Svosen and Cowboy22's NBA Draft/Offseason Thread (others welcome!)

[Cowboy22]

Since the other thread apparently is in danger of making svosen cry (due to the dominance of a certain great team that shall remain nameless), I figured I'd start and offseason one.

The draft is coming up shortly, and that's always one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is it the last meaningful NBA event until the next season (other than trades and free agent signings I suppose) but it's the one time a year that two of my favorite things in the world, college and pro baskebtall, converge. I always totally throw myself into it and study all the prospects carefully (it's possible that I have too much time on my hands...). And this year is especially fun because it's such a deep draft class, including two blue-chip, franchise changing players in Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. But like I said, it's deep and goes far beyond the two big names. I've already latched onto the a couple guys I'd like to see Utah take, Marcus Williams out of Arizona and Morris Almond out of Rice. Both are fairly athletic wing players who can shoot, which is exactly what that teams needs to take it to the next level. What do you think the Laker's biggest needs are? Point guard maybe?

Should be an eventful offseason for our favorite teams beyond the draft too. Kobe seems to have cooled off from his earlier trade demands, but you still have to be concerned there. I would expect the Lakers to try to do something big to please him. What do you think about the rumored Odom for Jermaine O'Neal deal? Utah could be busy too, there are rumors that Kirilenko could be traded. As I've said, as much as I like the guy, he doesn't really fit with the current team and makes too much money. It'll be interesting to see if they can get anyone to bite on the contract. If he goes to a team where he can play PF, I think he could be great again, but the drop off in his production this last year and injury history might scare people off.

[svosen]

Wow - I feel famous now (my name is in two thread titles at the same time!!).

I never really get too into the draft, with the exception of the Top X picks. Have any opinions on the new Chinese guy? I've read mixed reviews. Probably will turn out to be an Asian Toni Kucoch (sp?).

I don't know what the Lakers need anymore. Bryant had seemed to cool on the trade thing, but the newest reports (today) indicate otherwise. Who knows. It does seem like he kicked his team mates in the face, though. True that they deserved to get called out for their suckage, but the way he did it certainly won't promote team chemistry. Not that it was so hot anyhow, by the end of the season. He did, however, make it clear that he respects Odom's game.

I'm still sad that they traded Butler a couple years ago. I remember watching the last several games of that first post-Shaq season: it was so clear that Bulter and Bryant were developing a great on-court mojo. I was just floored that they traded him. Then, low and behold, he turns into a real player. Just makes me want to cry when I think that Odom and Bulter (already in sink from Miami) could have been playing together with Bryant these past two years. I think that team makes it past Phoenix in the 2006 series (actually, their record would probably have been much better, so they may not have met Phoenix in the first round). Anyhow...

The Lakers should absolutely not trade for Jermaine O'neal. Bad bad bad. I still like the KG in LA thing. And Shawn Marion in LA isn't too bad, either. Getting rid of Odom? Man, I just don't know. He's a really good player, but he just doesn't seem to be working in LA. Like it'd be better for both parties if he left. Thing is, he reportedly really wants to stay! I can just see him breaking out big-time on another team, prompting all sorts of "what if" conversations. Like Shaq to Miami: "See, he was still good enough to win!" But if he'd stayed, he would have been completely different (i.e. un-motivated). Same with Odom, is my guess.

On the other hand, if they dealt Bryant, I could see Odom carrying a "pretty good" Laker team. Sort of like the Nick-the-slick era in the mid 90s, when the Lakers were fun to watch but didn't get too far. As it is now, they're not even fun to watch.

Bryant is an amazing player - I think it's unfair to compare to him MJ (suggesting MJ is better). In point of fact, I think Bryant is the more impressive player. Maybe I shouldn't have opened that can of worms. My point is, I really like watching Kobe play. In fact, if he were traded, I'd be tuning in to follow him with his new team. But as a Laker fan, I almost wonder if this isn't the time to just turn the corner and do something else. Who knows.

I read a long, convaluted article by an author whose name I can't recall about a month ago. It involved Bryant to Phoenix (for Marion and change - I can't recall the details), then some sort of conflabbed trade between Phoenix and Minnesota for Garnett. It ended with Nash, Bryant, and Garnett in Phoenix. The way it was all explained made it seem at least plausible, if not at all likely. I have to say, I'd trade in my Laker badge for a season if that happened.

[Cowboy22]

Originally Posted by svosen

I never really get too into the draft, with the exception of the Top X picks. Have any opinions on the new Chinese guy? I've read mixed reviews. Probably will turn out to be an Asian Toni Kucoch (sp?).

It's tough to tell with him. As into the draft as I am, I never know what to think about international players, there just isn't a whole ton of information of them, as opposed to college players who I've generally seen enough of to have a solid opinion. He seems like he's pretty athletic for his size and handles the ball well, and he had a good game against the US National team, but he doesn't appear to have much of a post game and I think his outside shooting is probably overrated (his 3 point field goal percentage in the Chinese league apparently wasn't anything special). I sorta like him, but I wouldn't have him rated in the Top 5 (or even 10 probably), which is where I've seen him in a lot of mocks.

The Lakers should absolutely not trade for Jermaine O'neal. Bad bad bad. I still like the KG in LA thing. And Shawn Marion in LA isn't too bad, either. Getting rid of Odom? Man, I just don't know. He's a really good player, but he just doesn't seem to be working in LA. Like it'd be better for both parties if he left. Thing is, he reportedly really wants to stay! I can just see him breaking out big-time on another team, prompting all sorts of "what if" conversations. Like Shaq to Miami: "See, he was still good enough to win!" But if he'd stayed, he would have been completely different (i.e. un-motivated). Same with Odom, is my guess.

On the other hand, if they dealt Bryant, I could see Odom carrying a "pretty good" Laker team. Sort of like the Nick-the-slick era in the mid 90s, when the Lakers were fun to watch but didn't get too far. As it is now, they're not even fun to watch.

I like Odom as a player too , but he's pretty much the only other player of value they have outside of Kobe (who isn't getting traded. He brings in too much money for the team and Buss likes having flashy star players to sell to LA) and maybe Byum (who they have said repeatedly that they won't trade). If they're going to do something of note, he pretty much has to be the guy that goes. And if that's the case they probably won't be able to get Marion or KG, since I can't see those guys getting traded for just Odom (maybe if Bynum was thrown in, but even that's shakey and as I said early, not something LA appears to be prepared to do).

Bryant is an amazing player - I think it's unfair to compare to him MJ (suggesting MJ is better). In point of fact, I think Bryant is the more impressive player. Maybe I shouldn't have opened that can of worms. My point is, I really like watching Kobe play. In fact, if he were traded, I'd be tuning in to follow him with his new team.

I think it could be argued that Kobe's a better pure scorer (his outside shot is better), but he's not at Jordan's level as a complete player.

I read a long, convaluted article by an author whose name I can't recall about a month ago. It involved Bryant to Phoenix (for Marion and change - I can't recall the details), then some sort of conflabbed trade between Phoenix and Minnesota for Garnett. It ended with Nash, Bryant, and Garnett in Phoenix. The way it was all explained made it seem at least plausible, if not at all likely. I have to say, I'd trade in my Laker badge for a season if that happened.

It was Bill Simmons. He makes up wacky trades that will never happen like that all the time, though I agree that it would be a lot of fun to see (though it would totally screw-up next year's Utah Jazz Championship).
KG to the Suns is possible (there's been lots of rumors of him being traded straight-up for Amare, although the Suns don't seem to be all that hot on the idea for reasons that I don't totally understand), but KG AND Kobe is a pipe-dream.

[farfus]

Whatever they do, they need to inject some life into the league. Im thinking the top two picks will be good, from there they should be ok. The league needs to do something about their product because the finals did really bad in the ratings. I dont know what, but they need to do something to get this thing rolling...

[Cowboy22]

The product as a whole is fine. With the rule changes they've made the last few years, the type of basketball being played by most teams (at least out West) is extremely entertaining. I don't know how anyone could watch a Suns game and be bored. The problem in regards to the Finals is that the best team is the league is the Spurs (a small market team that has never been able to capture the public's attention for whatever reason), and also that the league is so horribly unbalanced right now (which the draft won't help). The East is A LOT worse than the West right now. If the Finals had actually been a series between the two best teams (Spur/Suns, who had a great series two round too early), instead of what it was, I don't think ratings would have been as awful as they were.

[farfus]

I agree that the league as a whole is unbalanced. I was watching PTI yesterday and Micheal Wilbon suggested maybe realignment, this may help some. I almost wonder if Cleveland or Detroit could have beaten any of the West top 4-5 teams, its clear they didnt stand a chance against the Spurs. Unexciting teams in a sweep = very few viewers for any length of time...

[svosen]

Stern mentioned that a lot of "consumption" of the NBA product is occurring over different media than just TV.

How true that is, I have no idea. But that was his spin when asked about the declining Finals viewership compared to previous years.

[Cowboy22]

Originally Posted by farfus

I agree that the league as a whole is unbalanced. I was watching PTI yesterday and Micheal Wilbon suggested maybe realignment, this may help some. I almost wonder if Cleveland or Detroit could have beaten any of the West top 4-5 teams, its clear they didnt stand a chance against the Spurs. Unexciting teams in a sweep = very few viewers for any length of time...

I think the only team in the Western Conference playoffs that Cleveland or Detroit would have beaten is LA.

I've always been against realignmet, because the balance between conferences seems like something that should be cyclical. With that said, the power has been out West for a long time and doesn't show any signs of changing, so maybe it is time to seriously consider it. At the same time, I can't help but think of the NFL back in the 80s and early 90s when the AFC Champion would get stomped by the NFC Champion every year in the Super Bowl. Over time things balanced themselves out, to the point that, now, the AFC is, by far, the superior conference. So maybe something similar could happen in the NBA.

[farfus]

Originally Posted by svosen

Stern mentioned that a lot of "consumption" of the NBA product is occurring over different media than just TV.

How true that is, I have no idea. But that was his spin when asked about the declining Finals viewership compared to previous years.

Id say spin, indeed. If the finals were the fun teams, ie, Phoenix/Dallas/LA or some other up tempo team it would have helped. But clearly the east has no one to compare in excitement level and Lebron is fun, but he is still a few solid trades away (maybe many more) to being the all encompassing, exciting leader of a championship team. I will say Lebron had a superb series against the Pistons and deserves a great deal of credit for stepping up to get to the Finals...

[svosen]

So the Blazers have announced that they made their decision, although they won't make it public until they announce their choice at the draft tonight. Personally, I think they're going for Durant. I've been hearing more good about him lately, and at the same time I've been hearing more questioning of Oden lately.

Read an article stating the Lakers (and a few other teams) have made an offer to the so-called best point guard in the Euro-league. Interesting...

For a while there, I was afraid KG was going to Phoenix (that would have been bad for the Lakers and all other teams in the Pacific Division), but it looks like that one's down the drain.

I suspect the Lakers are going to have a bad year next year. In part due to the lack of finding other good players, and in part due to Kobe's early-summer rage against the quality of the team. Really, the reason they did so poorly against the Suns in the first round this year was a lack of good team chemistry (for some unknown reason). This has certainly not helped that situation out at all. It'll be ugly next year. I'm already dreading it.