First things first, I do not see Kobe Bryant being traded this season. What would the Los Angeles Lakers gain by trading Kobe Bryant? If Kobe Bean Bryant continues to adorn the purple and gold of the Lakers three things are guaranteed. 1) The Lakers will at least make the playoffs. Not contend for a title, but they will be a top eight team in the Western Conference. 2) The Los Angeles Lakers will stay relevant always showcased on ESPN Sportscenter, guaranteed. 3) Because of reasons 1 & 2, the Lakers can charge whatever they want for tickets, which is the number one reason the team will not trade Kobe Bryant. Movie stars do not want to spend thousands for courtside seats to watch Luol Deng or Josh Howard. Los Angeles needs a Super Duper Star… Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Amare Stoudemire, that’s about it. I honestly don’t even think Gilbert or Dirk are big enough stars for L.A. I am not saying I would take any of these players for Kobe, because I wouldn’t, but I’m just saying. L.A. needs its show time, excitement, and playoffs. Jerry Buss understands this so Kobe is not going anywhere. Buss already botched the Shaquille O’Neal trade and was too scared to pull the trigger on the Kwame Brown & Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd deal(which is the entire reason Kobe is pissed), but he cannot lose Black Mamba. Does Buss really want to go down in history as the guy who dealt away Shaq and Kobe? Which got me thinking… What are some of the worst trades in the last 15 years?

OK, a few rule disclaimers.

1. This is my list, so if you don’t like it, leave a comment and we can discuss.
2. I think Vince Carter is soft as cake, so the poo-poo platter Toronto got for him is fine by me.
3. Orlando also received the poo-poo platter for Tracy McGrady, but T-Mac still hasn’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs so it’s a wash.
4. I like Stephon Marbury a lot. It is not his fault that future Hall of Famers take over his teams after he leaves. Besides, Jason Kidd pleaded guilty to domestic violence, Phoenix had to trade him.
5. Eddie Curry averaged 20pts, 7rebs, and shot 58% from the field last season for the New York Knicks. With that said, do you really think Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah will be able to match that production? (The two players the Bulls drafted with the Knicks draft picks traded for Curry) I don’t think so, but it’s too early to tell.
6. Similarly if the Phoenix Suns get O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Ty Lawson, or Donte Green with Atlanta’s unprotected 1st round pick this upcoming draft (for Joe Johnson) this will go down as the most lopsided trade ever, but again, to early to tell.

Alright with that out the way, here are the worst 5 trades over the past 15 years;

Honorable Mention

The Washington Wizards trade Kwame Brown and Laron Profit to the Los Angeles Lakers for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins.

Kwame Brown was supposed to be the future of the Washington Wizards. During his pre-draft workouts with Michael Jordan he told his royal airness, “if you draft me, you’ll never regret it.� It did not take long before Jordan regretted it. MJ verbally and physically abused Kwame, crushing all confidence he once possessed. It is rumored that during practice Jordan smacked Kwame in the face and told him to “stop being a bitch!� After Jordan was fired by the Wizards Kwame still could not get the job done. During the 2005 playoffs a Gilbert Arenas video appeared on the scoreboard at the Verizon Center pleading with fans to no longer boo Brown. Kwame responded with skipped playoff practices and a game. He even threatened to punch Arenas in the face through the media. So he was shipped to Los Angeles were he averages a pathetic 7pts and 6rebs.

In return the Washington Wizards received the 2001 Big East Player of the Year. Drafted by the Miami Heat with the 10th pick of the 2002 draft Caron Butler was traded to the Lakers in the deal that sent Shaquille O’Neal to Miami, only to eventually land in Washington. Joining the Wizards “big three� Caron Butler made his first All-Star team and averaged 18pts and 7rebs a game this past season. I bet Kobe wished he was a part of a big three (Kobe, Lamar, and Caron) instead of having Kwame Brown.

5. The Miami Heat trade Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and a 1st round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Shaquille O’Neal.

The Miami version of Shaq is extremely lazy. Shaq took half of the season off last year and in case you didn’t know, Miami is in a lot of trouble this year. There is no doubt in my mind that Dwayne Wade will opt out of his contract in the fourth year player option. But they did win a championship so… I still don’t understand why Shaq can play second fiddle to Wade, but not Kobe.

Jerry Buss completely botched this trade. He traded away Caron Butler for Kwame Brown and Brian Grant was awful. Would you trade Shaquille O’Neal for Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom? I didn’t think so.

4. The Milwaukee Bucks trade the draft rights to the 9th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Dirk Nowitzki, to the Dallas Mavericks for the draft rights to the 6th pick of the 1998 NBA, Draft Robert “Tractor� Traylor, and Pat Garrity.

At the time Milwaukee felt this was a good move for their franchise. Tractor Traylor was coming off an Honorable Mention All-American season. The Big Ten 1st Teamer even broke a backboard! After seven NBA seasons averaging 5pts and 4rebs a game following his estranged father Paul Silas wherever he coached, Traylor left the NBA for better things. For example: pleading guilty to a federal income tax charge stemming from interactions with his drug dealing cousin. Traylor is also standing charges of laundering four million dollars in drug money…

Meanwhile Dirk Nowitzki has career averages of 22pts and 9rebs. The six time All-Star was named the 2007 NBA MVP and won the 2006 three-point shoot-out trophy. The Bucks should have kept the David Hasselhoff junkie!

3. The Washington Wizards trade Chris Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond.

Sorry, I just threw up…

The Bullets were a young team on the rise. After ending an eight year playoff drought the future looked bright. The problem… Webber loved the DC nightlife too much. So the Wizards traded the budding superstar for a fading Mitch Richmond before the start of the 1999-2000 season. (You have no idea how much pain this section is causing me) Mitch Richmond was fresh off a 23pt per game season averaging a 39% stroke from three, but the Kings never won over 40 games with him as their star. Never fully healthy in Washington, Richmond never won more than 30 games in his three years with the club.

Chris Webber went on to dominate the NBA for the next six years. He turned the Sacramento Kings into an instant contender battling the Lakers every year for Western Dominance. One of the best power forwards of his era, Webber averaged 23pts, 11rebs, and 5asts a game while in Sacramento.

2. The Charlotte Hornets trade the draft rights to the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.

As the story goes…

The night before the 1996 draft the New Jersey Nets GM John Nash and new VP & head coach John Calipari ate dinner with Kobe Bryant’s parents. With the eighth pick of the draft the Nets were going to select the high school star. Bryant lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia allowing him to stay close to home and commute to Continental Airlines Arena in Jersey. Adidas’ Sonny Vaccaro had different plans for Kobe. Adidas just signed Kobe to a ten million dollar contract desiring him in a bigger market than New Jersey. The Hornets and the Lakers made a deal. Vaccaro and Bryant’s agent Arn Tellem told Nash that if the Nets selected Kobe he would refuse to play for them. Entering his first year as an NBA head coach Calipari did not want to take the risk. The rest is history, Kobe fell all the way to 13th were Jerry West already had his deal in place and dealt Vlade Divac for Kobe.

With that being said, Charlotte made a terrible mistake giving Kobe Bryant away to the Lakers. Sure Vlade Divac is one of only four (Kareem, Olajuwon, and Garnett) players in NBA history to achieve 13,000pts, 9,000rebs, and 3,000 assists. I don’t care if the 1996-1997 season was the best season in franchise history (54-28) for the Hornets. Vlade only averaged 11pts and 9rebs during his two seasons with the Hornets. I am sure the hive would have loved a Mugsy Bogues, Kobe Bryant backcourt to team with Glen Rice and Anthony Mason.

1. The Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Pheonix Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang.

Who are Tim Perry and Andrew Lang? Can you honestly tell me you remember them? This is the worst trade ever… So what did Barkley do his first season as a Sun?
Averaged 26pts, 12rebs, 5asts during the regular season, won league MVP, and took his team to the NBA Finals. Enough said.

It should come as no surprise Team USA took first place at the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifier basketball tournament. Team USA dominated the competition winning the gold by a margin of 39.8 points a contest. With superstars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony going against no name competition it was an easy road to victory. Power house teams such as Argentina and Brazil were not at full strength during the tournament having most of their NBA players sit out the tournament. Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, and Anderson Varejao chose not to play this summer leaving their teams at a definite disadvantage.

The story throughout the tournament has been LeBron James and his improved shooting. LeBron boasted a game of 4-4 from behind the arc along with his 8-11 from deep in the championship game. Even though Kobe Bryant’s intensity set the tone for this team, LeBron James receives all accolades and is the player seen in newspapers. If you go to ESPN.COM you will “witness� a large picture of LeBron holding the trophy… not Kobe Bryant. But in all actuality the MVP of this tournament is neither LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or Carmelo Anthony. The man responsible for the United States return to glory is none other than Jason Kidd.

Although Jason Kidd will not receive any credit, he was the silent leader of this team. Kidd led by example and played the point guard position to perfection during the Tournament of the Americas. In the nine games Team USA played Jason Kidd recorded a stat line of;

6-10 FG, 5-7 3-PT FG, 30 REB, 42 AST, 12 STL, 4 BLK, 4 TO

Those numbers may not look very impressive compared to LeBron’s 8-11 from three in the final, but it was exactly what the team needed. Coach K and team director Jerry Colangelo were desperate for players who could be given a role, except it, and execute it to perfection. Tyson Chandler is great example. His role was to play 5 to 10 minutes a game, rebound, and block shots. That’s it. Don’t shoot, don’t try to be a superstar, rebound and block shots. Jason Kidd’s job was not as simple… Run the team, give veteran leadership, while keeping LeBron, Kobe, and Melo happy. No small task, but Kidd executed to perfection.

Name another top five player at their respective position that would only shoot 10 times in 9 games? Not to mention make 6 of them. Kidd dished out 42 assists only committing 4 turnovers. That is an amazing stat. To put this into perspective, Antonio Daniels of the Washington Wizards led the NBA with a 4.20 assist to turnover ratio last season, Chauncey Billups finished second with a 3.59 ratio, and Steve Nash finished fifth in the NBA with a 3.08 assist to turnover ratio. Jason Kidd had a 10.50 ratio during the tournament. That number is a large reason this team did not struggle against their competition. Jason Kidd made sure every possession was a good possession. He made sure everyone got their shots up and more importantly that they were good shots. I give Kidd just as much credit for LeBron’s great play as I do King James. It’s easy to score when you get the ball at the perfect spots. In the championship game Jason Kidd had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. No shots taken, no turnovers. Kidd played extremely unselfishly throughout this tournament and should be commended for it.

With Team USA practicing in Vegas my basketball mind began to think… Kobe or Lebron? Who is the leader of this team? King James or Mamba? With five seconds left in the game who does Coach K go to? It’s definitely not Hibachi, that’s for sure. My guess is that it is Kobe’s teams, but it will be interesting to see how the media paints this picture. Kobe has been silent about his demand for a trade while Lebron’s stock is at an all time high. He is coming off of his first NBA Finals appearance, hosting the ESPYs, and will soon host Saturday Night Live. Could Lebron be anymore “who’s now?� I have had this argument many times with many people about who is the better player Kobe or Lebron. My vote goes to Mr. Bryant in a landslide.

1. Kobe Bryant was NBA All Defensive Team this season. In past seven seasons Kobe has been 1st Team All Defense four times and 2nd team twice! Lebron doesn’t play defense.

2. Kobe scored 81 points.

3. Would Kobe have kicked it out to Donyell Marshall?

4. Kobe has a mid range jumper.

5. The Cavaliers only finished eight games ahead of the Lakers playing in the East. Can you imagine if Kobe and the Lakers played in the East? They would have won atleast ten more games, giving them a better record than Lebron’s Cavs and maybe even winning the Eastern Conference regular season title.

Let’s elaborate more on this

6. Would the Lakers have beaten injury plagued Wizards in the playoffs? Yes!

7. Would the Lakers have beaten the lowly Nets in the playoffs? Yes!

8. Would the Lakers have beaten the Pistons in the playoffs with Flip Saunders not doubling Kobe Bryant at the end of games like he did James? I believe so.

9. Kobe scored 81 points.

10. Would the Lakers have won at least one game against the Spurs? Yes!

11. Would the Cavaliers have beaten the Suns in the playoffs? NO!

More elaboration

If the Cavaliers were in the Western Conference they would have been the six seed in the playoffs pairing them with the… Spurs! That’s rite, if Lebron played in the Western Conference he would not have won a playoff game!

12. Why does Kobe have a bad reputation of shooting to much and not getting his team involved? But it is OK when Lebron drops 48 on the Pistons? Why is Kobe’s 81 selfish, but Lebron’s 48 selfless?

13. Lebron cares more about being a global icon than he does winning a championship.

14. Kobe is getting bashed in the media for demanding more talent on the Laker roster. Everyone is suggesting he should be more like Lebron and just play and not complain, well give Lebron some time… which brings me to my next point.

15. If Kobe is selfish while Lebron is selfless, let’s look at their contracts.
A) Kobe signed a seven year deal committing his prime to his franchise.
B) Lebron signed a shorter deal to get more money and to have the option to leave Cleveland for brighter pastures.

16. Kobe could not wait to play this summer for Team USA, Lebron wanted to sit it out, but chose to participate because he does not want to miss out on the cash cow that will be the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (did you know Lebron is taking Mandarin for the Olympics so he can continue his goal to be a global icon)

17. Lebron can’t shoot free throws.

18. Lebron does not have the killer instinct that all the greats do. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, these guys were not nice guys on the court. These Hall of Famers wanted to kill you every time they stepped on the court. Lebron doesn’t have that. Kobe does.

19. Kobe scored 81.

Random Story

20. When Shaq left the Lakers Ray Allen decided to take a swipe at Kobe. Allen told reporters that he was looking forward to seeing Kobe struggle without Shaq. He was basically saying Kobe was not as good as he thought he was. Kobe replied in the media saying he would bust Allen’s ass the next time they played (obviously that is in my words not Kobe’s). When the Lakers went to Seattle to play the Sonics in the preseason that year, Ray Allen sat out. Kobe glared at Allen and jawed at him while he sat in his suit on the bench. The next time the two teams played, Ray Allen sat out again. Kobe Bryant scared Allen into sitting out two games, who does Lebron scare?

21. Lebron took the first half of the season off! Let me repeat that, LEBRON JAMES TOOK THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON OFF. Would Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson have taken half a season off?

22. Kobe has 3 Championship rings, he won them with Shaq, but I didn’t see Shaq winning any championships before he met Kobe.

23. If you bet everything you own on one game and your team is down by one point with 15 seconds left with possession, who would you want taking the last shot? Kobe or Lebron?

24. I don’t know why everyone is angry at Kobe for hating his GM and Team President, I remember a certain #23 with the word “air� in his nickname hating his GM and Team President, but no one says anything bad about him.

The Miami Heat

After failing to defend their NBA title the Miami Heat are hoping to return to glory in the 2007-2008 season. Team President and Coach Pat Riley has built a veteran ball club with a win now attitude. Three of the team’s starters are over the age of 31 and Dwayne Wade is only player in rotation under the age of 27. Veteran ball clubs tend to have success, the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs were the oldest team in the league. The problem is how the Miami Heat drafted this year. The Spurs draft for need and add veteran Europeans to their roster. Pat Riley has never been a big component of Europeans on his rosters, but you still have to help your team in the draft.

The Miami Heat are desperate for point guard help. Gary “the mitten� Payton and Jason “white chocolate� Williams are both way past their primes and have outgrown their nicknames. With the defensive rule changes and the wave of young, fast, and athletic points entering the league, these two dinosaurs are liabilities anytime they lace up their Nikes. With that being said, why didn’t the Miami Heat draft Gabe Pruitt from USC? He is a 6’4� athletic point guard that would have been able to contribute right away. Instead they draft Daequan Cook?

In 2004 the Miami Heat were in need of a point guard. Dwayne Wade had his coming out party during the playoffs and starting point guard Rafer Alston was a free agent and looking for big money. The Heat wanted Wade playing point guard as little as possible, so he could have more opportunities to create. Is this sounding familiar? On draft night the College Player of the Year, Jameer Nelson, was still on the board when it was Miami’s turn to pick. What did they do? With the 19th pick of the 2004 draft, the Miami Heat draft Dorell Wright. Wright is a 6’8� athletic scorer who was not ready for the NBA and to this day is unable to crack the Heats rotation. Daequan Cook is a 6’6� athletic scorer who is not ready for the NBA and will be sent straight to the D-League, does not pass go, do not collect $200. Why did the Miami Heat make the same mistake they made in 2004?

The Houston Rockets

If you already have a starting point guard in Rafer Alston, why would you draft another point guard? The Rockets must need of a back up point guard. But they just traded for Mike James… They are in need of a third point guard then, wait a minute, don’t they have Luther Head?

This was a wasted pick, the Houston Rockets already have three point guards. With Aaron Afflalo, Glen Davis, and Marcus Williams still on the board, why wouldn’t you draft a need position? Aaron Brooks wasn’t even the best point guard left on the board.

The New Jersey Nets

The Nets selected Sean Williams from Boston College in the 2007 NBA Draft. The team now has the oldest pothead in the NBA and the newest pothead in the NBA. Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke meets Method Man and Redman’s How High.

With the Nets resigning Vince Carter the team is guaranteed to sell tickets and make the playoffs for the next two or three years. The Nets are also guaranteed never to make it out of the first round of the Easter Conference Playoffs for the next two or three years because Vince Carter has no heart. He will have even less now that he is paid.

The Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons had a great draft. They picked up two big guards that will be able to compete right away. The biggest knock against the Pistons is that they have no depth. Detroit always plays well during the season, but runs out of gas come playoff time. Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo are capable of coming off the bench and giving the Detroit guards some much needed rest. Afflalo was projected to be a second round pick in the draft despite leading his team to consecutive Final Four appearances. He has a nice mid-range game and should fit in nicely as Richard Hamilton’s back up.

The Los Angeles Clippers

I like Al Thorton, but now they HAVE to trade Corey Maggette. Imagine Maggette playing for a team he actually wants to play for. When he is on the court it is obvious he does not want to be there. Maybe the Wizards could offer Jamison for Maggette and Tim Thomas. Clippers would get cap relief in a year and rid themselves of the terrible contract of Tim Thomas. The Wizards would get a niece piece in Corey Maggette and when Tim Thomas doesn’t play hard Etan Thomas can just beat him up.

The Phoenix Suns

Why do they keep giving their first round picks away? This does not make any sense. If Kerr wants to save his buddy owner Robert Saver some money, why don’t they draft foreigners like Tiago Splitter and just leave him overseas?

The Atlanta Hawks

Hell must have frozen over. In the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions drafted yet another receiver with a top pick, but this time it was the right move. The Washington Redskins did not trade any of their future NFL draft picks in this year’s draft, and the Atlanta Hawks did not draft a small forward in the NBA draft!

The Atlanta Hawks had a great draft adding Al Horford and Acie Law IV. The team finally added some much need post scoring and a point guard leadership. With a starting lineup of Acie Law IV, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford, this team should be able to run with anyone. This is now an exciting young team that actually has a future.

Acie Law IV told the Atlanta Journal he is exciting about being in Atlanta so he can be reunited with his long lost twin Atlanta comedian Shawty Shawty. So don’t be surprised when you see Law IV through an alley-oop to Marvin Gaye Williams then turn the crowd and yell, “What my name iz?�

Boston Celtics

Contrary to popular belief the Boston Celtics took a step forward on draft night. The Celtics took center stage at the 2007 NBA Draft when they traded the rights to Jeff Green, the number five pick in the draft, Delonte West, and Wally Szczerbiak to the Seattle Supersonics for veteran shooting guard Ray Allen and the rights to second round pick Glen “Big Baby� Davis. Fans and analysts complain Boston Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge mortgaged the future of the Boston Celtics on Ray Allen who is passed his prime at the age of 32. In all honesty Ainge gave the Celtics a chance to compete for the next three seasons in the East, while making the Celtics relevant again.

No matter what the Celtics did on draft day it would not be enough to please Boston and ESPN’s Sports Guy. The Boston Celtics spent the entire season tanking games in an attempt to secure the first or second pick in the draft. If this was the NFL it would have been a good plan because they are without draft lottery, but in the NBA it is all about chance. Despite having the second worst record in the league the Celtics wound up with the fifth pick in the draft. The outcry from Boston was heard worldwide as sports fans watched an interview of Ainge and Boston Coach Doc Rivers sitting in utter depression on May 22, 2007. Because the Celtics did not land a top two pick in the draft, Boston fans view the upcoming draft as failure, no matter who they draft. Ainge had to try and pull of something big, even though he knew anything short of Kevin Garnett would not be enough.

During the 2006-2007 season the Boston Celtics were one of the youngest teams in the league. The team’s veteran leader Paul Pierce despite signing a max extension a year earlier began to voice his opinion publicly asking for veteran help. With the fifth pick in the draft there was not a player on the board that would give Paul Pierce immediate help or guaranteed a playoff spot. To draft a player of that caliber is to admit you are rebuilding and waiting for Paul Pierce to request a trade, not ready to take that step, Ainge decided to trade the pick.

With the addition of Ray Allen the Boston Celtics become a playoff team. Although Ray Allen will be 32 by the time the season starts, he can still play. Last season Allen averaged 26 points a game in the West and shot 37% from the three point line. Pair those numbers with Paul Pierce’s 25 points a game and 39% from behind arc numbers from last year and I dare any team to double team Celtics big man Al Jefferson. Ray Allen might be getting older, but it doesn’t take much energy to stand around and shoot wide open threes when teams are scrambling to get the ball out of Paul Pierce’s hands and doubling Al Jefferson. The Boston Celtics play in the worst division in the NBA. Remember that before the Raptors went on their run last year, it was thought that the Atlantic Division winner would not even have a winning record. The Raptors won the division with a record of only six games above .500 while the Nets were a six seed in the playoffs with a .500 record of 41-41. Boston should win more than half their games. If Pierce and Allen get hot for a few weeks it’s possible they can win their division. Personally I’m looking forward to seeing Al Jefferson and Glen “Big Baby� Davis on the court at the same time. Those are two huge athletic guys that can definitely hold down the interior in the East.

On a side note:
The union of Allen and Pierce will work better than the Anthony/Iverson combo because of outside shooting. The Nuggets are desperate for outside shooting, making it easier for teams to double down on Melo and AI, they need someone to spread the floor. With both Allan and Pierce outside shooting will not be an issue for the Celtics.

The Portland Trailblazers

I love what the Blazers did in this year’s draft. Greg Oden was the obvious pick at number one, but the rest of their picks were perfect. Buying the Phoenix Suns first round pick to draft Rudy Fernandez was a quality decision.
Getting Duke’s Josh McRoberts in the second round was a steal.

Trading Zach Randolph to the New York Knicks for Channing Frye and Stevie Franchise was also a great decision by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Ignoring rumors of Portland not wanting Zach Randolph anywhere near Greg Oden, Randolph needed to be moved to give Aldridge more playing time. LaMarcus Aldridge is a complete beast. I am still shocked the Bulls thought Tyrus Thomas would be a better NBA player in last year’s draft. Chicago needed low post scoring so they take an athletic shot blocker who needs time to develop over a dynamic low post scorer who can play right away, but I digress…

The Blazers will probably buy out Franchise’s contract, but listen to how many young talented big men the now Blazers have, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Josh McRoberts, and Channing Frye! The Blazers are also deep at guard having Jarred Jack, Brandon Roy (rookie of the year), Martell Webster, Sergio Rodriguez, and Travis Outlaw.

Portland can boast a starting lineup of Jack, Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge, and Oden, with a quality back up at every position. Jarred Jack is the oldest person in the rotation at 23! The Blazers can even go big and McRoberts, Frye, or Aldride at small forward. They have the personnel to go small too, but why would they ever want to? The days of the Jailblazers are a thing of the past, the Portland Trailblazers are going to make a serious run for the NBA Championship in about three years. Kobe should be lobbying to go Portland.

New York Knickerbockers

I think Isaiah, as usual, had a strong draft. Wilson Chandler was a solid pick at 23 and we all know never to question Zeke on draft day. The big addition to the New York Knicks is Zach Randolph. Although I was hoping the Blazers were trading him to the Wizards for Jamison, I am happy for Isaiah and Spike. New York moved a terrible contract in Steve Franchise and received a great low post threat. Zach Randolph averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds a game in the Western Conference last year, imagine what he will do in the East. (Wizards we blew it!) Team Randolph with another low post scorer in Eddy Curry and I don’t know if there is a better tandem of scoring big men in the league. The Knicks have the size and firepower to compete with anyone in the League. But I have to ask, everyone booed Isaiah Thomas for the Eddy Curry trade, but in retrospect is the combo of Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah better than Curry?

11. The Atlanta Hawks select Joakim Noah out of Florida University

The Atlanta Hawks cannot second guess drafting Conley with the third pick wishing they addressed their point guard problems here. Conley would not still be on the board at this point and is a much better fit than Crittenton from Georgia Tech. Acie Law IV would be available with the 11th pick, but Conley is better fit for the roster and a potential superstar.

12. The Philadelphia 76ers select Al Thorton out of Florida State

Look for the Sixers to do some wheelin’ and dealin’ in this year’s draft. They have three first round picks and might look to move up in the draft. If they stay put Al Thorton is the guy. He has the physical tools to fit in nicely with Andre Miller and Andre Igodola. The Sixers are going to have a freakishly athletic, defensive, and young team next year. I just hope they can keep Larry Brown away from the sidelines.

13. The New Orleans Hornets select Thaddeous Young out of Georgia Tech

The Hornets were very aggressive last year in free agency. After point guard Chris Paul won rookie of the year the organization has tried to surround him with weapons to ensure success. The problem is the Hornets invested 15 million a year in injury proned has-beens Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson. Peja made ten million dollars this year only playing in thirteen games. Jackson will be 37 by the time his contract is up.

The Hornets need to find Peja’s replacement and fast. They need an athletic small forward who can run the floor with Chris Paul. With Desmond Mason entering free agency the need for such a player is even greater. Ladies and gentlemen Thaddeous Young!

14. The Los Angeles Clippers select Acie Law IV out of Texas A&M

This is the perfect situation for both the Clippers and Law. With point guard Sean Livingston’s career in jeopardy after a tragic injury, the Clippers are in need of a point guard. Acie Law is a fearless point guard with a great midrange jump shot, who better for him to learn from than Sam Cassel. Law could not ask for a bettor mentor that Sam I Am. This is probably Cassel’s last season so when Livingston is healthy again, the Clippers will have two solid point guards for the future.

15. The Detroit Pistons select Rodney Stuckey out of Eastern Washington

Stuckey dominated the Big Sky conference this season. Although I have not seen him play the consensus is that he would be a perfect fit in Detroit. He is a big strong combo guard that Dumars covets.

With that being said, where do the Pistons go from here? Can this team afford not to make any major changes to the roster? If the team decides to pay Billups the max contract he desires not only will the team be getting old, they will be financially strapped. Does Dumars really want the same aging team that came up short three years and running? Don’t forget Richard Hamilton is going to need a new contract after this season. Doing a sign-and-trade with Billups might not be a bad idea at this point to get some young talent in there. Trading Sheed back to the Wizards for Antwan Jamison would be a great move.

16. The Washington Wizards select Nick Young out of USC

Hopefully Nick Young will still be on the board at this point in the draft. The Wizards are about three picks to late to get a player that they really need, but Young is a decent consolation prize. Jarvis Hayes is gone, Thank God! Nick Young is what you would call a great upgrade, like getting Shawn Marion or Gerald Wallace for Atwan Jamison. Nick Young can shoot the ball and is extremely athletic. He would fit in nicely at the two guard between Arenas and Butler.

Some thoughts around the beltway are that the Wizards should go big with this pick, but they should first see what they have in Oleksiy Pecherov, the Ukrainian big men we drafted last year. Nick Young fills an immediate need for a two guard, especially if we cannot re-sign Deshawn Stevenson and his John Cena, “you can’t see me� dance!

17. The New Jersey Nets select Sean Williams out of Boston College

The New Jersey Nets actually have a pretty deep roster. It is hard notice because Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson get all the shots and minutes. But with Marcus Williams, Hassan Adams, Josh Boone, and Bostjan Nachbar the team has a nice group of young players. Let’s not forget that center Nenad Krstic was hurt all season after having a breakout performance in last year’s playoffs. At this point in the draft the Nets should take the best player on the board and Sean Williams is that guy. Besides you know Williams and Uncle Cliffy have TONS in common.

18. The Golden State Warrior select Jason Smith out of Colorado

The Warriors obviously need to draft a power forward or center. After being destroyed by Carlos Boozer in the playoffs the Warriors need to get bigger. Jason Smith is a perfect fit for Golden State. He is the type of skilled big man Coach Nelson loves. Smith will be able to spread the floor and draw the opponents big away from the basket. The water cooler talk is the Warriors are dangling Jason Richardson in order to move up in the draft to get their hands on Yi. The Warriors could offer Jason Richardson, Monta Ellis/Andris Biendrins and the no. 18 pick for the no. 5 pick to draft Yi. Would Boston bite?

19. The Los Angeles Lakers select Javaris Crittenton out of Georgia Tech

Do the words Ron Harper mean anything to you? Phil Jackson loves big point guards, why do you think he has stuck with Smush Parker for so long? Crittenton is a 6’5� pure point guards who can defend, although he is not a great three point shooter he should fit in nicely to the triangle offense. Unless the Lakers decided to trade this pick in order to appease Kobe Bryant (who is not going anywhere) Crittenton is their guy.

20. The Miami Heat select Gabe Pruitt out of USC

Between Jason Williams and Gary Payton the Miami Heat are desperate for youth at the point guard position. Williams will have a great year this season (contract year), but the Miami Heat need to get younger and make drastic improvements if they plan on retaining Dwayne Wade when he becomes a free agent in two seasons. Pruitt is the guy to get it done. And it’s not because he is the last point guard on the board, Pat Riley really likes him. Honest…

1. Portland Trailblazers select Greg Oden out of Ohio State

This pick of course is no surprise. With a young core of Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, and Travis Outlaw the Trailblazers are on their way to being powerhouse in the west. The next step Portland must take is trade Zach Randolph and Darius Miles. The organization must get Miles and Randolph as far away from Oden as possible before they corrupt him. Personally Zach Randolph for Antwan Jamison sounds good to me!

2. The Seattle Super Sonics select Kevin Durant out of Texas

This is another no brainer. The real question the Sonics have is what are they going to do about Rashard Lewis? In an NBA that is getting smaller by the minute, playing Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Kevin Durant would be a powerful lineup. If Lewis is allowed to walk, he should go to Charlotte.

3. The Atlanta Hawks select Al Thorton, just kidding, Michael Conley Jr.

Who knows what the Hawks are going to do with this pick. They should address their need at point guard. Michael Conley can play right away and will take pressure off Joe Johnson. The Hawks are overloaded with young athletic wing men and are desperate for a point guard to force tempo and get players easy baskets. With a young nucleus of Michael Conley Jr., Marvin Gaye Williams, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith the Atlanta Hawks would be exciting to watch and might even win a game or two. Knowing Hawks management they will probably draft Yi here.

4. The Memphis Grizzlies select Al Hortford out of Florida

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team on the rise. Everyone forgets they were a perennial playoff team before this season. Even though they have yet to win a playoff game, getting there in the west is an accomplishment. This is a young, deep, and very athletic roster and with another lost post scorer to team with Pau Gasol (I don’t think he is leaving), the Grizzlies will not be in the lottery next year.

5. The Boston Celtics select Yi Jianlian

Look for the Celtics to trade out of the spot. Boston fans had their dreams crushed when they failed to land one of the top two picks in the draft. Danny Ainge must pull a rabbit out of his hat this off season to save his job. Any player the Celtics draft with this pick will ultimately be a disappointment because the player last name will not be Oden or Durant, expectations are too high. Yi is not a sure thing, the chances of being a bust are pretty high. Yi will take time to adjust to American culture and the NBA’s physical play. Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, and Danny Ainge do not have that type of time. There are plenty of teams drooling over Yi, Green, and Brewer at this point, the Celtics should deal the pick and try and get a veteran.

Maybe offer Philly this pick for Andre Miller and the no. 12 pick. Or the no. 5 pick for Philly’s no. 12 and 21 picks.

Phoenix has two first round picks and word around the water cooler is that they are trying to rid themselves of Shawn Marion’s contract…

Not to mention Kevin Garnett…

6. The Milwaukee Bucks select Brandon Wright out of North Carolina

The Milwaukee Bucks are another team on the rise. After suffering a year of injuries and tanking, look for the Bucks to back in the playoffs next season. The Bucks should return a strong starting five of Mo Williams, Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva, and Andrew Bogut. Julian Wright would be a good pick here as a solid sixth man, but with Villanueva’s injury bug, I think you have to address the power forward position and select Brandon Wright.

7. The Minnesota Timberwolves select… TRADE KEVIN GARNETT

No seriously, TRADE KEVIN GARNETT (Jeff Greene)

8. The Charlotte Bobcats select Corey Brewer out of Florida

I love Corey Brewer. He is the third best player in this draft. He is 6’8�, a great defensive player, and can shoot. Brewer is the new and improved version of Tayshaun Prince. Having no problem beating out Adam Morrison for a starting role the Bobcats will boast a starting line up of Raymond Felton, Corey Brewer, Gerald Wallace/Rashard Lewis, Sean May, and Ameka Okafor. The future doesn’t look so bad in Charlotte.

9. The Chicago Bulls select Spencer Hawes out of Washington

Spencer Hawes is overrated. He will have a decent NBA career, but not a great one. He may have a nice offensive game, but he is non existent on the defensive end and I do not see Coach Skiles approving of that very much. But since the Bulls are so desperate for inside scoring they will take Hawes here and hope Big Ben can carry the load defensively. I still don’t know why the Bulls choose Tyrus Thomas over LaMarcus Aldridge last year, because if they took Aldridge we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

10. The Sacramento Kings select Julian Wright from Kansas

Julian Wright is another overrated player. Saying he is the next Boris Diaw is not a great compliment. Diaw had a terrible season this year and got suspended in the playoffs, why would you want to be compared to him? With that said, Julian Wright will be a nice compliment to Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin playing point forward for a team destined for next years lottery.

Tune in Tomorrow for picks 11-20

We get it already. The San Antonio Spurs are the most fundamental hoops team in the world, the best team in the league this year, the most consistent NBA team of the last 10 years and the absolute epitome of what winning basketball should look like.

And even to the most dedicated of hoops fans, the Spurs’ accolades aren’t quite enough to help maintain general interest in the NBA finals. Even NBA commissioner David Stern conceded to “inelegant games” this series.

Why should anyone in their right mind watch tonight’s Game 4 in Cleveland?

The first two games included excellent play from San Antonio and awful play from Cleveland. Now A may have been a product of B, or vice versa, but all in all, the games were dull.

The third game concluded with a three-point difference, making those who didn’t watch assume Cleveland, at some point, had a fighting chance. They didn’t. At halftime, the Spurs led by 25 and, essentially, got bored. They got as lazy as a team about to cakewalk through an inferior team would, and allowed the Cavs to crawl within 5 points in the fourth quarter. Even still, a few jumpers from Ginobli and a fundamental bucket from The Big Fundamental and the game was easily controlled yet again by the Spurs.

This may just be the year fans built up hopes for a Phoenix fast-paced style of scoring-filled series, but the Spurs dynasty flexed their muscle and showed that flair is overrated when it comes to bringing home the coveted NBA championship.

Maybe the reason critics point to LeBron James’s “supporting cast” (term used loosely) is because the 3 games played so far felt more like they dragged on for 9 weeks rather than 9 hours.

The pleas will be for LeBron to high-tail it out of Cleveland as soon as he possibly can and he would be hard-pressed to find enough reasons for him not to listen. He found out that he can, single-handedly, walk through a good team (Detroit… despite “training in a pool”). But what he also found out was that although he has the allusions of grandeur, wanting to be the biggest icon in sports since Muhammad Ali, the level can only be reached by taking over those who sit atop his sport’s mountaintop.

So to LeBron I suggest floating like a butterfly — high-tailing it out of Cleveland ASAP — because despite his talent and star power, I’d rather be stung by a bee than to watching Game 4, the final game of the series.

In trying to convince myself, the following are the pros and cons I considered for deciding whether I should watch tonight’s Game 4:

PROS

• ABC may show us pictures of Bryce Maximus James, LeBron’s second child, born this morning in Cleveland. This will lead to critics speculating which NBA superstar, young B-Max will compare to, raising his expectations exponentially higher than his father’s.
• Any highlight, whatsoever, hopefully including a round 2 of a LeBron James facial on Tim Duncan.
• There’s always those lovely Eva Longoria shots, right?
• Drew Gooden’s haircut can make even the corniest announcers reach down and come up with a few quality jokes.

CONS

• With a 3-0 lead, even if the Cavs manage to find a way to win there will be very little excitement from any front as to their true chances of winning the series.
• They may not show LeBron’s latest seed, thus delaying coverage of B-Max until the NBA draft, when the Boston Celtics will consider taking the “future” with the 5th pick in complete desperation.
• What if they don’t show us Eva Longoria????
• The series is O-V-A and would do us a big favor by emulating a certain other notable season finale and simply fading to black at any point in the game.

Going into the final quarter of game four of the 2007 Western Conference Finals, the game was all but tied. Deron Williams was playing great, Carlos Boozer was playing up to par with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili was having a rough shooting night. Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan could not ask for a better situation at this point in the series…

The San Antonio Spurs showed last night why are they are ready to return to the NBA Finals for a rematch with the Detroit Pistons. Behind the steady play of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and unsung heroes Fabricio Oberto and Jacque Vaughn the Spurs were able to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Utah Jazz Ginobili came up huge last night scoring 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Spurs also shot 19 of 25 from the free throw line during the final period. The Spurs are a veteran team ready to take their throne as the Western Conference Champions, while the Utah Jazz look more like the disgruntled Golden State Warriors than a team ready to take the next step.

One shining star for the Utah Jazz is Deron Williams. The second-year point guard has put on a show during the NBA Playoffs proving he deserved to be taken third overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. Watching him play his college basketball at Illinois, I did not think he would become an impact player. Although he has not played against a point guard known for their defense during the playoffs, being able to average nearly thirty points and nine assists against one of the best defensive teams in the league is impressive.

Usually it is the visiting All-Star guard with the stomach virus who dominates in Utah, but last night Deron Williams was amazing. The Utah point guard continues to out-play Tony Parker causing San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich to bench Parker for long stretches of the second half for the more defensive Jacque Vaughn. Williams’ quickness and strength enables him to dominate ball games like few point guards can. Because of the new hand checking rules, the NBA has shifted to a quicker, smaller game allowing point guards such as Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Tony Parker to get anywhere they please on the court. Because of this rule, college players such as Michael Conley Jr. from Ohio State and North Carolina’s Ty Lawson are held at such high accord. As a result of the smaller point guard movement, the larger, more athletic point guards have flourished in the playoffs. Jason Kidd AVERAGED a triple double in the post season, while Baron Davis was able to dominate the smaller guards of the Dallas Mavericks. Deron Williams fits in the category of a big athletic point guard that manhandled smaller playoff guards such as T.J. Ford, Devin Harris, Jason Terry and Monta Ellis.

The San Antonio Spurs are one the best teams of the decade. Tim Duncan is arguably the best power forward ever to play the game. Tony Parker might be the fastest point guard with the ball in his hands in the NBA. So why does everyone hate the Spurs? Because their teammates Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobili are dirty players not playing the game the way it should be played. The Spurs last series against the Phoenix Suns, it was Bowen who was the culprit of dirty play. This series his tag-team partner Ginobili is the one disgracing the game. Last night I watched Manu Ginobili score a lay-up in the fourth quarter and then run directly into the back of Derek Fisher then falling to the floor as if Fisher was doing his best Robert Horry impression. The referee called Fisher for a technical foul that triggered the ejection of Utah coach Jerry Sloan.

I can not stand Manu Ginobili’s game. He is notorious for flopping, flailing body parts and traveling more than Eva Longoria during the playoffs. From kicking Amare Stoudamire in the crown jewels to falling every time he is touched Manu disrespects the game of basketball. During game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday, watch his feet. No one travels more than Manu driving to the basket. Dwayne Wade and Lebron James come in a close second and third, but no one can do it like Manu.

My hatred for Manu all started when he complained about Tim Duncan winning the Finals MVP in 2005. After the playoffs ended Ginobili ran home to Argentina and began to complain that he should have been the Finals MVP over Tim Duncan! Those comments do not deserve a response or an argument. Manu Ginobili plays basketball like a World Cup soccer match; good footwork, extremely competitive, and will do anything to win. Throwing elbows and knees, flopping, taking dives, anything to get an edge. Ginobili will even pull a Marco Materazzi and whisper into Sheed’s ear, causing a Zinedine Zidane reaction having Wallace head-butt Ginobili, ejecting Rasheed Wallace from the NBA Finals!