Jack’s Blog

There are two constants that viewers of NBA playoff games - or is it any game? - can count on.  One of them is players complaining to referees following fouls called on them.  Or fouls not called on guys guarding them.  Dwight Howard, Pau, Russell Westbrook, KD, Melo, Boozer, KG, Blake Griffin, Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, LeBron, Bosh, and for all intents and purposes, every other player in the league.  Possibly, it’s because they’re embarrassed they missed a shot.  Or maybe they really got fouled and the ref missed the call.  Or it should have been a charge instead of a block - or a block instead of a charge.

Whatever the case, the following scenario is guaranteed.  The offended player gives the referee the stank eye, then mumbles (or louder and clearer) his displeasure.  Something like “It was a clean block”/”Didn’t you see him hit me?”  Occasionally, additional adjectives an adverbs find their way into the conversation.  In some cases, he will soon be donating money to the league.

The second constant is the refs don’t change their minds.  Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks put it best in the 4/15/13 edition of Sports Illustrated when he discussed his new found philosophy toward officials:

“What’s going on here?  I’m arguing with the ref, but he’s not the enemy.  Sometimes he makes good calls, sometimes he makes bad calls, but he never overturns his calls.  So what am I doing?”

Dwyane Wade reached out to a couple of his friends and the three talked about hooking up and creating a dynasty.  The first year, they went to the NBA Finals and lost.  This year, well, you know what happened.  The Celtics pulled off the same move, getting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join forces with Paul Pierce.  That move turned out OK too.

With the new CBA being what it is, teams will be using this philosophy to build an instant winner.  Which, after all, is what the fans want.  I find it amusing that when a team is getting older, one question that’s always thrown out is, “Should the team be blown up and built back up again.”  There are a variety of opinions.  I have never doubted the sincerity of those who say the team should be blown up.  Yet I wonder how many of them will stick by their team through the rebuilding process.

Often, which decision is made is based on the location of the team.  Small market teams usually have a more devoted fan base and can withstand growing pains better.  Not that losing doesn’t hurt.  Whatever the case is with those clubs, the teams found in large markets have a loyal group of fans as long as the team wins.  If there’s a prolonged (a short?) period of losing, many will say, “Good luck.  Get back to me when you start winning again.”

Contending isn’t enough for these clubs.  There’s “blow up” talk regarding the Knicks (at least they’re finally good enough to talk about blowing them up), Celtics, Spurs, Mavs and the Lakers.  It’s hard to believe that anyone who has anything to d0 with the Los Angeles Lakers would ever considering anything for their team but challenging for the championship.  I just turned 64 and can’t remember a season in which LA wasn’t a serious contender.

The latest move the Laker brass pulled off will either give the team a chance to add another title to the rafters or . . . call for the bomb squad.  For years the pundits listed “point guard” as a negative for the Lakers.  Adding Steve Nash to their current group will eliminate that problem - unless the talk turns to defense.  Now, if a deal can be made to trade Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard (don’t ask for the details or why Pau Gasol isn’t the big guy traded), the Lakers become deeply involved in title talk.

After this past season, people became believers in LeBron’s multi-championships boast.  The Oklahoma City Thunder is, for many - especially for small market teams - the prototype organization.  Young and built through the draft, the Thunder made it to the finals this year.  If not favored to win it next year, they’ll certainly be one of the favorites.  The problem is the draft’s so fickle, it might be too hard a road to take.

When the Knicks traded for Amare Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony after the Celts and Heat made theirs, the boundary lines were set.  After Phoenix acquired so many draft picks for Nash, small market teams were given their game plan.  The problem for the NBA is there are so many more small market franchises that, while ratings for the Finals will be great, the league office might consider condensing the regular season again.

These arguments will be further bolstered if the Lakers get Dwight Howard.  And if that happens, everybody will have to deal with it because at that level, the best advice could be a line from Zig Ziglar:

“Don’t be distracted by criticism.  Remember, the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.”

LeBron James finally (after all, he’s already 27) put to rest that, although he was a great player, he couldn’t win a championship.  Soon, we’ll be discussing who now is the best baller without a ring.  Actually, we already are but read on.

For some reason we feel this moniker needs to be if not presented formally, at least discussed - in every sport.  From national tv to local watering holes.  I coached in the college basketball world for 30 years and when I started in 1970 a similar label was thrown around in our business.  As a young guy in the field one of the veteran coaches I was in awe of was Dean Smith.  It shocked me when I would hear the “Greatest Coach Who Has Never Won a Title” attributed to him.  Freshman Michael Jordan’s jumper took care of that nonsense but shortly thereafter the crown was passed to Mike Krzyzewski.

It was almost a badge of honor for coaches.  In order to qualify for the unenviable title, a coach needed to take a team to the Final Four on more than one occasion and come up short.  For most coaches reaching the Final Four is conquering the Holy Grail.  After Mike won in 1991, thus bequeathing the “honor,” the latest line was, “Sure, Rick (Pitino) can take a team the the mountaintop but he can’t them to the Promised Land.”  In 1996 his Kentucky Wildcats won it all but the debate raged on.

By now it was mandatory for fans and media to have a coach whose feet they could hold to the fire.  It must have made them feel good at that time because there were two contestants.  And as fate would have it, their teams squared off in the 2003 championship game.  Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Roy Williams of UNC.  In a show of empathy, while shaking hands after the game, Boeheim said to Williams, “Don’t worry;  you’ll get one” after the Orange beat the ‘Heels.  It was similar to the exchange Bob Knight had with Boeheim after his Hoosiers beat the ‘Cuse in ‘87.  And, of course, ‘ol Roy did just that.  Twice.

I won’t tell you who had the wrath of the nation up until last year.  You probably can figure it out.  The hint is: he no longer has to deal with the problem.

Sports is definitely the most highly scrutinized business - possibly because there are fans and we love to argue.  Now that cyberstat guys have entered the world, it doesn’t seem like there will be any stone unturned.  If only Wall Street could have such a fan base - although it might be a little too late for that.

Now NBA followers are placing the “good stats/great player but can’t win a championship” mantle on Kevin Durant (a little too early, don’t ya think?), Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard just like they did to Charles Barkley, Pete Maravich,  John Stockton & Karl Malone.

Some of those guys got close but it wasn’t to be.  Maybe they played in the wrong era; maybe they didn’t quite have the right mix of teammates, i.e. not enough talent.  I’m showing my age when I say I remember a couple National League MVP awards going to Ernie Banks - even though his Chicago Cubs finished last!

Still, people revel in the misery of others even though it doesn’t make the critical person’s life any better.  Or put another way:

“Although someone may come up short in their endeavors, it doesn’t make you better at any of yours.”

Carmelo Anthony signed with the Knicks and began torching opponents from his first game.  Baron Davis played his first contest for the Cavs and sank the game winner.  Deron Williams has been setting assist records for the Nets.  The list goes on.

Talking heads are dissecting the recent trades in terms of winners and losers. Maybe the new guy has found his true home.  Possibly all he needed was a change of scenery.  The chemistry is just working (or it’s not working).  Simply put, figuring it all out takes time.

Many of the “stars” who were traded feel the need to impress immediately - and have the talent to do just that.

But the answer to which teams made the right deals can be found in the line coined by Cavett Robert, the founder of the National Speakers Association - and not until such a time.  Robert’s quote was:

“The definition of commitment is following something through after the enthusiasm of the moment has passed.” 

With Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams heading east, is there cause for concern in the NBA?  One area to start would be small market teams.  Sure, the Thunder are contenders but you’d have to think they’re the exception rather than the rule.

Today’s star has his eyes on more than salary.  No doubt they want to win but recent history has shown us that superstar friends combining efforts - in large market cities, i.e. places that offer endorsement deals - is in vogue among the NBA’s elite.

What can this mean to clubs located in Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Sacramento and Memphis?  Those places, as great as they may be to raise a family, are tough sells to the young multi-millionaire.  If LeBron couldn’t get guys to join with him in Cleveland - and don’t think he didn’t try - then, as much as those Ohio faithful claim they love their Cavs, their franchise could be heading for ruin.

Many of the small market teams are going to have high draft choices and, quite possibly, they might be able to land someone with quality game - and character - like a Kevin Durant.  It will be interesting to see if that family atmosphere in Oklahoma City is anywhere near the draw that the bright city lights of New York (and, yes, that also means the Nets), Boston, Miami, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles (including the Clippers, assuming their owner decides he really wants a winner).  Dallas, Philly and DC might qualify too.

It’s frightening to think teams like Walton’s Blazers, Hakeem’s Rockets the current Spurs (how much longer can those three guys perform at such a high level anyway?) may never be witnessed again.  This is the new NBA and the chance of Chris Paul selling great ones to hook up with him in New Orleans, as opposed to him “taking his talents” elsewhere, is more and more remote.

Charlotte, Orlando and Phoenix are certainly more attractive options than Rochester, Fort Wayne and wherever the “Quad Cities” were.  Supposedly, progress is what caused the old NBA to change into the current version.  We should be ready for more change but need to heed the saying:

“There is no progress without change, but not all change is progress.”

About a two and a half years ago (6/1/08 to be exact), I blogged about college basketball players and preparing for the NBA draft.  I used an example from my days as Director of Basketball Operations at Fresno State.  One day, an NBA general manager (whom I didn’t name) came to one of our practices to evaluate one of guys who had extraordinary talent, but was psychologically fragile.

Although the player will continue to remain anonymous, the GM was the Denver Nuggets’ Mark Warkentien.  “Stein,” as he is called by those who know him, had been an assistant coach on Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV staff.  I’ve known Stein for a couple of decades and am always in awe when we talk about . . . anything!  He is the definition of an out-of-the-box thinker.  His views on topics, mainly about “people dealing with people” are not just insightful, but original.  The following is (most of) what I posted in June, ‘08:

The superior prospect, about to venture into a profession he’s dreamed of, could use some helpful advice during that final season in college (now that kids have to spend at least a year in the field of higher education).  What one of our Bulldog players was told by an NBA general manager one day before practice was, by far, the wisest bit of knowledge he learned in college (and believe me or not, he was actually a good student and an intelligent young man).

This GM took him aside and explained what NBA teams who were checking him out wanted to see.  I happened to be a participant (as a listener only) to the conversation in which he said, “You know Fresno State’s good enough to be in the NIT … BUT, you guys want to go to the NCAA’s.  Well, you know you’re good enough to be a first round pick … BUT you want to be a lottery pick.  Think about it.  The teams that are picking in the lottery are teams that lose … and because they lose - a lot - they probably have no leaders and no true superstars.  When they come to see you play - or practice - don’t show them a guy who’s tough to coach, is moody or is a pain in the butt.  That’s what they have now!  They don’t need any more of that type of player.”

The youngster genuinely appreciated the remarks and I know Tark did as well, because coming from a guy in a leadership position in the league, advice of that nature will always carry more weight.  Kids get used to hearing propaganda from their coaches (”Just because these guys are 2-20, don’t think tonight’s game isn’t going to be a battle”), so coming from someone with no agenda makes a valuable impression and a service that, if you don’t provide as a coach, you’re neglecting your player’s best interests - something you promised him and his parents in that home visit so many months or years ago.

Mark Warkentien was relieved of his job with the Nuggets after last season.  The New York Knicks just hired him as their Director of Player Personnel.  In addition to being extremely intelligent, no one knows Carmelo Anthony - and the Carmelo Anthony situation - better than Stein.  The rumors about Melo joining the Knicks aren’t just rumors.

When it comes to advice, Walter Lippman once said:

“Unless you can invent something which substitutes attractive virtues for attractive vices, you will fail.”

Carmelo Anthony has refused his company’s offer.  He is adamant that he needs a change and has gone public with his feelings.  Many of Americans probably have identical issues at their place of employment but Carmelo’s case is somewhat different than the rest of ours.

First of all, his “company,” the Denver Nuggets, have made a rather lucrative offer to someone with one year of a college education.  Lucky for him the privacy laws are still in effect or his transcript might be disclosed, showing the schedule he had during his freshman year at Syracuse wasn’t exactly like what Joe Biden, Ted Koppel and Bob Costas had when they matriculated at SU.  He did, however, ace the one course he was brought there for, leading the Orange to the national championship in his lone year on campus.

Although none of those three ‘Cuse alums need bailing out, $65 million for three years would sound like sweet music to even people as successful and highly paid as they are.  So why is he complaining?  Several reasons.  One is that he doesn’t see his squad contending for a championship.  He probably hasn’t considered that fact might be due to character issues - his and his teammates.  Another has to be, especially for a kid from the tough side of Baltimore, him seeing his peers join forces - or simply jump teams - and how much fun they’re having.  Of course, the season is only a couple games old but, after all, he is part of the instant gratification bunch.

Why is he allowed to openly behave in this way?  His situation has to be a distraction to his employer who is currently paying him a heckuva lot more than minimum wage.  So why would some other team want someone who has such a negative impact of the team’s psyche?  If you’ve been paying attention to the NBA - or pretty much any professional sports team - the answer to that question is beyond simple.

Because he can play.  There just aren’t that many individuals who can perform on a basketball court the way ‘Melo does.  He has the innate ability to light up a scoreboard.  For him to leave a place where they love him and treat him the way they do, e.g. look the other way, coddle him, make him the team’s focal point, never call him out when he doesn’t raise the level of play of the other guys the way other superstars do with their respective teams, well, maybe he’s lighting up more than just a scoreboard.

Turn down $65 mil to go to a team not located in Miami, LA or Boston?  Does he really think if he joins up with another big-timer (or even two - like Amar’e and CP3) that they’re really going to win a championship?  Not according to one Hall-of-Famer.

Last night, Bill Walton (another guy who believed “token” was a verb rather than a noun - but who has since mellowed - not to be confused with ‘Melo’d) harshly criticize Anthony, saying he didn’t “have what it takes.”  Say what you want about the Big Redhead (or Big Deadhead), he showed it was possible to take a bunch of good-but-not-great players (and that’s giving his Blazers teammates the benefit of the doubt) and win a championship.  That, and he trumped ‘Melo in NCAA titles 2-1.

Sure, Anthony just got married to a TV personality who’d rather live in the bright lights - or at least lights brighter than those in the Mile High City - but if his decision came down to joining the Thunder or the Clippers, my money is that Oklahoma City would quickly become an attractive setting for a starlet.  In all, Carmelo Anthony will eventually leave Denver and will then find out how people will feel about him - one way or the other, because:

“When you are gone, people will either be warmed by your memory, or relieved with your absence.”

Under the definition of “awkward” ought to be the situation in Denver with Carmelo Anthony.  Ever since LeBron James & Chris Bosh “took their talents to South Beach” (I’m assuming that Bosh describes his move the same way James did) to join Dwayne Wade, other NBA stars have been positioning themselves to combine forces to . . . what, try to beat the Lakers? 

Last summer, at Anthony’s wedding, the people raised their glasses to Chris Paul’s toast to Melo playing in the Big Apple with him and Amar’e Stoudemire.  It made sense for Anthony to establish residence in New York since his bride, Lala Vasquez, is in the entertainment business.  It might even be a good fit for Anthony.  However, something that was overlooked at that joyous moment was that Denver’s brass was in attendance at the reception.  They must have thought - or wished - their glasses were filled with hemlock. 

Fast forward to yesterday’s NBA media day.  Melo was dressed in his familiar Nuggets gear and was saying all the right things - even if words were coming out of both sides of his mouth.  In today’s world, not only is whatever someone says not forgotten, it’s archived on video or audio, ready to be broadcast at the most inopportune time.  So yesterday, Melo was all smiles.  Coach George Karl, who has fought, and is seemingly winning (has won) bigger battles, managed to toe the company line, saying he thought Carmelo would sign a contract extension and remain a part of the Nuggets franchise.  As he closed, though, Karl did say the team was answering phone calls and listening to all offers.  Probably wants to let people know he still lives in the real world.

The reports that Denver did not ask Anthony to participate in any of the team’s promotional filming on media day might just be a hint that the words “imminent departure” reamin a viable possibility.  Or maybe they just think he’s not that photogenic.

George Karl had to beat cancer - twice.  Trying to plan for an NBA season is difficult (and stressful) enough.  Trying to come up with one with Carmelo Anthony and another without him borders on the unfeasible.

Call it a slam at the organization, or maybe at the entire NBA, but taking into account account the Nuggets’ personnel (and several of the other teams), this just might lend credence to the line:

“The inmates are running the asylum.” 

Next week marks the opening of the NBA season - at least as far as coaches are concerned.  Nearly every coach I’ve ever known feels practice is the most important time of the season, i.e. that once games start, it’s too late to do much of anything except game plan for the next contest.

This year there is so much anticipation about the Miami Heat.  Fans absolutely cannot wait to see the Big Three play, whether to witness the new dynasty or hope they fail miserably.  LeBron James and Chris Bosh hooking up with Dwayne Wade has NBA fans drooling and other pros, e.g. Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, angling to make similar moves.

Be forewarned.  If this trend continues, there are going to some really bad teams, outfits only the true die-hard will support.  Many of the clubs in that category don’t exactly have massive followings now (the Raptors), so the NBA may turn into a league of haves and have-nots.  Even more so than it is now.

So for all those fans who can’t wait to see who the next super trio will be, here’s a word of caution:

“Be careful what you wish for.  You might just get it.”

The NBA draft has been cut to two rounds for some time.  As one general manager told me several years ago (when his title was Director of Player Personnel), “I have the easiest job in the world.  I fly around the country, on a really nice expense account, looking at players.  I get paid extremely well, that is, more than I ever thought I’d be making - and a lot more than I was making when I was an assistant coach in college - and when it comes down to it, here’s what happens when we draft.  

“We select with our first round pick whomever the decision-maker wants.  That could be the owner, if he thinks he knows the game (and so many of these guys have made so much dough, they look at the basketball team as their hobby - and figure, “C’mon, how hard can this be?”)  If the owner has a “first lieutenant,” that is, someone he implicitly trusts, (usually the general manager), then the selection will be the GM’s.  If the head coach has the power (and fewer and fewer even want that kind of power), the first rounder will be the pick of the head coach.

“I have some say in who we pick in the second round.  And he gets cut.  So, I feel like I’m stealing money!”

Now, before the reader start judging, let me explain.  The guy who told me this story (many years ago) is one of the hardest working and brightest guys I’ve met.  I also remember asking then-New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who few people remember started out in college coaching, how in the world he could coach a bunch of guys he didn’t ever see.  This was at one of our self-improvement clinics, during a lunch break when we had some time together.  He explained to me, “No way would I want to be both head coach and director of player personnel or GM.  It’s way too much work.  I don’t even have enough time to watch our next opponent, much less do a thorough job of scouting college and foreign players.  It’s a totally different game from college where you’re recruiting guys you feel are good fits for your head coach.”

All that taken into consideration, it’s amazing how many mistakes - or near mistakes - teams make - with as many people as they have employed to make sure they get it right when their team’s name is on the clock.

Sure the Colts (to briefly switch to football) got it right taking Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf, but there are an awful lot of professional people -and fans alike - who remember that Peyton was by no means the overwhelming choice.  And think about how far apart those two are in ability - physical, mental and emotional.

How about the greatest basketball player of all time going third in his draft?  Most people give the Rockets a pass when they decided against taking Michael Jordan and selected Hakeem Olajuwon first - one, because they desperately needed a center, two, the Dream had a Hall-of-Fame career and 3) he did lead his team to the ultimate prize.  But the grief the Portland Trailblazers have had to put up with has been merciless, when they took Sam Bowie - for the same reason.  They needed a center and had a great two guard in Clyde Drexler.

I was at Tennessee when Big Sam played at UK and everybody knew of the fragile nature of Bowie’s legs/knees/feet.  Maybe they felt they won a championship with another center who had lower extremities problems in Bill Walton, so history would repeat.  The classic line regarding the Blazers’ selection at number two was delivered by Bob Knight, who had coached MJ in the Olympic Games and had witnessed up close his skill, work ethic, and competitiveness.  As well as anyone, Bob Knight knew Michael Jordan was destined for superstardom.  So when Portland GM Stu Inman, a close friend of Knight’s, told him they really needed a center, Knight simply said to Inman, “Then draft Jordan - and play him at center.” 

Although taking really young guys is a gamble (e.g. Kwame Brown), taking a foreign player has to be more of a risk than a college guy.  Naturally, having spent 30 years in the college game, I’m biased toward the kids who play in the U.S., in front of rabid crowds and are raised on the NBA much more so than players from overseas.  It does seem like the gap is narrowing and there are some sensational players who weren’t born in this country.

However, one disappointment has been Darko Milicic.  In a previous blog, I mentioned unless a player is a surefire super, like LeBron or Shaq, the team drafting the player usually determines his chances for immediate success.  Milicic was not head coach Larry Brown’s top choice, especially with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade all available and poor Darko spent the entire year riding the pine.  Brown could get away with it because he’s one of the top notch coaches and the Pistons won - B-I-G.

The latest foreign fiasco is Ricky Rubio.  When your team is as bad as Minnesota was last year, and you’re sitting there with three “firsts,” including number four overall, you’d better be more than absolutely sure if you pick Rubio - who, on video, looks like un ultra-talented, pass first (& defend later) big guard who could help win games - and sell tickets.

Timberwolves president David Kahn dealt directly with Rubio and his agent or rep and, I’d bet felt certain, he could work a deal out to have the “European Pistol” in a T-Wolves jersey for this year.  Now, Kahn finds out Rubio decides he wants to play two more years in Spain.  Maybe it will all work out.  Maybe in two years, he’ll be thrilling NBA crowds and Kahn will look like a genius.  I’ll wager now that, even if that is the case, he won’t be playing for the same coach.

Sometimes the decision comes down to:

“The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.”      �