I’ve never been a New York fan for anything. The Yankees seem to dump tons of money at players so they are always contenders, while it’s not fair to small market teams, it is business. The Knicks (back in the Ewing days) were always a rough team (I think they secretly wanted to be like the Detroit Bad Boys) but it was the kind of grit that was used in pursuit of championship basketball.
Enter Isaiah Thomas. I’ve never seen such a bunch of heartless, spoiled bums in my life. No I’m not talking about the season ticket holders, I’m talking about the “team” of professional athletes they put on the court every night. A season ago some of these players bought into Isaiah’s “wisdom” and were blindly coaxed into the Dever Brawl. Well after a few other key additions (namely Zach Randolph), even the rookies and “hustle” players have quit caring. While I’m glad they aren’t following the sinking ship that Isaiah has built, they look like they have all together just quit. I’m envious that I have to bust my butt to claim my lousy paycheck while these guys get to put it on idle and claim millions.
I laughed when ESPN’s Chris Sheridan wrote “we’re going to be hearing a few more of those “Fire Isiah” chants — not to mention undoubtedly recalculating our definition of a new low — as this already humiliating Knicks season trudges forward” I laughed but also knew that this was a true statement. I thought it would take a little longer than a week, but you could feel the storm still had more life. Enter the Boston Celtics. Last night they came and smashed the Knicks 59-104. KG and company were making a statement against an evil organization. Well Sheridan posted again this week and came to yet another rationalization, “a week ago that I cautioned never to declare anything a new low for the New York Knicks, because one can always be certain that no matter how bad things may look at the moment, there’s always the distinct possibility no, make that the distinct certainty — that something even more horrific is in store.”
I’m a big fan of Karma and believe the whole Knick organization is getting what it deserves. They have an owner that blindly follows his coach, a president that hires players with bad moral character, a coach that thinks the game is about him and has sexually harassed co-workers and has intentionally ordered “dirty” play against other teams that have resulted in fights, and players that not only are selfish, greedy, and not really that talented, they are also arrogant, they get arrested, and have sex with interns in the back of their Benz while at work. The NY Times went easy on the team calling them a “FLOP.”
I feel bad for the loyal Knicks fans. That rap sheet is long enough for me to give up if I was there. I hate bandwagon jumpers and non-loyal fans, but enough is enough. My hometown team, the Indiana Pacers, went through a period of stupid crap like this that has led to me giving up my season tickets and watching them on TV. Even though they are starting to win again, I’m still not ready to come back because winning isn’t everything. As I get older, I would rather support a team that plays together and supports each other (I actually supported them during the Palace Brawl because it was nice to see them at least stand up for each other, but then I changed my mind after seeing how Artest repaid the team).
Well at least I feel better for letting that rant out, now it’s time to for Mr. Dolan to experience such a relief by firing Coach Thomas. Does anybody know where I can get an official “Fire Isaiah” shirt at? Here is some game footage of an arena full of angry fans telling team ownership what to do…
LeBron James is already “The King,” but will he be able to dethrone the current Triple Double King in Jason Kidd?
Jason Kidd has done it most of his career. In fact it is somewhat expected that he get his nightly triple double. It typically looks like 10-14 pts, 11-13 assists, and 10-11 rebs. He barely makes it in each category, but he usually makes it.Many have argued that this skill comes because he isn’t a natural scorer. Kidd is 3rd on the all-time triple double list (behind Magic (138) and Oscar Robertson (181)).
Now LeBron has decided to give his own interpretation of the triple double. He posted 30 points, 11 rebs, and 10 assists last night against the Pacers. This coming after 37 points, 12 rebs, and 12 assists the night before. (Man I’m glad I traded for him last year when he was in a “slump” in my keeper fantasy league.) Not only is the triple double there, but 30+ points? There has never been doubt about his ability, now it looks like his summer with Team USA is paying off huge dividends. Here is a sweet poll that ESPN.com is running about this topic right now (which has James winning the vote 59% at the time of this post). James may win the title this year, but the Triple Double Czar, Oscar Robertson, is far from worried about his prestigious record where he went as far to average a triple double for an entire season (almost 2 seasons).
I would just like to add my voice to the multitudes of Bulls fans (I’m not one) and Fantasy Managers who are bemoaning the poor start of the team and horrible statistical production of their various players.
This defensive-minded, hustle-oriented team regularly expects its defense to translate into offense, but sadly the Bulls are clearly losing something in translation over the first 7 games of the regular season. In spite of this awful start, coach Scott Skiles isn’t too worried. Perhaps he need not necessarily be, the team DID start off slow last year and yet ended up strong, allowing them to make the Playoffs.
Fantasy-wise, Bulls players leave much to be desired in terms of their lack luster performances that contributed to their 1-6 start.
Previously reliable, backcourt starters, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng have been plague with terrible offensive games. Over the course of the first seven games Ben is averaging 37 FG% (8 pts below last year); Kirk is shooting at a vomit-inducing 34.% - that’s a whopping 10.2 percentage points below last year’s average; “Mr. Efficient“, Luol Deng is averaging 3.5 less points at 5.2% less efficiency than season!
Terrible, terrible - did forget to say “terrible”? - fantasy start for all 3 of these guys!
Ok, so we know the offense is sloppier than a soiled baby’s diaper at the moment, but I feel a major contribution to this poor performance, is the injury the “Big Ben” Wallace is playing through. He hurt his ankle early into the first couple of games and it has clearly affected his game. He’s definitely struggling and this can be seen through his “HALF-average” production. Across the board his defensive numbers (well they’re the ones that count most anyway) are only half of what he was averaging last season. Ben is literally HALF the player he was last year!
It’s not too far fetched to think that his injury - with him being the Bull’s defensive fulcrum and all - is playing a key role in the team’s disheartening performance.
In fairness, Ben is NOT the BULLS. Each player plus the coach is responsible in whatever results the team generates. My buddy, Rick - contributor in my BLOG, feels that the ever-looming KOBE-trade cloud is dampening the team’s morale. I’m not discounting it as a possibility, but I feel the Bulls are at a stage where their injuries and sluggish pre-to-regular season transition has left “Mad Scientist-coach” Scott Skiles no recourse but to once again fiddle with his lineup until his team can find its winning ways once more.
Well the season’s young and there’s a lot more to follow. The Bulls and their players can get better and more frightening so, get worse. My money’s pinned on the prior more than the latter - well at least my hopes are - for the sake of several of my fantasy teams. I’d like to think positive and am willing to forecast a renaissance of the team and its players in the not too distant future, and I don’t mean them acquiring Kobe Bryant…
Ah, that was a nice rant… Feel free to jump in, the water’s just fine!
Now that I have your attention, here is the most recent trade that went down in the Official HoopStar Basketball Fantasy League on NBA.com.
Charlie’s Team sends Al Harrington (C/PF/SF), Kobe Bryant (SG), and Jason Williams (PG).
Team Sean Bower sends Paul Pierce (SF/SG), Kirk Hinrich (PG/SG), and Drew Gooden (PF).
Pros For Charlie’s Team: The addition of Kirk Hinrich adds a lot of assists and 3pts with respectable points (at least when he is not in a slump). Pierce is capable of crazy multi stat lines with the Big 3 in Boston. And Drew Gooden is averaging a double double. This new lineup is stronger for this season.
Cons For Charlie’s Team: I know all the Kobe trade rumors made this deal happen. If Kobe gets frustrated he could use a minor injury to keep him on the bench to force a trade. However, we are in a 2 keeper league and you already traded away Chris Paul earlier in the season. Your keepers went from Kobe and Paul to Pierce and Caron Butler. Hope your season goes well since you gave up a lot for next year.
Pros For Team Sean Bower: You added Kobe, a guy that can single handedly win you the points category on most nights. He is one of the highest players that have big games often. Jason Williams is putting up respectable assists right now. And Harrington gives you a multi-position eligible guy that will start and protect your lineup from injuries. You essentially traded 2 starters and a bench player for 3 starters for you team. Your keepers improved though with Kobe and Gerald Wallace.
Cons For Team Sean Bower: Hinrich and Williams are no where close to equal in value. Hinrich is in a slump right now and is still out performing Williams. And Williams most likely will lose minutes or get injured as the season goes on. Kobe is a big risk right now for missing games or being traded.
Overall Advantage: I really think this trade is wash for both teams. Charlie’s Team will benefit more this season and since he is in the highest division this is important. Team Sean Bower benefits more in the long run by increasing the keeper value and since this team is in the second to last division this will help a lot in helping to advance to the next division in a couple of seasons.
This was a very controversial trade in our league as it received 3 protests. I only overrule a trade when it is clear that someone is giving up or is making a trade that will drastically alter the league balance. Do you see anything that powerful?
Well the first week of our annual fantasy league on NBA.com got off to a controversial start. The Full Roster Rule (AKA Charlie’s Rule) didn’t start out well as the commissioner was not able to enforce the rule as it was worded. This is leading to a possible redesign of the rule (more on that when it happens). Here is a recap of what happened.
The Legends- HoopStar (1-0) beat True Boilermaker (0-1) (this is where the controversy started when Mike Conley failed to log a singe minute). Boilermaker had a pretty good showing even with two of his stars (Wade and Artest) riding the bench. KG was studly.
Charlie’s Team (1-0) beat PirateMD (0-1) thanks to a crazy stat line from Kobe and Big Z. JJ Redick killed PirateMD’s chance of winning by putting up a lot of goose eggs.
SuperStars- Brewtown Bucks (1-0) dominated Caston Crap (0-1) with a huge defensive line thanks to Marcus Camby (18RPG and 5BPG).
Elite Force (1-0) was able to hang on over Phat Daddys (0-1) even though they got handicapped by starting an ineligible roster. Even with Boozer being forced to pine in accordance to Charlie’s Rule, the team was able to hold on.
All-Stars- Jamm Time (1-0) posted the highest score of the week by destroying and injury depleted CryBabies (0-1).
Team Sean Bower (1-0) got things rolling in a win over Popigh Rebelion (0-1) with Tayshaun Prince having a career game.
Shooting Stars- Big Al & Co. were able to hold on The Undefeatables with the emergence of Chris Wilcox and Marvin Williams.
Side School Nets fell victim to Bull Sharks due to a poor showing from Mo Williams.
By now most NBA teams have played their first game here are some random observations:
Kobe scored 45 points the other night and it wasn’t even talked about. There are 3 reasons for this; 1. This amount of points isn’t usual for Kobe 2. His team lost 3. Everybody is more interested in his trade info. While I understand all these factors, I think that it is a disaster this year. I truly believe that Kobe’s stats will stay high, but the Lakers will lose a lot. Kobe doesn’t want to hurt his stock, but he doesn’t want LA to reap the benefits. This is along the same lines as point shaving if you ask me.
Ricky Davis looked good in his first game. I think that he will continue this trend until Wade comes back. It would be nice to see a few more assists, but who is he going to dish it to?
The Rockets looked really good. Tmac is back and with a vengeance. He single handedly willed the Rockets over the Jazz with little help from Yao. I just hope he isn’t teasing us again and then goes down with his back. The Rockets coaching staff needs to take a page from the Spurs and learn how to rest the starters over the season to prevent injuries and allow them to be fresh when it really counts.
I now officially have a man crush on Al Jefferson. Not because I buy into all his hype about being a future stud and cornerstone. I appreciate that he is smart and realistic enough to know that he isn’t worth a max contract. He could be one day, but not today.
Gilbert used to be entertaining, but lately he is just becoming annoying. He reminds me of that kid in open gym that talks trash about scoring 10 points but his team still loses. And then he talks trash all the next day saying how no one can contain him.
Kevin Durant is in for a roller coaster ride.
Dwight Howard looks like he is on his way to distancing himself from Shaq already. Can you imagine his dominance if he shoots 70-75% from the charity stripe? (Howard won’t be able to beat Diesel in a break dancing for years to come).
In general, most people prefer to have players on their fantasy teams who are starters for their real teams in the NBA. This is mainly due to the fact that most NBA starters get more playing time (PT) and subsequently more opportunities to produce fantasy ball statistics. But like many rules, this one has exceptions. There are players out there in teams who come off the bench to produce quality fantasy worth numbers.
Last year, Phoenix’s Leandro Barbosa won the 6th man of the year award and his fantasy value sky rocketed (finishing the season at Rank 14), putting him at a valuable O-Rank of 45 this year. He played a solid average of 32 minutes per game over 80 games as a reserve - this is starter PT material right here!
So it doesn’t necessarily mean that your players need be starters of their respective teams to warrant a spot on your fantasy roster.
With the great number of teams rebuilding this year and with the large movement of players, stars especially, a lot of teams (coaching staff) have yet to firm up the playing times to be alloted to a lot of players out there. Matt Buser wrote a very good related article regarding battles for starting positions (read here).
Just take note and keep watch on players who are on teams that are in a state of flux for playing times to concretize and adjust your draft picks or waiver pick ups accordingly.
Teams with players whose playing time may be volatile in the early part of the season are:
- Seattle Supersonics - guards and forwards
- Atlanta Hawks - guards and forwards
- Houston Rockets - guards
- Portland Trailblazers - everyone, with the probable exception of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, who are pretty much money this season
- Minnesota Timberwolves - Everyone
- Miami Heat - whoever is left other than the Shaq and Wade tandem
- Golden State Warriors - Guards
- LA Clippers - Forwards (Elton Brand injury fall out)
- Milwaukee Bucks - Returning injured players from last year
- Memphis Grizzlies - Guards
We don’t really need to worry too much of star players’ movement over the off season because they are generally dependable and we can count on them to produce the numbers we are looking for. In a similar vein there are coaches (or at least their coaching staff) in the NBA who have a knack for coming up with solid rotations and are able to provide good PT for even their bench players. Mike D’Antoni, coach of the Phoenix Suns - a team that has more diverse talent on its roster than herbs and spices on a piece of Kentucky Fried Chicken, has a brilliant rotation for his team. He somehow magically gets a lot of his players, starters and reserves alike, solid playing per game. Rick Adelman of the Houston Rockets is still feeling out how to juggle the assortment of PGs and SGs he’s got. But rest assured, things will settle down quite quickly as this newly appointed Rockets coach forms his rotation.
On the other hand, Scott Skiles, Chicago’s head coach, likes to fiddle with his lineup and his players’ PT. He likes to experiment a lot in this area. Case in point, Ben Gordon’s (one of the team’s best offensive weapons) volatile starts and PT over the ‘05-’06 roller coaster of a season. A player like Andres Nocioni, who is coming back from a season plagued with plantar fasciitis, may not have as clear cut a role and PT as other returning players on other teams.
So know the players on your watchlists and know the coaches they are playing for, to get a better perspective on their projected and actual PT this season.
You’ve got your “bluechip” picks who you can count on to bring home the bacon for your team night in and night out. Combine these with your sleeper picks and hopefully your team will clobber its opposition. I now want to discuss another kind of pick in the draft. I call these players high risk/reward picks. They’re not sleepers in the sense that you can expect them to post the numbers that will give a significant impact to your team’s overall production, however, these guys do come with risks attached. History of injuries or uncertainty of their potential games played (GP) and/or playing time due to other factors keep them from being considered bluechip players. I’ve made some recommendations as to what round I feel the rewards are worth the risks in terms drafting these guys. These rounds are based on a 12-man league and are applicable to both rotisserie and head-to-head formats.
Yao Ming - Here’s a first pick that makes me cringe at the thought that, based on history, will not play 82 games for my team. If healthy, he would definitely give Amare Stoudemire a run for his money as the BEST center in the NBA. He rebounds a similar number of boards and has the capability to score as much as Amare, but Yao has more blocks and actually does something no other center in the NBA can do - which is lift your team’s FT% through his high number of attempts (8.6) at the line at an awesome percentage of 86.2%! Take note that centers are notorious for pulling down a team’s FT%. The problem is, he’s missed 59 games in the past two seasons which averages out to roughly 50 GPs per season which can be devastating to teams, especially those in head-to-head leagues! In a couple of “practice” drafts, I’ve seen him get passed over for lower ranked players and even saw him drop as low as an early second round pick. Clearly, there are a lot of players who are wary to call Yao their primary C. So you can see how picking him can be a risky draft day decision.
ROUND to Pick: Very late 1st round or early 2nd round
Marcus Camby - Playfully teased as “Cotton Camby” by previously burned and disgruntled fantasy owners, Marcus is truly a high risk/reward player. He’s managed to play an average of 55 games through the course of his 11-year NBA career. This injury-prone all-star caliber center was the hands down NBA shot block leader last season in spite of missing 12 games! Just take a quick look at the “goods” he delivered last season: 3.3 BLKS, 1.2 STLS, 11.7 REBS, all at a very efficient 1.7 TOs per game. How many players were capable of finishing the season at Y! Rank 8 while playing only 70 games? He just proved that he can really rack up the center stats and anchor your team in those categories. Was last year’s 70 game performance a fluke? I guess you will have to ask yourself that question come draft day. . .
ROUND to Pick: 2nd
Baron Davis - He’s the poster boy for fragile point guards out there. He keeps you on the seat of your pants as he produces solid PG numbers while giving you nail-biting anxiety as you wonder when he’ll go down with an injury. If last year’s playoff performance is any indication as to how he’ll perform this season, then you’ve got yourself a 2nd-round quality guard! The Warriors have opted to wait out this season before offering Baron a contract extension (Read more). Jeez! If his own team is THAT concerned with his health, then as a fantasy manager you should be too. There is, however, another side to this coin. Baron, will now more than ever, be motivated to stay healthy and produce awesome numbers. His performance this season will be his bargaining chip for his dealings with GS or any other team that may be interested in his services.
ROUND to Pick: 3rd
It’s time for the final draft review for the Official HoopStar Fantasy Basketball League hosted by NBA.com.
Before I get into the final division here are the links to the other 3 divisions that I made predictions for in case you missed them: Div. 4 ShootingStars, Div.3 AllStars, Div.2 SuperStars. Just a reminder that we use a promotional system where the best team in each division moves up and the worst teams move down. The top 2 teams in each division are invited to the end of season tournament.
Without further ado, here are some insights on the Legends. HoopStar Basketball (my team) is the defending champs. I was very active in the offseason to improve my draft picks (even though I had to give up some studs to my competition). True Boilermaker is always a threat since he will make a lot of moves in the season (even though he had one of the most questionable drafts this season). Charlie’s Team and PirateMD always seem one big win away from challenge the league for supremacy.
Charlie’s Team- This team has the guard positions on lock with keepers in Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Even though CP3 season ended early with having some screws inserted, I think he has another solid season. He could push for a share of the steals and assist title if Peja comes back healthy. Kobe can single handedly win the ppg section. My only concern with Kobe is his trade demands. I think he will either play out of the world to improve his trading power, or could pull a Scottie Pippen if an injury sidelines him.
Keeper Grade: A
Charlie was able to take advantage of our online draft for the most part, but since he had given up his first pick for the rights of Paul, he wasn’t able to draft another stud to help anchor his team. This move may hurt some this season, but having Paul and Kobe should provide to be a good move for the long term. Rd2.7 Tyson Chandler, Rd3.10 Al Harrington, Rd4.7 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Rd5.10 Darko Milicic, Rd6.7 Jarrett Jack, Rd7.10 Jason Williams, Rd8.7 Vladimir Radmanovic, Rd9.3 Jamaal Magloire, Rd9.10 Glen Davis. I’m not a huge Chandler fan even with his huge rebounds (his FT% and lack of points hurt a lot). I liked the Jarrett Jack grab (which he later dropped) and the Glen Davis pick. The other guys are a bunch of underachievers that have potential, but haven’t shown signs of reaching it anytime soon.
Overall Draft Grade: C- Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
PirateMD- This team seemed to lose by the smallest margin last year. You could never chalk up a win even when this team was struggling. With Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire as keepers, this team touches every category except for steals. The only problems I have with these keepers are the they play on the same team and their production involves the other one. If Nash goes down then Amare will lose out on a faster paced game and easy dunks in transition. If Amare’s knee acts up, then Nash doesn’t have a legit post presence that he can bail out to when he drives.
Keeper Grade: A-
With Nash and Amare already anchoring this team, PirateMD could leave his options open in the draft. Even though he wasn’t able to make the draft (I don’t see how med school or the fiancée could have gotten in the way), he lucked out with some pretty good picks. Rd1.9 Antawn Jamison, Rd2.8 Josh Howard, Rd3.9 Raymond Felton, Rd4.8 Chris Kaman, Rd5.9 Andrew Bynum, Rd6.8 Boris Diaw, Rd7.9 Hakim Warrick, Rd8.8 Jeff Foster, Rd9.9 Nick Young. I can’t believe Josh Howard slipped that far. I think Felton, Kaman, and Diaw (if the Marion trade happens) could all have break out seasons. I’m not high on the Warrick and Foster picks, but Nick Young could be good down the stretch.
Overall Draft Grade: A Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
True Boilermaker- Oh yes on to my nemeses. This team is owned by my younger brother. Each year he makes a serious push for the title. Last season he saw his hopes go down the drain with DWade was injured. His title quest became even more meaningless when KG sat out when the Wolves were trying to tank the season. Well he decided to keep Kevin Garnett even with the move to Boston and decided to take a chance on DWade even after having gone through major surgery. To me both these keepers are in a brand new situation. They have been studs in the past, but I’m not sold on whether they can repeat past performances, let alone have the chance to be better than last season.
Keeper Grade: B+
This owner can to the draft without any preparation at all. He decided to wing it and it showed. He by far had one of the most questionable drafts in HoopStar history. Rd1.11 Zach Randolph, Rd2.6 Richard Hamilton, Rd3.11 Mike Conley Jr., Rd4.6 Kenyon Martin, Rd5.11 Shaquille O’Neal, Rd6.6 Al Horford, Rd7.11 Elton Brand, Rd.8.6 Earl Boykins, Rd9.11 Chris Webber. The only good pick I see is Conley Jr. (and maybe Horford). Randolph is on a new team and has an identical player already sharing his soft role (Eddy Curry). Rip went early and offers little besides FT% (unless we had a most 15-footers made category). Kenyon Martin…are you serious???? IN THE FOURTH???? He most likely would have been there in the 9th. Shaq must have magically learned to shoot Free-Throws. Elton Brand is out for most of the season (and with the Clippers not looking good, they won’t rush to get him back).
Overall Draft Grade: F- Predicted Division Finish: 4th
HoopStar Basketball- I hate doing a review of my team because I have certain strategy in my picks and in my roster. So this one will be brief but accurate. I was able to make some moves early and late (getting an injured Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, getting Randolph at a bargain, drafting Brandon Roy, and getting rid of CP3 at the end) in the season that paid off dearly and made my title run possible. As a result I have Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki as keepers. Dirk is a good yen to Lebron’s yang (bad FT% and TOs).
Keeper Grade: A
I was able to improve my draft picks by making trades before the draft. I sent CP3 and Pao Gasol away in order to move up in the draft. I hated making my competition stronger in the long run, but I could only keep 2 players and Lebron and Dirk made more sense. Rd1.3 Caron Butler, Rd1.10 Brandon Roy, Rd2.2 Mehmet Okur, Rd2.14 Ricky Davis, Rd3.3 Andrei Kirilenko, Rd4.14 Peja Stojakovic, Rd5.3 Marco Belinelli, Rd6.14 Luis Scola, Rd7.3 Jeff Green. I used my first pick on the best player available (Caron) instead of needs since Lebron is already anchoring my UTL spot. I liked having Roy last season and his numbers should improve with Greg Oden out. I like Okur’s offensive numbers but it does hurt my defensive stats not to have a blocking big man. I should have added assists at the Ricky Davis spot. With my starters set I used risky picks that could pay off huge. Peja and AK47 could return to fantasy domination this season (especially if Kirilenko goes to Phoenix). Coach Nelson seems to love Belinelli and all the starters in the Warriors system do very well. Scola and Green could see an immediate impact this season since they have little competition for their jobs.
Overall Draft Grade: A- Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Well there they are folks. A complete ranking on each division. The trade market is starting to come alive as teams start tweaking rosters for the season to start. Feel free to stop in and see who is doing well. I will post a weekly update on standings and transactions as the league starts its games.
Let me be one of the first to say that Shawn Marion seems to be a great person (he doesn’t have an arrest record or any off court issues) but he is a slightly better than average NBA player. He used to be the best and most athletic player on the Phoenix Suns before they started making their playoff push. Now Marion is more like the third best player on the team (Nash and Stoudamire are better players) and now most likely the second most gifted athlete on the team (I think Stoudamire post injury is an athletic beast, just imagine him without the injury).
Marion signed a huge max contract a few years ago when the Suns were in the cellar. Nobody wanted to play in Phoenix unless you were getting ready to retire and wanted a head start on retirement villages. Then they drafted Stoudamire and acquired Nash in the free agent market. Overnight this team became a real championship contender (and may even have one if not for the scrutinized calling of the Spurs series this past season). Marion remained the team’s highest paid player, but not the team’s best commodity. He soon became expendable. The NBA is a business and the Suns realize they are now overpaying for the Matrix’s services.
This has lead to the trade rumors. Marion to Utah for AK-47 or Marion to the Lakers for Odom. The Suns know they can stick a fairly good shooting and athletic player into spot and they will see similar results. I contend that there would be little slippage if Danny Granger or Boris Diaw played the 3 for Phoenix. I don’t like the Lakers deal because they don’t need Odom to handle the ball and the Suns’ game is too athletic for an injury prone Odom (here is another blogger’s thought on Marion to LA). However I love the Utah deal (and not just because I own Ak47 in my fantasy league). Kirilenko would help an under sized Stoudamire a lot in those half court games against the Spurs. And Kirilenko is athletic enough to get dunks on the Steve Nash fast breaks. The only thing that he doesn’t have is a 3-ball. I think Marion would add a level of athleticism to Utah. Williams could get out on the break and look for Marion instead of waiting for Boozer and Okur to finally get down the floor.
I like Marion (he played some college ball right here in Indiana at Vincennes Juco). I can appreciate a good mannered and respectable athlete in today’s game. I think Marion’s feelings have been hurt now that he is not the franchise and he wants to leave. I can’t feel too bad though because he will take his unorthodox jumper and still make millions somewhere else.