I’ve tried to catch some induction ceremonies over the years and even recorded a few of them.  I’ve never loved a ton of hall of fame athletes enough to actually watch their speeches.  I’m an extremely loyal fan to certain teams but I hold certain players in very high respect.  For example, I hate Derek Jeter but he can play.  I respect him, I won’t watch his hall of fame speech and I still stick by the fact that if he was a Kansas City Royal we wouldn’t know who he was or he’d be average.  He was made to shine in New York City and has done just that over the years.  Some of my favorite speeches were by my favorite athletes…Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg.  In fact, when both gave their speeches I actually wept because of the love they clearly showed for the game they played so well.

The NBA inducted Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and Adrian Dantley as players and all of them deservedly so.  I grew up in Utah watching Adrian Dantley and he was a gifted and incredible scorer.  He was so good for his size it was crazy.  He was a player who had an offensive arsenal that was incredible for a player who could barely dunk.  He could post up and score and no matter what happened you were going to foul him.  I loved AD.

With Ewing and Olajuwon you had two of the greatest big men in the leagues history.  Hakeem won his rings with Houston while Patrick never got his.  It doesn’t diminish what he meant to basketball in New York.  Not a lot of people came out on top against Michael Jordan.  Olajuwon had the greatest footwork of any player since Kevin McHale and would’ve probably been called for traveling 20 times in a typical college game but didn’t in the NBA.  He was a shot blocking fool and had an unstoppable spinning jump shot on the baseline.  He was incredible.

But the man who made me cry this year was Dick Vitale.  I will never forget watching his speech and I was wishing he would keep talking.  I never thought I’d say that because sometimes I’m watching a game he’s working and I want nothing more than for him to be quiet.  Dick Vitale loves basketball and is grateful for basketball and it gave him everything he has.  He made me cry.  He made me think of shooting hoops at my neighbors house in the snow outside and coming home with cold hands that were beyond dirty.  He made me ache for the days I sat next to my father and watched countless games.  It was as much as hanging out with my father as it was anything else.  Dickie V brings that to life for me and everything else.  He brings out the best that basketball has to offer to a kid growing up or a pro.  I’ll watch this speech over and over and show it to my children because that passion is something I want and i want them to have.

Dick, you couldn’t coach a lick and I’m so glad for that because we all would’ve been missing out.

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I’m still not worried if I’m the NBA.  It isn’t going to hurt the overall product that is put out on the floor each game.  With the NBA losing Arroyo to Israel it just gives an American born player a chance to play in the NBA in front of fans that grew up watching him.  This is nothing to panic about at all. 

Carlos Arroyo is a decent second string point guard who shoots the ball too much.  He would’ve hung around a roster like Jacque Vaughn for 15 seasons and years later someone would’ve remembered him having a decent game once.  With him going to Israel it only makes that team better but doesn’t weaken the Orlando Magic.  I’m more than confident that the Magic can find a quality replacement for Carlos.

I touched on this topic a week or so ago and I’ll say it again, we only have to worry about it when the best players start to leave and at this point that isn’t going to happen.  I’m not saying it won’t because basketball is growing so much world wide that teams and owners are going to pony up one day and go for the superstar and one might go and pave the way for others.  In the end all it will do is make the NBA change their salary structure to compete so that the best players will always play here in the states.  I think we are years off for that and maybe that player who changed it all is Josh Childress or maybe he’s the guy that sours the Europeans on players from here.  We’ll find out in a few years, about the same time that we learn Brett Favre is coming back again for another season.

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My favorite NBA transaction of the past week was yesterday.  Renaldo Balkman, who was taken by the Knicks with a first round pick a few years ago, was dealt to the Nuggets for 2 pieces of garbage and a junk 2nd round pick.  The garbage i’m referring to is Taurean Green and Bobby Jones.  Both players will be waived.  Imagine how you would feel to be traded for 2 guys who are going to be cut and a 2nd rounder?  Do you think Balkman lived up to his promise?  The funny part is the guy didn’t have any promise to begin with.  He was an Isiah Thomas selection and only averaged 7 points a game during his college career.  Here is a list of guys taken after Balkman in the draft:

Rajon Rondo

Marcus Williams

Kyle Lowry

Jordan Farmar

Craig Smith

Paul Millsap

Leon Powe

Daniel Gibson

It gets more amazing to me every day that Isiah was able to keep his job.  They were suffering with a career loser at point guard in Marbury yet got a high energy guy in Balkman who doesn’t have the skill set to be more than a bench player in the NBA.  Just another task now of getting rid of Isiah players and trying to bring in their own to play for Dantoni.  Good move by the Knicks and I don’t type that sentence often.

Nenad Krstic is going to play in Russia.  This actually doesn’t surprise me again.  Once the money gets competitive and players don’t or can’t compete at the highest level then go where you are comfortable.  Krstic had a hard time recovering from knee surgery and was having a tough time getting to the level he was at before the injury.  He had some late attention but the feeling was he was leaning toward Europe anyway.  Within a year nobody will remember he was ever gone.  He’s the new Dino Radja.  Exactly…

Luol Deng and Ben Gordon are both unsigned by the Bulls.  I think the Bulls should hire my wife as the Gm because Paxson has the same ability to make a decision by himself.  I love my wife and I love Paxson but I don’t love Paxson as the gm.  He made the right pick taking Rose but I don’t think he wanted to.  He took forever to choose there after having a month to decide.  Now he has 2 giant pieces to the teams puzzle and they are floating around possibilities of playing in Europe and that wouldn’t surprise me.  Paxson needs to trade someone whether it be Hinrich or Gordon.  Let it be Hinrich.  He’s a point guard who needs to go.  Gordon is a shooting guard who will get some good looks playing with Rose.  Rose can break anyone down of the dribble and any help defense will free up Ben.  It’s a no brainer to me and maybe it is to Paxson also but he’s taking his own sweet time and if he isn’t careful Ben will be playing in Greece next year for millions.

Oh and the US had better win the Gold in basketball.

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Recently Bostjan Nachbar singed a 3 year 14 million dollar contract with a Russian pro team and his exit has signaled a true sign of the times in professional basketball.  No longer is the NBA the league that offers the most money.

In the past players wanted to come to the NBA because it was where the best competition is and that is clearly true still, but what has changed is the competition for these players.  European basketball just keeps getting bigger as a result of the success of the NBA and the leagues are getting more and more money to spend.  Just this year alone Carlos Delfino, Jorge Garbojosa and Juan Carlos Navarro have opted to go play in Europe because they were offered more money.  Clearly, playing against the best competition isn’t nearly as important to these guys as the money is.

Do you remember when Doug Flutie was destroying the Canadian Football League?  I know it’s off topic a little but stay with me for a second.  Flutie killed the Canadian football league and was getting paid a ton of money but it didn’t stop him from playing in the NFL and never reaching the stardom he had in the CFL.  Flutie wanted to play against the best and made enough money in Canada that he wanted to really give the NFL a shot and was a good NFL quarterback.  It also helped that he was from here. 

What it boils down to for me is the fact that I don’t think the NBA should care of worry.  If Nachbar wants to go play in Europe then he can take his 8 points a game during a career year and go.  Same with the other guys.  If we lose players long term to NBA that are American stars then we should start to worry but that won’t happen.  It’s the Doug Flutie within the Americans that will always keep them coming back even when we shun them because they supposedly aren’t good enough.  American kids want to play in the NBA because it’s their league with their fans and their people.  If the Euros want to go home to play and get paid very well to do it then I can’t fault them doing that at all because I’d do the same thing. 

The NBA fan doesn’t hurt from this because the NBA fan follows kids from the McDonald’s all american game to college and to the pros and they get there with a built in fan base and following.  The foreigners come in at a decided disadvantage that way and with their roster spot replaced by an American player it can’t really hurt the interest in the league.  The only thing it brings to question is that the NBA will start to lose the stigma as having the best players in the world.  With more and more guys opting to stay in their homelands we won’t have that anymore.  I’m ok with that.

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Elton Brand leaves the Clippers for the Sixers.  Corey Maggette going to Golden St.  What’s Baron really going to do? 

I have to say that the Sixers gm is a smart guy.  He deals 2 guys off the scrap heap and a 1st round pick that he thinks will be lousy to Minnesota so that he can free up some money to go after Brand and it worked.  They are reportedly going to sign him for 5 years 82 million dollars.  That’s a ton of money for a guy coming off achilles surgery who didn’t really play much last season.  Brand is the missing piece for the Sixers who now have a lineup of Miller, Iggy, Brand and Dalembert in their starting 5.  That isn’t bad at all.  What’s most impressive is prying away Brand from the Clippers after it clearly seemed that he was just trying to make the Clippers better by talking Baron into playing there.

Now what is Baron going to do…he commited to them but that doesn’t mean he still has to do it.  He could treat this like a ’soft verbal’ in college football and just go elsewhere now.  But where?  He could go back to Golden St I guess but that ship might have sailed.  He could go to Memphis but they have some younger players and don’t want the guy.  He’s very limited in his options.  I think he’s stuck and going to play for the Clips and be miserable.  I’m not even sad about it as he shouldn’t have opted out in the first place.

Corey Maggette goes to the Warriors and I’m not sure exactly why.  Don’t the Warriors seemingly have a team full of guys just like him.  It may not be so but it just seems that the entire team is 6*6 and athletic and can shoot.  That isn’t the case, but the perception.  Corey can score and this offense will suit him just fine.  He’s a great athlete and an improved shooter and I look for big things from him.  Monta Ellis is going to have a really big season and put up some big numbers even though he only looks like a junior high kid right now. 

Overall we are going to see some more signings and more trades in the coming days as their are plenty of guys still out there. I look forward to it…Keep the thoughts coming.

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Elton Brand is not going to leave the Clippers.  He’s the one who talked Baron Davis out of leaving Golden St. and he wants a winner in LA that isn’t the Lakers.  Brand is a great players coming off injury and the Clippers got a great season out of center Chris Kaman so adding Davis will make a big deal to this team. 

Brand has been offered a lot of money from Golden St. and Philly and is acting like he is being tempted by both of them.  All he’s trying to do is get himself the best deal possible from the Clippers and the Clippers can’t afford to call his bluff.  If they do and he leaves they will lose all the momentum from the Davis commitment.  It is only a commitment thus far as they can start signing free agents on Wednesday.  Brand will keep his leverage as long as possible so I imagine he’ll wait to comment until Wednesday on his intentions to stay with the Clippers.

Kirk Hinrich is another story.  In fact, the Bulls drafting of Derrick Rose has caused a stir in Chicago’s locker room.  The Bulls have Hinrich locked up long term but he’s a point guard and Rose didn’t get taken number 1 to sit the bench.  Rose will play because he’s better than Hinrich right now.  The Bulls have some choices with Ben Gordon but he’s more of a shooting guard albeit a smaller one.  I see Hinrich going to Golden St. and I think it is only a matter of time before those teams get together.  The Warriors are going to strike out in free agency and will be a better team with Hinrich anyway.  Baron Davis is an amazing talent but his shot selection is sketchy at best.  Hinrich will thrive under Don Nelson and the Warriors will be better defensively.  The only other possibility in Chicago is for the Bulls to keep Hinrich and then do a sign and trade involving Ben Gordon.  Hinrich would play the two guard and get absolutely destroyed by some of the bigger guards in the league just as Gordon has in his career.  Blow it up and start over Chicago basing your franchise on Rose, Deng and the combination of big guys.  Rose will get Tyrus Thomas some dunks over the next few years and make him look very good.

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Baron Davis opted out of 17 million dollars last night.  That’s crazy in average people terms but a decent idea in terms of Baron and what he wants to accomplish.  But where is Baron going to go?

Stay?  No chance now.  I expect the Warriors will go after Arenas with their new found money.  But that’s really only one of two options.  Memphis has money but has 2 point guards under contract already so they aren’t using it on Baron Davis.  Philadelphia?  I don’t think he’s going to get offered there.  They are going to commit to Louis Williams and still have Andre Miller running the point for them there and he’s still very effective.  That leaves the Clippers or the Warriors.

The Clippers have money to spend after Elton Brand and Corey Maggette opted out of their deals and it starting to truly cause a trend in the league.  Brand is expected to re sign in Los Angeles with Maggette taking a good look at resigning as well.  The Clips will still have the money to go after Davis and all signs show they will but why would Baron want to play in LA with the Clippers?  If he stayed in his current deal with the Warriors he would’ve have another great season and been one of the top guards out there with plenty of teams having money to spend with better chances of winning than the Clippers.  I know he’s thought about all these things and I know his agent is all about the contract and the money and that’s fine but Baron as a Clipper just doesn’t fit.  Sure he went to college there, but it is a players graveyard and the next headstone is Baron Davis if he signs there.  He can have it be next to Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell, Maggette and a bunch of other forgotten players.

What will Golden St. do?  They’ll go after Arenas.  He was drafted by the Warriors albeit too late in the draft and bolted as soon as he could, but this is different now.  He would have a green light and to play in an uptempo pace with young talent all around him.  I like the situation for him there.  Thing is, Arenas is all about the money.  I can see the Warriors being aggressive with his contract terms and trying to paint Baron Davis into a corner with the Clippers by getting Arenas.  Arenas is loving it now though.  By Davis opting out it created a two team race for his services and gives him more leverage which he loves. 

I personally hope Arenas ends up in Golden St and Baron Davis goes to the Clips.  I hope the Warriors become very good and the Clips, well we all know know what will happen to the Clippers.

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It’s that time again…The NBA is over with Boston winning the title deservedly over the Lakers and now teams are retooling through free agency with hardly any teams with money to spend.  In free agency you have a restricted and unrestricted status with an unrestricted free agent being the kind that have real power because they can sign where offered.  A restricted free agent’s team has the right to match any offer that is presented to the player.  It’s usually a fun cat and mouse game between two teams for a players services and it isn’t uncommon for a team to force the hand of another to get them to spend more money than they wanted. 

This year is a very very down year for free agents.  I thought I’d list who my top restricted and unrestricted free agents are and what will probably happen with them.

Unrestricted: 

1.  Gilbert Arenas:  He has to be the top guy on everyones list despite coming off a rather serious knee injury.  Arenas is a proven scorer in the NBA and with limited teams being able to give him more money he will undoubtedly sign with the Wizards.  This guy has proven to be all about the money from the moment he got into the league and I can’t blame him.  He is trying hard to maximize the amount of money he can get during his career and that’s why he’ll stay in Washington.

2.  Michael Pietrus:  I think this guy is going to get some serious money here.  He’s a great athlete and can defend more than one position.  He was developing as a shooter but for some reason couldn’t get a ton of time of the Warriors bench.  Some team is going to take a chance on him and pay him some money and he’s going to leave Golden St.  It may be a stretch to have him at 2 on my list but he has some upside here and is still very young.

3.  Antawn Jamison:  I have him third because he’s a tough productive player and despite his age is a great player.  He’s 32 now but is a proven scorer and option in the NBA.  What will the Wizards do here?  Clearly they will make a more concerted effort over Arenas and you can’t blame them so do they let Jamison walk?  I don’t think so.  With the Grizzlies, Clippers and 76ers under the cap it gives Jamison little flexibility and negotiating power.  At this stage of his career he is looking for that last big contract and to play for a winner and his best bet is to stay and try to get that.

 Tomorrow we will go over the restricted free agents and probably already have some idea as to what will happen with them.

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It’s a done deal.  The Bulls are going to take Derrick Rose with the 1st pick of the draft.  It is time they gave up on Hinrich and dealt him elsewhere and let Rose run the show.  The reason this is so cut and dry with me is because Chicago is Rose’s hometown.  He’s lived there his entire life until he chose Memphis over Illinois for his brief college career. 

The last time this happened was when Cleveland ended up with the top pick and were able to select Lebron James after he was a high school legend there.  Rose won a couple state titles at Simeon high school and is a legend and now he needs to play on with the Bulls.  He’ll have some athletes to play with who can run with him in Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and others.  They can now play a faster pace which is reportedly what new coach Vinnie Del Negro wants to do. 

Derrick Rose will be the 1st pick in the draft on Thursday by the Chicago Bulls and if he isn’t then Paxson is the next high exec to be pushed out the door.  The chance to draft a local legend doesn’t come around very often and they better not mess it up.

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It’s official.  Kobe is not MJ.  All the chatter can stop now as MJ won in the finals and Kobe got smoked.  NO MJ team would’ve been beaten by 40 in an elimination game.  It simply wouldn’t have happened.  Kobe disappeared after the 1st quarter again, much like he has for almost all the other games.  He made 3 baskets after the 1st quarter and just couldn’t get anything to fall.  I hear all sports radio talking up how physical the Celtics were but they weren’t more physical than the Spurs and Bruce Bowen.  The difference was that when Kobe got past the first defender there were others just waiting for him and forcing him to dish to Vujacic or Fisher or Odom.  The Celtics banked on it and it happened and they cruised. 

The guy I’m most impressed with was James Posey.  I’m with Van Gundy on this one.  He did all the right things for that team.  He specializes in the little stuff that most people don’t even notice but when you see a team play for 6 games you really appreciate what certain guys bring and Posey is a keeper.

On the other hand, the Lakers will be back next year and better than they were this year.  They will start Fisher, Bryant, Odom, Gasol and Bynum and be just huge.  Gasol can play power forward and Odom is athletic enough to play outside.  I think they will be great if Bynum can show continued improvement.  No matter what though, Kobe let the Lakers get embarrassed which is something the truly great ones don’t allow.

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