NBA Season Preview Part II: The Eastern Conference

Disclaimer: This “preview” (and I use the term loosely) is very off the cuff, and contains virtually no research. It’s simply my gut feelings regarding this upcoming NBA season. I tried to be “Fair & Balanced”, but as Fox News has shown, that’s usually a sign that biases are running rampant.

In case you missed it, be sure to check out Part I: The Western Conference Preview.

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Celtics (58-24) – The Celtics are almost certainly going to suffer from the post-championship let down. They shot out of the gate last year because they were comprised of team brimming with hungry vets. This year, they know they can take it a bit easier and save themselves for the playoffs. Of course, with the maniacal Kevin Garnett leading the charge, I wouldn’t exactly count on the Celtics pussy-footing their way through the regular season. Another year on the calendar and an improved East will make winning 60+ a tall order, but make no mistake; the Celtics are still the class of the NBA. On a side note: Thank god they didn’t sign Darius Miles. Not just for saving the Blazers cap room next year, but can you honestly imagine Darius Miles potentially being an NBA Champion? Gross.
   


2. Cavaliers (53-29) – LeBron finally has a buddy that can play NBA basketball! Hooray for Ohioans! (Ohioites? Ohioers?) Mo Williams isn’t a world beater, but he’s a pretty good basketball player, and will make defenses pay for keying on Lyndon B. All they need now is a post presence with a pulse and to replace Mike Brown with a real coach, ASAP. If Eric Snow isn’t the coach of this team by next June, I’m gonna be pissed.
   


3. Pistons (52-30) – Another year, another Pistons team looking forward to a magical run to the “promised land” (aka the Eastern Conference Finals). While they may be old, they’re far from broken down. They also have a nice infusion of youth with young studs like Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell holding down the bench for the cagey vets. They even jettisoned perpetual playoff bridesmaid Flip Saunders and give the reigns to an up and coming “players coach” in Michael Curry. With a veteran squad, that might be a good move. Or a disaster. I’m leaning toward the good side, but I’m not ready to say it’s gonna make much difference if/when they come across the Celtics or Cavs. Unless of course the NBA takes a page from soccer and forgoes overtime in favor of a HORSE competition. In that case, Rasheed and the Pistons are my new Eastern Conference favorites.
   


4. Magic (48-34) – As my predicted record indicates, I’m not foreseeing the Magic being the 4th best team in the East, just holding off the Heat for the Southwest division crown. Yes, they still have Superman, Turkish Delight and the $114 Million Dollar Man, and they’ve made a couple of minor, but significant, roster changes. However, I’m a little disconcerted by their lack of a shooting guard. I mean, they’re actually considering inserting JJ Redick into the rotation. THAT is what I call desperate. Of course, I learned long ago to never cross Ron Jeremy (I don’t want to talk about it. Seriously.), so I refuse to drop them below the 4 seed.
   


5. 76ers (51-31) – This is an intriguing team. They have a very nice mix of young and veteran talent. Assuming Elton Brand is fully healed and Thad Young can continue the rapid improvement he showed last season, this team looks like it could make a run at the East crown. Unfortunately, they’ll probably take a little bit to get fully in synch, and there are 3 teams who I think are clearly better than them at this point. However, once the playoffs roll around, they should be ready to go. One thing I notice about the roster is that I can’t see a single person being disruptive. Not one. They all seem like genuinely nice guys who are unselfish. Even Mo Cheeks as the coach. I can almost imagine them putting a quarter in a collection can every time someone swears at practice.
   


6. Raptors (50-32) – Yet another Eastern Conference team who added a savvy vet. It should be interesting to see how Jermaine O’Neal fits in next to Chris Bosh. They could be the perfect compliment, or they could get in each other’s way. I’m thinking it’ll work for the most part, thanks in large part to a full season of Jose Calderon at the point. Also because Chris Bosh looks remarkably like a raptor himself. Originally, I had the Bosh’s pegged to win 49 games. I upped it to 50 because I remembered their secret weapon. I foresee an opposing teams game winning shot going errant after the shooter gets temporarily blinded by the glare off of the 12-head. I’m thinking a karmic makeup game on February 18th, at home versus Cleveland.
   


7. Heat (45-37) – Maybe I’m getting swept up in the hype, maybe I’m not. But, either way, I’m looking for the Heat to bounce back. A healthy DWade, a full season of Shawn Marion, and rookie extraordinaire Michael Beasley form possibly one of the best trios in the game. Unfortunately, this isn’t a 3-on-3 basketball league, and they also have to trot out the 6-8 Udonis Haslem at center and what appears to be the winner of some bizarre “You Get To Start!” fan contest, Chris Quinn, at point guard. Crap. I’m starting to have my doubts about this pick now. Dwyane Wade better be channeling the 2006 NBA Finals (or at least employing the officiating crew year round).
   


8. Bulls (40-42) – This spot is less about liking this Bulls team, and more about having no faith in the other Eastern Conference teams to pull it together enough to make the playoffs. While this Bulls team has talent, they are also almost the exact same team that spent the entire 2007-08 season crapping themselves up and down the court for 90% of the season. Of course, they now have a coach that they apparently don’t hate, and they have #1 Draft Pick Derrick Rose running the show instead of the elfish Kirk Hinrich. So, even if Ben Gordon spends the entire season waffling between whether to pout or play his ass off for a new contract, I still think this team will bounce back some this season. And just because I like being an asshole from time to time, this is where I bring up the whole “I wonder how much better this team would be with LaMarcus Aldridge instead of Tyrus Thomas and The Wolverine (Viktor Khryapa)?” Answer: "Lots."

----------------------------------------------------------------


9. Pacers (37-45) – I have no idea why I have the Pacers almost making the playoffs. They weren’t exactly good last year. I hate 2 of their top 3 players with a passion (TJ Ford and Mike Dunleavy Jr.). And they brought in former Blazer Jarret Jack to shore up the PG spot. That’s great if by “shore up” you mean “step out of bounds in the corner for no reason,” which was a key part to Jarret’s game last season. That being said, they do still have Danny Granger who is a flat out stud. If he can just get away from this sad-sack bunch and get on a real team, someone might take notice. Luckily, as of this writing, he’s yet to sign a long term extension with the Pacers, so there might be hope yet.
   


10. Hawks (36-46) – The Hawks finally did it last year. No, not pop their New Millennium playoff cherry. The Hawks finally didn’t screw up a lottery pick. While they were no doubt bummed to juuuust miss out on the Oden/Durant lottery festivities last year, they at least didn’t compound the mistake by taking Yi Jinlian. No, Al Horford has proven to be quite a solid player, and given the Hawks lack of a post presence in years past, the Hawks organization couldn’t be happier. However, being the Hawks, they just couldn’t help screwing up somewhere, and they let underrated swingman Josh Childress walk away from contract negotiations to sign with Greek club Olympiakos. Oops. So much for building off last year’s success with their young core. It’s ok, I’m sure Mike Bibby’s Kermit the Frog impersonations will be a big hit at the end of season barbeque in mid-April.
    


11. Wizards (35-47) – No Arenas for a few months. No Haywood for the season. No chance at the playoffs in the mythical “improved Eastern Conference.” That’s how it works. Of course they do still have Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, but they’ll need more than that. If Andray Blatche or Javale McGee steps up inside, and DeShawn Stevenson and/or Nick Young can help on the perimeter, they might surprise. And if they get REALLY desperate, they can bring in Oleksiy “The White Hole” Pecherov. Word of his passing allergy has been quietly circulating for years, but until I got a chance to watch him play extended minutes this preseason, I had chalked another one up in the name of hyperbole. However, I watch him play a solid 8 minutes of game time the other day and came away positively giddy. He managed to touch the ball 9 times, putting up 7 shots, turning the ball over once, and passing to a teammate one solitary time. For those scoring at home, that’s an astounding 1:9 pass to touch ratio. Now THAT is someone earning their nickname!
    


12. Knicks (31-51) – Well, it at least appears that the Knicks are trying to field a competitive basketball team. That’s an improvement over the sado-masochistic Isaiah Thomas administration. Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni sure have their work cut out for them, but they do seem to be righting the ship a bit already. Relegating underperforming pouters Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry to the bench is the kind of ballsy, take charge move that was sorely lacking under Thomas. This season, expect to see the rotation to be based more on “basketball skill” and less on “contract size.” What a novel idea. Hopefully that doesn’t keep me from seeing more fantastic plays like this.
    
13. Bobcats (28-54) – Who cares? I know I don’t. Let’s move on.


14. Nets (23-59) – The Nets have Devin Harris and Vince Carter. That’s cool. They also have this tall Chinese guy who was the #6 pick in last year’s draft and seems to be popular. They also have, um… shit. To put it nicely, this team is going to struggle. To put it honestly, this team is going to suck. At least they’re moving to Brooklyn soon… oh, wait, what was that? That doesn’t look like it’s happening? Well, at least they’ll still be able to sign LeBron in … oh yeah. No Brooklyn, no LeBron. Well, they still have Vince Carter. He’ll be fun to watch up until they drop out of the playoff race... In mid-November [sigh]. N-E-T-S. Nets! Nets! Nets!
    


15. Bucks (19-63) – The Bucks are in what is commonly referred to as “rebuilding mode.” Generally, that’s when a team gets rid of every player on their roster who is good now, but won’t be as good in 2 or 3 years, and replaces them with the cheapest replacements possible. This Bucks team is taking a different approach. They traded two young, talented players in Mo Williams and Yi Jinlian, and brought back an aging veteran in Richard Jefferson in hopes of staying competitive. So, while on paper, they appear to have a solid starting 5 with Jefferson, Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Charlie Villanueva, and Luke Ridnour, they have one glaring weakness. None of them can play defense. Throw in a bench that looks like the starting lineup for the NBDL All-Star game, and you have a recipe for failure. Of course, when you’re “rebuilding”, failure is the name of the game. Enjoy the “success” while you can Bucks fan!

EASTERN CONFERNECE PLAYOFFS

Round 1
(1)Celtics vs. (8)Bulls – The Bulls end their season of resurgence in style. A resounding sweep at the hands of the defending champs. Celtics in 4
(2)Cavaliers vs. (7)Heat– The NBA hits the jackpot on this one. Wade v. LeBron in a round 1 matchup? Yatzee! Wade should singlehandedly keep this series interesting thanks to Mike Brown and ability to take a team full of NBA players and make them look as if they are running a 3rd grade offense. Unfortunately for Miami, LeBron and his foot soldiers are too much for Miami’s 3 NBA-level players to overcome. Cavaliers in 6
(3)Pistons vs. (6)Raptors – This series could be interesting, as the Raptors have a pretty solid group of players, with a nice mixture of young studs and seasoned vets. However, in the end, the Pistons have more of each, and a whole boat-full of confidence after 6 straight trips to at least the Eastern Conference Finals. Experience wins out in this one. Pistons in 6
(4)Magic vs. (5)76ers – Dwight Howard and the Magic surprised everyone last season, and grabbed the 4th seed and a first round series victory. This year should produce a similar seed, but a different result. Some of that is due to my ascertain that they won’t have home court to go with that fancy 4 seed, as the non-division-champion 76ers will likely end up with a better record and thus home-court advantage. Most of it, however, is because the 76ers are a better team at almost every position. 76ers in 6

Round 2
(1)Celtics vs. (5)76ers – Much like last year’s Celtics-Pistons series, this matchup would feature Boston’s Big 3 vs. a much more balanced team, lacking a bonafide superstar. Unfortunately for the 76ers, superstars win in the playoffs, and the Celtics have 3. Celtics in 6
(2)Cavaliers vs. (3)Pistons – Just what the Pistons wanted, a chance to avenge the thrashing LeBron handed them 2 years ago in the ECF’s. Of course, that means all the key components in that series are 2 years older, wiser and more mature. That’s good for the now 24 year old LeBron. Not so much for the aging Pistons. Cavaliers in 6

Eastern Conference Finals
(1)Celtics vs. (2)Cavaliers – Here it is folks. A rematch of last year’s fantastic Eastern Conference Semifinals. LeBron came only a few scant points from almost single-handedly taking down the eventual champs. Now, with Mo Williams and an Olympic gold medal in tow, he’s back and ready for revenge. However, I don’t think the Celtics are quite done yet. Plus, as mediocre as Doc Rivers is on the Celtics sideline, he’s a certifiable Red Aurbach clone when compared to the coaching travesty on the Cavs bench. Celtics in 7

2008-09 Eastern Conference Champions: Boston Celtics

***BONUS***

NBA Championship
(1)Celtics vs. (2)Rockets – The NBA jumps for joy! The defending champion Celtics, complete with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and decades upon decades of NBA glory versus Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and the guaranteed 1 billion viewers that come with Yao Ming’s quest for an NBA Championship. As long as Ron Ron doesn’t try to punch a fan, or release a rap album, David Stern would probably have the first documented heart attack caused directly by overaggressive and prolonged fist-pumping.

As for the actual series itself, it might not appeal to all fans, but it sure would make it a battle for the NBA crown. Easily the two most physical teams in the game today, this series would very likely feature multiple games where neither team hits triple digits. It would be a rough and tumble defensive slugfest, where it would most likely come down to who got hot at the right time. I’m putting my money on Pierce, Garnett and Allen to come through in the end. They’ve proven to me time and again that they know how to make it happen when it counts. And it doesn’t count any more than in the NBA Finals. Celtics in 7

2008-09 NBA Champions: Boston Celtics

NBA Season Preview Part I: The Western Conference

With opening night mere hours away, I thought this would be the perfect time to go on record and state my predictions for the season. I’m going to be unrolling my “NBA Preview” in 3 parts throughout the day. First up is the Western Conference Preview, where I’ll simply predict the order of finish out West, complete with projected records, and what I think will be in store once the playoffs come. That will be followed by a similar preview for the Eastern Conference (which comes with a bonus Finals prediction... yay!), and finally the third installment will be regarding awards and other various predictions.

This “preview” (and I use the term loosely) is very off the cuff, and contains almost zero research. It’s simply my gut feelings regarding this upcoming NBA season. I tried to be “Fair & Balanced”, but as Fox News has shown, that’s usually a sign that biases are running rampant. On that note, here are my thoughts on the 2008-09 NBA’s Western Conference. Enjoy.

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Hornets (58-24) – They just missed the top spot last year by one game. Chris Paul was already nosing his way into Best Player on the Planet argument last season, and is only going to get better. Now, with a nice playoff run under their belt and another year of seasoning, the formerly young Hornets will be ready to finish the job. Oh, according to every media outlet known to man, James Posey is some sort of magical unicorn or something.


2. Rockets (56-26) – Take a tough, physical, defensive minded team and add Ron Artest, and you get a brutal matchup for just about anybody. Obviously this assumes a healthy season from Yao and McGrady, but even without Yao they were able to rattle off 22 in a row last year. The addition of Artest should allow the team to rely less on their two All-Stars, and potentially keep them healthier in the process. This does, however, assume Artest doesn’t try to eat Shane Battier’s head (mmm… Ruffles).


3. lakers (55-27) – Yeah, they’ll be good, but I just don’t get all the endless hype. They’re still soft, and their bench is INCREDIBLY overrated. Seriously, since when is a bench of Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Vladamir Radmonovic and Chris Mihm considered good? If I were a laker fan (gross), I wouldn’t trust anybody other than Farmar and maaaaybe Vuja-chick to play more than 8 seconds without crapping themselves the moment the ball is inbounded (“uh-ohhhhhhhhh!”).


4. Jazz (52-30) – This team seems very much in danger of being the new Phoenix Suns. Always in the mix and near the top of the conference, but just not good enough to take it the extra mile. Of course once Carlos Boozer insists he wants to stay in Utah (and has no interest in being traded), then promptly bolts to Miami, they’ll cement themselves in this role. I’d like to think this constant state of limbo is their punishment calling themselves the Jazz and residing in Utah. Is music even legal there?


5. Spurs (53-29) – The Spurs are gonna be a team to watch this year. With Ginobili sidelined for as much as 2 months to start the season, and a returning cast of characters who look like they’d fit in more at bingo hall than a basketball court, they are a prime candidate to stumble out of the gate. However, you know that once the season gets going, and they have their full cast of characters, this team is gonna make a lot of noise. Usually, the “Team Nobody Wants to Play” come playoff time is some young upstart squad. Not this year. Look for the Spurs to work their way up the standings after the All-Star break and put themselves in position to take down one of the West’s top teams in Round 1.


6. Suns (49-33) – OK, so the Shaquille O’Neal Experiment didn’t exactly work out like the Suns had hoped, but it wasn’t exactly trading for Jason Kidd, either. I’m thinking with a full training camp to adjust, a slower pace, and an alleged new focus on defense, Shaquille might prove to be a better fit than he seemed last year. They are still a bit on the old side, and definitely not the Western Conference power that they’ve been in years past, but I think they just might have one last run in them. And by “run”, I mean “playoff appearance”.


7. Blazers (48-34) – Every single part of myself wants to put the Blazers in the Top 4. Last season they split the season series with both the Hornets and lakers, and beat the Jazz 3 out of 4. Now, with the addition of Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez, and another year under the belts of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, I see no physical way that this team isn’t significantly improved. However, with a daunting first month, it should be a bit of a learning experience in the beginning. I don’t see it happening, but if they can finish the first month above .500, watch out. Once Oden acclimates himself to the NBA game and gets back into “basketball shape”, we should really see this team take off and show what the future may hold. Basically, I expect the Blazers team that finishes the season to be much more dangerous than the inexperienced bunch that starts it.


8. Mavericks (44-38) – It’s pretty obvious at this point that the Jason Kidd trade was a bad decision. Even if Kidd can muster one last hurrah, this year’s Mavericks squad just doesn’t have the horses. While scoring alone won’t win a championship, points are a necessity to win basketball games. At this point in their careers, only Dirk, Josh Howard, and Jason Terry are even average NBA scorers. But hey, from perusing his campaign notes, apparently they signed John McCain in the offseason. Maybe he can provide a youthful spark off the bench when Jason Kidd needs a breather.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Nuggets (39-43) – With the decline of some of the West’s “old guard” such as Phoenix and Dallas, you’d think it’d be time for a talented team like the Nuggets, who won 50 games last year, to make a push into the Western elite. Instead, one of the worst defensive teams in the league traded the Defensive Player of the Year (Marcus Camby) for, well, basically nothing. Luckily they still hold the title of Most Tattooed Starting Lineup in NBA History. So, they got that going for them, which is nice.


10. Clippers (36-46) – Only 4 players remain from last year’s team. Out goes Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, and in comes Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. Seems like a reasonably even trade. Add in rookie Eric Gordon, and free agent acquisition Ricky Davis to holdovers Chris Kaman, Al Thornton, Cuttino Mobely and Tim Thomas, and you got yourself a reason for optimism. That’s a lot of talented players on one team. Unfortunately for Clippers fans, a roster full of “chuckers” to go with 2 elite rebounders isn’t generally a model for success. Is it possible to lead the league in rebounds and still be outrebounded for the season? With the amount of shots this bunch is likely to put up, I think these Clippers can do it.


11. Warriors (33-49) – Another team facing a lot of prominent roster change. With Baron Davis leaving town, it was time for Monta Ellis to cement himself as a superstar. Unfortunately, he prefers riding mopeds to making millions of dollars playing basketball. That leaves them with a point guard more known for assisting in laptop thieving than assisting baskets. At least they have “Crazy Steve” Jackson as a calming veteran influence on the court. Enjoy that.


12. Timberwolves (33-49) – The Timberpuppies are quietly building a nice squadron of young players, and even doing so with Kevin McHale still acting as the GM. Impressive. Looking over their roster, and it reminds me a bit of a JV version of the Blazers stacked roster. With Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Randy Foye playing the roles of Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy respectively. Throw in Mike Miller providing veteran leadership, and now they are only missing two things before they can really start to threaten the Western elite: A bonafide superstar and a PG. At this point, they’re still hoping Randy Foye can take care of both of these needs. The jury is still out on that. What the jury isn’t out on is whether or not Minnesota will be adding another lottery pick to the mix next year. If they can somehow turn that pick into, say, Ricky Rubio, then they might be on to something. Of course, that could be a pipe dream after they once again agree to sign Joe Smith to a "secret" 6 year, $75 million contract and lose all their draft picks for the next decade. For comedy purposes, I really hope this happens.


13. Grizzlies (26-56) – Gay-Mayo will dominate the city of Memphis for years to come. Sure, that might not generally fly in the south, but trust me, it’s a lot better than it sounds. The Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Mike Conley trio is one of the most talented young trio’s in the game, and should be quite formidable in years to come. But, they’re still quite young, and the West is still loaded, so they’ll have to wait another year or two to really make some noise. In the meantime, they do have Mr. Adriana Lima, making the player’s wives section of the FedEx Forum the hottest ticket in town.


14. Thunder (22-60) – Just as I was getting used to the OKC TBD’s they go out and take a page from the MLS handbook (titled: “How To Stay Irrelevant Using Crappy Team Names") and renamed the team the THUNDER. Seriously? The Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls Skyforce think that’s a stupid name. Of course, after looking over their roster, it’s easy to see how they thought they were naming the newest NBDL team.


15. Kings (20-62) – The Kings are gonna suck. It's that simple. Kevin Martin is good. Brad Miller was good. Nobody else should be starting on an NBA team. However, they do have Bobby Brown, so “Humpin’ Around” will not be tolerated. Sweet.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1
(1)Hornets vs. (8)Mavs – We saw this same matchup last season in round one, and it was a Hornets sweep. With NO getting better, and Dallas in decline, I think it’s fair to say the Mavs ain’t winning won this year, either. Hornets in 4
(2)Rockets vs. (7)Blazers – This is where I really wanted to unleash the homer in me, and pick the Blazers for a first round upset. Unfortunately they suck against the Rockets, and adding Ron Artest (the one defender that has consistently irritated the bejesus out of Brandon Roy), I can’t imagine a worse matchup. Sadly, I might be overly optimistic with the 5 games prediction. Rockets in 5
(3)lakers vs. (6)Suns – Another series where I was just dying to pick an upset. But, again, I just can’t see it playing out like that. Unless Shaq has invented a time machine, the fakers are taking this one. lakers in 6
(4) Jazz vs. (5)Spurs – Since I predicted the Spurs would finish with a better record, this 5 over 4 prediction is hardly an upset. Basically, I’m thinking the Jazz are a bit overrated, and the ancient Spurs have one last run in them. Spurs in 6

ROUND 2
(1)Hornets vs. (5)Spurs – Last year the Spurs prevailed in one of the most entertaining series of the season (which is saying something, since it involved the Spurs). This year, I think the Chris Paul and Co. will use James “Unicorn” Posey’s magical touch to officially slam the door shut on the Spurs dynasty. Thanks guys. Spurs in 7
(2)Rockets vs. (3)lakers – Everyone likes to gobble on the coin purse of the this years lakers, because they ran through the West last year, and now welcome back Andrew Bynum. Unfortunately, they’re still a team full of pussies, and will get manhandled by a physically dominant team like last years Celtics, or… this year’s Rockets. Rockets in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(2)Rockets vs. (1)Hornets – Man, I really hope this series happens. I’m not saying that’s why I’m picking it to happen, but looking at the way things have played out, I can’t imagine a better matchup that doesn’t include a miracle run by the Blazers. The most intriguing thing to me is that, outside of the Yao-Chandler matchup, all the top players play different positions and won’t naturally guard each other. That should make for some interesting matchups, and maybe even a superstar or two playing out of position. Nice. I’ve gone back and forth on this a couple times, but I think (barring injuries) the Rockets are just a little too talented and a lot too physical. Hornets in 7

2008-09 Western Conference Champions: Houston Rockets

NBA Refs: What the $#%@?!?!

Part II: The Solution

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know the first thing about training or coaching professional basketball referees. That’s where the changes are going to be needed in order to see any real progress. However, there are things that can be done on a more basic level that I think can help alleviate some of the problems, and eliminate some of the factors working against NBA referees.

The most glaring problem I see is that the average age of an NBA referee is around 45 years old, with the oldest being 70 year old Jack Nies. 70! That’s 15 years past retirement age. And he’s supposed to run up and down with some of the greatest athletes on the planet, while keeping a keen eye on all of them, and do so, of course without any relief. Heck, even the best conditioned athletes in the league take a break from time to time. No wonder they have problems. That’s a tall order.

So, since age discrimination is illegal in this country, and since it takes years of training to become an NBA level basketball referee, the age issue is difficult to fix. We’re gonna have to look at other areas to improve things.

What I propose is that the NBA adds an extra on-court official to all games. It’s a simple adjustment that I think will noticeably improve the quality of officiating in today’s NBA. The current 3 man teams just aren’t cutting it, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. There are simply fundamental deficiencies in the system, especially when the situation is compounded by adding in some of the best athletes in the world.

Think about it. There are 3 people in charge of monitoring 10 people, spread across a court that is 94 feet wide and 50 feet long. That’s 4700 square feet to keep an eye on at all times, or just under 1600 sq ft per person. Now, granted, the game is played mostly on one side of the court at a time, but that still leaves about 800 square feet to keep an eye on. That’s still a lot, especially considering the increasing popularity of the run and gun styles of teams like Phoenix and Golden State, and the speed at which even predominantly half court teams, such as San Antonio and Detroit, play at.

With 4 refs, there would not only be more eyes watching the action, but it would allow the referees to reposition themselves for better sightlines to the ball with less fear of “abandoning” an area. I’ve seen too many games where crucial calls are missed, simply because a referee didn’t have a good angle on the call, or his view was obstructed for some reason.

Another advantage of the extra referee would be to limit the required court coverage of each official. It’s absolutely ludicrous to have 40, 50 and 60 year old men running up and down the court with world class athletes in their 20’s and 30’s. With a 4^th official, a rotation could easily be worked out where the longest an individual ref would travel would be no more than half the length of the court.

You would have two officials (one on each end; 1 & 4) under the baskets who would roam the baseline while the ball is on their end of the court, and then trail the action as it heads up the court, positioning himself just short of mid-court line, slightly shaded to one side. He would be primarily out of the play at this point, although he would still be able to make calls that happen around the perimeter. His primary objective, however, would be to lead the action back down the court, particularly on fast breaks, almost as if he were a cherry-picking defensive player. Under no circumstances should a player ever get behind him (If a player stays back, like Shaq has been doing on Phoenix, then the ref should stay with him).

I’ve seen WAY too many examples of players (particularly the “Superstars”) driving for contested lay-ups on a fast break and getting the “benefit of the doubt” on a foul call, only to see a replay that shows they were either untouched, or actually responsible for the contact themselves. On a vast majority of these plays you can specifically see the (obviously) much slower footed ref, trailing the play, and struggling to find a good sight angle on the shot. With the 4^th official leaking out at the first sign of a player turning his head down the court, he should be able to comfortably get himself into position under the hoop by the time the ball arrives.

The other two referees (2 & 3) would patrol the sidelines, with each side being primarily shaded to the back or front ends (depending on which side of the court the action was on). One would be positioned more towards the baseline, while the other would be shaded towards the mid court line. Once the ball settles into the half court, they would then position themselves as normal, for a better view of the action, although never straying too far from their “position”.

Not only would this positioning allow for more eyes and better views in the half court set, it would VASTLY improve the viewing angles on fast breaks. Due to the staggered set up, once play switched directions and headed back down court, each ref would be in an advantageous position during the entirety of the play.

During a fast break, the trailing official (4) becomes the lead (as discussed before), while the sideline official shaded towards mid court (3) begins trailing the players who have leaked out on the break, meaning that there is an official with a good view of both the front end and trailing end of the break.

Once the other players start to fill in (the secondary break), the first sideline official will have a good view of the action from the front side, while the other sideline official (2) is able to wait back a bit, trail the secondary action, and be able to assess the action from behind. Meanwhile, the “4^th official” (1) is, again, trailing the play behind the stragglers, while also preparing for a sudden shift in action caused by a steal or other unforeseen change of possession.

With this set up, each official is actually encouraged to “stay back” more, since there is more “help” on the court, while their spacing benefits their court coverage. It also helps conserve energy, which can only enhance their ability to make quick, concise calls throughout the game.

While I think a 4^th official would be a fantastic start, I believe the overall league refereeing could benefit further from a 5^th official. “5^th?” You say. “Isn’t the court already crowded enough?” Well, yes, it is, and that is why my proposed 5^th official would be positioned at the scorers table, handling all official scoring duties, as well as having a television monitor in front of him.

With the league already having gone through an embarrassing situation in Atlanta, where the official scorer “accidentally” disqualified Shaq after his fifth foul, there is no better time than now to put a properly trained, NBA employee at each scorers table to oversee the process. Also, he could be watching the game from a television monitor and have the advantage of seeing instant replays. This would not only allow him to assess the effectiveness of the on-court quartet (and pass along observations constructively at stoppages of play), but he would also be able to make scoring decisions on plays that need to be observed more closely (most notably 2-point/3-point calls).

I personally watched an overtime game this year (Portland vs. Toronto on ????) in which a Jose Calderon made a long 2 with his toe on the line, late in the overtime, but was mistakenly given 3 points. On the next trip down court (the final possession of the overtime), Brandon Roy made a miraculous 3 that should have been the game winning basket. However due to the scoring error (and yes, it was a blatant error, as replays showed), the game proceeded into double-OT and the Raptors prevailed.

Now, I’m not implying that the game was specifically lost on that play, as any number of situations could have played out in those final seconds had it been a 2 point game instead of a 3 point game. However, it is also very conceivable that the Blazers would still have gone for a 3, being on the road, already in OT, and on the first game of a 7-game Eastern Conference road trip. Either way, it was a mistake that shouldn’t have been made, and could have easily been prevented with an ACTUAL “official scorer.”

At the moment, there are already four officials assigned to every game. There are three game officials, and an emergency “back-up official”, who is on site and ready to step in, in the event of an injury or any other situation that prevents one of the officials from finishing the game. It would be this emergency official who would man the scorers table and watch the television monitor. In the case an on-court official needed to be replaced, the 5^th official could vacate his position for the more pressing need on the court. In addition, the injured official may take over the score table position if he were in good enough condition to do so (i.e. sprained ankle, cramping, etc).

Another potential benefit of this 5^th official would be to allow for each in-game official to take a quarter (or however long) off and rest at the score table position. Referees already switch up their “positions” during games, so this wouldn’t be much of a stretch strategically. Considering that even the most well conditioned NBA players take a rest during most games, it seems only logical that the referees who are, in general, decades older, should be afforded the same opportunity. It just makes sense.

Now, I’m not naïve enough to assume that these changes will reduce the mistakes made by referees to zero. However, with the state of officiating seemingly sinking to new lows each year, it’s about time the NBA takes the situation seriously and tries to institute some sort of change. The changes proposed here are relatively simple to institute. They only require increasing number of official present at each game from 4 to 5, and would unquestionably have a positive impact on the quality of the officiating in the league. If nothing else, it would show a concerted effort by the league to address what is increasingly being identified as it’s biggest on-court problem. After years of sub-standard officiating, it’s the absolute least they could do. Well, except for, you know… continuing to ignore it.

That wasn't so bad, now...was it?

So, like most NBA fans, I spent the weekend watching the NBA’s attempt to show off their best and brightest over the course of a weekend full of events that generally range from unwatchable to intermittently entertaining (with a few notable exceptions). How did this years festivities all turn out you ask? Well I'm glad you asked. So, without further ado, I present to you my somewhat in-depth review/critique of each and every event that mattered to anyone (sorry Celebrity Game and whatever they call that worthless NBA/WNBA shooting thing).

PS: Yes, I’m pretending someone cared about the Skills Competition.

Rookie Game

The Rookie Game is always mildly entertaining, if for no other reason than to know what basketball would look like if defense were entirely outlawed. It’s a fun enough game, simply because it’s always great to see some of the games brightest young stars screw around and show off their immense skills for a while. The real problem is that they insist on calling this a basketball game, as it’s been 5 years since the Rookies had a chance to win, and both teams refuse to play any semblance of defense. That being said, this year’s game was particularly… well… average.

There were some nice dunks, a few fancy passes, and some impressive 3 point shooting, but overall, the game lacked the pizzazz of past Rookie Games. Even with all the young talent in the game (and trust me, there was some), there was a serious lack of true star power. Maybe it’s because we’ve had back-to-back drafts that have yielded maybe 4 franchise level players (Roy, Gay, Durant, Oden) and Greg Oden didn’t play due to injury. Most of the other talent in the game are all gonna land somewhere between “quality role player” and “starter on a good team” when we look back on their career. Players like Rajon Rondo, Jordan Farmar, Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson, and Mike Conley are all very good players, but all play mostly complimentary roles on their teams, and you could see that in the way the game played out. Even the “stars” like Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay aren’t exactly “give me the ball and get out of the way” kind of players. All this led to a lot of players trying to play an up and down, show-boating style that they aren’t used to, and trying to make spectacular plays that aren’t really the strength of their games.

Now, Rudy Gay had some pretty spectacular dunks (including catching an alley-oop from Roy he had no business catching), Daniel Gibson got hot from 3 point range hitting 11 3's (is that good?), and Brandon Roy looked solid throughout, while obviously saving himself for the big boy game. Kevin Durant showed why everyone was so excited about him coming into this season (he’s pretty good at this basketball thing), with a good overall performance including 23 points, some highlight reel dunks, and some freakishly long arms. All in all, it was worth watching, but I’m not going to shoot myself if I miss it next year.

Some quick thoughts about the game:

• Rudy Gay is athletic (in case you were wondering)


• Daniel Gibson was good, but not AMAZING. People were giving him 3’s, and my, oh my, was he taking them (20 shots, all 3’s!)


• Andrea Bargnani is playing softer than his name (that’s not good). By default, he should be the toughest Andrea in basketball. I’m guessing he’s not.


• This crop of rookies is better than we give them credit for, but still have a ways to go to catch up to the Sophs. Durant is legit, Horford is a beast, but the rest are a year away from having any sort of real impact on the league.

Overall, I think it’s a good idea for a game, although something just seems to be missing. Maybe it’s time for a format tweak, but I don’t think there is a logical way to do that. I think it’s best to just accept its shortcomings, leave as is, and hope for an upset every once in a while. The final score is not that important anyways. The best part is seeing young rising stars show off, have fun, and get rooted on by their big-brother All-Stars, and that’s just fine for me.

GRADES
Overall: B+ This Year: C+

Skills Challenge

If there was ever an event that just screamed “who cares”, this is it. Deron Williams won, ason Kidd made an appearance, and Dwayne Wade forgot how to play basketball for a few little bit. Chris Paul? Yeah, he was in it, but he didn’t win, or screw up, so who cares? Basically, this event was about 3 things to me:

• Dwayne Wade obviously quitting on the event after he knew he wasn’t going to win. He dribbled off of his foot, missed a couple jumpers, and then flat out quit. He just tossed his last few shot attempts towards the basket, then half-assed his way through the rest of the course, followed by missing not one, but two(!) lay-ups to cap an embarrassing performance. PATHETIC. If you’re a superstar, and the NBA invites you to participate in an event like that, you’ve got to at least try! I mean, I understand that you’re a competitor, you wanted to 3-peat, and that after you dribbled off your foot, it was all but over. But, come on! It’s a 1 minute long obstacle course! If I were the NBA, I wouldn’t invite him back next year, or any year (Although after this debacle, he might enjoy that. In which case, David Stern should Rasheed him, and make him participate).


• “At point guard, standing 6'4" tall, out of the University of California… ason Kidd!” Enjoy that championship run Dallas. Just hope your season doesn’t come down to your point guard being able to hit an open jump shot.


• As good as Deron Williams looked in this glorified (was it even that?) obstacle course, was it really all that impressive? Sure, it’s not that easy to make those passes, and hit a jump shot on command, but is there any doubt in your mind that any run-of-the-mill college guard could do just as good? It seems like it always comes down to who screwed up least. yay.

Now, as you can see, I am a BIG fan of this event [if by "am a BIG fan of" is the same as "don't particualarly care about"... which it is, right?]. That being said, it’s not all that bad, for one simple reason. It lasted all of 15 minutes. On top of that, it's simple to understand and is indeed a nice combination of point guard skills. So, I could take it or leave it. If the NBA is set on keeping it around, just leave it as is, and don’t put too much stock in the winner. Maybe next year, more than two people can actually display "skills."

GRADES
Overall: C This Year: D+

3-Point Shootout

OK, now here we get into the tried and true events that have been a staple of All-Star Weekend since its inception way back when (??). The 3-Point Shootout has definitely had its moments (Larry Bird anyone?), and most of them have definitely occurred prior to this decade. So, possessing a competition that’s struggled in recent years, David Stern decided to infuse a little star power into this years events, in hopes of resuscitating the dying event. In steps league MVP’s Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki (replacing an even bigger star in kobe bryant). Combine those two heavyweights, with the defending champ (Jason Kapono), a former 2-time winner (Peja), a young gun coming off a rookie game record 11 3’s (Gibson) and a masked villain (Rip Hamilton), and you got yourselves what should be an exciting competition that might actually live up to the “Shootout” in it’s name.

Unfortunately, the competition was over very quickly. How quickly? Well, luckily I was able to find a photo of the exact moment that Jason Kapono sealed up his second straight 3-Point Shootout crown (see right).

Yep, the moment Jason Kapono stepped off the bus, and arrived at New Orleans Arena, it was over. With all the hype of superstars, past winners, and face gear, everyone was calling for an upset of the reigning champ. Why? He’s the reigning champ for a reason, and that reason is The Kapono Dragon can flat out shoot the ball (exemplified by his remarkable performance in last years event). Second, every other competitor had an obvious reason why their ability to win the competition was suspect, at best.

Gibson is talented, as shown in the warm-up round, er… Rookie Game, but too young to not expect some nerves in a big spotlight such as this. Peja hasn’t been remotely healthy in years, so expecting the Peja of old to miraculously appear on demand would be foolish. Rip Hamilton has long been one of the best shooters of our era, but I can’t for the life of me remember him EVER being called a 3-point shooter. Meanwhile, Dirk and Nash are too busy winning MVP’s and trying the snatch the BIG trophy at the end of the season, to care about the little ones handed out halfway through.

Meanwhile, The Dragon has been spending the last 2+ seasons resting comfortably atop the leagues 3-point % charts, and is coming off of a record setting performance in last years competition. Throw in the fact that this is the event that will not only define his season, but maybe even his career, and you have yourselves a heavy favorite. The only knock on him is that he’s not Euro enough to follow in the footsteps of Dirk and Peja. Nitpicking to say the least (Although, I do think a name change is in order if he wins another one. My vote is for Jason Kaponeux. Sounds French.)

So, the contest went down as (should have been) expected, with each competitor struggling for a rack or two in round 1, while apparently trying to score exactly 17 points (If Peja hits his last money ball, and Rip can stay behind the line, we would have had a 4 way tie for 2 spots in the finals. At least then we’d have seen some drama). Meanwhile, Nash mailed it in, and Kopono easily cruised into the Finals with a smooth 21.

In the finals, Dirk stunk it up, Boobie got his 17 again, and The Dragon set an event record with his 25 points on 20 of 25 shooting. Damn, now that was impressive. If only he’d of had someone to compete with, this might have been one for the ages. Instead, it was just another lackluster 3-Point Shootout, with one mighty impressive display of shooting ability that saved it from the trash heap. Ho-hum. I’d still rather watch Shaq.

GRADES
Overall: C+ This Year: C+

Dunk Contest

OK, now this is what I’m talking about!

Out of all the events on All-Star Weekend, the Slam Dunk Contest is always the most hyped, and almost always the most disappointing. But, every once in a while the Dunk Contest actually comes through. This was one of those contests. After a couple years of sub-par competitors performing sub-par dunks, it was about time for a break out year. Right on cue, Dwight Howard shows up and puts on the best show the contest has seen since Vince Carter in 2000. It was just a complete domination from start to finish. Just like Vince, the moment Dwight threw down that first dunk (the filthy off-the back of the backboard, left-handed windmill) you had the feeling the contest was just about over. Then, once he pulled out the Superman “dunk”, you KNEW it was over. After that, he could have made two lay-ins in the finals, and walked away with the trophy. The first two dunks were just that nasty.

Meanwhile, Gerald Green pulls off one of the most creative and impressive dunks I have ever seen, and is nothing but an afterthought. I’m here to tell you right now, that the Birthday Cake dunk was just flat out COOL. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s like the old “Kiss the Rim” dunk, with a little more theatrics, and a lot lower risk of serious head trauma. Too bad he had to pull it off opposite Superman. I guess someone had to play the Steve Francis role of “Great Contestant Who Gets Severely Overshadowed By A Freak Show.” That’s OK Gerald, you’ll always have last year.

What about Rudy Gay and Jamario Moon, the two guys that had the most pre-contest hype? Well, they proved once again, exactly what hype gets you… squat. Now, to be fair, they had some nice moments, especially Rudy’s off the basket support dunk, that would have been sweeeet, had Superman (or was he still Clark Kent at that point?) not already pulled off what was essentially a more impressive version of the same dunk. Sorry, buddy, not your year either. And, at least Jamario knew he needed to go BIG on his second attempt. He set it up well, and was able to get the arena buzzing, but just didn’t have it in him. Maybe next, year.

All in all, this years competition was EXACTLY what the NBA had in mind when they reintroduced the ABA's dunk contest, in 1984. Let’s see… how about we take some of the best athletes in the world [check], get them to do disgusting things that no one has ever seen (or hoped to see) [check!], and after all that, have the winner catapult himself to superstardom [CHECK!]. Yeah, you can just go ahead and chalk this one up in the Success column.

Anyways, I’m gonna finish this off with my personal 2008 Slam Dunk Contest Top 5 Best Dunks list.

[Drum Roll, please]

1. Off the Back of the Backboard – WOW! Not only did he catch the oop off the backside of the backboard, and not only was his head still behind the backboard when he threw it down, but he threw in a fierce left-handed windmill for good measure, and threw it down clean as can be. Oh, and did you notice the weird bounce he got off the throw? Yeah, sick. (I'm already penciling it into my Top 5 ever.)

2. Birthday Cake – Arguably the most impressive and creative. It’s exactly what the contest is all about, and shows off Gerald Greens freaky hops. (He’s the only person I’ve seen get as high as LeBron in a McDonalds All-American dunk contest, and that's saying something.)

3. Superman – Not actually a dunk, but the whole “event” of the dunk was so off the charts perfect, and the “dunk” was still so unrealistically awesome looking, that it was just plain ridiculous. And isn't it the same idea as a dunk if you can get so high above that basket that you can throw it through the hoop? That sure works for me. The only question that remains is, "How long ‘til the Superman fathead is available?", cause I might have to get me one.

4. Dwight on Tap (tap off the glass) – Pretty-god-damn-impressive is the only way to describe this dunk. The sheer athleticism it takes to even attempt this dunk is unreal. Of course, Superman made it look easy.

5. Rudy off the Support – This dunk is getting no love, mostly because it followed Dwight’s disgusting older-sibling. But, still, this was very impressive. Hey, if you’re gonna be a JV something, at least be a JV Superman.

And that list doesn’t even take into account the Mini Hoop dunk or the vastly underrated No-Shoes, Through the Legs jam. All in all, it was pretty damn good show, and the NBA should be proud. And, I can tell you one thing, you better believe I'm gonna tune in next year, and I have a feeling I’m not alone.

GRADES

Overall: B+ This Year: A