around here.

But please just turn the check. Embrace your power and look forward. You’ve got a very bright future and, besides, if you wanted to settle every grudge you had with those less enamored with any one of a million aspects of the Lakers, you’d have be a modern Methuselah.

So, congrats to Kobe, Fish, even Machine and Ammo. And especially, congrats to Phil Jackson – you, sir, are the greatest.

And just for fun, and because we love you all, please feel free to go back and peruse the great work we hosted for our first (and most likely only) annual Kobe Bryant Blog Day. I am sure someone predicted this…

(Photo courtesy of Washington Post)

Sometimes You’re Just Better Than Everyone Else

June 15, 2009 in by with 10 Comments

Yahoo! Sports

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans on their 15th (!) championship.

The only way the Lakers could atone for their atrocious play in the semifinals was to come out and absolutely blast a very good Magic team. And they did it. They showcased everything you would need to make the argument that this was a great team. Pau Gasol playing terrific defense and hitting shots only he and Dirk can hit. Kobe hitting shots only he and Voltron can hit. Fisher playing the part of the savvy veteran hitting big shots. Ariza being pure energy. And Odom, always Odom, putting it together and playing to and beyond his athletic potential, just playing fantastic basketball.

The Orlando Magic were not frauds, wimps, or shellshocked. They were not shocked by being in the Finals. They were not unprepared, starry-eyed, or overwhelemed. SVG was not outcoached. The Lakers were just the better team. Why must we trash one team who made it to the freaking Finals in order to congratulate the best team? The Lakers were great, as they have been all season. And they were better in this series. Nuff said.

i picked the Magic in seven becasue my heart ran away with my head, and I feel like picking the Lakers was too easy. I hate easy picks. But it would have been the right pick. Not just because they’re now the champs, but becasue I knew they were the best team. I was never convinced, even by Cleveland’s late run, that any team but the Lakers deserved the mantle of “best.”

The Lakers started this season dominating everyone. They then went and destroyed Boston and Cleveland. They took down every challenger, weathered losing Bynum again, and still killed everyone but Charlotte. The Lakers were the best team in the NBA this season, becasuse they are talented, athletic, tall, and, for longer periods than not, focused. And all those things equate why they’re a great team.

Congratulations, Laker Nation. You can crow about your franchise being the best again, and it has all the weight it needs, fifteen times over.

UPDATE: Since Yams pointed out I buried the Lakers last year, it’s only right that I trash the Magic, even though I don’t feel like there was much else they could do outside of a handful of plays to beat this team. I was wrong last year about LA. There was no shame in what they did. There wasn’t a team in the world that was going to stop Boston last year, just as nothing was going to stop LA. But let’s talk about the Magic for a moment.

  • The big question is whether to re-sign Hedo or not. Otis Smith has made noise that they plan on doing just that, and that they’re willing to go into luxury-tax-land for it. But I’m not so certain that’s what this team needs. They need more balance, and a semblance of a traditional lineup. Lewis needs to play as an oversized 3. Turkoglu’s not quick enough to play a traditional 2 role. And they need a rebound and clean-up player (Brandon Bass). Their size should be an advantage for them, but LA murdered them on the boards. And that’s not talent on the Lakers end. That’s drive.
  • SVG deserves as much blame as anyone on the Magic, even though the Master of Panic stuff is ridiculous (they made the freaking Finals!).  He didn’t have his team ready in the closing moments of games, consistently overreacted to elements and adjustments, and most importantly, abandoned the thing that got him here, shutting down support players.
  • Howard’s not there yet.I don’t think he needs to be, because of his age, but he isn’t.
  • Welcome back to earth, Mikael Pietrus. Hope you like the atmosphere while you were up there.
  • There was a point in time when I really thought that Rashard Lewis could give the Magic more than 25 a night consistently if called upon. That was not smart.

Also, just to respond to something else asked in the comments, I think Trevor Ariza is a perfect example of a great Laker player. That is, the guy’s not going to be a star on many other teams, but in the triangle, told to do specific things and fill certain roles, like nailing spot up threes, he was terrific this year. The guy’s no bust. He works his ass off on both ends of the floorand while he can be a little reckless, you need some of that if you want to win a title. That dude’s getting PAID. He and Rick Fox should go bowling together.

And as KD pointed out over at BDL, Pau Gasol has forever shed the soft label. You don’t have to be emphatic if you’re really, really, really freaking good.

Hindsight’s 20-20,and right now, this Lakers team looks better by the minute. Championship shine will do that to you.

The Nightmare

June 12, 2009 in by with 5 Comments

Last night, when I laid down to rest, I found none.  No ease, no comfort, no relaxation in the thoughts that raced through my mind upon entering the dream world.  Just a single face.  A single vision.  Taunting.  Smiling.  Pure dagnasty evil staring me right in the face and creating the greatest horror, tension, and pain to my very core.  I knew misery and it knew me.  For one night, I was in Hell, with a demon’s face my only friend.

When I awoke from my dark, evil dream, I started along with my daily routine, not noticing things for quite what they seem.  But when I cracked open this laptop, imagine my surprise, when I saw a replay of the things in my mind: a nightmarish vision through a Firefox window, evil incarnate, hope eradicated, and painful dissonance everlasting.

Photo from the 2009 Playoffs tumblr.

I have seen this face of Derek Fisher, and to see him is to know pain.

Kobe smacks Jameer Nelson in the jaw (incidentally) with an elbow, and Derek Fisher steps into his second well-timed contribution of the night; In the wake of those events, as a defeaning silence overtook the Orlando crowd, Fisher stood, motionless, letting his smirk do the talking.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is a bad, bad man.

And this Lakers team is a bad, bad team.  Fish, Kobe, Ariza, and Pau are stone-cold killers.  They would kill your greatest hopes and dreams without a moment’s hesitation, and rather than react in typical fashion with a strut or a chest pound, they smile in the face of the Magic’s almost certain demise.  Missed free throws and poor shot selection may have made the Magic stumble in the dark, but it was still up to Fisher and company to deal the final blows.  If the Magic choked, it was because Derek Fisher was strangling them.  A year ago, the Lakers, collectively, may have wavered.  This year’s model holds none of the same indecision, and that’s why they’re one win away from the championship.  All-time greats the 2009 Lakers may not be, but they’ve taken care of business against a tough Magic team under the most scrutiny imagineable.  Kobe’s done his work, Pau has been incredible at times, and Lamar Odom has led an entire supporting cast in filling the team’s most gaping holes. 

All of this came through in one fiendish smile, in excellence, moxie, and resolve personified.  Fish smiles not because the Lakers live, but because the Magic dies.  That’s the mindset that it took to elevate these Lakers to their eventual throne, and take note: we’ve just seen the awakening of something truly powerful.

On Derrick Rose, Gang Signs, and Chicago

June 11, 2009 in by with 83 Comments

derrick-rose-gang-signs

Recently, this picture of Derrick Rose throwing up Gangster Disciples signs surfaced.  No one knows how old it is.  No one knows who he’s with, or why he’s throwing up signs.  However, this isn’t one of those Paul Pierce is-he-or-isn’t-he things, where we’re not sure if he’s throwing up signs.  He is.  And really, it’s not terribly surprising that something like this would happen.

It’s common knowledge that there’s a very big gang structure in Chicago, particularly on the South Side where Rose grew up.   In fact, checking back on an old Byron Crawford post, we find this:

Every single aritst, athelete and business that made it is sponsored by the gangs(mainly BD’s) and they all have to give a cut of their money. [sic]

That whole post is hearsay, obviously, but it’s certainly based in some truth.  Chicago and it’s surrounding areas are a hotbed of gang activity.  It’s a huge, huge city, so that sort of thing happens.  But it’s also a circumstance of his upbringing that Rose would be associated at all with this  sort of thing.  It’s scary and dangerous that Rose could at all be indebted to Chicago gangs, if it’s true.  But it’s also a fact of his life that he really didn’t have much choice.

Gang growth and police action pushed this stuff out to suburbs like Aurora, and even to my hometown of Plano, a place with a population of 5,000 that’s a little more than an hour south of Chicago.   My town was tiny and a week after graduation, several of the kids from my graduating class of 68 were arrested for running a gang affiliated drug ring.  If I had friends like that in a podunk town famous only for inventing the reaper, it’s not too hard to imagine that Rose’s friends could be associated with something similar but worse.

I find it hard to condemn Rose for being a 20-year old (or maybe younger) who throws up gang signs he was raised with.  We can’t know why it happened without being there.

(photo via DaBullz)

Part III, In Which The Pendulum Swings Both Ways: Lakers at Magic, Game 3

June 10, 2009 in by with 7 Comments

  • First off, an apology to you, the reader. I was unable to provide notes after Game 2 due to pressing real life issues. I swear it was not simply me ducking the Lakers win, as I made sure to post after Game 1. Please forgive me for not posting after Game 2, but I really truly did not have the time. As for Game 3…
  • Wow. I did NOT see that coming.
  • Kobe Bryant clangs free throws, and then gets the ball stolen in the final possessions of the game? Really?
  • Really?
  • Will someone call Hell and ask if it’s a deep freeze, or just a dusting?
  • Tonight was one of those nights where I sound like a moron. In the liveblogs, I noted that Rafer Alston would likely come out and burn the Magic with bad decisions. Yeah, he kind of pwned the Lakers.
  • Then I mentioned how I didn’t like the Lee-on-Kobe matchup. Then the kid goes out and plays fantastic defense on him. Lee’s boxscore was quiet. His impact was not. He managed to do the impossible. He frustrated Bryant. Okay, maybe not impossible, but really really difficult.
  • Oh, hey Mikael Pietrus, didn’t notice you standing there. What’s that? You just got here? Oh, good to know. Sure, make yourself at home.
  • The best thing the Magic did tonight was to create different looks for getting Howard the ball. Instead of just posting him on the left block time after time after time like a broken record, they set pick and roll situations and delivered fast, hard passes inside to him. The Lakers adjusted late in the game, but by then, they were going to their other weapons enough. Howard was getting prime positioning inside.
  • The Lakers held firm to the No Dunks Allowed policy, but with that kind of position, Howard got to the line which hurt the Lakers. And with Lamar Odom floating around his usual home of outer space again until the 4th quarter, that was enough for the Magic to win.
  • How do you feel confident after shooting 63%, winning the rebounding battle, evening the turnover ratio, shooting 15% better from the stripe, and only winning by four?
  • By “It’s the freaking Finals and a win is a win.” That’s how. Because otherwise, there’s not much to celebrate.
  • And in my opinion, there’s not. For either side. There’s probably too much of a lax “Eh, they can have this one” from Lakers fans, but then, their team has been dominant all year, they’ve earned it. Both sides have held serve through three games. The Magic pushed the Lakers in Game 2, but couldn’t get it done. The Lakers pushed the Magic in Game 3 but fell apart. I’d say game 4 is pivotal, but come on. It’s the Finals. Every single game swings the momentum, according to the media. In reality, we’ll just have to see how the buckets fall.
  • I actually thought the Lakers did a much better job of valuing possessions tonight. As a team. One person, on the other hand, elected to take tough shots with time left on the shot clock and forced the issue too much.
  • But we won’t talk about him.
  • I liked what Hedo Turkoglu did tonight. Got the step back jumper going, which sucked out the defense, which opened up the lane, which opened up the passing lanes. Hedo played very strong tonight and attacked the rim instead of opting for perimeter shots.
  • As a whole, the Magic seemed to focus on that approach, pump faking and then taking confident pull-up jumpers. In Games 1 and 2, they seemed unsure. As if when they pulled up they were wondering if they should be driving and when driving wondering if they should have pulled up. Passing was crisper, and the Magic refound their stroke. It had to happen eventually. This team was not going to shoot below 30% for seven games.
  • On the one hand, the Orlando crowd seemed into it from the very beginning, was loud, was together, and was intense. On the other, they needed help from the PA and one of those host guys, and did the wave. So not a flawless crowd performance. But, their identity isn’t based on famous people who haven’t watched a game all season, so they get the win.
  • If you ask me who is more likely to win the series, I say Lakers, because of how well they’ve played up until tonight in the second half. But if you ask me what’s more likely, the Magic sweeping at home or the Lakers giving up one of their last two games, I think LA is slightly more likely to crumble. But that’s because they check out often mentally, and you can never predict it.
  • Everyone likes to focus on how Rashard Lewis needs to go inside more. He’s big, athletic, talented, why not attack the basket? Then late in the game he drives and gets erased by Odom. Then later, he nails a step back, in your face three to seal it for the Magic. I’m just saying. I’m not going to ask Death Cab for Cutie to write an Industrial Goth Hate Anthem. I’m sure they might be able to make a pretty good one. But let’s stick with what we’re good at.
  • Still waiting on Andrew Bynum to become the next great NBA center. Stiiiiiiiiil waiting.
  • There was a lot of frustration for the Lakers defensively, which is kind of their MO. Good defensive things do the little things that help get you a win. The Lakers do those things. Great defensive teams also make adjustments and are able to communicate with one another to cover those adaptations. The Lakers are a good, not great defensive team. Which is fine, because they are a simply awesome offensive team.
  • Mark Jackson was criticizing the Magic for their defense on Kobe Bryant in the first quarter. “You’ve got to guard him better than that.” My question? HOW?! You stay with him, keep position, don’t foul, and get a hand in his face. If he drills it? What else are you going to do?
  • Courtney Lee (CLeeFree) is a balls-out man.

Ingredients Of An L.A. Presser With Lamar Odom

June 8, 2009 in by with 3 Comments

The NBA Finals: they aren’t just about following either The Euro, The Bro, or The Dad dress code for post game press conferences. The stage is also about individual swagger, and not many can exemplify personal swag like Lamar Odom.

For one, it’s good to blend in, Odom sporting what looks to be a standard-issue blue zip-up airport ground control suit. Also notice the carpet-matching-the-drapes bonus, with that crazy dressin’ old dude being the carpet. It’s like he reserved a front row seat and sat down right before Lamar started speaking specifically to blend in.

bro-at-lakers-presser

L.A. is a sex-pot town, and everything must be done in a fabulous manner. Notice here how Lamar saunters up to the water being given to him while seductively staring the cup down.

When Gloria Clemente said something about quenching thirst in White Men Can’t Jump, Odom took note. He didn’t want a glass of water, although more than happy to take it, he would have rather the water guy understand the concept of dry-mouthedness.

odom-seduces-water

And for the Magic … Curse of Nick Anderson? … no such thing.

Dwight Howard and Co. had their heads in La-La Land with Jack, Denzel, and the like.
Super Jesus opted for additional stage time to express his monologue to the refs….
worrying about the game would have been a better option.

orlando-magic-and-jack

The guy who wrote this also has a blog about the Washington Wizards, Truth About It.net.
Sad. He knows.

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