NBA: Fix the Problem

Admittedly, when college basketball is on I watch college basketball, no matter if it be Indiana vs Purdue, or Duke vs Saint Mary's of the Woods, but why? Maybe it's my love for college basketball, but it also has to do with the sick feeling in my stomach when I watch guys walking up a basketball court in the regular season.

If I want to watch a bunch of guys walking I'll turn on golf, but I'm not here to criticize the in-game interviews, the constant playing of loud music instead of actual fan-fare or even the egos that are the driving force of the league. I'm here to offer a solution to solve the problem.

In my opinion, the NFL is the only league that has it right in terms of the regular season. With only 16 games, every game matters someway or another. It's exciting to watch and the effort is usually there, and the NBA would be no different.

Cutting the regular season to just 30 games would make the league a lot more exciting, and cause passion to once again defeat ego. The product would be better, guys would be more energized and people would actually watch almost every one of their teams games. Playing hard would be a must, or else someone else is going to beat you with effort. To me that's what makes college basketball so great. A team of nobodies, can beat the best team in the nation, because of effort.

In a season that is over 70 games it's difficult to give 100 percent every night especially defensively, but with a shorter schedule and season, guys would be forced to play harder or suffer defeat by effort rather than talent. Sure talent would have an advantage, but as seen every season in college hoops, talent isn't everything, you've got to have drive, and that's what the NBA is missing.

So shorten the season so it's effort is once again a must in a league that has recently turned into the biggest joke in professional sports, other than Lebron's fourth quarter heroics.

Man, I Wish The NBA PROMOTED Guys Who Didn't Suck

I'm going to counterpoint myself because like Harvey Dent, I am of multiple minds.

A lot of people simply pointed out that there are likable players and perhaps even entire teams in the NBA. Obviously, this is a matter of opinion and with the way we pretty much hate the NBA around here, you can imagine how skeptical we might be.

However, if I'm being fair, it's true. Last year's Mavs team, to me, is a good example. A bunch of guys who seem to genuinely like each other (rather than just for the cameras). I even wrote about how much they made me sort of actually like NBA basketball if only for a few nights. Guys who are thrilled and humbled to have won a championship, rather than immediately think of a way to scream out a tagline of one of their sponsors (and yet do it incorrectly).

This year, teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder fit the bill. Some might argue the Pacers also are likable. So why don't teams like this get promoted? Oh, right. Because they're not the Celtics or Lakers or the Heat. And just to remind you of what kind of guy LeBron James is, in case you find yourself rooting for him, from a Wojo column last June:

There’s nothing real about James’ world, and never has been. He’s a prisoner of a life that his sycophants and enablers and our sporting culture has created for him. He’s rich and talented and something of a tortured soul. He’s the flawed superstar for these flawed times. He’s a creation of a basketball breeding ground full of such twisted priorities and warped principles. Almost every person who’s ever had to work closely with him, who has spent significant time, who’s watched him belittle and bully people, told me they were rooting hard against him. That’s sad, and that’s something he doesn’t understand and probably never will.

So yes, there are actually likable guys and teams out in the NBA. There are charitable guys and considerate guys and guys who play because they love playing and care about their fans. But the faces that the league chooses to promote heavily are not the kinds of guys I can possibly think about rooting anything but against.

Man, I Wish The NBA Didn't Suck

Likable?

Every now and then we write about the NBA around these parts, which is weird because we generally think the NBA product sucks. So maybe that's why we do it, because as you know, we love to complain about things that really grind our gears.

The thought I keep coming back to is this: The NBA is just terrible.

I grew up in NJ in the '80s and '90s so I remember the Knicks being terrible in the '80s but at least sort of likable, then ascending to be a 60-win team in the Pat Riley era, albeit one that could never get past Jordan. I remember being in high school when the Knicks found a way to lose to the Bulls in 1993 even with home court advantage when Charles Smith was "blocked" four times, without a foul ever being committed! Yay, Jordan Rules! (Yes, I'm rambling now, but it's not like you have anything better to do.)

I was also a real fan of the Knicks (yes, I can admit this) when in 1994 -- yes, with Michael on hiatus -- the Knicks made the Finals and actually had a 3-2 lead, but then went to Houston thanks to the NBA's idiotic 2-3-2 format and lost Games 6 and 7, helped by John Starks shooting like Boilerdowd at the Co-Rec in the same era.

I was still a fan in 1997, when the Miami Heat's PJ Brown started a near riot as the Knicks were taking a 3-1 series lead, resulting in suspensions galore (this was the beginning of the rule where leaving the bench resulted in a suspension and guys weren't used to it yet, thus peacemakers were suspended). So many Knicks were suspended that they had to stagger the suspensions or else the Knicks wouldn't have enough players. They wound up losing in 7.

I was a happy fan who felt like I was getting a bonus in 1999, when the Knicks as the 8-seed knocked out the 1-seed Heat and went all the way to the Finals, losing to San Antonio. So yeah, I was an NBA fan, I suppose, but I never lived and died with the Knicks the way I do with Purdue, for example.

What am I getting at? Well, I just think the league is completely unlikable anymore and there's also almost zero excitement in the playoffs, at least in these early rounds. Did anyone really think the Knicks had a shot against the Heat? I loved listening to NY sports radio and hearing people talk themselves into the idea that the Knicks had a chance. Come on. I mean, obviously, they should have a chance, given the likes of Stoudamire and Anthony, but this team is dysfunctional and not interested in actually acting like, you know, a team.

Sure, the Sixers are looking to pull a major upset over the Bulls, but once Rose went down, I think the Bulls folded the tent. I'm not even going to bag on them about that, either, because that was just crushing.

In the end, you know the teams that are going to be in the hunt. And sadly, those teams are made up of unlikable d-bags. LeBron James? Dwayne Wade? Kobe Bryant? Egotistical, arrogant, disingenuous d-bags.

Kobe Bryant screws anything that will move while he's married and then lies about it -- this is a guy you want to root for? Carmelo Anthony is a career underachiever (8 first round exits in 9 playoffs) who pouted his way out of Denver and then undermined his coach in New York, ultimately getting D'Antoni to resign. LeBron? Well, the list of reasons to hate him is endless.

The league is unlikable and predictable. Look at these series! There literally isn't a competitive one among them. Brutal. Compare this to my NHL, where nearly every series has been competitive and compelling and where literally every team in the playoffs can have legitimate hope to advance deep. Oh, and where the players give genuine interviews and seem earnest in their team-first attitudes.

I wish the NBA was more compelling. I wish the guys were easier to root for. I wish the series were exciting in the first couple of rounds and worth watching. But they aren't. The NBA is a terrible product right now, in my opinion. And that really grinds my gears.

A Night at the Pro-Am

Honestly, I don't know how long it's been going on, but with the NBA lockout going strong and tons of Indiana-based talent involved, the IUPUI-based Pro-Am league is a pretty big story this year here in Central Indiana. Of course, with JJ and Smooge both involved and kind of headlining the event, it matters to me...plus, as some of you have read here, I'm not much of a fan of the NBA. But, I am a huge fan of the athletes that represent my alma mater well- and Johnson and Moore have both done that. As a result, I really wanted to get to IUPUI's campus and see some good basketball and be around some of the best players in a more-intimate setting than the typical arena...Some of my goals were reached.

-The brand of basketball was pretty awful. It was a lot like a pick-up game at the co-rec...but instead of a bunch of try-hard guys playing, you had very skilled, world-class athletes running without much direction and little resistance from defense. That said, most co-rec games had some passion as guys like me really wanted to win just to scratch the competitive itch...that didn't seem to be the case from most of the guys on the court.

There were coaches, but they didn't do too much. Guys like ex-Purdue player, Brandon Brantley would orchestrate subs kinda...but I felt pretty bad for these guys. They were like substitue teachers at a high school, but with less power.

-Even with the makeshift lineups and passionless play, you could still see some guys shining. JJ exerted his will a few times in Game 2 and brought the crowd to its feet at least once with a strong finish. His teammate, Shelvin Mack looked for his shot and displayed some of what Butler fans enjoyed the last few seasons as his ole pal Matt Howard and he played some two-man ball.

Butler Sophomore, Chrishawn Hopkins did pretty much everything right in game 3- passing well, shooting well, hustling and throwing down some nasty dunks.

Pacer and former Bearcat, Lance Stephenson played a pretty damned mean iso game and was just physically intimidating when he decided to play hard.

After that, I honestly don't remember a ton of individual performers...other than IU SF, Will Sheehy putting on a display of impressive dunks as the court pretty much cleared for a dunk contest toward the end of Game 2.

-And speaking of Sheehy, this format creates some pretty odd combos...for instance: JJ and Smooge's team (E'Twaun didn't play tonight) had Jordy Hulls and Sheehy on the roster.

Gene Keady used to speak of how the AAU circuit weakened rivalries like Purdue v. IU because the kids all played together in the summers leading up to their college careers...and I think there's a lot of truth in that idea. This Pro-Am felt kinda like an AAU tourney on the next level. But, in this case, I guess it's nice that Sheehy & Hulls got to play with JJ- they seem to be big fans of his. Afterall, he's kind of been a teacher to both of them the past few seasons.

-The oddest part of the night was watching refs in NBA referee kits (as soccer fans call them) call these games in a half-assed manner. But after their games were over, some of them would retreat to top row of the not-too-tall stands to take it easy and even run the cameras that were filming the games.

-There was no shortage of hangers-on and handlers from the entourages of the big-time players in attendance...sadly and surprisingly, I was not able to find a way into the inner-circle and subsequent payroll of a locked-out millionaire.

Along with the guys that were there to play, there were a lot of faces in the hallways that I couldn't quite place, but knew that I recognized...some were ex-NBA players, others college stars...all pretty ginormous.

-LBD got to re-connect with JJ, who is always great with the kids that are fans...and specifically, my son...and I really appreciate that. JJ said that in spite of not being able to work in his chosen field just yet, he's doing well and enjoying time with his Mom & family back at home.

I'm glad I went tonight and appreciate all of the effort by the event's founder...but watching just made me look forward to football season even more.

In Case You Missed it...JJ & Smooge on The Journey

Two of the Big 3 were featured on The Journey last week as they prepared for their entry into the NBA. As usual, it was a good episode...much better than some other players they focused on following their Senior years. A couple players had almost all repeat footage just spliced together, but 33 & 25 had a review with old footage and then a whole bunch of new stuff that I hadn't seen or heard.

Here are some of the things that really stuck out to me:

-JJ and Smooge lived in the same building as they trained in Chicago...but didn't know it until they both lived there.

-Both rode the emotional roller coaster while waiting for their names to be called (no surprise there). I got the idea that they were both promised some things that never came to fruition...that's par for the course. I also felt like their handlers were both super-silver-tongued in their commentary. I guess that's a given though.

J Money often makes fun of me because I get choked up at times watching Purdue-related things. This program was no different. The thing that really got me was seeing JJ get emotional when his dream was realized...that and the interaction and positivity that Smooge displayed when talking to his pal at the end of draft night. I hope these guys both have long careers in the league. Regardless of what they do in the coming years, I'm pretty sure they'll both continue to represent our alma mater and themselves very well.

Tuesday Gumbo

For the first time ever, I'll be forced to root for the Celtics

JJ and Smooge spoke with the press together outside of Boston about playing together again and looking ahead to next season. There were a few interesting tidbits I took from the presser.

-Since the Celtics have more retired numbers than any team in the league, the former #25 & #33 don't have a ton of options for next season.
-JJ will be number 12 to honor his Mom who wore that number in high school.
-Moore will sport 55...as he used to be a fan of Jason Williams a few years ago. But a few people on the message board think it's more because he was #22 in HS and #33 in college (add 'em up, Einstein).
-The two didn't have any tryouts together prior to the draft in spite of both making multiple stops at common teams.

JJ will learn under the capable, but aging (he's 35), Kevin Garnett...and Moore will will have to fight and scratch and claw his way onto the roster...but we all know what he's capable of. And in my opinion, he's always reminded me of Ben Gordon who surprised a few people a few years ago by making noise for the Bulls early in his career.

Keady Court Revamp
Back when I was at Purdue in the mid/late 90s, I had a chance to play on Mackey's hardwood a few times...and I was simply amazed at how many deadspots the old wood surface had. A few years later, the athletic department replaced the wood and gave the court a new paint job...a few years after that, it was re-named Keady Court.

Due to the sheer pounding college courts take, they need to be replaced every 10 or 15 years, so a change was imminent. But, hard rain and on-going construction have combined to form a destructive force that sped up the replacement calendar for Keady Court.

A concept of something I'd like to see on the new surface

Looking Ahead
This summer has gone pretty slowly (from a sports standpoint). The Indy Car season, paltry recruiting morsels and classic games on different networks can only tide us over so long...so in the coming weeks we'll take a look at Hope's squad...what to look forward to, what has us concerned and what flat-out scares us to death.

Stay tuned.

The Boston Boilermakers

What a cool night at the NBA Draft. Oh, well, other than it being the usual boring, David Stern-level-hip event that it always is. ESPN did their usual awkward interviewing because I guess that's what they think we want to see/hear. But the good news of the night was in the fact that the two winningest players in Purdue history will both be playing in the NBA next year. Even cooler was that they'll remain teammates.

JJ was picked by the Celts using a traded pick from NJ at #27, becoming the first Purdue first round pick since Big Dog went #1 overall in 1994. Not a bad journey for the lean 2007 version of JaJuan to go from timid freshman to first round NBA pick.

Smooge then went with the #25 pick of the second round to, again, the Celtics.

Danny Ainge likes E'Twaun's abilities:

“He’s played strictly a 2 in college, but he can handle the ball,” said Ainge. “But he’s a scorer, no doubt about that. He’s only 6-3, but he has long arms. He’s a good shooter. I saw him score 38 against Ohio State this year.”

Yes, indeed you did, Danny.

It's hard to say right now how critical these two will be for the Celts in the near future as it appears the Boston brain trust wants to make at least one more run with their own Big Three. Add to that the fact that Doc Rivers almost didn't come back for this coming season and it makes you wonder if the Celts will have a completely different look in a couple of years -- if so, maybe these Boilers will be leading the charge.

Unfortunately, numbers 25 and 33 are already retired in Boston, so we'll have to wait and see what Celtics jersey numbers will become the new faves of Purdue fans.

We couldn't be happier for these two. Congratulations, guys.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Matt Painter -- while happy for these two -- has his laser focus set on the upcoming season. Just the way we'd like him to.

The Dallas Mavericks Made Me Like The NBA A Little Bit

Last night, and throughout the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks grew on me. Sure, it definitely helped that they beat the loathesome Miami Heat, but I found myself secretly liking them earlier in the playoffs, probably around the time they pants'ed Kobe and the Lakers in a 4-0 sweep.

The Mavs aren't like a lot of these other NBA teams. Sure, DeShawn Stevenson can be a bit of a preening punk, but it's microscopic compared to most NBA teams and their "stars." The Mavs big-time players/contributors are largely likable guys, the kinds of guys you find yourself kind of happy to see win a title. Dirk, Kidd, Jason Terry. A coach like Rick Carlisle, perhaps unfairly maligned in other stops, getting his ring while more celebrated coaches watch from home. Or the stands.

Jason Terry got interviewed at halftime -- not long after an on-court scuffle -- and actually credited how good the Heat are and how they needed to stick to it, etc., etc. Meanwhile, the Heat players make fun of Dirk for being sick (and still kicking their asses -- dumb) and Wade is quoted before Game 6 as saying, "Well, if they somehow do miraculously win the game..." Yes, stay humble, Heat. Stay just the way you are. We love you this way.

There are people out there who -- inexplicably to me -- root for guys like LeBron. I think most of these people don't understand what a lousy person LeBron really is -- or maybe they just don't care. And that's actually fine, if that's your take. But I just can't help but root against a guy who is that arrogant and who looks down upon fans and, more disgustingly, treats people he deems as below him terribly. Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a pretty good column this morning about Dirk's accomplishments and how LeBron really won't ever have the feeling Dirk did last night. Within the column, he touches a bit on LeBron's obnoxiousness:

To hear James suggest that the world will have to return to its sad, little ordinary lives and he’ll still get to be LeBron James late Sunday night was a window into his warped, fragile psyche. It was sad, and portends to how disconnected to the world he truly is.

“They have to wake up and have the same life that they had before they woke up today … the same personal problems,” James said. “I’m going to continue to live the way that I want to live. … But they have to get back to the real world at some point.”

There’s nothing real about James’ world, and never has been. He’s a prisoner of a life that his sycophants and enablers and our sporting culture has created for him. He’s rich and talented and something of a tortured soul. He’s the flawed superstar for these flawed times. He’s a creation of a basketball breeding ground full of such twisted priorities and warped principles. Almost every person who’s ever had to work closely with him, who has spent significant time, who’s watched him belittle and bully people, told me they were rooting hard against him. That’s sad, and that’s something he doesn’t understand and probably never will.

It's almost as though he's an over-the-top villain in some terrible sports movie. Why not just give credit and thank your fans for their support? What a jerk. Understand this, LeBron supporters: he sees you as dirt. You're just something in the way of him collecting his next paycheck and receiving adulation from Stuart Scott. If you're not there to kiss his -- well, finger, I guess, since he doesn't have a ring -- then he's got no use for you. And even if you are a sycophant, well, that's what you're supposed to be in his opinion. He's rich, bitch, and you're not.

But back to the champs.

Jason Kidd, at almost 38 years old, many teams, two trips to the Finals with the Nets (does everyone realize what an accomplishment that was?), finally gets his ring. Remember how cooked this team looked when they traded for him and still fizzled in the playoffs? A nice bow on the career for JKidd.

How about Mark Cuban? I know he pisses people off sometimes, but how can you not like that this guy won a title? He's poured more than three quarters of a billion dollars into salary alone since he bought the team 11 years ago. He's endured a lot of criticism from the outside for his meddling, but the players all seem to love him. Remember, this is a guy who bought a horrible, moribound franchise (think worse than the Clippers) and said to the players (and I'm paraphrasing), "What do you guys need? A better locker room? Big screen TVs? What would make playing here awesome?"  And when he got the feedback, he made it happen. This is the guy who is the rich version of all of us -- he was a fan who had season tickets and eventually had enough money to buy his favorite team. Just imagine that for a moment -- whatever team you like and currently go see.... that one day you get to own it and do what we all sometimes think about.

And, of course, a guy like Dirk. Another unfairly maligned guy, called soft by columnists and opponents. But year after year, showing up and playing full seasons, making his game better and not doing self-serving commercials or obnoxious 5th-grade-level show-and-tells. A guy who, I have to say, is hard to hate. And as anyone who reads us knows, we dislike a lot of sports personalities.

So anyway, we're still not NBA fans and we still think the league is a terrible product. But for a change, the guys holding the championship trophy aren't putting on obnoxious shirts about how many rings they have or butchering an attempt at screaming a tagline of a sponsor. The celebration looked real and enjoyable and, wow, kind of like a championship celebration should look. Joyful.

******EDIT/UPDATE******

Only a colossal idiot like me would write a post like this and not mention Brian Cardinal.

Of course, and this isn't a cop-out, it should go without saying that our Twitter-friend Brian is always a reason we would tolerate watching an NBA game. Seeing a fellow Boilermaker succeed at the highest level is always a true thrill. Guys like BC make us proud and do the University proud. The guy has worked hard, stayed humble and carved out an amazing career for himself. He's one of those guys where, when you look up the figures and see he's made over $34 million in his career, you kind of smile and think, "Good for him."

At least, I do.

MLB Network Continues to Be Awesome for Baseball Junkies

MLB Network has it right. If you're into baseball, as I am, then you likely already love this channel. And compared to the other dedicated channels, I'd say it's at or near the best of the lot. And often, to me, it's the little things that they do in the course of their long evening shows.

This is just one recent example. With a lot of arguing and ejections seemingly happening lately, Joe Magrane and Harold Reynolds give a little demo on how best to approach an umpire when you disagree with their strike zone while also not getting yourself thrown out of the game.

Like I said, for baseball junkies like me, this is just cool stuff.

MLB, NFL and the Big Ten Network, in my opinion, do very good jobs covering things as they do, though I'd probably put BTN third in that list, for now. Further down the list, in pathetic territory are NBA TV and the NHL Network. Those who know me know I love hockey, too, so that's not BS. They do a horrendous job.

A more thorough breakdown of the best and worst sports networks will be forthcoming from your favorite Website -- once our July 4th hangovers die down.

Weighing in on Izzo

He's not our alma mater's coach, but I like the guy and the program he's built. So when the whispers began that Izzo was a candidate for the Cavs job, I don't think most of us thought anything of it.

MSU fans have heard their coach's name thrown around for different jobs before...they're used to a quick dismissal by the diminutive and dominative coach and everyone goes on with their business...but this one has become more real. When the gigantic piles of money were officially put on the table in front of Izzo, he wisely decided to listen...and today he even went to beautiful Cleveland to interview for the post via a private jet.

I think staying for Izzo makes sense- he's the king of the city, the most-senior coach in the league and widely-respected in the college game as one of the best, if not greatest. But, the last few years, the message boards have had grumblings of Izzo not being completely happy...maybe there's truth to that.

If he goes, he couldn't ask for a better situation...with or without Bron Bron. If 23 stays, they'll win a lot of games and he'll be along for the ride as one of the few college coaches that has actually had success in the pros. If James leaves, no one will be expecting anything out of the Cavs other than a rebuilding effort anyway...so he'll be safe from too many people questioning his abilities for at least a while...and he'll have a mattress full of money to give him a comfy place to lay his head at night.

The chapter after that is the real question, to me. Coach Tom might not want to coach too much longer, so this is one last chance to either bolster his bank account with a mountain of NBA money OR renegotiate one of his final 10 year (or so) contracts- a hefty one no doubt as he inches closer to retirement. He's in the driver's seat in a lot of ways and I think any of us would love to be where he is...but the MSU fans are along for this crappy ride right now, and I feel for them, I wouldn't want to go through what they're going through.

But, what they've been through during the last 15 years has been pretty amazing...that wouldn't be so bad to experience. Hopefully we as Purdue fans are at the beginning of such a run.

Nothing to see here

I've been trying to avoid basketball in general and ESPN in particular since LeBron and the Cavs decided to stop trying against the Celtics. Why have I done that? Because if you're sick of hearing the 24 hour news cycle report everything from how LeBron "might" consider signing with Chicago or Miami or New York or prefers 2.37 ply toilet paper versus standard 2 ply then you can imagine how we feel in Cleveland. ESPN has made it a point of having in your face 24 hour coverage of a possible impending free agent. That's right, he's not even a free agent yet. He needs to opt out of his contract in order to be a free agent and he can't do that until July 1. Why then do we need 6 continuous weeks of freaking torture?

This just in! LeBron sells his Aston Martin. Aston Martin was sold by Ford. The Oklahoma City Thunder play in the Ford Center. Does that mean LeBron has crossed off Oklahoma City as a possible destination? Quick! Discuss for the next 10 damn hours.

Come on! Give me a break over here. It's not like we don't already have enough turmoil in the only somewhat successful franchise in the city for the past 3 years. The coach was fired (and should have been) and the GM resigned today (would have liked to have kept him). Everything unfortunately hinges on what LeBron does, and I just know he loves it that way. He gets to be the belle of the ball and make the NBA sit back and wait until he signs his name somewhere. It would be great if he would just put some closure on the thing already. Leave or don't leave. Just say it. Don't say that "Cleveland is great and I love Akron, but I also love New York and who doesn't love Miami? Chicago? I vacation there all the time. In the winter. Love it. I love everywhere."

If he leaves then the franchise obviously goes into rebuilding mode. If he stays then it's re-stock for a title run. There are some nice pieces on the team and I would have liked to have seen what Ferry could have done with them, but now it's just wait and see what happens on July 1st.

A while back I thought that LeBron might not opt out and then we'd have to go through this all over again next year. I think that would be an interesting, though ultimately stupid decision, but it would give him even more control over the franchise and by extension the city. In the end he'll sign with the Cavs, though may not be staying with the Cavs. In order to get the most money possible he will sign either way with Cleveland and if he desires, force a sign-and-trade to any other team in the NBA. Any team out there would love to have his talent, but from what I've seen over the past 7 years, he's got a lot of maturing to do before he is capable of imposing his will on a game in order to dominate it mentally as opposed to just being physically amazing. There are glimpses and I do think he'll get there one day. Hopefully he chooses to do that with the Cavs, because even with all the drama I'd still rather have him on my team than on the opposing team.

JJ Reportedly Will Enter Draft by This Weekend

According to Sporting News, JJ will enter the draft this weekend, but according to rumors, will not yet hire an agent.

Dammit.

The Cavs have to upgrade

For those that don't care about the NBA or more specifically the Cleveland Cavaliers, skip this post and keep your pie hole shut. For those that do, let's pray for Chris Bosh.

The offseason for the Cavaliers is a critical one. Not only do they need to fill a lot of spots, but they were exposed badly in the Magic series and need upgrades. The problem is there's not much out there period, let alone upgrades.

The Cavs have the following free agents this year.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Joe Smith
Wally Szczerbiak
Anderson Varejao
Lorenzen Wright

Z and Varejao can opt out but Z would be insane to do so and it looks like Varejao wants to test the market so expect him to opt out on July 1st. If he can find a team willing to pay him $10 million per year then he's gone.

Szczerbiak looks close to done. He'll get nowhere near his $13+ million contract ever again. I think he'll be lucky to get $5+. He's a useful one trick offensive guy to have, but his defense is non-existent. He tries, but sometimes it's painful to watch.

Joe Smith is a good guy to have around, especially if you can get him around the $3 mill/year mark. I'd like to see him come back for next season. He was non-existent in the playoffs though.

Wright was no factor whatsoever and was merely a bench spot filler.

On top of those guys, Ben Wallace is talking about retiring. He's not close to the defender he once was. He has never been an offensive option. Now, with injuries, his body is close to giving out as well. In any case, it's a very long shot that he's with the Cavs next year. His expiring contract is too much of a prize, especially if he retires and takes a buyout. His contract gives the Cavs the ability to trade for a $16 million guy for what could be a buyout price of around $7 million. That's a big savings in todays market when nearly all teams are looking to cut costs.

So after all those guys leave or potentially leave, the Cavs bigs will consist of Z and two rookies. Great. That means they'll need to really do some work in the offseason to rebuild the roster.

Here are some guys I think they should target. I'm not willing to break the bank for any of them, with the possible exception being the guy sitting at my top spot.

1. David Lee - He's young and can be a double-double machine. He isn't that great defensively, but then again the Knicks weren't exactly playing any defense anyway, so he might be better in a better system.

2. Charlie Villanueva - He can score the ball but is a soft defender. He has the desired height, and his ability to create his own shot is a plus, but as the Cavs bigs were exposed in the Orlando series, the ultimate need is for a big that can shoot AND defend. Those aren't exactly easy to come by. If Villanueva can ramp up his defensive effort, then he'd be a good fit.

3. Jermaine O'Neal - A very good defender. Has the height and size that the Cavs need. Could play the 4 if the Cavs went big with him and Z. No longer a go to guy offensively. Settles for outside shots too often. He's just the type of player that the Cavs need defensively though when they play a bigger team.

4. Shawn Marion - He's an on the ball defensive stopper. He can play the 3 or the 4, but certainly isn't an ideal fit at starting power forward. He'd be a nice off the bench guy that could pair up with LeBron when the Cavs go small. He makes way way too much money though, and in order for the Cavs to get him Marion would need to be willing to cut at least 50% off his salary.

5. Marcin Gortat - A big white guy to back up the other big white guy. Would be a good backup center who could play 15-20 minutes a game. Doesn't have ideal size as he'd benefit for more muscle to put on top of is 240 lb frame. Has the necessary height and energy that the Cavs need from a bench guy though.

6. Shelden Williams - A pure energy guy. If Varejao goes elsewhere, then Williams could partially replace him. Not a great offensive player, but a pretty good rebounder and a nice guy coming off the bench. Typically a 15 minute/game guy who will give you about 5 and 5 in that time.

Realistically I think they'll get Villanueva and some scraps and that won't be enough. I'd love for them to pull off some miracle and get Chris Bosh, but that's as likely as Kobe Bryant signing with the Clippers.

Diagnosis: Cavaliers

So now that the Cavs are again out of the playoffs, what do they need to do in order to get to the promised land?

Do they need new players? Maybe, but let's start with other types of changes.

First they need to run the offense through the point guard and not through LeBron James. When LeBron brings the ball up the court then the rest of the team just stands around and doesn't know what to do. When the point guard brings it up, suddenly the team springs to life and there's movement.

Second, they need to practice their free throws. If they could hit 80% instead of 70% they'd average 4 more points per game. That's huge, and is easy enough to do.

Third, LeBron needs to realize the type of player that he is. He's the guy that needs to attack, attack, attack. He needs to go hard to the rim. Too often he settles for fall away jumpers and out of control three pointers. Someone with his kind of physical abilities needs to be going to the hoop about 15 times per game.

Finally, they need to address the roster. They have adequate depth, but they don't have a guy that can take a double team and take some pressure off of LeBron.

Look at yesterday's game. LeBron scored 44 points, but what do you remember? You remember the misses. The bad three pointer at the end of the game. The missed layup. The missed free throws. The failure to stop the Celtics at critical times.

It's unfortunate too because LeBron hit 50% of his shots, but you don't remember that. You remember the misses early in the series and not the makes at the end of the series.

The Boringest Pro Sport Playoff Preview

Yee-haw, baby! The NBA Playoffs feel goooooooooood!!

There are many of us out there who bash the NBA for a variety of reasons. But one of the worst things about the current NBA is the way their playoffs aren’t interesting at all except for a couple of series each year.

I admit I’m not a big NBA fan, but I used to watch a fair amount. And as I kid, I remember always watching NBC’s Sunday afternoon game while I dunked mercilessly on my over-the-door hoop with the squishy ball (remember those?).

But the NBA’s regular season is a plodding, boring mess, where most of the players are going through the motions, the coaches barely do any coaching, and there are only a handful of games each year that are actually good enough to stop what you’re doing to watch. The playoffs are an even bigger joke, with the NBA recently jumping from best-of-5 first round series to best-of-7, virtually assuring that there won’t be many first-round upsets anymore.

Last year’s first rounder of the Warriors over the Mavs is of course an exception to this, but Golden State clearly had Dallas’ number last year. Look at some of this year’s… is there any chance – I mean, any at all – that the Hawks could win four our of seven against the Celtics? Put KG and Allen out there with me, boilerdowd and Timmy and I think we’d win in five.

But anyway, enough of my bitching. This year, in the West at least, there are some chances for some really good playoff series. The East will counterbalance that with some dreadful crap. And just for fun – and since I did so poorly with my NHL picks – I’m going to toss out my picks for the first round of the NBA playoffs. Please feel free to agree or disagree in the comments.

Western Conference

(1) LA Lakers vs (8) Denver Nuggets – Okay, so after saying what I said about the NBA, here’s another example where the 8-seed actually isn’t so bad. But that’s more because the NBA has such an amazingly talented Western Conference. The Nuggs had to win 50 games just to make the playoffs! The 9th place Warriors would be the 4-seed in the East. Anyway, the Nuggs have a shot against LA, especially if Carmelo stays sober and AI doesn’t get stoned. Still, the Lakers are too good not to pull this off, I think. (Though I’d love to see Kobe lose in humiliating fashion.) Lakers in 6.

(2) New Orleans Hornets vs (7) Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs traded for Jason Kidd and then almost fell out of the playoffs, which would have made the Nets fans he jumped ship on very happy. But now the Mavs are in against the impressive and not-talked-about-much Hornets. Will this be the Mavericks who gagged memorably in the first round last year or the Mavs who went to the Finals in ’06 before gagging horribly and losing to the Heat? I’ll say the Mavs surprise people and show some heart. Mavericks in 7.

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs (6) Phoenix Suns – Throw out the seeding on this one. No, seriously, not like in a cliché. The Spurs were one game back for the best record in the West; the Suns were two games back. These are good teams and they have a history, having met in perhaps the second-most memorable series last year, when Nash got bloodied by a dirty Bruce Bowen hit and then the Suns had a couple players suspended for leaving the bench as a result. I believe the Suns will be resolved here, but the Spurs are just so damn good. I don’t know how to pick this one, so I’ll go with the edge in experience and titles. Spurs in 7.

(4) Utah Jazz vs (5) Houston Rockets – Thanks to the idiocy of the NBA, the Jazz clinched the 4 seed but will not have home-court advantage because the non-division-winning Rockets have a one-game better record. This might end up mattering, too, because not only are the Rockets good at home (31-10) but the Jazz are terrible (for a 54-28 team) on the road (17-24). The Rockets are really good and the absence of Yao won’t hurt them until the second round. Rockets in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks – It’s rare for anyone to ever predict a sweep, but this series will probably set the record for it. No, Atlanta, nobody believes you can win….even a game. It won’t matter what’s on their bulletin board. I'd say Celtics in 3 if it were possible. Or "When Atlanta Gets Off The Bus." Celtics in 4.

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphis 76ers – Another walkover. The Pistons are really freaking good and the Sixers…aren’t. 40-42 makes the playoffs in the East and that’s just sad. The Sixers are on their way up, which is good for them and their fans, and it’s always nice to make the playoffs when you didn’t think you were going to be good enough to do so, but the good feelings end here. The Pistons romp. Pistons in 4.

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Toronto Raptors – Not only does 40-42 get the Sixers into the playoffs, a .500 record nabs the Raptors the six-seed. And a chance get flattened by the Magic. I don’t know much about the Magic besides Dwight Howard, they’re coached by Stan Van Gundy who makes teams into winners, and they won 52 games in the East. Does this make them good or just “good enough” because they had the rest of the East to pound on? I don’t know, but I think they’ll make quick work of the middling Raptors. Magic in 5.

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards – Goodness, how exciting. Two marginal teams with a superstar each (if you count Gilbert Arenas as a superstar) going at it in the first round. This is the only East series that could go to either team, but it’s also a series that is really uninteresting unless you are from Cleveland, Washington or really like LeBron. After seeing LeBron personally beat the Pistons last year, I’m not betting against him until he faces stiff competition. Cavs in 6.

Eric Gordon Continues Thinking He's Awesome

Eric Gordon continues making solid decisions in his life, announcing that he's hiring an agent (as though he didn't already do that, wink wink) and declaring for the NBA draft.

Sure, I know, he averaged 20 points a game this year. But he's 19 years old, he shot 43% from the floor in college (and 34% from three, which doesn't get easier in the NBA) and he's 6'4" according to media guides... which means, what? 6'2"?

But yeah, I guess he's polished and ready for the NBA. He has the experience of 33 whole college games and has an 0-2 record in the postseason. I'm not sure what else he has to learn, so he should definitely move on.

Look, I know it's good for Purdue for IU to continue to plummet (and they are plummeting, make no mistake, IU mouth-breathers), but a guy like Gordon thinking that he's this good is kind of silly. He might indeed go high in the draft, but this isn't a guy who's shown a great work ethic and he's done his share of pouting and acting like a baby. And maybe he should get a pass on that because he is only 19. But he let Kelvin Sampson swindle him into coming to IU (maybe with a duffel bag of cash, who knows?) and he clearly lets his overbearing father meddle in a lot of his decisions... [Ed Note: I stand corrected -- by all accounts, Eric Gordon actually was at that practice in question. I take it all back -- he's a great guy and a star in the making.]

So, hey, prospective NBA team: Make sure you don't fire your coach if Eric likes him. He might quit on your team the way the IU players quit on Dan Dakich.

Whatever, go get rich, Eric. You're a classy guy. You deserve it.

It's been 6 games!

ESPN is already comparing this years Celtics team to the Chicago Bulls team that went 72-10. Are you kidding me? It's been 6 games. I understand that you crave a great team in the Boston market. You want it so desperately. However, it's been 6 games. Six. One more than five.

I'll permit you to start comparing them after... oh... 50 games or so. How's that sound?

ESPN, you are becoming (if not already) a mouthpiece for everything I hate about the sports media. You slurp on anything that you think will be popular. Oh, the Celtics might be good? Let's show Celtics games every day. Let's preempt SportsCenter with breaking news that Rajon Rondo just had a layup. Yay Celtics! Hooray for Boston.

Suck it ESPN!

Dear David Stern...

I know it's been a tough last week or so for you, David. Really. I'm sure it's just teeth-gnashingly tough for you to have to acknowledge you had a compromised referee in your league. Yeah, the same league that everyone has tacitly accused of being rigged for years. The same league that players have once-in-a-while implied is rigged. (That is, until you threatened their families or whatever it is you do to shut them up.)

I think your league is in serious trouble now. I mean, like, in danger of losing all credibility. People already have lost interest in the NBA. And despite all the credit you get for having built this league and improved it during your 20+ years at the helm, I think a lot of it is kind of a bit much.

You took over the league in 1984. Magic was in his prime, the Lakers were tearing up the league and the Bird-Magic rivalry was something people on both coasts could get into. Plus the teams came from equally-hatable cities so it was fun to root against them, too. 1984 was also when Michael Jordan entered the league. So I think we can agree that you aren't exactly the pioneer you like to believe you are -- the league got a lot more exciting on its own.

You did oversee the ridiculous overexpansion and nomadic wanderings of several franchises. Well done! You also were in charge for the NBA's tremendous idea of backing a women's league, the WNBA. That sure was a hit and not at all a money-losing proposition for all those involved. Yet your arrogance will not let you admit that the WNBA is a laughable failure and that people aren't interested in watching two-handed, push-shots when they could go to the YMCA and see higher-quality basketball.

You've also helped to fix a couple series based on your arrogant, "Stern" following of the rules. In '97, you upended the Knicks run by suspending most of their team for several games after a brawl the Miami Heat initiated in the closing minutes of a game that they lost to go down 3-1 in the series. The worse team, the Heat, ended up taking advantage and winning. You did it again this past Spring when the Phoenix Suns were in what looked like it could be a terrific series against the San Antonio Spurs. A couple of the Suns best players headed towards their franchise point guard who was laying in a bloodied, crumpled heap and you suspended them. And then the Suns lost. Sure, they might have anyway, and so might the Knicks in '97, but we'll never know for sure. And those leaving the bench rules only are in effect because your team became more and more thuggish and you knew of no way to curb that behavior. So, yes, when emotions run high in the playoffs, let's punish good teams then.

Your league also had Dennis Rodman kicking cameramen in the gonads, Ron Artest galloping into the stands to pummel spectators and countless nightclub "incidents," usually involving guns, Stephen Jackson, or both. Solid.

When Michael Jordan "retired" in 1993 at 30 years old, we all speculated that it had something to do with his reputedly voracious gambling. Like, maybe you secretly suspended him for 18 months? Possible? Come on, David, now's the time to come clean and tell us. It might actually make you look tougher on gambling. Or maybe it'll just illustrate how long this has been a problem and remind us that you haven't made an ounce of progress in getting it under control.

Remember when you were an arrogant prick on Dan Patrick's radio show when he asked you about those Suns suspensions in the Spring? Yeah, who looks like the putz now? Your paid-off referee was reffing in the playoffs!

Your stubborn nature extends to everything. Your league's waning supporters sometimes like the bash the NHL, but the NHL actually does the playoffs correctly. You can poke fun at them if you want, but their playoff system re-seeds after every round so there's no chance the best matchup of the playoffs is coming in the second round. Yet you continue to refuse to improve the system.

I don't know what to tell you, David, except to say that whatever you're expecting when the season starts, I think it'll probably be worse. Every single bad call will get people wondering about how on-the-level the refs are. And it won't just be the fans... it'll be players, coaches and front offices, and you'll be hearing about it forever. This won't go away. Your league is dirty and you're no where near as brilliant of a commish as you think you are.

In closing, I will include a picture of you, snapped not that long ago, when you thought the NBA and gambling could mix on the right level. Well-done, David, well-done.

Sincerely,
Boiled Sports

Say What??

The league offices of the NBA, and its commissioner, David Stern are reporting that an investigation of NBA official Tim Donaghy (not pictured) is underway. The case was brought up following allegations that Donaghy not only bet on, but also may have affected (or fixed) the outcome of NBA games in the '05-'06 & '06-07 seasons. I react the same way to this as I did when I heard that WNBA "star" Cheryl Swoopes announced that she prefers the company of women:

Uh, yeah- how is that news?

I'd be more surprised the NBA came out and announced that they were no longer going to "guide" the outcome of the league's games with the help of its officials. Those who know have heard me say since about 1992 that the NBA was rigged...finally, I'm going to be proven correct!

In your face, Flanders!

No Math Majors Work In ESPN Graphics Dept

So I'm watching Sportscenter last night, mainly because I'll watch a good test pattern if it's in HD, and they're talking about the (snore) NBA and how dominant the Suns and Mavs are. (Oh, and on a side note, I am certain neither of them will win it all. I don't know why...I'm just feeling the Spurs and nobody is even acknowledging they exist.)


Anyway, the point is, I was watching them rave about the season-long rolls the Mavs and Suns are on and the graphic about the Suns caught my eye. I rolled back the DVR and I had to re-read it ten times to make sure I wasn't adding wrong. But take a look:

43-8 in their last 55 games, you say? If you can go 43-8 in 55 games, that's quite a team indeed since 43-8 can only be accomplished by mortal teams in a 51 game span, not 55. What happened to those other four games? Were they striken from the record for some reason? Was Mike D'Antoni's hair out of place? Were Steve Nash and Shawn Marion busy playing pickup hoops in an airplane hangar somewhere?

I know, I know, it's just a typo but still.